Title: A Chance at happiness 12/?

Author: Christen (purplehaysc@netscape.net)

Disclaimer: these characters belong to once and again except any characters you don't recognize

Distribution: Take it, but let me know. If you have any of my other fics, go ahead.

Comments: email me all you comments and suggestions. This is my first once and again fan fic so any ideas or comments you have would be great. So please email me with them. J Oh and I have been reading the reviews and all I can see is thanks and I'm using your ideas.

Grace headed back into the house and ran into Eli who seemed to be leaving. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"Well I guess I might as well tell you I'm going to the hospital. And if you want to come please don't follow me, just ride with me, this time." He said with a smile.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Grace asked.

"That depends on if you're going to follow me if I say no."

"I have no plans to follow you no."

"Ok then if you want to come then you can, it'll be nice to have someone to sit with that isn't sleeping." He said with a smile.

"Will we be there long?" Grace asked.

"I'll make it quick." He said.

"Let me go tell my mom and Rick and I'll meet you outside." She said as she headed inside.

"So how did it go?" Lily asked Rick as he came into their room.

"She said she wishes she had me as a father." He said with a smile and got into bed.

"Sorry to break the news to you but she'd take anyone but Jake as a father."

"Oh thanks, but I really didn't need to know that." He said.

"I'm sorry I was just joking." She said.

"I know, so how did the talk with Eli go."

"Pretty well I guess he said sometimes he forgets that I'm not his mother."

"Again I'm going to have to point out to you just like you did to me that Eli would take anyone other than Karen."

"Thanks, very much."

"I'm was just joking." He said.

"I know but partially it's the truth. And you know what this means do not you?" She said with a smile.

"What?"

"That we did something right."

"What did we do right?"

"Bringing them all here, look at Grace and Eli, they might not want to admit it but they are close and so are Jessie and Zoe. We've got our own little dysfunctional family here."

"I never would have guessed this would happen."

"Either did anyone else."

"But I'm glad it did."

They heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Lily said.

Grace walked in.

"You need something?" Lily asked.

"No, I just wanted to see if I could go to the hospital with Eli."

"Does he know you're going?" Rick asked.

"Yes, and I think the only reason he's taken me is because he knows I'll follow him if he doesn't."

They laughed. "That's fine just don't stay too late."

"We won't."

Grace said as she walked out of the room.

Jessie was on the phone with Katie. "So how are things at your house?" Katie asked.

"As well as can be expected."

"So there's craziness?"

"Exactly."

"But the real question is how are you holding up." Kate said.

"I'm ok."

"You're lying."

"Ok, so I'm not but does it really even matter?"

"It matters to me."

Jessie smiled; it was nice to have someone who cared. "Ok the truth: I'm just taking one day at a time really. And I have yet to really feel anything. I haven't had to the time to."

"You need to find the time either that or sooner or later you're going to bust."

"You're probably right. I'll try."

"Good that's what I wanted to hear, so have you and your brother been to see your mother?

"No, he's been too busy to bring me to see my mother."

"He's been to busy with what?"

"He's been to busy with our step sister, Grace. And before you say anything I know it's weird."

Grace walked away from the door and headed down stairs.