Summary: Another day in the life of a teenager. Joan tries to juggle a "suggestion" from God, her friends, and attempts at accepting Iris in Adam's life.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from Joan of Arcadia or any songs that appear in this fic. I wouldn't mind having Christopher Marquette, though. .

Ratings: PG – just in case of swearing

AN: This is the end… Perhaps a sequel is in order? I'll let you decide. Thank you for taking a walk with me through this story. I enjoyed every moment in writing it and sharing it.

Adam and Joan walked down the street, hand in hand, talking about various things – school, the upcoming art show that he was going to attend, and finals right around the corner. She smiled over at him, watching the setting sun glint of the strands of dark hair that escaped from his striped cap. He met her admiring gaze, flashing her his own smile. They both were glad to have each other, and they were looking forward to the summer so that they could spend more time together. He already had a list of things for them to do running through his mind.

Joan turned and gazed at the park as they walked by it, watching a couple families spending the remaining daylight hour playing by the jungle gym and swing set. She smiled as she saw a bunch of kids running around playing tag, remembering a time when her and her brothers used to play such games in their old town. She wasn't surprised to feel no sense of homesickness, no longer missing the place she used to live. In the beginning, that was all she thought about before God and her two friends came to be. But now, she could hardly remember what it looked like. She paused a moment when she saw a familiar figure over by the swings. She turned to look at Adam and gave him a reassuring smile before excusing herself. He nodded before wandering over to a bench in view of the swingset, giving her the time she asked for.

Joan walked over to the little girl sitting alone on a swing, barely moving the thing back and forth. She wrapped her hands around the chain as Joan approached, silently asking for a push. Joan shook her head in exasperation, but went to stand behind the girl and began pushing.

"I sense your mind is troubled, Joan. What is bothering you?"

"I'm just not sure what my purpose was with the Pageant… I didn't do anything."

"Of course you did, Joan. You completed what you were meant to do."

"What was it I was meant to do?" Joan stopped pushing and went to sit in the swing next to the girl, turning sideways so that she could look at her.

God tilted her head, making the two antennas on top her head wobble back and forth. She reached up to adjust her glasses before speaking. "Whether you see it or not, every choice… everything you do causes a ripple effect. Those around you are affected by the things you do."

"I don't get it. Me joining the pageant affected others?"

"Of course… If you hadn't have joined, would Grace have told you her secret? Opened up to you and finally took the first step in trusting someone other than Adam? Because of you, Amber will get the help she needs with her eating problem, and with her problems with her parents. It won't happen over night, but with time, she'll be able to stand up for herself. You've given her the confidence she needed. If it wasn't for you, Adam and Iris would be in a loveless relationship, unknowingly hurting one another. They realized their true feelings, and ended up taking the steps needed to improve their lives – even if it meant them parting ways. Everything that was done this past week is somehow linked with your decisions that you made in regards to joining the pageant."

"And here I didn't want to join… Will I ever understand it?"

"In time you will, Joan. With each suggestion I give you, and each lesson you learn along the way will bring you that much closer to enlightenment."

"Tell me one thing…"

"If I can."

"Were Adam and I meant to be together? Or did you have some hand in us getting together?"

"Joan…" The little girl chuckled, shifting on the seat a bit to stare at the young woman before her. Out of all the people she dealt with either directly or indirectly, Joan had a special place in her heart. Although she was difficult sometimes in dealing with, she almost always did the right thing. She made mistakes, but that was more reason for loving her. "It's all free will. I had no hand in it whatsoever. You wanted to be with him more than anything, and he felt the same thing. You both came together because that is what you wanted most. You fulfill your own destinies. I just give you a nudge in the right direction."

"Whether or not you did anything… thank you. Being with him means everything to me. Thank you for putting Adam on Earth."

"Just keep your head up, Joan. Good things will come your way." With that cryptic announcement, the girl slid off the swing, gave her the usual wave, and wandered off towards the other children. Joan sat there a moment shaking her head with a small laugh, before getting up herself and making her way over to Adam. He sat there as before, watching the people around him, especially the children, a sense of peace stealing over him. He looked up at her approach and gave her a smile, holding out his hand to her. She returned his smile, reaching out to take his hand within her own and bringing it to her cheek, laying his palm against her flesh. He never took his eyes off her as his thumb began caressing her bottom lip. They stayed in that position for a moment, everything around them disappearing as they got lost in one another. They broke out of their reverie when a small ball rolled up and hit Adam's foot. He pulled away to reach down and grab the ball, giving it over to a waiting child before standing up next to Joan.

"Ready for your surprise now?"

"Always."

Smiling, they walked hand in hand towards the vicinity of his home basking in the love they felt for the other. Good things were definitely coming her way. The week was finally over…