B&tG: If you are reading this, then there is a good chance that you are going to read my story. This takes place in an AU for the DC gang and is around S1 for the OC gang, with Joey as the added addition living in the Cohen's house. I hope you enjoy it and hope to see you give me some feedback on this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own the shows, Dawson's Creek and The OC. The OC is owned by Josh Schwartz and Fox and Dawson's Creek is owned by Kevin Williamson and The WB.
Chapter One
A young, yet striking brunette girl opens a large, but yet moldy and old book. Inside, were memories of her past and present, which weren't forgotten. She slowly touched the large, golden letters on the front of the book, Potter's Family's Photo Album. The young girl slowly opened to the front page, looking at the photos, touching lightly on the last photo, which was a distant memory for her. Joey, Dawson and Pacey, it read. She missed them so much, but did they remember her? Did they wonder where she was? Were they sad that she was gone, so many years? Or, was she just a distant memory, washed away from them? These questions were running through her head all the time.
The brunette girl remembered the day; she was taken from the place that she had called home. The place where it was safe and warm, the place where she grew up, but yet, she was too young to understand what was going on. The young girl just knew she was going to another family, since the family services thought it was unreasonable for a fifteen-year-old girl to care for a five-year-old child. The girl remembered it like it was yesterday.
A young, teenager was trying to reason with the man not to take her younger sister away.
"She's only five," she cried out. "You can't take her away from the place she grew up."
But, the man was staring at her at disbelief.
"You can't take care of your younger sister," the man shook his head. "You're barely in high school, you can't be responsible for you and Joey."
"But, taking her away isn't the answer," the young girl bellowed out.
"She'll be living in a reasonable family. One that can provided for her and her needs."
"Reasonable? Are you saying my family isn't reasonable?" she cried out. "My family is her true relatives. These people aren't."
"I didn't say your family isn't reasonable?" the man answered back. "But, due to your family's current situation, it is reasonable to have Joey go somewhere else that will benefit in her education and her well being. A place like here isn't going to cater for her needs. I know, that your upset, but Bessie, you need to look from your sister's perspective. You do want her to have a bright future?"
"I do," Bessie slowly answered.
"The best future for her is to be adopted," the man nodded. "We know that this is hard for you, but Bessie, you do need to understand that once your sister reaches the appropriate age, she can come back and contract you, if she chooses."
"I understand," Bessie nodded. This was the hardest thing Bessie had to do. Although, she was paranoid, that her sister was being adopted, what choice, did she really have? Her mother was dead from cancer, her father was in prison for trafficking drugs and she was barely a sophomore in high school and what more, Joey was barely in kindergarten. She didn't want to lose the only family member in her life, but Bessie knew that family services would come eventually to take Joey away. Now, Joey was stripped of the life of living in Capeside, with family and friends, but really what choice did Bessie really have? She didn't want to be taken away and then Joey would definitely have no family members left.
"You understand," the man said with a sigh of relief. "Well, seeing as you are Joey's only family member, I will tell you where she is going. The Cohen's is the family that she will be living with. They are well brought up in the town of Newport."
"So, you're telling me, Joey's going to California," Bessie burst out.
"Yes, indeed. The family is Sandy, the father, Kirsten, the mother and their five-year-old son, Seth. They know about Joey's current situation and they are willing to adopt her. They should here any second now."
"They're coming here," Bessie shrieked. "But, Joey hasn't said goodbye to her family and friends."
"Well, you should inform them before she leaves," the man simply said. Bessie rushed to the phone, slowly calling the only remaining friends that Joey would want to see.
"Ahh… Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, I'm glad to see you and you must be Seth," the man said greeting the young boy.
"Please called me, Sandy," Sandy greeted the man. "And my wife, Kirsten. So, I understand that we will be meeting Joey?"
"Ahh… yes," the man nodded. "She's over there playing with her toys. Her sister, Bessie is calling all her relatives and friends to farewell the young girl."
"Seth, come over here," Kirsten said, pulling the young boy, but Seth refused to come. He didn't like coming out to places that were strange to him. He wanted to be at home, playing his Nintendo. "Seth, come on, this is going to be your sister."
Bessie was barely talking to Pacey's parents, when she heard Kirsten said the word, sister. It had finally struck her and she was barely trying so hard not to let them see her face fall and the tears coming out of her eyes.
"But, I don't want a sister, Mum," Seth moaned. "I want to go home."
"Seth, you can't have your say over this," Kirsten bellowed at her son. "Now, go over there and play with Joey."
Joey bobbed her head high, when she heard her name being called out. She looked over to her sister on the phone and continued playing with her toys. She was surprised when a young boy, came unwillingly by his mother, when over to her. "Who are you?" Joey asked, looking suspiciously at the young boy.
"I'm Seth," Seth said, looking back at Joey.
"Well, I'm Joey," she simply stated. "You're weird and you're not at all like Dawson and Pacey. Not that I like Pacey at all."
"Joey," Bessie shrieked, shaking her head at her younger sister. She had finally finished getting off the phone and any minute now, the friends of her dear sister were coming. "Don't be rude to our guests," Bessie said, now shaking her finger at Joey.
"Bite me, Bessie. You're not mum," Joey said, the words rolling off her tongue.
"Josephine Lillian Potter," Bessie raising her voice.
The sisters seem to forget that other people where in the house. The Cohens and the family service man were finishing off the paperwork and Seth was looking on between the two Potter sisters. He was interested to see what their little fuss was all about, although he didn't understand it.
"Then, that's settled," the man, declared, shaking hands with the Cohens. "Joey, come over here," he said, nudging with his hand to indicate for her to come over. Joey was reluctant at first, but soon follow. "Joey, meet your new family. This is Sandy, your father, Kirsten, your mother and that young boy over there is going to be your new brother."
"But, I don't want a new family," the young girl cried out. "I have a sister, a mother and a father. I don't want to leave them all behind."
"But, Joey, your sister can't care for you," the man stated. "I know you don't want to leave, but with the Cohens, you will have a bright future and your sister wants that."
"Bessie, you're making me leave," Joey cried out. "I hate you."
"Joey, you have to understand that I love you," Bessie said, tears coming from her eyes. "And we're doing the best for you and your well being."
As soon as the girls were looking at each other, the doorbell rang and sure enough, two young boys were at the door with the blonde boy parents behind them. The brunette boy's parents had decided not to come, which wasn't a surprised since they rarely did care about their young boy.
"Joey, you're leaving," the blonde boy exclaimed. "Mum and Dad told me, it couldn't be true."
Slowly, Joey nodded, but not before the brunette boy said something.
"Yay, Joey's leaving," the brunette boy shouted, putting his hand in the air.
"Well, I'll be happy too if you were leaving Pacey," Joey rolled her eyes.
Sandy looked the watch and knew it was time for them to be going. Joey was reluctant to go. She wanted to stay, but eventually gave up as Kirsten took her hand. She didn't want to cry, especially in front of Pacey and Dawson. As she hoped into the car next to Seth, she slowly waved goodbye to the place, she had lived all her life. Joey could see the tears running down Bessie's face, indicating to her, that her sister would miss her. The car slowly went passed the Welcome to Capeside sign and Joey knew her life was starting to change.
Joey slowly closed the book, wondering if it was the right thing for her sister to do at the time. She had missed Bessie so much. Eleven years had passed and now, Joey was sixteen, the right age to go back to Capeside, if she wanted. But, really did she want to?
"Joey, breakfast is ready, honey," a woman's voice called. "And, can you wake up Seth, please."
"Sure, mum," Joey called back. Mum. The one word that Joey would never imagine that would come out of her mouth after that eventful day. Ever since, the day her real mother died, Joey was relentless to call someone else that same name, but Joey learned to deal with it and she knew in her heart, that Sandy and Kirsten, her adopted parents loved her no matter what happened.
"Seth, wake up," Joey yelled, as she reached his room. His usual posters were on the wall; the ones that Seth had pride himself to live upon, much to Joey's disgust.
"Go away, sis. It's too early," Seth moaned, throwing the blankets over his head.
"Seth, if don't wake up, then I'll tell Mum, what you and Ryan were up to last night," Joey stated, knowing that this indeed would wake her beloved brother.
"I'm up," Seth got up and glared at Joey. "If one word comes out of your mouth, I'm telling Mum about your time with Summer and Marissa."
"Bite me, Seth," the words rolling off Joey's tongue.
"How many times have I told you how unhygienic that is, Jo?" Seth shaking his face. "And, besides, someone in this world might want to bite you, but no thanks."
"Just get up," Joey laughed, throwing a pillow and hitting Seth right in the head. "Before, they come up wondering where we are."
As Joey shook her head as she went to leave for the door, she couldn't help, but laugh at her brother as he tried to get out of the bed, but it so messy from all his sheets and blankets.
