Standard Disclaimer: All characters belong to the creators of O&A
Note: A great big huge THANK YOU goes out to Grace_Dimitri_fan who so
graciously spent a lot of time and energy editing this chapter and greatly
helped it to become what it is now.
Rating: G
Pairing: Grace/Dimitri
Surfacing by Adia (Chapter One)
Many times Grace had stood like this in the cozy bookstore on the corner. She would pick up the book, the same book everytime, and she would press it open to the same page. She would stand close to the shelf, her eyes would meet the page and she would read the line, "How petty and deceptive were all those things that had kept us from loving one another," Tears would instinctively form in her eyes and when she would close them, he would come to her.
For a moment she could hear him, she could feel him. He would be standing behind her, his body so close to hers. She would listen to the smoothness of his voice as his words would fill her, "Be in a state of grace..." he would whisper softly, "You are incredible." She was suddenly pulled back into the memory of what it had been like to be with him, what his eyes told her when his words didn't. Memories of settling for gentle pats on the shoulder and subtle touches when what she wanted was beyond. The way his lips had tasted on hers. He was so remarkably familiar to her.
Opening her eyes she placed the book back on the shelf softly and stepped back. Pulling herself away and into reality she moved slowly down the rest of the isle of books to the D's. Though she had searched the same space everytime when she would visit this bookstore, over the last two years she had never found, "Accidentally On Purpose." But it didn't stop her eyes from falling to the spot in the shelf between two books where his would have been. Instead she had found, months ago, a collection of poetry she had enjoyed reading by the author, Daniel Dailey. His style had drawn her in, clear but mysterious all the same. She adored reading his poetry and had been keeping an eye out for any new collections though she knew the author himself was over 90 years old and would more than likely not be putting out a new collection, she didn't mind checking every once in a while.
She spotted a new book sitting next to one of the Dailey collections she already owned. Grace lifted the book from it's place on the shelf. The title stood out and intrigued her, "Saved By Grace." Her eyes fell to the author's name at the bottom of the novel, "A.D. Dailey". She shrugged as she opened up the front cover, it was worth looking over. She had been searching for something to read anyhow. She read the summary of the book on the inside of the dust cover.
It was a story about a man who was essentially saved by the woman who loved him, believed in him, inspired him. When he was on the edge she had brought him back. The summary indicated that the novel had a surprise ending, but Grace had no idea what it was. She was intrigued though and brushed passed the title page to read the first chapter, she was always anxious to see the writer's style which would be the judge of whether she wanted to invest time in reading the novel. She opened to the dedication and read the words, "To the girl with the loneliest eyes."
Grace stared at the words on the page. Her hands began to tremble and she dropped the book. Immediately her heart began to pound and she could feel her blood rushing through her arms. She stared at the book on the floor. She flew to her knees to pick it back up and once she retrieved it she leaned against the shelf. She stared at the words on the page. It couldn't be a coincidence. Those words were as carefully chosen as they had been when August had given her the book. There could be no one else who would write that. It had to be him.
As though the world was spinning in slow motion she closed the cover of the book and held it to her. She closed her eyes. Remembering him. There had been so much more she had wanted to tell him that last day in his classroom. There had been so many times when she had driven by his house. One rainy night later that Spring she had almost gotten out of the car and walked to his door. But she couldn't let herself do it.
She wasn't afraid. She knew that the back entrance would be unlocked and there was nothing stopping her from walking in the open door that led into his kitchen. He would let her in, she knew that. But instead she sat and wept as the rain fell around her. It was enough just to be near him this once, just outside his home. It was just as she had told her mother weeks before, she didn't need to be protected from him, in fact, she had always felt more protected by him. He encouraged her and sometimes he pushed her for her best, but he'd had faith in her. More than anyone had ever before. And that's what mattered. He believed in her... he understood her.
It hadn't been long after that night when she had moved with her family to Australia. Reluctantly leaving him behind. She had hoped to see him even just once before she left. She hoped to run into him at the grocery store, the movie theater they had been to, a restaurant. Anywhere. And she thought she had seen him one night just before she had left in the window of a bookstore but by the time she was inside he was gone. She wasn't sure after that if he had actually been there or if it had been her imagination. She had wanted to see him so badly that she was afraid she had simply been seeing things.
There was a part of her that wanted to say good-bye to him but there was also a part that never wanted to close that chapter of her life. She didn't want to let him go and if she did see him, speak to him before she left, it would feel too much like a formal good-bye. It would be too much like she was closing the door to him that she wanted to leave open, doing that would give her hope. If she had said good-bye to him then it would have been as though she were leaving him behind, and she had no intention of that.
It had been only a few months after she had settled in Australia when she had heard that Mr. Dimitri had moved out of town. The news had come from Katie in a letter to Jessie catching her up on the latest news. Jessie had begun to respect and understand the depth of feeling that Grace had for August. Especially after they had talked in Eli's room the afternoon before Mr. Dimitri's suspension hearing. In confidence, Grace would sometimes quietly share her thoughts of him with Jessie. Their relationship had become strengthened the more they depended on eachother in Australia. Jessie knew that Grace would have wanted to know about him and she had shared the news and offered her understanding to Grace.
The news hadn't surprised Grace as much as she expected. She knew August and she knew he wouldn't want to stay in the town if he wasn't going to be teaching. In fact, Grace had been surprised that he had stayed as long as he had. The reaction to his suspension had not been positive and Grace knew he had to live somewhere that would be comfortable for him. Somewhere that would inspire him. She knew he had wanted to write, to discover that love again and he belonged in a place where he could write without distraction. She looked at the address of the publishing firm, New York, and wondered if that had been where he had settled.
There had been so much she had wondered about him. If he had forgotten about her. There were moments when she wondered if he would ever think of her in all those times she thought of him. But now, as she held the book in her hands and stared at the title, she knew he must have thought of her. Even if only in the smallest of ways. She opened the book once more and touched the words on the dedication page as if she were touching a part of him. Perhaps within the book she would finally find the answers to all the questions she had. All that she had been holding onto so tightly for so long.
Keeping the book tightly in her hands she made her way to the cashier desk and purchased the novel.
Surfacing by Adia (Chapter One)
Many times Grace had stood like this in the cozy bookstore on the corner. She would pick up the book, the same book everytime, and she would press it open to the same page. She would stand close to the shelf, her eyes would meet the page and she would read the line, "How petty and deceptive were all those things that had kept us from loving one another," Tears would instinctively form in her eyes and when she would close them, he would come to her.
For a moment she could hear him, she could feel him. He would be standing behind her, his body so close to hers. She would listen to the smoothness of his voice as his words would fill her, "Be in a state of grace..." he would whisper softly, "You are incredible." She was suddenly pulled back into the memory of what it had been like to be with him, what his eyes told her when his words didn't. Memories of settling for gentle pats on the shoulder and subtle touches when what she wanted was beyond. The way his lips had tasted on hers. He was so remarkably familiar to her.
Opening her eyes she placed the book back on the shelf softly and stepped back. Pulling herself away and into reality she moved slowly down the rest of the isle of books to the D's. Though she had searched the same space everytime when she would visit this bookstore, over the last two years she had never found, "Accidentally On Purpose." But it didn't stop her eyes from falling to the spot in the shelf between two books where his would have been. Instead she had found, months ago, a collection of poetry she had enjoyed reading by the author, Daniel Dailey. His style had drawn her in, clear but mysterious all the same. She adored reading his poetry and had been keeping an eye out for any new collections though she knew the author himself was over 90 years old and would more than likely not be putting out a new collection, she didn't mind checking every once in a while.
She spotted a new book sitting next to one of the Dailey collections she already owned. Grace lifted the book from it's place on the shelf. The title stood out and intrigued her, "Saved By Grace." Her eyes fell to the author's name at the bottom of the novel, "A.D. Dailey". She shrugged as she opened up the front cover, it was worth looking over. She had been searching for something to read anyhow. She read the summary of the book on the inside of the dust cover.
It was a story about a man who was essentially saved by the woman who loved him, believed in him, inspired him. When he was on the edge she had brought him back. The summary indicated that the novel had a surprise ending, but Grace had no idea what it was. She was intrigued though and brushed passed the title page to read the first chapter, she was always anxious to see the writer's style which would be the judge of whether she wanted to invest time in reading the novel. She opened to the dedication and read the words, "To the girl with the loneliest eyes."
Grace stared at the words on the page. Her hands began to tremble and she dropped the book. Immediately her heart began to pound and she could feel her blood rushing through her arms. She stared at the book on the floor. She flew to her knees to pick it back up and once she retrieved it she leaned against the shelf. She stared at the words on the page. It couldn't be a coincidence. Those words were as carefully chosen as they had been when August had given her the book. There could be no one else who would write that. It had to be him.
As though the world was spinning in slow motion she closed the cover of the book and held it to her. She closed her eyes. Remembering him. There had been so much more she had wanted to tell him that last day in his classroom. There had been so many times when she had driven by his house. One rainy night later that Spring she had almost gotten out of the car and walked to his door. But she couldn't let herself do it.
She wasn't afraid. She knew that the back entrance would be unlocked and there was nothing stopping her from walking in the open door that led into his kitchen. He would let her in, she knew that. But instead she sat and wept as the rain fell around her. It was enough just to be near him this once, just outside his home. It was just as she had told her mother weeks before, she didn't need to be protected from him, in fact, she had always felt more protected by him. He encouraged her and sometimes he pushed her for her best, but he'd had faith in her. More than anyone had ever before. And that's what mattered. He believed in her... he understood her.
It hadn't been long after that night when she had moved with her family to Australia. Reluctantly leaving him behind. She had hoped to see him even just once before she left. She hoped to run into him at the grocery store, the movie theater they had been to, a restaurant. Anywhere. And she thought she had seen him one night just before she had left in the window of a bookstore but by the time she was inside he was gone. She wasn't sure after that if he had actually been there or if it had been her imagination. She had wanted to see him so badly that she was afraid she had simply been seeing things.
There was a part of her that wanted to say good-bye to him but there was also a part that never wanted to close that chapter of her life. She didn't want to let him go and if she did see him, speak to him before she left, it would feel too much like a formal good-bye. It would be too much like she was closing the door to him that she wanted to leave open, doing that would give her hope. If she had said good-bye to him then it would have been as though she were leaving him behind, and she had no intention of that.
It had been only a few months after she had settled in Australia when she had heard that Mr. Dimitri had moved out of town. The news had come from Katie in a letter to Jessie catching her up on the latest news. Jessie had begun to respect and understand the depth of feeling that Grace had for August. Especially after they had talked in Eli's room the afternoon before Mr. Dimitri's suspension hearing. In confidence, Grace would sometimes quietly share her thoughts of him with Jessie. Their relationship had become strengthened the more they depended on eachother in Australia. Jessie knew that Grace would have wanted to know about him and she had shared the news and offered her understanding to Grace.
The news hadn't surprised Grace as much as she expected. She knew August and she knew he wouldn't want to stay in the town if he wasn't going to be teaching. In fact, Grace had been surprised that he had stayed as long as he had. The reaction to his suspension had not been positive and Grace knew he had to live somewhere that would be comfortable for him. Somewhere that would inspire him. She knew he had wanted to write, to discover that love again and he belonged in a place where he could write without distraction. She looked at the address of the publishing firm, New York, and wondered if that had been where he had settled.
There had been so much she had wondered about him. If he had forgotten about her. There were moments when she wondered if he would ever think of her in all those times she thought of him. But now, as she held the book in her hands and stared at the title, she knew he must have thought of her. Even if only in the smallest of ways. She opened the book once more and touched the words on the dedication page as if she were touching a part of him. Perhaps within the book she would finally find the answers to all the questions she had. All that she had been holding onto so tightly for so long.
Keeping the book tightly in her hands she made her way to the cashier desk and purchased the novel.