In the Blood
By Jaye Reid
Written: 26/11 – 10/12/1999
Disclaimer: Only the people that you recognise belong to Hal. and the gang at Southern Star and the Nine network. The rest of them are all mine. I am still working on the ownership of the crew…
Authors notes
This fic contains sexual references and swearing!
This is my first and final warning… If you don't think you should read, then don't.
I take no responsibility for anyone who reads.
Thanks go to my buddy Esme for her beta reading of this one… And her discussion for the future ones… vbg There is something about discussing ratfic at 3 am!
Your help has been invaluable. Thank you heaps.
~*~*~*~
The bedside clock said 3.02 am when Rachel dragged her tired body back into the bed. Their three month old bundle of joy, who was often called a variety of other things at this early hour, was fed, burped, changed and finally back to sleep.
Frank sensed her presence and rolled over towards her; throwing an arm across her body.
He removed it just as quickly as he put it there.
"Gees Rachel, you're bloody freezing," he said. The coldness on her body waking him up slightly.
"Yeah well, you get that don't you," she replied as she mustered all her remaining strength and skilfully rolled her whole body on top of his, pinning him to the bed.
"Shit Rachel, your friggin' cold…," he was awake now.
"Warm me up then," she replied cheekily. "I never thought I would hear *you* complain about being in *this* situation."
"Well I never dreamed that I would ever find myself in this situation," he replied running his fingers through her hair and gently brushing it from her face.
"Really Francis?"
Frank could see her smiling face hovering above his own. The hallway light creeping in, throwing a dim glow across the room and her face.
"Ah, well… perhaps I might have *dreamed* but that was all it was," he chuckled.
Frank ran his hand under her nightshirt, tracing her spine from the back of her neck to the small of her back.
Rachel dropped her head into his shoulder. His hand running a shockwave through her body. It felt good. He felt good. His touch was sparking an interest and desire that she thought had disappeared. She wondered when it would return. If it would return. Had they been a mistake? She had her answer, it hadn't been a mistake.
Frank sensed it too. She hadn't been interested in anything physical between them. He had read somewhere he thought… hell more likely he had listened to some bloke down at the Pub bitch to him about their missus and the lack of sex after kids were born. Well he and Rachel hadn't sorted out the legalities of their relationship. He'd offered, she'd laughed at him and told him to piss off. Something about the fact that there were a total of three divorces between them told her things were fine the way there were.
Frank hadn't wanted to hassle her about sex. But he was extremely impressed that *she* was the one now initiating all the moves.
She started playfully kissing his shoulder. Occasionally letting her perfect white teeth connect with his soft tanned skin.
He could feel his heart beating faster in his chest. He wondered whether Rachel could feel it too? But from the way she had pinned him to the bed, he didn't think there would be much that she wouldn't feel.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed as Rachel bit a fraction too hard into his shoulder.
"Sorry," she replied with a grin.
Their eyes met and they saw the spark mirrored in each others gaze.
Simultaneously their need became urgent and their mouths connected. Lips and tongues searching. Rachel groaned softly as her brain sent signals to her body that told her she wanted him. She shifted into autopilot and let the ache inside her take the chance to be satisfied.
Rachel's nightshirt was unceremoniously thrown across the room. His boxer shorts lost between the tangle of sheets and blankets at the foot of the bed. It seemed like a lifetime away since they had made love. It almost seemed new, so foreign and so much like their first time he thought. He wanted this to be better than their first time, if that was at all possible.
Their bodies connected and a wave of euphoria ran through them. Rachel wondered why it had taken her so long to want this again. She knew Frank had; he'd subtly hinted so many times. But he had been so good about it she thought. But now… now she wished he had perhaps been more persistent and she may have given in to his wants.
Frank didn't want this to be over too quickly as he could feel his body taking him in that direction. His brain arguing with his body. Calm down he told himself. But she felt so damn good another part of him complained. He loved Rachel.
Perhaps expressing this through his exploding passion wasn't the best way to acknowledge his feelings, but he figured that she understood him. She would know.
But as he virtually reached that point, it was all dashed. The moment stolen like suffocating the flame of a candle.
The sound of a baby's cry cut through the air in the room.
They lay motionless, Frank resting his head on Rachel's bare chest.
Another cry, more pitiful than the first.
They found themselves wanting, needing but left aching.
Rachel attempted to move Frank so she could get out of bed.
"No, I'll go," Frank said softly as he untangled their bodies and rolled over to his side of the bed.
"It's okay… you've got to go to work tomorrow," she replied.
"Today," he corrected.
"Well yeah… today."
"Nah, it's okay. You've already been up to him once, my turn," he replied as he fished around amongst the sheets and located his boxers.
"Well, I had to," she replied as she pulled the blankets across her naked body. "It's probably something to do with breastfeeding. Shit somehow Frank I figure *you* breastfeeding would be less effective."
"You think?" he replied trying to keep a straight face.
"Yep, my area of expertise in this household I think," she replied with a sleepy grin. The mood was well and truly over for Rachel.
Frank leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
"I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere," he stated.
But not for Frank.
Frank wandered out of the room and into where the baby was *meant* to be sleeping. He looked down at the crying child in the crib. If there had ever been a question by the gossip monger's at the office regarding the father of Rachel's child; all bets were off after he was born.
One look at him told the story. He was Frank's son, no question about it.
"Samuel… Sam… gees mate, your timing is way off," he said as he picked him up. "What's the problem, you got a belly ache or somethin'?"
Frank rested Sam. on his bare shoulder and started to gently rub his back, in a circular motion, as he walked slowly around the room. It had only been a couple of months but Frank was getting used to this. At first he was so damn afraid of dropping him that he was almost too apprehensive to pick him up. Not that he would have admitted that to Rachel. Shit, a Holloway wasn't afraid of anything.
"So, what's this?" Frank asked as the cries started to subside. Negotiation time perhaps. Surely if it worked with the most hardened of crims., he could cut a deal here.
"Okay, you see it's like this," he said as he continued to walk around the room. "I reckon we can come to some sort of deal. You're here all damn day with her. Listen mate, she's all yours. You can drive her up the wall for all I care. Actually you're a Holloway, it's your *duty* to drive her up the wall. God knows I can't be here all the time to do it. Now… I know I come a few rungs down the ladder behind you and David on her scale of priorities. That's cool, I can deal with that scenario. But hey mate, be fair, you've got to give *me* some time with her. So… what do you say? Do you think you could manage that?"
Silence.
Actually - silence - thought Frank.
He gently put his hand behind his young son's neck and pulled him back from his shoulder. Yep, asleep.
He carried him back to his crib, tucking him in firmly.
"Glad we had this little chat," said Frank as he left the room.
But on returning to bed, he found Sam wasn't the only one that appeared to be sleeping.
Frank cuddled into Rachel as he too drifted back to sleep.
~*~*~*~
"Gees you look like shit Frank. Hard night?" asked Jack as Frank walked into their office.
"Yeah, me and me woman were up all night shaggin'' replied Frank sarcastically.
Jack gave him a filthy look.
Frank knew the history between Jack and Rachel, but he figured that she would be with Jack if she loved him. And since she wasn't, then he assumed she didn't.
The sooner Jack came to that realisation the better.
"Don't think Rach. would appreciate you talkin' about her like that," said Jack.
Frank was annoyed. He hated it when Jack called her 'Rach.'. It sounded so damn familiar. And he hated it when Jack tried to tell him things about Rachel as if he knew her better.
"Well, you can get stuffed Jack. I don't appreciate you askin' in the first place and I don't think she would either," he rebuked. "So, have we got anything to get into this morning?"
"Nah, not really," Jack replied.
"Good. I'm gonna go and make myself a coffee then," said Frank and he left the office.
Some days they got along like best mates. But other days… and this was shaping up to be one of the 'other days.'
Frank had just thrown his spoon in the sink when Jack hurriedly came through the door.
"Come on, we've got a situation," said Jack.
"Situation? Shit Jack… I've just made myself a coffee. And it's *real* coffee. Not that instant shit."
"No, listen. It's down at the wharf at the fish markets," said Jack, hoping it would mean something to Frank. Jack could tell by the way Franks face dropped that it did.
"Fish markets? Shit, what? Rachel was heading down there when I left this morning," he said to Jack as he tipped his coffee hurriedly down the sink.
They bolted out of the room and headed downstairs. Jack filling him in on the details as they took the stairs two at a time.
"Ah yeah mate. Call came through. Some bloke's gone ape with a bloody gun and has half a dozen people hostage. Rachel's fine. She's actually in control, and negotiating with him."
"What!"
Jeff met them at the front desk.
"You two ready?" he asked them rhetorically. "Frank are you going to be okay with this?"
"Why wouldn't I be Jeff! Shit, we were partners for five bloody years. If she's negotiating, then she is fine. Where's the young bloke? Well out of the way I hope?"
"Yeah, they're sending Samuel back here. Perhaps you would prefer to wait until….."
"Nah… I'm headin' out there with Jack. It's not as if anyone here will mind keeping an eye on him. He can't get into too much trouble at his age," Frank stated.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," offered Jack. "He's your bloody kid."
"Yeah mate, he is."
~*~*~*~
They drove in relative silence. The wharves weren't far. And it wasn't going to take long to get there either with the speed that Frank was driving. Jack wondered whatever possessed him to let Frank drive.
"Take it easy mate. It'd be nice to get there in one piece you know," said Jack as they virtually drove over the top of another round-about. "What's Rach. doin' down there so damn early?"
Frank glanced at Jack. Hell he hated him calling her Rach.
"Ah, David is comin' round for dinner tonight, and he is rather partial to prawns would you believe. Shit, the kid has more expensive tastes than I have. Anyway, what he wants, he basically gets. Rachel won't deny either of her boys anything. She wanted to get down there and back home before Sam. needed a feed and sleep."
They arrived at the wharves. The area had been cordoned off. Frank and Jack flashed their respective badges at the Officers on the perimeter. 'Freddie' could get them anywhere they wanted.
There was an Operations group set up behind a retaining wall. Heavy duty backup were beginning to mill around.
"Where's Rachel?" Frank asked of the Officer with the most stripes on his uniform. He expected to see her there, she *was* meant to be negotiating. In control of the situation Jack had said.
"And you are?" the Senior Sgt. asked, annoyed with the intrusion.
"Detective Frank Holloway and this is Detective Sgt. Jack Christey," he nodded towards Jack. "Detective Goldstein is my partner."
Well Frank thought, he wasn't *totally* misleading this guy, he just didn't intend to clarify on what basis the partnership was these days. Jack kept silent. No matter what Jack's opinion was on the matter, Water Police stuck together.
"Dan Kellett," he said to Frank, "I'm coordinating the operation. The information I was given was that Detective Goldstein was on leave? I mean she had her kid down here," he continued.
"Well, yeah technically she is," offered Jack, "but she's a bloody good Detective and Negotiator. She knows what she's doing. So where is she?"
"If you look around this wall down to the left, you should be able to see a patrol car," he said.
Frank and Jack both stepped sideways to take a look around the wall. They could see the driver's side door open and Rachel and another Officer.
"That's a bullet hole through the passenger side front window isn't it?" Frank asked. He didn't know *why* he asked. He knew from the hole and the shattered pattern of glass remaining that it was. Perhaps he was trying to sort all the details out in his head.
"Yep. The guy put that there just after the car turned up. He wasn't actually shooting at them. But that is why Goldstein and one of my Uniforms are still down there. We don't want to risk moving them just in case he decides to start taking pot shots. Goldstein is within shouting distance from the guy and in radio contact with us up here."
"How many shots has he let off?" asked Jack.
"Goldstein says three. One in the car, one through the building door and one inside. We don't know at this stage if anyone is down. But we don't think so."
"How many people inside?" asked Frank.
"At least three maybe four. He let Goldstein out because she had the kid with her. Said he liked kids apparently. Bet he wouldn't have let her go if he knew she was a cop. Could have been way different."
Frank thought about having another chat with Sam. and allowing him as much of Rachel's time as he wanted. If it wasn't for him, Rachel would still be inside.
The radio came to life.
"What's happening up there?" came Rachel's voice. It was calm and clear.
The Officer reached for the radio.
"It's Snr. Sgt. Kellett here again Detective. The heavy guns have arrived and they are taking up positions. A couple of your colleagues have also turned up."
"Well, don't move the heavy artillery in just yet. I'd like to think we can avoid that. Ah, who's there? Holloway, Reilly, Christey?"
"Christey and Holloway," he replied. Frank nodded at him to take the radio and Kellett handed it over.
"Gees Rachel. We can't turn our bloody back on you for a second. Can't you stay outa trouble?"
"Nah, learnt from an expert how to get into all sorts of situations. Taught by one of the best. Hang on a minute, he's been quiet for awhile."
Frank handed the radio back. They could hear Rachel yelling out to the guy and him faintly yelling back. But they couldn't make out what was being said. They just had to wait for Rachel to keep them informed.
"Okay guys," said Rachel over the radio, "he's letting the others out. Tell your trigger happy mates to hold their fire. When I see them I will let you know if they are all clear."
"Okay Goldstein, we'll stand by for your word."
He grabbed another radio, set to a different frequency.
"We have hostages being released. Hold your fire. I repeat hold your fire."
People started to appear from the building. Rachel looked at their terrified faces. There were three… one was missing.
"They are all clear," came Rachel's voice, "he's not amongst them."
The hostages headed for the protection behind the police car where Rachel and the other Officer were. From their vantage point up at the retaining wall, they could see Rachel talking to them before she directed the Uniformed Officer to move them up behind the retaining wall and to safety.
"There's one missing," came Rachel's voice over the radio again. "Apparently some damn dickhead tried to be a hero and the gun went off. From the amount of blood they described, he's long dead. That was obviously the other shot we heard."
"Well come on Goldstein, your job is done. We have the hostages out. Move yourself back up here. It's obvious that he is capable of anything," said Snr. Sgt. Kellett to her.
"Nah… give me a go. I think I can convince him to surrender. He didn't go there to specifically kill people. It's a burg. gone wrong."
"Tell her to get her arse back up here pronto!" said Jack. And for once Frank agreed with him.
"Goldstein," instructed Kellett, "back up here NOW! That's an order."
"With all respect, I'm not under your jurisdiction," came her reply.
Jack grabbed the radio. "But you're bloody well under mine! So move it."
"Well Jack I'm on leave remember," started Rachel, "so have you been told to get stuffed yet today? Coz if you haven't , then take it as a first for the day. If you have, well thanks Frank for beatin' me to it. And Frank you'd better not be having any thoughts about bossing me around… I think I can do this. Look give me ten minutes. If I'm getting nowhere then the cavalry can take over."
Jack looked at Snr Sgt. Kellett and shrugged his shoulders.
"She's got the experience, and she's so damn pig-headed. I guess what can it hurt?"
"What can't hurt?" asked Mick Reilly arriving on the scene.
"Nice of you to join us," said Frank dryly.
"Hey I was half way across the other side of town when I heard. Jeff has filled me in on the basics over the radio on my way here."
"You're with them I assume?" Snr. Sgt. Kellett asked Mick.
"Ah, yeah, Mick Reilly, Detective, Water Police," he replied extending his hand.
They shook hands.
"Shit how many Detectives do the Water Police need?" he questioned.
"Ah no, we're a harmonious little bunch down there on the water," said Frank with a grin.
"Yeah," offered Jack with a smirk, "just one big happy family really."
"Anyway, how's Rachel doing?" asked Mick.
"Fine," said Frank, " the hostages are out, but Rachel thinks she can convince this guy to give himself up."
"Fair enough then," he replied. "If anyone can, she is just the Cop for the job."
Rachel's voice came over the radio and broke up their chatter.
"Hey guys… I am going to try and move a bit closer. Yelling to this guy isn't the most effective way of communicating. If I was closer, say behind those forty – four gallon drums, then I think I might be able to get through to him."
Frank was trying to focus on the Detective side of Rachel. He knew that the last thing anyone of them needed was for him to view her as the mother of his child, his lover and friend. No… focus on the Detective that she was, he told himself.
Kellett stepped back and let Jack take the radio.
"Do you really think that is necessary Rach?" he asked.
"Yep. But hey I could do with someone covering me. Preferably one of you guys, not one of the ones in combat gear, someone I know. Don't know how those gung-ho types operate."
"I'll do it," offered Mick. "You know fresh eyes and all that."
"Rach? Mick is coming down there to you," said Jack into the radio. "He will be back-up, okay?"
"Yeah that's fine," she replied. "I was wonderin' where the 'Boy Wonder' was!"
Mick carefully made his way down to the Police car and was soon sitting beside Rachel.
"Shit you get yourself into some bloody scrapes," said Mick with a grin. "What do you plan for an encore?"
"Ah trust me Mick, I don't plan for anything," she replied.
Mick thought how obviously true that statement was considering her life these days.
Rachel called out to the gunman in the building.
"HEY MATE, MY THROAT IS GETTING A BIT SORE FROM ALL THIS YELLING. I 'M JUST GOING TO COME A BIT CLOSER SO YOU CAN HEAR ME WITHOUT ME HAVING TO YELL SO LOUD. I JUST WANT TO TALK OKAY. I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY."
"I'M NOT COMIN' OUT," he yelled back. "STAY AWAY."
"HEY MATE… I JUST WANT TO TALK THAT'S ALL, JUST HAVE A CHAT."
Rachel motioned to Mick to take up position and she moved around the front of the car from her safe position behind the vehicle. She only moved about five metres from the car, heading for the safety behind the large drums, when he must have seen her.
"NO… DON'T COME NEAR ME!"
Came the yell.
And then a shot rang out through the mid-morning chaos.
One shot… and Frank could see Rachel lying face down on the ground.
It took all of Jack's strength to hold Frank back.
Shit this wasn't meant to happen, Frank thought frantically.
Why was this happening?
What was happening?
"RACHELLLLLL…."
Frank yelled from somewhere within as he tried to break free from Jack's hold.
Jack was trying to tell him something… stay calm? Fucking hell, what about this would make him want to feel calm.
"Mick… are you okay," Rachel called to him.
"Yeah… I'm fine back here… what about you?"
"Yep fine… I'm not hit. Shit I think we have a problem here. You got me covered?" she asked from where she was lying.
"Yep."
"Okay…. HEY MATE… YOU OKAY IN THERE? LOOK I JUST WANT TO TALK."
Deafening silence.
"CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
Nothing.
"Shit…. Mick… I think we have a problem. Cover me will ya, I'm moving back to you." she said.
Frank heard Rachel calling out to Mick. And he saw her move back to the car. Jack had let him go by this stage. He nearly collapsed with relief. His heart left his throat and went back to his chest, but it was still beating at a million miles per second.
She was back on the radio.
"Ah, fellas I have this awful feeling we've lost him. The show's all yours. Do you want us to stay here or make our way back up to you?"
"Back," Frank and Jack said in unison. Kellett picked up the radio.
"Your colleagues request that you both head up here," he told her.
"Okay, we're on our way," she replied.
Keeping as low to the ground as possible, Rachel and Mick moved up the thirty or forty metres of parkland between the patrol car and the retaining wall.
"Hey there," she said softly to Frank as she reached the safety of the wall.
"Yeah… fancy meeting you here," he replied. He wanted so much to hold her but knowing that this wasn't the time or place.
She could see it in his eyes and gave him a faint smile.
"I think we can have something else for dinner tonight," he offered with a grin.
"If you want to take Rachel back to the Station in my car," offered Mick, "I can head back with Jack."
"Yeah mate… thanks," replied Frank.
"Statement," said Rachel turning to the Snr. Sgt., "can I organise it later today? I think my baby is way overdue for a feed and I'm gonna explode in a minute."
"Ah sure. You'll be down at the Water Police Offices I assume?" Snr. Sgt. Kellett inquired.
"Yep. Send someone down there in an hour or so would be good."
She turned to Frank.
"Can we go? Really I am going to explode in a minute if I don't get back there to feed him."
"Ah yeah… definitely," Frank replied with a grin. "Let's go."
~*~*~
Frank followed Rachel into the Office. Helen greeted them at the front counter.
"Well Rachel, tell me what you do for thrills if this is what you get up to on leave?" Helen grinned.
"Aw dunno," she smiled back.
"How about crocodile wrestling?" offered Frank.
"Yeah… I could see you doing that Rachel," added Helen.
"You can help me with the job application for it then," she replied. "But in the meantime, where is Sam? He really needs a fed."
"Ah yep, I can see that," Helen replied, nodding at Rachel.
Rachel gave her a confused look and then glanced down at her T-shirt. There were two rather obvious wet patches across her chest.
"Aw shit!" she said trying to pull the T-shirt away from her body. "Frank…."
"Yeah, yeah… you find him and feed him before we have to build a bloody Ark and I'll go and see if I've got a spare shirt or something in my locker."
"You're a sweetheart," she grinned after him.
"Yeah, I know," he replied as he headed for the locker room.
~*~*~*~
David hadn't minded missing out on the prawns for dinner. He had heard all about the drama on the News after school. He thought his Mother was pretty cool.
He headed back to his Fathers after dinner, knowing he would be the talk of the school the next day.
Frank and Rachel lay in each others arms that night, both knowing that the drama of the morning could have ended so differently.
"Did you really have to get closer to the action this morning?" Frank asked. "I mean from where I was standin' it looked close enough."
"Hey well, it was worth a shot, if you'll excuse the pun," she replied.
"Yeah, a shot. Shit, I thought I'd lost you out there this morning. Hell the way you just dropped to the ground. And I don't mind tellin' ya," he continued as he pulled her body close to his, "I don't think I have been more afraid of anything in my whole life."
"What? Francis James Holloway afraid of something? Nah… not true. Must be a lie. The Frank Holloway I know isn't afraid of anything," she joked.
"Ah well, that was the *old* model. The one that had nothin' to lose. This is the updated version of Frank Holloway. Lots of optional extras added," he grinned.
"Oh well… how about I take this one for a test drive? I mean it is always a good idea to make sure everything is working," she smiled.
"Just as long as Sam. doesn't go waking up again," said Frank.
"Ah but you had that chat with him about his timing last night, surely he will….."
"Hey, hang on… how did you …?" Frank glanced over and realised the baby monitor was sitting on the bedside cupboard.
He grinned.
"How much of our man to man discussion did you hear?"
"Oh… all of it," she smiled. "Now, about that test drive…"
~*~*~*~
The next morning, Frank woke before Rachel. He watched her sleep peacefully, entangled in his arms. He was still really bothered about the previous day. It annoyed him that he was so worried about her. It was a weird sensation for him. They had worked together for so damn long and he hadn't felt like this before. He had always believed that she could handle whatever was thrown at her. And yeah… that hadn't changed.
She was so damn capable.
Frank moved his arm and Rachel woke.
"What are you looking at?" she asked sleepily.
"Buggered if I know," he replied. "Can't find me rare and endangered species book."
"Ah well you will have to guess then," she replied rolling over, away from him, and burying her head back into the pillow.
"Hey Rachel?" he asked, "I've been thinking."
"Oh Christ Francis, don't do any damage," she laughed.
He pulled a face behind her back and then dug his fingers into her side.
"Ahhhh, that hurt you bastard!" she exclaimed, swinging her fist backward at him and missing.
"Temper, temper…." He joked.
"Okay, what were you thinking Frank? Do you plan on sharing it?" she asked.
"Alright, but you have to listen to me and not go psycho…"
"I don't go psycho!" she said rolling back over and facing him. "What are you talking about… me… psycho? Ha! I seem to recall you losing it on more than one occasion… Gees Frank where do you get off calling me psycho?"
"Rachel, see what I mean? I DIDN'T call you a psycho… Hell just forget it."
"No, what? What did you want to say?" she continued.
"Nothin'" he replied. She was now in a bad mood and it would be pointless trying to reason with her.
"No, what did you want to say? Shit that is one of the most annoying things about you Frank. You'll start to say something and then stop."
"And why is that?" he asked coolly. She had got the better of him. "Could it perhaps have something to do with the fact that just about every time I open my bloody mouth you are waiting there to tell me to shut it?"
"Well that's just how it's always been," said Rachel. "You annoy the crap outa me until I tell you to shut up."
"Change can be good. Maybe some things need to change," he replied.
"Like what?" she asked. She searched his face to try and figure out what he was rambling on about. She hoped it would reveal something.
But it didn't.
"Look, I really wasn't happy yesterday when you decided to put your bloody life on the line to get closer to that nutcase. Coz that's what he was… a nutcase," argued Frank.
"Whooa there Frank. You'd better not be trying to tell me what to do here," said Rachel getting out of bed and throwing her robe around her body, "Because if you are, then I'd suggest we leave it right there before this gets out of hand."
"Don't you think I have earned the right to have a say? Shit Rachel, what if somethin' had happened? You'd risk leavin' Sam. without a mother? Christ he's only a baby. He wouldn't even remember you."
"Yeah, well I've been doing that all these years. Taking risks… you're forgetting my other son… David? Do you think that I didn't consider him when I was out on the job all these years? But if I let myself think like that too much I'd become useless. This is what I do and this is who I am… If you don't like it… mister over protective Francis James Holloway… well you can BLOODY WELL PISS OFF!"
And with that she stormed out of the room, leaving Frank lying there to think about her words. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. Shit she was pigheaded.
"RACHEEELLLL….." He called after her, but she didn't reply. He could hear Samuel crying and knew that the discussion was ended for the time being.
~*~*~*~
Over the ensuing weeks, Frank continued to think about bringing up the topic again, but didn't. Rachel was a long way off going back to work and he figured that perhaps it could wait until the day drew closer.
Rachel had been in a foul mood with him all that day, and the next… well for two whole weeks actually. She made sarcastic remarks about her capabilities whether she was making the bed or hanging out washing. Asking Frank if he wanted to take over because *she* might stuff it up. At night, he found that she placed herself on the furthest edge of the bed away from him. Hell, he wasn't sure how much of this avoidance he could take. By the end of the second week of her attitude, he had taken all he could and decided to try and reason with her.
"Look, Rachel…"
"What?" she snapped as she drained steaming pasta from a pot into a drainer over the sink.
Frank opened a kitchen drawer and decided to be useful and set the table while they talked. "About what I said…. About you and the job…."
"What about it?" she replied. Her voice had the controlled edge that Frank knew well.
"You know I love you," he said as he put the handful of cutlery on the table and walked around to her. Perhaps a different tact might work. "I would do anything for you… I would… always."
"And your point?" she snapped, dumping the drainer on the bench.
Okay, he thought, different tact wasn't going to work. He didn't know why he thought it would.
"Shit Rachel, why do you have to be so damn pigheaded about this?" he asked with almost a whine in his voice.
Now he had pushed her too far.
He could see that now.
She hung her head and shook it slowly.
She had a smile on her face…
But the smile was deceiving.
He knew that a cyclone was about to hit.
Rachel looked up and glared at him.
"You want to know why I am being so 'pigheaded' do you?'
He nodded stupidly like a child who had just been asked if they wanted a smack.
She shook her head at him again.
Her body stiffened and she looked straight at him. Her glare almost burning a hole through him.
"Okay Francis… you see this discussion is easy for me. I've had it once before. After David was born, Jonathon didn't want me to be a Cop anymore. Actually I don't think he *ever* liked me being a Cop. And being a bloody Detective was worse. But this is something that *you* already know. You saw what I went through…"
"Yeah but Rachel… this is different… I love you."
"And you don't think at some point in time he and I didn't love each other? What do you think… I would have married him… had David if I didn't at some stage love him?"
"No Rachel… I didn't mean it like that. This is different that's all…" he said going to hold her.
She pushed him away, she hadn't finished and she was certainly not in the mood for his usual solution to all their problems.
"The only difference between *him* trying to convince me to leave the force and *you*, is that I was bloody well married to him…. I haven't made the same mistake twice!"
"Mistake? You think *we* are a *mistake*?" he asked in a low voice. Her words had cut into his heart.
And he couldn't have known how much she regretted her words once she had said them.
"Well fine… if we're a mistake fine… I wouldn't want you talking about me the same way you do about him," he said as he stormed out of the room.
Rachel stood there, angry at everything and everyone, including herself. Damn him! Why did he have to be like this? She picked up the drainer of pasta and tipped it into a serving bowl.
He'd cool down eventually.
She knew he loved her and Samuel; and David for that matter too. They were great mates and Rachel loved that idea that David had both of them. Frank was trying so hard with Sam. He showed her a whole side of himself that she had never known existed, until now. But he was still so bloody pigheaded…. Ha! He'd called her pigheaded…. Needed to look in the mirror occasionally himself she thought.
But then he was standing in the doorway of the kitchen with a bag in his hand.
She was shocked.
"Okay… if we are a mistake I won't get in your way. But I *am* Sam's Father and I want to see him occasionally. It would be nice to see David too. I'll be down at the Marina on the 'Footloose' if anyone wants me. See ya Rachel," he said as he turned to leave.
"Frank…"
"What? Oh yeah… of course…"
He dropped his bag on the floor and fished his keys out of his pocket. He removed the front door key and threw it on the table. And picked up his bag again before walking to the door.
"No… Frank… come on…"
He opened the door and kept walking.
"Hang on… Frank… wait," she said as she hurriedly walked after him.
He stopped on the step.
The cold evening air rushed inside the house around her as she stood in the doorway. The breeze touching her face and making her shiver.
The crickets that were usually chirping noisily were uncharacteristically silent. Daylight almost fading into darkness.
"Rachel," he said softly as he turned and looked into her gaze. He was trying to hold back from breaking down. "You made yourself quite clear earlier. I won't let us deteriorate into the continuing fury that you wage with Jonathon. And you are right… at least you don't have to divorce yourself from me… I can just clear out of your life, no hassles."
"Ahh come on Frank… don't be so stupid about this.. look I didn't …."
"Mean it?" he finished her sentence for her.
She nodded.
"Yeah ya did Rachel. You meant every damn word of it. You all ways tell the truth when you're angry."
"But…."
"But nothing…. Anyway I can hear Sam. crying. You'd better go see to him. I'll catch you around."
He started back down the path. Rachel could hear Sam's cries getting louder. She didn't know what to do. She hated not knowing what to do.
"DAMN YOU FRANCIS HOLLOWAY!" she yelled after him as she ran back inside to see to their son.
~*~*~*~
Another two weeks went by.
Rachel had called past the 'Footloose' with Sam. a few times but Frank hadn't been there. She had rung the Office and asked Helen if he was there. From her reaction it was obvious to Rachel that Frank hadn't told anyone that he had moved out.
Rachel's autopilot once again kicked in.
Going about the daily routine that she had mapped out. Still cooking food for two instead of now one. She had forgotten what that was like.
She missed him and as the weeks dragged on she felt like shit. If she could have just paused for a second and not said those words.
He was right. They were true, but they weren't meant to sound the way they did. She felt so empty without him around. But he didn't call.
When she had taken Samuel to the doctor for his overdue inoculations she felt like crying along with him. She envied him. He could howl his little blue eyes out and she was there to hold him and make him feel wanted and protected. That night, she let herself cry for the first time since Frank had left; but there was no one to hold her.
~*~*~*~
The next morning Rachel knew what she had to do. No point in putting it off. She phoned her Father and organised him to have Sam. for a few hours. She knew he wouldn't complain and she didn't elaborate on what she had to do. Hell, she thought, when was life going to return to normal.
She phoned the Office, she wanted to catch Frank before he went out. But he wasn't in.
"Sorry Rach?" said a surprised Tayler, "um, he's got the day off? Is everything okay?"
Rachel looked up at the ceiling and ran her free hand through her hair. "Ah yeah… that's right. I forgot about that when he headed out this morning.. He's probably left a note here somewhere, thanks Tayler… bye."
Obviously no one knew.
After dropping the baby off at her Fathers, Rachel headed for the Marina. She hoped that he was having his usual sleep in on his day off.
But he wasn't. She could see him out on deck preparing the boat to sail out as she made her way past the other yachts.
"HELLO…" she called just in case he didn't see her and cast off before she got there.
Frank looked up and gave her a smile. He couldn't help but smile whenever he saw her. She looked damn good in her favourite faded blue jeans and basic white T-shirt. Her eyes were hidden by her sunglasses. He wished he could see her eyes. She looked cool and casual – so Rachel.
"Permission to come aboard?" she asked as she reached the boat.
"Want a hand?" he asked without thinking.
She took her glasses off, tilted her head to one side and gave him a half-hearted frown.
"Ah yeah… of course not," he replied. He could see that familiar spark in her eyes. It made him feel good.
She smiled and jumped over to the deck.
"I want to talk," she offered.
"Talk? Yeah okay. Where is the young bloke? God I miss him," Frank sighed.
"I've brought him down here a few times in the last couple of weeks, but you haven't been here. He's with Dad at the moment. Are you going somewhere?" she asked.
"Ah no where in particular. Just thought I would see if I still knew what I was doing," he replied as he sat down. "Take her out for the day, just sail around. Take the chance to do some thinking."
"Yeah, well I have been doing some thinking too," she replied as she sat down beside him. She knew she had to do this.
"I want you to read this. I wrote it out this morning."
She handed him a crumpled piece of paper from her jeans pocket.
He took it from her, unfolded it cautiously and started to read.
He had only read a few words before stopping and looking at her with a confused expression.
"Rachel… what is this? It's readin' like your resignation from the force?"
"Good, because that's what it is," she replied.
"Nah… Rachel. You can't do that," he ripped it in half before she had the chance to protest. "I won't let you."
"You don't get a say in it," she replied.
"Yes I do… I do this time Rachel, you're my partner. You are not going to leave me in the lurch; having to work with Jack and Mick without you.
Nope, you can't resign. Shit Rachel, you are one of the best Detectives I have ever known, the best. I'm sorry that I ever thought that you shouldn't do it anymore. You are too good at your job, it's in your blood. You can't just walk away from your job, it's part of your life."
He knew he was just babbling, but he just had to say everything that had been rattling around in his head for the past few weeks.
"Gees Rachel, I love you. I want you to be happy. If being a Detective makes you happy then shit, do it. I don't want you to stop doing somethin' that makes you happy."
"Ah hell Frank, get over yourself will ya," she said with a chuckle as she leaned over and kissed him. "there isn't room here for you *and* your ego. You're not stopping me from being happy, okay?"
"Oh… okay," he replied, still recovering from the fact she kissed him. "God I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," she said softly as she leaned over and kissing him again. This time with more intensity than the first one.
He screwed the torn paper up and shoved it in his pocket.
"Hey, I need that," she complained, sitting up straight again. "I don't have another draft and I need it to type it out and take into Jeff."
"Nah Rachel," said Frank, "you don't need it. You can't resign. I told you I'm not going to work with Jack and Mick forever. I'd go nuts!"
"No Frank, I can't go back. Not now... everything has changed."
"But it doesn't have to be like that. Why has it changed?"
Rachel grinned.
"Because I'm pregnant again…"
Frank nearly fainted. She figured that the look on his face was probably similar to the one that had been on hers the day before when she found out.
"What the f.….."
"Yeah, that's something like what I said," she interrupted him with a grin.
Frank was just staring blankly at her.
She figured she'd better explain.
"I took Sam. to the Doctor yesterday for his shots and I was telling the Doc. how I was feeling like shit. When he suggested doing the test I just laughed at him. Reminded him that I was breastfeeding…. He reckoned that you could never guarantee one hundred percent that it would prevent it. Ha! Then I thought… hell no…we've only done it *once* since I had Samuel… and then I realised that it only took the one night to create him… So yeah… we're obviously more bloody fertile than a pair of bloody rabbits."
"Shit…" was the only word that Frank could find to say.
"Aww… you *do* say the nicest things," she teased.
"Ah… yeah…"
Rachel laughed. She loved it when he was like this! Francis Holloway speechless was a novelty.
"Do you think you could string more than two words together and actually make a sentence here?"
"Umm yeah," he replied. Still shocked.
She laughed at him again.
"Well feel free to start saying something coherent whenever you want."
"A baby?" he said.
"As I said," she laughed shaking her head.
"Another one? Oh hell Rachel… are you really okay with this? I mean two under what…. two? Shit less than two years. Barely one year," he asked putting an arm around her.
"You don't think that hasn't crossed my mind?" she replied leaning into his shoulder. "But hey, I'm okay with it if you are."
"Yeah, I'm fine with it… hell I'm gonna be a Dad… again," he laughed.
"Yep. But there is something I want," Rachel said mischievously.
"Hey, I thought that was my line," he replied, putting his other arm around her too.
"Francis! Not that…" she replied, slapping his chest, "come home will ya… I'm sick of throwing out food because I've cooked too much."
"Oh, is that the only reason you want me at home?" he replied trying to look annoyed, but failing at the attempt.
"Nah, I could do with someone to get up to Sam. in the middle of the night too," she laughed.
"Would today be okay to move back?" he asked.
"Ah yeah, think that would be okay with us. Want to go and get Sam. from Dad's? We could have lunch?" she asked.
He stood, and took her hand. She rose to her feet and let him hug her again. She had missed his touch and he smelt so good.
"Do you think we could make a stop along the way?" he asked.
"Yeah sure, where?" she asked.
"Ah the Office… gotta see the look on their faces when they hear our news!"
Rachel smiled, "Yep, this is gonna be good."
The End