Author's note: With the previous chapter being a hard one, I thought to give you all a much nicer one today. I hope you will like it.

Thanks to Donna Barr Krolewski for coming up with Jack's nickname for Grace!

—--

Lucas entered the mansion with a smile on his face. It took Grace about 20 minutes to leave the car once he stopped in front of the orphanage. They just couldn't stop kissing. He missed having her in his arms, but was beyond grateful for her thoughtfulness about Jack seeing them. She was right, he knew that. But, that didn't make it easier for him.

But right now, he was fine. He had her in his arms as he took her home. And if anybody asks what took him so long to get back, he could always blame the traffic jam.

He could hear Carson's voice and Jack's laughter from the living room and he was about to join them, when all of a sudden he heard Agatha calling him.

"Lucas", as he turned around, she gave him a small smile and asked "Do you have a moment? I'd like to talk to you in private."

Lucas nodded.

"Of course", he said as he offered his arm to her "Please, follow me", he led Agatha to a sitting room with comfortable sofas and big windows that faced a garden.

She looked around, mesmerized.

"What a lovely home you have, Lucas. This room must be a delight in the spring with all the sun coming through the windows", she said gently as she took all in.

Lucas softly smiled.

"Thank you. I sure hope it will be like that", he extended his hand toward a comfortable sofa with cushions "Please, have a seat."

Agatha turned back from the windows and nodded as she slowly walked toward the sofa. She noticed that Lucas waited for her to be seated before he sat down in an armchair across from her.

Always a gentleman.

She watched as he smiled warmly and asked:

"What can I do for you, Mrs. Thatcher?"

Agatha smiled sadly.

"Well, first of all, I want to thank you for your hospitality. I appreciate that you didn't put me in the room upstairs. I want to admire that grand staircase only by looking at it, not crossing it daily", she quipped, making Lucas chuckle.

"Of course. You are welcome", he said with a smile.

Agatha took a deep breath in before she continued.

"I also want to thank you for your love for Jack. The change in that sweet boy is amazing, Lucas. We were at our wits end with what to do before Doctor Shepherd showed up at our doorstep", she exhaled a shaky breath and looked down, trying to compose herself.

Lucas' facial expression turned sympathetic.

"Mrs. Thatcher, I want you to know, and I hope you will also pass that to your brother and sister-in-law, that I will always be there for Jack", he took out his handkerchief and handed it over to Agatha who took it with a grateful smile "Jack will always have my support in life. Whatever he needs, I will always be there for him."

Agatha nodded as she dried her tears.

"Thank you, Lucas. And you can count on me that I will keep the contact with you, even if nobody else would. You will always know how is Jack doing", she said gently.

Lucas swallowed hard, his eyes burning.

"Thank you, Mrs. Thatcher. I really appreciate it", he said warmly.

For a few moments, silence prevailed as Agatha watched the young man in front of her.

"You know, Lucas… The moment I met you and talked to you, I saw that you were destined for a bigger stage. I even said so to Elizabeth. I just thought that your bigger stage would include my niece as well", she let out a breath "I also told her that you were her second chance of happiness and that she should grab it with all that she is", she shook her head "I don't know what happened in that girl's head. She was a fool to let a good man like you go."

Lucas took a deep breath in, feeling uncomfortable. He didn't want to badmouth Elizabeth in front of her Aunt. So he stayed silent. Luckily, Agatha kept on talking.

"But, now as I heard about everything you did as a Governor, I realize that Elizabeth would have probably made your life less happy and more complicated", Agatha said honestly and gave him a sad smile "God always has bigger and better plans for all of us, Lucas. And you met your destiny", she watched him carefully before she added "In young Miss Bennet", at seeing surprise in Lucas' eyes, she quipped "You do know I read newspapers, don't you? I knew that you were engaged. I just wondered why you didn't introduced her as your fiancée", but before Lucas could reply, Agatha put a hand up to stop him "I know. Doctor Shepherd told me", she shook her head slowly in amazement "And I know she was the one who asked Doctor Shepherd to check on Jack. I can only tell you that I rarely met people as selfless as your Miss Bennett is. And I would like to thank her for everything she did for Jack, if that's alright with you."

Lucas opened his mouth a bit, his fingers rubbing his forehead.

"Uhm…yes. I am sorry, you caught me unprepared", stammered Lucas.

Agatha nodded in understanding.

"I am happy for you, Lucas. You have found a good woman who loves you dearly. You deserve nothing less", her fingers wrung a handkerchief "And I am so ashamed of my niece's behaviour toward you."

Lucas shook his head, his good heart aching when he saw Agatha's distress.

"Please, Mrs. Thatcher. There is no need for you to feel bad. It wasn't your fault", he said gently.

Agatha nodded as she wiped her tears.

"Thank you, Lucas", she silently said as she got up. Lucas followed her out from the room and watched as she left to her room.

Taking a deep breath in, he slowly walked toward the living room where Carson and Jack played with a puppy.

Jack looked up as Lucas came in and immediately smiled.

"Hey, buddy!", a little boy greeted him.

Lucas' heart warmed at Jack's greeting and he smiled back as he knelt down.

"Hey, buddy. What are you up to?", as Jack explained how he is trying to train a puppy to sit down, Carson caught Lucas' eyes.

"Is everything alright?", Carson silently asked.

Lucas nodded, his face thoughtful.

"It is. Thank you, Carson. For everything", he silently replied and Carson nodded with a small smile of understanding.

—--

Lucas was at his office, begrudgingly signing some documents that his annoying counselor said must be done NOW. He knew that he slacked at work ever since Jack came, but really didn't want anything to interrupt their time together.

Speaking of the boy, his little buddy was playing with a puppy in front of the fireplace and doing some drawings while waiting for Lucas to finish his work so they could leave for the orphanage.

Lucas was just about to finish with signing when he heard Jack's voice.

"Buddy? Can I ask you something?"

Lucas looked up at Jack, giving him a small smile.

"Of course", he replied warmly.

Jack fidgeted a bit before looking up at Lucas and asking:

"Is Uncle Nathan Mummy's special friend now?"

Lucas almost dropped his fountain pen at hearing the little boy's question. He watched as Jack held his gaze and wondered how much did Elizabeth explain to her son about her relationship with Nathan.

"Well, did you ask your Mummy?", asked Lucas.

Jack shook his head.

Surprise, surprise.

Lucas took a deep breath in as he put the fountain pen down and closed the ledger with documents.

"Come here, buddy", he said gently and waited until Jack rushed toward him and climbed up on his lap. Hugging the precious boy, Lucas gently kissed his blonde head and asked "What makes you think Uncle Nathan is your Mummy's new special friend?"

Jack shrugged as he toyed with his Teddy bear.

"I saw Mummy kissing him", replied Jack "Like she used to kiss you. But I know that you are not my Mummy's special friend anymore. But, you were supposed to be my new Daddy", Jack looked up at him "Is Uncle Nathan going to be my new Daddy?"

Lucas swallowed hard.

"I don't know, buddy. That is up to your Mummy and Uncle Nathan", he gently replied.

Jack creased his little forehead in confusion.

"But, he is Mummy's special friend?", he asked.

Lucas gave a small nod.

"Yes, I think he is", he used his entire strength not to shake his head at how Elizabeth kept her son in the dark about everything.

He watched as Jack nodded, his little face serious.

And the next question nearly knocked Lucas off his chair.

"Is Miss Grace your special friend now?", Jack silently asked.

Lucas' eyes slightly widened in surprise at Jack's perceptiveness and he gently tightened his hold on him.

"Would that be okay with you?", Lucas gently asked.

Jack was silent for a while, then nodded.

"Yeah. I like Miss Grace. She is my giggling buddy. And she makes you laugh too", he replied with a smile.

Lucas swallowed hard, tears filling his eyes and he pulled the precious boy closer to him.

"Well, I know that Miss Grace likes you too. Very much", he whispered, his voice hoarse from holding the tears back.

Jack smiled happily.

"She is so funny!", he giggled and Lucas smiled warmly at the little boy's joy "I drew her something for Christmas", he wiggled away from Lucas' embrace and jumped down on the floor. He rushed to get his drawings, startling a puppy who was half asleep.

Lucas quickly wiped his eyes before Jack climbed back up on his lap and showed him a drawing.

It was a drawing of a woman with brown hair and a boy with blonde hair. And Lucas had to chuckle as he saw the big grins on two rounded faces, so big that they reached the ears.

"Do you think Miss Grace will like it?", asked Jack.

Lucas hugged him more tightly and leaned his cheek on the precious boy's hair.

"Oh, she will love it, Jack", he gently whispered "She will love it."