Category: GL eventually

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Luke is embroiled in a bitter custody battle with his ex. Grace is his lawyer, appointed in a special case.

AN: I do not own or know the characters. Rosalia is the product of my imagination. I also must thank Sam for all her help in getting this started!

Grace picked up a cookie and took a bite of it before looking at Christina. "I never took Rove as a cookie making machine."

Christina chuckled. "He never did that when he was little?"

"Only with his mom. They never ate the cookies though. They would arrange them on a plate and paint them. I would come over and eat them just to see Rove's reaction. After she died, he never made cookies again."

Christina nodded. "I will never forget the look he gave me when Liz asked me to ask him to bake cookies with her. I thought he was going to have a freak out but he said okay."

Grace smiled slightly and drank some of her coffee.

"So…how did you become a family law attorney? From the way Adam, Joan, and Luke talked about you, I would have thought you'd be a professional activist."

Grace laughed. "Yeah. Um, I was at a courthouse watching some cases and I came across the case of a little girl whose parents only cared about their wants and needs and couldn't prove why they could care for her. I wasn't sure what to do besides hit those people over the head but then I realized that instead of sitting there and watching this one case go on, I could be doing something for other families who were going through what that little girl and then I went through."

Christina nodded. "Whatever happened in that case?"

Grace shrugged. "She was given to the grandparents. I don't know what happened afterwards, this was all while I was still in college."

Christina looked out towards the den to see Rosalia and Liz coloring while Adam, Luke, and Joan sat nearby digging into the cookies.

"Rosalia's a great kid." She said.

"Looks like it." Grace said. "How's she handling this?"

"All right, I guess. But she's smart. She's asked me before why is it I can get along with Adam when her parents don't get along."

Grace winced. "Talk about awkward moments."

"Mm hmm. I couldn't give her an answer."

"So what did you do? Use the old 'go play with your toys' while your guilt settled?"

Christina chuckled. "Yes, Grace, I have missed your cynical sarcasm."

"Be prepared to see more of it." Grace grabbed her glass of coke and took a sip.

Grace knocked on the side of the door and waited for the come in before walking into the office of Patricia Davis. Grace walked over to the front of the desk and waited. Patricia Davis was Lydia's lawyer and from what Grace knew of her, she was fierce and hardly ever lost a case. Patty Davis was the complete opposite of Grace. She had long dark hair and was wearing a designer dress suit while Grace often wore pants suits when she could when she was in the office. Most of the time you could see her in ripped jeans and a t-shirt. This made clients feel more open with Grace because she was being her real self. Patty looked at Grace and smiled.

"Well, well if it isn't New York's finest attorney Grace Polk."

"Patricia. I read your book on the social welfare of kids in custody situations. Impressive."

"Thank you. Please sit down."

Grace turned to the leather chair and grimaced before turning back to the lawyer. "Got anything wooden?"

Patricia sighed and pointed at a chair near the window. Grace pulled it over and sat down.

"So, you will be representing Luke Girardi in the case against my client?" Patty asked.

"Yes."

"Now…according to Lydia, you have some history with Mr. Girardi, correct?"

Grace sighed. She knew this question would come up and she already had her answer.

"Luke and I are best friends and I'm here to help him fight for the kid he loves more than anything. Whatever happened between him and me is our business."

"So, you working with him won't bring up anything."

Grace gave her a look. "Okay look. This meeting is about the case and this case is about a 6 year old little girl. Let's leave the past where it has no bearing."

"All right." Patty looked through her notes. "Have you spoken with Luke about the situation."

"Yes. I have all my notes."

"All right. Now let's talk about what both sides want."

Grace nodded. "Luke wants sole custody of his daughter with supervised visitation."

"That is exactly what Lydia wants."

Grace raised an eyebrow. "She wants supervised visitation where Luke is concerned? She's the one who leaves her house at all hours of the night without anyone around to watch Rosalia. She doesn't even call Luke when she can't pick Rose up from school."

"She gets very busy with her job and she is trying to be a better mother."

"I'd like to see how please. Last week Joan went to pick Rose up to go to the movies and she was still in her pajamas while Lydia and her boyfriend were making out on the couch."

"It was still early in the morning."

"Well according to the ticket stub Joan kept, the movie began at 2:30. It was way after noon when Joan got her."

"You have gotten all your information. You're good, Polk." Patty sat back in her chair.

Grace smirked. "It's only the beginning."