Author: Elizabeth
Rating: PG-13 or higher
Category: J/A, L/G
Summary: One way or another someone�s always late. The outcome could either be serious or lucky
Disclaimer: I own no one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Joan went into Grace�s hospital room and stood across from her. Luke had left earlier to get something to eat and he said Grace wanted to talk to her.
�Hey Girardi.� Grace said.
�Hey. Are you okay?�
Grace shrugged. �Yes and no.�
Joan nodded. �It�s um�it�s hard having to deal with it.�
�I don�t have to deal with it. It didn�t happen.�
Joan knew Grace was trying to downplay what happened but she couldn�t let her do that.
�Yeah well it could have. Grace I can remember him being on top of me and feeling so helpless. I felt like I�d never get up.�
�So did I�then he called me sweetheart and I just snapped. I didn�t want to be a victim. Unfortunately I overheard a police officer calling me that so��
Joan sat down on a chair and just looked at her best friend. �Then we�ll get them straight. You�re a fighter, not a victim.�
Grace nodded in agreement. �I hope they put him away for life.�
�Yeah me too. I never want to see his face. If I do I will go crazy.�
Grace gave a small smile. �You know there�s a law that was passed�after that woman in California went missing while pregnant, that it�s a felony to harm a fetus when the mother is being attacked.�
Joan raised an eyebrow. �And you�re telling me this�why?�
Grace sighed. �I guess Luke and I weren�t as careful as we thought.�
Joan�s eyes widened. �Oh�oh�my God. Is the baby all right? I mean you got pushed around��
�Luke said the same thing. The baby�s fine and I�m fine. I�m keeping the baby. I just have no idea what to do now.�
�Go home?�
Grace shrugged. �I don�t know if I want to go back there.�
�I went back there. It never goes away but it gets easier day-by-day. I can walk down the stairs now without pausing or freezing.�
Grace closed her eyes. �This sucks.�
�I know. Do you want anything?�
�No. God Girardi�I�m pregnant. I�m pregnant.�
�Mm hmm.�
Grace groaned. �How am I going to do this? I�m 17 years old, I�m about to start college, and to top it all off, I�m still dealing with an alcoholic mother! How can I deal with a baby on top of all that?�
�Okay, okay. Grace, we�ll figure it all out. Just take it day by day like I said earlier.�
Grace sighed. �And Luke has another year of high school to go. This is a lot to deal with, Joan.�
�I know. I know. You�ll figure out what to do. You have seven months.�
�Oh God I�m gonna be huge!� Grace groaned.
�Don�t go there, Polk!� Joan said quickly.
The door opened and Grace�s father came in. Joan stood up politely.
�Joan, please sit down. I just came to check on my little girl.�
Grace rolled her eyes. �Dad.�
�Relax, all fathers do this.� Joan chuckled.
�Um�Girardi, my dad and I need to talk�� Grace stopped before she finished.
�Say no more. I�m craving something weird so�I�m going to go find it.� Joan smiled and said her goodbyes to Rabbi Polanski before leaving.
Joan walked down the hall and spotted Old Lady God. She walked over and stood in front of Him.
�Hi. Haven�t seen you in a while.�
�I told you everything would work out.�
�Yeah. But you didn�t tell me Grace would almost be his victim.�
�She�s a fighter, Joan.�
Joan nodded. �So�got any inane assignments for me?�
�Just learn to love your child.�
�I do love him.�
God just smiled and walked away. Joan watched Him go. Joan looked down and touched her stomach feeling the baby kick.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Joan got home from the hospital, she saw Kevin and Luke talking in the living room.
�Hey. Did he tell you?� Joan sat next to Luke.
�Yep. I gave him the big brother lecture that I should have earlier. What are you going to do?� Kevin asked looking at his brother.
�Be responsible. I mean Grace and I did this together so we both have to make some decisions. I still have another year to go of high school. So I could get a job to support them.�
�You have to.� Joan said. �Adam has a job but he has to do more work so he can support this.�
Luke nodded. �Mom and dad are going to freak.�
�Freak about what?� Helen asked as she walked in with Will.
Luke looked at her.
Joan cleared her throat. �Kevin um�I just remembered I need help looking for a good deal on cribs.�
�Oh sure. Let�s go upstairs.� Kevin wheeled himself over to the lift while Joan went for the stairs.
Luke stood up and turned to his parents. �I have to talk to you both about something.�
�What is it?� Will asked glancing at his watch.
Luke watched him but shook his head. �Um�Grace is pregnant.�
Helen�s eyes widened and Will looked at Luke.
�What do you mean�pregnant?� He asked.
Luke rolled his eyes. �She has a baby inside of her. My baby. She�s having my baby. We�re going to keep it.�
�How could you be so irresponsible?� Will asked.
�Dad I��
�Do we really need another burden on this family?� He asked almost angrily.
�Will!� Helen looked at him in shock.
�I have to go to work.� He grabbed his jacket.
�Dad you just got back.� Luke said.
�I�m busy.� The way he looked at Luke made Luke feel smaller than anyone he knew. When he left, Luke slumped down onto the couch.
Helen went over to him and sat beside him. They were silent for a few minutes before she spoke. �While I am upset that you weren�t careful, I�m here for you.�
Luke looked at her sadly. �You mean it?�
�Of course I do. How is Grace doing?�
�She�s fine. She wants to get out of the hospital.�
�Yeah. Don�t worry about your father, Luke. He�ll come around.�
�I hope so. I need him, mom.�
�I know.� Helen hugged him. �I know you do.�
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two weeks later, Grace and Joan sat outside the courtroom. Grace had her arms crossed and her legs folded. She had on a shirt and a sweater. Joan had on a sweatshirt to hide the swell on her stomach. Her arm was on the armrest and she was staring across the hall at Adam. Adam was drawing and Luke was reading a book on pregnancy.
�Oh boy.�
�What?� Adam said.
�According to this, Joan should be in her mental state soon.�
�Shut up, dork brain.� Joan said giving him a look.
�She�s already mental.� Grace smirked.
�Is this some sick way of trying to cheer me up?� Joan sighed exasperatedly.
�Always.�
Joan tapped her foot on the floor. She got up and began pacing with her hands beneath her chin. Adam looked up at her.
�Jane?�
�Huh?�
�If you want we can leave.�
�No. No I have to do this.� Joan was shaking. �Okay I thought I could do this but I was wrong, why do I always do this to myself?� Joan put a hand to her forehead.
Adam got up and went over to her. �Jane?�
�I�m fine!� Joan looked at him and he gave her a look. �Okay I�m not. I�m just scared he�s going to plead not guilty and we�ll have a trial and�I�ll have to look at his face Adam. I don�t want to know what he looks like!�
�Hey, hey. The prosecutor has this in the bag. She won�t let us down.�
Joan closed her eyes. �It�s just�I can still close my eyes and I see it happening.�
�Hey, hey, sh.� Adam hugged her close and rubbed her back. �It�ll be all right. We have him. There is no way we�re letting him get away with this.�
Joan nodded and sighed. �I hope you�re right Adam because I won�t be able to take it.�
Adam nodded. �I wanted to show you something.�
�What?�
Adam went over to his sketchbook and handed it to her. Joan opened it and was met with a blurred image of someone in front of a brick wall being held by shackles. Except for the gray blur there was blood red streaks on the walls, floor, and the blur. A long black whip was leaning against the wall.
�Okay�you�re sick but I like it. Adam�is this supposed to be�?�
�I wanted to give him the worst kind of pain and nothing was comparable to what he did to you and what he tried to do to Grace. But the torture of being held suspended in midair and having the blood taken from your body, that�s what I pictured.�
�Wow. Adam I had no idea you were feeling this way.�
�I was.�
Joan hugged him. �Thanks. Should we show Grace?�
�Show me what?� Grace walked up to them.
�I call it �Adam�s house of torture�.� Adam handed it to her.
Grace looked at it and she looked at the both of them. �Is this�?�
They nodded.
�Rove, this is the most gruesome image I have ever seen in my life. But I like it.� She handed it to him.
�Thanks. How are you doing?�
Grace shrugged. �Not good but you know, that made my day.�
Adam nodded and went to sit down.
�Hey can I see?� Luke asked.
�Sure.� Adam handed him the sketchbook.
Luke looked at it for a few moments before looking at Adam. �Can I photocopy this?�
Adam shrugged. �Knock yourself out.�
The girls went back to their own seats. Joan remembered where she was and began moving her hands and legs around nervously.
�Hey. Jane.� Adam said.
Joan looked at him.
�I love you.�
Joan smiled. �Thanks. I love you too.�
�Okay it�s getting mushy in here. I�m getting a soda.� Grace got up.
�You can�t have a soda.�
�Uh�Diet.� Grace rolled her eyes at Luke. �Want anything, Girardi? Rove?�
�No thanks.� Adam replied.
�Sprite.�
Grace went to a vending machine and got a Diet Coke and a Sprite. She went back and gave Joan her drink before popping hers open.
�So my dad and I had a long talk. He said that he�d help me do whatever it was I needed for the baby. As for my mom, I don�t know how she�ll be much help.� Grace said.
�You didn�t tell her?� Luke asked.
�I told her. She�s not sober enough to do anything about it though.�
Joan, Luke and Adam looked at her.
�Enough with the pity party people!� Grace said.
The doors opened and Kevin wheeled out. Joan, Adam, Luke, and Grace stood up.
�Hey.�
�How�s it going in there?� Joan asked.
�He pleaded guilty to rape and attempted rape, along with the whole breaking in thing. His lawyer knew there was no chance he�d be found not guilty. He has too many counts against him, including harming a fetus.� He looked at Grace, who was carrying his niece or nephew.
Grace and Joan breathed sighs of relief. Both girls put their hands on their stomachs as if to protect themselves and the babies inside of them. Adam and Luke grinned.
�So he�s going away for good?� Luke asked his brother.
�Yes. Well we don�t know how long. But it�s a definite. He�ll never hurt anyone again.�
Joan almost felt like crying. She got up and hugged Kevin before going to Adam, who immediately hugged her. Grace got up and went over to Luke. He had the urge to hug her but only if she was comfortable. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Grace didn�t let go.
�So�does this mean you�ll settle down now?� Grace asked, really meaning she hoped he was okay.
�Yeah. It just would have been nice to get my hands on him.�
Grace nodded. �Yeah. Don�t worry. I know you do in your dreams.�
�Are you okay?�
Grace nodded. �I just want to get out of here and pretend none of this ever happened.�
�Okay. Let�s go.� Luke put a hand on Joan�s arm and she smiled.
�Take care of her, bucko.� Joan ignored Grace�s glare.
�Always. I�ll be home late.�
�Okay.� Joan looked at Grace. �Hey. It�ll get better.�
Grace nodded. �I hope so.�
Luke put a hand on Grace�s back and led her out of the courthouse.
Joan looked at Kevin and smiled. �I�m gonna head home. I just realized I�m standing a few feet from the room he was just in.�
Kevin nodded in understanding. �I�ll see you at home.�
�Okay. Bye.� Joan hugged him. �Thank you.�
�Always.� He gave her a brave smile.
�Bye Kevin.� Adam said.
�Bye Adam.�
Adam and Joan left quickly. Kevin watched them go, wondering silently when they had grown up.