Title: Home is where your heart is, right?

Author: Christen

purplehaysc@hotmail.com and if you want a quick response from meaning during the week email me at cha005@latech.edu

Once and Again

Disclaimer: these characters belong to Once and Again except any characters you do not recognize

Distribution: Take it, but let me know. If you have any of my other fics, go ahead.

Comments: email me all you comments and suggestions.




Home is where your heart is, right?
By Christen

Grace walked into her room and shut the door. She looked around at what was left of her room. There were boxes everywhere. The few things she hadn’t packed where the things she needed for school. She had agreed to send the things she didn’t need at school right now ahead to Australia. This way when she finished this last week she wouldn’t have to pack in a hurry. Eli had already moved out there with Rick a month ago. Zoe was leaving in two days and starting school the day after she got there. She was so happy about it. Jessie had convinced her mother to let her move in with her so she could stay here with Katie. She was moving in at the end of this week, the same day Grace was leaving. Lily had already talked to some producers about doing a show out there. Rick had found a house that had enough rooms for Jessie to visit and for a baby to live there too. Sam and Judy had already moved out there when Rick and Eli did. Everyone seemed happy, everyone that is but Grace. Grace sat down on her bed and started to cry. She didn’t want to leave yet. She couldn’t move. No matter how good Eli or Rick made it sound she just couldn’t get happy about it. She wanted to stay but she couldn’t tell her mother why. She couldn’t tell her why because truthfully she didn’t know why. She tired to look for an explanation but she just couldn’t find one. It’s not like she had some one waiting for her not like Jessie had Katie. It’s not like she couldn’t finish school in Australia. Her family was going to be there, most of it any way. But she still didn’t want to go but she couldn’t break her mother’s heart and tell her she wanted to stay behind. Even though she had everything packed up, everything ready to go or so it seemed, she just wasn’t ready. It made her mad that she couldn’t figure out what was holding her back. She wanted to be happy like everyone else. She wanted to move to Australia and be happy but she just couldn’t. Grace let out a loud scream that even scared her. But she knew that screaming was the least of what she was going to do if she was forced to move. She knew she’d be unhappy and wreck havoc on her family. That’s what she did when she was upset so why not just tell people the truth about how she felt? Because she knew she didn’t really know how she felt just yet.





“So are you ready to go Zoe?” Lily asked her youngest daughter as she came into her room.

“Yeah, I’m a lot further along then Grace is.”

“You’re supposed to be, you’re leaving before she does, remember?” Lily pointed out.

“True but at least I’m happy about going.” Zoe pointed out.

“Grace is happy about going.” Lily said confused.

“Right and when was the last time you saw Grace cry because she was happy?” Zoe asked.

“Grace is crying?” Lily asked worried.

“Yeah when ever you leave and she doesn’t think I’m listening she cries and screams. You know what Mom I think she’s seriously messed up.”

“Do you know why she’s doing this?”

“She’s insane, mom. That’s the only explanation you need.”

“Zoe, your sister isn’t insane.”

“Right, then explain to me why she’s so upset about moving.”

“I will after I talk to her. How about you go to bed?”

“Fine but I’m telling you she’s just crazy.”

“I know I heard you the first time, sweetie.” Lily said as she walked out of the room. She walked down the hall to Grace’s room. The door was cracked open and she could see Grace on her bed crying. She almost walked in but when she heard Grace start to speak she stopped.

“Can’t I just be happy? That’s all I want! I just want to be happy about moving? Don’t I deserve to be happy in life for one second!” She screamed up at the ceiling.

Lily closed the door and tears started to slide down her face. She headed into her bedroom and dialed Jake’s phone number.





“Thanks for letting me still do something here.” August told the principal on the phone.

“No problem but you’ve got to promise me that you will not have any interaction with Grace Manning.” The principal warned.

“I promise. Plus this exchange program has nothing to with her so I’m pretty sure I won’t even see her.”

“Yeah well that was the reason we thought of you for this job.”

“Because it was the one thing you were sure she wouldn’t ever get involved in?”

“That and because the guy who was running this quit and you’re the only person who needs the job so desperately.”

“I don’t how to take that.”

“I don’t care how you take it just take it.”

“I’ve already agreed to take the job.”

“I know I just… the mayor is putting so much pressure on the school’s to make this program better than it’s ever been. I don’t want to you to screw it up.”

“I won’t.”

“You know I wish I could believe you.”

“Then do. Look I’ve got to go. Thanks for the job.”

“Don’t tell me thanks until you’ve gotten the job done.”

“Fine, then I’ll call you when that happens.” He said as he hung up the phone.





PART 2

The phone rang for the third time and Tiffany finally picked it up. “Hello?” She asked still half-asleep.

“Tiffany, it’s Lily. Did I wake you? I’m sorry if I did.” Lily said realizing that Tiffany sounded like she had just woken up.

“Actually I’m glad you called. Jake and I had accidentally fallen asleep while reading to Mady. We needed to be woken up.”

“Well then I’m glad I could help.”

“Me too, so do you need to talk to Jake?” Tiffany asked knowingly.

“Yeah if you don’t mind getting him.”

“No problem. Jake? Lily’s on the phone.” Tiffany said and eventually gave the phone to Jake.

“Lily?” Jake asked as he grabbed the phone.

“Jake, I’m sorry to call so late but we need to talk.”

“Ok, what’s wrong? Is it Zoe or Grace?” Jake asked worried.

“Grace.”

“Is she ok? I mean she isn’t hurt or anything is she?”

“No, not physically if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Ok then what’s wrong with her?”

“She doesn’t want to go to Australia.”

“Since when? I thought she was looking forward to it?”

“I thought she was too but she’s not. She’s crying a lot because of it.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Well that’s why I called you. I was hoping that you could maybe let Grace live with you.”

“Lily…. “ Jake started to say.

“Jake, you always say you want to spend more time with the girls.”

“But Lily you know I don’t have the room.”

“But you can make it.”

“No I can’t. Plus Grace likes living with you and she’s never given me any indication that she wanted to live me.”

“She may not want to but she needs to, Jake.”

“But…” Jake started to say.

“Jake she’s your daughter too and the very least you owe her this.”

“Look Lily ask me for anything else. Then I would give it to her but there is no way that I have enough space for her. I’m sorry. I really am.” Jake said truthfully.

“You always are.” Lily said mad as she hung up the phone.





Grace was working on her Physics homework when Zoe came in her room with the phone.

“It’s for you.” Zoe said as she handed it to her.

“I really don’t want to talk to any one.” Grace said as she pushed the phone away.

“Yeah well it’s Eli and he’s not going to stop calling till you talk to him.” Zoe said as she handed it back to her.

“Fine.” Grace said as she took the phone. “You’re going to leave right?” Grace told Zoe who was just standing there.

“Fine, I’ll let you have your privacy.” Zoe said as she walked out of Grace’s room and closed the door.

“So E, what do you want?” Grace asked annoyed as she picked up the phone.

“It’s nice to talk to you too, Grace.” Eli said sarcastically.

“Well I would have said that but I didn’t think you wanted me to lie.”

Eli laughed. “So how are things at home?”

“They’re ok, I guess.”

“Good.”

There was a minute of silence.

“Eli, why did you really call? I know you don’t just want to how things are over here.”

“Well you got me there. I called because my dad was hoping I could figure out what was wrong with you.”

“Wrong with me?” Grace asked confused. “Now why would he think something was wrong with me?”

“Lily called and told him you to didn’t want to come to Australia. Is that true?”

“How did she know I didn’t want to go?”

“All I was told was that she saw you crying or something. So why don’t you want to move to Australia?”

“Eli… look I’m not really going to have this conversation with you.”

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t. I don’t really know how I’m going to tell you what you want to hear.”

“All I want to hear is the truth.”

“No you don’t. You just want to hear my excuse for not moving out there. And honestly I don’t have one.”

“Then maybe that means that you don’t have any reason not to move out here.”

“I don’t think so. Look Eli thanks for calling and all but as I said earlier I’m not having this conversation with you so…”

“Fine I’ll go but Grace make sure you don’t want to come out here before you tell you tell Lily because there’s really no reason to stress out any more then she already is you know since she’s pregnant and all.”

“I know that’s why I haven’t said anything yet.”

“Ok good. Bye Grace.”

“Bye Eli.” Grace said as she hung up the phone.





“So what do you think of my new job?” August asked Chris as he handed her a glass of wine.

“That you’re crazy and you should quit while you still can.”

August laughed. “How can you say that?”

“Because you don’t need to work for a school that you were fired from.”

“But I won’t even be working there. I’ll be working out of my home.”

“But there’s still a chance you could run into trouble.”

“By trouble you mean Grace Manning, right?”

“You know trouble by any other name?”

“This has nothing to do with her. I made sure of that.”

“Yeah I bet you did but still…” Chris started to say.

“Stop. Look can you please just be happy for me? That’s all I’m asking.” August begged.

“Ok, fine but only as long as you understand that this does not mean that I approve of the job.”

“Of course not.” August said smiling.



PART 3

Lily was about a mile away from Grace’s school when she pulled over the car.

“Mom what are you doing? You know my school is right up there.” Grace said confused.

“Yeah mom, I mean you still have to drop me off too.” Zoe said.

“I know, I just I need to talk to Grace.”

“No you don’t.” Grace said worried. “Believe me mom you don’t.”

“No I think I do. Grace I think we really need to talk.”

“Mom you don’t want to do this. Believe me when I say that.” Grace said trying to convince her mother to not do this.

“Grace I know you don’t want to talk about this because you’re probably scared about how I’d react to what you have to say.”

“Well yes that has something to do with it.” Grace said truthfully.

“But Gracie I don’t want you to hide your feelings from me. And I really don’t want you to feel like you have to do something like move to Australia just for me.”

“But don’t I? I mean it’s not like you ever gave me a choice?” Grace said getting a little upset. Here her mother was trying to make it sound like all along Grace had had a choice in the matter when she in fact never did.

“There was always a choice Grace. I’m sorry if I never told you that. I mean I just assumed you wanted to.”

“You really thought that I just wanted to up and leave during my senior year? You thought I’d want to have to go through having to fit in all over again?” Grace asked mad as she opened the door and got out.

Lily got out too. “I assumed you wanted to be with your family.”

“You aren’t my only family mom. Dad, Mady and Tiffany are my family too. You know.”

“I know that.”

“Do you? I mean you just assumed the second Rick got his job that we’d all just move out there with you. We’d just drop our lives for him.”

“He’s part of your family too. Plus I thought you’d want to be with your new little baby brother or sister.”

“But not with my other little baby brother or sister, you know Mady.”

“Look I just thought this was better for you ok?”

“No mom is not ok because you always do this. You never ask me if I’m ok with what you consider to be better for me, you just do it. And actually I’m just plan sick of it!”

“When have I ever done that, Grace?”

“How about when you went to the school board and reported Mr. Dimitri?” Grace pointed out.

“That’s not the same and I don’t really think that relates to this at all.”

“Well I think it does. And frankly I’m sick of discussing this with you. I tried to warn you that this wouldn’t be a good thing to discuss but you had to press it. You always have to.”

“Grace we still haven’t finished this.”

“Are you planning on actually changing your mind and admitting that you might have been wrong in not asking me?” Grace asked.

“Probably not.” Lily said honestly.

“Then I’m leaving and going to school. Bye Mom.” Grace said walking off.





Lily got home and sank down in to a chair. Her back was killing her and see was still very upset over her conversation with Grace. She hated having to force Grace into moving to Australia but what choice did she have? Lily hated this. She had wanted her family to be together. She had already lost Jessie and she wasn’t willing to lose another member. The phone rang and Lily was brought out of her thoughts.

She got up and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Lily, are you ok? You sound upset.” Judy said worried.

Lily sat back down. “Judy I’m glad you called. I really need to talk to someone.”

“Ok so what’s wrong?” Judy asked as she also sat down.

“It’s Grace, we just had a not so good conversation.” Lily said.

Judy was having a little trouble hearing her because Eli and Jamie were playing guitar in the living room. “Lily, just a minute.” Judy put the phone down and went into the living room. “Hey guys can you please either do that in Jamie’s room or go outside. I’m on the phone Lily.” Judy said.

“No problem, come on Jamie I’ll raise you up to your room.” Eli said as Jamie ran upstairs. Eli turned to Judy. “How are things with Grace?”

“We’re talking about that now.” Judy said.

“I hope things work out.” Eli said meaning it.

“Me too. Now you better go finish your lesson so that Sam gets all of his money worth.” Judy said.

“Sure. Good luck.” Eli said as he headed upstairs.

“Same to you.” Judy said as she headed back into the kitchen and picked up the phone. “Sorry Lil I had to get Eli and Jamie to move so I could hear. So you and Grace had a conversation about Australia?”

“Yeah and she said a lot of things that were in part true. I mean I see where she’s coming from but I really don’t think I have any choice.”

“So Jake won’t take her?”

“No, he’s says he doesn’t have room which is probably true.”

“But he could make room.”

“But should I put him through that?”

“She’s his daughter too. I mean he just be acting like a father.”

“Yeah well that’s not how he sees it.”

“I bet.”

“And he was my last chance in finding some place for Grace to stay.”

“Wait didn’t they start something like a month ago at her school an exchange program of some kind?” Judy asked.

“What are you talking about?” Lily asked confused.

“Something Grace was telling me about. Apparently her school set up a student exchange program. Maybe Grace could get into that.”

“But isn’t that usually for people who aren’t from the United States?”

“Yeah but considering she was going to live in Australia and she’s already a student there maybe they’d make an exception. I mean it wouldn’t hurt to check it out would it?”

“I guess not and at this point I’m pretty desperate.”

“Well call me and tell how it turns out.”

“I will. Thanks Judy.” Lily said as she hung up the phone.





Grace sat down in her desk for her first hour class. Class wasn’t going to start for about ten minutes, which is exactly what Grace needed. She took up her notebook and a pen. She started to write down everything she was thinking. She was mad at her mother but she also understood where she was coming from. She wanted her family together. She truly understood that but at the same time she didn’t like the fact that her mother was making decisions with out asking her first. But it’s like not like she had given her any indication that she didn’t want to go before this so her mother had no reason to think she didn’t want to go. Plus most of her family was going to be there including her new baby brother or sister. But her dad’s family was still here. But she was closer to her mom’s. Plus Aunt Judy was out there and she loved aunt Judy and her grandmother was too. She had also not given her mother any warning before she decided to tell her she didn’t want to go. She already had everything planned, what right did she have to ruin all this now? As the bell rang Grace’s had already made her decision to tell her mother that she wanted to move to Australia.





August looked through the last file with a smile. He had gotten every student placed with a nice Chicago family. They were enrolled in school and the principal was happy with what he had done. And frankly he was proud of what he had done. Now all he had to do was make sure nothing went wrong now. His phone went off and he went to go pick it up. “Hello?”

“Mr. Dimitri?”

“I told you before to call me August.” August said as he recognized the new secretary’s job. She had just been hired and was constantly forgetting things but he didn’t say anything because he wasn’t going to do anything to risk losing this job.

“Right I’m sorry.” She said upset.

“It’s ok. So why did you call?” August said a little annoyed.

“Well I’m calling because we just got a new student.”

“But we’re packed full. There’s not place to put anyone else.”

“I know that but the mother is willing to pay anything. She sounded desperate.”

“Well did you tell her we were full?”

“Yes and she begged me to find some where’s and I thought of some place.’

“Really where?”

“Well I don’t know what you are going to think of this.” She said worried.

“Margaret please just tell me.”

“Well how about you putting the student up.”

“Me, I mean I never really considered putting anyone up.”

“Yeah before when we had space for everyone but since we don’t now.”

“I get your point.”

“And I don’t know about you but I don’t want to turn this lady down and the mayor hear about this. He’d be pretty upset.”

“Yeah, he would.” August said and then thought about the fact that he could lose this job if the mayor got upset.

“So what should I tell her?”

“That we have a place for her son or daughter.”

“Ok I’ll tell her. Bye Mr. Dimitri.”

“August.” He said annoyed.

“Right bye August.” She said as she hung up the phone.



end part 3