Title: Levelling The Field
Author: bubbles799
Show: Packed to the Rafters
Characters: Jake/Rachel, because let's face it; who else do I write for?
Summary: She was admitting skeletons from her past, now it was his turn.
Disclaimer: Merely borrowed; I own nothing. Zilch.
Inspired after watching Season 2, Episode 9 'Naked Visions'. Hope the writing style isn't too confusing. But for clarification, the words in Italics are lines from the actual scene shown on television. The words that are just regular are my own interpretations. Good luck!
It was right in the middle of the job that Rachel had gone along and pulled Jake aside. If Jake was honest, it worried him. But Rachel didn't, and couldn't wait. First off, Jake hadn't thought it was too serious. But when he'd taken in the state Rachel appeared to be in, he realised she was meaning something a lot more serious. He had no idea what it was, but something was obviously troubling her.
/
Jake: Hey. What's so important that can't wait until after work?
Rachel: Um, there's something you need to know about me.
Jake: You've got insomnia [Rachel glares] Alright, okay. What's wrong?
/
This was the part where Jake became seriously worried. Probably the underlying reason he made the crack about the insomnia. Nervous jokes, a habit. Feel the heat, make the joke and try to lighten the situation. However sadly for Jake, it didn't always work, like in this case.
/
Rachel: If there's ever going to be anything between us...
Jake: There is something between us.
Rachel: No, just listen okay. Anything long lasting, there's something you have to know about me. And last night proves that you might be able to handle it.
/
Rachel, in the midst of her talking, was trying to gage his reaction as she reached the main point of her discussion. She knew what was coming and could handle it. Question was, could he?
Jake meanwhile, was thinking about how much her spiel was talking about the commitment talk. But he was gathering that it wasn't. Given that Rachel was beating about the bush and not getting to the point, Jake took it as being something more worrying, rather than it being about their future as a couple. But she was leaving him hanging...
/
Jake: Handle what?
Rachel: My ex-boyfriend sent out an email of us having sex. Doesn't leave much to the imagination. [Pause] I'm not going to hide from it, okay. But it is always going to be out there. And if we want to know each other, then we need to be honest.
/
And just what was Jake supposed to say to that? First thought, how could anyone treat their girlfriend like that? Bloody hell! In fact, Jake was having a hard time processing how someone could treat anyone like that.
With Jake fuming inside, Rachel was partially glad that he had no idea who Daniel was. She could tell the way he was blinkingly silent meant he was angry, or upset or something. And Rachel was almost certain that Jake would be willing to let someone like Daniel pay for what he'd done.
Jake was dreaming up what he'd do to Daniel should he ever meet him. He hadn't been in Rachel's life for too long, but he cared enough about her that the thought of someone hurting her made him angry. He finally looked back at her; Rachel appeared to be patiently waiting for some kind of sign from him. He was shocked, to say the least. But then he had thought to Rachel, the girl standing before him, the girl he had thought many times would be completely out of his league. But the girl that he knew he shared something special with.
And so he processed exactly what she just said.
/
Jake had left after their conversation. Rachel had been accepting, knowing he'd need to time to digest and realise exactly what she had just said.
Sitting outside, distracting herself from her relationship status and attempting to get some work done. She saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, causing her to look up to see Jake coming out to the backyard from the shed.
/
Rachel: Hi.
Jake: Hey.
Rachel: Let me guess you're not here to see Dad.
Jake: No.
Rachel: It's messed with your head, hasn't it?
Jake: Rachel...
Rachel: No, no it's okay. Look, just tell me okay. I'm a big girl; I can handle it.
/
It wasn't that Rachel had regretted telling Jake; in fact, it was a relief to have it off her shoulders and to have admitted it to him. Rachel didn't want to risk him finding out in a more, explicit, way. Besides, the guilt of note telling him would have eaten her up well before anything could have happened between the pair. However, it was more his reaction that was weighing on her mind.
Rachel herself had weighed up seemingly all the possible outcomes. He could hear one set of baggage and run for the hills. Or he might say it's okay, but never be able to look at her in the same way again.
Hey, he could even forgive her. Rachel wasn't quite sure what she'd gotten herself into by telling him about the sex tape. But the one thing Rachel was sure about was that Jake had needed to know. The last thing she'd wanted was a relationship nestled upon lies. There was no way Rachel was emotionally able to deal with a troublesome relationship again.
/
Jake: Actually, I figured, well, since you're confessing stuff, I might as well come clean too. [Pause] I mean that's fair; both of us putting everything on the table.
Rachel: Yeah, okay. Well I've also done yoga nudists and ice-addicted psychopaths so if you want to top that, it's going to have to be pretty good.
Jake: No look Rachel. Can you let me speak? Can you let me speak?
/
Rachel was slightly shocked, to say the least. He wanted to talk. In fact, he wanted to do the talking. Definitely not the reaction she had been expecting.
She'd confessed to Jake about cheating Vishnu and Daniel's ice-addition. The look of sheer surprise had been clear upon his face; Rachel had seen that for herself.
But apparently, Jake had gotten over his surprise and remembered he had something to say.
/
Rachel: Okay sorry.
Jake: It was just this one time. I was seeing this girl. She was really nice and really pretty, but I just wasn't that, into it, you know? Anyway, I uh, didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I got my mate Micko to give her the flick for me. I couldn't face her after that. It's been eating me up ever since.
Rachel: Oh, okay. [Pause] That's, that's not that bad.
/
First off, Rachel was curious. Was he serious? She had just admitted the many issues her previous relationships had contained, yet Jake was here talking about making his mate break up with a girl. Did Jake think he was funny? That this was a situation to laugh about?
/
Jake: Still, it's pretty dodgy! I mean, she ended up going to a different high school. I never saw her again. I never got round to saying sorry.
/
Something caught Rachel in Jake's words. High school... Just how old could he have been during this 'relationship'? Again, was he laughing and making a joke about her own experiences? Not able to bite her tongue, Rachel spoke her thoughts.
/
Rachel: Wait, hang on a minute. How old were you when this happened.
Jake: Twelve. That does not excuse my shocking behaviour. Alright? However, I'll consider forgiving you, if you consider forgiving me.
/
Jake was down on one knee, proposing style. Yet he was actually just getting himself at eye level with her.
As for Rachel, that was when it hit her. Jake was levelling the field. Emphasizing that if they both had baggage, it meant they were even. That no one had a bad past.
Jake was waiting for her answer, whilst hoping he'd said the right thing.
Meanwhile Rachel was simply watching the kind man in front of her. This was Jake's way of telling her that it was okay, that he wasn't going to 'dis-own' her because of what had happened before they had met. That he wasn't affect by what may, or may not, have happened.
He was going to take her as she was.
/
Rachel: I don't know. It's a pretty tough ask.
Jake: I think it traumatised Micko too. So... am I forgiven? Do we have a deal?
Rachel: Yes, we have a deal.
/
And just like that, everything was okay. A confession, a deal, a make-up and a kiss, and everything was okay. Order was again, temporarily, restored in the world.
And that's it for tonight. I hope you enjoyed, and I sincerely hope that you're not all over my one-shots. I'm watching Season 2 DVD's and getting all these ideas. Inspiring, I tell you!
In the meantime, read and review! Much appreciated.