Author's Note: I am so sorry for the inexcusable delay. I will make up for it. Girl Scouts Honor. (Disregard the fact I quit Girl Scouts in the seventh grade. Embrace the fact I was a good Girl Scout.)

Just a reminder: Since I don't think he has one in the show, Grace's dad is named Scott in my story.

Chapter 7

"Dammit, Joan, can we not talk about this for one friggin second?" Luke yelled, finally out of patience.

"Luke!" his girlfriend, Dora, exclaimed, "You never swear."

"Never say never," Joan sang under her breath.

"Oh my God, I have to leave. Right now. Holy shit, I have to leave this very moment."

And he left.

"Luke, wait for me," Dora called. With an apologetic smile in Joan's direction, she hurried after her boyfriend.

"Don't worry about the bill, guys," Joan said to the empty table. "Dinner's on me."

The waitress appeared with a pitcher of ice water.

"Where'd you're friends go, honey?" she asked as she refilled Joan's glass. "That boy didn't leave a nice girl like you with the bill, I hope."

"Brothers," Joan muttered.

"Oh, no need to explain, sugar," she said with a sympathetic grin. "My brother 'n' me didn't get along 'til both of us had kids."

"No, we get along pretty well," Joan said, "it's just… we have an ongoing argument. And I know I'm right."

"'Course you are, hon."

"You're just saying that because I'm the sister and we girls have to stick together, huh?" Joan asked with a rare flash of brilliance. "Girl power and all that jazz?"

"Heavens no," the waitress laughed. "I'm saying that 'cause you're paying for the meal, and tips are better when they're bigger."

Okay, so this wasn't one of those flashes. Joan could live with that. What Joan couldn't live with was seeing the people she loved unhappy.

xxxxx

Grace barely smiled when Joan enthusiastically greeted her on the Girardi front porch during Christmas break of senior year. This wasn't all that unusual. What was unusual was the look in Grace's eyes. She looked tired and sad. Lifeless. This was such a change from the energized, pissed-off Grace she knew that Joan immediately force-fed Grace three helpings of left-over Christmas dinner and made her watch Will Ferrell movies with the entire Girardi family. Grace did not appreciate this, and Joan was happy to see the angry spark in her eye.

Much to Joan's surprise, Luke wasn't happy, either. The day before the siblings left for college, she cornered him.

"Luke, what's going on?"

He jumped.

"A little warning next time?" he asked.

Joan rolled her eyes.

"Luke, can I speak to you for a moment?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course you can, Joan," he answered, just as politely.

"I'm worried about Grace, and I know you are, too."

Luke's blank face gave away nothing. Joan sighed.

"You saw her that day. She looked half-dead."

"And this concerns me how?" Luke asked, his face still neutral.

"Dammit Luke!" Joan exploded, "it concerns you because you love her, you imbecile. And she loves you."

"Joan, we have not been together since high school. I wouldn't say we are madly in love."

"But you care about her, Luke," Joan said. "I know you do."

"She's a great girl, Joan. I want her to be happy."

"I want her to be happy, too. Did she look happy to you? Did she?"

"No, she didn't," Luke said after a pause. "But it's not our place to change her. She has to do it herself."

"No, I think it is just our place. We are some of her best friends. Friends help each other," Joan said stubbornly.

"Grace doesn't want to be helped, Joan."

"How do you know that?" she demanded.

"Trust me," Luke said sadly, "I know."

Luke walked away, and Joan spent the rest of the afternoon thinking. Something was going on. She had missed something important, she was sure. Joan slept very little that night, and woke up with a headache and a mission. She was going to get Luke and Grace back together. Luke made Grace happy, and Grace halved the dork factor in her brother. Joan put her plan into action that very day, and the argument had not ended when summer came.

xxxxx

Joan, Adam and Luke made plans to go to Grace's graduation ceremony. Because Grace was Grace, and would have told them not to come, they decided to surprise her.

Luke brought a surprise of his own. A girlfriend named Nymphadora.

"Nymphadora?" Joan stage-whispered to Adam when the met up at the hotel the night before Grace's ceremony. "What kind of parent names their kid Nymphadora?"

"Her parents," Adam answered in a whisper that wasn't all that different from his regular voice.

Luke noticed the muttered conversation and took offense.

"I've been wanting you guys to meet Dora for awhile," Luke said. "I think you'll get along."

"Oh, thank God," Joan whispered to Adam, "She doesn't go be Nymphadora. Dora is pretty."

"Thank you," Dora said. "I've always liked my name. It's original."

Adam nodded and Joan turned red.

The night went downhill from there. Adam, claiming jet-lag, didn't join them for dinner, and without her buffer there, Joan managed to offend her brother three times and cause some sort of silent argument between the couple twice. And that was before the food actually arrived.

Even being left with the bill didn't ruin Joan's joy that the meal was over.

xxxxx

The next day was the ceremony. The four college students decided to wait until Grace's name was called to make their presence known. And, thanks to Joan, their presence would be known to all. Luke didn't even want to know how she convinced Adam to make such gaudy sign, and he shuddered to think that she had spent her hard-earned money on such ridiculous noise-makers. Truly, Joan was a puzzle.

Finally, after a good three hours in the sun—Dora looked like she was seriously regretting her decision to join Luke on this little adventure—Grace's name was called. Luke waved the sign frantically, Joan shrieked and Adam put those noise-makers to use. Dora clapped politely.

Grace's eyes flicked in their direction just before she shook hands with the dean from some department no one really cared about. She wrinkled her eyebrows slightly.

The ceremony finally ended. Joan fought her way to Grace, and attacked her with a hug.

"Girardi!" Grace gasped, "back off."

"Congratulations Grace!" Joan exclaimed. She let go of Grace, who promptly took a step backward in case another urge came over the over-excited Joan.

"Grace," Adam smiled, "good job."

"Thanks Rove."

"Grace," Luke said softly, "Great job."

"It's not that big of deal, you know," Grace said. "I mean, hundreds of thousands of people graduate college every year."

"I don't care," Dora spoke up, "when I graduate, I expect fanfare. I've worked damn hard."

"Who are you?" Grace asked. As much as he wanted to, Luke couldn't call the tone friendly.

"I'm Dora, Luke's girlfriend," she said brightly.

Grace said nothing. Adam, well aware that Grace didn't like new people, tried to save the situation.

"Hot day, huh?"

"Good idea, Adam," Joan said while rolling her eyes, "Grace, after four years of work and pain, has just graduated, despite a passionate hatred of institutionalized learning; let's talk about the weather. Tell me, what was the barometer reading today?"

"Since when have you been sarcastic?" Grace asked.

"I don't like that roommate of yours," Adam said. "You weren't this sarcastic before."

"Cindy's not bad," Luke said.

"Please," Joan said, "you just like her because she'll talk about the latest issue of Science Today with you." Pause. "In her bathing suit," she added wickedly.

Dora's eyes widened.

"I feel that is a very valid reason for liking someone," Luke said.

Grace snorted. Adam shook his head sadly. Joan grinned.

"Luke," Dora said slowly, "I do hope Mindy know you are unavailable."

"It's Cindy," Luke said.

"Please excuse us," Adam said. And without further ado, he dragged Joan and Grace away.

"Adam," Joan whined, "what did you do that for? I want to see the fight."

Completely ignoring her question, Adam stopped walking. He turned and faced Joan.

"When did your brother turn into such an idiot?" he asked. "I thought he was smart."

"So did I," Joan said. "I really don't like that Dora girl."

"Right, you guys don't need me for this," Grace said. "I'm going to go find my dad. God, he's going to be so revolting."

"What!" Joan exclaimed. "No, you can't go. We want to celebrate with you. You can't leave."

"We'll find him with you," Adam, always the diplomat, offered.

With a nod, Grace turned and started the search. She couldn't believe this; she had never thought her friends would show up at her graduation. She certainly hadn't asked them to. Who were they to just show up without an invitation? How rude was that? It's not like she needed them to be there or anything. Really, it was rude to just show up.

A nasty little emotion showed up. Joy. Grace was happy they had come. They hadn't forgotten about her. They still liked her, maybe even loved her. The vulnerable side of Grace was touched.

The vulnerable side of her was also ignored. Grace continued to be slightly pissed her friends had surprised her until a new emotion attacked. Guilt. Grace hadn't acknowledged Joan or Adam's graduation at all. Not even a card. Good Lord, how bad does that make her look? They were definitely going to drop her now. Grace almost cried.

It was truly unfortunate that Grace reunited with her father at this moment. He saw her holding back tears and, mistaking them to be happy tears, promptly burst into tears himself.

"Gracie," he said as he pulled her into a hug, "I'm so happy you're happy. Congratulations honey."

Joan and Adam caught up as Grace disentangled herself from the Rabbi's arms.

"She did it!" Joan squealed, pulling the Rabbi into a hug.

Grace smiled. He was getting a taste of his medicine.

When Joan finally let the mildly shocked Rabbi go, Adam stepped forward to shake his hand.

"I can't believe you kids drove all the way here for her graduation," Scott said.

"We wouldn't miss it," Adam said.

Soon the Rabbi and Adam were deep in conversation about Adam's plans for his art, the happenings in Arcadia and baseball.

"Grace," Joan whispered, "why are they talking about sports? Do they even like baseball?"

"Society dictates that men must like sports, and must like discussing sports with other men," Grace said knowledgably. "Some sort of competition ritual thing. They're proving their manhood." She said this with only the barest hint of disgust.

"Someone paid attention in sociology," Joan teased.

"Shut up, Girardi."

"Make me, Polk."

"Now that," a voice said, "I would pay to see."

A tall boy with black hair appeared at their sides. A look of panic crossed Grace's face before stony anger replaced it. Joan noticed only the very pleasing profile of the black-haired gentleman.

"What do you want, Alex?" Grace asked sharply.

"Temper, temper," Alex said. "I just wanted to congratulate you, Grace. Then maybe you could congratulate me. Completely harmless."

"Nothing with you is harmless," Grace spat. "Go away."

Adam and Scott noticed the new arrival. Not having heard the earlier conversation, they greeted Alex warmly. Introductions were soon made, and Grace had to interrupt her father three times to keep him from inviting Alex and his family out for a celebratory meal.

Alex was starting to leave when Luke and Dora showed up.

"Finally! We've been looking everywhere for—Alex?" Luke interrupted himself.

"Alex?" Dora said, confused. "We've been looking for Joan."

"No," Luke said slowly as he pointed to the boy, "that is Alex."

"You've met?" Joan asked, surprised.

"Once," Luke said shortly.

"Luke," Alex said with a smile, "how nice to see you again."

A muscle worked in Luke's neck as he shook Alex's hand. Grace found herself fighting the desire to rip their hands apart, shove Alex as hard as she could, and take off running in the opposite direction. Instead, Grace watched painful, stilted small-talk unfold.

Soon, though, the memory of Alex and Luke's first meeting replaced the scene in front of her. Grace couldn't help reliving that night. It was November of her senior year…

"Alex," Grace hiccupped, "we should stop. I've had enough."

"But I haven't," he slurred.

"But if we drink it all now," Grace said "there won't be any for, uh, for… shit." She laughed. "For next week! That's it. Next week. If we drink it all now, we can't drink it next week."

"I'll buy more," he said, and proceeded to down two more bottles.

This had become a bit of a ritual for them, to meet every Thursday night in his room and get drunk off their asses. They weren't friends, exactly, but Alex provided beer, and if Grace was in a good mood and especially drunk, she would make out with him. Sometimes Grace worried they went further than making out, but she could never be sure.

Alex, proving that even assholes can have class, always walked Grace back to her dorm room. On that night, there was a surprise waiting for her.

"Luke!" Grace gasped as she stumbled into the room.

"Grace?" his expectant smile diminished. "Are you okay?"

"Of course she's okay!" Alex exclaimed. Grace covered her ears and grimaced. Alex leaned down to whisper in Luke's ear. "She's drunk. Being drunk is okay."

"No," Luke said slowly, "no, it's not. Grace, what's wrong?"

But Grace refused to answer. Ignoring them both, she curled up on her bed and put a pillow over her head. When she woke up the next morning, Luke was there with pamphlets.

"No," Grace said, "no more fucking pamphlets. No meeting. No sobbing in room full of strangers. God, Luke, you can't fix problems with brochures and meetings."

"Grace," he began.

"No," she said, "this is my thing. I'll deal with it. Go away."

"What?"

"Go away Luke. I don't want you here."

"But you need me here," he said plaintively.

"I don't want you here," she repeated

He had started to leave when Grace jumped up and ran to him. He turned, hope in his eyes.

"Take them with you," she said evenly, as she put the AA brochures in his hands. "I don't need them."

Luke took the brochures and left. Before walking out the door, though, he kissed Grace softly on the cheek and murmured "call me anytime."

Grace's dad pulled her back into the present.

"Is that okay with you, Gracie?" he asked kindly.

"Sounds good," Grace said, without the slightest idea what she was agreeing to.

"Dinner at Antonio's it is," he said happily. "C'mon, let's go." He put his arm over her shoulder and led her to the parking lot. "I'm just so proud of you, honey."

"Thanks Dad."

Her friends followed. Alex wandered off to find his parents.

Dinner went very well, considering all the secrets and hard feeling hidden in the group. They laughed more than they argued. Surrounded by her friends and her dad, Grace was almost happy.

xxxxx

xxxxx

Did you catch the Harry Potter reference? I am looking forward to Book 6 so much it's not even funny. I'd even say it's pathetic. But for Harry, I will happily become pathetic. Case in point: next chapter should be up before July 16, so that I can read the new Harry Potter without guilt.

Thanks for sticking with me.