All characters belong to Rae Earl. We fast forward 10 years after the series 3 finale. Rae thinks back to what has happened over the past 10 years and a possible move back to Lincolnshire….I hope it makes sense. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Hope you enjoy!
Who would have thought that Rae Earl had her shit together in the year 2008? Certainly not Rae. Yet here it was, 2008, and she had a brilliant new job, great friends, and not one but two amazing boyfriends. Sure one of those boyfriends was a poster of the delicious James Franco that she refused to take down from her bedroom wall. However, the other boyfriend was very real and very fit. For the last 10 months Rae had been with Aiden. They met at a University of Bristol Alumni dinner that Rae's old Performing Arts professor begged her to attend. Rae walked in expecting a boring evening with a bunch of stuffy alumni, but walked out with the phone number of Bristol's youngest (and cutest) professors. Since then, the two had been inseparable. Aiden was the quiet and serious type, but Rae loosened him right up in no time.
Rae didn't expect anything serious from Aiden. Actually, to be honest, Rae didn't expect that she would get serious with anyone anytime soon. Rae had been through the University dating scene and had her fun. She had run through the gambit of crushes, casual flings, and a couple of attempts at serious relationships. All of the above had ended with an insipid washout. Either Rae had ended things quickly, not wanting to waste her time, or they would end things saying Rae's attention was too preoccupied with her friends back home. Whatever!
Now, Rae had someone who she could really connect with. Aiden was sweet, funny, smart, and (it had to be said) hot! He wasn't as knowledgeable with music as Rae would have liked, but not everyone's perfect. Aiden and Rae were standing in Rae's bedroom getting ready for an event Rae didn't think would ever come…Izzy and Chop's wedding. 10 years on and Izzy and Chop had finally reached this day. Rae was nervously fiddling with her luggage while Aiden called out a checklist of everything they needed. "Let's see, we have our toothbrushes, clothes, underwear, deodorant, batteries, flashlights…." Aiden trailed on. "Babe, we're not going on a trip to a cave; it's a wedding. What do we need all this other stuff for?" Rae asked, annoyed. "You never know what might happen. No such thing as being too prepared." Aiden retorted. "Whatever, let's just get our asses moving. We're going to be late," Rae complained. "What are you so pissy about? We're making good time here. Relax a little," Aiden said angrily. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just been a long time since I've been back home. I'm just nervous and excited to see everyone again, and I really need to know if I'm making the right choice about moving back there," Rae admitted. Aiden gave her a hug. "Listen, the distance is just for a short time. Moving back to Lincolnshire for this new job is an amazing opportunity for you. If I get this teaching job in Stamford, then we'll be together in no time. Don't worry," Aiden reassured. Rae didn't want to tell Aiden that she was more worried about some of the old faces back home more than the new job or the distance between the two of them. This would be the first time she had seen Finn since her new relationship began. It shouldn't matter at this point; they had both long since moved on. Finn, she knew, was in a long-term relationship at the moment. A couple of years ago he met a girl named Amber. She seemed sweet enough, and Rae was happy for Finn. So why was she so nervous to see him again? They were friends. Rae thought back to the time when she first started University, and tried her best to stay close to the gang.
Bristol proved to be a home away from home. Similar to her release from hospital, Rae had struggled to find a place for herself at University, but soon found solace with a small group of friends. They partied, revised, and had endless fun, but there was no substitute for her "Stanford" gang. They would come to visit as often as possible, but she missed them terribly throughout the years.
Izzy and Chop would only pop in when they had a huge argument that they wanted Rae to help settle, Archie would fill her in on the guys he was dating, Chloe would visit to boast about how well she was doing at business school, and Finn would stop by, what seemed to be, twice a month.
Rae was overjoyed that Finn took her up on her proposal to remain friends. Despite how much they loved each other in the past, it was difficult for Finn and Rae to work through their personal problems and be in a relationship. Rae used University as a chance to move forward and start over, and it worked. Never had she felt more independent and capable of handling the constant bullshit that seemed to fly her way on a daily basis.
At first, Rae found it slightly odd to see Finn pop up so often, but the need to maintain their friendship and the delight she had about seeing a familiar face caused her not to question his presence. Even though it didn't seem possible, their friendship improved as well. With the barrier of being just friends, and the distance between them, Finn did not succumb to the need of taking on all of Rae's issues. Each time he came to visit her, the previous pressures of a relationship faded; they could just have fun.
The only time things got weird for Rae and Finn is when University ended, and Rae chose not to head back to Lincolnshire. It was never explicitly stated, but the assumption of Rae, her family, and friends, was that Rae would head back to Lincolnshire after taking the time to spread her wings. When she told Finn she would be staying in Bristol for a job in a music studio, he gave her a hollow 'Congratulations'. When she moved in with three roommates, his visits shortened from twice a month to twice a year. She couldn't really blame him to be honest. Rae wasn't too sure how he could constantly make the 3 and a half hour trip so regularly anyway, but she had to admit that it stung a little when he stopped coming so often. They still spoke all of the time, but she missed his smile, his laugh, his big brown puppy eyes, and the way he always made her feel safe. Not that she was still in love with him or anything, but he was her best mate. Therefore, the thought of seeing him for the first time in nearly a year had her a little nervous. Now that her new job would place her back in Lincolnshire, she wasn't sure where their friendship stood. She would soon find out….
Author note: I'm hoping that this will be 6 chapters. Please read and review. Thank you!