Title: Picture Perfect

Author:Sabrinasmom3

Rating:PG

Disclaimer:I don't own Joan of Arcadia or the actors, blah, blah blah.

Summary:Luke and Grace do normal, everyday things together that end up meaning much more and that someone else sees as picture perfect.

Note: Chapter 4 is already written, but I'm not posting it for a couple days. Dramatic suspense and everything. Well, that and I'm evil.

A few weeks later, Luke rushed into the kitchen to grab something quick and easy for breakfast before meeting Grace. His mom called to him just as he was opening the door. "Luke, why don't you ask Grace to dinner tonight." What she was up to? "Why?" he asked suspiciously. "She hasn't been here in a while…Just ask her." He agreed, but left the house confused and shaking his head. This family got stranger every day.

Even after they had gone public with their relationship, they still met almost every morning in the science room closet. Grace wasn't into the whole touchy feely thing in public, but alone, she more than made up for it. They both loved this morning ritual. When they had only about five minutes left before classes started, Luke reluctantly pulled away from her. He asked her to dinner that night, as his mother requested. She thought it was a little odd too, but the possibility of getting him to herself after dinner held too much appeal to say no. She decided to be greedy and asked if he minded if she came home with him right after school. She might have been being selfish, but he took it as HER doing something nice for HIM.

After school they had a few minutes alone before the others got home. They took full advantage by attacking each other as soon as they got through the door. They were still tangled up on the couch when his mom got home. Luckily, she came in the kitchen door and loudly announced her arrival. Luke and Grace jumped apart and both tried smoothing down their hair. They looked at each other and giggled. Grace's eyes got huge as she realized what she had just done. Grace Polk does NOT giggle. She made a mental note not to let it happen again and Luke grinned at her as if he could read her every thought. "What?" she snapped. He just shook his head and kept grinning as he hollered a greeting to his mom.

Girardis continued to filter in until everyone was home and dinner was ready. The closer it got to dinnertime, the more active the butterflies in her stomach got. Grace loved being with Luke, tolerated and sometimes even liked being with Joan and didn't mind being in the same room with Helen. Kevin she didn't have much experience with and Will was just a male authority figure to be polite to while internally ranting about the injustice of "the man". But being in the same room with all of them together was one of the scariest things Grace could think of. Taken alone, each Girardi was just another person, but together, they were a family. A family to which Grace didn't belong and couldn't relate to. It was like tossing some sodium bi-carbonate into a pool of acetic acid and expecting normalcy. "Oh God, I just used a science metaphor!" she thought in horror.

The later it got, the more she was tempted to make a run for it. But Grace resisted and when it was finally time, Grace took her seat next to Luke at the table. Mostly she sat and listened and observed. Studying a traditional American family in their natural habitat was actually quite fascinating. Will talked to Kevin, Kevin talked to Helen and Joan tried to keep everyone's attention focused on her. Luke sat and ate and listened as though he was as much of an outsider as she was. She couldn't help wondering if it was always like this or if he was not participating so that she didn't feel left out. Every now and then, Helen would look back and forth between Grace and Luke nervously as if there was something she wanted to say.

Luke normally didn't mind not being included in the dinner conversation, it was just the way it was. Tonight however, he didn't try to interject like he usually did because he didn't want to be ignored and dismissed in front of Grace. He hoped she didn't notice. His mom was looking at them again. What was going on? And did they really want to know?

Finally, after everyone had eaten dessert, Helen called for attention. "As most of you know, I have been working with the Art-cadia Gallery in town on having my own art exhibit. Well, the date has been set for two weeks from tonight." Everyone gave her their praise and compliments. "Everything is all set to go the gallery, but I have two paintings left that I haven't given my final approval on and I was kind of hoping to get that out of the way tonight." Grace looked up to see her looking right at her and smiling uncertainly. She beckoned Luke and Grace into the living room and asked the others to give them a minute.

Grace and Luke exchanged confused and worried looks as they followed her. Luke's mind went into search mode trying to figure out what paintings his mom could possibly be talking about. Grace was just so dumbfounded that she found it hard to think at all.

"I think these are two of the best paintings I've ever done, but I couldn't in good conscience send them to be displayed without discussing it with the two of you." Grace shot daggers at Luke, but all he could do was shrug his shoulders. When he turned back to his mother, she was holding up two paint covered canvases. "Well, can I use them?" she asked.