AUTUMN RITUALS

(Author's Note: This is basically a season 3 story, with multiple storylines set during the Fall of 2005. I have covered the intervening summer in other stories: REVELATION OF JOAN, RURAL ARCADIA, and LOVE AND HONOR, which are basically summed up in the first chapter.

I would like to give credit to LostSchizophrenic for comments and improvements throughout the writing of the story.

I own no rights in JOA. My only motive in writing the story here is to have fun and hopefully share it. And I hope that other Season 3 writers do not mind sharing the territory)

Chapter 1 What I did this summer

As Joan approached Baltimore/Washington airport, where she was to pick up her brother and Grace from their vacation, she saw a large jet zoom in for a landing. There was a time earlier when it would have awed her: the size, the speed, the amount of ground required to accommodate it. But now she knew of a much more powerful Entity, which made its effects with a still, small voice, and airplanes didn't fascinate her anymore.

Security arrangements kept her from going to the gate, of course, so she stayed on the visitors' side of the barrier, waving when she finally spotted the pair. As they walked up, Joan gave her brother a hug then turned to Grace, who shied back as if fearing a similar attention. Then Grace reconsidered and gave Joan a peck on the cheek. It was the first time the two friends had actually kissed.

"Wow, you're in a sentimental mood today," said Luke. "Usually it's more a matter of 'Hey, dork'."

"I can't help it," said Joan. "I feel wonderful. Adam and I are back together, and I got some advice about my future. I'll tell you when we get back to the car."

Ordinarily the others would have pressed her for details. But the three were in on a big secret, one that couldn't be discussed in the midst of a crowd where anybody could overhear. So they kept silence until they were in the car. Luke and Grace both got in the back seat. That made Joan feel like a chauffeur, which she didn't like, but she supposed that their real motive was to cuddle up to each other, so she didn't complain.

"Rove?" prompted Grace.

"Yeah, we reconciled just two days ago."

"So Bonnie's out of the picture?" asked Luke.

"Not really. She's living with the Roves, until she has her baby--."

"Baby! Rove's gonna be a father?"

"No, no. Some jerk from the local college knocked her up. He wouldn't give her any support except money, and even getting that was like pulling teeth. Her parents threw her out, so Adam agreed to take her in, even though he knew that it would create a lot of nasty rumors. When I found that out, I thought he had behaved really decently, and deserved a second chance."

She did NOT mention her side of the reconciliation. Knowing that Adam's sexual longing for her had been part of the original problem, Joan had promised to consummate the relationship before the school year was out. Adam said he wouldn't hold her to that, and the other two didn't have to know. "So how was the vacation? I know that you couldn't say everything in your emails. Did you see You-Know-Who?" After two years, God had decided to let Grace and Luke into the secret, and it was a great relief to Joan to be able to talk to them about it openly.

"Yeah," said Grace. "That's the weird thing. She was there all the time, disguised as a cowgirl, and never broke character. Even shoveled manure around when she could have just zapped it away."

"I wish she had zapped it away," said Luke. "That stuff stank."

"You said stinks were subjective--." Apparently this was an old argument.

"Chill, you two," commanded Joan. "So what did God say?"

"He persuaded me that I should change my scientific focus," said Luke. "The life sciences are going to be more important. Eliminating pollution, recycling resources, preventive medicine. I'm going to start by signing up for AP Biology this fall. I wonder who's teaching it? Lischak again?"

"Probably. I guess I'll sign up too. At least she's entertaining. But, what about you, Grace? Did She give you a mission?"

"Um, she persuaded me to learn how to ride a horse. Said it would make a crucial difference in a future crisis. I suppose somebody getting lost in a big area, like Rove did, and a horse could reach areas that a vehicle couldn't."

"That's it?" Divine missions were rarely that straightforward.

"Yeah."

Joan had the feeling that Grace was holding back information, but decided to respect the girl's privacy. Grace had done the same for her at an awkward moment last spring.

"What's this about advice about your future?" asked Luke, apparently trying to change the subject.

"Oh, that. Remember the judge who observed our Mock Trial last spring? She popped up again last week, and said that I had a knack for lawyering. I'm going to take Law this fall, too."

"It's nice for you to get noticed," said Grace, "but you know my opinion of the law."

"Yeah. Afterward Old Lady God appeared. She said to take the course but keep an open mind. Quoted an old rabbi that being nice to people was the real law, 'all the rest is commentary'."

"Hillel," identified Grace, who had been studying her Jewish heritage during the year. "He was a contemporary of Jesus, who said the same thing in other words."

The three discussed their unusual calling for the rest of the car trip back to Arcadia. As they passed the city limits, Joan remembered one more question.

"That's something else I need to ask about before we see our parents. You guys were together under one roof for two weeks, without parents around. Did you--?"

"No," said Grace firmly. "Drop the subject, Girardi."

Joan dropped it.

Grace persuaded her to go to the Girardi house first. As the parents made a sentimental fuss over Luke's return, Grace looked wistful. Apparently things were still awkward at her house, where her mother was recovering from years of alcoholism.

"By the way, Luke, this letter came for you," said their mother.
"From the Arcadia Board of Education. We were holding it for you." She was clearly dying to know what was in it.

Luke opened the letter and scanned the contents. "Awesome!"

"What is it?" asked Will.

"It says that in view of my A.P. credits, high grade point average, and 'general excellence', they've given me special permission to jump a grade. I'm a senior, just like you guys!"

"That's cool," said Grace, though Luke could tell she was more enthused about it than she was letting on. "Now I won't have to explain why I'm dating a junior, if anybody finds out," she added under her breath.

"That's terrible!" said Joan, wrapped in her own reaction. "When people see my baby brother in my grade, they'll think I've been kept back a year. Eeeeeeeeeeeww!"