In the Rose Garden

Joe watched Addison as she read an article in the latest issue of Supernova Magazine. It was the same article that revealed her name and everything. He noticed that every so often when she read something she would make a face or shake her head. The main thing his family didn't like about the article was the byline: Jenna Reynolds and Michelle "Mashi" Wayne. Addison wasn't surprised about them finding out her father's name. His name wasn't exactly a secret since it was on hundreds and hundreds of albums but he never once dropped her name in any interview or casual conversation. Joe wasn't quite sure how she felt about the whole world knowing her name now. Whenever he would bring it up she would quickly change the subject and act like he never even said anything.

Addison stared at the article in the gossip magazine. She'd reread the article so many times she could recite it with her eyes closed. Besides her name, there were multiple pictures of her and Joe. All the photos except one were paparazzi shots. The only one that wasn't was taken the day the boys had the "contest winners" with them. It was a shot of Joe and Addison in the middle of a kiss that was taken at Violet. She felt an array of emotions. She was mad that Jenna and Mashi had ousted her relationship with Joe like that but at the same time, part of her was relieved that it was out there so she wasn't really a secret anymore. She felt her privacy had been invaded but she knew that she no longer really had any privacy since she was dating Joe Jonas after all. It was getting to the point that Danielle could barely go out in public without having a photographer follow her around even when she was sans Kevin. Addison knew it was only a matter of time before that would begin to happen to her.

There was a quiet knock on Joe's bedroom door and he ambled to the door. Mrs. Jonas was on the other side. She told Joe to let Addison know everyone had arrived. Joe nodded his head and shut the door when she walked away. He turned to his girlfriend and stood in front of her.

"Mom just said that everyone's here and they're just waiting on you. You know that no matter what happens I'm here for you. I promise that I will always be here for you," Joe said to her.

Addison stood up and set the magazine down as Joe wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his. "Thanks." They then pulled apart and went downstairs.

Addison saw everyone was downstairs in the living room, everyone except her mother. Apparently she couldn't be bothered to show up or she just doesn't care, she thought to herself. She hugged her dad and then Katie before being introduced to Olivia McCoy. She held the results of the paternity test in her hand. As soon as she saw the manila envelope, Addison's mind started running wild with thoughts. Was she sure she wanted to know? If she found out, would it change anything? Would it change her relationship with her father, Ted? Would the thought always be in the back of her mind? Forget her for a minute. How would it affect Ted? He says she's his daughter no matter what but if she really isn't, would it change that?

"Addison?" Mr. Turner asked, bringing Addison out of her thoughts. He rubbed her back gently. "Are you all right?"

She looked up at Mr. Turner and sighed. "Yeah, I was just thinking about something," she responded as they sat on the couch.

Joe stood in front of her. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"No, I want you to stay here with me… please."

Joe nodded his head. "Okay, anything for you." He took a seat next to her as Olivia McCoy undid the manila envelope and pulled out the papers.

Olivia McCoy started to explain that she would reveal the results and what they needed to do in the case of legal matters. She flipped the papers over and read over them quickly before clearing her throat. "Donald-"

"Wait!" Addison stood up. "Actually I don't want to know. Regardless what that paper says, he will always be my dad." She pointed at Ted. "Joe's right. I lived the past nineteen years with him. He's the one who got up with me at night when I was a baby and he's the one who took care of me when I broke my arm and he's the one who's helped me through every broken heart and he's the one who… is my dad no matter what. So therefore, I don't want to know. Dad, if you want to know then you can know but don't tell me."

Ted shook his head. "No, if you don't want to know then I don't want to know. I don't care either what the papers say because you're my daughter no matter what." He stood up and hugged his daughter. He kissed her forehead before turning back to the people sitting on the couch. "I love you, Addie."

"I love you, too, Dad."

"Are you sure you wanted to do that?" Joe asked as they walked back upstairs to his room.

Addison stopped outside his door. "Yes, I'm sure because you're right. No matter what the results are he's my dad. He's been taking care of me for the past nineteen years, not my uncle. Plus I'm nineteen years old now. What's it really going to matter? It's not like I have a biological father/daughter dance lined up."

"Only you to make a joke out of it," Joe said as he opened his door and let her in first.

Addison shrugged her shoulders. "If we weren't meant to joke about things then what's the point of having jokes in the first place?" She stepped into Joe's room and Joe shut the door behind her. "Hopefully they'll leave soon and we can all get back to our lives as they were before this happened."

Addison turned and looked at Joe when he didn't respond. They stared at each other for a moment before Addison closed the large gap in between them. After she kissed him, she pulled away and said, "Joe, I-"

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Joe opened the door and looked up at Mr. Turner.

"Hey, uh, everyone's gone," he told them. They stepped out of Joe's room and walked with Addison's father downstairs. "Addie, Donnie said to tell you he loves you."

Everyone then went out for lunch before Katie had to go in to work and Mr. Turner had a meeting with a friend.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Addison looked around the table for a moment before making a face and shaking her head and looking back down at her scrambled eggs.

"What's so funny?" Kevin asked.

Addison looked at him and shook her head again. "Nothing, I just have this urge to listen to 'Crazy Kind of Crush on You' all of a sudden."

"Um… wow. That's a little random," Kevin responded and nodded his head. "Okay…"

Addison then asked Nick, "Weren't you like two when you recorded that song?"

"Actually, he was still in our mother's stomach," Joe answered.

"You know they're technically not in the stomach… right?" Addison said.

"Well yeah but…" Joe motioned towards Frankie.

"I know where babies come from. I'm nine, not one," Frankie said in an annoyed tone of voice. Joe reached over and ruffled his hair. Joe knew exactly why she had that song stuck in her head and why she wanted to hear it. While she slept, Joe stayed up and talked to her.

"You're pretty amazing, you know that? I'm by far the luckiest boy on Earth to be with you. You've made my life so much better by being in it. You're awesome, amazing and I've got this crazy kind of crush on you… not to lyric quote my brother…"

Addison sighed and turned onto her side facing Joe. He quietly got up from her bedside and crawled in next to her before finally falling asleep.

"I guess I'll have to listen to it later," Addison said and shrugged her shoulders and continued to eat the breakfast Mrs. Jonas prepared.

Joe giggled from beside her and shook his head. He wasn't about to tell everyone about his one-sided conversation.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Addison hung up a wet towel and used the other one to squeeze the excess water from her long blond hair. Satisfied, she grabbed her brush and exited the bathroom. She walked the few feet to Joe's room and stepped in. Joe quickly looked up and hid something behind his back.

"Uh, hey… Addison," he said nervously and stood up. He walked backwards towards his dresser and quickly put something away.

"Hey Joe, what are you doing?" Addison asked and sat on his bed before running the brush through her hair.

He shook his head. "I'm just, you know, sitting here waiting for you to get out of the shower."

"I think you were into something but all right homeboy."

"Yeah, that's right," Joe said as Addison got up and left the room. He let out a breath before heading back to his dresser to re-hide what he had hidden before.

"That was kind of weird," Addison said to herself as she pulled out the hair blow dryer and plugged it in.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Nick wandered into the music room and quietly shut the door behind him. He stayed quiet when he noticed Addison sitting at the piano writing on some sheet music. He walked up to the piano, sat next to her and took a look at her music. "How's it going?"

"It's going… slowly. It's been a work in progress for a few weeks now," Addison informed him.

"Maybe I can help with that," Nick suggested. Without a word, Addison slid the music and words over to him so he could get a better look. He talked a few things out as he made his suggestions on the music. Together they played his suggestions and Addison sung her words.

"I like that. It sounds… better, fuller… if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does. It sounds-"

"Complete," they said in unison.

"Thanks so much for helping me with this. Let me know if there's anything I can do in return."

"Let me record it."

"What?"

"Let me record it. By that I mean, I'll book some studio time and you come in and we'll record it. We'll make you a demo or something. You're the artist, I'll produce it. I do have some experience as a producer you know."

"Demi's first album, I know. Can I think about it? I've never done anything like this. I've never actually thought about making my music a permanent fixture to something… you know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah I know what you're saying. It can be for you and your family. We don’t have to sign you to our label or anything like that; we don't have to shop it around. But if you ever change your mind then it'll be there. I think it would be totally amazing to work with you."

"Okay, you've convinced me… sort of. I'll do it. You just let me know when and where and I'll be there."

Nick stood up and pumped his fist in victory and excitement. "Great! It's going to be awesome!"

Addison's phone started to ring right afterwards. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID field. It was Lily. "I have to get this but we'll talk soon," she told Nick and walked out of the room as she put the phone to her ear.

Nick gathered up her sheet music and watched her leave with a feeling he couldn't quite figure out.