Plot: Jack and Karen were kissing passionately. When they finally come up for air, they are frightened to see Will and Grace standing there staring at them. Then Will and Grace said, in unison, "Oh, my God!"
Disclaimer: "Will & Grace", the show, and the characters belong to NBC and the cast and crew. I'm not sure who "The Next Best Thing" belongs to, but it sure isn't me. Please don't sue!

Part 3
by Karen

Karen broke away from Jack and ran towards the open window. She had a look of desperation on her face.

"Karen, what are you doing?" asked Will.

"Don't worry, she's okay..." Grace assured her friend.

"Hey, Jack, what's going on?" asked a concerned Will. But before Jack could answer Will, Karen asked, "Jack could you come out here?"

Jack rushed to the window where his secret girlfriend was waiting for him. When they were standing on the fire escape, Karen frantically asked, "Okay so what do we tell them?"

It was at that moment, Jack had an idea.

"The truth," answered Jack.

"The truth....are you mad?" ranted Karen.

"No, not mad, just in love! Leave it up to me. Follow my lead."

As Will and Grace watched their friends on the escape, Grace said, "Will, I have a strange feeling. There's something up. Karen has been early!"

"No!" said Will in disbelief, "Karen...early?"

"I know that it's hard to fathom! And when I asked her about it, she said that everything is perfect. And I think she's sober!" said Grace.

"Now that's strange! We'll get to the bottom of this right now," said Will. As soon as he said this, Jack and Karen emerged from the light rain. When all four people were facing each other Jack said, "I think that you two should sit down. We," Jack motioned to Karen and himself, "have something to tell you."

"What's up, Jack," Will started to get impatient.

"Oh calm down, Wilma, Jack has something to say," shot Karen. Karen sent Will a "I'm getting mad" look so Will suddenly became quiet as a mouse.

"Thank you, Karen," said Jack. "Ok, so I know that you are wondering why you saw me and Karen kissing...Well a couple of nights ago, Karen and I were having a conversation about what we want in life. One of the things that I want, of course, is to have breakfast with Cher," as he did his imitation of Cher. After he was happy with his imitation he continued, "Anyway, besides breakfast with Cher, I want to be happy..."

Just then Grace cut in, "Jack, you're not happy. I'm sorry!"

"That's okay. What I told Karen is that I want happiness. I want someone who makes me feel special."

"So, what you're saying is that you have met someone and you're nervous about your first kiss and Karen was helping you?" questioned Will.

"Okay, yes," Jack said coyly.

"Oh, that's great, who is it? Rory...Michael...Frank?"

"Actually, it's Karen!"

"Is "Karen" a guy's name?" asked Grace.

"I guess that your hair is too tight today in that ponytail," Karen crooned. "He's talking about me!"

Will and Grace looked at each other and started to laugh hysterically.

"You're kidding," asked Grace through her laughter.

"We're not!" said Jack and Karen, in unison. And to prove to their friends that they were not kidding Karen took Jack's head into her hands and kissed him passionately. As Will and Grace were witnessing this exchange of obvious love between their friends, Will started to get angry. He stepped closer just to make sure that he was seeing this correctly.

When Jack and Karen had stopped kissing, Will said, in a lawyer's tone of voice, "Okay, let me get this right. You are not happy so you talk to Karen about it, first of all why didn't you come to me? I'm supposed to be your best friend."

"Will, I'm sorry about that, but maybe it's because you don't have compassion for other people and maybe because I didn't think that you'd take me seriously," Jack replied.

"So you turn to an alcoholic, socialite whose idea of having a good time is getting plastered and then going to her stepchildren's school!"

"Hey, watch it!" shouted Karen.

"He's right," said Grace defending her friend.

"Yes, I did...And it's the best thing that has ever happened to me!" Karen grabbed his hand and put it in her lap.

"So what are you saying? Are you still gay?" asked Will.

"When I first decided to come out, it was a choice that I made. I thought that

I would be happier if I was with men. I always tell you that I had many relationships, but to be brutally honest, I've only had two real relationships with two guys. They really didn't work like I had hoped they would. So now I've found someone who makes me happy. The odd thing is that she is a beautiful woman who I love deeply!" concluded Jack.

At this point, Grace was trying to hold back the tears. "That was beautiful! I want to congratulate you two on finding love...Hey, Karen, you have been quiet, what do you think about this?"

"Well, Jack knows how I feel about him."

"Well, I know that you love me, but I don't know how much," Jack said, putting her on the spot.

Now all eyes were on her.

"Okay, you really want to know how I feel about you?" asked Karen.

Jack nodded his head and smiled.

"Ever since we first met, there has been something about you, Jack. I thought that it was that you were gay, but now that I've gotten to know, admire, and love you, I realize that you are the man of my dreams!" said Karen.

"What about Stan?" asked Will.

"Oh, honey, Stan's history! In fact could you draw up divorce papers for me?"

Will nodded his head as if he understood what he had to do.

"I have decided to divorce Stan because there's only one man that I want to be with..." said Karen. Before she finished her sentence she threw her hands up in front of her face and exclaimed, "Just Jack!"

There was a burst of laughter between Jack and Karen. Jack wiped away at his tears and then they hugged. While they were hugging, Karen whispered, "Do you tell them now or later?"

"I want to talk to you first, okay?" asked Jack, and Karen nodded her head.

Within the hour Will had the divorce papers and Karen signed them. She knew that Stan would sign the papers and not drag this out. Stan only wanted Karen to be happy. And if he couldn't do it then he would let her find the right man.

After they went out to celebrate their love at a club, that played Cher's music, Karen and Jack walked up 57th street holding hands and smiling. For Karen this was the first time ever that she felt comfortable doing this with a guy. This was the first time for Jack, too! Looking at Karen, he was the happiest ever.

When they got to Karen's penthouse Karen was shocked to find that Stan and the kids were gone. Rosario was still away so Jack and Karen had the whole house to themselves.

"So poodle, what do you want to do?" Karen asked, in a sexy voice.

"Well, Kare, I did want to talk to you, so let's get ready for bed," said Jack.

After Jack and Karen got into their pajamas and got into bed, she yawned and then said, "What's on your mind, sweetie?"

"I want to talk to you about our baby..."

"Oh, did you change your mind?" Karen questioned him, scared.

"God no, I'm just wondering what's going to happen to us!"

"I don't follow, sweetie," said a confused Karen, "What do you mean?"

"Are we going to grow apart or we going to be this close forever? Because I would be lost without you!" said Jack.

"Me too," said Karen, "You make me so happy!"

"I don't want to loose what we have now!" whimpered Jack.

"I know...Hey I have a great idea, how would you like to go away with me for the weekend? Get out of the city and talk about our baby," asked Karen.

"Jack happy!" yelled Jack. As he did this he squirmed around in bed.

"We'll go tomorrow. Give me the phone, honey."

Grace was asleep on the couch, when the phone rang. "I didn't do it!" she yelled. Frightened, she picked up the phone and said, "H-e-l-l-o, who is this?"

"Calm down, Grace. It's Karen!"

"Karen it's twelve at night, what do you want?"

"I need a couple of days off, Jackie and me are going away together. We'll be leaving tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Wow, that's fine. Tell Jack I said,"Hi"," said Grace.

"I will. Goodnight," said Karen.

After Karen hung up the phone, she said, "Simple pimple...We leave tomorrow!"

She then kissed Jack and they made love until the sun came up the next day.

The next night found them at the hotel in their room enjoying each other's company. They were lying in bed, watching TV. After the show had ended Karen asked, "What do you want to do now, poodle?" asked Karen.

"Let's talk, Kare," said Jack.

"'Bout what?" questioned Karen.

"About what we are going to do about our unborn child," said Jack.

"Ok, let's," said Karen.

"I know that you are going to make a wonderful mother. I'm not sure if I'll make a good father on account that I still don't know my father. That's one of the reasons that I'm going to be there for this baby."

"Oh, honey, you'll make a great father. You have such a big heart and you are so sweet and caring. That's all that matters!" Karen said trying to comfort him.

"Thank you, lover," said Jack. "I have names picked out if it a girl or boy. Wanna hear 'em?"

"Yes," said Karen.

"Ok, for a girl, Megan, and for a boy, Sean. How do they sound?" asked Jack.

"Those are terrific...Jack, I have a question, what is their last name going to be, Walker or McFarland? I'm not going back to my maiden name."

"I'm not sure, what do you think, I would love for the child to be a McFarland, but it's your call," said Jack.

"I want the child to be a McFarland...I want to be one too!" hinted Karen.

"Yes," said Jack.

Karen looked at him in shock. She asked, "Yes, to what?"

"Yes, to both!" exclaimed Jack.

He cocked his head so he could see her face filled with excitement. He kissed her forehead, contentedly. She lifted herself up high enough to kiss him squarely on the lips.

"Do you mean it?" questioned Karen.

"You betcha, tomorrow we'll go out ring shopping, and then go home to New York so that I can propose in front of Will and Grace. Okay?"

"Sounds good to me!"

"You do know that this means that we both are going to have to 'come out' about our baby. Are you prepared?"

"Yes, I am prepared...Y'know why I am?" asked Karen.

"No, why?" asked Jack.

"Because I love you!" said Karen.

"And I love you!"

Ten minutes later they fell asleep in each other's arms and didn't get up until noon the next day.

They spent the rest of the day ring shopping and then they drove straight to Will and Grace's apartments. Karen banged on Will's door and Jack on Grace's.

Pretty soon all four of them were in Will's apartment, Jack and Karen made Will and Grace sit down on the couch and then Jack guided Karen to the other chair. Once he saw that Karen was comfortable, Jack said, "Karen, you know that I love you with all my heart, and I would do anything for you. There is one thing that I need for you to do for me..." As he finished that phrase he looked over at Will's and Grace's expressions of shock, and then continued by saying, "Would you be my wife?"

Karen was shocked herself because she had no idea what Jack had planned to say. She started to cry, and through her tears of happiness, she said, "I would be honored to be your wife!" With that Jack opened the tiny box to uncover a diamond that was as big as Karen's heart. It was so beautiful. It was huge. Jack took it out and placed it on her tiny ring finger, and then kissed her.

Will and Grace were in shock, but then Grace got up and embraced Jack and Karen in a "group hug". Will just sat there. Jack saw this and went to sit down next to him.

"Will, are you okay?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, I guess...You're happy, right?" questioned Will.

"I am beyond happy...She is the one that I've waited for all my life...And we have one more surprise for you two...Karen, wanna tell 'em?" said Jack.

"I'm pregnant!" exploded Karen.

Will and Grace looked at each other and then they both fell to the floor.

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