A/N: None really, just another update to tease you with.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: None really.

We'll See

Chapter 14

"Grace, where's Zach?" Alicia asked again. Eli could hear the worry in her voice.

"He stayed with Dad. He said I was being too sensitive and he wasn't going to let Grandma ruin his time with Dad. I was so angry and upset that I didn't really care if he stayed or came home."

"Then how did you get home?"

"I took a cab." Grace answered her sheepishly.

"Grace! You should have called me or asked your father to bring you home. You could have been hurt or kidnapped. Don't ever do something like that again."

"I'm sorry Mom. I just wanted away from there. I didn't think."

"I understand, but I want you to be safe."

"Your mother is right, Grace. You can even call me if you need to." Eli added. Both mother and daughter favored him with smiles.

"I need to call your father and let him know you're here and you won't be coming back. Did you bring you stuff home, or do I need to ask you Dad to bring it when he brings Zach home tomorrow?"

"I brought my stuff."

"Ok. You go get a shower and put you things away. I'll call your Dad, and then we'll figure out what to do with ourselves." Grace nodded and scurried off to her room.

"Well that was an interesting way to start the morning." She commented wryly to Eli, who simply held open his arms to her. Alicia snuggled into his embrace, enjoying his scent of warm male and coffee with a hint of his aftershave. It was very faint but still definable.

"Why don't you get ready as well and I'll treat two of my three favorite ladies to breakfast? I hear pancakes and waffles are excellent comfort food." He suggested after a moment, also reveling in holding her close.

"Two of your three? I suppose your daughter is the third?" He nodded. "Then by all means we accept, but you might want to clean up as well."

"I'm kind of rumpled aren't I? As well, will an hour and half be sufficient time for you two to be ready for breakfast?"

"That should be enough time, especially if I herd my child. Go, get cleaned up."

"I will then. See you soon." He pressed a quick, chaste kiss to her lips and was gone and instant later. She pressed her fingers to her lips as if to capture that fleeting moment in her hands.

She allowed herself one more moment to stare at the door before she pushed herself into action and picked up the phone to call Peter. It promised to be an unpleasant conversation and it was best to get it over with as soon as possible. She dialed his number with some trepidation.

"Hello?" His voice came on the line and she breathed a silent breath of relief. She really didn't feel a thing for him anymore.

"Peter, its Alicia. Grace is home now. I wanted to let you know that she made it here safely and not to worry. If something like this happens again, you need to bring her home instead of letting her take a cab. Or call me and I will come get her. Is Zach alright?" She tried to sound stern, or at least neutral, but it was hard to do over the elation of having Eli to look forward to. She hadn't felt this giddy since she was in college.

"Yeah, he's fine. I'm sorry about mother. She doesn't know when to stop sometimes. I should have said something. Please tell Grace I'm sorry."

"I will, and Jacqui and I will be having a talk as well. I know she's your mother but she can't keep doing the things she has or she's going to push me too far."

"I know. I tried to talk with her but she won't listen to me. She never really has. She just smiles and them does what she wants."

"I know. I lived with her while you were in prison."

"Right. I'll drop Zach off tomorrow evening then?"

"That's fine." Alicia didn't allow him to say anything else. She hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment before leaving it on the counter. She had more important things to do, like making sure Grace got moving so she could take her own shower and get ready for the day.

Eli came back by a little over an hour later. Grace let him in to the apartment with a cheeky smile. She took in his casual dress of jeans and a t-shirt and leather jacket much like her mother would, a slight widening of the eyes and no comment.

"Grace."

"Eli." She said as she stepped back so he could come into the entry way. "You came back."

"I did. I'm going to take you and your mom to breakfast."

"She didn't tell me that."

"That's because it would have distracted you from getting ready." Alicia said from the doorway as she slipped in a pair of earrings. She was wearing her jeans from the previous evening and another button down shirt. She had left the vest off this time, but reached for her leather jacket again. She had pulled her hair back into a simple pony tail. Grace took in her mother's appearance then crowed in delight.

"I told you those jeans were awesome!"

"So you did."

"You have good taste, Grace." Eli commented, with a cheeky smile for Alicia. "Are we ready?" The ladies nodded as Grace put on her own jacket. It promised to be a wonderful morning for them.