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Grace Stewart rolled over in her bed and stared out the window, seeing the first rays of sunlight come over the tops of the buildings. Resting her head on the pillow, she sighed, feeling the contentment of dawn.

Her world was still quiet, seemingly suspended throughout the night, but soon the chaos of her life would start. Don't get it wrong; she loved many things about her life, but she still thought it was important for her to soak up these prized moments of serenity and solitude.

As the sun slowly ascended, she knew it was only a matter of minutes before the disgustingly frustrating noise of her alarm clock sounded.

She honestly wondered why she even bothered to set the damn thing, considering she was a borderline insomniac, but more than that she was a cautious person. Risks were something she avidly avoided seeing as she just couldn't afford to lose.

Reaching up, she wrapped her slim fingers around the headboard as she stretched, feeling the creaks of her joints. While she was only twenty-seven, it wasn't always easy to just spring out of bed in the morning. Finally she pushed herself up on her elbows and rubbed her face, removing the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes. Just as she sat up, the sound of her alarm startled her and she hurriedly reached over to shut off the monstrosity.

Grace shuffled over to the bathroom, letting the tepid temperature of the shower wake her even further before completing the rest of her tasks to get her ready for the day.

Once she was set, she made her way down the hall of her 'cozy' apartment, coming to the other bedroom door. Quietly, she turned the knob and popped her head in to watch the two reasons she truly got up in the morning.

Jack and Joey.

Although only the ten year old boy Jack was her son, she loved them both dearly. There sincerely was not anything she would not do for them both. Stepping inside the room, she approached the bunk beds, first stopping at the top bunk. She gently placed her hand on Jack's shoulder while murmuring his name.

His brow furrowed for a moment before opening his eyes, staring up at his mother while his slight frown slowly turned into a soft smile.

"Morning," he muttered quietly.

"Good morning, buddy. Time to get up and get ready for school."

He nodded as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands.

Knowing he wouldn't try to go back to bed, Grace knelt down to the bottom bunk and gently woke up Joey, the nephew she was raising as if her own.

While Jack was responsible, quiet, and helpful, Joey was impulsive, loud, and usually too stubborn to do what he was told. Granted he was a mere four years old, so Grace was hoping he would soon start acting like his cousin that he loved so much.

"Joey, sweetie, it's time to get up and get ready for school."

Rolling so his back was to her, the little boy pulled the blanket up over his head while muttering a simple, but defiant "I don't wanna."

Every morning, Grace thought to herself before trying again.

"But today's Friday. Just get through today and you'll have the entire weekend to play. Now come on, get up and get ready. We can't be late again today or that evil principal of yours is going to give me attitude."

And that was just not something she could deal with right now.

A disgruntled pout sounded from beneath the blankets.

"Let's move, stinker-butt."

She pulled down the blanket before getting to her feet, just as Jack jumped down from the top bunk, only to earn a stern look from his mother.

"I told you not to jump from there. You'll get hurt."

"Sorry," he muttered, giving her the puppy dog look.

"I don't have time to rush you to the ER because of a broken leg," she said while pulling him towards her to press a quick kiss to the top of his head. "Now get ready for school and make sure Joey doesn't take too long."

Jack nodded and took over herding the younger boy while Grace headed towards the kitchen to make breakfast.

Life had not always been so stressful and chaotic for Grace. Her childhood was normal. Friends, family, birthday parties, sleep overs, the regular stuff. No horrible tragedy that killed her parents, no freak accident that left her crazed. She grew up in an upper-middle class family in the Midwest, went to public school, was on the Honor Roll, even volunteered at soup kitchens during the holidays.

While her mother was a quiet woman who doted upon her family, her father was a strict man. What he said was to be followed implicitly. No questions asked. Thinking back, Grace wondered if he pushed so hard because he had wanted a son, but instead got three daughters. The eldest, Mary, was, annoyingly enough, a skilled ballerina. She trained endlessly, yet still managed to succeed in all her classes before graduating early and going to some fancy shmancy school on the east coast. The youngest, Lucy, was a princess. She was beautiful, charming, and so painfully self-obsessed that it hurt sometimes. Everyone loved Lucy the moment they laid eyes on her, ignoring her faults because she could be so captivating. Grace, however, was neither breathtakingly gorgeous nor, ironically, that graceful, but she held her own. Only slightly above average in pretty much everything, she never envied her siblings and loved her family. She went to church every Sunday, even sang in the choir for one year. Her life was a little slice of Americana, and she appreciated it.

Her best friend, Aubrey, was more of a free spirit, to put it lightly, but they had been friends since they were practically in diapers, so she spent a lot of her free time trying to keep their activities at least relatively legal. It wasn't difficult for Grace to pin down the moment her life veered off the course her authoritative father had set her on since she was born. It was the summer before senior year of high school. Grace was seventeen and enjoying the freedom summer had to offer. Even though her boyfriend had just broken up with her (apparently not allowing him to even second base was grounds for dismissal), she was happy. Aubrey, for once, was able to convince Grace to come to a college party with her. It was promised to be the best night of her repressed life. Perhaps she was a little too eager to spread her wings, but she accepted the invitation believing that if she wasn't impressed she could just leave.

Within a half hour, Aubrey blew her off, informing her that her and her boyfriend (when did that happen?) were going to go have some alone time. It was sometime after that, Grace wasn't exactly sure, when someone must have slipped something in her drink. From that day to this, she had no idea what happened to her that night. All she knew was the next morning she woke up, sticky between her legs, sore, bruised, and alone in the bathroom. Terrified and beyond traumatized, she went home and never spoke about what happened. That is until she found out she was pregnant.

The memory of telling her parents still caused her to cringe. Her mother, who was normally so caring, recoiled from her as if she was tainted. Her father shouted, his face had turned red as he screamed at her for how she betrayed their trust, betrayed God, disappointed them beyond any point of forgiveness. Grace had cried, pleaded with them to understand, she didn't plan this, all she wanted to do was go back and never go to that party.

Neither parent had any mercy, nor did either sister come to her defense, and by the end of the night, Grace Stewart was kicked out of her home, alone, pregnant, and absolutely terrified.

"Mom?" Jack asked, coming into the kitchen, with Joey (thankfully) following behind him. "Can I go to the pick-and-pull after school today?"

Grace set two bowls of cereal on the table while the two boys climbed into the chairs.

"For what?"

"Gerry promised to weld some parts together for me, and I still need to find the right type of wiring and the propeller keeps giving me trouble, but I think if I can calibrate the-"

"Jack," Grace interrupted, pinching the bridge of her nose. God knew she loved her son, but sometimes he was just too much of a boy genius. He was always building things, robots, computers, whatever. Then he tried to explain it to her and while she was proud of him for how absolutely brilliant he was, she soon didn't know half the words coming out of his mouth. It made him happy though, and she couldn't take that away from him. Thankfully, he also had the roof of the building to tinker with his toys, so at least she wasn't tripping over them like she once was.

"How are you getting there and back?"

"Bikes," he said, glancing at Joey, who was just as eager to go.

"I don't know," she murmured.

"Mom, please. We'll be back before you come home from work. I promise not to let Joey get hurt. Please, mom," he asked, biting his lip.

"Fine, but you go straight there and back. Got it?"

The two grinning boys nodded before digging into their breakfasts.

Eventually, she wrangled the two into their backpacks, onto the bus, and got them to school just in time. Rushing towards the front doors, her path was soon blocked with a slender, tall man who seemed to get entirely too much enjoyment out of staring down his nose at her.

"Ms. Stewart."

"Principal Adams," she acknowledged, trying desperately not to roll her eyes, but she could not stand this man who treated her like she was a disobedient student instead of an adult.

"Nice to see you finally arriving on time. You know punctuality is considered a virtue here at the Academy. Perhaps public school would be better suited for your boys and schedule."

Jack looked up at her, watching his mother trying to desperately reign in her anger.

"And as I've told you many times, I want my boys to have the best education possible. I know they're a few minutes late sometimes, but considering the commute and public transportation it's a bit difficult. I am sure, however, as such a distinguished educator and proponent for children you realize that it is not their fault and will in no way punish them."

"Rules must be obeyed, Ms. Stewart."

"I understand that, so if you could remove yourself from my way, I can follow those rules and get them to their classes."

"It's okay, Mom," Jack said, taking Joey's hand. "We can go from here."

Tearing her glare from the principal, Grace softened her stare as she looked at her son.

"All right, be good and stay safe."

With a quick kiss to their heads, she hurried from the school.

"Hope you brought your running shoes, it's going to be a crazy one today."

"When isn't it?" Grace replied, shoving her things into her locker before turning to her friend an coworker, Katie.

"Dr. Lombardi was looking for you, too," she continued, smirking.

"Why?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Maybe because he likes you. I think he's going to ask you out... again."

Grace scooped her hair back into bun before leaving the locker room. Growing up, she had never been interested in medicine at all, but she needed a job and didn't have time for college, so being an X-ray technician seemed like a good idea. Turned out, it was. Despite the crazies, patients and doctors alike, she loved her job. She was also damn good at it, too.

"He never asked me out," she defended.

"When he asks if you want to get a drink with him, he was asking you out, but poor sheltered you merely said 'I'm not thirsty'."

"Whatever, he's so full of himself anyway."

"Grace, you are entirely too boring! I'm engaged, I'm supposed to live vicariously through your love life."

"What love life?"

"Exactly!"

Grace laughed at her friend and shook her head.

Entering the radiology department, they were met with a long hallway filled with patients.

"Here we go..."

It wasn't until six hours later that Grace was able to take a moment to eat. Standing in the corner of the break room, she took a bite of her granola bar and sipped a cup of water.

"I've been looking for you," she heard behind her.

You've got to be freaking kidding me.

"Dr. Lombardi," she said, turning to face the man, "what can I help you with?"

"I was wondering what you were doing tonight."

"I have plans."

"With who?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but that's not really your business," she said, not so apologetically. What would for him to take the hint that she was not interested. A billboard, a message over the hospital PA, what?

"Why do you have to be like that, Grace?" he sighed as he approached her. "It's one dinner."

Sighing, she threw her food and water out, knowing that within seconds she was going to be paged.

"I'll think about it, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, she brushed past him and got back to her busy day.

"Drinks tonight?" Katie asked, as they were about to clock out and go home.

"Can't, sorry."

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to get a babysitter."

"I have plans," she said, using the same excuse.

"That's what you always say."

"Well I always have plans. I'll see you on Monday," Grace said, smiling as she watched her friend shake her head and wave her off.

Tears blurred her vision as she stared up at the destinations. Where could she go? What was she going to do? She barely had any money. Dear God, she wasn't even eighteen yet.

Wiping her eyes, Grace asked for a ticket, hoping and praying that she'll finally have some good luck.

But she didn't. Not by a long shot.

When she arrived in the city, she ended up in a rat trap of a motel. She was lost, slowly going broke, and starting to have morning sickness so badly that she thought she would die.

One day, about a month and a half after she moved, she wandered into a bookstore, hoping to find a pregnancy book that could quell her fears. The place was small, compared to the chain bookstores she used to frequent, but something about the tight corners and towering bookshelves made her feel comfortable. It was quaint.

"Can I help you, honey?"

Grace startled at the sound, spinning to face the older woman who was watching her with a soft smile at her lips.

"Sorry, hi," Grace said quietly, reaching up to tug on her hair nervously.

Back home, she had always been put together. Clothes ironed, hair perfected, make up done, but now... well... She didn't waste money on cosmetics, so the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep were showing, her hair was pinned back, and her clothes were starting to get too tight for her belly.

"Do you have books on pregnancies?" she asked, lowering her gaze to the floor in shame.

The woman's expression softened even more.

"Sure do, right this way."

Grace followed the woman silently, looking around at the books before coming to the desired section.

"Need anything else?"

Grace bit her lip and shook her head before pulling a book from the shelf. On the cover was a married couple, older than her, staring at a newborn with such joy that Grace started sobbing before she could even acknowledge her emotions.

"Oh, honey," the woman said, pulling Grace into a tight hug. "Everything will work out in the end."

"How?" Grace cried, weeping into her shoulder. "I have no money, no one will hire me, I have no where to go and my family hates me!"

"Well, is screaming and crying going to fix anything?" she asked, grabbing hold of Grace's shoulders and pulling away to meet her now bloodshot eyes.

Sniffling, Grace watched her feet. "No."

"Then how about you and I have a cup of tea, no caffeine of course, and get you calmed down. How about that?"

"Why would you help me?"

"We all need someone to help us from time to time, and looking at you, in your eyes, I see someone who is hurting. What kind of person would I be if I see another person in pain and I turned my back?"

"Normal?"

The woman laughed and began to lead her to the back room where a small kitchenette was set up.

"True, but I've always been a bit eccentric, so who the hell cares."

Grace soon learned that the woman. Betty, was recently widowed and owned the entire building. Her and her late husband had opened the bookstore years before and eventually rented out the two apartments on the second and third floors. She also found out that when Betty got something in her mind, whatever it was got done, fast. By the end of the week, Grace was out of the motel, in an apartment, working on getting her GED, and had a part time job in the bookstore.

But most of all, Betty helped Grace accept what happened to her and see it as a blessing, a notion Grace hadn't truly accept until she held her son in her arms for the first time.

Grace slowly strolled down the street and into the bookstore, walking behind the counter and tossing her bags on the table.

"Hey Betty," she called out, climbing up onto the stool.

Betty's head popped around the corner and she smiled at her.

"How was work?"

"Exhausting as usual. Did the boys get home safely?"

While Betty lived in the second floor apartment, Grace and the boys inhabited the third. Their arrangement was perfect for everyone.

"Yeah, but they were both acting really strange when they got home from the junk yard."

Grace shrugged.

"You know how Jack is when he starts a new project. It's like he becomes a little mad scientist."

"Well anyway, Jack said he'd make Joey and himself some soup for dinner, so I didn't bother going up to check on them, since I'd just be in the way."

"You know you're never in the way," Grace replied, giving Betty a soft yet scolding look.

"Since you put it like that, I'll go even more in the way. You know Meredith, who I play Bunco with, her son just came home. He's single you know, and she showed me a picture. Very handsome," she singsonged.

"God, you and Katie both," Grace sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "What is with you two and trying to set me up?"

"We love you and we don't want to see you alone, Gracie. You're a single mother, you're not dead. You don't have to be so independent all the time. Sometimes it's good to let someone in and lean on them for a change."

"But it's not just me. Jack and Joey-"

"Don't use them as an excuse. Prince Charming could fall from the sky and land in your lap and all you'd say would be 'excuse me'."

Grace laughed humorlessly and rested her elbows on the counter.

"Is it because of what happened to you?" Betty asked quietly.

"No," she responded, not even hesitating. "I've dealt with that a long time ago. It's just… if I did let someone close, it would hurt if they eventually left. I would hurt, but if he broke Jack and Joey's hearts too…" she shook her head sadly, "How could I do that to them?"

"Gracie, honey, you can't stay alone for the rest of your life because of 'if's. There's a man out there for you. Someone who will be kind to you, someone to make you laugh, someone to support you, someone to complete you, but you're never going to find him unless you open up a little."

"I don't know," she muttered, staring off into space.

A part of Grace truly hoped that such a man was out there, but the cynical, practical side of her knew not to hold her breath. Where on earth would she ever find such a man?

"It's getting late. Do you need help closing up?"

Betty shook her head and waved her to go, telling her to go see her boys.

After grabbing her bags and climbing the stairs, Grace unlocked the door and went into her apartment, almost running into Jack who was sprinting to meet her.

"Hi mom!" he shouted, forcing a wide smile to his face.

Grace cocked an eyebrow at his weirder than usual weird behavior.

"Hey, buddy. Did you find some interesting stuff today?"

She watched as her son's smile became even more awkward.

"Uh-huh," he answered with a strained, high pitch tone.

"Good…"

She set her things down on the kitchen table and started for her bedroom, only to stop again once Joey was right in front of her.

"Hey Joey, how was-"

"Mom!" Jack shouted, rushing to get in front of her again. "Why don't you go sit down and we'll bring you some dinner. You work so hard, you should be able to relax."

"Thanks, but I'd like to change out of my scrubs first."

She went to move around them again, only to have both boys throw their backs against her bedroom door.

"But-"

"Boys!" she scolded. "I'm tired and want change. What are you two doing?"

She reached past them to grab her doorknob, ignoring both of their protests as she opened the door and stepped into her room.

Her hand reached out and turned on the light as she said, "Why were you both so-…"

"Don't be mad!" Jack pleaded, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Boys," she said slowly, unable to remove her gaze from her bed, "why is there a strange, unconscious man in my bed?"

A/N: I know it's slow right now, but it will soon pick up some pace. I'm seriously trying to have a solid OFC before moving forward with the plot. Please review, I'm open to criticism and ideas, compliments and complaints. I'd really appreciate some feedback. Next chapter should be out soon.