Suicide Doors

Chapter Thirteen

By: Jondy Macmillan

A/N: Okay, guys. This story is nearing its end (no worries, we have a couple more chapters left), so I'm going to try this one more time. Remember that time I made that plea for everyone to barrage the ffn dudes with requests for JONAS to have its own category? I'm doing it again. Because at this point, it's just not fair. The argument I got was that because the characters have their own names, it's like rpf. Which is an argument that makes NO SENSE because Miley Cyrus keeps her first name in Hannah Montana, and the boys of Big Time Rush keep their own names in BTR. They say because the show is titled 'JONAS' it's not the same- um, how? They've obviously never seen the show, and they're discriminating against it because, what, they think it's JB: Living The Dream? So please, please, please email the ffn dudes. Maybe if enough people barrage them with requests for a JONAS category, they'll cave.

After what Joe liked to refer to as the day Nick's-brain-was-snatched-by-aliens, also known fondly as the day-Nick-forgave-him, things felt like they were clicking back into place. Which was…okay, it was weird. Joe had gone so long with his family treating him like a social pariah that having them all be kind to him was sort of freaking him out.

And it wasn't just that. He was almost probably kind of absolutely pretty sure that Nick had been looking at him, and not with his usual patented Nick Lucas why-are-you-such-an-idiot stare. These looks were almost intimate in a way that Joe was certain he was misinterpreting, because the kind of intimacy that came to mind wasn't the kind any sane, rational being like Nick would approve of.

Basically, the not-knowing was killing him. Joe was being more of a spaz then ever, half-convinced his family was patiently waiting for him to fuck up again because no way were they this benevolent, and half convinced that his little brother was watching him so intently because he was planning on knifing Joe in his sleep one night. What other reason could there be?

Stella thought he was overreacting. Then again, Stella was under the impression that Joe didn't know how to do anything other than overreact, and as his best friend since he'd been in diapers, she would know. It was obnoxious, really, how informed Stella seemed to think she was about Joe's entire life when at the moment, she didn't know anything at all.

Having an I'm-In-Love-With-My-Baby-Brother conversation wasn't at the top of Joe's list of priorities.

"Stop freaking out and just- Joe, you can't squeeze the juice box that way, it's going to-" Stella watched with a mixture of frustration and grief as another of Joe's shirts gained a large, orangey stain.

He barely even noticed that his entire arm now smelled like tropical fruit, opting to demand, "How can I not freak, Stell? Nick's been body-snatched. I don't think you understand how crucial it is that we track down the mother ship and get him back."

"Um. Okay," Stella avoided his eyes in lieu of examining her manicure, because she was pretty confident that pinning Joe with her death glare over a stupid shirt (even one she'd toiled on for days) wouldn't help the situation, "Nick's not an alien."

Joe snorted, with an expression that said he was ready to present her with evidence to the contrary, "Dude, he so is."

"I don't- really even want to know why you think that," Stella replied haltingly, because the Lucas brothers were just so fricking weird sometimes that it was better not to meddle. How half of America had fallen in love with them was completely beyond her.

Then again, she'd dated the idiot across from her for quite a few months last year, so maybe they had like, contagious pheromones or something. Maybe they were all aliens.

Which wasn't important. Stella shook her head, trying to think of a solution instead of letting herself be drawn in by Joe's twisted way of thinking. What was important was stopping Joe's imminent implosion into a void of doubt and self pity before innocent bystanders got hurt.

"Joe," she began patiently, "I thought you and Nick had worked things out. I thought you guys were good again."

"We have," he hissed, glancing around surreptitiously for eavesdroppers, because the eavesdroppers at Horace Mantis were horrible gossips, "That's why it has to be aliens."

"I don't follow."

"Nick would never just- forgive me. He has a plan, Stella. And he's going to use it to destroy me," Joe's voice pitched up at the end, so that he sounded like a scared little girl.

Stella rolled her eyes, and tried to concentrate on eating her sandwich, because she needed the energy for her impending history test. Confronting a panic-stricken Joe was really the last thing she needed right now, but he looked like a puppy, lost and confused.

"Why do you think that?"

"Nick always has plans!"

"True enough, but why do you think he wants to destroy you?"

"I made out with his ex," Joe scrutinized her face, checking to see if she actually forgot that whole fiasco. Maybe that meant the rest of the world would soon too. He was still getting daily messages on forums about what a total creep he was. It kind of hurt.

"Yeah, and he's over that. It's been like, months, man. You need to move on."

Joe frowned. Stella didn't realize what kind of danger he was in. Nick Lucas did not plot lightly. He was going to die, or at the very least wake up with a shaved head. He liked his hair. Losing it could not be allowed to happen.

Of course, Stella also didn't know about the staring, and it wasn't like Joe could tell her. What possible advice could she give about that? She'd probably think Joe was experiencing a psychotic break, or imagining it, which he wasn't. Nick was definitely watching him funny, and he needed it to stop now.

"Oh hey, look. It's Penny," Stella pointed towards a girl marching down the hall with a pack of even more girls at her heels. Joe never understood why females like to travel in herds, "Yikes, she looks upset."

Stella was right. Penny's face glowed pink, and obvious mascara tainted tear tracks stained her cheeks.

"Wonder what that's about?"

Joe wondered too. He wondered so much that when he leaned his chair forward to get a better look, he ended up falling on the floor and banging his elbow really fucking hard.

It would have been a lot less embarrassing if Stella hadn't laughed so hard.

Joe and Nick had made plans to walk home that day. It was something they rarely did, seeing as it gave their enthusiastic fans a perfect chance to maul them in the streets, but Joe liked to think of it as a public service. Some of those girls would never get the opportunity to see him up close otherwise, so a few incidental scrapes and bruises and the risk of being stampeded were probably worth it.

Nick thought Joe's theory sprung from the fact that he had an inflated ego, but that was another story entirely.

The days were growing chillier with each passing moment, the threat of winter looming in the distance. Joe wrapped his school blazer more tightly around him to fend off the cold. Quietly, Nick untangled his scarf from his throat and passed it to Joe, "Dude. Here."

Joe pushed the offered item away, "Keep it, Nicky."

Reasonably, his little brother argued, "We can't afford for you to get sick. You're the main vocals on half our songs, and we have to record new demos soon."

"You're the main vocals on the other half," Joe replied, exasperated.

Nick was stubborn. He refused to take the stupid scarf back. Obediently, Joe wound it around his neck, warming with the effort of so much movement in his uniform.

"Hold on, let me-," Nick's footsteps crunched through dead leaves littering the sidewalk and he took the ends of the scarf from him, tying it closed around his big brother's neck.

"Uh," Joe gulped. Nick's eyes were on him again, tracing the curves of his lips and the angles of his cheekbones. It was scary, and kind of hot, "I- uh. Saw Penny, in the cafeteria."

Nick turned away, and Joe wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not. They resumed walking, shuffling across the sidewalk, side by side, "Oh. Really?"

"Yes really," Joe couldn't help the mocking tone that crept into his voice, because Nick was acting- shifty. Like maybe he was about to pull that knife and kill Joe right there, in the street. Or- or strangle him with the scarf. God, maybe the scarf was alien too, and it could strangle him without Nick even touching it? Joe tugged at the offending object, loosening it, "No, I'm lying about seeing your girlfriend at school, where we all go. Together."

Nick glared at him, "I'm perfectly aware that it's not weird for you to see her, Joseph. Which is why it's weird you're bringing it up."

"Well," Joe tilted his head back so that he could see the clouds, "She seemed kind of upset. Like she'd been crying."

His little brother shifted guiltily, "That could- maybe, be my fault?"

"Dude, you made your girlfriend cry? I'm telling mom."

"I didn't- well, I did. But- I broke up with her, okay?"

Joe's stomach sank. Oh. He really hoped he hadn't had anything to do with this. When he'd told Nick he didn't like Penny, he hadn't wanted them to break up. He'd thought about it to the point of being obsessive, but he hadn't really wanted it, because he never wanted Nick to be unhappy. And even if Penny was a stupid whore with great hair, seemed to make Nick happy.

"Why'd you go and do something stupid like that? I thought you liked her."

"I did," Nick gave him a strange look, "But you didn't."

"So?"

"So I'm not going to date some girl my big brother hates. She's just a girl. They tell me there are plenty."

"Plenty who are willing to deal with you being a bossy, competitive perfectionist?"

Nick rolled his eyes, shoving his hands in his pockets, "You seem to be able to put up with me just fine, Joe."

"I've had years of practice. If you wait for a girl to get as much practice as I have, you'll be waiting-" Joe tried doing the math in his head and gave up, "A fucking long time."

"Real eloquent, that."

"Thanks. I'm serious, Nick. You shouldn't have broken up with her just because of me. It's a dumb reason. I mean, eventually I would have discovered she had at least one likable personality trait. Wait, she did have likable personality traits, right?"

"It wasn't just because of you," Nick replied, but he did that eye thing where Joe could totally tell he was lying because he was looking anywhere but Joe's face, "She was- really bad at basketball."

"You made her play sports with you?" Joe made a face.

"Yeah, and when I body checked her she looked like she might've cried," Nick shrugged, like he'd never understand the female gender. Joe understood. Nick was like, a thousand pounds of solid muscle. Having all that slammed into a person could really fucking hurt.

"You body checked her?" Joe's mind was boggled. His eyes felt like they were straining to pop out of his head.

"She was blocking my shot," Nick explained.

"I- we- you-" his mouth gaped open and closed, over and over again. One of these days, he'd have to sit Nick down and have a talk with him about acceptable dates to take girls on.

Today was not going to be that day.

"Look, could we not talk about this anymore?" Nick sighed, kicking at a few leaves, "Penny and I are done. Please- don't try to fix me up again."

"Why? You get grumpy when you're single for too long," Joe objected, even though he didn't really care if Nick stayed single forever now. It wasn't like he was going to be sneaking out to bars anytime soon, not after the last fiasco. He was going to wait at least- well, until he was done being grounded, anyway.

"I won't be single for too long, hopefully," his baby brother worried at his lip, making it all red and plump so that Joe couldn't draw his eyes away, "There's someone I like."

"Really?" his interest was piqued, "Who?"

"That's- a secret," Nick responded hastily.

Joe nagged him the entire way home, but Nick Lucas was nothing if not obstinate.

A/N: This chapter was full of silliness. I'm preparing myself for the seriousness to come. When Joe is telling Stella that Nick has a plan, I wanted to write, "He has a plan, Stella. He's like the cylons. They had a plan, and look where that got Caprica City!" Then I realized no one would probably follow that geek moment but me. Please review!