Author's Note: Each incarnation of God has a different effect on people. While Little Girl God may have a more innocent and peaceful way about her, Goth Kid God has a more eerie and almost scary way about him. Just thought you should know.

Chapter 3

"Who the hell are you?" Grace demanded. She wasn't in the mood to deal with another freak. She inwardly flinched realizing what she was thinking.

"Probably some devil worshiper coming to this cave to pray to the Devil." John supplied, his eyes looking over the Goth Kid cautiously. Grace noticed a smirk on his face, as if he were enjoying some inside joke that only he knew.

"Nope, I was just hiking." He said. His emotionless voice creeped Grace out. The Goth Kid stared at Grace, his dull lifeless eyes seemed to see into her very soul. The Goth kid slowly walked past Grace and hopped onto the picnic table as if he owned the place.

"Hey wait I know you." Grace said approaching the Goth. "Seen you with Joan Girardi a few times." The Goth Kid raised his eyebrow as if to say, 'yeah so?'

"Wait, this creep knows my sister?" Luke said, Grace noticed the disturbed look in his eyes. He was itching to defend his sister's 'honor.' Grace almost wanted to laugh, but at the same time felt a pang of love for Luke. The Goth just looked at Luke with a curious eye unflinching.

"You could say we are friends." The Goth said quietly. "Which is why I suggest that you shouldn't leave this cave until the storm is over." The cave's entrance flashed for a second, and then the cave floor began to rattle. "The storm, its going to be demolisher." The Goth Kid turned his head from Grace to Luke and smiled slightly. "But what can I do?" He then laid down on the table, his feet hanging over the tables edge. Feeling uncomfortable around the Goth Kid, they went towards the back of the cave where the small wooden crates were. Grace looked down at the makeshift toys, and she could remember the time spent playing with them. Luke began sifting through them, expecting each one as if they were some secret artifact. Which they were, at least they were to Grace. These were the artifacts of her childhood. After her mother began drinking heavily, she was reluctant to accept any gifts from her parents. Even then she understood the idea of buying someone off. These toys, were made of sticks and old Junk, things people see but never look at. Except for maybe Adam who had become a talented artist using what people often over look. The memories of her past swirled within her mind and she could see the Phantoms of Adam, Steve, and herself playing in and around the cave. Steve and Adam had swords they had made from sticks and fought for Grace.

"How do you know my sister?" Luke asked after he finished looking at the makeshift toys, the swords Adam and Steve had fought with.

"Same way I know all the people I know." The Goth kid said chuckling. It was an eerie laugh, sending chills down Grace's spine. Grace stood up and could see that smirk on his face again. She wanted to ask him what was so damn funny. But held her tongue.

"What does that mean?" Luke demanded, not wanting to play word games with a stranger. "Did you meet her while doing community service?" Again Grace noticed that smirk and it was beginning to bug the hell out of her.

"you could say that," He said sitting up, he slowly turned his head to face them. Grace thought over his reply and it didn't fit the time line. She had seen Joan talk to this guy long before she was sentenced to do Community Service. Luke looked displeased, almost furious, towards his reply. Grace nudged him in the rib a few times. Taking the hint he sat down and again began to reexamine the toys. The Goth Kid slowly turned his head away from them, and stared out the entrance, which was still covered by the plant overgrowth. But somehow Grace got the feeling he was looking at something completely different.

As time trickled by, Grace sat near the wooden crates. She was examining the two men. Luke, who had long grown bored of the makeshift toys turned his attention towards the back of the Cave. He stood there just staring into the darkness. His stance was tensed and his arms were folded across his chest. It almost looked like he was standing guard. The Goth Kid was different. He was laying down on the table, just staring up at the cold stone ceiling. Grace noticed how easily she forgot he was there. As thoughts of being intimate, and soon the desire for physical intimacy crept through her, she had to remind herself that they were not alone. The Goth Kid made no real noticeable sounds or movements. It was almost as if he were dead or didn't exist or maybe the laws of the world did not apply to him?

Grace turned her attention to Luke. She wanted to know why he was so angry and tense. Then it dawned on her. It was stupid that she couldn't see it. She slowly stood up and walked towards her boyfriend. When she was standing behind him, she slowly slid her arms around him. Luke went tense for a moment and Grace imagined Luke's computer for a brain trying to compute the next move. Eventually he relaxed. Grace inhaled his scent, which reminded her of Ms. Lishack's classroom, and rested her head against the back of his neck. Grace felt awkward like this. She was never big on physical contact. Once her mother had started drinking more and more she forbade her parents from touching her without permission. But she found her awkwardness vanishing slowly. Luke was one of the few people she ever felt safe with. The only person she thought she could ever lower her barriers too. Grace hoped that this intimate contact could convey her gratitude for having such a great mannerd in her life. Grace was unsure how long they stood like that, but to her it felt like forever and she enjoyed every second of it.

Eventually their embrace did break and Grace led him towards the old wooden crates and they sat huddles together. She remembered back to when she would have almost pounded the nerd if he came close to her at school. The thought of not being close to him was almost unbearable. She wondered if this was a good thing. The thought of feeling like this towards anyone scared Grace. She had lived so long isolated from the world, except to Adam. Their relationship at one time had been incredibly strong, but it was of friendship. Being with Luke was... different. They fell asleep like that.

Grace had a dream. She was ten years old again. She looked herself in the mirror, her blonde hair reached down to the middle of her small frame. She had a few missing teeth in her smile and her face looked full of joy. She was standing at the bottom of her staircase, and she could hear a familiar voice.

"Grace wait up!" the voice called after her. It took Grace awhile to remember her name, but it was Sarah. Sarah came into view at the top of the stairs. She had short brown hair and a sleepy look on her face.

"Maybe if you weren't so slow!" Grace heard herself shout up at her friend. The situation felt familiar, too familiar perhaps. She heard Sarah run down the stairs, and Grace's body seemed to move on its own. She was heading towards the kitchen. She felt Sarah push Grace and she stumbled forward laughing. When she regained her footing she whirled around on her heels and tackled her friend. Together they wrestled on the floor laughing. When they stopped their bellies rumbled hungrily in unison. They laughed harder till tears came to their eyes. Sarah stood up first and put a hand out for Grace. Grace accepted it with ease and gratitude. Then she was two people, the ten year old Grace and the Grace that was huddled close to her boyfriend back in a cave during a thunderstorm. She saw ten year old Grace and Sarah walk into the kitchen talking freely. The Teenage Grace felt her heart being gripped with fear. She knew this morning all to well... She followed them into the kitchen. Sarah was asking what they should get Grace's mom to make them for breakfast.

"No," Teenage Grace whispered, tears forming at her eyes. "please no..." Her voice was begging and sorrow filled. She watched as her younger self discover her mother's body, and heard her shout. She wanted to comfort the little girl, to tell her it would be alright... would it be alright? Grace thought. She watched Sarah's face light with fear. It would be the last time Sarah and Grace would ever be friends.

Grace woke with a start. Cold sweat dripped down her body, and she felt the chills gallop down her spine. Grace felt the hot salty tears burn her eyes and slide down her face. Grace had almost forgotten that damned dream, and in fact for times she would. But every once in awhile the dream would come back and she was damned to repeat that terrible morning. She wiped the tears from her face and after her vision regained she could see the Goth Kid staring at her. For the first time she could recall, he looked sad. His usual dull eyes were gripped in turmoil, his smirk was turned into a frown. She wanted to shout at him. But she couldn't. She looked down at Luke who was still in a blissful slumber.

"Why do you think God lets us suffer?" Grace asked quietly.

"He doesn't." The Goth Kid said. "He believes in free will. You are born with everything you ever need. To deal with anything that comes your way. He made sure of that. Its up to you whether or not you look for it." The Goth Kid looked away from Grace.

"But he could stop all this pain... couldn't he?" Grace said even quieter.

"What would humanity obtain from that?" The Goth Kid responded. "If he took away our free will and just allowed us to exist in perfect peace humans would be robots. If you believe in God, then you know one day you will find peace."

"well whats the difference?" Grace almost shouted. She quickly turned to Luke, but he only mumbled about being naked on Mars.

"You tell me." The Goth Kid said emotionlessly.

"Maybe its..." Grace looked down at the floor. "I don't know" Grace frowned.

"Its how humans get to that state. If it was just granted to them, then they wouldn't appreciate it. But also what happens while you live is what makes you, well you. Take that away, then you are nothing." The Goth Kid smirked, "Its a complex thing, something humans rarely understand." Grace nodded, not once did she notice how he avoided lumping himself into the category.

She quickly found sleep again, and this time Luke was there.

Author's Note: Grace's dream is based on a moment in her life thats mentioned in the series. I forget which episode but its probably the one where she confides in Luke about her mother. Also if you are wondering, no Grace does not know this Goth Kid is God. Also the last sentence is a sorta nod towards CharlesTheBold's use of dreams.