AMY?S CREEK - S01E22 - WHO TOLD YOU THAT IT WOULD BE EASY?

Disclaimer: I don?t own Dawson?s Creek or the characters from it.

Author?s Note: Hi guys. Sorry it took a while to get this one done, but basically what happened was that I re-read my original ending to the story and it kind of sucked. Therefore I had to re-think the entire ending episodes, so that I could give you something I thought was more up to par for the series. It also meant that I had to extend the storyline for another episode after this one, since I split the first episode I wrote into two. Thank you for your patience.

1. Int. Movie Set. Evening.

Dawson is looking frustrated, as his lighting technician is apologizing to him. Todd just looks impatient.

Dawson (voice over):

Sometimes I feel cursed.

Dawson:

How long will it be?

Lighting Tech:

Replacing one bulb won?t take long, but once one goes, you can bet your horses, that the others will sooner or later! How old are these fixtures, anyway?

Todd:

That doesn?t matter! We need a clear answer!

Lighting Tech:

I can have you ready to go in ten, if you just want the one bulb replaced. I would recommend changing all of them, though. If they?re as old. as I think they are ...

Todd:

We?ll stick to the one for now.

The lighting technician leaves them and gets to work. Todd shakes his head at the whole situation.

Todd:

Don?t worry about it.

Dawson:

We?re already behind schedule. It?s hard not to.

Todd:

You worry about getting the best out of the actors. Let me deal with the technical stuff.

Audrey comes walking over to them.

Todd:

Like this one.

Audrey:

Any word?

Dawson:

We?ll be up and running soon.

Todd:

I?ll make sure, it?s as fast as possible. If I?m paying them, then I?m making bloody sure, that they work for their pay!

Todd leaves them and goes to join the technicians. Audrey and Dawson smile shyly at each other.

Dawson:

No one said that it would be easy, did they?

Audrey:

You?re doing great, Dawson. Everyone here feels like they?re living in a dream, anyway.

Dawson:

Even you?

Audrey:

Especially me! You can always come to me, If you need moral support. I don?t know the first thing about making movies, but I remember how to cheer you up.

Dawson:

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Audrey:

I?ll tell the others.

She walks back to the other actors.

Dawson (voice over):

Why can?t I be blissfully unaware, like she is? It would make things so much easier!

Dawson tries to get his composure back.

OPENING CREDITS

2. Int. Dawson?s Apartment. Evening.

Dawson is working on his laptop, making changes to the script while having a glass of wine. The 80?s classic "Peggy Sue Got Married" is playing on mute on the TV.

Dawson (voice over):

Everyone has their own way of dealing with stress. For my mom, it?s her gardening, that relaxes her. When I was young and living in Capeside, it was easy. Call up Joey, Jen, Pacey or one of my other friends and they?d help me get rid of it in no time. Without them around, I had to find new ways, as I got older. In the beginning, it was girls. I?ll be the first to admit, that once I got a taste for it, I took full advantage of L.A?s wild night life and how easy it was to find an attractive girl, who was looking for someone to spend an evening with. None of you had to say, that it was just for that one evening. Then I fell for Audrey and all of a sudden, picking up girls, I didn?t care about, seemed like a waste of time.

He takes a sip of his wine and gets back to work.

Dawson (voice over):

While we were together, my way of dealing with that dreaded "S-Word" was simply being around her. She can be kind of a scatter-brain, which in this case was an advantage, since it meant, I didn?t get to dwell on anything for too long. After we broke up, dwelling became my life. I?d go out, have some drinks and try to be my old self, but it wasn?t the same as it used to be and I wasn?t the same guy anymore. In the past, I would find a girl and she would take my mind off things. Now, I would get drunk and obsess over the tiniest things, that went wrong with my life. The more I drank, the more things went wrong. I once showed up so drunk for a meeting with a producer, that I could barely talk. Alcohol is still my crutch, but I try to drink in moderation these days. I have to admit that it?s been getting harder, the more this movie has been stressing me out. If this isn?t my breakthrough, then it?s the end for me as a serious movie director. Maybe Todd will let me be an AD for a his commercials, if I?m lucky.

Melina comes in the front door, looking chipper.

Melina:

I didn?t think, you?d still be up.

Dawson:

I did a rewrite of a few of the scenes, where the dialogue wasn?t working.

She takes her coat off and sits down on the other couch.

Melina:

Does it work now?

Dawson:

I hope so. Sometimes you can?t tell, until you see it acted out. How was your evening?

Melina:

Pretty great, actually. You?

Dawson:

I keep going back and forth on whether this was a good idea.

Melina gives his a re-assuring smile.

Melina:

Dawson, it is and I?m not just saying that as your friend.

Dawson closes the laptop and takes the last sip of his wine.

Dawson:

There was a time, when I believed in myself. The movies I made were for the most part amateurish, but I was proud of them. Why can?t I go back to that?

Melina:

I have a theory, but you might not like it.

Dawson:

Alright. What is it?

Melina:

You desperately need to get Audrey back.

Dawson:

Melina, I told you ...

Melina:

That it?s complicated and I can accept that. The kicker is, that the two of you are clearly meant for each other. She?s the Cheech to your Chong, the Buffy to your Angel, the Slash to your Axl Rose! Do I have to come up with more analogies?

Dawson can?t help chuckling at her analogies.

Dawson:

If only it was that simple.

Melina:

It can be, if you want it to.

Dawson smiles to himself at her emotional innocence.

Dawson (voice over):

Is it? Me at her age would have tried my luck and seen where it took me, because I didn?t have as much to lose, as I do now. If it didn?t work out, then I could move on to the next one. If it doesn?t work out with Audrey, then what? See if I can find a Necromancer, who can bring Jen back from the dead? I stand a better chance of that, than breaking Joey and Pacey up, not that I?d want to.

3. Int. Car. Morning.

Dawson is driving and letting the wind blow through his hair.

Dawson (voice over):

We have an investor?s meeting with Emily, where we have to show her our dailies. It?s a standard procedure, that I?ve been a part of dozens of times. You show them a rough cut of what you?ve shot and hope that they won?t have too much to critique, because if they do, then it can send you right back to the drawing board. Of course none of those times had both mine and several other people?s futures riding on it. If she says that it doesn?t work, then we won?t have any other choice than to scrap the movie and our company altogether. After that, maybe I can hitch hike my way back to Capeside.

4. Int. Emily?s House. Day.

Emily is watching the screen almost as intently, as Dawson and Todd are trying to gage her reaction. The clip ends and she turns the TV off.

Emily:

This is everything you?ve shot so far?

Tood:

You know how it is, Em. Things happen, when you make movies.

Dawson:

Hopefully, we?ve had all the setbacks, we?re gonna get.

Emily:

Hopefully, you two know what you?re doing!

Todd:

You can?t deny that it has heart.

Emily:

What good is your movie having heart, if you never get to finish it?

Dawson:

We will. If we have to find some ways to cut cost, then we?ll do it.

Todd:

I don?t suppose we can ask you to raise another ten grand?

Emily:

With this? Have you started drinking heavily again, Todd? You have the money you have and it?ll have to do, unless you can somehow raise it yourselves.

Todd and Dawson look at each other and neither look too pleased.

5. Int. Diner. Day.

Todd and Dawson are having a cup of coffee and are discussing things.

Todd:

I would kill for a ciggy to go with this!

Dawson:

Still? You quit fifteen years ago!

Todd:

I miss how it helped me stop stressing. Is it time for plan B?

Dawson:

I?d rather not have to, but if it?s the only way ...

Todd:

Can you see any other solution? The way things are looking now, we?ll end up with a 45 minute short movie, that doesn?t have an ending! Try to sell that to the public!

Dawson:

I never thought I?d have to sink this low!

He takes a sip of his coffee and shakes his head.

Dawson (voice over):

You?re probably asking yourselves, what exactly is Plan B and why don?t I want to go through with it? Plan B is getting my old friends to invest. Another way of putting is begging them for money.

He clearly doesn?t want to do it.

6. Ext. Audrey?s House. Evening.

Dawson walks up to Audrey?s house and is trying to gather his nerve.

Dawson (voice over):

It feels like a lifetime ago, when I lived here with her. I have a lot of great memories when it comes to this collection of morter, wires, doors and plaster walls. Which would be great, if I didn?t have almost as many bad ones. The fights, the break up?s, all the things I could have done without. Still, I know that one look at that warm smile of her?s will make me forget about them in an instant.

He rings the doorbell and waits anxiously.

Audrey (off screen):

Gimme a second. I was in the middle of something!

He smiles to himself as she opens the door and is wearing a green Guacamole face mask. She looks embarrassed.

Audrey:

I swear, I had a dream that began like this once!

Dawson:

Was it a nice dream?

Audrey:

My dreams about you were always nice. Why are you here?

Dawson:

I need moral support and you?re the only one, who can do the job.

Audrey looks pleased.

Audrey:

You?d better come in, before my neighbors see me and get a good laugh!

She lets him in and they smile at each other.

7. Int. Living Room. Evening.

Dawson is helping Audrey to pull the face mask off.

Dawson (voice over):

I?ll add this to my list of situations, that I never thought, I?d find myself in!

Audrey:

Auw!

Dawson:

Why would you do this to yourself, if it hurts this bad?

Audrey:

This is nothing! The first one I tried, felt like it was gonna tear the skin off my face!

Dawson:

We can probably get it off with one last pull. Are you ready?

Audrey:

Ready!

He pulls it off and she looks relieved, as she picks the final small pieces off her face and neck. Dawson is still holding the mask.

Dawson:

What do I do with this?

Audrey:

Throw it out. Unless you want a weird memento in the form of my former skin worms!

Dawson throws it away and looks disgusted.

Audrey:

You have them too. Are you sure, you don?t want to try it? It feels great afterwards!

Dawson:

I?ll save that experience for another day! Right now, there?s bigger fish to fry.

Audrey:

How big?

Dawson:

Blue whale big!

Audrey looks excited.

8. Int. Living Room. Evening.

Dawson and Audrey are hanging out and enjoying themselves.

Dawson (voice over):

I thought that it would be the worst thing, I?d had to do in a long time. Thanks to her, it felt like a breeze. I will go so far as to say, I enjoyed it! What is it about these girls, that stick out from the rest of them to you, like Joey and Audrey do and Jen did for me? When I?ve been lucky enough to be with one of them, it?s like there?s nothing I can?t accomplish and in stead of seeing limits, I see possibilities. Joey made me believe, that I could become a film maker and Jen was the one, who made me want to make movies, that will matter to those who get them. Between them, they helped me find out, who I wanted to be and what kind of stories, I wanted to tell. Audrey?s constant encouragement and love was the reason why I didn?t give up, when things go tough. I don?t think anyone else, not even Joey or Jen, could have enriched my life the way she has.

Audrey:

Remember when we went to Acapulco?

Dawson:

I remember going there. We didn?t go out much, from what I remember!

They smile at each other.

Audrey:

Was that our first vacation together or was that the one to Cabo?

Dawson:

I suppose it depends on what you call a vacation. To me, the first was when you surprised me on that shoot down in Vegas.

Audrey:

We didn?t leave the room a whole lot that time either!

Dawson:

Which almost got me fired, because you were too horny to let me leave, remember?

Audrey:

I don?t remember hearing you complaining!

Dawson:

What was there to complain about?

She smiles sweetly at him and takes his hand.

Audrey:

I miss being like this with you, Dawson. Like we were in the beginning where we would spend an entire weekend in here and it felt like, all we needed was one another.

Dawson:

Wouldn?t it be nice, if we could be like that again?

There?s a definite moment of electricity between them, that makes both of them nervous and they snap out of it.

Audrey:

You should probably get home. We have an early day tomorrow.

Dawson:

Yeah, you?re right!

Audrey:

You know me! I?m a wreck, if I don?t get my seven hours.

Dawson:

I?ll just leave, then.

Audrey:

Alright. Bye.

He gets off the couch and hurries out of there.

9. Int. Car. Evening.

Dawson is driving and looks frustrated with himself.

Dawson:

You dumbass, idiot, moron, dirt for brains, Pauly Shore! This was your chance! It was literally right there for the taking and she was looking as hot as she ever has! You know that you?re still in love with her and she?s obviously interested in you, so what?s the problem? These are the times where it would be handy to have Joey or Jen around, so one of them could give me an easy to understand run down, like they used to. Man, was my skull thick or what?

He tries to snap out of it and concentrate on the road.

10. Int. Sound Stage. Day.

Todd and the technicians are setting up for the next scene to be shot, while Dawson concentrates on the actors. Todd is as usual not entirely happy with his crew.

Todd:

Move that camera over there or do you want them to see, that this is shot on a sound stage?

Technician:

Whatever you say, Todd!

Todd:

That?s more like it! Hear that, everyone? One of you finally gets how my system works!

We cut to Dawson, who?s with Kathy and Audrey. Kathy looks intimidated of Todd.

Kathy:

Is he always like that?

Dawson:

Only 99 percent of the time.

Audrey:

You get used to it!

Dawson:

Okay, so I don?t need to tell you how important this next scene is. As they say, this is one of the money scenes, so I want you to really give it all you?ve got, as far as showing emotions. Remember that after this, your characters never speak to each other again. Any questions?

Kathy:

Do I have time to pee first?

Todd (off screen):

Were you dropped on your head, when you were a baby? It would explain a lot!

Dawson:

Take your time.

Kathy leaves them, making it a slightly awkward moment.

Audrey:

Dawson, about last night ...

Dawson:

I should apologize. I never thanked you for your help.

Audrey:

I meant that moment, we had. Don?t pretend like you don?t know which one I mean.

Dawson:

Yeah ... that.

They smile at each other and none of them really know what to say.

Audrey:

I mean ... I wouldn?t be completely opposed to say, going on a date?

Dawson:

I ... ehm ...

Dawson (voice over):

DON?T BE AN IDIOT AGAIN! SAY YES!

Dawson:

I?d like that.

They both look pleased.

Dawson (voice over):

Score!

Todd (off screen):

If I see that boom mike in one more shot, I swear that I?ll stick it right up your ...

Dawson:

TODD, ENOUGH!

Audrey:

You?d better go and put a leash on him. He doesn?t seem to be having one of his better days.

Dawson:

We?ll work out the when and where later?

Audrey nods at him and he goes to deal with Todd. She watches him and smiles to herself.

11. Int. Sound Stage. Day.

Dawson and Todd are closing down for the day.

Dawson:

You know, I think that we can actually finish it now!

Todd:

If nothing else goes wrong, we will.

Dawson:

It?s funny how everything can change in a day, isn?t it?

Todd:

This change in your mood wouldn?t have anything to do with Audrey?

Dawson:

We?re gonna try dating again. Do you think it?s a mistake?

Todd grins and looks him in the eyes.

Todd:

I can?t count how many couples I?ve known over the years. I can tell you that I?ve never met two people, who need the other to represent an opposite in their lives, the way you and her do. So what, if she can be a pain in the arse? All women are like that, even your precious Joey! You could search the entire world and you still wouldn?t find anyone more right for you. Is that clear enough?

Dawson:

What if we break up again?

Todd:

Then it blows for a while, until you start to get back together again. When two people are meant to be together, then nothing except for death will keep them from finding their way back to each other.

Dawson smiles to himself.

Dawson:

I didn?t have you picked for a romantic!

Todd:

Don?t tell my wife or she?ll start expecting special treatment!

He shuts off the lights and they start leaving.

12. Int. Dawson?s Apartment. Evening.

Dawson is getting ready for his date and finishes shaving, when the doorbell rings. She wipes his face and puts on a T-Shirt before going to answer it. He?s happily surprised to see Joey standing there.

Joey:

Surprise!

Dawson:

You can say that again! Come in.

He lets her in and closes the door after her.

Joey:

So, this is your new place? It?s cozy.

Dawson:

Is that another way of saying small?

Joey:

You got me!

Dawson:

I?m actually going on a date, so ...

Joey:

I know. Audrey told me.

Dawson:

She did?

Joey:

It?s a front for the reunion party, we?re having tonight. Pacey and Jack flew over too.

Dawson tries to look happy, but is still disappointed.

Joey:

Oh, don?t worry, she desperately wants to start dating again!

Dawson is relieved.

Dawson:

Don?t do that again!

Joey:

Had you going, didn?t I?

Dawson:

More than I?d like to admit.

Joey:

I also wanted to see your reaction.

Dawson:

I never could lie to you.

Joey:

It?s me, Dawson. Tell me why you and Audrey aren?t already together, because all logic point to the two of you being made for each other.

Dawson:

I guess that I?m afraid of ending back up, where I was after our last break up. I don?t want to even sink that low again.

Joey:

Those are the chances we take in love. It?s this great plunge where nothing is guaranteed, You take a lot of it on hope and faith, that what you?re doing is right and you won?t end up getting hurt, even if statistics say, that it?s crazy to even try it. Yet we still do, because the possible rewards are worth it.

Dawson:

It?s funny. I just thought to myself yesterday, that I could use a Joey speech, to break it all down!

Joey:

Did you think, it was one of my better ones?

Dawson:

I could really tell how the wisdom of age had improved them since the early ones!

Joey:

I?ll settle for that. Get dressed, Dawson. We have a party to get to!

They look happy to be reunited.

13. Int. Audrey?s House. Evening.

Audrey is enjoying being the host and is showing Jack and Joey around, while Pacey and Dawson are talking.

Audrey:

I know that the walls here are a little bare, but I plan to do something about it soon. If you?ll follow me into the bedroom ...

Joey and Jack do, leaving Dawson and Pacey alone.

Pacey:

Are you back together?

Dawson:

I?m not sure yet, but I wouldn?t count it out.

Pacey:

I?d go for it, if I were you. Especially with that ever growing bald spot!

Dawson:

Do I have to point yours out to you?

Pacey:

A look at my dad is enough to tell me, what my future looks like! How?s the shoot going?

Dawson:

It?s been up and down, but I?m hopeful.

Pacey:

Good, because I have my entire savings invested in this.

Dawson:

You lost mine once before. If I lose yours, that?ll just make us even!

The old pals smile at each other.

Dawson (voice over):

When I started this, it was on a crazy idea and a hope, that it could somehow work out. Who knows where it could take us to now?

CLOSING CREDITS