Plot: This is what would happen if "Will & Grace" were to turn into a comic/dramatic hybrid.
Author's Note #1: In a purely sarcastic tone, this is what would happen if "Will & Grace" were to turn into a comic/dramatic hybrid. I'm definitely not saying that I would prefer that situation one bit. But, I felt the only way that I could pursue a topic like this, it'd definitely have to have un-comical beginnings. Some parts of this storyline, if ever used, would definitely _not_ be written into an episode. (More notes at conclusion). Enjoy as much as possible. ;)
Author's Note #2: For all you nitpickers out there, this story is most likely flawed in many ways. I opted not to spend hours in front of the television making sure times, settings, etcetera were correct, so pardon me if anything is out of whack.
Disclaimer: These characters, sadly, do not belong to me. Kudos to Mutchnik and Kohan, and of course, the cast, for giving vitality to such fantastic individuals.

Karen was jilted. For the first time in years, her venomous demeanor and scathing remarks were completely lost in a tumultuous ocean of raw yearning. She had admitted to herself that she felt pained without her husband. Only now, as she came to the realization that he would be imprisoned for much longer than she'd originally prepared for, her heart was broken. Truly dispirited.

Rash remarks at her colleague's expense had become merely a cover for something that ran much deeper. And as Grace sat across the room, sifting through soft, diaphanous fabrics for her latest client, Karen found herself a fragment more than appreciative of Grace's presence in her life. She stared intently at Grace, a compact still open and poised in her cupped hand.

"Karen?" Grace looked up. "Kaaaaren..." A chiding smile flickered across Grace's face. "Karen! It's almost ten thirty... what are you still doing here?" Her gaze shifted back down to the fabrics. "Shouldn't you be off to lunch or running up your credit card again?" Karen rolled her eyes as Grace giggled on behalf of her own joke.

"Honey, leave the bad jokes up to those who can afford them, okay?" Karen flashed her pearly whites and collected her purse stuffs in an attempt to recover her usual saucy disposition. "I'm off to 'run up my credit card.'" She plopped a stray fingernail polish bottle into the open purse and made for the door. Karen could almost feel her cheeks flush as she stole one more glance towards Grace.

The cool autumn breeze felt delightful playing across Karen's slightly sticky cheeks and forehead. She mentally scolded herself for feeling the way she was and barreled on towards the nearest café. None of this made any sense. She was Karen; a sultry, snooty socialite who enjoyed lambasting the "dregs" of society and frequent consumption of the finest liqueurs. She smiled nervously downward at the ground, shaking her head of such fickleness. Her life was a straightforward comedy with the occasional pothole, not a twisting, turning, dramatic tragedy.

Did she really have feelings beyond friendship for Grace? Had her romantic love life really gotten so desperate to the point that she now must reach beyond "the norm"?

She couldn't be quite sure, but the entity that was love was beginning to take shape in the form of her best girlfriend in a way she couldn't deny. Karen had never been very picky when it came to pleasure, but the fact that Grace was her friend, her confidant, made everything seem much more difficult to understand. An odd feeling arose deep in her stomach at the thought of it. Maybe something will come of this... she thought. Is there anything wrong with that? Karen laughed tensely out loud to no one in particular, continuing her brisk walk to nowhere in particular. A labored sigh escaped her lips.

The café was small, comfortable. Crackling flames licked the roof of the fireplace; a warm puff of air swirled aimlessly around the room. Karen sipped slowly at her scalding hot coffee, the coffee, for once, a welcome break from her usual booze cruise. She eyed the other patrons of the coffee shop warily, observing their facial expressions and taking notice as to who and how they interacted with those around them. Laughter and jovial conversation rose up from each humble table.

Karen found herself unable to grasp the usual superficial thoughts that would normally float through her head in a setting such as this; bad outfits, horrid hairstyles, laughable accessories... her mind was surprisingly clouded with alternative reflections of her past relationships. She recognized that her love life was, indeed, a sad parade of men whom saw her more as the all-encompassing trophy wife rather than their significant other. Wasn't that what she'd wanted? To be someone's pet, to be pampered and cared for – a stark change from the dreadful life she'd lead with her mother looming over her as a child and young adult.

Karen thought that would be all she ever needed – money and sex, maybe a little relationship on the side. Was she really so vain? The thought had never really entered her mind before as a tangible problem. Vanity was wonderful. It made her feel beautiful in a harsh world. And biting sarcastic wit rides on the back of vanity like a remora to a shark – cleaning up the dirty parts of wealth in order to keep metaphorical things nice and tidy looking. If Karen's love felt a home in the presence of Grace, then she must find a way to tell herself that this was how she'd be happy. And she must find a way to tell Grace. That is, without Grace shrugging her off as the tippled-up lush façade Karen usually displayed to the world.

She swirled the last droplet of the aromatic auburn liquid around in the bottom of the cup. Eleven fifteen. The time had passed by as though she'd just left Grace's office and Karen was now left with nothing to do but either go home to her cushy mansion or return to work. Bubble bath, or facing emotional turmoil... decisions. Maybe this would all pass. She knew sexual strain had to have something to do with the way she was feeling, but she couldn't shake the thought of how much deeper this sensation seemed to run. Another sigh exhaled. Sooner or later, she'd have to make a decision that could change things. Maybe this was the one.

Karen felt that much was true. Could she go into this knowing already of the consequences that could rear their ugly heads? What if Grace didn't understand, what if she doesn't feel for her in the same light? Karen knew the latter was unfortunately the most likely, but she had to know. And she had to say something before she ran herself into the ground thinking about it.

Eleven thirty rolled around before Karen moved from her cozy spot in the corner of the café; watching leftover coffee plaster itself to the bottom of a cold mug had suddenly lost its luster. She brushed invisible lint from her crushed velvet chemise and strutted languidly up to the cashier to pay. Back to work she goes.

Grace held the two cloth examples next to each other, pondering. This new client was tediously nitpicky about color arrangement and had sent back Grace's previous proposals with biting disapproval. She rubbed her brow gently, trying in earnest to knead out the day's stresses.

The week's workload had rapidly piled up due to unknown circumstances and it didn't quite help that Karen, her supposed assistant, was zoned out even past the point of "constructive criticism." Which was all that she was usually good for, besides the occasional financial aid. But Grace had to give her some credit; Karen wasn't entirely materialistic. Occasionally she even exuded an air of genuine camaraderie.

Grace chuckled, amused by the thought. Come to think of it, Karen had mentioned nothing of Grace's getup or hair... or anything, for that matter. As a matter of fact, she'd been unusually quiet and distant. A furled eyebrow made its way up Grace's forehead. It could be this whole Stan situation. Grace sensed that Karen was truly heartbroken by her husband's absence, which seemed odd enough to entertain the thought that Karen could be heartbroken... or something of the sort. Don't think too much, Gracie. Back to these pitiful pieces of fabric before you.

A outfit-clad utility worker stood waiting for the elevator to arrive as Karen approached. He turned and sized her up, the stereotypical slag that he was, examining her feminine anatomy from head to toe. A wink of approval made Karen turn up her chin in admonishment and absentmindedly search for a hurriedly sewn nametag of some sort.

"Well..." She squinted. "Clay... remind me to provide you with the same tasteful courtesy next time I see you."

She smirked and strode into the elevator before he could move in beside her. Karen was once again surprised by her unusual distaste for a man in uniform, for that sort of thing always spurred some state of arousal inside her; a sudden change of ideals, perhaps, spurred by her situation. She wondered if it was normal for a person to switch gears so abruptly.

Then again, she'd never before had a husband shacked up in the slammer before. Maybe things such as those wore on a person's sense of romanticism. She had to allow herself to experiment. Taking a deep breath, she sauntered confidently up to the opaque glass door. A sudden bout of apprehension stopped her from entering. Karen could just make out Grace's figure within. She shook her head.

"You're being silly." she muttered to herself.

Gold. Red. Gold. Red. An eddy of dazzling colors burned themselves into Grace's mind. Coming on noon... she'd been at it for five hours straight already. Blueprint revisions, furniture recombination, an endless train of tasks yet to be completed and the day was half spent. Come to think of it, so was Grace's frazzled mind. She barely heard her assistant return hastily to her place behind the desk.

"Back so soon?" Grace remarked, eyeing a design magazine's adorable couch/loveseat ensemble that would wonderfully compliment the client's room's horridly gaudy carpet color.

"Hah. Yeah." Karen slid into the safety of her chair, offhandedly rummaging around in her purse.

"Karen, I'm going to have a go at an opinion from you today. Should I feel lucky?" Grace continued scouting for linens and drapery through the pages of the magazine.

"Sure honey, what do you need?" Karen tried on a small smile. Grace still hadn't looked up from the assignment at hand, her mind off in her little world of interiors and high ceilings.

"Do these colors seem too 'romantic indecision' to you?" Karen's eyes widened. Had she heard that correctly? "This woman wants her living room to convey 'romantically aesthetically pleasing' hues, but judging by the fabric she's asking for she's going to have major 'feng shui' interference." Grace held up a glossy picture in each hand for Karen to judge.

"Oh!" Karen laughed and absentmindedly rearranged items atop her desk. "Yeah, um, that's fantastic, Grace." She smiled, glancing in Grace's general direction then back down at her things. Grace stood poised in the same position for a few lingering moments then shrugged.

"Thanks." she said, proceeding to the supposed "mini bar" for a bottle of water. Grace took the time behind the open fridge door to steal a peek at the woman who'd just walked in. She definitely sensed something awry; Karen wasn't acting her usual rebuking self today. She seemed distant, unaware. Grace swiped a water from the frigid shelf and loped slowly back, leering as she went. None the wiser, Karen seemed to be studying the intricate pattern of her blouse with profound interest.

"Karen are you alright? I know this may sound strange, but you look somewhat somber." Grace prodded. Karen continued needlessly picking at her blouse. A sigh.

"Aw, I'm fine..." she laughed somewhat uneasily, "just the same old things." She paused. "And I love you." Grace stopped, puzzled.

"Well... I love you too, Karen." Comprehension dawned on her, and she smiled. "What do you want, Karen?" Grace smirked, the thought of Karen hitting her up for a favor an ever-elusive occasion. Karen still had that anxious smile plastered to her face.

"No... Never mind, honey." She stood up to leave.

"Karen? I'm sorry. What is it?" Grace's face relaxed.

"Nothing. See you tomorrow, Grace."

"Karen! I'm truly sorry. I didn't know you were being sincere." A small smile swept across her face.

"Fine." Karen confidently walked up to Grace, clasped Grace's face in her hands, and placed a gentle kiss to her lips, tongue darting out swiftly to explore Grace's slightly open mouth. As quickly as Karen had approached, she let go and darted for the door. Grace swayed in astonishment.

"...Wow! What was that all about?" She laughed, hands held out in query. Karen stopped in the open door; looked back.

"It wasn't about anything. I don't know what I'm doing."

She disappeared into the hallway. Grace stood for a beat, and then her face fell to an expression of guilt as she hurriedly chased after Karen.

"Karen! Wait! Karen!" She had already vanished into the depths of her waiting limousine, leaving Grace completely dumbfounded. What had just happened? Maybe Karen was going through a strange variety of withdrawal, making her act out on impulses. Although Karen did always have a strange air for forever changing lifestyles... this could be her way of telling Grace something she couldn't otherwise put into words. Karen was unsure; confused without a significant other's presence in her life. That "I love you" had sounded oddly sincere... resounding comprehension suddenly struck Grace as her eyes widened and she put her fingertips to her gaping mouth.

She went back to her respective place in the office and plopped herself down onto the stool. Sitting in silence for a few moments, she went over this anomalous event in her mind and slowly turned each piece of the puzzle. Grace had known that Karen was relatively sexually indiscriminate, but this... this was different. Karen's usual come-ons and innuendos were all in jest. Grace couldn't shake the fact that there was definitely underlying truths to Karen's actions.

It actually seemed quite intriguing to Grace – she'd never pursued a relationship with another female before, let alone considered the fact that she could if she truly wanted to do so. Maybe she should take this opportunity as it has presented itself. Grace's unfortunate attraction to the gay male of the opposite sex had made her believe more than once that it was possible she just wasn't meant to give her heart and soul to a man. Maybe... What a fantastically unusual sequence of events. Could she possibly make this decision so hastily, without thinking about it? Should this be something that must be pondered? Or was everything just spread out before her; a path ready to be tread. When opportunities present themselves, it is a rare chance that this decision could be the last one must make. A lasting one that, if let pass by, is one horrible mistake. Grace decided undoubtedly that she needed to speak to Karen. They could have something here.

Hopefully she wasn't jumping to mistaken conclusions.

Karen stared mindlessly out of the window of the limo, mentally reprimanding herself for being so foolish. How could she have entertained the thought that anything good would arise of this? Foolish, so foolish...

"Driver, how do you manage?"

"Pardon me, Mrs. Walker?" Driver peered at her in the rearview mirror.

"You know. Romantically. It must be hard for you not to be able to go anywhere but into the confines of this car." Karen spoke as she continued to look out of the tinted window.

"Well, yourself and... Mr. Walker... didn't let me do anything. Er... not that I don't enjoy driving you around town or anything, ma'am. You look just lovely this afternoon." He rambled on in hopes that his digression would go unnoticed.

"Hey, I didn't ask you for your pity. Simply a little romantic advice." Karen rolled her eyes.

"Pardon? I didn't..." he stammered.

"Bup! Shush. Just keep driving." Deep down inside, Karen did acknowledge her follies. She had found that, in life, sometimes it was just easier to contribute to the stereotype she had worked so hard to achieve. Now she was headed home for a nice Rosario scrub-down and soothing, frothy bubble bath. Dealings in this recent situation could be dealt with later, but in the back of her mind, Karen secretly hoped that Grace caught at least part of the message Karen so blatantly forced on her.

After Grace closed up shop around nine o'clock (late, by her standards, for today had been particularly demanding), she hopped the earliest shuttle back to the apartment. Luckily, Will had yet to arrive home from work so that she could have some time to think. Better yet, speak to Karen... She cradled the cordless phone in her palm, fingering the numbers inattentively before physically attempting to call. Hesitation proved to be a bitch. She digressed. Tomorrow. She'd call early tomorrow morning, assuming she'd still feel the same. Extremely tired from the day's proceedings, Grace turned in early.

The sun welcomed the new day early. Six thirty early. Grace had heard Will sneak into the apartment during the wee hours; he'd most likely been out and about scoping random bars for prospective dates with Jack. He'd been doing that a lot lately, which led Grace to believe that either he'd found someone new he wasn't telling her about, or rather he had just been feeling fun and fancy free, per say. Will was most likely still asleep, seeing as he usually didn't choose to greet the day until the later morning hours when he was actually able to pour the coffee into the mug.

Not specifically trying to forget the previous day's activities, Grace decided to figure out what she was going to say to Karen. She prepared a chilled bowl of cereal while simultaneously pouring a tall glass of orange juice. As soon as she woke up a little more, she would call. She promised herself.

As the last bead of milk swirled into the drain, Grace tread softly to the couch, receiver in hand. Sitting down, she held the phone lightly to her ear, finding herself the slightest bit apprehensive of the forthcoming voice on the other side.

One ring, two rings...

"Walker residents, how may I direct your call?" Grace fought a rising chuckle in her throat.

One of the many servants rerouted the ring directly to Karen.

"Karen Walker speaking." Grace could hear her rhythmic breathing over the phone line. "Hello...?"

"Hey Kare, this is Grace..." she stalled. "I was calling to ask you if you're alright." Silence arose as Karen seemed to be gathering her thoughts.

"Well that's quite a change. You didn't seem to care much for my feelings while I was standing right in front of you yesterday."

Karen said. Grace could hear a huff of disapproval.

"I'm sorry, a thousand times I'm sorry. I just think you have something important to tell me."

"Hah! And what if I do? You'll just shoot me down."

"I won't, Karen. I won't... because..." Grace shifted on the couch.

"Because I think I feel the same way." She fiddled with a rogue bit of fuzz on the throw cushion. "I don't know what I think, but of all the things I should be sure of, that seems to be the most grounded in reality." Grace winced, awaiting any sort of response.

Silence.

"...Really?" Grace was surprised both by the meek tone of Karen's query and immediate (somewhat earnest) acceptance of her apology.

"Really. In all truth, though, I haven't given it much thought. But... it's possible that this doesn't need to be thought out. I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm open to new risks."

"And this is a risk?" Grace heaved a long sigh before speaking next.

"I didn't mean for that to sound taboo or anything. I'm just... I don't know how to begin. I mean, I like men. At least, I thought I did. Or maybe I don't. Maybe I'm one of those who goes for both." Grace laughed out of sheer discomfort, massaging the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

"Well let's not get too into thinking right now. Don't freak out, honey. You come over here and we'll see what happens from there. If you want to." Grace detected a hint of insistence in Karen's remark, but didn't pursue.

"Um... sure, yeah. I'll be there in a little bit."

Click.

Grace reeled. "Oh my God, what am I doing?" She closed her eyes and fell back onto the cushions. This was Karen... upper-class extraordinaire.

Karen!

Never in a million years... The thought was oddly refreshing.

Karen was found herself elated at the fact that Grace took to her as well. Well of course; a mutual understanding is always heartening, especially on what Karen considered a tricky subject. What now?

All that had blossomed that day seemed to be going dizzyingly fast in terms of agreement and time-wise. It had only taken one day to... act... her mind and now all seemed too be going well. Strangely well.

So there she sat at the foot of her bed at seven o'clock in the morning waiting for Grace to arrive. Her friend? Her companion? ...Her lover? Karen found herself both confused and excited regarding these exotic sentiments. There was a timid knock on the door.

"Karen, you in there?" Grace called.

"Come on in." Grace walked in slowly, smiling like a buffoon.

"I think it's time I say that I feel really, really weird right now. Am I really here?"

"Oh geez, Grace. Do I always have to be the one in charge of the situation?" Karen rolled her eyes as she grabbed Grace by the arm and led her to the bed.

"Um... isn't this a little drastic?" Grace's face turned to a look of confused terror.

"Get a grip, honey, we're just going to sit on the bed. I'm not going to jump your bones or anything." Karen smiled, which was strange for Grace who was seeing a side of her that rarely surfaced.

"I can see you've definitely never done anything like this before."

"Well, I don't know, am I supposed to have already had a slue of relationships with women?"

"Hey! This is as awkward for me as it is for you. I'm trying to find myself." Karen's brow furrowed in slight irritation. She realized that sounded a little cliché.

"I know... I didn't mean to sound catty. I'm just nervous." Grace offered an apologetic eyebrow raise.

"Ok, straight to the point. What is this? What are we doing here?" Karen pelted her with questions.

"How am I supposed to know? Do we have to figure all of that out now or can we just sort of roll with whatever happens?" Grace offered.

"Sounds least difficult of all."

"Karen, 'this' isn't a laboratory experiment. It's real life. Stop treating it like it's something that can just be tried and dropped."

"That's how I've always done it." Karen shrugged.

"That's not going to work this time. Now you're dealing with me. I don't do that. When I'm hurt, I'm devastated, when I'm happy, I'm ecstatic." Grace tried to get the message across as easily as possible.

"Alright, I'll do it that way if that's what you want." Karen fiddled with her bracelet.

"Don't pull a Josh on me... you're as responsible for this...relationship... as I am." Grace stressed. They sat silent for a moment, avoiding each other's eyes.

"Relationship. Wow." Karen ruminated. "Grace, I have to say that I'm just happy its you. I really am."

"Me too." Grace grinned. Karen clumsily grasped Grace's hand in hers. This action, as subtle as it was, seemed to cement the beginning to whatever relationship was about to form. "Do you think we're moving too fast with this?" Grace sounded slightly anxious. "I mean, yeah. You know. It's only been... one and a half days."

"Aw, to hell with too fast. This is great!" Karen threw her arms around Grace's shoulders in a rough embrace.

Karen accompanied Grace to the front door, throwing in a petite kiss to the cheek before she exited.

As soon as she turned around, she noticed she was being watched by many different sets of prying eyes.

"What do you think you're looking at? Get to work!" With that, she retreated back to her upstairs loft.

Giving herself the rest of the day off, Grace returned to the apartment for a day of vegging out in front of the television cuddled up to a steamy bowl of buttered popcorn. She would normally alert Karen of the change in schedule, but there was really no legitimate reason to do so, simply because of the fact that Karen seemed to have a sixth sense when regarding such matters. Grace therefore skimmed the channels for any signs of a slushy romantic comedy to fill the void.

She felt so rested at that point, such a feeling of peace inhabited her inside that she could actually feel herself traveling away from stressful matters at hand more toward some level of balance. And it felt marvelous. The monotonous drone of the telephone interrupted Grace's brief reverie as she reached across the couch to answer.

"Hello?" She popped a puffy kernel into her mouth.

"Grace? Karen." Curious, Grace muted the television.

"Yes Karen?"

"I, uh. Dinner. Tonight. I'll pick you up." The dial tone resounded in her ear.

At that moment, the apartment door swung open to reveal a slightly disheveled Will. He jingled a ring of keys in his pocket, then draped his coat across the back of the couch.

"Hey Grace." He scratched his head and appeared to be looking for something. "You haven't happened to see a manila folder lying around with a bunch of yellow papers in it, have you?" He continued scanning the area around the front door. He looked up, suddenly silent. "What are you doing home? It's only ten o'clock. Who was on the phone?" he inquired.

"Gee Will, I don't really feel like playing Twenty Questions right now. And hello. I decided to take the day off." Her gaze shifted from the glow of the television to Will. "It was Karen. And I haven't seen your folder." She knew she'd just set herself up for another series of grilling questions.

"Karen makes her own calls? Hm. Well, you learn something new everyday." He picked up a cushion and felt around underneath it.

"What did she want?" Grace grew more and more fidgety with each new inquiry.

"Nothing."

"Huh?"

"Dinner." The last remark muttered under her breath into the bowl of popcorn.

"What? Did you say dinner?" Will picked up the large marble bowl on the coffee table and muttered a few words of his own upon the absence of his prize. Grace nodded towards him. The fact that he couldn't hear nor see her acknowledgement seemed to Grace as answer enough.

"Hm. Well anyway, I have to get back to work. Call me if you see the folder anywhere. You're going out to dinner with Karen?" He looked up at her.

"Is it such a big deal?" Grace prodded.

"Well, no, I guess not. I'm sorry, I'm a bit flustered right now. Anyway, I'm heading back." He scratched his head again as he examined the room one more time. "See you tonight." Will rushed back out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him. Grace breathed a deep sigh of relief. Although... what was she so afraid of? She had forgotten the fact that she lived with Will, and that he would no doubt eventually discover the fact that she and Karen were now a dysfunctional item. In the meantime, she just sunk further into the couch and hunkered down for a daylong movie fest.

The sunlight hours passed languidly by as film after film played out before Grace's sleeping eyes. She slowly awoke to Goldie Hawn embracing some stunning gentleman.

"Ugh... what time is it?" she said aloud to the empty room. Tiny flecks of dust wafted by in the golden dusky sunlight filtering through the window. She figured she'd better get dressed for whatever occasion was to present itself tonight. Karen hadn't mentioned any arrival time, so it was all guess and check. Grace went for one's fallback conservative getup that proved appropriate for any function.

In a moment of extreme clarity, Grace was struck with the fact that she was dressing up to "impress" another woman. She spun around in front of the body-length mirror. The corner of her lip curled up at the irony of the situation; Karen never approved of Grace's attire.

This should be quite interesting indeed.

"Well, here we go." Grace smiled and modestly caressed Karen's hand, which was lying on the seat between them. The inside of the limousine was pitch dark aside from the dim shimmer of the courtesy lights. They both sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the crackling nighttime air drifting about the car's cabin.

"Oh Grace, let's kiss." Karen looked up at her with a surprisingly sincere expression on her face, waiting.

"Karen, I don't know if I..." Grace was cut short as she found her words being sucked into Karen's hungry mouth. As initial shock of the lip-lock wore off, Grace felt herself instinctively responding to the intrusion, allowing her tongue to explore a female mouth not her own. She opened her eyes and noticed

Karen's eyelids flutter ever so slightly. Karen's hand snaked around the back of Grace's neck and her nails dug into the sensitive skin. Now feral need had taken over completely as the two women explored each crack and crevice of one another's oral cavities mercilessly. Grace finally pushed away and gasped for breath. She looked at Karen through the faint light, eyes glazed.

"Wow..." she breathed. "That was incredible." Grace finally spoke and swiped her tongue over the corner of her mouth.

"It was. See Grace, this is what I've been talking about. I didn't need to search anywhere but in front of my own nose for someone who is just right for me." Karen took a big breath, rolling her shoulders and nearly giggling in satisfaction.

"You enjoy pulling that sudden kiss thing, don't you..." Grace teased, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess I do. It's fun; tasty." Another long, drawn out sigh. "Hey, hey!" Karen tapped on the partition. "What's taking you so long, Driver?" Karen yapped at the pitiful man in the driver's seat, who had lowered the glass in response to the incessant patter.

"Almost there, Mrs. Walker." His small grin went wholly unnoticed as the glass slowly rose back up toward the ceiling of the car.

The restaurant was bustling with chatty patrons filing in and out of the grand double doors at the entrance.

"Lordy, this is ridiculous. You've got to be a full two hands taller than me." Karen spouted, looking up at Grace.

"Hands? What am I, a horse?" Grace responded. "And you're exaggerating." Grace boldly thrust out her hand with the intention of Karen taking it.

"Oh, honey, I don't hold hands." Karen chuckled and walked into the chilly eatery. Grace dejectedly followed. Some of the finer points of this relationship were going to have to be hammered out later...

Dinner sped by with idle chatter and the occasional tender gaze across the table, all over a brimming pitcher of straight up beer. Grace was currently tugging at her alcoholic threshold, already seeing the room sway and a few multiplying waiters.

"Grace, honey, I think eight mugs full is your limit. You're starting to scare me." Karen smiled in that 'put down that drink right now' sense and pulled the glass from Grace's firm grip. Grace snickered, but complied submissively. She let Karen haul her out of the place by the hand.

"I thought you didn't hold hands..." Grace beamed, breath reeking of the familiar fermented grains.

"I do make exceptions sometimes." Karen rolled her eyes and made a beeline for the limo. "Driver, back to the mans."

"Your house?" Grace wasn't too far under as to totally forget where her own bed was.

"Yeah hon, you don't want Willma to see you in this condition, do you?" Karen all but shoved Grace into the backseat.

"I guess not... thought it's not like I would be ashamed of going home drunk or anything." Grace was pretty sure Karen's show of courtesy was just a ruse to get her to go back to her house. "You know Karen, I would have thought the fact that we're together now would allow you to just tell me when you want me to spend the night at your place." Grace commented.

"What? Oh pshaw! You wish." Karen tossed her a look of faux contempt then looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. Grace smiled and rolled her eyes.

"But," she offered, "I'd be glad to stay over."

"Here, you can wear the shirt you wore last time you were here." Karen tossed the gargantuan tee over to Grace from across the room.

"Why do you still have Stan's clothes?" Grace was virtually swallowed whole by the massive volume of pallid cotton.

"They won't let him have anything but the bare necessities while he's locked up. Of course, this is his house and he can still fill these drawers with whatever he wants." Karen sifted through a linen closet looking for something. "Shirts, pants, socks..." She paused. "...room temperature bottles of gin..." She emerged with the grand prize, a half empty bottle of Gilbey's Gin.

"Wow Karen, I don't know whether to be impressed or fearful knowing that you stash alcohol at various points throughout your house." She thought for a moment. "Though I shouldn't be surprised..." Grace scrunched up her eyebrows. "Don't want to wrap my mind around that one right now."

"Oh Grace, you're a funny, funny girl." Karen poured some of the lucent liquid into a highball glass that apparently materialized out of thin air.

"Yep, you never cease to amaze me." With that, Grace made herself comfortable on the oversized bed, snuggling deep into the whisper-soft bedspread.

As she was lying there, the light soon clicked off and she felt Karen gently slide in beside her. Grace reached out and was surprised when her hand made contact with naked skin.

"Not right now, Grace, I'm tired." Karen mumbled semi-coherently. Grace chose to disregard the comment.

"Karen, are you wearing any clothes?"

"Yes."

"Please don't tell me I have to be specific."

"Mmm." That last drink must've knocked her out. Grace squinted through the darkness and could just make out the tiny black straps of a nearly backless nightie.

Damn, Jack wasn't embellishing when he spoke of his masseuse experiences with Karen... the woman's skin was flawless. A shaft of moonlight poured in through the enormous bay window, alighting upon Karen's bare back with a dazzling blue hue. Grace smiled despite herself and got comfortable, finally letting the heavy weight of sleep pull her eyelids closed.

Being surrounded by a bulging mattress of feathers made Grace feel as though she was sleeping in the center of a fluffy white cloud. A sudden touch of cold at the nape of her neck startled her awake halfway through the night, prompting her to discover Karen having shifted positions during the night. Karen's arm was draped over Grace's abdomen and her cold nose had found a warm home under

Grace's auburn blanket of curls. Grace couldn't help it as a jovial smile spread across her face. She'd never seen Karen quite so content as she seemed while sleeping. As much as the thought admittedly freaked her out, it also melted her heart. The commencement of this relationship was definitely a good thing. A thing both of them could learn and grow from, both physically and mentally. It was a welcome detour from heartbreak, to say the least. Grace discovered that she enjoyed watching Karen in slumber.

A pounding headache greeted a waking Grace as the sound of pots and pans clanging seeped into the room from the kitchen. She rubbed her eyes and tried to bring the room into focus, eyes adjusting slowly to the vibrant golden sunlight. Karen was still sound asleep beside her as Grace snuck quietly out of the room. She glanced at her watch: nine o'clock. Will would probably have some sort of hissy fit when she returned, but he'd just have to deal with it. Hopefully she wouldn't have to answer too many questions upon arrival.

When she opened the door, Will was already up and at 'em, fiddling with the percolator on the counter.

"Hey, Party Girl." He said with his back turned. "Late night?"

"Apparently..." Grace walked up to the cabinet beside him and brought out a container of oatmeal. She hurriedly dumped numerous ingredients into a large bowl and shoved the concoction into the microwave.

"What's up?" he questioned, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I drank a little too much last night; stayed at Karen's."

"You sure have been spending a lot with Cruella as of late." He grinned mischievously.

"What are you implying? She's my friend." Grace said defensively.

"I'm not implying anything." he commented truthfully. "I'm just using my powers of observation." Will widened his eyes, jokingly insinuating mental telepathy. He laughed. Grace sighed.

"Will, Karen and I are an item." Judging from the nonverbal reaction, she guessed he'd heard her loud and clear. She wasn't expecting to hear rising laughter coming from the man standing beside her.

"...What?" A disbelieving smile was plastered to his face. "Ok, either I'm tripping on acid right now, or you've experienced a complete lack of inhibition and common sense in the past week." He shook his head and chuckled. "You and Karen. Good one Grace. Need I remind you that you prefer the male of the species? I'm the gay one here." He looked at her, still smirking.

"Do I, Will?" She glared at him with her fists pressed into her sides. It was way too early in the morning for this.

"Grace, you really are a funny lady." His sarcastic tone managed to do nothing but make Grace's stomach turn with anger; she could almost feel the acids lapping up into her mouth. It took Will a moment or two before he noticed Grace's lethal expression.

"What?!" He became silent.

"You don't believe me, but I'm telling you the truth. I know it may be hard for you to grasp," she paused, "but it's true." She steadied her breathing. "Last night, Karen and I went out for a nice dinner, then I went back to her place and we slept in the same bed. Together. Same bed." Will stood there, dumbfounded.

"You're serious." He gasped. "You and Karen are... involved?" He found himself in a state of utter shock. "How did that happen? I thought you were straight?"

"You think too much. This is a decision that I've made, and I like it for once. I feel good." She held her rigid posture as Will ran through these new details in his mind.

"No... I can't believe it." He turned to pour some coffee into a waiting mug. "This is too weird, I must be dreaming." He shook his head again. "You're Grace!" he exclaimed, laughing.

"Yes, and Grace can make changes in her life if she chooses to. All I ask of you is your acceptance of the fact, because now I've told you, and I trust you, and you need to believe me." She peered at the floor. Will cocked his head to the side, suddenly feeling the slightest bit guilty.

"Grace, you know I support you, whatever you do." He let the warm mug thaw his hands. "Just understand, from my point of view, this is a huge curveball." he explained. "I mean, come on. Karen? Of all people to come out with... Mrs. Boozed Up Rich Bitch from... down there..." He let a small laugh escape.

"Well I'm glad you feel that way. I'm sure she sees the same charm and charisma in you." Grace turned towards the table, bowl of oatmeal in hand. "Karen has her flaws, but when you get to know her like I have, your opinion changes tenfold. Maybe you'd have that opportunity if you two would be a little nicer to each other."

"What you've been through? By all accounts and purposes, from what you've just told me, it's only been..." He seemed to be calculating dates in his head. "A week?"

"Two days."

"Two days? Grace, that's barely anything." He took another sip. "Hate to break it to you." He shrugged. "You don't even know for sure where Karen's priorities lie."

"Well thanks for the advice. You're a real doll." she spat back.

The door swung open, interrupting the conversation.

"Introducing... me!" Jack leapt into the room and flung his hands flamboyantly into the air. Grace heaved a rather large sigh and almost burst out laughing at the irony of the situation.

"Morning, Jack." Will made his way to the table with a bowl of cereal.

"And to you." Jack smiled and nodded. He looked at Grace with a maniacal sneer. "Guess what I heard?"

Oh no...

He paused for effect. "Karen and Grace are lesbians! Weeee..." He spun around in a small circle, hands still up in the air. Grace nearly choked on a rather large glob of oatmeal.

"What? Who told you that?" she screeched.

"Karen, of course. She tells me everything." Jack slid into the chair beside Grace. "So... Grace is a big les. Jack was not expecting this, and did not detect this on his Gaydar." He pouted and looked from Will to Grace with puppy dog eyes. "Methinks it only works on men. Which is just dandy for me, personally." Jack's telltale beaming smile returned to his face. "So aren't we just a big, gay," Jack snickered at the double entendre. "...family now?"

He giggled.

"Oddly enough, I'm tempted to say we are." Grace pondered. "Imagine that."

The End...?

More Author's Notes: I hope to sweet molasses that I served the characters justice in this short story. I know the ending seems rather abrupt, but I'm under the impression that to continue most definitely means an entirely new story, new conditions, new "adventures," etcetera.
Any response whatsoever will no doubt encourage any further installments to this jump-around tale. :D :D
Feedback is mightily appreciated and adored by yours truly! :D :D
And now, the song that spurred the title. I figured it could be from Karen to Stan:

"Tempted"
Squeeze

I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste
A flannel for my face
Pajamas, a hairbrush
New shoes and a case
I said to my reflection
Let's get out of this place
Past the church and the steeple
The laundry on the hill
Billboards and the buildings
Memories of it still
Keep calling and calling
But forget it all
I know I will

Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
What's been going on
Now that you have gone
There's no other
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered

I'm at the car park, the airport
The baggage carousel
The people keep on crowding
I'm wishing I was well
I said it's no occasion
It's no story I could tell

At my bedside empty pocket
A foot without a sock
Your body gets much closer
I fumble for the clock
Alarmed by the seduction
I wish it would stop

Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
What's been going on
Now that you have gone
There's no other
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered

I bought a novel, some perfume
A fortune all for you
But it's not my conscience
Headed to be untrue
I asked of my reflection
What is there to do?

Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
What's been going on
Now that you have gone
There's no other
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered

Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted but the truth is discovered
Tempted by the truth of another
Tempted and the truth is discovered
Tempted by the fruit of another
Tempted and the truth is discovered...

Back to Fanfiction
Back to Fun
Back to the main page