The Unseen Obstacle CH.23

I Disclaim

Someone was tapping on his window; through the haze of sleep he was sure of that. Groaning he stumbled out f bed, and to the window surprised to find Joey Potter on the trellis out side his window." Damn it Potter." He opened the window and pulled her in, letting her fall on her butt when she came through. "What?"

"Hi, Pacey how are you?"

"Asleep." He replied in a groggy manner.

Joey nodded she could tell his was wearing nothing but boxers and a long shirt. "You want to put some clothes on?"

" No, cause as you as soon as you're done doing whatever it is you came to do, I'm going back to bed."

" Pacey I wanted to apologize, you are right you go all out for friends, especially me, and I rarely thank you for it, and I do appreciate it more then you know."

"Okay, thank you received, Bye."

"Pacey don't be like this, I'm really sorry, I can't tell you why I was so different and difficult this evening, but come on Pacey, haven't you ever wanted to not be around people, and not have to talk about it or explain it, just be alone with your thoughts."

"And that's what tonight was?"

"Yeah. I didn't want it to be it just hit me suddenly that I needed room to be alone, and I didn't think of how my behavior affected you and everyone else, and I know that not an excuse, and that I do it sometimes, and you're a prince for putting up with me, but I'm so sorry Pace." Joey dropped down onto his bed, and looked at him with tears glistening in her brown eyes." I can't seem to keep my head above water on this one, I was doing fine, I wasn't even thinking about it, and then…"

"What happened Joey?"

"Do you know that you have the same laugh?"

Pacey sucked in a breath liked he been punched and sunk down into his desk chair." Thanks Jo."

"How do you think I feel, for years you've been Pacey Jerk Witter, my friend yes, but still just Pacey, you're different, until we happened he was just your brother, and I guess when I was with him, I just stopped thinking of him like that, and it didn't hit till you called me Josephine tonight."

"So that was what flipped the switch."

"Yeah, strange that you both enjoy annoying me with that name."

"It's not done to annoy you." At her raised eyebrow his blushes." Okay sometimes it is, but other times it's just…"

"Just the perfect way to annoy me."

" That's because you're insecure about your looks, if you weren't so…. nutty you'd realize that Josephine is a beautiful name and as you're a beautiful young woman, it just fits , but you're so trapped in this tomboy thing that I'm sure is what Dawson wanted when he started calling you Joey in the first place."

"Dawson didn't…"

" Yes he did, we were five and playing and until then your mother and everyone else had call you Josephine or Jo, till Dawson came along and said that Josephine was a girl name, and you're acted more like a Joey."

Joey stared of into to space, and then let her mouth drop open before she snapped it shut, anger making her eyes darker then ever before." That Tool changed my damn name."

"See." Pacey nodded." If you would just accept that you're beautiful and your name is beautiful, we wouldn't have this problem."

"Thank you again Pacey, and I'm sorry it's not fair to you, that our friendship gets messed with because of what I did, and I'm really sorry for what happened with Doug." Joey got off the bed dropped to her knees in front of Pacey taking his hands in hers." I messed up and didn't even realize it, I broke a friendship rule that said that siblings were off limits and it wasn't until you were yelling at me, that I realized how unfair this has all been to you." "It's unfair that we keeping asking you to put your life on hold to help us, and offer nothing in return."

"It's okay Jo."

"No it's not okay, this is why we keep doing it because you let us get away with every time, but it's over, tomorrow I come clean with Bessie."

"Whoa." Pacey started at her shocked." You're going to tell Bessie about you and Doug."

Joey dropped his hand and stared at him." Are you insane, why don't I just play in traffic on the turnpike, no I meant I'm going to tell Bessie that we broke up and that we're just friends, that way we can go back to some semblance of normal, okay?"

" No it's not okay, cause then Bessie is mad at me, and I start getting dirty looks and death threats, and to impress her Jack's going to try to kick my ass, not to mention the beating I'll be taking from Bodie, who now owes a restaurant so has the perfect place to hide a body. " "Great idea, don't put me out, but put my life in jeopardy."

"What do you want me to do, I'm trying here tell me what will fix this, and I will do it."

Pacey stood, and took her chin in his hand, and look into her eyes." Stop looking at me and seeing my brother, I'm not Doug, I'll never leave you, you can annoy me anger, and generally be a pain in my ass, but I'll NEVER leave you, not by choice, force, or any factor other then death." He pushed her back and took off her coat, and gave a small laugh at what she was wearing, pajama bottoms with ducks and bunnies, and a shirt that looked strangely like one he once owed till it went missing." Is that my old Hockey Jersey?"

"No, it's mine cause possessions is ninth tenths of the law." She said as she wrapped her arms around herself and the shirt protectively.

He nodded and dropped her coat on his chair, and pulled the covers back on his bed before throwing Joey on the bed gently." Yeah whatever."

"What are you doing?" She asked leaning back o her elbows, and watching as he took off her sneakers.

" I'm going back to sleep, and as I'm not driving you home nor am I letting you walk home in the middle of the night, so are you." He handed her an extra pillow, and settled into his bed." Now no snoring, blanket hogging, or groping, if you want ravage me you'll just to wait till morning." He switched off his bedside lamp and closed his eyes ready to let sleep claim him when he felt a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Pacey."

"No problem Potter."