Author's note: Thanks to Donna Barr Krolewski for suggesting they get some more stuff for a puppy in a pet shop!

Thanks to Helene for brainstorming about the puppy's first bath!

And thanks to both ladies for all the laugh we had about this!

—--

Stephen parked the car in front of the pet shop and shook his head with a smile as the Governor, his fiancée and the little boy left the car. Back on the backseat was an empty puppy box cage. During the ride, a puppy whined with all his might, pushing against the bars with his little paw. Finally, Lucas gave in to Jack plead and let the puppy out. Immediately, Jack took him in his hands and held him close. By the time they reached the pet shop, the puppy was snoring.

Jack smiled at the small huffs of air that left the puppy's little wet nose. Once they stopped, Lucas instructed Jack how to keep the puppy out from the cold by putting him inside Jack's jacket so that only his head peeked out. Jack giggled out loud as a puppy wiggled against him and the little boy happily went into Lucas' arms as he carried him inside the pet shop.

Grace opened the doors for them and followed them in the pet shop with a warm smile. She was thrilled to see Lucas and Jack having such a wonderful time together. It was obvious to her that they were very close. How hard must have been for both of them when Elizabeth ended everything without preparing either one of them for that.

Shaking her head to chase the sad thoughts away, Grace turned left to the shelves with dog stuff. There was no point at dwelling on the past. She only hoped that there will be a way for them to be in contact in the future.

Puppy's silent barking snapped her out of her thoughts and she gently smiled as she saw Lucas and Jack inspecting a bowl for food. And she knew right then and there that they will be alright. Jack will be loved and taken care of by his family. It was obvious that they adored the little boy. And now he had a confident companion who will give him unconditional love.

She knew that it will be hard for Lucas to let Jack go back to Hamilton. She was ready for that and she will be there for him. And in about a month and half she will never let him go.

With a smile, she turned to look at the shelf near her and grinned widely as she saw a cute little bed with a blanket with paws. Grabbing both items, she ran toward Lucas and Jack.

"Look what I've found!", she said with a smile. She playfully presented items to a puppy and spoke in a funny voice "What do you think, Luccie? Is it soft enough? Yes? Okay, we'll take it!"

She placed the blanket and bed inside the shopping bag. At the next moment, she saw a blue collar with a small bow and she giggled as she put it close to puppy's neck.

"So handsome!", she commented, still keeping her voice funny, making Jack giggle, Lucas shake his head and smile and puppy licking her hand affectionately as she tied the collar on his neck.

And it was at that moment they reached the part with dog toys. Grace giggled as Jack pointed at this and that and the two of them discussed every toy before Grace brought it to a puppy for his approval. Poor puppy yawned tiredly but still waggled his tail at every toy they showed up to him, sniffing it curiously.

By the time they came to the cash desk, shopping bag was filled with dozen of toys, dog food, treats, blanket, bag, little bowls and Lucas pointed to a collar on a puppy's neck so the salesman would count that one too. While the salesman worked, Grace rushed away only to come back with a shampoo for dogs and anti-flea powder.

Lucas raised his eyebrows and she shrugged innocently.

"We are going to give this little fella a bath. He should also be clean and fresh for the party", she said and winked at Jack.

Little boy grinned.

"Can I help?", he asked eagerly.

Grace nodded.

"Of course!", she smiled at his joy and caressed puppy's head as her voice went funny again "What do you say, Luccie? Shall we get you all dolled up?"

Lucas cringed at the name and phrase "dolled up" in one sentence, but Luccie happily tried to wiggle his way out from Jack's jacket to go to Grace.

"He likes you, Miss Grace!", giggled Jack.

Grace took a puppy out from Jack's jacket and brought him close to her face, making small kissing noises and cooing to a little dachshund.

"Oh, I like him too! Very, very much! How could I not? Look how cute he is!", she cuddled a puppy to her neck and he wiggled his tail happily.

They left the pet shop and went back to the car, Jack giggling all the time at Grace's antics with a puppy.

Lucas glanced warmly at his beautiful fiancée. She was amazing. The way she pulled Jack out of his shell and made him laugh so much already was something Lucas would never forget. He knew that she was warm and gentle with all the children, he saw it a million times at the orphanage, but to see her reaching out to Jack with so much love and warmth made Lucas want to hug her and kiss her and never let her go.

Grace gave a puppy back to Jack as she was going to open the car doors when she caught Lucas' warm gaze at her. She smiled warmly at him before opening the car doors and entering the car. Lucas put Jack inside the car, next to Grace and then he entered and looked up at his driver with a smile and said:

"Take us home, Stephen."

—--

Agatha smiled at hearing Jack's laughter from the bathroom. Once they got back from the pet shop, Agatha met the newest addition to the Thatcher household and she loved the cute little puppy. Tiny dog seemed to be quite taken by an old, elegant lady as her lap quickly became his favourite place to take a nap. It was like he knew who is going to take him home with his new little owner.

Right now, puppy was having a bath. Jack wanted to wash him by himself, but it turned out to be quite a task that he yelled for help in a matter of seconds. Lucas and Grace were both waiting in front of the bathroom, knowing how the bathing scenario would unravel. So now, Lucas was trying to hold a quivering puppy in the foamy water while Jack was gently trying to rub some shampoo onto a tiny dog's body. Grace was ready to rinse the minute Lucas gave her a green light. However, the puppy was too much for Jack alone to handle so Grace decided to help.

She and Jack changed places on the floor and Grace gently scrubbed puppy's head with a drop of shampoo.

"Don't be afraid. You are going to be nice and clean in a flash", she used her fingertips to wash puppy's little ears and neck, causing tiny dog to close his eyes as he enjoyed the gentle caress. Grace smiled "Oh, aren't you a cutie, Luccie? And you like this, don't you? Oh you are such a good dog, yes you are, yes you are", she tried to reach puppy's back but couldn't and said to Lucas, never taking her eyes off a puppy "Lucas, just turn him a bit to the left so I can wash his back", as Lucas did what he was told, Grace poured some shampoo on puppy's body and leaned in to look at his tiny face "Do you want me to wash your back, darling?", she moved her

fingers in gentle circular motions and smiled as a puppy licked her face "Aaaah, you like it when I wash your back, don't you, Luccie?", she asked the puppy and glanced at Lucas to tell him to hold the puppy tight as she was about to rinse the shampoo.

Only to see his face beet red.

Grace's eyes widened as she realized what he was thinking. The desire to kiss him overwhelmed her, but she knew she couldn't do it in front of Jack.

However, Grace had to do something or else she would jump out of her skin.

She took a shower and gently started to rinse a puppy who whined in protest. Grace looked at Jack and asked with a warm smile:

"Jack, can you get that blue towel?", as little boy nodded and jumped up to get it from the closet in the bathroom, Grace took her fingers away from puppy and slowly dragged them up and down Lucas' forearm in the water.

His breath hitched at her touch and loving gaze from her eyes.

"Soon", she whispered and quickly got back to rinsing a puppy as Jack got back…but, not before she heard Lucas inhale sharply at that one word and her skin blushed at the mere thought of how it would feel like to have her fingers on his bare back.

"Miss Grace, are you okay? You look a bit red", Jack's voice was heard and Grace snapped out of her trance.

She smiled as she finished rinsing puppy out and turned toward Jack to take a towel from him.

"I am fine, sweetie, don't worry. It's just too hot in here. Now, let's get this little darling dry", she prepared a towel in her hands and Lucas put a whimpering, quivering puppy onto it.

With Jack's help, Grace wrapped a puppy in a fluffy towel, smiling as Jack jumped up and went to open the bathroom doors so that Grace can take out a puppy. Lucas was emptying the bathtub and putting the shampoo away.

Grace got up from the floor, drying a puppy with a smile on her face. As puppy gratefully licked her hand Grace's eyes widened comically and she hid puppy's head from Lucas whispering:

"Careful, Luccie, he can see us!"

As Lucas shook his head and chuckled at his fiancée silliness, Grace smiled and handed almost asleep puppy to Jack.

The little boy ran off to his room to tuck a puppy in some place warm. Grace sighed as she watched them go.

"I want a puppy", she said, with a long face, her lips pouting.

Lucas got up from the floor and comically shivered.

"Absolutely not", he quipped, making Grace look at him with the saddest facial expression he ever saw on her.

"And if I give you a cookie?", she offered, playfully sniffing.

Lucas wiped his hands, his lips curling up softly. He nonchalantly passed by Grace and stopped only to whisper directly in her ear:

"Or you can wash my back."

Grace's entire body trembled at his words and she let out a breath, watching him as he left the bathroom, his smile almost smug as he turned to look at her.

And she bit her lower lip, her eyes twinkling as she gave him a teasing smile.

Oh, just you wait, Mr. Bouchard. Just you wait.