~A Once and Again Series~
Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 19//A Horrible Person
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(p.s. This story is in "present" time... not a flashback. There will be more flashbacks, though!) Oh, also, in chapter 12, Grace had mentioned something to Lily about Eli being in her room because he needed advice about a girl... that comes to play in this chapter.
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"Hi Eli," Lily said with a friendly smile as she entered the kitchen.
"Hi..." Eli said as looked over, knowing something lurked behind Lily's casual demeanor.
"How's the new job going?" Lily asked.
"Uh, good... it's actually really nice," Eli answered. He finished making himself a sandwich, and cautiously carried it over to the table, knowing Lily wasn't done with him.
He was right.
Lily followed him, "So... I..." Her words faltered as Jessie and Rick came in the door, fresh back from a trip to Karen's.
"Dad!" Jessie was complaining, with a smile on her face, however. "You can't do this!"
Lily, intrigued, asked, "Do what?"
Jessie shook her head, smiling, laughing and rolling her eyes all at once. "Just... ask him!"
Lily looked at Rick with a smile. "Rick?" She prompted.
Rick paused, knowing Lily was waiting intently for his response. "I've invited... Katie over for dinner on Thursday."
"Katie?" Lily asked, she looked at Jessie, who looked at the floor, a bit embarrassed. They had just heard about Jessie's relationship with Katie only a month before school let out. They had been surprised... well, shocked to find out about Jessie's... long-time girlfriend. Jessie had been a bit uncomfortable about it, and she hadn't had Katie over to the house since the news came out... so this would be the first, well, "meeting the girlfriend" (although, of course, they already knew Katie.. but they had always known her as "the friend").
Jessie nodded, rolling her eyes a bit. "Dad thinks it's important that he's 'accepting' in my relationship with her," She mocked.
Rick smiled mildly, "Did I say that?"
"Yes you did," Jessie insisted. "You also said you thought it was important that you get to know the 'special' people in my life."
Rick mused over this. "When did I become such an old geezer?"
Jessie laughed, and hit her father in the stomach playfully. "You're not that old... yet!"
Lily turned her attention away from the father and daughter, and glanced over at Eli. She smiled, sensing an opportunity here... Ever since Grace had offhandedly said ... well, okay, Grace had never came out and said the words, but based on what she had said about Eli "needing good advice about a girl"-- Lily had taken this as meaning Eli had a girlfriend. And Lily could see Eli had changed his ways. She wanted to know more about this girlfriend... "E?" Lily asked.
Eli looked up from his almost gone sandwich. "Yeah?" He asked, a little unnerved. That gleam was back in Lily's eyes... he had thought the distraction of Rick and Jessie had stopped Lily from coming out with whatever she had been about to say to him, but it looked like it wasn't so.
"So, Jessie's bringing her... girlfriend," The term girlfriend stuck to the roof of her mouth and she finally pulled it out. She was still getting used to the idea that Jessie was a lesbian. Lily continued, "So, why don't you bring yours?"
Behind her, Rick and Jessie stopped in their joking. They fell silent as they waited to hear how Eli would respond.
Eli threw the last chunk of his sandwich into his mouth, chewing slowly as he thought of a reply. "My girlfriend?" He mananged, lamely, when his mouth was free of bread particles.
Lily smiled, "Yeah... it would be nice. You do... have a girlfriend, right?"
Eli nodded. Rick pretended to study the pile of mail on the island, but his ears were listening intently, like the raised ears of a cat. Jessie brought a hand up, studying the chipped polish on her nails... but she too, listened for the response.
"Yeah, I do have a girlfriend," Eli said, wishing Grace was down here right now to help him figure out what to do. But, Rick knew about their relationship and both Eli and Grace knew they'd have to tell Lily soon... so, maybe, Eli should just... "Uh, actually, I think you SHOULD meet her," He said.
"MEET her?" Rick echoed. He noticed Jessie's wondering eyes on him- evaluating his outburst, and dropped his attention back to the envelopes of mail.
Lily was thrilled though. "That's great! Why don't you bring her to dinner on Friday, then, too?"
Eli shook his head. He knew that once Lily 'met' Grace there'd be a lot of questions... and basically it'd be one big scene. And Eli didn't want to ruin Jessie's and Katie's night with the family. He would choose a different setting for explaining his and Grace's relationship to Lily... "Uh, how about another time?"
"Sounds good," Lily was just happy that Eli had agreed to open up about his girlfriend. She couldn't wait to see who was the girl that had had such a positive effect on Eli's life.
* * *
A little while later, after Eli had gone off to the garage and Lily upstairs, Rick and Jessie were alone in the kitchen.
"So, it should be nice having Katie to dinner," Rick commented.
Jessie nodded, a bit distractedly though, as she was thinking about the Eli and Grace situation.
Rick was thinking about the same thing, and slowly added, "And it will be nice to 'meet' Eli's girlfriend, too."
Jessie looked over at her father out the corner of her eyes. A knowing smile spread over her face. "You know!" She cried.
Rick turned to her, forging innocence-- not very well, though, "Know what?"
But this gave it away even more to Jessie. She looked at her dad in surprise. "They told you?"
Rick knew his gig was up, and now it was his turn to survey Jessie. "You know?"
Jessie gave a slight nod. They looked at each other for a moment, both glad they weren't the only ones holding this secret. "So... do you really think they're going to tell Lily?" Jessie questioned.
Rick shrugged, "I hope so." He sighed. Then thought it over... "We are both talking about the same thing, right?" He asked, for clarification.
"Uh," Jessie paused, not wanting to say it, if her father didn't truly already know about Eli and Grace.
Grace entered the kitchen at that moment, coming over to pick an orange out from the bowl of fruit on the island. She paused, looking over the two silent figures... and left with a slight confused shake of her head.
Rick and Jessie both turned to each other appraisingly. They smiled knowingly. "Eli and Grace," Jessie commented.
Rick nodded. So, they were both on the same page.
"...And a baby," Jessie added.
"So, it is Eli's," Rick said, his thoughts finally being confirmed.
Jessie frowned, "Who else's would it be?"
"Well... Coop," Rick said with a small shrug.
"No way!" Jessie laughed, "Coop- the father?" She smiled over the idiocy of the idea. Rick joined in with his own smile.
In the doorway to the kitchen, Zoe paused. So, Coop was the father to Grace's baby.... She hadn't even been thinking about who the father to Grace's baby was. She knew by ways of her previous eavesdropping that Grace and Coop had dated... but Zoe had just never considered the idea of 'a father to the baby'. A smile spread over her face, and she backed out of the room as quietly as she had answered. She had just gained another piece of valuable information.
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"Oh," Grace said, a whisper of a word.
Eli looked at her nervously, "I can always tell Lily some excuse or something... if you're not ready, we don't have to tell her."
Grace shook her head, her brown locks moving slightly. "No, it's time." She took a deep breath, and looked into Eli's eyes. "This will change things, you know."
"I know," Eli said, bending down to kiss her fair lips. Grace kissed him back, letting her body ease of tension. She actually laughed as he pulled back. "Grace?" Eli questioned.
Grace shook her head, giggling. She held up a finger and let her giggles slowly fuse away. "I'm a horrible person," Grace explained as she caught her breath.
Eli looked at her like she had grown two extra heads. "You're a wonderful person!" He argued.
"I slapped Deanna," Grace said, abruptly, cutting into his praise of her.
Eli looked at her, stunned. Had she really? He rather liked the idea of it. Grace slapping Deanna...
"Are you shocked?" Grace asked.
"Uh, a bit," Eli admitted. "But, no, not really."
Grace nodded, "I couldn't help myself."
"Does she know... about us?" Eli questioned, wondering over what circumstances the slap had taken place.
Grace shook her head, "I'm pretty sure she's clueless."
All talk of Deanna soon faded into nonexistence, as they moved into the comfort of each other's arms.
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Jake paused in his survey of the café/bookstore. He noticed one thing standing out-- like those magazines they used to have in the dentist's office for kids... the ones that said 'what's wrong with this picture?'-- Deanna wasn't behind the counter, taking food orders.
"Jill!" Jake called out, signaling to the middle-aged assistant manager. Jill scurried over.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Where's Deanna?" Jake asked, gesturing towards the empty space behind the counter.
Jill looked guilty, even though she had probably no clue where Deanna was... but it was her job to keep an eye over the other lesser employees. "Uh..."
Jake stopped her, seeing something catch his eye in the front window. "Never mind... just get one of the guys from back to fill in, okay?"
Jill nodded eagerly, and left to do so. Jake pushed his way out the front doors, and looked over at Deanna.
Deanna looked up, and saw her boss. She dropped her cell phone from her ear, turned it off and thrust it in pocket. "Sorry... it was an important call."
Jake frowned a bit, "Well, next time try to get someone to cover for you, or at least let us know when you get an 'important call'."
Deanna nodded, putting on her good-girl smile. "I will do." She began to walk back towards the building, but Jake held up a hand.
"Deanna, is something wrong? You just seem a bit edgy..." Jake asked, with real concern. Deanna may not have all the right employee skills... or people skills for that matter, but she was still a person. A troubled girl.
Deanna bit her lip, shaking her head, "I don't think I should talk to you about it."
"What do you mean?" Jake asked, now doubly curious.
"It's about your daughter..." Deanna said, putting the line in the water.
The fish... eh, Jake, took the bait eagerly. "What about Grace?" He demanded.
Deanna looked away, and looked back at Jake with a well-practiced hurt expression. "She doesn't like me very much."
"Oh," Jake wasn't too surprised to hear that. "I'm sure she does," He said, though, to try and cheer up Deanna.
Deanna shook her head, "She hates me... and I think she has right to."
"What do you mean?" Jake asked.
Deanna looked at her black boots, letting out a troubled sounding sigh.... truth was Deanna was actually happy right now, though... to be telling Jake this. She was happy to be giving Grace exactly what Grace gave her.... some pain. Did Grace think she could just slap Deanna and get away with it? Hell, no! Deanna wasn't as dumb as Grace wanted to believe.... and after Grace had hit her the other day, Deanna had put it all together.
Deanna had finally realized why Grace was so mad at her-- now, and a few months ago (after Deanna's little one-night with Eli).... it was obvious now that Deanna looked back on it.... Grace had been dating Eli. Grace was the girlfriend Eli had talked about. Deanna just wasn't sure on whether Grace and Eli were still together now, but that didn't matter...
See, because Deanna knew how Jake disliked Eli. Jake had warmed up to Eli some, though... that was sure. Otherwise, when Deanna had given her little speech a week after her fling with Eli about how Eli had used her and how she couldn't work with him, Jake would have fired him. But, Jake hadn't-- much to Deanna's dismay. Instead he had chosen to give HER the boot.... but now Jake had turned his ways, and had fired Eli, and rehired Deanna... so maybe Jake's warming for Eli had cooled.
Either way, it was still going to hurt Jake when Deanna told him all about Eli and Grace... and about how Grace was having her stepbrother's baby. (Deanna wasn't quite sure if it was Eli's, but eh... details, details).
"Deanna?" Jake urged her.
Deanna faked a sad frown, and opened her mouth. It was time.
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Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 19//A Horrible Person
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(p.s. This story is in "present" time... not a flashback. There will be more flashbacks, though!) Oh, also, in chapter 12, Grace had mentioned something to Lily about Eli being in her room because he needed advice about a girl... that comes to play in this chapter.
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"Hi Eli," Lily said with a friendly smile as she entered the kitchen.
"Hi..." Eli said as looked over, knowing something lurked behind Lily's casual demeanor.
"How's the new job going?" Lily asked.
"Uh, good... it's actually really nice," Eli answered. He finished making himself a sandwich, and cautiously carried it over to the table, knowing Lily wasn't done with him.
He was right.
Lily followed him, "So... I..." Her words faltered as Jessie and Rick came in the door, fresh back from a trip to Karen's.
"Dad!" Jessie was complaining, with a smile on her face, however. "You can't do this!"
Lily, intrigued, asked, "Do what?"
Jessie shook her head, smiling, laughing and rolling her eyes all at once. "Just... ask him!"
Lily looked at Rick with a smile. "Rick?" She prompted.
Rick paused, knowing Lily was waiting intently for his response. "I've invited... Katie over for dinner on Thursday."
"Katie?" Lily asked, she looked at Jessie, who looked at the floor, a bit embarrassed. They had just heard about Jessie's relationship with Katie only a month before school let out. They had been surprised... well, shocked to find out about Jessie's... long-time girlfriend. Jessie had been a bit uncomfortable about it, and she hadn't had Katie over to the house since the news came out... so this would be the first, well, "meeting the girlfriend" (although, of course, they already knew Katie.. but they had always known her as "the friend").
Jessie nodded, rolling her eyes a bit. "Dad thinks it's important that he's 'accepting' in my relationship with her," She mocked.
Rick smiled mildly, "Did I say that?"
"Yes you did," Jessie insisted. "You also said you thought it was important that you get to know the 'special' people in my life."
Rick mused over this. "When did I become such an old geezer?"
Jessie laughed, and hit her father in the stomach playfully. "You're not that old... yet!"
Lily turned her attention away from the father and daughter, and glanced over at Eli. She smiled, sensing an opportunity here... Ever since Grace had offhandedly said ... well, okay, Grace had never came out and said the words, but based on what she had said about Eli "needing good advice about a girl"-- Lily had taken this as meaning Eli had a girlfriend. And Lily could see Eli had changed his ways. She wanted to know more about this girlfriend... "E?" Lily asked.
Eli looked up from his almost gone sandwich. "Yeah?" He asked, a little unnerved. That gleam was back in Lily's eyes... he had thought the distraction of Rick and Jessie had stopped Lily from coming out with whatever she had been about to say to him, but it looked like it wasn't so.
"So, Jessie's bringing her... girlfriend," The term girlfriend stuck to the roof of her mouth and she finally pulled it out. She was still getting used to the idea that Jessie was a lesbian. Lily continued, "So, why don't you bring yours?"
Behind her, Rick and Jessie stopped in their joking. They fell silent as they waited to hear how Eli would respond.
Eli threw the last chunk of his sandwich into his mouth, chewing slowly as he thought of a reply. "My girlfriend?" He mananged, lamely, when his mouth was free of bread particles.
Lily smiled, "Yeah... it would be nice. You do... have a girlfriend, right?"
Eli nodded. Rick pretended to study the pile of mail on the island, but his ears were listening intently, like the raised ears of a cat. Jessie brought a hand up, studying the chipped polish on her nails... but she too, listened for the response.
"Yeah, I do have a girlfriend," Eli said, wishing Grace was down here right now to help him figure out what to do. But, Rick knew about their relationship and both Eli and Grace knew they'd have to tell Lily soon... so, maybe, Eli should just... "Uh, actually, I think you SHOULD meet her," He said.
"MEET her?" Rick echoed. He noticed Jessie's wondering eyes on him- evaluating his outburst, and dropped his attention back to the envelopes of mail.
Lily was thrilled though. "That's great! Why don't you bring her to dinner on Friday, then, too?"
Eli shook his head. He knew that once Lily 'met' Grace there'd be a lot of questions... and basically it'd be one big scene. And Eli didn't want to ruin Jessie's and Katie's night with the family. He would choose a different setting for explaining his and Grace's relationship to Lily... "Uh, how about another time?"
"Sounds good," Lily was just happy that Eli had agreed to open up about his girlfriend. She couldn't wait to see who was the girl that had had such a positive effect on Eli's life.
* * *
A little while later, after Eli had gone off to the garage and Lily upstairs, Rick and Jessie were alone in the kitchen.
"So, it should be nice having Katie to dinner," Rick commented.
Jessie nodded, a bit distractedly though, as she was thinking about the Eli and Grace situation.
Rick was thinking about the same thing, and slowly added, "And it will be nice to 'meet' Eli's girlfriend, too."
Jessie looked over at her father out the corner of her eyes. A knowing smile spread over her face. "You know!" She cried.
Rick turned to her, forging innocence-- not very well, though, "Know what?"
But this gave it away even more to Jessie. She looked at her dad in surprise. "They told you?"
Rick knew his gig was up, and now it was his turn to survey Jessie. "You know?"
Jessie gave a slight nod. They looked at each other for a moment, both glad they weren't the only ones holding this secret. "So... do you really think they're going to tell Lily?" Jessie questioned.
Rick shrugged, "I hope so." He sighed. Then thought it over... "We are both talking about the same thing, right?" He asked, for clarification.
"Uh," Jessie paused, not wanting to say it, if her father didn't truly already know about Eli and Grace.
Grace entered the kitchen at that moment, coming over to pick an orange out from the bowl of fruit on the island. She paused, looking over the two silent figures... and left with a slight confused shake of her head.
Rick and Jessie both turned to each other appraisingly. They smiled knowingly. "Eli and Grace," Jessie commented.
Rick nodded. So, they were both on the same page.
"...And a baby," Jessie added.
"So, it is Eli's," Rick said, his thoughts finally being confirmed.
Jessie frowned, "Who else's would it be?"
"Well... Coop," Rick said with a small shrug.
"No way!" Jessie laughed, "Coop- the father?" She smiled over the idiocy of the idea. Rick joined in with his own smile.
In the doorway to the kitchen, Zoe paused. So, Coop was the father to Grace's baby.... She hadn't even been thinking about who the father to Grace's baby was. She knew by ways of her previous eavesdropping that Grace and Coop had dated... but Zoe had just never considered the idea of 'a father to the baby'. A smile spread over her face, and she backed out of the room as quietly as she had answered. She had just gained another piece of valuable information.
* * *
"Oh," Grace said, a whisper of a word.
Eli looked at her nervously, "I can always tell Lily some excuse or something... if you're not ready, we don't have to tell her."
Grace shook her head, her brown locks moving slightly. "No, it's time." She took a deep breath, and looked into Eli's eyes. "This will change things, you know."
"I know," Eli said, bending down to kiss her fair lips. Grace kissed him back, letting her body ease of tension. She actually laughed as he pulled back. "Grace?" Eli questioned.
Grace shook her head, giggling. She held up a finger and let her giggles slowly fuse away. "I'm a horrible person," Grace explained as she caught her breath.
Eli looked at her like she had grown two extra heads. "You're a wonderful person!" He argued.
"I slapped Deanna," Grace said, abruptly, cutting into his praise of her.
Eli looked at her, stunned. Had she really? He rather liked the idea of it. Grace slapping Deanna...
"Are you shocked?" Grace asked.
"Uh, a bit," Eli admitted. "But, no, not really."
Grace nodded, "I couldn't help myself."
"Does she know... about us?" Eli questioned, wondering over what circumstances the slap had taken place.
Grace shook her head, "I'm pretty sure she's clueless."
All talk of Deanna soon faded into nonexistence, as they moved into the comfort of each other's arms.
* * *
Jake paused in his survey of the café/bookstore. He noticed one thing standing out-- like those magazines they used to have in the dentist's office for kids... the ones that said 'what's wrong with this picture?'-- Deanna wasn't behind the counter, taking food orders.
"Jill!" Jake called out, signaling to the middle-aged assistant manager. Jill scurried over.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Where's Deanna?" Jake asked, gesturing towards the empty space behind the counter.
Jill looked guilty, even though she had probably no clue where Deanna was... but it was her job to keep an eye over the other lesser employees. "Uh..."
Jake stopped her, seeing something catch his eye in the front window. "Never mind... just get one of the guys from back to fill in, okay?"
Jill nodded eagerly, and left to do so. Jake pushed his way out the front doors, and looked over at Deanna.
Deanna looked up, and saw her boss. She dropped her cell phone from her ear, turned it off and thrust it in pocket. "Sorry... it was an important call."
Jake frowned a bit, "Well, next time try to get someone to cover for you, or at least let us know when you get an 'important call'."
Deanna nodded, putting on her good-girl smile. "I will do." She began to walk back towards the building, but Jake held up a hand.
"Deanna, is something wrong? You just seem a bit edgy..." Jake asked, with real concern. Deanna may not have all the right employee skills... or people skills for that matter, but she was still a person. A troubled girl.
Deanna bit her lip, shaking her head, "I don't think I should talk to you about it."
"What do you mean?" Jake asked, now doubly curious.
"It's about your daughter..." Deanna said, putting the line in the water.
The fish... eh, Jake, took the bait eagerly. "What about Grace?" He demanded.
Deanna looked away, and looked back at Jake with a well-practiced hurt expression. "She doesn't like me very much."
"Oh," Jake wasn't too surprised to hear that. "I'm sure she does," He said, though, to try and cheer up Deanna.
Deanna shook her head, "She hates me... and I think she has right to."
"What do you mean?" Jake asked.
Deanna looked at her black boots, letting out a troubled sounding sigh.... truth was Deanna was actually happy right now, though... to be telling Jake this. She was happy to be giving Grace exactly what Grace gave her.... some pain. Did Grace think she could just slap Deanna and get away with it? Hell, no! Deanna wasn't as dumb as Grace wanted to believe.... and after Grace had hit her the other day, Deanna had put it all together.
Deanna had finally realized why Grace was so mad at her-- now, and a few months ago (after Deanna's little one-night with Eli).... it was obvious now that Deanna looked back on it.... Grace had been dating Eli. Grace was the girlfriend Eli had talked about. Deanna just wasn't sure on whether Grace and Eli were still together now, but that didn't matter...
See, because Deanna knew how Jake disliked Eli. Jake had warmed up to Eli some, though... that was sure. Otherwise, when Deanna had given her little speech a week after her fling with Eli about how Eli had used her and how she couldn't work with him, Jake would have fired him. But, Jake hadn't-- much to Deanna's dismay. Instead he had chosen to give HER the boot.... but now Jake had turned his ways, and had fired Eli, and rehired Deanna... so maybe Jake's warming for Eli had cooled.
Either way, it was still going to hurt Jake when Deanna told him all about Eli and Grace... and about how Grace was having her stepbrother's baby. (Deanna wasn't quite sure if it was Eli's, but eh... details, details).
"Deanna?" Jake urged her.
Deanna faked a sad frown, and opened her mouth. It was time.
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