CHAPTER NINE: ALL HANDS ON
And it had been such a good day, too. That was what made her the most angry. Was one good day too much to ask?
Charlie had been in a bad mood pretty much consistently since her heated argument with Noah. Everything he said to her was still fresh in her mind. She could almost quote the conversation verbatim. It mostly pissed her off because much of what he said had been the truth. That was usually the case when they fought. He was always one of those few that could get right to the point and force her to look into the mirror. Rachel was like that as well.
Except the part about her father, she thought. He'd missed the mark on that. She really didn't care anymore. Her only grief stemmed from the fact that, despite everything, she wished she could still feel grief over it. Just like she genuinely wished that she could find it in herself to feel anguish for her mother – for what she must be going through when faced with the reality of what her life had become. Any time she tried, all Charlie could find was the rationalization that the woman she once called mother was now resting in a bed that was purely of her own making. If her slumber was riddled with endless bouts of tortured dreams, so be it.
Still, Charlie found herself angry and more than a little frustrated. Instead of breaking out into new ground. Everything felt like stalemate.
Charlie was spending as much free time as she could with Artie picking his brain and soaking up everything he was willing to teach her about his design projects. It was the only thing that kept her attention for any length of time and she was grateful for the distraction.
The more she immersed herself into the subject, the more excited she became. In the back of her mind, she was actually letting herself get excited that this might be the golden ticket she'd been searching for.
The only downside was that her spat with Puck was putting a damper on things because she had planned on asking him to come out and spend a few days working with them. Now she couldn't risk that because she didn't want him anywhere near Rachel. She'd have to be totally hands-on and learn everything from the ground up herself.
Not surprisingly, Sam had been hanging around Artie's office whenever she was there and had wormed his way into their discussions. Truthfully, the more time she spent with the quiet blonde boy, the more she enjoyed his company. He had a quiet truth to him and she hadn't quite figured him out. She regretted that she was the cause of tension between he and Rachel and wished she could find some way to smooth that over.
Besides Artie and Sam, Rachel was the only person she really was talking to and even then she was more or less grunting one-syllables responses. It didn't help that Rachel was shooting mostly last nights and early mornings while Charlie was on days. They had hardly seen each other except to say "hello" and "goodbye." Already sleep-deprived, Charlie had started choosing sleeping over everything else. This was a situation that didn't set particularly well with Rachel.
Tina was mostly attached to Rachel's schedule so Charlie didn't see much of her either. Tina, however, noted that her additions to Charlie's care package were going untouched and the few times she did see Charlie the most reaction she would get from her was a fleeting smile and a nod of acknowledgment.
Tina had even gone so far as to ask Rachel if she had done something to upset Charlie. Rachel shook her head and reassured her that it wasn't anything she'd done. She told her that Charlie was barely speaking to her either. It was just some Charlie thing. Whatever it was, Tina didn't like it. She wanted the old Charlie back.
The truth was that Rachel suspected it was carried over from Charlie's emotional breakdown, but she hadn't been able to find time to spend with her to find out.
That was if Charlie would even tell her that is. Every door that opened with Charlie just seemed to lead to five more padlocked doors. Rachel, however, really felt like she was getting better at picking the locks.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
Charlie was sleeping soundly when Rachel walked into the room. She turned on the light and bounded onto the bed.
Charlie grunted and frowned.
"Whazz the matter?" she asked, her voice raspy and her temperament ill. This wasn't the first time in recent days that Rachel had come in from an odd-hour shoot like a hyper-caffeinated lunatic. Usually she had Tina in tow to occupy her while Charlie slept.
"How come you always call me Rachel," she asked.
"I would think some answer are just obvious," Charlie muttered. "Apparently I was wrong."
Why does she always think of this stuff? And when I'm sleeping no less?
"Turn the light off, Rachel," she said angrily. "Right now. That's just rude."
Rachel ignored her and instead rolled over and draped herself across Charlie's back.
"No, I mean, how come not "Rach" or "Rae"?" she explained.
"Do you want me to call you either of those things?" Charlie asked, trying to figure out what answer would make this conversation go away the fastest. She didn't care what she said, she wasn't calling her "Rae-Rae."
"Well, not really. It's just that some people do." she said. "Like I could call you "Chuck" or "Chas."
"No, you can't. Not if you want to keep sleeping in the same bed with me," Charlie warned seriously. She was suddenly feeling a lot less hostile toward Santana Lopez.
"Chas and Rae," Rachel said. "Those sound like a couple."
"Yeah, a couple of..." Charlie grumbled and her voice trailed off. "Have you been talking to that idiot Hudson again?"
Rachel grunted unhappily and dug her fingers into Charlie's ribs. Charlie growled.
Rachel rolled over on her back using Charlie for a pillow.
"Have you had Red Bull?" Charlie asked miserably.
"Just one. Maybe, two." she said like it was no big deal.
Charlie groaned loudly and not in a good way.
"Oh my god, who do I have to remember to thank for that?" Charlie asked.
"I forget. Maybe Tina," Rachel said absently.
"No way it was Tina. She likes me too much to do that to me." Charlie said. "
"I dunno bout that. Tina thinks you're mad at her," Rachel told her.
"Of course, I'm not mad at her." Charlie said. "You, however, that's a different story. Rachel, please go in the front room and watch QVC, but don't order a bunch of junk."
"No, I want to talk to you," she said adamantly.
"Fine, talk." Charlie said. She didn't promise to listen. She was about two minutes away from going and sleeping in her office. She'd sleep on the couch, but Rachel would just follow her. She was betting that Rachel was too lazy to walk all the way to her office.
"I want a nickname," Rachel fussed.
"Trust me. You do not want any nickname that I would give you right now." Charlie warned.
Charlie pulled the pillow over her head. She could still hear her but it was muffled. Now, if only she could just breathe. Rachel climbed over her and peered under the pillow.
"Are you kidding me," Charlie fumed. It was pretty evident that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep. She threw the pillow off and sat up.
"What is your problem again?" Charlie asked, trying to focus her eyes so she could glare at Rachel.
"I want a nickname," Rachel said again.
"Why?" Charlie asked, because she was a reasonable adult and it was three in the morning.
"Because," Rachel answered.
"Oh, well," Charlie said. "There you go."
Rachel just sat and looked at her, apparently waiting.
"I'm going to go sleep in the stables," Charlie said and she started to get up. Rachel scrambled up and climbed onto her lap. Charlie sat like a statue, a very unamused statue.
Charlie was waking up and becoming less annoyed. Rachel's caffeine high was leveling off and she was becoming less annoying. Rachel was running her fingers through Charlie's sleep-tousled hair. She hadn't decided yet if she was trying to smooth it or mess it up more.
Rachel pulled back and looked at Charlie and smiled. With her hair wild, her eyes unfocused and her face still full of sleep, she didn't think she'd ever looked cuter. Impulsively, she hugged her head and kissed all up and down her face, smearing lipstick everywhere.
Charlie just yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"I like Rachel," Charlie said, reasonably. "Why should I call you something else?"
"I don't know," Rachel responded, quasi-pouting "I just thought..."
Charlie kissed her on the forehead.
"I call you Sundance sometimes," Charlie said.
"I know, but that sounds like a horse," Rachel said, her brow knitted.
Charlie chuckled because it did.
"I like Little Bit better," Rachel said, playing with Charlie's fingers.
"I like that, too." Charlie said with a half smile.
She was still bleary eyed and sort of out of it. Rachel liked her like this. It made her want to pet and kiss on her.
"Yeah, it's an okay one," Rachel said.
"Let me think on it," Charlie said. "I'm a little hyper-sensitive to the whole nickname thing, but I'll see what I can come up with."
"Okay, " Rachel said, smiling.
Charlie rubbed her temple and knitted her brow slightly.
Rachel stroked her cheek.
"Do you have a headache already?" she asked, concerned.
Charlie shook her head.
"No, I'm okay," she said softly, staring into nothing.
She was so sleepy.
Rachel threw her arms around her neck and hugged her close.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," Rachel said.
Charlie laughed.
"You are not," she said.
"If I tell you something, will you promise not to get mad?" she asked.
"Oh god," Charlie groaned. "That always makes me nervous but I suppose."
"I self-caffeinated," she confessed. "I miss you and wanted to be able to stay awake and talk to you."
Charlie laughed.
Rachel leaned her head onto Charlie's shoulder. Charlie grunted and shifted her down on her lap because her legs were falling asleep.
"I miss you, too," she said, honestly. "So was the nickname thing just BS?"
"It was not," Rachel said, pinching her arm.
"That I haven't missed," Charlie fussed.
"So you're not mad at me?" Rachel asked. Charlie sighed.
"No, I'm not mad at you," she said, truthfully
"And you're not mad at Tina either, right." Rachel asked again.
"Nope," Charlie said. "Not mad at Tina either."
"But you have been in a vile mood for some reason?" Rachel pressed.
"Yes, I have," Charlie admitted. "And I'm sorry, I probably took it out on you. And maybe, Tina, too."
"But you aren't going to tell me what you're upset about?" Rachel fussed.
"No, I'm not," Charlie admitted, turning to look at Rachel. "Hey, you're getting good at this."
She nuzzled Rachel's neck and kissed her behind the ear.
"If I get up and turn the light off, you're not going to go sleep in the stable are you?" Rachel asked.
Charlie laughed and shook her head.
"No, I'm going sleep right here with you." she said, kissing her cheek.
"Well, since we're both awake," Rachel said, her eyes flashing. She quirked her eyebrow.
Charlie rolled her eyes and grinned.
Rachel shifted so that she was straddling Charlie's lap, her knees on the mattress. Charlie rested her hands on Rachel's lower back.
"No, never mind," Rachel said, ducking her head.
"What?" Charlie urged, chuckling. "Tell me."
Rachel leaned in and whispered in Charlie's ear.
Charlie closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Did you not listen to anything that Santana said to you the other day," Charlie asked, chuckling.
Rachel looked her straight in the eyes.
"Haven't you figured out by now," Rachel asked, her tone light and teasing. "I almost never listen to Santana. That's why she gets so frustrated with me."
"Yeah," Charlie said. "I'm starting to catch on to that. Well you may be all about cameras, but I'm not."
Charlie pushed herself up and tipped Rachel gently over onto her back. Rachel wrapped her legs around Charlie's waist and started pulling on the hem of her t-shirt.
"I thought you wanted to turn the light off?" Charlie asked, winking at her.
"You know me," Rachel said with sly grin. "I like all eyes on me."
Charlie's belly tensed delightfully.
"What else do you like on you?" Charlie teased, running her hands up under Rachel's shirt and skimming her palm across her smooth stomach.
"Hands, Rachel?" Charlie asked. "Do you like hands on you?" She pushed her hand up further and Rachel squirmed, biting her lip.
Her fingers found a hard nipple and she pinched it lightly.
Rachel giggled.
"Your hands, yes" she answered, writhing under her touch as Charlie kneaded her breast.
"Oh, these hands, "Charlie said, now running her hands up Rachel's sides and pushing Rachel's shirt up and off.
"What else, Rachel," Charlie taunted. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Rachel's, then she drug her mouth down to lick at her throat, before sliding down to plant a kiss on her bare chest as her hands closed around Rachel's firm breasts.
Rachel moaned deeply. Then she twisted her fingers in Charlie's hair and pulled her back up to her mouth and kissed her soundly.
"You, Charlie," she said, laughing. "I like you all up on me."
Charlie chuckled.
"Lucky me," she said just before Rachel's lips found hers again.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
Charlie was leaning against the kitchen counter, happily munching on a sandwich Tina had tucked away in her secret care package stash. Such bacon-y goodness, oozing with real mayonnaise made from real eggs and , oh yeah, tomato and lettuce.
Between heavenly bites she was sipping from her coffee. Rachel was on set for most of the afternoon, so she was on her own. She was going to read Puck's business plan notes again and then talk with Artie and Sam about a business proposal idea they had drawn up.
She still wasn't talking to Puck, but nothing had changed about their business plans as far as she was concerned.
She had just put an disgustingly large bite in her mouth when she heard the door open behind her. She assumed it was Tina, but turned and was surprised to see Rachel bounding in. Rachel pulled up short when she saw Charlie. Clearly she wasn't expecting her to be there either.
Charlie quickly turned and stuffed the rest of her sandwich back in wax paper and shoved in her jacket pocket like a homeless person. She was chewing as fast as she could
"Hey," Rachel said, hesitantly.
"Hey yowwselpp," Charlie replied, her cheeks puffed out.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, coming up behind her, immediately suspicious.
"Eadding a shamwish," Charlie said, trying to not choke, but refusing to spit it out.
"Where did you get that?" Rachel fussed, her brows knitted.
"I fowwwnd it." Charlie answered. There was no way she was going to throw Tina under the bus.
"You're eating a sandwich that you just found somewhere?" Rachel said with a horrified look on her face.
Charlie pointed at the refrigerator.
"You found it in the refrigerator?" Rachel asked.
Charlie nodded. It was sort-of true.
Rachel went over and opened the refrigerator and peered in.
"Why would you do that?" Rachel asked, confused and rooting around a bit.
Charlie gulped down the last few swallows and pulled on her coffee to wash it down. Now all she had to do was wait for the heartburn and distract Rachel from finding the rest of her goodie stash. She felt like a child hiding dirty magazines.
"Rachel, " she said brusquely, "I was eating a sandwich. It was in the refrigerator. That's where we've been known to keep the food. Why the third degree?"
Rachel closed the refrigerator door. She shrugged and held up her hands. "I haven't seen you eat much lately," she said, her lower lip puffing out. "I just wondered what it was because you like it so much."
Great, Charlie muttered to herself. Now you get to feel guilty for the rest of the day.
Then again, Rachel looked guilty as sin about something and was probably just pushing her buttons to keep her from figuring out why.
"Rachel, it was just a sandwich." Charlie said. "I was hungry. It seemed like a good plan. It as probably someone's lunch they stashed in there. Oh gee, sucks to be them."
Charlie walked over to the table and sat down. She was afraid Rachel might actually frisk her and find her sandwich. She snuck it out of her pocket and pushed it onto the table behind her papers. Rachel sat down across from her.
"Whatever you say, Charlie Fabray, " Rachel said. "Just remember, we have ways of making you talk."
Charlie started to laugh and picked up her flashlight off the table and shining it in Rachel's direction. Rachel swatted at her.
It was then that Charlie noticed Rachel's face for the first time and she swiveled the light back in her direction.
She was immediately scowling.
"Do you have... oh my god, Rachel is that a real black eye?" Charlie asked.
Charlie leaned forward and gripped Rachel's chin and turned her face toward the light.
"Don't get all worked up. It's not a big deal," Rachel said, trying to twist out of Charlie's grip.
"Wha, how, how did that happen?" Charlie asked in a somewhere between frantic and menacing, the latter the tone Rachel had been hoping to avoid.
"It was just an accident. As I said, not a big deal," Rachel offered lightly. "Make-up will take care of it.
They may even write into the script."
She climbed onto Charlie's lap, running her fingers up and down the side of Charlie's neck.
"Don't I look bad-ass?" Rachel asked.
"That's not working," Charlie said, her tone unchanged. "And no, you don't."
Rachel rolled her eyes and threaded her fingers through her girlfriend's honey-blonde hair. She grabbed two handfuls and tugged Charlie's head side-to-side than pulled it back, leaving her neck exposed.
"Stop, worrying about it," she said before dropping her head and sucking on the soft skin at the base of her throat.
Charlie huffed deeply. She wanted to stay angry, but it was hard to stay much of anything with Rachel's mouth on her like that. Rachel knew that all too well and moved her lips lower. Charlie's hands dropped to Rachel's waist.
"Come on, it was just an accident." Rachel whispered, her lush lips dragging wetly against Charlie's skin. Her tongue fluttered over Charlie's collar bone.
Charlie exhaled and closed her eyes, her fingers flexing into Rachel's soft, tawny skin.
"He didn't mean it."
Charlie's eyes snapped open again and Rachel wince because she knew she'd uttered one word too many.
"Let me guess," Charlie hissed. "Finn?"
Rachel clenched her teeth and rolled her eyes at her own stupidity.
"Rachel, you better tell me, otherwise I'm going to go find him and ask him myself." Charlie warned.
Rachel dropped her forehead onto Charlie's shoulder, exhaling deeply. There was no way this could end well.
"You have to promise me... " she started.
Charlie gritted her teeth. "I am not promising you anything here, Ms. Berry," she said coolly.
Rachel kept her hand on the back of Charlie's neck, running her fingers through her soft, fine hair. Trying to tame the dragon within, so to speak.
"Tell me, Rachel," Charlie insisted, no play in her tone.
"He, uh, well... uh, Charlieee," she whined.
Charlie had a really, really, really slow fuse where Rachel was concerned, but it had been lit and burned already over this topic so many times already that it was just about gone. The fact that Rachel wouldn't tell her meant it was pretty bad.
"Rachel," she said, sharply, "Just say it."
Rachel sighed and flitted her tongue across her lip.
Charlie rolled her eyes and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. Nice try, pretty girl, she thought to herself.
"He punched me," Rachel said so softly Charlie couldn't catch the end of it.
"Once again please," she said.
"He.. punched me." she said.
Charlie's brow furrowed and she almost laughed. It was so ridiculous.
"Not funny, Rach," she said.
"Not kidding, Quinn." Rachel shot back.
Charlie's eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry, "she said immediately and meant it. "But it was an accident." she added quickly. "He was being silly, you know, like sparring for a scene and I turned too quickly and he caught me in the face."
Rachel heard Charlie's jaw click audibly and knew she was grinding her teeth. Charlie and Rachel both knew that the only reason Charlie was even still sitting there was because Rachel was sitting across her hips.
"I need you to get up, please." Charlie asked calmly.
Rachel shook her head and locked her arms around Charlie's neck. Charlie bit her tongue to keep from smiling.
"Oh don't you even," Charlie chuckled wryly.
Rachel grinned and leaned up next to Charlie's ear and whispered, "Counter."
Then she pulled back and stared hard at Charlie as she very deliberately brought their lips together, keeping her eyes open and locked onto Charlie's watching for any change in her expression. She fully expected to be dumped unceremoniously in the floor at any moment.
Hesitantly she flickered her tongue over Charlie's lips and was surprised when Charlie actually opened her mouth. Rachel didn't hesitate and eagerly pushed her tongue inside. She saw the corners of Charlie's eyes crinkle and then close as Charlie sighed into the kiss.
When Charlie wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist Rachel knew all was well and she finally closed her eyes.
Oh God, Charlie thought at the first touch of Rachel's tongue against her lips. She felt her stomach tense and her nipples harden instantly. Rachel's tongue was her Achilles heel and Rachel knew it. Rachel licked and fluttered against her and Charlie was just gone.
This felt too good to waste on murderous thoughts about Finn Hudson. He wasn't going anywhere. His moment of reckoning could wait.
In the meantime, she was more than happy to indulge Rachel's kiss me in the kitchen whims. For that matter, she'd kiss the spirited little brunette any place she desired for as often and long as she wanted and she proceeded to tell her as much.
·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·
Rachel woke up with a start. She was lying face down on the couch and she immediately reached for Charlie, but she was no where to be found.
"Damn it," she muttered under her breath and started gathering her clothes from the floor. She stumbled into them quickly and flew out the door.
She knew Finn's shooting schedule, but she would have found them anyway by the crowd alone. She pushed and shoved her way through crew members and extras and hangers-on and wound her way to the front of the crowd.
Charlie was already standing off with Finn.
"Great," muttered Rachel, horrified at the mere thought of what might have already been said.
Charlie saw her the moment she broke from the murmuring crowd. She held up her hand and the look she gave Rachel was deadly serious. It stopped Rachel in her tracks about four feet away.
Stay back and stay out of this.
Truth be told, Rachel wasn't actually worried for Charlie. She could more than hold her own. As for the doltish Finn, he had no idea what he was dealing with. He was about to square off with a real life honey badger.
Rachel's real concern was Charlie keeping everything, not to mention everyone, under control. Rachel also would have been the first to admit her own motives were purely selfish. She needed Charlie to be here. There was no way she could get through this filming situation now without Charlie.
"What's your problem, Mr. Hudson?" Charlie hissed at him.
The words might have been Charlie, but there was no mistaking the look on her face belong to Quinn Fabray.
Finn held up his hands, playfully, and shrank away in mock terror.
"Ooooo, scary Quinn." he said with a laugh.
Charlie felt her mouth drop open and she heard Rachel's shocked gasp, immediately followed by Rachel's hand closing around her bicep.
"What... did you just call me?" she hissed, both of her fists clenching.
"Sorry," he said, smirking to his ever-present sycophants. "You just don't look like a "Charlie" to me. I think I'll call you Quinn instead. That's your name isn't?"
If you want to deal with Quinn, then fine. That can be arranged.
Man-child, you have no idea who you're messing with my friend.
Shaking Rachel off, Charlie went right at Finn. She got right up in his face. Her eyes alone would have backed off most anyone with a shred of common sense.
She saw Finn's eyes flicker nervously as he quickly realized he had gone one step too far. His shit-eating grin wavered and fled.
"Uh, sorry, just joking." He sputtered with a hollow chuckle, backing away. She wouldn't give him any leeway and matched his every step.
"If you ever call me that again, I promise you it will be the last sounds you make before they fly you off in a medivac." she growled. "Can you get that through your massive Mr. Potato-head?"
"Okay, yeah, whatever you say," he grunted weakly.
"Furthermore, if you can't control those ape-like appendages you've got for arms, I suggest you stay well clear of Rachel from now on. Do I make myself understood?" she asked.
"Is that some kind of threat?" he asked, feeling bold again. "You need to let Rachel make her own decisions who she spends time with."
"She leaned into him, eyes ice cold and glaring. She felt Rachel's hands on her again, pulling her back.
"Are you a moron?" she hissed under her breath, her face inches from his. "Clearly you must be."
He sputtered and backed up, but she stepped right back into into him.
"I'm going to say this one final time and then I'm not going to have this conversation with you again," she continued. "Unless you have scenes with her, stay away from Rachel. Don't talk to her, don't pursue her, don't have any kind of contact with her. If you need something from her, you deal with me first."
"You can't make me," he sneered.
Quinn smiled at him. It was all steel and ice and razor-blade sharpness. Her words were laced with acid. Quinn had made men more powerful than Finn Hudson cry.
"Believe me when I tell you, Mr. Hudson, you have no idea what I'm capable of. And furthermore, if you really want someone smaller than yourself to spar with you, bring it on. I'm so totally serious. I am more than game."
She made a feint move toward him and he stumbled back. Everyone laughed and his face went tomato red.
"Fuck," Rachel muttered and dropped her face into her open palm.
Quinn crossed her arms and smirked. He would have some remark, they always did, but this was, for the moment, over.
"Yeah, well, we'll have to see about that, Quinn," he blustered with false bravado.
Quinn held up her hand and flared out her fingers as if to say, "Begone, fool." He stumbled back one more step and then all but turned tail and scurried away, his boys in hot pursuit.
Nice going, Quinn. You probably just got Charlie fired.
It was Charlie who stood watching him leave, heaving a tense sigh. She glanced quickly around at the milling crowd and and flickered a weak smile.
She turned and started stalking back to Rachel's trailer. Rachel followed along anxiously.
"How does he know my name is Quinn, Rachel?" Charlie fumed, walking so fast that the little brunette was stumbling along at a trot and struggling to keep up with her.
"I didn't tell him, if that's what you're implying, "Rachel huffed.
Of course she didn't Charlie realized, he could have found it any number of ways.
Charlie slowed down and Rachel fell into step with her, one hand resting gently on her lower back. They didn't say anything until she stepped into Rachel's trailer again.
Once inside Charlie paced around in frantic circles while Rachel sat helplessly on the couch and watched. Charlie finally noticed the panicked look on Rachel's face and she dropped down onto the couch next to her. She slumped back into the corner, her head falling back onto the cushions.
"I don't do this, " she hissed.
"Don't do what?" Rachel asked cautiously.
"This, Rachel. This," Charlie ranted in frustration, holding up her hands, palms up and shaking them. "I hate it, Rachel." she fumed, surprised at how much rage she felt. "I fucking hate it and I can't do it anymore."
Rachel felt literally sick to her stomach. This was everything she wanted, everything she was. But so was Charlie.
"I hate that he kisses you. I hate that he puts his hands on you. I hate that he's anywhere near you. I know it's pretend, but I still hate it. And I don't think he sees it that way, either. He's not pretending and that makes it worse."
Thank god, Rachel thought, she meant the Finn bullshit.
"Don't you trust me, Charlie?" Rachel asked quietly.
Charlie sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest.
"Of course I trust you, Rachel," she said, her tone softening. She tipped over and turned so she could lay with her head in Rachel's lap. "It's him that I don't trust. I just, ugh."
Rachel smiled and ruffled her fingers through Charlie's hair. Rachel peered down at her as she spoke.
"Then just trust me, okay. Just trust me when I tell you that he's nothing." she said, her eyes pouring into Charlie's. "When he kisses me, I feel nothing. When he touches me, I feel nothing. He means nothing. He may as well not even exist beyond lines on a page and a few moments preserved on film."
Charlie gave a flicker of a smile.
"You, however, are everything." Rachel continued, her hands fluttering across Charlie's face. "When you look at me, I can't catch my breath because all the air is gone in the room. When you kiss me, all time stops. When you stop kissing me I'm counting the time until you do it again. It's you I love, Charlie. It's you I think about all the time. It's your hands that keep me safe and sane and make me come in the dark. Not him, never him, Charlie, it's always only you."
Charlie brought her hand up and pulled Rachel down into a kiss.
"I love you, Charlie" she whispered against her lips.
"Lucky me, "Charlie replied with another tender kiss.
"Forgive me?" Charlie whispered.
"For what?" Rachel asked, furrowing her brow.
"Being a jealous fool over you?" Charlie asked, leaning her forehead against Rachel's.
"You better be," Rachel said with a laugh.
Charlie blushed and grinned.
"I love you, Rachel."
"Show me." Rachel whispered.
"I already did,," Charlie teased.
"Show me again," Rachel whispered and Charlie pulled her down on top of her.
~~o0o~~
A/N: Nothing special to note. Just continued thanks for reading and for the kind words. I like seeing the story and the characters through your eyes. Some of you have even rattled my cage, so to speak - and yes, that's a good thing.
To those on the East Coast, maybe it is just a bit of wind and rain and mother nature's angry blustering, but stay safe nevertheless. And keep an eye on those who might need it as well.
Til next time, PL&LC
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