Chapter 4: While You're Making Other Plans
WARNING!!!! CHARACTER DEATH IN FOLLOWING CHAPTER!!!
A/N: This chapter was really difficult to write, but I did it and the rest of the story should move straigh up hill from here, because let's fade it there's no where to go but up.
Joey waited until she was dry-eyed and clear headed to tell her sister that she was leaving early. She stubbornly refused to call Jen knowing what her firend would say. She walked into the kitxhen and waited silently while Bessie finished putting the roast for tonight's dinner in the oven.
"So, you're leaiving?" The older Potter sister said without turning.
"Bess, neither of them is going to forgive me?"
"And what about me, Jo, and Alex? We've hardly seen you at all in months and now you're leaving again?" she yanked open the door of the refridgarator. "Damn, no eggs."
"Listen, I love you and Alex more than anything, more than I can even say, but--"
"Don't." Bessie said shaking her head. Loving someone requires effort, action, commitment, hard work, Jo." The older woman sighed heavily feeling twice her age. "Did you ever understand that?" Joey stared at her sister's strained features and wondered at the wisdom that came from growing up too fast. "Watch Alex for a while?"
"Sure, go get some eggs." Joey nodded understanding her sister needed to get out of the house for a while. She grabbed her sister's hand and smiled at her. "Bess, I do love you and I'm sorry I've been taking you for granted."
Bessie smiled at her sister and squeezed the hand holding hers. She ruffled Alex's hair as she headed into the yard where Bodie was weeding the garden. Joey watched her sister spread her unconcious affection and remembered the way it had made her feel so many years before. Bodie walked toward Bess and they talked quietly a moment before turning to signal Joey that he would be joining her. Joey nodded at smiled from her place on the porch. Joey watched them ast eh dimming sun slid slowly behind them. They stood with their heads together, smiling at some private joke. Joey laid a hand on Alex's loose curls and went back inside to watch the roast.
The moon was tickling the surface of the water when Pacey picked up his phone on the third ring an hour later.
"'lo?"
"Pace?"
"Dougie." pacey smiled. "How's Jackers?"
"It's not a social call, Pace." A heavy sighed escaped from Doug. " I need a favor."
Pacey felt his stomach drop to his feet. "Yeah." He prompted.
"I just left an accident scene, Pace. A bad one. Three dead." Doug took a deep breath. "I need you to meet me at the Potter B&B."
"No." Pace wispered nearly inaudible.
"It's Bessie, Pace, Bodie too. They were both gone by the time I got here."
"God." He breathed, sick at the releif coursing through him.
"I think she'll need someone there when I tell her, Pace."
"Yeah. I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes." He said pulling on a pair of losse fitting jeans.
Fifteen minutes later the Witter men stood somberfaced at the door of the Potter B&B. They looked at one another as Dougie knocked on the door and sighed. "I hate this part of the job."
Pacey nodded at him and turned the doorknob as he heard Joey call "Come in!"
Joey turned to face her visitor from her position elbow deep in dishes at the sink and smiled widely at Pacey. "Oo—ooo." She chuckled. "Two Witter men, and one in uniform. Must be serious." She smiled, but it faltered on her lips as neither of the men returned hr playful banter.
"Jo." Pacey walked toward her and handed her a dish towel to wipe her hands on. Taking the newly dry hand he lead her to the couch unable to fid the words he needed.
"Pace?" She asked knowing the look on his face. Concern filled her eyes. Sitting with her; holding her hand he nodded at Doug. "Pacey?" She asked without looking at Doug, her voice catching over the quickly rising lump in her throat.
"Joey, about 8:30 tonight, there was an accident on Bay Ridge road. A bir rig was cut off by another driver and it jacknifed. The freight trailer swept the road and took out two cars including Bess's truck." He stopped and let her absorb. "She and Bodie were bothe killed instantly, Jo."
He stopped and reached up to lay his hand over hers concern by her sudden loss of color. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Joey."
Silent tears rolled down her cheeks and looked up at Pacey hoping he could help her make sense of it all. "Pace?" He looked at her tears welling up and shook his head. Doug walked to the door and turned. Pacey met his gaze and nodded. Doug left the pair alone in the B&B living room to comfort each other and mourn.
"Why?" Joey whispered looking up at Pacey.
"I don't know, Jo."
"What am I going to do?" She asked him.
"Come here." He said wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on his chest and sobbed bitterly while he cired his own tears and stroked her hair.
