Title: Hands Clean 21/21

Author: Christen (purplehaysc@netscape.net) if you want to email me during the week email me at (23405@sjamail.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!!! (ok there are no more flashbacks for the rest of the chapters because I think the present is good enough with out the flashbacks)

"Ooh this could be messy

But you don't seem to mind

Ooh don't go telling everybody

And overlook this supposed crime"

"Missed who?" Someone asked from behind Grace.

"August?" Grace asked hopeful as she turned around.

"Yeah it's me." August said smiling.

Graced hugged him laughing. "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't leave you. I tried calling you but…"

"That was you? I was in an accident…"

"You're ok, right?" August asked worried.

Grace laughed. "I'm fine. I'm actually great. Just seeing you is great."

"You being happy I'm back… makes me know I made the right choice."

"You thought I wanted you to leave?" Grace asked shocked.

"I had convinced my self that you wanted me to leave."

"But I don't…"

"I know that now and I think I've always know that… I just I couldn't stay here and not be with you so I guess I convinced myself that leaving was for the best."

"Well there's a simple solution to that problem."

"What?"

"Stay here and be with me."

"Grace…"

"August I love you and I know you love me. We deserve to be together. You know that."

"Grace…"

"I'm not taking no for answer because I know you would be on that train right now if the answer was no but you're not so the answer is yes."

August laughed. "Stubborn as ever, I see."

"And proud of it." She said smiling.

"I'm glad because I never want to lose you either." Grace said as she kissed him.

"Shouldn't she be back by now?" Lily asked Rick.

"Depends on when the doctor's appointment ends."

"It already did." Jessie said as she came in. Eli, Zoe and Austin followed her.

"How do you know?" Lily asked.

"I talked to her."

"There where is she?" Lily asked worried.

"She might have gone to stop him from leaving." Zoe suggested.

"She's got a point. I wouldn't put it past her." Jessie said.

"I wouldn't be shocked." Eli said.

"Wouldn't be shocked by what?" Grace asked as she came in with August.

"Grace!" Austin yelled as he ran to her.

Grace picked him up. "Hey Austin!" She said smiling.

"Who are you?" Austin asked August as Grace put him down.

"This is my boyfriend, August. August this is my little brother, Austin." Grace said smiling.

"It's nice to meet, August." Austin said.

"Nice to meet you too. Grace has told me a lot about you." August said smiling.

"Austin, how about you go up to your room and start your homework. Your dad will be up a little while to help you." Lily said.

"But I want to stay here and talk to Grace's boyfriend." Austin said whining.

"Austin, do what your mother says!" Rick said.

"Plus he's not going anywhere's." Lily said.

"Fine." Austin said as he started to march up the stairs.

"He's not going any where's?" Grace asked Lily shocked.

"No, at least not if you don't want him to."

"I defiantly don't want him to." Grace said as she started to cry.

"Shouldn't you be happy?" Jessie asked confused.

"I am. I'm very happy."

Everyone laughed.

"August why don't you sit down and join us? We're having dinner soon." Rick offered.

"Lily's not cooking so it's safe to eat it." Eli said.

"Eli!" Lily said with mock shock.

"I'm just giving him a good reason to stay." Eli said smiling.

"Zoe can you order some Chinese?" Rick asked.

"Sure." Zoe said getting up.

"So you want to stay?" Grace asked August.

"If you want to."

"I do."

"Well it looks like I'm staying." August said smiling as him and Grace sat down.

"Good." Lily said as she headed over to the window.

"I'll be right back." Grace told August as she got up.

"Don't come back too soon cause we're got some stories to tell August." Eli said.

"Don't believe a word they say!" Grace said as she walked over to where Lily was. "You ok?"

"Yeah I'll be fine. How about you?"

"I'm happy. Thanks to you."

"I'm just glad to have you back."

"I never left."

"Your personality did."

"I know but it's back."

"Because of him."

"And because of you and the rest of this family."

"But we're what caused you to be sick to begin with."

"No, believe me. It wasn't you. It was my body."

"I'm glad to heard that, really glad."

"And I'm glad that you made August's coming back so easy."

"Well I figure you've been through enough. Plus I know your dad is going to make this hard, so I thought I'd give you a break."

"Yeah, is there a chance you can tell Dad for me?"

"No way, that's something you two need to handle all by yourselves." Lily said as they both walked back towards the table.

"Hey, can I borrow him for a minute there's something we need to talk about." Grace said to Rick, Eli and Jessie.

"Sure but you've got to send him back, we haven't gotten through half the stories." Jessie said smiling.

"He'll be back." Grace said leading him outside.

Once they were outside August turned to Grace. "What's going on? Why did you bring me out here?"

"Because… there's something else I need to tell you." Grace said nervously.

"Ok, you're worrying me, now tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. Actually what I have to tell you is good."

"And what do you have to tell me?"

"That we're having a baby." Grace said smiling.

"You're… you're…" August said nervously.

"Yes, I'm pregnant."

"We'll fast forward to a few years later

And no one knows except the both of us

And I have honored your request for silence

And you've washed your hands clean of this"

"Hey Grace, can you turn off the radio. I really need you to concentrate here." August said from the table.

"I'm concentrating." Grace said as she turned off the radio.

"Oh really then what were we talking about?" August asked as Grace sat down next to him.

"Ok, so I don't know, can you remind me?" Grace pleaded.

"We were planning for the baby. Trying to figure out how we're going to take care of it."

"The same way we did the last time, August. You're really got to stop worrying."

"And you've really got to start paying attention."

"To what my husband's crazy ramblings?"

"I'm not crazy."

"Yes, you are, and if you don't stop being crazy, you're going to drive me crazy."

"You already are." August said smiling.

"And you love me for it." Grace said as she kissed him.