~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Are
Thanks for reading/reviewing as always! I'm not sure where this story is going. Usually the seasons (on TV) end at summertime, but for this story I
think I will continue on and write about the summer months. But after
that, I'm not sure if there will be a third season. I might work on
something else instead.
Chapter 24//Even the Purest Rain
*
*
*
Grace had always liked storms. The deep call of the thunder. The surprise flash of the lighting, illuminating the sky. The heavy rains flooding the sidewalks. And watching all this through a window, while she was warm, safe and protected.
"One Mississippi... two Mississippi..." Eli began to count after a flash of lighting.
Grace leaned back in his warm arms and looked out the window. On five Mississippi the air shook with a loud grumble of thunder. "Five miles away," Grace said aloud. She didn't know if the old wise tale was true or not, but she had always counted anyways.
"You should get back," Eli whispered. He kissed her neck longingly, though, and Grace knew Eli wished she didn't have to go.
But she did... if they wanted to keep up this premise of just being friends. If they wanted to hide their relationship, so Grace could go on tour with him. Grace sighed, leaning closer against Eli, "In a bit," She said, and Eli all too willingly agreed.
They watched the storm together.
* * *
"Ah!" Jessie cried as the rain poured down on her.
"It's eased up some," Katie observed. She raced down her driveway, the rain still heavy enough to soak her in the space of three seconds. She was barefoot and delightedly danced in the puddles.
Jessie watched her, from where she stood, mostly protected from the rain under the overhang of the garage. Katie was just so... free.
"Come on!" Katie called. Katie's hair was wet and plastered to her face, and her wet clothes clung to her form, but she didn't care. She beckoned for Jessie to join her.
Jessie smiled as she left the safe space next to the garage and hurried down the driveway. Her clothes were immediately drenched and became annoying heavy on her frame. Her hair lay heavy and wet against her neck. But still she smiled.
Katie smiled back, and grabbed her hand. They took off down the street together, jumping in the biggest puddles they could find.
Jessie had never felt so... free. So alive.
* * *
Grace still lay in Eli's arms, although the last echoes of thunder had long faded away. The sky had faded away to night, and Grace knew she shouldn't be here still. She knew that she should have gone back inside the house long ago, but still she stayed, her head against Eli's chest, feeling him breathe.
* * *
"Where's Grace?" Rick asked.
"Why?" Lily said, trying to hide her anxiousness. She knew exactly where Grace was. But... did she want to tell Rick that?
[[Lily - It's almost like I feel that I've been entrusted with this secret... of Grace and Eli's relationship, even though they never told me themselves of it. But, still, I feel a responsibility not to let it get out. I know how much this tour means to both of them. I... I don't want to be the cause for any damage to their plans. *looks up* ...If Jake found out that Grace and Eli were together... he might change his mind about letting her go. *sighs* I couldn't stand to see her hurt that way.]]
Rick popped a grape in his mouth, "I'm supposed to go pick up Jess from Katie's. I thought maybe I'd take Grace along, and have her drive. You know, give her some practice before the big test on Monday."
The big test... the driver's license road test.
Lily smiled. She really was lucky to have found Rick. He was just so... wonderful, and thoughtful. Lily gave Rick a quick peck on the cheek. "That's nice, but I think she said something about homework."
"Alright," Rick said, "Well, I'll be back then..." He picked his car keys up from the table and stopped to look at Lily with a smile. "You be good," He said.
"Me be good?" Lily asked, with a laugh.
"I was talking to Dominic," Rick explained, landing a hand on top of Lily's still-slim belly. He looked up at her with a goofy smile, "What do you think of Dominic for a boy?"
Lily smiled, "I think it's nice. But I also think we've got seven plus months to figure out names. Boy... and girl names."
Rick nodded, "But, you like 'Dominic'?"
Lily kissed his lips softly, "I do."
Rick was pleased. He headed for the door, "Call me if you... get any food cravings or anything you need me to pick up."
Lily smiled goofily herself, as the door closed behind Rick. Yes, she really was lucky she found Rick. Lily let herself just stand there, basking in Rick's love. And smiling.
* * *
"You look like a drowned rat!" Katie said laughing. She and Jessie had circled the block and ended up back in front of Katie's house.
"Oh, thanks!" Jessie said sarcastically, as she tried to brush her wet hair back from her forehead.
"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Katie insisted. She didn't bother to fix her own hair. She just looked at Jessie with... admiration. "You look great! I just meant... you look wet... is all."
Jessie smiled, "Well, you look pretty wet yourself." She reached forward, and brushed away the hair that stuck to Katie's cheeks and forehead. She giggled, just thinking of what they had just done. Playing in the rain like five year olds... "I would have never done this with anyone else," Jessie said, looking into Katie's eyes.
Katie didn't say anything, just shrugged... shyly.
"I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else," Jessie added.
Katie looked back at Jessie with an unsure smile. They hadn't kissed yet. But they both knew feelings were there... on both sides of the fence. They knew there was something there, something they could choose to act on, if they wished.
Jessie took a deep breath, and realized her hand was still on Katie's cheek. She left it there. "Katie, I..."
Katie moved slowly, giving Jessie plenty of opportunity to break away, to turn her head, to say 'stop'... but Jessie didn't want to say any of those things. She wanted to kiss Katie.
Katie paused. Their faces only inches apart. Her eyes were telling Jessie that they didn't have to do this... that Jessie could stop it.
But, Jessie didn't want to stop it. Jessie surged forward, making her lips meet Katie's. The initial contact surprising her by the softness and loveliness of Katie's lips. And as the kiss deeper, it was the sense of... rightness that surprised her. This felt right. They both knew it.
* * *
Rick scratched his head as he tried to remember if he turned left or right onto Oak Tree Street. Rick finally turned right, figuring he could always turn around if he didn't find Katie's house. But, it turned out Rick had indeed turned the right way. But maybe it would have been better for him to have gone left.
Because if he had gone left, it would have taken him a few seconds, maybe even a minute longer to reach Katie's house. And maybe if he had had those extra seconds he wouldn't have pulled up just in time to see his daughter and her... friend, Katie locked in a kiss.
Rick gaped out the window at the site of what was clearly Jessie and Katie kissing. And there was no mistaking this kiss as anything else other than a real kiss. This was no friendly peck on the cheek. This was his daughter... kissing another girl.
[[Rick - *extremely surprised*............. *silence*........]]
* * *
Grace opened her eyes, not even having realized she had fallen asleep. Eli's eyes had opened and they both looked at each other, wondering what had broken them out of their doze.
"Jessie!"
They looked at each other, intrigued as to why Rick was yelling at Jessie.
Grace and Eli got up from his bed. They got to the door, and Eli stopped Grace, straightening her shirt before they exited Eli's room and went in the kitchen.
"Jessie!" Rick was calling still.
Eli and Grace went into the living room, where Rick was screaming up the stairs at Jessie.
"We need to talk!" Rick yelled.
Lily stood by the door, and by the expression on her face, Grace knew that Lily was just as baffled about this as Eli and Grace were.
"Jessie!" Rick tried again, but all he got in return was the loud slam of the attic door. Jessie had retreated to her room.
Zoe appeared at the top of the stairs. "What's wrong with her?" She asked.
Rick ignored Zoe, turning around. He now saw that he also had an audience of Lily, Grace and Eli. Rick chose the only route that led to himself having some privacy... he stormed back out the front door.
* * *
Upstairs, Jessie lay on her bed, her wet clothes dampening the bedspread, but she didn't care. Her body was in torment from the tears that racked her very soul.
[[Jessie - *tearful* It all fell apart so quickly... all of the sudden my father was there, and he saw! *angry, confused* No one was supposed to see!]]
Her and Katie's first kiss... had to be witnessed by her father. Jessie didn't even get to enjoy having a secret first kiss with Katie before it was made public. Her father knew.
He had tried to talk to her the whole way home. Jessie could tell he was trying to find an answer that would explain what he had just saw... an answer that didn't involve the truth. That didn't require his daughter to be a lesbian.
Jessie didn't know what she was. All she knew was that she had wanted to kiss Katie, and when she had kissed her.... it felt good. But now her father's --and soon to be everyone else's-- eyes were on her. Jessie felt like she was under a microscope. It didn't feel good.
Her and Katie's kiss had been tainted. What had been perfect had ended in the surprise of her father pulling up besides them. And it made Jessie question the whole thing.
* * *
"I'm going to try and talk with her," Eli said, although he doubted he could get Jessie to talk to him about whatever had happened between her and their dad. But, it was his brother's responsibility to try.
Grace watched Eli head up the stairs. She felt her mother's eyes on her. "Yeah?"
Lily was frowning, her eyes troubled, "You missed a few buttons."
Grace looked down, blushing deeply as she buttoned the top buttons on her shirt. She hadn't even remembered Eli unbuttoning them. She glanced, embarrassed, back up at her mother. "You know?" She asked, her heart paused with fear.
Lily nodded sadly, "I know."
"I would have told you..." Grace began. "But, I was afraid you wouldn't let me go on tour with him."
"I know," Lily said again, and sighed.
Grace noticed her mother didn't seem angry. "How long have you know?"
"Ever since you guys first planned on going on tour together," Lily admitted, "I overheard you talking."
Grace fell into silence. She studied her mother's drawn face. "Even though you knew... you still agreed to let me go?"
Lily nodded. Grace stared at her mother with wonder.
* * *
"Oh... that's the door," Karen said, separating herself from her boyfriend Leo's arms.
"Don't answer it..." Leo pleaded. His eyes twinkled, "Unless you ordered pizza or something. I could go for some pizza right now."
"I didn't order pizza," Karen said, with a smile.
"Then don't answer it," Leo said.
Karen got up from the couch, as the doorbell rang again. "I must."
Leo groaned, reaching out, half-heartedly to stop her. Karen dodged his arms, grinning and danced over to the door.
"Get rid of whoever it is quick!" Leo called out, his voice full of suggestion.
Karen thought of how warm she had felt in Leo's arms with the rain falling outside... how safe and comforted she had felt. Karen had been dating Leo for a good number of months, and she really liked where things were going.
[[Karen - I guess I like that Leo is completely different from.....]]
Karen pulled open the door, her face still bearing a grin. It quickly faded as she saw Rick on her doorstep.
[[Karen - ....Rick.]]
Rick was drenched... his expression grim.
Karen stepped aside, letting her ex-husband into the house they had once shared together.
* * *
The Way We Are
Thanks for reading/reviewing as always! I'm not sure where this story is going. Usually the seasons (on TV) end at summertime, but for this story I
think I will continue on and write about the summer months. But after
that, I'm not sure if there will be a third season. I might work on
something else instead.
Chapter 24//Even the Purest Rain
*
*
*
Grace had always liked storms. The deep call of the thunder. The surprise flash of the lighting, illuminating the sky. The heavy rains flooding the sidewalks. And watching all this through a window, while she was warm, safe and protected.
"One Mississippi... two Mississippi..." Eli began to count after a flash of lighting.
Grace leaned back in his warm arms and looked out the window. On five Mississippi the air shook with a loud grumble of thunder. "Five miles away," Grace said aloud. She didn't know if the old wise tale was true or not, but she had always counted anyways.
"You should get back," Eli whispered. He kissed her neck longingly, though, and Grace knew Eli wished she didn't have to go.
But she did... if they wanted to keep up this premise of just being friends. If they wanted to hide their relationship, so Grace could go on tour with him. Grace sighed, leaning closer against Eli, "In a bit," She said, and Eli all too willingly agreed.
They watched the storm together.
* * *
"Ah!" Jessie cried as the rain poured down on her.
"It's eased up some," Katie observed. She raced down her driveway, the rain still heavy enough to soak her in the space of three seconds. She was barefoot and delightedly danced in the puddles.
Jessie watched her, from where she stood, mostly protected from the rain under the overhang of the garage. Katie was just so... free.
"Come on!" Katie called. Katie's hair was wet and plastered to her face, and her wet clothes clung to her form, but she didn't care. She beckoned for Jessie to join her.
Jessie smiled as she left the safe space next to the garage and hurried down the driveway. Her clothes were immediately drenched and became annoying heavy on her frame. Her hair lay heavy and wet against her neck. But still she smiled.
Katie smiled back, and grabbed her hand. They took off down the street together, jumping in the biggest puddles they could find.
Jessie had never felt so... free. So alive.
* * *
Grace still lay in Eli's arms, although the last echoes of thunder had long faded away. The sky had faded away to night, and Grace knew she shouldn't be here still. She knew that she should have gone back inside the house long ago, but still she stayed, her head against Eli's chest, feeling him breathe.
* * *
"Where's Grace?" Rick asked.
"Why?" Lily said, trying to hide her anxiousness. She knew exactly where Grace was. But... did she want to tell Rick that?
[[Lily - It's almost like I feel that I've been entrusted with this secret... of Grace and Eli's relationship, even though they never told me themselves of it. But, still, I feel a responsibility not to let it get out. I know how much this tour means to both of them. I... I don't want to be the cause for any damage to their plans. *looks up* ...If Jake found out that Grace and Eli were together... he might change his mind about letting her go. *sighs* I couldn't stand to see her hurt that way.]]
Rick popped a grape in his mouth, "I'm supposed to go pick up Jess from Katie's. I thought maybe I'd take Grace along, and have her drive. You know, give her some practice before the big test on Monday."
The big test... the driver's license road test.
Lily smiled. She really was lucky to have found Rick. He was just so... wonderful, and thoughtful. Lily gave Rick a quick peck on the cheek. "That's nice, but I think she said something about homework."
"Alright," Rick said, "Well, I'll be back then..." He picked his car keys up from the table and stopped to look at Lily with a smile. "You be good," He said.
"Me be good?" Lily asked, with a laugh.
"I was talking to Dominic," Rick explained, landing a hand on top of Lily's still-slim belly. He looked up at her with a goofy smile, "What do you think of Dominic for a boy?"
Lily smiled, "I think it's nice. But I also think we've got seven plus months to figure out names. Boy... and girl names."
Rick nodded, "But, you like 'Dominic'?"
Lily kissed his lips softly, "I do."
Rick was pleased. He headed for the door, "Call me if you... get any food cravings or anything you need me to pick up."
Lily smiled goofily herself, as the door closed behind Rick. Yes, she really was lucky she found Rick. Lily let herself just stand there, basking in Rick's love. And smiling.
* * *
"You look like a drowned rat!" Katie said laughing. She and Jessie had circled the block and ended up back in front of Katie's house.
"Oh, thanks!" Jessie said sarcastically, as she tried to brush her wet hair back from her forehead.
"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Katie insisted. She didn't bother to fix her own hair. She just looked at Jessie with... admiration. "You look great! I just meant... you look wet... is all."
Jessie smiled, "Well, you look pretty wet yourself." She reached forward, and brushed away the hair that stuck to Katie's cheeks and forehead. She giggled, just thinking of what they had just done. Playing in the rain like five year olds... "I would have never done this with anyone else," Jessie said, looking into Katie's eyes.
Katie didn't say anything, just shrugged... shyly.
"I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else," Jessie added.
Katie looked back at Jessie with an unsure smile. They hadn't kissed yet. But they both knew feelings were there... on both sides of the fence. They knew there was something there, something they could choose to act on, if they wished.
Jessie took a deep breath, and realized her hand was still on Katie's cheek. She left it there. "Katie, I..."
Katie moved slowly, giving Jessie plenty of opportunity to break away, to turn her head, to say 'stop'... but Jessie didn't want to say any of those things. She wanted to kiss Katie.
Katie paused. Their faces only inches apart. Her eyes were telling Jessie that they didn't have to do this... that Jessie could stop it.
But, Jessie didn't want to stop it. Jessie surged forward, making her lips meet Katie's. The initial contact surprising her by the softness and loveliness of Katie's lips. And as the kiss deeper, it was the sense of... rightness that surprised her. This felt right. They both knew it.
* * *
Rick scratched his head as he tried to remember if he turned left or right onto Oak Tree Street. Rick finally turned right, figuring he could always turn around if he didn't find Katie's house. But, it turned out Rick had indeed turned the right way. But maybe it would have been better for him to have gone left.
Because if he had gone left, it would have taken him a few seconds, maybe even a minute longer to reach Katie's house. And maybe if he had had those extra seconds he wouldn't have pulled up just in time to see his daughter and her... friend, Katie locked in a kiss.
Rick gaped out the window at the site of what was clearly Jessie and Katie kissing. And there was no mistaking this kiss as anything else other than a real kiss. This was no friendly peck on the cheek. This was his daughter... kissing another girl.
[[Rick - *extremely surprised*............. *silence*........]]
* * *
Grace opened her eyes, not even having realized she had fallen asleep. Eli's eyes had opened and they both looked at each other, wondering what had broken them out of their doze.
"Jessie!"
They looked at each other, intrigued as to why Rick was yelling at Jessie.
Grace and Eli got up from his bed. They got to the door, and Eli stopped Grace, straightening her shirt before they exited Eli's room and went in the kitchen.
"Jessie!" Rick was calling still.
Eli and Grace went into the living room, where Rick was screaming up the stairs at Jessie.
"We need to talk!" Rick yelled.
Lily stood by the door, and by the expression on her face, Grace knew that Lily was just as baffled about this as Eli and Grace were.
"Jessie!" Rick tried again, but all he got in return was the loud slam of the attic door. Jessie had retreated to her room.
Zoe appeared at the top of the stairs. "What's wrong with her?" She asked.
Rick ignored Zoe, turning around. He now saw that he also had an audience of Lily, Grace and Eli. Rick chose the only route that led to himself having some privacy... he stormed back out the front door.
* * *
Upstairs, Jessie lay on her bed, her wet clothes dampening the bedspread, but she didn't care. Her body was in torment from the tears that racked her very soul.
[[Jessie - *tearful* It all fell apart so quickly... all of the sudden my father was there, and he saw! *angry, confused* No one was supposed to see!]]
Her and Katie's first kiss... had to be witnessed by her father. Jessie didn't even get to enjoy having a secret first kiss with Katie before it was made public. Her father knew.
He had tried to talk to her the whole way home. Jessie could tell he was trying to find an answer that would explain what he had just saw... an answer that didn't involve the truth. That didn't require his daughter to be a lesbian.
Jessie didn't know what she was. All she knew was that she had wanted to kiss Katie, and when she had kissed her.... it felt good. But now her father's --and soon to be everyone else's-- eyes were on her. Jessie felt like she was under a microscope. It didn't feel good.
Her and Katie's kiss had been tainted. What had been perfect had ended in the surprise of her father pulling up besides them. And it made Jessie question the whole thing.
* * *
"I'm going to try and talk with her," Eli said, although he doubted he could get Jessie to talk to him about whatever had happened between her and their dad. But, it was his brother's responsibility to try.
Grace watched Eli head up the stairs. She felt her mother's eyes on her. "Yeah?"
Lily was frowning, her eyes troubled, "You missed a few buttons."
Grace looked down, blushing deeply as she buttoned the top buttons on her shirt. She hadn't even remembered Eli unbuttoning them. She glanced, embarrassed, back up at her mother. "You know?" She asked, her heart paused with fear.
Lily nodded sadly, "I know."
"I would have told you..." Grace began. "But, I was afraid you wouldn't let me go on tour with him."
"I know," Lily said again, and sighed.
Grace noticed her mother didn't seem angry. "How long have you know?"
"Ever since you guys first planned on going on tour together," Lily admitted, "I overheard you talking."
Grace fell into silence. She studied her mother's drawn face. "Even though you knew... you still agreed to let me go?"
Lily nodded. Grace stared at her mother with wonder.
* * *
"Oh... that's the door," Karen said, separating herself from her boyfriend Leo's arms.
"Don't answer it..." Leo pleaded. His eyes twinkled, "Unless you ordered pizza or something. I could go for some pizza right now."
"I didn't order pizza," Karen said, with a smile.
"Then don't answer it," Leo said.
Karen got up from the couch, as the doorbell rang again. "I must."
Leo groaned, reaching out, half-heartedly to stop her. Karen dodged his arms, grinning and danced over to the door.
"Get rid of whoever it is quick!" Leo called out, his voice full of suggestion.
Karen thought of how warm she had felt in Leo's arms with the rain falling outside... how safe and comforted she had felt. Karen had been dating Leo for a good number of months, and she really liked where things were going.
[[Karen - I guess I like that Leo is completely different from.....]]
Karen pulled open the door, her face still bearing a grin. It quickly faded as she saw Rick on her doorstep.
[[Karen - ....Rick.]]
Rick was drenched... his expression grim.
Karen stepped aside, letting her ex-husband into the house they had once shared together.
* * *
