Nowhere to Run
Chapter 10 of 10
by Vanessa
[nemesis@graffiti.net]
6 August - 5 September 1999
Water Police HQ
"Tayler, Tayler, Tayler," Tommy made a clicking sound with his tongue, shaking his head tragically. "Since when did you become a woman of such low standards and bad taste?" He and Gavin had just finished their run on the boats for the day and, naturally, the first item on Tommy's agenda was Tayler.
"I'm sorry?" Tayler replied, confused.
"You should be!" Tommy declared. "Of all people, Syksie..."
She followed him, both horrified and livid. "Did he tell you? Oh, I'll kill him!"
"You told him," Gavin said, as he walked past them both on his way to get changed. "This morning, fussing over my hand." He'd spent half the day trying to convince Tavita to relent, but had given up in the end. Now it was Tayler's problem.
"Oh. Ohhh no... Um," Tayler's brain rapidly sought a remedy to this little dilemma, but failed. "You understand that now we have to kill you, right?"
"No," Tommy disagreed, laughing. "You understand that I have bargaining power now, right?"
"Brilliant," Tayler sighed, looking to Gavin for help when he reappeared, now in street clothes. He merely shrugged.
"Hey, you two want to come to the pub? That is, if you're not too busy with your candle lit dinners--" he chuckled to himself.
"You know what, Gavin?" Tayler said woefully. "I think I am going to dump you."
"Nuh-uh," Gavin disagreed. "I'll have to dump you first."
Tommy laughed. "I'll see you both at the pub then."
Tayler just shook her head and disappeared. A few minutes later, when Tommy was gone, she returned and was relieved to find Gavin still waiting for her.
"My place?"
"Yep."
Hospital
Simone knocked formally on the door before entering the room, struggling to hold a large bunch of flowers in her arms. "Hey!"
"Ah, g'day!" exclaimed Rachel, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Frank, check it out -- flowers! Your favourite."
"I heard you were in here," Simone told Frank. "I figured you would be, too," she nodded to Rachel, grinning wryly. "The flowers are for both of you, to say thanks."
"Oh. Wow," Rachel didn't know what to say. "We don't get that very often, you know. You're welcome."
"Wherever possible, we prefer to save good-looking young girls from grisly fates," Frank piped up. Rachel snorted. "You were just lucky you're in the right demographic."
"I'll remember that," Simone grinned. "Seriously, thank you. I don't know how much longer I could have coped for..."
"It's better not to think about it," Frank told her. He extended his hand to her, and she shook it. "Don't forget, you saved my skin, too."
Simone nodded, smiling. She was about to leave, but couldn't resist one final comment. "You two are so sweet together! Like Maggie and PJ."
"Maggie and PJ?" Rachel raised an eyebrow at Frank, recalling their conversation in the bush.
"Actually, you're cuter... Maybe more like Willow and Xander grown up. Take care, all right?" This comparison confused them, but she didn't bother clarifying before she left.
"Great kid," Frank commented.
"Makes the job really worthwhile, people like her," Rachel agreed.
"Hey, speaking of that -- are we still...?" He couldn't help a little insecurity and paranoia, thinking perhaps her desires had been a whim.
"We are, definitely. That, or we're going to be stuck driving each other nuts in Sydney for the next year, because I already notified Hawker that we'd be taking long service leave." He hadn't used all of his up yet and she figured she might as well claim it for him.
"We?"
"We. Us, you and me -- you *are* still coming, right?" she taunted.
"Only if you take those damn flowers out of here..." he deadpanned.
"Nup," Rachel refused cruelly. "They'll probably let you out in a few hours anyway, and until then you'll survive."
Frank sighed like one resigned to a degrading fate. "All right, but you'll have to stay with me the whole time," he warned her.
"I think I can cope with that."
no matter where the road is leading us remember
don't be afraid
we have a continent that sometimes comes between us
that's okay
I love you, even when I'm sleeping
when I close my eyes, you're everywhereChristey's Apartment
Three Days LaterWhen Jack answered the door, he was obviously not expecting company. He was still dressed in his clothes from work, but his shirt was untucked and crumpled, the top few buttons undone. Compared to Rachel's neat casual dress, he looked a mess.
"Hey," she said apprehensively. She hadn't seen him since they were both at Dawson's; since then, she'd been too preoccupied fixing up her long-service leave arrangements. "Who ironed your shirt?
"Oh, gimme a break," Jack retorted. "I only just got home, and we had a rough day at work again."
"Yeah, so I heard," she replied. Helen had told her about it -- a nasty suicide/hostage negotiation which had lasted all day, until Jack had finally succeeded in talking the guy into letting his son go and coming down.
"I hear you're shooting through," Jack countered bluntly, knowing that was why she'd come.
"Yeah, yeah, I am, that's one way of putting it. Leaving tomorrow -- Hawker's approved my leave, and everything else is set up. I just need a break, from all this, from..."
"Me," he filled in. "I know you're going with Frank."
Rachel opened and shut her mouth a few times, trying to figure out what she could possibly say to him. "I'm sorry, Jack. I really am, you have to believe that. But this... I have to do this. I just do."
Jack merely shrugged. In a way, he'd known -- he'd known right from when he transferred to the Water Police that Goldie belonged to Frank. Even before then, when Holloway had returned and Rachel wouldn't so much as take his calls. But he'd hoped against hope...
She bit her lip, cursing herself for having put herself and Jack into this situation. As much as she loved Frank... It didn't make up for what she'd done. Nothing could. "Aw, come here, give us a hug, will ya?" She stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "I'll miss you, Jack Christey. I'll send you a postcard, hey? From our surprise destination."
"No," Jack shook his head as they parted. "It's probably better if you don't."
Rachel looked at him sadly. "We had some good times, hey?"
"Yeah, yeah, that we did. I just came along about four years too late."
"Yeah..." she agreed, sighing. "Maybe you did." She hugged him again, and this time Jack heard her sob softly. "You take care, all right? Keep Reilly in line for me..."
"Oh, don't you worry, Rach -- I can definitely do that one for you."
Rachel smiled. "Goodbye, Jack," she said simply, and walked away, leaving him standing alone on his doorstep.
maybe this time I just might learn my lesson
maybe this time I'll leave the past behind
maybe this time I'll grab hold of my chances
maybe this time I'll have a clearer mindThey stood on the pier the next morning, three old friends who had come to know each other as well as they knew themselves. From now on, Helen Blakemore thought sadly, they'd be a pair and a single, but she didn't mind that much. At least they were happy.
"Hey, you'll check up on David for me, won't you?" Rachel reminded her.
"Sure, yep," Helen nodded in agreement.
"Thanks. I told him you were going to be his surrogate mum for the next few months, in case he was tempted to try anything..." she grinned.
"I'll keep him in line," Helen promised. "So, where can I expect my postcard from?"
"Guyana," Frank announced, savouring the name. He was determined that, this time, he'd make it all the way around South America, to finally see all those countries he'd been longing for.
"Brisbane," Rachel countered.
"Puerto Rico," Frank threw back, offended.
Rachel was unfazed. "Rockhampton."
"Honduras."
"Townsville."
"Belize."
"Cairns."
"Oi, I'll leave you behind..." Frank threatened her.
"Yeah, but you'd end up coming back for me..." They grinned at each other, knowing it was true. He'd already done so once.
Helen bit her lip, wondering what she was going to do without either of these two and their banter. "Oh, I'm going to miss you both horribly." She threw an arm around each of their necks, hugging them simultaneously.
"You're not getting rid of us for good," Rachel reminded her, hugging her back. "Not that easily. We'll be coming back in a year."
"Maybe," she replied, not quite believing that. Part of her was afraid that once they got out there, just the two of them, they wouldn't want to return to their old life. "I wish you'd rename the boat, though."
"Can't," Frank said. "It's bad luck. Besides, 'Helen' was the only name we could both agree on."
Helen just shook her head, making it fully clear what she thought of both of them.
"Hey, Helen, look on the bright side," Rachel told her saucily. "I may be going, but now you've got your niece to lecture about the dangers of mixing work and play."
Helen looked horrified. "What?"
Frank grinned and shrugged. "We didn't tell ya."
"Bullshit you didn't," she countered. "Tayler and...?"
"Syksie," Frank grinned wickedly. "Tommy knows all the details, he told us so I'm sure he can fill you in."
She had no idea. How did she not realise? "I'll wring her bloody neck..." Helen muttered.
"Be sure to say hi for us," Frank grinned. He took Rachel's hand in his, glancing at her, then the boat, then back to Rachel. She squeezed his hand in reply, and nodded.
"We'll see you later, okay?" she promised Helen. "It's not goodbye... just 'so long'."
Helen nodded, fighting back tears as two of her best friends in the world boarded their yacht, named after her, and sailed out of her life. She still doubted they'd come back.
because you and I are angels
and we're learning how to fly
we're stumbling around
with our feet on the ground
longing for the sky...As they headed out of the harbour, Rachel and Frank found themselves joined by several of their Water Police colleagues aboard the Nemesis and Harpy. Tommy Tavita, Dave McCall, Emma Woods, Mick Reilly, Tayler Johnson and Gavin Sykes... Rachel noted that the latter two were standing extremely close by each other on the deck of the Nemesis. They whooped and cheered, yelling final farewells to their two friends until the yacht made its way out the heads and into the open sea.
Frank sighed contently. "I can't believe we're finally doing this, you and me."
"I can't believe it was my idea!" Rachel exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean, with you as my only human contact."
"Great, isn't it?" He hugged his arm around her waist protectively, relishing the fact that she was his.
"I wouldn't swap it for the world."
The End.
Author's Notes: Congratulations! You're finished! That was my first attempt at writing a Water Rats fanfic and I'm definitely considering writing more, so I'd love any feedback. Anything at all. Unless you want to try and tell me that Goldie and Frank would never get together - they *are* in love! The last word she ever said was his name! (Ah, but will Jack tell him...?) Oh, and thanks to all my friends who manage to resist the possibly overwhelming urge to strangle me every time I mention Frank, Goldie, and/or Water Rats....
Disclaimer: 'Water Rats' belongs to Hal McElroy, Southern Star Productions and the Nine Network. Imogen "Tootsie" Soames is from 'Murder Call' and belongs to the same people. Any other vaguely recognisable names and places do not belong to me, including Diver Dan, sadly. All song lyrics quoted are the property of their respective creators, and everything here is typically used without permission. No infringement intended, k?
Lyrics...
"Mine" - Savage Garden; "Deeper Water" - Paul Kelly; "Dying To See You" - The Screaming Jets; "Love Never Runs On Time" - Paul Kelly; "Tears of Pearls" - Savage Garden; "Dumb Things" - Paul Kelly; "Violet" - Savage Garden; "Strength" - The Screaming Jets; "When You Come" - Crowded House; "I Don't Wanna Want You" - Chiara Browne; "Somebody's Forgetting Somebody (Somebody's Letting Somebody Down)" - Paul Kelly; "In and Out" - The Screaming Jets; "Private Universe" - Crowded House; "Breathe" - Raelee Hill; "A Thousand Words" - Savage Garden; "One More Addiction" - Natalie Imbruglia; "Where Do You Go?" - Hunters & Collectors; "Living Type" - Powderfinger; "Red Right Hand" - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds; "Pick You Up" - Powderfinger; "Now We're Getting Somewhere" - Crowded House; "Even When I'm Sleeping" - Leonardo's Bride; "Maybe This Time For Sure" - Paul Kelly; "Angels" - Lisa McCune.
I love you though I'm leavin'
I want to hold you tight
Don't ever compromise
And never stop believin'
Believin' we were right
Somewhere I'll dream of you,
Somewhere where dreams come true..."