The Unseen Obstacle CH.33

I Disclaim

Mitch answered the door reluctantly, since sending Dawson to the military Academy, he hadn't received any visitors that hadn't heard all the gossip, that he and Gayle had finally severed all ties to their marriage, and for some reason he was now on Capeside's hot bachelors list, women were showing up and offer condolences and other services that he wasn't ready for.

So he was strangely glad when he opened the door and found John Witter on the other side. He liked John he didn't like how he dealt with Pacey, but he knew what John was trying to do, he just didn't think that it was a good idea to try to drive your son away to make him a man. But then he though bitterly, telling his child to embrace his dreams fully and never let anything get in the way of that hadn't helped either. "Hello John."

"Hey Mitch, how are you?"

"I'm okay, come on in." He stepped back and led the other man into the kitchen and opened the fridge, and silently offered the man a beer, which he accepted." To what do I owe this honor?"

"Mitch it seems as thought we have a problem." John took a sip of beer, and at down on the kitchen stool. "First off let me ask a personal question, why did you send Dawson away so close to the end of his senior year?"

"Pacey didn't tell you anything?"

"Mitch I think you and I both know that I don't talk to my son the same way you talk to yours." 'Good thing too' John thought to himself, It'd be a scary sight to have Pacey living on the same planet as Dawson Leery. "My kid talks to me on a need to know basis."

"Yeah." Mitch gave him a look that he knew said he didn't approve of that approach." You do know that Pacey and Joey Potter are now an item."

"Yeah, I did know about that, I can't miss he over at the Potter B&B all the time, I hardly see him." Taking another sip he nodded, and ignoring Mitch's look." It's good for him, being around those Potter girls their hard workers and they fight for what they've earned, they'll rub off on him."

"I think Pacey's already a good kid." Mitch said in his defense." But you're right being with Joey could only make him a better kid." "As for Dawson, he had some problems dealing with Joey and Pacey's relationship, we felt it would be better if he got away and took some time from the situation."

"Uh huh, Jack McPhee says that Dawson was making a nuisance of himself where Joey was concerned, showing up and wherever she was, and I seem to recall a few weeks back that my son came home a little bruised, and I'm wondering if you're son was responsible for that."

Mitch put down his beer and looked away before facing John straight." Okay John you got me, Dawson was out of control where Joey was concerned; he wasn't accepting that she had chosen to be with Pacey over him, he's stuck in this in this place in his head where he and Joey are made for each other, and won't accept any one telling him different." "But he's getting better, the Commander at the Academy says he adapting very well, and the counselor we have him seeing says he progressing in his sessions, and he's starting to understand that these things happen." "That girls you fall for in high are just girls you fall for in high school, not soul mates, and not destined to be."

" Really." John takes the emails out of his pocket and passes them to Mitch." I think you guys are being snowed, because those sound like a man obsessed, that don't know anything but Joey Potter."

Mitch looks at the emails and checks the date, before dropping them on the table and sighing." Damn it."

"Yeah that's one way to put it." John finished his beer and stood." Now I'm here right now as a friend, so this is off the record." "Joey is not prepared to start any proceeding against Dawson or even go public with these emails, she just wants to be left alone, so I'm only going to ask that you make sure your son understand that if this persist, I will be returning as Sheriff, papers will be filed and Film schools will be notified, and aspiring film makers will be charged as an adult." He walked to the door to let himself out when Mitch called to him." Yeah."

"I handle it, this will stop." Mitch said as he shook his head, he didn't know how he was going to get through to Dawson, but he would put a stop to it.

"Good, and Mitch?"

"Yeah."

"Your kid ever hits mine again and I'm him putting in jail for assault." John gave a final nod and shut the door behind him.

"I have to go home soon." Joey said as she pulled away from a heated kiss. "I have work to do."

"Okay." Pacey shifted and held her by the waist as she straddled him. He rained kisses down her neck and moved her hair to gain more access to her skin. " I'll walk you out."

"Good, I don't want to run into your Dad again." She stayed where she was and began nibbling on his earlobe. "He thinks I'm a tramp."

"Nah, he likes you, he just thinks you can do better then his loser son with no future."

Joey pushes him away, and hits him in the shoulder." Stop you're not a loser, you're just undeveloped, you're only eighteen Pacey, you don't have to know what you want to do with your life just yet, and you don't have to be perfect no one in the world is." She rubbed his shoulder and then leaned down to kiss him full on the lips." But that's good, cause I like you the way you are." She lingered against his lips, before she whispered. "I'm pretty sure that I love the way you are."

"God Potter, you're going to kill me." Just the words love leaving Joey's mouth in any form in connection with his name was like a dream come true. He knew this movie by heart, he was the sidekick, he wasn't supposed to get the girl, but here she was with him, and loving things about him.

"But what a way to go." Joey said as she leaned back and began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing the skin she revealed along the way.

"I know." Mitch said into the phone as he rubbed the bridge of his nose." I thought he was too, but Gayle this emails are really disturbing to say the least." "I will be calling the Commander, we're going to have to have his computer used restricted, which is going to be difficult for him to get his work done."

"What else did John say?"

"He also said that if Dawson touched Pacey again he was throwing him in jail."

"Well maybe that would help, because nothing else seems to be getting through."

"Gayle jail time will ruin his future."

"Mitch you don't seem to understand that right now, Dawson seems think his future depends to Joey, and that's not going to happen, with every move he alienates her more." "I Love my son and want him to have a future, but I love Joey too, and she doesn't need this on top of what else has happened in her life, you know that.

"Gayle are you actually choosing Joey over our son?"

"Mitch I thought you loved Joey like she was your own, isn't that what you've always said that Bessie Joey, and Alexander were part of our family too." "

"Yes, but..."

" But nothing, I don't want this to ruin Dawson's future anymore then you do, but are we suppose to sacrifice Joey's future for his, is that what we meant when promised Lily that we'd watch over them."

Mitch let the phone slide down from him mouth, she was right, he had promised Lily on her deathbed that he would watch over her girls, the dying mother has already seemed to know that Mike Potter was going to be of no use to his children. And even thought he knew that they were doing okay most of the time, he knew that they could be better, and that he hadn't watched over them like he should have. He did love those girls like they were his own, and it was time he proved it." You're right; I drive up to Boston tonight and talk to Dawson, and then the Commander in the morning."

" Do you want me to come with you, I be at the house in an hour?"

"No, you've keep up your end, you been watching over them like you were suppose to, I failed here, with Dawson and with Joey, you run the restaurant, I'll handle Dawson."

When John returned home he dropped the email on the desk, and shook his head, he couldn't believe at one point he wanted Pacey to be more like this kid. Dawson Leery was a couple of cards short of a full deck. Sure Pacey wasn't a straight A student, but he wasn't a promising stalker either. He dealt in reality, and thought he did dream big, he never bites off more then he could handle. All in all John thought he was a good kid, just too much of a damn know it all.

So lost in his thoughts when he finally came out he looked at the time nine o'clock, Mary would be at some club function he wasn't sure which one, but he knew he and Pacey were on their own for dinner. Maybe he and Pacey could go out and get something from the dinner, maybe talk a little more, he son was growing into quite the man, nothing like Doug, but then despite what he had said that was a good thing, Doug was too contend to stay with things he knew, unwilling to take risk. Risk he had discovered a long time ago made life more enjoyable.

He started up the stairs and opened his son's door." Pacey you want…." And then quickly shut it. He hadn't shamed Joey enough or he son was some kind expert at seducing women, cause he thought at the very least Joey would have kept her shirt on during any kissing sessions they began with him in the house.

Pacey came to through the door seconds later buttoning his shirt and meeting his father's gaze head on. " Yeah Pop? "

"I was going to suggest we go to the diner for dinner seeing as your Mom's at some club or another, now I demanding it, so go and tell Joey she's joining us for dinner." Just then the object of their discussion came out redressed, her hair and make up fixed. "Come on Joey we're going to dinner."

"Of course we are Sheriff Witter." She gave him a resigned nod.

John turned and started back down the stairs." On come on now Joey, I think it might be time you started calling me John."

Pacey leaned back against the door and wouldn't meet Joey's gaze till she caught his chin, and saw that smirk, that she was really beginning to hate." He thinks I'm a complete tramp."

He opened his mouth to disagree but thought back to all the things he father knew, and then added to what he just saw, he grimaced." I'm sure not a complete tramp, but I am sure that he knows you're not little Joey Potter anymore."

Joey just nods and follows Pacey down the steps." Great my dad's a convict and I'm a tramp."

Doug had been doing fine just going along with the motions of the training, but fine just the same. It was easier here; he had never been here with her. It was all just new, and relatively painless, there were no memories of secret rendezvous or illicit meetings at every corner to keep her fresh in his mind; he was almost beginning to think he dreamed her and their affair up.

He hadn't even thought of her in days, until some of the guys finally talked him into going out into D.C. and checking out the night life, they had just finished a night of drinking when they decided to get some Chinese food, it was there that he saw the sign.

A fortune cookie.

A fortune with a manufactured fortune and lucky numbers on one side, but it was the fortune that made him catch his breath.

It was simple and so true it hurt.

You cannot run from Love.

It was those words that made Doug realize that he had to return to Capeside. To Josephine.