Title: Rat

Author: Elizabeth

Category: GL

Summary: Grace gets a new pet rat.

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own Joan of Arcadia or any of its characters. This is all in good fun. Thanks to shadow for the idea! Yes. This fic is just for her.

Grace had heard about it from someone at her anarchist meeting. She thought it would be interesting to have a new pet, especially one that spoke volumes of what type of person she was. So after school, Grace went down to Arcadia College and looked at all of the small creatures in their cages. She looked inside one cage to see a white rat with red eyes cowering in a corner. She rested her finger on the bar of the cage.

"Hey little guy. What are you doing back there?"

The rat regarded her before making it's way toward her and sniffing at her finger. Grace smirked. She looked at the kid behind the small display.

"I'll take this one." Grace said.

"Good choice." He told her how to take care of the rat and Grace took him home.


She found a place in her room for him and opened the cage. The rat looked around his new home curiously before slowly making its way to the door of the cage. Grace held her hand out and the rat stepped onto her palm.

"There we go. So you're my new pet huh?"

The rat stood on his hind legs and looked up at the ceiling. Grace chuckled.


"I got a new pet! Check him out!" Grace said holding up the tiny cage with the mouse inside.

Joan, Adam and Luke looked at her, shocked that she had done this.

"Only you would get a pet rat." Adam said.

"Where did you get him?" Joan asked.

"They were giving him away at Arcadia College. I decided to get him."

"Wow." Luke said. "What's his name?"

Grace pursed her lips. "I hadn't thought about that."

Luke smiled. Grace held the cage up and Luke set his finger on the bar.

"Hello there little fella." The mouse came over and sniffed his finger.

"Want to feed him a pellet?" Grace dropped one in Luke's hand.

Luke held the pellet on his index finger and waited for the rat to take it. When he did, Luke smiled.

"He likes me."

"Yep." Grace grinned.

"Aw I want to pet him!" Joan said.

Grace raised an eyebrow and held the cage out toward her. Joan gently stuck her finger in the cage to stroke the rat's fur. Unfortunately, the rat made a noise and opened his mouth as if to bite her. Joan quickly yanked her hand away.

"Hey! He was going to bite me!" Joan said shocked.

"Oh…sorry Girardi guess he got nervous." Grace said laughing slightly.

"Let me try." Adam stuck his finger inside and the rat opened his mouth, baring teeth. Adam immediately drew his hand back. "Grace um…I think he hates us."

Grace rolled his eyes. "He doesn't hate you! He's just…nervous about meeting new people."

"Grace, he let Luke feed him a pellet! He hates us." Joan said.

"I'm just comfortable around him." Luke defended himself.

"And we're not?" Adam asked.

"Okay guys. I think he's had enough excitement. Maybe one more day and he'll like you guys better."

Joan and Adam rolled their eyes.


The next day, Grace brought the rat over to the Girardi's to study. Joan tried to pet him again but he bared his teeth. Joan came to the conclusion that the rat hated her and she kept away from him. He also seemed to hate Adam.

After they finished studying, Grace went up to Luke's room to hang out. She took the rat out of his cage and let him crawl around on Luke's bed. She lye down and the rat crawled onto her leg and went up the rest of the way to her stomach. Luke smiled from his spot.

"He has definitely taken to you."

Grace nodded. "Yeah. I guess we've bonded."

Luke walked over to sit on the floor beside the bed. He held his finger cautiously toward the rat and smiled when the rat reached up and took a hold of his finger, gently nibbling on it.

"So have you thought of a name?"

Grace pondered. "I think I'll name his Fangs."

Luke nodded. "Sounds good. I definitely saw the chompers on this one when he nearly got Joan."

Grace laughed. "I wonder why he hates everyone so much. Except for you and me."

Luke shrugged. "Well they do say that pets take after their owners."

Grace snickered. "Oh really? But I don't hate Joan or Adam."

Luke merely shrugged. "Who knows?"

Grace looked at her pet and smiled. "I can't wait to introduce you to Friedman."

Fangs just looked at her.


Friedman took his finger away and looked at Grace. "That thing should be certifiable, Grace! Why would you keep something that bites everyone he meets?"

Grace scoffed. "He's never bitten me."

Friedman looked at Luke. "Dude, your girlfriend is nuts."

"What? He's cute." Luke opened the cage and Friedman jumped.

"Luke, no! He bites!"

Luke rolled his eyes and allowed Fangs to crawl along his arm and settle on his shoulder. Fangs settled in the crevice of his shoulder blade and closed his eyes. Grace laughed.

Friedman put his finger near the rat's belly. Fangs opened his eyes and made a hissing noise causing Friedman to back away.

"Dude! You two…are insane!" Friedman rushed off.

Glynis walked over and smiled at the white mouse settled on Luke's shoulder. "How cute! You got a rat?"

"It's Grace's actually." Luke said.

"Oh can I pet him?" she looked at Grace.

Grace shook her head. "He bites anyone who tries to touch him."

Glynis looked at the rat curiously. "Animal instincts, maybe." She put her finger near the rat and sure enough he hissed at her. Glynis backed away and nodded.

"And you're not scared…why?" Grace asked curiously.

Glynis shook her head. "My dog acts that way all the time. Pure animal instincts. He's protecting you and Luke. See you guys in Physics." She walked away.

Grace looked at Luke curiously. "Huh. She might be right. Why is that weird?"

Luke smirked. "No clue."

Grace held her hand out and Fangs eagerly crawled along her arm and settled on her shoulder.

"I'm heading to Physics, you coming?" Luke asked.

"I'll be there in a minute I'm going to get his pellets."

Luke nodded and headed to class. Grace went to her locker and got the small baggy. She ended up getting to class late and Ms. Lishak gave her a look.

"Ms. Polk, it's a wonder you even show up at all. How many more detentions do you need?"

Grace just looked at her. "I was getting something from my locker."

Ms. Lishak rolled her eyes. "Excuses, excuses."

Suddenly, Fangs let out a huge hiss and seemed to glare at Ms. Lishak. Ms. Lishak jumped and sighed.

"I'll be taking that." She reached out to take the rat but he crawled down Grace's arm, down to her leg, off of her foot, across the room, and straight into Luke's hand.

Everyone applauded and Luke bowed slightly before putting Fangs on his shoulder.

"Take your seat Ms. Polk." Ms. Lishak said visibly shaken.

Grace smirked and went to her seat. Luke turned and smiled at her. Grace grinned.

"Smart rat you got there, Grace." Joan whispered.

"I lucked out, huh?" Grace said.

"Mm hmm. Twice." Joan said before returning to her notebook.


Later in the biology closet, Luke and Grace had their palms out in front of them and were allowing Fangs to crawl across either of them if he wished.

"That was quite a performance Fangs gave today." Luke said.

Grace nodded. "He was quite a hit."

Luke looked at her. "I have to say I never expected to have an incredible girlfriend and a talented rat at the same time."

Grace laughed. "You imagined having a pet rat?"

Luke shrugged. "Well…maybe not a pet rat but that's a bonus."

Grace blushed and Luke, being careful of Fangs, kissed Grace softly on the lips.

End.