Title: Chicken

Author: Elizabeth

Summary: How Joan and Luke came up with the pecking in the hand in Something Wicked. Takes place when Luke is 6 and Joan is 7.

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own Joan of Arcadia or anything else. Thanks to youcrazything for the idea!

Six-year-old Luke sat at the kitchen table, his tiny legs swinging back and forth and hitting the chair once in a while. He was making little doodles on a piece of paper. Joan walked in the kitchen and sat next to him.

"Hey dork! What are you doing?"

"Don't call me a dork." Luke said trying to ignore her.

"Yeah, yeah. So…have you ever heard of pinky promises?"

Luke looked at her. "Huh?"

Joan held up her pinky. "Pinky promises? Ever heard of them."

"Duh Joan." Luke rolled his eyes and continued to doodle.

"Those are boring."

Luke laughed. "I know."

Joan picked up a crayon and made a little drawing. "How about we make up our own pinky promise? Our own special one."

Luke looked at her weirdly. "Our own?"

"Yeah!"

Luke pondered this in his little head. "All right! What do you have in mind?"

Joan put her hands under her chin and thought. "Spitting on your palm?"

Luke scrunched up his face. "Eww! Gross!"

Joan nodded. "Yeah."

Luke tapped his chin. "We could shake hands?"

Joan shook her head. "Boring!"

They both sighed and sat there for a few moments before Joan perked up.

"Chicken!"

Luke looked up at her. "What about chicken?"

"I saw two girls doing this at school! Hold out your hand." Joan smiled.

Luke didn't like the thought of this. He just stared at her.

"No!"

"Luke!" Joan sighed.

"How do I know you won't spit on my hand?" Luke said, almost whining.

Joan rolled her eyes. "Just do it!"

Luke sighed and reluctantly held up his palm. Joan gently pecked his hand with her fingers a few times.

"That's chicken. Whenever I make a promise to you, I'll peck your hand and when you make a promise to me, you peck my hand."

Luke looked at her a little confused. "Sounds complicated."

"Oh you'll understand when we do it for the first time."

Luke nodded and went back to his drawing.

On Saturday, their older brother Kevin had a baseball game so Joan and Luke were taken to the baseball field. In the middle of the game, Joan and Luke began to get hot.

"I want ice cream." Luke said.

"So do I." Joan fanned herself. "Go get some."

Luke looked up at her. "I can't go without mommy or daddy and they're watching Kevin!"

Joan sighed. "Well I'm enjoying the sun."

Luke made faces at her. "I'll clean your room if you buy ice cream!"

"I'll clean your room for a week if you buy it!"

"I'll clean your room for two weeks AND I will help you with your Math homework."

Joan looked down at him. "How is it you don't understand chicken but you understand multiplication?"

Luke shrugged. "I don't know! Mom says the teacher thinks I'm talented!"

Joan rolled her eyes. "Fine!"

"Yay!" Luke held out his palm. Joan stuck out her tongue and pecked it before getting up and going over to Helen to ask for money.

10 years later.

"Pay me 20 and I'll take out the trash for two weeks." Joan said.

Luke sighed and held out his hand. Joan pecked and got up to get some ice cream.

Luke grinned and turned his head to see Grace raising an eyebrow at him. Luke blushed and looked down.

"What the hell was that?" she asked.

Luke smiled. "Just a little form of pinky swear Joan and I use."

Grace nodded. "Uh huh. How did that happen?"

Luke shook his head. "Long story."