Them. | The Final Installment of the Him Series | Joe Jonas Fanfiction

Six.

A break between Austin and San Diego left Joe a bit too much time on his hands, leaving him in his head too often. He found himself staying with the girls in Austin for a few days, wanting to stay in one place without going to one of their homes, the girls getting a little confused the last time they were home in Miami. Mostly about Addie but the tantrums about wanting her were too much already without placing them in one of their family homes for only a few days, every turn reminding them that mommy isn't there.

Being in Austin brings a swell of hope in Joe's heart, realizing that if Addie would've gone anywhere to figure out what's going on, it's probably Texas, more than likely Dallas. He's well aware of her childhood home, where Jaclyn still lives, as far as he knows. But he also doubts more that she'd go to Jaclyn for any sort of help. The more likely answer would be Hope since she still lives in Dallas, despite her efforts and plans to move closer to Addie.

The only problem is, he has no idea where Hope lives, exactly. Victoria would probably be staying with them too, but did Stella go along? I mean, he can't imagine she'd stay behind during a time like this, especially with knowing... he thinks... that she's the only other person in Addie's life that knows how to do any of the research or anything. He assumes she could've just asked for Hope's support during her time away, but he highly doubts Stella would've had it any other way, than to be there helping Addie as well.

The past two nights, after getting the girls to sleep, Joe found himself in a deep dive of his own, despite knowing Addie's major disapproval if she knew what he was up to. He can't help but to stay up, researching and trying to find any sort of clue as to where Addie could be. He can't just spend all of this time not knowing if she's okay, or if she's even alive. What was he supposed to do if she's hurt or God forbid, dead somewhere and he has no idea of anything that's happening. Granted, his common sense and good conscious tells him that if the girls knew anything bad had happened to Addie, he would be informed. I mean, he is still her husband after all. But the panicked, protective side of him also tells him that he needs to know where she is... and if she's okay.

He wonders if she heard anything that he had said to her on the baby monitor... and if she had what her reaction was. Did it make her feel better? Worse? Anything at all? What were her thoughts? Did she have any advice as to helping Willa continue on without her? Delphine was fine, she was distractable. Willa was another story, and he still wasn't sure what to do. He had no idea. His family was trying to help, but it did very little. Willa just seems to be struggling immensely with this change... and he understood why. He's struggling too. He just has to keep it together, unlike her, because he's the parent. She's the one he needs to think of... and take care of.

Continuing to look across social media, looking for any small sight of a clue to where she could be, Joe finally comes across Hope's new home photos with her boyfriend, zooming in on the back to see her house number.

Sitting up straighter, Joe goes into a dive on the house numbers, looking and looking until he finds a house that looks like hers, writing down the exact address and getting up, creeping out of the room and then out of the hotel, going to his rental car and getting in.

Licking his lips, he starts the car up, placing his phone with the GPS in the cupholder next to him and stretching.

A four-hour drive didn't seem like much if it meant seeing her for a moment... knowing that she's okay.

He sighs.

But he knows he shouldn't... she specifically told him not to. And she knows this world she's had to re-enter more than he does.

He turns the car back off, closing the GPS and falling back into his seat, staring out of the windshield.

He knows he needs to listen to her in order to stay safe... and better yet, to keep the girls safe. He just needs to keep himself remembering that. Instead, he's allowing his manic desperate need for her to come home take over.

Joe grabs his phone, exiting the car and re-entering the hotel, going back up to the suite and letting himself inside, going into the bedroom and lying on the large, empty bed. Typically the girls would be sleeping up there with him... but they both just so happened to fall asleep on the floor bed they had during movie night tonight... so he was left to sleep alone.

The thought of telling his family what's actually going on had once again entered his mind, the burden of being the only one to know pulling him into a questionable state of mind. Despite them assuming that she had left for her own mental wellbeing, which is furthest from the truth, he had never actually confirmed it with anyone... he had never said 'yeah, that's why she's gone'. He had stayed quiet, so, it's not his fault that everyone just assumed they knew what was going on. But what would they say if they knew? I mean, Nick and Kevin are really the only ones who know the whole truth about the life Addie had before he became a part of it. Everyone else knows that she had a hard upbringing that was unconventional, and she later found out that her parents weren't actually her parents. They know nothing about the details. If he told them, he'd have to tell them everything.

And how exactly would they react? Would they understand? What about his parents? His mom. Would it change her position on Addison again? I mean, granted, before their assumption came about of Addie's mental health everyone was slamming Addie, throwing insults at her while his mother was the only one to stand up and shut the insults down. It was a moment he, for a long time, didn't think he'd ever see... his mom standing up for his wife.

"How could she just leave her husband and daughters? I mean, that is just-"

"Whatever you think you want to come out of your mouth right now shouldn't," his mother had said, looking at the women directly in the eyes, catching the attention of everyone while Joe juggled the girls, sending them off with Jessica.

The women stared at Denise, shocked that she was being spoken to to begin with.

"If Addison left her husband, my son, and especially those two little girls, it was for a damn good reason. She loves the three of them more than anything in this world. She fought me for a very long time to prove that true. If she left, it was for a very good reason. I don't want to hear a single person saying anything otherwise," she said, glancing around at all present. "Do I make myself clear?"

The silence in the room after she had said her piece was deafening. He still didn't know if it was because everyone was scared to say something or because they were shocked at her for standing up for Addison to begin with.

But... that was different. That was when she thought it may have been for her mental health or something... what would happen if she knew it was because of her past... a past that brought danger to the girls. Would she still respect Addie? Or would it cause a whole new spiral of problems for them and their relationship? 

***

do you think Joe's worries are valid? 

what do you think everyone's reactions would be if he told them? 

all my love, 

shan:)