Title: Strong Enough Chapter 7
Author: Nicki C.
Email: Nimacu@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I don't own Once and Again or the characters
Summery: After the kiss
Feedback: Of Course I want it.
A/N* I know this part took a long time to come out, I really couldn't decide how to write it, I knew what I wanted them to say. But they were being difficult. Anyway I hope I did okay. Read and enjoy.
When they kissed, the world melted away. Everything that had seemed so important minutes before was forgotten. Slowly they parted and holding hands they quietly walked over to the bed.
"Wow, that was well Wow" Grace managed to say. Eli could only nod in agreement until his sense returned to him. "Yeah, I didn't think it was so bad myself" Eli remarked with a sly grin on his face.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting to do that?" Eli asked
"No, why don't you tell me" Grace decided to have a little fun with him.
"Well let me see, back when we first met. I was pretty much attracted to anything in a skirt, so we could count that"
Grace playfully punched him. "No I don't think that really counts"
"Well then it would probably have been before our parents wedding, in the room. When were interrupted. That was the first time I really saw you as a woman I could be with and not just a girl, when did you first fall for me"
"In the office that day, it was only a crush then. But it grew; no matter what I did to do to fight it, it grew"
"It's nice to know I'm so loveable that you would naturally fight against it"
"Don't be so sensitive, there's so many issues. There are still so many issues. But now we have a start. A place to grow from. No matter what happens we have this"
"What exactly is this, Grace? Do we have a definition? Sure we've declared our undying love and all that, but where do go from here?" Eli knew that asking these questions would bring down their happy "after kiss" conversation. But he needed answers, after all he'd made a pretty big promise today, and he needed to know where that put them. "Wow, Eli Sammler wants a girl to define their relationship, I've come a long way" Eli thought. He wasn't really sure how he felt about this touchy feely side to himself, after all he'd never been this open with Carla and she'd broken his heart. He realized Grace was still not talking and he started to get scared, maybe he should pull back? Maybe he was rushing things too much, "But hell, in for a penny in for a pound like Grandma always said"
"What did you say Eli" Grace asked
"Oh nothing, just something my Grandmother used to say. But you still haven't answered me."
"I'm thinking, and there's so much to consider Eli. Yes I know I love you. Without a doubt I want to be with you forever. But there's so many people we're going to affect our parents, our sisters, and the new baby. We have to be very careful in handling this, I know I don't want to lose any of those people, and I don't think you do either. But for you I think I might leave them all. I don't want it to come to that though"
"I wouldn't want you to make that choice"
"That's why we have to handle everything very delicately. A part of me thinks we could probably just lie about it for the next five years, and then tell everyone when we get back from our honeymoon. But I know that that's a very unrealistic dream."
"What do you think we should do then"?
"Face them now, deal with the outcome. No matter what happens, even if we have to go to extreme measures to be together, at least we'll know we gave the truth the best shot."
"I'll agree to whatever you decide, you're definitely a better decision maker than I am. I'm here though"
"I know, and I'm glad. I missed being able to just talk to you like this. Being able to get opinions and answers to the thousand thoughts running through my head"
"I missed this too, you're my sounding board. I'm not used to having an idea and not sharing it with you, the pass couple of weeks have been hell, having no one to talk to except Tiffany"
"Tiffany?"
"She knows"
"Knows what?"
"About us"
"Up until an hour ago, there was no "US" so what does she know?"
"That I love you, that I was pretty sure you loved me. She gave me some much-needed advice, and an outsider's perspective. Tiffany and Jake have been through some pretty rough stuff and she showed me some pretty eye-opening parallels."
"Well, whatever she said someday I'm going to have to thank her for it"
"Me too"
Though she wasn't mad at Eli, Grace knew that if Tiffany knew that seriously cut down the time frame they had to tell their family. Not wanting to prolong the agony, she decided she wanted to tell them now.
"So Eli, are you ready tell our parents that we're in love and want to start dating?"
"Now!?!" Eli thought. He was pretty sure he wasn't ready right this minute. Or even that day or week. He knew that determined look in her eye; so he did the one thing boys always do when they want to quickly change the subject. He kissed her.