"Tough Choices"
Disclaimer: I have no legal claim to the show in question. I am making no money from this story.
Author's Note: This is my first JOA fic and sadly I do not get to see this Friday's ep. Unless Dish Network decides to fix things. Reviews will speed up the progression of this story,
Joan was sitting on a swing, thinking about how confused thing were with Adam. Also, she was thinking how she knew that no matter what that she and Iris would never be friends.
"Joan."
She looked up and there he was, the Cute-boy God. "What do you want? Do you want me to make things so bad with Grace or Adam that neither of them ever speaks to me again? Do you want me to make my parents so upset that they kick me out? My life is already in shambles. What more can I do to possibly screw it up more?"
"Be you."
"Oh thanks, that's such a huge help. You really must've spent an age think about that one. Just go away!"
"Ok, I know that you're hurt so I'll leave now. Just a suggestion, the swim team might help."
"Yeah because cheerleading helped so much."
Cute-boy God smiled and walked away with a wave of the hand. "Well you can forget it! I'm done doing your work!" Joan yelled after him. The mothers in the park started protectively holding onto their children.
"It's ok. I'm leaving," she called out to them. She got off the swing and walked home. The scene in the kitchen was a familiar one. Her mom was browning some ground beef on the stove. Kevin was telling a joke and Luke was trying to tell both of them some wacky science fact.
"Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes, sweetie. We're having guests, so wash up," Helen said.
"Who?"
"Rebecca and Glynis"
"So it's some sort of freakish couples' dinner? Is this some kind of joke? Is it 'Joan is single, so let's mock her day' in the Girardi house?"
"Glynis is coming over to work on the Chemistry project," Luke said.
"Okay, Rebecca is coming over as a couple thing, but I'll try and turn off my charm," Kevin said with a grin.
"Wow, fabulous, actually I'm not that hungry. Had a couple of poptarts earlier," Joan said as she ran up the stairs.
"Joan!" Helen called up the stairs, but it was too late.
Joan slammed her door shut and signed onto her instant messenger. A message popped up.
HumanRts618: girardi what's up?
JoanJane16: my family
HumanRts618: what's going on?
JoanJane16: it's basically couples' dinner tonight
HumanRts618: what couples?
JoanJane16: are you masochistic grace
HumanRts618: why you asking?
JaneJane16: you know that glynis is here
HumanRts618: so...girardi if this is about you being alone tonight all i can say is
that you had plenty of chances with rove. Anyways, gotta eat!
Joan leaned back in her chair and started to cry. Sure she'd had a lot of chances with Adam, but she'd been unsure of where to go with her feelings. Now, she was ready to couple and he'd moved onto Iris. The familiar IM ping made her look up.
JARove6: jane
JoanJane16: yeah adam?
JARove6: i was wondering....
Joan breathed in sharply.
JoanJane16: yes?
JARove6: if i could have dinner at your house tonight? we can study afterwards!
JoanJane16: sure, I'll let my mom know that we need one more plate set. bye!
It wasn't what she'd been hoping for, but she'd take what she could get. Joan ran downstairs. "Mom, Adam is coming over for dinner. Is that ok?" she said to her mom.
"Sure honey, will you be joining us too?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just kinda sad when I'm the only one without a person."
"I understand honey. Will he be staying after to study?"
"Yeah."
Helen looked after her daughter. All she could think of was how much Joan had been hurt in the past couple of months. It was such a shame that Adam had given up on Joan and attached himself to the girl with the squeaky voice.
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was full of noise. Kevin and Rebecca were debating fiercely about the newest writer at the paper. Luke and Glynis were talking about the latest scientific discoveries. Will and Helen were trading amusing anecdotes about their days. Only Adam and Joan were quiet. Joan looked over at Adam, smiled at his ski cap, and looked back down. Then, Adam looked up. He saw his Jane, though he felt he had no right to call her "his" Jane. He looked back down, his heart in confusion. The conversations swirled around them and no one else noticed how silent they were. After dinner, everyone else cleared and washed the dishes, made coffee, and left for the living room leaving Joan and Adam sitting at the table, alone.
"Jane...."
"Don't. It's doesn't matter. Let's just get started on our work." Joan bent down and picked up her Chemistry book. Adam looked sadly at Joan.
"Jane, you weren't ready to couple, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember. Let's just start working."
The two of them sat for hours, working over equations and getting formulas just right. Joan was inwardly fuming at Him. Neither of them noticed Glynis and Luke looking for snacks, Helen shaking her head with a sad smile at them, or Will mildly glaring at Adam. "Wow, it's 11. I guess you'd better go. Gotta get my beauty sleep you know."
"Ok, night Joan."
Joan winced at her real name. No matter what she tried to do, no matter how she acted, she never matched up with Adam. She wondered if she ever would. She hurled herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. "What is it going to take? Are you ever going to let me have some happiness?"
Joan sat up at the sound of a new IM.
THEOnE: Joan, I don't keep you from happiness.
JoanJane16: so god's on the web?
THEOnE: A shepherd has to keep up with his flock.
JoanJane16: yeah figures
THEOnE: Joan, I don't ask you to do anything. I merely suggest.
JoanJane16: you know i am tired of that
THEOnE: Tired of what?
JoanJane16: oh, don't act all clueless! you know what i'm tire of! Night!
Joan turned off the sound on her IM and went to bed.
More Author's Notes: I hope that you like it. I started this story sometime in mid-February, so that should explain the whole Kevin and Rebecca thing.
Disclaimer: I have no legal claim to the show in question. I am making no money from this story.
Author's Note: This is my first JOA fic and sadly I do not get to see this Friday's ep. Unless Dish Network decides to fix things. Reviews will speed up the progression of this story,
Joan was sitting on a swing, thinking about how confused thing were with Adam. Also, she was thinking how she knew that no matter what that she and Iris would never be friends.
"Joan."
She looked up and there he was, the Cute-boy God. "What do you want? Do you want me to make things so bad with Grace or Adam that neither of them ever speaks to me again? Do you want me to make my parents so upset that they kick me out? My life is already in shambles. What more can I do to possibly screw it up more?"
"Be you."
"Oh thanks, that's such a huge help. You really must've spent an age think about that one. Just go away!"
"Ok, I know that you're hurt so I'll leave now. Just a suggestion, the swim team might help."
"Yeah because cheerleading helped so much."
Cute-boy God smiled and walked away with a wave of the hand. "Well you can forget it! I'm done doing your work!" Joan yelled after him. The mothers in the park started protectively holding onto their children.
"It's ok. I'm leaving," she called out to them. She got off the swing and walked home. The scene in the kitchen was a familiar one. Her mom was browning some ground beef on the stove. Kevin was telling a joke and Luke was trying to tell both of them some wacky science fact.
"Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes, sweetie. We're having guests, so wash up," Helen said.
"Who?"
"Rebecca and Glynis"
"So it's some sort of freakish couples' dinner? Is this some kind of joke? Is it 'Joan is single, so let's mock her day' in the Girardi house?"
"Glynis is coming over to work on the Chemistry project," Luke said.
"Okay, Rebecca is coming over as a couple thing, but I'll try and turn off my charm," Kevin said with a grin.
"Wow, fabulous, actually I'm not that hungry. Had a couple of poptarts earlier," Joan said as she ran up the stairs.
"Joan!" Helen called up the stairs, but it was too late.
Joan slammed her door shut and signed onto her instant messenger. A message popped up.
HumanRts618: girardi what's up?
JoanJane16: my family
HumanRts618: what's going on?
JoanJane16: it's basically couples' dinner tonight
HumanRts618: what couples?
JoanJane16: are you masochistic grace
HumanRts618: why you asking?
JaneJane16: you know that glynis is here
HumanRts618: so...girardi if this is about you being alone tonight all i can say is
that you had plenty of chances with rove. Anyways, gotta eat!
Joan leaned back in her chair and started to cry. Sure she'd had a lot of chances with Adam, but she'd been unsure of where to go with her feelings. Now, she was ready to couple and he'd moved onto Iris. The familiar IM ping made her look up.
JARove6: jane
JoanJane16: yeah adam?
JARove6: i was wondering....
Joan breathed in sharply.
JoanJane16: yes?
JARove6: if i could have dinner at your house tonight? we can study afterwards!
JoanJane16: sure, I'll let my mom know that we need one more plate set. bye!
It wasn't what she'd been hoping for, but she'd take what she could get. Joan ran downstairs. "Mom, Adam is coming over for dinner. Is that ok?" she said to her mom.
"Sure honey, will you be joining us too?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just kinda sad when I'm the only one without a person."
"I understand honey. Will he be staying after to study?"
"Yeah."
Helen looked after her daughter. All she could think of was how much Joan had been hurt in the past couple of months. It was such a shame that Adam had given up on Joan and attached himself to the girl with the squeaky voice.
Fifteen minutes later, the kitchen was full of noise. Kevin and Rebecca were debating fiercely about the newest writer at the paper. Luke and Glynis were talking about the latest scientific discoveries. Will and Helen were trading amusing anecdotes about their days. Only Adam and Joan were quiet. Joan looked over at Adam, smiled at his ski cap, and looked back down. Then, Adam looked up. He saw his Jane, though he felt he had no right to call her "his" Jane. He looked back down, his heart in confusion. The conversations swirled around them and no one else noticed how silent they were. After dinner, everyone else cleared and washed the dishes, made coffee, and left for the living room leaving Joan and Adam sitting at the table, alone.
"Jane...."
"Don't. It's doesn't matter. Let's just get started on our work." Joan bent down and picked up her Chemistry book. Adam looked sadly at Joan.
"Jane, you weren't ready to couple, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember. Let's just start working."
The two of them sat for hours, working over equations and getting formulas just right. Joan was inwardly fuming at Him. Neither of them noticed Glynis and Luke looking for snacks, Helen shaking her head with a sad smile at them, or Will mildly glaring at Adam. "Wow, it's 11. I guess you'd better go. Gotta get my beauty sleep you know."
"Ok, night Joan."
Joan winced at her real name. No matter what she tried to do, no matter how she acted, she never matched up with Adam. She wondered if she ever would. She hurled herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. "What is it going to take? Are you ever going to let me have some happiness?"
Joan sat up at the sound of a new IM.
THEOnE: Joan, I don't keep you from happiness.
JoanJane16: so god's on the web?
THEOnE: A shepherd has to keep up with his flock.
JoanJane16: yeah figures
THEOnE: Joan, I don't ask you to do anything. I merely suggest.
JoanJane16: you know i am tired of that
THEOnE: Tired of what?
JoanJane16: oh, don't act all clueless! you know what i'm tire of! Night!
Joan turned off the sound on her IM and went to bed.
More Author's Notes: I hope that you like it. I started this story sometime in mid-February, so that should explain the whole Kevin and Rebecca thing.