So, ah, two years, eh? Possibly. It's a long time. Anything could happen...
Rated: Fiction T - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 18 - Words: 34,646 - Reviews: 10 - Favs: 1 - Updated: Oct 21, 2001 - Published: Nov 26, 2000 - Status: Complete - id: 123411
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SONG LYRIC CREDITSSONG LYRIC CREDITS 11: Angel (Aerosmith).
Chapter 11
Months passed, and the baby book was gradually filled
in. Every milestone was both a joy and a sorrow to Rachel, who couldn't
help but regret that Frank wasn't there to share it with her. Her only
consolation was that Ali was too young to notice his absence. Perhaps she
wasn't really missing out on so much after all.
Letters came less and less often; he was still sailing
around, sweetly oblivious to everything that was now so much a part of
Rachel's life. He'd finally made it to Venezuela, but he hadn't stayed
long. He'd decided to, as he put it, "Keep sailing forward until I run
into you again". However, each letter was more depressing than the last.
He still said he missed her, and she knew it was true, but he was starting
to convince himself she wouldn't wait for him. As she had no way to reassure
him, she hoped he wouldn't lose faith.
He had to come back.
~~ * ~~
Eventually, the time came for Rachel to return to work.
She was in two minds about it, herself. She missed the day to day company
dreadfully, but she couldn't help but feel she was abandoning her daughter.
It was the finance situation, however, that finally decided her on the
matter. Her paid leave was about to run out, and a single parent payment
didn't look particularly appealing.
Surprisingly enough, it was David who convinced her it
was the right thing to do. "You went back to work after I was born, didn't
you Mum?" he reminded her. "I managed okay."
Rachel ruffled his hair affectionately, "Yeah, you did."
~~ * ~~
Surprised to find her old suits fit her again, Rachel
dressed for work, whilst seven-month-old Ali lay on her stomach on the
bed, supervising.
"What do you think, kiddo?" Rachel asked, doing a little
twirl.
"Bah," the infant replied.
Her mother grinned. "Come on, munchkin, let's get you
dressed."
Twenty minutes later, Rachel pulled up in front of the
day-care centre recommended by Jeff Hawker. Inviting as it looked, and
despite the high praise Jeff had given it, it was still a wrench leaving
Ali there. There were more than a few tears in Rachel's eyes that morning.
When she arrived at the station, she found the whole crew
of senior officers waiting to welcome her back. Jeff even stood on the
stairs and made a speech, before brusquely shooing everybody off to their
respective posts to get back to work.
Upstairs, her desk was cleaned out, waiting for her to
move back into it. She'd met the detective who'd replaced her after Alex;
he wasn't a bad bloke, if a little dim. He'd let Jack get away with too
much, she was sure.
Helen made her customary early morning appearance, waving
a police report printout. Rachel grabbed the car keys, and she and Jack
set off to investigate a boat break-in.
~~ * ~~
The day dribbled along, there were a few simple cases,
but nothing major. At the end of the day, instead of heading off to the
pub, Rachel invited her fellow detectives to her place.
"Sorry, Rachel, you'll have to count me out," Mick apologised.
"I got a date."
"Oh, yeah, who is she?" Rachel asked, sensing an opportunity
to stir.
"No one you know," he told her firmly.
Rachel pouted. "You'll come, though, won't you Jack?"
she asked.
"Yeah, I got nothing better to do."
"Thanks a lot!"
Jack smiled, "You know I'm only kidding, Rach."
~~ * ~~
Ali had enjoyed her day, although she was very happy to
see her mother arrive to pick her up. She fell asleep in the baby seat
in the car, and only woke for a few minutes when she was carried inside
the house.
She was well and truly asleep by the time Jack showed
up sporting a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
"You didn't have to bring your own, Jack," Rachel admonished.
"I've got a six-pack in the fridge."
He shrugged, "Oh well, I figured it'd be nice, you know,
to celebrate your first day back at work."
Rachel smiled, giving in. "Thanks, Jack," she told him,
stepping aside to let him in. "I suppose I'm gonna have to get some glasses
out, then," she grumbled.
Jack grinned. "We could always drink it out of the bottle
if you want to save the washing up," he suggested.
Rachel shook her head, "I'm not that crass, Jack," she
protested. She pulled two wine glasses out of her cupboard, and rinsed
them under the tap. "They don't get used very much," she explained. Wiping
them dry with a tea towel, she put them both on the counter for Jack to
pour the wine, which he did.
The two of them sat opposite each other on Rachel's lounge
chairs. Jack started off by relaying a few amusing stories of her predecessor's
minor botch-ups of various cases. "I tell you, I can't figure out how that
bloke made it to detective senior connie," he finished.
"Well, it's nice to hear my job was never in jeopardy,
anyway," Rachel grinned.
"Oh, no way!" Jack assured her, "We couldn't wait! Fair
dinkum, this guy made the boat crew look almost competent."
Rachel managed to put down her almost empty glass on the
table before collapsing in a fit of giggles.
Jack frowned, "You right there, Rach? I didn't think it
was *that* funny!"
Rachel shook her head, trying to get her breath back.
"Sorry," she finally managed, "I think this wine went straight to my head.
Bloody hell, you go dry for a year, and look what happens!" Then she began
giggling again.
Jack shook his head disbelievingly and refilled his glass
for the fourth time. He figured he'd leave hers as it was.
It was ten o'clock before Jack noticed the time. "Shit,
is it that late? I'd better get going."
Rachel walked with him to the front door. "Thanks for
coming, Jack," she told him. "I appreciated the company."
He smiled, "So did I."
They embraced, but both found themselves holding on for
a second longer than was natural for a friendly hug. They drew apart, the
spirit of camaraderie replaced by something a little more serious.
Neither could remember later who had initiated it, but
all of a sudden they were kissing. It had been a long time for both of
them, and both found themselves responding without thinking. It was comfortable
and familiar, and it had been so long... Rachel found herself surrendering
to it, needing a release.
Ali's cry brought both back to the present with a thud.
"I'm sorry," Jack apologised.
Rachel shook her head. "It was as much me as it was you."
"Well, I'd better go, I'll see you tomorrow," Jack said,
and quickly left.
After her nappy had been changed, Ali went back to sleep
easily. Rachel went to bed herself, but she was unable to sleep, thinking
about what had happened between her and Jack. It had been a mistake, most
definitely. Jack was still grieving for Alex, and she was waiting for Frank.
Ali's interruption had been more than timely. Rachel cried herself to sleep
that night for the first time in months.
I'm alone, yeah I don't know if I can face the night I'm in tears, and the crying that I do is for you ~~ * ~~
The next morning at the office there was an inevitable
coolness between Rachel and Jack. In Mick's presence, they spoke to one
another only when it was necessary, and alone, they even avoided looking
at each other.
Rachel had had enough of this by lunchtime, and when she
saw Jack sitting by himself in the corner of the meal room, she saw her
chance and took it.
Jack looked up, surprised, as Rachel sat opposite him.
"Hi," he said softly.
Rachel sighed. "We're not going to let this drive a wedge
between us, are we? I mean, there's no point both of us feeling sorry and
uncomfortable all the time."
Jack shook his head, "I guess not."
"It's just something that happened, right? It won't happen
again, we both agree on that, don't we?"
Jack took a second in answering. "Yeah, we agree," he
answered.
Rachel took a gulp of coffee before venturing, "You know,
in another lifetime we were probably a really hot couple," she smiled.
Jack couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah, probably," he
agreed.
~~ * ~~
"Hey, Mum, quick!" David's call echoed through Rachel's
small house.
Rachel left the spaghetti on the stove, and ran to see
what was so urgent.
When she entered the living room, she saw David's face
first. He was grinning ear to ear. "Look Mum, she can stand up by herself!"
Rachel looked at Ali, who was standing, if a little shakily,
using the coffee table to balance. "Well, aren't you clever?" Rachel cooed
to her daughter.
Ali stopped looking bewildered and smiled at the praise,
as her mother knelt down and gave her a hug.
Rachel kissed her daughter, and turned to her son, "Dinner's
going to boil over in a minute, you two stay out of trouble," she told
him, ruffling his hair affectionately. David grinned. "Want me to get the
camera?" he asked, hopefully.
"Oh, all right, go on," Rachel capitulated, "But be quick,
unless you want to go hungry!"
David scampered out of the room and returned with Rachel's
camera. "Can I take the picture, Mum?" he asked.
Rachel nodded, and David snapped the picture.
"Would you mind going and turning the stove off for me,
David?"
"Okay, Mum," David grinned, and ran off again.
Rachel lifted Ali's t-shirt and blew a raspberry on her
belly. Ali giggled hysterically; this was her favourite game. Scooping
her daughter up into her arms, Rachel headed for the kitchen to dish up
spaghetti for two and something-or-other-puree for one.