PART 3FORCES OF NATURE

Evanston, Illinois... At the Manning Manor... Grace Manning entered the back door of her mother's house without knocking. Her mother Lily was currently looking for something in the icebox and obviously not finding anything, she slammed it shut. Her eyes lit up upon seeing her daughter walk in with a bag of grocery in her hands. After unloading the bag of groceries on the kitchen table, she gave her mother a hug.

"Hi mom." Grace greeter her mother with a smile.

"Hi sweety. You're a savior. Rick forgot to drop by the grocery this morning. I was panicking on what to prepare for dinner!" Lily exclaimed.

"Mom, it's okay. Relax." Grace chuckled at her mother. She's too much of a worrier sometimes. She guessed that maybe Jessie's mom, Karen, was rubbing it off on her, and it was kind of funny.

"So, have you talked to Jessie?" Lily asked Grace. But before Grace could answer, her 11-year old brother Joshua, came rushing to the kitchen.

"Hey---" Joshua trailed off upon seeing his eldest sister. "Grace! You're here!" Joshua ran around the kitchen and hugged Grace tightly. "Are you staying for dinner?" Joshua beamed. Grace still couldn't believe how much he resembles Jessie than any other member of the family.

"No Josh, I just brought some food. I'm going to dinner with Tad." She patted Joshua's head and messed his hair a bit.

"You're not staying for dinner?" Lily asked rather disappointedly.

"We have to go through other details of the wedding, mom. She sighed. She never realized it would take so much of her time just putting the wedding together. "Thanks for helping me with everything."

"You're my daughter, I'm supposed to busy myself with your wedding. Why don't you invite Tad over so we can have dinner together? It's been a long time since we dined as a family anyway, and Joshua really misses you." Lily smiled.

"Would that be okay? I mean, I'm really hungry, and I don't feel like driving just to meet Tad at the restaurant tonight."

"Call him then." Lily pondered on what to prepare for dinner.

"Can we have pizza?" Joshua asked, sounding hopeful.

"No, we're not having pizza tonight." Grace answered her brother.

"Why not?" Joshua was whining like he always does when he doesn't get what he wants.

"Because pizza is not dinner. Maybe next time, Josh." Grace grinned at her little brother.

"Jessie would let me have pizza anytime I want. Why can't Jessie be here?" Joshua mumbled and pouted as he walked out of the kitchen. Grace and Lily couldn't help but smile but smile at each other.

"He's too obvious." Grace said in amusement.

"What?"

"It's obvious that Jessie is his favorite sister." Grace wasn't hurt by that fact, and she was rather entertained seeing her youngest sibling turning out to be a younger male version of her once archnemesis-stepsister.

"I'm gonna call Tad." Grace walked to the nearby kitchen phone.

"Oh, the florist wanted to see you tomorrow. She wants to show you her proposed decorations. You should call her."

"Thanks mom, but after I talk to Jessie." Grace reached for the kitchen phone and dialed Tad's number first. Tad agreed to come over. Right after hanging up with him, Grace dialed Jessie's California number.

Laguna Beach... Jessie was still sleeping on the couch. She never even had the chance to change her clothes. She was jerked from sleep when the phone rang. Without opening her eyes, she sat up, reached for her telephone, and spoke.

"Hello..." Jessie said groggily. She felt so tired, she just wants to slam the damn phone. Then, hey eyes shot wide open upon hearing Grace screaming on the other line. She was so ecstatic, talking really loud and fast, she couldn't understand a thing. Now she's sure she wont be able to go back to sleep. Jessie made sure that her ears are now far enough from the ear piece of the telephone. Then she screamed on the mouthpiece.

"Grace, what the hell?! Trying to shatter my eardrums into pieces?!" She got up from the couch, slightly annoyed, which only satisfied Grace. That was her intention. Jessie finally calmed down.

"I could feel you grinning from here. I bet you did that on purpose?" Jessie asked knowingly and headed to the kitchen for coffee.

"Wow, that's a big progress. Our sisterly connection is really starting to improve, isn't it?" Of course, Grace was grinning. Her plan to mess up her stepsister's night (or Jessie's afternoon, considering the time difference in California and Illinois) worked. She could hear Jessie's sigh on the other line.

"So, why did you call? What's worth enough to get me out of my precious sleep?" Jessie inquired seriously, but she was smiling, messing around with her stepsister as well.

"Well, obviously, you didn't get a word that I was saying---" Grace was cut off by Jessie.

"Oh, I'm sorry Grace, but I didn't get any word that you were SCREAMING." Jessie was grinning now, as she put some coffee on the maker. Grace giggled on the other line.

"Jessie, there's something I want you to do for me." She suddenly turned serious that made Jessie pause for a while.

"Okay." Jessie turned serious too.

"I would like you to be my maid of honor, Jess." Grace smiled. Jessie stood leaning against her kitchen table in a trance for a while. She couldn't believe it at first. But when she finally got a grip of reality, it hit her. Grace is getting married!

"Oh my God! You and Tad are getting married?!" Jessie was ecstatic.

"Yes Jessie, we are." Grace still had that proud smile on her face.

"And... You want me to be your maid of honor?" Jessie was in disbelief.

"Yeah, and I'm still waiting for your answer, your know." Grace knew Jessie wouldn't say no.

"Of course Grace, I'll be your maid of honor, I'd love to! But... What about Zoe?"
Jessie asked worriedly. Zoe hates being excluded in important things like this. She worried about what her reaction might be when she gets to be Grace's maid of honor and not her. Zoe is Grace's real sister, afterall.

"What about her?" Grace frowned. She has no idea why Jessie sounded so worried.

"She would want to be a part of your wedding. I mean, she's your real sister, Grace."

"And what are you, my fake sister? Jessie, you're my sister too." Grace smiled again. On the other line, Jessie couldn't stop herself from smiling either. She was really glad that she and Grace were able to repair their used-to-be strained relationship. Well, they were teenagers back then anyway, and both of them had so much angst in highschool.

"To tell you the truth, I planned to have 2 maids of honor. And of course, that would have been you and Zoe. But she couldn't make it on my wedding, she has examinations and all. She promised to be home on Thanksgiving though... I really want you to be my maid of honor, Jess, and Zoe's definitely cool with it." She assured Jessie.

"Although..." Grace continued, then trailing off.

"What?" Jessie narrowed her eyes. She knew that tone.

"She made me promise something." Grace expressed in mock regret.

"What did you promise her? Not my first born child, I hope." Jessie had a bad feeling about what Grace was about to say.

"Zoe's not really good with kids, so, no... She gets to be your maid of honor, on YOUR wedding day." On the other line, Grace was grinning.

"Yeah, right. She wished. I'm not even close to getting married. Well, tell her to cross her fingers and pray her heart out, okay?" She chuckled, but sounded a bit somber.

While talking to Jessie, Grace heard Tad's car parked outside and after a while, she heard his voice as if he's talking to someone.

"Hey Jess, I think Tad's here. I'll call you again with the details, alright?"

"Alright, Grace." Jessie smiled.

"Take care, Jessie."

"I will... Thank you."

"Bye."

They hung up. Both of them felt good just after talking to each other. This wouldn't have been possible in highschool, with both of them getting at each other's throats every time. The bond that they have now was unbelievable, even their parents wondered. Of course, they were happy about this progress in the girls' relationship, but they still couldn't help their curiosities.

Jessie will forever be glad for having this chance to be friends and to actually be sisters with Grace. She wouldn't admit it before, but she loved her stepsister. Even her stepmother, Lily. She loves everyone in her family so much, she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Jessie's senior year in higshcool had been rough. Her bestfriend Katie had left for college and had literally shattered her heart into pieces. Back then, it wasn't really clear to her why she felt that way. Katie brought happiness in her life that she hadn't had in her depressive years. She was thankful for it. Everything was going great. They used to talk about everything, she sings to Katie, they even had staring marathons that could last for hours and she could still remember the way that she gets lost in those mossy green eyes. But what does it all mean? She didn't know at first. All she knows was that she's so happy just having Katie around. She doesn't even have to talk. She felt so comfortable being with Katie, until Grace decided to head that stupid Gay-Straight Alliance thing and made a casual comment about Katie being gay. Jessie of course, defended Katie's HONOR but Grace insisted that Katie broke Sarah Grasso's heart, Jessie insisted that she knows Katie and she isn't gay. Grace just dismissed the issue and left Jessie wondering.

That's when she started feeling weird around Katie, and she started drifting away from her. Of course, she hurt Katie, she's perfectly aware of that. But she didn't do anything. The practically fell out of each other's lives (or rather, she cut Katie out of her life and Katie did the same). Katie was miserable, but she didn't give Jessie the satisfaction to see it. She had ways to hide her feelings, and being the social butterfly that she is, she managed to make everyone believe that she's okay, though she was definitely dying inside. Jessie was too, she miss Katie so much, but she wasn't that obvious either. She had dialed Katie's phone number a couple of times but it always ended with her hanging up. She had no idea what to say anyway. She wanted them to be friends again, but Jessie's couldn't even tell Katie. She was too confused to even say anything. Sometimes, Grace's voice telling her how obvious her feelings for Katie are kept repeating on her head, she hated it. She did everything to convince herself that she's not in love with anyone, especially with Katie. She's a girl afterall.

Seeing Katie everyday near the lockers at school helped her out of her misery somehow. At least she gets to see her. It was still weird for her, how Katie makes her feel better just by being able to look at her face, even if that means they're not talking to each other anymore, still dismissing the possibility that maybe Katie's more than a friend to her. Until Katie came over one dreadful night, after almost a year of not talking to her, to say goodbye. Katie had to leave for college. She was sure Katie was going to Harvard. They both agreed to go to Harvard, and Jessie couldn't wait to graduate and follow her. But then, she was informed that Katie was going to London. That's not even in the same continent! But then, there wasn't much words said. It was a short goodbye. And when reality finally hit her, Katie was gone, and Jessie knew it was her who drove her away.

All of a sudden, everything seemed so clear to her. She has feelings for Katie. As to the extent of it, she was too young then to determine. She never considered being attracted to girls. But she has strong feelings for Katie, too intense, it almost crippled her when she left without giving her enough reason as to why. She didn't realize how much of an effect Katie had on her until Katie took that flight to London and never saw her since then.

She remembered what Ron said in the third Harry Potter movie when they had their first encounter with dementors. I felt like I could never be cheerful again. That's exactly how Jessie felt. She was in a funk for a year, trying to study hard and to forget about Katie. Grace knew exactly how she was feeling even if she didn't say anything. That's what she love about Grace, she always knows what's going on in her sister's head, even in her heart.

She would have chased after Katie, just to see her again, just to confirm her feelings for her, because it's hard to put a name into something you've never felt before.

Having those feelings for Katie when she was thousands of miles away from her raised more problems on Jessie's part. It was like discovering herself all over again. There were so many questions she needed to be answered. Grace didn't badger her about it, 'coz she already seemed to know. Jessie questioned her own sexuality. At first, Jessie kept on denying herself the truth, scared to disappoint her parents and everyone else. But with Grace on her side, giving her the much needed support, Jessie decided to stop trying to live up to people's expectations. She accepted the fact that she's not as perfect as everybody sees. She was a broken soul, and then there was the fact that she was never attracted to guys anyway. She's had a few crushes but her feelings never went beyond that. Then there goes the hard part; the part where she had to tell her parents that she's not the perfect little girl that they've always believed to be. It's not that she's dating anybody or anything, but she had to tell them. It's their right to know who she really is.

To Jessie's surprise, her family wasn't as disappointed as they imagined they would be. They were all supportive, just like Grace said. Rick was, of course, a little horrified at first. But then he joked about how weird it would be for him to be scaring girls instead of guys with shotgun violence if they come to pick Jessie up on a date, everybody laughed so hard. Then she told them about Katie, and the strong feelings that she has for her.

She told her family how Katie poured her heart out to Jessie, in just one simple letter, and how she hurt Katie by being too afraid of facing her own feelings and what the other people would think. It used to be all about her, but Jessie has changed all over the years. She had come out and had been open about her sexuality. She dated a lot of girls and guys, trying desperately to find that connection she had only felt with Katie, despite of never having any romantic relationship with her at all. And all the attempts failed. That's why she's here, in her cozy beach house, alone, and thinking of that "ONE PERSON THAT GOT AWAY". She wondered how Katie was doing now.

Back in Evanston, Illinois... Tad Pincus had just gotten out of his car and was talking to someone on his celphone. Grace opened the front door and watched her fiance with a smile, as he paced back in forth in the lawn while talking with his cel on his right ear. He was frantic, and Grace had an idea why Tad was acting like it.

"Finally!" Tad exclaimed, raising his free hand in the air, as Katie answered the phone.

"Tad? It's like... Early morning here... Why did you call?" Katie asked in disbelief. Hearing someone's voice from home was comforting, but despite of how comforting it was, Tad woke her up in the middle of her sleep.

"Singer, I left like one hundred messages on your voice mail and answering machine but you haven't called me back. Found new friends and decided to ditch the old?" Tad was, of course, mocking her. But he couldn't help it. That was one of things he miss when Katie decided to fly halfway around the world to get away from Jessie. He knew about Katie's feelings for his former crush, and understood how Jessie seemed to straight back then that Katie chickened out. She felt too much for Jessie that she had to run away from it. But Tad knew better. Katie can run away as far as she wants to, wherever she wants, but she left her heart, right here, in Evanston. One big mistake.

"I'm not home." Katie answered without thinking. It was too late when she realized that she got caught. Now, she just gave her bestfriend one reason to mock her for the rest of her miserable life.

"Whoa, wait Singer. Out on a one-nighter again" Tad was acting all brotherly on Katie again. It was adorable, they way he always looks out for her, and Katie really appreciated it.

Back in London, Katie got up from the bed, threw a brief look at the beautiful blond lying naked under the sheets on the right side of the bed.

"Uh, Tad, can you hold on a second?" Katie picked up her clothes scattered on the floor without waiting for Tad's response. She jumped into her clothes as fast as she can, grabbed her purse from the nightstand, crept out of the unfamiliar bedroom silently, and was now out of the apartment of the lady she slept with that night.

"I'm back." Katie chuckled.

"Good." Tad smiled.

"So, what's up?" She inquired, wondering what made Tad call this time in the morning.

"I have news for you." Tad was jumping. From the front door, Grace couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her future husband, acting like a kid while pacing their lawn. Tad heard her and turned around, gave her a smile, and never took his eyes off her while talking to Katie.

"Grace says hi." He continued.

"Say hello to her too." Katie still couldn't believe how in love Tad is with Grace now. She never even imagined they would get together in highschool. Tad would never stop hitting on Jessie back then, and if it weren't for their friendship, Katie would have whacked him really hard on the head out of jealousy. From the background, she could hear Tad yelling at Grace to relay her message. She smiled again. She felt truly happy for both of them.

"We're getting married." Tad said proudly. Katie, too surprised at the news, didn't see that her car was just ahead of her. She slammed into the car and fell into the pavement. She was thankful it was still dark and no one was around to see it. She was furiously blushing right now. Tad heard the sound and was immediately worried.

"Katie! Are you alright?! What happened?!"

"Relax Tad, I just crashed into my own car." Katie rubbed her butt, it was hurting when she got up.

"What are you, blind?" Tad was laughing now. He could just imagine Katie right now. If this happened in higschool, Katie would be rubbing her sorry ass in front of the entire student body and everybody would be smart enough not to laugh at the expense of the most popular and charming girl in school, except for Tad of course, and Jessie probably.

"No, just plain stupid." Katie retorted.

"Your head is flying Singer, focus. Is it the sex?" This is Tad, with his usual self, the jock.

"What?" Her eyebrows furrowed. Sometimes, Tad can still be, well, himself.

"Was the sex good enough to ponder, or just too horrifying to make your mind wander?" He grinned. He could just imagine Katie's face right now.

"That's lame, Pincus." Katie rolled her eyes. "You're just too disgusting sometimes, you know that? God, give the phone to Grace and I'll try to put some sense into her. She should know what she's getting into." She joked, then opened the car and got in, but didn't stop the engine. "Wow, Tad... You really are getting married."

"Yeah... I love Grace, Katie... I never thought I'd love anyone this much. It's amazing." Tad said in a dream-like tone.

"I know the feeling..." Katie's mind drifted on her own, memory flashes of a certain blond girl flooding in her head.'

"So, I guess you're gonna have to book your flight early. It's going to be days before Thanksgiving, you have to beat the rush at the airport." Tad said in confidence.

"What?" Katie came back to earth.

"You're coming... Right?" It doesn't sound like a request from Tad, it was an order.

"Tad..." Katie was prepared to argue to get herself out of it.

"Singer, get your bad ass back here in Chicago in time for my wedding, alright? No but's and no's, just come." He said in a threatening tone. He doesn't want to argue either, but he knew Katie.

"What's the catch?" She wanted to say no, but knew that Tad wouldn't let go without a fight.

"Catch? What catch? Katie, it's ONLY the most important day of my life, and I wouldn't want anyone else standing right beside me waiting for Grace but my bestfriend. And that's YOU, in case you forgot." Tad was dead serious now. It sent daggers through Katie. She knew how it made him unhappy when she left, but she had to do that for herself. And Tad tried to understand her.

"Tad..."

"You haven't come home for more than ten years. A few days wont hurt. I'll renounce you, Katie, I swear. If you don't come, I'll never talk to you again."

Both of them fell into silence. It took a lot of Katie's energy to say the words that Tad wanted to hear.

"Okay, I'll be there." She sighed.

"Look, Katie, we both know why you don't want to come home, but it's been years..."

"I said I'll be there Tad, don't worry."

"I just really need you there."

"I know Tad, and I'll be there, I promise." She could feel her heart increased its pace. She tried to find the humor in her current dilemma. "But I'm not wearing a tux." She smiled. Tad chuckled.

"I know it isn't conventional, having you as my bestman... Err... Bestwoman. But it's okay and that would mean a lot to me... So, what would you be wearing?" Tad knew Katie would look stunning on that day, as she usually does, making they eyes of every male present pop out of its sockets, unaware of the fact that Katie's batting for the same thing, and that she's a tough competition.

"A nice dress."

"A nice dress it is... Thanks, Katie."

"Bye Tad."

Tad hung up, and walked to his waiting fiancee. Upon reaching the front door, he kissed Grace on the lips.

"So, she said yes?" Grace sounded hopeful.

"Yes, I told you I could." He grinned. "And Jessie?"

"There's no way my maid of honor would stood me up on my wedding day." Grace matched the grin on Tad's face. "Let's get in, it's getting cold." Grace and Tad held each other's hands as they entered the front door of the Manning Manor.

On some part, Tad was sincere when he told Katie that he needs her at the wedding. He wouldn't really want anyone else to stand by his side as he waits for Grace at the altar. But part of the reason why he was so insistent on making her his "bestwoman" was Jessie. It was just so obvious how his two friends feel about each other, despite of those years, which would have put the flame off some normal couple. But with Jessie and Katie, with their lack of communication, and they never even had a relationship to start with, it was different. It was like they lost half of each other when Katie made the stupid decision of moving to London. And if their friends are just too stupid to realize what they have, "they'll never be as happy with anyone as much as they are with each other", as Grace puts it, he and his future wife will help them see it. Tad was never a sucker for true love until he fell for Grace. And he felt that between Jessie and Katie. He could still remember the time when he stood in the hallway of Upton Sinclair, between them, trying to get their attention, or rather Jessie's, and they didn't pay him a bit. Jessie and Katie ignored Tad totally and just stood there, staring at each other like they were the only people that exist. He felt some sort of electricity going on there; he almost burst into flames just standing between them. It was only now that he understood what it meant. Somehow, he wished he knew it back then, and he could have knocked some sense into Katie's hard head.

Back in London, Katie's head was rambling with thoughts again. She's going home, finally...