AN: Hi folks, this story is a sequel to Redefining Shakespeare (A Rose) and so it would probably be best to read RS before this if you want to get a picture of what's happened and how Jo and Blair have gotten to this stage. The story takes place about two weeks after the end of RS, which means it begins in December around two weeks before Christmas, and will follow Jo and Blair as they deal with the consequences of the trial and embark on their newfound romance, that of course means that it's FEMSLASH so if that's not your thing then this story definitely isn't for you.

I will apologise in advance to any field hockey players who may read this, it has been a long time since I played and so the descriptions in this chapter (and any in forthcoming chapters) are based upon my own memories of the game/training sessions etc. I was also a goal keeper for most of the time so most of what I know actually comes from that perspective! I reckon the terminology etc. is pretty accurate but as I'm not American there may be a few turns of phrase/expressions that aren't used in the American game. Don't worry if you're not a hockey fan though, it isn't going to be the main focus of the story, it's just a device to show what Jo and Blair's life is like at Langley etc.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not the show nor the characters I have borrowed from it or indeed the quotes that I use in any form be they from the show or otherwise. The only things I own are the few original characters who come into the story from time to time. This is not for profit but for fun etc. etc.

Archiving: Only with permission from the author. (just drop me a line or something and we'll see from there).

As usual this is unbeta'd and so any mistakes are my own, I shall fix them as I find them but as always if you see any just let me know and I'll do my best to fix them.

Special thanks go out to: Ltlconf (for all of your advice and talking me through the possibilities of this story), PermanentProblem, ILoveXmas and BlindMoose for encouraging me to write this sequel :)

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While Life is, Hope is… A Sequel to Redefining Shakespeare (A Rose)

…

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams'

Eleanor Roosevelt.

…

Chapter 1: Setting up the Future

...

It was good to be running again. Jo had already done a full lap of the pitch and was beginning her second, it felt great to be back. Her injuries from the accident, and her fight with Brock Worthington, had finally healed enough for her to be able to get back to some semblance of match fitness. She hadn't managed to play a game yet but she'd been to every training session for the last two weeks and had even been able to sit on the subs bench for the previous Saturday's home game. Today was her chance to show just how ready she was to be back amongst the action, even if it was neither a training session nor a match.

For Jo this was a much more important day.

As she reached the stands for the second time Jo allowed herself to slow down enough to look up towards Blair who smiled and waved to her as she passed, Jo for her part returned the smile and wave before turning and running backwards keeping her eyes on Blair the whole time, much to the amusement of her girlfriend who cheered despite the fact that the brunette was showing off. Blair knew she was showing off just for her and the thought of that made her smile even brighter. Jo bowed cheekily towards the blonde before turning around and running once more into the distance. Oh yeah, it felt good to be back.

It was growing darker more quickly than Jo had expected then again Christmas wasn't too far away. It was freezing too but she didn't notice. Only 3 O'clock and already there was some debate over whether the floodlights should be put on, there was enough daylight in the late afternoon for them to see well enough but that was sure to change very soon. As far as she was concerned though today was too important to worry about small details like temperature or weather, this was an opportunity she would never have again. If she did well today she'd be set for the rest of her time at Langley, sure she'd still have to work to support herself and things wouldn't exactly be easy but they'd be a lot easier than they had been and for Jo that was important. Her father was still supporting her financially but she couldn't be sure how long that would last and to be honest she didn't want to rely on his money. He wasn't prepared to accept her or her relationship with Blair and had made that perfectly clear in the last month. She hadn't seen him since her Babcia's funeral and that was harder to take than she'd ever imagined but she wasn't about to give up on her future with Blair for the sake of her father's prejudices. She wished with all of her heart that he would get back in touch and accept her. She needed him to be the father she loved and missed but she doubted that would ever happen now. Charlie Polniaczek never backed down once his mind was made up and since Jo was just as stubborn, 'pig headed' her Ma called it, she would have to live her life without him. It was harsh but he'd abandoned her once before and she'd managed fine then – she didn't need him and today was her chance to prove it. Besides if she got this second scholarship it would ease the burden on her Ma considerably, she wouldn't need to work three jobs just to send Jo enough money for books and tuition fees. She'd give her Ma her life back.

Jo had been warming up for the better part of half an hour having arrived long before anyone else. The stands were virtually empty – few people were willing to grace the playing fields to watch the trials, especially not on a day that was threatening snow – in fact Blair was one of the few there ready to cheer her on. Jo knew she had a good chance at getting this scholarship, she was one of the strongest players on the team, as soon as she had arrived at Langley she'd been put on the starting line-up for the first XI and she had kept her spot on the team for the last year and a half, but the very fact she had an academic scholarship already might go against her – there were several girls who deserved the opportunity warming up alongside Jo now, players from across New York and beyond ready to give their all in front of the coaches and the scholarship board who were standing beside the pitches, stamping their feet and discussing last minute details. She just wished they would hurry up and start, she hated waiting.

'Alright ladies come on in, we're about ready to begin…' coach Moran called over the noise of a biting wind. Her accent held a slight trace of an Irish lilt inherited from her parents who had moved to New York years before she was born.

There wasn't a moment's hesitation from any player – they all knew Coach Caireann Moran's reputation. She was a formidable coach and an equally formidable player. Even the players from outside of Peekskill knew her by reputation, some of them having been fortunate enough to see her playing in Los Angeles during the bronze medal match against Australia. Jo in particular was a little in awe of this woman who had taught her so much in the time she had been playing for the Langley Lions, a fact that she had been teased about by Blair on more than one occasion since returning to training, not that it was a crush as such, Jo just admired and respected the coach who had helped her to become a better player than she'd ever believed possible. Jo supposed that it was a sign of how strong their relationship had grown in such a short time that Blair was able to tease her in such a way.

'Right you lot, there's a limited number of scholarships and I'm looking to make sure we get the best players for them. It's up to you to prove you're the best. No excuses, you can't stand the pace you don't get a place.' Coach Turner, his English accent still prominent despite living in Peekskill for the last six years addressed the twenty two young women standing before him with easy authority.

Coach Kevin Turner wasn't known for wasting time, he expected the best from his players and that was especially true of those on scholarship. He had been head hunted by the board of Langley in 1979 and worked his way up to Head coach within a short time, he had been one of the assistant coaches for the British Olympic field hockey team and his skills were legendary among the Langley Lions. He could play every single position with confidence and knew how to get the best out of each player. In short he was a coach of considerable experience who commanded respect, a coach who adored the game and a coach who had inspired the Langley Lions to the state championships on more than one occasion.

'Some of you are already players for the Lions first XI' he looked directly at Jo, though even if he hadn't it would have been perfectly obvious to the other girls who he was talking about – she was wearing her Lions training gear - she held his gaze knowing he was warning her against complacency 'but it doesn't mean you're a shoe in for a scholarship. There's a lot of talented players here today so I expect you to show me exactly what you're made of…'

Jo's teammates were also standing at the side of the pitch, ready to help the coaching staff with the trials. One of the major problems faced by any College hockey team was the turnover of players, each season as players graduated it left a void in the team that needed to be filled with sharp, skilled, dedicated players. It was therefore a Langley Lions tradition that players from the first XI helped with the trials for potential scholarship players, it gave them the chance to see the fresh talent for themselves and get an idea of the calibre of the rookie players for the following season. Players who they may find themselves competing against come the new season during the team try outs. Each one of them had volunteered despite their own College commitments; it was always interesting to scope out the new players. Besides, Jo was well liked on the team and they wanted to see her do well. There was always a fear amongst the Lions that Jo would have to drop out of the team to take a second job and that would be a disaster for their chances at the State Championships, they needed a strong team and Jo held the current record for goals scored by a Sweeper in a season, made all the more impressive by the fact that she had achieved that record in her rookie season the previous year.

'OK ladies first up we have a skills test… We have a nice little obstacle course set up; all you have to do is work your way around the course, simple. Michelle here will be timing you, we want to see good stick handling, footwork and importantly speed…' Coach Turner then addressed the two goal keepers who were looking less than thrilled at being asked to run an obstacle course designed for field players. 'Goalies we have something special lined up for you at the other end of the field…'

Jo followed Turner's gaze and could see several of the strikers from the Lions as well as their goal keeper Luisa Collins, who stood proudly between the pipes as each of the strikers settled to take their shot, the familiar set up designed to test the reflexes of the goal keeper as well as their discipline. Luisa was a phenomenal keeper and Jo was certain her performance was designed to unsettle the two young keepers who were hoping to join Langley when they became freshmen.

'Goal Keepers follow Coach Moran please. The rest of you I want you lined up in three sections – defence, midfielders and strikers… we'll take your preferred positions into account when we're timing you… Good luck…'

Coach Turner was running through the skills test with them, he'd actually taken it upon himself to run the obstacle course himself to show just how 'easy' it was. His voice was loud and comforting as he explained each obstacle while he weaved around the course, adding in little nuances to make it look all the more impressive. Jo was suddenly nervous as she settled herself behind the other defenders. She really didn't want to go first, she wanted to size up her competition, to see what she was up against but Coach Turner had other ideas as he returned to the start again.

'Polniaczek, let's start with you shall we?'

So much for sizing up the competition, Jo thought as she jogged towards the start of the obstacle course – a minefield of cones and other obstacles designed to make each player dodge and weave while controlling the ball perfectly before taking a shot on goal, collecting a new ball and completing the circuit. Jo was familiar with the circuit, it was one of Coach Turner's favourite warm ups for the field players. A set up that each player should be familiar with and therefore it kept things on a level. Her team's back-up keeper Jules was standing between the pipes, she too was a formidable goal keeper and truthfully she was only the back-up keeper because she was in her final year at Langley and needed the time to study. Something Luisa Collins readily admitted since the two were such close friends. Jules was an old hand at this kind of thing and had helped at trials on more than one occasion. Michelle, a powerful centre midfielder with the body of a striker, was standing at the first cone, ready to start the timer whenever Jo was ready. Although Jo was nervous the familiarity of it all was comforting.

'Good luck Romeo, you're going to do just fine…'

'Thanks, just wish I wasn't goin first, kinda wanted ta scope out the competition…'

'ROMEO! When you're finished yappin perhaps you'd like to begin?'

Jo flushed a little but managed a laugh; it WAS just like a training session!

'Sorry coach!'

'You know what Romeo's like…'

'I'll get ya fer that one 'chelle.'

Within seconds Jo was off making light work of the cones and domes, weaving in and out of the various hoops that had been lain down as obstacles and showing off her impressive stick handling skills with some creative moves of her own, Coach Turner wasn't the only one who could do a skills test with style. When it came to basic skills Jo was a natural and she knew it. It wasn't long before she was passing the ball to Eleanor 'Nora' Hopkins, another midfielder who was strategically placed to receive a well-placed pass a third of the way through the course, then Jo was hopping through the cross ladder keeping up a gruelling pace as she moved with swift agility ready to receive the pass she knew was coming on her reverse stick, Eleanor was one of the team's most accurate passers but she was also a hard hitter and it took precision timing to stop the ball dead on the reverse in order to flick it up and over the next obstacle before weaving through another set of cones and stopping at the penalty spot to take a shot at goal. It was a sequence made more difficult by the fact the pitch was sand based Astroturf rather than grass, something that took a bit of getting used to for players who were grass specialists since it affected the speed of the ball and the amount of bounce on the stop. Jo only stopped when she hit the penalty spot; she wanted to make sure she got the best shot that she could. Jules was a master when it came to stopping penalty strokes or flicks, it'd take something special to get one past her today.

'C'mon Jo, this isn't about precision shooting – it's about speed and agility, they don't care if you score as long as your skills and timing are good!' Jules did her best to advise her friend as she waited for her to take her shot 'Besides, you know I'm going to save it!'

Jo knew instinctively that Jules was right, on all counts and so she let rip with a flick shot that twisted slightly to the right, meaning it was heading for Jules' glove side which Jo felt was the weaker of the two sides. The sound of the ball hitting the solid pad of Jules' well-used glove was a bit of a blow to Jo's ego, after all Blair was watching, but she didn't dwell on it as another ball was passed to her by Eleanor which she took the rest of the way through the obstacles, through more domes and cones, passing it through hoops that looked like they'd been taken from the croquet team, over a second cross ladder and back to the start to receive her time.

'Woo hoo! Go Jo!' Blair was thrilled, evidently she felt that Jo had done well and she cheered loudly as her delinquent received her time from Michelle who was all smiles.

'You did good Romeo!' Michelle called to her as she rhymed off her time '3.46, not bad for a Sweeper!'

'And I did it in style 'chelle… don't forget ta take a few seconds off fer that!'

'Hehe I give ya a '1' for style Polniaczek!' called Eleanor holding up an imaginary card for the 'crowd', 'I've never seen ya butcher a skills course like that before!'

'It's one more than you get fer yer passin skills Nora! Looked like ya were passin ta the stands!' Jo called back cheekily.

'Now that hurt Romeo… truly!'

The easy banter from her teammates, the sound of Blair in the stands and the fact that she'd managed the skills course in a respectable time made Jo feel a million times better than she had during warm ups. Maybe going first wasn't such a bad thing after all. She ran up to join the end of the defence line again.

'Nice work Polniaczek… though I'd have thought you'd have scored from that distance!' Coach Turner was impressed, and that made Jo feel even better, if he was happy with that for a start then it would make the rest of the day much easier.

'OK… Aitkins you're up next!'

…

'Oh Joey you were fantastic out there today!' Blair, who was waiting in the car park, beamed at the brunette as she emerged from the locker rooms closely followed by Michelle.

'Thanks babe… just gotta wait and see what the board decides…'

'You did good Romeo, you're goin to get that Scholarship, I got a good feelin about it.'

'We'll see 'chelle, there were a lot of good players out there today…'

'None of 'em were a patch on you Romeo, though wouldn't mind seeing some of them coming through the ranks next season.' She checked her watch and gave an apologetic shrug 'I've gotta go, the library's callin my name…'

'You mean Derek the librarian's assistant…'

'What can I say; I have a thing for intelligent men, we all need an incentive to study!'

With that Michelle was running off in the direction of the library leaving Jo and Blair chuckling in her wake. Shifting her hockey bag into her left hand Jo wrapped her arm around Blair's waist, pulling her close and kissing her chastely as they headed for the debutante's Porsche.

'Thanks fer comin ta watch today babe…'

'It was my pleasure Joey… I have a thing for hockey players…'

…

'Babe, whose car's that?' Jo asked as she spotted a Rolls Royce sitting on the street outside Edna's Edibles.

'It's my mother's…'

'Damn… I thought she was in France or somethin…'

It had been the excuse Monica had levelled at Blair when she'd finally gotten in touch after the trial of a few weeks before. Blair pulled into the garage, turned the engine off but made no move to open her door. Today had been such a good day, she really didn't want to have to face her mother now.

'Why's she here now?' the blonde's voice was laced with worry.

Jo placed a hand gently on her knee, encouraging her girlfriend to turn to face her. Blair rested her forehead against Jo's taking comfort in the support she found. If she had to face her mother now, at least she'd be doing it with Jo by her side.

'Maybe she's just here ta talk babe… she loves ya and she wants ya happy…'

'I'm not so sure sweetheart, she has a very different idea about what will make me happy, she said some awful things when I spoke to her last week…'

Jo remembered that only too well. She'd come home from training to find Blair in Mrs G's arms crying inconsolably, it had taken her over an hour to get her girlfriend to talk to her about what was bothering her. In some ways she felt that Blair had it worse, Monica was determined to make her see that she'd made a huge mistake and had made it perfectly clear what her feelings were regarding their newfound romance. That had to be hard on her, it was bad enough dealing with Charlie's continued silence, Jo wasn't sure how she'd deal with continual verbalisation of his disapproval.

'It'll be alright baby… if she says anythin ta upset ya we can just ask her ta leave, Mrs G won't let her stay if she's upsettin ya…'

'I suppose we have to face her sometime…'

'We do. Who knows maybe she's changed her mind about us…'

'You didn't hear the things she was saying Jo… she's furious…'

'She has no reason ta be and if she can't see how happy ya are then it ain't our problem, we're in this together right?'

'Always…'

'Then we'll be just fine. I promise.'

Jo's words were the encouragement Blair needed to finally make a move to get out of the car but before she did she had one last concern…

'Promise me you won't lose your temper Joey…'

'I'll try my best not ta babe…'

It was as good as she was going to get and Blair knew that. Jo would never make a promise she couldn't keep.

Monica Warner was sitting at the dining table with her back to them, across from Mrs Garrett who was making small talk with the younger woman while drinking from a china tea cup. Jo had taken hold of Blair's hand as they walked through the front door together and she squeezed it as Monica became aware of their appearance.

'Blair! Darling it's so good to see you…' Monica remained seated but turned slightly, smiling brightly at her daughter making a point to ignore Jo completely.

'Mother… how was your flight?'

'Oh just fine thank you, wait until I tell you about Marco, such a handsome young man and just your type…'

They'd been in the presence of the woman for less than a minute and already Jo could feel her temper boiling… this woman was talking to Blair as if the last six weeks hadn't happened, as if Blair hadn't finally admitted that she was far from the 'boy crazy' young woman that she had always pretended to be. As if they hadn't just been through hell in order to finally be together. As if their love meant absolutely nothing! It was enough to drive Jo insane.

'I'm sure Marco was just lovely but as we've already discussed he's far from my type…'

Monica was on her feet now and as she walked towards them she spoke animatedly, clearly her position on Blair's new romance had not altered since they had last spoken.

'Now Blair, I know you're going through this phase and I can't pretend to understand it but that's all it is, a phase which will pass. I only wish you'd had the common sense to make the whole mess a private affair… God knows the trouble this has caused and of all the people you could have chosen…'

Jo was so furious that she didn't even take in Monica's appearance, she was so focused on stopping the woman's tirade before she made Blair more upset than she already was that she reacted instinctively, raising her voice and preparing for an argument. Blair on the other hand was staring at her mother as if she hadn't heard the last words coming from her mouth, she was too stunned to participate in any argument… she really hadn't seen this coming...

'This ain't no goddamned affair…' Jo's hackles were up but she was stopped short by Blair who tugged at her hand.

'Mother… you're… you're pregnant…'