Once and Again 1. Default Chapter

FEELINGS  
  
  
  
The alarm clock rang. It was 6:30 in the morning. Grace exhaled and closed her eyes wishing that the feeling of emptiness in her soul just went away. She woke up around 4:00 a .m and, in spite of her hard trying, she couldn't get back to sleep. So she just laid there , waiting for the daylight to come and now that it has, all she could was still laid there not very sure of what she was feeling.  
  
Lily went downstairs and walked into the kitchen, she found Eli there, trying to find something to eat. She was a little surprised to see him up so early, since she knew that he was supposed to be at the Booklovers at nine.  
  
"You're up early." Lily said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Eli lazily replied still looking for food in the fridge.  
  
Lily looked at him and noticed he was not very well, not that he's been openly showing demonstrations of pure joy lately, but he looked sadder than the usual, even the word *depression* came to her when she tried to describe to herself the look in his eyes.  
  
"Hey, why don't you sit there and I'll cook you something. How about bacon... eggs?" Lily said trying to cheer him up a little.  
  
"Umm... No, thanks. I guess I'll have a cup of juice or some milk." Eli grinned.  
  
"Who said anything about bacon, cause I want it."Zoe asked brightly while making her entrance in the kitchen as Jessie made her own as well.  
  
"Okay! Who else wants bacon? Jessie, do you want?"  
  
Jessie gave Lily a confused look because Lily knew Jessie doesn't eat meat and stuff.  
  
"Sorry, honey. I forgot." Lily said smiling.  
  
"Good morning, everyone" Rick greeted and Lily grinned  
  
Rick served himself with some of orange juice while Lily looked around like there was something, or someone, missing.  
  
Grace was lying in her bed and staring at the ceiling when she heard a knock on her door that was followed by a call.  
  
"Gracie!!! Are you awake? It's past seven. You better hurry up or you'll be late for school" Lily stated.  
  
Grace snorted and murmured to herself, "Going to school is the last thing I wanna do after what happened." She closed her eyes, then put a pillow against her face.  
  
"Gracieeee!!!!"Lily called again but this time she couldn't help herself from invading her daughter's room. Lily opened the door and found Grace still in bed, with a pillow on her face which made Lily worry about her daughter right away.  
  
"What is it, sweetie? Are you sick? Lily gently asked sitting on Grace's bed.  
  
Grace took the pillow off of her face and then gave her mother a piercing look. "It's nothing" she answered.  
  
"It's gotta be something. I mean, is it about... you know..." Lily tried to mentioned the Mr. Dimitri thing but trying not to hurt Grace even more.  
  
"It's nothing, mom." Grace assured her mother and went on, "I just overslept. That's all."  
  
Lily looked at her not very convinced she was telling the truth but didn't want to push it." So, if you're not sick, you better get up now and get ready for school."  
  
"Can't I just stay home today. I don't feel like seeing or talking to people"  
  
Lily looked at her daughter and frown. "It's odd, you know. First I find Eli up before 7:00 a . m and then I find you here, trying to escape from the world or something."  
  
"So...?" Grace snorted.  
  
"It's just that you were the one that even going through problems you'd get up in the morning and face the world and Eli used to be the that always tried to escape from it. Now it seems like you switched parts" Lily tried to explain her thoughts.  
  
"Mom, I'm up. You don't have to worry about me and Eli and I haven't switched anything." Grace stated, getting up while Lily walked out the room.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Eli stepped into his room, he was with his guitar over his shoulder. He threw it aside then collapsed on his bed taking a real deep breath. *What a bad day*, he thought. He spent the whole day organizing books and more books and even more books in those shelves and the first hour of the evening he spent rehearsing with his band. They're trying to get new gigs so they had to practice a lot. But Eli just like this particular day has lasted a thousands hours and it hasn't gone yet. A smooth knock on his door made him change his position into a more presentable one then said, "Come in."  
  
"Dad and Lily are calling you for dinner." Jessie reported.  
  
"I'm not hungry.", he shrugged and went on, "Did you talk to mom today? "  
  
"Yes, I did. She said she thought you'd stay with her for a few more days."  
  
"Yeah, I know" Eli said looking at the floor.  
  
Jessie, realizing her brother wasn't feeling very well, took a deep breath then left his room, closing the door behind herself. Eli exhaled and crashed on his be again.  
  
"Where's Eli?", Rick asked as Jessie stepped into the dining room.  
  
"He's not hungry." She informed her father while placing herself sat next to Grace who was staring at her plane. Grace pretty much looked like a statue. It seemed she was not even breathing.  
  
"is everything alright, Gracie?", Lily asked after noticing her daughter's stillness. "... Grace?! Grace?!"  
  
"What?" said Grace after being brought back to Earth with the sound of her mother's voice.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Grace glanced around in confusion and finally answered Lily, "Um.. I'm not feeling very well. I guess I'll just go to my room and try to get some sleep. Excuse me."  
  
"Do you need anything, like-" said Lily with concern.  
  
"No, it's ok. I just need to rest." Grace eased her mother's concern and then headed up to her room.  
  
*  
  
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A few hours later  
  
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Grace after trying to sleep, without much success, jumped out of her bed and went downstairs. She wanted to eat something since she didn't have dinner. She turned the kitchen's light on at the same time Eli was entering in the room. They looked at each other a little embarassed. Grace even forced herself a smile and Eli grinned back. They both headed to the fridge looking for some leftovers.  
  
"Can't sleep?" Eli tried to start a conversation.  
  
"Yeah." Grace breathed.  
  
"Me too."  
  
Both, Eli and Grace, felt a little uncomfortable, like there's something in the air. Something unexplained between them.  
  
"I never got to thank you... for the other night. So... thanks" said Grace trying to avoid his eyes.  
  
"You're welcome" Eli nodded and went on, "It was because of him, wasn't it?"  
  
Grace glance at him then lowered her eyes.  
  
"You miss him, don't you?" Eli insisted.  
  
Grace took a deep breath then her mouth started to move and no sound came out it.  
  
"You don't have to say anything. I know what it is like." Eli hummed.  
  
"I'm not sure you do." Grace finally spoke and Eli looked at her puzzled.  
  
"You asked me if I missed him. The thing is... I don't know. I mean. I do know but I don't to believe that what I feel is true." She tried to explain to him.  
  
"What do you mean?". Eli questioned.  
  
"I thought that what I felt for Mr. Dimitri... August was something so strong that I would never stop missing him. That without him I would go insane or something and now when I think of what happened between us and when I think of him... I just don't feel anything. I mean... anything." Grace murmured on the verge of tears. "I thought I loved him. So how come I feel this way now? The whole thing between us was only a month ago. How something that seemed so strong turned into something so ..."  
  
"... shallow? " Eli Said and Grace looked at him with surprise.  
  
"Yes." Grace agreed, "When did you stop missing Carla? Do you know when that happened? Or do you still miss her?"  
  
Eli stepped closer to Grace and exhaled, " I don't really wanna talk about it."  
  
"Why not?'  
  
"Because things between me and Carla were… weird-" Eli tried to escape from Grace's question.  
  
"Things between me and Mr. Dimitri were weird too." Grace disputed.  
  
"When Carla didn't show up at the bus station I thought I would die. I felt so lonely and lost . But one day I woke and she was gone. All that's left from her now is the memory of something that I shouldn't have done. Something that I regret now." Eli said with a sad look in his eyes.  
  
"I know the feeling." Grace lightly stammered,  
  
"Carla put me through a lot of pain. But she also taught me a lot. I can't deny that. She taught me to be-"  
  
"Fearless." Grace breathed and Eli looked at her noticing that there was something about the two of them. Something that even him couldn't explain. He reached for her hand and hold it tight. When Grace felt his touch, something inside of her woke up. She raised her head and met his gaze. She still felt something about him. She knew it for sure. They both remained in silence for a while, they didn't need words to understand each other, until Grace got out a few words, "Well, thanks once again."  
  
"Any time." Eli grinned  
  
"We better go to sleep." Grace said heading out of the kitchen then she turned around and went on,"And don't you worry, Eli. If I ever fall for another teacher again, I'll try not to run to your room, crying like a just born baby after he dump me. Ok? Grace said trying to make fun of her own situation and then give Eli her sweetest smile.  
  
Eli laughed a little, "Ok. You give me your word?"  
  
Grace's smile fade out and they both looked at each other self-conscious , then they headed to their rooms. 


	2. Let´s Play Friends

FEELINGS - PART TWO  
  
Both, Eli and Grace went to their respective rooms not very sure of what happened. They couldn't understand how such different stories could cause the same reaction, or the same feelings, in two people so different from each other. But the truth was that they no longer could deny that there was something between them. Something that couldn't be changed by what had happened to them so far.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
On the next day, after the school bell dismissed Grace and everyone else for the day, she went to her locker to pick up a book, as she closed it-, "OH GOD! YOU SCARED ME!! What are you doing here, Eli?", Grace yelled surprisingly as Eli watched her reaction with a sarcastic smile on his face.  
  
"So? ELI? "she asked him again with her right hand on her hip.  
  
"Well... um... I'm here to pick you up." he got out smiling.  
  
Grace stared him with the *why* look on her face.  
  
"Since your mom's with her car, my dad's with his, I'm with my mom's and Katie certainly is driving Jessie from here to everywhere, I figured you might need a ride home." Eli quickly explained.  
  
"Oh, thank you. But weren't you supposed to be working?" Grace suspiciously asked.  
  
"I left early."  
  
"Why Judy and my dad would let you leave early?" she insisted.  
  
"I don't know. Ask them." Eli said a little annoyed.  
  
"Hey, I didn't ask it to piss you off. It's just that-" Grace rolled her eyes.  
  
"Do you want a ride or not? Cause if you don't, I'm out of here." Eli interrupted Grace and started out leaving her behind.  
  
Grace rushed after him, "WAIT!", she called, "I do want a ride."  
  
"Can we go now?" Eli said.  
  
Grace and Eli got in the car and right after Eli started it Grace quickly turned it off.  
  
"Why did you do that?" Eli snapped as Grace looked down not answering him.  
  
He waited a while but she didn't say a thing, "Is it about last night?" Eli asked finally breaking the silence. Grace shook her head in agreement then looked up and softly asked, "What did you feel when you found Carla's letter in my room?"  
  
"What? Why do you wanna know that? "he snorted with a puzzled face.  
  
"Just answer me... please." she demanded.  
  
"When I read that she didn't miss me, part of me felt like my heart was pulled out... and another part of me felt ... felt... relieved." he embarrassingly answered her as she started to nod. Eli quietly observed Grace non-stop nodding, her eyes fixed down on her feet.  
  
"Why are you interested in it?" he hummed.  
  
"I just wanted to know if what I felt when Mr. Dimitri told me he was just using me was normal or something. And-" Grace shrugged.  
  
"Wait. Wait. Wait. He said he used you?" Eli interrupted her.  
  
Grace looked at him, his face was suddenly cover with anger because of what she brought out, "Yes" she stammered.  
  
"What? How dare him?! Why didn't you tell me?" he yelled nervously.  
  
"Because it's no big deal." She rose her voice a little.  
  
"How can you say that?"  
  
"Because I felt the same... I mean, part of me wanted to die and other part of me was relieved." she stated out loud trying to calm him down. The anger frowns on his face slowly faded. Grace forced herself a smile and joked, "I didn't tell you about it cause I knew you'd pull one of the * big brother*, so..."  
  
Eli got out a laugh at that thought and nodded.  
  
"I thought you were here to drive me home?" she changed the subject.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"So why aren't you driving me home?" she joked again making him realize they were still parked next to the school sidewalk. Eli shook his head like was waking up from a slumber and started the car then they took off.  
  
*  
  
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Three hours later  
  
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"I can't believe you dragged me to see *The Spider Man*. Grace said under a laugh as Eli parked the car then she continued, "And if that wasn't enough, after *the amazing movie* , we went to the Amusement Park. What were you thinking?" she asked sarcastically  
  
"Come on. Now you're gonna tell me you didn't have fun there?" he teased her.  
  
"It's not what I'm saying." She disputed.  
  
"So what are you saying exactly?" he made a funny which made her burst out laughing.  
  
"I did have fun there." She admit it.  
  
"Cool. Cause that was the plan." he said then went on, "Ready to get back to real life?"  
  
"So ready." She said as they jumped out of the car.  
  
Lily and Rick were in the living room watching TV. Grace and Eli walked in the house laughing and joking about everything. Rick and Lily watched them in a such great mood that it kinda scared them.  
  
"Hey mom. Rick." Grace greeted.  
  
"Dad. Lily" Eli did the same then Grace went up to her room and Eli to the kitchen leaving Rick and Lily wondering * what was that*.  
  
Grace crashed on her bed, a huge smile on her face but then she saw her door being opened revealing lily also smiling.  
  
"Hey, sweetie!! Where were you?" she asked sitting on the be next to Grace.  
  
"Eli picked me up then we went to see a movie. It was fun." Grace shorted the story.  
  
"Really?!! So… you and Eli are closed again?" Lily smirked  
  
"What do you mean? " Grace quizzed.  
  
"It's just that… it seemed that you two were not talking much lately. And I'm glad that you and Eli get along so well."  
  
" I'm glad too" Grace smiled.  
  
"I'm going to take a bath." said Lily leaving Grace's room.  
  
Rick was still in the living room when Eli came out of the kitchen.  
  
"Dad, I'm going to mom's. Do you want me to tell her anything?" Eli informed his dad.  
  
"Actually, I was going to talk you about her." Rick snorted.  
  
"Shoot."  
  
"I thought you'd stay with your mom longer than you did. What happened? " Rick asked with a little concern.  
  
"Nothing. I just don't wanna ruin anything for her." Eli answered and Rick frowned., "Her new boyfriend, dad?! Remember?!!" Eli reminded Rick.  
  
"Oh yes." Rick nodded.  
  
"I'm leaving. Bye." said Eli walking out of the house.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Eli woke up smiling. He was feeling good about himself. He didn't feel this way in ages. A week has gone by since he and Grace got closer again but they didn't spend a lot of time together, though. He was either working or at his mom's and Grace was always studying and sometimes she helped Tiffany with the Baby. So they didn't have too much free time. But this day, there was something different about the way he saw Grace. In fact, she was the first thing in his mind in the morning. Just thinking about her made him happy and because he was happy he decided to walk to work instead of driving.  
  
On his way to work Eli saw something in a store that caught his attention. He looked at it hard then a smile appeared on his face.  
  
Eli got to work. Judy noticed he was different as soon as he walked in the Booklovers  
  
"Hey, you in a good mood today!" Judy beamed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." He got out smiling.  
  
"Since you're so happy. Can you give Dona a hand? Jake freaked out and said everything in the kitchen has to be washed again." Judy *requested* his help.  
  
"Sure. No problem." Eli agreed heading to the kitchen. Once there he saw so many plates, forks, knifes, spoons and everything else all over the place, "Need a hand?" he said jokely.  
  
"How about fifty instead of one?" Dona sarcastically joked back.  
  
While Eli put the gloves on, Dona recognized her new favorite song start playing on the radio. She walked to it and pumped up the volume.  
  
"I can't believe you like that crap!" Eli beamed as he recognized it was a *boy band* song.  
  
"Shut up and let me listen." Dona demanded.  
  
The song began and Dona started to sing along.  
  
* You make me feel funny  
  
When you come around  
  
And that's what I found,  
  
Now, honey  
  
What am I doing without you?  
  
You make me feel happy  
  
When I leave you behind  
  
It plays on my mind  
  
Now, honey  
  
What am I doing without you?  
  
Took for granted everything we had  
  
As if I'd find someone who's just like you…*  
  
As the song played on Eli started to wonder, to remember all of the moments he spent with Grace, all of their talks… everything. This *boy band* song's lyrics kinda hit him home. He felt like it was a translation of what was happening between him and Grace, although he wasn't quiet sure of what was actually happening but something inside of him agreed with the song. He waited until it was over then her turned to Dona and said, "I need a favor."  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Grace went to her locker to pick a paper she's forgotten but when she got there she found Tad next to it, probably waiting for her.  
  
"What do you want? Mock me again?" she asked with annoyance.  
  
"Hey sorry for the bad things I've said and done before. It's all in the past now. I apologize." said Tad.  
  
"Right." she sarcasticly added. As Grace opened her locker and took the paper, Tad stood there next to her without saying a thing.  
  
"You didn't come her to apologize to me. are you gonna tell me why you're here for or just waist my time?"  
  
"I… I… I… I mean-" Tad tried to find the right words to express his thoughts and not sound like his fooling around but he couldn't. Grace thought he was playing with her so she turned around and left him standing there. Tad went after her. He grabbed her arm to make her stop.  
  
"I'm here to ask you out. Wanna go out with me this Saturday?" he invited her.  
  
Grace was totally surprised, she didn't expect that, "Ok, that was good!" she rolled her eyes in disbelieve then started to walk out on him.  
  
"I'm serious, Grace." Tad said following her, "Why won't you go out with me?"  
  
"Isn't that obvious?" she shrugged..  
  
"What? Is it because of Mr. Dimitri or Jessie?"  
  
"You're unbelievable, Tad." Grace stated continuing on.  
  
"Ok, I take it as it's because of Jessie. I went out with… like months ago. It's no big deal. Grace?!! Please?!!!" he begged.  
  
"Get lost, Tad."  
  
"But Grace-"  
  
"NO!!!" she said walking away from him.  
  
Tad turned around and saw Jessie and Katie coming along the hall.  
  
"Hey, Jessie." he stood right in front of her so that made her stop.  
  
"Can I talk to you?" he asked as Jessie and Katie looked at each other and he went on, "It's personal."  
  
"Got it. See you later, Billie." Katie said taking off.  
  
"I need a favor." Tad informed Jessie as she watched him in an awe.  
  
*  
  
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Grace got home later than the usual. She dropped by Tiffany's to see her baby sister. She stepped in the house, there was no one at home so she quickly made her way up to her room. She opened the door and threw her backpack aside, she took a deep breath then notice a nice wrapped box on her bed with a note next to it. Grace grabbed the note and read it silently. * I passed in front of a store and saw this. It reminded of you so I bought it. Eli.* Grace frowned after reading the note. She took the Box and opened it, when she saw what was in it, her face fell in shock.  
  
Eli got home so exhausted and hungry that he went straight to the kitchen. After making himself a sandwich and savored it, Eli headed to his room and for * some reason * he was not surprised to find Grace there, waiting for him.  
  
"Hi, Grace." Eli said closing the door behind himself.  
  
"Can you explain *this*?" Grace questioned showing him the box she found on her bed earlier that day.  
  
"I thought I did in the note." he disputed.  
  
"Oh, sure. * I passed in front of a stored and saw this. It reminded me of you so I bought it.* Great explanation, Eli." she remarked.  
  
"It is. Did you like it?" he simply added.  
  
"That's not the point. Can you tell me where you got the money to buy *this*?"she firmly asked.  
  
"You know… when someone gets you a gift, you don't ask questions like that." he nodded.  
  
"ELI!" she snapped.  
  
"I'm not telling you." he shrugged.  
  
"I'm not keeping it." she replied.  
  
"Grace!" Eli snorted… "I've been saving some money to rent an apartment… eventually." he confessed.  
  
Grace's expression smoothed when she heard it, "Eli… why did you do it? You shouldn't have bought me this. You didn't have to." she softly said.  
  
"Yeah, I did. You didn't answered my question." Eli grinned and Grace gave him a confused smile, "Did you like it?"  
  
"I loved it." Grace lightly hummed.  
  
"Here." Eli said taking the box from her hand then he led her to the bathroom, placing themselves in front of the mirror. Eli opened the box revealing a silver necklace with a cross cover with (fake) diamonds. It was the most beautiful and expensive gift, Grace has gotten, though. grace held her hair on the top of her head as Eli gently place the necklace on her neck. Grace let her hair fall over her shoulders then she touched the cross slightly.  
  
"You look beautiful." Eli whispered in her ear. They looked at the mirror and met each other's gaze. * She is incredibly beautiful*, he thought.  
  
"Thank you." she quietly got out blushing , "I better go. Got homework to do." she turned and walked out the bathroom then out of the room. But before she left she thanked him once again and gave him one of the Grace's smiles.  
  
Grace went to her room. It seemed like she was walking on clouds or something but for her surprise she found Jessie waiting for hr which made her get back to reality.  
  
"Hey, Jess." she said entering in her room.  
  
"Can I talk to you?"  
  
" Sure." Grace said closing the door.  
  
Before Jessie started to talk, she noticed the necklace Grace was wearing. She made that * Oh God, it's beautiful* face.  
  
"It's a gift" said Grace noticing Jessie's stare then she took the necklace off, "so, what do you wanna talk to me about?"  
  
"Tad came to talk to me today." Jessie stammered.  
  
"Tell me he didn't." Grace rolled her eyes knowing what they have talked about.  
  
"Yes, he did. He asked me to talk to you, to convince to go out with him." Jessie beamed.  
  
"I can't believe it." Grace said sitting on her bed.  
  
"Why won't you go out with him? Is it because of Mr. Dimitri?"  
  
"Why does everybody think that everything I do now is about Mr. Dimitri? it is not about him." Grace snorted a little fed up with whole * Grace/Dimitri* story.  
  
"Why won't you? He is a nice guy when he's not being a totally clown." Jessie joked.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe because…"Grace searched in her mind reasons to not date him but couldn't besides that he went out with Jessie.  
  
"Well if it's because of me… You better than anybody else should know that I don't care at all about Tad." Jessie said. "Why don't you give him a chance? It might be fun. Who knows? At least think about it. Cause I really think you need to go out more… have fun."  
  
Grace began to question herself why she didn't want to go out with Tad but she was interrupted by her door being opened revealing Zoe holding the phone.  
  
"Don't you know how to knock?" Grace asked annoyed because Zoe entered with announcing herself.  
  
Zoe made a face and Said, "It's for you."  
  
'Who is it?" Grace's brow furrowed.  
  
"Some guy named Tad." Zoe gave her the phone and left the room. Jessie looked at Grace self-conscious and left too. Grace took a deep breath and hesitated for a while then she answered the phone, "Hi, Tad.  
  
"" So did Jessie talk to you." Tad asked.  
  
"Yeah, she did.  
  
"So what do you say? Will you go out with me?" Tad invited her again, "Grace?!! Grace?!!!"……  
  
TBC 


	3. Moving on

"So what do you say? Will you go out with me? "Tad invited her again. "Grace?!! Grace?!! Are you still there? Grace?!!!  
  
"Pick me up at seven?" Grace hesitantly accept his invitation.  
  
"YES!!!!!" Tad screamed with excitement on the other line and Grace laugh at his reaction. "See you Saturday. And don't worry, Grace. I guarantee you won't regret it."  
  
"See you Saturday." Grace said hanging up the phone. " Yes. I hope I won't regret it."  
  
Grace went downstairs to get something to drink. Jessie was in the kitchen. She gave grace an "urging" look and Grace got out. "I said yes."  
  
"Oh my God!!!" Jessie exclaimed.  
  
"Grace!!" said Lily entering in the kitchen. "I was looking for you."  
  
"I was right here… I mean up there… um… Why?" Grace said still a little out of her sanity.  
  
"Can you stay at home with Zoe tomorrow night?"  
  
"Actually… I can't." grace responded her mother.  
  
"Why not?" Lily frowned.  
  
"Um… she's got a date." Jessie brightly informed her step-mother who got surprised with the news.  
  
"Oh, really?" Lily asked and both, Grace and Jessie shook their heads in agreement. "Do we know who he is?" Lily started the interrogation.  
  
"You do." Grace said rolling her eyes over Jessie. "It's … Tad."  
  
"Tad? You mean, Jessie's Tad?" Lily questioned in confusion.  
  
"No. Not my Tad. I mean, it's the same Tad but he's not mine, he's Grace's." Jessie clumsily tried to explain.  
  
"No, he's not my Tad… We're just hanging out. That's all." Grace embarrassingly added.  
  
Lily looked at the two girls, she was still confused cause she didn't know Tad was not Jessie's boyfriend. Lily kept looking at them, specially at Jessie, trying to understand the whole situation.  
  
"It's ok. I don't care. me and Tad, we're not meant to be." Jessie tried to make the things easier to Lily understand and apparently it worked.  
  
"What am I gonna do now?" Lily brought back the *Zoe thing* and the girls looked at her with puzzled faces. "I have to go to this business dinner with Rick and I can't ask Judy to take care of Zoe because she's got plans and Jake and Tiffany are busy enough taking care of Maddie." Lily quickly explained them.  
  
They remained in silent until Zoe came into the kitchen.  
  
"Mom? Can I ask you something?" Zoe asked.  
  
"Sure, sweetie."  
  
"Can I sleep over Anika's ? "Zoe requested her mother's permission.  
  
"When?" Lily smirked.  
  
"Tomorrow night." Zoe responded.  
  
"Sure." Lily allowed smiling.  
  
"Thanks, mom. I'm gonna call her." Zoe thanked Lily then hurried out .  
  
Lily, Grace and Jessie looked at each other with that *problem solved* look on their faces.  
  
"Oh, mom? Can I borrow your boots." Grace said.  
  
"Which ones?" Lily smirked.  
  
"The new ones." Grace stammered.  
  
"NO! I just bought those boots, Grace!! I can't lend you them." Lily refused to lend her brand new boots to Grace then he stepped out of the kitchen and Grace rushed after her, still begging to borrow the boots. Jessie watched them and laughed.  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
Jessie overslept that day so she didn't have breakfast. She went downstairs around 11:00 a.m , there was only Lily down there.  
  
"Good morning, Jess. I thought you'd sleep all day." Lily greeted her smiling.  
  
"I was tired. Um.. have you seen Eli today?" Jessie asked. yawning .  
  
"No. I guess he's still sleeping or he's just locked in his room." Lily wondered while putting some clothes in the dryer.  
  
"I'll go see him." said Jessie making her way to the garage.  
  
Jessie got in Eli's room and before she could knock she heard her brother playing and singing. But she couldn't believe her ears. The song he was playing was not the kind of song he liked. So she decided to open his door silently to not be seen by him. She succeeded it. He didn't notice her come in there. Jessie stood next to the door and listened him sings.  
  
* Well I guess I'm ready  
  
For settling down  
  
The fooling around is over  
  
And I swear that it's true  
  
No buts or maybes  
  
When I'm falling down  
  
There's always  
  
Someone who saves me  
  
And girl it's you  
  
Funny how life can be so surprising  
  
I'm just realizing what you do  
  
We got a little world of our own  
  
I'll tell you things that no one else knows  
  
I let you in where no one else goes  
  
What am I doing without you?  
  
And all of the thing I've been looking for  
  
Have always been here outside of my door  
  
And all of the time I've been looking for something new  
  
What am I doing without you?  
  
Well it's feeling right now  
  
So let's do it right now  
  
Praying that somehow  
  
You will understand the way  
  
It's feeling right  
  
Now baby somehow  
  
I won't let this slip away  
  
Oh…*  
  
Jessie couldn't hold anymore so she started clapping which made Eli stop playing right away.  
  
"Don't you ever knock?" Eli said with embarrassment.  
  
"I didn't know you were in the *boy bands* stuff. "she joked sitting next to him on the floor.  
  
"I'm not." he disputed.  
  
"Oh, so was that a Nirvana's never heard song?" she teased him.  
  
"Stop!!!" he warned her.  
  
"Ok. Ok. Ok."  
  
" What is it that´s so important to make you invade my room?" Eli asked not very pleased that Jessie had witnessed him playing that song.  
  
" I need you to drive me to mom´s." she said.  
  
" What time?"  
  
" Around 6:30... 7:00."  
  
" Ok." Eli agreed.  
  
" Thank you." She said standing up then heading to the door. " Eli? Have you heard the new Backstreet Boys song? It´s really good!!!" she mocked him again before leaving.  
  
Eli looked at her than grabbed a pillow ant threw it on Jessie. She closed the door quickly so the pillow didn´t hit her. Eli shook his head and smiled.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Eli looked at the clock, it was 6:45 p.m . Since Jessie hasn´t shown any signs of being alive after their talk, Eli decided to go get her.  
  
He stepped in the house and saw Lily running for there to everywhere in a mad rush.  
  
" What´s going on here?" he asked a little stunned.  
  
" We´re late." Lily responded rushing to the living room as Rick came down holding his tie.  
  
" Where´s Zoe?" Rick frowned.  
  
" Zoe!!!!! Zoe!!!!" Lily called helping Rick with the tie.  
  
" Um... I saw her waiting in the car." Eli reminded them.  
  
" Oh!!? That´s right. Let´s go! Oh God, my purse." Lily said then came back to get her purse.  
  
She went upstairs and looked around her room for a while. Lily was so in hurry that she couldn´t see her purse was right on her bed, but after a few minutes she found it. Lily go out of her room and closed the door.  
  
" Oh Jesus, I almost forgot!! Lily suddenly went back to her room again.  
  
Grace was almost ready when she heard a knock on her door.  
  
" Sweetie! You look beautiful!!!! Lily beamed at her after she opened the door.  
  
" I´d look better if-" Grace was interrupted by her mother extending her new boots to her. " Your boots!!! Thanks, mom.  
  
" have fun." Said Lily running downstairs. She passed by Eli and said goodbye. He thought she was kind out of her normal behavior.  
  
Eli went up to call Jessie and when he passed by Grace´s room, he felt an urge to go talk to her but thought they would have a lot of time to talk this night so he went to attic and called Jessie.  
  
" Jessie, are you ready?? It´s seven." Eli said making his way in her room.  
  
"Hey, don´t you ever knock?" Jessie jokely imitated him. " Just give me tow more minutes."  
  
" I´ll wait for you downstairs."  
  
When Eli got in the living room he heard the bell rings.  
  
" Hey. Tad, right?" Eli answered the door. " Come on in. Um... I was about to drive Jessie to my mom´s but I can wait you two talk a little." Said Eli believing Tad was there to see his sister. " Jessie!!! Tad´s here." He called.  
  
"Um... actually, I´m here to pick-" Tad got speechless when he saw Grace coming down and so was Eli.  
  
Grace was wearing her mom´s new black boots, a real short dark blue jeans skirt, a black top tank and a long dark blue jeans coat. Her hair was beautifully done too.  
  
"Manning? Is that you?" Tad go out totally checking her out.  
  
" Can we go?" Grace said as Tad extended his left hand to her.  
  
Eli couldn´t believe it was happening. He was astonished. His mouth gaped, his eyes did not even moved.  
  
Grace cast a glimpse at Eli and said goodbye, leaving him in a state of completely shock.  
  
" Where are they?" asked Jessie coming down. " They left already? Oh no, I wanted to see Grace. How did she look? Was she beautiful?" Jessie enthusiastically quizzed but Eli still couldn´t believe it. " Eli? You saw her, didn´t you? Tell me how-"  
  
" Could you just shut up and get your ass in the car?" Eli angerly ordered.  
  
" What got into?? Ok, I´m going." Said Jessie heading out of the house and Eli followed.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Eli parked the car next to his mom´s sidewalk. Jessie didn´t even move or anything. She just sat in the car and waited her brother to say something.  
  
" What are you waiting for? We´re here." Eli hummed, barely looking on her way.  
  
"I'm not leaving this car until you tell me what's going. Why are you so mad?" Jessie firmly announced.  
  
"What? What are you talking about ? I'm not mad." he denied.  
  
"Of course you're mad. All the way through here you seemed you didn't even know that I was sat right next to you. In fact, I don't even know how we got here alive cause you were not paying attention on the street, that's for sure." Jessie stated and went on." What's wrong, Eli? Tell me. Maybe I- "  
  
"How come she did that?" Eli burst out and Jessie's brow furrowed. "How come she went out with him? It's wrong-"  
  
"You mean Grace?" Jessie questioned.  
  
"Tad went out with you . She can't go out with him. Doesn't she know that?" Eli stated out loud and Jessie started to get what was really going on.  
  
"Eli, I'm gonna ask you something but I need you to be 100% honest with me. Can you that?" Jessie shrugged and Eli agreed. "Okay. Are you mad because Tad went out with a couple of times and now he's going out with Grace or because Grace is going out with Tad?" she carefully asked.  
  
"What do you mean?" Eli frowned.  
  
"You know perfectly what I mean, Eli." Jessie smirked and Eli looked down not saying anything back.  
  
Jessie watched her brother, she could see he was in pain, he was struggling with his own feelings and she knew why.  
  
"It's ok. I got it." she sympathetically understood him and he nodded.  
  
Jessie opened the car's door and began to leave but she turned around sitting back.  
  
"I don't get you." she began. "If you like her so much- why don't you tell her?" she once again let him know that his feeling for Grace were quiet obvious... at least to her. " You know that she feels the same way, don't you?"  
  
"I don't know about that?" Eli remembered the Mr. Dimitri/Grace thing and now the Tad/Grace thing.  
  
"It's all your fault. Did you know that?" Jessie accused him. "The only reason she went after Mr. Dimirti and now Tad is because you always back off-"  
  
"What you expect me to do, Jess? She's my stepsister!" he remarked.  
  
"If you have told me something like that in a few months ago I would have agreed with you but now I know that we can't choose who to fall in love with." She almost confessed and Eli wondered why she said that then she continued. " Grace being your stepsister is not an excuse for you to back off."  
  
Eli snorted in desolation not facing Jessie.  
  
"Just... don't let her go... Not this time... Not again." Jessie adviced him jumping out of the car.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
It was abut 10:30 p.m when Tad drove Grace home. He stopped the car then walked her to her front door.  
  
"So... we're here!" Grace shyly said and Tad grinned.  
  
"Manning... I need to know. Was it that bad?" Tad joked and Grace laughed a little.  
  
"No. It was not that bad." she hesitantly answered him. "I had fun tonight, so... thank you."  
  
Tad smiled when he heard she saying that. He started to step closer to her then he slowly began to lean in... to kiss her and when their lips were almost connected Grace pulled away and Tad got confused.  
  
"I'm sorry. I thought-" Tad tried to apologize.  
  
"No. It's ok. It's just that-"  
  
"I'm moving too fast?" he quizzed staring at her.  
  
"A little." she embarrassingly smiled and nodded. "So... what are you picking me up?"  
  
"Wait a minute. Is that what I think it is?" Tad smirked and Grace abscently covered her face with her hands. Tad stared her hard, waiting for her to say something.  
  
"Yes. I'm saying yes." Grace snorted taking her hands off of her face.  
  
"Terrific!!!" he exclaimed. " See you at school."  
  
"Sure." she replied. "Call me tomorrow?" Grace suddenly called.  
  
"Sure thing." Tad said and Grace finally walked in her house.  
  
As soon as Grace got in, she heard that somebody was watching TV. She walked into the living and found Eli there.  
  
" Oh, Eli!" Grace greeted him not getting any reply. She didn´t understand why he didn´t say anything. * Is he sleeping?* she wondered.  
  
Grace stepped closer to Eli and said. " Eli? Are you sleeping?". She saw the he wasn´t , so she looked at him puzzled. "ELI!" she called again but now she placed herself in front of the couch so she face him. "ELI!" she called annoyed but Eli still pretended not to see her. Grace stood in front of the TV so Eli would finally *see* her but he started to sway which made Grace grab the remote and turn off the TV.  
  
"Hey! I was watching!" Eli suddenly go out.  
  
" You were ignoring me!" she disputed.;  
  
" Can I have it back?" Eli extend his hand, motioning to the control.  
  
" What´s wrong with you?" grace asked.  
  
"Nothing´s wrong."  
  
" I don´t buy that, Eli. What happened? You know you can tell me any-" Grace lowered her voice and put her hand on Eli´s shoulder.  
  
" How come you did that?" Eli burst out casting her hand aside and Grace got confused. " How come you went out with? Are you crazy?"  
  
"You´re mad because I went with Tad?" she asked not believing in his reaction.  
  
"Tad was supposed to be with Jessie. You had no right to get yourself in the middle." he criticized her.  
  
"Could you lose the attitude when you talk to me, please?" Grace rose her voice.  
  
"Yeah, right!" he mocked.  
  
"Hey, stop that. I don´t like it." she snapped.  
  
"Don´t you feel any remorse for stealing your stepsister´s boyfriend?" he teased her.  
  
"Things between Tad and Jessie were long over. In fact, things between them never really existed." She shrugged.  
  
"It doesn´t matter. You and Tad... it´s just wrong."  
  
"What´s wrong about that?" Grace yelled.  
  
"I don´t know! It´s just not right." Eli couldn´t give her a reasonable explanation.  
  
"I don´t get you, Eli." Grace said in confusion.  
  
"Don´t you always." Eli insinuated.  
  
Grace couldn´t believe he was acting like a complete asshole. She got so upset and hurt by his words that she felt a tear slowly falling from her eye. Her said face touched Eli so bad that the same covered his face right away.  
  
"I thought we were friends." Grace quietly stated, never facing him. "You were supposed to be happy for me. Why can´t you be happy for me ?"  
  
Eli remained in silence, ashamed of his stupid behavior. He was wrong, he knew it. But how could he react differently? He felt she was slipping through his fingers... again. He was desperate.  
  
"I´m just trying to move on. That´s all." Grace explained. "All I wanted was you to be happy for me. Is that too much to ask?" said Grace heading upstairs.  
  
"So why didn´t you tell me about the date?" Eli finally spoke but Grace pretended no to listen to him continuing up. 


	4. Nothing is what it seems

The song in this chapter is a brasilian song, I tried to put the exact lyrics into English, so you may think it sounds a little bit odd, but I hope you get the message in it.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________  
  
Grace got into her room, tears falling from her eyes. She sat on her bad, extremely shocked and hurt because of Eli's overreaction. She slowly shrugged her coat off then her door received a smooth knock. She heard it but she remained sat on her bed. She knew who the one behind the door was… she couldn't face him.  
  
He waited but she didn't answer, so Eli silently opened her door and found Grace, with her eyes filled tears. And even though she was so hurt and she was crying, all Eli could think of was how lovely she seemed there.  
  
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have overreacted." Eli quietly apologized and Grace looked away. "I don't know what got into me but I want you to know that… I am… I'm happy for you." he lied but Grace remained speechless.  
  
"You don't have to say anything. I know I screwed up… That's what I do. I ruin everything that's good in my life and now I ruined our-"  
  
"It's ok. You didn't ruin anything." Grace sweetly whispered.  
  
"Didn't I?" Eli hummed staring at her.  
  
"Let's just forget about it."  
  
"I'll try but I don't think I can." Eli confessed and Grace lifted her eyes. "I mean… I…" he tried to think of some excuse for what he just said but he couldn't and he didn't have to either. Grace knew deep down in her heart what he meant and that made her feel ashamed and weak.  
  
Grace and Eli stared each other for a while. She could see in his eyes he was truly sorry like Eli could in hers that she's forgiven him.  
  
"Um… I don't think I've told you yet but me and the guys, we got a new gig." Eli snorted.  
  
"Oh. That's great." she replied.  
  
"It's only a party but… you know… The party is next Friday. I was wondering if you'd like to come or something." Eli shyly invited her.  
  
"Can't." she shrugged taking the necklace off, the one that he bought her.  
  
"Let me guess. Going out with him again?"  
  
"Yes." she reluctantly confirmed.  
  
"That's cool." he lied again trying to hide his disappointment. "Well, I better go. Guess I've caused too much damage for one night, right?" Eli tried to joke then headed out leaving Grace struggling with herself.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
That week passed by real quickly. To the rest of the family everything seemed to be perfectly normal but Eli had avoided Grace as much as he could. She noticed that but didn't want to push anything. Besides she knew that he was wounded and she was responsible for that. But Friday has come and she chose not to think about it or try not to and focus on her date with Tad.  
  
Eli was almost ready. He's face was covered with sadness. This was supposed to be a happy night because Eli and his band were playing but nothing could cheer him up. He was lost in his feelings, in his thoughts and all he knew was that she was with someone else… again. Eli grabbed his guitars and shoved them on his shoulders and left. Coop and the others were waiting in the van but before Eli got in it he looked at Grace's window and sighed then they took off.  
  
Grace heard the van leaving and she felt her heart skip a beat when she thought of Eli. *Grace, Tad's here!*, she heard Zoe calling from downstairs. before she went down she looked at the mirror and wiped a tear that's fallen from her eyes. She took a deep breath then left.  
  
"Manning! You… you… you surprise me every day! You're gorgeous!" Tad exclaimed as he saw Grace in her new black leather pants, a bright white top and a leather jacket too.  
  
"Should I take it as complement?" she forcely joked.  
  
"Definitively! Shall we?" Tad smile and they went out to the party.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Whose party is this, anyway?" Grace quizzed as Tad parked the car.  
  
"My brother's. He's in college and it's his birthday." he explained.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me? I would have bought something.!" she shrugged.  
  
"For what? My brother's birthday it's just an excuse for those college guys to throw a party." he said smiling. "Come on."  
  
Tad and Grace slowly made their entrance in the house. There were people everywhere but somehow Tad managed to find his brother.  
  
"Hey, you came!" Tad's brother said hugging him.  
  
"Trevor, this is Grace. Grace, Trevor." Tad introduced them.  
  
"Hi!" said Grace.  
  
"Fine young lady, if my little brother here ever acts like an asshole, don't hesitate in kick him to the curb and call me.' Trevor flirted with Grace and she laugh.  
  
"We're here to dance!!" Tad exclaimed not very pleased that his own brother was flirting with his date.  
  
"See that hall there?… Goes along it then turn to the left," Trevor pointed the right way and went to talk to his friends.  
  
Grace and Tad got to where the improvised stage was set and when grace took a look at the band, she couldn't believe in her eyes. It was Eli's. He was ready to begin playing when she saw him. She thought it was unbelievable and so did Eli when he saw her coming in.  
  
"That's your stepbrother, right?" Tad made sure he was right.  
  
"Yes." she replied.  
  
"Cool! Lets dance!" said Tad grabbing Grace's waist.  
  
In the following 45 minutes, Eli had t watch Tad doing what he always wanted to… dance with Grace, make her smile, touch her, hold her… have her. He didn't even know how he managed to play and sing without missing one note.  
  
The band finished playing their favorite song then the stage lights focused on Eli. He switched his eletric guitar to his acustic one. Grace observed him trying to disguise her feelings.  
  
"Well, we, I mean, I'm gonna slow down a little bit. I finished this song this morning and I wasn't sure if I was going to play it tonight but something in here made me want to." Eli explained his crowd and Grace watched him in an awe. "This song means a lot to me because it's about someone who means a lot to me.' he went on but this time he said it directly to Grace who perfectly understood him but still denied it in her brain.  
  
Eli started to pluck the first chords on his guitar and Tad gently took Grace in his arms and they began dancing then Eli sang,  
  
  
  
*I spend my days looking at the clouds  
  
Wondering if I will have you someday  
  
Cause I walk through the clouds  
  
I sail through the sea  
  
You're my guide in this journey.  
  
But I wanna know, who's gonna be  
  
Is it me or you?  
  
Who is going to be brave  
  
Brave to put down the wall between you and me.  
  
Your eyes, my eyes, they wanna speak  
  
But the fear is too much to win.  
  
So, let's let love take over  
  
Let the sun shine  
  
Everything is so clear to me.  
  
I know it is love.  
  
It's deeper then the sea  
  
It's my light in the drakness  
  
Question is:  
  
What's gonna happen if we give in?  
  
What will they do to me?  
  
Will it be me and you  
  
Finally walking through the same clouds  
  
That once I walked alone through  
  
But I know love will keep us warm  
  
When the winter comes  
  
Even in the rain…  
  
All I wanna say is  
  
Without you I could never be  
  
You're in me.  
  
What else can I do? Let it go?  
  
I don't think so.  
  
Sshhhhhh.  
  
I'm gonna sleep to dream…  
  
Finally understood  
  
I'm only here to love you.*  
  
Grace listened to Eli sings… to her. she knew it was for her… for both of them. Tad's back was to the stage so Grace could face Eli. Every time she looked up at him she saw him staring her but just not that, she also saw something in his eyes, something that she knew, something that se felt… she feels but denies still. A tear rolled down her cheek at that thought.  
  
"I wanna go home." Grace said pulling away.  
  
"What? Why?" Tad frown as he saw she was crying. "What's going on?  
  
" Just take me home." she demanded and they left the party.  
  
Eli watched the whole scene with no clue of what had happened.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Tad turned off the car after parking next to Lily's.  
  
"Won't you tell me what happened?" Tad suspiciously asked.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tad but I can't." Grace snorted in tears. "I can't do this to you, to me … to him."  
  
"Him?" his brow furrowed.  
  
"There's someone else and it doesn't have anything to do with Mr. Dimitri ." she confessed. "I'm sorry. I thought I could do it but… I can't. Sorry." she jumped out of the car and ran into her house. Tad was stunned but not devastated, he liked her but not that much then he went back to the party.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*Four hours later  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Eli came home, it was past midnight. He crashed onto his bed feeling that everybody's problems were over his shoulder. He felt that the load he was carrying was too heavy for him to stand. He took a deep breath and began changing, when he was putting his pajamas' pants he heard a knock on his door. His heart froze for a second, he knew it was her.  
  
"Come in." he said and Grace opened the door and entered.  
  
"You left early." Eli commented trying to be cool with the situation.  
  
"Yeah." she nodded… … … … "You were right."  
  
"About…?"  
  
"I should have never gone out with Tad." Grace regretted  
  
"You were only trying to move on… Do the right thing." Eli tried to support her and she nodded. Grace started to walk around his room. It seemed she was looking for something or trying to hide something.  
  
"So… your song… It's beautiful." she said looking at the floor.  
  
"Thank you.' he shyly smiled. "Do you know, don't you?" Eli murmured, unsure if she would have the courage to answer him. He stepped closer to her and she shook her head in agreement but still she could look into his eyes. Eli slowly brushed her hair aside so he could contemplate her beautiful face.  
  
"I better go. It's late." Grace stated, realizing what he was about to do.  
  
She reached the door and opened it but she hesitated to leave and went back. She rushed and hugged him tightly. His fingers slid through her soft hair. Before she pull away, Grace gave him a peck on his left cheek then she started out again. But Eli didn't let her. He hold her hand, making her stop. He moved closer and she turned to face him but again, she wouldn't, she couldn't. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist those eyes of his. Eli breathed her sweet scent in then gently caressed her arms, slowly up and down. She felt chill all over her body… electricity… sparks… butterflies… everything. Eli smoothed her cheek and Grace finally find the courage to lift her eyes. Theirs unsure gazes met, deeply. They knew it was true. Eli abscently licked his lips in anticipation then his lips gently brushed hers… once… twice and on the third , Eli felt a hunger to taste her more and more. He deepened the kiss as he gaped her mouth to allow their tongues to begin the love battle. ..  
  
"Oh, God!!!" Grace exclaimed suddenly in shock, pushing him away, breaking the kiss. She looked at him, not being able to suppress her tears . "I can't." she hummed , running away, leaving Eli standing there, hopelessly in love with her. 


	5. What are you afraid of?

FEELINGS-PART FIVE  
  
  
  
Grace went to her room that night and cried... and cried. *Why* she questioned herself. She didn't know why she ranaway because having Eli was all she ever wanted. *What's wrong with me?*, she once again tried to understand her reaction while the tears of fear, excitement, regret… kept flowing.  
  
After Grace left, Eli couldn't move, he wasn't even sure he would be able to breath again. All he managed to do was sit on the floor and that's how he spent the night, sat on the floor, speechless, stunned, confused and hurt.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
On the next say, after finding courage from God knows where, Eli went in the house looking for Grace. He needed to talk to her, he needed to know why she turned him down and most of all he was desperate to taste her again. The memory of her sweet scent, her soft skin touching his… her lips… her tongue… was eating him up from inside. He had to have her.  
  
But for his surprise Lily informed him that Grace decided to spend some days with her grandmother and that she had caught the first bus in the morning.  
  
"But what about school?" Eli disappointedly stammered.  
  
"Her grades are great. Grace said it wouldn't be problem if she spent a couple of weeks with my mom." Lily explained. "And besides, Grace's presence will help my mother a lot."  
  
Eli nodded and went back to his miserable life. *She's avoiding me.*, he figured. *Why she had to go to another town? Couldn't she avoid me here?* , Eli desperately tried to understand why Grace was so afraid.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Lily was right, her mother did get a lot better, she even thought she was cured… Well at least, that's what she told Grace.  
  
*Thirteen days had gone since we *the kiss* *, Grace reminded herself for the thousandth time in that day. Even though she was so far away from him, Eli was the only thing that filled her mind in those days. She wanted him, she knew that for sure. But there was something inside of Grace that wouldn't let her give in and drown in his love. But she couldn't runaway forever. She had to go back home and face him. Maybe she'd go on and pretend *the kiss* never happened or maybe she could lie to him saying that she never had any feelings for him at all. Neither of the tow possible solutions that Grace have thought of seemed to be the right thing to do, but she didn't want to deal with the truth. So thinking that way Grace decided it was time to go home. She picked up the phone and called her mother.  
  
"Grace's coming home!" lily exclaimed after hanging up the phone. "Isn't it great?!! I miss her so much."  
  
"Well, I don't." Zoe teased her mother while putting her bowl in the sink and Lily made a face.  
  
"When she's coming?" Eli, who for the past two weeks only said the words *good morning, goodbye and good night*, hopefully asked.  
  
"Tomorrow morning." Lily brightly replied. "I think I should cook something special for her."  
  
"It's no need for that. Lil." Rick hummed.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I don't know. Hugh… you know what, you're right." Rick agreed with Lily, knowing that she only wanted to please her daughter a little.  
  
Jessie didn't seem to be all that thrilled about Grace's return. In spite of the fact they were getting along much better lately, Jessie still couldn't see Grace as a *sister* or a *friend*. Actually, at that moment Jessie was more interested in Eli. Since he got to know that Grace was coming back, his face seemed to gloe or something. She could tell by the look on his face that his feelings for Grace had grown and he couldn't hide it for too much longer.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Anybody home!!", Grace called coming in from the front door.  
  
Everybody was having breakfast except for Eli, he was still in his bedroom. They didn't expect her to come so early. Zoe popped up from hair chair when she heard Grace's voice then hurried out to meet her. Rick and Lily did the same but Jessie, she snuck out to Eli's room instead.  
  
*She's here. Grace's home.*, Jessie called from outside his door then she went to greet Grace. When Eli heard Jessie say Grace was back, he abruptly got up, threw the first clothes he found on and rushed to finally see her.  
  
"How's mom?" Lily beamed at Grace.  
  
"She's so much better! you wouldn't believe it. It's like she's not even sick.!" Grace responded glancing around the house, searching for Eli.  
  
"Haven't you bought anything?" Zoe grinned, running through Grace's bags.  
  
"Hey!! Haven't your mother taught you good manners?" Grace joked and Lily made a funny face.  
  
"Hey, Grace! Welcome home!", said Jessie coming from the kitchen then she hugged Grace. When they let go of each other Grace heard his deep voice fill the room.  
  
"Grace! You're back!!", Eli slight stated, staring Grace.  
  
Grace got all embarrassed when she saw him. She didn't greet him back. She wanted to be as far as possible from him. when he uttered her name, she could hear the longing in his voice.  
  
"I better take these upstairs.", Grace barely got out, grabbing her bags.  
  
"I'll help you with those.", Eli offered his help, hoping they could have a moment without their family's curious eyes on them.  
  
"No, it's ok. I got it.", Grace coldly refused his help and started up to her room.  
  
Eli watched her go up then awkwardly stuck his hands in his back pockets and went back to his room.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Both, Eli and Grace, didn't leave their rooms until dinner. She didn't know how she would behave whenever she was near him. Part of her wanted to grab his shirt and kiss him with all the passion that was in her body and part of her wanted to stick her head in the sand. And Eli? Well, he wanted her, he had no doubts about that.  
  
During the dinner Eli and Grace kept their heads down, staring at their food. They were sitting in front of each other so they didn't dare to look up and *accidentally* find their hungry eyes. Lily kind noticed there was something going on but she didn't want to bring it up.  
  
The Manning/Sammler family finished their meals. Grace and Jessie were the ones in charged to do the dishes. Jessie grabbed some glasses and took them to the kitchen while Grace made a pile of plates. grace grabbed the plates pile and carefully headed to the kitchen too.  
  
"Let me help you.", Eli stopped her.  
  
"No, I can handle it.", she replied, looking at her feet.  
  
"Grace-", Eli whispered, placing his hands over hers.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME!", Grace freaked out, abruptly pulling away and when she was able to think clearly again, all she could see was the plates, all shattered on the floor and of course, everybody's stunned looks at her and Eli.  
  
Grace lifted her eyes and saw on Eli's face that she had hurt him badly with that attitude. She was terribly ashamed so she turned away and ran up to her room.  
  
"What was *that*?", Zoe asked and Eli gave her and all the others that *Don't ask.* look  
  
Knowing that he couldn't face them, Eli left the scene too.  
  
"Could somebody tell me what just happed here?", Zoe insisted in knowing what was *actually* going on.  
  
"We don't know, Zoe but we'll find out.", Lily snorted as Zoe began to sweep the plate shatters. "Rick, we gotta talk to them…NOW."  
  
"I agree.", Rick said and Jessie realized it was not a good idea.  
  
"You can't talk to them!!!". Jessie suddenly got out.  
  
"Why not?", Lily frowned and so did Rick.  
  
"Because… because…", Jessie didn't know what to say as they glared her, waiting for an answer. "Because… you're parents. They won't talk to you or at least, they won't tell you the truth.", she wisely responded. "I'll talk to them.", Jessie said, turning away to go to Grace's room but when she got in the middle of the stairs, she stepped back, going to Eli's room instead. Lily and Rick suspiciously watched her without understand a thing.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Eli! It's me, Jessie! Can I come in?", Jessie called, getting no reply. She waited a while then opened her brother's door. As she entered she saw Eli sitting on the floor, his face tears-stained.  
  
"You told her, didn't you?", Jessie quietly hummed as she took a sit on the floor next to him.  
  
"No, I didn't.", he slightly spoke and Jessie frowned. "… I… I kissed her.", he confessed.  
  
"WHAT?", Jessie got surprised with his revelation. "But… huhg, um… when *that* happened?"  
  
"Fifteen days ago.", Eli exhaled.  
  
"Oh my God!", Jessie realized why Grace suddenly took the decision to stay with her grandmother. "That's why she went staying with her grandmother, isn't that?", Jessie figured and Eli nodded. They remained in silence for a few seconds until Jessie got out. "She freaked out, didn't she?'  
  
"Pretty much.", he said, embracing his legs.  
  
"But why she would do that? I don't get it.", Jessie quizzed, knowing that Grace, definitively had feelings for Eli.  
  
"Maybe she doesn't fell the same.", Eli sadly added  
  
"Well, that's amusing, Eli.", Jessie rose her ton a little, trying to sound sarcastic. "… What are you gonna do now?"  
  
Eli looked at her and he no longer could keep his tears from falling, looking down he said, "I'm backing off… again.", tears rolled down his cheeks.  
  
"You can't do that. Not now.", Jessie tried to support him.  
  
"Why are you doing this?", Eli questioned and Jessie frowned. "What is this all about? Why are you so interested in me and Grace?"  
  
"Hugh… um.. I… I-", Jessie was about to explain her reasons but before she could do it she was cut by Eli.  
  
"I mean, when you first noticed there was something going on between Grace and I, I remember that you were not very pleased with that.", Eli said, his ton was filled with a little annoyance. "Now, it's like you want us to be together more than anything and-"  
  
"And I do.", Jessie spoke and Eli puzzled. "I do want you two to be together."  
  
Eli couldn't understand why Jessie wanted to help him so much, so she explained. "Have you seen yo lately? I mean, have you noticed how you've been acting lately?"  
  
"What do you mean?", he quizzed.  
  
"You and mom stopped fighting and so did you and dad. You're doing fine at Bookelovers, you haven't hung out with those sluts in a while, even your band is doing good too. Even though you haven't noticed… you've changed… and it's all about her.", as Jessie broke down the situation, Eli couldn't help but notice how mature Jessie was and he realized that he could count on her, no matter what. The thought of having his little sister as his best friend made him smile through the fog of pain.  
  
"And there's something else.", she went on. "Whenever you're with her, you … you… you just can't stop smiling. She makes you happy and I want you to be happy.", she finished her explanation with a slight smile on her face.  
  
Eli nodded and understood his sister's concerns and willing to help. And matter of factly, he knew she was right. Jessie gave him a peck on his left cheek and left.  
  
"Why is it taking so long? What are they talking about?", Lily impatiently asked.  
  
"Just wait a little more, Lil. She'll be-", Rick tried to calm Lily as Jessie suddenly passed by them, rushing up to Grace's room.  
  
"Jessie! Wait!", Lily called and Jessie stepped back. "So?"  
  
"What?", Jessie played dumb.  
  
"What did he say?", Rick added as lily eagerly stared her.  
  
"Oh! Huhg, um... it's nothing to worry about.", Jessie attempted to escape from their questions and began to go up again.  
  
"But what he said, Jessie?", lily once more made her stop and come back to explain.  
  
Jessie froze for a sec. She didn't know what to say to them. Rick and lily were giving her those *urging* looks as she tried to come up with something to say… "He hates her.", she wisely lied. Rick and Lily looked at each other in confusion as Jessie rushed up to talk to Grace.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Grace was lying on her bed, crying when she heard a knock on her door. Since she didn't want to talk to anyone she just laid there, ignoring whoever was knocking.  
  
"Grace! Grace! It's Jessie. I need to talk to you. Can I come in?", Jessie called.  
  
Grace exhaled, closing her eyes, wishing she could disappear just not answer any question.  
  
"Grace?!! Grace?!! Are you there?", Jessie called again then the door opened revealing Grace, wiping away her tears. Jessie stepped in and closed the door as Grace sat on her bed.  
  
"Eli told me he kissed you.", Jessie announced, sitting next to Grace, who shook her head, looking away. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
"Doing what?', Grace mumbled, still not facing Jessie.  
  
"You know *what*… why did you runaway?", Jessie questioned and Grace snorted a laugh in disbelief.  
  
"I thought you were brave, Grace. I thought if Eli was the one to break, you'd be there for him, you'd fight to be with him.", Grace listened to Jessie's words and started tapping her feet then Jessie went on. "You fought for Mr. Dimitri… I can't believe that you're afraid that you're afraid of what my dad and your mom might do when they find out. I can't believe you're afraid of them.", Jessie's words were making Grace even more desperate than she already was. "What are you afraid of, Grace?"  
  
Grace nervously snorted, trying to suppress her tears. She took a deep breath to force her voice to come out then she turned to face Jessie. Grace's face was covered with all of kinds of emotions… fear… doubts… passion… despair… excitement… so many emotions that Jessie, at first, couldn´t describe what she saw in Grace´s eyes.  
  
"I´m not afraid of anybody.", Grace finally found courage to speak. "I don´t care about my mom´s reaction or your dad´s."  
  
"So what is it then?"  
  
Grace, again breathed deeply, she swallowed her emotions for an instant and began to explain. "What I feel for Eli is something I can not put into words. My feelings for him are so confused and strong… it pains me just to think of it. I can´t describe what I feel for Eli. I never could. It´s beyond me… This feeling over takes me in a way I can not comprehend. It´s just too strong.", Grace confessed.  
  
"If you like him so much, why are you running away?", Jessie once more tried to understand Grace´s reasons.  
  
"I don´t know.", Grace said, standing.  
  
"How come you don´t know, Grace? I mean-"  
  
"I just don´t, okay?!", Grace burst out as her non-stopping tears rolled down her face. "When we almost kissed… on the wedding day, I thought everything between us would be different but Eli just pretended * nothing * happened. It hurt… and it still does."  
  
"Eli is different now. Can´t you see that?", Jessie stated and Grace hook her head, not wanting to believe in Jessie´s words.  
  
Jessie didn´t know what else to say so she just stood there, observing Grace. As the minutes went by Jessie realized something that even herself didn´t want to believe it was true. But it was, Jessie could tell it.  
  
"You love Eli, Grace.", Jessie put into words what Grace was afraid to. When Grace heard Jessie say * that * she lifted her eyes then lowered them again, she mentally began to deny it to herself.  
  
* Jessie, Katie´s here! *, Grace and Jessie heard Zoe calling from downstairs.  
  
"I gotta go.", Jessie announced, standing up. But before she left she adviced Grace, saying, "What you and Eli have found is something too deep, too amazing and pure to be thrown away. Don´t be stupid by letting it go.", Jessie words hit Grace more than she could imagined. After she left, Grace once again started to struggle with herself.  
  
"Katie and I are going to the movies. Where is she, buy the way?", said Jessie coming down then putting her coat on.  
  
"She´s waiting in the car.", Zoe informed, going up to her room.  
  
"Ok, by everyone!", Jessie uttered.  
  
"Jessie!", Lily called, making her remember to step back and give her father and step mother a good explanation for what had happened between Eli and Grace early that night.  
  
"Huh… huh…, she hates him! Like I said before, it´s nothing to worry about.", Jessie lied again. "Gotta go."  
  
"Wait! Let me see if I got it straight.", Lily stopped her again.  
  
"Eli hates Grace…", Lily began…  
  
"… and Grace hates Eli…", Rick added…  
  
"… and it´s nothing to worry about!", Rick and Lily got out together, their tons were slightly sarcastic.  
  
"Exactly!!", Jessie replied, exiting the room.  
  
"Great!! They hate each other.", Lily said.  
  
"I know.", Rick hummed.  
  
"It´s nothing to worry about!", both got out again then they laughed at it a little.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Six hours and a half have passed since dinner. It was almost 1:30 in the morning and Grace was still awake. She sighed and decided to go down to get some milk, when she got in the kitchen she found Eli there. Their eyes met immediately. They froze for a second then Grace turned around and began to leave.  
  
"You don´t have to.", Eli slightly stated, making hr stop. "It´s your house, I´ll leave."  
  
"It´s not like-", Grace attempted to speak but Eli didn´t let her to.  
  
"You want me to be away from you. I got that. Don´t worry. I´ve made my mind, I´m going to live with my mom.", Eli sadly reported then he left to his room, leaving Grace speechless.  
  
Eli got into his room and before he could close the door, Grace´s hand stop it. Eli stepped backwards and Grace slid into his room.  
  
"What do you want?", he angrily asked.  
  
"Eli, you don´t have to move away just because of me.", Grace said. "We will work this * thing * out and-"  
  
"And what?", he snapped and she looked down, not knowing what to say. An awkward silence filled the room after Eli spoke. The silence was too thick and too hard for them to stand.  
  
"Let me ask you something.", Eli shrugged. "Am I not worth it?"  
  
"What?", Grace frowned. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"What makes me worthless than Mr. Dimitri?", Eli bitterly quizzed.  
  
"Eli, please don´t do this to me.", Grace begged him not to go there.  
  
"No. I need to know, Grace. You did everything you could to be with Dimitri and now you can´t even consider the possibility to be in the same room as me.", Eli rose his voice a little. "Don´t come and tell me that I´m crazy or something or that I have imagined this whole thing between us cause you know it´s not true."  
  
Grace fell backwards against the wall and slowly slid down, sitting on the floor. Eli couldn´t stop moving around his room, he was too uptight.  
  
"Why, Grace? Why can´t you fight for me?", Eli desperately begged her to say something. "Why is he better than me?… Can´t you see that I want you more than anything in my life? You can´t do this to me, Grace."  
  
"No! You can´t do this to.", Grace found her voice and spoke. Eli´s brow furrowed at her words. "You can´t do this to me, Eli. Not now.", said Grace again, standing up.  
  
"What?", Eli quizzed. "Don´t try to turn this other way around, Grace. You gotta let me know why you don´t wanna be with me and why you fought to be with a black guy than with one of you teachers and you can´t fight to be with your step brother."  
  
"Do you really wanna know?", Grace yelled a little and Eli said * yes *. "I did all I could to be with Jared or with Mr. Dimitri because I was desperate. My heart belonged to someone who didn´t want it. You, Eli. My heart belonged to you.", Grace confessed as her tears fell down. "Being with Jared, Spencer or Dimitri was all I had to help me to try to forget you, to stop wanting you, needing you."  
  
Eli couldn´t believe his ears. Grace confessed she wanted him but it was something she wanted in the past. His heart ached when he realized it was all his fault. He wanted to say something, apologize but he couldn´t.  
  
"Well, I guess you should know that I haven´t succeeded.", Grace spoke again and Eli looked at her filled-tears eyes. "I could not get you out of my heart. I couldn´t do it. But I have learned how to live without you, Eli. I´ve learned to see and not to touch you. I´ve learned no to have you even though I wanted you. I can´t go back. I can´t do that."  
  
Eli listened to her words. She still wanted him. But she has been bruised and she was afraid to suffer again. Eli understood Grace but his hear spoke louder. He couldn´t let her go. Not now that he knew she wanted him too.  
  
"What can I do to make you see that I want you and I´ll never hurt, I´ll never leave you?",Eli began beggin her to take him back.  
  
"Nothing.", Grace breathed under her cry,  
  
"Grace, please listen to me. I´m sorry. I´m sorry I hurt you before. I´m sorry it took me so long to understand that I want you. I do, Grace. I need you. Grace, please…", Eli desperately tried to make her see that he was telling the truth. He cried, he felt part. Eli sat down on the floor and cried like a scared little boy. Grace watched him there, helpless, needing her. She knew he was being true but she was still afraid. Her mind told her not to give in but her heart have given her permission to love him ages ago. She didn´t know which one she should listen.  
  
"Grace, You and I have been playing this * sick and hide * game for so long. I don´t know if I can keep on playing it. I´m not strong like you. I don´t know if I`ll be able to keep begging you take me, to be with me. Because that´s what I´m doing here. I´m begging you please. Grace, please lo-", before Eli could finish his desperate request, grace threw herself on the floor next to him and kissed him.. They broke the kiss instants after. Eli looked deeply into her eyes and he got his answer, his so wanted answer. Eli took Grace´s lips again but this time he kissed her with all the passion and desired that was in his body. Eli trailed Grace´s lower lip with his tongue. It was asking permission to invade in. Permission conceded . When felt Eli´s tongue slid alongside hers, she couldn´t help but let escape a groan from her throat. Eli´s arms embraced her tightly. She felt her body burn in desire. It felt so good to be in his arms.  
  
They hesitantly broke the kiss only to catch up some breath and go back kissing . As Grace and Eli drank of one another their hearts noticed a song on the radio, they were so nervous before that they didn´t notice it was on. A love song began playing. They stopped kissing and stared each other´s eyes. They didn´t need words, their eyes spoke thousands of the, and the song helped a little. The song sang…  
  
* Whooo  
  
Your love is like a gentle breeze upon a brand-new day  
  
Your touch and what it does to me, like a flower needs its rain  
  
We are like one of a kind, true love is hard to find  
  
I can't go on another day  
  
Just hear me when I say  
  
I ask of you, would you love me, if nothing else went right?  
  
And I ask of you, would you hold me, forever in your life?  
  
And don't let me fall, 'cause I can only give my all  
  
Here I am  
  
I ask of you  
  
I found the place where I belong, it's right here next to you  
  
And nothing else matters now, with all we've been through  
  
I can't go on, tryin' to deny just what I feel inside  
  
But now before I let go, you gotta let me know  
  
I ask of you, would you love me, if nothing else went right?  
  
I ask of you, would you hold me, forever in your life?  
  
Don't let me fall, 'cause I can only give my all  
  
Here I am  
  
I ask of you  
  
Yes I do  
  
I ask of you  
  
oooh oh  
  
I never really thought  
  
(I never really thought)  
  
That you'd be all to me  
  
(Tthat you'd be all that really matters to me)  
  
I'd give everything and all I am to you  
  
Oh baby, baby, I know you feel this way too  
  
I ask of you, would you love me, if nothing else went right?  
  
And I ask of you, would you hold me, forever in your life?  
  
And don't let me fall, 'cause I can only give my all  
  
I can't pretend  
  
I ask of you  
  
I ask of you  
  
I ask of you*  
  
As the song ended all they did was smile. Eli slowly leaned in and kissed Grace again. Nothing mattered anymore and besides, their biggest fear had come true, they have fallen in love with each other and they have given into it… it was right. They were together now… at last. 


	6. Together

Saturday afternoon at the Manning/Sammler house. It was a quarter to six in the afternoon and Lily was in the Kitchen, making dinner. a week has passed since the Grace/Eli incident, Lily and Rick tried not to think about it but it has caused them some bad headaches, specially to Lily, she was really worried about her daughter and step-son but since things seemed to be *normal* again, she just let them be.  
  
"Mom, I'm hungry.", Zoe announced, stepping into the kitchen. "Can I have a sandwich?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?", Zoe snapped.  
  
"Because if you eat now you won't have dinner later.", explained Lily.  
  
"So?", Zoe insisted.  
  
"Just hang on for another hour, okay? Dinner's almost ready.", Lily said with a smile and Zoe snorted, turning away to leave.  
  
"Hey, Zoe!", Lily called. "Do you know where Grace and Eli are? I haven't seen them all afternoon."  
  
Zoe raised her arms and clumsily waved them, letting her mother know she had no idea where Eli and Grace were.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Eli! Eli!", Grace sweetly called while Eli place small kisses up and down her neck. "Eli!", she called again.  
  
"Yes.", he hummed, never stopping kissing her.  
  
"Oh God!!", she softly giggled, enjoying his sweet kisses. "Could you, um… hugh, stop and pay attention, please?", she said, cupping his face, *forcing* him to look up at her.  
  
"I'm paying attention.", Eli lazily replied, taking her lips. Grace almost forgot what she wanted to say when his hot mouth met hers in one of those most passionate and magic kisses they have been sharing for the past six days.  
  
"Okay, okay! That's it!", Grace got out after she reluctantly broke the kiss then she slid off from underneath him, standing up.  
  
"What?!", Eli smirked at her, turning around on his bed so he laid on his back.  
  
"Think we better go.", Grace snorted while fixing her hair and clothes.  
  
"Where?"  
  
Grace snorted heavily and made a face. "We gotta go back inside, Eli! At least, I do."  
  
"Why ?", he played dumb, knowing it would probably annoy her.  
  
"Our parents. Hello!!", she seriously joked. "We've been in here all afternoon, if we, I mean I, don't go back soon, they'll suspicious and if they suspicious there's something going on between us, they'll make questions and-", Grace stumbled then realized Eli was delightfully amused in watching her non-stop babbling.  
  
Eli sat up and put his shoes on. He stood up and slowly walked towards her, attempting to take her in his arms and savor her again.  
  
"No. No. No.", said Grace, moving away from him. "I know what you're doing and it's not gonna work."  
  
"Stay a little more. I bet they haven't noticed you're in the house.", Eli stated, holding her. "And if Lily ask what we were doing, I just ell her I was trying to get her daughter naked.", he joked and Grace nipped him.  
  
"Hey! That hurt!", he snapped.  
  
"Good.", Grace teased him.  
  
"Oh! I didn't know you enjoyed pain.", he teased her back, slowly pushing her against the wall.  
  
"Eli! Don't!"  
  
"You asked for it!", he replied with a smile on his face.  
  
Grace swayed and ran out of his room, going into the house, Eli rushed after her. Grace jokely screamed when she saw Eli was *chasing* her as they invaded Lily's kitchen in a mad rush.  
  
"Mom!", Grace cried and Lily gasped in surprise when she saw them playing around her kitchen.  
  
"Grace, could you stop running around this, please!", Eli sarcastically ordered while him and Grace kept running around the island.  
  
"Grace!?! Eli!?! What's going on?", Lily tried to understand the whole scenario.  
  
"Nothing, Lily. I'm just trying to give your nasty daughter what she deserves.", he said laughing.  
  
"Yeah?!! And what would that be?", Grace spoke as she rushed upstairs.  
  
"If you think you're gonna get rid of this, Missy… you won't!", Eli exclaimed as he reached the stairs, making Grace turn around and look down at him. *I hope not*, Grace mouthed and they self-consciously smiled.  
  
"You're free to go… for now.", Eli let Grace go to her room. "Oh, hey Jess!", Eli greeted Jessie who was watching TV.  
  
"Hey, yourself!", Jessie greeted him back.  
  
"I didn't notice you were here."  
  
"Yeah, I kinda figured.", she smirked and he smiled.  
  
"Um.. listen. I'm going to mom's. Wanna come?", Eli asked.  
  
"No. I have to finish my homework.", Jessie replied.  
  
"Homework? In a Saturday afternoon? You know, Jess, you scare me sometimes.", Eli mocked her and she displayed her tongue out to him. "Sure you don't wanna come?"  
  
"Just get out of here!", she threatened him holding a cushion above her head, ready to throw it on him.  
  
Eli went to the back door and headed to his room to get his keys. When he passed by Lily in the kitchen she oddly observed him. After he left, she went to the living room to talk to Jessie.  
  
"Jessie!", Lily got her step-daughter's attention. "What do you have to say about Grace and Eli?"  
  
"What? What do you mean?", Jessie quizzed.  
  
"I thought they hated each other. Isn't that what you told me and Rick a week ago?", lily reminded Jessie the dinner incident. "So?"  
  
Jessie was trapped. She didn't know what to say to Lily who was getting very impatient for not getting any answer.  
  
"They love each other.", Jessie decided to tell the truth, knowing that Lily would take it as a joke but by the expression of horror that Lily's face seemed to show after hearing *that*, Jessie realized her word were not misinterpreted like she thought they would. "I mean, just because we fight sometimes, it doesn't mean we don't love each other. First it was me and Zoe, then me and Grace, last week it was Grace and Eli. My guess is the next ones, that are going to be hating each other, are Zoe and Eli. But it's just a guess."  
  
"Really?", the frowns of concern on Lily's face faded away.  
  
"I better finish my homework.". Jessie thought it'd be better to leave the room before Lily asked any more questions.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"I'm home!", Jessie got home from her therapy appointment. She went through the house and there was nobody there which was odd because she saw Eli's car outside when she came in and she assumed him and Grace would be home. She went up to the attic, threw her backpack on the floor and collapsed on her bed, trying to figure how she would spend the rest of her day.  
  
Grace and Eli were at home but not exactly in *home*, they were locked in Eli's room. That place seemed to be the only one they would be safe at. As long as they kept the door locked, nothing would stop them from doing what they most liked to do: make out.  
  
Grace was lying on Eli's body. Their hearts were racing as their hot mouths kissed one another. Eli grabbed Grace and rolled them aside so he was on top now. They felt like they were in heaven every time they were together. Eli's left hand ran through Grace's hair and his right one was strategically placed on her jean cover hip. As their kisses grew more and more passionate Eli subconsciously slid his hand under Grace's shirt and caressed her tummy. When Grace felt his hand touching her bare skin she broke the kiss because she wasn't used to have a boy's hand under her shirt.  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-", Eli apologized, moving his hand back to where it was.  
  
"No, it's okay.", Grace breathed then took his hand, replacing it on her tummy, under her shirt. Eli was amazed in seeing that Grace was not afraid that her act might lead them to something *deeper*. He smiled at her welcoming and she hold his face, bringing his lips to hers…  
  
"Eli!", Jessie called from outside.  
  
Eli and Grace parted from each other and remained in silence, believing that Jessie would leave is she got no reply. But that didn't work. Jessie called again… once… twice and they still kept in silence.  
  
"Eli, I know you're in there and I know Grace's in there too. So, you better open this dam door 'cause I ain't leaving until you do it.", Jessie got out with annoyance and Grace and Eli laughed at her words.. They hesitantly stood up, fixed themselves and Eli opened the door.  
  
"What?", Eli said and Jessie made her way into his room. Grace was standing next to the stereo, she had a couple of CDs in her hands. She thought that Jessie would buy they were doing nothing but listen to music.  
  
"I didn't say you could get in.", Eli jokely said as Jessie took a seat on his bed.  
  
"When were you planning to tell me?", Jessie questioned and Eli and Grace looked at each other.  
  
"Tell you what?", they got out together, pretending not to know what Jessie was talking about.  
  
"You don't know?", Jessie remarked and they shook their heads in agreement. "I just thought it'd be fair enough for me to be the firs to know that Princes Di has come back from the deads and that she got married to Rick Martin.", Jessie sarcastically added. Grace and Eli self-consciously stared each other and laughed.  
  
"Yes. It's true. We're together.", Eli admitted as he stepped closer to Grace, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
"It was about time!", Jessie exclaimed.  
  
"Sorry we didn't tell you before but-", Grace mumbled an apology but Jessie didn't let her to continue.  
  
"You were going on emotions and I was the last thing you guys would think about.", Jessie understood them and they smiled at the fact she's been so helpful and comprehensive..  
  
"I'm gonna get out of here and let you, love birds, alone.", Jessie snorted, standing up.  
  
"Where are you going?", Eli quizzed, noticing she was all dressed up.  
  
"Nowhere in particular.", Jessie vaguely answered. "Why?"  
  
"Nothing. It's just… you look hot!", Eli shrugged. "Are you sure you're telling us the truth?"  
  
"I'm hanging out with Katie. You know… talk, maybe have some ice cream, laugh a little… girls stuff.", Jessie blushed at her brother's comments and when Grace heard she was going to meet Katie, she gave Jessie the * is it what I think it is* look and Jessie smiled, nodding.  
  
"Oh my God!", grace suddenly got out, hugging Jessie. * Congratulations*, Grace whispered in Jessie's ear.  
  
"What was that about?", Eli frowned when he saw them hug.  
  
"We're happy. Happy people hug. That's all.", Grace replied and he shrugged, not believing her.  
  
"I better go.", Jessie said, leaving the room.  
  
"Now… spell it.", Eli ordered and Grace raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Spell what?"  
  
"I know you know who's Jessie's date really is and I want you to tell me."  
  
"First, I don't know anything and second, if I did know something I wouldn't tell you.", Grace denied her knowledge in Jessie's love life.  
  
"And why is that?", Eli quizzed and Grace shrugged. "You know what's going on with her, don't you?"  
  
Grace knew that Eli would not stop bugging her with it so she chose to tell him the truth but not the whole truth. "yes, I know what's going on with Jessie. She's in love but I'm not telling you who she's in love with.", said Grace. "I can't betray Jessie's trust."  
  
"You are so telling me what I wanna know.". Eli smirked, getting closer to Grace.  
  
"No, I'm so not.", she snapped and Eli grabbed her, starting to tickle her sides. Grace couldn't stop laughing as Eli laid them down on the floor. He sat on her legs to immobilize her. He looked deeply into her brown eyes and kissed her. Grace wrapped her arms around him, pulling his body closer to hers..  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Next day, Eli went to pick up Grace from school and instead of driving her home, he took her to his mother's .  
  
"Eli? What are we doing here?", Grace asked as Eli pulled over.  
  
"My mom's car is filthy.", Eli replied.  
  
"Yeah? What does it have to do with me?", Grace frowned in confusion.  
  
"Everything.", he said smiling while she eagerly stared him. "You're helping me cleaning it.  
  
""What?", she got out surprised. "Why don't you just take it to a car-wash or something.?"  
  
"And what's the fun in *that*?", Eli beamed, taking her hand, leading her into the house. When they got inside Karen thought it was odd for Grace being there but she didn't question it.  
  
"Did you brush the tires?", Eli asked.  
  
"Yes.", Grace answered a little annoyed.  
  
"They don't seem clean to me.", he said, over looking the tires.  
  
"So why don't you clean them yourself.", she sarcastically ordered.  
  
"That's not an attitude of a good girl.", Eli teased her.  
  
"Who said I'm a good girl.", Grace got in the teasing game. In fact, she did more than that. Grace took the rose and jetted water on Eli's face.  
  
"Oh! It's a war?!!", he screamed and she said *yes*. Eli grabbed the bucket which was filled with water and soap and threw the mixture on Grace. She jokely screamed as he grabbed her from the back and both fell on the floor.  
  
Karen was in the kitchen when she heard Grace scream. She stood up and went to her front door to see what was happening there. Karen was surprised to see Grace and Eli in a water battle, she was also amazed to see her soon having such a great time. She stood there, watching them , she was so lost in her thought about her son that she didn't notice Henry had arrived and that he was right next to her.  
  
"Earth calling Karen!!!.", Henry joked and Karen was brought back from her thoughts with the sound of his voice.  
  
"Hey!!!. What you're doing here?", she questioned and he kissed her tenderly.  
  
"I'm here because I let my watch here last night.", he explained.  
  
"Oh yes! I've found it. It's on the living room shelf.", Karen told him where his watch was and he went to get it.  
  
"Who's she?", Henry asked. pointing to Grace.  
  
"That's grace. Eli's step-sister.", Karen lightly replies.  
  
"Really?!!", Henry made a confused face. "I could swear she was his girlfriend."  
  
Karen turned to him and her face suddenly was covered with concern. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"Nothing. I just-", Henry preferred not to express his thoughts because they would probably upset Karen. "Sorry, my mistake. I gotta go back to the hospital."  
  
"Call me?", Karen stated and Henry mumbled a goodbye as he took off then Karen walked back into the house.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Look at me! I'm soaking!.", grace exclaimed as her and Eli entered in Karen's living room.  
  
"You started the whole thing. You asked for this.", Eli grinned.  
  
"Shut up!!", she snapped.  
  
"Hey, you!!", Karen made her way into the room.  
  
"Mom, can you lend Grace a towel?"  
  
"Yes, sure. Oh Jesus! Look at you!", Karen got out when she saw how wet they were. "Eli, you better get a hot shower now or you might get a flu or something. And that goes for you too, Grace. Come with me. I'll lend you some dry clothe.", Karen motherly treated them. Eli smiled when he saw Karen being so nice to Grace.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Grace! Come on! We're late!!", Eli impatiently called and after a few minutes Grace and Karen came down. Grace was wearing a Karen's dress.  
  
"Can we go now?", he asked, grabbing his keys. "Bye mom."  
  
"Thank you, Karen.", Grace thanked her for the clothes. "Bye."  
  
"Bye and Grace, you're welcome.", Karen smiled at them and they left.  
  
Grace and Eli headed to the car. When they got in it, Eli started to stare Grace like she was some kind of a rare specie.  
  
"What?", she snorted a laugh.  
  
"I never thought I'd see you in one of my mom's dresses.", he began to tease her again and she pinched him. "Hey!! you better stop doing that or-"  
  
"Or nothing. Now drive me home!", she sarcastically demanded then they drove off.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Mom! we're home!', Grace called coming in.  
  
"Hi! Where were you guys!?", Lily beamed at them  
  
"We were at my mom's.", Eli explained. "We washed her car."  
  
"Grace helped you wash mom's car?", Jessie quizzed, coming down and Eli nodded.  
  
"How nice of you ,sweetie!!", Lily congratulated Grace for her *noble* act.  
  
"It's not like gave me a choice, mom.", Grace stated and Eli made a funny face.  
  
"I'm going to my room. ", Eli announced, leaving then Grace and Jessie went up to their owns.  
  
The phone rang.  
  
"Hello?", Lily picked up the phone. "Oh, hi Karen. He's upstairs, hang on a sec. RICK!!! KAREN'S ON THE PHONE!!",  
  
Rick who was in his room reading, answered the phone. "Karen?!"  
  
"Hi, Rick.", Karen awkwardly greeted him on the other line.  
  
"Something's wrong?", he asked, noticing the concern on her ton.  
  
"No, not really.", Karen began. "What is the kind of relationship between Eli and Grace?", Karen stammered.  
  
"They're friends. Why?", now Rick's voice was the one filled with concern.  
  
"No, nothing. It's just… they spent the entire afternoon here and I sort of noticed that…", Karen clumsily started to explain the reason why she made that question and the more she explained, more the concern on Rick's face grew.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Grace was already in bed when he snuck into her room. "Eli! What are you doing in my room? Are you crazy?", Grace quietly stated.  
  
"Yes! I'm crazy about.", Eli smiled, crawling onto her bed then kissing her.  
  
"We can do this up here.", grace got out breathlessly.  
  
"We're not doing anything wrong. I just want to hold you through the night.", Eli grinned, kissing her jaw.  
  
"Eli!", she breathed and he took her lips again.  
  
"Grace!", he whispered, loving the her touches.  
  
As Eli deepened their kisses, Grace felt her body burn and her heart soar. She had never felt those thing before. "You better go back to your room.", Grace found courage to break the kiss and speak.  
  
"Okay, you won!", Eli agreed but before he left he gave her a sweet, passionate, warm, wet kiss. "Good night!", he mumbled, standing on her doorway then she mouthed a good night too.  
  
Eli reached the kitchen's door and before he stepped out he froze and wonder. *There's no point for me to spend this night alone.*. He knew he'd twist and turn in his bed, thinking about Grace, knowing he could be in her embrace . So he decided to come back up and spend the night entwined to Grace.  
  
"Eli?! What are you doing up?", Rick, his voice was filled with sleep.  
  
Eli froze when he practically bumped on his father. "I was thirsty.", Eli stammered.  
  
"I'm glad you and Grace are close again.", Rick said more awake than seconds before.  
  
"Yeah. Me too.", Eli replied, unsured of why his father was bringing that subject up.  
  
"Good. Um… hugh. It's nice that you two have each other… that you're… friends.", Rick sounded seriously concerned. "But I want you to… never forget she's you're… step-sister, Okay?"  
  
"Why? Why are you saying that?", now Eli spoke with concern.  
  
"Nothing, just don't forget *that*.", Rick took a glass of milk and headed out the kitchen then up to his room.  
  
Eli's mind began to wonder. *Does he know about us*, he questioned himself. Eli took a deep breath and gave up the idea of spending the night with Grace. He turned away and left.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
In spite of Rick's words never stopped playing on Eli's mind, he was almost asleep then he felt an arm embrace him.  
  
"Grace?!"  
  
"I couldn't sleep.", Grace softly hummed, sliding under his covers. "I need to feel your body next to mine."  
  
Eli hold her tightly. "I want you to know that we'll always be together.", he seriously muttered and she looked up at him, fear passed though her eyes. "I want you to know that no matter what may happen to us, I will never leave you. Never."  
  
" Why are you saying that?"  
  
" I bumped on my father after I left your room.", Eli began to explain. "He told me that I should never forget you're my step sister."  
  
"You think he know?", Grace barely spoke.  
  
"I don't know. But I guess he suspicious something is going on."  
  
After Eli spoke Grace clutched him even tighter. He felt her arms wrapped around him, he listened to her heart beats come down, he knew she the one and that's all that mattered to him.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Morning came and Grace succeeded to go up to her room without being seen.  
  
When everybody was having breakfast Jessie felt like she should bow to Eli and Grace for keeping their hands off of each other. She knew it pained them  
  
badly.  
  
lily and Rick left to work and Grace, Jessie and Zoe went to school. Eli was the last one to leave the house. When he was about to leave the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?!", Eli answered the phone.  
  
"Hello? Eli?! It's me.", a female voice spoke on the other line and Eli froze when he heard her speak. "Eli? It's me. Carla. Are you still there?!! Eli?!!??"… 


	7. Haunted by the past

"Hello!... Eli, it´s me.", a female voice spoke on the other line and Eli froze when he heard her speak. "Eli. It´s me... Carla! Are you still there?? Eli???... Eli? Are you still listening? Eli-"  
  
"What do you want?", Eli coldly burst out.  
  
"I want to talk to you.", Carla tried to sound sweet and friendly. "I´m living with my father again and I thought-"  
  
"And you thought you could call me, say a few nice things, even try to apologize for almost ruining my life then I would say how thrilled I was to hear you say those things and right away I´d crawl back to you.", Eli angrily interrupted her.  
  
"Eli, I´m sorry. I don´t know what to say to make it up to you but I´ll-", Carla carefully tried to find the right words to say to Eli but he didn´t let her finish.  
  
"There´s nothing you can say or do.", snapped Eli. "What you did to me is unforgivable."  
  
"I know... that´s why I´m calling.", Carla admitted.  
  
"I don´t have anything to talk to you.", Eli bitterly emphasized.  
  
"Well... I don´t know what else to say but if you change your mind, you know where to find me. So-", before Carla could complete her sentence Eli hung up the phone on her.  
  
Eli put the phone down and closed his lids, heavily sighing. He couldn´t believe that Carla was back. * Why she had to remember I exist? Specially now. *, Eli wondered and thoughts of him and Grace together came to his mind. He knew if Grace got to know that Carla was back and that she had called him, she would freak out. So he vowed not to say a word about it to his lovely Grace . But reasoned to himself, he couldn´t lie to her. Eli after a lot of thinking decided to tell Grace the truth.. * Tell her the truth is the right thing to do. *, he thought.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
It was almost dark and Grace was still at her father´s. She spent the whole afternoon there, taking care of Maddie. Grace was about to go to Maddie's room when Tiffany got home.  
  
"Tiffany! Hi!", Grace greeted her with a smile.  
  
"Oh, hi.", Tiffany replied. "I'm sorry for taking so long."  
  
"No, it's okay."  
  
"Where's she?", Tiffany asked while she looked for some money in her purse.  
  
"She's in her room."  
  
"Um… Grace? Um… I don't have any change here. I guess you'll have to got to Booklovers and get the money from your father.", Tiffany said, putting her wallet back into her purse.  
  
"No, it's okay. You don't have to pay me.", Grace grinned.  
  
"That's nice of you, Grace but just because you're Maddie's sister doesn't mean that you're our personal slave.", Tiffany joked and Grace shyly smiled. "Go to your father, he'll give you the money."  
  
"If you say so…", Grace snorted, taking her coat then she put it on and gathered the rest of her stuff. "Bye!"  
  
"Bye, Grace and thank you.", Tiffany uttered and Grace left.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Hey, Grace!", Judy exclaimed when she saw her niece coming in. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hi, Judy. Um… is my father here. I need to talk to him.", Grace reported.  
  
"He is. He's in the office talking to one of our food suppliers. He won't take too long.", Judy informed her while Grace rolled her eyes at Judy and glanced around the store, searching for Eli.  
  
"Oh, okay. Um... Where's Eli?", Grace asked, trying to sound very casual.  
  
"He left about fifteen minute ago.", Judy responded and Grace could see the question *why* written in her face.  
  
"I was just asking because I thought her could give me a ride home.", Grace made up an excuse and Judy notice a costumer coming in the store. She excused herself and went to talk to the girl who had just came in.  
  
Grace kept walking between the shelves there, glancing over the books, killing time while she waited for her father. When she was at the poetry section, she picked up a book but because she was very distracted she dropped the book that laid right next the one she picked. When she kneed down to grab it, a man who heard the book hitting on the ground, also kneed down to help her.  
  
"Let me help you.", he said.  
  
"Oh thank you but you don't have to-", Grace was about to thank him for trying to help when she lifted her eyes to look at his face. She froze when she saw who he was.  
  
*Oh my God!*, that's was all Grace could murmur. She didn't know what to say or do. She was stunned and embarrassed because of the way he was eating her up with his eyes. Grace clumsily stood up. Her face covered with horror and embarrassment. She turned away and ran out of the store.  
  
"Grace! Wait!", Dimitri called, holding the book.  
  
When Grace got out she stopped to breath and calm herself down but then she heard him call again. She looked back and saw him coming towards her direction. She tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm, not letting her go.  
  
"Grace.", Dimitri said in a low voice.  
  
"Let me go, please.", Grace weakly muttered and he moved around her so they were face to face then he let go of her arm.  
  
"Grace, don't runaway from me, please.", Dimitri slightly asked and she slowly lifted her eyes. "Can we talk?"  
  
"We better not.", Grace refused, lowering her eyes again, taking a step away from him.  
  
"Please, don't go.", he stopped her again. "I'm sorry for everything that happened."  
  
"It wasn't really your fault.", she said, still no facing him.  
  
"Grace, I'm not going to lie to you… I'm glad we met again.", Dimitri confessed. "I've been thinking about calling you but… well… we're here. I want to say that-"  
  
"Please, don't.", Grace stated, realizing what he was about to say.  
  
"No, I want to.", he emphasized. "… The way I act before… was wrong… but I was your teacher. I didn't know what to do. I had never been in a situation like that before but I'm no longer your teacher, Grace.", when Grace heard him say *that* she felt chill going through up and down her spine. "What I'm trying to say is… Grace… I want you. I know there's a huge age difference between us but I want to give us a try. I'll do whatever you want me to. I'll talk to your parents. I'll wait how long I'll need to wait. Because-"  
  
"I'm so sorry.", Grace uttered and tears started flowing. Dimitri looked at her oddly. "Sorry I got you into this."  
  
"Grace, you didn't-"  
  
"Remember what I wrote in my journal?", she interrupted him and he frowned. "About…"  
  
"About the man you were not supposed to want but wanted.", he remembered and she shook her head in agreement. "Yes, I remember."  
  
"It wasn't about you.", Grace carefully confessed.  
  
"What?", Dimitri looked at her in confusion. "I remember you wrote that because of this forbidden love of yours, you were able to release your emotions and be the best actress you could be.", he began and she nodded. "You told me it was because of me."  
  
"I lied.", she got out, her ton was filled with regret. "It was because of him… what you said did affect me. It put me down and he was there for me… I told him I couldn't do the play anymore but he asked me to do it one more time… he asked to do it only for him…", as Grace confessed the truth Dimitri was desperately trying to suppress his tears. "… and I did. I did the play for him but before act 7, when I looked at the audience, looking for his face… he wasn't there…", tears fell from her misty eyes.  
  
"So, it wasn't Rosaline speaking that night… it was you.", Dimitri figured.  
  
"After that night we… me and him… something changed between us, we barely talked to each other so… well, you were so nice to me and you believed me… you seemed to understand me and I…", Grace carefully tried to tell Dimitri she was never in love with him but she was cut by his words.  
  
"You were infatuated with me.", he figured, knowing what her answer would be.  
  
"Me and him… we're together now.", she ashamedly told him the truth and he snorted a bittersweet laugh. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No, it's alright.", Dimitri stated. "He's a lucky guy. Because you are incredible, Grace.", he exhaled and she forced herself a smile.  
  
They awkwardly stood there for a while not knowing what to say. So Dimitri spoke, "I better go. It was pleasure to see you again, Grace Manning.", he mumbled a goodbye and they walked away in opposite directions.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Grace! What happened?", Lily beamed at her when she walked into the house.  
  
"What do you mean?", Grace suspiciously asked, thinking that someone could have seen her talking to Dimitri.  
  
"Judy called and said you went there to talk to Jake then you disappeared.", Lily explained.  
  
"Oh?!", Grace sighed in relief. "I got tired of waiting so I left… Is Eli here?"  
  
"Yes, he's in room."  
  
"I need to talk to him.", said Grace heading to the garage.  
  
Eli was playing his guitar when Grace knocked on his door. "Who is it?"  
  
"It's me!"  
  
Eli took a deep breath, searching for courage inside of him to tell Grace about Carla. he wasn't sure he found it but he told her to come in. Grace got into his room and they stared each other awkwardly.  
  
"Hey!", she said, kissing him. Grace took a seat next to him and a silence filled the room. Both didn't know how they would tell the truth, how they would tell each other that the ones that once they thought they were in love with had come back.  
  
Eli noticed Grace was acting strangely, he thought Carla had called her and Grace also notice Eli was different too but she didn't want to believe he could have seen her with Dimitri.  
  
"Is there anything wrong?", Eli asked and she remained in silence. "Grace? What's wrong?"  
  
"Before I tell you I want you to promise me you won't be mad.", said Grace and Eli raised an eyebrow but agreed with her. "Okay… I went to Booklovers to see my dad and… I… I mean… Mr. Dimitri was there.", she stammered.  
  
"What?", he got out surprised. "What he was doing there? Did he go there looking for you?"  
  
"I don't think so. He doesn't know my aunt owns the store."  
  
"Did you talk to him?", he questioned and she stood up, trying not to answer. "You did talk to him, didn't you?"  
  
"You promised you wouldn't be mad.", she stated, not facing him.  
  
"How can I not?"  
  
"Okay, we talked. But it was no big deal, Eli.", she tried to ease his concern. "We needed to talk… I mean, after all that had happened we needed to be honest with each other… to clear things out."  
  
"I can't believe you talked to him. I can't believe you let him get near you.", Eli's voice was filled with jealousy. "You shouldn't have talked to him. You should have walked out on him, let him talking to himself."  
  
"I couldn't do that, Eli. you know that.", Grace slightly yelled. "That's not how civilized people act. We talked and now everything we had is buried. If we didn't have this conversation, there would always be a cloud of doubt above our heads. now it's really over."  
  
Eli listened to her but his in love heart was still jealous, was still mad… not mad… afraid, afraid is the word. Eli got scared when Grace told him that she and Dimitri met again. He was so terrified to lose her that he even forgot to tell her about Carla. Grace stepped closer to him and they hugged tightly. She knew he was very upset.  
  
"You better go back inside.", he stumbled, parting from her.  
  
"Eli?", her voice was filled with fear. "Are we okay?"  
  
"Yes, we are. I just need time to absorb all this information. That's all. Don't worry.", he tenderly assured her everything between them was fine then he kissed her and she left  
  
"Grace, dinner's served.", Lily informed her daughter as she came running.  
  
"I'm not hungry.", Grace barely spoke, rushing up to her room. Rick, Lily, Zoe and Jessie puzzled.  
  
Eli didn't have dinner either, he was too worried to eat. He laid down on his bed and Grace's words kept playing on his mind. *… we needed to be honest with each other… to clear things out… that's not how civilized people act…*. As he thought of it over and over, Carla was brought to his mind and somehow Grace's words began to make sense to him. He realized he had to talk to Carla and tell her about him and Grace. Thinking that way he picked up the phone and called her.  
  
"… Can I talk to Carla, please?", he asked the woman who answered the phone. He waited a couple of seconds then Carla spoke.  
  
"Yes?", Carla said on the other line.  
  
"Okay, I'll talk to you.", Eli coldly accepted to talk to her.  
  
"Great!", she exclaimed.  
  
"Remember where Judy's bookstore was?"  
  
"Yes, I do.", she replied.  
  
"Meet me in front of the store on Friday at 6:00 p.m"  
  
"I'll be there.", she said and he hung up.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Three days have passed since Grace and Eli were haunted by their past. Things became a little blurry between them. They didn't have an argument or anything like that. They did make out several times but there was something in the air. Grace felt like Eli was still felling insecure for knowing that Dimitri was back and Eli was only trying t figure out a way to tell Grace he was going to meet Carla on Friday.  
  
Grace was at home alone, it was 4:30 p.m. She was trying to concentrate on her math problems but Eli was all she could think of.  
  
(The phone rang)  
  
"Hello?", Grace answered it.  
  
"Grace?", she replied and Grace's face went pale.  
  
"Carla?", she hesitantly stammered.  
  
"Hi! How are you?", Carla exclaimed.  
  
"I'm, I'm fine.", Grace stumbled. "Where are you?"  
  
"Guess what?… I'm back. I'm living with my father again.", Carla was trying to sound very excited about it.  
  
"Oh, that's… great.", Grace couldn't disguise her shock.  
  
"How's Eli?", Carla pretended she hadn't talked to him yet. Grace froze when Carla asked about Eli.  
  
"Um… Carla… something happened."  
  
"To Eli?", Carla faked surprise.  
  
"Um… sort of. Can we meet somewhere and talk?", Grace thought it would be better if she talked to her face to face.  
  
"yeah. Sure. Um… I'm meeting a friend tomorrow. Can you meet me in front of *My Sister's Bookstore* ?, Carla maliciously asked.  
  
"That bookstore doesn't exist anymore. I mean, my aunt, she moved the bookstore to where my father's restaurant used to be. Now they're working together, my father and Judy. They have a bookstore-café.", Grace quickly explained.  
  
"Oh, that's cool. But the thing is, I'm meeting this friend tomorrow, like I said before, and the place we're meeting at is next to the old bookstore so…", Carla insisted that the meeting should be there.  
  
"For me it's fine. What time?", Grace bought her story.  
  
"6:30"  
  
"I'll meet you there.", Grace said goodbye and hung up. Now she was the one feeling insecure about her relationship.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
The Thursday evening passed by really fast and Friday had come. Eli was really nervous about seeing Carla again and Grace tried to be cool with the possibility that Carla might want Eli back and Grace had no clue that her boyfriend was about to meet his old girlfriend.  
  
The hours flown very fast and Eli left Booklovers and went to meet Carla. he decided to walk to there so he could cool his mind. On the way there, he caught a glimpse of a man that kinda seemed familiar. Eli stopped and stared the man very carefully, so he recognized him. Eli crossed the street and angrily walked towards the man.  
  
"Hey!", Eli called and the man turned around. "You're Mr. Dimitri, right?", he said.  
  
"You're Grace's step-brother. I-",  
  
"Listen to me very carefully, you bastard.", Eli pushed him against a wall, threatening him. "If I hear that you went after Grace again, I'll kill you."  
  
"Calm down, kid. I-", Dimitri tried to defend himself.  
  
"I don't want you to call her. I don't want you to talk to her. I don't want you to even think of her. And if you're walking in the streets and you see that she's coming in you're direction I want you to cross to the opposite sidewalk. you got me? Hugh?", as Eli kept threatening him, Dimitri remembered Grace's words, *… when I looked at the audience, looking for his face… he wasn't there…*, then flashbacks of the cast party came back to his mind, *… Hey, where were you? I saved you seat *, he remembered Lily asking Eli when he got home that night and Dimitri got the picture together.  
  
"Could you let go of me? Please?", Dimitri slightly demanded and Eli let go of him. Dimitri bitterly let a sarcastic smile appear on his face .  
  
"What are you laughing at?", Eli nervously screamed and Dimitri nodded.  
  
"Don't worry, *Good Orlando*.", Dimitri sarcastically began and Eli frowned. "* Fair Rosaline* is all yours. you're the only one she sees. She's yours. She's always been and she always will.", Dimitri finished and Eli anger began t fade away. Dimitri motioned a bow and left. Eli suddenly felt happy and very confident. Grace was his. He took a deep breath and went to face the other demon from their past… Carla.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"You're fifteen minutes late!", Carla joked as Eli reached her. "I missed you.", she said, putting her arms around him.  
  
"Stop right there.", Eli firmly said, taking her arms off of him.  
  
"What?", she played dumb.  
  
"What do you wanna talk to me about?, Eli coldly asked and she barely recognized the Eli that was right in front of her.  
  
"I want us to get back together."  
  
"You got a lot of nerve!", Eli couldn't believe that after all she did to him, she thought she could have him back. "Sorry but I'm taken."  
  
Carla made a face, figuring who he was with. "Is it Grace, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes. Grace and I, we're together.", Eli proudly confessed and she laughed.  
  
"Kick her to the curb and come back to me. She'll never be able to give you what I can.", Carla attempted to make him change his mind about Grace.  
  
"You're gotta be out of your mind.", he snapped. "You don't have any idea of what she can give me."  
  
"Hugh… you're not gonna tell me that you love her, are you?", Carla kinda mocked him.  
  
"How come you dare to say that? You don't know anything about love.", he disputed.  
  
"I love you.", Carla lied.  
  
"No. You love the idea of being in love with me.", he cried out loud. "If only you could know what it feels like to be really loved… You have no idea… I can feel her touches crawling under my skin. I can hear her sweet voice whispering in my ear. I can smell the sweet scent of her… and she doesn't even have to be near me to make me feel those things. She's inside of me. Grace's taken over my soul, my heart, she's my everything. And the answer for your question is *yes*… I love her. I love her more than anything in this life.", Eli confessed his unconditional love for Grace and Carla glared at him. Eli felt so peaceful when he said he loved Grace. It was the first time he ever said that and it felt good… it felt right.  
  
Carla was filled with anger and envy. She looked to the opposite sidewalk and saw Grace coming along. Her evil side couldn't let Eli and Grace be together so before Grace could get to them, Carla grabbed Eli's shirt and gave him a fat kiss.  
  
"ELI??!!", Grace screamed in desperation when she saw *them* kissing. Eli pushed Carla away and saw Grace staring at them.  
  
Grace couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart was broken into a thousand pieces. Her tears streamed down her angelic face.  
  
"Hey, Grace! Look who's here!", Carla pretended not to know anything about Grace and Eli.  
  
"Shut up, Carla!", Eli nervously ordered. "Grace. I can explain.", he shouted.  
  
Grace was in tears. She didn't want to listen what he had to say so she turned around and began to leave, soundlessly.  
  
"GRACE, WAIT!", Eli called out. "WAIT!", she didn't stop. Eli desperately crossed the street, he almost got hit by the cars but he didn't care. He had to reach her. Carla watched his desperation and for a miracle began to fell bad for tearing them apart but it was too late to go back and fix it. Carla dropped a tear of regret and left.  
  
"Grace, wait. Please. I can explain.", Eli called again, approaching her.  
  
"Leave me alone.", Grace burst out in tears.  
  
"It was not my fault, Grace.", Eli grabbed her arms, making her stop.  
  
"Let go of me. Let go of me.", she bitterly screamed and people around began to stare.  
  
"Okay… I'm sorry.", Eli let go of her arms.  
  
"How could you do this to me, Eli? How could you?", Grace breathlessly tried to understand.  
  
"I didn't. you gotta believe me.", he snapped.  
  
"I can't, she replied, crying.  
  
"Carla set us up, Grace.", Eli said. "She knows about us. I told her. She grabbed me and kissed me."  
  
"Don't put the blame on her, Eli", she yelled. "She 's my friend. She might be crazy but she's my friend. She would never do that to me."  
  
"How can you take her side knowing that she only went after me in the first place because she knew she you wanted me.", Eli tried to make Grace see that Carla was really a bitch.  
  
"I don't believe you said that.", she remarked.  
  
" Grace, listen to me. ", tears rolled down his face. "I'm telling you the truth."  
  
"I don't believe you.", she muttered.  
  
"Why can't you believe me? I never gave you-"  
  
"I saw you, Eli.", she shouted,. "I saw you."  
  
"Don't leave me… please. I need you, Grace.", he begged her.  
  
"You hurt me so much, Eli.", she quietly mumbled. I want you out of my life."  
  
"Please don't-", Eli begged her again.  
  
"God! You don't know how much I hate you right now, Eli.", she barely got out. He words were like a sharp knife penetrating his heart. "You don't know how much I hate myself right now. I believed you, Eli… I…", Grace murmured and slowly began to walk out on him.  
  
Eli stood there. His heart broken, partly because she didn't believe him and partly because she left him. He was bleeding from inside. His soul was dying. "AHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", he cried really loud as he watched her disappear among the people.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Grace invaded her house in a mad rush. lily was in the living room with Rick.  
  
"Grace?!", Lily called.  
  
"Just don't talk to me right now, mom.", Grace responded, running up to her room.  
  
She got in her private sanctuary and locked the world out. She was devastated, she was deeply wounded. She felt like she was dying, very slowly. her mind wandered, she couldn't think clearly. She looked around her room and saw a CD that Cynthia had lent her. Grace hadn't have time to listen to it so she put it on her stereo, pushed *Shuffle* then *Play*. The acustic guitar started playing. As she listened to it, she fell backwards against her door and slid down , sitting on the floor. As Grace suffered over Eli, Eli suffered over her. After she left, he took his car and began to drive, not knowing where to go, he just drove. He knew he couldn't stop driving… he was lost without her.  
  
As they cried over each other the song went on playing…  
  
*I hate you…  
  
I Love you.  
  
Leave…  
  
Don't go away.  
  
I can't decide if I like your face or  
  
If I wish it would stray.  
  
You're a child but you're malicious  
  
You're sweet but don't remember my name.  
  
Heads I win, tails I'm lost.  
  
Love equals pain.  
  
I am drifting without an anchor  
  
Through your ambiguous region  
  
A strange continent immune to all reason  
  
And I´m flattered by your grey matter  
  
Inside my skin, I feel your tongue  
  
It´s telling me I´m dirty and licking my bones  
  
A scrape against the silence, a knife across a plate  
  
Makes the sound of need on hate  
  
I am drifting without an anchor  
  
Through your ambiguous region  
  
A strange continent immune to all reason  
  
And I´m flattered by your grey matter  
  
And I do not understand  
  
Why a woman can´t just love a man  
  
You´re amusing, you´re a real cool show  
  
With your meat hooks and barbed wire carnival  
  
You got moth holes in your pocket  
  
You got moth holes in your soul  
  
From too many false teeth and greasy flashbulbs  
  
I am drifting without an anchor  
  
Through your ambiguous region  
  
A strange continent immune to all reason  
  
And I´m flattered...  
  
I´m flattered... by your grey matter 


	8. I love you

Grace couldn't sleep that night. All she did was cry and weep. She spent the night sitting on the floor and listening to *that* same song over and over again. And as for Eli, he just kept driving… driving through the city with nowhere to go. *Where do I go if I can't go straight to her arms.*, he desperately wondered for the thousandth time.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Saturday morning came, followed by the sun. The light invaded Grace's room, it was too bright for her to stand so she shut down her window and curtains, sending away the sunlight. She felt her body strengthless. She lazily crawled onto her bed, put a pillow against her face and cried again.  
  
Eli passed by the same gas station for the fifth time in that morning. He didn't know where he was driving to, he just drove.  
  
After being locked in her room for hours, Grace finally found some strength to get up. She sluggishly made her way downstairs. Grace got a little frightened at the moment she reached down and saw a policeman there.  
  
"Oh sweetie!!", Lily dashed towards Grace and held her tightly. "Are you alright? What happened?"  
  
"I…I…I-", Grace stammered, trying to find something to say but Lily was so uptight that she interrupted her before she could come up with an excuse.  
  
"Grace? You have a fever.", Lily said, touching her daughter's forehead. "That explains a lot. I've been trying to wake you up but your stereo was on. I thought something had happened to you too."  
  
"Me too? What do you mean? Why is he here, mom?", Grace asked, pointing to the cop, her voice with filled with fear.  
  
"Hughh, Gracie, you have no idea of what we've been through the past twelve hours.", Lily snorted with concern and Grace frowned. "Eli is missing."  
  
Grace's heart was brought back to life when she heard her mother utter his name but her heart came back beating in fear. "What do you mean, *missing*?"  
  
"He left work yesterday and never came back. He didn't spend the night at Karen's or at his friends'. We've called everybody, no one know where he is."  
  
Grace immediately started to shake, non-stop shaking. Tears were flowing, she almost stop breathing. Lily's desperation grew when she saw Grace shaking and crying like that,. She thought her daughter was terribly sick.  
  
"Zoe!? Zoe!? Rick!? Somebody call a doctor!", Lily screamed as she held Grace. But suddenly Grace got back on her feet and abruptly staggered up to her room. "Grace!? Gracie?!", Lily called, not very of what just happened.  
  
"What do you need a doctor for, Lil? Is it for Eli? Is he here?", Rick half-hopeful, half-scared, questioned as he entered in the living room.  
  
"NO, he's not here. It's for race. She's sick.", Lily said and a tear rolled down her cheek. Rick embraced her and both cried for their children.  
  
*  
  
The doctor came but Grace didn't let him in. She said she was fine and all that she wanted was to be alone. Grace was desperate, she thought Eli could have done something to hurt himself… she was terrified and she felt a little bit guilty too.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Saturday had gone by, followed by Sunday and soon Monday morning was gone too. The Mannings and Sammlers were running from there to everywhere. They still had no signs of Eli and Grace was still locked in her room. Jessie even tried to talk to Grace, assuming this whole mess had to do everything with her brother's and Grace's relationship but Grace didn't let her in either.  
  
"Oh Henry!", Karen sighed as tears dropped from her eyes. "Where's my son… where's my baby?"  
  
Henry held her tenderly. He spent the past three days by her side, supporting her. He knew she couldn't go through that all by herself. "Don't worry, he'll come back. He's just being a-", Henry tried to ease Karen's concern but before he could finish his sentence, Eli walked into the house. Karen got terrified to see him so weak. He was strengthless, he hadn't eaten for three days, he drove through those streets, non-stop crying. His body fell to the floor. Karen and Henry hurried to help him.  
  
"Eli!?", Karen cried. "Put him on the couch… Eli? Talk to me. Eli?", Karen and Henry placed him on the couch, his head laid on Karen's lap.  
  
"Mom?!", Eli weakly hummed, holding his mother. He sluggishly lifted his eyes, they were red as blood.  
  
"Where were you , honey? What happened?"  
  
"I lost her, mom… I lost her.", Eli said, crying.  
  
Karen looked at Henry in confusion. "Who, Eli? Who?"  
  
"Grace… I lost Grace.", he confessed. Karen's face fell even more pale.  
  
"Grace?", she remarked. "What do you mean *you lost Grace*?"  
  
"… We were together… Carla came back, she wanted us to talk. Carla set us up. Grace saw Carla kissing me. It wasn't my fault, I swear… Grace and I… we fought… she said she hated me… that she wanted me out of her life. I didn't know what to do or where to go… I just kept driving and now I'm here.", Eli, although extremely weak, confusedly explained. Karen was shocked. She had never seen her son like that before… he was helpless. he had given himself, body and soul to Grace and it amazed her. Eli was all curled around his mother, crying like a little baby. "Mom, please… help me…help me, please.", he begged.  
  
Karen and Henry helped Eli to get to his room. Karen gave him some sedative, so he fell asleep. While Karen took care of Eli, Henry called Rick to let him know Eli was with his mother.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Thanks, Henry.", Rick snorted in relief then hung up.  
  
"What did he say?", Lily impatiently quizzed.  
  
"Eli's there.", Rick informed.  
  
"Thank God!", Lily exclaimed. "Is he okay?"  
  
"I don't know, Henry didn't say.", Rick said putting his coat on. "But I assume he is or Henry would have told me so."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To Karen's. I need to have a serious conversation with Eli. He can't disappear for three days and come back like nothing happened.", Rick stated, letting his concern be taken over by his anger.  
  
"Don't be too hard on him.", Lily reasoned. "Talk to him first. Something really bad must have happened."  
  
Rick nodded. "Can you call the police and tell them he's back?"  
  
"Sure. Now go.", Lily kissed him goodbye and he left. Lily headed to Eli's room to tell Jessie and Zoe who were there that Eli was back.  
  
Grace was so relieved when she heard Rick saying he was at Karen's. Grace had got out of her room at the exact moment the phone rang. She chose to be hidden on the top of the stairs so she listened to the whole conversation between Rick and her mother. Grace took a deep breath after a while and went down.  
  
"Gracie!", Lily got out in surprise.  
  
"Eli's at my mom's!", Jessie beamed at her.  
  
"Oh, that's… that's great.", Grace barely exclaimed.  
  
And how are you, sweetie? Why you locked yourself for so long?", Lily quizzed and Zoe and Jessie stared Grace.  
  
"Sorry if I scared you guys too.", Grace began. "But I was a little depressed. I didn't wanna see or talk to anyone. But I'm okay now."  
  
"What happened to you? Why you were depressed?", Zoe insistently questioned.  
  
"It… it doesn't matter anymore… Anything to eat? I'm starving.", Grace quickly changed the subject then headed to the kitchen. Lily, Jessie and Zoe had big questions marks stained on their faces but since everything was once again coming back to normal they decided not to push it.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Henry, I need a favor.", Karen said, grabbing he coat, purse and keys. " I need you to stay with Eli."  
  
"Where are you going?", he frowned.  
  
"I can't just sit her and watch my son suffering like that. I'm going to do something about it.", she explained, putting her coat on. Henry shook his head in agreement and Karen headed to the door, when she opened it she found Rick outside, ready to ring the bell.  
  
"Rick!", she stated not very surprised.  
  
"Karen, where's Eli?", Rick asked with a little annoyance.  
  
"Listen, if you're here to fight with, so I think you should go back. ", Karen seriously warned, noticing the anger on Rick's face. "Look, Eli's resting now. He's extremely weak. I don't want you to bother him."  
  
"What?", Rick snapped.  
  
"I'll explain later. Now I have to see someone.", Karen quickly added then left.  
  
Rick stepped in and greeted Henry. He was a little confused because of Karen's words so Henry tried to explain. "Karen is right. Yow shouldn't fight with him right now.", Henry began and Rick gave him a fiercing look. "Your son is in love… As far as I could understand, he's girlfriend broke up with him… he got lost. He didn't want to come home so he just kept driving through the city."  
  
"What? I don't believe it. How could you buy this nonsense story?", Rick doubted his son was telling the truth.  
  
"I don't think he was lying, Rick.", Henry defended Eli. "Come and see him for yourself."  
  
Rick went to Eli's room and got shocked to see him so pale and weak. "God, he looks terrible.", Rick got out, sighing. "Who is this girl?"  
  
"He didn't say… exactly. He said a girl named Carla was back.", Henry thought it would be better to let Rick knows about Carla but not about Grace. And he was right. Rick began to believe that Eli was so bad because of Carla. "Why don't you go back to your house and get some rest. When he wakes up, I'll give you a call."  
  
Rick snorted and took Henry's advice then went back home. When he got there, Lily threw a thousand questions on him.  
  
"Lil… please… enough!", Rick said and she frowned. "A girl broke his heart. He's devastated. End of the story."  
  
"Oh!", Lily gasped in surprise. "What girl?"  
  
"You don't wanna know.", Rick refused to say it was Carla.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Karen walked into Booklovers in a mad rush, looking for Judy. Judy saw her come in, she noticed Karen wasn't quite well.  
  
"Karen? What's wrong?", Judy questioned with concern, knowing that Eli was back.  
  
"I need to talk to you. It's extremely personal.", Karen reported, trying not to look so nervous. Judy accepted to talk to her then they went to Judy's office.  
  
"Karen?", Judy puzzled.  
  
"You gotta help me, Judy. It's about Eli.", Karen began. "Grace and Eli, they are secretly dating."  
  
"What?", Judy's eyes went wide opened with the news.  
  
Jake was passing by the office's door and he stopped when he heard his daughter's name.  
  
"This whole mess is because of her.", Karen went on. "I know… I know, I know it's insane but it's true. Grace and Eli are dating and-"  
  
"What did you just say?", Jake invaded the office. "Tell me that your drug addicted son has nothing to do with my daughter.", Jake stated angrily.  
  
"Jake, please.", Judy tried to calm him down a little. "Let's hear what Karen has to say first."  
  
"I don't need to hear anything. Now I understand what the hell is going on. My daughter is sick because of your son went crazy and disappeared.", Jake yelled.  
  
"Well my son only went crazy and disappear because of your *perfect* daughter.", Karen yelled back.  
  
"Hey, you two, STOP!", Judy reasoned. "This is not going to help them. Now Karen… talk."  
  
"Eli is at my house. He's weak, he's hurt. He drove for three days. He didn't eat, he didn't sleep…", Karen went back explaining and Jake's face smoothed a little. "… do you remember Carla?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. She was Eli's girlfriend and-", Judy said.  
  
"-Grace's best friend.", Jake added.  
  
"That's right. Eli didn't explain it very clearly but… well… Carla is back and Grace saw her kissing Eli and-"  
  
"SEE! Your son was cheating on my daughter!", Jake interrupted her.  
  
"No, he wasn't.", Karen stood up for Eli. "Carla was the one who kissed him."  
  
"Oh yeah, *that* makes him innocent. Poor Eli, a beautiful girl kissed him.", Jake sarcastically put it then he picked up the phone and began to dial.  
  
"Who are you calling to?", Judy stammered, realizing what Jake was about to do.  
  
"I'm calling Lily, who else would it be. I'm going to warn her about this Grace and Eli thing."  
  
"You can't do this.", Judy grabbed the phone from his hand.  
  
"What are you doing?", Jake quizzed.  
  
"If you tell Lily about them, her and Rick are going to fight. And we don't want that.", Judy said. "And besides, Grace and Eli have to be the one to tell them, we don't have the right to turn them in. But first they have to talk when work this thing between them."  
  
"I don't know if I can do that.", Jake snapped.  
  
"All I'm asking you, Jake is to give me, to give them two days. Please, just two days.", Karen requested his cooperation. The three of them remained in silence for a few minutes while Jake decided if he should help or not.  
  
"Okay. Two days.", he shrugged. "But if in two days this mess is still on, I'll tell them."  
  
"Okay… thank you. I guess.", Karen slightly mumble and Jake took off.  
  
"So what are you going to do, Karen?", Judy asked.  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Hey, Maddie!! Looks who's home!", Tiffany exclaimed as Jake put his feet inside his house. Jake walked to Maddie and kissed her head. Tiffany notice something was definitively wrong. "What happened, Jake? Is Grace okay?"  
  
"You wouldn't believe it.", Jake exhaled, taking a seat on the couch. Tiffany sat next to him. "Grace and Eli, they're-"  
  
"Oh my God, they're together!", Tiffany awkwardly exclaimed in excitement.  
  
"You know about this?", his brow furrowed.  
  
"No, not exactly. I kinda felt *this* vibe coming from them so…"  
  
Rick snorted, shaking his head not buying Tiffany's *vibe* crap. "Rick and Lily don't know about them. Judy and Karen, Karen, his mother, asked me to keep my mouth shut but I can't just sit here and watch my daughter suffering because of a screw-up guy. And besides, he doesn't deserve her."  
  
"Who are you to judge this boy, Jake?", Tiffany spoke and he looked at her in an awe. "I mean, you cheated on your wife, you cheated on me, you ruined your ex-father-in-slaw's restaurant, I don't think you can judge him."  
  
Jake was surprised with Tiffany. He never thought she could throw his mistakes on his face like that. "Well, the situation is different here. His father-"  
  
"No, it's not.", Tiffany interrupted him. "He needs a second chance and you don't want Grace to give him that. But what would have happened to you if I hadn't given you a second, third chance? Or what would have happened to me if Lily hadn't given me a second chance?", Tiffany went on and Jake started to understand how Eli was feeling. "All I'm saying is that you shouldn't interfere. Let them handle this on their own."  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
On the next morning Grace felt much better, at least physically better. She went to school and in the middle of her last class, the principal took a *new* girl into the class… Carla was the new girl. Grace froze in the minute she saw her, she felt an urge to cut her head out or something. Carla took a seat next to Grace, she even tried to talk to her but Grace pretended not to listen to her call. When their class was over, Grace quickly left, not letting Carla get an inch near her.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Jake got to work a little late that day because he had to stay with Maddie so Tiffany could go to the doctor. When he got there, he was surprised to see Eli working.  
  
"What is he doing here?", Jake nervously asked Judy.  
  
"Easy, Jake. Karen practically begged me to let him come back. I couldn't say no. The boy needs help… why don't you talk to him?", Judy hummed. "Yeah, go talk to him. Just… go."  
  
Jake remembered what Tiffany had told him. He took a look at Eli and saw how bad he was. Jake swallowed his pride and anger and hesitantly went to talk to him. "Hey, Eli? Come here a minute, I need to talk to you."  
  
Eli left the books he was shelving and headed to the office. Once there, Jake didn't let him open his mouth. "Listen, kid, I know about you and Grace… No, just don't say anything, okay… I want you to know that I will give you how much time or space or whatever you need to talk to her and work this little issue between you two… Just don't hurt her more than she is, okay? Because if something like that happens again, I won't be so understanding."  
  
"I love Grace, Jake.", Eli finally spoke. "Everything that happened is a big misunderstanding. I wish I could to her but she won't listen to me.", he bitterly said then he left soundlessly.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Judy! Hi!", Lily greeted Judy as she walked in. "What you're doing here?'  
  
"Oh, hi Lil. Um... I need to talk Grace, is she here?"  
  
Lily thought a little bit odd that Judy was there looking for Grace but didn't questioned. She told Judy that Grace was in her room and Judy went up to talk to her.  
  
"Hi, Judy!!", Rick greeted as she passed by him.  
  
Grace was reading when her door received a smooth knock. "Who is it?"  
  
"Grace, it's me, Judy. Can I come in?"  
  
"It's open.", Grace got out and Judy entered.  
  
"Hi! Um… I don't even know where to start but… hugh… um… Karen told me about you and… Eli.", Judy began and Grace got all embarrassed. "No, it's okay. I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to help you or at least try to help you."  
  
"If you're here to defend him, you're wasting your time, Judy.", Grace mumble, looking away.  
  
"I don't know what really happened Grace but I don't think that you do too.", Judy stated. "I always knew that you had some feelings for Eli and I sort of noticed that he liked you too. And that girl, Carla… hugh… you know Carla. I think-"  
  
"Carla would never do that knowing Eli and I were together.", Grace took Carla's side again.  
  
"You can't say it for sure… Talk to him. Please, for your own good, Grace… just talk to him.", Judy finished. She hugged Grace then left.  
  
"Lil? I'm leaving- oh? Jake?!", Judy got out surprised to him there. They both looked at each other in self-consciousness.  
  
"Grace's upstairs, right? I need to talk to her.", Jake stumbled and headed up.  
  
"I gotta go. Bye Lil… Rick.", Judy clumsily mumbled a goodbye and left.  
  
"Something's going on here.", Lily said, noticing Jake and Judy were acting awkwardly.  
  
"What do you mean, Lil?", Rick remarked, also noticing something unusual in their behavior.  
  
"I don't know… I fell like they're hiding something from us.", Lily began. "First was this thing with Eli and Grace and now Judy and Jake talking to Grace in secrete? I just don't like it.", she went on and he frowned.  
  
"Grace, honey?!", Jake called, opening her door.  
  
"Dad?", Grace stood up and hugged him.  
  
"We need to talk.", Jake announced and Grace noticed the seriousness in his tone and soon she realized what he wanted to talk to her about.  
  
"Please, don't tell me it's about Eli. Not you too.", Grace figured.  
  
"Yes, it is about Eli and… you.", Jake shrugged and Grace sat on her bed.  
  
"You're here to stick it up for him too?", Grace quietly questioned, realizing her father knew the truth about them and Jake nodded. "I don't believe you. Why would you help him? I don't get it."  
  
"Because I'm a screw-up guy too, for one thing.", Jake snorted a laugh. "And because I want you to be happy… Listen, the boy really cares about you. I saw it in his eyes. If he did something wrong, something that hurt you, at least listen to what he has to say. Okay? And you don't have to worry about your mother. I will never mention this to her."  
  
Grace's eyes were fulfilled with tears, partly for Eli and partly for her father. She never thought he'd be the one to understand her. She held him tightly and thanked him. He smiled ant her, kissed her cheek and took off.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Grace kept thinking of what Jake and Judy had told her. And at school, everything Carla attempted to talk to her, she somehow managed to avoid the conversation.  
  
And Eli? Well, he tried to move on and force himself to not think of Grace, at least for five seconds a day.  
  
So Friday had come and everything was almost normal again. Jessie, Zoe and Grace were boucing around the kitchen, having their breakfast and so were Rick and Lily.  
  
"Girls?", Lily caught their attention. "With all that happened in these past few days, we forgot to tell you that we're going to be out this weekend."  
  
"Where are you going?", Zoe asked.  
  
"I have a business meeting in L.A and I didn't want to go alone.", Rick quickly explained.  
  
"Los Angeles!!!", Grace exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, that's right. Um… Grace and Zoe, you're staying with Jake, he's picking you up and Jessie, you're staying with your mom.", Lily informed. "And…,… Eli's coming back… tonight… He's going to stay here… alone… you know."  
  
When Lily said Eli was coming back, Grace's stomach quivered. Jessie notice she got a little uncomfortable with that.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Grace went to school, she couldn't concentrate in her classes, al she thought of was Eli. The bell ran and Grace was dismissed from her second period. When she got out of the classroom, she and Carla bumped on each other.  
  
"Oh, Grace. Sorry. I didn't see you.", Carla apologized and Grace began to leave. "Grace, wait!"  
  
Grace stopped when Carla called her, anger was taking over her body at that moment but she swallowed and started to walk again. Then she heard Carla calling her one more time. Grace stepped back, grabbed Carla's arm and pushed her into the ladies room.  
  
"WHAT?", Grace burst out.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you.", Carla said, a little afraid.  
  
"About?", Grace quizzed and Carla didn't answer her. "Carla, Eli told me something but I didn't believe him so I want to hear the truth from you. But before you tell me what really happened that day, I want you to know that… I love him. I love Eli… Now speak."  
  
Carla was trapped, she didn't expect that Grace would have the courage to push her against the wall. "Well, if he told you that I was the one who kissed him so he told you the truth.", she murmured, looking away.  
  
"Why did you do that?", Grace frowned and Carla laughed.  
  
"It's not hard to figure, Grace… I did that because I wanted to be you.", Carla began to confess. "You don't know how lucky you are. You don't know what it's like to be alone in the world. Everybody loves you. You've got a mother, a father, a step-father, a sister, a step-sister and who else that knows who you are to love you. And you have Eli who would give up his own life to make you happy. You have no right to be miserable. You have no right to be sad but I do… You complain about everything without having a reason, did you know that? Well, so I thought that would nice if I gave a good reason to complain about… to suffer about… perfect Grace.", Carla bitterly stated and Grace felt horrible for not believing in Eli. Tears rolled down their faces. They stood there in silence for a while until Grace left.  
  
"You disgust me, Carla.", Grace said before she leave,  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Zoe, can you help to bath Maddie?", Tiffany brightly requested Zoe's help then they headed to Maddie's room.  
  
"Wanna talk?", Jake approached Grace, noticing she was still very sad.  
  
"He's at mom's right now.", she hummed. "Carla confessed… it was all her fault. He told the truth."  
  
"Go.", Jake snorted and Grace looked at him half-surprised half-confused. "Go talk to him and-"  
  
"But dad?", she snapped, still not believing in her ears.  
  
"You better leave now before I regret this.", Jake said and she smile. She stood up, hugged him and gathered her stuff and when she was on the doorway Jake told she didn't have to come to back, that she could spend the night there… with him  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Grace got to her house, his car was outside. I was dark. Grace wasn't sure of what she should say to him. She took a deep breath, found the courage she needed to face him and went to the garage.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
I will meet you in some place  
  
Where the light lends itself to a soft repose…  
  
Grace cautiously opened his door. She didn't knock, she knew she didn't have to. As she opened it she found Eli there, sat on his bed, strumming his guitar. Eli was and was not surprised to her there. Their gazes met immediately. Eli calmly stood up and put his guitar aside as she closed the door. Grace took a look around his room, the light wasn't on but there were several candles lightened… colored candles… red, white, green, yellow… there was a sweet scent of vanilla too. Grace felt like Eli knew she was coming. They stood there, just staring each other, at that moment they knew everything was forgiven and that nothing in the world was bigger or stronger than their love…  
  
… I will let you undress me  
  
But I warn you, I have thorns like any rose…  
  
Grace and Eli slowly move towards each other 'til they were inches apart. He looked deeply into her misty eyes and she drowned herself in his hazel eyes. They subconsciously began to dance around each other, they couldn't tear their gazes as the danced. Eli's heart flipped when he read in her eyes that their time had come… No words were spoken, there were nothing to say… their hearts, their souls knew the truth.  
  
Both, Eli and Grace kicked off their shoes. Eli's hands came up to the hem of her shirt, he gently slid it off of her body, never breaking the intense eye contact. Eli's strong hands caresses across her tummy and went up to her shoulders 'til they reached the back of her bra which came unhooked under his fingers then he calmly slid the straps off of her. Grace blushed when she saw Eli's eyes had lowered, he got breathless when he saw her bare skin.  
  
Grace's hands were the ones working now. She slowly pulled his shirt off of him. Her hands explored his hard chest , passing through his perfect abdomen 'til they were at the waist of his jeans, she reached between them, finding its button, she hesitated for an instant but then she undid it and without ceremony pulled both, his jeans and boxers down. Eli nearly froze when he felt her hands running through his but cheeks. He swallowed his hunger to take her in his arms right away and began to undo her own jeans. He gently tugged them down, followed by her penties, he caressed her slender legs as he did it…  
  
…And you could hurt me with your bare hands  
  
You could hurt using the sharp end of what you say  
  
I'm lost to you now  
  
There's no amount of reason to save me…  
  
When Grace was completely free of her clothing, Eli took a step back and contemplated the astonish vision of her. *She is absolutely beautiful.*, he thought. Eli's hands gently traveled up and down the length of her body. As she felt his gentle touches, Grace's heart beat faster and faster. She felt like her breath was escaping from her body, like there wasn't enough oxygen in his room. Eli delightfully watched her body flush, burning in desire and his mouth went dry with anticipation. As they proceeded exploring each other's bodies Eli felt he should say something, his mouth even began to move but it was stopped by the touch of Grace's fingers…  
  
…So break me  
  
Take me  
  
Just let me fill your arms again  
  
Break me  
  
Take me  
  
Just let me feel your love again…  
  
Grace stepped back and laid down on his bed. Eli knew he couldn't wait anymore. He walked into his bathroom and put the protection on then he went back to his awaiting lady. He crawled onto his bed… he trailed her body, bathing her with his kisses, first her feet, her knees then her thighs… her inner thighs, her hips, tummy and breasts. Eli kissed her firm breasts heavily, he needed to taste every single drop of her. His kisses were making her feel things she'd thought she never would. His hot tongue traced up her neck until their awaiting mouths finally met. Grace softly bit his lower lips and their tongues initiated the pleasure battle…  
  
…Feels like being underwater  
  
Now that I've let go and lost control  
  
Water kisses fill my mouth  
  
Water fills my soul…  
  
Grace lost herself in his kisses and touches. Eli's knee gently smoothed her own knees, parting her legs so he laid between them. Grace felt the hard press of his rigid member on her inner thighs as he began to move his hips, guiding himself to her center. When Grace felt he had penetrated her, she couldn't help but started shaking a little. Eli saw in her eyes a small cloud of fear but he shoothed her with his honest and pure gaze. His eyes assured her they'd go slow. It was her very first time and Grace knew Eli wouldn't do anything to hurt her but what she didn't know was that Eli was a little afraid too… she didn't know that it was the first time Eli was truly making love… As he went on, driving ahead, Grace embraced his shoulders, her nails began to inch him but at every thrust of him into her, she no longer inched but now scratched him. *Oh God!*, she let out a soft moan, feeling him more and more inside of her. Grace cupped his face and brought his lips back to hers. After, hesitantly broke the kiss, Eli's breathing shortened… her muscles were tightly clutching him from inside. It felt so good to feel her that way, he thought. Eli thrust her harder this time, he was almost completely in then Grace whimpered a cry… it hurt, she knew it would. *Eli*, she whispered as he proceeded, *Grace*, he breathed… Grace digged hardly her nails in his back as she felt Eli crossing her last barrier… Tears fell from their eyes at that moment. They weren't tears of pain but tears of love… tears of pure joy, of pure pleasure streamed down their faces…  
  
…Break me  
  
Take me  
  
Just let me fill your arms again  
  
Break me  
  
I'll let you make me  
  
Just let me feel your love again…  
  
They just laid there, together in silence, gathering themselves. Grace thought she would take some time to get used to have him inside of her but she didn't need that much time, though. After a few minutes she began to move her hips up and down, she wanted to feel him into her for as long as she could. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing him down. Eli delightfully moaned, groaned because she was the one now handling him…  
  
…Kiss me one  
  
Well, maybe twice  
  
Oh, it never felt so nice…  
  
Grace demanded more and more from, she was on the top now. Electricity shoot all over their bodies as they made love. Grace and Eli experienced the angel's happiness, they felt like it was the paradise. Their hearts soared and their bodies levitated… Her hunger to have him was incredibly huge, she didn't want to stop but Eli couldn't hold much longer. He thrust into her hard for a few more times… once… twice, there times until they shattered, exploding in a sweet release…  
  
…Break me  
  
Take me  
  
Just let me feel your love again…  
  
They kissed each other tenderly. A smile stained on their faces. Eli rolled aside and without her noticed, he swiftly discarded his protection…  
  
…Break me  
  
Oh, I'll let you make me  
  
Just let me fill your arms again…  
  
Eli nicely covered their naked bodies and Grace cuddled up closer to him. he kissed her one more time and she laid on his chest, listening to his pounding heart slowing down. At that intimate moment, peace fulfilled their in-love-hearts, comforting their souls. They felt the sleep taking over their tired bodies so they both closed their eyes and exhaled…  
  
…Just let me feel your love again.  
  
"I love you.", Eli whispered in her ear.  
  
"I love you.", she murmured as tears flowed and they fell asleep… entwined to each other… 


	9. Happy Ending?

Author´s note: There is a song in this chapter, a brazilian song, it´s called Final Feliz ( Happy Ending), I tried to translate the exact lyrics into English so it might sound a bit odd to you but I hope you enjoy it.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
The sun came up and its light played upon Grace's and Eli's faces, forcing them to wake up. Eli was the first to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was Grace lying on his chest. *It wasn't a dream.*, he thought, smiling. He took a deep breath, leaned in and kissed her forehead, Grace was brought out from her slumber with the touch of his lips, she slowly opened her lids and saw him, staring at her.  
  
"Good morning.", Eli hummed, smiling.  
  
"Good morning.", Grace lazily replied then their lips met in a soft kiss. They remained there, in silence, staring each other's eyes, knowing that nothing in the world would make them apart.  
  
Grace slid off of the covers and got up. While she walked around his room, gathering her clothes, Eli couldn't help but stare her naked body.  
  
"Eli, stop!!", Grace slightly ordered, noticing his watchful eyes on her.  
  
"What?", he snapped, laughing.  
  
"You know *what*.", she disputed, blushing then she began to put her clothes on. Eli laid there, watching her 'til she was dressed then he stood up, walked to his closet and picked up some clean clothes.  
  
*Nice!!! Very nice!!!!", he heard her utter in a low voice. "Grace…?!! Stop!!", Eli smirked.  
  
"What?", she stated, playing dumb.  
  
"You know *what*."  
  
"Oh, so it's okay for you to stare my naked body and it's not okay for me to stare yours? Hugh? *Mr. Body Beautiful*.", Grace sarcastically giggled and he threw a T-shirt on her. "You know, as much as I like to watch you get dresses, I have to make a call."  
  
"Make a call?", Eli quizzed, putting his pants on.  
  
"That's right", she exclaimed, heading to the door. "And hurry up! We're leaving in ten minutes."  
  
"Leaving? Where we're going?", he asked as she left his room. "Grace???!!! Gracie?!!"  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Karen and Henry were about to have launch when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it.", said Karen. "Uh… Jake??", Karen got out I surprise.  
  
"Oh, hi Karen. Is Grace here?", Jake beamed at her.  
  
"No, she's not but_", Karen began to answer but Jake shortcut her.  
  
"See? I told you there was no need to hurry but you wouldn't listen, would you… They're not here yet.", Jake quickly stated to Tiffany and Karen looked at them in an awe. "Um… can we come in?"  
  
"Oh, hugh… sure. Come in.", Karen wide opened her door so Jake and Tiffany, who had Maddie in her arms, got in.  
  
"You know Tiffany, don't you?", Jake stumbled.  
  
"Yes, we've seen each other. Hi, how are you?", Karen greeted Tiffany, shaking her hand. "Um… this is Henry."  
  
"Hi, Henry.", both, Jake and Tiffany said and Henry replied with a shy smile.  
  
"Grace called me. She said she and Eli wanted to talk to me.", Jake started to explain the reason why he was there. "She told me to meet them here."  
  
"Right. Eli called me too. He said they we're coming but he didn't mention you were-", Karen muttered then the doorbell ran again and Karen went to answer it.  
  
"Hey, Karen!!!", Judy smiled at her.  
  
"Judy!!? Um.. hi!", Karen barely Said. "Come in."  
  
"Thanks.", Judy entered.  
  
"Hi, Judy!", Tiffany brightly exclaimed when she saw Judy.  
  
"Oh, hi Tiffany, Jake. What you guys doing here?"  
  
"Grace called us.", Jake briefly informed her.  
  
"Really? She called me too.", Judy nodded and everybody looked at each other with puzzled faces.  
  
"It seems that they want to talk to all of us… together.", Karen guessed.  
  
"But what do they wanna talk to us about?", Jake questioned.  
  
"Well, it's not very hard to figure, Jake.", Judy joked a little.  
  
"No, I know they… I mean, I wanna know if the *news* are good or bad.", Jake clumsily explained his concern.  
  
"It depends on you definition of what is good or bad in this case.", Judy mumbled and the front door opened. Grace and Eli walked in, hand in hand.  
  
"Hi, mom. Henry… Everyone.", Eli greeted the, with a big smiled on his face.  
  
"Dad, Tiffany."  
  
"So?", Judy impatiently quizzed. "Don't just stand there. Spit it out!"  
  
"Um, well, we wanted to have you all together because-", Grace began.  
  
"Because we wanted to thank you… all of you.", Eli added as the *ground ups* stared them carefully. "I want to thank you, mom for not judging me, for not questioning me and most of all for believing and helping me. Thank you." When Karen heard Eli say those words she squeezed Henry's hand and a tear fell from her eye.  
  
"And dad, well, I thought that when you found out about us you'd be furious and that you would try to kill Eli or something but you did otherwise, you helped us, you understood us, you gave us space, you trusted us and I wanna thank you for that."  
  
"Oh, honey.", Jake only snorted, feeling like once in his life he did the right thing for his daughter.  
  
"And Judy!", Grace snorted a laugh. "We all know that you and mom don't keep secrets from each other and that it must be hard to not tell her about us. So, we wanna say thanks."  
  
"It's not like I've never kept something from Lily before.", Judy slightly joked, making them giggle. "Just don't tell her that."  
  
"So it means that-", Tiffany insinuated.  
  
"You're together again.", Henry completed Tiffany's thoughts.  
  
"Definitively!", Eli firmly assured them then he and Grace hugged.  
  
"Oh my God!!", Jessie got out loud in surprise as she stepped in and saw Eli and Grace hugging. "You got back together! You guys freaked out last week, leaving me in a totally black picture. You've got to tell me everything. You owe me that. I mean if it wasn't for me you would have never got together in the first place.", Jessie stopped her frenetic babbling and notice all those eyes on her then she finally realized that Grace and Eli were acting like a couple in front of the *grown ups* which made her worry a little.  
  
"It's okay, Jess. They know.", Eli eased her slight concern.  
  
"And they're cool with it.", Grace happily added.  
  
"Really?", Jessie quizzed, staring at her mother.  
  
"Jess, let me ask you something. What do you mean they wouldn't have got together if it wasn't for you?", Karen asked with a sarcastic tone then everybody else stared at her eagerly.  
  
"Um… it's, it's a long story.", Jessie tried to escape from answering.  
  
"Oh, it's okay. We have all the time in the world.", Jake joked.  
  
Jessie didn't know from where to start because the Eli and Grace story was truly a long, long one. "She was the one that first noticed there was something between us.", Eli helped her, making the story really short.  
  
"She opened our eyes.", Grace mumbled.  
  
"Hugh… You go, Jessie!!", Judy playfully congratulated her and they laughed a little at it.  
  
Eli leaned in and kissed Grace fully. "Hey, hey. Wait a minute!", Jake made them break the kiss. "I am thrilled that you two are together but no hugging, no touching and specially no kissing while I'm in the room. I mean, she might be seventeen but she's still my little girl.", everybody in the room burst out laughing at him. "What? Did I say something wrong?", he jokely asked as the other continued laughing.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Rick and Lily got back from their trip around midnight. They didn't see Eli's car there so they assumed he was at Karen's.  
  
Monday morning came and Lily and Rick were dying to see their kids but Zoe, Grace, Jessie and Eli were doing their usual activities so Rick and Lily jus went to work, praying for the night to come soon.  
  
And they were lucky because the hours passed so fast that the night was there and they barely noticed it.  
  
"Hi, mom.", Grace and Zoe beamed at her, coming in from the back door.  
  
"Oh, sweeties. I missed you so.", Lily exclaimed hugging them.  
  
"Hi girls.", Rick gout out coming from the living room.  
  
"Anything to eat. I'm hungry.", Zoe asked, running through the pans that sat on the stove.  
  
"It's all you have to say? Don't you want to know how the trip was?", Li quizzed with a smile.  
  
"Later, mom.", Grace nodded, heading up to her room followed by Zoe.  
  
Lily watched her daughters go to their room and exhaled, she was a little upset because it seemed that the girls didn't miss her that much. "Let me cheer you up.", Rick jokely mumble, stepping closer to her then he kissed her lips.  
  
"Hey, get a room!", Eli sarcastically stated when he saw his father and step-mother *making out* in the kitchen as him and Jessie entered.  
  
"Dad!", Jessie exclaimed in excitement.  
  
"Hi, honey!", Rick embraced her.  
  
"Hi Eli, hi Jessie.", Lily Said a little embarrassed.  
  
"Okay, don't worry. We're leaving.", Eli assured them that he and Jessie would leave them alone then they went to their rooms.  
  
"Where we stopped?', Rick whispered in her ear and she giggled.  
  
"Stop!", she ordered. "Kitchen is not the place for… you know."  
  
"Are you sure?", he tease her with a sexy low voice.  
  
"Rick!", she snapped. "The kids are here."  
  
"Sorry but you can't blame a me for trying.", Rick stopped playing with her hair and began to notice something on her face. "Am I wrong or there is something bothering you besides me."  
  
"No, not bothering me. It's more like intriguing me.", Lily snorted. "Did you notice?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Grace and Eli", she went on. "It seems like whatever that happened to them is gone now. Do you think that Eli and that mysterious girl got back together?"  
  
"No, I don't think so.", Rick vaguely answered, still believing the reason Eli was down was Carla's return.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I don't. I'm guessing", he said, leaving the kitchen.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Next day after school, Eli and Grace got home, he picked her up and now they were home and everybody else wasn't.  
  
"Thanks for picking me up.", Grace thanked him as they stepped in.  
  
"Guess it's my duty now.", he joked. "Hey, um… come to my room. I wanna show you something."  
  
"You can show me here.", she said, putting her backpack on the couch. "Mom and Rick won't be home until ten."  
  
"What about Zoe?', he questioned.  
  
"She's at a friend's."  
  
"Okay then. ", Eli said, taking his guitar off of his shoulders then out of its bag. "I wrote a song last night and I want you to hear it."  
  
"Cool.", Grace smiled, sitting on the couch next to Eli then he began playing…  
  
* No more lies  
  
Cos I have got nothing to hide  
  
And now it's for real  
  
No matter what they do  
  
I don't really care  
  
Of what they will say  
  
Happy is what I wanna be  
  
And to leave for thee  
  
So you can hold me fearlessly  
  
It's okay to walk hand in hand  
  
Oh, my love  
  
Let the time crawls endlessly  
  
Oh, my love  
  
Our love was meant to be  
  
Oh, sugar  
  
Please believe in the *Happy Ending*  
  
Oh, my love  
  
My love…*  
  
Eli stopped playing. Grace was staring him like it was the very first time she saw him, she had a slight smile stained on her face. "Okay. You can hit me with the truth. It sucks.", Eli thought she didn't like it. "Come on. Say it! I can handle the-", Grace kissed him tenderly. "You know, I have hundreds of bad songs. Do I get a kiss for each one of them?!!"  
  
Grace laughed a little at his teasing joke. "It's beautiful!"  
  
"Think so?", he mumbled and she nodded. "Ahh, I haven't thought of the second part yet, you know."  
  
"Do you believe it?", Grace shrugged.  
  
"What?", he looked up at her.  
  
"*Happy Ending*", she softly got out, a little unsured of his answer.  
  
"I wrote the song, didn't I", he sweetly answered. "I do. I do believe everything is gonna end up just fine. And this is exactly what I want to talk to you about."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think we should tell them.", he snorted, holding her hand.  
  
"When? You mean, like now? Tonight?", she clumsily quizzed in concern.  
  
"No, not tonight and neither tomorrow.", Eli soothed her a little. "Well, they have to go to L.A this weekend again. I thought we could tell them after they get back. I mean, dad's signing this new contract with a bid company, they'll be happy and it will be easier. Well, at least I think it will be."  
  
"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Eli. But we can't go on lying to them for the rest of our lives.", Grace in her own way agreed to tell her mother and Rick the truth.  
  
"So… Monday. Monday is when the truth will be revealed.", Eli hummed then Grace sat on his lap and they started kissing.  
  
Every time they were alone, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other and once they started kissing, the rest of the world was forgotten. They were so lost in each other that they didn't hear the back door opening. They went on kissing, touching 'til they were brought out from their *private heaven* with the sound of a glass splitting against the floor. They stopped, parted and saw her, stunned, looking at them.  
  
"We can explain.", Eli said, fixing his clothes.  
  
"Yeah, we can explain.", Grace added, not very sure of what to say.  
  
"OH-MY-GOD!!!!!", *she* exclaimed. "You're dating!!"  
  
"Zoe, you can't say a word about this to mom or Rick, okay?", Grace seriously said.  
  
"Give me a good reason for me to do that.", Zoe disputed, knowing it would drive her sister insane.  
  
"ZOE!!!", Grace groaned in anger.  
  
"Because, because-", Eli was trying to think of something clever to say. "Because you are the seventh person who knows about us."  
  
"The seventh? Who else knows?", Zoe quizzed with a funny face.  
  
"Well, Jessie…", Eli began.  
  
"Judy…", Grace went on.  
  
"Henry, my, my mother's boyfriend…"  
  
"Tiffany…"  
  
"My mother…"  
  
"And… dad.", Grace finished.  
  
"Dad? Dad knows? And so does your mother?", Zoe got out, still not believing in them.  
  
"yes, and they're all cool with it. Isn't that great?!!", Eli remarked, trying to convince Zoe to keep her mouth shut.  
  
"So what do you say, Zoe?", Grace stumbled in doubt.  
  
"I don't know.", Zoe pouted.  
  
"Come on, Zoe! I mean, you'll know something that your mother doesn't.", Eli tried to tempt her.  
  
Zoe kept in silence for a while, making a thoughtful face. Eli and Grace almost died because of her teasing, killing and torturing silence."… Okay. I won't tell them.", Zoe finally spoke.  
  
"Thank you, Zoe.", Eli breathed in relief, hugging her.  
  
"Hey, but don't you forget that you guys owe me one. Big time.", Zoe pretended to be above them or something.  
  
"I knew you wouldn't let me get rid of this for free.", Grace sarcastically said. "Wait a minute. Weren't you supposed to be at Anika's? What are you doing home?"  
  
Zoe made a bored face and went up to the stairs then she said. "Anika is bitch!!"  
  
Grace and Eli looked at each other in amazement then started laughing. Eli suddenly grabbed Grace, threw her on the floor and started non-stop tickling her sides…  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Friday night had come and Rick and Lily had caught the last flight to L.A. Everything was going perfectly well but they felt like there was something that just didn't fit but they didn't know what exactly.  
  
"Lil?", Rick called, not letting her to take a nap on the plane's chair.  
  
"What?', she answer under her sleepy voice.  
  
"The contract is with you, right?", Rick shrugged.  
  
"Yes, it is. I mean, no. I mean, yes, I got it but I put it in your briefcase."  
  
"Oh.", Rick grabbed the briefcase and ran through the papers that were in it, looking for the contract while Lily tried to get some sleep.  
  
"Lil?", Rick called her again.  
  
"What now, Rick?", Lily said with a little annoyance.  
  
"The contract isn't here.", he announced in concern.  
  
"What?", Lily quizzed, becoming less and less sleepy.  
  
"It is not here.", Rick remarked seriously.  
  
"But it's impossible. I got---- oh, no."  
  
"Oh, no, what?", he looked at her eagerly.  
  
"Well, I was carrying your papers and the contract too when Grace and I accidentally ran onto each other. She had some papers in her hands too so… I think she must have mistaken the contract with her own papers."  
  
"What? You're saying the contract is at home.", Rick slightly yelled. "What am I gonna do now?"  
  
"Come down. We can sake Sam to pick it up."  
  
"Oh yeah. And Sam will be able to find our contract among all of the school papers that Grace keeps in her room?", Rick half-sarcastically, half- pissed, put it.  
  
"You're right. So I'll catch the first flight back home and I can take the same flight as Sam in the morning and everything is going to be fine.  
  
"" Oh, God!", Rick snorted, not believing it was happening to him. "I'll go with you.."  
  
"No, you don't have to. It's my fault. I'll take of it.", she tried to fix the mess she absent-mindedly created.  
  
"No, no. I wanna go. Make sure nothing bad will happen this time.", Rick said.  
  
"Okay… but you still love me, right?", Lily joked a little, making the tension between them fade away.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Six in the morning, Rick and Lily got out of the cab in a mad, mad rush. Lily swiftly unlocked the door and they invaded the house.  
  
"Wait here, Rick. The contract must be in her room.", said Lily rushing up to the stairs.  
  
"I'll go with you.", Rick announced and she made a face. "What? Have you seen how many papers and books there are in Grace's room?"  
  
"Right! Let's got.", Lily snorted and the went up.  
  
"I just hope she didn't take it with her to Jake's because-", Rick stated as they entered in Grace's room but he and Lily froze in time and place when they faced *that* particular picture right in front of them. They were speechless, stunned, they had no reactions, they wee completely and totally shocked to see that.  
  
Grace and Eli were sleeping together. She was wearing a real short top that more looked like a bra and a tiny short. Eli was only with his underwear. One of his legs was place over hers and his arms were wrapped around her waist. Grace slowly began to wake up. She opened her eyes and as she did it, a form of two people was becoming more and more clear to her eyes. She blinked a few times and realized who those two were and that she was not dreaming at all.  
  
"MOM!!?", Grace got out loud, abruptly sitting up.  
  
Eli was waken up by her sudden moves. He looked at her a little surprised then get absolutely terrified when he saw his father and step-mother, giving them those killing glares.  
  
"Mom. Mom, we can explain. I swear.", Grace stammered, covering herself with the sheets.  
  
"That's right, dad. I need you two to listen to me, please.", Eli desperately tried to come up with something to say while the *parents* stared at them without even blink. Grace and Eli even thought that they could tell them that they *accidentally* fell asleep together but it was too late for that because Lily, in one of her attempts to come out of her stillness, caught a glimpse of a worn condom, sitting on the floor next to the bed.  
  
"WHAT-THE-HELL-IS-GOING-ON-HERE?", Lily finally yelled at them.  
  
"ELI", Rick angrily yelled too. "GO TO YOUR ROOM."  
  
"Dad, Listen to me, I -", Eli got up and stumbledly tried to speak but Rick didn't let him.  
  
"SHUT UP!", Rick yelled again.  
  
"Mom, let me explain, please. Don't-", Grace weakly tried to say something.  
  
"SHUT UP YOU TOO, GRACE. I don't want to listen to your voice right now. In fact, I can't even look at you right now." Lily furiously shouted at her daughter  
  
"Eli?", What you're still doing here? Didn't I tell you to go to your dam room?", Rick was about to lose what had left of hi self-control. "Go to your room and don't get out of there until I say so.", Eli fearly dashed down to his room.  
  
"And I don't want you out of this room too, Gracie… Just stay here and, and- ", Lily couldn't finish her sentence, she was extremely shake and her anger had taken over her mind and body. Lily and Rick stepped out of Grace's room and right after they slam the door shut, Grace broke down and cried, she desperately cried, not knowing what would happened to her and Eli. 


	10. When You Love Someone

Lily and Rick rushed downstairs, they were completely overturned. They had no idea of what to think or do. They were too dam confused.  
  
"Rick? What are we gonna do about them? I'm just-, I can't- I-", Lily confusedly asked, non-stop walking around the living room. "I don't know.", Rick snorted in disappointment. "All I know is I can't go back to L.A. I'm gonna call Mr. Haddad and call off our meeting." * * * Jake was still in bed when his phone rang. He got up, walked to the phoned then picked it up while Tiffany milked Maddie. "Yes. Lily, are you okay?", Jake's face fell in concern at the moment her heard her speak. "But Lily- Lily what is going on? ---- Okay, okay. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.", as Jake hang up the phone Tiffany stared him with a puzzle face. He quickly grabbed his clothes, got dressed without saying a word to her. "Jake? Where you're going?", she asked. "Lily called. She's not in L.A, she's home. She want me there right now. I don't know what happened but I guess it's not very hard to figure.", Jake explained. "Grace and Eli.", Tiffany breathed out in concern. "That's what I thought.", Jake nodded. "I'm going with you.", Tiffany got up, got ready and when they were about to leave Zoe get ups and got to talk to them. "Dad? What's going on? Where are you going so early?", Zoe questioned still a little asleep. "Listen, honey. Your mom called. And, well, something happened with Grace and-" "Mom found out about Grace and Eli?", Zoe got out, surprising her father and Tiffany. "Um, um. you know about them too?", Tiffany said. "I wanna go with you, daddy", Zoe announced. "But honey, I don't think-", "She's my sister. I wanna help. Please?!!", Zoe sweetly insisted. "Alright. Go get ready.", Jake snorted then after a few minutes they took off. *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Karen was having breakfast and Henry was coming out of the shower at the moment her phone rang. "Hello?!", she answered. "Oh! Hi, Rick.", the expression on her face turned into some kind of panic and concern as she listen to his words. "Rick? Rick? Come down. You gotta tell me what happened. Rick?--- Why?--- I'm on my way.", she hang up the phone. Karen stood there, frozen in time and place with the phone in her hand. After a while Henry came down and she was still like a statue. "Karen? Karen?", he called, stepping towards her. "They know.", she only got out in shock. "Rick called. He said something happened. He didn't explain what but he told me to be there as soon as possible." "Wasn't he supposed to be in L. A?, Henry remarked. "Well, yes but he's not. I gotta get there before something really bad happens.", she seriously put it. "I need you to go with me." "But Karen? I'm not-", "Please? I need you there.", she shrugged and he agreed. "JESSIE!!!" *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"Um. you look very handsome for someone going in a business trip." Judy teased Sam, putting her arms around his shoulders then kissing him. "You know, if you keep on doing this, I'm sure I won't be able to leave this apartment.", Sam slightly kidded then the phone rang. "Yeah? Hey, Rick. I'm leaving in - What?", Sam questioned frowning. His word caught Judy's attention. "But why did you do that? Rick? Rick? What is going on but-" "What happened?", Judy's brow furrowed. "He called our meeting with Mr. Haddad. He's not in L. A, he's home.", Sam informed her, still asking himself *why*. "What?" "I'm as surprised as you are, Judy.", he said taking a seat on the couch. "Something really bad is going on or he wouldn't have cancelled our meeting. He didn't say anything but. I never heard him so angry like I did today, I mean, it seems like-", "Oh my God!", Judy burst out, realizing what happened. "Come on. We have to go there." "Go where?", "Lily's. I'll explain in the way there. Just - let's go.", Judy and Sam gathered their coats really fast then headed out. *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
"I can't believe this is happening, Rick.", Lily desolately hummed, burying her face in her hands. "Eli crossed all the limits this time. I mean, how come he did this to me. What did I do wrong to deserve such a thing?", Rick desperately tried to understand the *reason why* Grace and Eli were together. *  
  
*  
  
Minutes later, Karen, Jake and Sam parked at almost the same time next to the Manning/Sammler's sidewalk. They got out of their cars, looked at each other in self-consciousness then hurried to the house. lily and Rick were in the living room at the moment they invaded in. "Where are *they*?", Jake impatiently asked. "Rick, you have to agree with that *they* didn't do anything wrong.", Karen stumbled out loud. "Li? Please don't do anything you will regret later. I mean, *they* are just kids.", Judy pondered. Rick and Lily got surprised with the other's reaction and they were observing them as they talked. "Wait a minute.", Lily shouted, making them shut up. "What are you talking about? Who said anything about *they*? And who are *they*? And what the hell are you doing here, Judy?" As Lily finished her questioning, the others for an instant thought they'd made a mistake, that the whole situation wasn't about Grace and Eli. Rick and Lily watched them all embarrassed and confusedly, self-consciously looking at each other not knowing what to say. "You know, don't you?", Rick bitterly figured. "I didn't know until this morning.", Sam clumsily remarked, trying to save his *ass* but Judy slapped his left arm, stopping him to say anything stupid. "I can't believe you knew about them all along and you didn't tell us. What ere you thinking?", Lily angrily attacked them. "It wasn't our secret to tell and besides, they aren't blood related.", Karen reminded them in a loud tone. "That's why I don't why you're so mad." "You don't know why we're mad? Karen, are you nuts?", Rick yelled at her. "Guys! Please, let's discuss this like civilized people.", Judy tried to bring their tempers down with no success. "Civilized? Civilized people don't *sleep* with their step-sister.", Lily annoyedly disputed.. *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*When you love someone, you'll do anything You do all the crazy things that you can't explain You'll shoot the moon, put out the sun When you love someone.*  
  
Grace was all wrapped up to herself, sitting in one of the corners of her room, desperately crying while she listened to all the yelling that came from downstairs then Eli appeared on her window and snuck in. She abruptly stood up and they embraced each other real tight as their lips met in a desperate and desolate long kiss. "Eli, what you're here?", Grace breathed under her tears, parting from him. "I love you. You understand that. I love you.", Eli stated, cupping her face. "I love you too.", she replied, still crying. "Eli?. I'm scared." "Me too. But nobody will make us apart. Nobody.", he held in his harms, trying to give the comfort that himself was trying to find. "You trust me? You trust me?" "Eli, what's going on? You're scaring?", she quizzed. "You trust me?", he once again asked, looking deeply into her eyes.  
  
*When you love someone, you'll deny the truth, believe a lie There'll be times that you'll believe you can really fly When you love someone, you'll fell deep inside And nothing else can ever change your mind When you want someone, when you need someone When you love someone.*  
  
Grace saw the seriousness in his eyes as he looked at her, waiting for an answer. "Of course, I trust you. I trust you.", Grace got out and he squeezed her hand tightly at that time his eyes spoke words that only she could understand. Their eyes agreed in something that none of their parents thought they were able of.  
  
*When you love someone, you'll sacrifice You'd give it everything you got and you won't think twice You'd risk it all, no matter what may come When you love someone.*  
  
*  
  
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* "STOP! STOP! STOP!!", Zoe crazily screamed and they all made silence, looking at her in surprise. "Why don't you just let them be? Why mom? Why can't you let them be together?", tears fell from her innocent eyes. "Oh, sweetie!! I, I, I-", Lily's heart broke into a thousand pieces again when she heard her little girl say those things. "Because it's wrong.", Rick coldly answered. "Who are you to say what's right or wrong, Rick?", Karen strongly insinuated. "Karen!!?", Lily warned. "What they did. in this case. what they did is just, is just-", Lily kept moving her mouth, trying to find the right words to describe the situation but she couldn't. "They're doing this to punish us.", Rick snorted, no believing in his own words./ "And why would they punish you for?", Jake inquired and everybody else in the room turned their attention to Lily and Rick, who remained in silence. "Maybe they're doing this because you two kept them from destiny.", bravely stated Judy. "What's this crap you're talking about?", Lily got even more confused and angry that she already was. "I mean, Grace and Eli met each other before you two did.", Judy began. "And if you're together now, I guess you have to thank them, right?", Karen came out of her two seconds silence. "Are you crazy?", Rick once more raised his voice, attempting to intimidate the others. "First you agree with this insanity and now you start nonsense babbling about the past? I can't believe it!" "No, Judy and Karen are right.", Jake was the one leading now. "I remember now. you two met because of them. Not only because they attended to the same school but because they were in the principal's office at the same time." "That's, that's right. I heard Eli and Jessie talking one night. Eli was telling her how you met *the mom*, Rick.", Karen had flashbacks from the past. "If I remember correctly, Eli said Grace had twisted her ankle and that she and Lily were waiting for Jake to pick them up." "What it has to do with what's going on now?", Lily impatiently asked. "Everything.", Tiffany *accidentally* got out, figuring what has happened from that day on. Lily and Rick gave her such killing glares so she excused herself and went to the kitchen. "Tiffany is right. You're feeling guilty now because you know exactly what happened. You always knew.", Judy accused them this time. "I'm not feeling guilty. Why would I feel guilty?", lily tried to defend herself. "This is not about us, Judy.", Rick mumbled. "No. It is. It's always about you. From the very first beginning.", Jake shrugged. "If you hadn't acted like teenagers and recklessly began your relationship, maybe the real teenagers wouldn't have had to deny their own feelings just not ruin what whatever was going on between you two at the time.", Karen finally said what everybody in there wanted to say but didn't have the courage to. "I'm not going to stand here hearing all these craps.", Lily didn't let them say another word about the past. "This is not about the past. This is about my daughter sleeping with her step brother. And you know what? I want them out." As she said all those eyes stared her in amazement. "What do you mean? You're kicking them out?", Jessie who still hadn't opened her mouth, spoke. "I want the, out of here. Jake I want Grace to stay with you and Eli to stay with you Karen.", Lily went on. "And they can not see each other." "But for how long?", Jake quizzed. "How long it takes for us to figure out what to do." "Figure out what? There's nothing to figure here.", Karen burst out in disbelief. "Shut up, Karen!", Rick ordered, yelling. "Don't tell me to shut up, Rick. He's my son too.", Karen yelled at him. "Zoe. Go and tell Grace to get ready. Tell her she's going to go with Jake and Tiffany.", Lily ordered and Zoe went up. "Jess, could you-", Rick was about to ask Jessie to go talk to Eli too but she figured and interrupted him. "Okay. I'll tell him.", Jessie headed out to the garage. They waited there, in the living room then Zoe came down screaming. "MOM!? MOM?!" "What Zoe?" "Grace is not there. Grace is not there.", Zoe informed, out of her breath. "But-", Lily frowned. "Eli's gone and is his car.", Jessie announced, running into the room. Rick and Lily got desperate, Lily rushed up to Grace's room and Rick hurried out Eli's. The other's stayed there, figuring what they had done. "Her clothes. They're not there.", Lily stated, her voice filled with fear. "His guitar, his CD's, his clothes. aren't there either.", Rick snorted. "They ran.", Judy gasped, very sure of what she was saying. "They ranaway."  
  
. 


	11. The Awful Truth

"None of their friends know where they might be.", Lily stuttered in desolation. "I'm going to call the police.", announced Rick, reaching for the phone. "There is no need for that, Rick.", Karen muttered and Rick and Lily looked at her oddly. "How can you say that, Karen?", Lily questioned. "They're out there. God knows where. Bad things might happen to them. I don't-", stammered Lily in fear. "Nothing is going to happen, Lily.", Jake calmly put it. "I agree with Jake.", Judy said, taking a seat on the couch. Lily nervously glared at them then she asked, "I don't understand you. How can you be so calm in a situation like this?" "Because they're together.", Jake interrupted Lily before she could start another sentence full of anger and despair. "Jake, I love Eli. He's my son. But the truth is that everything he touches dies. he got arrested, he's completely irresponsible. And if he's not in trouble, he's about to get in one. So my question is: How come you're not even worried?", Rick quickly dissed his son. "because he loves Grace.", Jake firmly stated and everybody in the room looked at him, amazed by his answer. "I saw it in his eyes. He truly loves her. That's why I say there is nothing to worry about." "Thanks, Jake.", said Karen, moved by his words. "Love??", Rick quizzed. "Eli doesn't know anything about love. And so doesn't Grace.", Rick turned away and exhaled. All the ones in the room couldn't believe in his bitter words. Everybody made a pause so an awkward silence filled the place. It lasted a quite while until one of them had the courage to speak again. "May I say something?", Henry politely asked and their worried and curious eyes stared him. "I know I'm not a member of this family and that I pretty much don't know the whole story behind all this mess but there is something I've realized from this short period of conversation or discussion or yelling or whatever you wanna call it. . I've realized that you, Rick and Lily, that you knew about them. You always knew but you'd rather ignore it because it was easier.", Henry cautiously began. "You made this very convenient decision when you saw that your children subconsciously had chosen to put aside their own feelings just to make you happy." "Like you said yourself, Henry.", Rick was close to lose his mind as he said it. "You're not part of the family and you do not know our story. So if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut." "Henry know what he's talking about, Rick.", Karen defended her boyfriend. "Jessie, I want you to tell them everything you know about Grace and Eli. And I do mean everything." Right after Karen's words everybody's attention turned to Jessie. She felt very uncomfortable with the situation, specially because her brother's and her step-sister's *future* depended on what she had to reveal. "Well, I guess I should start from the very beginning. Right?", Jessie stuttered, standing up then walking to the center of the room. "When I first noticed there was something different about Grace's and Eli's relationship was when Grace started tutoring him. ." *  
  
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"Eli?", Grace called. "Where are you taking us?" "I don't know.", Eli replied. "I don't like this, Eli. I'm scared. We shouldn't have left.", she expressed her fears I a weepy voice. "And what, Grace? Stay there and let them decide what's the best for us or should I say, what's more convenient to the.", he lightly screamed. "They would've kicked me out. They would've forbidden us to see each other. I couldn't let that happen." "I know.", she softly hummed as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you." "I love you too, Grace. And. everything is gonna be fine.", he tried to ease her fears and desperately tried to convince himself that what he just said was true. *  
  
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". . Eli used to say that Grace was brilliant. That she was funny, deep, sensitive. It seemed to me at that time that he put her in a pedestal like she was some kid ofa God.", Jessie went on. "I remember that I kinda hated her because I thought she was stealing my brother from me but then something happened and he stopped talking about her *that* way. Then Carla came in and it was weird. you know. There was something about their relationship that just didn't fit. But I was too young to understand those things. So it wasn't until we moved in, that I once again started to notice there was still something *odd* about them. On the wedding day, when I went up to Grace's room to tell them you had called it off, I had this weird feeling that I had walked in on them. right when they where about to kiss. .", when Jessie confessed the *almost kiss* , flashbacks from the wedding day came to Lily's mind. She remembered Grace crying in her room and when she thought the reason why her daughter was crying was because she was getting married, Grace stopped her and said it was because she was all alone. But now lily knew the real reason for all that drying. ". I even mentioned to Eli that I knew he had feelings for Grace but he denied it so I just dropped the case and pretended I didn't see their mild-flirting. And I-" "Stop it!", Lily ordered. "I don't wanna hear those stupid things. Nothing justify what they did." "Not even love?", Karen quizzed. "Oh, come on! They are not in love with each other.", Lily one more time refused to believe the truth that was right before her eyes. "Truth is Eli and Grace never really wanted our marriage.", Rick also denied the truth as he poured a glass of vodka. "They've been causing us nothing but trouble since we got married. And trouble is exactly what they're-", Lily tried to support Rick's theory but she was cut by Judy. "That's enough!", Judy exclaimed really loud and everybody got confused with her action. "Enough! I can´t stand this anymore. Lily, answer me something. Why can´t you accept Eli´s and Grace´s relationship?", Lily kept moving her mouth, attempting to say something but she felt like there was nothing to say. "I ask that because *you* were supposed to be the one to help them, to understand them.", Judy went on. "What do you mean?", Lily frowned. " Oh, look at us, lily! This family is a * freak show * !", Judy´s words brought enormous questions marks to everyone´s faces at that moment. No one could figure what she was talking about. "I see that you didn´t get my point here. So I´ll explain.", Judy started walking, she passed by each person that was standing there and as she it, she carefully observed the expression on their faces. She stopped, looked down, ironically smiled, lifted her face and eyes then went back explaining. " * Freak Show *, that´s right. I mean, how can you say that is normal and acceptable that your new best friend is the woman that your ex-husband used to cheat on you with? Or that your husband and your ex-husband had somehow become almost friends? Or that your sister is the new best friend of your husband´s ex- wife and that she, your sister, is having a romantic relationship with your husband´s best friend who used to be married to your husband´s ex-wife´s best friend? Oh?! No even mentioning the fact that your sister and your ex- husband are running a bookstore-café together and that your step-son is working there!!" As Judy ironically exposed their not very common situation, Lily and Rick began to fell small and completely wrong about everything. All of the others started feeling the same. It was like common sense was filling the air and their hearts. "So tell me, Lily. How is so easy for you to accept all those * not meant to be * relationships and so hard to accept the love between Grace and Eli? I mean, I don´t think their love is going to make this family less ordinary because, you have to agree with that this family is not ordinary at all." * * * Eli parked the in a motel. He and Grace checked in then they went to the room to rest and maybe think of their situation. "I guess, we can crash here tonight.", said Eli locking the door. "Whatever.", Grace mouthed, sitting on the bed. "What´s wrong, Grace?" "What´s wrong? I told you, Eli. I don´t like this.", Grace snorted. "We can´t run forever." "I know that.", Eli burst out. "But I don´t see another way we can be together now. Let´s wait a few days. Wait them to calm down. Wait them realize we´re not kidding about this." "No, Eli. This is just gonna make things even worse.", Grace reasoned. "What you expect me to do, Grace? There´s no other way. You know that." "I wanna go back.", she confessed. "What??" "I wanna go home, Eli. I can´t skip school days. The finals are here. I can´t miss them. And your work. You might lose your job.", she pleaded. "I can´t believe you worried about those things.", Eli couldn´t believe her words but he knew she was right. They couldn´t hide forever. "You what´s going to happen if we go back, don´t you?" "No, I don´t.", she softly whispered. "All I know is that you and I are going to face them. We´re going to make them understand. And the truth is that I don´t really care if they will or will not approve our love. Because I know that nothing and nobody in this will ever make us apart." Eli´s eyes were filled with tears. Tears that he´d been holding back since they got caught. He had to be strong, that´s why he couldn´t let them flow but Grace had this power over him, when he was around her he felt he didn´t need to be strong. He knew she´d understood him. So his tears streamed down his face and Grace held him with all the passion there was in her soul then their lips met in a bittersweet kiss. *  
  
*  
  
* There was a silence right after Judy spoke. No one there knew what to say. Things were so confused and at the same time so clear that they felt unable to speak or even think. "Grace and Eli have been through a lot in these past three years.", Judy was still the only one brave enough to keep on talking. "They tried to deny it, they tried to forget it. They even tried to fall for someone else. But their love was stronger. It survived everything. So now, I'm asking you, lily, Rick. Please, don't be selfish. Don't take away from them this precious thing called love. Again silence filled the room. Lily sat on the couch, her face in her hands. Rick let go og the vodka glass and exhaled. "God! What have we done?", Lily breathed under her shame. "I fell like a heartless monster.", Rick hesitantly confessed, also in shame. "How could we be so selfish?", Lily desperately cried, feeling the cruelest person on Earth. "We had no right to do those things. No right to judge them." "They must hate us now.", Rick snorted lowly. "And I don't blame them. I'm so sorry." "We know.", Judy spoke for the others in there. "So, what happens now? I mean, what are we gonna do now?", Lily asked as her tears rolled down her face. "Wait.", Jake finally said something. "They'll come back. I know.", Karen bittersweetly added. *  
  
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The parents waited for Grace and Eli to call or come back but the night came and still there was no sign of them. Jake and Tiffany went back home and so did Karen, Henry, Judy and Sam. None of them could sleep that night. They were in the expectation that Grace and Eli would call but they didn't.  
  
Sunday morning came and soon Jake, Tiffany, Karen, Henry, Judy and Sam were back to Lily's and Rick's. They spent the whole morning there, waiting for some news. Rick even wanted to call the police but the others convinced him not to. "Rick? They're not coming back.", Lily mouthed fearly. "Don't say that." "May Rick is right. maybe we should call the police. It's been more than 24 hours that they're missing.", Karen couldn't stand the tension anymore. "I don't know. maybe we should-", Jake was about to express his thoughts but he was cut by the sound of the front door opening. Everybody's hopes went up to the sky when they heard that sound. They were frozen in time, hoping, expecting, praying. until that Grace and Eli slowly made their way in. For an instant they couldn't believe in their eyes. Rick and Lily subconsciously torn their eyes from Grace's and Eli's faces to their hands which were squeezing each other, seeking for strength and courage. 


	12. Monte Castelo

FEELINGS - "MONTE CASTELO"  
  
So there they were, hand in hand, standing in front of the entire family. No one knew what to do or how to act. They were relieved because Eli and Grace were back. They al wanted to say something, they wanted to jump in their arms and express their feelings but they just stood there instead, not very sure if it was or wasn´t a dream. The seconds went by but they felt like they were standing there, in silence for hours. The silence was so thick, they could fell it and they knew it couldn´t last any longer. Lily and Rick started to walk towards Eli and Grace, they were ready to speak but Eli didn´t give them the chance to.  
  
"Stop right there!", Eli warned and they stepped back. "Don´t. Don´t say anything. We didn´t come back to let you lecture us." "But-", Lily attempted to interrupt Eli but Grace stopped her. "No *buts*, mom.", Grace strongly uttered. "You´re not gonna say anything. Because you´ve got nothing to say. And in fact, you have a lot to listen."  
  
All the ones there got very surprised with their words. They didn´t expect that kind of determination from them. Karen, Zoe, Jessie and Jake placed themselves sat as their curious eyes tried to figure what Eli and Grace had to say. Eli looked at Grace, his gaze asked for assurance. He took a much needed deep breath and began his speech. "I know you wanna hear us say we´re sorry but we´re not. I´m not. I also know that running was stupid thing to do but... I was desperate. I, we didn´t know what to do... I was afraid. I was terrified to lose the best thing that ever happened to me...", as Eli poured his heart to his family, his words were penetrating Lily´s and Rick´s souls in a way that they couldn´t understand. "... ... I couldn´t lose Grace. I can´t. She´s my everything. Without her I´m a boat drifting through the sea of life... with no anchor. She makes me want to be a better man and I am... And I owe it all to her. She saved me, dad. I love her. I do... She´s my Lily.", Eli finished his sentence as tears rolled down his cheeks. Rick was deeply touched when he saw his big boy crying like a helpless little kid. He almost couldn´t believe it was happening. Lily couldn´t find the words to describe to herself what she felt at the moment she finally realized her daughter was truly loved by her step-son. It moved her but it hurt too. "Mom?", Grace half-weakly, half-strongly hummed, catching everybody´s attention. "Please, don´t take him away from me. Please... Eli is... um... ... I loved Eli when I first laid eyes on him. I know it sounds crazy but... I always knew... always...", Lily felt like Grace´s words were a real sharp dart penetrating her selfish-blinded heart. She felt so weak, so vain and small as she kept listening to her daughter´s deepest feelings. "... I swear, mom, I didn´t plain it. I didn´t mean to fall for Eli. I struggled with myself. I denied it. But it was stronger, it was bigger than me... Mom, remember when I told you I was all alone? Well, I´m not alone anymore. I am no longer *the girl with the lonliest eyes*. And it´s because Eli´s with me. I love him. I love him. And nothing you can say or do will change that." , and with Grace´s last words, Lily couldn´t hold back her tears anymore and so couldn´t Karen, Judy, Tiffany, Zoe and Jessie. They all got amazingly moved by Grace´s words. It was true love, they could tell.  
  
Lily exhaled deeply. She closed her lids, wiped away her tears and stepped towards Eli and Grace then she finally got out some words. "You shouldn´t have lied to us... ... You shouldn´t have run... ... ... But I´m glad you did...", Grace, Eli, everybody else there were almost sure Lily would reprimand them... that she would burst out yelling and fighting. But when they heard her words, they knew she was sorry. "... I´m glad you were brave enough to face us... because if you hadn´t done it, we would have probably found a way to put an end in, in-" "Our love.", Grace stuttered the word that her mother still hesitated to say. "Yes.", Lily went on. "I´m sorry... I was blind, I was selfish. I, I... I love you, sweetie and I love you too, Eli. I´m so sorry for what I put you through. I-" "It´s okay, mom. We understand.", Grace softly murmured, letting her mother and Rick know that they were aware that this situation wasn´t easier in any way to their parents. "Eli?", Rick walked closer to his son. "I don´t even know what to say. I´m, I´m ashamed... ... I´m sorrry for being sop hard on you. I´m sorry for putting you through so much pain. I_", Rick was the one now confessing his feelings. "You didn´t put me through any pain, dad. I-", Eli interrupted his father.  
  
"No, Eli. I did.", Rick had surrender completely to the truth. He didn´t want to deny it anymore. He knew he was wrong and he wanted to show how sorry he was. "I blindfolded myself just not to see what was right before my eyes. You, Eli. You, a boy with dream and wishes. A boy full of passion. A boy who knew what to do with his life but who was cut by his own father...", Karen felt a little responsible for he son´s unhappiness too. She knew she also denied Eli´s feelings. She felt like she was not a very good mother for doing such a thing but by witnessing that whole scene, she knew that no one there or in this world was perfect. "... I can honestly say, Eli that I´m really glad you never listened to me. And that I´m proud of the man you´ve become.", Rick´s face was stained by his tears. All those feelings and emotions were over taking his heart. "Grace, thank you. Thank you for loving my son. Thanks for understanding him. thanks for giving him what he deserves... He deserves the best from this world and you, Grace are the best for him." "Thanks, Rick.", Grace sweetly nodded then Eli gave his father a real tight hug. "Thanks, dad.", Eli happily said in hearty voice as his tears rolled down.  
  
"Come here, sweetie.", Lily extended her arms, motioning to Grace to hug her and they did. Tears couldn't stop flowing from no one's eyes. "Eli!", Karen called. "Come here." Eli went to her arms as Grace ran to Jake's. They both thanked them for their support and understanding. Jessie was the next to receive a hug. Grace and Eli hugged her at the same time and then Zoe jumped on them because she wanted to share her happiness too. Feelings of happiness, understanding and most of all forgiveness over floated their hearts and souls at that moment. Everything was forgiven and love had once again won... * * * Next day after school, Jessie and Katie were at the attic talking. "So everything ended up just fine.", Katie beamed as she watched Jessie separate some of her dirty clothes. "Yeah. Now Eli and Grace can make out around the house freely.", Jessie slightly joked. "Why didn't you tell me about them?", Katie quizzed. "I don't know. I guess... I mean, it was not my secret to tell.", Jessie got out, sitting next to Katie. "Grace hasn't told Eli about us so I felt like I had no right to tell you about them. That's all." "So, she knows that you and me, that we-", Katie cautiously inquired. "Yes, she does." "And what does she think about it?" "She's okay with it. Actually, she's quiet happy for us.", Jessie replied, surprising Katie. "Grace had suffered for love, she understands this kind of stuff." "So, I guess she would help you... with you parents if we-", Katie's ton was slightly serious now. "I can't tell them.", Jessie figured what Katie was about to ask. "I can't. I'm sorry." "But why not?", Katie raised her voice a little. "Shhh! They will hear us.", Jessie warned. "... ... They wouldn't understand." "They accepted the romance between your brother and step-sister. Why wouldn't they accept us?", Katie was making the situation harder to Jessie.  
  
"I just don't wanna think about it right now.", Jessie snorted effortly. "Then when?", Katie *pushed* her against the wall. "I just, I-", Jessie tried to find what to say but the truth was that she was ashamed of herself. She still felt uncomfortable about her relationship with Katie but she couldn't tell her that. Jessie knew it would devastate Katie. "Oh my God. You still have doubts about us, don't you?", Katie saw the fear in Jessie's eyes. "You still don't accept this, right?" "No, it's not that-" "If you're not sure abut your feelings, just tell me. ", Katie burst out and Jessie just stood, never answering her. "I'm gonna go home. Later." Katie grabbed her backpack then blazed out, leaving Jessie in a state of complete stillness.  
  
Jessie spent the rest of the day thinking about Katie's words. She felt really awful about it. Lily even noticed she was *different* and when she asked if there was something wrong, Jessie said that everything was fine then she excused herself and went up to her room. * * * When Katie got to school, she found Jessie next to her locker, waiting for her. "Hey.", Katie got out, not looking Jessie in the eye as she picked a book from her locker. "Are you mad at me?", Jessie stammeredly inquired. "I mean, when you left yesterday, um... it seemed to me that you were, you were-" "That I was hurt?", Katie slam her locker shut which confirmed Jessie's suspicion. "yes. I was hurt, Jessie." "I'm, I'm sorry, Katie. I-" "No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize or anything.", Katie's voice softened. "I don't want to push you. It's just that... I thought, um... hugh... I know it's not easy to tell your parents that you're, you're... you know. When I told my parents... ... it was a nightmare. i do believe that's the reason why my mother is depressed. i felt so bad and lonely. But after a few days they just started to pretend it wasn't true so... you know." "I didn't know.", Jessie sympathetically mumbled. "It was hard but when I told them the truth about me, it was like an enormous weight was taken off of my back.", Katie continued. "But it's okay, you know. I understand. So let's just live our lives one minute at the time. Right? And see what happens." "Right.", Jessie said as the school bell rang. "The books call for us. See you at launch?', Katie quickly changed the subject. "Sure." "Bye, Billie.", Katie left and Jessie allowed herself a shy smile. * * * "So?", Eli asked after a long, long passionate kiss. "How do you feel? Grace who was laying between his spread legs, sluggishly looked up at him, saying; "I'm happy." "So am I.", a smile that reached his ears appeared on Eli's face then he leaned in and their mouths kissed each other fervently. Eli hesitantly broke the kiss, only to start kissing her neck. As he went on leaving kiss trails along her neck, she said. "Um... Eli?' "What?", he uttered, never stopping savoring her. "Um... well, now that we're officially together... hugh...", Grace to make a short pause because his touches were making her to giggle. "Hugh, I thought, well the prom is next week so-" Eli stopped, looked into her eyes then he softly whispered in her ear. "It's going to an honor to take you to the prom, Grace Manning." At the moment she heard his gentle words, she abruptly turned round, rolling them down to the floor. She pressed her body against his, using her weight to keep him from moving. She leaned down and their lips met again. It never felt so good, they thought. Eli's hands were caressing the back of her trousers; she gasped when she felt his hands running all over her covered body. Their kisses and touches grew more and more. Eli was on top of Grace now, he slowly slid his hands under her top thank but then they heard his door opening. "Dinner!!", Zoe brightly reported, interrupting them. "ZOE!", they exclaimed together as they parted from each other. "Hey, *they* sent me here. I said it was a bad idea but. And anyway, if you don't want to be interrupted, why don't you just lock the door?", Zoe ironically pointed and they laughed at it. "Okay, okay. We'll be there in sec.", Eli replied then Zoe headed out. * * "Where are they?", Lily questioned while Zoe made her way back in. "They're coming. They just need a minute.", Zoe smirked and the others got the message. "Mrs. Sammler, thanks for inviting me for dinner.", Katie tried to make a small talk. "Oh, it's always a pleasure to have you here, Katie.", Lily beamed at her. "Hey, everyone.", Grace greeted as her and Eli came in. "Katie! You must really love Lily's food or you wouldn't---- *OW*!!", Eli sarcastically smirked right after him and Grace had placed themselves sat but he was stopped from saying anything *embarrassing* by Grace, who slightly kicked his right foot. That's why he lowly muttered the *ow*. "What?", quizzed and Grace gave him a *shut up* look. "So, Grace and Eli. I heard the news. Congrats!", Katie uttered the Grace and Eli grinned in reply. "Um. Eli? Did Grace mention that our prom is next week?", continued Katie. "Yes.", Eli quickly said then he immediately felt their *urging* and curious looks upon him. "You know, we were just talking about it and. Yes! Yes! As a good boyfriend, I'm taking my beautiful lady to her Junior prom.", Eli playfully stated. "Oh, that's great, sweetie", Lily happily got out. "Have you thought about your dress, Grace? Oh, of course not. You just decided to go. I tell you what. Tomorrow, you and I are going to by you the most beautiful and expensive dress in town. A dress that will make all the males there want you." "Thanks a lot, Lily.", Eli sarcastically rose his voce, letting them know that he was not very pleased with idea of other guys wanting his girl. "Mmmmm., you're jealous. I like it.", Grace joined him the *joke*. "What about you, Katie?", Lily noisily inquired. "I don't like those stupid dances.", Katie responded. "I might drop by just to see how things going but that's it. And besides, nobody asked me anyway. "Oh, that's sad.", Lily pretended sympathy. "Jessie?! Are you going to the prom?' "No. Like Katie said, it requires a date and I don't have one.", Jessie cleverly tried to get rid of Lily's phony interrogation then she quickly got back to her food. Grace stared Jessie and Katie, knowing the real reason why they were not going to the prom. "Gracie?! What's wrong with the boys from your school?", Lily annoyingly continued her nonsense search and the girls looked at her in an awe. "I mean, two beautiful girls like you with no date?!!! I can't believe it. There must be-" "Mom?", Grace lightly warned. "Drop it." "Why Gracie? Is there anything wrong in a mother and step-mother wanting her kids and her kids' friends to have a good time?", Lily couldn't quit the case. She started to babble about the prom, making it the top conversation of their dinner. And it was making Jessie extremely uncomfortable. "I have to confess that I always dreamed to see my daughters, it includes you, Jessie, my daughters in those long fancy party dresses. And before you leave, I would take pictures of you and you dates. The boys would be well dressed too. Tuxedo. They would be wearing tu-" "I'm gay.", Jessie, for some reason, couldn't bare that conversation anymore. it was torturing her. So, without thinking of the consequences , she outburst those words. All the ones there froze at her revelation. Rick was with his mouth opened, he was shocked. Eli was not even blinking. Lily was a little confused but not that shocked. Katie was surprised as Rick, she didn't expect Jessie to do such a thing. Grace and Zoe were the only ones that were not in any shock; Grace knew about Jessie and Katie, she was cool with that. And Zoe was finding the whole thing very amusing. "Katie and I, we're dating." "Oh my God! You're guys are actually gay?!!", Zoe shrugged, her ton was filled with a little bit of excitement. "Shut up, Zoe.", Grace demanded. "Go to your room." "I wanna stay.", Zoe disputed. "Zoe!", Grace warned. So Zoe reluctantly left the scene, rushing up to her room. "Eli? Eli?", Grace arose, trying to take Eli out of his trance. he sluggishly shook his head the he looked at her like he didn't or couldn't understand what she had said. "Eli? Let's go to my room. Come on." Eli did what Grace told him to. they left Rick, Lily, Jessie and Katie at the table. Jessie was with her eyes fixed on her plate. She couldn't look any of them in the eyes at that moment. Rick, without murmuring a single word, stood up and went to the kitchen. Lily followed him right away. * * "Rick?!", Lily called as they entered the kitchen.  
  
"I can't--- I-", Rick tried to put together a sentence but he was too stunned to do it. "Rick, please. just. breath. Just breath." Rick turned to face Lily. His face had a 8what did I do wrong* expression on it. "It's just too much. I can't stand it. It's a bomb after bomb." "Rick, I understand what you're feeling but-", Lily cautiously attempted to help her husband but he didn't let her to continue. "No, you don't.", he angrily blew out. "You don't." "I know it's hard. But you know there's nothing we can do about it. it's her life and we can't tell her how to live it. We can try but.", Lily reasoned. "You and I know how things are going to end if we, I mean you, if you go against it. Hugh. um. Remember when I thought Grace was gay? I freaked out at first. I- I-. well. but after I realized that this new particular information about her would not make me love hr less. Then I kinda accepted it pretty well. To be honest, it was easier for me to accept that Grace was gay than accept that she was in love with Eli.", Lily finished then she embraced hr husband. *  
  
*  
  
Jessie and Katie remained in silence for a quiet while until Katie broke. "You shouldn't have." "But-", Jessie looked at Katie with a bit of confusion. "Why did you do it?" "I just felt like. I don't know. Lily kept talking about that stupid dance. I just wanted to make her stop.", Jessie confusedly explained. "It is not the time or place to tell your family you're gay.", Katie snapped in a low voice. "But I thought-- I mean, you said that_", Jessie stammered, not feeling why Katie, apparently, wasn't on her side. "Forget about what I said. I didn't say those things to push you to do something that you were obviously not ready to." "You didn't pushed me.", Jessie searched for Katie's eyes. "But it fell like I did.", Katie hummed, looking away. "I'm sorry." "Well, I'm not.", Jessie stated then Katie gazed at her in amazement. *  
  
* Grace was sitting on her bed next to Eli. Eli was till in a state of shock. "Are you okay?" Eli shook his head, his eyes fixed on the floor. "I don't know." Grace didn't know what to say to him at that moment. She felt like she had run out of words or something. "Why didn't you tell me?", Eli asked, realizing Grace knew about his sister. "Tell what?" "Oh, come one, Grace!", he replied. "You obviously knew about this and you didn't tell me." "Of course I didn't.", Grace snorted. "She's my sister, Grace.", Eli disputed. "And because she is your sister, she had to be the one to tell you.", she reasoned. "Right.", Eli muttered, looking away. "it's so weird. that she's gay." "You're okay with that, right?", Grace noticed that Eli was having troubles to accept it. "Right?" "I don't know." "Eli, your sister needs us. You know that. You know better that we can't tell our hearts who to love.", Grace remarked, trying to make him understand his sister. "I know.", he lowly got out. "But it's gonna take some time to get used to it." "Sure it will. But you gotta stay on Jessie's side. You gotta support her. Because Rick and Karen are going to make a storm out of it." Eli sighed heavily as Grace softly placed her head laid on his left shoulder. *  
  
* Rick and Lily came out of the kitchen then into the dining room. Jessie and Katie was still at the table. Rick and Lily stared them in embarrassment. "I better go now.", Katie assumed that a big fight was about to begin and she thought her presence there would only complicate things. So she decided to leave. "No, you stay.", Rick bitterly ordered ad she sat back down. Lily excused herself and left them alone. She knew it was something too private and too delicate to be discussed in front of her. Rick walked around the table, trying to gather strength to speak. He stopped, pulled a chair, sat and spoke. "I'm not going to lie to you, Jess. I'm not happy with, with. well. After all this family had been through, we both know that I'm not in the place to judge you or impose you anything. It's your life.", Jessie and Katie observed him very carefully. They could hear the sadness and disappointment in his words. "All I need to is if you're happy. Are you happy?" "I am, dad.", Jessie mouthed as her father looked into her fulfilled-tears eyes. "I am." "So that's all that matters to me.", Rick, in his own way, told his daughter it was okay. Tears streamed down his face as he said it. Jessie abruptly got up and threw herself into her father's arms. Katie smiled as she watched them hug. *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Things didn't go so well for Jessie after she told the truth to her mother. Karen couldn't understand why her daughter was gay. She even thought it was her fault. if it wasn't for Henry, Karen would have got depressed again. Grace, Eli and Rick did the best then could to help Jessie and try to make Karen understand. lily chose not to get involved just not to turn things even more complicated that they already were. The days, the weeks passed and with them Karen's anger was gone too. She came around and blessed her daughter's relationship. And the Manning and Sammlers felt like peace had finally fulfilled their lives. *  
  
*  
  
* One year later. *  
  
*  
  
* It was summer time. The entire family was getting together at Lily's for a barbecue. Lily was setting the table, Grace and Zoe were helping her as Rick and Eli took care of the barbecue itself. "Grace, could you get another plate?", Lily requested. "Lily! Lily!", Barbara repeated, coming out of the kitchen. "What, mom?" "Why is Grace kissing her own brother. It's wrong, Lily.", Barbara, once again forgot that Eli wasn't Lily's son. "Mom, Eli's Rick's son. Remember?", Lily lightly stated. "Rick is your husband, isn't he?" "Ashely?!!!", Lily called her mother's nurse. "Ashely." "Yes, Mrs. Sammler.", replied the nurse. "Did you give my mom the twelve o'clock medicine?", inquired Lily. "I tried to, but she refused to take it.", explained Ashely. "Mom! Mom!", Lily called a couple of time but Margaret pretended no to listen to her so Lily turned to Ashely and said. "You're doing a great job with my mom but don't let it happen again. Okay? Great." "Eli!", Rick stuttered. "Coming, dad.", Eli replied from the kitchen then he and Grace went back kidding. They heard somebody clear their throat *rmmrmrrr rmmrrrmm* which made them stop kissing and see who was there with tem. "Guess your father needs a hand out there.", Karen smirked as Jessie, Katie and Henry watched them, smiling. "Hey, mom.", Eli hugged her. Karen kissed his check then she hugged Grace too. "Can I hold him?", Grace asked, extending her arms to take Isaac. (Karen's and Henry's two month old baby) "Sure.", Henry gave him to her then they headed out to the back yard. "Hey, Karen!!", exclaimed Rick as he saw them coming. "Eli!" "I'm here.", Eli snorted as Lily greeted them. Rick told Eli to watch the barbecue then him and Lily slipped out, going to the kitchen. "What, Rick?" "Shall we tell them?", Rick's face seemed to shine as he asked it. "You mean, now?", Lily happily frowned. "It's a happy day. Happy days require good news and we've got good news.", he joked as she made a thoughtful face. "I don't know. Why don't we wait a little more. I mean, it's just too soon.", Lily stated and Rick looked at her, not getting her point. "It's a *just too soon* reality. There is no point in hiding it from them.", Rick pleaded. "And if we don't tell them, I will explode." lily laughed at his final words then she hesitantly agreed in telling the family their *big news*. Rick smiled easily and gave her a full kiss. A few minutes later when they were about to go back outside, they heard some footsteps coming from the living. "Anybody home?", Judy made her entrance as Sam, Jeremy, Jake, Tiffany and Maddie made their own as well. "Hey, you guys!", Lily distributed hugs to all of them. "Hey, Maddie." "Um... Sam, Jake? Could you help me with these ?", Rick pointed to some food that there were still in the kitchen. They grabbed the food then walked out. "Daddy!!!", Zoe excitingly got out when she saw her father coming. She rushed and jumped into his arms. "Hey. everyone.", Judy exclaimed while the *husbands* placed the food on the table. "How are you feeling, Judy?", Karen brightly questioned as Judy took a seat next to her. "I'm not nauseous which is already a good thing, but my back is killing me." "You know, yoga helped me a lot. you should do it.", Tiffany adviced, pouting a glass of orange juice. "Maddie! Honey! Don't put that in your mouth!" "you should have mentioned it seven months ago.", Judy sarcastically put it. "I don't know how you did it. I mean., Karen, you've got three kids. Lily, you've got two and Tiffany, you've one but. How you did it?" "Oh, Judy! you don't sound like the same woman who was thinking about freeing her eggs.", Lily jokely remembered. "And I'm not. I'm pregnant, Lil. I don't need to freeze my eggs anymore.", Judy shrugged and they laughed.  
  
The barbecue had officially began. Everybody was in a wonderful mood. They were chit-chatting, laughing, making jokes. They hadn't had a great time like that in ages. The afternoon was nearly ending and so was the food. The Mannings, Sammlers. Blues and Higgins, were still sitting around the table and that was when Rick lightly hit his glass with a spoon, catching everybody's attention. "We've got an announcement to make.", reported Rick, standing up. Their eyes were all focused on Rick and Lily. They waited a few seconds but no other word was spoken by them. "Come on, mom. Tell us. This mystery is killing us.", Zoe impatiently mumbled. "Okay. Okay.", lily stood up too then she looked at Rick.". . . . . . . . I'm. I'm. I'm pregnant!" "Oh my God. Congratulations!!", Grace beamed. Everybody got every excited with the news. They felt like they couldn't keep so much joy inside. "Hey, wait a minute.", Zoe warned and their gazes fell upon her. "Where is the baby going to sleep. There is not even enough room for us." "Oh, sweetie. We haven't thought about it yet., Lily began. "But, well. Grace's going to college so I thought-" "I haven't even told you if I'm leaving or not and you have already made plains to my room.", Grace sarcastically faked a pissed off feeling. "Oh.", Lily gasped from her spot. "Well, since you mentioned the college thing. I guess that I should report you my decision.", said Grace, standing up as Rick and Lily sat back down. "You know that I got into every college I've applied for. And I'm proud of that. Thank you very much. And that's why I didn't know which one I'm going to attend. But after a lot of talking, a lot of thinking, I've decided to go Lincoln University." "That's great!", exclaimed Katie. "I'm going to Lincoln University too." "But it's in San Francisco.", Jake sounded a little upset. "Um, well, the reason why Grace chose Lincoln University is because I asked her to move in with me. to move with me to San Francisco.", Eli was the one under the spotlights now. After he began his explanation, everyone's faces seemed to puzzle at it. "I'll explain. Me, my band. . we, we got a contract with Universal Records. And the recording studio is in San Francisco, and . . . . . . . I asked Grace to marry me." "And I said *yes*.", Grace happily got out, squeezing Eli's hand as the others still couldn't believe in their ears. "Oh my God!", Lily snorted. "Oh, sweetie!!" Once again all the *hugging, OMG, Congratulations and blah, blah, blah*, was going on. They were extremely happy and excited with all the good stuff that was going on. "Mrrmm mrrrmm.", Barbara cleared her throat, grabbed a glass, stood up and said. "I believe that his occasion requires a toast. To my daughter and lovely husband and my new grandchild, to my granddaughter, her Eli and their beautiful and touching love, to this big, big, big complicated and wonderful family. and most of all. to LOVE." "To LOVE.", all the voices exclaimed together. The couples there were hugging and kissing and so were Grace and Eli. "Hey! Hey!", Jake sarcastically made them all stop the kissing thing. "Remember what I said?! No holding, no touching and specially no kissing while I'm still in the room or here or whatever. She might be getting married but she is still my little girl." Burst out laughing, that was all they could do after Jake's words. "Shut up, Jake!", Tiffany ironically ordered. "What?" Lily kept watching them laugh and she remembered the camera was on the kitchen table. She stood up and went to get it. As she grabbed the camera, she accidentally dropped Grace's bag that was on the table too. A few papers flew all over the floor. Lily kneed down and began to gather her daughter's papers but a title in one of them caught her attention. The title was *Mount Castle*. Lily slowly got up, put the papers and the bag back on the table then she began to read the one that was still in her hand. Lily read out loud.  
  
*Even if I could speak the language of men Even if I could speak the language of angels Without love, I could never be.  
  
It's only love It's only love Only love knows what's true Love is good, it doesn't will the evil Love never envies or becomes conceited.  
  
Even if I could speak the language of men Even if I could speak the language of angels Without love, I could never be.  
  
Love is the fire that burns unseen Love is wound that aches without aching Love is an unhappy joy Love is unfelt pain that maddens.  
  
Love is wanting without want Love is a lonely walk among the people Love is never being pleased with the satisfaction Love is to be a winner when you're a loser.  
  
Love is to be in chains by self-will Love is to serve the one who beats the winner Love is to be loyal to the killer that killed us Because, so opposite to itself is the same love  
  
I'm awake and everybody else's asleep They're asleep They're asleep Now I see it partly But one day we'll see it face to face.  
  
It's only love, it's only love Only love knows what's true  
  
Even if I could speak the language of men Even if I could speak the language of angels Without love, I could never be.*  
  
As she finished, tears of happiness streamed down her face. She walked to her kitchen's door and carefully observed her family. She saw them playing, singing, laughing. living, she saw happiness in their eyes. And she realized that in spite of all the pain, all the broken hearts, all the weep, in spite of all the fights and the problems they had been through and the ones that they would certainly go through, she realized that LOVE was worth wall the grief in the world. Because she knew that no matter what life held for them, as long as they loved each other, everything would end up just fine and that they would always, always be together.  
  
The End.  
  
  
  
MONTE CASTELO Letra: Renato Russo Música: Renato Russo Inc. Adapt. "I Coríntios 13" e "Soneto 11" de Luís de Camões  
  
Ainda que eu falasse a língua dos homens. E falasse a língua do anjos, Sem amor eu nada seria.  
  
É só o amor, É só o amor. Que conhece o que é verdade. O amor é bom, não quer o mal. Não sente inveja ou se envaidece.  
  
O amor é o fogo que arde sem se ver. É ferida que dói e não se sente. É um contentamento descontente. É dor que desatina sem doer.  
  
Ainda que eu falasse a língua dos homens. E falasse a língua dos anjos, Sem amor eu nada seria.  
  
É um não querer mais que bem querer. É solitário andar por entre a gente. É um não contentar-se de contente. É cuidar que se ganha em se perder.  
  
É um estar-se preso por vontade. É servir a quem vence, o vencedor; É um ter com quem nos mata a lealdade. Tão contrario a si é o mesmo amor.  
  
Estou acordado e todos dormem Todos dormem, todos dormem. Agora vejo em parte. Mas então veremos face a face.  
  
É só o amor, é só o amor. Que conhece o que é verdade.  
  
Ainda que eu falasse a língua dos homens. E falasse a língua do anjos, Sem amor eu nada seria. 


End file.

Once and Again, Romance