A.N.: I know it's been a real slow development in the movement of Faberry's relationship, but I've always believed that patience is a virtue and that build ups are usually worth the wait. Hopefully people will still continue to stick around (and hopefully I won't disappoint in the delivery). So to everyone who's taken the time and stuck through with the story, thanks so much! The next chapters are definitely gonna be a lot more loaded and even more lengthy. :)
Chapter 9: Shouldn't, Couldn't…Wouldn't?
The Gulfstream G550's twin Rolls-Royce BR-710 engines thundered, powering the plane skyward with gut-wrenching force. Outside the window, LAX dropped away with startling speed.
Twenty-one more lousy hours plus a lay-over until salvation, Rachel thought, her body forced back into the leather seat. Can't hardly wait.
Rachel was seated with Emma and William near the front of the cabin. Their plush swivel chairs were bolted to tracks on the floor and could be repositioned and locked around a retractable rectangular hardwood table. A separate seating area occupying the middle cabin could be converted into a small bedroom and sealed off from the back cabin which housed the galley and mini boardroom by a sliding partition giving its occupant privacy and peace whilst a business undertakes in the back.
Rachel sighed at the lavishness of the airliner – a birthday present given to her by her fathers last year when she turned 18. A car would've been more than enough, but her parents had insisted that purchasing a $60 million private airplane would be a wonderful and fitting way to start the next chapter of her life.
Yeah, right, Rachel rolled her eyes at the memory. They only bought me this plane so that they could keep tabs on my whereabouts. So much for independence. She sighed blissfully and leant back in her seat. Rachel loved her fathers dearly, no question about it, and she knows they mean well, but sometimes she just wished they'd treat her more like a grown-up instead of their only baby girl.
"You're quiet," Emma said, gazing across the Gulfstream's cabin at Rachel.
"Just tired," Rachel replied. And within reason. They had just spent the entire weekend wrapping up a filming contract for the new Tim Burton movie that was set to film in the winter during Rachel's vacation. She was currently on her break before production of her next movie and wasn't the least bit amused when William decided to barge in on it and drag her all the way to LA to wrap up negotiations. Now that all that was over and done with, the brunette wanted nothing more than to just kick back, relax and enjoy what was left of it. Two whole weeks of uninterrupted bliss, she sighed. She looked over to Emma and waved a hand towards her temple. "And trying to make out the cacophony of blah in my head," she added, pulling a face.
Emma giggled and nodded, feeling the same way. The hum of the engines and the gentle rocking of the plane were hypnotic, and her head was starting to throb from having gone through a discussion of a detailed itinerary line-up with William for the past hour. The bleary-eyed manager had gone to the back to forage for some snacks to settle his grumbling stomach.
"Care to share these blah cacophonies currently pulsating through your cranium?" Emma offered.
Rachel grinned and shook her head. "Nah, they're nothing really. Just the usual – school, work, pressure from both sides of the spectrum." And an unsettling emotion I really have to work on controlling, she added in thought. "You know, the everyday monotonous drab every college student slash movie actress deals with."
"Uh-huh," Emma laughed. She looked her client over, deciding it best for Rachel to settle down and get some shut-eye in more comfortable settings. "Hey, you want me to go arrange the lounge into a more tolerable bedroom atmosphere?"
"That would be wonderful," Rachel sighed in appreciation, rubbing her temple.
"Okay, I'll be right back," Emma smiled, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting up. "I'll just come and get you when everything's ready."
"Yay!" Rachel clapped her hands enthusiastically. After Emma disappeared into the rear of the cabin, Rachel returned her gaze to the plane's misty window.
Outside, the dusk was coming fast, the sunset's crimson aura sinking off the starboard. The earth was starting to darken beneath them.
"Snacks, my dear?" William rejoined her with a flourish, presenting several cans of varied fruit juices and a tray of club sandwiches, cheeses, and diced fruit.
Rachel smiled lazily at her manager. "Thanks but no," she said, giving the food tray a once-over before spotting her favorite drink. "I'll just have the four seasons."
William handed Rachel the chilled pink can and a glass with ice cubes.
"Thank you," Rachel nodded, accepting the drink.
While William spread the fare out on the polished hardwood table, Rachel popped her drink and emptied half its contents into her glass – the faint emerald green of the crystal reminding her of familiar hazel eyes.
Quinn.
Heaving a sigh, she turned back to the window, her thoughts awash with disquiet and confusing emotions that accompanied the moniker whenever she thought of her friend. Her friend whom her seemingly innocent little crush on was now slowly and dangerously budding into the 'irrevocably in love' category.
Irrevocably in love, Rachel scoffed. What is this, Twilight? She sunk back in her seat and bit her lip as she mulled over her feelings for the blonde.
When did it get like this? she asked herself, a simper replacing her frown as she glanced down at her drink as if it held the answers to her questions. Why did it have to get like this?
She thought she'd somehow be over it by now, this infatuation she harbored for the other girl. She thought with the passing weeks she'd be able to think about Quinn and not develop the tingles (as she liked to call them). That after a while, the mere mention of the blonde's name wouldn't send her into a blushing fit.
She tried plunging back into the dating pool, but just ended up comparing each and every one of them to Quinn. Now those weeks have turned into months and she was still in square one. And now, to add to her problem was another question – no, the question: to tell or not to tell? Yep. Even though she had now fully come to grips that her feelings were never going away, she still hadn't summoned up the guts to let them be known to anyone other than herself, especially not to the object of her affections.
"All's set, Rach!" Emma broke through her reverie.
"Huh, what?" Rachel asked, slightly dazed.
"The rear cabin's all set for you doze off in." Emma eyed her carefully. "You okay? You're looking kinda pale." She placed a hand on Rachel's forehead. "And a little flushed."
"Umm, no, I'm fine," Rachel hastily got up, trying to hide her blush. "I just…" she motioned blankly with her glass. "Jet lag," she explained with a tight nod and flashed her assistant a wry smile.
"Uh-huh," Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'll just go and lie down. Sleep it off," Rachel said, moving to the middle of the cabin briskly, not wanting to risk the 20 questions her assistant would throw at her if she stuck around.
"Okay, well, sleep tight," Emma called behind her.
Rachel nodded, rubbing her temple and feeling another headache come on. God, I really need to get over this huge, blown up crush, she admonished herself as she settled into the soft and downy comforter of her makeshift bed. She closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down and get some much needed and totally overdue rest.
She tried to sleep on the plane, but couldn't. The constant turbulence and plane dropping the height gave her a headache and a sick stomach. Raymond, Quinn's chief of security and close confidante, knew his client was going to suffer from motion sickness on such a long journey so he gave her a bunch of medication to stop the headache and calm her stomach down. Now Quinn was laying, spread over two seats feeling like somebody broke all the bones in her body. She looked at her wristwatch: 5 more hours until they land at Brisbane.
"Somebody, please shoot me!" she said under her breath.
She looked up and saw Raymond sleeping right across her, snoring like there's no tomorrow. And Zara, her cousin, she was working on something on her laptop.
Scrounging through her small Prada carryon, she extracted her iPod and earbuds. She skimmed through the menu until she found the compilation of her favorite songs she had made the previous afternoon and pushed PLAY.
The gentle riffs of a guitar greeted Quinn's relaxed smile as the first song played on.
You can't know, oh no
You can't know
How much I think about you, no
It's making my head spin
The first lines of Jem's Flying High winnowed their way into her mind. Placing her head back sideways on her pillow, Quinn closed her eyes and let the lilting voice of the singer wash over her.
Looking at you, and you are looking at me
And we both know what we want
Hmmm, so close to giving in
If only life was that simple. If only, Quinn thought sadly.
But I'm flying so high, high off the ground
When you're around
And I can feel your high
Rocking me inside
It's too much to hide
Her thoughts drifted to the girl she indubitably had come to love more than anything... Rachel. It was like only yesterday that the two had met at St. Andrews. They instantly hit it off, and Quinn had instantly developed a crush, which had now quickly grown into the 'wildly in love' category. But now maybe she had waited too long. Waited in the wings for far too long and now she might have just lost any chance she had with the girl.
She knew that if given a chance, she'd be able to make Rachel happy, but there was one slight problem. She was in love and the brunette didn't know. She was oblivious to it. To Rachel, Quinn was just a really good friend. She calls her and tells her about her dates that she manages to have without the paparazzi finding out about it and spreading it around the tabloid mill like wildfire. Quinn's heart would break into a million pieces every time she gushed about the new flavor, and she wished every night that maybe the rumors that they are dating should come true.
God, I wonder what I did to get this punishment. Falling in love with my best friend, she thought sadly.
I know, oh yes
I know that we can't be together
But, I just like to dream
She had never tried to tell Rachel about her feelings; afraid she'd scare the brunette away and lose her as a friend. Why can't you just grow a pair and get it over with already? her subconscious always argued with her. Because she was scared, scared of the rejection she might get from the other girl once she did reveal her true feelings. She'd already experienced far too many heartbreaks in her life and the thought of being on the receiving end of yet another blow, especially from Rachel, to her already fragile heart was far too devastating to even comprehend. She couldn't even think of living without the stunning brunette in her life.
No, a definite no to that. She'd totally veto even the slightest notion of it. Even if she had to suffer, she'd never do anything to hurt the other girl, in any way. In fact, she was happy to just have the brunette as one of her best friends, loving her from a distance.
I know there's no such thing
As painless love
Well it'll catch us up and we can never win
But ohhh, I feel so alive
Ohhh, Just wanna hold you
Hold you so tight
But God, it was so hard, keeping it to herself. She wonders what it would feel like to kiss the brunette. Would there be fireworks, like in romance movies and novels? I wonder if she loves me too and feels the same way I do, Quinn would often find herself wondering. Wishful thinking is more like it.
Settling back into the deep cushions of her first class makeshift bed, Quinn closed her eyes and turned the volume to her iPod down and rested her head on the pillow. She let out a shaky sigh and dreamt of Rachel throughout the rest of the flight.
"Quinn... wake up!" Zara shook her.
"What?" she was all groggy. "Are we there yet?"
"Fifteen more minutes. Get your stuff and comb your hair, for goodness sake. You look like a bloody scarecrow," Zara laughed.
Quinn looked into her reflection the mini TV monitor in front of her gave. "Oh, bollocks!" Zara was right. Her hair was all messed up. She just straightened it out with her fingers and made a little ponytail on the back of her head. She sat up straight in her seat waiting for the plane to touch the ground. She could see it was a beautiful day outside, lots of sun and a clear blue sky. The plane finally rolled in to the end of the runway and the flight attendant wished them a pleasant stay and thanked them for using the services of their air company.
Quinn got her shades on as she and Zara stepped out of the plane with Raymond leading the way. The car was already there and the driver opened the door for them.
"Good morning, your Highness," the driver greeted them as she sat in the back of the car with Zara. Raymond took his seat in front, next to the driver.
Quinn took her glasses off and smiled. "Morning Ed." She settled down into her seat and closed her eyes. They still had at least five more hours to go on their connecting flight before arriving at their final destination. She groaned and mumbled, "This is going to be a long day."
Nothing but the sun, sand and the sea, Rachel sighed contentedly as she settled against her beach recliner. With her earbuds plugged in blasting The Black Keys, she closed her eyes and basked in the warm sunshine, almost falling asleep, when the insistent ringing of the doorbell brought her out of her haze. She rolled her eyes in annoyance and was about to close her eyes again when the ringing continued.
"God... hold your horses! I'm coming!" Rachel groaned as she stepped into the house and wrapped a towel around herself. Where the hell is everyone? she grumbled as she made her way to the door.
She reached for the doorknob and opened the door, ready to bitch at whoever had the audacity to disturb her and her tranquil state. "What the hell do you-" the words got stuck in her throat and she almost fainted when she saw a face she hadn't been expecting to see on her front porch. She hastily slammed the door shut again and covered her mouth in shock. Was that? No, it couldn't be... could it?
Meanwhile, Quinn stood outside completely taken aback by the abrupt slamming of the door. Was that Rachel who just answered the door? She shared a look of bewilderment with Zara, who just shrugged in confusion as well. She looked down at the slip of paper in her hand to make sure they had the right address. Everything seems to be in order, she thought and scratched her head. She was about to ring the doorbell again when the door was wretched slightly open and a pair of timid, familiar brown eyes peeked out at them.
"Rachel?" Quinn's unmistakable voice asked in surprise. Quinn smiled shyly and moved her sunglasses up to rest on top of her head. "Oh my God, Quinn! What are you doing here?" the brunette gasped out, finally opening the door wide enough to properly greet her completely unexpected yet thoroughly welcomed visitors.
"Um, surprise?" Quinn replied lamely with a light shrug of her shoulders. I just knew this was a bad idea, she internally cringed.
"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" Rachel fruitlessly tried to work her mouth. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself being launched at the other girl and enveloping her in a tight hug.
"I missed you too, Rach," Quinn chuckled in relief as the other girl continued to hug the life out of her. She closed her eyes, deciding to just bask in the moment and enjoy it. She had been a pile of nerves before, but now that she was here and had Rachel in her arms, any trepidation she felt had dissipated and was replaced with a calmness she hadn't felt since parting ways with the brunette.
"God, you have no idea…" Rachel whispered against Quinn's hair. She inhaled slowly, allowing the other girl's scent and presence to completely fill her. She knew she had missed the blonde, but really had no idea just how much until that moment. And she smells really good, why does she have to smell and feel so good? She continued lightly cursing herself for feeling how she felt towards the other girl, while all the time relishing the blonde's closeness, faintly noticing how well their bodies fit together.
Their little moment was interrupted by a clearing of the throat, and both Quinn and Rachel sheepishly let go at the same time and took a small, reluctant step backwards.
"Oh, um, Rachel, this is my cousin Zara. Zara, this is Rachel," Quinn introduced the two with a smile.
Zara took a step forward and accepted Rachel's proffered hand. "Ahh... so you're the infamous Rachel my cousin here couldn't stop talking about," she smirked and nodded at Quinn, who was at the moment turning a very bright shade of red.
Rachel glanced briefly at Quinn and smirked. "Is that right?" she quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Nothing but of good things I hope."
"Oh, definitely," Zara nodded, enthused by the rapidly spreading blush now covering Quinn's ears. Her cousin was just too easy sometimes. "It's been nothing but Rachel this and Rachel that the entire trip. And don't get me started on how she has been these past couple of months..."
"All right, if you two are done embarrassing me, can we go inside already? It's really hot out here and I'd really love to play catch up in a much more hospitable environment," Quinn let out in a hurried breath. She shot Zara a subtle glare but the other blonde just grinned mischievously at her. Her nervousness and anxiety around Rachel was certain to get the best of her and her cousin definitely wasn't helping matters any.
"Right. Sorry, um, come in," Rachel gestured, opening the door wide behind her to allow them through. She flashed Quinn a comforting smile and nodded at Raymond who was followed by two more similarly dressed men who Rachel surmised was part of her royal guests' security entourage.
"Are you guys hungry? Thirsty?"
Quinn shook her head at the offer. "No, that's okay. We're fine Rach."
"Are you sure? Because I can go whip up some sandwiches if you want. And there's a ton of drinks in the cooler…"
"Well, now that you mention it-" whatever Zara was going to say was cut off when Quinn subtly (and sharply) elbowed her in the stomach.
"Seriously, we're fine, Rach." Quinn glared at her cousin. "We actually ate a couple of subs on the way here so we're quite full as it is."
"If you're sure," Rachel acquiesced. She watched with curious eyes as Raymond and his team made a full sweep of the room, checking every nook and cranny for anything that might be deemed a threat to their royal cargo. She turned to Quinn and raised an eyebrow. Quinn just smiled and shook her head.
"Don't mind them. It's just royal protocol, is all," she said with a roll of her eyes. Rachel merely mouthed an 'oh' in understanding and they stood there, grinning from ear to ear idiotically while Zara looked on in inquisitively. Hmm, she'd definitely have to talk to Quinn about that, she thought as she regarded the two girls regarding each other silently. Not wanting to be a bystander to the two girls' starefest any longer, Zara let out a loud sigh that got both girls' attention.
"So, what's fun to do around here? I heard the beaches here are fabulous," she said as she peered into the living room that led to the massive veranda outside overlooking the beach.
"Uh, yeah. We have a few jet skis outside and a parasail if you guys wanna go parasailing," Rachel walked over to the sliding glass doors and pointed the equipment out from her view inside the house. "We also have a bunch of ATV's, so if you get bored we can go explore the bank up the beach or wherever." She smiled and turned to both blondes. "Or you could just join me outside and enjoy the sun and sunbathe for a bit."
At the mention of the beach and sunbathing, Quinn looked down and finally noticed that Rachel was wearing nothing but a towel that barely covered the brunette's bikini-clad body. She felt her cheeks burning up again at the sight and immediately turned her gaze elsewhere. But as she looked up, she caught the questioning glances being directed at her by both Rachel and Zara, the brunette's riddled with innocent curiosity (and indifference to her near-naked attire) while her cousin's was filled with prying mischief.
"Erm," she tried desperately to clear out the clog that blocked her throat. "Yeah, sure. Those sound really fun."
"Riiight... okay," Rachel drawled out, wondering why the blonde's cheeks were suddenly glowing bright red again. Idiot, the thought finally dawned on her. They're probably exhausted from all the flying and just want to rest and get some sleep. "Where are my manners? You're both probably dead tired from all the flying. Come on, I'll show you to your rooms."
As Rachel led the way up the stairs to where their respective bedrooms were located, Zara tugged at Quinn and gave her a look that said 'you better tell me what the bloody hell is exactly going on here'. Quinn just sighed in exasperation and shrugged her cousin's hand off. She half-heartedly flashed her an 'I'll explain later' glare and trudged up the stairs to catch up to Rachel.
"Okay, here we are," Rachel said, opening the door of the room at the very end of the hallway. "There are twin beds here, sheets are in that drawer and the bathroom's right over there." She turned back to the two royals and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you want separate rooms?"
"This room's perfect, thank you," Quinn replied before Zara had a chance to utter a single word of protest.
"All right then," Rachel flashed the blonde a smile and moved to leave the room. "Well, uh, I'll let you settle in. If you need me, just holler and I'll come-a-running." She gave the two another smile and turned to leave when she felt a soft hand grasp her wrist. She looked up and saw shining, clear hazel eyes peering up at her.
"Thank you," Quinn said, not withdrawing her grasp from the other girl. Rachel smiled widely and nodded. "You're welcome." She slid her hand up and slipped it into Quinn's, giving the blonde a soft, comforting squeeze before letting go.
Quinn, though a little disappointed at the sudden lack of contact, smiled at her shyly. She was about to turn back to Zara when she heard Rachel softly call out her name again.
"It's really good to see you, Quinn," Rachel told her, her voice a mere whisper, but Quinn heard her clearly as if they were the only two people in the room.
"It's great to see you, too, Rach," Quinn corrected her with a smile. She watched adoringly as Rachel's dimples were made visible as the other girl flashed her a wide, demure smile.
Rachel bit her bottom lip and nodded, "I'll see you guys downstairs." With that, she left the room, Raymond and his team following behind her as she led the way to their own rooms.
Quinn glanced longingly at their retreating figures and sighed. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned to see her cousin casting her a pointed look.
"Just shut up and unpack, okay?" She threw Zara her carryon and proceeded to pile up her own luggage on the bed nearest to her. Zara regarded Quinn for a little while longer before finally conceding to her cousin's silent command to talk later and began to unpack as well.
Quinn, meanwhile, was too caught up in her own thoughts to think about having to explaining her situation to her cousin just yet. Sighing, she moved to the bedroom's floor to ceiling sliding glass patio doors and peeled back the curtains. She smiled in awe as the beautiful ocean-side view was revealed to her. Her eyes roamed around the property until they landed on a particularly heart-stopping sight. She watched in thunderstruck attention as Rachel removed the beach towel covering her modesties, pick up her cocktail drink and take a sip before sitting down and reclining on her lounger. She looked on longingly as she observed how the sun bathed the brunette's lithe, tanned form in its warm summer glow. Gulping, Quinn pulled herself away from the tempting view before she lost it completely and did something she'd end up regretting.
Thanking God that her cousin had retreated to the adjoining bathroom and had not seen her practically salivating over Rachel, Quinn threw herself on her bed and covered her face with both hands. Breathing out in exasperation, she sighed out loud to the quiet room and thought despondently: This is going to be a very, very long summer.