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.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace opened the front door and saw Luke standing there. �Your sister called. She told me you might be heading this way.�
�It�s just�I just��
Grace moved to the side to let him in. She closed the door and led him upstairs to her room. He sat on her bed and she stood across from him.
�I can guess what this is about. Rove told me.�
�She�s pregnant.�
Grace nodded. She watched his body language. He seemed tight and uncomfortable. �Geek, just tell me what you�re thinking.�
�I�m thinking�I should have been home.�
Grace sighed but didn�t interrupt.
�I wasn�t planning to go out. Then I heard about this science thing and I thought �Hey, why not?� If only I had known.�
�You know you shouldn�t blame yourself, right?�
�I feel like I have to. If I don�t�I�ll go nuts.�
Grace sat beside him. �Okay. Is she blaming you?�
�No.�
�Kevin?�
�No.�
�Your mom? Dad?�
�No, no.� Luke said getting exasperated.
�Rove or me?�
�No again!� He almost yelled. She almost jumped but knew he needed to get that out of his system.
�Fine. None of us did this. But when we find the guy who did this, he�ll pay. No one gets away with hurting my friends unless I have something to say about it.�
Luke smiled. �I�m a bad influence on you.�
�Yeah well.� Grace smiled and kissed him. Luke kissed her back and pulled away. �I should probably call my parents, let them know I�m okay.�
�Yeah.� She licked her lips.
�Yeah.� Luke kissed her again and they fell back on the bed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Joan was sitting on the couch when the door opened. She turned and saw Luke.
�Luke!�
Luke jumped and turned to her. �Hey.�
�Hey. Come here.�
Luke reluctantly sat beside her. �So��
�We need to talk.�
�About what?�
Joan licked her lips. �I don�t know why this happened to me. I wish I could make it all go away. But that doesn�t mean it�s anyone�s fault, especially yours.�
�Then why do I feel like it is?�
�Because you�re my brother. You want to protect me. Don�t give me that look, dork.� She glared making Luke smile. �Hey there�s that smile.�
He frowned. �Thanks a lot.� He rolled his eyes.
�Luke, don�t worry. I�ll be fine.�
�Then why do I hear you crying in your room every night?�
Joan looked down.
�Remember when we were little, you used to have fights with your friends and you�d come home upset. I would always let you put your head on my lap and we�d just sit there for hours.�
Joan nodded. �Then we turned into teenagers.�
Luke sat back. Joan smiled and lay down, looking up at her brother.
�So where were you?�
�With Grace.� He cleared his throat.
Joan nodded. �What did you guys do?�
Luke licked his lips. �Um�Joan number one, you don�t want to know and number two, we�re not supposed to talk.�
Joan gave him a disgusted look then they were silent. Helen and Will watched them from the kitchen.
�What do you think he meant by that?� Helen looked at her husband.
Will shook his head. �I�ll talk to him.� He sighed and went over to the sink.
�You haven�t said anything.� She said.
�My daughter was raped. I don�t know who did it and I don�t even know where to begin to look.�
�I thought they took you off the case because you were emotionally involved.� Helen folded her arms.
�I can be persuasive when I want to be.� He looked at her and a light bulb went off in his head. �Oh God. I�ve been so wrapped up and I didn�t even ask how you were doing.�
�No, Will I�m fine.� She rubbed her arms.
�No you�re not.�
Helen closed her eyes. �I don�t want Joan to go through what I go through knowing that they never caught him.�
Will walked over and put his hands on her shoulder. �We�ll find him, Helen. I�m not going to let someone else get away with hurting someone I love.�
Helen let out a weak smile. �Just do everything in your power to make that girl smile again.�
Will hugged her close and watched Luke looking down at Joan.