Authors Note: Just to let you guys know that the chapters to come will see the story taking quite a serious turn. I know that there have a few serious issues dealt with so far such as the accident however I was sitting here thinking about something that one of my friends had gone through and realised that I haven't seen a O&A fan fic dealing with the issue and thought that it would make and interesting story line. This also explains the change from the PG rating to PG-13.
Lyrics taken from Killing Heidi's song Outside Of Me
Chapter 12 – While you are sleeping
"You wake up, you take up, you pace round, you're spaced out,
You're taken up with what you see.
One more time - what you see, say it's not fair."
She heard the banging on her door before the song even finished, "Leave me alone" she yelled out.
"Carla, I think it's time we talked don't you" her mother said softly, opening the door.
"Can't you read the sign?" she yelled, jumping up from where she lay on her bed and gesturing to the 'Keep Out' sign on her door.
"You promised that after you settled back in we could talk, remember?"
"Does it really look like I've settled back in?" her daughter yelled at her.
"You promised Carla, you remember what Dr Jenkins said don't you?"
"Dr Jenkins told you to give me space, she said to give me time, it isn't easy being back here or have you forgotten?"
"Of course I haven't forgotten how could I?"
"Well your sure acting like you have"
"I know it's hard but there's nothing I can do about it unless you talk to me. Either you start talking by the end of next week, or were going to have to come up with some other arrangement"
"Like what?" Carla screamed as he mother shut the door, "Kicking me out again?"
[At the same time]
"I told you this morning that Rick and I were going out" Lily threw her hands up in the air.
"No you didn't. You told Eli to tell me that you were going out. He somehow didn't think it was important enough to tell me. In fact, he thinks its so unimportant that he didn't even bother to come home, so now not only do I have to cancel my plans, but I have to sit here and baby sit while Eli is out doing who knows what" Grace said angrily reaching for the phone.
"Who are you calling?" Lily asked more than a little shocked at Grace's outburst.
"Leah, I have to cancel our plans don't I?"
[At the same time]
"Please Dad? I promise we will be back early, its just that it's the first time that Tad and Katie have asked me to do anything with them and I'd feel really bad saying no, plus they are really really nice and-"
"Okay you can go" Rick agreed with a smile, adjusting his tie as they walked into the kitchen.
"Ready to go?" Lily asked, offering her arm to him.
"Never been readier, except Jessie's just convinced me to drop her off at the mall on our way"
"That is so unfair" Grace said an angry look on her face as she turned the cordless phone off ending her conversation with Leah.
"I'm sorry Grace" Lily shrugged her shoulders helplessly, "but we really should get going"
"Yeah whatever, have a great time, meanwhile I'll just sit here and wait for you guys to return shall I?" she muttered under her breath as they walked out the door.
Rick overhearing her comment turned to his wife with a perplexed expression on his face, "What wrong with Grace?"
"Probably the fact that it's a Friday night and everyone is going out apart from her" Lily explained as they got into the car.
"She could have gone out too" Rick said not getting the point.
"She was going out, Eli didn't come home like he was supposed to sop she had to cancel her plans so she could stay home with Zoe and Jesse" "I kinda stuffed things up a bit didn't I?" shaking his head with a sigh.
"Only a bit" Lily laughed as Jessie got in the car, not having heard their conversation.
[At the same time]
Coop waited as the last riff of his guitar faded away giving way to silence. Leaning his guitar against the wall he flinched as he heard the yelling begin, just as it had every night since she'd returned.
Standing at his window he could see directly into her room, he stood there and waited until the yelling stopped and her bedroom door closed. He counted to ten in his head, if he was right her window would be opening any moment now.
He couldn't bear to watch, turning from the window. He ran his hand threw his hair. He couldn't understand why that image of her climbing out of her window, as she did every night, would disturb him so much. Or maybe he could. Maybe it was because he himself had doe the same thing time after time after time.
That was several years ago now, and sure, he wasn't Mr. Perfect, he wasn't even close, but he'd gotten his shit together, but it had taken time, and if Eli hadn't been there for him through the whole thing, he wouldn't have been able to do it.
It was almost 9.30pm when Eli finally got home. Grace looked up from where she lay on the couch watching TV as she heard the sound of his keys in the door. Zoë had reluctantly gone to sleep about half and hour ago and Jessie was due home any minute.
Grace bit heard lip as she heard the door open and quickly shut her eyes. She didn't want to speak to Eli so her best option was just to pretend to be asleep.
Walking into the lounge room Eli saw Grace's sleeping figure on the couch – it wasn't until then that he realised that Lily and his father had expected him to be home that night to baby sit. "Idiot" he cursed himself, walking over to the closet and taking a blanket out which he draped over Grace. He paused for a second taking in the peaceful look on her face.
"I'm sorry" he whispered to her sleeping form, sitting down on one of the arms of the couch, "its just that with Carla back everything has been so weird. She makes me so angry but not at her, she makes me angry at myself if it makes any sense. What I did to you Grace, it was so wrong, and having her back makes me realise just how much I lost that night that I kissed her. It's made me realise something that I've known all along. I love you Grace, but it scares the hell out of me" Eli shook his head and stood up, if only he had the guts to say it out loud, he thought to himself, if only she felt the same way.
Little did he know that Grace had been awake the whole time, and had heard everything he said.
