A/N: It starts with how Zig IMO would have reacted IC in #ThisCouldBeUsButYouPlayin.

Legal: This story is a fanwork. The show and the characters belong to Epitome/DHX Media. They just came by to play with my imagination.

When Zoe´s lips met Zig´s he pushed her away. "What the hell are you doing?"

She stood. "What do you think?"

"You are so nuts", Zig mumbled.

"Yeah, that´s probably why I´m not good enough for anyone", Zoe said getting angrier with every word, "you don´t even know how lucky you are! Maya is all over you. She doesn´t even look at any other guy! And you´re moping because she´s gone for two days with a friend! And Grace is the only person in the world that I feel close to and she has a crush on you even if you won´t ever even be interested in her!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He couldn´t make a sense of her rambling at all.

She snorted. "You´ve never been a very bright light anyway." With that she turned around and went away. Leaving a very confused Zig.

###

Grace was sitting on her bed working on her notebook, when Zig entered her room. She rolled her eyes. "Look for someone else to whine about Maya. Not in the mood."

"This isn´t about Maya", Zig said, invading her space by sitting on the bed, "but Zoe just told me that you have a crush on me - after she tried to kiss me. I thought that you might be able to tell me what´s going on."

Grace sighed and closed her eyes for a moment realizing her mistake. "My mistake, sorry", she said.

Zig made a face. "So you have... a crush on me?"

"NO!", Grace answered in horror.

Zig frowned. "Then why did you tell Zoe?"

Grace sighed and put her notebook aside. "I told her I´m into you because I couldn´t give her any other explanation why I´m not into her."

"Wait", Zig said, "am I getting this right: she´s into you?"

Grace gave him a short nod. Zig looked as if would get a headache soon. "Since when is she into girls?" He looked up to Grace seeing her scowl. "Okay, wrong question. Why is she kissing me?"

Grace pressed her lips together rolling her eyes with a sigh. "Revenge on me? For not liking her the way she likes me."

Zig facepalmed. "Girls."

Now Grace had to chuckle. "Well not in general. But Zoe works that way. Most challenging person I ever met." Her gaze became softer. "And the one that understands me better than anyone else does."

Zig frowned. "You are sure, that... you are not into her?"

Grace was silent - a long time. "Not the way she is."

"Well either you are into her or you´re not", Zig said.

Grace sighed. "Can we please talk about something else?"

Zig frowned, but then he shrugged. "Okay. But at least get her off my back."

Grace nodded.

###

Zoe was walking down the hallway when Grace came after her and pulled her to a bathroom. "Did you really have to come onto Zig?", she asked angrily.

Zoe crossed her arms. "Why would you care anyway?"

Grace pressed her lips together. "Because Zig and Maya are my friends."

Zoe watched her with an irritated face. "Not because you have a crush on him?"

Grace sighed. "I don´t. And I´m sorry I told you."

Zoe couldn´t make sense of that at all. "Then why would you tell me in the first place?"

Grace leaned against the sink not really knowing what to say. "You wanted me to point out a guy and there just never has been one", she finally said defeated.

"But...", Zoe started, all the questions she wanted to ask on her face at once.

Grace decided to take the short cut. "I´ve never been interested in sex. I just thought that with what I´m feeling for you it would work if I just try it. But it doesn´t."

Zoe blinked. "Has it to do with CF? Or have you been... abused?"

Grace shook her head. "No. And it´s been no problem for me as long as I... wasn´t interested in anyone anyway."

"Why didn´t you just tell me before... or at least after we...?"

Grace shrugged in confusion. "I hoped we could at least go back to being friends..."

Zoe tried to blink away her tears. "By telling me you´re into Zig after you told me that there is no one you feel as close as to me?"

"What else should I have told you?" Grace was really desperate. "I HAVE never felt this close to anyone. It´s as if I had known you all my life. You get me in a way no one else does. How can I feel all that and not be interested in having sex with you? You don´t know how much I want to be."

Now Zoe´s tears were falling. But they weren´t sad tears. She was so relieved to know that Grace did indeed return her feelings.

But Grace didn´t know what to do. "I´m sorry."

"You should be", Zoe answered, "for not telling me. I thought I imagined that you ever felt the same way as I do."

Grace still didn´t know what to say or do and Zoe shook her head. "Can you just hug me or something? Or is that too much as well?"

Grace sighed in relieve. "Of course not." Then she wrapped her arms around Zoe. Zoe hugged her back, closing her eyes. And it was the first time Grace could enjoy their embrace. Before she always was worried that Zoe would expect things of her she wasn´t up to.

###

Later they sat on the rooftop leaning against a wall. "So, is kissing okay?", Zoe asked.

"Without tongue", Grace answered.

"Holding hands?", Zoe asked.

Grace leaned back and gave her a short smile. "Yes."

"Sleeping next to each other - I mean like... clothed."

A crooked grin from Grace. "Yes." But then a shadow fell on her face. "You really want to do that?"

Zoe frowned. "What?"

"Us? Like having to hold back all the time? Doesn´t that... suck?"

Zoe was silent and Grace sighed. "Look. We still can be just friends and hug and kiss and all that."

"And putting a friend label on it wouldn´t mean I´m holding back?", Zoe asked.

Grace sighed again. "Well, you´d be kinda... free? To have a relationship with someone else?"

Zoe made a face. "And if I don´t want that? No one could compare with what I feel for you."

Grace pressed her lips together. When she looked in Zoe´s eyes she knew she had found someone she could imagine spending the rest of her life with - however long she might have. She never thought that would happen to her. But how could she expect this of her.

"You aren´t crying, are you?" Zoe´s voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she realized that she really had tears in her eyes.

Zoe took her hand weaving their fingers while Grace still fought her tears. "I always thought I was alone on that road", she said, "but then you burst into my life and are willing to take it with me. Why the hell can´t I just be into you that way?"

To that Zoe also didn´t have an answer. So they were silent for a while.

"I´m happy when I´m with you. I was before we had sex", Zoe suddenly said, "can´t we just try? One step at a time? And if this no sex thing doesn´t work out we talk again."

Grace thought about that for a while but then she nodded slowly. "Okay. If you promise that you will tell me. No trying to find a crappy solution on your own."

Now they both leaned with their heads against the wall and couldn´t help but grin at each other. They just knew each other too well. But slowly Zoe became serious again. "If you promise that you never make me feel as if you don´t want me on that road with you again."

Grace squeezed the hand that was still laying in her´s. "Promise."

Zoe smiled leaning her head against Grace´s while the watched the sky in silence for a while.

"So... am I allowed to call you my girlfriend?", Zoe asked after a while.

Grace turned her head to her with a grin "Course, dummy."

Zoe smiled happily. "No hiding?"

Grace shrugged. "Don´t care."

"Taking on my mom together?" Zoe knew she wouldn´t be a pleasant ride.

Grace grinned. "I´m in."

"What about your parents?"

"They don´t care with whom I´m happy as long as I´m happy. Thanks to CF."

One of the things Grace appreciated in Zoe was that she didn´t loose her smile whenever CF was mentioned. "Good", Zoe said, "then I have a place to stay at if I´m in trouble with my mom." Her eyes were gleaming.

Grace met her eyes intensely. "I never thought I could fall so hard for anyone", she whispered.

"I always hoped - just never thought it would be someone like you." Zoe smiled making light of it as she went on. "I so intend to live life to the fullest with you until I...", she shrugged, "...cry at your grave."

"Cheesy, Rivas", Grace answered.

Zoe slapped after her half-heartedly. "I´m being serious."

Grace caught her hand. "I know and... thanks for that." She met her eyes with a smile and then leaned forward to kiss her. It was the first time that she initiated a kiss. When she drew back Zoe just smiled at her and then she leaned back against the wall and put her head on Grace´s shoulder closing her eyes. Grace gave her a short look then she looked up in the sky with them still having a strong hold on each other´s hands.

*End*

I uploaded a sequel of this where after more than 20 years together Zoe and Grace have to say goodbye to each other. Check out "With all of your colors".