Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is on television . . . kind of depressing when you think about it.
A/N: This is my first "Full House" fanfic, so please be kind! It centers around my favorite character and, who I think, was very underused: Joey. And I put it under 'angst' for a reason.
Summary: While at the beach, Joey is forced to face his biggest fear once again. Will he succeed, or will it come back to *ahem* bite him? Expect flashbacks and what-not.
Chapter One
"Michelle, breakfast is ready!" Danny Tanner called his youngest daughter from his kitchen. To his surprise, he got a reply on the first call.
"Okay," she yelled back. Upon hearing the footsteps coming down the stairs, Danny sat down at the table in between Joey and Stephanie. Michelle entered the kitchen, still in her pajamas, and with a big smile on her face.
Jesse, looking slightly taken aback at his niece's attire, asked, "Munchkin, don't you look happy. But why are you still in your P.J.s?"
"Because it's the first day of summer, duh!" she replied, sitting down next to her uncle. "And that means no school 'til August." Michelle cut off a piece of her waffle and shoved it into her mouth.
"I know, I'm so excited," stated DJ, a grin appearing on her face as well, "but I really don't know what to do. I mean, Steve is going to Michigan with his parents, and I can't go all of the way over there."
"Wait . . . Steve is in college," interrupted Stephanie, "so why is he going somewhere with his parents?"
"Well, he said it was because he hadn't really done anything with them for awhile and needs some 'quality time' or whatever. But I think that the real reason is that one of his high school friends lives in Michigan and he needs an excuse to go there."
Stephanie raised her eyebrow at her older sister as she took a sip of her water. "So," she began, "what are we going to do?"
"Don't you kids want to go back to Camp Lakota?" asked Becky. "I remember last year you guys had so much fun that you never wanted to leave," she chuckled.
"Yeah, until we got stuck in the cabin during that storm," said Michelle. "Now I'm never going back there."
"Well, why don't you guys get a summer job? That should keep you occupied until summer ends," suggested Danny.
"Dad, no . . . just, no," remarked DJ. "The only thing that getting a summer job will accomplish is make the summer go by slower."
"Isn't that what you kids want?" DJ rolled her eyes at her father's remark.
"Well, you could do what I'm going to do: sleep, eat, and watch cartoons," said Joey with a sigh. "I love summer."
"Joey, you can do that any time you want," stated Jesse.
"Yeah, but the fact that it's summer makes it, I don't know, special." He sighed again, staring off into space.
"Anyways," began Jesse, giving Joey an odd glance, "what to do for summer. Umm . . ." There was a moment of silence as everyone waited for Jesse's suggestion. "I got it!" he said loudly, clapping his hands together, which caused everyone else to jump slightly. "The beach. We'll all go to the beach tomorrow."
"Uncle Jesse, that's a great idea!" said DJ.
"Yes, I know."
"So, there's one day of our summer gone, how about the rest?"
Everyone else chuckled at DJ's statement, until Jesse glared at them with a sarcastic nod. "Right, well, we'll just have to figure out the rest of the days when the time comes, won't we?" he asked, scornfully. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Later that Day . . .
Joey was sitting on the couch, flipping stations on the television. He finally landed on a station as he took a sip of his soda.
The station turned out to be a news program. An anchorwoman was reporting from the San Francisco Beach, which caught Joey's eye. He sat upright and watched the screen.
"Kids have been out of school not nearly a day and already they're flocking to the beach with their families and friends. But the beach is not nearly as crowded since word got out of a shark sighting about one hundred yards from the beach. Lifeguards are on full-watch, and will notify all beach-goers to evacuate the water at the first sign of a shark. Whether this shark is harmless is unknown, but the beach would like everyone to be extra careful. This is Cheryl Ropman, channel two news coverage."
Joey quickly turned off the television and set the remote control on the coffee table. He sat, unmoving, with a look of fear on his face until he bolted into a standing position. "Jesse! Danny!" he yelled, running up the stairs and into Jesse's room.
He saw Jesse and Danny trying to flip over Jesse and Becky's mattress, unsuccessfully. "Joey, what is it?" groaned Danny, under the weight of the mattress.
"I-I . . . it . . . TV . . . no," he stammered, out of breath.
"Not . . . now, Joey," grunted Jesse, releasing the mattress, so that it fell into place. "Okay, what is it?"
"Did you know about the, umm, problem with the beach?"
"Problem? Like what, no sand? No water? It's hard for there to be a problem with a beach, Joe."
"Yeah, well, there's water, but there's something in the water that may be of some concern to you."
"Such as . . . ?" asked Danny, gesturing for his best friend to continue.
"A shark! There is a shark in the water at the beach!" Joey said, giving each word an emphasis.
"Really? What kind of a shark?" asked Jesse.
"They don't know, but who cares?! The fact that there is a shark in the water is a good enough reason not to go."
"Joe, you can't let your fear keep you from doing something," said Danny, placing his hand on Joey's shoulder.
"Actually, it is a good reason."
"I don't get it. What happened to you when you were a kid that made you so freaked out?" asked Jesse.
"Do you really want to know?" asked Joey, unsure.
"Yeah."
"Okay . . ."
Begin Flashback . . .
A young Joey, about the age of seven, is at the beach with his mother and father. "Joey, do you want to go into the water?"
"Yeah!" shrieked the very-excited boy, grabbing his inflatable tube and rushing towards the ocean.
"I can't believe that we waited this long to take him to the beach," Joey's father whispered to his wife.
"I know, but it doesn't matter. He sure is excited, isn't he?"
"Yes he is," replied Mr. Gladstone, as his son began to wade in the shallow water. "I'll go with him." He walked over to where Joey was splashing and picked him up. "Hey, you wanna go into the deeper water?"
Joey nodded his head excitedly as his father walked into the deeper water. The water was up to Mr. Gladstone's stomach when he stopped. "Here, Joe, why don't you float here?" He took the tube from his son and laid it down gently on the water. He then placed his son inside the tube.
Joey grinned at his father as he rested on the top of the water.
Mr. Gladstone turned away from his son as Mrs. Gladstone called his name. "Do you want me to come out there, too?!" she called.
"Sure," he called back. "Oh, and could you bring me a drink?!" He saw her nod and pull out a bottle from their cooler.
Mr. Gladstone turned back to where his son had been, only to discover that he was no longer there. "Joey? Joey?!" He spotted his son not twenty feet away from him. 'Wow, that kid can move fast,' he thought, beginning to wade over to his son.
As he got closer, there was something that caught his eye. There was a small, dark shape underneath his son's legs. He began to move faster towards Joey.
Joey saw his father coming at him, and began to kick away from him. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his leg. As he cried out in pain, he saw a small, unforgettable, shape of a shark, about two meters long, swim away from him as he father rushed over to him.
He picked up his son and saw a long cut on his son's leg, about five inches long. Luckily, it wasn't very deep, but it was bleeding fiercely. He carried his son to the shore, where his wife was waiting, anxiously . . .
End Flashback . . .
". . . and then some lifeguard came up and . . . the rest is sort of a blur."
"Aw, Joe, I'm sorry. Well, now that Disney incident makes sense," said Jesse.
Joey nodded. "Yeah, so, ever since then, I've never wanted to be around sharks again. I mean, sure, it was just a 'slash wound,' as the lifeguard put it, but it was a very traumatizing experience for me."
"I understand, Joey, but why didn't you tell me? I mean, we've been best friends for, well, ever."
"I just . . . never found a good time to, and I figured that you'd find out on your own. But you didn't; you didn't even find it odd when I wore long pants in the ninety-five degree weather."
Danny raised his eyebrows. "Well, Joey, the girls will be really disappointed if you don't go, you know."
"I know, which is why I am going to go, but I am not getting in the water . . . at all. No matter how much you pressure me."
"Don't worry, we won't pressure you."
"Oh, and Jess, are you bringing the twins with you?" asked Joey, crossing his arms.
Jesse shook his head. "Naw, we're getting . . ." He took in a deep breath. ". . .Gibbler to baby-sit them."
Joey gritted his teeth and Danny recoiled slightly. "What do you think she'll ruin?" Danny asked, as the three of them left the attic.
To Be Continued . . .
A/N-Please review and tell me if this is any good. No flames though. I know, sort of contradicted myself, but still . . . okay, as soon as I get ten reviews, I'll continue. Unless I never get ten, then I'll just continue anyway.