That Summer
Rating: T-M
Disclaimer: If the characters were mine I'd be getting paid to write
TV scripts, now wouldn't I? So…you know the drill.
Reviewers: Sam - You know I was hoping someone would like the necklace part.
It was a pretty random sub plot, but hey, it was cute. Thanks for the welcome
back! I had a great time! Laura – Curiosity
may have killed the cat, but you know satisfaction brought 'im back! A little
mystery is good to figure out sometimes! P.S. I love the G/L too! Lol. sayxanything
– Sha! I will, yo! I promise! Audrey
F. – Hey girl, I do my best to get
my hooks in! It seemed to work on you, muahahaha!
Everyone: Thanks for the reads. Love ya lots.
A/N: You're going to want to
murder me for this chapter…I apologize in advance. This is an intense
chapter…at least I think so. Also I didn't know how old Ryan was, so I
improvised, FYI for future reference. Also, I did a piss poor proofread so
sorry for typos! Read on…don't kill me…
Chapter 11 – It's Getting Harder & Harder To Breathe
"Do you think we should be talking about private, intense stuff right outside the house?" Luke asked. He and Grace were lying in the hammock that was on the side of the house just outside the kitchen. They were both facing each other, swaying slightly as the breeze blew cool air on them, and they listened to the waves crash distantly. Luke unfolded the blanket they'd brought out with them and laid it over top of both of them.
"They're all asleep," Grace said. She was fingering the necklace that Luke still had on, afraid to make eye contact with him and avoiding it as best as possible.
"Yeah…yeah, you're right." He nodded. Grace snickered slightly.
"That was beautiful, dude." She said. Luke blushed some.
"I kind of zoned out, when I saw him, and you against the wall." Luke rambled. Grace shook her head, taking his face in her hands and kissing him to stop his rant. She placed her forehead against his. He watched her. Her eyes were closed and she swallowed hard before opening them and looking at him with a crooked grin.
"I meant…the song." She told him. Luke offered a small, sheepish smile and a shrug. "And, I mean, the whole scientist superhero bit was surprising." She cleared her throat quietly as they spoke in hushed tones.
"Grace," Luke sighed. "We need to tell my Dad-,"
"No. We don't. We can deal with him on our own." Grace cut him off, looking him in the eyes.
"Grace," Luke began again. He was nervous, and upset. Frankly, Hunter freaked Luke out. He saw the look on her face as her eyes averted his again and she stared at the necklace, just to avoid looking at him. He sighed. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" He changed the subject only slightly.
"I know you're going to be angry." She said, her hands resting on his chest. He index finger reached out again and gingerly prodded the metal of his necklace. She felt Luke's hand sliding up and down her back in slow motions. She would never really let on how much it really did comfort her to have him so near and so concerned. "And you have every right to be once I tell you, but I want you to know that the only reason I didn't tell anyone is because I didn't think it would come to all of this. A-and then all of the stuff that happened. The attacks and the fires and the vandalism, and, and you know all of that happened, I just couldn't. I haven't been open to people so long and then you and your family come along and I start caring again and I didn't want to you know, lose out on that again because I can't be alone anymore, okay? I know that's stupid and it makes no sense coming from me. I fight everything, I know. I just…" Grace's voice caught in her throat and Luke could see she was beginning to mist at the eyes. "Luke," Her eyes traveled to his, brimming with tears, frightened, and vulnerable the likes of which Luke had never seen her, even when Grace's mother was at her worst. "I don't think I can take losing you." She forced out, knowing how dumb it must have sounded coming from the tough girl. Knowing that Luke would never forget those words as long as he lived, now that she'd revealed them. She clenched her eyes shut, feeling stupid, and ridiculous. A few corpulent tears rolled their way down her cheeks as she shut her eyes. She didn't want to open them, in the silence between herself and Luke. She was afraid of his reaction. It terrified and chilled Grace to the bone that Luke might burst out laughing at her, not believing her at any moment.
It was only after she felt the soft surface of Luke's hand on her cheek that Grace's eyes opened slowly and focused through the blurry haze of tears on him. He looked worried, concerned, upset and distressed at seeing her so visibly shaken. And then she saw one clear emotion shine through as she watched him take a deep breath of air, knowing his heart was pounding almost as hard as hers.
"Grace…" he said barely above a whisper. She let her eyes look away again. Luke held onto her face carefully, moving his head to catch her eyes again and locking them with his. "Nothing you say to me right this moment, or ever in the future could be any cause for you to lose me." He said firmly. Grace studied his eyes, feeling uncertain still. "I love you Grace…" He said sincerely. "I'm not going anywhere. Ever."
Grace chewed her bottom lip nervously. She knew Luke meant the words he was saying. She also knew she felt the same way about him. She was still terrified of the words she was about to utter. She knew the consequences of this admission were grave, especially once the others found out. Looking into Luke's eyes, her body relaxed. She felt herself being pulled into Luke's embrace of comfort, love and support.
"Ryan Hunter…" she said, still looking directly in his eyes. "Is my brother."
"What?" Joan asked, blinking blankly at Grace. It had been a week since Joan's parents and Kevin had left, and Grace had broken the news to Luke. Now, the four of them were sitting at the kitchen table; Adam and Joan on once side and Grace and Luke on the other. Luke had a protective arm around Grace's shoulders. Grace couldn't look Joan in the eyes.
"I-I, uhm…I said…" Grace took a deep breath. "Hunter is…my brother." The words tasted sour in her mouth. She wished she could swallow them and never bring them up again. But it was too late for that now.
"How is that even possible?" Adam asked, staring at her astounded. How could he have known Grace for the better part of most of their lives and not know she had a brother, let alone that it was Ryan Hunter?
"And you're just finding it convenient right now to tell us this information?" Joan asked, incredulously.
"Girardi…" Grace sat there with her mouth open, unsure what to say.
"Joan, cool it." Luke said defensively.
"You're going to stick up for her after she lied to us?" Joan snapped at him.
"Well…she didn't really lie, Jane." Adam said. Joan looked at him. "I mean, it's not like we asked if she was related to him." He reasoned. Joan looked at Grace. She could see the strain, worry, and the pain etched across her friend's face, and Joan instantly felt remorse for her reaction. She took a deep breath.
"Okay…" she sighed. "Lay it on me…" She said. Grace looked at Luke and then Adam and then back to Joan before she started fiddling with her hands.
"He, uh…he's 9 years older than me." She said, clearing her throat out. "Before my parents were married, you know, my mom had a fling with this guy. She didn't want to have him, but really what choice did she have at the time?" Grace told the story she had told Luke a week before. "I didn't know, until last August." She looked at Joan. "A-after everything that happened…I didn't know how to tell anyone." She sighed. "Your father probably knows…I mean after the background checks he did. I guess he figured I should be the one to tell you. And he was right. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I didn't think it matter." She gritted her teeth. "I despise him as much as you all do, okay? It's not like it matters who's blood he has, he's still evil." She looked around at them again. "He's the reason my mom started the drinking." She confessed. "He's behind the vandalism…and, nd he's the reason Judith is dead." She swallowed hard and looked at Joan again. "And he's the reason Bonnie is the way she is…you know, messed up in the head." Grace said.
Joan was speechless. Adam stared at Grace blankly, not sure what to say or do. Without a word, Joan stood and made her way around to Grace, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Normally, Grace would chide Joan for this, but today was different. Instead she let Joan hug her, and she even hugged back.
"Grace…" Joan said, her voice visibly shaken. "I didn't…I'm so sorry." IT was all Joan could get out. Grace only nodded in response.
"So…" Luke said, trying to break up the intense moment. He rubbed his hands together. "What's our strategy?" He looked at Joan. "And message from the head honcho?"
"Our plan is that we keep on with our daily lives. We avoid Hunter at all possible costs." Joan said. Grace nodded.
"I second that." She said.
"At the end of the summer, we separate and continue our lives. We keep in contact and we keep a close eye on Ryan's moves and tactics." Joan said again. "And we'll get through all of this…mess. Together."
"Don't do it, Ryan." A voice said from behind Ryan. He was standing on the crowded beach, looking at the water, contemplating. He rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Now what do you want?" Ryan turned around to see God standing there, as a skinny, tanned woman in a bikini. He raised an eyebrow at Beach Girl God. "Are you trying to seduce me, Lord?" He asked seductively. Beach Girl God smirked at him, unamused..
"I know everything Ryan…that comment was rolling around your head for a full thirty seconds before you used it. I also know what you're planning on doing." She said to him. Ryan snorted.
"And you can't stop me." He smiled wickedly. "See I was paying attention to that part, G-dawg. You can't directly intervene."
"You're right. I can't." Beach Girl God shrugged and walked away towards the lifeguard stand. Ryan snickered. Resolved, he headed down the beach to a less crowded section to execute his plan.
"Nice day at the beach today, isn't it, Joan?" Beach Girl God asked from next to the lifeguard stand. Joan squinted and looked down, inspecting God's new appearance.
"Nice suit." Joan said approvingly.
"Well it's not teeny weeny yell polka dot bikini, but it'll do." God said. Grace looked at the girl and then at Joan.
"God morphs into hot babes on a beach?" Grace asked, sounded almost grossed out. "That's disturbing."
"Hello, Grace." Beach Girl God said. "You know I always did like your sense of humor." She mused.
"Okay…this stuff freaks me out." Grace said. She climbed down from the lifeguard stand.
"That's okay. Luke's coming down the beach now." Beach Girl God pointed. "You can make the exit you're thinking about making." She assured. Grace looked at her.
"See, this is why people freak out about you." She said holding a finger up. "Cover me." She said to Joan, who nodded. Grace met Luke about fifteen feet behind the lifeguard stand. He wrapped her up in a hug and kissed her. Two weeks after everything have come out in the open and things were getting back to normal-better even.
"You've got bad news for me, don't you?" Joan asked. "I know I know, no answers to questions, blah, blah, blah." Joan answered herself.
"Let her go, Joan. It's something she has to do." Beach Girl God said.
"What?" Joan asked. "Do you mean Grace?"
Beach Girl God looked at Joan, squinting in the sunlight. "It's going to get much harder before it gets better, Joan. But you've got to let her do it. Let her go. If you love something, let it go-,"
"Oh, don't go there." Joan held her hand up. Beach Girl God turned and waved to what Joan assumed was a friend and ran off, giving a backwards wave to Joan. Joan sighed.
"Great…" she mumbled.
"Girardi! Are you blind?" Grace yelled, running to the lifeguard stand. She climbed up halfway and grabbed her orange can, unrolling it and putting the strap over her head and across her chest. Joan looked out at the water. Someone was having trouble staying afloat.
"Grace wait!" Joan ran after her. "It's Hunter! It's a trick!" She grabbed Grac'es arm. Grace bit her lip, looking at Hunter sinking and not coming back up and then at Joan.
"Girardi…Satan or not…" Grace trailed off. Joan's eyes widened. Let her go. Joan let Grace go. Grace took off in the water, diving as soon as she could and swimming. Joan went and retrieved her own orange can and followed. Luke watched from the shoreline with his feet wet up to his shins, anxious, just like the crowd that was now forming.
Out in the water, Grace came up for air after diving to look for Ryan. Joan caught up.
"He's been under one minute." She gasped for air, ducking under a swell. Joan nodded.
"Okay. Let's go." She said. Both girls took a deep breath and dove underwater. Grace opened her eyes in the murky, cloudy salt water, as it stung her eyes. She couldn't' see much but she swam around looking for any sing of a Hunter's body. Joan did the same a few feet away. After she ran out of air, she came up.
"Grace?" She called, looking around. "Grace?" She screamed.
Grace turned around before she was about to surface, and came face to face with Ryan. She let out a scream, releasing her bubbles of air and inhaling water inadvertently. Ryan grabbed her by the neck before she could push herself to the surface. She grabbed his wrist, shocked at his strength as she tried to kick away from him. He grabbed her shoulder with his other hand and held her under. As he pulled her closer, she saw the vague outline of something in his mouth. He was breathing underwater. Grace was starting to feel ill to her stomach. She felt her eyes rolling backwards into her head, and it was becoming harder to kick and hold onto Ryan's wrists.
"GRACE!" Joan called out, surfacing again. She was passed panic mode now. Luke saw this from the shoreline and hurriedly made his way out to Joan.
"Luke I can't find Grace!" Joan panicked. Without hearing anything else, Luke inhaled air and dove underwater. Joan's mind went, for a split second, to the fact that Luke was scared of the ocean, and then quickly back to her search of Grace, diving under after Luke.
Grace felt her lungs filling. They were tight and heavy. Her body involuntarily inhaled, getting more and more water and no air. She began to pray. She didn't know exactly who she was praying too. Maybe it was the Beach Girl God. IT could have been that Goth kid God Joan had talked to a bunch of times. Then again it could have been to any God. She couldn't die. Not now. Not when everything had been going right. Not when she'd finally opened herself up and let her life fill up again. With one last ounce of resigned determinism, Grace bent her legs and kicked with all the force she had left in her, thinking only of Luke, and the possibility of what her death could do to him. She felt Ryan surge up with her. Before she reached the surface and air could fill her lungs, she felt herself go limp and the murky sea water became black. Ryan let go of her and turned, swimming his way back to where he came as the bubble of his breathing escaped from the mouthpiece he had in, which was connected to a small canister.
"Grace!" Luke called out. He ducked under a swell and looked over to see a patched of matter blonde hair. "Joan she's over here!" Luke wasted no time in closing the gap to where Grace was floating on her back unconscious, with her head barely above water. Luke reached her and pulled her head to his chest, keeping her shoulders above the water. He kicked in the water, trying to stay afloat and move with the waves on shore.
"We need to get her to the beach." Joan found she was in more control of herself then she expected. It's going to get much harder before it gets better, echoed through Joan's head.
"I don't think she's breathing!" Luke screamed, panicked and horrified. Joan helped Luke swimm with Grace until the water was too shallow. Lifeguards from nearby stands had arrived. A lifeguard truck with spinning lights and a siren had shown up as Luke and Joan dragged Grace far enough on the beach so the water was not hitting her. Joan wasted no time in laying Grace flat on the sand.
She tilted Grace's head back and put her own ear to Grace's chest, looking to see if it was moving as she held her fingers against Grace's neck for a pulse.
"Joan do something!" Luke yelled, feeling helpless. Joan knew he was crying without looking. "She's…she's not breathing!"
"She had a pulse!" Joan called out to the other lifeguards who were within fifteen feet. Joan tilted Grace's head back further and without hesitation, pinched Grace's nose shut, covered Grace's mouth with hers and blew a deep breath in. She did this repeatedly as the other lifeguards prepared a backboard for Grace.
"What happened?" One of the lifeguards asked. He looked more official than the others, probably the head lifeguard, Luke assumed.
"We were trying to save someone!" Joan said. "I don't know what happened!" She put her ear to Grace's chest and felt for a pulse again. Three lifeguards headed in the water to look for the other victim. "Oh, oh God. I lost the pulse. I lost the pulse. Grace! Stop this now! Come back!" Joan yelled. She began to do CPR more forcefully, alternating with the head lifeguard for compressions and breathing.
"How long has she been out, Girardi?" He asked.
"Two…two and a half minutes since we found her." Luke called out. He knew that over four minutes without air to her brain and Grace could have brain damage forever…if she survived.
"Come on Grace!" Joan pleaded as the head lifeguard counted to five before she leaned in for another breath. Luke watched, frozen. He could feel his hart slamming against his ribcage. This couldn't be happening. Grace can't die. She just can't. Please don't let her die.
"Damnit Grace, you are not getting away from us this easily!" Joan screamed, switching to go compressions. "Wake up!" She ordered, close to sobs. "Please…!"
Luke fell to his knees in front of the scene. Grace's lips were blue, her skin was pale, and her body was lifeless. It was the most haunting sight Luke had ever seen. He couldn't believe this was happening. Wasn't there anything he could do? Luke started recycling every prayer he'd ever heard. He begged and pleaded with his own life to God for hers, as most people do in these kinds of situations. That's when he heard the most gut wrenching words he'd ever had to endure.
"Girardi…it's too late." The head lifeguard stopped his end of the CPR. Joan cried into her hands. This was not happening.
"Don't give up on her!" Someone called out. Joan heard the voice. It was Beach Girl God. Without hesitation, Joan snapped back into CPR on her own. Good ripples, right? These will be good ripples…please…she thought.
