A/N: So this is kind of a short update, but I think it kind of has to stop where it does. Anyway, read and review. Oh and I don't own any of this. I think that's obvious.

Chapter Three

"So, how long did Luke's semi-catatonic state last after I left last night?"

Joan switched the phone from one ear to the other. "I'm not sure he's out of it yet," she answered. "I don't think he talked all of yesterday evening. Even when Dad got home and yelled at him for like an hour." Joan paused. "Thanks for getting Grace out of there last night. I don't think it would have been a good thing for her to be there. My dad got pretty mean. I don't think he meant it or anything, but I'm glad she didn't hear it."

"No problem Jane. I'm actually glad I wasn't there either. Grace is totally freaked now though. She realized last night that she has to tell her father this weekend, 'cause she's totally sure the entire school will know on Monday. And that means the whole of her dad's Temple will know by Monday night."

"Ew, that's not going to be pretty."

"Cha, slight understatement. I told her she could escape to my house if she needed to though."

"Thanks. I'm not sure she ever wants to come back to my house, and if she does it'll have to be when she's properly talked to Luke."

"Unchallenged. Ok, I have to go, but I'll call if I hear anything more. I love you Jane."

"I love you too. Bye."

Joan hung up the phone as her older brother Kevin wheeled himself into the room.

"Hey, where is everybody?"

"Luke's been in his room and refused to come out for," Joan checked her watch, "17 hours and counting. Mom and Dad are in their room 'discussing things' and I'm here."

"Ok, so is this just usual Girardi family madness, or is there a reason for it?"

"Oh man, you don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

"Luke got Grace pregnant."

'Huh?" Kevin paused for a moment to attempt to take in what he'd just heard. "Ok, so let me get this. Our brother Luke got your best friend Grace pregnant?"

"Yeah."

"Grace with the scowling and the bad attitude?"

"That would be correct."

"Jesus."

"Pretty much my reaction too."

"I've gotta start staying home on Friday nights. So what, she told everyone last night?"

"Oh yeah. Well, I found out Thursday. So Adam and I bought her a book that kind of explained what to expect. I didn't want to give it to her at school, so Mom found it last night and thought I was pregnant. So she starts yelling, and then Luke joins in because one of his friends saw us buy the book."

"So?"

"Right, well they're both yelling, when Grace drops the bombshell. Well, no she just said that she was the pregnant one. Of course Luke like instantly realized what that meant and he almost fell over. And then Grace just grabbed her book bag and practically ran, with Adam tailing her."

"What did Mom say?"

"She was kind of standing in the kitchen, not sure what to do. Luke was just sitting there mumbling about something. Then Mom started asking him what was going on. That's when I snuck into the living room. And I guess Mom figured it out because then I heard this really loud: "Luke? Luke got his girlfriend pregnant?"

Kevin couldn't control it any longer and he burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry. I know it's not funny, but..."

"But it is funny. Bits of it just make me laugh, but the situation as a whole, the fact our 16-year-old brother got my 17-year-old best friend pregnant, not funny. The fact they're actually going to be parents: scary as hell."

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Kevin wheeled himself down the hall and knocked on Luke's door. There was no answer so he knocked again.

"Go away," came a voice from behind the door.

"Luke, let me in. C'mon, Joan says you've been in there for like 18 hours. You have to come out sometime"

"I'll get a hatch put in the door for food."

"What about school?"

"I'm never going back there. Can you imagine what that's going to be like? I can. In fact I have been for the last three hours."

"Fine, what about when Grace wants to talk to go?"

"Ha, never going to happen. She hates me. I'm a math geek who got a girl, who barely likes him, pregnant."

"Whatever bro, it could be worse."

"How exactly? Tell me how it could be worse?"

"She could want to marry you. Look, stay in there, whatever. Just give me a shout when you want to talk."

The door opened a crack.

"Are Mom and Dad going to kill me?"

"I haven't spoken to them, but according to Joan, you should be more worried about her father."

The door flung wide open and Kevin saw his brother sitting on the bottom step of the staircase to his room.

"The Rabbi?"

"C'mon Luke. You have to face this sometime. You were enough of a man to get yourself into this, so be enough of a man to deal with it."

"Ok, was there a sex joke in there somewhere? Because at this point I don't think that's very funny."

"Suck it up man. It's only gonna get worse. But lucky for you, I'm still the big brother, and I've got your back. And even if they shout at you, Mom and Dad are there for you too."

"I have to go face them, don't I?"

"You do. But take a shower first man. You're ripe. Then I think it's a family conference."

"Great."

"Oh yea."

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Adam and Joan were lying together on the couch at Adam's room. Joan had escaped to see him after what had been a difficult lunch. Her eyes were a little red from crying, but she had stopped now and they were talking quietly.

"It was just so awful. He just broke down and I had no idea what to do. Grace just dropped this on him and left. I get why, and I'm kinda glad she did, but now she has to go talk to him. I just feel like I'm being ripped in two. She's my best friend, but he's my brother and I just want them both to be happy."

"Jane, you're a good person. Of course that's what you want, but they have to work things out between them."

Adam kissed Joan's hair and they just lay there in silence.

A voice came from the door. "Am I interrupting something? Because you guys really shouldn't be doing that. It's kind of what got me into this mess in the first place."

"Grace, hey," Joan said, sitting up. "I thought you'd still be home."

"Well, being my usual genius self, I decided to tell my dad right after Temple. I saw Freedman arrive and I freaked. I got this vision of Geek-Boy calling him last night and telling him. So I decided I had to tell my dad before anyone else did. Well, you can probably tell how well that went down with him."

"So what happened?" Adam asked.

"He got all quiet and said he was disappointed. It was not fun. Well actually, one part was fun. I didn't tell him who the father was, but I did tell him the father wasn't Jewish. That just made him mad. I don't mind him mad, it's the disappointment thing that gets me." Grace paused. "So has Luke calmed down yet?"

"Grace you have to go talk to him."

"I don't 'have' to do anything Rove. I told him didn't I?"

"Cha, you told him and then ran. You have to give him more than that, even if it's just to tell him to butt out until you have things figured out. I've known you since you were three years old Grace, and you're too strong to just run away from this."

"Thanks Rove. So, who died and made you Yoda? You've miraculously stayed quiet through all of this Girardi. What do you think?"

"He's my brother."

"Fine, whatever." Grace pulled out her cell and dialed a number from memory. She put the phone to her ear and waited. "They're making me talk to you." A pause. "Your house? Fine." Another pause. "I'll be there when I'm there." Then Grace hung up.

Adam reached out and took Joan's hand.

Grace reached for her jacket from the chair where she'd dropped it. Then she walked out the door without a word.

After the front door slammed shut, Joan looked at her boyfriend.

"It's a good sign that she can still dial his number from memory, right?"

Adam just shrugged.

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Grace stopped outside the Girardi's house and prepared herself for what would be an undeniably awkward encounter. After a deep breath she knocked on the door.

After a few moments, Helen answered.

"I guess you're here to see Luke. He's in his room, just go right up." Helen managed a small smile.

"Thanks Mrs. Girardi. Look I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't..."

"Helen cut Grace off. "Don't worry about it. You have other things on your mind, right?"

Helen stepped out of the way and let Grace in. Grace just headed upstairs without looking into the living room where Will was sitting.

Helen returned to sit next to her husband.

"You realize that girl is carrying our first grandchild?"

"You ready for it?"

"No, not at all. You?"

"Me? I'm a big tough cop. I'm ready for anything." Will paused. "Except this," he admitted.

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Upstairs, Grace took one more deep breath and pulled the door to Luke's room open. She walked up the stairs and found Luke sitting on his bed, staring at the wall. She walked over and sat down next to him. He looked at her, but remained silent.

"Feeling nostalgic? Isn't this where we got into this mess?"

Luke got up and stalked across the room. "Is it? We did it more than once, and since I don't know how long ago this particular time was, it could have been in a couple of places."

"Point taken. They say I'm at about 9 weeks, but thanks to the crazy system of counting from the last day of your last period, this particular time would have been about 7 weeks ago."

Luke thought for a moment. "Ok, it probably was here then." He smiled for the first time in a day.

"We were careful right? We used protection?" Luke asked, suddenly serious again.

"Yeah."

"And you were taking the pill?"

"Yeah."

"Then how the hell did this happen?"

"I really don't know."

"I worked out the probability of this happening."

"That is so like you Geek-Boy. This happens so you try to quantify it so it makes sense to you. Well, this makes no sense at all."

"The probability of this happening is approximately 1/125000."

"Our usual luck, huh?" Grace smiled a bit.

"That was my thought. What're we going to do?"

"We're not going to do anything!" Grace said, suddenly defensive. "This is my body, so it's my choice!"

"God, that's not what I...Fine, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. Either adoption or I keep it I guess."

"So you're not going to..."

"No. That's the only thing I did decide."

"Oh," Luke walked back to sit by Grace. "So what now? I mean I'm here as much as you want me to be, but I have no idea what you want, or what you need..."

"Shut up Luke!" Grace turned to look him in the eye. "At this point I just need one thing from you."

"What, anything."

"Time. I just want some time. Give me until winter break without telling the whole school or bugging me constantly. I have to get my head around this and I can't do that with you there."