~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Are
(Season Two of 'The Way We Were')
Hi! Well, I'm finally writing my season two I promised you. "The Way We Were" (season one) is up on here, in case you haven't read it. I don't think it will be absolutely necessary to read season one to understand season two, so... Uh, this takes place at the same time the show's season two took place, so Grace is 15, Eli 17/18. But, it doesn't follow what happened in the show, although I may steal ideas from it, every now and then.
But, yeah, okay. This series will be Grace/Eli mostly. When we left off in "The Way We Were" Grace and Eli had begun dating, Lily & Rick got married, Jack & Tiffany got married and Tiffany is pregnant, and everyone knows about Grace & Eli's relationship. Okay, that about sums it up. Thanks for reading, as always. ~Tainted Love
Oh, wait, one thing you should know is that [[anything in these]] are the black and white interviews!
Chapter One//Needs and Compliance
*
*
*
"Easy! Grace, gently!"
Grace narrowed her eyes in frustration and continued to softly push the gas. The car took off slowly down the street. Lily clutched the strap of her seatbelt, as she watched on from the passenger's side. Grace had taken driver's training this summer, and had received her driver's permit a few weeks ago.
"Okay, slow down... brake for the stop sign," Lily called out.
Grace rolled her eyes. She knew this.
"Okay, uh, just go straight," Lily said, looking out for other cars.
Grace looked straight at the empty residential road. She looked to her left, where the road led to a busier street, where you could actually go, like 30mph. Grace sighed, and drove straight.
[[Grace - Driving... takes practice. Practice means you actually get out there and drive! *rolls eyes* Driving down vacant streets is not driving.... I mean anyone can drive 25 while going in a straight line. *looks away*]]
"Grace?" Lily asked, as she noticed Grace's eyes shifting from the road. "You're not looking."
Grace blinked, focusing on the road again. "Yes, I am," She said through clenched teeth. "I was just checking my mirrors."
Lily turned in her seat, "There's no one else around, honey."
"Exactly my point," Grace muttered.
Lily didn't hear her, and turned her attention back on the road. "Another stop sign up ahead."
Grace managed a civil nod. When she got to the stop sign, she turned on her left blinker.
"You hit the blinker switch," Lily informed her.
"I know," Grace said, giving her mother a tense smile.
"Grace... you're not ready..." Lily began, but Grace was already turning the corner.
[[Lily - She's not ready. She's not ready to be... not a kid, anymore.]]
"Grace," Lily said, her body tensing as other cars began to come into the picture. "Make sure you stay on your side of the line."
"I am," Grace assured her.
Lily's eyes widened as cars showed up behind them, to the side of them, in front of them. She let out an audible breath as Grace slowed to a stop at a red light.
[[Lily - I feel like she's not my... baby... anymore. She's growing up. And not just the driving *frowns*... but also, this relationship she has with Eli. It's just so serious. She's only 15.... 15.]]
"Didn't you have to stop at Wal-Mart?" Grace asked.
"Uh," Lily replied. "I can do that later."
But Grace was already turning in that direction. Lily reluctantly sunk back against the seat, her hands balled in fists.
"Just... don't park by anyone," Lily said as they pulled into the parking lot.
Finally Grace obeyed her, and parked in the far row, where there were no other cars. She turned off the engine, looking to her mother. "See, I'm a good driver."
Lily pushed the release on her seat belt, and nodded, "You're fine."
"Dad thinks I'm a good driver," Grace added.
Lily lifted her head slightly in acknowledgement. "I said you were fine."
Grace got out the car.
[[Lily - And if she's all grown up now, then does she not need ME anymore?]]
* * *
"We're back!" Lily called out, trying to hide the shakiness to her voice.
"How'd it go?" Rick asked, as he entered into the kitchen.
Grace shook her head, "My mom is paranoid."
Lily ignored that statement, and leaned in to give her husband a kiss. "It went well."
"I'm a good driver," Grace spoke up.
"I believe you," Rick assured her.
Grace turned to leave the kitchen, and threw a look over her shoulder, "Maybe I should just drive with Dad from now on."
"Yeah, okay," Lily said, relieved. Grace left, and Lily sank a heavy head against Rick's chest. "It was so scary."
Rick smoothed her hair back from the sides of her face. "Was it?"
Lily sighed, and looked up into his eyes. "She's a good driver, but..."
Rick nodded for her to go on, but Lily was stuck for words. She just groaned, and moved away, hoping there was still some coffee left over from this morning.
* * *
"What are your things doing on my bed?!"
Grace lifted her head from the book she was reading as she heard the shout. It was Jessie.
"I only put them there while I was cleaning my side of the room!" Zoe yelled back.
Grace sighed, and marked her place in the book. She got up and crossed through their shared bathroom and into Jessie and Zoe's room. The two girls stood in similar stances, with their arms crossed, and their eyes narrowed.
"I'm trying to read," Grace said, when neither one of them spoke.
"And I'm trying to breathe!" Jessie screamed, startling Grace with her ferociousness. "I can't do ANYTHING without her being in my space!"
"I'm not in your space!" Zoe argued.
"Your crap..." Jessie flung an arm in the direction of her bed, "is in my space!"
"I'll move it," Zoe said, "...after I finish cleaning."
Grace sighed, and leaned against the doorframe. All summer it had been nothing but fight after fight with the two girls.
Lily and Rick appeared in the doorway to the hall. "What's going on?" Rick asked, his tired expression showing he had had enough of the fighting too.
"Zoe put all her crap on my bed!" Jessie explained.
"I was going to move it," Zoe explained slowly, as if speaking to a child.
"Zoe?" Lily spoke up, "Did you ask Jessie if you could put your stuff on her bed?"
"No," Zoe admitted, "But I didn't think she'd throw a hissy fit because of it!"
"I'm not throwing a fit!" Jessie screamed. "I just wanted to come in here, and listen to some music, and lay on my bed... and I can't because she put all her ratty junk on my bed!" Jessie stormed over to her cluttered bed, and began tossing things off it. Zoe watched, wide eyed as her stuffed animals, books, clothes were thrown to the floor.
"MOM!" Zoe cried.
"Jessie," Rick said softly.
Jessie stopped. She looked at her father, her face tightened in anger. "I want to go to Mom's."
"Jessie..." Rick tried.
Jessie shook her head, "I want to go... I'm going to call her."
"Jessie, Zoe will take her stuff off the bed," Lily said. She looked to Zoe, and Zoe reluctantly began removing items from the bed.
Jessie wouldn't even look at Zoe or Lily. "I can't live in this room another second," She said to her father. Rick knew nothing he said would convince her of anything different, and so he silently let her storm past him.
Lily and Rick looked at each other.
[[Lily - I guess I was expected for us to be a happy little family. That getting married would make everything perfect. I forgot that kids are kids... and families are never perfect.]]
* * *
"They're at it again."
Eli sighed, "What happened this time?"
Grace further entered his attic room, and explained, "Zoe put her stuff on Jessie's bed."
Eli couldn't resist to smile at her and say, "I wouldn't mind if you put your stuff on my bed."
"Is that right?" Grace asked, climbing up next to him on the bed. "If I had all my books and clothes piled on your bed, and you just wanted to take a nap..."
Eli shook his head, "I don't nap."
"I'm talking hypothetical here," Grace reminded him. "It wouldn't bug you if I did that?"
"Well, maybe a little," Eli admitted.
Grace leaned in and kissed his nose, "Then I'll remember NOT to do that."
Eli's face widened in a smile. They studied each other's faces.
[[Grace - I love him, I love him! Eli has... just made me so happy. I had a great summer, just being with him.]]
"You're a little sunburned," Eli commented.
[[Eli - Grace, what can I say about Grace? I love her. She's changed everything for me. I've never felt this way about anyone else.]]
"That's because I actually go out in the daylight, unlike certain musician boyfriends of mine," Grace joked.
"How many boyfriends do you have?" Eli teased.
"I could do a count, if you're really interested," Grace brushed her nose against his.
"I'm not all that interested," Eli said.
"Oh, yeah?" Grace asked, amused. She leaned in to kiss him, but was interrupted by the sound of thumping feet on the stairs.
"Mom's not home!" Jessie wailed as she entered the room. She noticed that Grace and Eli were practically in each other's laps, but was too upset to apologize for interrupting anything.
"Oh?" Eli said, looking at Grace's lips with disappointment.
[[Eli - I had thought that, with us living here... that Grace and I would have all these opportunities to be alone together... and *shakes head* that hasn't quite happened like I thought it would. There's just always too many people around.]]
"I can't live with that brat any longer!" Jessie said, coming and sitting at the edge of the bed. She looked up at Grace with a flicker of guilt, "No offensive."
Grace shook her head, "Hey, I wouldn't want to live in the same room as my sister either."
"And Dad and Mom won't let me stay full-time at Mom's!" Jessie said sinking her chin into the heel of her palm. "So, I'm stuck here..." She looked up at Eli hopefully, "Maybe I could just room with you."
Eli immediately began shaking his head, "No way."
Jessie grumbled, "I have to do something! I can't take this anymore." Her eyes turned to Grace, "Maybe I could move into your room with you?"
"Uh, I don't think that would work..." Grace hedged.
Jessie nodded, accepting it. "Of course. They have to lump the two babies in together!"
"You're not a baby," Grace insisted. "You're going into high school."
"Exactly!" Jessie cried, "So... why do I have to share my space, and my ENTIRE life with a child?"
"We'll figure something out," Eli assured her.
Jessie nodded, but didn't look hopeful.
* * *
"We have to figure something out," Lily said with a sigh as she and Rick got into their bed. "They're driving themselves crazy, they're driving each other crazy... they're driving us crazy!"
"Well, what other options do we have?" Rick said with a sigh. "Besides shipping them all off to boarding schools on the other side of the country."
"Do you happen to have any brochures for these boarding schools?" Lily asked, cozying up to him.
Rick shook his head. "I'll send out for them in the morning," He joked.
"Maybe it's time we pull out plan B," Lily suggested.
"There's a plan B?" Rick asked, intrigued.
"We could switch around the rooming assignments... Jessie and Grace, or Jessie and Eli, or Grace and Eli."
"No... and no... and definitely no," Rick replied. "Neither one of those would be any better."
Lily agreed, and the two lay silent for a few moments. Rick reached over and turned off his bedside lamp.
"Maybe..." Lily spoke up.
"Yeah?" Rick encouraged her.
"We could do what we talked about that one time."
"The boarding school thing?" Rick asked, encircling her in his arms.
"No, remember we talked about once... about turning the garage into a usable space?" Lily nuzzled her cheek against his chest. "And one of them could move out there."
"It may take some time, but... it sounds like the best idea I've heard all day," Rick said happily, and rewarded her with a long kiss.
Lily reached over and turned off her bedside lamp too.
* * *
A hand reached out and grabbed Grace's arm.
"Eli!" Grace whispered, pleasantly surprised.
"I realized we never got in a real kiss today," Eli said, drawing her near. Grace looked up and down the empty hallway-- everyone else was already in bed... with Jessie and Zoe reluctantly sharing the same breathing space (for now).
"I didn't think you noticed that," Grace said with a smile.
"Of course I noticed," Eli said, and let his lips lightly brush her cheeks, forehead, chin... he paused before he reached her lips, "I always notice when I don't get to kiss you."
Eli finally connected with lips with hers, and they both sank into the kiss.
* * *
The Way We Are
(Season Two of 'The Way We Were')
Hi! Well, I'm finally writing my season two I promised you. "The Way We Were" (season one) is up on here, in case you haven't read it. I don't think it will be absolutely necessary to read season one to understand season two, so... Uh, this takes place at the same time the show's season two took place, so Grace is 15, Eli 17/18. But, it doesn't follow what happened in the show, although I may steal ideas from it, every now and then.
But, yeah, okay. This series will be Grace/Eli mostly. When we left off in "The Way We Were" Grace and Eli had begun dating, Lily & Rick got married, Jack & Tiffany got married and Tiffany is pregnant, and everyone knows about Grace & Eli's relationship. Okay, that about sums it up. Thanks for reading, as always. ~Tainted Love
Oh, wait, one thing you should know is that [[anything in these]] are the black and white interviews!
Chapter One//Needs and Compliance
*
*
*
"Easy! Grace, gently!"
Grace narrowed her eyes in frustration and continued to softly push the gas. The car took off slowly down the street. Lily clutched the strap of her seatbelt, as she watched on from the passenger's side. Grace had taken driver's training this summer, and had received her driver's permit a few weeks ago.
"Okay, slow down... brake for the stop sign," Lily called out.
Grace rolled her eyes. She knew this.
"Okay, uh, just go straight," Lily said, looking out for other cars.
Grace looked straight at the empty residential road. She looked to her left, where the road led to a busier street, where you could actually go, like 30mph. Grace sighed, and drove straight.
[[Grace - Driving... takes practice. Practice means you actually get out there and drive! *rolls eyes* Driving down vacant streets is not driving.... I mean anyone can drive 25 while going in a straight line. *looks away*]]
"Grace?" Lily asked, as she noticed Grace's eyes shifting from the road. "You're not looking."
Grace blinked, focusing on the road again. "Yes, I am," She said through clenched teeth. "I was just checking my mirrors."
Lily turned in her seat, "There's no one else around, honey."
"Exactly my point," Grace muttered.
Lily didn't hear her, and turned her attention back on the road. "Another stop sign up ahead."
Grace managed a civil nod. When she got to the stop sign, she turned on her left blinker.
"You hit the blinker switch," Lily informed her.
"I know," Grace said, giving her mother a tense smile.
"Grace... you're not ready..." Lily began, but Grace was already turning the corner.
[[Lily - She's not ready. She's not ready to be... not a kid, anymore.]]
"Grace," Lily said, her body tensing as other cars began to come into the picture. "Make sure you stay on your side of the line."
"I am," Grace assured her.
Lily's eyes widened as cars showed up behind them, to the side of them, in front of them. She let out an audible breath as Grace slowed to a stop at a red light.
[[Lily - I feel like she's not my... baby... anymore. She's growing up. And not just the driving *frowns*... but also, this relationship she has with Eli. It's just so serious. She's only 15.... 15.]]
"Didn't you have to stop at Wal-Mart?" Grace asked.
"Uh," Lily replied. "I can do that later."
But Grace was already turning in that direction. Lily reluctantly sunk back against the seat, her hands balled in fists.
"Just... don't park by anyone," Lily said as they pulled into the parking lot.
Finally Grace obeyed her, and parked in the far row, where there were no other cars. She turned off the engine, looking to her mother. "See, I'm a good driver."
Lily pushed the release on her seat belt, and nodded, "You're fine."
"Dad thinks I'm a good driver," Grace added.
Lily lifted her head slightly in acknowledgement. "I said you were fine."
Grace got out the car.
[[Lily - And if she's all grown up now, then does she not need ME anymore?]]
* * *
"We're back!" Lily called out, trying to hide the shakiness to her voice.
"How'd it go?" Rick asked, as he entered into the kitchen.
Grace shook her head, "My mom is paranoid."
Lily ignored that statement, and leaned in to give her husband a kiss. "It went well."
"I'm a good driver," Grace spoke up.
"I believe you," Rick assured her.
Grace turned to leave the kitchen, and threw a look over her shoulder, "Maybe I should just drive with Dad from now on."
"Yeah, okay," Lily said, relieved. Grace left, and Lily sank a heavy head against Rick's chest. "It was so scary."
Rick smoothed her hair back from the sides of her face. "Was it?"
Lily sighed, and looked up into his eyes. "She's a good driver, but..."
Rick nodded for her to go on, but Lily was stuck for words. She just groaned, and moved away, hoping there was still some coffee left over from this morning.
* * *
"What are your things doing on my bed?!"
Grace lifted her head from the book she was reading as she heard the shout. It was Jessie.
"I only put them there while I was cleaning my side of the room!" Zoe yelled back.
Grace sighed, and marked her place in the book. She got up and crossed through their shared bathroom and into Jessie and Zoe's room. The two girls stood in similar stances, with their arms crossed, and their eyes narrowed.
"I'm trying to read," Grace said, when neither one of them spoke.
"And I'm trying to breathe!" Jessie screamed, startling Grace with her ferociousness. "I can't do ANYTHING without her being in my space!"
"I'm not in your space!" Zoe argued.
"Your crap..." Jessie flung an arm in the direction of her bed, "is in my space!"
"I'll move it," Zoe said, "...after I finish cleaning."
Grace sighed, and leaned against the doorframe. All summer it had been nothing but fight after fight with the two girls.
Lily and Rick appeared in the doorway to the hall. "What's going on?" Rick asked, his tired expression showing he had had enough of the fighting too.
"Zoe put all her crap on my bed!" Jessie explained.
"I was going to move it," Zoe explained slowly, as if speaking to a child.
"Zoe?" Lily spoke up, "Did you ask Jessie if you could put your stuff on her bed?"
"No," Zoe admitted, "But I didn't think she'd throw a hissy fit because of it!"
"I'm not throwing a fit!" Jessie screamed. "I just wanted to come in here, and listen to some music, and lay on my bed... and I can't because she put all her ratty junk on my bed!" Jessie stormed over to her cluttered bed, and began tossing things off it. Zoe watched, wide eyed as her stuffed animals, books, clothes were thrown to the floor.
"MOM!" Zoe cried.
"Jessie," Rick said softly.
Jessie stopped. She looked at her father, her face tightened in anger. "I want to go to Mom's."
"Jessie..." Rick tried.
Jessie shook her head, "I want to go... I'm going to call her."
"Jessie, Zoe will take her stuff off the bed," Lily said. She looked to Zoe, and Zoe reluctantly began removing items from the bed.
Jessie wouldn't even look at Zoe or Lily. "I can't live in this room another second," She said to her father. Rick knew nothing he said would convince her of anything different, and so he silently let her storm past him.
Lily and Rick looked at each other.
[[Lily - I guess I was expected for us to be a happy little family. That getting married would make everything perfect. I forgot that kids are kids... and families are never perfect.]]
* * *
"They're at it again."
Eli sighed, "What happened this time?"
Grace further entered his attic room, and explained, "Zoe put her stuff on Jessie's bed."
Eli couldn't resist to smile at her and say, "I wouldn't mind if you put your stuff on my bed."
"Is that right?" Grace asked, climbing up next to him on the bed. "If I had all my books and clothes piled on your bed, and you just wanted to take a nap..."
Eli shook his head, "I don't nap."
"I'm talking hypothetical here," Grace reminded him. "It wouldn't bug you if I did that?"
"Well, maybe a little," Eli admitted.
Grace leaned in and kissed his nose, "Then I'll remember NOT to do that."
Eli's face widened in a smile. They studied each other's faces.
[[Grace - I love him, I love him! Eli has... just made me so happy. I had a great summer, just being with him.]]
"You're a little sunburned," Eli commented.
[[Eli - Grace, what can I say about Grace? I love her. She's changed everything for me. I've never felt this way about anyone else.]]
"That's because I actually go out in the daylight, unlike certain musician boyfriends of mine," Grace joked.
"How many boyfriends do you have?" Eli teased.
"I could do a count, if you're really interested," Grace brushed her nose against his.
"I'm not all that interested," Eli said.
"Oh, yeah?" Grace asked, amused. She leaned in to kiss him, but was interrupted by the sound of thumping feet on the stairs.
"Mom's not home!" Jessie wailed as she entered the room. She noticed that Grace and Eli were practically in each other's laps, but was too upset to apologize for interrupting anything.
"Oh?" Eli said, looking at Grace's lips with disappointment.
[[Eli - I had thought that, with us living here... that Grace and I would have all these opportunities to be alone together... and *shakes head* that hasn't quite happened like I thought it would. There's just always too many people around.]]
"I can't live with that brat any longer!" Jessie said, coming and sitting at the edge of the bed. She looked up at Grace with a flicker of guilt, "No offensive."
Grace shook her head, "Hey, I wouldn't want to live in the same room as my sister either."
"And Dad and Mom won't let me stay full-time at Mom's!" Jessie said sinking her chin into the heel of her palm. "So, I'm stuck here..." She looked up at Eli hopefully, "Maybe I could just room with you."
Eli immediately began shaking his head, "No way."
Jessie grumbled, "I have to do something! I can't take this anymore." Her eyes turned to Grace, "Maybe I could move into your room with you?"
"Uh, I don't think that would work..." Grace hedged.
Jessie nodded, accepting it. "Of course. They have to lump the two babies in together!"
"You're not a baby," Grace insisted. "You're going into high school."
"Exactly!" Jessie cried, "So... why do I have to share my space, and my ENTIRE life with a child?"
"We'll figure something out," Eli assured her.
Jessie nodded, but didn't look hopeful.
* * *
"We have to figure something out," Lily said with a sigh as she and Rick got into their bed. "They're driving themselves crazy, they're driving each other crazy... they're driving us crazy!"
"Well, what other options do we have?" Rick said with a sigh. "Besides shipping them all off to boarding schools on the other side of the country."
"Do you happen to have any brochures for these boarding schools?" Lily asked, cozying up to him.
Rick shook his head. "I'll send out for them in the morning," He joked.
"Maybe it's time we pull out plan B," Lily suggested.
"There's a plan B?" Rick asked, intrigued.
"We could switch around the rooming assignments... Jessie and Grace, or Jessie and Eli, or Grace and Eli."
"No... and no... and definitely no," Rick replied. "Neither one of those would be any better."
Lily agreed, and the two lay silent for a few moments. Rick reached over and turned off his bedside lamp.
"Maybe..." Lily spoke up.
"Yeah?" Rick encouraged her.
"We could do what we talked about that one time."
"The boarding school thing?" Rick asked, encircling her in his arms.
"No, remember we talked about once... about turning the garage into a usable space?" Lily nuzzled her cheek against his chest. "And one of them could move out there."
"It may take some time, but... it sounds like the best idea I've heard all day," Rick said happily, and rewarded her with a long kiss.
Lily reached over and turned off her bedside lamp too.
* * *
A hand reached out and grabbed Grace's arm.
"Eli!" Grace whispered, pleasantly surprised.
"I realized we never got in a real kiss today," Eli said, drawing her near. Grace looked up and down the empty hallway-- everyone else was already in bed... with Jessie and Zoe reluctantly sharing the same breathing space (for now).
"I didn't think you noticed that," Grace said with a smile.
"Of course I noticed," Eli said, and let his lips lightly brush her cheeks, forehead, chin... he paused before he reached her lips, "I always notice when I don't get to kiss you."
Eli finally connected with lips with hers, and they both sank into the kiss.
* * *