Summary: Grace needs a change and she sure gets it. Can she handle it and how will the family react? Eli+Grace

Disclaimer: Do not own characters. All fanfic. Own this story though

First Chapter

It was a beautiful but simple wedding. Everyone was smiling and dancing and the restaurant looked like the perfect spot for this happening. Grace was happy for her dad and Tiffany. They had been through a lot and made it in the end. Now they were starting something new together. She was happy for them, she really was. It was just…that empty feeling in her stomach, it just wouldn´t go away. Why wouldn´t it go away?

She looked at her family, Rick and Lily was standing at the edge of the dance floor looking so proud and blissful. They were holding hands and she knew they had just spent some minutes in the closet doing god knows what. Zoe was being her usual outgoing self dancing with her dad and Tiffany. She loved her sister but she could really be a menace. Thankfully Tiffany knew how to handle her.

Jessie and Katie were around somewhere being… well being together to be honest. She knew what was going on there but she just couldn´t muster enough care to bother about it. She lived her life so they could live theirs.

That is if what she was doing right now was really living. This hollowness that had engulfed her since that night and the weeks that followed.

Why?

Why not?

What was she feeling, hiding, trying to avoid?

All those questions kept running through her head. Grace sighed and took another sip of her drink. The sour taste of lemon juice made her make a face and put the glass on the table. She didn´t really care for the non alcoholic beverage right now. She needed something stronger and she knew just how to get it. Just needed the key that hung behind the register, she thought before she walked over to the bar. Why did she always have to be this good little girl? The one everyone always depended on and no one ever found interesting? She was sick of it. No one even noticed when she slipped her hand behind the wooden bar and grabbed the key hanging there. Grace scanned the room to make sure she wouldn't be missed and then left trough the back door. Opening the room that contained all the liquor and snatching two bottles of vodka was even easier since no one was around. She placed the bottles in her back pack and then put the key back in its place behind the counter. Grace then made her way over to her mother and Rick who was talking with the newlyweds.

"Mom, dad, I don't feel so good, is it okay if I leave early?"

"Sure honey, do you need me to drive you?" Lily asked with concern in her voice.

"No, no you stay; I just…just…need some time alone I think. I´ll go to bed early so don´t bother waking me up when you get home." Grace didn´t even feel guilty about lying to her parents. Maybe she wasn´t such a good girl after all?

She said her goodbyes and left holding her back pack in a firm grip.

"Hey, where are you going" Eli´s voice stopped her in the parking lot.

Damnit!

"Home, don´t feel so good. See you tomorrow" Grace quickly turned around and unlocked the car.

"Mind if I get a lift? Meeting the guys later and I could use a shower before" Eli had gained on her and was now standing next to the car.

Grace looked at him, not sure what to do when her rebellion was so close and in no mood to have Eli tag along on it if he was going to get her more down about herself. She nervously tugged at her bottom lip and looked up at her stepbrother with wide-open brown eyes.

"What are you doing with the guys?" she asked

"You know, jamming and…well…" Eli´s voice trailed off, clearly uncomfortable with what he almost let slip. He looked a bit sheepish trying not to sound too eager to follow her home.

Grace knew what went on in those jam sessions down in Coops basement. She´d tried it once.

Didn´t do her any good she thought to herself. That tough gave her the courage to get a bit out of line, a bit out of being Grace as Eli knew her.

"Sure, just don't get on my case and you can drive" Grace threw him the car keys and jumped in the passenger seat.

Surprise all over his face Eli just stood there while Grace strapped herself in the passenger seat. "C´mon! I haven´t got all day" she said and nudged her head for him to get in the car.

"You don´t sound like you´re feeling that bad." Eli said when he got in the car. "That's because I´m not" Grace replied. Then she pulled out one of the bottles from her backpack and opened it.

"Wow" Eli didn´t know what else to say. "What are you doing?" he said in a hushed voice.

"What does it look like I´m doing? Damnit, I need to do something wild Eli. I need it and I am not going to take a lecture from you do you hear!" Grace took a big swallow from the clear liquid and coughed as it made its way down her throat.

See I can´t even drink properly. Pathetic! She turned to Eli

"Can I hang out with you guys today? I got another bottle and I am not afraid of bribing you with it."

Eli looked at her as if she just grew another head and it was yelling profanities at a priest. "You want to hang out in Coops basement?" he asked astonished.

"Yes. Why not? I know you have girls there sometimes. I won´t bother you I promise. Just got to get out of the house and out of my life" Grace stared at him with those big brown eyes and didn´t look half as sure about herself as she sounded.

Why he wondered. Did she need to get out of her life?

"Hmm okay. Just bring that bottle" he said with a wry smile and started the car.

TBC

Authors notes

I needed to get this out of my head and on to paper. You may rewiew I i shall happily respond if possible. Have a few chapters done so this will not be a oneshoot but not to loong either, hopefully :)