Title:  Reunification

Author:  Lisbeth

Show:  Once And Again

Feedback: Feedback rules!

Rating:  PG-13

E-Mail:  strangefruitgirl@hotmail.com

Chapter 12:  One Elusive Piece

            As Friday dawned near, one word played in Grace's mind – Coldplay.  She was getting ready for the concert in her room with their first cd "Parachutes" in her cd player.  In an hour she was to pick up August and meet Jessie and Katie at Rumi's.  How they would get to the House Of Blues where Coldplay was playing at, she wasn't too sure of yet. 

            It was decided that Grace would spend the night at August's house, but she told everyone else that she was going to stay at Jessie and Katie's apartment for the night.  Strangely enough, Katie was the one who offered to cover for her.  "Spies" was in its last few seconds, and the cd player which was programmed on mixer started "Everything's Not Lost." As Grace packed her overnight bag, she heard a knocking at the door. 

            "Come in." 

            Lily walked in the room with a few folded shirts.  "Hey honey, I have a few t-shirts for you from the dryer.  I'm just gonna leave them on the bed.  I'm still not too sure where you're keeping them."

            "Thanks." Grace said as she continued packing.

            "So, who exactly are you guys going to see tonight?"

            "Coldplay."

            "Those bands names just keep getting weirder and weirder if you ask me.  That was nice of Katie and Jessie to let you stay overnight at their place.  If she won four tickets, who is the forth person going with you guys?"

            "Oh, well, it's some friend of theirs.  I've never met him before." Grace said hoping that her mother would buy the lie.

            "So, how are you guys going to go about it?"

            "Well, the concert may start around nine, but it's at the House Of Blues, so we'll be able to eat dinner over there." Grace said trying not to sound too uncomfortable.   "We're figuring the concert may end at around midnight, and it would probably be safer if I didn't try and drive home.  So, any luck with the home search?"

            "There are two that I've narrowed the search down to.  I'm planning on calling the Shady Side Retirement Home in a little while.  Their phone lines stay open until eleven according to the phone book, so, I figure I would save them for last.  Your Aunt Judy called.  Her and Sam are going to come down next week for a few days.  It's a silver lining though; she's going to look with me at the homes." Lily said looking at Grace.  "That moisturizer must work wonders.  Are you sure everything's fine?  You almost look like, never mind."

            "I look like what?" Grace shot up.

            "It's silly, but you look like you're in love.  Anyone would be able to easily guess that."

            "Mom!  I'm fine for the tenth time!  I'm just excited about seeing Coldplay."

            "Ok. I'll drop it. Well, if I don't see you before you leave, have a good time." Lily said as she walked out of Grace's room.

            As Grace walked into the kitchen she could see Zoe sitting at the kitchen table flipping through a book.  Zoe read the passages and wrote notes onto a legal pad.  Grace could hear her mother on the phone in the living room describing her grandmother's condition.  She automatically assumed it was one of the homes they were looking into. 

            "Hey, what are you doing?" Grace said as she walked up to the table.

            "Research for my paper."

            "On a Friday night?"

            "Well, I have to work tomorrow night, and I really don't want to end my weekend on a bad note by doing school work, so I figured I'd do some work tonight.  Besides, Simon is sleeping over at Peter's house tonight, so the peace and quiet will help me out research wise."

            "Still doing it on Ghandi?"

            "Yeah.  You know, his ideas for non-violent protesting are so crazy, but it is something that you know will work.  If some guy were beating the tar out of me, I would try to kick his ass, no doubt about it.  I wouldn't just sit there and take it. I'd stand up for myself."

            "But, they were standing up for themselves by not fighting back.  Not reducing themselves to that level was its genius, and it's what got the world to open their eyes.  In the end, they may have had bruises, but they were the true winners.  If only some of us could share in that philosophy."

            "I think it's important for one to stand up for what they believe in.  Whether it's political or it's in the subject matter of love." Zoe said staring straight at Grace.  "Do you love him?"

            "Zoe, please don't start."

            "Come on Grace.  How do you think he feels?"

            "Alright, yes, I love him.  I've loved him for five years, but it is easier said than done Zoe."

            "How so?"

            "Oh yeah, when mom walks in here I'll just come flat out and say 'hey mom, it's not just Jessie and Katie I'm going to the concert with but August Dimitri too.  And to add icing to the cake, I've slept with him.'"

            "You're sleeping with him!" Zoe blurted out.

            "We've slept in the same bed, that's it!" Grace said.

            "Whoa! Hold on, wait a minute!  When did you sleep with him?"

            "That doesn't matter."

            "I don't think so.  You're not about to weasel your way out of this.  Instead of visiting "friends" you've been seeing him, haven't you?"

            Before Grace could reply, Lily walked in the kitchen, still talking on the phone.  She was searching the cabinets for something.
            "I don't exactly know the name of the medication she is on.  I'm searching right now for the papers, hold on a minute." Lily said as she continued searching.  "I know I left it somewhere.  Maybe in my bedroom." Lily said as she walked out of the kitchen.

            "Grace, you have to tell them."

            "You act like I'm ashamed of him.  I'm not, not in the least bit respect.  I want to tell them, but do you honestly think mom and dad will accept this?  I think they would of probably been more open to me hooking up with Eli or something."

            "Gross!  Look, let's drop it.  I have a ton of research to do and you have a concert to go to I'm sure.  I think I left one of my books in the car." Zoe said as she got up and walked to the door.

            When she walked out of the kitchen, Lily walked in, still on the phone.  "Look, as soon as I find the medication info, I'll call you right back.  Thanks for being so patient, ok, bye." Lily put the phone on the charger and walked upstairs anxiously with frustration. 

            The phone rang again.  Grace answered.
            "Hello."

            It was August.

            "Hey, I'll pick you up.  We'll meet Jessie and Katie at Rumi's and follow them to the House Of Blues.  We can eat dinner over there.

            "Yes, I packed an overnight bag.  Well, no one really seems to suspect anything.  I'm about to leave, I'll see you in a few.  I love you too."  Grace said the last words with a calm relief.  She felt the flush creep up in her almost.

            After hanging up the phone, Grace grabbed her bag and walked out of the door.  Zoe walked into the kitchen a few minutes later carrying two books.  As she slammed them on the kitchen table, she sat down and starting flipping through one of the books.  A few moments later, Lily walked back into the kitchen carrying a folder filled with papers. 

            "Hey honey.  My guess is that Grace just left."

            "Yeah. She just left.  I saw her when I was coming back in."

            "Ok, I have to call back Shady Side, but you know what, I forgot the freaking number.  Where's the phone book? Nobody was on the phone since I hung up huh?  I wasn't really paying any attention."

            "I didn't hear anything. Why not just dial star 69?" Zoe said as she continued flipping through the pages of the book.

            Lily dialed the buttons and waiting for a few moments.  Then someone responded.

            "Yes, Shady Side Retirement Home?" Lily asked.  "Well, who is this?" Lily asked confused.  "Excuse me?"  It was then that Zoe looked up at her mother.

"I'm sorry.  I must have dialed the wrong number." Lily said as she hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Zoe asked.  "Who was that?"

"Who was on the phone just now?"

"I don't know.  I just went to the car.  I left two of my books in there. What's wrong?  Who was it?"
            "It was August Dimitri." Lily said with shock.

Grace picked up August from his house and the two drove off to Rumi's. As she steered the car with her left hand, her right hand reached for his.  He grabbed her hand and as she drove, their fingers were twinned together.  He had a small look on his face which Grace interpreted as worry.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing really.  I just got a weird phone call a little while ago.  A wrong number."

"Oh." 

"The funny thing is, the voice sounded so familiar.  I just couldn't put my finger on it.  Oh well, nothing to worry about really.  Stuff like that happens all the time."

"Precisely." Grace said smiling at him as they pulled into Rumi's.

The café was crowded, but that was nothing unusual for a Friday night.  As Grace and August walked into Rumi's Katie and Jessie were waiting for them.  Grace scanned the building, but didn't see them until she heard her name.

"Hey! Grace! Over here!" Jessie shouted. 

Grace started to walk towards the two girls, she looked behind her with August following suit.  She grabbed his hand as the two waded their way through the crowded café. 

"Hey!" Grace said as she hugged Jessie then Katie. 

"Hey Mr. Dimitri," Katie said as she went to hug him.  "I like the hair."

"Thanks." He replied.

"So, do you guys know where the House Of Blues is at?" Jessie asked.

"Yeah, if you guys want, we can all go in my car.  We can ask the manager if you could leave your car here." Grace said.

"That sounds good." Jessie said as she looked at Katie.

A few minutes later, after getting permission to leave their car in the parking lot, the four of them were off to their destination.  The drive to the House Of Blues gave the four of them plenty of time to catch up.  Katie informed August about her art show and Jessie talked about her internship at the law firm.  Twenty minutes later, they were at the House Of Blues.

As Lily was washing the dishes, Rick noticed something was off with his wife.  She seemed aloof, lost in thought.  He automatically assumed it was about the retirement home search.

"Don't worry, we'll find a place for her." He assured her.

"It's not that." Lily said. 

"Well, what is it?"

"Have you noticed Grace's behavior lately?"

"Yeah, sure, she seems a little different.  Why, is that necessarily a bad thing?"

"Has anyone ever called for her?"

"Well, now that I think about it, someone called last week.  Some guy, I thought it was a classmate of hers.  You think she's seeing someone?"

"I know she's seeing someone."

"Why would that be bad?"

"I think she's in love."

"Once again, how can that be a bad thing?"

"I star 69'd someone today thinking that it was a retirement home for mom.  Instead I got August Dimitri."

With those words, Rick almost dropped a plate on the floor.  "August Dimitri."

"Yeah.  I think Grace is seeing him behind our back. I think that he is going with her and the girls to that concert.  And I am willing to bet that she won't be staying with Jessie and Katie tonight."

"Lily, it won't help jumping to conclusions.  They could just be friends."

"Oh Rick, that's bull shit and you know it.  Maybe she ran into him in Chicago.  Maybe she even ran into him in Boston!  You know, she still clings to that book he gave her five years ago.  I always knew she still had a thing for him, but I thought that she would eventually let go of him.  Oh God, Rick.  You don't think that they're actually, you know, having sex?"

"Lily, if she is seeing him, if the relationship is an intimate one, it is truly none of our business."

"None of our business!  Rick, I can't believe you're saying this."

"Lily, she is an adult now!  She is capable of making her own decisions.  I don't think she would tread lightly in that matter.  I can probably understand why she wouldn't tell you about it."

"And why not?"

"Because of the reaction you are having now.  We can't help who we love Lily.  I learned that lesson with Jessie and Katie and I think you will have your turn with Grace and Mr. Dimitri."

"God, Mr. Dimitri.  I can't even imagine calling him August!  If it is that kind of relationship, and I stress if, I just don't know how to confront her with it.  We have enough to worry about with mom already."

"Lily, we'll figure things out." Rick said.

As the two finished up the dishes, Lily felt the urge to continue the conversation.  "You know what gets me in the end though, is the fact that as much as I never wanted to admit it, I knew she would somehow try to find him.  I knew that she loved him and I told her to forget about him and move on.  In high school, kids don't truly know what love is, it's just hormones doing their job.  But still, she was always someone who was more mature than the other kids, she understood things other kids her age didn't.  I just kept thinking a few weeks after he left that if my mother would of done that to me, I would have never forgiven her.  That still doesn't mean I would of approved of a relationship between the two of them, but Rick, if that line wasn't crossed already, it would have been in a matter of time.  He wrote her a note in that book for crying out loud."

"Oh did he?"

"I didn't tell the school board people about it, not because I knew he would get fired for it, but because I knew that it would hurt her so much more than it would it hurt him in the end.  He gave her something, a confidence that I never could give her.  She changed so much that year, and it has affected the last five years of her life.  I have to at least thank him for that."

"Lily, I think you shouldn't confront her with it, but just talk to her about it.  How do you think she may feel about this?  I don't think Grace would be too happy about hiding her true feelings."

"She's an adult now.  We'll just have to handle this like adults." Lily reassured herself as she hung her dishtowel to dry.

The concert area of the House Of Blues was filled with fans.  The four of them weren't necessarily at the front of the stage, but were pretty close.  As Coldplay walked onto the stage, everyone began the screaming.  For a second, Grace thought she was going to go deaf.

The next two hours went by so quickly.  Grace found herself singing along with Katie and Jessie for some of the songs.  August looked a little lost during some of the songs, but he was still pretty familiar with their music.  With all of her screaming and shouting, Grace knew she would wake up the next morning with a sore throat.  When the band broke into "Sparks," Grace grabbed August's hand and motioned for him to dance with her.  To her it didn't matter if everyone else in the room thought it was funny.  She was here with him.  She was so proud of him.  A dark thought crept up in her head though, if she were proud, why couldn't she admit it to her own family?  What was he really thinking in terms of that subject matter?  She held onto him with a fear that if she let go he would disappear from her life.  There was the fear that something was just waiting, lurking in the shadows, to rip them apart.  She closed her eyes as her head rested on his shoulder and tried to forget the thoughts that were starting to take over.  His warmth, his hands in her hair, his scent, was the reminder that brought her back to reality.  She told herself over and over that she couldn't lose him.  She would do everything in her power to make sure of that. 

The last time Lily ever dug through her daughter's room was five years ago when she first found the book August Dimitri had given her.  She wasn't as frantic as she was the first time around, but still there was the part of her that needed an explanation.  She still had a small glimmer of denial in her that she was seeing him again.  She just wanted affirmation. 

While looking through the closet, she found a few magazines and old notes from some of her old college classes.  Nothing much to help her out in the end was to be found.  Her eyes then lit up when she saw her daughter's bedside dresser.  As she slowly approached it, she sat down on Grace's bed preparing herself for what she was to find.  When she opened it, she saw the book that her daughter prized so much.  She put it next to her and continued to dig through the dresser.  Finally, upon reaching the bottom, she pulled out a black binder.  She flipped open the binder and read that it was a collection of poems and stories by August Dimitri.  Lily read the first few poems, and had to admit to herself, that they were good, very good in fact.  She flipped through the rest, but came upon one that was marked.  It was "Brown Eyes."  As Lily read it, she knew that it was one he wrote for her daughter.  Did he really feel that about her?  Did he love her then?  She continued to flip through the binder, some poems she read, others, she just skimmed over. It led her to question just how long she had in fact been in contact with him.  Was it recently, or had it been going on for years behind everyone else's back.  As she reached the last page of the binder, she saw his signature and the date on it.  It was only a few weeks ago.  Maybe that explained the odd behavior, the "space adventure" as Lily referred to it.  It explained why she felt so good, why her daughter felt "so alive."  Lily's eyes began to water.  She put the binder down and grabbed the Chekov book.  She once again flipped to the inscription.  As she read it over and over, she hated to admit that her daughter's eyes had indeed been lonely.  She saw it on the plane to Sydney.  She saw it even at her graduation from both high school and college.  To Grace, there was something missing, and Lily finally understood what it was.  And in the last few weeks, her daughter's eyes didn't look lonely anymore.  It both scared and excited Lily.  The only question that remained was whether or not one could really choose whom they loved.  Is loves eye really that discriminatory? 

Grace and August walked into his house at 1:12 in the morning.  The concert ended at around 11:45, but the four of them weren't ready just yet to end the party.  They went to an all night diner and chatted for a good while over hot chocolates.  Finally, after dropping Katie and Jessie off at Rumi's the two drove around the neighborhood for a bit.

"I had so much fun tonight" Grace said as August helped her take off her coat.  "Coldplay just rocks my world."

"I wouldn't say they rock my world, but they're up there." August said as he walked into the kitchen.  Grace followed him.  She hoped onto the kitchen counter facing him as he pulled out a green apple from the fridge.

            "I really need to go grocery shopping."

            "We can go tomorrow." Grace said as she watched him cup up the apple. 

            "Is there any way I can try and convince you to stay with me for the rest of the weekend?" August said as he moved in closer.

            "Not like that you won't." Grace said with her legs swinging from the counter.

            "Ok, I'll share the apple with you." August said with distaste handing her a piece. 

            "Oh, I don't think so." Grace said as she kissed him.  As he moved back from her, she took a piece from his hand and took a bite out of it.  She then gave him the rest of the piece.

            "So, all I get are your leftovers?"

            "You're lucky you got any. I love green apples.  I love sharing them with you even more." Grace said as she kissed him again.  This time, it was deepened as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.  It was getting harder and harder for her to pull away from him.  He had to know that he would indeed be her first. 

            As he backed away, he could see her disappointment in his doing so. 

            "Ok, you win.  I am no match for you." Grace said as she held on to his hand.  She began to run her fingers over his fingers, feeling the skeleton inside of the skin.  It was her way of proving to herself that all of this was real.  She loved how soft his hands were.  How their hands seemed to fit perfectly together.  She looked at him as the two continued to take turns feeding each other the remains of the apple. 

As they brushed their teeth and got ready for bed, Grace couldn't help but feel like she had been there so many times before.  It felt like they had been living together.  Everything just seemed to mesh together.  While August was flossing his teeth, Grace walked into the bedroom and pulled back the comforter.  Usually, she was modest when it came to undressing in front of others, always choosing to do it behind closed doors, she felt as though nothing was really sacred anymore in the subject matter of August.  She pulled off her boots and socks and then began to unbutton her jeans.  She walked over to her overnight bag and began to pull out her flannel pajamas.  While slipping out of her jeans she was about to slip on the pajama pants when she heard his voice.

            "Ooooh, is that Victoria's Secret?"

            She quickly turned to find him staring at her with an amused look on his face.

            "No actually.  My tighty whities are J.Crew if you must know." Grace said as she pulled up the pants.  She paused, waiting for him to turn around, waiting for him to do anything. 

            "Well?"

            "Well what?"

            "You can't sleep in that thick sweater all night can you?"

            Grace busted out laughing at the thought.  "Ok.  Here goes nothing." She said as she slinked out of her sweater, arms first, as she pulled the sweater overhead, her hair was disheveled in a way that made August's heart skip a beat.  She looked straight at him with her hands on her side, watching him watching her, letting him take in the view of what he knew he was going to have one day.  She then turned around with her arms stretched in the air.  Finally, there was someone who she could show her sculpted arms to. The idea that he even found her beautiful still came as a shock sometimes.

            "Are you breathing?" Grace asked as she reached for her top.

            "Yeah, I think so.  I swear I'll never look at a sea green bra the same way again." He said as she began to button up her pajama top. 

            "Glad to know I have that affect on you." Grace said as she climbed in the bed.

            Even though they weren't tired, Grace still felt that she could easily fall asleep with him beside her.  As she moved next to him, once again, using his chest as a pillow, she found a solace.  If there was a heaven, she felt like she was there, and that was the only place she wanted to be.  She reached for his hand, and began to examine his fingers by touch.  The silence between them was golden in the complete darkness. All she could hear was his breathing.  All she could feel was his hand slowly gliding up and down her back.  He somehow knew that it comforted her.

            "You know, for years I felt like an incomplete puzzle.  It was almost done, but there was that one elusive piece that one needs to complete it.  You were that piece to me.  Is it funny to think that we belong together, like……….."

            "Mulder and Scully?" he responded.

            "I wasn't going to say that.  We belong together like the moon and the stars do." Grace said as she laughed.

            "Is that the best you could come up with?" he said as he joined in her laughter.

            "I couldn't think of a better comparison."

            "How about just the fact that we belong together.  That is good enough for me."

            "But the point is, that I feel complete with you.  I live for today instead of living for the next ten years.  I never knew what that was like until I knew you.  I can't go back to living the way I did without you.  It would be unbearable."

            "I'm not going anywhere.  I love you too much for that." August said.

            Grace looked up at August.  Even in the dark, his eyes still had a spark to them.  She knew she couldn't hide him from the world no more.

            "I want to hold you hand."

            "You can do that." He said as he entwined his fingers in hers.

            "I want to do it in front of my family.  I don't want to pretend anymore.  I want the world to know, no secrets.  I'm going to tell them when I get back."

            "Do you want me to go with you?"

            "I would love that, but I think I have to do this one on my own."

            "I'll be with you there in spirit."

            "I know you will." Grace said as she kissed him and with that she fell asleep.