Just another Knight?

By Jaye Reid.

Written: 24 - 25.02.2000

Disclaimer: Hal, Southern Star and the Nine network all own them. It gets a bit intense here so I will let someone else take responsibility for them for a little while. Then I want them back to play. I’m not getting in their way in this one!

Authors notes: ********STEAM WARNING!********

Contains sexual references and may not be suitable for some people to read.

This was going to be a friendly little Frank and Rachel fic. Some usual banter, but I had decided that there would definitely be no steam. Well Frank and Rachel evidently had different ideas to me! I don’t know what happened, but there is obviously a greater force at work here. So, anyone who likes a bit of Frank and Rachel steam, please continue. If you don’t think you can or should read this, then I take no responsibility for anyone who does. I have warned.

~*~*~*~

"Ah this is crap," Rachel stated for the second, if not the third time in less than ten minutes. She was sitting there, slouched back in the drivers seat. One arm outstretched, fingers drumming rhythmically on the steering wheel. She was absent-mindedly chewing on a fingernail on the other hand. A habit that died hard when she was mind-numbingly bored or in deep thought. Two extremes on the scale with the same outcome.

Shorter fingernails.

Frank began to wonder if it was a waste of time too. Did he genuinely believe this or had he heard Rachel say it so many times it had just taken over his thoughts?

This surveillance was turning into a total farce and waste of a night. He had missed the game on TV, hoping that he had programmed the VCR right. He’d be mighty pissed off if he didn’t see his Tigers win.

It was almost half past three and they had been watching this yacht moored in the harbour since 10pm.

"Ah bugger it," said Frank reaching for the radio. "Water police 200 to VKG."

"Go ahead Water police 200."

"We’re gonna call it a night. No movement in or out. If you can get the locals to do a drive by every so often and call us if anything develops."

"Roger that Water police 200, VKG clear."

"Clear."

"Okay," said Rachel ruffling her hands through her hair, "your place or mine?"

Frank gave her a cheeky glance.

"Ah you’re delusional Francis. Look, my place is closer, we can both crash there. I can drop you by your place on the way to work. By the time I took you to your place first it would be bloody daybreak by the time I got back to bed."

Frank smiled and nodded. It sounded plausible.

~*~

"Why didn’t we just leave this one to the dogs?" asked Rachel as they arrived back at her house.

Frank offered a shrug at first before adding, "I think it had something to do with it being our case."

"Well next time, remind me to not want to do this," she said as she locked the car and they made their way wearily to her front door.

"What don’t ya like my company or somethin’?" he asked with a forlorn look of hurt.

"Daylight hours tend to be enough for me," she replied as she unlocked the door. "It’s something about the darkness that brings out a totally different side to your personality Francis."

"Awww… you say the nicest things Rachel," he smiled.

"Don’t push your luck. If I have to listen to ‘…It’s I Arthur son of…’ whoever, sovereign of all bloody England or something or the whole ‘…tis but a scratch…’ routine one more time!" she exclaimed as she waved a finger in his direction, "then I’m gonna have ta kill ya Holloway!"

"Nah, you wouldn’t do that," he replied with a smile.

"And why not?" she asked, swinging the door open.

"Too much paperwork," he answered stepping inside. "And you know how you hate paperwork."

"Ah… but that’s only if I get caught," she replied with an evil smirk.

Frank stopped and tilted his head to one side. "You don’t own a sword or anything do ya Rach., coz if ya do, I think I’ll just be goin’?"

"Francis!"

He gave her a broad grin. "Okay, okay… no more, I promise. I dunno, women. No taste, no culture."

He followed her into the lounge where he plonked himself on the couch and threw the scatter cushions to one end. Levering off his shoes he proceeded to stretch himself out.

Rachel looked down at him.

"Frank, wouldn’t you prefer to sleep in a bed?"

He rolled his tongue around in his cheek and winked at her. "I was hoping you’d offer one day."

Grabbing one of the cushions from under his head, she pushed it down on his face. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, wondering what she had ever done to deserve Frank.

"David’s bed Frank! As if I’d let you in mine!"

"Oh of course," he replied as he pushed the pillow away. " I can’t believe you would even insinuate that I meant anything else."

She looked at him and shook her head. "Ever thought of being an actor Frank? You’re just sooo convincing."

"Ya reckon? Yeah, I could do that. Cushy job, travel everywhere, plenty of women… oh… where do I sign?"

"Ah well when you’re rich and famous don’t forget your friends," she laughed as she headed up the stairs.

Frank picked up his shoes, changed his mind and threw them back on the floor, before heading upstairs after Rachel.

"I like your new place Rachel," he said as he caught up with her in the doorway of David’s room.

"Yeah, cost me an arm and a leg," she replied before realising exactly what she had said. She glared at him before adding, "and no, I do not want another rendition of Black Knight."

Frank held his hands up in surrender and shook his head. "Didn’t say a word."

"Nah, didn’t have to," she replied. "I know exactly what you were thinking."

Frank leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips before heading over to David’s bed. He pulled the covers back and turned to look at her, standing dumbfounded in the doorway.

"Bet ya didn’t know I was thinking of kissin’ ya?" he grinned.

"Goodnight Frank!" she snapped. It was all she could think of saying. He was right, she hadn’t seen it coming.

Rachel wandered into her room, closed the door and leant up against it. She traced her tongue over her lips. Could she still taste his? Deep inside her, he had awoken a sleeping urge. One that she had been trying to push aside for a very long time. Why did he have to do that?

Damn him!

She should have hit him and told him never to do that again. No… she should have hit him then thrown him out the door into the darkened street. That’s what she should have done.

Rachel pushed herself away from the door and kicked her shoes off into the corner.

"Damn him, damn him, damn him," she muttered to herself. She pulled her windcheater over her head and threw it at the clothes basket. She tossed her bra and jeans in the same direction before dragging her nightshirt on and crawling under the covers.

Damn him!

She had been so tired and now she was awake. She forced herself to close her eyes. But the image of his face just millimetres from hers, their lips touching. She lay there with her eyes open again.

~*~

Bastard!

She glanced at her clock. Hell, she’d been lying there for almost half an hour. He would be asleep. Sound asleep snoring away peacefully she figured.

Bastard!

Rachel reached up and bashed her fist on the wall a few times. She grinned and waited before repeating the process.

"WHAT!" came a tired yell from Frank.

Yep, he’d be asleep. Her grin widened. Be buggered if she was gonna let him sleep if she couldn’t Rachel thought.

"NOTHIN’" she yelled back. "JUST CHECKIN’ IF YOU WERE ASLEEP."

There was silence.

She waited ten minutes.

Thump… thump… thump. Oh this was fun. Still silence. Thump… thu…

WHAT!" he exclaimed opening her door.

Rachel jumped. She hadn’t expected him to actually be bothered getting out of bed, but there he was, standing in her doorway.

"I can’t sleep," she wined like a spoilt child.

"Ah well I know how to fix that," he replied.

"Frank…. don’t you dare set one foot inside that door."

"That’s okay," he grinned, "always told ya I reckon I could do it from across a room. Actually, if I remember correctly, you were rather keen on going for it on one of the desks?"

"Ah gees Frank… that was way back then. I hardly knew you. A lot has happened since."

"So what?" he asked giving her a puzzled look, " the thought was appealing to you when you didn’t know me, but now that you do…?"

"Let’s not start this Frank," she replied feeling suddenly tired. What was it about the thought of a deep and meaningful discussion that made her tired? "Besides, I had been joking back then."

"Yeah okay," he replied heading back to bed.

Rachel suddenly felt lonely again when he was out of sight. Perhaps they had been working together to long? But then Frank was back in her doorway.

"Look if it makes you feel better," he offered, "I’ve never even remotely found you attractive, the thought of spending my life with you repulses me and wanting to make love with you from sunset to sunrise has never ever crossed my mind."

Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but Frank didn’t give her the chance to interrupt.

"Furthermore when you swirl the ice around in your glass of scotch with your finger, or give me a sideways smile with a pen hangin’ out ya mouth… well, I don’t find it sexy at all. I could sit and look at you all day and totally not get turned on. So, on that note, goodnight Rachel."

And he disappeared again.

Damn him!

She stared at the empty doorway. Now she was awake again.

Bastard!

Why did he have to play these mind games with her? Why?

His words circled around in her head. He thought it was sexy the way she stirred her scotch with her finger? Hmm, she rarely drank scotch. Didn’t like the taste of it all that much, but she did stir the ice around in it, hoping it would melt quickly to dilute the taste. She was never game to order it anyway other than on the rocks. Frank would have hassled her for being such a girl. But he’d noticed she did it?

What sort of detective was she?

How did she not see him noticing?

Because he was Frank, that was why. Trusted friend and partner. Damn him! Why did he have to try and move the goal posts? For so long she had been able to push similar thoughts of him out of her mind. Now they were there again.

She threw the covers back and wandered down the hallway. The door was half open and she knocked before pushing the door open further.

Frank rolled over and looked at her. "Yeah? What, still can’t sleep?"

She wandered in and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Take a seat," he offered after she had already done so. "I don’t mind at all, really."

"This is my house, so I can do what I wait," she replied. "But you can’t."

He sat up. He moved his legs and Rachel moved on to the bed further.

"Look, about what I said. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t ‘ave said all that I…"

"Don’t Frank," she interrupted. "I dunno where all of that came from exactly, but it had obviously been takin’ up space in your head for awhile."

He grinned. "Yeah, I guess it has. But I…"

"I think somewhere in my head there have been, oh I dunno Frank, these – thoughts? You asked me once and I found all the sensible excuses to shove them back where they’ve been kept. But there are too many locked boxes in my head Frank. Perhaps it’s time to unlock a couple of them?"

Rachel leaned forward and kissed him.

It was his turn to be surprised.

He sat there spellbound.

Rachel pulled her lips away from his she ran a hand along his cheek, up through his hair and then back down his bare arm. She traced her fingers across the corresponding ones on the back of his hand that had been resting on top of the covers. As she reached his fingertips he raised the palm of his hand to meet hers, locking their fingers together tightly. Simultaneously they moved towards each other and kissed deeply. Their eyes wide open, both afraid to close them for a split second in case they found it to be merely a dream.

"Follow me," she whispered in his ear.

Frank looked at her with a curious expression. But she read his questioning eyes.

"Well," she breathed as she planted gentle kisses, one after the other on his waiting lips. "You don’t think I’m going to do this in Davy’s bed do you?"

She stood and held out her hand to him. The moonlight that crept through the window bounced around her. She glowed like an angel he thought. He understood her thought process and took the hand that she offered to him.

Frank let her lead him back to her bed.

She pushed his half naked body down onto the covers before straddling her legs across him. She slowly pulled her nightshirt over her head.

He tried to run his hands over her bare shoulders, put she pushed them away, pinning his arms to the bed. Obviously like she said, her house, she made the rules. Not that he had any plans on complaining.

She leant forward and kissed his face, moving from his eyes, his nose, his mouth. With each tantalising

movement her breasts gently danced across his bare chest – sending sparks through his whole body.

She was teasing him. She knew it, and so did he. She was taking things slowly, at a pace she obviously felt comfortable with, but he didn’t care as the whole experience was one that he wanted to remember forever.

This might only be one night he wanted to remember every second of it.

They gazed into each others eyes. No words were spoken. No words needed to be spoken.

She released the pressure on his arms and let his hands freely roam her body.

Her skin was soft as silk and he wondered just how long he had wanted to touch her like this. To caress her body with more than just his mind. He had always wondered what she looked like, under all those sensible suits. And now here she was. The image of perfection – his dreams didn’t let him down.

"Do you want me?" she asked in a low, almost whispered tone.

"Oh I want you I…"

She put a finger across his lips to silence him. She took hold of the side seam of her underwear. The thought of moving from where she was had not appealed to her. She tore one side and went to tear the other, but Frank had already beaten her to the task.

She moved slightly to allow him to wiggle out of his boxers.

And then there they were. Nothing left to stop them other than their own inhibitions and fears. But they too seemed to have vanished.

They had both been too scared to think too long or hard about this side of their relationship. Now as it unfolded, they both choose to ignore the possibility that it may also unravel everything else they had.

He let her balance her weight on his hands, fingers locked together. As her body rose and fell on his, thoughts of yesterdays and tomorrows were gone. They were living in the moment.

Rachel pushed Frank beyond every boundary that he had ever set up for himself – and then further.

She followed her instincts, reading him so well. And as he neared the pinnacle of ecstasy, she stopped, teasing him, making him wait. His whole body screaming out in anticipation. But Rachel was in control. She was always in control. And funnily enough he decided that he didn’t mind one bit.

If only they had known it could have been so good, this moment would have eventuated long before. And as her body arched, her face telling him that her mind was spinning in pure sweet ecstasy, he knew this was right. There was on other woman on the earth he wanted to be with.

In the aftermath, their bodies exhausted and tangled, he watched her sleep as the daylight crept through the window. Gently brushing her hair, that was scattered wildly around her face, her eyes opened sleepily and she smiled.

Smiled he thought.

No look of shock, surprise or horror to find him next to her. He dreaded the thought of daylight proving their actions to have been foolhardy. But she had smiled and he breathed easy.

He ran a finger across her cheek.

"You know I admire a woman who can take control of a situation," he offered.

Rachel thought for a second and then found the perfect reply.

"But don’t you think that supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses," she said with a grin.

He looked at her surprised before finding the obvious reply "Ah… and ‘… not from some farcical aquatic ceremony…’ I suppose."

"Hmm something like that," she laughed. She rolled her body back on top of his.

"Help, I’m being repressed!" he joked.

"Bloody peasant!" she retaliated before kissing him.

"You cheeky bloody woman," he accused. "I reckon you know as much damn ‘Python’ as I do. So, why were you complaining when I was rattling it off last night?"

"Oh I much prefer John Cleese doing Black Knight," she replied seriously.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but I think I’ve recently discovered things I do prefer you doing," Rachel teased.

"Well I’ve always been told that practice makes perfect, so how about we practice again?"

"You think you could handle it Frank?" she asked with a smile.

"Oh in the words of Galahad, ‘…it's my duty as a knight to sample as much peril as I can…’"

The End.

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