~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then Dimitri's Side
Okay, so he's married.. it's not the end of the story, not at all!!! But, I'm going to take a break from Grace's point-of-view and actually try to write from Dimitri's perspective. So, we're going to take a jump back to where this story/series started from and write a few chapters in Dimitri's point-of-view of the events in the past chapters. This is something I did long ago with my first Eli/Grace fanfic, and it was fun, so I'll going to try it with this. I hope you like it! If not, at least I had fun trying!! ;)
Chapter 9//Agreeing to the Unknown
"No, Alabaster, I'm not going to do it." August Dimitri said firmly.
Alabaster Jones looked up and his wrinkled face crinkled as he smiled. "I haven't even asked you anything yet."
August moved in the office's chair, the leather surface squeaking beneath him. "When the President of the Personnel Department calls you in on the first day of classes, you don't need an explanation to know what he's going to ask."
Alabaster's smiled widened. He and August were friends of a sort. As much friends as you could be with your boss. "You're too smart for your own good, August. So smart in fact, that it's a shame you don't teach more classes."
"Jonesy, I said 'no'." August clasped his hands together in his lap. He had a feeling that he would end up teaching the class, no matter how much he argued, though. Alabaster had a way of getting people to do his bidding.
"Come on, we're really in deep shit here," Alabaster said honestly. "We've been moving teachers around all day. And if I could get you to just take one more class on, then.." He looked to August, hopefully.
August sighed, "You know how much I hated teaching just 'one more class' last semester. I'm no good in the sciences department, and teaching that biology class was too much. I'll just stick to the English department.. no science, no math.. you understand?"
"Yes, yes, you told me all this before." Alabaster sorted through some papers on his desk. "And so I made sure that this extra class I'm offering you is an English class.. English 102."
August considered it. Another English class wouldn't be so bad. He was already teaching an English 102, and he could use the same schedule of topics for another 102. He looked back at Alabaster and nodded. "Fine, fine, but you owe me."
"Don't I always end up owing you somehow or another?" Alabaster's grin spread, taking up the majority of his face. He reached across the table and they shared a rather formal shaking of hands. "Golf, Sunday?"
"Yeah, sure." August wasn't much of a golf fan, but constantly found himself on the greens, anyway.
"Well, you better go. I'll put the info on the class in your mailbox." Alabaster dropped his head down to study the stacks of papers on his desk, and August left. Another class wouldn't be that bad. No, he found himself actually looking forward to another bright group of eager students to teach and mold.
* * *
Later that day, August found the information on the class Alabaster had promised him. He looked at the measly three sheets of paper. One had the time and dates of the class on it. Another had a list of the students taking the course. And the last was a handwritten note by Alabaster, thanking him. August quickly scanned the list of student's names. There looked to be about 30 names, but August knew from experience, that probably 10 students would end up dropping the class in the first week or so.
August looked down the column that showed whether the student had passed into English 102 based on the pre-college examinations that were held to put students in the right English and Math or whether the student had worked their way into the class by taking the lower advanced classes first. He was pleased to see a good number of students had passed into the class. But, still he knew that didn't exactly mean that they were bright students who would work hard. And just because a student had to take earlier englishes, before English 102, didn't mean they weren't smart. He just hoped he would have a good class. A class that gave him their best.
'Grace' August thought almost guiltily. She had been a perfect student. She had always been so eager, and her work had so much promise. She had had so much promise. He was almost surprised that no one else seemed to see that. To him, it had seemed that she had almost glowed with energy and intelligence, and yet he noticed that no one else seemed to see this of her, except to think of her being a 'show-off'. Yes, she became his little teacher's pet in a way. But, he just wanted to be a part of the reason she would become what she was. If he could influence her in anyway, boy, that would be amazing.
And then things had changed somewhere along the way.. or maybe they hadn't changed, he had just been closing his eyes to the obvious. But, finally he admitted to himself that he had feelings for this beautiful, smart girl. But, silently admitting to feelings and acting on them are two different things, and he had been so careful not to act on his feelings. Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been so careful? What if he had kissed her long before they had kissed goodbye? What would have happened?
Grace Manning
August blinked, staring down at the list of names again, thinking he had just imagined he had seen her name because he had been thinking of her. But, no, there was her name, halfway down the list. Grace Manning. Could it be a different Grace Manning? But, no, something in his gut was telling him it was the same, the one and only Grace Manning. She would just be starting college now, but August had always assumed she'd go to a good school, hell, a great school. Grace was so much more than this little two year school.
August put the papers away in his briefcase. He gave the office secretary, Marilyn, a passing smile as he left the office mailroom. He couldn't think of Grace. Not now, not after so long. She would just be his student again, nothing more. August pushed open the office door to exit into the hallway and caught sight of the slim gold ring on his hand.
What the hell was he doing? Why was he thinking back to his odd relationship with Grace when he was married? His wife deserved better than that. He couldn't rehash the past, no he had to go home and eat dinner with his wife and talk of his day to her and listen to hers. And there couldn't be any thought of Grace lingering in his head. August nodded slightly to himself, resolved, but deep down he wondered if he believed that he could really do that.
* * *
Now and Then Dimitri's Side
Okay, so he's married.. it's not the end of the story, not at all!!! But, I'm going to take a break from Grace's point-of-view and actually try to write from Dimitri's perspective. So, we're going to take a jump back to where this story/series started from and write a few chapters in Dimitri's point-of-view of the events in the past chapters. This is something I did long ago with my first Eli/Grace fanfic, and it was fun, so I'll going to try it with this. I hope you like it! If not, at least I had fun trying!! ;)
Chapter 9//Agreeing to the Unknown
"No, Alabaster, I'm not going to do it." August Dimitri said firmly.
Alabaster Jones looked up and his wrinkled face crinkled as he smiled. "I haven't even asked you anything yet."
August moved in the office's chair, the leather surface squeaking beneath him. "When the President of the Personnel Department calls you in on the first day of classes, you don't need an explanation to know what he's going to ask."
Alabaster's smiled widened. He and August were friends of a sort. As much friends as you could be with your boss. "You're too smart for your own good, August. So smart in fact, that it's a shame you don't teach more classes."
"Jonesy, I said 'no'." August clasped his hands together in his lap. He had a feeling that he would end up teaching the class, no matter how much he argued, though. Alabaster had a way of getting people to do his bidding.
"Come on, we're really in deep shit here," Alabaster said honestly. "We've been moving teachers around all day. And if I could get you to just take one more class on, then.." He looked to August, hopefully.
August sighed, "You know how much I hated teaching just 'one more class' last semester. I'm no good in the sciences department, and teaching that biology class was too much. I'll just stick to the English department.. no science, no math.. you understand?"
"Yes, yes, you told me all this before." Alabaster sorted through some papers on his desk. "And so I made sure that this extra class I'm offering you is an English class.. English 102."
August considered it. Another English class wouldn't be so bad. He was already teaching an English 102, and he could use the same schedule of topics for another 102. He looked back at Alabaster and nodded. "Fine, fine, but you owe me."
"Don't I always end up owing you somehow or another?" Alabaster's grin spread, taking up the majority of his face. He reached across the table and they shared a rather formal shaking of hands. "Golf, Sunday?"
"Yeah, sure." August wasn't much of a golf fan, but constantly found himself on the greens, anyway.
"Well, you better go. I'll put the info on the class in your mailbox." Alabaster dropped his head down to study the stacks of papers on his desk, and August left. Another class wouldn't be that bad. No, he found himself actually looking forward to another bright group of eager students to teach and mold.
* * *
Later that day, August found the information on the class Alabaster had promised him. He looked at the measly three sheets of paper. One had the time and dates of the class on it. Another had a list of the students taking the course. And the last was a handwritten note by Alabaster, thanking him. August quickly scanned the list of student's names. There looked to be about 30 names, but August knew from experience, that probably 10 students would end up dropping the class in the first week or so.
August looked down the column that showed whether the student had passed into English 102 based on the pre-college examinations that were held to put students in the right English and Math or whether the student had worked their way into the class by taking the lower advanced classes first. He was pleased to see a good number of students had passed into the class. But, still he knew that didn't exactly mean that they were bright students who would work hard. And just because a student had to take earlier englishes, before English 102, didn't mean they weren't smart. He just hoped he would have a good class. A class that gave him their best.
'Grace' August thought almost guiltily. She had been a perfect student. She had always been so eager, and her work had so much promise. She had had so much promise. He was almost surprised that no one else seemed to see that. To him, it had seemed that she had almost glowed with energy and intelligence, and yet he noticed that no one else seemed to see this of her, except to think of her being a 'show-off'. Yes, she became his little teacher's pet in a way. But, he just wanted to be a part of the reason she would become what she was. If he could influence her in anyway, boy, that would be amazing.
And then things had changed somewhere along the way.. or maybe they hadn't changed, he had just been closing his eyes to the obvious. But, finally he admitted to himself that he had feelings for this beautiful, smart girl. But, silently admitting to feelings and acting on them are two different things, and he had been so careful not to act on his feelings. Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been so careful? What if he had kissed her long before they had kissed goodbye? What would have happened?
Grace Manning
August blinked, staring down at the list of names again, thinking he had just imagined he had seen her name because he had been thinking of her. But, no, there was her name, halfway down the list. Grace Manning. Could it be a different Grace Manning? But, no, something in his gut was telling him it was the same, the one and only Grace Manning. She would just be starting college now, but August had always assumed she'd go to a good school, hell, a great school. Grace was so much more than this little two year school.
August put the papers away in his briefcase. He gave the office secretary, Marilyn, a passing smile as he left the office mailroom. He couldn't think of Grace. Not now, not after so long. She would just be his student again, nothing more. August pushed open the office door to exit into the hallway and caught sight of the slim gold ring on his hand.
What the hell was he doing? Why was he thinking back to his odd relationship with Grace when he was married? His wife deserved better than that. He couldn't rehash the past, no he had to go home and eat dinner with his wife and talk of his day to her and listen to hers. And there couldn't be any thought of Grace lingering in his head. August nodded slightly to himself, resolved, but deep down he wondered if he believed that he could really do that.
* * *