"I get it, I get it," Karen shook her head, "Children are tough work."

Karen, staring at Jack as the cafe table they were sitting at, burst into laughter.

"I mean, Kare… " Jack shook his head, "You'd make a great mom!"

"Aw, honey," Karen smiled, "You think?"

"Sure!" Jack threw his hands up, "I mean, maybe you're too - "

Karen stared.

Jack fumbled. "Well, I mean, Stan has two children of his own. It's hard to do the right thing when they're not yours."

"Oh, honey," Karen glanced upward, "Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just not cut out for motherhood."

Jack tapped Karen on the hand. "That's not true! And you know - there are these programmes where you can adopt and see how it goes!"

Karen glanced over and beamed, "Really?"

"Sure," Jack shrugged, with a flounce, "And besides - if you don't like 'em, you can give 'em back. It's just like at the pound."

Jack paused and screwed up his face. Karen was smiling and musing.

"Well… " Karen took a breath, "I suppose it's time. I mean, Stan's always away. Olivia and the fat one are with their grand-mother."

"You're right, Kare," Jack smiled, sipping his coffee, "You go for it. You'll be an excellent part-time mom."

Karen blushed and smiled, "Oh, Jackie. You always know the right thing to say."

"Can you believe this?" Will pointed to the TV, "They have re-runs of Dawson's Creek on."

Grace jumped onto the sofa and snatched the bag of crisps out of Will's hands. "Ooh, I'm in."

"You know, I've always had a thing for Dawson," Will shook his head, "That hair. That look of… "

"Dreamy, ha-ha," Grace crunched, spilling crumbs.

Will rustled, "Hey, watch it! Do you know how long it took to hoover up your fabric samples when they slipped down the side of the couch?"

Grace glared, "I needed those."

Will chuckled, "You need a lot of things."

The TV lit up their faces.

"Oh, by the way," Will sighed, "Technically, I'm not supposed to tell you this - lawyer client privilege and all - "

"Ooh, spill," Grace continued to watch the TV.

"Karen," began Will, "is adopting a child."

Grace threw the bag of crisps in the air where crumbs sprayed the floor. "No!"

Will frowned as he swept the crumbs off Grace's clothes.

"Ya-huh," Will nodded slowly, "She thinks it's one of those deals where if you don't like the kid, you get to send it back."

"Is she in-sane?" Grace stared. "Who's the kid?"

"I duh-no," Will shrugged, "I mean, I haven't met her. She's from merry old Lun-dun. On the down-low - ?"

Grace nodded, and Will cleared his throat.

"It's some sort of a trade from the family's side, too," Will began shaking, "Apparently she's a bit of a handful. They've sent her to the States to learn some manners."

Grace watched as Will struggled not to laugh.

"Karen? Teach manners?" Grace scoffed, "They'd do better work teaching an orangutan to breathe underwater in space."

"Well, it's on her plate now," Will took a deep breath, and smiled, "We should go over there."

Grace nodded, "With cameras to record the evidence."

"OK," Rosario hoisted her handbag over her arm, walking into the factory, wearing a members only jacket over her maid's outfit, "Where do I get started?"

Seconds later, Rosario was shelling peanuts at a long table with others.

"Boy, oh boy," Rosario shook her head, as a factory worker opposite glanced up, "Miss Karen is going to have a surprise in her closet when I get home."

Will and Grace stepped out of the elevator and walked out into a hallway.

"You know," Grace glanced round, as Will rang the penthouse door bell, "This could do with a touch-up."

"Oh, Grace," Will frowned, "You can't re-design a hallway. You have to have the whole set."

Grace stared, "You gays are always trying to fit things in tiny little boxes."

"Actually," Will smiled, "That's exactly - "

Grace held up a hand, "OK, shut up."

The door opened only somewhat, and Jack stood there, wearing a maid's outfit, smiling brightly, sweat on his brow.

"Hey, hi, hello?"

Will and Grace stared. Will spoke first: "I'm Will. This is - "

"Yeah, yeah, I don't care," Jack glanced both ways in the corridor, "This isn't really a good time - "

The sound of screaming, crashing and footsteps came from within. Grace peeked but Jack's face squeezed into the passage.

"Um, don't you have somewhere to be?" Jack, his face bulging through the gap, eyed Grace up and down, "Like the rodeo?"

Grace snorted, "Oh, please. We came to see Karen."

Karen's shrieks came from the apartment. Will folded his arms.

"You know, as Karen Walker's attorney - "

Grace stared as did Jack. Will pursed his lips.

"I invoke, heretofore, er - " Will paused, "The - the right of attorney movement on such malpractice that… invokes certain privileges of movement in recent dwellings subject to Code Clause 421 - heretofore referred as - "

"You're not coming in, Will!" Jack slammed the door.

Jack turned around to hear the door click open. Grace and Will stood there.

"Damn you Grace, and your freakishly long nails!"

Grace glanced down at her hands, "What do you mean… "

Will produced a key, "Karen gave this to me in case of emergencies, Captain Doofus Do-Nothing."

"Yeah?" Jack folded his arms, "Well, I'm very busy, at the moment. Karen needed help and she called me, who's the friend now?"

Grace eyed Jack up and down. "Is that why you're wearing the maid's outfit?"

Jack glanced at himself, "I was wearing this before she called… "

Grace stared and scoffed. Will shook his head.

"So where's Karen?"

"She's… " Jack wobbled his head with difficulty restraining all that he had to say, "Parenting. She's upstairs being a mother. Like you two would know, god!"

A bell tinkled from somewhere in the mansion. Jack clicked his heels in the air as he leapt for the staircase. Will pulled Jack back by his apron.

"Come here, Tinker-Queen," Will headed up the stairs, followed by Grace, "Let the real professionals help."

Karen was lying under her bed, holding a cellphone with a shaking hand to her ear.

"Um, Stan?"

There was screaming and footsteps and crashing all around her. Karen quivered underneath the bed.

"Stan - you'll need to come home," Karen gulped, "I miss Olivi-O and Mason… "

Karen froze as she heard the footsteps go away.

"Oh, thank god… "

Karen crawled out from under the bed, rubbing her joints. She brushed lint off her dress and smoothed her hair. She glanced around and saw her bedroom all a mess.

"Well, Rosario, you have your work cut out for you," Karen sighed, glancing over, "Where'd the little witch go?"

Will and Grace entered the bedroom. Karen stepped back as though shot, holding her hand against her eyes.

"Karen, it's OK," said Grace, "If Jack's your idea of help - "

"No, no, honey, it's your leather skirt," Karen peeped through her fingers, "I don't think the cow's dead yet!"

"Oh," Grace scoffed, and looked around, "What the frick happened here?"

Will put his hands on his hips, and Karen glanced around, then glanced to Grace and shrugged.

"Ya know," Karen shrugged and sniffed, "They say kids are tough work. And boy - do they mean it."

Will gestured, "Well, where is she?"

Karen paused, "You know. I haven't got that far in the manual yet."

"Oh, come on," Grace led the way, "What about in here?"

"That's just mah wardrobe," Karen swung her hands from side to side, "Not even Rosario's allowed in there - "

There was a pause.

Grace's voice came from the walk-in closet: "Um, Karen?"

Karen's face went panicked. She slowly walked into the closet.

"Oh my god… " Karen looked around, at all her clothes thrown on the floor, at her closet of shoes open and spilling out, "Who would do such a thing?"

A little girl burst from the pile of clothing. She wore a mean smirk.

Grace pointed, "I'm guessing that's her?"

The girl stared and smirked.

"Oh, that's her," Karen shook her head, "They call her Salt."

Will turned, "Huh?"

"Yeah," Karen nodded, "I don't know what kind of a name is Salt."

"Veruca!" cried the girl. "I'm Veruca Salt!"

Karen laughed nervously, "Calm it down honey, nobody cares."

"I want this," Veruca held up a blouse, "And these shoes! I'm going to live here forever and you're going to be my maid!"

Will and Grace turned slowly to Karen who backed away.

"Hon-ey… " Karen clutched the dresser for support, reaching inside a drawer, "I'm just so mad at you… "

Karen produced a spray bottle, "Ah-ha! Ha-ha!" and sprayed it into Veruca's face. Veruca dived into the pile of clothes, and Karen turned the spray bottle and sprayed it into her mouth.

"Karen," Grace nudged Karen towards the clothing pile, "You two have to makeup."

Karen shook the spray bottle which was empty. "I've gotta refill it with more vodka."

Grace and Will stared, then Karen tiptoed over to the pile of clothing.

"Now Salt… " Karen whispered, "You have to do what Mommy tells you… "

"Oh, get off," cried Veruca, and Karen leapt back, "I want my own mansion, I want one build and I want it to be taller! And I want Central Park! I want a zoo! I want an elephant!"

"Well, hon-ey," Karen struggled to stand, "I already sent Rosario away!"

"No, she didn't!"

Rosario stood in the door. Karen buckled.

"Oh, Rosario - " Karen clutched her neck.

"Save it," Rosario marched forward, "You sold me like a common mule!"

"Well, hon-ey," begged Karen, "You said I should get a child - and boy, were you right!"

Veruca put hands on her hips. "Who are you? My dad-dy - "

"You," Rosario marched forward, an iron grip on Veruca's arm, and tossed her over her shoulder, "Are coming with me."

Veruca's shouts echoed through the mansion. Will, Grace, Karen and Jack remained in the closet in silent thought.

"Well," Karen gave a little laugh, "I'm glad all's well that ends well."

"Karen," said Grace, "What about that girl's family?"

Karen shrugged. "I duh-no. All I know is, I'm so glad to have my Rosie back!"

"Aw, Kare," Jack beamed, "You care."

Karen chuckled. "No. Someone needs to wash my bras. Ha-ha!"

Karen left the closet, and Jack, Will and Grace, sharing a look, headed out and down stairs.

"I better help Karen," Jack summoned his strength, "She'll need me. She'll be hurting."

A voice came from the mansion: "Quiet, you drunken hag!"

Jack slipped off, and Rosario came from the other way. Karen and Jack's giggling could be heard from the room Rosario had just departed.

"She'll be fine," Rosario shook her head, "Stan's on his way back. She'll have plenty to do."

"Rosario," asked Grace, "Where's little Veruca?"

"She's gone," Rosario shrugged. "Chucked her down the garbage chute."

Grace laughed. Will wore a frown.

Will turned, "Well, I'd better make sure the paperwork is set to return her to her family."

Grace, relieved, touched Will's shoulder. "I'll meet you out in the cab."

"I'll be there!"

"Don't take too long," Grace pointed, and smiled, "They rack up the fare."

"I know."

"Don't take too long!"

Grace left. Only Will and Rosario left.

Will paused, " - where is Veruca?"

Rosario sighed and jangled keys. "I'll call the super."

THE END