8
She was glad when they walked out of there. Not that Keller hadn't been amazing about the whole thing. He asked her so many times if she was truly okay and if she was sure that she didn't want to press charges. Grace didn't see the point. She wasn't going back to him and most things had healed, so pictures were out of the question. They were past that point.
FP opened the passenger side door for her.
"I have to hand it to you. This jacket actually does fit me"
"That's because it was your mama's" he closed the door and walked around the back of the truck, as Grace's head spun. FP hopped in his side and smiled over at her "What are you talking about?"
"Don't tell your brother"
"Rita was a serpent?" she asked "Oh my god, she had to dance"
"Not the only time, from what I'm told"
"That explains so much"
"Explains an inherent skill, does it?"
"What? Stripping?" she asked him "I don't skills with a pole"
"Grace?"
"Okay, fine. I do but that's beside the point"
"No but back up. I need to know more" he laughed. She hit him playfully in the arm "Dude, driving"
"Dude, don't care. You can't just drop a bomb like that"
"You can't be all that surprised. It all fits in, didn't you think?"
"I guess"
She suddenly wished for those boring days where nothing happened and there was no great discoveries of any kind. Those days when her biggest issue was someone's ego or an ill fitted dress
As they made their way through town and over the train tracks, she realised that they weren't heading for Fred's place or the diner. It didn't take her long to realise where he was taking them.
"Umm, FP?"
"Hmmm, yes"
"Why are we going to the trailer park?"
"You need sleep and you won't get it at Fred's. Dalton is gone but even if he shows up. There is serpents all around you there "
"No"
"I'm not fighting with you. Fred gave me some of your stuff, including your laptop and the painkillers that you haven't take in over twenty fours"
"I must be getting better"
"You're clinging your arm to your chest again"
"It's comfortable"
"Nice try. Get take them, they are in my jacket pocket"
"No"
"Grace, for the love of god"
"They make me fuzzy"
"That means they are working" FP pulled the bottle out of his pocket and handed it over to her "You'll feel better"
Grace rolled her eyes and took two, shallowed them without water
"Happy?"
"Ecstatic"
The drove into the trailer park and it seemed like a life time ago that she was there.
The truth was she came back to town a lot more than people knew about. Her brother was the only one that knew, especially after Mary left. Grace tried to get back as much as she could. Sometimes not even Archie knew about it. Grace and Fred were good at that.
She'd fly over for a chat and eat Pop's out of a paper bag in a portable building with dirty floors. Then she be back to the airport and in the fly that night.
Grace in all her quick visits hadn't been to this side of town. The more she found out about her mother, the real her, the more she wondered about her life. She kind of had her stuck in Grace's mind as Alice Cooper, only without the twin set and pearls.
Rita never pretended to be prefect, she actually took pride in it.
Grace, like her mother hated prefect and fake. They had nothing but fire and rage.
He parked the truck by the trailer. He was actually nervous. She was a big city girl, probably lived in a penthouse and here he was. His house had wheels.
They walked up the stairs and he took a deep breath before feeling both her hands on his shoulders as her heels clicked. He looked back quickly, her head was down, watching her feet
"Remember, its small but it home"
"All it needs is four walls and a roof" she said sweetly before he chuckled "Well, and a bathroom"
"I have one of those"
"Well, look at Mr Big Shot, over here" she said in a Yiddish accent, a pretty convincing one at that. She walked through the front door and looked around with a smile on her "I like it"
"Oh come on"
"It's warm and homey"
"Gracie?" he chuckled
"People actually live here. My place, it's just a shell with my stuff it in. I realise that now"
"You know, the old Bellefontaine place is for sale. You always loved that place as a kid"
"How do you remember that?"
"I remember a lot more than you think"
"Fred's kid sister"
"Yeah, it wasn't like you weren't always hanging around"
He watched her go and launch face first on the sofa "Just leave me here" she told him over dramatically.
He smiled at her before walking over and kneeling down. She turned her head to look at him and didn't say anything for a while
"You going to bring it up?" he asked
"What? How you mauled me last night?"
"Ohh, is that what happened?"
She laughed and sat up, pulling him up on to the sofa with her.
"I don't mean to walk in and messy up your quiet life"
"Hey, none of this is your fault. I'm glad you let me help you. Your brother would do everything he could to keep you safe and push comes to shove. Fred would do what he needed to do but I guess this stuff comes more natural to me"
"You're good with trouble?"
"Always"
He didn't want to tell her that it was hard to see her that way. Banged up, it was tough. She wouldn't admit that she was girly. She wasn't as tough as she wanted the world to think she was. FP was happy to keep her secret.
She looked around the trailer again, taking it all in before his hand covered her eyes. She chuckled before moving his hand softly
"Stop it. What do you think is going to happen? I'm going to run away back to NYC"
"You will eventually"
"It's where my business is" she said quietly "Another reason, this is a bad idea. Plus there's your wife"
"Hardly"
"But technically"
"Sounds like you're trying to talk me out of this"
"No, I'm trying to talk myself out of this"
"Grace"
"FP" she teased.
"When I went away. When I was first arrested. Jug called his mom. We were going to move over with them and he called her to say ask if he still could, she didn't let him"
"What?" she asked, he hear the fire in her voice "Who the hell does that?"
"I'm not a prefect parent"
"Stop it"
"I'm not but I'm a hell of a lot better than I was. For my money, that marriage it's done, okay?"
"Who's Penny?"
"I going to kill my son"
"I was eavesdropping"
"She's not someone you need to be worried about"
"Maybe I can help"
She felt his hands around threading through her hair. FP took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"You are not getting involved with this, you understand?"
"But?"
"No, I will handle it. If a blonde approaches you and starts talking about me. You tell her, I was friends with your brother but you have barely seen me since, okay?" he fixed her with his eyes, he didn't blink and he didn't let her look away "Don't believe anything she says"
"Babe" she whispered
"This is the part of my life, you don't need to know about. This is my fight, understand?"
"Hmm-mmm"
"Grace-Ann, I mean it"
"Did you just Grace-Ann me?" She sighed and nodded her head "Understood"
"You're always helping me and you won't let me do the same and I want too"
"Sweetheart, this is different. My life is different, I'm not going to drag you down too"
She watched him walk away and into the kitchen and frowned. There had to be some way to help him
#
He watched her from the kitchen, in her own little world, working away. It must have been difficult for her to run such a hands on business, away from home. FP had never had the dedication that the Andrews crew had, he also never had the stubbornness either. Maybe one was needed for the other.
"I'm going to have to go back to New York" she called out quietly
"When?"
"Next week"
"Gracie, I don't think that's a great idea"
"I have two critical clients I have to meet with"
She heard take a frustrated breath before he walked into the living room and sitting next to her
"How are your chances of not seeing him?"
"Oh once he knows I'm back. He'll find me"
"Can you take Fred?"
"He is dealing with enough and I don't need my big brother holding my hand. I'm a big girl"
FP shook his head and ignored the tone she had just used.
"Sweetheart..."
"What do you think is going to happen?"
"Don't know, maybe he gets pissed off. Only this time you don't make it out"
"Oh come on, his not a monster. He just took it too far"
"And here come the excuses. He hits me but he loves me, really"
She rolled her eyes "I'm not idiot, FP"
"I never said you were"
An edgy silence engulfed them and landed heavily on her chest. Grace couldn't handle it. She normally liked a fight, but somehow, not with him. She turned to face him, folding her legs in front of her.
"Do you think he is going to steal me away?"
"I know guys like this. You're only starting to see the real him and he's charmed you once"
"FP, really. What's going on?" Her fingers threaded slowly at the back of his neck and she pulled him forward "Talk to me"
"What if you don't come back?"
"I'm coming back"
"That city can be seductive and you have a lot more there then you do here"
"Do you really think I would ran away. When we haven't figure out what this is between us yet? Hmm?"
"Might be wise"
"Who's running away now?" she chuckled "Listen, all I know for sure is. My life feels better with you in it. Why would I not come back for that?"
He looked up at her and she saw the boy she remember innocent and cheeky, inquisitive. He was right there in front of her.
Suddenly the trailer door opened and they pulled away from each other slowly before looking over at Jughead. He just smirked knowingly at them
"Sorry"
"Nothing to be sorry about son"
"Carry on" Jughead told him, quickly walking through.
She pressed her lips together and tried not to laugh. Clearly they hadn't been as covert as she first thought.
