Coming Home

Summary: Frank's feelings for Rachel begin to resurface when he returns from his Venezuelan sailing trip to find that some things in Sydney have changed a lot more than he would ever have imagined.
A/N: Just a bit of a Frank/Jack/Rachel 'love triangle' sorta fic. :)

(Rated T, for a bit of swearing and possibly some implied violence in the chapter to come)

Sailing into Sydney Harbour was always such a magnificent sight, even on a dreary day. This day, however, was picture perfect, and Frank Holloway smiled as he breathed in the fresh, salty air. Everything about the city of Sydney and its glorious harbour was just as he remembered. He docked his boat, 'Footloose', at the marina in Rushcutters Bay, and stepped out onto the wharf, happy that his feet were finally standing on dry, but more importantly, stationary ground.

"Ahhh!" Frank exclaimed, stretching his arms out above his head as if he had been asleep for the last eight hours. He wasn't quite sure what to do with himself now that he was home; several options whirled around in his mind, but one option stood out the most.

The Sydney Water Police.

Detective Senior Constable Rachel Goldstein.

Eighteen months ago, Frank had wanted Rachel to go with him to Venezuela.

"It would be so fantastic if you wanted to come. If you could come."

He meant every word of it, too; he really did want her to go on the journey with him. That's what it was all about for Frank, the journey. But, sharing it with Rachel… well, that would have been something more.

Sometimes, Frank regretted leaving Rachel behind, regretted leaving her standing on the wharf with silent tears running down her face. He regretted his poor choice of words too. Why was "you take care" the only fucking thing he said to her as he sailed away? What if it was the last thing he ever said to her? There were other things that Frank also hated about leaving her behind. Like the idea of her being partnered with someone else, someone who, in his mind, would never look out for her the way he did.

Frank sighed softly at the nostalgic recollection of his best friend. He then wondered what she would be doing right at that very moment, and stupidly, he even wondered what she would look like now; whether her hair would be longer or shorter, would her fringe be gone? He started to walk towards the footpath, away from the bustling marina, making the firm decision to stop deliberating and go and see her. It would be a surprise for her to see him, no doubt, but hopefully, he thought, a good surprise.

The Sydney Water Police station looked exactly the same as it did on his final day of work all those long months ago. The beautiful outlook was still the same as well; the backdrop of the Harbour Bridge, gleaming in the sunshine, even the Opera House's distinctive white sails were slightly visible from the building! Frank walked down some stairs, passing several uniformed police officers along the way. He smiled at them, and they smiled back at him, despite undoubtedly having no idea who the hell he was, or why he was dressed in an outrageously patterned t-shirt, shorts and a pair of ridiculous looking 'boat' shoes.

At the front of the building, close to the water's edge, Frank spotted a woman sitting down on the ground, a number of metres from the main wharf where the Harpy was moored. A sixth sense, almost, told him that the woman was Rachel and he walked over to her. "Did you miss me?"

Somewhat startled, the woman twisted her upper body around, in the direction of his voice, immediately recognising who it belonged to, "Frank!" she exclaimed with a broad, beaming smile on her face.

That smile, he thought, it was still the same. Still wonderfully beautiful. Her dark hair was a little longer than when he last saw her. But there was something even more different about her, he noticed, as she stood up to greet him properly - with a bear hug. Once they let go of each other, Frank couldn't help but glance down, intriguingly.

Rachel's eyes followed his, and it wasn't long before she realised what he was looking at, "Oh yeah, that," she smiled, putting one hand on her rounder than usual stomach, "Pregnant…" she then told him with a nod and a little sheepish smile.

"Yes, I can see that…" Frank answered, also with a nod.

"But -" Rachel began, looking him in the eyes, "Frank! You're back! You look great!" she exclaimed, noticing that, apart from his hair which had grayed slightly, he looked pretty much the same as he did when he left. "When did you get back? How long have you been here? How was the trip? Did you have a good time?" she sounded like she had been drinking too much caffeine, as she bombarded him with fast, excited questions.

He motioned for her to sit down again, before he did the same, sitting next to her with his feet dangling over the edge. "Oh… I got into the harbour a couple of hours ago," Frank stated, thinking about what else she had asked him, "And the trip was good. Pretty good. Although, being away has made me realise how much I do love Sydney. And speaking English."

She laughed.

"So…" he paused wistfully, "Yours and Jack Christey's creation, I take it?" he pointed to her stomach.

Rachel detected something was rather off about the tone of his voice, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she guessed what it was instead, "Your sarcasm is obviously too hard for you to hide."

Frank held up both hands, open palmed, "Not sarcasm, Rachel," he defended himself, "Just an innocent question."

She glanced over at him, not really believing his response, but she eventually said, "Yes, me and Jack. It's a long story."

"I have to say," Frank was nodding once more, slowly this time, "I probably should've known that it would be Jack who replaced me. But, funnily enough, I didn't actually think about him. I just thought it would be some other bastard who wouldn't look out for you."

"Is that your way of saying you don't think Jack looks out for me?"

"Well, clearly he does," Frank used his eyes to indicate to her pregnancy, "But ya know… one can't help but be a little bit pessimistic about these things."

Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You two really need to put aside your differences… or similarities I should say," she paused, before her eyes lit up and she enthusiastically suggested, "Maybe we should all go out to the pub tonight! Celebrate your return!"

"Frank's back?!" exclaimed Mick, wide eyed, "As in the formidable Frank Holloway?"

Rachel, sitting down at her desk, took a sharp breath in, "That's the one!" she then replied with a quiet laugh, "I could hardly believe it myself when I saw him."

"Wow!" Mick was still a little dumbfounded, "And… what did he think of… your little surprise?"

"Oh… well, he didn't actually say all that much about it," Rachel answered on reflection, "I didn't expect him to, either."

"Does he know Jack?"

"Does who know me?" Jack entered the office, having heard his name being said. He sat down at his desk, glaring over at Mick with his eyebrows raised.

Mick glanced across at Rachel, before looking back over at Jack, saying simply, "Frank."

"Frank?" Jack questioned, trying his best not to frown. He knew who Mick was talking about, but he didn't know why Frank was being talked about, "What about him?"

"He's back," Rachel told him, wondering how he was going to react, "I saw him outside when I was on my lunch break."

Jack was just as dumbfounded as Mick by the news of Frank's return, if not more. It was no secret, at least not to Rachel, that Jack and Frank didn't exactly get along. Sometimes it almost seemed as though they were slightly jealous of each other. Jack sat back in his chair, so deep in thought that he didn't notice Mick and Rachel were staring at him, eagerly waiting for his response. "So… how is old Frank?" he eventually asked, realising that he was being stared at.

"He seemed pretty good," Rachel replied, there was a small smile on her face, "I suggested that we all go out to the pub tonight."

"Hey! I like that idea, Rach! Good one!" Mick said with a grin, still looking over at Jack, "Although, I must remember not to let Frank get me drunk this time! I don't know how the hell he did it… he had the same amount of beers as I did. I think."

Rachel smiled, remembering back to the day when Mick came into work with a hangover. Frank told her that he had only bought Mick a 'couple of beers'.

"He was probably tipping his out when you weren't looking, Mick," Jack offered a rather flat-toned response.

"No!? Frank wouldn't do something like that… would he?"

Both Jack and Rachel nodded at him vigorously, "That is exactly like something Frank would do!" Jack answered, half-smirking.

Arriving at the Cutter Bar later that evening, Frank saw a few familiar faces, but also some faces he didn't recognise. Rachel and Jack were sitting down at one of the tables; they looked very intimate, very much in love, he instinctively observed. Seeing them together was almost a bittersweet feeling for Frank. All he ever wanted was for Rachel to be happy, but he just wasn't quite sure if he wanted her to be happy with Jack.

"Hi Frank," Jack greeted him with a surprisingly genuine smile, "Welcome back. Can I buy you a drink?"

Frank smiled back at him, and they shook hands firmly, "Sure, thanks Jack. A beer would be nice," he sat down opposite Rachel, as Jack got up and walked over to the bar. Frank looked down at what Rachel was drinking - a lemon, lime and bitters. "Does not drinking alcohol at the pub bother you, Rachel?"

"No, not really," she answered, shaking her head, "I did have half a glass, if that, of red wine here a couple of weeks ago… you should've seen the death stares I got from some people! It was as if I'd committed a murder in front of them or something! I was so certain that someone was going to call the police…"

"Although," Frank chuckled, "Having said that, bitters is still technically alcohol!" he gave her a cheeky little wink.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him, and their conversation became more and more like old times, "In the most minuscule of forms, Francis!"

"Here you go, Frank," Jack placed a beer on the table in front of him.

"Cheers, Jack," he smiled again, adding, "I can't tell you how good it is to have an Aussie beer on tap! Though, Venezuelan beer isn't all that bad."

"What was it like? Venezuela as a whole?" Jack asked, sitting back down next to Rachel.

"Oh, yeah, pretty good. The weather certainly took a bit of getting used to, that's for sure," he answered, "They only have one season over there, and it's called bloody humid! But you know, it was more about the journey for me. More about how I got there."

"And how was that?"

Frank grinned happily, "Excellent! I mean, there were times when the seas were so bloody rough that I thought I wasn't going to make it out alive. But that's all part of the fun of sailing, I guess!"

"Sounds a lot like sea sickness to me!" exclaimed Rachel, pulling a face.

Frank took a sip of his beer, "Well, working at the Water Police for seven years definitely prepared me a bit!" he paused, thinking it was about time that he changed the subject, "So… you two are having a baby, ey?" he tried not to sound bitter.

Rachel and Jack shared a quick glance. "Yeah," Jack then answered him bluntly, "Came as a bit of a surprise, but we certainly wouldn't change it!" he looked over at Rachel again, who was nodding in agreement.

"Frank!" came Mick's happy voice, seconds later.

At the sound of his name, Frank turned to his left, and saw both Mick and Helen standing next to the table, smiling down at him. He stood up, shook Mick's hand, and gave Helen a lengthy hug. "It's good to see you both!"

"- And then I was charged with sexual harassment!" Mick's words were slurred, and he soon began to cackle, loudly, finally becoming aware of something that everybody else already knew, "Damn you, Frank… you've got me drunk again!"

"Oh no, I think you've managed to do that to yourself!" he chuckled in reply.

"Oh… maybe, yeah!"

It was late, close to midnight. The Cutter Bar had changed its closing time to a later hour, Frank noted. A couple of years ago, he would have been kicked out already. Frank glanced across the table at Rachel, who, he thought, was looking pretty exhausted. He then faced Jack, saying, "You should take her home, ey Jack?"

"Yes, I was just thinking that!" Jack answered, finishing the last mouthful of beer in his glass. "Come on, Rach," as they stood, Jack put his arm around her waist affectionately, "It's good to see you again, Frank."

"You too, Jack."

Rachel gave Frank a wave, and he watched them leave the pub, before turning back to Mick who leaned over the table and said to him in a hoarse whisper, "I think you missed your chance there, Frankie!" he sat back down in his chair, and winked in the direction that Rachel and Jack had headed.

"Huh?" a look of confusion flashed across Frank's face.

As Mick laughed, his head bobbed around uncontrollably, making him seem drunker than he was, "You missed your chance! With Rachel!" he garbled, laughing again, "I know I'm pretty wasted, but… even I can see that!"

Frank decided to let the drunken comment pass. Instead, he asked out of interest, "So, tell me about them, Mick. Rachel and Jack, how long have they been together?"

Mick blinked rapidly, frowning, "Hmm…" he took his time as he thought about the answer, "Ten months, maybe. I don't know exactly, I haven't been counting!"

"So… longer than the pregnancy then?"

He nodded. "I asked Jack once… I asked him how they ended up getting together, and he said that it happened after they were kidnapped… they were kidnapped by this absolute nutter of a guy, you see. He took them out bush, and hunted them like animals, like… like pigs!" Mick started to ramble as he explained, "And… well, after an experience like that… it brought them closer together I 'spose. Literally! Ha!" his laugh resembled that of Mrs Krabbappel's from The Simpsons.

"Right."

At home, Rachel finished brushing her hair, before climbing into bed next to Jack, who was already lying down, "You and Frank were very nice to each other tonight, for a change," she told him, gently tapping two fingers on his chest.

"What are you talking about, Rach? Frank and I are always nice to each other!" Jack answered with a small grin on his face. He pulled her towards him ever so slightly, "I did mean it though. It was good to see him again, in a weird kinda way. I've always thought that he'd never come back!"

"Yeah…"

"Are you happy that he's back?" he asked her, despite it being a relatively silly question as far as he was concerned.

Rachel nodded, "Of course," she rested her head on Jack's shoulder, near his collarbone. "Like you though, I didn't think he'd ever come back. I mean, what does he have here in Sydney? Not a whole lot. I'm sure that's why it was so easy for him to up and leave in the first place. I know there's no way I could leave the way he did, just like that," she clicked her fingers together.

"He's certainly got guts, there's no doubt about it!" Jack agreed, sighing as he began to feel the effects of a long day at work, coupled with alcohol, "Hey, you don't think Frank wants his old job back, do you?"

She lifted her head, and playfully whacked his chest with the back of her hand, "Don't be silly, Jack!"

"I guess if he did end up wanting his job back…" Jack grinned again, rather mischievously this time, "He could always replace you when you go on maternity leave!"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh, "Oh yeah, because that would go down so well… three men sharing that little office!"

After leaving the Cutter Bar, Frank headed back to the marina, where he decided to stay for the night. 'Footloose' was currently a lot more cosy and inviting than his old home in The Rocks, especially given the fact that the house had been unoccupied for the past eighteen months. He shuddered to think what it would smell like after all this time.

Frank screwed up his face at the thought, "I hope I didn't forget to tip out the milk!" he said to himself, collapsing in a heap on his bed with a loud, tired groan. He closed his eyes and kicked off his shoes, not caring where on the floor they landed.

Soon enough, Frank was fast asleep, dreaming about his old life and wondering what things would have been like had he not gone to Venezuela.

The following morning, Frank made his way to the house in The Rocks, taking some of his new possessions with him. He unlocked the front door, and was immediately hit by a disgusting, musty old smell. The kind of smell that somehow manages to cling itself to everything. Frank quickly walked around the house, opening every window as wide as possible, hoping that fresh air would eventually get rid of the foul odour. The final room was the kitchen, and after he opened the window, his eyes were drawn to an empty bottle of wine on the counter.

It was the wine Rachel had brought over, the night before he left.

Frank sat down, sighing at the sight of the bottle. That night was so deeply etched in his brain that it had become an unforgiving, 'what if' kind of memory. Even more so now that he knew Rachel was contently sharing her life with Jack.

He shook his head at his disapproving thoughts, which were beginning to make him sound like such a bitter, middle-aged man. Why couldn't he just be glad that Rachel was happy? Why couldn't he simply accept that she was with Jack and expecting a baby with him?

A knock at the front door soon distracted Frank from his thoughts.

"Hi Frank," Rachel said with a smile, once he had opened the door, "I wasn't sure where you moored your boat, so I thought this might be the next best place to come and find you."

"I'll warn you though, it stinks in here!" he let her inside.

Rachel didn't even have to breathe in all that much before she smelt it, "Oh, yeah… wow, you're not wrong!"

They walked into the kitchen. Like Frank, Rachel immediately saw the empty bottle of wine sitting on the kitchen counter. A small smile formed on her face, "I can't believe this is still here!" she exclaimed, pointing to the bottle.

"Hmm."

She sat down on one of the bar stools, reflecting as she said, "We never did get a chance to talk about… that night. You know, before Mick showed up," she tried to somehow interpret the blank expression on his face, "Do you want to?"

"Oh, I don't think there's much point in us talking about it now," Frank told her, shaking his head, "I mean, you're with Jack, and you're having his baby -"

Rachel folded her arms across her chest, "Frank…" she interrupted, "I think you and I both know that even if something had happened between us that night, it wouldn't have changed anything. You still would have left Sydney the next day!"

He looked at her quizzically, his eyes slightly narrow as he asked, "And what do you think could have happened between us that night, Rachel?"

"Are you being serious right now?"

Frank's shoulders dropped as he let out a sigh, "Okay, okay, I know what could have happened had Mick not knocked on my front door. Okay? I know. You think it's easy for me to come back here and see you happy with Jack Christey of all people? There's not been one fucking day when I haven't thought about that night. When I haven't thought about you."

Rachel sat in silence, her mouth slightly open, completely astounded by his words.

"I'm not saying that I wouldn't have left… but, it would have made leaving a lot harder than it already was."

An hour later, Rachel was sitting in her car, still reeling from Frank's honest admission. She had been absolutely sure that Frank's decision and ability to leave Sydney was so easy for him, that when he told her otherwise, she didn't know what to say or how to feel about it. Would she be with Jack right now if she knew exactly how Frank felt?

"Shit…" Rachel said to herself, taking some slow, deep breaths in, "Don't be such an idiot, you love Jack for God's sake."

Jack always knew that Frank had some kind feelings for Rachel, and vice versa. He also knew that nothing sexual ever occurred between the two, but there were many times when he couldn't help but wonder if either of them, Frank in particular, ever wanted something to happen. There were also times when, for one reason or another, Jack couldn't help but feel a little envious of Frank, but then he reminded himself that he was the one who was with Rachel.

"Whatcha thinking about, Jack?" asked a slightly hungover Mick; there was a curious look on his face, "You look like you're about to explode or something!" he laughed, smacking his palm down onto his desk.

Jack blinked a couple of times, as if to snap himself out of his thoughts, "Nothing," he answered nonchalantly.

"Is it about Frank being back?"

"Eh?"

Mick repeated, firmly this time, "Frank."

Jack feigned confusion, asking, "Why on earth would I be thinking about Frank?"

"He and Rachel are pretty close," Mick said what Jack already knew, "I know I was only here for a week before Frank left, but it was something I picked up on right away!"

"What's your point, Mick?" Jack began to get a little fed up; not only had he been thinking about Frank, he was now talking about him.

"Nothing… I'm just saying -"

"Well, don't just say, okay?" he made sure that was the end of the conversation.

"Jack…" Helen briskly entered the office, there was an extremely worried expression on her face, "I just got a weird call from Rachel, or at least, Rachel's mobile…"

Just from the look on Helen's face, alarm bells had already started to go off in Jack's head, but as soon as he heard the words 'weird call' and 'Rachel', that's when the panic inside him really kicked in, "What do you mean?" he stood up, worriedly, "What did Rachel say?"

"That's the thing, it wasn't actually Rachel on the phone… all I could hear was a man's voice in the background," Helen told him gently, wanting to calm him down as he was clearly getting more and more antsy, "He was yelling and carrying on, I don't know if it was at her or not. But then the line went dead."

In shock and not quite knowing what to do, Jack stood still, the only movement was of him breathing rapidly; he could feel heart pounding hard in his chest, "Where is she?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, shit, trace the call or something, Helen! Come on!" he exclaimed frantically, his eyes full of fear, "This is Rachel we're talking about here!"

To be continued...