AUTHORS NOTE: Grrrrrr! I am so upset! Channel seven has temporarily (I hope) stopped airing Once and Again at 2:00 because of the TENNIS! So how am I going to get my daily once and again fix? I guess I'm gonna have to pour myself into this story….and start reading LOADS more once and again fics!
Thank god for this website!
Back to the story….
Rick and Lily stood together, holding hands as they watched Jessie and Zoë tentatively take a seat at the dining table.
"What's going on?" Zoë asked, glancing at Grace and Eli, who sat at opposite ends of the table- where their parents had seated them.
"I don't know Zoë, just sit down" Grace murmured, not lifting her head.
Lily gripped Rick's hand- they had decided this was best for all of them, most of all Eli and Grace.
But no matter how many times they reminded themselves this was for the best- it still hurt.
LILY my family was being torn apart.
Eli glanced up at Grace, but her head was down, and he couldn't see her face.
"Eli-" Jessie whispered, and Eli could feel her eyes staring at him questionably, but Eli turned his head away from her, feeling his eyes swell up with tears.
"We have to talk, as a family-" Lily began, moving forward to take a seat next to Grace.
"Because this is something that affects this family-" Rick added, standing behind the chair Lily was seated in, he rubbed her shoulders soothingly.
Grace glanced up, looking at her mother as she spoke; and then her eyes reared over to Eli, but his face was turned away.
"Is this about Grace and Eli being in love?" Zoë asked innocently, and Jessie pinched her on the leg.
Lily and Rick were silent for a moment, and then Lily rubbed her brow "you knew?" Lily whispered to herself.
"Yes, that's what this is about" Rick said, trying to remain calm.
Jessie sighed heavily, and folded her arms "you wont let them be together!" she said coldly.
Rick sighed, "Jessie- you have to understand-" he begun, but Jessie didn't want to hear it.
"-They are in love! Why can't they be together? -" Jessie went on, but Eli stopped her, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"Eli's moving out!" Lily said once Jessie was hushed.
Grace dug her nails into her knees, feeling as they dug deeper and deeper into her flesh. But that was nothing compared to the pain she was feeling inside, as though her heart had been ripped out and trampled on.
Eli turned away again, wanting to protest, beg forgiveness- but he knew it was futile.
Jessie was in shock, looking from Grace, to Eli and then at Rick and Lily "-what? No! You cant!" Jessie said, stammering at her words, she looked at Grace and Eli pleadingly- but neither of them moved, they silently tore themselves up inside.
"Jess-" Eli murmured, hoping he'd silence her, but Jessie had something to say!
"Don't do this! How do you know what's best for them? Maybe all they need is each other! Do you think tearing them apart, removing Eli from his FAMILY is the best thing for them-?" Jessie had a lot more to say, but Rick didn't want to hear it.
"Jessie!" he said in a low rumble, but she wasn't done, not by a long shot-
"- You don't know! Have you even asked them about their relationship? They have FEELINGS for one another- all you have to do is look at them to see-" Rick breathed in deeply and then said "Jessie" coldly and sternly, in a deep voice, and Jessie pursed her lips shut.
Lily felt her head throbbing; she wanted to finish this discussion as soon as possible
"Eli is moving out next week," she said, and everybody's attention was turned back to the matter at hand.
"Where will he go?" Zoë asked.
"He wants to get his own place- we're going to help him out with the money-" Rick went on, but Jessie interrupted, turning to look at Eli.
"Why don't you stay with mum?" Jessie asked, and Eli went to open his mouth, but Rick stepped in before Eli could say anything "Eli decided he'd rather have his own place, we've talked to you're mother and she offered him her home, but he's adamant about living by himself" Rick answered, and Jessie glared at him, wishing Eli would say or do something; instead if sitting there as though he was……
JESSIE dead inside.
ELI I felt dead inside.
"This is bullshit!" the words escaped Jessie's mouth before she had time to speak.
"Go to you're room!" Rick said coldly, and Jessie tentatively pushed her chair out and began walking upstairs.
"Grace!" Zoë whispered to her sister, urging her to say something, but Grace looked away, and Zoë huffed, pushing her chair out aswell and followed Jessie upstairs.
Lily began to tear up again "well, that's all then-" she said, pushing her chair out and walking briskly into the kitchen.
Rick sighed "Eli you better start packing, I'll be in there to help you in a few minutes" Rick said, and he watched as Eli got up and walked down to his room.
"Grace you should-" Rick began, wanting to hint that she shouldn't go near Eli today, but Grace didn't need to hear him say it. She quietly got up and began slowly walking up to her room.
Rick turned around, walking into the kitchen where Lily was doubled over with tears.
RICK the hardest thing I ever had to do
Grace pushed her door open, ready to fling herself onto the bed and cry her tears into the covers.
"Grace!"
Grace looked up, and saw Jessie standing before her, arms crossed.
"Jessie, not now, please" Grace pleaded.
Jessie took a step towards her "you have to do something!" she said sternly, and Grace looked up, revealing to Jessie the tears she had been holding back.
"Like what?" she asked meekly.
Jessie sighed, "Go to him! Tell him you love him and will stay with him!" Jessie said, but Grace only lowered her head, wiping away the tears.
"Both of you can run away together! And only come back when dad and Lily are willing to be reasonable-" Jessie went on, resting a hand on Grace's shoulder.
"It wont work-" Grace said a few more words, but through the tears they were incomprehensible, and all Jessie could do was wrap her arms around her.
Eli stacked his c.d's into a cardboard box, examining the cover of each one before placing it inside.
"Want some help?"
Eli turned around to see his father standing before him, and Eli nodded.
"You can take the junk off there-" Eli nodded his head towards his desk "-and throw it into a box" he finished.
Rick walked over to the desk; a few c.d's, one or two items of clothing, a book, pens and pencils, writing pad; Rick put it all into the small cardboard box by his feet.
"We're going to go house hunting tomorrow," Rick said, once the desk was clean of mess.
Eli glanced over his shoulder "whatever" he said quietly, uninterested in his father's comment.
Rick nodded "you should be mad" he said, walking towards his son, "you can be mad at me for however long you want; but I think this is for the best-" Rick said, watching as Eli slowly placed the c.d's into the box.
"How does forever sound?" Eli said, not glancing up at his father.
Rick nodded "fine- but eventually you might see that this was for the best-" Rick said quietly "-and hopefully, then, you'll be able to forgive me".
Eli said nothing, and Rick sighed, "Ok, I'll leave you alone then" he said, and turned towards Eli's door.
"Where is she?" Eli asked softly, and Rick turned to look at him.
"Grace?" he asked, and Eli nodded meekly "she is staying with Jake and Tiffany for this week" Rick replied, and turned, walking out the door, leaving Eli alone in the dark garage.
Eli looked down; he held three c.d's in his hand.
He glared at them as he felt tears begin to prick at his eyes again, his heart beat out of time, his breath was racing; and with all the energy he could summon he threw the c.d's across the room, and they landed against the brick wall.
He watched as the cases spilled open and the c.d's crashed onto the floor, but he just stared blankly as the tears began to roll down his cheeks.
