Title: Strong Enough Chapter 16
Author: Nicki C.
Email: I don't own Once and Again or the characters. Steve, KJ and Ashley are my own inventions. Ok I'm not a Beatle so I don't own "With a little help from my friends"
Summery: They're in Chicago on their first night away
Feedback: Of Course I want it.
A/N Ok when they're singing it's Grace inside the parenthesis and Eli outside of them.
Alright here's the thing, there used to be a song in this chapter, it was important and integral part of the song, but since songs aren't allowed on this site, i'd recommend googleing my penname and the title of this story and reading it there. I'll fix this up a little bit to let you know where it goes
The shower had helped to clear Grace's mind and as she towel dried her hair in the bathroom she thought about the man that was sitting in the other room waiting for her. She loved him so much, and she was risking so much on him. And as she looked into the mirror it really hit her. "I've given up everything and everyone in my life to be with him" She spoke to her reflection. She stared into the mirror for a few seconds more as the tears started to fall down her face. "What have I done?" she sobbed. "What if he disappoints me? What if I'm not enough for him? What if we don't work out?" Those thoughts and a few others in the same context went round in her head as she slowly started to calm down. "Now Grace," she told her reflection. "You love him more than anything, and you've loved him for so long. We're going to make this work. It's going to be ok." As she dried away the last of her tears Grace headed back to the room.
Just as she was opening the door she heard Eli strum a few chords on his guitar and she opened the door he started singing.
Insert the Beatles "With a little help from my friends"
Eli noticed her arrival and smiled as he motioned for her to sit next to him. He continued singing.
Insert the Beatles "With a little help from my friends"
"Do you know the next part?" Eli asked her Grace nodded and Eli continued
Insert the Beatles "With a little help from my friends"Grace smiled as she added
Insert the Beatles "With a little help from my friends"
Grace watched his face, as that small smile appeared that always sub-consciously appeared when he was really enjoying himself.
Insert the Beatles "With a little help from my friends"
"He was worth it all" Grace thought to herself as she listened to Eli sing the final chorus with a smile on her face.
"I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
with a little help from my friends"
As Eli finished the last chorus he leaned into Grace to kiss her when they heard a round of applause coming from the doorway. Grace had left it open and their impromptu little concert had gathered an audience.
"Wow you guys are awesome together" A woman with pink and orange hair commented.
"Yeah that was pretty great" The man Grace had learned earlier was KJ added
Grace Blushed and murmured "thank you". The other people who'd been listening at the door drifted away but KJ and the woman who'd complimented them stayed and took Grace's response as an opportunity to sit down on the floor with the couple.
"Hi, I'm Ashley. Nice to meet you!" The woman enthusiastically grabbed Grace's hand and then Eli's in a firm handshake.
Grace smiled at the friendly woman who looked like she'd fought with a rainbow and lost.
"I'm Grace and this is Eli, we're new to Chicago and Steve's and old friend of Eli's so were staying here for awhile."
"Who's Steve?"
At that question Eli, KJ and Grace burst out laughing. Ashley continued to look confused though. "He's the guy who owns the apartment you're in" Grace informed her. Ashley paused for a moment. "I had no idea, KJ and I work together at Virgin Records on Michigan and he invited me to this party he had planned to throw all weekend." She paused and then glared at KJ. "He gave me the impression that this was his apartment". "Hey wait, I never said that exactly." KJ responded but Ashley ignored him. "Anyway Grace, Eli; it was nice meeting you two, when you guys get a gig stop by Virgin and let me know, I'd love to hear you again. With that she was out of the room with KJ in pursuit. Grace and Eli looked at each other and laughed.
"Aren't you glad we're out of the dating game?" Grace said with a grin.
"We're still dating Grace" Eli said responding slowly
"Well of course, I just meant that there's no more cat and mouse games and all that crap."
"Yeah we did enough of that to last a lifetime."
Eli leaned forward and finally found the kiss he'd been after before. Breathless a few minutes later Grace pulled away. "I see you cheered up." She stated. Eli thought for a moment then spoke "Yeah I was just feeling a little bit down about wanting to be out there partying with my friends." He stopped when he saw the hurt look on Grace's face as she pulled away from him. "But, I wanted to be in here with you more. It was a momentary lapse of judgment. I don't need those things any more; they never did me any good. I just have to keep convincing myself of that. It's going to be hard sometimes, but don't think I've forgotten my promise to you yet." He quieted as he waited for Grace to respond.
"I'm not sure what to say Eli. I'm your girlfriend, not your babysitter. Will you be able to say no when I'm not in the next room? Are you going to want to say no when I'm not in the next room? You can't just change to make me happy; you've got to be doing it for yourself too. Otherwise we're both going to be hurt and disappointed." She paused for a moment and then continued. "But it's been a long day and I'm emotionally drained and I'm tired and I love you but I just want to go to sleep so we'll discuss this in the morning." She got up from the floor as he responded. "I love you too and I do want to change, but it's not easy." Grace glared at him seeing that he wasn't going to give this up until they'd hashed it out. "Didn't I say I'd love you even when you screw up? If you don't think you can do this on your own maybe we should go to AA or NA meetings, maybe we shouldn't be staying with someone who you know drinks and does drugs? That might have been a good idea!" The last sentence at an almost shout Grace pulled back the covers and crawled underneath the blanket.
She was hurt and upset and tired and she didn't want to deal with him anymore, but as she heard him readying his bed on the floor guilt crept into the back of her mind. She managed to last about ten minutes listening to him tossing and turning on the floor and sighing pathetically. "Alright Eli, you can come up on the bed, but keep your hands to yourself, I'm still upset." He moved his bedding up and settled himself. Eli had been there for a few minutes staring at the ceiling and wondering what he'd done to upset her when Grace spoke.
"I'm sorry I yelled. I was hurt that you'd wanted to be out there at all; I know I had no right to be but all the same it hurt. And I'm scared. Very scared. We're risking it all on something that might not even work." She took his hand as she finished talking.
"We're going to be Ok Grace." He murmured as he gathered her into his arms before they both fell asleep.
"He was worth it all" Grace thought to herself as she listened to Eli sing the final chorus with a smile on her face.Grace watched his face, as that small smile appeared that always sub-consciously appeared when he was really enjoying himself.Insert the Beatles "With a little help from my friends"