A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks to everyone who takes time out to leave a review! I love hearing them and seeing what everyone is thinking about the story so far! Please enjoy and leave your comments :) I'm definitely listening...as always, I own nothing :)
Family Feud
And there she was, brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed before nine on a Friday night. Chelyn knew that she could go out; likely get laid by oh so many different people. It wasn't arrogance…well it was arrogance; the type that was cultivated from the fact that, not only had she relished the attention of both sexes, but had been equally open in doing so. Yes, she had had a husband, and then a wife, and when she went out, there was really very little that she wasn't attracted to or for that matter, wasn't attracted to her. Yet, she brushed her teeth, on a Friday night, a little before nine o'clock so she could go to bed and pine over the person who didn't want her.
Chelyn brushed furiously, waiting for that feeling of freshness that helped her sleep soundly throughout the night. Her mother had been less than strict on most things, but brushing her teeth before bed and having a cup of water beside her bed had been staples in their nightly rituals. Chelyn spat out her toothpaste, gargled with water and then mouthwash. and looked at her teeth in the mirror. They would survive another day, she decided. She walked out of the bathroom and frowned, seeing the half-finished bottle of beer on the kitchen counter. She hated wasting beer, almost as much as she hated wasting liquor, but in her haste to close her eyes to the misery she felt about yet another date of Elle's, she had started her nightly ritual without finishing the final bottle she had opened.
She made her way into the kitchen and toyed with the bottle while sighing. Fresh teeth or finish the beer? The decision was minute, but held all the encasings of something that Chelyn didn't want to deal with that night. She had swallowed her pride, taken a shower while Elle left for her "hot date" and come back into her kitchen and living room to smell only the traces of Elle's perfume lingering in the air. The smell had distracted, no taunted her while she prepared her lone grill cheese sandwich and ate it while leaning against her kitchen cabinets.
The damn bottle of Burgundy, the one that she had spent an hour picking out, had mocked her with every bite of that sandwich. Pasta…she was going to try to prepare pasta for the evening, something with a red sauce and chicken…but Elle had a date…with Emma. Chelyn grabbed the half-finished bottle of warm beer and headed back down the hallway towards her bedroom.
Chelyn had abandoned the habit of falling asleep on the couch, because more nights than not, Elle ended up on the couch watching television into the wee hours of the night. So there she was, lying on top of her made-up bed thinking about the days when things were so much simpler. When on a Friday night, she would have indulged herself in a carefree night of lust or at least drinks with someone sexy at a bar.
She didn't know when she drifted off, only that she was awaken when she heard the front door slam. She had been asleep for less than fifteen minutes, but the sound of someone calling her name called her to attention. Chelyn rubbed her eyes and swung her legs to the floor. She opened her bedroom door while still rubbing her eyes.
"Tell me you didn't." Traci was standing in her the middle of the living room floor, completely seething. Traci had tried to calm her temper on the way up to the cabin, but the fact that her little sister had betrayed her was still seeping through her pores. "Tell me that you didn't use something that was personal family business and use it in your 'investigation' Chelyn; because I don't think I'll be able to forgive that…"
Chelyn rubbed her eyes and frowned, "What are you talking about, Traci?" she asked, the magnitude of her sister's anger was completely lost on her. She was newly awake and confused by the fact that Traci was back, in her cabin, and seething at her. "Traci…" she rubbed her eyes and looked at her sister.
"Why would you tell Gail that Theodore is friends with Joshua North?" Traci spat.
"What are ... because he is friends with Joshua North…he's likely in on everything that that sick bastard does…" Chelyn had recovered her wits and now understood why Traci was there. "Traci…Theo is no angel…"
Traci recoiled as if she had been slapped. "How would you know, Chelyn…you know nothing about MY family…"
"Your family…" Chelyn smirked; at least they were on the same page with Chelyn categorically denying any relation (besides Traci) to the Nash clan. "I know guilty when I see it…and Theo knows more than he's letting on."
"I called you that morning because you are my sister, and he is your uncle! And YOU turned him into Gail…what position do you think that puts me in! Gail is my sister-in-law…"
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, the door knob turned and Gail came into the cabin. She had wavered between interrogating Theodore Nash and following Traci to Chelyn's. It wasn't surprising that Traci would head to her sister's house…she was out for blood, and Chelyn was practically fresh meat at this point. Gail knew that deep down, Traci had an inkling that Theo may be guilty, so her anger, righteous or not, would be directed at the little sister, who had pointed this out.
"Traci…" Gail began, but Traci quickly rebuffed her.
"Stay out of this Gail," Traci said without even turning around to look at her sister-in-law. Her eyes were focus, deadly so, on her little sister. "How could you Chelyn."
"It's true!" Chelyn said coming down the hallway closer to her sister and Gail. "Theodore Nash and Joshua North are connected…"
"Yes! Joshua North nearly killed our uncle! And you've used your imagination to somehow connect them by other means!"
"Traci…the evidences are more than can be faked…" Gail offered. Traci turned and cut her eyes at Gail. Although Gail had never seen her friend this angry, she still felt compelled to defend Chelyn and the work that she had done. "Traci…"
"Shut up, Gail!" Traci spat. She turned back to her sister. "Chelyn…I've spent the last eight years trying to make you feel comfortable, making sure you felt like a part of the Nash family. My mother welcomed you into her house…you spat in her face by getting married…our father offered you anything…you moved up here into this shitty cabin…but you know what, Chelyn, I'm done. You don't want family…you wanna wrap yourself in the memories of your mother …fine." Traci said calmly. She watched as Chelyn's eyebrows' furrowed with latten anger by her words. "But you know what's funny…" Traci began with a merciless, yet content smile. "This is what you wanted all along. Ever since your mother died…you've wanted to be left alone and on your own…"
"That's not true," Chelyn almost whispered.
"Yes it is…because your mother had convince you that we were all terrible. But you know what, Chelyn…your mother was little more than a two-bit slut…."
"Traci!" Gail said in disbelief. She had never heard or even thought that Traci held such malicious thoughts. Gail could see the second that the words broke the skin of Chelyn, leaving the girl trembling with a mixture of heartbreak and anger.
"You should stop," Chelyn warned her sister. "You are going to say something that you can't take back…and right now, I'm going to chalk this up to your anger…" Chelyn warned through gritted teeth.
Traci laughed humorlessly, "Something I'm going to regret?" Traci smiled, "Chelyn, your mother was sixteen and sleeping with a married man…the only reason she didn't sleep with our uncles was because she found she was pregnant with you…and then, she had the nerve to become a martyr and kept you from your father. She was a bitch…but that never mattered to any of us. Chelyn, I took you under my wing…I begged Gail to let you shadow her when you were old enough, and this is how you repay family. It's good to know that the apple never falls far from the tree…your mother was a bitch, and as if its magic, you've managed to be one too."
"Get out of my house," Chelyn said firmly although she could feel her eyes filling with water. "Get out of my house and never come back up here…"
Traci took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her words had worked like a charm, even though her anger felt like snake venom coursing through her veins. "Well…now we'll both get what we want…" Traci shrugged and brushed past Gail to open and slam the door behind her.
Gail and Chelyn were quiet as they heard Traci's car start, backup and screech out of the driveway. "Chelyn…" Gail wanted the right words to say; she had wanted to warn the girl before Traci had gotten to her. "I'm sorry…"
Chelyn looked at Gail, a tear slipping past her closed eyelids. "Gail, just go…" it sounded more like a plead than a command.
"Chelyn…"
"Just go… Detective!" she shouted this time. Gail took a deep breath and turned to head back out of the cabin door. It was a few moments after Chelyn heard Gail's car start that the girl finally allowed herself to cry properly.
The embarrassment of coming home after just an hour out on a date would have to be absorbed by Elle, she had decided as she pulled into the drive of the cabin. Hell, she assumed that Chelyn wouldn't even be home. It wasn't out of bounds to believe that Chelyn had went out and found "trouble" of her own on a Frida night, so just maybe, she would have a nice, quiet, embarrassment free night of watching television and eating ice cream on the couch without having to answer questions on what had gone wrong on her date. It would have been so much easier if Chelyn was out, because Lord knows, everything had gone wrong on this date.
It had started with and was completely Elle's fault; that much she could admit. She couldn't really focus on Emma…instead she kept thinking of the look in Chelyn's eyes and the dinner and bottle of wine that had been bought for her by Chelyn. Why in the hell did Chelyn have to do that…she likely just wanted to get in her pants, Elle had rationalized; or just needed someone to play with until something more permanent, more attractive came along.
Elle took a deep breath before entering the cabin. It was almost as if Elle could feel that something was off in the cabin. The same bubbly exuberance that usually greeted her when she entered the place was now lifeless and heavy. It didn't take Elle long before she spotted Chelyn, lounging awkwardly with her feet pinned on the coffee table while her body sat on the chair facing the door. The television was off and the cabin was eerily quiet, as Chelyn rested her head on the headrest and she peered into the ceiling.
"Hey," Elle said shyly. She felt out of place and shy all of the sudden. "Are you okay, Chelyn?" she questioned moving closer to her friend as she asked. Chelyn didn't answer, but by the time Elle had gotten close enough to see that tears streaked Chelyn's face, the girl had already sat up and was now wiping her face. "Chelyn, what's the matter?" she asked again.
Chelyn sniffed. "How was your date?" the girl redirected the focus from her and onto Elle.
Elle shrugged, not even really thinking about the answer to the question. She was automatically worried; worried because she had never seen Chelyn like this before. "What's the matter Chelyn?" she asked again.
"My sist…Traci knows about the case now…and she's not happy," Chelyn explained finally looking at Elle.
"She realizes that this is job," Elle said quickly. "She'll get over it…"
"You don't understand what it means to be a Nash, or a Peck, Elle," Chelyn shook her head sadly. "It all operates different…and I circumvented my father and sister, and she was the only person on my side…now, not so much. And the really pitiful thing is…I really love my sister. She's always been good to me and now she feels betrayed. She won't believe that Theo has anything to do with Josh North until we bring them down."
"Well then, let's bring them down," Elle said feeling motivated by not only her job now, but the fact that this was getting between Chelyn and her sister. She didn't know Traci well, but the fact that Chelyn loved her was enough.
"It's not that easy now…" Chelyn mumbled. Elle looked at her, her expression laced with disappointment. "No…we will get Josh North and Theo …but Traci and I …she said horrible things about my mother, Elle," and there were the tears again, even though Chelyn tried desperately to deny them.
"Sweetheart, no," Elle couldn't help herself as she bent down at the chair beside Chelyn. "You two will be fine…you are sisters. She didn't mean what she said, Chelyn." Elle ran her hand up and down Chelyn's back until her tears somewhat subsided. It took a moment, but Chelyn finally looked up at Elle. The woman who kneeled before her in pair of dark-washed jeans and black button-up blouse, was the one person she needed to see her as strong and in command of her emotions; and yet she was blubbering like a baby in front of her.
Chelyn moved to the edge of the chair and then stood. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Elle, you don't have to be nice to me," she said after a second. "It's sweet of you …but don't…"
Elle was quickly hurt by the brush off. "What does that mean..?" Elle stood and nearly stood eye to eye with Chelyn.
Chelyn stared at her a moment and shook her head, tired of the charade. "I kissed you, Elle and you preferred to pretend like it never happened. For a while, I understood…I thought that even though I was feeling something…even though we were feeling something…maybe it was too soon after Holly…but then you start going out on dates with some girl you met at a bar. How do you think that makes me feel…I mean you have every right to date…but it makes me feel like shit, Gabrielle."
Elle was baffled. "I thought…I thought it was an accident…that you were drunk…" she stammered. She tried to reach out and touch Chelyn, but the girl moved away too quickly.
"I wasn't drunk, Elle. I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you, but you acted like I had forced the plague upon you so … I'm backing off…but you can't be nice to me like this, because I'm going to keep feelings for you and I'm going to feel like shit."
"Why didn't you just say that?" Elle frowned.
"I'm saying it now," Chelyn blustered.
Elle nodded slowly, "Yeah…you are saying it now," she came close and pressed her lips against Chelyn's. Chelyn's mouth held firm for a moment, but eventually softened against the applied pressure of Elle's mouth. It didn't take long before Elle's arms had casually wrapped themselves around Chelyn's neck pulling her closer.
"What are we doing?" Chelyn questioned once their lips parted for a second.
"I'm kissing you," Elle said deciding that she may as well be bold. She moved her mouth over Chelyn's lips again and this time Chelyn fully reciprocated the kiss. Elle steered Chelyn to the couch and they both collapsed onto the plush cushioning. Elle was in control, taking her time to explore Chelyn's mouth thoroughly. It was fun and exhilarating, having Chelyn like this and it wasn't long before Elle had Chelyn pinned in the corner of the couch. She could feel Chelyn's hands exploring her back and hips and pulling her a bit closer. It wasn't long before Chelyn could feel Elle slowly pull away.
"What's the matter?" Chelyn asked, moving closer and kissing Elle's neck now.
"Wait…wait…wait… I don't think I'm ready for where this is going to end up going…"
"Where is this going to end up going?" Elle looked at Chelyn with mock frustration. "Oh…" Chelyn sighed and finally grinned a little. "Elle," she cupped the girl's face, "this won't go anywhere you don't want it to…"
"I just know that you probably don't wait that long before you get what you want …" Elle fumbled with her words.
Chelyn recoiled a bit, "Not at the expense of the person I wanna be with. Elle, I'm not going to pressure you into anything…I just want you to know that I have feelings for you," she said meekly. "There is no pressure…"
Elle gritted her teeth as she moaned, moving back towards Chelyn to kiss her again. "I have feelings for you too…" she said when she moved back, "I just don't know what that means…"
"Okay…" Chelyn nodded, understand the apprehension. "Why don't you just be in control for a while…if you want to date, we'll date…if you want to not do anything…we'll not do anything…"
Elle looked at Chelyn and smiled. "And if I want to kiss you…" she leaned over and captured Chelyn's mouth one last time, "I can kiss you?" Chelyn agreed with that idea above any.
Chelyn took Elle's hand and threaded their fingers, "But how about for now…we just talk?"