Disclaimer: If you're wondering if I own Bend It Like Beckham yet, then the answer is no. We can't have everything we want or right about now I would rule the world. Total world domination, gotta love... Napoleon had the right idea.
Author's Note: I thought that they're were not enough Bend it Like Beckham fanfics on fanfiction.net so I'm really glad people are enjoying it. I just want to let everyone know that now that I am going back to school my updates might not be every other day like I have been doing originally. Maybe a chapter a week or a chapter in two weeks *People wielding pitchforks and torches appear and point them at poor defenseless Pixy2* But there will be updates!... Don't hurt me please... please, I'm too young to die *The people start drawing closer to poor defenseless undefendable little Pixy2*. Oh look there's Joe all by himself behind you! *The people look and Pixy runs off in the opposite direction*.
REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS! YAY! I GOT REVIEWS!
P.S.: Thank you WeLoveJoeClub (we all do love Joe, don't we?), us, shopgirl909, Jenn, organized-chaos (Of course Jess is thrilled but in her own way), Charlie, and Layla for the kind reviews. And I'd like to thank anyone who reads Just Bend It.
P.S.S.: Jenn, I would be honored to have a Jess/Joe whore by my side in the fight against the machines!... Er... wrong movie... again... sorry!
Summary: Sometimes, off the field life isn't as easy as it should be, and during those trying times of the "heart" and "spirit", you wake up and realize something. You've just got to get over it and just bend it!
Just Bend It
Chapter Three: Wake Up Call
The warm blanket of the sun caressed her face with its fingers, the warm smell of cologne slowly crept towards her nostrils trying hard to awaken her from her sleep, but Jess would not allow it. She shifted and dug a tunnel underneath the bed sheet and turned to her side to block the expert fingers of the sun. Unfortunately for Jess, she could not block out or hide from an Irish man on a mission.
Joe gently shook Jess on her shoulders, but the Indian girl did not respond to his touch. "Jess, love, you've got to wake up." Not even the sound of his rich sleep mussed Irish voice calling out to her, persuaded Jess enough to make her want to wake her up. Joe sat Jess up in his lap and just shook her a little harder and shifted in his arms drawing closer to the source of heat.
With one more shake, an eyelid opened and a dark honey colored orb stared at Joe. "Sleep, please!" Jess whined.
"But we've got to get ready to go to breakfast. Remember my parents want to see you."
The orb gave Joe a cursory glance before it shut and it's owner was falling into the spell of Rip Van Winkle once agin.
"Jess!" Joe exclaimed, and as an answer Jess snuggled closer to him. Joe threw head back and looked at his ceiling as he sighed in exasperation. "C'mon love, please wake up for me?"
An eye opened once again and gave Joe a cursory glance before it shut again. "What's in it for me?"
"Jess!"
Her eyes stayed shut. "You're not dressed yet. You go shower."
A cheeky grin cracked onto Joe's face. "But.." Joe gently began to rub Jess' thigh, stroking it up and down then back to the top again."... I was hoping you would come join me." Joe put on his best puppy dog look with full pout and watery eyes included, for free, once he saw Jess looking at him with two wide eyes. "Please?"
Jess shook her head. "Didn't we have a similair conversation to this a year ago? Except–"
"–Jules was making beautiful romantic noises of her vomiting from my bathroom?" Joe smiled down at Jess happily.
Jess caught Joe's smile, and wasn't very shocked about it. Joe had this special smile that reached his gray eyes and made them crinkle at the side. Jess always found this smile to be contagious. "That sounds just about right."
"Good, now that I see you're up, you can get in the shower. I'll got make us some coffee." Joe released Jess' waist with a smile pinch that made the said female leap and make a small squeak. Joe climbed out of his bed and stretched out his back slowly in front of the now fully awake Jess. Joe made sure that his muscles were not stiff, while Jess made sure he didn't discover she was staring.
Learning her lesson from the previous night, Jess admired her subject discreetly and made sure that her subject didn't notice... and he didn't.
Joe turned around to look at Jess at she stared back him. "Anything you want in your coffee?"
"Do you have french vanilla coffee?"
An eyebrow shot up. "No."
"How could you not?" Jess asked dumbfounded.
Joe laughed at her, which believe or not, the Indian girl was getting used to. People just seemed to love doing it to her this vacation. "I see that America is spoiling you."
"No, it's not."
"Yes it is."
"Fine it is. Could you please just a lot of sugar and cream into my coffee?"
"Fine, now get in the shower."
Jess mouth opened wide and stayed that way for a moment before she could push a few words out of her mouth. "Are you bossing me around?"
Joe tapped his chin looking like he was in deep thought. "As a matter a fact I am." He raised both of his eyebrows as if to challenge Jess to do something. When she didn't do or say anything he began to walk towards his bedroom door... then a pillow connected with the back of Joe's head. Joe turned around and glared at the 'innocent' female wearing an oversized t-shit, sitting in his bed with a halo floating above her 'guiltless' head.
'A halo held up by horns...' Joe thought sorely.
"Yes, Joe?" Jess asked as she saw him staring while she slowly crawled out of his bed.
"Why'd you throw that at me?"
Eyes still wide with 'innocence' and 'ignorance' Jess answered his question. "Throw what?"
Joe rolled his eyes and showed her the pillow in question. "This pillow."
"I didn't throw that pillow at you Joe. Why would I do that, even if you are acting like a obsessive compulsive, bossy prick... you're just paranoid, love." Jess walked around Joe and his pillow making her way towards the bedroom door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go take a show–"
Jess never made it to the door. Joe tackled his girlfriend into his bed, with her laughing the whole way there."You little sneak!"
"I still don't know what you're talking about!" Jess said in between her laughs.
Joe looked down at her incredulously. "Still playing the innocent bystander, eh?"
"I'm playing innocent because I am innocent." Jess was still laughing.
"Really, eh?" Jess nodded yes. "Okay, then." Jess moved to get up, thinking Joe was letting her go, but instead Joe began to tickle her. The defenseless female squirmed and squealed under Joe's relentless hands, wishing that he never found out she was ticklish. Joe made his grand finale by playing, in other words kissing, Jess on her most ticklish spot, behind her neck.
When Jess' squeals died down, Joe spoke. "Now, could you please go to the bathroom?"
Jess sniffled pathetically as she shimmied under his arms and began to walk out his room. "Do I still get coffee?" She looked at Joe with a pout on.
Joe closed his eyes and stretched languidly on his bed. "Hmmm, I'll have to think about it." A 'mysterious' pillow found its way to Joe's face. "Hey!"
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Joe looked like a younger replica of his dad. From the hair, to the nose, to mouth, to the body build. The only thing he got from his mother were his pale gray eyes, which was a nice addition, at least it was to Jess.
Diana Richards opened the door to the two-story house very happy to see her son and Jess on the other side. Her short mahogany hair was clipped back by a few pins and dough streaks graced her smiling face. A smile very similair to her son's.
Diana swept Jess into arms, giving the much shorter girl a tight hug that literally crushed her bones and took her breath away. "Jess, I'm so glad to see you." Diana released Jess, and Jess could finally feel the rush of air return to her lungs.
"Hi, Mrs. Richards." Jess followed Diana into the suburban house as she made her way to the kitchen.
"Jess, please call me Diana." Diana looked over Jess' head at her son. "Hi Joe, sweety."
Joe waved."Hi mom."
"Not going to give, your dear old mother a hug?"
Joe walked up to his mother and hugged, then set her down, but not before he carried her the rest of the way to the kitchen. "Good?"
Diana fixed her clothes once she was set down on her feet. "Good."
In many ways, Diana reminded Jess of Mrs. Paxton, except a bit less exuberant and colorful, and a bit more sporty.
Jess and Joe sat down at the kitchen table that was already occupied by Jonathon Richards. "Hello Jess, hello Joe." Jonathon had a stronger accent than Joe and Jess found it funny when the two men began to yell about things, like a wrong call by a referee, together.
"Hi dad."
"Hi Mr.Rich–" Jonathon cleared his throat. "Jonathon."
Jonathan lowered his newspaper, lips curled in a greeting grin. "'ello there. Must be great to be back in England, eh Jess?"
"Yes it is."
Diana set down a large plate of scrambled eggs along with a large stack of pancakes and bacon down. After she took off her soccer ball patterned apron and hung it on a hook, she took a seat between her husband and son.
"All right, let's eat." Diana said as she served herself some pancakes.
The sounds of clanking and metal scraping the plate soon filled the quaint kitchen.
"So, Jess, how's soccer doing in that college of yours?" asked Jonathan as he filled his second plate.
"We're doing good."
Joe shook his. "She's being modest, Saint Clara's soccer tem is number one in their region. I have reason to believe it's because of her." Underneath the table Joe grasped Jess' hand
Diana pushed some loose locks out of her eyes and gave Jess an encouraging smile. "That's great." Jess faced flushed with pink, she really did despise blushing and the fact that Joe knew how to make her blush. "They were good before I got there."
Right in front of his parents, Joe kissed Jess straight on the mouth, without any warning at all. Jess' face was nearing a bright red, a strikingly similair color to an American fire truck. Fire-engine red was really flattering color. Really. "I'm sure helped them along once you got there."
"Oh, how adorable." Diana gushed, her maternal pride reflecting on her face.
"Jules is good too."
Joe gave Jess' hand a small squeeze, his gray eyes looking into her dark honey brown ones. "Yes, but I'm talking about you right now. And stop being so modest."
Joe just seemed to be insisting on making her blush today, and he was doing a very good job. Jess averted her eyes to her plate of food. Diana literally looked like she wanted to take both her son and Jess in her arms and hug them as if they were adorable puppy dogs.
"Well, that's good. So will you be playing for the Hounslow Harriers once you get out of college?"
This time Jess looked Joe in the eye. "As long as they want me, sure. But I'll need a good salary and a good coach."
"I can get you a good coach, but the salary... I wouldn't know about that."
Jess playfully frowned at Joe. "I've heard about the Harriers coach, they say his a bit iffy."
Joe pointed to himself with his free hand with a look of exasperation. "Me, iffy?" Jess reluctantly nodded her head yes. "Iffy!" Another slow nod from yes was Joe's answer. "I can't believe you'd say that Jess."
Jess shrugged. "I don't make the news I only report it."
Joe glowered at her with narrowed eyes of gray and she laughed at him, it was about time she laughed at someone else for a change of pace.
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One soft lip lock and embrace.
A car door opened.
A hand on an arm.
"One more."
Another soft lip lock and embrace.
A car opened once again.
A hand pulling a person back into a car.
"Another one."
A longer soft lip lock and intense embrace.
The sound of someone making barfing noise in the background.
"Joe! Let Jess go!"
With one small peck on Jess' lips, Joe relinquished his hold on Jess and she climbed out of his car. Jess still leaned her head inside of the car through the car window.
"Finally!" Jules was nearly jumping for joy on the street corner.
"Bye Jess."
"Bye Joe."
"Love you.
"Lov–" Jules ripped Jess from the car window.
"Yea, yea, she loves you too. Now bye! We've got to get to my house."
Joe sighed. "Bye to you too, Jules."
"Bye." Jules dragged Jess behind her as she jetted down the streets. Jess waved goodbye to Joe and waved goodbye in return.
"You two are sickening!"
Jess smiled. "Thanks"
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That's it for this chapter. Reviews? Praise? Critique? Praise the shiny button on the bottom. It likes being clicked.