That Summer
Rating: T-M
Disclaimer:
If the characters were mine I'd be getting paid to write TV scripts, now wouldn't I? So…you know the drill.
Reviewers: Sam – No, no I think I got the 'good job dude' part. Just to clarify, when I said I suck, I meant in regard to proofreading ) Thanks for the vote of confidence on Luke's meltdown; I hoped I did it some justice. P.S. thanks for the ego feed…I'm thinking definite sequel. sayxanything – I have to stop sometime! Just not yet…) Kool-Wolf – Hey now didn't we discuss the hatred? Spread the love! Hate is not the answer! )
Everyone else: Thanks for the reads, much love to you (even if you don't review…cough, cough…feel the guilt)
A/N: Okay kids, this is the final stretch, it's almost over! Thanks for sticking with me. I'm glad it was good enough to hold your attention. A note, this chapter's pretty lame and…extremely short actually, but the next one's the last one, so hang in there!


Chapter 14 – Safe In The Arms Of Love

"Why did you do it, Hunter?" Will asked, sitting across from Ryan in the interrogation room. Two other detectives were in the room, observing and waiting to ask their own questions.

"Do what?" Ryan asked innocently. Will leaned in closer.

"You picked the wrong man's family to mess with, junior…" He said to Ryan. Ryan smiled.

"You know my family history, Mr. Girardi…" He said smugly. "Why reason could I have for hurting my own sister?" He grinned, knowing in his head that he had Will Girardi beat. He leaned back, putting his hands behind his head and grinning. Will stood up, smiling. He walked towards the door. As he passed Ryan he leaned down slightly.

"We have 15 witnesses, not counting Grace, Joan and Luke, who are going to pick you out of a line up as the man who was drowning. And did I mention that your victim is a witness too?" He asked, watching Ryan's demeanor change drastically. "And after all of that…we have your hand print," Will demonstrated, using his own hand on his own neck to job Ryan's memory. "Forensics is going to match your hand up perfectly to the nice purple bruises you left behind as evidence." He smiled. "You're going down for this, Mr. Hunter." Will almost smiled. "Did you know that attempted first-degree murder carries a sentence of life in prison…and I'm going to be the one that makes sure it's without parole," He said before giving Ryan's shoulder a slap and leaving.


"It's about time you two woke up." Joan said as she and Adam entered Grace's room to see Grace and Luke talking quietly. Luke had moved from lying with Grace on the bed, to the chair that was next to her bed, still holding her hand.

"Hey." Grace said, offering a small smile. "Where did you guys go?"

Joan and Adam held up fast food bags. "Grub." Adam replied. Grace groaned.

"I don't know which is worse, pumping me full of fast food, or hospital food." She grimaced, holding a hand out for one of the bags. Joan laughed and handed one of them over, watching as Grace promptly dug out an order of fries and started to dig in.

"Well, I take it that's better then the hospital food." Luke said. Grace nodded as she chewed.

"So what's going on today? Do I get to leave this stupid place or what?" She asked.

"Well…they found Hunter." Joan said. Luke and Grace both stared at her.

"Oh, yeah, they wanted us to make sure we told you when you woke up." Adam jumped in after grabbing a burger. Grace nodded slowly, waiting for the rest of the information expectantly. Luke looked between Joan and Adam.

"And…?" He led them.

"Oh!" Joan shook herself from her thoughts. "Right. He's being charged with attempted first-degree murder." She nodded.

"And it's pretty much a given that he'll get convicted." Adam nodded, smiling some.

"How long?" Grace asked, looking around at all of them. "I mean how long will he, you know, get put away for or however you want to say it?"

"Life sentence." Adam nodded.

"Yeah, and you know my dad. He won't get out in our lifetime." She said. Grace relaxed back against her bed, picking up her soda to take a sip. She nodded.

"Where's your mom?" She changed the subject.

"She's out at the nurse's station, trying to figure out when they'll let you break out of this joint." Joan told her.

"Hopefully soon. I'd like to move my legs more than just going to the bathroom and getting back in bed sometime soon." Grace said miserably. Luke knew it was more than walking around that made Grace hate hospitals.


It wasn't until dinnertime that Will and Helen re-entered Grace's room, smiling. They'd gone to the beach house and picked up clothes for all four of the kids since none of them had left the hospital.

"Okay, the good doctor said you are okay to check out. They're drawing up the paperwork." Will said. Helen put the bags of clothes on the bed.

"We brought some clothes. You can take turns getting changed in the bathroom." She smiled.

"Are they sure it's safe?" Luke interjected. "Nothing's going to happen if she's not here will it?"

"Relax brain, they wouldn't discharge me if it wasn't okay." Grace said. She didn't want to spend another minute in the hospital.

"Everything checked out, Luke." Helen assured. "Grace's going to be fine whether she's here or at the house."

Luke looked at the expression on Grace's face and nodded, deciding to agree with this.

"Okay." He said, still feeling paranoid.


"Hey…Grace…wake up." Luke shook Grace's shoulder. He was sitting on the end of the couch with Grace curled up along the couch using his lap as a pillow. Her hands were curled under her head and her feet pulled up. Luke had yet to fall asleep. Joan and Adam were curled up on the loveseat, asleep after watching movies into the night. Grace had started to cough and Luke's paranoia kicked in. He shook her shoulder again. "Grace…" He said again. Grace opened her eyes, coughing a couple more times. She sat up, taking in a couple of deep breaths. Luke watched her intently.

"Are you all right?" He asked nervously. Grace nodded.

"I'm just going to go get a drink." She assured him. Luke stopped her.

"I'll get it, what do you want?" He asked. Grace looked at him, amused, grateful and yet, still frustrated at this response.

"I'm not going to crumble, brain. I've got legs. I can get myself a drink." She told him stubbornly.

"I know that, but it would make me feel better if you let me get it for you." Luke told her. Grace seemed to accept this. She nodded.

"Okay." She told him. "Can you just get me some water?"

Luke nodded and went for the kitchen. Grace looked around and found the remote. She flipped around through channels until she came to a movie channel that was having a horror movie marathon. Currently it was locked on the Amityville Horror. Grace rolled her eyes but left the movie on, pulling her feet up to the couch cushions so it looked like she was sitting on her feet. She put her head down against the back of the couch, still watching the TV.

Five minutes later Luke came back with her water, some sodas and popcorn.

"I would ask what took so long, but the microwave and popping sounds gave it away." Grace said as Luke put the stuff down on the coffee table and sat facing her. He handed her the glass of water. "Thanks," She said, taking a drink from the cup. Luke nodded. "So what tasty treats did you bring?" She looked at the tray.

"Popcorn, cold pizza, and M&M's." Luke said, picking up a piece of the leftover pizza and taking a bite. "Oh, and some sodas, in case you want more then water."

"Good call." Grace smiled, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"I thought you hated horror movies?" Luke asked as he settled back to watch the TV. Grace slide her head over to use his shoulder as a resting place instead of the couch.

"I do. It's always about someone who dies because they had sex. And you know every horror movie has to have a female hero, who's totally a virgin and gives it up in the end so she has to get chased by the killer in a crude attempt to stop teens from premarital sex based on the idea that if they do they'll get iced by some freak who has parental issues to the extent that they snap and kill all of their friends and then get addicted to killing and can stop and-,"

Grace's long winded rant was cut off by Luke leaning in and kissing her. Grace licked her lips slightly when they pulled apart. She looked from his lips to his eyes and let a sly smile slide across half of her face. "You taste like garlic." She said. Luke held up the small piece of pizza he had left.

"Extra garlic." He grinned. Grace rolled her eyes. "That just means kissing me is good for your health right now."

"Oh please, Romeo." She tossed a couple pieces of popcorn at him. "Shhhhh, this is the best part…" She imitated the voice of the house dramatically. "GET OUT!"

"What? Who? How? No, it wasn't me!" Adam said, sitting bolt upright.

"NO! YOU MEAN KOALAS!" Joan yelped at the same time. Luke and Grace laughed, as Grace grabbed her ribs at the pain, unable to hold back the laughter.

"You tell those koala bears, Girardi." Grace said with a stern face before laughing again. Joan looked around confused, still half asleep. Adam looked dazed. As soon as Joan realized what was going on she threw a pillow at Luke and Grace.

"Hey, hey don't injure the already injured." Luke said protectively.

"You wait until you can't use that excuse…" Joan said, trying not to laugh at herself.

Within 10 minutes all four of them were settled, watching the horror movie marathon again. Grace sighed quietly.

"Is this summer almost over?" She said so only Luke could hear. Luke glanced at her.

"You know minus a couple of moments…these passed couple of days especially…" he shook his head like he was trying to get an image out of his head. "I thought we had a pretty good summer." He smiled.

"I know." Grace nodded. "We did." She admitted. "I just want to get on with it. Besides don't tell me you aren't excited for school?"

"I am, that's for sure." He smiled slightly. "I didn't think you'd be though."

"I'm not. It's more the moving away for more then just a few months of screwing around that's making it worthwhile for me." Grace shrugged.

"And the prospect of changing the system." Luke said. Grace snickered slightly.

"Yes, of course." She said. Luke kissed her temple. Grace looked at him as he turned his attention back to the TV. Grace studied him for a few minutes. Luke felt her gaze and looked over.

"What?" He whispered. He watched Grace's eyes roam around his face for a few seconds before she shook her head as if to say nothing. "Okay." Luke turned his attention back to the movie. Grace watched him a moment longer.

One day, I'll tell you, she thought to herself, I just can't yet. She sighed and put her head back down on his shoulder, reaching for more popcorn.