A/N-So this chapter has been sitting in my computer half-finished for awhile…I got majorly stuck on this chapter and I apologize. I did however manage to finish this chapter…It's not really my favorite, but hopefully you all enjoy it.
Chapter Eight: Talking to You
Grace wakes up to a knock on her door. She gets out of bed and opens the door to see her father standing behind it.
"Do you want to go somewhere?"
Grace rubs the sleep out of her eyes and nods her head.
"Yeah, just let me change."
Lucas smiles and nods his head.
When Grace finishes changes and she follows her father out to the car.
"Is this going to be a get to know you hang out or what?" Grace asks with a hint of happiness to her.
Lucas turns to his daughter and smiles.
"I'd like it to be, but if you don't want to that's fine too."
"Where are we going?"
Lucas smiles at his daughter.
"My favorite place in the world."
~~~/~~~/~~~
Lucas pulls up to the river court and hops out of the car. Grace smiles at Lucas because it was also one of her favorite places as well. Lucas and Grace make their way to the bench and look towards the water.
"Why is this your favorite place?"
"It's where I started playing basketball. I didn't start playing on the Ravens until my junior year and even then it was tough."
"How come?" Grace asks as she looks at her father.
"Nathan and I didn't really know each other. We were brothers but we didn't grow up together. Our father, Dan Scott, is a pretty bad guy. I've never liked him."
"I've had my share of bad guys too."
Lucas turns to Grace with a serious look on his face.
"My dad didn't want me okay, not that he just didn't want to claim me, he didn't want me to be born."
Grace shakes her head.
"You're not your dad. You've obviously claimed me and I know you're not a murderer."
Lucas looks at Grace in surprise.
"I've read your book."
Lucas smiles and nods his head.
"You and mom really love each other don't you?"
"Yeah, and we've been through a lot too. I'm sorry I never knew about you. I'm sorry about how your life started. Peyton was scared, I'm just sorry."
"There isn't anything that anybody can do anyway. What's done is done, let's just move on."
"It's okay to be angry Gracyn. Hell, I'm angry. You don't have to keep it in all the time. You can talk to me and to Peyton."
Grace looks at her dad and sighs.
"I spent most of my life not relying on anybody. It's really different for me. You two are like super nice and I haven't really had that. Brooke and Julian are great, but it's different because Sam got lucky, me I'm getting my second chance and I don't want to take it for granted, but you two are trying too hard."
Lucas chuckles and nods his head.
"I have a tendency to do that. I think I get it from my mom. Her name is Karen and she spent her whole life making sure I had everything I wanted she is my mom and I'm glad I'm like her and not Dan."
"I'm glad you aren't too because that would make you a murderer."
~~~/~~~/~~~
After spending the morning with her dad, Gracyn and Lucas headed home where Peyton was waiting for them. Lucas dropped Grace off because he had some things to do before Monday came and basketball practice resumed.
Grace walks inside and sees Peyton with paint cans waiting in the hallway.
"What are you doing?"
Peyton looks at Grace and smiles.
"I was thinking that we can paint your room and then that way we have some bonding being done."
Grace raises an eyebrow and shrugs her shoulders.
"Whatever just let me change?"
After Grace changed into an old pair of jeans and t-shirt as well as Peyton they headed back into the room and started taking things out of the hallway leaving the room clear to do what they needed to do.
"How has your morning been so far?" Peyton asks gently.
Grace finished the last of her paint stroke and sighed.
"Fine."
Peyton drops her paint brush into the can and sits down.
"I don't know how to do this."
Grace turns around.
"Do what?"
"Talk to you. I lost my both of my mom when I was little. I don't know how to be a mom."
"I haven't had a mom in 15 years. I don't need one now."
Grace puts her brush away and takes a seat.
"No, I think you do, but you won't admit it. I've been thinking a lot and I realize that you are just like me. You keep things hidden and you don't talk about it, but Gracyn, I am here and I wasn't before, but I am here now. I just want things to be okay with us and I know it will take awhile, but I really want this to work."
Grace smirks and stands up again. She goes back to Peyton and Peyton just sits there looking confused. After a few moments Grace turns around.
"You're wrong you know?"
"About what?"
"You do know how to talk to me. All the foster homes that I've been in talked to me like I was five when in fact I was older and a teenager, so, you're wrong. You do know how to talk to me. And we'll get passed this stage. I believe that."