Impractical Jokers One Shots

A rose by any other name

Alice tapped her pen on the desk as she and the guys waited in their office. Q was sitting quietly by her, reading. Joe was standing opposite them, drinking a cup of coffee, unacceptably zany for the early morning and Sal was sitting at a desk slightly down from him, chatting to him.

The only one missing was Murr. Which, as this was a business meeting with TruTv, was odd. Murr was usually the first in or near as depending on who drove him. Yet all four of them had come in on their own.

"Not like Murray to be late." Alice commented, still tapping her pen. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sal biting his lip. She knew her pen tapping was annoying him so she tapped it a bit more.

"Yeah and he didn't text any of us asking for a ride. He normally takes a bus over here if he doesn't want us to pick him up.
." Q pondered, turning a page.

"Could be bad traffic." Alice suggested.

"Or he's sick. Although he would text about that too if he is." Q said.

"You want me to call him?" Joe asked, reaching into the pocket of his jeans for his phone.

"Nah, he'll turn up sooner or later. I mean you and him are producers. You have responsibility over the show." Q pointed out.

Joe put a hand on his back and grinned. "Yeah and don't I know it? I was wonderin' why my back feels heavy." He joked, laughing.

"God, Gatto, it's 9:35 in the morning. How can you be this joyful so early? I feel like a zombie." Alice said.

He shrugged, smiling. "A good few cups of this stuff." He held his coffee up.

"Yeah right. I've been inhaling caffeine since I woke up but I still feel like death."

"What can I say? I'm special. My enthusiasm for life knows no limits."

"Specials right." Alice smiled.

"Yeah specially annoying." Q joked.

Joe gasped and put a hand to his chest. "Oh my god guys you've wounded me." He said. Stumbling back a few steps, he threw his head back. "A cruel strike!"

"I think you'll live, Gatto. Shameless, remember?"

Joe grinned. "Of course. Sticks and stones, bitches."

Alice rolled her eyes but smiled. Joe 's constant cheerfulness could be annoying but she couldn't deny it was infectious.

"I'm gonna drop him a text and tell him to get his ass over here." Sal piped up, digging his phone out of his pocket. "I know he'll turn up but I'd rather not still be here at midnight.

But just as he was about to type, the door swung open and Murr walked in, smiling.

"And what time do ya call this?" Sal asked. "We were all here on the dot at 9 for this meeting you said we had. I've had to listen to Alice tap a pen on a desk for 20 minutes."

Murr just grinned as he removed his backpack from his shoulders. "Sorry guys, I had to pick up some stuff before coming." He explained.

"Was it hair product? Cause no offence dude but that's a bit of a waste of money." Alice joked.

Murr laughed. "Nah just some things." He said, getting a grocery bag out and his phone. He held it up in front of him.

"Uh dude, meeting remember?" Sal said. "This is no time to be talking to fans on Facebook or whatever."

"This is the meeting, buddy." Murr grinned as he headed over to Q. "Hey Q."

"Yeah?" Q replied, looking up from his book.

"Happy Valentines day." Murr smiled, handing him a small red wrapped Hersheys chocolate.

"Awe, thanks pal." Q replied, grinning.

"Joey, Joey, Joey." Murr chanted, running over to the spiky haired joker.

"Yeah?"

"Happy valentines!" Murr grinned, handing him a Hersheys sweet in a green wrapper.

"Aww thanks, buddy. I appreciate it." Joe replied.

"Sal, Sal, Sal." Murr chanted, galloping over towards the sassy man.

"Yes?" Sal replied.

"Happy Valentines." Murr pressed a can of jellied cranberry sauce into his hand, which made Alice quirk her eyebrows in confusion.

"Thank you so much." Sal said.

"Al, Al, Al." Murr said as he bounded towards her.

She grinned. "Yeah?" She asked as she put her hand out expecting something funny as a gift.

But she found herself surprised when Murr produced a single red rose from his bag and presented it to her with a flourish.

"A rose by any other name?" He grinned.

"Would smell as sweet." Alice finished the Shakespeare quote and gently took the rose. She studied it, bewildered. She had never received a rose before. "Thank you, Murr."

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Then he turned to face the phone. "Happy Valentines Day, guys."