Thank you!!!
Pissed Off Poet: Aw, thank you! Yeah, it's sad. And it will get sadder, that is until the last few moments of this chapter! I know, Alzheimer's, my grandfather has just been diagnosed with the disease and it felt good to try and explain it through the story. Anywho, thank you again and see ya next week! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*310*~ on the review list! *does happy dance* THANK YOU, POET!!!!!!!
Mimmi: First before I address anything else, I have to say I'm so sorry about that little Dutch/Swedish mix-up, lol. I get so confused with what who speaks what over there, lol. Now lemme get it straight, it's in Holland that they speak Dutch, correct?? And Sweden is Swedish, boy I shoulda got that one, lol. I feel so silly!!! Okay, anywho, yeah the last scene I thought was pretty sad, but necessary. It kind of gives an overview of our favorite characters' futures. Heeheehee, I can't wait for you to read!!! Thank you, and see ya next week!
e-dog: LOL, the argument at dinner was my favorite part of that chapter. Oh, I think it's okay if you curse in a review :D. Thank you so much, and look! The actual conclusion is here!! Yippee!!! :D See ya next week!
Deb: I know, it's sad :(. But I figured if everybody lived happily ever after, it wouldn't seem very realistic, so I had to stir things up a bit. And I just wanted to cry when I was writing about Gunny, because I can picture him doing that. Anywho, thank you so much and see ya next week!
Jagchick105: Hey there! LoL, I'll answer both of your reviews here :). Aw, thank you! I really do like to torture these characters with saddening experiences, don't I? Hehe, well, thank you, I try my best to keep you guys, and myself, entertained! Oh, believe me, you have any questions about the homeschooling, don't hold back. Yes, there are a lot of homeschool groups all over the place. What I did, was there was this church that has classrooms in it, and they let homeschoolers use them once a week. Like, okay, my mom hates math. And when I got into geometry, she really didn't wanna do it, so I went to these homeschool classes (usually taught by other homeschooling parents) to get my geometry in. And they have stuff like that all over the place. Oh my, I can't imagine homeschooling eight children. Though they say that eventually, the older kids can help the little ones, but I just can't imagine that many ppl in one house at one time!!!! Yikes, that's a busy school!! Aw, it's okay to be nervous! I left grade school after fourth grade, and I had no idea what to expect. I had never even heard of homeschooling until my mom mentioned it because her friend homeschooled her kids. But like I said, the first year is the toughest, because it's new. Anywho, I'll let you read, and see ya next week!!
Kiwi: Aw, thank you! I'm so glad this story has that effect, that's really what I was aimin' for!!! Thank you so much, and I'll see ya next week :).
ArwenUndomiel: Oh, I know, it's become a terrible habit, adding more things to the story and postponing the end. Either that, or I am just really bad at estimating! The latter might be true...it was so sad for me to write that last scene with Grace and AJ, and everybody at the office. Ahhh...hmm...well, there will be a last Grace/Eric moment before she leaves, so do not despair!! :D ....Anywho, thank you for all the wishes of good luck, I need it! See ya next week!
Sunchaser2: LOL!!!!! Yeah, it pretty much was the "dinner party from hell," lol, very well put. Thank you, and see ya next week!!
DD2: Yay! No flames! :D LoL, I'm glad you like that there's more. I thought ppl would be irritated, lol!! Thank you so much, and see ya next week!
JagSister: LoL, I'm glad you don't mind, because I've sure said, "This is gonna be the last chapter" more than I should have! :) Thank you, and see ya next week! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*320*~ on the review list!!! THANK YOU, JAG!!!!
Girlgunner: I know, it was a tad short. But you should consider yourself lucky! If I made it any longer, I might have had to leave ya with a cliffhanger *Dragnet music plays*!!!! Yes, it is sad, but I'm still having fun :). Heehee, and, well, as for Eric, you're just gonna have to read!! :D thank you and see ya next week!
Moonlights Sundance: Welcome back! Oh my, that is good advice, I'll remember that. I know, I don't want it to end, but I've been going solid for 14 weeks now and me poor head needs a coffee break!!! :) Thank you so much, and see you next week!
Chloe: Aw, it's okay. Just glad you're back!! Ooh! Yay! I inspired! Oh, yes, pleeaaase update!!! Make sure poor Mac and Harm live!!!!! And if they don't, I SHALL HUNT YOU DOWN!!!! *blink*...okay, I wouldn't, but I would be quite upset *smiles sweetly* thank you and see ya next week!
Cmaf: Arg! I don't wanna end it, but I only have so many ideas for this! But thank you for the push. This story has already become much longer than was intended....oh, I'm sorry, I love Gunny too, but I couldn't help it. I had to kill somebody off. Okay, I didn't have to, but it created some drama, right? Right??? Yeah, so, okay, thank you and see ya next week!!! (btw, have I told you how much I love your signature "*i'm not really here etc., lol, I laugh every time i see it!!! :D )
Pennithil: Mmmm, now you're giving me second thoughts, pennit!!! Arg!!! *sigh* but you know...there is that sequel I was not-so-subtly hinting at.........hmm....you've just given me an idea......though I don't wanna repeat myself, you know with Gunny.....arg, okay, well, I'm gonna think about this some more, thank you for the idea :D. Don't worry, Eric's situation will be handled in this chapter :). Thank ya very much, and see you next week!
Carby24/7: LOL, I was crackin' myself up writing that fight scene, but then it got serious and I got sad :(. Aw, thank you for all the compliments :D. Yeah, Grace really has to leave as soon as she can before she grows any closer to anybody. It's tough, but necessary...thank you again, and I'll see ya next week :).
CharmedMummy: *whimper* I know, I could have expanded more on the Harm/Mac scenes. But there's more of that in this chapter. Heehee, and as you'll see in this chapter, Eric's desperate grasp at straws to prove he didn't say anything about him and Grace will come out when Grace has her last talk with him. I do see though how it would be far-fetched that "CIA knows all" which is why Grace doubted him. Anywho, thank you so much again, you're like my unofficial beta-reader, lol! See ya next week!
Nada Zimri: Hey there, ol' buddy, ol' pal! LoL, well, I had to add some drama to it, and I thought killing Gunny was tragic...it obviously worked...*hands tissue*...*sniff*...i sowwy you so sad...anywho, thank ya very much as always and see ya next week!!
NavyCB: Thank you! The ending of that last chapter was my fav part of the whole chapter, thank you for noticing :). Thanks, and see ya next week!
Winnie bear: Hey there! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you guys are patient enough with me, teeheehee, lol. See ya next week! Ah! And look! You're lucky number ~*330*~ on the review list! THANK YOU, WINNIE!!!!!
A/N: Well, guys. We did it. And, yes, I mean we. This project would have never gotten this far without the constant support from all of you, including all the fellow authors out there whom I've learned so much from. All of you have made creating this little fic so much fun, and I've shaped up a little bit too. You made me wanna keep that Friday schedule every week. Which is a big thing to me, because I'm usually not very organized. So really, you all helped me build a very useful trait :D. Oh, and lastly, the title of this story will finally make sense at the end of the chapter :D.
For Grandpa—I hope you remember me.
Chapter 14: Conclusion0720 ZULU
Rabb Home
Virginia
Saturday, Oct. 30
Grace rolled over again, pulling the blanket to her chin. Merlin, lying comfortably at her feet, purred every time she moved. She rolled over to her other side, and the purring got louder. Grace sighed. It was two in the morning, and she was wide-awake. Not good. She quite enjoyed sleeping in. Grace sat up and threw the covers aside, then crossed her legs. Merlin, thinking it was playtime, got up and rubbed her knee with his head, then swat at a loose string from her pajama top.
Knowing she wouldn't fall asleep any time soon, Grace slid off the bed and went over to her desk. She'd forgotten to turn off her computer, so she sat right down. Grace still couldn't believe the primitiveness of these computers. They were so...bulky. Yeah, bulky was the right word. And slow. Even with this thing they called, "DSL hookup."
Grace logged onto her Yahoo Messenger and found she had thirteen away messages. Twelve of them from Daniel. She shook her head. How Daniel ever got her screen name, she would never know. Grace then chuckled at the theory that Eric gave it to him just to spite her.
A message came up from her unofficial psychiatrist, "Phdman04."
"Hey there." He wrote.
Grace wrote a hey back. This was good. She needed someone to spill to.
"You're up late."
"Can't sleep." She replied.
"The wedding?"
"Eric troubles."
"I see. What did he do now?"
"...no, it's not his fault, not completely anyway. This time it was both of us."
"Are you mad at him?"
Grace thought it over. Was she? She dug through her feelings, grasping for any dislike she had against Eric. She could find none.
"No. I'm not. But I know he's mad at me."
"Well, just give him a few days to cool down."
Grace froze. A few days? She didn't have a few days. She had today and tomorrow. "I can't. There's another problem."
"Yes?"
"I'm," Grace paused. Might as well tell him the half-truth, "I'm moving. Far away. I'll probably never see him again."
Grace waited for his answer, but it didn't come immediately, as it usually did. Which meant he had a lot to say.
"Oh. Well, in that case, I suggest you clear the dust before you leave. Because if you don't, you'll be in pain for a long time wondering what you could have done to resolve things between you two."
That was a good point. Though it wouldn't make a difference for Eric in the future, it would still impact her. He was right. She would feel much better if she resolved things before she left. She had to. But...how? They'd said so many things to each other at dinner, she wouldn't be surprised if he never wanted to speak to her again! Not that it would matter to him after she left.
Probably the worst thing she said was telling Eric he blamed all his problems on his father. She knew that comment had degraded his "manhood" and that feeling of "pride." And it just plain hurt him. However, Eric was partially correct about one thing. She didn't have to tell her mother about the kiss. She simply wanted to. Sure, she could have told only Nancy about it, Eric could have cared less. But Nancy would've tried to make a big deal about it. If anything, Nancy would probably have tried to get them together.
***
0730 ZULU
Harm stared at the stippling on his ceiling. He remembered when they'd first moved here, he would get headaches because the ceiling was so low, or there actually were ceilings. Unlike at his Union Station apartment, where you could see the rafters...
"Harm, are you awake?" Mac moaned from next to him. Harm looked over at her. She was on her side with her back to him.
"How did you know?" He replied.
She turned over on her back. "You were sighing instead of snoring."
Harm scoffed, ready to come back with the old, "I do not snore," response, which would be answered with the classic, "How would you know?" So he decided to spare himself the embarrassment of being wrong.
"I could say the same about you."
"Har, har." Mac answered dryly.
The two stayed quiet for another minute.
"What are you thinking about?" Mac asked as Harm wrapped an arm around her and she rested her head on his chest.
"Probably the same thing you are."
"Ohhh, okay then what am I thinking about?"
"Grace." Harm replied effortlessly.
Mac sighed. "...Yeah...Grace...what—what do you think is gonna happen to us when she...well, you know, when she leaves?"
Mac patiently waited for an answer, but the one she got disturbed her.
"...Poof?" Harm guessed.
Mac turned over, crossing her arms on his chest and resting her chin on them. Harm tenderly rubbed her back. "Poof? Wha—what do you mean by 'poof'?"
Harm lightly shrugged. "From what she...tried to describe, once she goes...so does this place."
Mac dipped her head a little. "So this place will go...poof."
Harm smirked. "I dunno how it works, Mac."
"Do I really wanna go 'poof'?" Mac asked more to herself.
Harm pat her back, then closed his eyes. Mac nudged him. "How can you sleep?"
Harm sighed. "Lemme try first, then I'll tell you."
She rolled her eyes and swayed back on her back. Mac felt seven minutes and thirty seconds go by. "You fall asleep yet?"
No answer.
"Harm?"
He was out. His breathing was deep, slow, and steady. Sighing, Mac rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Suddenly, a short snort escaped him. Mac twitched. She lifted her head to look at him. A full-blown snore erupted and Mac nudged him.
"Harm, you're snoring."
He snored again and Mac gritted her teeth. She'd never fall asleep with all this racket. Mac made a small growl as she threw the covers aside. She swung her feet to the floor, putting her no-skid socks on (the entire upper floor of the house was hard wood). She then tore the comforter off the bed, making Harm flinch a little. She lazily folded the comforter up, snatched her pillow, and didn't try to mask her footsteps as she stomped out of the bedroom.
With part of the large blanket dragging along the floor behind her, Mac made her way down the hallway. She passed the bathroom and the spare room (converted into office) before she got to Grace's room. She stopped there, her ears detecting something. Mac put her ear to the door and heard the tapping of fingers on a keyboard.
What's she doing on that thing this late?
Mac was about to go in there and demand an explanation, but she halted. The kid had barely two more days of being here. Mac didn't want her to leave hating her. Mac brought her hand away from the door and continued to the stairs.
***
1614 ZULU
Grace rubbed her eye as she clomped down the wooden stairs. At the same time, Harm (in his day clothes already since it was nearly eleven-thirty) came into the house from the front door with the paper. He smirked, looking up at her as she descended the stairs.
"Hey, look who decided to...grace us with her presence this morning!"
Grace shot him a frown. "That's not funny." She said mirthlessly.
"I know," Harm admitted. He then nodded over at the living room, which had its sliding doors closes, "unfortunately, your mother still hasn't decided to face the world yet."
Grace grunted as she reached the first floor and followed her father into the kitchen. "She didn't get a very good sleep. I heard her outside my room early this morning."
Harm tossed the paper onto the kitchen table, giving a quick glance to Grace. "Oh, so you were awake too..."
She didn't have to say yes and instead wandered over to the fridge. She examined the contents and scrunched her nose. "We need to go shopping."
"We can last 'til Monday—" Harm stopped and slowly glanced over at Grace. She was staring at him intently. After a few seconds, she looked away, returning her gaze to the fridge.
"I'm sorry." Harm murmured.
"No big deal." She answered quickly, hiding behind the refrigerator door. It was desperate, but she wanted to hide the lone tear that slid down her cheek. The door suddenly started to close and she lowered her head. She listened to the suction of air as the door shut, and sensed him standing next to her. She felt the nerves twitch in her arms and knees. He put a hand on her shoulder and that was all she needed to wrap her arms around him and weep into his chest. Harm engulfed her in the hug and let her cry.
It was déjà vu. Almost exactly a year ago, Grace had run into these very arms. But the hug she'd received then was uncomfortable...almost like he pitied her more than anything. But now, it had that fatherly love she'd longed for at that time, and got used to over the past year. She finally lifted her head, her arms still securely locked around him, and she looked up, half-expecting him to be the older man in that photograph. Grace was shocked. She hadn't thought about that Dad for a long time.
Harm blinked. "What?"
Grace shrugged a shoulder and put her head back down, feeling the tears soak into his shirt.
***
1830 ZULU
Pathetic.
Grace had to laugh at herself. It was the second to the last day she would ever be here, and here she was watching soap operas.
Pathetic. She again said to herself.
"Oh, this is pathetic." Mac quipped as she stepped into the living room.
Grace shrugged and brought the comforter (the same one Mac had yet to bring back to the bedroom) up to her chin.
"I don't care. I'm gonna find out if it's Kevin's or Vince's baby before I go anywhere."
"Oh...good point." Mac plopped down next to her daughter, grabbing some of the blanket for herself.
"Where's Dad?"
"About to mow the lawn for the last time until spring."
Grace didn't want to remind her parents that, if everything happened as planned, they wouldn't have to worry about mowing that lawn ever again. At least in this time, anyway. But Grace guessed the two just wanted to stay as normal as they could before...whatever was going to happen.
"Do you remember when I first met you?" Mac said as she kept her eyes glued to the television screen.
Grace nodded, also keeping her attention on the TV. "Sure."
"What did you first think when you saw me?"
Grace blinked, finally breaking her gaze and shifting it to her mother. "Um, well, I remember thinking how weird it was to see you in uniform."
Mac snapped her head over to look at Grace. "You mean, I...I retired?"
She nodded. "A bit after I was born."
Mac blinked in surprise and recoiled her head a little bit. "Wow."
"Yeah...but it's funny, I remember you telling me it was the easiest decision to make after I was born. That motherhood seemed more inviting than case files ever did."
Mac smirked. "I—I said that?"
The girl nodded.
"Hmph. What else?"
"What else what?"
"What else did you think?"
Grace stared at the floor, pondering the question. Her eyes narrowed, then she looked over at her mother. "Webb."
"...What about him?"
"Did you guys ever..."
Mac dropped her jaw. "No!"
Grace raised an eyebrow. "But he did try to..."
"No!" She snapped.
Grace grunted and dipped down lower into the sofa. She could have sworn Webb and her mother had something at one time. Then it occurred to her that perhaps it didn't happen yet. And it would never happen here now that her parents were marrying. Grace would have to question her mother about it when she got back.
Suddenly getting the feeling she was being watched, Grace gave her mother a sidelong glance. Mac was staring at her with questioning eyes. When she had her daughter's attention, she spoke.
"You know, you've told me a lot about how your father has changed, but...what about me?"
Grace blinked in surprise. Grace had done that on purpose. She told Mac about the future Harm, and she'd told Harm about the future Mac. Grace hardly spoke of them the other way around.
"Uh...well...I dunno, you just became more...Momish."
Mac rolled the word over in her head. "...Momish." She said, as if she was testing it out, "I can be Momish." She assured herself.
Mac elbowed Grace. "What else? Do I pick up a hobby or something?"
Grace made a half-smile, still staring at the TV. "Gardening. But you hate lawn gnomes."
Mac thought it over. "I do hate lawn gnomes. They're just so—"
"Creepy," Grace finished for her, "You called them 'creepy little men,' because you said you'd had your fair share of creepy men in your life. But one year, Dad bought a lawn gnome for your anniversary and taped a blown-up picture of his face onto the gnome's face and asked if it was creepy now."
Mac chuckled dryly. That definitely sounded like something Harm would do. "What did I do with it?"
"You put it in the corner of your bedroom. It was there for a long time."
"Was?"
Grace turned the TV off, now knowing that Vince was the father and gave full attention to her mother. "It was the craziest thing. When I was ten, somebody broke into the house. It was late, and we were all coming back from a movie or something. Anyway, Dad noticed the broken window and told us to stay in the car. He got his gun from the kitchen and heard the guy upstairs. Well, he ended up scaring the robber so bad, the guy snatched what he could and ran past Dad and out of the house. Turns out, the idiot stole the lawn gnome thinking it was a sculpture since it was so dark."
Mac laughed, fully intrigued by the story. "You're kidding!"
The two shared some more laughs, which led Grace to realize some daunting facts. She talked more to her mother in this past year, than she thought she ever had with her future mom. It wasn't just her father that had changed. There were some acute differences with Mac as well. For instance, when she talked to her now, it was like chatting with a big sister, or a best friend. Though she'd always liked to consider her and other mom friends, there were certain things Grace just wouldn't discuss with her. Her love life for one was strictly classified information. While here, Grace told Mac just about everything that was going on in that department. Why did she feel so much more comfortable here? Was it Mac's more friendly youthfulness? Not to say the future Mac wasn't friendly, but let's face it...people age.
The two heard the lawn mower's engine cut, then someone shouted. Mac and Grace exchanged glances. The back door suddenly opened and closed with a slam.
"You okay, sailor?" Mac yelled over her shoulder.
Slow, heavy footsteps came down the hallway outside the living room.
"Harm?"
The footsteps neared, and Mac's smile diminished. "H—Harm?"
Grace frowned, and she stared at the foyer that could be seen from the living room. Mac slowly rose from the couch and motioned for Grace to stay. She started to protest, but her mother gave her a look, and she closed her mouth. Mac, using all her military prowess, stepped quietly towards the foyer. The footsteps on the other side slowed and then stopped. Desperate for any kind of weapon, Mac took hold of an empty vase, and charged out of the room, holding the vase up over her head. But the Marine halted, and she slowly lowered her weapon, suddenly bursting out laughing.
Grace got up from the couch, sprinting to her mother's side. What she saw triggered the same reaction. Harm stood in the hallway, a deep frown on his oil-covered face. His entire torso was dripping with the black engine oil, and his piercing blue/green eyes stood out like owl's eyes.
The two of them continued laugh.
Harm snorted. "I'm sure you girls think this is real amusing."
Mac finally caught her breath. "What," she wheezed, "the hell happened to you?!"
Ignoring the guffaws, Harm explained with as much dignity as he could. "Lawn mower ate a branch. Something must have been cracked inside the mower, oil spewed everywhere."
It just made them laugh even harder. Harm bit his lip, trying to contain himself. "You know, it'd be even funnier if you were covered in this."
Mac noted the warning in Harm's tone, and she stopped laughing. Grace's smile slowly turned into a frown.
Harm held his arms open to them. Mac put a hand up in defense. "Don't you dare, squid." Grace backed behind her mother towards the front door, "You are not getting oil all over this floor!" Mac continued.
Harm shrugged. "We're re-doing it anyway."
Mac tried to stay serious, but a smile played across her lips as she and Grace continued to back away. At first, none of them moved, then Harm dove, grabbing Mac first. She shrieked as her fiancé picked her up. Grace backed away, avoiding the flying drips of oil. As Mac laughed and yelled at the same time for Harm to put her down, the phone rang and Grace raced into the living room. She was still laughing as she picked up the phone.
"He—hello?!"
Mac let out another shriek and Grace guessed Harm was tickling her now.
"Grace?!"
"Webb, hey!"
"NO, PUT ME DOWN!" Mac pleaded.
Grace cringed, wondering what was going through Webb's head at that moment.
"What the hell is going there?!" The CIA agent exclaimed on the other line.
"Uh, um, well," Grace stuttered, "I, uh, I have the TV up loud."
"STOP IT!"
"That sounds like Mac!"
While Grace searched for a good enough answer, she suddenly realized the laughing stopped. Grace lowered the phone from her ear, then whipped around when she heard the floorboard creak. Her eyes enlarged and she put her hands out in front of her.
"No, no, no—get away!"
It was too late, her parents attacked, and before she knew it, she was covered in the oil herself.
Meanwhile, Webb couldn't be heard over their laughter.
"Grace? Mac? What the—Harm?"
***
2314 ZULU
"Really, Webb, we're sorry for worrying you...okay...I will...good night." Mac slowly hung up the phone, a tight smile on her face. Harm and Grace glanced up from the floor where they tried to get the oil out of the wood, with little success.
Mac shook her head. "Now we have to buy carpet."
Grace, who'd been on her knees, sat back on the floor. She tossed the oil-soaked paper towel into the garbage can that had been dragged into the living room before.
"So, did Webb believe you?"
Mac rolled her eyes as she sat down in between them. "Maybe. You know how he is."
Grace fiddled with an cardboard paper towel roll, then nodded at the wall clock. "What are we doing for dinner?"
Harm shrugged. "Beltway burgers?"
Mac, who'd had her head cocked to the side, slowly straightened it with a smile. "Are you kidding?"
The aviator sighed. "Well, they've gotta have some kind of vegetable meal."
Mac chuckled. "Right," She turned to her daughter, "What do you say?"
Grace smirked. "Beltway burgers it is."
***
0830 ZULU
October 31st
It had only just occurred to Grace why her parents did what did today. After dinner, they'd all went into DC and walked around for a couple hours visiting the monuments, making a special trip to the Wall. After that, they caught a midnight movie, then came home. It was now 0330, and as soon as Grace lied down in bed, she thanked God three times for feather pillows. But now that her brain relaxed from the day's crazy "activities," Grace couldn't help but think about the "why" behind the craziness.
The fact was, that was the last full day she was going to have with these people. It was like going to the wake of someone's funeral.
And the next day would be the funeral.
Hers.
Though it wasn't meant literally, that's what it felt like. Before all of them went to bed, they'd sat down and discussed what would happen the next day. They all decided it would be best to go to the Dupree Mansion right after lunch. Since the days were shorter, and neither of them saw the benefit of being there in the dark, getting "it" done early seemed like the best thing.
Grace stared at the ceiling. Her ceiling. And the walls. There was still the slightest hint of a paint stench in the room. But she would never see this room, this ceiling, or these walls ever again.
Merlin purred at her feet as she changed the position of her legs. She'd miss that dumb cat. Grace suddenly sat up in the bed, and grabbed Merlin. She laid back down on her side, with an arm around the cat, holding him to her chest. Merlin was the kind of cat that didn't care where or how you held him, just as long as he was getting attention. Grace buried her face into his back, feeling his bony spine against her cheek, and she cried into his fur.
***
1605 ZULU
Grace stirred when she heard the soft knock on her door. Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she noticed was that Merlin was gone. Well, not completely. He'd gone back down to her feet. Grace also discovered she was in the exact same position she fell asleep in. The arm she'd been lying on had gone dumb, and she winced when she turned over and saw Mac poke her head into the room.
"Breakfast is on the table." She said softly as she came fully into the room.
Grace sat up slowly, rubbing her forehead. Mac sat down next to her on the bed.
"You get enough sleep?"
Grace glanced over at her clock/radio. "About eight hours."
Her mother nodded. "Good...now come on, French toast awaits." She said as she patted her foot and stood.
Grace took her arm. "Mom."
Mac turned around. "Yeah?"
"...Thanks. For everything."
Mac nodded and smiled. "Sure."
***
1813 ZULU
Streets of Georgetown
The car was silent. Nobody could think of anything to say to comfort or help the situation. There was nothing to say really. Still, it made Grace uneasy.
Grace was staring out the SUV window, when she recognized a house. Her head shot up. "Stop!"
Harm and Mac flinched from the front seats. "What?"
"Jus—just stop the car, back up!"
Harm did so. He and Mac exchanged frowns when they saw the house that had captured Grace's attention. Harm pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. Grace sighed, staring at the front door.
"I won't be long. I promise."
Harm slumped in the driver's seat. "Take your time, baby."
Grace slowly opened the back-seat door and hopped out of the SUV. She leisurely stepped up the driveway and the sidewalk, leading to the front porch. Grace stopped at the door and glanced back at her parents. She could see them nod from the other side of the windshield. Grace gingerly rose a hand to the door, and knocked.
Nothing.
Grace felt tears well in her eyes. She couldn't leave without doing this. She knocked again, a little harder this time.
No answer.
Grace sniffed, reaching for the doorbell. But she then heard the door unlock from inside. The front door opened, and through the screen door, she saw Eric's face on the other side. He looked terrible. His hair was a mess, his clothes were completely wrinkled and baggy. And the way he stared at her...
Grace tried to contain her surprise. "Hey," She said barely above a whisper.
Eric swallowed. "Hey," he croaked out.
Grace looked past him. "Can I, um, can I come in?"
He turned his head and glanced around. "No, place is a mess. You know, with dad not here. Go to the backyard." He closed the door in her face.
This is gonna be hard. Grace thought to herself as she started around the side of the house. Grace then just realized the lawn was in extreme need of being mowed. It was half a foot high.
She unlatched the gate, and entered the backyard. It turned out Mrs. Stiles was a fan of gardening too, and flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors adorned the yard. Eric was sitting in a lawn chair on the patio, smoking a cigarette, of all things. Grace sat down in the chair next to him.
"Since when did you start doing that?"
Eric shrugged, smashing the cigarette under his shoe. "Since Dad started leaving them out."
Grace looked down at Eric's shoe. About two-dozen smashed cigarettes surrounded his feet. Grace bit her lip.
"Eric...there are a few things I need to tell you."
He sighed impatiently, as if this encounter was an annoyance. Grace clamped her jaw. There was no way she was going to take this crap from him.
"Eric, if you wanna be somewhere else—go," She said firmly, "But know that you'll never see me again if you do."
This caught his attention, what was left of it, and he cranked his neck to look at her. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm—" Grace stopped, feeling her emotions flood again, "I'm going away."
"Where?" Eric demanded.
"I can't say. It's far."
Eric scoffed and stood, walking away into the yard. Grace watched him, waiting for his reaction. He whipped around, pulling another cigarette out of his pocket.
"Damn it, your foster parents are being transferred, aren't they?" He didn't let her answer and he continued his rampage, "you don't have to go with them, you know!" Eric then brought a lighter from another pocket, lighting the cigarette with practiced ease. He took a drag, staring down at the grass. When he looked back up, his face was twisted with anger. "That's it then? That's why you came, to say goodbye?"
Grace stood, strolling over to him. She looked him in the face, watching as he brought the drug to his lips. Grace scowled, yanking cigarette away, and crushing it under her own shoe. When she looked back up, she stared at him defiantly.
"I came to say goodbye. And to tell say that you have and always will have a choice in your life. You want to help people, Eric. Just not in the way your father wants you to. And that's okay. I also wanted to tell you I was sorry. I don't think you blame all your problems on him. I know you don't." Grace reached her hand out, and grasped Eric's. She brought her gaze back to him and made a small smile, "You've been my best friend since day one, Eric Stiles. And I love you for that."
Eric's expression had fallen deadpan long ago. He watched her carefully as she said all this. He looked down at their hands.
Grace smiled. "You remember what happened the last time you held my hand?"
Eric's gaze lifted, the smallest of a smile on his lips. In that smile, Grace knew he'd forgiven her. She leaned up, and brushed his lips with her own. It was simple and sweet. She wanted more, and she knew Eric did as well. But the two knew better than that. Eric gathered her in a hug, and embraced her like he would never let her go. So before Grace could change her mind, she loosened from his grasp. As she backed away from him, she still held onto his hand. And when she let go, she felt something inside her break. She decided it was her heart.
***
1845 ZULU
Outside Georgetown, Virginia
It was pure déjà vu. The same cornfields, the same soybeans bushes. Exactly a year ago. Grace had been inwardly sobbing since they'd left Eric's. Though a couple tears managed to escape her, it was nothing her parents noticed.
Out of nowhere, a familiar nursery popped into her head. She said the words softly to herself.
"Bye-lo, baby, bye-lo, baby. Daddy still loves you, Daddy still loves you, though he's gone to war." They were the only words she could remember. Where she heard them and how, she could just barely remember. Her gut told her that it was Grandma Trish who sang it to her. Whether it was because her father went somewhere overseas for whatever reason, she didn't know. It was so long ago.
The car stopped suddenly. Grace picked up her head. They'd stopped at the end of the long driveway that led to the mansion. Grace held her breath.
"This is it." She said just above a whisper.
Mac reached her hand down behind the seat, and Grace grasped it as the car made its ascent up the gravel drive. The SUV moved slowly, partially because Grace was sure Harm was resisting. But despite how slow he drove, the car made it to the front of the house. Grace cringed, the place was just as creepy during the day. Though she should have known that. A year ago, she'd stumbled out of this house into the morning light, confused, in pain, and ready to spit her venom.
The three of them stayed in the car for who knew how long, each accompanied by their own troubling thoughts. Grace was still leaning forward in the seat, holding onto Mac's hand. She let go, and reached for the door handle.
"Let's go."
Grace got out of the car and stepped slowly up to the porch. She heard her the car doors open and close, then her parents' footsteps across the gravel. Within a few seconds, they stood were standing on either side of her.
Mac shook her head. "You went into this thing at night?"
Grace nodded. "Yeah." Gathering her strength, Grace stepped up onto the large patio. She ran her hand along one of the large, white pillars covered in overgrowth. She closed her eyes, listening to the wind play with the wind chimes still hanging off the house. Then, a surge of energy flowed through her, and she strolled up to the double doors, reaching down, and flinging them both open. Dust again fell onto the three, and they waved it away as they stepped into the mansion. It creaked the same warning Grace was greeted with before.
They all looked around, Harm and Mac were in silent awe. Grace couldn't find that feeling. She'd seen this place before. She'd felt that "awe." But then she saw the ugly, deceptive side of this house. She'd witnessed its power. She was about to witness it again.
Grace pointed at the left side of the staircase. "There."
Her parents followed her to the foot of the stairs. Grace took in a deep breath. "Okay...if I remember correctly, there should be an axe in the kitchen," she said, pointing to the kitchen door, "I'm not about to leave the way I came in." Grace murmured more to herself.
Harm came back a moment later with the axe. "How far up?"
Grace dug through her memory. She'd gone up four steps before hearing the first crack. "The fifth one."
Mac pulled Grace back. "Careful, Harm. That was just with the weight of Grace."
Harm put his back against the wall, and made his way carefully up the staircase. When he felt stable, he rose the axe, bringing it down hard into the wood. Grace flinched when she heard the first split of wood. Harm halted, waiting to make sure his own ground was still stable. He brought the axe down again. This time, wood actually felt through.
He hit it again.
And again.
And one last time. He'd made a good-sized hole. He propped the axe against the wall and wiped some sweat from his brow. "Okay. I think it's big enough."
Grace slowly turned around to face her mother. Mac already had tears in her eyes. Grace wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words, so Mac just embraced her, kissing her cheek and her head. Grace felt a sob rack her mother's body, and she hugged her tighter. Mac finally weakened her grip, and stared her in the eyes.
"We love you. Be a good girl for me, okay?"
Grace nodded. "Count on it."
She turned around and carefully stepped up the couple stairs. Harm stood with his back against the wall, and his head lowered. He was crying, and trying not to show it. Grace wrapped her arms around him, and she finally let out a sob when he returned the hug. Grace looked up at him, and he made a small smile, wiping a tear away from her cheek.
"You're really somethin', Gracie." He said with a laugh, "I know you're our daughter." He added solemnly. He kissed her on the forehead, then glanced down at the hole, which one could only see darkness below.
Grace got on the other side of it, and sat down at the edge, letting her legs dangle over it. Harm grasped her hands. Grace took a couple heavy breaths, like she was about to dive into water.
"Don't forget to let me go, okay?" Grace reminded him.
"I know."
Grace slid off the edge of the stairs and dangled there for a moment, Harm's hands securely wrapped around her wrists. Grace closed her eyes, keeping perfectly still.
"Let me go."
She couldn't remember the fall. At one point, she thought she heard her mother's gasp, but it was muffled. The only feeling she suddenly had, was a pain in her back.
***
"Grace!" She knew she heard her name. It was just so far away. So far. Grace opened her eyes, to have her vision assaulted by the beam of a flashlight.
"GRACE! Say something!" She knew that voice. She could put a face to it. A name!
"Clay?" For such an effort she made to say his name, it didn't come out very loudly. She tried again.
"Clay?"
She heard an excited laugh. "She's alive! She's okay!" Footsteps, far away.
Grace blinked. The beam of her own flashlight was next to her and she grabbed it. As she sat up, she felt the bones crack a few muscles tighten. But she was fine. Grace then looked over herself. She sighed in relief.
It wasn't a dream. It really happened.
She was wearing the clothes she left it. They were actually clothes Mac had bought her when she first crossed over. Footsteps pounded down the basement stairs and Clay came to her side, closely followed by Ben and Mandy. Clay wrapped an arm around her, supporting and helping her stand.
"You all right?!"
Grace could have kissed him, but she contained herself. And for the first time, she could actually answer that question honestly. "Yeah...I think I finally am."
***
0400 ZULU
Rabb Home
Georgetown Virginia
October 31st, 2020
Despite her friends' protests, she insisted she was okay, and just asked to go home. But her joints cried out to her as she climbed up the pergola, which led right up to her bedroom window. The window was even still open. She grunted as she climbed through the window into her dark room. She closed the sash and just stood there a moment. She was in her room. Her real room. How many times did she dream about this? Grace flopped down on her bed, taking in the smell of the sheets. That wonderful smell. But another scent entered her nostrils. And her eyelids snapped open. She sat up in the bed. Before her eyes could adjust to the darkness, the light at her chair on the other side of the room switched on. Her father sat there with a deep frown. But it was the absolute most wonderful thing she could have seen at that moment. Grace hopped off the bed and bounded over to him. His eyes widened when she fell down into the chair (or more his lap) and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm so sorry for what I said to you! It was immature, mean, and stupid! I'm sorry for sneaking out! I'm sorry!"
Eventually, she felt his hand pat her back. "Um..." The man was clearly at a loss for words, "well...don't think this is gonna get you out of a punishment, young lady."
"I don't care," She exclaimed, her face buried into his chest, "ground me, I don't care!"
Her father gently held her back, scrutinizing, almost. His eyes narrowed. "Something's different about you." He murmured.
Grace smiled. Something was different. Something would always be different about her. She swallowed, wiping away a tear. "Yeah...I think I grew up a little bit."
***
THE END
***
*blows off keyboard* Now, now, don't get angry, the epilogue is next week! I promise!
~sancti