Author: Linz005
Rating: PG-13
Category: Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: I don't own it! Wish I did, but I'm a bit too American to own it.
Summary: It's a Bend It Like Beckham fic!! It's really just a little add on to the movie. It all begins when Jess and Jules come home from Santa Clara for Summer Vacation.Does anyone recall the big announcement Jess had for her parents that she was supposed to make at Christmas? I bet you do..Well she put it off and now its time. (A/N: I made it summer so that they would be there longer). Warnings: None that I can think of.Just minor sexual references right now. Hence the PG-13 rating, but if you saw the movie you can handle this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 3
Before they knew it, it was July and only a month was left before Jess had to go back to America. She and Jules still weren't talking neither was she speaking to her parents. All she had right now was Joe and football. Joe, seeing that he was madly in love with her, allowed Jess to train with the Harriers so that she would be in perfect shape when she went back. He called Jules hoping she might show up and they could all make up, but it hadn't worked. When she finally spoke with him it was only to tell him to stop calling. He couldn't help, but feel responsible for all of Jess's current troubles. His mind wasn't even on the training session that was presently going on. Suddenly he heard someone calling his name. It was one of the player's and she definitely sounded like something was wrong.
"Joe! Joe! Come here! Hurry!" It was the team's current captain, a new player who Jess hardly knew. Joe pulled himself out of his thoughts and ran out onto the field. He was pretty sure that someone was hurt. He tried to survey the players that were standing around, but he couldn't tell who was there and who wasn't. It looked like everyone was there. He looked down and Jess was lying on the ground, crying and holding her ankle. It was the same ankle she had hurt when she had first started playing for the Harriers.
"Jess, are you ok?" She was crying too hard for her answer to be audible, but Joe knew she wasn't. Aside from the immediate pain, she was probably thinking of all the things that could go awry from this one split second incident. He remembered those thoughts from his knee accident. He got her up and carried her in his arms to his car so that he could take her to the hospital. Joe waited for hours before a doctor finally brought her back out to the waiting room. She looked like she was still crying.
"Jess, what did he say? Tell me." The tears came more vividly into her eyes, but she remained calm enough to answer him.
"He told me that I have two stress fractures from pushing to hard on an ankle that was probably already hurt since some of the surrounding tissues are bruised (A/N This actually happened to someone I know so it is possible.). He said that it will be months before they can even tell how much damage has been done." Joe knew the rest. She wouldn't be able to play professionally. It meant that there wouldn't be any scholarship and that she would not be going back to America.
"Come here, come here." He took her into his arms. She sobbed against his chest. At the moment, it felt like everything was gone, like she was going to die because she couldn't play football anymore. Somewhere deep inside she knew that she had so many other things in her life namely Joe, but it wasn't exactly clear right now.
Joe took her home and carried her into the house. Jess was utterly heartbroken, but exhausted all the same. Joe held her until she fell asleep, the tears having finally subsided. When she was asleep, he went into the other room trying to collect his thoughts. Even though he had been through something so similar, he still didn't know what to say that would actually make things better right now. Maybe nobody had the right words to say to her, but he had to at least try to get her some help. He dialed the phone quickly.
"Hi. It's me."
Part 4
Jess woke up early, but stayed in bed for most of the day. It wasn't just because of her ankle, but mostly everything else. Joe left around noon, but avoided the subject of where he was going.
"Jess, I have to run a few errands so I'll be back after training." He assumed she wouldn't be coming at least not today and he was right.
"Where do you have to go?" Joe looked away from her clearly avoiding eye contact. "What's going on Joe? I don't need you lying to me on top of everything else."
"I'm not lying to you. I would never do that. I thought you knew that." Jess rested her head on her arm.
"I do know that. I'm sorry.I'm just." Joe nodded so that she wouldn't have to finish.
"It's alright. I understand." He kissed her gently. "Besides, it's nothing exciting, just your average run of the mill things." He smiled at her. "I'll be back as soon as possible." Jess smiled back and laid back down. She closed her eyes wanting to shut out the world for at least a little longer.
Joe left, but he was hardly on his way to run some "usual" errands. He was going to see someone in hopes of helping Jess and in some way himself. He knocked on the door trying to remain as calm as possible. This had to go well or he didn't know what to do. The entire future rested on what was about to happen.
"Hello, Mr. Bharam. I wanted to talk to you like I said on the phone." Mr. Bharam nodded and opened the door. Joe found that Jess's mother was, also, home. He greeted her politely despite the icy welcome she gave him.
"What is it you wish to speak to us about?"
"It's about Jess actually. She was hurt yesterday at training. She isn't going to be able to play anymore at least for quite a while. Mr. and Mrs. Bharam, she's going to lose her scholarship."
"You know how I feel about her playing football. I'm not particularly disappointed." Mrs. Bharam pointed out.
"I know, but please think about Jess. This meant almost everything to her. I think she needs both of you. I don't want her to lose her family on top of losing football. Here is my address." Joe stood and without saying anything else left. He wanted directly to his other "errand." It was of course to Jules's.
"Will you please talk to me?" Jules had answered the door, but had immediately closed it in his face. There was a long pause of silence. The door remained closed, but then Jules opened. She didn't go outside, but rather stood in the doorway ready to close it again at any moment.
"Make it quick."
"Alright, Jess was hurt yesterday." Jules was taken back. She hadn't expected that to be what Joe was going to say. Before Jules said anything Joe continued. "It isn't that bad, just a stress fracture or something to that effect. But." Joe was clearly distraught over this whole thing. Jules finished his sentence for him.
"She'll lose the scholarship." Joe nodded. He was ready to break down in tears for the girl he loved. Jules immediately went over and hugged him. She didn't know what else to do. The fight wasn't forgotten, but it simply wasn't important. Her friends needed her and matter what she wanted to tell herself they were still her friends.
"I didn't tell her that I was coming to talk to you or that I went to talk to her parents. I don't know how she's going to get by with only me. I don't know if her parents even vaguely listened to what I have to say."Joe trailed off.
"They won't leave their daughter alone, I'm sure. But I bet they'll try to get her to come home more than they ever tried before. Don't let her go Joe. As much as I hate to admit I was wrong, you two are in love. You haven't done anything wrong." She hugged Joe one more time and promised to come see Jess in a little while. "Oh and Joe? I think she could get by with just you. I know she could."
Jess was lying on the couch in Joe's home eagerly awaiting his return. She didn't like to be alone especially when she was feeling particularly bad about something. She kept looking at the clock. Time seemed to be going by so slowly. Then the doorbell rang. Jess didn't particularly want to get up to get it, but she did. She grabbed her crutches and hobbled over to the door. She opened the door and was absolutely shocked to see her mother and father standing there.
"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?"
"He told us where you were?"
"He? Joe?" Her father nodded slightly. Jess couldn't help, but smile. Joe had gone to talk to her family again when all seemed lost. He was like her guardian angel. All thoughts of happiness disappeared, though, when her mother began to talk.
"Jessminder, are you convinced yet? Do you see what football has brought to our family? You are injured and living with your English coach." Jess rolled her eyes.
"He's Irish (A/N I loved that line from the movie!)." Jess corrected not that she really thought it would change anything.
"He isn't Indian! That's the point, Jessminder." Her mother raised her voice in volume slightly. Jess's father placed his hand on Mrs. Bharam's shoulder trying to calm her.
"Jessie, we want you to come home. We want you to enroll university here if you will not be going back to America. We love you, Jessie. Don't forget that."
"Dad, no matter what you say I never forgot that I loved you." Her father seemed satisfied. "But, I will not pretend that I don't love Joe. I can't help who I fell in love with, but he's it. I think this has been a defining moment for me. I can't move home. It isn't possible."
Part 5
Joe came back just as the Bharams were leaving. Jess stood in the doorway as he walked toward her. "I assume this was your doing." Joe looked at her and smiled. He hugged her and the stood in the doorway for a moment.
"I wanted them to talk to you and you to talk to them. I wanted you to work everything out. Not make the same mistakes I did." Jess kissed him. She loved how he looked out for her so much.
"Why do you have to make it so hard for me to be mad at you?"
"Well, hold that thought." He walked into the living room and sat done. Jess followed him wondering what he had done. "I talked to someone else."
"Jules."
"I had to. She's your best friend. She would want to know what happened. I think she's coming over in a little while too." Jess looked upset. She didn't really want to have to deal with all of this right now. "Things are at least a little less complicated with her." Jess half laughed.
"Yeah, less complicated. Things may very well be more complicated with her. I mean I always knew how my parents would react to you, but I never know what she's going to think or say. Remember Germany?" Of course Joe remembered Germany. It wasn't something one easily forgot. He had wanted to kiss her so much that night.
"Talk to her. This isn't about Germany or us anymore. This is about you and she's your best friend." She nodded. Jess knew that she had to let this one go. There was no point in dragging this argument out. They always ended up making up. Joe and Jess spent most of the afternoon sitting together talking. Jess was anxious about Jules coming over and when the doorbell rang she was in no way prepared. Joe opened the door fully expecting Jules to be standing on the other side. Much to his and Jess's surprise it was Pinky. She looked extremely upset. She was crying much in the same manner as she had when she thought her wedding was off. "Is Jess here?" Pinky asked franticly. Joe opened the door revealing Jess on the couch. "Pinky what's the matter?" "It's Dad. Mum took him to the hospital. She sent me to get you. Mum didn't say what exactly was wrong, but said that I should get us there immediately. I just have to drop Zambeena off at Teets's parents." Jess was crying. She didn't know what she would do if her father died without ever really making up. "I just wish we were closer to their house." "I'll watch her if you want." Joe said. "I mean I wouldn't want to make things worse by coming and maybe this way I could help. I used to take care of my sister all the time when she was a baby." Pinky agreed and she and Jess ran off to the hospital leaving Joe with the baby. When they arrived at the hospital, they found there mother immediately. Nothing was said about the fact that Jess was there and no mention was made of any past events. None of that was important. "It's going to be alright, girls. His blood pressure was high or something like that. We were arguing and.I didn't know what to do." Her mother broke off and sat done in one of the chairs." Pinky helped Jess by taking her crutches so that she could sit down next to her mother. "Mum, this is my entire fault. I'm so sorry. You wouldn't have been fighting if it hadn't been for me. He would be fine." "Jessie, this isn't your fault. Don't think that. It was mine. He wanted us to go back and talk to you. I refused. That's why we were fighting. He's going to be fine." Her mother hugged. Jess had all, but given up on her mother hugging her again. They were quiet for a while. Mr. Bharam was having some tests done and when he came back they all went into his room. Pinky and Jess both hugged him at the same time. "My girls, don't worry. Everything is going to be alright." They tried to talk like nothing was wrong and has if nothing had happened before. Mrs. Bharam and Pinky left to get some coffee, but Jess stayed with her father. She was still very worried. "Well, Jessie, where is he?" Jess was worried that this was going to end badly. "He's watching Zambeena for Pinky and Teets." Her father nodded in silent approval. He was very pleased that Joe would put Jess and her family before any bad feelings. "Dad, I'm so sorry if I am the reason that you are here. I want things to be alright between us. We've always been so close. You've always believed in me and my dreams. I love him. I never meant for it to happen, but it did. I can't let him go, but I can't let you go either. We need to talk, all of us, when you're better. I don't know what will happen if we don't find a way to work past this." Jess's mother and Pinky walked in behind her. "I agree." Mrs. Bharam said. Jess couldn't believe it. Her mother Jess hobbled to her feet using her crutches and hugged her mother. A nurse was the next to enter and told them that visiting hours were over. Jess and Pinky said goodbye and left. In the car, Pinky brought up everything that happened. "Jess, I asked you before, but I want you to answer me again. Are you sure that you are ready to give up all the things you are giving up?" "Pinky, I love him. I really do. He loves me too. I can't imagine not being with him." Pinky nodded. She was basically convinced that Jess was serious. They arrived at Joe's and went inside. Zambeena was asleep so Pinky tried to pack all of her stuff and get her in the car without waking her. "Thanks Joe. Jess, call me later." Once Pinky was gone, Jess let out a huge sigh. "Come here." Joe said moving toward her. He took the crutches away from her and placed them against the wall. He then picked Jess up and carried her into the bedroom. He placed her on the bed and sat down on the edge. "Better?" "Much. You'll never believe what happened. My parents said that once my father, who is going to be fine by the way, is home we're all going to talk and work everything out." Joe was ecstatic. He was glad that things were getting worked out. "I called Jules just after you left. She said that she'll be here tomorrow. She hopes that your dad is alright. Why don't you get changed and I'll go get you something to eat." Jess kissed him and smiled. Joe actually had something else he needed to pick up that he had planned on picking up earlier. Thank god the store was still opened.
TBC