A/N - Disclaimer - I do not own Annie or any of its characters.
Grace arose early the next morning, as was her custom, regardless of the little sleep she had gotten the night before. She dressed quickly, intent on getting to the kitchen, a strong cup of coffee the only thing on her mind. The house was quiet as she made her way to the kitchen, those on the staff that were already at work moving through their tasks in silence, as if to allow their young mistress as much time as possible in restful slumber. Nevertheless, every face had a smile for Grace as she passed by, all delighted that Annie had come home to stay. Grace couldn't help but smile back, her own heartache notwithstanding, she was overjoyed herself at Annie's return.
She arrived at the dining room, the table not yet set for breakfast, it was rather early after all. Grace entered the kitchen, preferring the bustle of Mrs. Pugh and her staff to the quiet opulence of the dining room. At this hour though, Mrs. Pugh was alone in the kitchen.
"Grace," Mrs. Pugh exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you up this early. It was a rather late night, was it not?" She glanced quickly at Grace, giving her a wink, before turning back to the biscuits she was rolling out on the counter.
Grace had long considered Helen Pugh her surrogate mother. The jolly cook had taken Grace under her wing from the first day Grace had arrived at the mansion to work for Mr. Warbucks. They'd had many early morning, and a few late-night, conversations in this very kitchen, about all sorts of things. While it had come as a bit of a shock to Grace at first, that Mrs. Pugh had guessed as to Grace's feelings toward Mr. Warbucks, it wasn't really a surprise once Grace had thought about it. Helen seemed to have a sixth-sense about Grace, there was nothing Grace could hide from her. And Mr. Warbucks' behavior towards Grace before Annie's kidnapping, had been a main topic of their talks these past few days.
Grace tried to put a smile on her face, planning to give a vague response to Helen's question, when Helen turned around, a frown on her face.
"Grace, what is it?" Helen asked, seeing the expression on Grace's face. Grace shook her head wryly, she should have known she wouldn't be able to hide anything from Helen.
"It's nothing, Helen," Grace responded, not yet ready to admit how hurt she was, even to Helen. "Mr. Warbucks needs to concentrate on Annie right now, that's all." She waved a hand absent-mindedly, walking toward the stove and the coffee pot. As she passed by, Helen placed a restraining hand on her arm.
"What on earth happened to your hand?" Mrs. Pugh gasped, turning Grace's palm upward. Grace grimaced and looked away, not trusting herself to speak. Mrs. Pugh mistook Grace's expression for pain.
"Does it hurt that much?" Mrs. Pugh asked, concerned now. "Maybe you should see a doctor." Grace just shook her head. Helen looked at her puzzled for a moment, then seemed to fit the pieces together.
"Grace," she said quietly and while Grace tried valiantly, she could no longer keep her emotions in check. Her lip began to quiver and as her eyes filled, she found herself swept into the older woman's embrace. Grace sobbed quietly into her shoulder, as Helen patted her back soothingly. After a few minutes, Grace recovered herself, not wanting them to be discovered by another member of the staff who would start arriving shortly.
"I'm sorry Helen," Grace apologized, her face reddening. "I'll just get my coffee and go. I need to start working on some things for the Pittsburgh plant."
"You will do no such thing," Helen insisted and she led Grace to the kitchen table. "Sit down, I'll get your coffee and then we'll talk."
"But, breakfast," Grace protested. "You need to," but Mrs. Pugh interrupted before Grace could finish.
"Nonsense," Helen waved off Grace's objections as she poured her a cup of coffee. "Mr. Warbucks already sent down for a tray and that little girl will sleep for another few hours, I daresay. I thought I might be feeding the other girls this morning, but the police took them back to the orphanage last night." Grace nodded, briefly wondering why Mr. Warbucks had sent down for a tray instead of coming to the dining room. Before she could contemplate it further, Helen sat down beside her, her own cup of coffee in front of her.
"Now, tell me what happened," Helen said, taking a sip of her coffee. Grace sighed and then relayed the events of the previous day and Mr. Warbucks' constant change in behavior towards her. By the time she was finished, Grace was even more confused than she had been about what was, or wasn't, going on between the two of them. Helen clucked her tongue and shook her head as Grace finished her story.
"Let me tell you something about Oliver Warbucks," Helen began, taking Grace's injured hand in the two of hers, patting the back of it. "I've worked for the man for a very long time and I've learned a few things over the years. All his bluster, that temper and his stubbornness, they're all just a cover. He's just as vulnerable and full of self-doubt as the rest of us, when it comes to love." Grace gaped at Helen, unsure if they were talking about the same man. Mr. Warbucks, vulnerable? Insecure? But then, she remembered the anguished look as he talked about almost losing Annie and the way his knees had buckled at the railroad bridge and wondered. Helen smiled as she watched the realization cross Grace's face.
"Just be patient, dear," Helen said, patting Grace's hand again and rising to finish making her biscuits. "He'll come around."
Grace left the kitchen a half hour later, after two cups of coffee and some breakfast, intending to head to the office, to get some things organized before she and Mr. Warbucks started work on the Pittsburgh plant. There were plans she knew he would want to look at, as well as the financial information from the last year.
As she passed the door to the back terrace, however and looked outside, the gardens seemed to call to her. She hesitated, then decided a morning walk was just what she needed. Mr. Warbucks had told her to take the morning off, after all.
As she strolled down the path through the flower beds and rosebushes, Grace's mind was full of her conversation with Mrs. Pugh. Grace paused near the fountain in the center of the gardens, sitting down on a stone bench, contemplating the water. It was true that she had seen more of Mr. Warbucks', she guessed she could call it vulnerable, side in the last few days. She just had a hard time picturing him being scared of anything, let alone her of all people. Although, it wasn't exactly her that he was scared of, just his feelings toward her, she supposed. Grace wondered how much of that had to do with the fact that Mr. Warbucks might actually be nervous about falling in love with someone, and how much had to do with being nervous of falling in love with her. She was his secretary, after all, and people would talk, wondering what their relationship had been over the years. The fact that she actually lived in the same house as him, didn't help matters. Grace shook her head at the cattiness of society, wondering if it would be better if they just remained employer and employee.
But Helen's advice to just be patient, rang in her ears. Grace was nothing, if not patient. She had managed to carry a torch for Mr. Warbucks for all of these years without doing anything about it, she supposed she could continue to wait. Mind made up, Grace rose and began walking back toward the house. No more tears, she vowed, as she climbed the terrace steps. If things were meant to be between the two of them, they would be. The ball was in Mr. Warbucks' court now, Grace was finished pursuing him.
Oliver sat at his desk, phone in hand, trying to summon the courage to call the governor and have the official adoption papers for Annie drawn up. It wasn't that he didn't want to adopt her, on the contrary, he wanted nothing more. But, the events of last night still tugged at his mind and his heart. To think that he had almost lost Annie, not once, but twice in the same evening, he shivered a little remembering the scene at the bridge. In fact, he had seen it in his mind all night, just one of the reasons for his lack of sleep and early arrival in his office.
He was being a coward, he knew it. He would no more turn that little girl out onto the street than give up his fortune. But he couldn't help but feel that she deserved someone else, someone better than him. He knew he would have help from Miss Farrell and the rest of the staff, but he was a very busy man, how could he give a young girl what she needed? Business trips, society events, late-night and early-morning meetings, all the work and time that went along with running an empire such as his, was sure to affect Annie eventually. And then, of course, there were his own issues with allowing himself to open his heart to someone else. That thought scared him more than anything.
Oliver shook his head and sighed. It always came back to Grace, no matter how hard he tried not to let it. It was hopeless, he knew, he was in love with her, completely and wholly in love with her. For all of his trying to put up a front and pretend that he didn't feel the way he did, he was hopeless. And why, why was he fighting against this so hard? Because he was afraid? Ridiculous, when he really thought about it. Why would he give up something as wonderful as a family, just because of a little fear?
No, he wanted Annie to be his daughter, he knew he did. And he wanted Grace in his life as well, as more than just his secretary. So things had happened in his past and he had tried his hardest to make himself immune to the pull of love, but he couldn't deny it any longer. He wanted a family. He wanted Annie and he wanted Grace. All this namby-pamby nonsense needed to stop. He was Oliver Warbucks, for god's sake, he needed to start acting as such. Mind made up, Oliver picked up the phone and called the governor, his normal demeanor back in place.
Grace entered the office, just as Mr. Warbucks hung up the phone.
"Good morning, sir," Grace said, nodding at him as she went to her desk and sat down, pulling a few files from the drawer.
"Gra- Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks returned, seeming startled to see her there. "I thought I gave you the morning off."
"Yes, sir, you did," Grace agreed. "But, since I was up early, I thought I might get a start on those Pittsburgh files." She continued to pull the files she needed from her drawer. She could feel Mr. Warbucks' eyes on her, but went on with her work, a businesslike expression on her face. Grace opened the financial file she had pulled from the stack, intent on pulling together the numbers Mr. Warbucks would need for the reorganization. She knew he was watching her, it took everything in her not to look up at him, or go to him or, something. But her earlier conviction reestablished itself and she went on with her work, pretending to be oblivious to his staring.
The two of them worked in silence for a few moments before Mr. Warbucks cleared his throat. Grace looked up at him, an expectant look on her face.
"Yes, sir?" she said.
"I was just on the phone with the governor," he replied. "He promised to expedite the adoption as quickly as possible. Should be done by the end of the week." He watched her for her reaction, but Grace simply smiled genuinely.
"That's wonderful, sir," Grace replied. "Annie will be so pleased."
"Yes, I was thinking," Mr. Warbucks began, rising from his desk and walking toward the window. He seemed not quite sure what to do with himself. "Perhaps we should do something to commemorate the occasion, some kind of party maybe." Grace pursed her lips in thought. Saturday was the 4th of July, they could combine the party with the holiday, maybe with some type of theme.
"What about a circus, sir?" Grace asked. "Annie told me that she had always wanted to see one. We could have all kinds of circus acts, refreshments, invite Annie's friends from the orphanage. It could be Saturday, on the 4th. We could have fireworks as well." Grace's mind was whirling with ideas, things she knew Annie would love.
"That sounds wonderful, Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks said, beaming at her. "Why don't you get started on that this morning. The factory can wait."
"All right sir, I'll start with the guest list and have it to you by this afternoon for your approval," Grace said, smiling herself.
"I have complete faith in your judgement, Miss Farrell," Mr. Warbucks replied, giving her a genuine look of affection, a look that didn't go unnoticed by Grace.
"Plan as you see fit, money is no object," he insisted, Grace nodded, then pulled paper and pen from her desk, beginning to make a list. As soon as Mr. Warbucks had gone back to his desk and started on his own work, a grin split Grace's face. Maybe she wouldn't have to be so patient after all.
Oliver contemplated his secretary as she went about her work. Busying herself with the new preparations for Annie's party, she didn't seem to notice him watching her. She seemed different this morning, the sadness and hurt he had seen in her last night were gone, replaced with businesslike efficiency. He sat back in his chair, pondering this development and wondering what had brought it about. The party was surely part of it, he knew she was excited about making everything perfect for Annie. But Oliver had noticed the difference when Grace had first come into the room, before he had even mentioned the party.
After everything that had happened the night before, Oliver was almost positive that Grace returned his feelings. Which is what had made it all the harder to try and reestablish their previous working relationship. But this morning, things seemed to have gone back to business as usual, and he was unnerved by it. Especially after his decision earlier to forget about fear and go and get what he wanted.
He wondered if her change of heart had anything to do with her being his secretary. People would talk, if he and Grace started a relationship. Society was nothing if not a tiger, ready to pounce on the first victims that strayed from the straight and narrow path of expectations. One of those expectations being that billionaires did not fall in love with their secretaries. Oliver didn't care what other people thought of him, he knew the talk that went on behind his back about his ruthlessness and temper, what was one more juicy tidbit for the gossipmongers to chew on. But he wouldn't want Grace, no Miss Farrell, to be compromised in any way because of his actions. Perhaps she had thought of this herself, and that was why she had pulled back.
Oliver thought about it a bit more, then made up his mind. If Miss Farrell preferred to go back to their original working relationship, then that is what they would do. The ball was in her court now, he wouldn't pursue her, unless she gave him some indication that she had changed her mind.