A/N: Uh...hi?

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Beaches, Booze and Falling

Chapter Four

He still wasn't sure what had possessed him to go there or even if 'there' was the right place to be but in true Finn fashion he was there anyway. Before his rebellious teenage years his life had been scheduled down to every minute detail hence his adopted decree of spontaneity. He got his thrills not knowing what life was going to throw his way; he didn't think about the consequences of his actions he just acted.

Now, here he was in another one of his sprees. He had woken up with a strange feeling; he needed to be somewhere, with someone. He had attempted to shrug the feeling off; he tried to label it as a hangover symptom. But he knew the truth.

He was leaning rather conspicuously against the wall of a large hotel lobby. He had both of his eyes trained on the shiny metal of the elevator doors directly in front of him. He neither noticed, nor did he care about the enquiring looks he was receiving from the hotel residents.

Every time the doors clanged open his breathing would catch. He was nervous. He didn't do nervous well. He wasn't sure how this would go, if it would go at all.

He was so focused on the lifts that when a voice next to him began to speak he visibly jumped.

"Excuse me, sir," the man repeated when Finn had regained his composure. "Are you a resident of this hotel, sir?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business," he raised his chin defiantly.

The man before him smirked. "I run this hotel, sir."

"Do you?" Finn inquired with a sarcastic edge. He looked around the room. "You're doing a fine job, mate."

The man ignored Finn's remark. "If you are not staying at this hotel, sir, I am going to have to ask you to leave."

"I'm waiting for someone," Finn explained as he waved a hand toward the elevators for emphasis.

"You'll have to wait outside, sir."

"I don't see why," Finn said. "I am not making a ruckus, am I sir?"

"No, sir, you are not," the man agreed.

"Have I threatened anyone?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"Am I creating an unsafe environment?" Finn asked.

"Well, no you aren't."

"Well then, would you care to explain why you are asking me to leave?"

The man was looking uncomfortable by this point. He visibly swallowed. "A few of our clients are feeling unnerved by your presence, sir."

"Unnerved by my presence," Finn repeated. "Do send them my apologies."

With that said Finn resumed his previous position leaning against the wall his eyes fixed on the elevator doors again.

Unfortunately as Finn's attention was otherwise occupied he didn't realize how serious the man was about extricating him from the building that is until he felt to pairs of hands grip both his arms. The man had obviously called security to remove him.

"You need to leave now, sir."

Finn looked at the two men who had a hold on him before he turned to look at the man again. "Is this necessary?" he asked.

The man sighed. "I had been hoping it wouldn't have been. I asked you to leave on your own will several time and you failed to comply."

Finn stared in disbelief. "I don't believe this," he all but growled. "Tell these –" he glanced angrily toward the two security guards "– gorillas to unhand me!"

"Sir," the man said. "I'm going to ask you to lower your voice. You are disturbing the guests."

"I will not! I have done nothing wrong!" his voice was low.

The man shook his head. "If you do not lower your voice I will be forced to take further measures to remove you."

Finn knew what that meant – the police. He had had his share of run in with them and on several different continents. The conversation with his parents from the night before rang through his head. The man could be all talk but he couldn't risk being brought home. He needed to stay clean.

He nodded. "Alright," he said. "I'll leave."

He jerked his arms out of the security guards hands sent a withering glare toward the hotel manager and stalked toward the exit.

He hadn't been back out into the heat of Australia for more than a few seconds before he heard a newly familiar laugh. He turned around in time to see tears start to flow from Rory's eyes as she collapsed on the floor in hysterics.

"It is not funny."

Through giggles Rory managed to say, "I heard Ebert and Roper gave that performance 'two thumbs up!' You should start charging admission!"

"You're funny, Rory, really, real witty."

"I try," Rory said wiping her eyes from the tears as she composed herself.

Finn had let a small smile grace his face as he watched her even though he would never admit that the situation had indeed been on the humorous side.

He decided he liked her laugh. It was free.

"Well, thank you for my morning comedy fest," she said as she started to walk. "I'll see you."

Finn stood still a minute.

"Wait!"

-

"Where are we going?" Finn asked as they walked side by side down the street.

She didn't answer instead she made a right and continued her way. He noticed she held a book in her hand. He also noticed that it wasn't the same one that she had been reading the morning before.

She stopped in front of a small café called Zoë's. "Do you want anything?" she asked cocking her head toward the large window.

He shook his head.

He watched as she walked into the café and up to the counter. She paid for two coffees, which confused Finn, as there was no else but the two of them.

He didn't say anything though when she returned he just followed her as she made her way back the way they had come. They didn't stop at the hotel like Finn guessed they would instead they travelled in silence all the way to the beach.

When Finn saw where they were headed he felt like he should have known this was the final destination. He was obvious. It was about the same hour as it had been the day before when he had seen her sitting on the beach a book in one hand and a coffee in the other. She even chose a spot to sit that was in relatively the same area as before.

She opened her book and slowly brought the coffee to her mouth. She seemed to inhale deeply before she finally let the liquid flow into her mouth. When she removed the cup her tongue darted out to gather every last drop. Finn's mouth went dry. He decided right then and there that he had never seen anything so sexy.

He laid back in the sand, and continued to stare at the girl beside him. He knew she was something special and he wanted to know why that was.

-

Finn didn't know how long he lay there. All he knew was that her two coffees had been finished and she was already well into her book. She had unbelievable concentration, he had noticed. The beach, by this time, was filled with people. Each and every one of the beach-goers were screaming, laughing and talking. Her eyes never lifted from the page in front of her.

"Finn?" Rory said closing her book.

"Yes, love?"

"Who were you waiting for at the hotel this morning?"

He knew she already knew the answer but he humoured her anyway. "You."

A frown crossed her face. "Why?"

He didn't know what to tell her. Was he supposed to say that he woke up with the need to see her? Or was he supposed to lie? He settled for half of the truth. "I needed to get my car this morning and I figured I'd drop by."

The frown still hadn't left her face, in fact, Finn was sure it had deepened.

"Just yesterday, hadn't I made it clear that I didn't want to know you?"

He should have known it wouldn't be this easy.

"Well, yes, you did but –"

"Then, why would you go out of your way to come see a girl who doesn't want to know you?"

Finn didn't even need to think of an answer it just came out. "Because I want to know you."

"I still don't get it," Rory said sounding frustrated. "I tell you exactly why I didn't want to know you yet here we are. Why?"

It was Finn's turn to frown. "What about last night?"

"You were drunk last night."

"You said you had changed your mind about me!"

Rory shook her head. "What I said was that it was nice to meet you."

"Same thing!" he insisted.

"No, it isn't! You were drunk and all I need was make sure you got home without needing to make a trip to the morgue."

He didn't say anything for a while. He just stared determinedly out at the water.

"Is that really all I am?" he whispered to her. "Just another rich kid with a trust fund? Someone who believes the rules don't apply to him because Daddy's money will get him out of trouble?"

"Aren't you?"

He looked up at her his green eyes meeting her blue ones. "I don't know." All he knew was that he didn't want to be.

-

A/N: So, its been a while, I know. I'm sorry! I could give you a thousand and one reasons but I'm sure you don't want to hear them. OK, so this chapter isn't exactly steaming with action but at least its an update!