Title: Understanding Snippy

Author: Bent137

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Gilmore Girls or Joan of Arcadia

Summary: When God asks Joan to go to Yale, she meets Rory Gilmore. When being God's vessel becomes too much for Joan on top of going to school at the prestigious Ivy League college she confides in Rory, and gets an unexpected response.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter One: The Big One Too

"Joan," called Joan Girardi's mother, Helen, from downstairs. "You've got some mail."

In her bedroom Joan smiled. She loved getting mail. Maybe it was a postcard from her boyfriend Adam Rove, he'd gone to check out an art school in New York and had promised to send her a post card from the Big Apple. She and Adam had been through a lot early on in their relationship. They had just become friends, and Joan was blind to Adam's deeper feelings towards her, when a series of events out of her control drove Adam away from her. He'd finally forgiven her though, and she'd realized that he wasn't the only one with feelings that were more that friendly.

See, Joan talks to God. I know that doesn't sound very strange, a lot of people talk to god. It's just, in Joan's case, God talks back. God appears to her in different human forms, giving her tasks. It was these tasks that had driven the first wedge between her and Adam. No one knows Joan talks to God except for herself and God. Not even Adam knows.

"I didn't know you applied to Yale," Helen Girardi's voice floated up the stairs again.

Joan froze halfway off her bed. Yale. Yet another of God's tasks. First he'd challenged her to do better, a challenge she rose to. Then as her senior year was just beginning he told her to apply to Yale. She'd done it, not expecting to get in. She didn't even know what she would do if she got in. Her family didn't have the money for it. After her older brother Kevin's accident, which left him wheelchair bound, money in the Girardi household was pretty tight. Even though college wouldn't be too hard for the family, Kevin never went and is now a staff writer for the local newspaper, and her younger brother Luke would surely be able to get a scholarship. Joan didn't think that her parents could afford the likes of Yale on top of their normal expenses and Kevin's medical bills.

Joan walked slowly down the stairs to where her mother was waiting for her at the kitchen table. When Joan entered Helen looked up. "You applied to Yale," it wasn't a question. It was a statement, laced with disbelief.

"I didn't expect to get in or anything, it was just a dare."

"Someone dared you to apply to Yale."

"Yeah. I know we can't afford it, I mean I probably didn't get in anyways."

Helen cut her off, "I think you'd better read it first Joan. We can't make any decisions until we know for sure." Helen held up a large envelope. "I do however think that in this case bigger is better."

Joan cracked a smile and sat down at the table with her mom. She took the envelope from Helen and tried prying open an edge with her fingernail. Seeing her difficulty Helen got up and retrieved a letter opener from a pencil holder on the counter. Joan took it gratefully and slit the envelope open. Joan pulled out a paper and read it over quickly. She smiled and glanced at her mom.

"What?" Helen asked, a small smile forming on her face.

"Dear Miss Girardi," Joan began. "Thank you for your interest in Yale. We are pleased to tell you that you have been accepted as a freshman for our 2005 incoming class. Then it goes on to talk about tuition and registering for classes." Joan looked up at her mother.

Helen was beaming at her daughter, "I am so proud of you. I can't wait to tell your father."

"Tell dad what?" Luke asked as he came in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

"Joan got into Yale," Helen informed him, a hint of smugness in her proud voice.

"You're kidding." Luke's head came out of the fridge and he looked at Joan.

"I didn't expect to get in, but I did," Joan said sheepishly.

"That's great," Luke told his sister with a nod.

"It is?"

"Yeah, sure, it makes my chances a lot better doesn't it?"

Joan and Helen rolled their eyes.

*~*

Helen, Joan, Luke and Kevin were already seating themselves at the dinner table when Detective Will Girardi breezed in the back door. "I know," he said immediately, holding his hands up like one of the perps he and the other guys took down daily. "I'm late. I'm sorry, traffic was horrible tonight."

"It's fine," Helen assured him. "We were just sitting down."

Detective Girardi took his usual spot at the table and looked around at his family. "So, what happened with everyone today."

"Well, Joan has some exciting news for you," Helen informed him. The smug tone was back in her voice and she couldn't keep the smile off her face so she looked down, pretending to focus on her green beans as she stabbed on with a fork.

"She does?" Will looked at his daughter curiously.

"I do," Joan said. She didn't know how to continue so she coughed as she gathered her thoughts. "Uh, well," now she was just stalling for time. Perhaps blunt honesty was the way to go. "I got into Yale today, Dad."

Detective Girardi looked startled to say the least. He glanced at Helen then back at Joan with incredulity. "Yale? Ivy league, Connecticut, bulldogs Yale?" he questioned.

Joan looked confused. "Well, I don't know about bulldogs," she glanced at Kevin, whom nodded. "Yeah I guess, that Yale."

"You got in to Yale." Will sat back in his chair an amazed look on his face.

Joan frowned. "I have the letter, I'll show you the letter, after dinner."

"I would love to see the letter, I want to copy it and have it framed. You got into Yale!" He smiled and looked around the table locking eyes with Helen. "Our daughter got into Yale! Yale!" He shook his head and leaned back in his chair again. spearing a square of steak and bringing it to his mouth then chewing it thoughtfully. Helen exchanged a pleased and amused grin with her daughter.

*~*

Helen Girardi closed the closet doors and turned to where her husband was already comfortably on the bed. He was sitting reading some papers by his bedside lamp. "Tell me that is not work," she joked.

"It's not work," he responded.

"What is it now?" she asked.

He looked at her over the papers, "Actually it's Joan's Yale information."

"Oh," Helen said quietly. He went back to reading as she made her way over to the bed and lowered herself beside him. "So, why are you reading it?"

"I'm trying to figure out if we can afford to send her to Yale."

"Oh, and what's the verdict?"

"Well, we'd have to refinance and cut way down on our food spending, oh and cancel the internet and go back to basic cable, but we could do it."

"That bad?"

"That bad," he sighed and put the papers down. "I don't know, maybe we can just talk her into a different school."

Outside of the half open door Joan paused. She quickly ducked out of sight.

"We could try and talk her into a different school," Helen agreed. "However, I don't know about you but I'm really proud of her and would love to say my daughter goes to Yale.

Joan sighs and walks away from the door.

"I'm proud of her too," Will said. "I would rather she go to Yale than to a different college. We'll figure something out, maybe grants or scholarships, or something."

Helen nodded, "I'll start looking into it Monday at work. But for now, let's go to bed."

Will set the papers aside and turned of the lamp on his night stand.

*~*

Joan sighed and turned on her radio before sitting on her bed.

"I hope things go well for you Stephanie," the radio announcer said. "Now let's welcome our next caller, Joan from Arcadia." Joan looked over at the radio with a sigh. "What's on your mind tonight Joan?"

"Well, I got a letter today saying I'm accepted to Yale." Joan got up and approached the radio. She sat in front of it with her legs crossed.

"That's great Joan! Congratulations."

"Thanks. The problem is, my parents can't really afford it, at least, not without some major sacrifices on their part. So maybe I shouldn't go. Right?"

"Well, Joan, do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I was kind of roped into it. I didn't intend to apply to Yale, because I didn't think I'd get in."

"Well now you did, and maybe you should really think about if you want to go or not. Make a list of pros and cons of going to Yale. You could also get online and do some research, and maybe talk with some of the students already there and get their point of view of Yale."

"What if I decide I want to go? We can't afford it, I'd just be letting myself down."

"Well Joan. All I can tell you is to really consider going. And if you do decide you want to go, I'm sure you'll find a way to go. Maybe you could ask a guidance councilor for help. Or look up loans and grants on the internet."

"Maybe, thanks."

"No problem. Thanks for calling Joan. I hope whatever decision you make, it's the right one. Now let's hear from Scott in Washington."

Joan leaned over and shut off the radio.

"A pro and con list," she mused. "Sounds do-able."