Title: Strong enough Chapter 17

Author: Nicki C.

Disclaimer: I don't own Once and Again if I did they never would have been cancelled.

Grace walked into the tiny apartment that Eli had somehow been able to obtain in the four days they'd been in Chicago. She wasn't exactly sure how he'd gotten it, something to do with Steve's dad. But she was willing to not ask any questions, she was just too grateful to be out of Steve's apartment. Not that there was anything wrong with
Steve, he'd only been there a total of maybe an hour the whole time they'd stayed there. But there were always strange people coming in and out of there and it was getting to be a little much.

Grace was entirely too caught up in her own thinking to hear Eli walk up behind her before he spoke "So we've got no furniture, no dishes, no TV. But hey at least it's ours" He was worried that she was regretting this again. However her next words quelled his fears "Hey it's all good, I was just thinking about all of your strange friends upstairs" The apartment they'd gotten was in the same building as Steve's.

"My friends, your friends…It's all the same" He was trying to charm his way out of having this conversation again and it worked. He followed that up with a distracting kiss which lasted for a few minutes until Grace breathlessly pulled away from him. "We need a bed" she hadn't even finished saying it before her face turned a bright red and she was stumbling over her words trying to fix the obvious undertones "I mean we need furniture...dishes...a bed…normal apartment stuff. "Let's go to a thrift store, we should be able to afford some stuff there." Grace grabbed Eli and led him out of the apartment not even giving him a chance disagree with or tease her.

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Jessie lay on her bed, the music playing softly when she heard a quiet knock on the door.

"Come in"

"Jessie?" Zoë looked forlorn in her pajama's holding a teddy bear that she had sworn to give up years ago.

Jessie thought about yelling at the girl, sending her one her way as fast as possible. She didn't want to deal with this right now, but Zoë looked so scared so instead she patted the spot next to her on the bed and motioned for Zoë to sit down.

"Do you think that they'll come back?"

"I don't know."

"I'm scared" Zoë was quietly sobbing

"Me too" Jessie hugged the younger girl, offering the comfort they both needed.