Thanks, as always, to Ally for the beta.
Also, I forgot to give thanks to Ilovetoread09 last chapter for her assistance with New York food. So, thank you. Better late than never.
Jo is just finishing getting ready when Kate walks through the door. It's been a busy couple weeks for everyone, making it difficult to schedule to a time for Jo to go to Rick's for dinner. Not only will it be the first time she's been to his loft, but she'll also be meeting Alexis and Martha for the first time. A younger sister and another grandparent, something she would have never even considered a month ago.
"Are you on your way out?" her mom asks as she toes off her heels at the door, picking them up and carrying them toward her bedroom.
"Yeah," she says with a sigh. "Are you sure you don't want to join us? I'm sure Rick would be fine with it."
"Oh, honey." Kate stops in her tracks, her hand over the back of the couch. "Rick might be okay with it, but I'm sure Martha and Alexis wouldn't be. If I'm there, the whole night would become about everything I did wrong instead of meeting your sister and grandma. Trust me, it's better that I sit this one out."
Jo nods in agreement, but it does nothing to diminish the nervousness she feels about the whole evening. What if they don't like her? What if she spends the whole night defending her mother anyway, even though she had no control over it?
"They'll love you, Jo. Stop questioning it." Her mother's voice breaks through her questions, and when Jo's eyes finally focus back on the present, Kate is standing in front of Jo with her hand on Jo's arm. "You amaze me. I can listen to you argue on the phone or Skype to the newspaper kids, and you are so assertive, so sure of yourself. But you clam up at the idea of meeting your sister and grandma. You were the same way the night Rick came over for the first time-nervous as hell."
"Yeah, well, that happens when you spend sixteen years not knowing who your father is, only to find out he's been in the city the whole time and is blissfully unaware of your existence."
Jo regrets the words the moment they leave her lips, knowing in her heart that it was never that simple. Though she has yet to get her mom to open up much about her reasons for not telling her about Rick, she knows it's eaten away at Kate for years.
"I deserve that."
"I still wish you were coming. I could use some familiarity."
"Rick will be there. I'm sure he'll make you feel welcome. And I met Martha once; she's very...vibrant."
Jo takes a deep breath, gathering her purse and making sure she has her keys. A quick glance at the clock tells her she has about thirty minutes to make it to Rick's, and she better get in a cab soon if she doesn't want to be late.
"You have the address?"
"Rick texted it to me yesterday. He had to cancel on coffee-something about a meeting with his publisher."
Jo walks to the door with her mother following her, and she takes another deep breath as she opens the door.
"Everything will be fine. Relax," Kate tells her, though her expression shows she shares Jo's nerves about the whole thing.
She gives her mom a kiss on thecheek, and walks out the door, silently wondering how she's ever going to survive this night.
The loft is a bustle of activity in preparation for their dinner with Jo. Alexis is setting the table while Martha prepares the salad. Rick is in the bedroom changing clothes when his cellphone buzzes-a message from Kate:
She's on her way. And she's nervous.
That Jo is nervous doesn't surprise him, but the play-by-play from Kate does. He finishes buttoning his shirt and walks out of his room, trying to think of something appropriate to type back to her. He appreciates that Kate is keeping him in the loop and preparing him for his nervous daughter, though he's sure there is plenty of nervousness in the loft already.
Great, she'll fit right in, he types back, hitting send before muting his phone and putting it in his pants pocket.
"Kate says Jo is on her way," he tells the girls as he joins them in the kitchen. "So, I was hoping we could have a quick meeting before she gets here. You know, make sure we're all on the same page."
Martha and Alexis both stop what they're doing and make eye contact with him. He continues once he knows he has their attention.
"I guess-" he starts, trying his best not to accuse them of something that hasn't even happened yet, "just remember that Jo had no control over Kate's actions-or lack thereof. It's easy to blame Kate, and while she does hold most the blame-"
"More like all," Martha interjects.
"Fine, all," he concedes, though he is even more determined to make his point now. "Kate made some pretty huge mistakes, but she's still Jo's mother. And I think the last thing we need to do, Mother, is make snide comments like the ones you just made. We want to make a good impression."
"Dad, I thought you said you and Jo have hit it off."
"We have, but it's still only been a few weeks. And meeting her grandma and little sister? Tell me that isn't nerve-wracking." He sees them nod in agreement before he continues. "The extent of her family up to this point has been Kate and Kate's dad. Now in the space of a month, she has a father, another grandparent, and a sister.
"I have to say, Richard, you're being very mature about this whole arrangement," his mother says, even as she goes back to moving dishes from the kitchen to the dining room table.
"Like I said, Jo shouldn't have to suffer for the decisions Kate made." Rick takes a deep breath, taking a look around the kitchen before he hears the doorbell. Raising a hand to both warn the girls, as well as to calm himself, he takes another breath and walks to the door.
"Hey," he says a little too enthusiastically when he opens the door. He ushers her inside right away, closing the door behind her and watching as she takes in the loft for the first time.
"You live here?" she mumbles, her eyes staying focused on the expanse of space in front of them. "I think our whole apartment could fit in just the living room."
"Yeah," he tells her, but he's careful not to throw his money in her face. He instead waves Alexis and Martha over in an attempt to shift the focus. "Jo, this is my mom, Martha." Jo turns around, a nervous smile on her face, so he pulls Alexis forward and begins the introduction that makes him nervous. "And this, is Alexis."
Jo extends her right hand, a nice to meet you starting to fall from her lips when Martha barrels forward and pulls her into a hug. Martha doesn't hold back, and Rick can do nothing but shrug his shoulders and smile at Jo when she meets his eyes as Martha continues to squeeze her.
"Gram," Alexis interjects, allowing Jo to take a breath once Martha finally releases her. "Hi," Alexis says, extending her hand once it looks like Jo has gotten over the shock of Martha's exuberance. "It's nice to meet you."
They get past the initial introductions and move to the dining room, everyone taking their seats while Rick and Martha pass dishes around the table.
And then there's quiet.
He finds himself in a difficult position, one where he needs to be the facilitator of this gathering, and he doesn't exactly know where to start. On one hand, he wants to gush about Jo to Martha and Alexis. But on the other hand, he doesn't want them-especially Alexis-to feel like he's ignoring them in favor of Jo. Thankfully, Martha doesn't have this problem.
"Jo, Rick tells us you're a writer?"
Martha's question stops everyone, and he's painfully aware that everyone is watching Jo closely for an answer. He searches for a way to get her out of this, to help diminish the blush that is staining her cheeks right now. But she seems to gain control, taking a deep breath and calmly laying down her fork.
"Yes, Ma'am. I'm editor of our school newspaper."
"Did you get the last issue done?" Rick asks, knowing that was one of the problems in getting them together for this meal.
"Finally. We had to argue with the activities director about an article, though. She thinks the word 'sexy' isn't appropriate for a school publication."
"Was it used in a derogatory way?" Alexis asks Jo, and Rick sees the older girl relax as she falls into comfortable conversation. Even more, it's one he knows she's passionate about, judging by the amount of work she puts into it.
"No, it was just a fluff piece-a spotlight article. The writer who did the interview asked the girl where she saw herself in ten years and she said, 'with a sexy husband.' The director, who gets to see the paper before it goes to print, wanted that quote removed."
"Can she do that?" Martha asks Jo, but then turns to Rick and asks him, too. "Can they do that?"
Honestly, he doesn't know, so he's glad when his oldest daughter has an answer readily available.
"Schools still have some First Amendment rights, but our school has what is called 'prior review.' Our activities director gets a proof of the paper, and they're responsible for weeding out anything they think could get the school district in trouble. And there's this stipulation about the content in question disrupting the educational environment."
"So what happened?" Rick inquires, his elbows resting on the table as he waits for the conclusion to Jo's story.
"We won. I went in and argued that the student didn't objectify anyone specific by calling them 'sexy.' It's an ideal and an abstract idea when it's presented the way it was."
He's enjoying just sitting back and watching, as opposed to trying to steer the conversation. Tonight is supposed to be more about Jo, Martha, and Alexis getting to know each other anyway. Alexis hasn't said much, but he can see her interest, the way she's taking everything in and just waiting for her chance.
When they're finished with dinner, Alexis finally speaks up. "Do you want a tour? I can show you where everything is. You know, in case you need to use the bathroom."
Jo follows Alexis upstairs, and Rick busies himself with clearing the dishes from dinner. He takes his phone out of his pocket and checks his messages, seeing that he has a handful from Kate.
Did she make it?
How's it going?
She wanted me to come with. I don't think Martha would have appreciated my presence.
I know you're busy, but can you text me back when you can?
Are you ignoring me?
He laughs at the last one, remembering how paranoid she used to get over the smallest things. Apparently some things never change. He replies to them all at once, doing what he can to calm her down: Yes, it's going well. Good decision. I'm doing it right now, so no, I'm not ignoring you.
Another handful of dishes, and she's messaged him again. I'm sorry. I just know how nervous she was.
You're just being a mom. I completely understand. Alexis is giving her a tour of the loft right now.
His phone starts ringing, and he answers it before balancing it on his shoulder while he carries the last of the dishes into the kitchen. "Texting doesn't work for you?"
"Sorry, I just...you said she was out of the room."
"Kate, everything is fine, I swear. I'm not just saying that to make you feel better."
"I know."
"Is there a certain time I need to send her home?"
"Only if you have something else to do. Could you-"
"I'll let you know when she leaves, yes."
"How did you know I was going to say that?"
Her reactions are typical for a parent, and he's still getting used to her like this. His memories of Kate until recently have consisted of college parties and a deep connection he's never felt with anyone else, despite the fact they only knew each other for about eight months.
"I do the same thing with Alexis," he tells her simply. "I'll make sure it isn't too late."
"Thanks, Rick."
He hears her inhale over the line, and he wonders if she was going to say something else, but when she doesn't, he casts his eyes to the floor, wondering if he'll ever get to the bottom of the Kate Beckett mystery. She certainly isn't going to make it easy on him.
AN: The situation that Jo describes during dinner is based on a very similar situation I experienced a few years ago. And yes, the result was the same.
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