To Be With You

Disclaimer: I don't own Once and Again or anything affiliated with it. Nor do I own any of the songs I use in the fic. (and I'll use a lot) All I own is the idea and any characters you don't recognize. Please don't sue me!!!! Oh and to let you know the *** are for the characters thoughts. Summary: The title pretty much sums it all up, it's an Eli/Grace fic.

Chapter one: Friends Grace awoke with a headache. She had stayed up so late last night studying for this test she felt sick even thinking about it. Slowly she made her way to the bathroom when she was startled by a very perky Zoë, "Gooooood morning Grace! Woah..someone needs to get her beauty sleep in!" Zoë smirked and giggled thinking about how funny and messed up Graces hair looked. Grace just sighed and shrugged it off; normally she would have come back at her sister with some smart and witty remark, but she just was not it the mood. She fumbled through the medicine cabinet and popped two aspirin in her mouth and drank them down making a disgusted face. Grace had always hated the way pills felt going down her throat. Lily popped her head into the bathroom, "Gracie honey you should hurry up..oh, Gracie baby are you ok? You don't look so good." Grace cringed at the sound of her mother calling her Gracie, "I'm fine mom, I just stayed up too late studying." "Ok, well breakfast is downstairs and Eli is driving you guys to school today! I'll be home around seven or eight and Rick should be back later. Dinner is in the fridge so when you get home you and Eli can warm it up for everyone ok?" Grace just nodded in agreement and went to her room to get ready, it was going to be a long day.

(Later at school) *I am so tired! I hope I can make it through the test today* "Hey Grace!" Grace looked up to see her best friend Kailey walking towards her. "What's up with you? Bad night?" Grace nodded, "I stayed up studying for the history test til' two o'clock." Kailey chuckled, "I should have figured it would have been studying, Grace the studyholic!" The girls giggled to themselves as they walked to first period. (After school) "Hey Kailey I'll call you later ok?" Grace called out from across the hallway. "OK!" Kailey yelled back before being picked up and swung around by her boyfriend Jeff. Grace was so envious of their relationship. *How come I never get to be the one held, kissed, and swung around in circles?* She wanted the fairy tale romance, yet she knew she'd never get one. Life was too complicated for the perfect romance, especially for Grace. *Because stupid your not like other girls, no guy would ever want you!* Grace mentally slapped herself for even thinking about that, she should be happy for her friend, even though she really wasn't. A loud car horn beeping brought Grace out of her thoughts. She spun around to see Eli and Jessie standing there waiting. Jessie looked ticked off like she had been waiting for all eternity. She made her way towards them, "Sorry guys" she said as she climbed into the front seat. "No big deal, we just gotta' go pick up Zoë that's all." Eli said reassuring her it was no problem. Jessie just rolled her eyes and sighed. *Why is Eli so nice to her? She made us wait for like, ever, and it's no big deal! Ugh!* They drove to the elementary and picked up Zoë then headed home.

Jessie headed straight for the phone to call Katie. "Hey! I need to use the phone first!" Grace cried as she tried to snatch the phone from Jessie's hands. "No way! My call is far more important!" Jessie crawled onto the couch with Grace trailing not far behind her. "You're going to be on there forever! I just have to make a quick call then you can have it back.now GIVE ME THE PHONE!" Grace screamed. Jessie was silent as she continued dialing then looked up at Grace with an evil smirk, "Well then I guess you'll just have to WAIT like we had to WAIT for you earlier. Hmm!" "Ughhhhhh! Forget it!" Grace and Jessie had never gotten along that great but this was getting to be annoying and Grace felt it had to stop! She knew she wouldn't win with her so she let it go and went into the kitchen and got a glass of orange juice. "What was all the yelling about in there?" Eli asked with one eyebrow cocked up. "Nothing, its no big deal." "Grace comon' you CAN talk to me, in more than one sentence at a time!" Eli smiled. Grace smiled, he always had a way of making her feel better even when she was most frustrated. "It's ok really, and yes.I know I can talk to you." She replied. Eli sighed, "ok, but I'm here when you need me you know." Grace just smiled and stared into his deep brown eyes for a moment, "I know.that's what friends are for right?" Eli's heart fluttered when she said friends, he had considered him and Grace to be close but she had never labeled them as friends before and it felt nice, "Right" was all he could think of to say.