Chapter 5
A week later, things were busy at Plumber HQ, but Rachel was quick to notice that Helen seemed lost in her thoughts, not really focusing on the paperwork in front of her. She was about to ask if she was okay when she heard Helen give a soft sigh filled with fondness and she picked up a picture of herself and SE-VE, smiling at it.
As someone who had done the same thing herself and still did with a picture of Rook, the young woman recognized that the Kineceleran was thinking about her boyfriend. The visit with her brother and friends had gone well and they had accepted SE-VE immediately, though Manny and Pierce had warned him never to hurt Helen or he'd answer to them, which he took to heart.
Alan had been the one to give Rachel updates about how Helen and SE-VE had been on some dates and the others had pitched in to help with the dates, but also stayed in the background. Smiling, Rachel made sure to put in the boys' request for some extra equipment for training to Magister Tennyson, who had at once approved of it after he heard how good the group had been doing.
Rachel now gently nudged Helen, who jumped and blinked a bit before looking up at her sheepishly. "Sorry, Rach, what were you saying?" She asked.
"I didn't say anything," the young woman said with a knowing smile. "But I did see that you were lost in thought about a special someone."
Helen blushed profusely, her facemask coming over her face to try and hide her embarrassment. "Was it really that obvious?" She asked, her voice squeaking from embarrassment.
"To someone who has played matchmaker many times before, yes," Rachel said gently. "I heard the visit with your brother and friends went well."
"Oh, yeah," the female alien said with a nod. "It felt nice to have another Kineceleran around."
She then looked sheepish. "Am I getting what humans call 'butterflies in my stomach'?" She asked. "Cause whenever I look at his picture or I think of him...I feel like I'm floating."
"You're on cloud nine," Rachel said gently with a smile. "Do you feel nervous when you talk to him?"
"No," she said. "I feel happy. Whenever he talks, I just love his voice and I feel happy whenever he starts telling stories about from when he was younger or when we're going over missions. I like to get his opinion and I love it when he says he likes my ideas."
The blonde-haired woman smiled. "Sounds like you have a crush on him," she said.
"I think so, yeah," she said before looking at his picture and sighing softly again, a smile on her face. "I wonder if he's free tonight."
Rachel quietly slipped away, finding SE-VE and she was amused to find he was acting similar to Helen. "SE-VE?" She asked.
He jumped and looked sheepish. "Sorry, Miss Jocklin, I'm working on that paperwork," he admitted.
Rachel peeked at the papers and smiled when she saw the flowers and hearts with Helen's name. "I love artwork, hon, but I don't think those reports make the best canvas," she said gently.
SE-VE looked to see what she meant and he looked very embarrassed. "Um...oops?" He said sheepishly.
She smiled gently. "What do you like about Helen?" She asked.
"She's amazing," the young male said, smiling dreamily as he thought about Helen. "She's like the voice that tells me I'm rushing headlong into something too fast, but yet is patient with me and I'm trying to learn to not jump into stuff so fast. That's kind of hard to do though since I've always been that way, but she never gets on me about it. She just reminds me that I need to be careful and...I find myself wanting to impress her and be someone she can count on. I'm trying to be less reckless too."
Rachel smiled. "Out of curiosity, why do you wish to impress her?" She asked.
"Well, in my culture when we reach adulthood, we use our speed and agility to impress the females in hopes of attracting one to be our mate, but Helen isn't like the other female Kinecelerans," SE-VE said. "She's a hybrid."
"Well, true, but that just means she has more than just Kineceleran DNA in her," the young woman said. "She's just like you otherwise."
"True, but she's been on Earth longer and so she's more used to the mannerisms here."
"Mannerisms?" Rachel asked, her tone curious.
SE-VE blushed. "Well, like how a guy asks out a girl," he said. "Some guys have flashy cars, some have muscles, or the look that makes the girls want to hang out with them."
The young woman chuckled. "I take it you've watched a few of Earth's romance movies and television shows," she said.
"That and I've been reading a lot on how to ask a girl out, the signs to look for, and other stuff. Who knew Earth had so much literature on the subject of asking a girl out or how to be a good boyfriend."
Rachel smiled. "SE-VE, while I applaud you for doing your research and wanting to be good to Helen, the books can only teach you so much," she said. "If you want to put the teachings to good use, you have to actively put those teachings to real life."
"That's the hard part," he admitted as he showed her a notebook that he had detailed Helen's likes and dislikes. "While I want to impress her and show her that I can be someone she can see as a potential mate...I don't want to seem...um, what's the word?"
"Shallow?" The young woman supplied gently.
"Yes, shallow," SE-VE said with a nod. "From what I've read, a lot of girls like to be complimented, but the compliments should be genuine and honest. I want to do that, but I don't want her to think that I'm just saying words." He sighed. "I'm not sure what to do."
"Well, we Earthlings often say 'actions speak louder than words'," Rachel said. "Words aren't always enough, but if there are actions to back up those words, then they can carry a lot of weight."
"So...if I want to impress Helen, I need to do it with both actions and words," he said with a nod before looking at Rachel. "Miss Jocklin, may I ask a bit of a personal question?"
She smiled. "Go ahead," she said.
"Were you hurt by someone you were dating before you met Rook? Or is he your first love?"
Rachel's smile fell a little before she took a deep breath. "I was in love with a guy before I met Rook," she admitted. "And I thought that guy was everything I wanted. He didn't feel the same way though."
"Can I ask what happened that led you to leave that guy and find Rook?" SE-VE asked gently.
She nodded. "My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with another girl," she said. "And I was very upset when I found out. I broke up with him and for a long time, I didn't even date. I had a wall around my heart where I refused to let any guy get close."
The male Kineceleran winced. "I can't imagine how horrible that must have felt," he said. "To have your heart broken by one you trusted."
"Once trust with someone is shattered, it's pretty much impossible to get back that trust," Rachel said. "When I first met Rook, I was wary, but he treated me nicely and we became friends and sparring partners. But as time went on, I began to fall for him and he began to fall for me until one day, he kissed me and asked me to be his girlfriend. I took a leap of faith and said yes and now, Rook and I are engaged and we adopted four wonderful children as our own."
"What made you decide Rook was the one?" SE-VE asked curiously. "What did he do that made you realize he was genuine?"
She smiled. "He was his honest and true self with me," she said. "He vowed he'd never hurt me and he's actively kept that promise. I promised him I'd always be there for him and have kept my promise. Even when my ex has come around trying to get back with me, I've turned him down because I only have eyes for Rook."
"Just as I only have eyes for you, Baby," came Rook's voice as he came up behind Rachel and hugged her. She leaned back into his arms, smiling at him before they shared a brief, loving kiss.
"How long were you listening?" She asked, smiling.
"Since you commented on how much you like art," he said, smiling.
SE-VE looked embarrassed. "Sorry, I'll redo the reports," he said.
"Wait, SE-VE," Rook said, making the male Kineceleran turn towards him. "I think you deserve a break and you should go talk to Helen."
"Sir?" SE-VE asked in confusion.
Rook smiled. "One important part of being a couple is good communication," he said. "Perhaps she would like to go out with you to the upcoming dance gala that the Thep Khufan Magister is putting together."
"Ooooh, that's a good idea," Rachel said with a smile and nodding. "I agree with Rook. You should definitely ask her if she'd like to go with you to the dance."
"After you do so, you can come back and redo the paperwork," Rook promised.
SE-VE nodded and headed to find Helen while Rook smiled at his wife-to-be. "Let me just get his report and we can head out," he said.
Rachel blinked. "But doesn't he need to redo them?" She asked.
"Nope," Rook said, showing her that it was actually a flyer for the dance gala that was cleverly disguised as a work paper. "I had a feeling his mind was on her when he walked passed some of us earlier and said Helen's name in a dream-like voice."
"Why you sneaky matchmaker," the young woman said without heat, smiling up at him.
He chuckled before they heard a happy squeal and turned to see Helen jumping up and hugging SE-VE happily and he looked ecstatic too. "Sounds like she said yes," Rook said, chuckling before making a noise of surprise as Rachel pulled him closer and kissed him soundly, making him hold her closer before they gently broke away.
"Make sure SE-VE and Helen are partnered for all future missions and there will be more kisses like that for you," Rachel said to him and he smiled lovingly at her.
"Yes, ma'am."
Had to include a bit of silliness near the end, but it looks like Helen and SE-VE on on their way to becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. :)
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GoldGuardian2418