Disclaimer: I own nothing you may or may not recognize. Characters are from RFR, I don't own them.

Rating: PG13, just in case

Pairing: Travis/Lily eventually

A/N: Wow! Those were some reviews! I bow to you all graciously. Now about this story, Julliard School of Music does have a pre-college program but it only accepts orchestra instruments. Repeat after me: I suspend any knowledge of Julliard regulations for the purpose of plot advancement! Bravo, dear readers! Ain't fiction great? A note to Slayer2003 who brings up a very valid character point about Travis' actions. Other than his parents, Travis has never really been around anyone long enough to be able to categorize and deal with strong emotional attachment. His weakened resolve to be noble is part of the lack of experience. Then again, it could be the lust thing, eh?

Because I Know You

Chapter Seven: Signed Sealed Delivered

Lily was currently sitting in a darkened theater trying to pay attention to another mindless sequel of a played out horror movie franchise. And yet somehow people were still screaming at the supposedly "unexpected" attacks. Even Ray. She wanted to talk to him, she needed to talk to him and yet here she was in one of the few places where a meaningful relationshippy conversation would only produce angry glares and some very aggressive "Shhhhh's." She looked over at Ray. She smiled at the image he portrayed. He was cowering down in his seat but trying to cop it off as a macho slouch. Ah, the benefits of being a girl, it was O.K. for us to be frightened. "I am woman, hear me scream!"

She and Travis had never brought up the incident in the rain. There was tension but only between the two of them, this time Robbie and Ray did not know. Mostly, Travis simply avoided being alone with her, which was good, considering she didn't know if she could pull away from him again. The demo packet was burning a hole in her pack. She had signed the letter. She needed to tell Ray, to explain to him why this was important to her. Certainly, he understood when he prepared all of this that it would eventually mean her departure. Record companies don't usually go to the talent; the talent goes to them, assuming anyone thought she had talent. At least Julliard was closer than L.A.

Her mind wandered once again to Travis. He understood what mailing this letter could mean for her future. He had enough faith in her ability to include the major recording labels as well as the independent ones. That touched her deeply. And he was attracted to her, very attracted; and by the way her body had responded it was mutual. She wondered why she never felt like that with Ray. Her body had never just taken over while kissing Ray. She hadn't really understood the phrase "womanly response" until Travis had touched her. Once her class had taken a field trip to a planetarium but the thermostat was broken and the A/C had run through the entire presentation. She had never been so cold in her life. When they finally stepped outside, the heat hit her; her skin tingled and heat coursed through her body in a wonderful thaw. That is what Travis' touch had done to her. But was that love? Surely it had to be a part of it, just as much as companionship.

She looked over at her companion once again. Did she love Ray? Of course, he was her best friend. Was she in love with him? She had no idea, which is what she wanted to talk to Ray about. She wanted to feel out his real emotions. They hardly ever talked about what they felt for each other. That had to be a constant subject with other couples. A piercing shriek interrupted her internal debate. She looked over at Ray who was grinning sheepishly. She returned his smile thinking to herself, "Be afraid, Ray, be very afraid. Tonight you will have to talk with your girlfriend."

While they were walking home, Lily drudged up enough courage to force this issue, "Ray, we need to talk."

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Lily, in the entire history of human courtship, that phrase has never led to anything good."

"Do you love me, Ray?"

His relief was instantaneous. He huffed, "Is that all this is? Of course, I do, Lily. You know that."

His declaration did not ease her confusion, "Do I? We never really talk about this kind of thing and saying it at the end of a date or a phone conversation doesn't count."

He shuffled his feet, "I don't know what you want, Lily. We've known each other for years. I think I've always loved you."

She wondered how she could get her point across if she didn't completely understand it herself. "That's right Ray. And I have loved you. But don't you think it should feel different now? Now that we've been in a "relationship?" Do you realize that you still need the adoration of the female population, that my attentions alone do not seem to be enough? Don't you wonder why?"

His expression changed from confusion to a sly grin, "Oh, I get it. You're jealous. No need to worry, Lil, you're always gonna be my girl."

Lily's eyes widened. "Ray, you don't get it at all."

He actually got a little angry then. "Lily, you are not making any sense."

"You want to know what I think, Ray? I think we are both scared. Scared to let go of this thing we started for fear of losing what we had before. We're stuck in the middle."

He was silent. Ray Brennan was speechless. Great, Lily thought, Where's that friggin' camera, this is another "First."

She could tell now that he was trying to control his emotion, which is exactly what she was trying to avoid. He spoke softly, "What do you want, Lily?"

Now she was at a loss, she hadn't really figured that part out yet. "I don't know, Ray. I think I just need some time to think. I'm just gonna walk home now."

Ray started to step up next to her but her look stopped him. As she walked away he wondered if this was the end.

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She hadn't walked home; actually, she was wandering aimlessly, which fit her mood perfectly. The sky was clear and the breeze was warm, the stars so bright that they seemed to expand the longer she stared at them. The only thing she absolutely knew for sure about her future was that it involved music. She reached into her pack and pulled out the packet. Its weight mocked her, "heavy decision, eh?" She spied a postal box on the nearest corner and walked resolutely toward it. She pulled its handle and cringed at the un-oiled squeal it let out. She pushed the packet through the darkened portal, holding on for one moment longer, before opening her hand wide and letting it drop.

She let out the breath she was holding. For the first time she noticed her surroundings, she was near the park. Suddenly she felt like swinging. As she neared the play equipment she spied a very familiar shape. Travis. He was meditating at the end of the seesaw.

"Meditate here often?"

He opened one eye to look up at her. "Believe it or not, yes." She walked around to the other side and straddled it as Travis mimicked her actions on his end. He smiled inwardly. That was Lily, she didn't care what people thought and she trusted others to do the same. They began the rhythmic and elementary motions, shifting the conversation with each change in balance.

"I mailed the demo."

This did not surprise him, "Does Ray know?"

"Nope."

That did. "When are you going to tell him?"

"If I get accepted, I guess. No need to freak him out." To herself, she thought, Too late for that.

Travis was silent for a couple of moments. "Another bridge to cross."

"Yeah."

They pushed each other into the night air for a few minutes. The popping noises and the motion of the seesaw was soothing.

Lily spoke, "I'm sorry I ran off that day, Travis."

He smiled sadly as they fell back into rhythm again. "Ah, yet another bridge."

She smiled softly, "That's all I'm sorry for, I am NOT sorry it happened, I just don't know what it means."

"Yes, I know."

Her eyebrows raised, "How?"

"It seems our roles have reversed, Lily Randall, or have you forgotten the circumstances of our last kiss?"

Lily thought he had never looked wiser. He repeated his previous question but with a different meaning.

"Does Ray know?"

The pitch in her voice matched her frustration. "Travis, I just don't know what to do about anything! I only mailed the packet because music is the one thing I'm sure of."

His voice was low and comforting, "You'll do what is best for you and it will be fine."

"How can you know that, Travis?"

Their motion stopped and he waited till her feet were firmly planted on the ground. "Because I know you, Lily." His gaze was just as intense as that day in the rain. He swung off the seesaw easily and came up to her. He reached out both hands and grasped her face softly, his left thumb grazing her sensitive ear. His voice was even lower, "Tell Ray." With gentle pressure he guided her head down and she felt him place a kiss on the top of her head. "Goodnight, Lily."

She watched him walk away wondering whether he was referring to the demo or the kiss.

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A/N: Further adventures in pleading for feedback, aka begging.

"Warp 3 Scottie."

"I'm givin her all she's got, Cap'n, She just won't moove."

"We seem to be in some sort of stasis, Sir"

Kirk looked back at his crew, "Uhura, send out sonar, let's get a feel for this (dramatic pause) thing."

As the computer buzzed the overhead screen pixeled out to reveal their ship in some type of cubed shape.

"Bones, what's that?"

"Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, how the hell should I know?"

"Spock"

"It appears to be Writer's Block, sir." Just then a very loud but rhythmic noise erupted inside the bridge which incidentally always leans to the left when the ship is attacked. Everyone leans in terror to the left except the idiot red shirt actor who doesn't know left from right.

"SQEEEEOOOOOORRRKK!" "SQEEEEOOOOOORRRKK!"

"I think it's haling us, Sir."

"Computer, translate."

The noise was deafening….

"REVIEW!" "REVIEW!"

"Spock, what does that mean?"

"I do believe, Captain, that it is a request for feedback."

At the blank stares he continued, "The return of evaluative and/or corrective information about an action or process to its original point of origin."

Scottie could no longer contain his fear, "Good Lord Cap'n those are more rare and precious than dylithium crystals! We're dooomed."

I know, I know, I'm a geek, a shameless geek.