The Unseen Obstacle CH.36

I Disclaim

Saturday Morning

Joey heard the noise coming from the kitchen and smiled, till she listened closely, it wasn't the off key signing of Pacey she hoped for but her sister's voice. She quickly searched her mind trying to remember if she had left anything that could cause embarrassment in the entry way, but smiled when she remembered. Pacey had refused to make love to her up against the front door or as least for last night, and today wasn't looking so good, what her sister and family just in the kitchen.

Grabbing her pj's she threw them on, hoping to get out and greet them before Bessie came out and found her clothes throw about as if they were ripped of in a moment of passion, they had been but still she didn't want her sister to know that. She eased into her slippers, and picked up all her clothes throwing them in the hamper, before she faked a yawn as she walked out into the kitchen and faked a surprised yelp when she saw Bodie making breakfast. "What are you guys doing back?"

Bodie looked at Bessie, and leaving the explanation to her. "We just didn't feel right leaving you alone this close to Christmas, and came back, early is all."

Joey looked at Bodie, and he shook his head." So she didn't trust me and made you come back?"

"That about sums it up." Bodie said cracking an egg in the frying pan. "Better hope Pacey isn't hiding in your closet Jo-Jo because she's planning on a detailed search of your room." He nods behind her and sure enough her sister is stepping out of her room, trying to look innocent.

"Can I help you Bessie?" Joey asked as she came back into the room and took a seat at the table.

"No just thought I heard a noise was all."

Bodie again shook his head, and dropped some eggs onto a plate before his leaned over and kissed Joey's forehead. "Trust is a wonderful thing Bess."

"Well it's different when it's your sister." Bessie said defending herself.

"So what now Jo Jo's not my little sister, I don't care about like you do?" He asked as he fixed his own plate and sat down at thru table.

"Guys." Joey said, she had a feeling she wasn't really what the fight was about but still didn't like that they were using her to keep whatever they doing going. "Please don't do this."

"I'm just saying that it's different, you've know or a long time and you do love her but, I know my sister."

" Guys what's this really about, cause I'm getting the feeling this about more then the fear that I have boy hidden in my under my bed."

Bodie and Bessie just stared each other down; finally Bessie dropped her fork, and looked over at her little sister. "Bodie seems to think that you shouldn't take the offer from Stanford." The younger girl rolls her eyes and begins shaking her head." Joey its Stanford, that's an Ivy League education being handed to you for free, after that the sky's the limit."

"Except that she doesn't want to go." Bodie muttered to almost to himself, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

" Because she's staying her for him, and don't get me wrong I love Pacey and I love that you are so good together, but you can't risk you future trying to stay for him." Bessie's eyes pleaded with her sister, she had the chance to leave Capeside, and even being a few hours away in Boston was still to close to the town fro her comfort, an hour away was still close enough to get pulled back in.

"She isn't she has other offers, for closer schools."

Joey just sat there listening to the discussion around her, she did have other offers Boston College had offered her a full ride, as had the Boston College of Arts, and a partial scholarship from Worthington. However for some reason Bessie seemed determined to get her to California.

"Closer schools that aren't worth all the time and hard work she has put into this, she's worked hard and deserves Stanford."

"Bessie stops." Joey heard a knock and prayed it was Pacey, she stood and left the table headed for the door." It's mine decision, so you and Bodie don't need to fight about it, I'll decide where I go." She opened the door and smiled when she saw that she was right and it was him, until she saw his face, and then got worried. "Pace?"

"We need to talk." He didn't make a move to come inside, so she grabbed her coat off the coat rack and followed him out to the porch.

Doug knocked on his parent's door and rolled back on the balls of his feet, he wasn't looking forward to what his dad was going to say when he found out he was back earlier, but then they're just some things a man had to do. His almost gave a sigh of relief when his mother answered the door.

"Dougie, you're back."

"Hi mom, how are you?"

"Good, come on in, breakfast is almost done." Mary led her oldest son into the kitchen and sat him down into the kitchen chair, and smiled at her husband." Look whose back John."

John watched his son through narrowed eyes, and resisted the urge to growl, the one time the by decided to defy him is at the most importune time imaginable. "Douglas what are you doing back so soon son?"

"I'm finished the bulk of the training, anything else is just a test that can be completed online, so I thought I head home for the holidays."

"That's wonderful; you just missed your brother by minutes."

"Really, where was he heading off to this early?"

"To see his girlfriend Josie, he spends all his time over there at that B&B nowadays." She said as she poured her son a cup of coffee, before refilling her husband's mug.

Doug stopped on his way to pick up his coffee mug, and met his father's eyes. He didn't even need to his mother to mention the B&B for him to know she was talking about Joey, for some strange reason along time ago his mother decided that she would give the Potter girls her own names, Joey was Josie and Bessie was Beth, he had never really questioned it. What he did question was the look in his father's eyes, as if he the older man had expected the development all along.

Suddenly Doug figured it all like the pieces were suddenly becoming easier to fit together, his Dad sent him away, knowing bout him and Joey and knowing that the only person he would trust to look after her was Pacey, years of pushing his youngest son out of Capeside anyplace out of Capeside, when he felt that Joey was destination was anywhere she wanted. "How long has been that been going on?"

"Well I think officially sometime in September, but you know you're brother has always had a crush on that little girl." His mother said setting down a plate of pancakes in front to him, a sound against the door had her turning." Oh that must be Mrs. Carter, with the call list for the church committee."

Doug waited to he heard his mother start a conversation with the church organist and secretary, before he looked at his father." So was any of that speech months ago about me at all, or was that all for Pacey."

"Douglas, you're good at what you do, you're a good man, and this town knees you as much as you need it." He folded the paper he had been reading up and meets his son's steady gaze." It was an infatuation Douglas, you got caught up in those eyes, you're only a man it happens to the best of us, but Pacey loves her, loves her in a way that helps them both."

"That wasn't your decision to make." He said slamming his fist down on the table.

"Don't you get all high and mighty with me." John leans in and lowers his voice so that his wife doesn't hear." You were messing around with a seventeen year old, that's illegal, you're lucky I didn't bust your butt and take your badge." "Or that Bessie didn't find out and gun you down." " And don't act like you didn't suspect something why else would you ask him to look out for her, cause you knew just like I knew that he was better for her then what you two had going on." "So don't go getting mad at me cause the truth hurts, and the truth is you were never really in the running Douglas." That said John stood and made his way upstairs to go to work.

"Pacey, what's wrong?"

He leaned against the railing trying to control his anger, he didn't want to be upset with her, after all Dawson was the one sending her the emails, she did the right thing taking them to his Dad, but she should have told him, if she loved him like she said she did she would have told him. He didn't, no he couldn't say anything, he just took out the email and showed it to her.

Joey recognized it almost immediately and grabbed for it." How did you get this?"

"I found this and the others on your buddy John's desk."

"John… your father, how did your father get them."

"Jo don't lye to me." Pacey said shaking his head, and outing a creating a greater distance between them, not trusting himself to be that close to her right now.

"Lye about what, how did your dad get this?"

"You gave them to him."

"No I didn't, I hadn't told anyone about those emails, the only person that knew was….Jack, damn it Jack." Joey said crushing the paper in her hands.

"You told Jack about them, but not me."

"I didn't tell anyone about them, Jack was there when I got them Pacey, and I decided to ignore, he had no right to take them to your Dad."

"What about me, Jo?" He asked quietly. "When did I get know, when do I get the chance t protect my girlfriend."

"I didn't need protection it was just Dawson being self-involved, you ignore him he loses interest."

"What you mean is you knew I couldn't help you so you just didn't try."

Joey met his gaze, noting the sadness and anger in his blue eyes." Don't tell me what I mean Pacey, I meant what I said, I ignored cause it wasn't important, it didn't matter, it's not an issue."

"Not an issue, you don't tell me that Dawson's stalking you and it's not an issue, what else don't you tell me."

"What is this really about Pacey, because it just can't be this, cause this is just stupid, it makes no logical sense you being this angry over this."

"Why can't it be, why can't I be angry that the woman I love doesn't believe I can protect her." He asked hitting his chest angrily. " Why do you get to tell me when and why I can be angry?"

"Fine is angry about it about, but why can't I do the same." "Why can't I try to protect you from doing something that could hurt you, you don't think I thought about telling you." "Jack even said I should you were angry at me for the joke about Jack, and he said 'you know bright side is you tell Pacey about this and he'll be so pissed at Dawson he forget he was mad at you." "And I knew what you'd do, hope in the Witter Wagoner head down straight for Dawson and beta him, and risk your future over some stupid emails that stopped."

" THEY STOPPED BECAUISE MY DAD HANDLED IT." Pacey shouted.

"Pacey…"

"Hey what's the problem?" Bodie opened the door and leaned against eyeing Pacey as thought the slightest word could get him to toss the younger man into the creek. "Joey you okay?"

Joey gave Bodie a tense smile and nodded. "We're okay Bodie, just a little misunderstanding, you can go back inside."

Bodie nodded but he gave Pacey a look." Pacey that thing I said, that can apply to anyone."

The other man nodded and started walking away toward the dock, he heard Joey following behind him, and waited till she was beside him. She touched his shoulder." I have just as much right to protect you as you do to protect me and you can't tell me you wouldn't have gone after Dawson, not after the last confrontation." He didn't say anything." Pacey I was wrong okay, I'm sorry, but I honestly thought it was nothing, just Dawson being overdramatic." When he still didn't say anything he she started to worry, a knot began forming in her throat." Is there more to this?"

"I think we should take a step back for a little while, Jo, I don't know if I can be with you right now."

Joey shook her head and began backing up." What is this really about Pacey, because I getting a lot hear and none of it's really making sense?"

"It's just what I said it is."

"This is about him isn't it, it's about Doug."

"Did I say that?"

"You're not saying much of anything, Pacey." Joey waited for him to say something, say he was nervous or scared anything that to tell her she hadn't made another mistake with her love life, but he remained quiet." You know what I'm through, I don't know what else I can say or do to show you how much I love you, how much you mean to me." "I'm not sure if this is one of your insecure moments or you don't trust me or what, but I nothing I seem to be doing is working." " I feel like I should apologize for Doug, but I'm not going to, and I'm sorry if that hurt you , but I can no more apologize for my past then you can or anyone else can for theirs." "You don't want to be together, then fine, we're not together, have a good life Pacey."

Not waiting for a goodbye, she walked briskly up the dock back into the house, and noticed that Bodie and Bessie stopped talking when she walked into the room, she wiped the tears away from her eyes and looked at her sister." You win Bessie, I'm Stanford bound."

Pacey stayed rooted to the spot on the dock, his legs feel like they would give out at any time he fell to the dock post hoping it would keep his weight till he could gather strength enough to move.

"Hey little Brother."

Pacey turned from the creek and meet his brothers gaze, giving a bitter laugh." When it rains it pours."