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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The Journey: Chapter FourteenSONG LYRIC CREDITS 14: Let It
Rain (Amanda Marshall)
Chapter 14
Rachel's eyes fluttered open.
It was almost pitch black. Rolling over to check
her alarm clock, Rachel saw that it was half past midnight.
She wondered what had woken her. Suddenly worried,
she got up out of bed and went to check on Ali.
The baby was fine and sleeping soundly. Rachel quietly
closed the door, wondering again what had woken her.
She'd just settled back into bed when her mobile rang.
Rachel growled under her breath. They knew not to bother her so late
unless it was an emergency. Babysitting was pretty scarce after midnight--especially
at short notice.
"Goldstein," she answered worriedly.
"Rachel."
Her heart stopped.
"Frank?"
He made a barely audible noise; something like a sigh.
"Yeah, it's me."
Despite all the time she had had to plan this conversation,
Rachel was lost for words.
"Rach?"
"Sorry, Frank... it's kind of late, I was in bed."
"In bed? At eleven thirty?"
"Frank, it's twenty to one. And some of us gotta
*work* in the morning."
"Oh, right. Yeah, I forgot. They don't have
daylight saving over here."
"Where are you?" Rachel finally managed.
"Perth," he answered. "I'm on my way home."
Rachel still couldn't think of anything to say.
The silence stretched longer until--
"I was just checking. How have you been?"
he asked. An innocent enough question, but he had no idea of the
panicked thoughts it inspired.
Rachel's mind spun at a hundred miles an hour. Now
was her chance, but she couldn't seem to find the words. "Um... fine."
"Rach? Are you okay?" Frank thought he heard
a quiet sob before Rachel finally found her voice again.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't expect to
hear from you, y'know? It's been so long."
"Yeah, it has," he agreed.
"Frank, I--" Rachel began
"Did you--" Frank said simultaneously. They both
laughed, nervously. "You first," Frank offered.
"I forgot what I was going to say," Rachel said quickly,
losing her nerve.
Frank frowned, confused. "Did you get my letters?"
he asked.
"Yeah, I did," Rachel answered. "I wanted to write
back, but..."
"I didn't stay in the one place for long enough."
Frank finished for her.
Rachel bit her lip. Why was this so hard??
"When will you be back?" she asked.
"Three weeks," he told her. "I'm staying with an
old mate of mine for a couple of days, then I'll sail across the Bight
and back up the east coast."
"Sounds like fun," Rachel said, knowing she sounded trite.
"I could do without it," he admitted. "I wish I
was there now."
"Me too," answered Rachel, taking a deep breath.
"Frank, I have to tell you..." she began, and then trailed off.
"What?" he encouraged.
Rachel froze again.
"Rach?"
"I--" she swallowed. "I love you." Well, at
least it was progress.
This time it was Frank's turn to be silent.
"Say something."
"I never thought I'd hear you say that," he admitted.
"I never thought I'd say it."
"Can't take it back now."
Rachel laughed. "No, I won't take it back."
Frank still got the feeling something else was bothering
her, but he decided not to pressure her any more. He couldn't stay
too long on the phone, anyway.
"Rach, I gotta go in a minute."
"Oh, okay," she answered lamely.
"Oh, and Rach?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you too. I'll see you the weekend after
next, okay?"
"Yep, okay."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Rachel hung up the phone and flopped back onto the bed,
thoughts in turmoil. In her mind Frank's long-awaited return had
always been a problem that could be dealt with later, but not anymore.
Later was now. Or, more specifically, in about three weeks.
How on earth was she going to sort this mess out?
I have given, I have given and got none Still I'm driven by something I can't explain It's not a cross it is a choice, I cannot help
but hear his voice I only wish that I could listen without shame ~~ * ~~
"Rachel. Just the person I wanted to see," Helen
announced, handing her a piece of paper.
"Barbecue on the beach to farewell Detective Senior Constable
Tommy Tavita," Rachel read aloud. "He got the promotion? Great."
"Saturday week," Helen informed her, "Clear your diary."
"Ooh... Is it okay if I bring the kids? Dad's off
to Melbourne next week, and I've got David, too."
"We'd love to have them," Helen assured her.
"Ta, Helen. Jack and Mick upstairs?"
"Jack is, Mick's got an RDO today."
"Oh, yeah, of course. I always forget that.
Every second Monday," Rachel reminded herself, heading up the stairs.
~~ * ~~
"Morning," Jack smiled at her as she walked in to the
office.
Rachel dropped on to her chair, and turned to her partner.
"Frank's coming back."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Did you talk to him?"
Rachel dropped her head into her hands. "He phoned
me last night, from Perth."
"Does he know?"
Rachel shook her head. "I tried to tell him, but
I just couldn't find the words. I mean, how do you tell someone something
like that? After this long?"
Jack shrugged. "Well, it's gotta be better than
waiting nineteen years to do it," he joked.
Rachel couldn't help but smile. "I forgot about
that." Then she smirked, "I hope you and he are going to bury the
hatchet. You have so much in common."
"Too much, sometimes," Jack replied.
"I've just dug the hole deeper, haven't I?" Rachel
sighed.
"Well, if it's any consolation, if you'd told him on the
phone he might've hung up on you. Then you might never catch up to
him again."
"Real encouraging, Jack"
"Sorry."
"He said he should be back the weekend after next," Rachel
thought aloud. "Dad'll be back by then, I'll get him to take her.
Then I'll have to try and get myself out of this mess. Somehow."
"No use worrying about it," Jack told her.
"No, I guess not. It'll happen the way it happens,
I suppose," she sighed. "Are you going to Tommy's barbecue?"
she asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, why not? A few laughs, a couple of beers,
what else could you want?"
~~ * ~~