Title: Hands Clean 8/?

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 second once and again fan fic but my it's my first August/Grace so any ideas or comments you have would be great. So please email me with them. J Oh and I'm very glad to see I got a review Yeah!!!

"Just make sure you don't tell on me especially to members of your family

We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse

I wish I could tell the world cuz you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly

I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body"

Grace woke up shocked to see roses all in her room. She smiled. She got up and looked at one of the notes.

"Happy Birthday, Grace. I can't wait to see you, Love August." Grace smiled and giggled.

For every vase there was a different color of roses, of course August could not possibly do anything normal. She went to another vase and read another note. "I know you're laughing now but the best is yet to come so pick up the phone and give me a call and let the surprises begin."  She picked up her phone and dialed his number.

"It took you five minutes to call me. What took you so long?" He asked joking.

"Well I was trying to decide who these were from. You know with all the guys I'm dating, it's hard to keep them straight."

"Very funny, so how is your birthday going so far?" He asked.

"It's going…." There was a beep. "I'll be right back, someone is on the other line." She said as she beeped over.  "Hello?" She asked.

"When are you going to answer the door? We've been waiting here for a long time." Eli said through his cell phone.

"I'll be right there." She said as she hung up the phone and opened the door.

Eli, Casey, Jessie, Katie, Zoe, Lily, Rick, Austin, Jake, Tiffany and Mady were all standing there.

The phone rang.

"You better get that." Lily said as she came in.

"Hello?" Grace asked.

"You hung up on me." August said.

"Oh I'm so sorry, be right back." She said as she grabbed the signed card.

"Who is it honey?" Lily asked.

"Her boyfriend." Zoe said smiling.

"Zoe, please shut up now." Grace said.

"You want me to shut up?" August asked shocked.

"No I didn't mean you honey, I meant Zoe." Grace said into the phone.

"Honey? And when did you get a boyfriend?" Jake asked.

"So I was right you do have a boyfriend?" Casey asked happy.

"When did you get a boyfriend?" Eli asked shocked.

"Um….. Sweetie I have to go I'll see you in class." She said as she hung up.

"Is that who all these roses came from?" Lily asked.

"Well um…." Grace started to say.

"So we can finally talk about him good!" Jessie said happy.

"Actually please don't." Grace begged.

"What's going on Grace?" Jake asked.

"It's well… I'm… I've been…" Grace tried to say.

Eli saw her accidentally drop a note. He picked it up and read it. "What the hell!!" He exclaimed.

Grace looked over at him. "Oh no, Eli we need to talk!"

"Yeah I'd say so!" He said mad.

"Yeah, in the hall way now!" She exclaimed.

"Fine, whatever!" Eli said as he followed her outside.

"So are you going to explain this?" He asked.

August came into his house after a long day at work. He put his books down and noticed there were candles lit up all around his living room. "Grace?" He asked.

She came out in a black dress. "You're finally home." She said smiling.

"Yes, what's all this?" He asked.

"What you really thought you could hide your birthday from me?" Grace asked.

"Well I was hoping yes."

"Well you didn't."

"So you decided to waste all my candles?" He asked confused.

"I decided I'd surprise you." She said. "What you don't like it?" She asked worried

"No, sweetie I do, I really do…" August started to say.

"Good because I have a wonderful evening planned." Grace said smiling.

"Oh really so what exactly are we doing?"

"Well I made dinner…." Grace started to say.

"Please tell me you didn't." He begged.

"Ok I ordered it."

"Thank God!" He said.

Grace laughed. "Then there's desert and then I thought we'd well I'd spend the night…." She said hesitantly.

"Grace…." August started to say.

"Please don't tell me no. Look I want to do this with you and I know you do to and it's your birthday, it'll be romantic…." Grace started to say pleading.

"Grace, I don't want you to do this for me because it's my birthday, I want it to be special not planned but special." August said.

"But this is special." Grace said.

"Look I'll make a deal with you if by the time your birthday comes up we haven't had that "special" moment yet then I'll make sure to make your birthday night the most romantic evening you have ever seen." August promised.

"Ok, I'll take that deal. Now let's go eat before the food gets cold." She said leading him into the kitchen.

"Grace, I want an answer now!" Eli demanded.

"Eli, lower your voice please. Come with me." She said as she pulled him into an empty elevator and stopped it.

 "What are we doing in here?" Eli asked annoyed.

"We're in here so you don't scream to the whole school that I'm dating August, he'd be fired."

"He should be, wait fired? He works here!"

"Yes, he's my teacher."

"Again, how did that jerk ever get a job here!"

"I don't know Eli will you please calm down." Grace begged.

"As soon as you give me an explanation I will." Eli said.

"Ok, I will. See August and I are dating we've been since I saw him again in my class…."

"Dating? Why are you dating him?"

"Because I love him!" Grace screamed back.

"No, you can't love him! He's what like fifty years older that you!"

"Well I do and God, Eli can't you be serious for a moment!"

"I am the one being serious but I don't think you are. You're dating your teacher, a man that was fired from your last school because he was trying to get too close to you."

"I know I remember."

"So how could you possibly be dating him?"

"Because there was no one else." Grace said sadly.

"What?" Eli asked confused.

"Because I couldn't have you, I took the next best thing but only to find out he was the one all along."

"You couldn't have me? Grace, what are you talking about?"

"I'm taking about that this thing with August started out just as a way to get you out of my mind but it turned into more, a hell of a lot more."

"Grace, you never told me that you wanted me. If I had known…."

"You know now, isn't that good enough!"

"I'm sorry, I never would have guessed."

"Yeah that was pretty obvious." Grace said annoyed.

"Grace, I really had no clue that my feelings towards you were mutual."

"Your feelings towards me?"

"Yeah." Eli said as he came closer to her.

"But you never…." She started to say.

"I didn't know how to. I didn't know how you'd react." Eli said, as he got so close that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"I would have been overjoyed, I've waited for so long."

"I love you. Grace." Eli said as he leant into to kiss her.

She pushed him back. "I love you too, Eli but we can't do this."

"Why not? You've said you waited for me all these years, well you have me, why not take me?"

"Because I gave up on you a long time ago, and I love August now just like you love Casey and this teenage crush that I have needs to stay there. I do not have room for you in life any more Eli. Just like you never had room for me in yours when I lived at home." Grace said sadly.

"So what do we do now?" Eli asked.

"You go back to Casey and live the perfect life and I'll go back to August of course we wouldn't mention this to either one of them but we'll always know that it was the right thing to do." Grace said as she opened the door.

"If that's what you think then fine." Eli said as he left the elevator.

Grace just leaned up against the wall and let out a deep breath.

"Ooh this could be messy and

Ooh I don't seem to mind

Ooh don't go telling everybody

And overlook this supposed crime"