Title: What Keeping Us Together
Author: bubbles799
Show: Packed to the Rafters
Characters: Jake/Rachel
Summary: They were on shaky ground… What was the one thing that kept them together?
Disclaimer: I shall say it once and once only: PTTR is not mine!
Based a lot around the events of Season 3, Episode 18 'Between The Covers'.
I thought about extending it and making it more of a story, but then the idea seemed a bit cheesy. Then I made it into a one-shot. And now I've come to the conclusion it would be better in a couple of parts, albeit extremely cheesy! But let me know what you think.
Their relationship was at a rocky patch; a rocky patch far greater and for much longer than any before it had lasted previously.
The stresses with health, work and colleagues, all built up over the gruelling weeks.
/
Jake hated it. He knew he loved Rachel like there was no tomorrow. He hated the fights, the disagreements, the over-reactions and the bitter words. He missed the easy-going, fun and teasingly flirtatious ways of their relationship. They'd faced the ups and downs (his health crisis for one) and yet they'd found a way through it. But this time…
/
Rachel hated their fights. The war of words, the anger. Some days were good; they'd run around like idiots and enjoy the fun times and each other's company. But some were bad; they'd have stupid disagreements about nothing and bicker like school kids. Rachel knew her feelings for Jake were forever and that she loved him. But she wanted nothing more than for them to get over this rough patch and move forward in their lives. Together.
/
If Rachel was honest, it was mainly her work that brought everything to a head; that caused them the most problems. When she'd taken on her new job at EMB, Jake had vowed to support her and cope with her busier, and longer, work schedules. And he tried. Rachel knew that. But saying it and living it are two entirely different things. They'd both dealt with the struggles of actually living it.
One of the worse fights they'd had, just as Rachel had told Ben and Melissa, was caused after Rachel told colleague Liam about Jake's epilepsy. A smaller fight occurred straight after, with Jake leaving Rachel's work building angry, and Rachel left feeling confused and upset.
Jake: What were you thinking?
Rachel: What, why is it such a big deal? Who cares if Liam knows?
Jake: I do! Liam is the last person on earth I want knowing my business.
Rachel: I thought you two were getting on.
Jake: I was making an effort for you. You don't have a clue, Rachel.
Rachel: Okay. At least let me drive you home, okay?
Jake: I thought you were here all night. I'll catch a train.
And that was how it had ended. Not their relationship, which Rachel knew was in jeopardy at the time. But that was how that argument had ended. And it was only the fuel to the fire in their biggest fight yet.
/
Jake had been sitting on his lounge room couch when Rachel had arrived at his place later that evening. He'd heard the click of his front door closing and knew it was Rachel without even turning around.
Jake had told her why he was angry when she'd questioned his behaviour. And when she apologised, it had seemed like they were on the ground to making up.
Right up until the point where he asked her if she admitted she was wrong.
Rachel: Okay fine, fine. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry if I hurt you.
Jake: So you admit that you were wrong?
Rachel: No.
Jake had scoffed and sighed, as the couple found themselves back at square one.
Rachel: No, no! I was trying to protect you!
Jake: Yeah typical. Typical. You expect me to do whatever you want me to do and to act the way you want me to act.
Rachel: What, where did that come from?
Jake: Face it, you're such a spoilt brat. You're just too used to getting your own way.
Rachel: Where do you think you're going? You are not driving.
Jake: Don't tell me what to do.
Rachel: If you get in that car I will not be here when you get back.
Jake: Yeah well, I didn't ask you to come over in the first place.
Rachel had been left standing in the living room of Jake's house. Nothing had really registered, right up until the point where he'd picked up his keys and left, defying all doctors orders. And just like she told Ben and Melissa shortly after, that was the end to their worst ever fight.
/
The next morning was when the sore point really hit. For both of them.
When Nathan had come into the Rafter house the morning after and told them that Jake was making his own way to the worksite, Rachel had immediately jumped to conclusions. Given he'd been quick to get back behind the wheel the previous night, Rachel simply assumed that when he meant 'make his own way there', he'd be doing that by driving a car. If only she hadn't been so quick to assume.
Jake had received the message she left on his phone just as he was leaving the house, about to climb on his bike and ride to work. And then her message had come through.
Rachel: Jake, I don't know why I care but if you are driving to work then you are an idiot. And we are over. Okay, I mean it.
There had been more of a message left, but Jake had gotten part of the drift and hung up before he could hear more. He felt hurt and betrayed by her lack of trust. He didn't see the fact that she had been left standing there when he driven off last night. And because of that hurt, it was why he got back behind the wheel of his car. In spite of her. If she couldn't trust him and didn't care anymore, than neither did he. And that was precisely the reason he drove again.
/
And so did the times begin where they would wake up alone, got to bed alone and get back to life as a single person again.
Rachel threw herself into her work, ignoring digs and comments made by Liam and simply shutting up and dealing with it.
Jake got on with his own work, mainly avoiding the Rafter house. And got back to watching the sports with his brother at home every night.
There were times that they felt the pain of not having someone to share things with. It hit Rachel hardest when Libby sent her a sample wedding invitation for ideas, and Rachel realised she'd be attending her love-struck friends' nuptials alone. Desperate and dateless. And it hit Jake when he went to turn to someone to talk about the more complicated things of life. While he could talk to his brother and Camel about the sport and 'blokey' topics, there were times when he wished he'd had Rachel back to talk to her.
/
Three weeks had passed before long, and before Rachel had realised. Completely out of the blue, completely unexpected and completely unplanned. The shock she'd felt, the stress she'd felt, the fear she'd felt.
Pain mostly. Pain at thinking immediately that she couldn't deal with it now. Not when she was so busy in a new job, not when she was fighting with Jake and apparently single.
Either way, there would be pain. It was just about which pain she was willing to choose.
But it didn't take her long to think back to a similar time, yet so different, in the past from her relationship with Daniel. And that made her realise even more that there was no way she could go through that pain again.
That's the first part done. I think the plot is fairly obvious...
I have already completed this, and there is three parts. So read and review, and I'll get posting as soon as I can!
I'd love to know how you think, no matter how cheesy you thought it was!