Always Meant To Be

Always Meant To Be


Joey Potter, once Witter, moaned as she watched her four year-old son chasing after Dawson’s twin, three year-old son and daughter, in the kitchen at Dawson’s house. The man in question chuckled, as did his wife, Jen (she doesn’t die).

She called out sternly, “Jason Charlie Todd, stop running in the kitchen. You’re going to end up breaking or knocking something over, or even worse, falling over and hurting yourself.”

She sighed and shook her head, as she adjusted her hold on her two year-old son in her arms, Damien Pacey Witter. He was Paecy’s son. Just as Jason was Charlie Todd’s.

To cut a long story short, Charlie had slept with Joey a week before he had left to go on tour with his band, unknown to both he and Joey that he had left her pregnant with his baby.

Joey had married Pacey two years later, after they had decided to try having a relationship again. And of course Joey had been pregnant when he had proposed.

Their marriage lasted an unbelievable two years. Pacey had been caught by Joey, cheating with Audrey. It was safe to say, Joey had divorced him four months ago. And she no longer talked to Audrey. She couldn’t, at least not without feeling the urge to claw out the blonde’s eyes in a fit of rage.

Jen sighed and called out, as a loud crash was heard from the other room, “Matthew Mitch Leery, Melissa Sara Leery, what on earth have you two gone and broke now?”

Jen moaned to her husband, “I swear Dawson, if your children have broken something of value, your never hearing the end of this.” Joey had to stifle a giggle behind her hand. She’d heard this conversation between her two friends more then once.

Dawson snorted and replied deadpan. “Excuse me, last time I checked they were just as much your children as they are mine.” He added in disbelief, “Ha, they’re only just my children when they’ve done something they shouldn’t have. And they’re your children when they’re not acting up. Nice love, real nice.”

Suddenly they heard Melissa let out an outraged shriek, “MOM! DAD! MATT PULLED MY HAIR!” Jen moaned and marched into the other room. She could be heard telling her son off, “What have I told you about pulling your sister’s hair?”

Joey and Dawson stifled amused chuckles, as they heard the innocent sounding reply from the little male Leery. “That I was not to do it, that it was wrong.” Jen could be heard saying, “Exactly. Now apologise to your sister. Go on, I’m waiting.”

Both Joey and Dawson could imagine Jen standing over the little male Leery, with her hands on her hips and a stern glare on her face. A few Seconds later they heard a reluctant sounding sorry being issued by Matthew to his twin sister.

A couple of minutes later the children re-entered the kitchen, with Jen entering behind them. She told her children to go and play out in the garden.” She added, as they ran out, “Oh, and remember what I said, play nice, even if your sister is a girl.”

Matthew whined, “But Mom, she’s got cooties, all girls have.” Melissa glowered at her brother and screamed, “So have you, you’re a boy, you all have them to. Boys are icky. So there.” She childishly pulled her tongue out. He returned the gesture, before running off.

Jason asked, “Mom, can I go out and play to?” Joey nodded, as she lovingly ruffled his dirty blond hair, Charlie’s hair. “Sure sweet heart, but remember, don’t go getting your clothing dirty. And remember to come when I call you in. We’ll be leaving soon, Ok?”

Jason’s looked up at his mother with big bright blue eyes, full of child like mischief. They were Charlie’s eyes. He was a spitting image of Charlie. The only thing he got from his mother was her nose and her ears.

He nodded and called out over his shoulder, as he ran outside, “Ok mom.” Joey called after him, “Oh, and Jason, don’t go playing in the mud, like I told you I want your clothing to remain clean.” Jason called back in an exasperated tone, “Yes mom, I won’t.”

As soon as he was out of ear shot, Jen commented, “I can’t get over how much he looks like Charlie. He’s like a miniature replica of him. It’s undeniable who his father is.”

Joey smiled sadly and commented, “Just between us, I wish I’d gone with Charlie when he asked me to go on tour with him and his band. But then I remember if I had, then I would have never gotten pregnant with Damien. I could never imagine not ever having him; regardless of the fact his father is Pacey Witter.”

Jen asked, “Joey, were you ever in love with Charlie?” Joey sighed and replied, “I was halfway there when he left. If he’d stuck around or if I’d gone with him, then yes, I seriously think I would have fallen in love with him very easily.”

She sighed, as she added, “He was so sweet and caring towards me. I would shoot him down, but still he would keep coming back for more. He never presumed I was anything but what I was. He could easily read me like a book.”

She added, “Christ, he was willing to give up a chance of a career for me. He was willing to stay behind for me. That’s until I insisted he leave and not give up on his dreams. Even then when he did turn and walk away from me, I could tell it took a lot out of him to do it without looking back.”

Jen said, “He was smitten with you Joey. That is what I gathered from the few times I saw you two together. I could clearly see that not once whilst you were in same room as him, would he look at another girl, never.”

Dawson asked his wife, “Do you seriously think he could have committed himself to Joey without cheating on her?” Jen looked thoughtful, before replying, “Surprisingly enough, yes, I could definitely see him being faithful to her. He was far too smitten with her for him not to be.”

Dawson asked, changing the subject, “So what time does your plane leave tonight?” Joey replied, “Nine.” Jen said, “I really wish you’d reconsider this.”

Joey shook her head and said, “I’m sorry guys, but I can’t stay here, where I’m able to bump into them constantly. I can’t stay where I want to claw her eyes out of their sockets and castrate him. I get the urge to do both of those things whenever I see them together.”

Jen said, “But North Carolina. Why so far?” Joey replied, “Charlie once told me, that he come from a small town called Tree Hill, in North Carolina. He told me his mother, along with his brother’s still live there.”

She added, “I want Jason to know his grandmother and his uncles. I realise Charlie won’t be there. But that’s not the point. The point is that I need a clean break from Pacey Witter.”

She concluded, “I’ve already accepted a teaching position at the local high school. I’m going to put that English and literature degree I have to good use.”

Jen sighed in defeat and said, “Fine. But you have to promise to come back and visit every once in a while.” Joey replied with a small smile, “As long as you both promise to come and visit me and the boys in Tree Hill.”

Jen smiled and nodded, while Dawson smiled at her sadly and said, “You can count on it.”