Birthday story for Karla! I hope you have a Piña Colada and enjoy your day. Gracen non- canon story about how things got hot and steamy while Ben and Grace were trying to clean up the graffiti left by the 828 hate group. Not canon because Jeff and the writers do such an excellent job writing the characters of Manifest.

Blind Trust

Grace checked on Olive and Cal and found that they were safe. Olive had fallen asleep on Cal's bed. The book of ancient symbols was open across her chest. Grace closed the book. Then she heard a noise and fear gripped her heart. The attack early in the day had rattled her more than she was willing to admit. She wanted it all to go away. The anti-828 group who had attacked her home, the other passengers of the flight, and everyone except for her family; her children and her husband whom she loved with every breath in her body. She wondered if they would ever feel safe again in their own home? Could she even call it a home? It was broken. Her family was broken. She wanted her husband back. She actually physically ached to have Ben back in their home and most importantly in their bed.

She saw Ben on the front step trying to clean the horrible X off of their front door. She put on her jacket and joined him. It was as if a flood of emotion opened up and all the feelings she had been holding inside poured out. She told him she needed him and that this was his family and his home too. With no more secrets between them, they tried to scrub the paint off their front door together. At least they tried for about a minute, until their hands became intertwined in the hot soapy water and they both became so completely turned on they could barely breath. Grace let out a moan as Ben's thumb caressed the plus point on her inner wrist. That just turned him on more. With their fingers intertwined and their eyes locked together, they managed to stand up and Ben pressed Grace's body against the door frame. His lips came crashing down on hers in an earnest kiss which caused a moan to escape his lips. Then, they both remembered the security camera. Which not only could be monitored inside the house, but it had a live feed linked to the NYPD.

"I think we should take this inside before we give the whole police department a free show." Ben jokingly whispered in Grace's ear.

She turned bright red and wrapped her jacket tightly around her to hide the fact that she was very much affected by his kiss. "Do you really think anyone is watching?" She asked, blushing.

Ben's phone chimed. It was a text message from Jared: A high five, followed by a thumbs up text from Michaela. "They are watching" He replied. Then he turned off the phone and slipped it in his pocket.

Part of him wanted to take his wife right then and there and let the world watch. But, he knew his children could access the feed from their phones, and he wasn't ready to have that talk with Cal. He took Grace by the hand and led her inside. Once they were out of reach of the lens of the security camera they proceeded to kiss and touch each other without restraint. There jackets ended up in a pile at the front door, followed by Ben's sweater. Shoes were kicked off as well.

"I have missed you so much" He whispered in a hoarse voice as he kissed Grace's neck.

"It's been less than two weeks." She teased.

"The longest two weeks of my life." He ran his hands gently down her back and rested them on her butt.

Then he pulled back to look at her flushed face. He knew every line even though she had aged 5 ½ years without him. He could see her face with his eyes closed.

"The past two weeks, I would see your face every time I closed my eyes. Not how you actually look, but the way I see you, Grace. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Inside and out because you are strong and brave and the best thing in my life."

Tears were welling in his eyes. He hadn't meant to be so honest. He just pulled back and stared at her.

Grace put a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Ben, I love that you see me that way and can be honest, but right now I need less talking and more kissing, touching and undressing. It has been a long two weeks for me too."

A grin crossed his face. Grace had never been shy about instructing him when they were having sex. Touch her, kiss me there. He loved that about her, and he was about to tell her as much. But, decided she was right. It had been a very long two weeks.

"Where are Olive and Cal?" He asked as Grace started to unbutton his shirt. The last thing they needed was to be interrupted.

"Our children are sleeping peacefully in Cal's room." Grace moaned as Ben nibbled at her ear.

"We should go upstairs?" She questioned.

A wicked smile spread across Ben's face. "I have a better idea." He gave her an intense look. "Grace, do you trust me?"

It was a question that she might have needed to think about a few days ago, but now she was able to answer with 100% certainty.

"Ben, I trust you blindly. "

The grin on his face grew larger. "It is funny you should use those words."

He went to a drawer and pulled out one of the linen napkins that they had received as a wedding present and had stopped using after they had children. He walked behind her and slipped the napkin over her eyes as a blindfold, tying it with a secure knot at the back of her head. He turned her around to face him and took both of her hands in his hands.

The complete darkness was unnerving to Grace, but Ben holding both her hands in his made her feel safe.

"I am going to kiss you." He casually informed her. Then he took his time. His lips hovering near her and his warm breath against her face for what seemed to Grace to be an antagonizing eternity. Until he could feel her breaths quicken. Then he completely stole the breath from her body in a kiss so intense that Grace actually saw stars of light behind the blindfold. Ben ran his thumb across her cheek as he broke the kiss.

He never let go of her hands as he directed her downstairs as opposed to upstairs to their bedroom as she had expected. He led her into the guest bathroom and she heard him turn on the shower.

"Baby, I am going to let go of your hands just for a minute." He gently informed her.

She nodded. It was a disorienting experience to still be blindfolded, but Grace found it exhilarating to completely put her trust in Ben's hands. He quickly stripped off his clothes. The room had started to fill with steam.

"Grace, may I undress you?" He asked it in the same way he would ask if she wanted to order out for dinner. It was natural and honest. He was giving her the choice to continue of stop.

"Please." She whimpered. She wanted him so baldy, but she was willing to be patient and let him take his time and to savor every touch and every kiss. There had been times in the last two weeks when she wondered if she had lost him for good, again. It felt just as real and devastating as it had the first time.

Ben took his time. Raising her arms to work her sweater off over her head before he proceeded in kissing her neck and her shoulders, making sure he paid attention to her pulse points. He unhooked her bra and slipped it off of her shoulders. He took a moment to admire his beautiful wife. He could hardly believe she was all his. She had chosen him! He felt like the luckiest man in the world. He ran his thumb across one of her breasts and she flinched.

"Sorry for my cold hands." He apologized with a sheepish look on his face, which Grace of course couldn't see.

She took his hand and raised it to her lips and kissed it before reassuring him, "I love your cold hands, Ben. I love everything about you."

She helped him unbutton and slide off her jeans. The last thing he removed was the blindfold. They both stood there naked and vulnerable and more in love with each other doing than either would have thought humanly possible. Grace followed him to the shower. It became hot soapy foreplay. Because after 15 years they knew how to touch each other in ways that only experienced lovers understood. Grace had forgotten what it felt like to be loved by a man who knew how hard to stroke her with his thumb until she nearly wept. Or where to kiss her neck to make her pulse race and make her blood boil and run hot.

When they finally tumbled into the guest bed together, they were both ready. His weight on top of her and the feeling of him being inside her reminded Grace of home and she never wanted to leave again. It was a sensual experience for them both, one that made them feel whole. Ben whispered words of love and Grace returned words of encouragement and instruction.

"Deeper, faster, touch me there."

It was something she had never felt comfortable doing with Danny. But, it felt natural with Ben. He was unselfish and was somehow willing to control his own release until he was sure she had reached the ultimate height of pleasure. And she let him know too when it happened, calling out his name though gritted teeth. He was glad he had decided to take her to the guest room. He let out a soft laugh and teasingly told her that exact thing as she kissed his neck.

"I love you, Ben." She replied. "I've missed us."

"Me too. You and the kids were always the best things that ever happen to me, Grace" was his throaty reply.

Grace looked at the clock several hours later. It was 12:05 am. A new day and the start of what she hoped would be the rest of her life waking up wrapped in the arms of her husband. She quietly slipped out of bed and picked up his denim shirt which lay discarded on the bathroom floor. Since she had gone to sleep with wet hair, it was sticking out in all directions. She looked at her sleeping husband and realized his hair was a mess as well. She picked up his pants and took his phone out of the pocket. She took it upstairs to plug into the charger. She turned it on and noticed a text from Mick saying she was happy she needed to find a new roommate. This brought a smile to Grace's face. She also noticed he had 4 missed calls from Saanvi. Grace was going to have to talk to Ben about that, but it could wait. Maybe the doctor needed a puppy? She checked the monitor for the front door camera and saw nothing except the bucket of soapy water. They would deal with that later.

Grace went upstairs and peeked into Cal's room. At some point Olive had found her way into her own bedroom and bed. Grace placed Art in Cal's arms and the boy embraced his childhood friend. Grace tucked blankets around him. Then she went into Olive's room and found her daughter sprawled face down on top of the cover on her bed. Grace covered her daughter with a throw. She let out a contented sigh. For the first time in a long time she had everyone one she loved under one roof and she was deliriously happy.