Joan stormed into her room and threw her backpack against the wall. "Stupid Adam," she huffed, still hardly believing that he had cheated on her. Her sweet Adam, who said he loved her, who gave her art and called her Jane. Joan changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.

He lied to her, he went behind her back, and he slept with Bonnie! And Joan couldn't help but feel that it was her fault, for refusing him in the camper, for making him feel like she didn't love him…

And now she was all alone.

Well, she thought with a glance upwards, she was never all alone. But it sure felt like it tonight. Rolling onto her side, she faced the window to gaze out at the stars as she shivered under the blanket. She wished things hadn't turned out like this, so separated and hateful. She could barely even talk to anybody about it.

Then, without even looking, she knew God was there. There there, not just "there." Her weight shifted slightly as the bed depressed behind her under his assumed weight, and before long, he had crawled in behind her and wrapped an arm around her, exuding a warmth and comfort that melted her shivers away. A little smile crept onto Joan's face.

She rolled onto her back, and sure enough, there he was next to her, in the first form that he had used to appear to her. This was the form that he used to relate to her, Joan had begun to notice, it was the form that made him familiar and easiest to talk to, with his cute face and his spiky hair. Joan had to keep in mind that this was the same God as always. The same one who had told her how to get her family to start healing, the same one who had come to comfort her as a grandmother when things were bad… And he was also the same one who was always so distant, so cryptic.

God sighed. "I'm sorry that this happened to you, Joan. You've handled it well so far, but don't let your anger towards Adam twist itself into a big mess that needs cleaning up." Joan noticed that God was right, and the huge amount of anger she was already harboring began to shrink. "That's my girl," he smiled.

Joan pouted. "I just feel horrible… did I do this? Did I make him feel unloved that night? Is this my own fault?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" God said with a sigh, "Every choice that you make has an unforeseen number of consequences. But before you start feeling too guilty, look through your heart- did you do anything you wish you hadn't?" He paused for a moment to let Joan reach her conclusion, that no, she did everything that she thought was right.

She shook her head.

"Then I couldn't ask for more. You've done well with everything I ask of you, Joan. I'm sorry that I can't make everything turn out like you deserve." He pulled her close to him to comfort her, tenderly stroking her hair. "I wish I could make you understand how important you are to me," he said softly.

Joan blushed and turned to look at God. "I thought you said you didn't pick favorites," she reminded him.

"Well…" God trailed off for a moment, as though trying to phrase things in a way she could comprehend, "I don't like to grant favors, or interfere with my system. But you, Joan, you are my instrument, my disciple, my little cheat into the system, and I am glad to have you."

God had to hold back a chuckle as his disciple's cheeks burned bright red. Of course he knew what effect this particular appearance tended to have on her. And he was in bed with her.

Curling an arm around the girl protectively, God leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Just remember, Joan, no matter what else happens, for good or for bad, I will always be here."

And it was with those loving words of her protector that Joan fell asleep contentedly in his arms.