A Not So 'Full' House

Chapter 8: All's Well That Ends Well

DJ sighed heavily and led the way back into the apartment, which amazingly enough, had remained relatively clean considering that she lived with Kimmy. Not really in the mood to talk to her father with Joey there, but obviously having no choice, she decided to swallow her pride and play hostess. "Would either of you like something to drink? We have water, milk, soda, coffee and juice."

Danny shook his head, but Joey nodded and followed her into the kitchen. "I'll have some water if you don't mind, I think I'm going to need it," Joey said softly. DJ gave him a wane smile, and filled two glasses, handing him one before heading back toward the living room.

"There's no way to escape this is there?" DJ whispered, looking around the corner at her father as they walked down the hall.

"'Fraid not," Joey replied, slipping his hand in hers and squeezing it reassuringly. They walked into the living room, and sat down next to each other on the couch in a stiff manner.

Danny was looking around the room with an admiring gaze, and turned to them as they sat down. "Nice place you have here, Deej," he said calmly, and noticed they were holding hands and sitting quiet close.

"Thank you," DJ responded politely, but with an air of coldness in her voice.

"I see that you ignored me and continued seeing Joey behind my back," Danny said before he could stop himself.

Joey and DJ both bristled. "Not that it's any of your affair," DJ said, and glared at him icily. "As I recall, you said 'your house, your rules', and this doesn't look like your house to me."

Next to her, Joey was also glaring coldly at Danny. He sighed heavily at their exchange. "Look Danny," he said, his voice quiet in his anger. "This is the first time I've seen or spoken to DJ since you kicked me out. We aren't seeing each other officially yet," he said, and looked to DJ a moment before turning back to Danny. "But we'd like too."

They sat in silence a while, Joey and DJ taking sips from their drinks, and DJ glaring at him over the rim of her glass. Danny broke the stillness with a heavy sigh. "DJ," he said, giving her a pitiful look. "I didn't come here to fight."

"Why did you come, then?" DJ asked stiffly. "You obviously don't want me to be with Joey."

Danny sighed once more and shook his head. "No," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I don't."

"Then, there's nothing to talk about," DJ replied.

"Yes," Danny said firmly. "There is. DJ, I want you to come home."

DJ felt Joey free his hand from hers, and slid his arm around her shoulders instead. "Sorry, Dad," she said firmly. "I don't think I can do that."

"And why is that?" Danny asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well," DJ said sarcastically. "I think you know why, after all, you are the one who threw me out."

"Look DJ," Danny said. "Are you going to live in an apartment your whole life? You have no job, no way to make money, Joey can't take care of you; he can't even take care of himself."

"Danny," Joey started in a warning tone, but DJ cut him off with a laugh.

"No Dad," she said, glaring at him darkly. "I don't plan on living in an apartment my whole life. Actually," she said with an air as though speaking to a small child. "This is only temporary."

"W-what do you mean?" Danny asked in confusion.

DJ laughed again. "Remember on Michelle's fifth birthday when I said that I had two words for you, and that was 'red Porsche', and you said 'bus pass'?" Danny looked at her oddly for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "You didn't know it then, but I had the money to buy it."

Danny and Joey looked at her in surprise. "I-I don't understand," Danny said after a moment, when he found his voice. "How?"

"The money that mom left for me," DJ answered simply, and shrugged as though it was of no importance to her.

"But," Danny said, astounded by this revelation. "You couldn't access it until last week."

"No dad," DJ replied. "I couldn't withdraw any until last week. That doesn't mean that I couldn't have the bank turn it over into a mutual fund and invest in stock when I told them too. I already had enough money when I was fifteen to buy the car I wanted. Now, since then, I have gotten smarter about economics, and if Joey wishes, he doesn't have to stay with his mom, and I don't have to stay here with Kimmy. Like I said, it's just temporary."

Silence reigned once more, and all that could be heard was the tinkling of ice cubes in DJ and Joey's glasses whenever they took a drink. Joey smiled, he couldn't have been more proud of DJ. She was a smart girl. No, not girl, he thought. She's a woman.

Danny sighed and shook his head in surprise, realizing that she was now holding all the cards. "DJ, I want you to come home."

DJ stood up, and walked away, heading to the breakfast bar between the living room and the kitchen, standing with her back to them. She took a drink, and exhaled heavily. "I already told you," she said quietly. "I don't know if I can do that."

Danny sighed heavily. He knew he had to make things right, no matter how much it hurt, and he didn't want to do it. "Joseph," Danny said, making Joey jump in surprise, being addressed for the first time. "Do you, or do you not, love my daughter?"

DJ turned in surprise, looking almost angry in her incredulity. Joey looked to her and then to Danny nervously. "I-I... Yes, of course I love her, Danny. It may have taken me a while to realize it, but yes, I love her. I love her more than anything."

DJ beamed, and moving over to Joey, flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I love you, too, Joey," she said happily.

Danny gave them a moment, and then cleared his throat. DJ stiffened in Joey's arms, and she sat down next to him. "DJ," Danny said, his tone low, and serious. "I want you to come home. I know, I know," he said, raising his hands to silence any protests. "You don't know if you can." He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

"Look DJ," he said, and ran his hands through his hair. "We miss you, Michelle, and Steph, and your Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky and I. We all miss you, both of you. I want you to be happy, Deej. Now, I may not like it, but I can see that Joey makes you happy. We want you to come back, both of you."

DJ and Joey looked at each other, awe struck for a moment. "Y-you want us to come back?" Joey asked uncertainly, his arm wrapped around DJ.

"Yes," Danny said, nodding in reassurance of the statement.

"W-what about living arrangements?" DJ asked quietly as she entwined her fingers with Joey's.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and took a shaky breath. "Well," he said softly. "I-if you want, you and Joey could share a room, after all, this love you've found isn't going to die any time soon, is it? Perhaps soon you will be engaged?" DJ bushed, and Joey flushed, but neither spoke. "That would give Stephanie her own room. I think she's been sharing long enough." There was a pause and Danny cleared his throat nervously. "So, what do you think?"

DJ and Joey looked at each other, smiles slowly creeping over their faces. "I-I think," Joey trailed off and looked to DJ.

DJ smiled, and turned to her father. "We're coming home," she finished, and leaned over to hug her father.