Ok guys last chapter, hope you enjoy it. This one is dedicated to my 3 most loyal readers. Nyklm, Sam, and Hj Glory.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Grace didn't say anything the rest of the flight home. The thought of Mitch being at her house had more than startled her. It made her realize the safety she had once known was gone. Nothing would ever be the same.
They arrived in Indianapolis Airport a few hours later. Will had asked the rest of the family not to meet them at the airport, mostly because of the attention it would draw. But he wanted to give Grace a choice about whom she felt like seeing and whom she didn't.
"You want to eat before we go to the hotel?" Will asked.
Grace just shook her head.
"Yeah, you must be tired, we'll head back. I'm sure if you're hungry later they'll be something there, or someone to go pick something up for you."
Grace still did not speak. It was as if she were in a trance. Will had noticed her silence but said nothing. He could imagine how traumatic the whole situation must be for her.
Will took her up to the hotel room, but before entering asked her …
"Do you want to see everyone at once, or would you rather be alone?"
Her eyes were dull and heavy, and her face bruised and cut, she looked as though she had aged 10 years.
"I'll go." She said pale faced and monotone. Will could not help to admire her strength. Luke and Joan had told him about it, but never had he witnessed it himself until now.
Upon entering Grace was immediately rushed by the Girardi's and Adam. Luke pulled her into an embrace first. He held her tightly against him; one hand around her lower back and the other one holding her head to his shoulder as he gently stroked her hair. Although she let him do this in front of the others, she did not hold him back.
She closed her eyes tightly against his neck. They stayed like this for no less than ten minutes before Luke gently pushed her back to examine her. His eyes, which were already watery, began to fill up even more as he ran his hands along the outline of her face. She starred at him intensely, her eyes showing sorrow, but not shedding a tear.
The others watched as it occurred. Joan and Helen were both teary eyed and Adam was close to it himself. Adam put an arm around Joan who in return hugged him back.
"I'm so sorry he hurt you." He said pulling her back against him. She nodded finally letting tears fall. She again let him, still not returning the embrace. After about a minute's time she spoke. Her voice was strong but quiet. It, unlike her eyes showed no emotion.
"Did you know?" She asked him. It was barely audible to the other Girardi's who were straining their ears from a few feet away.
Luke closed his eyes tightly, his stomach churned at the question. He pushed her back again to look into her eyes.
She looked so scared, so helpless, but Luke knew better, about her being helpless at least.
He shook his head slowly, scared of her reaction, but it was inevitable.
Grace starred at him for a moment longer. She then swallowed hard and nodded before slowly pulling from his arms and heading for a bedroom.
"Grace I …"
He couldn't get anymore out in time to stop her. Joan, who had tried to follow her, was stopped by Helens arm. "Let her be Joan." Helen managed to say through her own tears.
Grace had thrown herself on the bed and was sobbing hysterically into the pillow, never had she cried so deeply, and never had she had a reason to.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door.
"Grace?" It was Luke. " May I come in?"
After no answer he let himself in. After seeing her on the bed he proceeded to sit beside her. He rubbed her back to try to calm her crying. It did calm her a little. She was physically and emotionally drained.
When she finally sat up and wiped her eyes Luke looked at her a long while before finally asking, "Can we talk?"
She pulled her knees to her chin and nodded slowly as if to question herself about agreeing to talk to him.
He scooted to sit more closely to her. She didn't speak she just sat there, waiting.
He brushed some hair from her face and glided his hand down her cheek before beginning.
"I… uh …um don't know hot to start." He chuckled nervously as he watched another tear roll down her face and land on her knee.
"Do you want to start instead?" He asked seeing how unlike herself she was acting.
Grace looked up at him and bit her lip.
He frowned and wiped another tear from her face.
"I don't think there is anything to say." She said before again breaking out into another hysterical cry.
"Grace…"
"No, Luke, You lied to me." She sniffed to try and stifle some tears.
She repeated herself as if she herself did not believe the words she had just spoken.
"You lied to me, how could you do that?"
"I… Luke tried to speak but was interrupted.
"I warned you, don't you remember? I even told you why. I trusted you to understand." The last of her words would have not been understandable to anyone who had not ever heard her cry before. They were just sobs.
Luke couldn't stand to watch her like this. It didn't make since in his head. She was so strong. It hurt him even more to know that he had brought her to this, to cause her this pain.
He reached over and pulled her into another hug, but it only lasted a few seconds before Grace pushed him away.
"No." she said in half a cry half a whisper.
"What do you mean?"
It took her a second to stop crying so she could answer.
"For a genius you sure are slow. I mean it's over, we're done."
"Grace please, don't you want to know why I didn't tell you?"
"No! I already know why. The same reason Rove and your sister didn't tell me, but I didn't expect as much from them as I did you, they weren't given any rules, and they didn't break any promises to me. You did! You betray my trust. And if you didn't notice that's not something I hand out like flyers Luke. And it's definitely not something I give people a second chance with. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Luke was again in tears. He felt at an all time low. She had not even mentioned Mitch at all. It didn't seem to matter to her compared to what Luke had done. Luke felt dirty, He felt as if in her eyes he was Mitch's equal.
"Grace please, I'm sorry, you know I'm sorry! Please! I love you!"
Grace just looked at him, pitying him. She loved him too, but he could have cost her her life, and worse if she forgave him and stayed, his.
She finally spoke.
"I'm sorry too." She got up and left the room, Luke followed.
As she made her way to the front door of the room many of the people who didn't greet her before tried to greet her, but she didn't stop for any of them, any of them except Luke.
She turned and faced him after she opened the door. She put her hands on his shoulders and stared into his teary eyes.
"Thank you for all the time we had together, it meant a lot to me." I t was all she could bring herself to admit to him at the time. She gave him one last hug and kiss on the cheek before heading out the door.
He started to follow but she cut him off at the elevator, closing the door in his face. He tried to run down the stairs to catch up to her, but there were just too many.
As he finally made it to the bottom he began to face reality. Grace was gone. He had seen her for the last time.
He sat on the bench overlooking the pool and cried. What he wouldn't give for a second chance.
About an hour later Joan, who was sent to find him, joined him. She knew what had happened, she had expected it, and she knew what she must do.
"Do you want to talk?" she asked.
He looked at her and just cried, the pain evident in his eyes. She pulls him into a hug and begins to cry too. Knowing that she had probably seen her friend for the last time as well.
Then, the radio begins and a familiar song starts up.
Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup,they slither while they pass they slip across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting through my open mind
Possessing and caressing me
Jai guru deva om
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes; that call me on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox they tumble as they make tere way across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Sounds of laughter shades of life
Are ringing through my open ears exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on across the universe
Jai guru deva om
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Nothings gonna change my world
Jai guru deva
Jai guru deva
Joan wipes a tear from her eye as the song finishes. She looks up toward the radio to see a young guy in a familiar brown jacket controlling the radio. She smiles and nods to him in acknowledgement of the song.
He smiles back.
Joan realizes then that she had done her job. Not everything ends perfectly, but you can help people get through it.
"Lets get you upstairs." She says to Luke who does not object. On the way up he pulls off a flyer that Joan had hung up earlier. After all, She is no longer missing; she just does not wish to be found …yet.
Song: Across the Universe. -Beetles, Fiona Apple.
If you guys were really paying attention you may have recognized the song from two episodes of Joan of Arcadia. Both times it was played during sad times so I thought I'd do the same.
It was played once when Adam and Joan were watching video of Adams mom and Helen read the letter, and the other time was towards the end of season two, sorry my mind has left me lol I don't remember exactly what was happening then. Anyways I really liked the song when I heard it and I thought it worked pretty well for this.
I really hope you enjoyed this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Yes imp sorry this is the last chapter, However, I may be easily persuaded for a sequel (hint hint) and perhaps fix the sad ending in the next story. Lol that's up to you. Like I tell my good friend Hj Glory, I already know what happens in the end lol I wrote it. So if ya liked it or would like to see a sequel please review. I know a lot of people read it. Yes lol we authors get to see how many people read each chapter. So I think with an average of about 100 hits per chapter I think we can do a little better than 3reviews right? Lol ok ok what the heck you all know im gonna write a sequel so just humor me and review. Tell me what ya think, tell me what you'd like to see happen. New story open canvas. Look for the sequel. Oh yeah this ending is specially dedicated to nkylm who is the biggest fan of my cliffhangers ever! Lol how was this to end the story? lol
