That Summer
Rating: T-M
Summary:
In August Joan & Adam are crossing the country to Stanford in CA, Grace & Luke are heading to Cambridge for their schools. What are their plans for their final summer before parting? Can they pull it off without their normal drama? Obviously G/L & J/A
Disclaimer: If the characters were mine I'd be getting paid to write TV scripts, now wouldn't I? So…you know the drill.
Answers to your questions: Answer 1 - Nope, Joan&Adam being together has yet to be explained, but I promise it will be at some point in an upcoming chapter. Hey, a little mystery is good, no? ) Answer 2 - As for the appearance or lack of Ryan…I guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens in that neck of the woods now won't you? Answer 3 – I promise I will explain when the others found out about/believed Joan&God's interactions as well. Answer/Response – I do love Joan & Adam as a couple as much as the next J&A lover and I know there's more G&L than J&A but…it just came out of my head that way. I'll work on it, I promise!
To all reviewers: Oh how you feed my ego and make me want to write more…thank you! Much love to ya! Sam – thank you, I'm glad I don't suck! Laura – Wow, I'm so…flattered! Is this really one of the best JoA's you've read? I'm blushing, seriously. TJ – Thanks for the support, I was hoping I had the characters down. I wanted to do them justice. KJFlygirl87 – I'm so thrilled you love the story. You are truly a faithful reviewer! Don't be afraid to let me know if my G&L starts on the suckage all right? As I said, much love to all of you, for feeding my ego and making me want to keep writing more for you! I hope this quells your addiction now that stupid CBS has cancelled a show just because its viewers had to think to watch it…what a shame we get stuck with nonsense shows and reality TV…oh well-that's what TV Shows on DVD are for! Now, with this huge, mouthful of extra junk, read on, please!


Chapter 4 – And I Saw What You Did

"Okay, make a left here." Joan said, looking at the map in her hands.

"Left…" Adam said as he turned the car.

"Was it really a good idea to agree to rent a place without seeing it?" Grace wondered aloud as Adam drove barely above 20 miles per hour to avoid hitting any of the tourists and beach goers and kids crossing the street, while lugging their belongings to the beach.

"My uncle's best friend gave us an awesome deal. I figured I could trust him." Joan shrugged. "It should be 6 blocks up, around that bend up ahead. It's supposed to be a dead-end." Joan noted the 'No Outlet Ahead' sign on the side of the road.

"Huh? Wha?" Luke lifted his head startled when Grace lifted her leg swiftly to jolt him awake. She snickered slightly at him. "Are we here already? I wasn't asleep that long was I?" He rubbed his face as he took a deep breath.

"An hour, brain." She told him. "Now sit up would ya? My leg's asleep!" She teased him. Luke pulled his legs back inside the car and sat up. The blood rushed to his head and his upper body almost slouched right back down, but Grace steadied him. "Whoa there, you're a science brain, don't you know not to sit up so fast? Wicked head rush huh?"

"You're telling me. Aw man…" he examined his left shin with a frown.

"What?" Grace raised an eyebrow, leaning over to look. She laughed out loud. "I guess you shouldn't have put your legs out over the car in shorts, huh?" she put her finger on it to see the white spot that showed up on his red skin when she moved her finger away.

"Ow much…" Luke muttered. "Not even at the house yet and I've got sunburn."

"Well, just think, an hour outside and your body will even out." Joan laughed at him.

"I'll remind you of that when you look like Rudolph because you forget to put sunscreen on your nose." Luke retorted.

"That was totally one time!" Joan defended.

"Aw, is somebody a cranky napper?" Grace mocked with a funny baby voice, making a face at him.

"Just gimmie a minute to wake up." He said to her. Grace nodded reassuringly.

"Pull in the driveway right there! 5235, that's it." Joan pointed excitedly.

"Whoa, Girardi…how do we afford this exactly?" Grace asked, staring in shock at the beachfront rancher they were apparently renting until August 5th.

"I told you. Uncle's best friend owns it. He gave us an awesome deal as a favor to my uncle. Something about Uncle Richard saved his life, literally or something." Joan explained as she climbed out of the car.

"Isn't your uncle's friend supposed to meet us here with the keys, Jane?" Adam asked as he shut off the car and got out too. Luke and Grace climbed out and headed for the trunk with Adam and Joan before looking up.

"Yeah, he is." Joan said, opening the trunk. "Why, is he here?" She looked at the porch. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open for a second. "This is not happening." She closed her eyes tightly. Grace looked up.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Grace sighed. "I knew it." She looked at Luke, "Didn't I tell you it was way too good to be true? We're renting a summer house from the anti-Christ!" Grace almost snorted as she laughed.

"That's pretty funny considering you don't believe in Christ." Luke grinned.

"Hey, Jews for Jesus my friend, that's right Jews for J.C." She winked as she picked up a duffel bag and a suitcase. Luke grabbed two duffel bags and a suitcase out of the back.

"He's not the anti-Christ, you guys. He's just the bane of my existence." She sighed.

"Whoa…did God like make this happen?" Adam said, a little spaced out. Joan elbowed him. "Hey…what? Did he, Jane?"

"Shush…no God-talk around Satan incarnate." Joan grimaced. She grabbed a wheeling suitcase and put a duffel bag over her shoulder. Adam grabbed the last two suitcases and shut the trunk.

"So…you're best friends with my uncle since when?" Joan asked as the four approached.

"Er…well, no." Ryan replied with a mirth filled grin. "Actually my father is." He said coming down the steps to meet them. "Let me help you with those." He reached for Joan's luggage.

"No, I've got it just fine, thanks." Joan backed an inch or so away. Ryan's smile faded.

"I'm just here to drop off the keys and help you settle in, per my father's request." He held his hands up in defense. Grace let a mischievous grin cross her face.

"Sounds good to me." She dropped her bag and suitcase in his hands and then took the suitcase Luke had and piled that on top. "Lead the way, bellhop." She crossed her arms, challenging him. Ryan smirked at her with a nod of his head.

"As you wish." He turned and made his way up the steps and managed to get the door and make his way into the foyer of the house before he set the bags down. Grace followed him with Luke, Adam and then Joan in tow. Grace uncrossed one of her arms.

"Keys." She said simply, fire in her eyes.

"You don't want me to show you around?" He asked. Grace snickered.

"No, Beelzebub, I think our hunter/gatherer skills are finely enough tuned to discern what rooms are used for what activities." She tried to usher him out, knowing that Joan was growing uncomfortable every second that he was still there.

"I was told to show you around." Ryan said sternly, glaring at her. "I promised my father and I don't know about you but I don't break promises." He said as they stared each other down.

"Okay, why don't we let him show us around and that'll be the end of it?" Luke suggested, looking to Adam for back up.

"Unchallenged." Adam looked at Ryan. "The quicker, the better."

"Follow me." Ryan turned so his back was facing them. He held his arms out. "This is the foyer."

"Really? I thought it was Care-A-Lot, anyone know where Grumpy is, he owes me fifty big ones for the happy pills I left him last time I came up here on my magic caring and sharing rainbow rider." Grace said sarcastically. Joan, Luke and Adam couldn't help their laughter. Ryan took a deep breath and continued.

"To your left is the dining room. If you make a right in the dining room you hit the kitchen. If you walk straight down the foyer hallway you'll hit the door to the back deck, which leads to the private beach owned by the houses on this block. That first door on the left is the other door for the kitchen. The door past it is the first bedroom which has a full bath connected to it. The first door over here on the right is the living room complete with 30 inch TV, Digital Cable, DVD player, and PS2 if you have games, etc. The second doorway on the right is the second bedroom with another full bath. The last door past that is the third bedroom which, has no bathroom, but it does have the laundry room in its closet." Ryan explained. There's a linen closet in the back corner of the living room. You'll have to stock the fridge yourself." Ryan explained quickly.

"I call the bedroom on the right." Joan started walking to get away from Ryan.

"I'm there." Adam followed her. Luke stood behind Grace, not wanting to give Ryan and excuse to be alone with her.

"Luke, why don't you drag this stuff to the bedroom on the left and I'll get the keys?" Grace said, her arms were still crossed and she turned her head to the right to look at him as she said it. Luke stared at Ryan still.

"But…" He began to protest.

"I'll be all right." She assured him. Luke obeyed and Grace looked at Ryan. She uncrossed her left arm and held out her hand again.

"Like I said…keys." She said to him. Ryan looked at her, smiling slightly.

"Amazing isn't it? The irony following us around?" Ryan started a conversation. Grace rolled her eyes.

"If I want obvious stupid rhetoric statements I'll call Mr. Miyagi." Grace waved her fingers, signaling for him to hand them over. "Come on, give me the keys and get out of here, you've done enough badgering."

Ryan stepped closer as he reached in his pocket and Grace looked at him, trying to hide the momentary fear as he startled her. She had to tilt her head, as he was six foot tall. She didn't shrink back though. Her spine straightened.

"Hmmm…you are a feisty one." He said with a slight grin, taking a deep breath as if smelling her. "But I can tell you're frightened." He smiled wider. Grace raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, number one, dogs go around smelling each other, freak." She continued to stare at his eyes, unwilling to back down against him. Her face became rigid. "Number two, I know what you did to those girls." She said, anger rising in her blood, which felt like fire now.

"Oh do you?" He asked. She nodded. "What do you care, you didn't like them."

"Friends." Grace said. "They were friends. And regardless of who I like, nothing gives you the right to-,"

"Everything okay out here?" Joan asked, coming up the hallway. Ryan turned his head to look at her. Grace didn't move her eyes.

"Perfect. Freakazoid was just about to hand me our keys." Grace held her hand out again. Ryan looked back at her and plucked the keys from his pocket, placing them in Grace's hand. "Goodbye." Grace said, pulling the door open. Ryan left without another word. Grace shut the door and leaned back against it. "Well now…he sure knows how to bring out the WB angst in us all. Aaron Spelling should so hire him to create a show-the mindless drones would eat it up in a second." Grace chuckled.

"Grace, are you okay?" Joan asked, walking up to her.

"Wait a minute, why didn't I think of this before?" Grace grinned. "Let's make a stereotypical TV show and get lots of money, then we can totally flop on the clichés and people will think it's funny!"

"Grace!" Joan said sternly. Grace shrugged.

"I'm fine, Girardi." She said, tossing one set of the keys to her. "Don't lose 'em or lock yourself out now." She smiled as she headed up the hallway. She tossed a pair to Adam as he stuck his head out in the hall to see what was going on. "Here you go, lover boy." She winked before entering the room she and Luke were supposed to share for a couple of months.

"Okay…I totally don't feel right about this anymore." Joan sighed, spinning around and flopping onto the bed. Adam sat down next to her as she covered her face with her hands.

"Can I ask what God wanted at the gas station?" Adam asked.

"To give me cosmic gas pains." She groaned. Adam laughed.

"Does God also supply you with cosmic Pepto?" He asked. Joan looked at him, her eyebrows all scrunched up. He smiled broadly at her and Joan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Come here, please…" she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her so she could kiss him. Adam happily obliged.

"Hey, knock-knock Honeymooners!" Grace barged into Adam and Joan's room with Luke close behind her.

"Ah!" Adam yelped as he and Joan jumped apart startled and he ended up on the floor.

"Grace! Privacy issues much?" Joan sighed.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt the hormones, dude, but we've got empty cupboards we need to fill." She grinned. "Let's go, chop, chop." She clapped her hands and walked out, grabbing Luke by the hand to lead him outside with her.

"Sometimes, I swear she's been abducted by aliens and they've put implants in her brain. They're up in space flipping buttons to switch her moods like the tides. Or maybe it's like they're playing Simon with the switch board buttons and throwing her out of whack for fun?" Joan said as she and Adam sauntered up the hallway towards the door.

"Would that be like cosmic electro-therapy?" Adam asked.

"Ooh…good work Mulder." Joan nodded.

"I try, Scully." He replied. "What's next week's episode by the way?"

"Uhm…vampires who can't control their teenage daughters from getting knocked up by werewolves and mummies?" Joan asked as they climbed in the backseat of the car that Luke was now prepared to drive.

"I don't want to know what you're talking about." Grace said from the passenger seat.

"Mummies are such a rip-off. They're totally re-animated corpses, thus meriting the title zombie and not mummy." Luke said as he backed out of the driveway in search of a food store.

"What?" Grace said.

"How do you figure that one, genius?" Adam asked.

"What do you mean? I just explained it, man." Luke said.

"Yeah but mummies are Egyptian, yo." Adam said.

"And they were cursed dead famous Egyptians. What zombie is like cursed before mummified?" Joan asked.

"I can't believe this conversation exists." Grace shook her head.

"But it's the same principle!" Luke countered. "Dead body comes back and moves about the living causing mayhem. And, and you know voodoo, that's a curse-based zombification process there."

"Touché…" Joan said, raising an eyebrow.

"Whoa…" Grace said aloud.

"What?" Adam, Luke and Joan asked.

"Dude you guys worship a zombie!" She said, her lips curling into a grin. "That's wicked."

"What?" Joan asked.

"Think about it. You just said so. Re-animated corpse that walks around among the living causing mayhem! Jesus was a zombie!" Grace had excitedly joined the conversation.

"Did Jesus cause mayhem?" Luke asked.

"Sha…The dude walked on water." Adam nodded. "Mayhem doesn't get much better than that."

"And weren't like…something of fire over top of people's heads?" Grace asked.

"Tongues of fire, yeah." Luke replied.

"Okay one, Jesus was so not a zombie." Joan spoke up. "And two, the tongues of fire thing was so not Jesus. It was totally the Holy Ghost."

"See! If you can have Holy Ghosts, you can so have Christ Zombies." Grace put her hands up as if that was the end of that.

"I'm so confused…" Adam said.

"What does this have to do with Ryan Hunter?" Luke questioned.

"I wasn't aware we were speaking of the Devil." Grace replied. "But if we factor Holy Ghosts and Christ Zombies into the equation, Beelzebub isn't very scary is he?"

"No…no he's not." Joan agreed.

"Unnnchallenged." Adam almost sung.

"So what kind of food are we getting?" Luke asked after his stomach grumbled loudly.

"The edible kind probably, but I'm not sure yet." Joan told him.

"Ex-nay on the Pigg-ay." Grace said. Adam looked at her strangely. She shrugged. "Dude…I'm the lone Jew…" She stated.

"Ohhhhh…" Adam nodded, understanding now. Luke parked the car and turned it off.

"Finally, the country music ends." She said as they exited the car and grabbed a cart, heading for the grocery store.