The Unseen Obstacle CH.24

I Disclaim

"Good morning Joey." John held back the chuckle as Joey Potter jumped about a foot in the air, before turning and giving a guilty look as she tucked a strain of hair behind her ear.

"Good morning Sheriff Witter…uh… how are you?"

"I'm good, a little surprised to see you sneaking down my steps so early on a Sunday morning."

"Yeah…um." Joey looked around the room frantically searching for Pacey and a way out." Where's Pacey?"

"Pacey was caught trying to get some coffee before seven and in this house when you're up at seven you're in church at eight." He took the paper from beneath his arm and sat down in his arm chair." Which I why I never rise before eight thirty."

Joey nodded." Good plan, well I'm just going to go, Bye."

"Joey do you honestly think I'm going let you walk out of my house after clearly spending the night here without so much as a word." He asked as he folded up the paper and stood, begin walking toward the kitchen.

"I was hoping."

"Well Hope springs eternal." He turned in the doorway, and motioned for her to follow him." Seat down Ms. Potter you're staying for breakfast."

"Oh goody." She said as she looked longing at the door, before following the sheriff's orders.

Dawson walked into the kitchen to get some orange juice, and glanced at his parents setting at the table seemingly waiting for him "What's going on?"

"Dawson do you remember what happened last night?" Gayle asked as he busied himself making a bowl of cereal. "At the opening of my restaurant where you promised there'd be no scenes or problems."

"Of course." He pointed to his nose which was swollen and purple." Pacey attacked me."

"Dawson." Mitch began looking at Gayle for approval, when he received her nod he continued." Last night was the final straw, your mother asked you not to bother Pacey or Joey, I heard her do it, and yet I saw you purposely follow her outside on the balcony, I saw you grab her arm, Pacey had to physically remove you."

"Pacey was interrupting a private conversation between Joey and me, because he knew that if we'd continue talking I helped her see sense and dump him."

Gayle threw up her hands." Dawson, do you understand that even when she wasn't with Pacey she was still wasn't with you, that Joey made that choice and no convincing her changes that."

"You're wrong."

"No you're wrong, and we're tired of it." Mitch stood and looked at his son." You're fighting with people that have been your friends for years, and you seem to believe that this isn't even happening to you at all, like there is a plot to prevent you and Joey from being together, and there isn't and you've gone too far."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you yesterday that military school and counseling was being discussed today, and that still holds true."

"Military school, and counseling for a disagreement I didn't even start."

" And that punch a couple of weeks ago, the one you received from Jack, did you not start that one either." Gayle asked as came to step close to Mitch." Cause I talked to Jen Lindley this morning and then after her I called Joey, she wasn't in but Bessie knew the story and shared it with me." "Their story is the same one I got from Jack and Andie; it stars you as an instigator in the argument and resulting fight."

"This isn't fair, I'm not the troublemaker it's Pacey."

"Pacey isn't the one starting fights, and manhandling woman, and breaking promises." Mitch took the glass from his son, and points toward the stair." Go back a bag; you're catching a noon train to Boston."

"Dad…" Dawson stepped closer and lowered his voice. "I understand this coming from Mom, but you, you told to fight for what I want, for what's mine."

"Joey is a person Dawson, not property, now go pack."

Dawson just stared at them, not really believing what was happening , this is what was suppose to happen, Pacey was the troublemaker, he was needed military school, he was the one destroying thins." I can't believe you're doing this."

"You'll thank us one day." Gayle said coming to squeeze his shoulder, but was quickly rebuffed.

"For helping keep me and Joey apart not likely ever."

"Take a seat Potter." John held out a chair at the kitchen table and waited the young girl sat down before he pushed it in. "Scrambled or over easy?"

"You really don't have to make me breakfast Sheriff Witter."

"Potter, scrambled or over easy?"

"Scrambled." Joey mumbled and stared at the table , as if it wasn't awkward enough getting caught trying to sneak out , she was now eating breakfast with the father or one ex and technically one current, just looking at John Witter made her feel like such a slut, did all Witter man look alike.

"You can relax Joey; I'm not going to bite." He dropped a plate with some toast on the table in front of her.
" This is just a nice breakfast, not integration."

"Really well that would explain the lack of hot lights."

John cracked an egg on the frying pan and watched the from the corner of his eye, he didn't really have a plan for what to say, when he spotted Lillian Potter's youngest daughter sneaking down the steps of his house. He thought about just letting her sneak out , but then thought that they might be seen as an encouragement, and although he did hope that one of his sons ended up with her didn't want it rubbed in the others face. "You know Joey I knew your mother before she married your dad."

"Really?" Joey head perked up at the revelation the only other person that had know her mother before she became Lily Potter was Gayle Leery, but she seemed to romanticizes the whole relationship Joey guessed she was trying to protect her, but that just confused her. How could her mother and father been so in love then suddenly so in hate and that's what it was like those last years." I didn't know that."

"Well I've been around this town all my life, so yeah I had some occasions to run into Lillian." He finished the eggs, and brought the pan over spooning some eggs on to the girl's plate, before doing the same to his own. "She was a really talented artist, I use to see her on the pier painting, she did some really good work, and you have her talent."

"No I don't."

"Yeah you do, I've seen some of your stuff it's very nice, and I've heard from Bessie that you were offered a full ride at Stanford, you're mom would be proud." "I know your sister Bessie is just busting at the seems with pride over it."

"Thank you." Joey eat the slowly focusing on what he said, he spoke mainly of he mother, not even mentioning her father. "So you're on the 'Joey goes to Stanford bandwagon' too?"

"Not really I can't stand their football team, now you get into Norte Dame and I'll join a bandwagon, but I just know how much you Mom wanted her children to see more then just this little town, just like I hope that one day I piss off Pacey so much that he goes out and leaves this little town." He dropped his fork and looked her in the eye." All parents want their children to see parts of the world that they didn't get to."

"Thanks for breakfast." Joey said as she finished her eggs then looked at him." So when does the lecture about spending the night with your son come in?"

"I don't have a lecture; I was just actually hoping that this breakfast would be awkward enough that it would discourage you from doing it again, how I'd do?"

"Excellent, it'll never happen again." Joey stood, and gave a small wave." I should go unless there's anything else."

"Yeah it's a horrible idea to walk practically across town in the middle of night, don't do that again EVER."

"Gotcha." Giving another wave Joey practically bolted from the house, and began jogging back home hoping that she could sneak in her house better then she snuck out of Pacey's. With the adrenaline running through her body a thirty minute walk took fifteen minutes.

She slipped around the back of the B&B, and slid through her window, she hung up her coat in the closet, and then opened her bedroom door; all she had to do was pretend that she just woke up. She rubbed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen and missed the look of pity on Bodies face as he quietly slipped out "Good morning."

"Morning, hey Gayle Leery was looking for you."

"Oh really I must have slept through the call." Joey moved toward the coffeemaker grabbing a mug along the way.

"Either that or you weren't in your bed this morning, when I checked to give the phone."Bessie slammed began tapping the table with her finger." Like to explain that Joey."

Joey gulped, and thought how much she could tell her sister, and decided the bare minimum worked best." Sorry I couldn't sleep so first thing this morning I went to see Pacey, we had a fight yesterday, and I wanted to apologize."

"You expect me to believe that, and the reason you bed doesn't look slept in?"

"Because like I said I couldn't sleep, I spent most of the night working on my portfolio until finally figured I go see him."

"And did you two work it?" Bessie asked skeptically.

"Not really apparently Pacey had gone to church with his mother so I ended up having breakfast with Sheriff Witter."

"You know Joey you almost had till you're breakfast with Sheriff Witter."

"I'm serious, if you don't believe me call him and ask." To prove her point she picked up the handheld and offered it to Bessie.

"No I believe you, well actually I don't but I don't know how to prove you wrong either." Bessie took the phone and hung it." Next time just tell someone where you are."

Joey watched Bessie grab the paper and head into the living room, and she let out a sigh of relief, her life was becoming entirely too full of secrets.