Hey guys. Here's another chapter. I'm not too sure about it so tell me what you think.
Timeline: A little after Rachel and Emily's first date.
Enjoy.
Lunch Interrupted
Rylan rushes down the street. The call he received from his girlfriend seemed urgent. She all but demanded he leave their relaxing couch and the baseball game to help her, in that rushed way that she uses when she absolutely needs something done. He spots her outside of the restaurant and runs up to her.
"Hey, are you okay? What's up?" Rylan asks his girlfriend.
"You know I love you, right?" Ashley starts.
"That's never a good way to start a conversation."
"Just say yes."
"Yes," Rylan responds skeptically. "What's going on?"
"Even through the crazy stuff?"
"Maybe?" Rylan says slowly.
"I'm serious, Ry," Ashley says with a slap to Rylan's arm.
"Fine, yeah. What's up?"
"Come on." Ashley takes his hand and pulls him into the brightly lit chain restaurant.
A hostess approaches them. "Hi, just the two of you?" The woman asks way too cheerily.
"Actually, we're meeting a couple people," Ashley says. Rylan looks to his girlfriend. He has no idea what's going on. "They should be here. Do you mind if we look around for them?"
The hostess thinks about Ashley's request. It wasn't particularly busy in the restaurant so she didn't really see a reason to deny the request. "No, not at all," the hostess says with a smile.
"Thanks." Ashley pulls Rylan farther into the restaurant.
"Ash, what are we doing?" He asks as he follows her. He looks around the restaurant and sees his sister's profile a few tables away. Rylan stops Ashley from moving forward. "Ash, no," he whispers harshly. "We are not doing this. It's completely out of bounds."
"Don't you think it's time we all properly met?" Ashley whispers back.
"That's not for us to decide. They haven't even been together that long."
Emily notices a man and a woman arguing in the aisle a few tables down from her and Rachel. She definitely knows the woman.
"Is that Ashley?" Emily asks Rachel, nodding toward the couple.
Rachel turns in her seat. "Oh, my god," Rachel says when she spots both her friend and brother. "Come on," she whispers. She tries to slip out of the booth without a sound. Emily copies her movements on the other side of the table. As soon as the two stand from the table—
"Hey, Rachel," Ashley calls out. Rylan stands awkwardly at Ashley's side while Emily stands awkwardly behind Rachel. "Crazy meeting you here. Hi, Emily." Emily smiles in return.
Rachel groans and turns toward her soon-to-be ex-friend. "Not really, since I told you Emily and I were going to be here."
"Hmm, I don't remember that," Ashley says. "Maybe I remembered subconsciously when Rylan suggested lunch."
"I didn't do that," Rylan chimed in.
"I know," Rachel manages to say with a small smile at her brother. "Ashley, can we talk for a minute." Rachel pulls Ashley away from their two significant others.
"Hi, I'm Rylan," Rylan introduces himself to Emily as Rachel and Ashley disappear out of the restaurant.
"Emily." The two shake hands.
"I'm really sorry about this."
"Is this typical Ashley?" Emily asks as the two sit at the table.
"Pretty much," Rylan answers with a laugh.
Rachel and Ashley
"This is not okay, Ash," Rachel says in frustration.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Ashley says. "But we haven't officially met and you guys have been together a while now."
"It's hardly been three weeks," Rachel says outraged. "And Emily's been gone for days at a time with her job."
"Exactly. So why don't we get this out of the way, you know, since we're all here right now."
Rachel lets out a frustrated breath. "No."
"But —," Ashley tries.
"No. I don't need you scaring her off. I really like her, Ash."
"I know. I'm sorry. She's just the first person you've been really interested in for a while. It's exciting.
"You are way too into my love life. If Rylan's not cutting it, I can talk to him."
"Shut up," Ashley says with a nudge. "Rylan's perfect."
"Hardly," Rachel scoffs. "I have no idea what you see in him."
"Hey," Emily says, touching Rachel's arm as she comes up to the two.
"You don't have to go, do you?" Rachel asks, both sad and annoyed that her time with Emily had been cut short.
"No, I just wanted to let you know it was okay for them to join us," Emily responds. "It's fine, really."
Rachel sees Ashley's beaming smile. She grabs Emily's hand and pulls her a few paces away from Ashley. "Emily, no, this was our lunch."
"I know. And I would really love to get back to it," Emily says. "I don't want to get called in before we have a chance to actually eat." She glances at their locked hands and gives a small smile. "I can handle it being with a couple more people than planned."
"Are you sure? I was really close to getting her to leave."
"I'm sure. Nothing can be worse than Ashley on our first date, right?"
"I'm actually afraid to answer that question." Emily laughs at Rachel's response.
"It's really okay."
"Okay." The two walk back over to Ashley. "You can stay," Rachel says to Ashley.
Ashley squeals. A noise neither Rachel nor Emily were expecting. The three women walk back into the restaurant to the table Rylan is manning. He munches on a breadstick and stands when they approach the table.
"Everything okay?" He asks.
"Apparently, you're staying," Rachel says.
"Are you sure?" Rylan looks between his sister and Emily.
"It's fine," Emily says. She lets go of Rachel's hand and ushers her toward one side of the booth with her hand on the small of her back.
Rylan lets Ashley into the other side. Rylan and Emily slide in next to Ashley and Rachel.
"So let's order, shall we?" Emily flags down their waiter and the table orders. "So, I know Ashley is Rachel's editor. What do you do, Rylan?"
"I'm a graphic designer. I do a lot of company rebranding."
"Rylan worked on Chase's latest rebrand," Ashley bragged.
"Congratulations," Emily says.
"Thanks. And you're an FBI agent?"
"Yeah," Emily answers a bit awkwardly. Her job was definitely not casual lunch talk.
"Emily goes all over the country catching criminals," Rachel beams. Emily ducks her head at Rachel's sentiment.
"That's crazy," Rylan says fascinated. "I-I mean not you, but, you know, that you do that?" Rylan stops, takes a breath, and starts again. "I mean, it must be exciting and —,"
Emily decides to stop him. "Creating a profile and putting a criminal behind bars can be exciting, but it can be a tough job sometimes." Emily answers.
"Yeah, I bet."
"So," Rachel starts, seeing Emily wants to change topics. "How'd Ashley pull you away from your couch, Ry?"
"The voice," He answers simply.
"The voice?" Emily and Ashley ask at the same time.
"Yeah, the super urgent one that makes the person jump from their chair and get right on whatever you're trying to get us to do," Rachel says.
"I don't have a voice," Ashley objects.
"You do," Rylan says. "It's pretty hard to decipher if the situation actually calls for it or it's just you thinking it does, like today."
"Yeah, your 'this chapter absolutely has to be done by Wednesday, Rachel' urgent voice is the same as your —
"'Rylan, I need you to find my keys' urgent voice," Rylan chimes in.
The talk pauses as their waiter comes with their food and they all dig in.
"So, did you guys," Emily gestures to the two opposite her and Rachel, "meet through Rachel?"
"No, we actually met in college," Ashley says.
"You didn't go to the same school? Emily asks Rachel and Rylan.
"Nope, sharing a womb, house, and schooling up to high school was enough. After the four years away from him during the day in high school, I thought I could really get used to him not being around," Rachel says playfully.
"Me too, Rachie," Rylan joked. "So I went to BU and Rach went to the other side of the country to Stanford.
Emily's phone rings.
"Sorry," Emily says. She turns to her side in the booth, away from the group. "Yeah, Hotch, I can be there in ten.
Emily turns back to the three. "You have to go?" Rachel asks.
"Yeah, I'm sorry."
"Work? It's Sunday," Rylan says.
"Always on call," Emily says. "I have to go, but you guys should stay, finish your meal, okay?" Emily says the the group. "It was nice meeting you guys," she says to Rachel and Ashley.
"I'll walk you out," Rachel says. Emily almost protests, but she can tell Rachel wants to.
Emily slides out of the booth and Rachel follows. They make their way to the front of the restaurant with Emily's hand guiding Rachel through the restaurant.
"I'm sorry we didn't have lunch to ourselves," Rachel says.
"It's fine. It was better this way." Emily quickly pays for their lunch. "I would have been a nervous wreck if we had planned something together."
Rachel laughs. "I don't doubt that. Are you sure you're an FBI agent? You're a bit jumpy."
Emily laughs. "I'll get better." Emily stops. "I have to go."
"Please be safe."
Emily kisses Rachel's cheek. "I'll let you know when I land?" Emily says as a question.
"You better," Rachel says with a smile.
Emily smiles in return. "Okay." She backpedals away from Rachel a few steps before turning and jogging toward her car.
Hey guys you've reached the end of this one. Like I said I don't know how I feel about this chapter, so it would be great if you guys could tell me what you think.
Other news: The Tumblr idea wouldn't leave me alone so I just made one haha. Check it out if you want. TVCrazeduniverse. tumblr. com. Nothing's really happening on it right now. I'm going to get some character pics up soon and just talking about writing and rambling (I'm pretty good at that haha). I'll try not to make it too boring.
Thanks guys. I look forward to seeing what you think of this chapter.
TVCrazed.
