A/N: As I predicted I was not able to get any writing done this weekend so I am going to try and get the next few chapters posted over the next few days. Another Erika and Grace chapter this time. I promise more is going to happen soon. As always thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own H50.

Day 4: Early Afternoon

It was well after noon when Erika finally let Grace out of her room. Grace hurried to the bathroom not bothering say anything to her mother. She took care of her much needed business then started the water for a shower. Erika decided to make some lunch. She yawned as she pulled items out of the fridge and cupboards. She still felt quite tired and probably could have slept the entire day.

It was 6 a.m when she had finally gotten to bed. It had taken a lot longer than she thought it would to dispose of Jason's body. First, she had waited a little while for the flu medicine she had given to Cassandra to kick in. She didn't want to chance that her daughter was going to hear any of what she planned to do. Erika was going to make damned sure that Jason wouldn't be able to do anything to jeopardize her plans for keeping Cassandra with her. Although she still loved him she loved her daughter more and was more determined that she wasn't going to lose her.

Erika had had to tase Jason a few more times to keep him from waking up while she waited for Cassie to fall asleep. When she had checked on the little girl later she decided to remove all of the books off her shelf. Erika was certain that if she got rid of them that Cassie would soon forget the letters. She would just have to be insistent that Cassie not try to talk about them or the name Danno. Erika was confident that they would be forgotten in due time.

Erika had waited til dark before dragging the body out to Jason's truck. First she had put on a pair of gloves from the supply in her car. She drove the truck onto the highway and dumped the body in the trees. She then drove the truck to a 24 hour grocery store that was just a few miles from her house and parked it towards the back. She left the keys in the ignition hoping that someone would steal it. She was going to start home when she remembered a few things she wanted to pick up.

After Erika had gotten home she got to work cleaning the spot that Jason had been laying on. She was glad she had wrapped him in a blanket before dragging him outside otherwise that could have left smears of blood on the grass and pavement. When she was finished the woman was beyond exhausted. Erika was sure that Cassandra would be awake in a few hours. She didn't want to risk having Cassandra go outside despite what she had told her about the sun. Erika entered the room and saw the little girl still fast asleep. She left her a box of cereal thinking that would be enough and locked the door again.

Erika put together several sandwiches as she plotted out what she would tell Cassandra when she asked about what had happened to Jason. Grace emerged from the bathroom with one towel around her body and another wrapped around her hair. The smell of bleach hung in the air and stung her nose as she shut her bedroom door. She also noticed that the blanket that had hung across the back of the couch was missing. Grace told herself she wasn't going to ask about it and would just accept whatever Erika told her if she brought it up.

Grace didn't want to come out of her room and probably wouldn't have if not for the fact that she was indeed quite hungry. So, wet haired, she sat at the table joining Erika for lunch.

"You okay?" Erika asked taking a bite from her sandwich.

"You locked me in my room," Grace said in an angry voice.

Her tone surprised the both of them.

"It was for your own protection sweetie," Erika reasoned, "I didn't want that mean man to hurt you."

"You invited him here. . . .Who was he anyway?"

The question was out of her mouth before Grace could stop herself. Erika reached her hand across the table and placed her hand on top of Grace's.

"You don't ever have to worry about him again. . . He's out of our lives forever."

Grace didn't even know how he had been in her life in the first place. More explanations that only spawned more questions. Grace wanted so badly to know more, but was afraid to ask thinking about her mother's unpredictable temper. No more talking was exchanged throughout the rest of the meal.

Grace returned to the bathroom and started looking for a hairbrush and band. Her hair was almost dry and she just wanted it out of her face for the rest of the day. It was then that she found the boxes of the blond hair dye in one of the drawers. Erika saw her looking at them when she entered to see if Grace would let her fix her hair for her.

"What's this for?" Grace asked holding up two of the boxes.

"Oh Cassie, I was going to surprise you sweetie," Erika said in a fun loving voice, "I thought it might be fun to dye our hair tonight after dinner and then go down to a salon tomorrow and get it cut and styled."

Grace eyed her suspiciously.

"I thought I couldn't go out in the sunlight," she said.

Erika's smile turned into a frown as she quickly tried to recover.

"I. . . uh. . . will make the appointments for after the sun goes down, or we'll just cover you up really well."

The older woman forced herself to smile at the young girl. Grace forced herself to smile back. The truth was she didn't want to change her hair. She was just getting used to how she looked and now her mother wanted her to change it. There was a part of her that didn't want to refuse for fear that it would make the woman angry at her. All she could do was nod her head in agreement. Erika left the bathroom with a big smile on her face forgetting why she had gone in there in the first place.

Erika sat down on the couch and pulled out her cell phone. She pulled up her internet browser and began looking at a few different realtors. Her next step would be to put her house on the market. Erika was certain that she could get a buyer quickly especially if she asked for only part of what it was worth. If she could manage it she would try to get someone to pay her cash for the house, and then she wouldn't have to pay a commission out of it. She'd be able to take Cassie on the first flight out of Hawaii and the pair would really be able to start over. A large smile crossed the woman's face as she imagined her life with Cassandra.

"What are you so happy about?" Grace asked as she exited the bathroom.

Erika just shrugged her shoulders and patted the spot next to her on the couch. Grace joined her. Erika wrapped her arms around the little girl and kissed the side of her head.

"I love you, Cassie, so much," she said giving her a squeeze as she spoke.

Erika had repeated this phrase to the little girl quite a few times over the past three days. Like those other times she waited for Grace to respond. Grace looked at the older woman holding onto her. A daughter should love her mother and should be able to tell her so. Grace just couldn't do it. Something about it just didn't feel right to her and she couldn't say those words to Erika and mean them. Erika gave her a hurt look when once again she didn't get the response back that she wanted.

"Couldn't you just say the words so I can hear how they sound?" Erika asked, "It feels like its been years since I've heard them."

Grace shook her head knowing that Erika was trying to make her feel guilty. Grace was too upset at her mother from being locked in her room all morning to feel guilty. Erika pulled back disappointed, but to Grace's relief she didn't appear to be angry with her.

The two sat in an awkward silence for a few moments before Erika asked if Grace would like to hear more about her life. Grace shook her head and claimed that she wanted to take a break from all of that and just have a relaxing afternoon. What she really wanted know was what Danno and G.E.W meant and where her books were. Grace knew that bringing that up would bring out Erika's temper.

Without thinking Erika picked up the remote for the T.V, and it wasn't until she tried to switch it on that she remembered it was broken. Grace was beginning to think that it probably hadn't been broken for as long as Erika had claimed. It wasn't the first time Erika had done that. Grace said nothing not wanted her mother's temper to flare up.

Grace noticed that Erika was beginning to yawn and her eyes became heavy.

"I'm going to close my eyes for a bit, honey," Erika said drowsily.

The woman laid her head back on the couch and soon was out.

Grace stood and wondered into the kitchen looking for something, anything, to do. She found a deck of playing cards in a drawer that had a few other odds and ends and after a quick count saw that they were all there. She was halfway through setting up a game of solitaire on the coffee table when she realized that she knew how many cards were supposed to be in a deck, and how to play solitaire without having to be shown. Like with being able to read it had automatically come to her. She wondered if she should put the cards away so Erika wouldn't be mad at her, but decided not too. If she didn't say anything about it then Erika probably wouldn't notice. Besides there was nothing else for her to do.

Grace played several rounds by herself and then started to build a house with the cards. For some reason that activity also seemed very familiar. Erika awoke a little while later and complimented the house before Grace knocked it over.

"Would you like to play a game?" Erika asked.

Grace almost blurted out five card draw, but stopped herself. Did she know the rules to that game? After thinking a moment she realized that she did.

"How 'bout Go Fish?" Erika suggested.

Grace nodded and let Erika explain the rules to her even though she realized she already knew how to play that one too, but again she wasn't going to say anything and risk being in trouble for it. The two played a few rounds of the game. Grace found it a little boring, but as she had been doing all day went along with what Erika wanted.

"Do you want to start on our hair now or wait til after dinner?" Erika asked as Grace put the cards back in the box.

"After," Grace answered immediately.

Grace still didn't want to dye her hair and hoped that she could put it off as long as possible. The little girl wanted so desperately to tell her mother that. However, it was the looming memories of Erika yelling at her that kept her mouth shut. Erika suggested that they go and figure out what to make for dinner. Grace sighed, but nodded and set the box of cards onto the coffee table.

A/N: The rest of the team is back in the next chapter. I promise they haven't just been sitting around. Thanks for reading and please review.