Amusement during a humdrum day
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters they are owned by Kevin Williamson, and some other people.
A/N: This takes place during Season 3, episode entitled "Indiana Summer" So, the dialogue in the first scene is not mine, but is from the episode. Some of the actions may be slightly different, since this is third person limited from Doug's POV. So, it will be how he remembered it, but I wanted to keep the dialogue true to the show.
Part 1
Deputy Doug Witter is begrudgingly writing tickets for the day, since his father has decided that is the best use of his resources. He wishes at time there was something else to do in this Podunk town, but at least he knows if he ever got up the nerve to leave this town, and move to some bigger city, and join the Police force there, at least he will be well equipped on being able to do all the menial chores. He wishes sometimes that something exciting would happen in this town. He starts to write a ticket, when he notices someone walking up behind him.
It is a high school student, with a ragamuffin head of blond hair. His name is Dawson, and he is one of Doug's brother's friends. "Dawson Leery. How are things that go bump in the night?" He gives him a grin. He wonders if Dawson will appreciate the joke. He probably doesn't. A kid who makes a fake 911, especially this kid, probably wouldn't especially since he probably feels guilty about. He finishes writing the ticket, and puts the ticket on the car, underneath the windshield wiper.
Dawson seems a little hurt by it. "Deputy Witter. I was wondering if I can pose a hypothetical?" Dawson's thrust his deep in his pocket in a nervous fashion.
Doug debates about whether to tell him to go away, but decides not to. He begins to walk to check the next car in the long line of cars, parked along the spaces near the sidewalk. "Pose away."
Dawson walks behind him.
Doug resists the urge to laugh at him. The kid seems really nervous. He admires the next car for a moment, noticing it is far over the parking line, probably some high school student who just got his license. It is an older model car in a blue tint, one of those cheap cars, that a parent would buy for their kid, which is one of the reasons he thinks it is a high schoolers car, also the hello kitty necklace hanging in the window, also helps this perception.
Dawson stands a bit away, as Doug begins to watch him. "Well, I'm working on a screenplay. It's a film noir piece with a cop protagonist. I was wondering if I could pick your brain on a few story points?"
Doug finishes writing the ticket, and then, tears it off the booklet. "How can I help?" He puts the ticket underneath the car windshield. He wonders what personal problem the kid is having, because he seems to nervous to actually have a real legitimate problem, because Doug knows unlike his father he doesn't seem like much of a menace to people.
"Uh, well, I could use some help with procedure, actually, um, I'm stuck on the part where the hero is trying to track down the femme fatale, who's all but disappeared at this point. Now, how would a law enforcement professional such as yourself, go about tracking someone who doesn't want to be found?"
Doug wonders how many times this kid is going to say Um. Doug realizes he is none of the other cars are against violations, so he begins to walk back to his squad car.
"Well, that's a good question, Dawson. Now, part of police work is knowing who your enemy is. So, let me ask you this, who is this girl?"
Dawson seems to stumble for a moment, probably trying to figure out what to say.
"She's kind of a lost soul. I mean she comes off like a sort of a wild child, but I think there's something really sweet and vulnerable underneath her posturing."
As Dawson is formulating his answer, Doug had been thinking of the most bizarre place to tell him to look. So, he quickly answers "Laundromat." He tries not to chuckle as he said that, it would probably ruin the joke.
Dawson looks confused, as Doug had expected he might. "Come again."
"Laundromat." Wow, this kid is stupid, Doug thinks. He is a bit naïve for his own good.
"Uh, Laundromat?"
"Uh-huh?" They keep walking down the street.
"Really?"
"Yeah, you know, you see Dawson, in a small town such as Capeside, everybody, except those with questionable hygiene sensibilities, of course, has to do their laundry at some point." Doug tries to keep a smirk from forming on his face. At this point they have walked right near the squad car.
Dawson seems completely confused. "So, you're saying you would stake out the Laundromat."
Doug points at him like he is a good dog. "Exactly." He gets into his squad car, and pulls off.
Part 2 Three Hours later
Doug is pulling up to the station when he notices his little brother coming out of the station. Doug honks the horn, and his brother walks over to the car. Doug pulls one of the parking spaces, and steps out of the car. "Hey, Pacey, what is up?"
"Mom, thinks I am her slave, she made me run some sandwiches over to the station. Having fun patrolling the city? Find a nice boyfriend why you were out?" Pacey flashes him an evil imp smile.
Doug glares at him. "Actually, ran into one of your friends. Dawson. Is there something wrong with him?" Oh, course leaves it to be some of the first things out of Pacey's mouth to be a joke about his sexuality. He pulls the things he needs from the car, and closes the door, leaning up against the car.
Pacey shrugs. "What do you mean?"
Doug chuckles. "He will fall for anything." He can't believe that had gone so well, that joke, had actually made his day, and he had spent all the ride over trying not to laugh at the stupidity of Dawson. He had tried not to concentrate on it for the last few hours, but now that it has been a few hours, and Pacey is here, he figures it is okay to tell him.
"What did you do to him? Ask him to play cops and robbers with you."
"Do you have some dysfunction where everything you say has to be a slam?" Doug rolls his eyes. He should expect his brother to be so cruel. He begins to walk towards the station house. He just won't tell him, if he is going to be like that. He doesn't have to tell him, he just thought he would be nice, since Dawson has probably been sitting out by the Laundromat for awhile.
"Hey, seriously, Doug, what did you do?" Pacey follows him walking up beside him.
"He asked me this thinly posed hypothetical about how to track someone, so I told him he would be able to find someone by staking out the Laundromat."
Pacey chuckles. "I can't believe you did that, and you call me cruel. Why on earth did you do it?" Pacey then begins to laugh, he stops walking because he is laughing so hard.
"Same reason you make gay jokes to me, just for the hell of it, and because I was bored, and it seemed like something to relieve the boredom." Doug gives him a smirk, to say I can tell your inner workings; just as well as you think you can mine.
"So, why tell me?"
"Because it was a couple hours ago, and I figured someone should really help him find the person, because knowing him he has really been staking it. And the very least, if you can't help him find the person, we will at least not get a bunch of calls about a high schooler stalking the Laundromat." Doug shrugs nonchalantly as if he doesn't really care either way.
"I can't believe he fell for that." Pacey chuckles again.
"Hey, and Pace, act like I am serious about it. Don't want him to know I am playing a joke on him." Doug smirks.
"Can I say whatever I want about it then?" Pacey's face brightens up.
"What ever I don't care, he probably already thinks you have a poor impression of me anyway, and will probably just think it is your normal lying." Doug counters back, and heads into the station, a smirk on his face.
