I will probably regret having two major Annie stories going at once, but as much as I love writing my 'Grace and Agatha' story, I have so very much missed writing Grace/Oliver/Annie centered stories. This story is a sequel to 'A New Kind of Family' so, if you haven't already, I recommend reading that one first as the plot will go off of it. However, if you want to jump into this story you should be able to fill in the blanks enough as it's the same general idea of what is seen in the movie. Hope you enjoy!

A week didn't seem so long when looking at a calendar. Routine also had this effect. The last week proved to be, anything but predictable. High-speed car chases, birthdays, and proclamations of love… no one could keep up. Business went along with this. Finding time for meals and a few minutes of downtime became a balancing act much like one at Annie's party. Now, in the final days of October, everything began to settle. Annie's kidnappers were jailed and no longer a threat, and her birthday and party came and went without a hitch. As for Grace and Oliver, they got on just fine.

Half past nine. Most of the Warbucks staff were in their quarters for the night with the exception of Drake, Punjab, The Asp, a few of the maids, and maybe Mrs. Pugh. Annie and Sandy rested upstairs which left the house quiet. In the past week, this time in the evening became one of the favorites for Oliver and Grace. Busy schedules didn't come to an end despite the recent fiascoes to come upon them. Work needed to be done. A new relationship couldn't get in the way, either. But by this hour, the two were sure to call it quits until morning. Would this last forever? Probably not. For now it didn't matter.

"I blame Annie for this."

Grace looked up from her lap where part of a quilt laid. "You blame Annie for what?"

"I have spent the last hour on the phone with the White House. I should never have brought her to Washington with me. Franklin thinks because Annie is so fond of him that now I am, too. He demands I help fund this New Deal of his."

Grabbing hold of Oliver's wrist once he stood behind her chair, she asked, "Would it be the end of the world if you did?"

"Don't tell me you agree with it!"

"I don't agree or disagree. All I'm saying is that there are pros and cons. While I don't think you should pay for the whole project, I don't see what harm it would do to contribute."

Oliver pulled his arm away from Grace and strode to the other side of the room. "I would rather invest my money in something more substantial. I don't deny that it can help matters at the moment, but it's not a long-term solution. If he could put half the effort into plans that might sustain the country for more than a few years we'd be set."

"And what do you propose he should do?"

"Damned if I know. Believe me, if I were president I would find the answer. I wouldn't rest until I did and you know it."

Grace nodded. "I have no doubt. Why haven't you suggested any ideas to him?"

"He won't hear them, but that is beside the point. While he's down there coming up with names for his multitude of projects, I'm up here trying to re-create the jobs people lost while attempting to maintain and replenish my assets."

"You have to meet him halfway if you're going to go on complaining."

"Grace," he said, walking back in her direction, "I'm afraid there are fine details that you can't and won't understand. We would be here for hours if I tried to explain them."

"That may be true," she said with a shrug. "After all, who has time for understanding government matters? While you boys are squabbling over this bill and that bill, I'm in the office taking care of your other work and taking care of a child all the while."

"Oh no," Oliver said. "You can't play the Annie card."

"Why not?"

"I took the girl to Washington and she made me look like the perfect fool."

Grace chuckled. "You know you aren't."

"She had me thinking as much for a while. That's worse."

"Do you really want to dwell on this for the rest of the night?" Gesturing to the chair next to hers, she said, "Sit down and have a brandy. You need to relax."

Oliver stood still a moment before sitting. Part of him missed the days when she was too shy to speak her mind. He could spout off whenever he wanted and however he wanted without care. Now he had to remember not to yell at her for things she had no connection to, or at least he tried. He never realized the capacity of his own temper until he became aware of those around him. Complete change would take time, and some days were harder than others. A telephone conference with the president tried his nerves. How pleasing it would be to take his frustration out on someone and then be done with it. Even snapping at the dog caused him guilt nowadays. These thoughts were passing, though. Watching Grace a few feet in front of him, hair coming loose and eyes concentrated on her project, he knew her words came out of care and concern. This woman had been a cause of inner torment for the past months, a greater torment than money ever could be. She was everything he wanted to avoid. She challenged him. She brought an extraordinary child into his life and together they forced him to admit his human qualities. They forced him to love. Somehow they'd been right. Even with the dark days he wouldn't have experienced had life remained as usual, he wouldn't know a fraction of the happiness he felt now.

"You're awfully quite all of a sudden," Grace noticed when she heard Oliver set his empty glass on the table between them. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. I'm sorry to take it out on you."

Grace smiled, still feeling proud whenever she heard him apologize for trivial matters. "You don't have to apologize. I'm glad."

"Did you get Annie to bed all right?"

"No more trouble than usual. I have to wonder if letting her stay up an hour later would make any difference. She's an early riser by nature. It amazes me how much energy she has left at the end of the day."

"I don't think her excitement has worn off yet," Oliver said, shifting in his seat. "Give her a couple more months and it'll be all we can do to get her downstairs in time for breakfast."

"Hopefully that won't be the case, but getting an extra hour of sleep is appealing. That's why I'm considering a later bedtime."

"Hey, don't forget a later bedtime for her means less time for us."

A faint blush tinted Grace's cheeks. "Oh?"

"When we're not working late you typically head off to bed around 11:30. Allowing Annie to stay up until 10:00 means I only get an hour and a half with you without distractions."

"Well then, in that case, I'll have to move my bedtime past midnight."

Oliver laughed as he moved from his chair and knelt by her side. With his index finger and thumb he turned her head to face him. He looked at her a moment, still thinking of his happiness with her. So soon and already the tense and uncertain conversations had dissipated. The secrets were gone and everything was free and out in the open. Now they joked and spoke casually without fear. No longer did they wonder if they were letting on to too much. Best of all he could kiss her. In a moment like this he could communicate all he needed by taking her in his arms and keeping her close.

"Oliver," Grace said with a disappointed smile when he let her go, "I need to keep working on this." She gestured to the blanket that started to slip from her knees.

"Why now? You have plenty more time."

"It takes a while to make a quilt, especially since I'm doing a lot of it by hand. I want to give this to Annie for Christmas and this is the only time in the day I've been able to sit down and work on it."

"I guess things have been pretty busy here."

"I know it will slow down eventually."

"Then putting the project aside for one night won't make a difference. You only started a couple days ago."

Grace give him a sideways smile before folding the fabric and setting it in the basket beside her. "Fine, you win."

"May I ask why this is so important to you?"

"You'll think it's silly," she said, making room for him to sit with her on the chair.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know."

"That's not much of an answer," he said as he sat.

With a sigh, Grace surrendered. "My mother made me a quilt when I was four years old. I still have it back in Connecticut with my father. I always thought when I had a child of my own that I would do the same thing. Over the past few years, I figured I wouldn't get the chance to make one. I'd even forgot about it until a few months ago. I almost made one for Annie's birthday. Then I decided seeing as she isn't my child per se it wouldn't be the same. I know she's still not my child, but more so now than before. You know, now that she's here to stay."

"You're right," Oliver said with a grin. "I do think it's silly."

Grace looked down. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"I didn't say it was a bad thing. I like that goofy smile of yours whenever you talk about these sort of things."

"Goofy?"

"Again, it's not a bad thing."

Shaking her head, she let out a soft breath. "You're impossible."

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he kissed her cheek. "Why don't I make it up to you? How does dinner tomorrow evening sound?"

"Just the two of us?" she asked.

"Just the two of us."

"What about Annie?"

"Then it would be three instead of two."

"I hate to leave her…"

"I'd offer lunch but I have that meeting in Albany."

"Do you think she will be all right?"

"Grace, you do realize how many people here are live-in staff, don't you?"

"You know what I mean." She sighed. "I feel funny leaving her after what happened."

"She gets to and from school every day without a problem."

"Maybe I'm being paranoid."

"A little bit," Oliver said.

"Dinner out might do me some good."

"I think so, too."

After a moment, a smile reappeared on her face. "This will be our first official date."

"What do you mean? We've had plenty of meals alone together."

"Not in public."

"Is that a problem?" he asked.

"No, of course not. It's just… are you ready for speculation? I mean, there's a chance no one will question it, but since all the publicity around Annie you're barely able to walk past the gates without a camera pointed at you."

"I don't deny it will be a nuisance. We'll lay low and hope for the best. I have no desire to keep our relationship a secret."

Running her thumb along his cheekbone, Grace said, "And I'm so very glad."

Before she went to kiss him again, she locked her eyes with his, hoping somehow to gain the audacity to tell him again of her love. The words hadn't been spoken by either of them since the night of Annie's kidnapping. She hadn't realized as much until the past couple of nights. So many other things were of greater importance. But now that a sense of normalcy reentered the picture, she became aware. Alas, courage failed her. How could it be this difficult, she thought, to say something they both already knew? Perhaps this was a question best dealt with tomorrow sometime after dinner and before they arrived home when they wouldn't be trapped by familiarity and routine. For the remainder of tonight, she would be glad he convinced her to give him her undivided attention before going their separate ways until morning.