Grace - Chapter 13

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Serena Vox

ONE love, blood, life
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Dec 21, 2006
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This was meant to come sooner, but things just keep coming up and I've lost a cat in the midst. :( Thank you to everyone who has read/commented and been patient with me through this. Also, a big thank you to dianepm who has resigned as my beta and a thank you to my new beta, dragonfly_wolfe. This chapter is a tad on the short side and I apologise.

Disclaimer: I don't own/know U2, this never happened, I make no money from this, blah, blah.

Warnings: Language

---

“I don’t care who you are or what you think you’re gonna be, you stay away from my daughter.”

Bono looked at the older man with a look of shock on his face. All he had tried to do was teach the little girl some lyrics. At her request, even. She’d babbled a little, trying to pronounce the same words he would belt off in front of her so he just helped her along with the pronunciation. Her father had kept tabs on the aspiring singer for a while now, watching as he bonded with his daughter in some of the most positive ways the little girl had ever known. It was healthy for her, it truly was, but her father wanted no part of it. Instead, he opted to attack the front man.

“What did I do wrong?” Bono asked, looking down at the hard wood floor.

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t have my daughter influenced by any sort of banter from your country. She’s too good for scoundrels like you.”

Grace was sat near the top of the steps, tears streaming down her face at her father’s attack of her friend. She wiped her puffy, red eyes, sniffling quietly as she watched between the rails. Her father was shouting and cursing, flailing his arms like a mad man while Bono, poor Bono, was stood there in disbelief, almost frightened. His face was one of a puzzle, a question mark; he’d no idea what he had done wrong.

“Scoundrels? We just make music! You knew that when you helped us onto the record deal! You tell me, mister, tell me just what I did wrong. If you can come up with a feasible reason then I’ll go quietly.”

“You won’t threaten me, you asshole. You’re going to go quietly anyways or I’ll have the law escort you out!”

She sobbed noticeably, making Bono turn his attention up to the stairs at the weeping girl on the steps. His eyes were filled with sympathy, kindness. And she sensed that, she knew that. He was a good thing, a positive thing. And that, that is why her father wanted rid of him. That was how it always worked, not that her fragile, young mind would ever understand that yet.

“Daddy, why does Bono have to leave?” She finally choked out, resting her forehead against the rails.

“Oh, honey. He doesn’t have to leave for good…” His peaceful tone was faked.

A hiccup welled up in her throat and she sniffled again, “You were calling him names.”

Bono looked at the heartbroken child once more and sighed. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand. Simple fact was, he has no idea how to tell a small child that he had to go away or why. The why wouldn’t even matter – she was too young to understand. He knew that if he ever saw her again in the future, the chances of her remembering him were next to nothing.

“Grace, just get your ass upstairs and let me deal with this,” Father then said, with an annoyed sigh, his usual temperament coming back out.

“But—”

“No buts, just go.”

She wailed, running up the stairs and tripped on the top step, landing right on her stomach. Broken whimpers and cries could be heard all the way down the stairs at her fall. Sucking up the pain, she lifted to her feet and ran into her bedroom, slamming the door. She crawled up into the chair by the window and waited. She had a perfect view of Bono’s car from this section of the house.

Some more arguing could be heard from her window perch and then a door shutting. She lifted up, watching as Bono walked towards his car, turning back to look at the house. Her hands slapped at the screen and she grunted in annoyance. His eyes scanned the house and he saw her in the window.

“Grace!” He whispered loud, motioning for her to stop before she was heard or knocked the screen out of the window.

“Don’t go.”

“I have to Grace…” Bono replied, watching her facial expression contort to one of sadness. “But…this won’t be the last time you see me.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. Good bye for now, Grace.”

And like that, he was gone. Out of her life.



***

After a long early afternoon going over some of the final works with his band mate, some fun and relaxation were in order. Bono had gone into the city with the rest of the band, checking out guitar equipment and like. They didn’t really plan to buy anything, mostly they bullshitted around with the instruments for fun, comparing to the vast collection of different brands of each that they already had. Plenty wasn’t the word for it.

He tried each of the instruments they played too, for laughs. He was sat at the drum kit in the store, pounding away at the drums all wrong while Larry laughed like nobody had ever seen him laugh before. Adam and Edge were getting just as much of a kick out of it, if not more so than Larry. Bono’s phone vibrated in his pocket and he set the sticks down, picking it up.

“Hang on mates, someone just sent me a text.”

Edge watched the singer curiously as he punched some buttons on the phone. The smile disappeared from Larry’s face when Bono’s expression went blank, the blood draining from his face. “What is it?” The guitarist asked.

The lead man stared for a moment, he look on his face; disbelief. Suddenly, he cussed loud, “FUCK!” He ran out of the store without another word. The stunned costumers and staff stared wide eyed as each of the band mates mirrored confused looks towards one another. Without a word from any of them, they all filed out of the store rather quickly, following what was a very distant Bono. “I didn’t know he could run that fucking fast!” Edge yelled, taking off as far ahead of his mates as he could. Larry soon caught up and passed him.

“Where’s he going?!” The drummer asked, hauling as fast as he could.

“Hell if I know!”

Adam lagged a bit behind the other two, but did his best to keep up. They continued to follow Bono towards some hill by the river, by the looks of things. The lead man was stood atop, looking around frantically as each of them jumped up to it, one by one. First Larry, followed by Edge, then a tailing Adam. The guitarist looked around, then at Bono.

“What’s going on?” He asked, shaking the singer’s arm.

“I don’t fucking know! I got a message from Grace,” He snapped, throwing his cell phone at him as he got down on his hands and knees, peering over the side.

Both Adam and Larry began to nose over Edge’s shoulder as he read the message. They each looked at each other, worry consuming all of their faces. No matter how much any of them disapproved of her in the sense of anything to do with their friend, they became genuinely worried too. Edge shoved the phone at Adam and got down next to Bono, looking down at the river.

Bono’s eyes scanned the shallow water across the rocks until he spotted a figure lying at the bottom. A woman, she was wearing that very blue outfit he had bought just yesterday. He recognized her immediately and his eyes began to burn. No, no, no. Don’t fucking tell me she’s— He turned around, easing his way down the other side of the hill. Edge watched him carefully as he dropped down onto the rocks, barely landing on his feet. He walked over to her damp form; laid about awkwardly on a large rock that looked to be one some people would lounge on down here. He knelt down, running his hand over her forehead carefully. He watched her chest rise suddenly as she inhaled deeply, squinting. Her eyes fluttered a little and opened, one by one. Her leg came up and she almost shoved Bono into the water with her foot until she realized who he was.

“Grace, talk to me, baby, please,” He said, petting her forehead softly.

“I-it hurts to talk,” She gasped, taking in another large breath of air.

“What hurts?”

“My back.”

“Looks like you landed on it pretty hard, come on, we gotta get you to the hospital.”

“No,” She protested, shaking her head fervently from side to side.

“Why?”

“Don’t wanna…take me home.”

“Not to your father’s.”

“No. You.”

“Grace, we gotta get this x-rayed,” He protested, stroking her cheek.

Edge leaned over the hill, watching. He turned to face Adam. “You got your cell on you?”

“Yes,” The bassist replied, wishing he had a cigarette right about now.

“Great, get an ambulance out here.”

“Ambulance?!” Larry asked, thumping his boot against the ground.

“Looks like she fell,” Edge replied, narrowing his eyes at the drummer.

“Is it bad?”

“I don’t know, we’ll have to find out, I guess.”

Adam fished in his pocket for his cell phone, pulling it out and dialing on it. He paced around with it, waiting for he emergency operator to answer and began to relay the message to her. Edge and Larry looked at each other, mirroring sighs coming from the both of them as they looked back down where Bono was knelt, doing his best to comfort her until help came.

***

In the hospital, Bono was sat next to Grace’s bed where she lay sleeping for the time being. The pain meds really did a number on her. She was babbling within half an hour and out cold she went. Turned out, she broke a couple of ribs but it was nothing too serious, thankfully. He didn’t bother to ask how it had happened yet, that being the last thing he was worried about. He sighed, sliding his hand over top of hers where it lay on the blanket that was pulled up to her stomach.

His phone rang and he grabbed it with his free hand, curling his other hand around hers and not letting go.

“Hello?”

How is she?” Adam’s voice sounded from the other side.

“Couple of broken ribs. No major damage, she’ll be fine.”

Good. Any idea how that happened?

“She fell.”

Naturally. When are they letting her go?

“Probably in a few hours. They’re just checking out some things.”

Alright, I’ll be at your place when you get there. Later.

“Later,” Bono replied, hanging up the phone and shoved it back into his pocket.

He looked over at the chart lying on the bed by her feet, reading it rather nosily. She was had been given morphine and had hardly anything for a medical record, by the looks of things. Her fingers suddenly tightened around his and he tossed the chart down, looking over at her. Her eyes were still closed and she was groaning a little. Perhaps she’d been dreaming. He sighed, leaning his chin against the rail of the bed.

The singer closed his eyes, ignoring everything else for the time being, he began to nod off, using his arm for a pillow. His doze was cut short by her doctor coming back into the room, picking up her chart. Bono looked up at the younger man who was standing at the foot of her bed, reading the clipboard.

“Hello.”

“Hi,” Bono replied, turning his attention back to Grace.

“I’m Doctor Goldberg,” The man introduced himself, holding his hand out and Bono shook it. He then continued, “I’m a fan. Anyway, what’s your relationship to Miss Gaines?”

“I’m…her boyfriend.”

“Mhm, alright,” He replied, checking some things off with a pen. “And do you have any idea how she fell?”

“None, I was with my mates when I got a text from her asking for help. She said she was going out on a walk, went by herself and shortly after, I got the message.”

“Alright. Well it looks to me like a bad fall. She did break three ribs and it’s gonna bother her for a little while. Does she live with you?”

“Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“In the transition,” Bono said, looking down at her.

“I see. Well then, just keep her from moving around too much. We taped up her ribs, so she’ll need to stay off her feet as much as possible while the bones mend. And we’re giving her these,” He said, handing the prescription slip to Bono, “Twice a day, preferably with a meal so it doesn’t upset her stomach.”

“Alright.”

“She’s free to go,” The doctor said, tailing out the door.
 
I :heart: it, Serena! I held my breath while reading, because I was so worried that something really bad happened to her.

Great story. :up:
 
short but very good :applaud:
I'm really loving bono's sweetheart and protective side in this story :drool:

and I liked the initial hint to past, even if I'd like to know more :heart:

please go on soon..please! :hyper:
 
serena, could you please tell me how old is bono supposed to be when you go back writing of the past?
if I'm not wrong he should be elevation bono in the present, while she should be around...23?
that means they're 18 years apart in age. :cute:
and doing some math.. :hmm: ..if, in that scene, she was around 5 (?), that would have made him 23. 1983...that was when they released War if I'm not mistaken...:huh:
ok, got you confused? I'm sorry, mine was just a curiosity :flirt: I somehow pictured JT bono arguing with her dad that day..

again, I'm loving this story :heart:
 
serena, could you please tell me how old is bono supposed to be when you go back writing of the past?
if I'm not wrong he should be elevation bono in the present, while she should be around...23?
that means they're 18 years apart in age. :cute:
and doing some math.. :hmm: ..if, in that scene, she was around 5 (?), that would have made him 23. 1983...that was when they released War if I'm not mistaken...:huh:
ok, got you confused? I'm sorry, mine was just a curiosity :flirt: I somehow pictured JT bono arguing with her dad that day..

again, I'm loving this story :heart:
He is about 20-21 or so in the past scenes while he's 40 in the present. Grace is about 25. They are roughly 15 years apart. Sorry for the confusion. :lol:
 
:wave: Serena, great job. I, too, love the reference to long ago.. hope you continue, i am enjoying it very much. :love:

You made reference to losing a cat..you don't have to go into details. i am sorry for any sadness you have. :hug:
 
I am glad I didn't have to wait to read this one after catching up with the last one and the cliffhanger and stuff!

:applaud:

:hug:

(I might try to write that again in English after I've had some sleep...)
 
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