Life, Love, Jonas...

[jbgirl10]

Here's chapter 14! Enjoy!


'Meet The Parents'

Miley and Joyce walked up to the front door, Joyce mumbling something to herself.

When Miley rang the doorbell, she gave Joyce a reassuring look.

The girls heard a rumble coming from the other side of the door and they heard voices arguing.

'Dude, I want to open the door!' They heard Joe say.

'I totally said that I was gonna open the door first!' Nick shot back.

Joyce and Miley looked at each other and slightly giggled.

Then the front door opened and the boys' mom Denise stood in front of them with a welcoming smile on her face.

'Hey, Miley', she said as she pulled her in for a hug. 'It's been way too long, sweetheart. How have you been?'

Miley returned the hug, looking over Denise's shoulder at Nick.

'I know, Denise. I've been really busy with the Hannah Movie and finishing filming season 3 of the show; I haven't had any time to hang out with any of my friends. I was really happy Nick called me to fly out to Canada to see Joyce 'cuz I knew I'd get to spend time with the guys too.'

After they said hello to each other, Miley walked over to Nick and Kevin and hugged them.

Denise turned to Joyce and, picking up on the anxious look in her eyes, smiled one of the warmest smiles that Joyce had ever seen, before pulling her into a hug that reminded Joyce a lot of the hugs that her mother used to give her.

Then, Denise took Joyce by the hand and led her to the living room where they sat down on the couch.

'I am so glad to finally meet you. Joe has told me so much about you.'

'Yeah, he never shuts up.' Nick, who was sitting next to Miley and Kevin on the other couch, said under his breath.

His mom heard anyway.

'Nicholas, I know Joe is a little enthusiastic sometimes, but tell me: have you ever seen him happier than he is now that he's with Joyce?' Denise replied.

Nick just nodded and went back to talking with Miley and Kevin, letting Denise and Joyce bond a little bit.

Denise turned back to Joyce.

'You must have some sort of magic powers, because Joe seems like a completely different person. In a good way, of course.'

'Aww, thank you so much Mrs. Jonas, but I really didn't do anything. You're the one that raised such wonderful sons. Joe is a wonderful guy; he really makes me happy and I just wish that my mom could see how happy I am. Joe is exactly the kind of guy that she would want me to be with.'

Joyce choked up a bit after mentioning her mother.

Denise noticed and instinctively put her arm around Joyce's shoulder.

'Oh, Honey I'm sure she knows. Joseph told me about what happened to her. And to you. I'm so sorry you had to go through such horrible things. If you ever need anything, just let me know, okay?' Denise said with a reassuring smile. 'Oh, and, do me a favor: call me Denise. Mrs. Jonas makes me feel so old.' She smiled.

Joyce smiled at Denise, her eyes glistening from the tears that had formed there and were threatening to spill over.

Just then, Joe walked down the stairs.

Everyone in the living room turned around when they heard Joe miss a step and land a step lower, on his butt.

Joyce jumped up, afraid that he would have hurt himself, but immediately calmed down a bit when Joe got back up and walked all the way down.

He was mumbling some unintelligible words to himself but immediately lightened up when his eyes scanned the room and found Joyce standing there with a smile on her face but also with tears in her eyes.

Joyce walked (read: ran) to Joe and threw her arms around his neck.

Joe tightened the hug by wrapping his arms around Joyce, never wanting to let her go.

'Are you okay, Baby?' He whispered in Joyce's ear, making Joyce shiver at the feeling of Joe's hot breath in her neck.

'I'm okay', Joyce whispered back, 'I just missed you.'

'I missed you, too, J.', Joe said as he reluctantly pulled out of the hug and intertwined his fingers with hers and walked over to the others.


A/N: Sorry, but I have to make this into 2 parts. It's getting late here in good ol' Belgium and I'm really tired. I'll try to be back tomorrow to write the rest!

[jbgirl10]

Chapter 14 part 2


'Meet The Parents'

'It's about time you get down here', Kevin said to Joe as he sat down in between Joyce and his mother.

'Yeah, you take longer than a girl to get ready', Nick added.

'Tss, you're just jealous 'cuz I'm so good-looking', Joe retorted smugly, popping his collar.

Kevin and Nick glared at Joe.

Just then, Mr. Jonas walked in with Frankie, who had been at a friend's house.

'Paul, come and meet Joseph's girlfriend', Denise said as she walked over to her husband and gave him a kiss.

She motioned to Joyce, who stood up to shake Mr. Jonas's hand.

'Wow, Joseph wasn't kidding when he said you were beautiful. That picture he has of you and him doesn't do you justice', Mr. Jonas said with a smile.

'Thank you, Mr. Jonas', Joyce said, blushing.

Joyce and Mr. Jonas talked for a while longer, and, like Denise, Mr. Jonas had also insisted Joyce would call him Paul, since she was part of the family now.

Frankie hadn't really said anything to Joyce, but as soon as she had taken her seat next to Joe again, he squeezed in between the 2 of them.

Joe sat there with a confused expression on his face, causing Nick and Kevin to let out a small chuckle.

'Hi, I'm Frankie', Frankie said cheerfully, holding out his hand.

Joyce smiled at the youngest Jonas and shook his hand. 'Hi, Frankie, it's nice to meet you. I'm Joyce.'

'I know, Joe never stops talking about you. Not that that's a bad thing, because he's told me so much about you and I think you're a really nice girl. And you're pretty, too', Frankie babbled cheerfully.

Joyce was surprised at how mature Frankie was, eventhough he was only 8 years old.

'Okay, Frankie, maybe you should give Joyce a little space. We don't want her to feel uncomfortable, now, do we?' Joe said.

'But I'm talking to Joyce', Frankie answered simply, before turning his back on his big brother.

Before Joe could say anything, Denise came out of the kitchen with dinner.

'Alright guys, dinner time', she said to the group in the living room.

Everybody took their seat at the big dinner table, Denise and Paul at the head of the table, Miley and Joyce and Frankie on 1 side and Nick, Kevin and Joe on the other.

Joe wanted to sit next to Joyce, but Frankie beat him to it.

After saying grace, they all began to enjoy Denise's home made lasagna while making small talk among each other.

When everybody finished, Denise got up to clear the table. Joyce and Miley got up to help, and eventhough Denise had insisted they'd go into the living room with the boys, they stayed and did the dishes together.

They talked a bit about Joyce's mom and about the Hannah movie.

With everything cleaned up and put away, the girls rejoined the boys in the living room.

Frankie immediately sat on Joyce's lap as soon as she had taken a seat in the big couch.

Joe felt a shot of jealousy go through him, and although he knew it was silly to be jealous of his 8-year old brother, he got up and stomped away out the back door.

Joyce looked up at Nick and Kevin, as if she were asking them what was going on.

'Frankie, I think maybe you should give Joyce some space to be with Joe. They haven't seen each other in a few days and you know how he's missed her', Kevin said in a big brother kinda way.

'But I like her, too! She's my friend, so I get to spend time with her as well!' Frankie said.

Joyce jumped in with a compromise.

'Listen, Frankie, of course you get to spend with me too, but Joe and I haven't really had a chance to talk yet. So, why don't we make a deal here: I spend some time with Joe tonight and, if it's okay with your mom, me and you will go to the mall on Saturday and hang out. Deal?'

Frankie thought about it for a bit and then nodded in agreement and let Joyce get up to go talk to Joe.

Joyce walked into the kitchen and out the back door.

The sun was already setting, giving the water in the pool a beautiful color blue.

Joyce looked around the big back yard and found Joe sitting on the bench by the wooden table on the grass.

She walked over to him and sat down on his left, taking his hand in hers and stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

Joe looked down at their hands and then into Joyce's eyes, who seemed to be smiling along with her lips.

'I'm sorry', he apologized. 'I can't believe I got jealous of my kid brother.'

'It's okay', Joyce said softly, letting go of Joe's hand but quickly grabbing it again with her other hand. 'I could've told him I wanted to be with you, but that wouldn't be fair to Frankie either. He's just a kid, he wants to hang out with his brother's girlfriend.'

Joyce smiled a loving smile and squeezed Joe's hand, letting him know that he was still 'her guy'.

Joe returned the smile and used his free hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he slowly leaned forward to press his lips against Joyce's, gently at first but more intense with every passing second.

A few minutes later, Miley appeared on the terrace. 'J?' She called. 'It's time to get going. It's getting pretty dark already, so we should head home.'

'Okay, let's go then.'

Joyce tried to stand up, but Joe wouldn't let her go.

She fell back down, landing on Joe's lap.

'You didn't think you could get away without giving me a kiss goodnight, did you?' Joe whispered seductively in Joyce's ear.

Joyce shifted her body so that she could look at Joe.

'I wouldn't dare to leave without it', she answered as she kissed Joe's lips gently but passionately at the same time.

5 minutes later, the girls were pulling out of the Jonases' driveway and started the 30-minute drive back to their house.


A/N: In the next chapter: disaster strikes...

[jbgirl10]

Here's chapter 15 people! Finally, some drama happens!


Headlights

Joyce and Miley drove off into the darkness, on their way home after the family dinner with the Jonases.

As Joyce was focusing on the road ahead of them, Miley just chattered away about the events of the evening.

The car had to stop for a red light, only 2 blocks away from their home.

When the light turned green, Joyce steered the car forward across the intersection but as she was crossing, she noticed 2 headlights getting closer very fast, coming from her left side.

Before Joyce could even hit the gas to avoid the crash, the drunk driver plowed into the left flank of the car, the driver's side of the car.

In only seconds, the drunk driver's pick up truck had turned into a blazing inferno, killing the man instantly.

People came out of the cafés, pubs and restaurants and immediately started calling 911.

Help arrived within minutes, concentrating mainly on the totaled Fiesta, hoping the people in it were in better shape than the man in the other car.

'Holy crap, it's those Disney girls!' One of the firemen yelled out to the others, who came running to him with their gear.

The rescuers went for Miley first, since her door wasn't jammed due to the massive impact.

She was pulled out of the car and put on a stretcher, where the paramedic put a neckbrace on her.

'Wh-what's happening?' Miley said very weakly.

'You were in a car accident, Miss. Don't worry, we're taking care of you. Everything will be okay', the paramedic said as his colleagues took her to the ambulance and headed towards the hospital.

The firemen were already working on cutting Joyce's door out to free her from the wreck.

Once the door was open, Joyce's lifeless body fell out of the car, into the arms of one of the firemen.

He pulled her out and layed her down on the asphalt.

'She's alive, but barely. We have to get her stabile enough to transport her to the hospital.'

The rescue workers managed to get her stabile enough to survive the ride to the emergency room.

AT THE HOSPITAL:

'Alright, what have we got here?' The attending said as the paramedics wheeled Joyce into the emergency room.

One of the paramedics took charge and briefed the team -2 doctors and a nurse- on the way to one of the free trauma rooms.

'19-year old female, she was in an accident, her friend was brought in earlier. She was driving, so she took practically all of the impact. She's lost a lot of blood and was found unconscious and non-responsive on the scene.'

They transferred Joyce from the stretcher onto the table in the trauma room and started removing her blood-drenched clothes.

Meanwhile, Miley had woken up and had asked the nurse to call her and Joyce's family and the Jonas family.


AT THE JONAS RESIDENCE:

It was 1 a.m. when the phone started to ring and woke up Joe.

Less than a minute later, Joe was already starting to drift off again, when his mom came running in and started shaking him.

'Joe. Joseph, honey, wake up!'

'Moooooooooooooooom, I'm sleeping!', he whined.

'Joseph, it's important.'

Now Joe was awake enough to hear the worry in his mother's voice.

He sat up and looked at his mother, whose eyes were wet from her tears and whose hands were shaking uncontrollably.

'Mom, what's wrong? Are you okay?' Joe asked. 'Mommy, tell me what's going on, you're scaring me.'

Denise sat down next to her son and took a deep breath.

'Joe, I'm afraid there's been an accident.' She paused for a minute, and then continued.

'The hospital just called, darling. Apparently, Miley and Joyce were in an accident. They've been taken to hospital.'

Joe was starting to tear up, but his mom continued.

'Miley's awake and only has a few minor injuries, but Joyce...' Her voice trailed off.

Now Joe was really crying.

'No, n-n-no, don't tell me she's...' Joe almost choked on the word; he didn't want to say it out loud.

Denise put her hand on Joe's cheek.

'No, Sweety, she's not dead. But she isn't doing very well either. The doctors are still working on her.'

After a few moments of silence, Joe got up and started getting dressed.

'Joseph, what are you doing?', his mom asked, although she already knew.

'I'm going to the hospital. I want to see her.'

'I-I don't think that's such a good idea, Joe.' His mom said.

Just then, Nick walked in with Kevin and Mr. Jonas on his tail.

'I'm going too, mom. Miley needs me.', was all Nick said before turning around and walking downstairs.

Joe and Kevin followed.

Denise tried to stop them, but instead, Mr. Jonas stopped her.

'Let them go, Honey. They have to do this.'

She wanted to protest, but realized her husband was right, so she just sighed and hugged her husband.

'I hope the girls are gonna be okay', she said.

'Me too, Honey, me too', said Mr. J as he kissed his wife's hair. He knew how much his boys cared about Joyce and Miley and he didn't even want to think about what would happen if the girls didn't make it.


A/N: Okay, that was chapter 15!! I wanted to make this chapter just entirely about the accident and the events of that night. The next chapters are gonna be in the hospital, where I'm going to do one chapter per character. I don't know if that makes sense, but I'll explain it at the beginning of the next chapter.

Please let me know what you think!!

[jbgirl10]

Chapter 16


A/N: This chapter is going to be about Miley's experiences on the night of the accident and the hours (and days, not sure yet) after.


The accident: Miley's Story

The car came zig-zagging at an enormous speed towards them and it only took one brief glance at Joyce's face to know that a crash would be inevitable.

Miley squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the impact.

Seconds later, the drunk driver's truck hit them on the driver's side, causing the car to skid across the asphalt several feet.

When she was certain the car was standing still and that she was still alive, Miley opened her eyes but immediately wished she hadn't.

Her best friend was covered in blood: her head, her chest, her arms and her legs.

Miley screamed: 'JOYCE! Oh no, God this can't be happening!'

She called her friend's name several more times and shook her gently but gave up, crying in fear for her best friend's life.

It was only then that she felt the sharp pain in her ribs and the warm liquid that was streaming down her forehead.

Every breath seemed to take more and more effort from Miley and eventually she felt her eyes close and everything went dark.

Only moments later, she felt herself being lifted out of the car and onto a stretcher.

Then someone put a neckbrace around her neck and she forced her eyes to open.

'Wh-what happened?' She heard herself say with a voice she barely recognized.

The paramedic that had put the neckbrace answered: 'You were in a car accident, Miss. Don't worry, we're taking care of you. Everything will be okay'

Miley couldn't help but think of Joyce when the paramedic said that.

'Would everything be okay?' Miley thought. Because deep down she knew, that, if Joyce wasn't 'okay', she wouldn't be either.

Once she got to the hospital, Miley was immediately wheeled into one of the ER's trauma rooms and doctors and nurses were all over her, examining her for wounds, other than the ones that she had already felt herself.


2 HOURS LATER:

Miley was lying in her hospital bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts.

She had 3 broken ribs and had a nasty cut on her forehead, but she didn't feel any of it; she was too caught up in thinking about Joyce.

None of the nurses or doctors would tell her anything about Joyce's condition, only that she had made it to the hospital alive.

As soon as Miley had gotten settled into her room, she had asked the nurse to call her parents, Joyce's sisters and the Jonas family.

Her parents wouldn't be there for another 2 days and Joyce's sisters wouldn't be there until the next night, but still, through the haze of thoughts she heard a familiar voice.

She looked at the door and through the veil of tears that was clouding her eyes, she saw the one person besides Joyce that knew how to make her feel better when that seemed to be impossible.

Nick walked into the room, his anxious eyes softening a bit when he saw Miley looking at him.


A/N: Okay, that was chapter 16, guys! Let me know what you think! Up next is Nick's point of view.

[jbgirl10]

Chapter 16 part 2


The Accident: Nick's Story

Nick was woken up by his father, with Kevin standing there next to him, both their faces serious and filled with worry.

Instantly, he was wide awake.

'Son, something's happened', said Mr. Jonas. 'There's been an accident. Joyce and Miley have been taken to the hospital.'

A lump formed in Nick's throat as soon as he heard his dad speak those words.

'A-are they okay?' He asked, still sounding a little sleepy.

'Miley only has minor injuries. She'll be released from the hospital in a few days.' Kevin said this time.

'And Joyce?'

Kevin and his father looked at each other, not sure how to break the news to Nick that his best friend's life was hanging by a thread.

They didn't have to search the right words much longer: Joe was crying and yelling so loud that Nick didn't need any words to know that Joyce wasn't doing as well as Miley.

He jumped out of the bed and threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater, putting on his shoes as he was running out the door and to Joe's room to go get him.


The drive to the hospital seemed endless.

Joe was sitting in the backseat, sobbing and shaking with fear for his girlfriend.

Kevin, who was driving, looked back at his younger brother and then at Nick.

Nick was too lost in thought to even notice Kevin looking at him.

He was worried sick about Joyce and prayed that she would be okay but most of all he wanted to see Miley and hold her in his arms.

The boys drove by the intersection where the accident had happened and saw the wreck of the pink Fiesta being towed away, causing all 3 boys to shiver simultaneously at the sight of it.


Finally, they arrived at the hospital.

Nick and Joe both sprinted to the doors and then up to the rooms that the nurse at the desk said the girls were in.

Joe went up to the Intensive Care Unit and Nick went to the 7th floor, which was where Miley's room was.

Nick walked into the room, his anxious eyes softening a bit when he saw Miley looking at him.

'Hey' Miley said, struggling to hold back more tears that were threatening to escape her eyes.

Nick smiled a small smile and walked over to Miley, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the cheek, since she had gotten stitches to her forehead.

'Hey', Nick answered as he sat down next to Miley. 'How are you feeling?'

'I'm okay. Well, physically at least.'

A tear slid down Miley's cheek, which Nick quickly wiped away with his thumb.

'Have you heard anything about Joyce?' Nick wanted to know.

This sent more tears rolling down Miley's already tear-stained cheeks.

'No', she said in between sobs, 'Nick?' She asked.

'Yeah, Miles?'

'Could you stay with me tonight?' She asked him, the look in her tear-filled eyes causing Nick to have to fight back a tear as well.

He just nodded and moved so that he was laying next to Miley on the bed.

Miley put her head on Nick's shoulder and hugged him extremely tightly as if she were afraid he would dissapear.

Nick put his arms around Miley as well and kissed her hair while he softly hummed a tune until both he and Miley had drifted off to sleep.


When the nurse came in to change Miley's bandages the next morning, they were still in each others arms, only now Nick was lying awake, thinking about how lucky he was that he was holding the girl that he loved in his arms.

A few floors higher, Joe could only wish he was that lucky...

[jbgirl10]

The Accident: Joe's Story (Breathe For You)

The sound of the phone ringing only slightly woke Joe up.

He groaned and turned around, glancing at the clock on his nightstand: 3 am.

Just as he was about to go back to sleep, his mother walked into the room.

'Joe, Joseph, honey, wake up!'

'Nooooooooooooooooooooo', he grumbled.

'Joseph, it's important.'

Now Joe was awake enough to hear the worry in his mother's voice.

He sat up and looked at his mother, whose eyes were wet from her tears and whose hands were shaking uncontrollably.

'Mom, what's wrong? Are you okay?' Joe asked. 'Mommy, tell me what's going on, you're scaring me.'

Denise sat down next to her son and took a deep breath.

'Joe, I'm afraid there's been an accident.' She paused for a minute, and then continued.

'The hospital just called, darling. Apparently, Miley and Joyce were in an accident. They've been taken to hospital.'

Joe was starting to tear up, but his mom continued.

'Miley's awake and only has a few minor injuries, but Joyce...' Her voice trailed off.

Now Joe was really crying.

'No, n-n-no, don't tell me she's...' Joe almost choked on the word; he didn't want to say it out loud.

Denise put her hand on Joe's cheek.

'No, Sweety, she's not dead. But she isn't doing very well either. The doctors are still working on her.'

After a few moments of silence, Joe got up and started getting dressed.

'Joseph, what are you doing?', his mom asked, although she already knew.

'I'm going to the hospital. I want to see her.'

'I-I don't think that's such a good idea, Joe.' His mom said.

Just then, Nick walked in with Kevin and Mr. Jonas on his tail.

'I'm going too, mom. Miley needs me.', was all Nick said before turning around and walking downstairs.

Joe and Kevin followed.


The ride to the hospital was quiet, the only sound was the sound of the engine and Joe's quiet sobbing.

When Kevin drove the car by the site of the accident, Joe felt his heart crumple in his chest.

Right there before his eyes, the pink car that he had seen his girlfriend drive off in only a few hours ago, was being towed away.

The sight of the mangled steel on the driver's side of the car made him feel sick to his stomach: Joyce was driving and it was obvious the driver had taken most of the impact.


Finally at the hospital, Nick and Joe both raced inside and to the girls' bedside.

When Joe reached the floor of the ICU, he could barely move.

He was so afraid of what he would find that he thought his mom might have been right not to let him come here.

'Sir, can I help you?' A nurse asked.

Joe snapped out of his trance-like state and responded: 'Uhm, I'm looking for Joyce Sanders' room.'

He was surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded from all the yelling and crying.

The nurse smiled a soothing smile and lead him to the room where Joyce was in.

Before the nurse opened the door, she warned Joe: 'Her injuries were very severe. She had a perforated lung so we had to put a tube down her throat to help her breathe. She has a cut on her head that we had to suture and she broke several ribs and ruptured her spleen as a result to crashing into the steering wheel. I just want to tell you the way it is. She's not doing very well, so I want you to be prepared that what you're going to see in there isn't gonna be a fun sight.'

Joe was startled by the nurse's utter honesty but on the other hand also glad that she had given it to him straight.

With a shaking hand, he pushed the door open.

He gasped when he saw Joyce laying in the bed in front of him.

She was lying there, motionless, tubes and wires around her everywhere.

Joe walked closer, sitting on a chair next to Joyce's bedside.

He carefully took her hand in his, rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb.

For several minutes, the only sounds in the room were Joyce's heart monitor and the respirator that she was hooked up to.

Joe just sat there, looking at his girlfriend, so pale and fragile under the lights in the room.

He was afraid to even blink, terrified that she would be gone if he did blink.

'Okay, here goes.' Joe started.

'Hey Baby, I don't know if you can hear me, but, the nurse told me I had to talk to you. To let you know that I was here.'

Joe no longer tried to hold back his tears and continued, crying.

'Well, I AM here. And I'm not going anywhere, okay? I love you and I won't leave you, ever.

Miley's okay. She's worried sick about you, though. So's Nick and Kevin, and mom and dad.

And so am I.

So, you have to come back to us, alright?

You have to come back to ME.

But, I know that, right now, even breathing is hard for you.

So I'm gonna breathe for the both of us, okay?

I'm gonna be strong for the both of us, so that, when you wake up, which you will, I can be your strength while you're healing.

A few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to deal with something like this.

But now, thanks to you, I can.

You make me wanna be more than just that goofy, clutzy Joe that the rest of the world sees.

You make me wanna be the Joe that is strong enough to be a man, not a silly boy.'

He paused for a moment.

'What I want most of all is to hold you in my arms right now and kiss all your pain away.

To hear your voice, your laugh.

To see your smile and to feel your lips on mine.'

He let out a small laugh.

'To feel you run your fingers through my hair while I have my head on your chest and I'm listening to the sound of your heart beating.

That all seems so far away right now.

J, I need you to give me a sign. A sign that you're still in there and I'm not saying all this in vain.

A sign that you'll come back to me.'

For several moments, Joe sat there waiting for a sign.

When nothing happened, he broke down crying.

He put his head on the bed and, eventually, he cried himself to sleep.

[jbgirl10]

The Accident: Joyce's Story (See The Light/ Lifeline)

The last thing Joyce saw was a set of headlights speeding towards them.

After that, everything went dark.

She opened her eyes and was standing in a room where a team of doctors was working frantically to save someone's life.

Joyce was shocked to see herself lying on the table, all covered in blood.

'Scary, isn't it?' A voice said.

Joyce looked to her left and gasped: her mother was standing next to her, even more beautiful than Joyce remembered, dressed in a beautiful white dress. She appeared to be glowing.

'Wh-? Mom?' She choked out.

'Hi, Babycakes (A/N: Her mom's nickname for her)', she said.

Cheryl (= mother) smiled an angel-like smile and held her arms out towards her daughter.

Joyce hugged her mother, but was startled by a beeping noise.

She turned around and looked at the monitor that she was hooked up to and saw that there was a flat line on it.

'Am I dead?' She asked, scared but hopeful in a way.

'No, Sweetheart. Not yet. It's not your time yet.'

'But... That would mean you'd have to leave again.'

Her mom nodded.

'I don't want that! I wanna stay with you, Mommy!' Joyce yelled as she clung to her mother.

'Well, that's your choice, in the end.'

Joyce looked up, not understanding.

'You decide if you live or die.'

'So, if I decide to go with you, I die?'

Cheryl nodded with a sad expression on her face.

'I'm going with you, Mom!' Joyce screamed.

'You can, but I have to show you something first.'

'What?'

'What your death would do to your friends.'

This alarmed Joyce: was this something she would want to see? Who was she going to see?

Questions were flooding Joyce's brain when she was pulled out of her thoughts by her mother.

'Let's start with Miley.' Cheryl said.

Now Joyce was standing in the middle of a graveyard.

A few feet away from her, she saw a girl with black hair putting flowers by a grave.

When the girl turned around, Joyce saw that it was actually Miley.

Her face was all red from crying and her mascara was smeared out on her cheeks.

Joyce walked closer to Miley, who was knelt down beside the tombstone.

'Why did you leave me?'

Joyce took a step back, until she realised Miley wasn't talking to her, but to the grave.

'You promised me you'd never leave me. We were like sisters! You said you'd be there for me, whenever I needed you.'

Miley let out a loud sob.

'Well I need you now! I need you to be here, to be ALIVE! Why didn't you fight, damnit! You shoulda thought about what this would do to me, to Kevin and Nick, to all your friends... And to Joe!'

That last name sent a shiver down Joyce's spine.

'Take me to Joe', she told her mother, who had kept to the side this whole time.

'Alright', was all she said.

Before she turned her back on Miley, she kneeled down as well and touched Miley's cheek with the back of her hand.

The next thing she knew, she was in a bathroom.

Joyce jumped up when the door opened, but relaxed once she realised she couldn't be seen.

She felt a smile form on her lips when she saw the black-haired boy she was in love with walk through the door.

That smile faded quickly when she saw his face: he was still beautiful, but his features seemed tormented.

Joyce watched as Joe walked to the cabinet and took out several bottles of pills.

'What is he doing?' Joyce asked in a panic.

'He's doing the only thing that he thinks he can do. He's going to try to kill himself.'

'But why?' Joyce asked, now crying.

'Before you died, you were awake for a few hours. Joe was there with you and you promised him you'd never leave him again. But then your condition deteriorated and you died... In his arms.'

Joyce couldn't look away from Joe, eventhough she wanted to.

'He just couldn't deal with losing you, so he sees this as his only way to escape the pain of living without you.'

'I don't want to see this, Mom', she cried.

Joyce looked at her mother and said: 'Mom, I think I have to go back.'

Cheryl smiled at her and nodded understandingly.

'This is the right decision, Honey.'

'But I'm gonna miss you so much!' Joyce cried.

'Aw, Babycakes, I'll always be with you. No matter where you go, I'm there too. All you have to do is look at the stars and there I'll be, looking down on my beautiful little girl who is turning out to be a wonderful young woman. You are destined to do great things, Darling. Just keep on believing in yourself and don't be afraid to ask for help when things get too tough. You have wonderful friends and a wonderful boyfriend who would do anything to make you happy; and for that I owe him my eternal gratitude.'

Cheryl wiped away Joyce's tears and in the blink of an eye, Joyce was staring at herself again.

'I'm still not breathing', she said. 'What do I do now? How do I go back?'

'Just close your eyes, Honey, and take a deep breath.'

Cheryl hugged her daughter one last time and then took a step back.

'I love you, Mommy.' Joyce said before she closed her eyes.

'I love you too, Babycakes', was the last thing Joyce heard before she felt a shock go through her entire body.


A/N: Okay, so now you're caught up on how everyone experienced the accident. The next chapter is going to be a regular chapter again, not centered around one character in particular.


Hope you're still enjoying the story! Please comment and tell me what you think! I'm also open to suggestions for future chapters.

[jbgirl10]

Chapter 17


Time Stands Still/ So Close, Yet So Far Away


A/N: I chose this title because I think it fits in with the stay at the hospital. Like, everyone's there and Joyce is still unconscious and it just seems like time isn't moving forward. The other title is about the feeling that (especially) Joe has with Joyce being right there but also at the same time she's not (Does that make sense?).


'It's been over a week', Miley cried to Nick, who was wheeling her back to her room in a wheelchair.

Joyce still hadn't woken up, over a week after the tragic accident and Miley and Joe were starting to lose hope, eventhough she had made some slight progress: the tube that was helping her breathe had been removed when Joyce started breathing on her own again.

'Miles, the doctors said that it could take a while before she wakes up. She already made a lot of progress, I'm sure she'l wake up soon.' Nick tried to calm Miley down.

Nick hadn't left Miley's side since the night of the accident and neither had Joe been willing to leave Joyce.


Joyce didn't know how long she had been out for, but she knew it had been at least a couple days.

The darkness that had been surrounding her was no longer oppressing and ominous; it was beginning to shift into a veil of a thick mist but it wasn't as heavy anymore.

She could hear and feel everything around her: the touch of Joe's hand on her cheek, his lips pressing softly against hers; she could feel the bed dip a little bit each time Miley sat beside her and stroked her hair. She heard the voices of Nick, Kevin and Miley, of Joe, Demi and Selena. She had heard the voices of Mr; and Mrs. Jonas, and even of Frankie, who had brought one of his Webkinz for Joyce.

Most of the time, if there was more than one voice, there was always one voice that stood out from the rest: Joe's.

It broke her heart to hear how fragile, how exhausted he sounded.

Joyce wanted nothing more than to open her eyes, wrap her arms around Joe and tell him everything would be okay, that he didn't have to worry about her and that she was fine.

She had tried to open her eyes several times, but the veil of mist was still too thick to break through.


Joyce felt Joe let go of her hand, only to feel him laying down next to her very carefully.

She felt him take hold of her hand again and she felt his hair brush against her cheek when he rested his head on her shoulder very gently, afraid to hurt her.


Hours kept passing and in the middle of the night, Joyce heard soft footsteps coming closer.

She knew it couldn't be Joe, because he had moved to the small sofa against the wall on Joyce's left and she also knew that he hadn't heard the footsteps since she could hear him snoring ever so slightly.

'Hey, Sweety', Miley whispered as she softly kissed Joyce's forehead.

The pain in Miley's voice was clearly audible and Joyce was immediately angry with herself that she had been the cause of this.

Miley kept talking to Joyce.

'I couldn't sleep', she said.

'I was just thinking about how I would crawl into bed with you when I was a little kid and you stayed over at our house.

You would make up these stories and you would keep talking until you were sure I was asleep.

No matter what it was, you would always find a way to comfort me, to make me feel safe.

Like you were my big sister; I mean like you are.

I feel like a little girl again right now, a little girl that needs her best friend to comfort her.'

Miley couldn't hold back her tears anymore, which made her fractured ribs protest with each sob.

That moment was the turning point for Joyce: her mother had shown her what would happen to the people she loved if she left them and how much that would hurt them; but Joyce realized that seeing her like this, unconscious and pale, was hurting them just as much.

She had to let Miley know that she was still there and she got the perfect opportunity when she felt Miley take her right hand in hers.

Joyce gathered all her strength to break through the veil and try to move her fingers.

After a few tries, it finally worked: Joyce wiggled her fingers slightly, making Miley jump up and Joe fall out of the sofa, startled by the noise.

In an instant, Joe was at Joyce's side, scanning the monitors around her for a sign of trouble.

'Miley, what happened?' He asked frantically.

'She-she just moved her fingers.' She choked out.

Joe instantly took Joyce's left hand in both of his.

'Baby? Baby, it's me. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand.' Joe said, his voice shaky due to the tears that he was forcing back.

Joyce tried to move her fingers again, now of her left hand and found out that breaking through the mist wasn't as difficult anymore.

She squeezed both Miley and Joe's hand, who shared a hopeful glance at each other.

'I have to wake up', Joyce thought. 'Oh, God, I just need to see their faces, I want to put my arms around them, I want to LIVE again!'

The apparent sense of relief that she felt from both Joe and Miley was enough for Joyce to try to open her eyes again, this time succesfully.


Soon, her eyes fluttered open and immediately searched for Joe's and Miley's.

Miley gasped and covered her mouth with her hands; tears streaming down her face.

Joe just stared at Joyce and Joyce stared back, now able to squeeze Joe's hand more forcefully, as if she wanted to let him know that he wasn't dreaming and that she was really there.


The doctor had come in and checked Joyce's vitals and her reflexes.

'Well, Miss Sanders, if I didn't believe in miracles before, I certainly do now because you have made a remarkable progress.'


After the doctor had examined Joyce, he ordered Miley to go back to her room and get some rest.

Joyce could see the anxiety in her best friend's eyes and said: 'It's okay, Miles. I'll still be here tomorrow. I promised you I'd never leave you... And I keep my promises.'

Joyce smiled a reassuring smile at Miley, who then went back to her room, where Nick was still fast asleep on the couch.

[jbgirl10]

Hey guys! Sorry it's taken so long, but I've been crazy busy and also I was having a bit of writer's block, so I haven't been on in a while. But here I am again with chapter 18 of my story. I hope you guys like it!


Chapter 18

'I Thought I Lost You'

After watching Miley walk back to her room to get some sleep and reassuring her that she would still be there in the morning, Joyce turned her head to Joe.

He was sitting there, tears that weren't there when Miley was there, streaming freely down his cheeks.

Joyce looked at him, worried.

'Baby, what's wrong?'

When Joe didn't answer immediately, Joyce squeezed his hand, causing him to lift up his head and look up at Joyce.

'Joe, what's wrong?' Joyce asked again.

'I thought I'd lost you forever', he sobbed. 'I don't think I would have survived if you hadn't woken up.'

Joyce looked at him, chills going through her spine as she remembered the images of Joe in the bathroom that her mom had shown her.

She needed a few second to regain her composure.

'But you haven't lost me', Joyce said matter-of-factly. 'You know what gave me the strength to open my eyes just now?'

Joe shook his head.

'Well, let's just say that you had a very big part in it.'

Joyce smiled at Joe, but he still looked very uncomfortable, like he still didn't believe Joyce was really awake.

'Joe.' Joyce said in a firm voice. 'I am NOT going anywhere, okay? Remember back in Canada, when we were watching One Tree Hill?'

Joe nodded.


Flashback

Joe got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, running his fingers through his wet hair, not in the mood to pull a comb through it.

Just then, he heard a frantic knocking.

He walked over to the door and was almost run over by Joyce, who immediately turned on the TV and jumped on the bed all in one movement.

Joe stood there, a confused look spread across his flawless face.

He fake-coughed to get Joyce's attention.

She looked up, only just now noticing her boyfriend was wearing nothing but a towel.

She nodded approvingly and let her eyes wander over his perfectly toned upper body before finally speaking.

'One Tree Hill's on', she said.

'Aaaand?' Joe asked, dragging it out so Joyce would explain why she stormed into his hotelroom like this.

'This is the episode where Haley gets hit by a car and she ends up in the hospital and Nathan is a wreck and Lucas gets a heart attack so he ends up in hospital too and it's a sad episode but I just love the end and the way Nathan and Haley are together. They're so cute together.'

After that rant, Joyce was out of breath and Joe couldn't help but laugh.

'Wow, someone's excited about a stupid TV show.'

Joyce shot Joe an angry look.

He immediately gave Joyce an apologetic puppy dog face.

'Why aren't you watching this in your room?' Joe wanted to know.

'Because Miley and Nick wanted to watch American Idol.' Joyce answered simply.

'Watch with me?' Joyce asked Joe, giving him her signature 'puppy-dog-pout-with-eyelash-bat', knowing he would cave instantly.

Joe sighed and said: 'Fine, but I'm gonna go put some clothes on first.'

'You better not be wearin' a shirt when you get back out here', Joyce said teasingly, but also seriously, because she just loved the way Joe looked without a shirt on.

Less than a minute later, Joe walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of black baggy sweats. And no shirt, like Joyce had requested.

Joyce, who was also wearing her pajamas (a pink top with matching shorts), had already settled herself under the sheets and was waiting anxiously for the show to come on.

Joe got in next to her, and before he knew it, Joyce had her arm wrapped around him and her head was resting against his bare chest.

At the end of the episode, Joyce couldn't hold back her tears: emotional moments like that always got to her.


End of flashback

Ever since the night that they watched that episode together, they had started saying 'Always and Forever' to each other, just like Haley and Nathan did.

Joyce could see that Joe was lost in thought.

'Always', she said to try to pull Joe out of his train of thought.

'And Forever...' He said, smiling Joyce's favorite crooked smile.

The night nurse then walked in and said 'What are you still doing up?' and shot an angry glance in Joe's direction.

'It's not his fault, I'm the one that's keeping HIM up, not the other way around. But I was just about to say we should BOTH get some rest.' Joyce said to the nurse, who left the room after checking Joyce's IV drip and the print out from the heart monitor.

'You should get some sleep', Joe said after she left.

'So do you', Joyce shot back, but smiled so Joe knew she wasn't really angry.

Joyce moved a little bit to the side and patted the space next to her, motioning Joe to lie down next to her.

He looked at Joyce, hesitant. What if he hurt her?

Joyce knew what Joe was thinking instantly, so she smiled at him, a reassuring smile, and said: 'You won't hurt me, Joe. I'm fine. See, no more IV drips and stuff.'

Joyce held out her arms ostentatively.

Joe then got up from the chair that he had been sitting in and laid down next to Joyce, who immediately curled up against him, putting her head down on his chest.

Joe put both his arms around Joyce and held her close, as if he wanted to make up for the days that he watched her fight for her life and wasn't able to hold her.

It didn't take long for Joyce to drift off to sleep to the rythm of Joe's heartbeat and soon after, Joe, too, let his eyes fall shut and fell asleep holding the woman he loved so deeply.

[jbgirl10]

Chapter 19


Wake Up Call

The next couple of days, it seemed like Joyce's hospital room was Disney Channel central.

All of her friends dropped by: Nick and Kevin, Demi, Selena, Emily, Mitchel, David, Jake, Dylan and Cole and many others.

Joe never left Joyce's side, eventhough Joyce kept ensuring Joe that she was okay and that he should take a break from sitting in a hospital room 24/7.

Finally, Nick and Kevin managed to drag an unwilling Joe out of the room and to the cafeteria, where he scarfed down 3 cheese burgers and 4 pieces of pie.

With the boys gone, and a break in the visitors rush, Miley and Joyce had a few minutes alone.

Miley was sitting on a chair and she hadn't moved in over 30 minutes.

Joyce asked her friend what was wrong.

'Miles, are you okay?'

Miley didn't say anything, she just walked over to Joyce and got in the bed next to her, snuggling up to her friend like she had done so many times in the past when she was scared or sad.

Joyce understood now what was going on: Miley had told her the other night when she was still unconscious.

'I missed you, Cupcake', Miley said, looking up at Joyce with a smile on her face.

'I missed you too, Muffin', Joyce answered, also smiling.

A/N: these are the nicknames Miley and Joyce sometimes gave each other. Miley had said 'Cupcake' to Joyce once as a joke and Joyce had called Miley 'Muffin' as an answer to that joke. Ever since then, they had been calling each other that every now and then. It was their little inside joke that no one else really got.

Joyce hugged Miley and after a few minutes she asked: 'Hey, Miles?'

'Yeah?'

'If I tell you something right now, will you promise me you won't tell anyone about it?'

'Of course, Sweety.'

'Okay, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but... When the doctors were trying to bring me back, I saw my mom.'

Miley looked at Joyce curiously.

'I was standing in the trauma room, and I saw myself on the table. And then, out of nowhere, my mom was standing beside me.'

'You mean you had like an out-of-body-experience?'

Joyce nodded and then continued.

'She told me that I had a choice: I could go back into my body and live, or I could go with her and die, eventhough it wasn't my time yet. I wanted to go with her immediately.'

This frightened Miley.

'So you actually WANTED to die?'

'No, don't get me wrong, I didn't WANT to die, but I just missed my mom so much. I was just so happy to see her again and I didn't want to lose her all over again.'

'So then, what made you change your mind?'

Joyce was silent for a moment.

She suddenly realized that her mom never meant to show her how much Joe and Miley needed her, but in fact she wanted to show Joyce how much she needed Joe and Miley.

She then answered with determination clear in her voice.

'You.' She said. 'And Joe.'

Joyce told Miley what her mom had shown her and that that made her realize that she couldn't leave just like that.

'I made a promise to you and Joe that I would never leave you. And I keep my promises. I guess I just forgot about that promise for a second when I saw my mom.'

Miley hugged Joyce as tightly as possible, being careful not to hurt her broken ribs (and her own).

A tear rolled down Joyce's cheek, but it wasn't a sad tear. It was a happy tear: she knew that she had made the right decision and that everything would be okay, because she had the best friends (and boyfriend) in the entire world.