~A Once and Again Series~

The Way We Are

Thanks for reading/reviewing, as always. Oh, and I did put a pic of the new baby up on my website. It's on the first page, if you scroll down a little. Kendall looks just like my sister. Sorry, I've been so slow on updating... but I've been super busy. :)

Chapter 20// When you've got Nothing

*

*

*

(Continues after Eli asked if Grace had feelings for Travis in the last chapter...)

"Of course not!" Grace muttered, still surprised. She looked at Eli, her eyes watering up. "Don't you see that? Can't you see that I love you?"

Eli paused, his hand resting on his forehead. "Grace... but you told me you had feelings for him... before."

Grace nodded, "But I also told you they weren't nearly as strong as the feelings I had for you. I never loved Travis. I liked him... as maybe something a little more than a friend, but that was it."

Eli sighed, "Grace... I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this... I mean, you admitted to liking him."

Grace shook her head, a tear escaping down her cheek, "I don't know, either, Eli."

"But, I have something I need to say," Eli looked into Grace's eyes.

Grace looked back, nervously biting her lower lip.

Eli brought a hand up to caress her cheek, "I've missed you..."

Grace face eased into a wide smile.

"And I love you," Eli continued, "And I think... we can get past this. I think we're strong enough... and Grace... I just don't want to be without you, anymore."

Grace trembled under his touch as he brought his other hand up and cupped her face. "I love you, too," Grace whispered. "And I..."

Eli shushed her and slowly moved in. He paused when their lips were inches apart. He looked in Grace's brown eyes, "Is the right thing to do?"

Grace nodded. She couldn't picture herself without Eli, anymore. When she broke up with him, a part of her had always thought that they would end up back together. Grace had just wanted a little space to see who she really was. And she found out that... this... was who she was. She was Grace - Eli's girlfriend. She was also Grace - who loved acting, and reading, and writing. Who loved soccer, and sunny days. She was Grace. She had always been Grace, she had just let herself believe that she needed to break away from Eli to see that.

Eli moved forward and Grace finally felt his lips brushing against hers. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and her feet ached from being stuffed into her heels for too long. But it didn't matter... all she wanted to be doing right now was kissing Eli.

Eli extended her hands around her body and drew her closer into him as their kisses continued. He felt an extreme pressure lifting off his heart, and he was glad... glad to have his Grace back.

* * *

"Hey Jessie," Lily said cheerfully as the girl entered through the kitchen door. "How was the band's gig?"

Jessie smiled, "It was great. They are really good..."

Lily smiled, and continued about making herself and Rick a bowl of ice cream. She gestured towards Jessie with the ice cream scoop, "Want some Rocky Road?"

Jessie shrugged, then nodded. She sat down at the isle while Lily scooped some ice cream into a bowl.

Lily pushed the bowl towards Jessie, "Did Grace say she was getting a ride home with Carla or...?"

Jessie shook her head, "She got a ride with Eli."

"Hmm," Lily swallowed a spoonful of ice cream. She glanced at the clock, "Did they say when they were going to get home?"

Jessie looked up, puzzled, "Eli's car is already in the driveway."

"Oh," Lily grew puzzled too, "I guess Grace might have snuck up to her room without me seeing her."

Jessie contemplated this over a bite of ice cream. Finally she said, "Or she might be out talking with Eli in the garage..."

Lily, sensing Jessie was holding back something asked, "Why do you think that?"

Jessie shrugged, "Just they seemed to be upset or something at the club." Jessie stood up, carrying her bowl of ice cream with her as she exited to the living room.

Lily stood, thinking, as the ice cream began to melt.

* * *

"You should go," Grace said, a while later as she pulled away from Eli's embrace.

"Go where?" Eli asked with a confused grin.

"On the tour," Grace said. She looked at him.

[[Grace - He has to go. He can't give this up because of me.]]

"Grace," Eli began, shaking his head. "Maybe I don't want to go, anymore..."

"No, you do," Grace contradicted him. "I know you do. Don't give it up because of me."

Eli looked at her sadly. He didn't want to leave her for an entire summer. No matter how awesome this tour gig would be, it still meant he'd have to be away from the one person who touched his soul in a way no one had every done before. Eli didn't know if he could handle leaving Grace behind.

"This a great chance for you... and the rest of the band, too. They'd be disappointed if you didn't go... and you'd be disappointed too, I know you would," Grace continued, putting on a brave face. The idea of Eli leaving for so long hurt... it really hurt.

* * *

Lily had abandoned her ice cream, and crept to the door to Eli's garage apartment with a slim pile of laundry. She wasn't... spying. She was just being a good step-mother and bringing Eli his clothes.

Still, she hesitated to knock. She instead got closer to the closed door. She listened. When she still couldn't hear anything, she pressed her ear to the door.

* * *

Eli and Grace sat, dejectedly, on the edge of his bed. They both hated the idea of Eli going off and leaving Grace behind. But, they both felt like it... had to be done.

Eli shuffled his feet and sighed.

"I just wish I could go with you..." Grace said finally.

Eli nodded, "Me too." He tried again, "Grace, I don't have to go..."

Grace shook her head firmly, "You do."

Eli blinked. He looked at Grace's sullen profile, "Why don't you come with me?"

Grace blinked herself, "What? On tour?"

Eli nodded, growing excited, "Well... why not? You're practically like a fifth member of our band."

Grace felt her heart jump at the idea, only to crash back down, "My mother and father would never let me..."

Eli frowned, but he was too eager to give up the idea so quickly, "We can talk to them. You'll be 16... that's not so young. Other people your age go off for the summer to be camp counselors and stuff."

Grace nodded, "But still. My mother wouldn't be so eager to let her daughter go off unsupervised on a three-month long tour around the country with her boyfriend."

"So, we don't tell them we're back together!" Eli said, still unwilling to give up this idea. It would be so amazing if he could have Grace with him on the tour. If he could share this amazing experience with the one he loved. "If we just tell them how you'd be helping us with the equipment, selling the CDs and merchandise and such... like a road-hand. And we could even cut you some of the money, and so it would actually be, like a real job."

Grace shrugged, allowing herself a small hopeful smile, "My mom has been telling me I should look for a job this summer."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Eli asked.

Grace nodded, "It is."

They smiled at each other, they faces lined with hope. Eli leaned in, kissing Grace's nose. Grace lifted her chin, and kissed his lips eagerly.

* * *

Lily drew back from the door. She frowned as she headed back into the house. She tossed Eli's laundry back on top of the laundry machine.

"Hey!" Rick said, entering the kitchen. He went to the island, and frowned. "Our ice cream melted."

"Oh," Lily forced a smile, although she was still unsure of how to deal with what she had just overheard. "I guess I got distracted."

Rick smiled, "No problem. I'm not in the mood for ice cream, anymore..."

Lily smiled, "What are you in the mood for?"

Rick leaned in, kissing his wife softly.

* * *

Grace gave Eli one last kiss. She paused at his doorway, looking back at him. This may actually work... if they played their cards right, Grace might be able to convince her mother to let her go on the tour gig with Eli. It required a lot of talking, and some pleading. And, of course, they couldn't let anyone find out they were back together, because that might ruin everything. They had to keep it a secret.

Eli smiled and blew Grace a kiss. Grace smiled back, and closed the door behind her. She snuck into the house, quickly going up the stairs before anyone noticed where she had just been. They had to be careful.

* * *