Winter 2015: Rachel

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Rachel: Rachel picked her cup from the counter and headed for the table where Darren was already sat, taking the seat across from him. Setting her drink on the table to cool off a bit, she let her hair down and pulled it back up, careful of the new tattoo on the back of her neck. She wasn't exactly sure what to expect from this, but it wasn't horrible thus far.

Darren: Darren nursed his coffee, giving Rachel a tight smile as she sat down, "... Sooooo ... haven't killed anyone else yet, I see."

Rachel: "Nope, not yet," she shook her head, pausing for a cautious sip. Bah, still too hot. "Well, hopefully not ever... though some of the students make it an extremely tempting option..."

Darren: "Yeeeeah, I can agree with that," the corner of Darren's mouth tugged up into a smile, "or, at the very least, you wanna smack their heads together ... repeatedly ... until there's nothing left but mush ..." He seemed to catch himself and coughed, "Uh ... you settling back down with your powers and shit?"

Rachel: Rachel snorted and nodded, wrapping her hands around her cup, "Yeah, they're pretty tame now... Far easier to keep under control. It's a bit weird after having all that power."

Darren: "Do you miss the power?" Darren asked, taking a mouthful of coffee.

Rachel: "Yes and no? I mean, it had uses... besides killing people, that is. I could've done good with it. Everything was fairly easy..." she shrugged, "But it took a lot to keep it under control. I mean, if I hadn't flown off the handle, I could've easily killed someone on accident just as easily."

Darren: "Like what happened with Jason," Darren mused, "You're probably better with things the way they are then. How're you getting along with your cousin and shit, and the rest of your family? Talked to your mom yet?"

Rachel: "Yeah, like Jason," Rachel sighed and tried her coffee once more. It was a far more acceptable temperature now. "Jean is... Well, like an annoying younger cousin. Condescending, but I guess we get along well enough. Um, Dad and I are fine." As for the question about her mother, she shook her head, "Not yet... I've considered it, but I dunno..."

Darren: "Might wanna bite the bullet there, otherwise, before you know it, she'll be writing a tell all book or some shit - 'My Daughter: The All-Powerful Mutant Sociopath'," Darren air quoted and smirked.

Rachel: "I'm not sure she'd want to own up to spawning me... I suppose money is a motivating factor though, no matter how embarrassing I may be," Rachel laughed. "Maybe for Christmas after I see Dad," she decided, adding, "You and Sel have any plans for that?"

Darren: "We're fortifying ourself from the students down at the lakehouse," Darren smiled, "Normally we'd visit our families but ... well, work and other shit. When are you seeing your dad?"

Rachel: "Probably in the morning... Early afternoon, if I can't be bothered to drag myself from bed," she answered after another sip. "And that sounds like a brilliant plan."

Darren: "I fully intend to build a gaming fort on the tribble sofa to weather out the season," Darren nodded, "Well ... maybe you can do without a babysitter for it then, if it's just gonna be for the day?"

Rachel: "That seems like the best way to spend the season, especially after how I heard the light show went," she made a slight face. "And, yeah, I'll be back at the school in the evening."

Darren: "Ugh, yeah, don't remind me. I wanted German beer and ended up with a cannibalized corpse and traumatised teens," Darren pulled a face at the memory, "Well, just make sure we know what day, and you should be good ... so long as you remember to be good."

Rachel: "I'm only planning on being out for Christmas... Well, and maybe the occasional trip to Vito's." She pulled a face as well, "Yeah, I don't recall corpses ever making a fun time... However, maybe you can get some German beer to improve the awesomeness of the gaming fort."

Darren: "... That sounds like a genius idea," Darren scratched his stubbly chin, "I can hit the import stores on the way back. I'll need to find an industrial sized bag of doritos, too - make it complete."

Rachel: "I need to get a new pack of cigarettes on the way back," Rachel frowned slightly, "Jean keeps stealing mine."

Darren: "Isn't that what younger relatives are for?" Darren smirked, leaning back in his chair, "I used to do that to my sister's smokes when I was a kid, too."

Rachel: "Apparently. I took money from Mom's purse to buy them off kids at school," she returned the smirk, "I'd quit by the time I was old enough to buy them myself."

Darren: "Heh, typical," Darren chuckled, "And now it's your turn to be stolen off. It's like a great circle of cancerous life."

Rachel: "I imagine I'll get tired of having to buy new packs, eventually, and just quit again," Rachel grinned, "However, I suppose I could buy her one for Christmas."

Darren: "Hah, that'd be a pretty cheap-ass present though?" Darren sighed, "Which just reminds me, at some point I'm gonna have to brave the toy stores for my nephew and nieces ... Can you even believe that Spongebob is still going?"

Rachel: "But better than nothing." Rachel took another gulp of coffee, blinking, "Is it really? Also, I'm always up for a trip to the toy store, if you want to brave it while you're out."

Darren: "It just won't die. Mini-Darren's into it now, apparently," Darren considered Rachel for a moment, "Could you like ... psychically influence people to move out of the way and not mug us for the toys?"

Rachel: "You'll have to re-program him," she sagely nodded. "Totally. I figure I might grab a few things for Bobby and Lorna... For the baby, that is. I can't imagine they'd say no to toys either though."

Darren: "I should see if I can steer him towards Thundercats or Transformers ..." Darren mused, "and this is Lorna and Bobby we talk about. Hell, they'll probably be playing with Maddie's toys more than she will."

Rachel: "Most likely," Rachel smiled, finishing off her drink, "So... Thundercats, hoooo?!"

Darren: "Hoooooo! To the Thundertank, Cheetara!" Darren knocked back the rest of his coffee and stood up, ignoring the looks they were getting.

[tears~fall~like~glass]

A text message announcing her arrival was likely the cowardly way out, but Rachel hadn't been able to bring herself to dial the number or go to the door of the house, not when it had that many cars in the driveway. Despite having met the guy her mother was with on a few different occasions, she had absolutely no interest in seeing him or his family at this point in time. Maybe if things managed to be worked out, but she wasn't holding her breath.

That was probably a pessimistic way of looking at it, but she liked to think she was just being realistic.

After a few moments of staring at her phone and the sent message, Rachel heaved a sigh and dropped it into the cup holder, head falling back against the headrest and fingers impatiently tapping against the steering wheel. What if she didn't get it? What if she didn't have her phone on her? What if she didn't want to see her? It had been years. What if… -- No. No more of that.

As she worried her lip, she reached for the pack of cigarettes and shook one out, placing it between her lips. Just one to calm herself wasn't too bad, right? Rachel didn't think so, reached to roll down the window, and lit up. While the drag was satisfying, she found herself wishing she had a strong drink to go with the smoke.

Hm, maybe after this. She reached for her phone, sending Paige a text to see if she'd be available because she wasn't sure she'd be up to brooding. She'd done enough of that since her birthday, breaking only for that meeting with Darren, and Paige's cheer was infectious. Text sent, Rachel deposited the phone in the cup holder once more and tried another drag, face twisting as she actually tuned into what song was coming through the speakers.

"Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck. Some nights, I call it a draw…" she quietly sang as she tapped some ash out of the window, closing her eyes, "But I still wake up, I still see your ghost. Oh, Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for. Oh, what do I stand for? What do I stand for? Most nights… I don't know anymore…"

Cutting herself off for a drag, Rachel tried not to dwell on that question because it was something she frequently asked herself. The tapping on the glass of the passenger window put an end to it as well as managing to startle into dropping the smoke. Luckily, she caught it with her telekinesis and reached with one hand to unlock the doors, the other going to turn down the volume of the music.

The chorus thankfully faded into the background, though it was still audible.

Having hastily excused herself from the festivities inside, Julia had made her way out to the street, hardly able to fathom her daughter actually being outside until she saw the girl. She cringed at the sight of the cigarette, and her expression was slightly pained as Rachel fumbled it. At the sound of the doors unlocking, she took pulled the door open, took a seat, and watched her quickly stub the smoke out. "I thought yo--"

"Quit?" Rachel interrupted as she glanced over to her mother, shaking her head, "I already got the lecture from Dad."

Julia merely sighed at the terse response and decided she wasn't going to push the subject. She'd also opted not to mention the new tattoo on the back of Rachel's neck or the ring through her nose that looked utterly ridiculous. Pulling her gaze from her daughter, she replied, "I heard, but I wasn't actually expecting a visit."

The look reminded Rachel of the one she would receive whenever she'd been in trouble, and she stubbed the cigarette out. She opened her mouth to reply but ended up sucking in a breath and stuttering, "Y-yeah… I, um… I can't stay long, so you…"

It was just better to trail off there. While Rachel knew exactly where that'd been going, it was probably best to avoid voicing that thought, however her mother had raised an eyebrow and was giving her an expectant look. She worked out a nicer end, "So you can get back to your celebration. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just… I wasn't sure the best way to get a hold of you, and… Um, it's hard for me to get out sometimes, S.H.I.E.L.D babysitting me and all, but I was cleared to see family today…"

Most of that was filled with half-truths, but she thought making the effort was what counted.

"Well, you have always had a knack for timing," Julia commented as she glanced from the house to Rachel, managing a tight smile. She wasn't sure how the sarcasm would be taken. Despite the teasing and how unexpected the visit was, it was nice hearing that she'd thought to stop by on Christmas.

"Heh… Yeah…" Rachel pasted on a smile in return, pulled her hair from the tie, and anxiously pushed a hand through it, glancing down as her phone lit up with a response from Paige. She vaguely thought about how no one should be allowed to use that many explanation points. As she pulled her hair back, she quickly threw out a suggestion, "I know now isn't the best time to talk about everything, but we could go out for lunch or coffee or something…?"

Julia was taken by surprise at the offer and was sure it came through in her expression as she nodded, "Of course. Whenever you want."

"Well, cool…" She was saying cool, but in her mind that translated to Oh, shit, what have I just agreed to? Now, she was really going to need those drinks. "So, I guess I'll let you know…"

"By calling before you show up?"

"Right, that. I can do that," Rachel nodded as she reached for her phone, sending a reply. "I, um… I have to go to my thing, and you have Christmas… Sooo…"

Julia looked back to the house, "Yes, I should get back." Glancing over to Rachel, she reached over with a smile and gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder while opening the door, "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah… Merry Christmas," Rachel muttered. She made sure her mother was inside, sent another text to Paige that said she was on her way, turned the key, and increased the volume of the music again. As the words blared from the speakers, she paused, slumping down in her seat with a sigh as she mumbled along, "This one is not for the folks at home. Sorry to leave, Mom, I had to go."

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Rachel: Rachel had met Paige at Vito's and, after a few drinks, was feeling better about seeing her mother. While it hadn't gone horribly and could be considered a success, it didn't change the fact she was spending Christmas alone... Well, not alone. Without Josh. Returning to the table with their drinks, she retook her seat next to Paige, stating, "I think I need to drink a lot more than this."

Paige: "I think you need to drink a lot more than this too! More drinks!!!" Paige slapped her credit card down onto the table.

Rachel: She eyed her glass, lifted it, and chugged the contents. Giving a grin, Rachel added, "More festive drinks!"

Paige: "Yay egg nog!!!" Paige waved down a waiter to get more egg nog. "I am so excited we did this! And without stupid happy Bobby too."

Rachel: Somewhere in her mind, she was aware of the fact she hated egg nog, but she didn't find herself caring at the moment. Her expression soured slightly at the mention of Bobby and how he was likely having an enjoyable Christmas... "Ugh, I know. Lucky bastard."

Paige: "Bastard... and stupid happy Lorna too. Fuck both those guys!" Paige downed her drink.

Rachel: "Can we, like, just get a pitcher?" Rachel asked as their new round was set in front of them. Then, she returned to their conversation, "I know, right? Fuck them and their stupid, happy, baby-loving coma... Oh, and fuck Sel and Darren for spending Christmas with the stupid, happy people..."

Paige: "Yeah them too." Paige downed her next drink, glad when she saw the pitcher on its way. "This really, really sucks, Rachie. Our lives suck."

Rachel: "I knooooow," Rachel groaned as she reached for her own drink. Having picked up her glass, she slung an arm over Paige's shoulder and leaned against her, "It really fucking suuucks, but... but..." Shit. What was she going to say? She glanced up to the other girl, "But at least we can drink together!"

Paige: A grin spread across Paige's face.

Paige: "You bet we can!! And it'll be the best drinking we've ever done!"

Rachel: She knocked back her drink and placed the glass down on the table, "Y'know what else sucks?"

Paige: "Ummmm whaaaat?" Paige grinned at her friend.

Rachel: "The asshole that's checking us out from the bar..." Rachel rolled her eyes, grabbing the table to pull herself upright and proceeding to pour them both another drink.

Paige: "Whaaat? Is he cute?" Paige had to look.

Rachel: "Does it matter if he's a douchebag?" Because she could see some of the things he was fantasizing about, and... Ew. Plus, she clearly had a ring on. Wait... She had a ring on. She glanced between it and Paige, an idea forming.

Paige: "Well... the last one was a douchebag too..." Paige trailed off, looking at Rachel again. Why didn't she like that look?

Rachel: "You are going to hate me," Rachel decided as she placed her arm back around Paige's shoulders and caught her lips. Maybe it was clear that neither of them were single now... That made sense, right? Actually, she wasn't sure it did, but she liked to think it did. Regardless, his shocked look was totally worth it.

Paige: It did take a few moments, but once she realized what was going on, Paige flailed to get away.

Rachel: Having managed to avoid being hit by Paige's flailing, Rachel slumped over the table in a fit of giggles, forcing out, "I think... I think that got rid of him... Maybe..."

Paige: "What was that for!?" Paige downed more egg nog to sanitize her mouth.

Rachel: "Because... Because I love you? And, um... And I was saving you from another douchebag...?" Those were both valid reasons.

Paige: "I think I have to go to confession after that!" Paige dissolved into a fit of laughter.

Rachel: "I also like blondes," Rachel stated as an afterthought and went for some more of her own egg nog once she was sure she was done laughing. After a sip, she added, "...Though not girls... But it was for a good cause, even if you have to go confess."

Paige: "Raaaacccchhhhiiiieeeeee... I feel dirty! You kissed a girl and you liked it!"

Rachel: "It's just the taste of your cherry chapstick," Rachel got out before another round of giggles.

Paige: Paige just stared at Rachel, dumbfounded... then giggled too. "You are horrible!"

Rachel: "It's a talent."

Paige: Paige shook her head and sighed, downing another glassful. "Well, at least you aren't stupid Bobby or Stupid Lorna."

Rachel: "Nope, just stupid Rachel..."

Paige: "Stupid Lorna... and stupid baby...."

Rachel: The smile dropped at that, and she poured another drink, "Yeeaaah..."

Paige: "I want a baby..... Raaaachiiiieeeee I want a baaaaaaaaaaby!"

Rachel: "Josh and I talked about a baby. A lot. Or adopting." Despite her disgusted expression at the mere thought of having a child, she admitted, "I think I would've given in... eventually..."

Paige: "I... I lost one..." Paige admitted to Rachel.

Rachel: She simply eyed Paige for a few moments. Once she realized she was staring, Rachel quickly took a drink to give her time to think of an appropriate response to that. "...We should get you a baby."

Paige: "A pretty baby?" Paige looked up, hopeful.

Rachel: "The prettiest," she sagely nodded.

Paige: "...the prettiest baby.... at Christmas time..." Paige tried to think.

Rachel: "...Jesus. The whole miserable fucking holiday is about him."

Paige: "Baby Jesus! I want a Baby Jesus, Rachie! I demand a Baby Jesus!"

Rachel: "I will get you a baby Jesus, Paigey," Rachel said as she stood, draining what was left in her glass and swaying in place. Holding her empty glass up, she declared, "To a manger!"

Paige: "To a man-" hiccup "-ger!" Paige was on her feet.

Rachel: Somehow, Rachel managed to make it out of Vito's with Paige in tow and took a glance around, scanning the area for any police. Seeing none, she pointed in a direction and started to stumble down the sidewalk... Though she was under the impression she was walking in the greatest straight line known to man. "I think there's a church this way..."

Paige: "I thought it was that way?" Paige pointed in the clearly wrong direction, leaning on Rachel for support.

Rachel: "...Is it?" she asked, glancing back to the other girl, "Fuck... If this way is wrong, we'll come back and go that way?"

Paige: "Okiiiie doooookie!" Paige giggled at her. "Well... you are a good kisser... for the record."

Rachel: Rachel shot her a wicked grin, "Oh, I know."

Paige: Paige giggled more, nearly falling over.

Rachel: Wrapping an arm around her friend's waist, she managed to keep Paige upright and used her free hand to pull the hood on her sweatshirt over her head. Well, it was Josh's hoodie, but whatever. Looking over to Paige as they approached the church, she smirked and teased, "Interested in another before we get to the church, so you have more to confess? I mean, may as well make it worth the guy's time, right?"

Paige: "Well it's totally not fair that Bobby and Lorna get all the kisses!" Paige kissed Rachie.

Rachel: Having not been expecting it, despite her suggestion, Rachel lost her balance and fell over, ending up with Paige on top of her while lip-locked.

Paige: "EEEEEEEE!" Paige held onto Rachel, not expecting them to fall over.

Rachel: Rachel was so confused as to why the sky was suddenly in her line of vision when the church had been right there. Regardless, she held onto Paige as well, "We need that baby."

Paige: "Baby!!" Paige was on it. She was up and after the baby Jesus in the manger.

Rachel: "Witnesses!" she hissed after her, rolling onto her stomach. Damn, the pavement was cold. She shuddered, got back to her feet, and spun in a circle until she caught sight of Paige. Right, that way!

Paige: "Then fix it!" Paige rolled her eyes. Silly telepath!

Rachel: Rachel started to mask them when she realized there was nobody in the area, so it didn't even matter. "Snatch it, and we'll head back to the labyrinth! ...I mean, school!"

Paige: "No... No... Rachel... we can't keep the baby...." Paige cuddled the baby Jesus. "We have to take it to Jason... he needs Jesus!"

Rachel: "Oh, he totally dooooes!" Rachel agreed, not that she was one to say anything about needing Jesus. "And a Santa hat! And lights!"

Paige: "Yes yes yes! Because he's a veeeggggie taaaaaales, veggie taaaaaaales, veggie taaaaaales, veggie tales!" Paige sang at her.

Rachel: On some level, she was aware it was wrong to be giggling and attempting to sing along because it was her fault he was in that state, but they would fix it with all this. "Now... To Jason!"

Rachel: ...Once she knew which direction the school was in.

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Paige: Paige as she yawned, then paused. She was warm... too warm. She opened her eyes and blinked. She was cuddled up with Rachel... on the floor... and where were her pants!?

Rachel: As Rachel's consciousness returned, a wave a nausea washed over her, and she groaned. She felt horrible... and cold... and... And, she needed to lose the contents of her stomach. Bolting upright, she scrambled for the trashcan.

Paige: "Aaaaaaaacccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk!" Paige shielded her eyes from shirtless (but still in a bra) Rachel.

Rachel: She had thought she was done heaving, but she wasn't. After another round of retching, she felt more confident in this assumption and brought an arm up to wipe her mouth on her sleeve... except she didn't have a sleeve. Okay, so she needed to find her hoodie at some point. Rachel released the trashcan from her death grip, cringing at the noise it made when it hit the floor, and twisted around to squint at Paige.

Rachel: Her brow furrowed, "What are you doing?"

Paige: "You are naked!" Well, mostly... irrelevant.

Rachel: "What?!" she gasped out. Then, she looked down at herself. Well, fuck. She needed to find her shirt at some point as well. Looking back up to Paige, she rolled her eyes, "You don't have any room to talk!"

Paige: Paige gave Rachel a baffled look, then looked down at herself. "Why am I pantsless?!" She tried to find a blanket or pants to put on.

Rachel: Rachel reached for the trashcan once more and spoke into it when she was done. "What the fuck did we do last night?"

Paige: "I don't knoooooow! We were at Vito's.... I think..."

Rachel: "I remember Vito's. I met you there after I talked to my mom, we had some drinks... Ugh, I think we had egg nog..."

Paige: "Of course we did... it's Christmas time... Rachel?" Paige looked over at her.

Rachel: She pulled her head from the trashcan, eying Paige over the rim, "Yeah?"

Paige: "Why is Jason snuggling with Baby Jesus?" Paige couldn't even address the Christmas lights, santa hat, or the cotton ball beard. All of that seemed normal compared to Jason with Jesus.

Rachel: Rachel blinked and turned her head to look over at the bed, suddenly realizing they were in the medlab in Jason's room. Christmas lights had been strung along the perimeter of his bed, and he was wearing a Santa hat and beard as well as holding baby Jesus, who appeared to be wrapped in their missing clothing. She simply repeated, "...What the fuck did we do last night?"

Paige: "You're the telepath... can't you remember?" Paige poked the baby, wanting her pants, but this was creepy.

Rachel: "Being a telepath doesn't make me immune to the effects of alcohol," she rolled her eyes once more and worked to get to her feet, falling back against the wall. She was so not ready for walking. "I remember having drinks, cursing Bobby and Lorna, more drinks, kissing you, and talking about babies..."

Paige: "Why are you kissing me!?" Paige licked the back of her hand. "Ew, ew ew!"

Rachel: "Hey, I'm not any more pleased about it than you," she protested.

Paige: "Hey you already got to vomit. No fair."

Rachel: Even though she felt like shit, she smirked, "Pfft, I totally remember you telling me it was good."

Paige: "I can neither confirm nor deny that... but I can say that this is a baby Jesus... and we are going to hell."

Rachel: "If Hell exists, I've had a spot reserved for a long time," Rachel decided, finally feeling up to approaching Jason. She reached to take the baby from Jason's arms and tossed Paige her pants.

Paige: After putting her pants on, Paige felt better about talking. "It does, and I think I just won myself a spot... I can't imagine the penance I will get for this."

Rachel: She set the baby down and pulled the yellow, sleeveless security top on. Much warmer. "I'm assuming it was fun and not feeling too badly about it." Her hoodie got slung over her shoulder before she reached for the baby again, "Also, what do we do with the kid?"

Paige: "Well we can't take him back... I guess he should live here with Jason. After all... he needs Jesus."

Rachel: "Of course we can't take him back... I can't get in trouble," she shook her head and frowned, "That seems like a waste though... even if he does need him."

Paige: "Well... what do you suggest then?" Paige ran her fingers through her hair. She needed a shower. And a toothbrush.

Rachel: "We stole him. He ours... and you wanted a baby..." Rachel held him out to Paige, also feeling the need for both those things.

Paige: "I guess he can come live in the cosmetology lab...." Paige reluctantly took the baby Jesus. "This is so not the baby I meant."

Rachel: "If you don't want him, I'll keep him."

Paige: "Share him?" She offered, looking up at Rachel again. "After all.. he is meant to be shared with the world."

Rachel: Rachel looked between Paige and the plastic baby, "...Are we really drawing up a custody agreement over a fake baby?"

Paige: "It is not a fake baby! It is a very real baby!" Paige pouted at her.

Rachel: She merely stared at Paige for a few moments. Then, she stated, "Every other week."

Paige: "And alternate holidays." Paige blinked then stared at Rachel. "Oh we are so weird."

Rachel: "Holidays together... unless we actually end up with lives," Rachel countered and nodded in agreement. "...We are."

Paige: "No you're right. Holidays together. We have a family together now." Paige snickered a bit.

Rachel: She snorted, holding onto the bed's guard rails, careful of the lights, to keep herself steady, "...We need to inform Bobby and Lorna we have a family. After a shower, painkillers, and more sleep."

Paige: "I can't wait to hear their reaction to that!" Paige laughed and cuddled the baby. "But I agree... showers are in order. Meet for lunch?"

Rachel: "As long as there's no eggnog..." Just the thought of it made her stomach turn.

Paige: "Noooo. No more eggnog... ever. Baaaad Paige and her eggnog. Horrible idea."

Rachel: "Completely awful idea," she nodded as she started for the door. "Maybe there'll be leftovers from dinner or something... If not, I vote for ordering pizza."

Paige: "I am for ordering pizza regardless. Yaaaaay Pizza." Paige said, but she lacked energy behind her words.

Rachel: Rachel added with about as much enthusiasm, "Woo, pizza."

[Ult_Sm86]

Despite the barf, it's still a hot scenario that they found themselves in.

Too bad Josh is too dead to appreciate it.

[tears~fall~like~glass]

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Rogue: Rogue pushed open Rachel's door and flew to her bed, flopping down hard next to her to wake her up. "Rise an' shine, Firefly!" She waved the envelope in the air so it made a noise. <Up, up, up!>

Rachel: At the shifting weight, Rachel squeezed her eyes shut tight, rolled to pull the blankets closer, and grasped for a pillow with a groan, "Stop thinking at me."

Rogue: "Nope." She wrapped an arm over her best friend and snuggled her close, <Get uuuuuup.> "Unless ya don't want ya present. That's fine, too."

Rachel: She risked opening her eyes and waited for everything to focus before tilting her head back to look up at Rogue, "Present?"

Rogue: "Present," she confirmed with a grin. "Ya want it'r not?"

Rachel: Rachel shifted to lay on her back, sucking in a breath as she scrubbed at her face. She spoke into her hands, "...It's not a trap, is it?"

Rogue: "Nope. Promise." Rogue was very excited about this, more excited than she'd been about anything in a while. She bounced a bit where she lay next to Rachel, "C'mooon."

Rachel: She peered through her fingers at Rogue and the envelope, managing a small grin as she reached to take it. She needed to know what it was and fumbled the envelope as she worked to pry it open. Once she got it open, she blinked and looked back to the other girl, "Tickets?"

Rogue: "Tickets!" Rogue pushed up to be propped on her elbow and grinned at Rachel, "We're goin' on vacation. Merry Christmas!"

Rachel: Rachel blinked again. Was she still asleep? No... She couldn't be asleep. If she was, she wouldn't feel this awful after a surprise vacation. "...Seriously?"

Rogue: "Yep! Now get up! We leave in two hours." She got up on her hands and knees over Rachel and started bouncing the bed. "Get up! Get up! Get up!"

Rachel: She was sure she looked horrified and shoved the covers away, moving to sit up. "Oh my God... I have to pack..."

Rogue: "Yep! C'mon! Up!" Rogue flew up to get off the bed, moving to pull open Rachel's closet and get her suitcase out. "We're gonna be gone a week. At least."

Rachel: Rachel set the tickets on her nightstand, making a mental note to remember them... However, she had doubts that she would. Before packing, she probably needed to get dressed and grabbed the jeans she'd worn the night before and this morning off the floor, inspecting them. They'd do. ...Shirt, not so much. "Where are we going for a week?"

Rogue: "Ya didn't read tha tickets?" Rogue tossed the suitcase on the bed and opened it up. "Fiji!"

Rachel: "I... am not sure I can read right now..." she admitted as she headed for the bathroom to change and gather the things from in there.

Rogue: Rogue frowned, "Why?" She started going through Rae's clothes and picking out jeans and swimsuits. "Hurry up!"

Rachel: "Hangover," Rachel called as she dumped some painkillers into her hand, adding, "I'm going as fast as I can!"

Rogue: "What in tha hell did ya do last night?" Since Rachel was otherwise occupied, Rogue started grabbing tops too, randomly throwing things in the suitcase.

Rachel: "...Besides drink?" she asked as she returned from the bathroom.

Rogue: "'Kay, lemme rephrase. How much did ya drink?"

Rachel: "I have absolutely no idea past a lot..." Rachel slowly shook her head, "As in... I barely remember stealing Jesus a lot."

Rogue: "Stealin' Jesus?!" Rogue's eyes went really wide as she looked up at Rachel, "What?!"

Rachel: "Well, Paige wanted a baby, so we stole a baby Jesus from a manger," she shrugged, grabbing a bag for shoes.

Rogue: "...Did ya put it back?"

Rachel: Rachel looked up from picking out which shoes to bring, "No?"

Rogue: "No?! Where is it?!"

Rachel: "In Paige's custody," she replied simply, shoving her choices into the bag.

Rogue: "...Is she gonna put him back?"

Rachel: "...No?"

Rogue: "No?!" Rogue was standing completely still, hand frozen on the suitcase lid. "Why not?"

Rachel: "He's just so adorable and quiet, we've decided to keep him," Rachel deadpanned, adding, "He's spending the week in the cosmetology lab, and then I'll get him for... my nonexistent classroom..." She really needed to figure out what she was going to do with him... Maybe she could scare people away by hanging him over her door in the hall.

Rogue: "...Ya cain't steal baby Jesus!"

Rachel: "Well... I already did?"

Rogue: "Put 'im back!"

Rachel: "Maybe after Fiji?" she asked hopefully.

Rogue: "Now!"

Rachel: "We leave in two hours, and I have to pack!"

Rogue: "Fine. We'll drop 'im off on tha way ta tha airport."

Rachel: "You want to make a stop on the way to the airport...?" Rachel gave her an incredulous look, "Have you seen the traffic around the airport? ...Also, I need Jesus in my life."

Rogue: "Ya need actual Jesus. Not a plastic one." She finally moved, putting her hands on her hips and giving Rachel her infamous look, "He goes back. T'day."

Rachel: She pouted, looking down to her bag, "Can I get Paige to do it?"

Rogue: "No."

Rachel: "But... We're leaving for Fiji!" Rachel protested. "...Also, why Fiji?"

Rogue: "No buts! He goes back!" Rogue shrugged, "Ah wanted a warm spot an' Ah played 'touch tha map an' go there'."

Rachel: "Fair enough, though... Warmth in winter is weird and wrong."

Rogue: "No it ain't. It's better. Refreshin'." She went back to pulling out clothes for Rachel, tossing them at her. "Wanna stay tha whole vacation time? Or just tha week Ah planned?"

Rachel: "The cold is refreshing. All I could think about in Cairo was how I wished there was snow," she replied, cheating a bit and using her teke to help with the catching. "Um... Whole vacation sounds nice, but I don't know that I'd be cleared to leave for that long."

Rogue: Rogue frowned, knowing that she had thought about more than that in Cairo. And then laughed, "Gal, our best friend is SWORD Agent Robert Drake. Ah think we're okay."

Rachel: "Yeah, but my arresting officer is Agent Darren Kent, who... totally does not like you..."

Rogue: "'Cause he thinks Ah tried ta kill him when Ah had no idea that was happenin'. Ah love Darren. Ah wouldn't do tha ta him."

Rachel: "I had a meeting with him the other day. Like, about my recovery from homicidal maniac. I guess he said I'd be cleared for pretty much anything as long as I notified them in a timely manner..." Meaning a day in advance, not two hours... Maybe she could get away with it once?

Rogue: "Shit." Rogue frowned, "Call him an' tell him ya got a Christmas present f'r t'day?"

Rachel: "That's what I was thinking," she nodded. "You already packed?"

Rogue: "Ah am! Ah figured Ah'd need ta help y'all get ready."

Rachel: Rachel shot her a grin as she sorted through the clothes that'd been thrown at her, "And I thought I was alright at packing."

Rogue: "Ya are. But Ah knew Ah'd be wakin' ya up. An' ya ain't good at that." She grinned back and tossed a shirt her way.

Rachel: "I suppose I do have a habit of being asleep at, like..." she peered over at the clock, shirt hitting her in the head. Once she worked out what had happened, she continued, "Two in the afternoon."

Rogue: "Yep!" She grinned bigger, "C'mon! Let's get this party goin'!"

Rachel: Rachel finished stuffing things in her suitcase, brow furrowed as she tried to think of anything she was forgetting. Nothing came to mind... If she did, she could just buy it later. "Let's go!"

Rogue: "Yes!" Rogue bounced up and down in place and then went to help Rachel carry the suitcase. "Tickets! Don't f'rget those!"

Rachel: "...Oh, shit. Those would be good to have," she pulled them to her with her telekinesis and headed for the door, "To Fiji!"

Rogue: "To Fiji with love!"

((time passes))

Rachel: They'd been pulled aside by airport security and contained in a room as their things were searched. Rachel glanced over their things that had been laid out and over to Rogue, leaning back in her chair, "Has the party started yet?"

Rogue: "Apparently, they think so," she nodded at the security room. Rogue leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Don't they know we're free an' clear now?"

Rachel: "Clearly not, but I could... Nevermind," Rachel cut herself off. It likely wasn't a good idea to announce the potential for brainwashing.

Rogue: "Yeah, no." She gave Rae a side-eye and went back to watching the guards. "We have return tickets. We're not fleein' tha country."

Rachel: "We could always hope this is just because I forgot about the lighter in my pocket and not because we're on a terrorist watch list..."

Rogue: "Hand over the lighter then?"

Rachel: "They already took it and my pack when I emptied my pockets. I've been trying not to think about it because I really want a smoke," she made a face, frowning slightly as she glanced back to the guards as well, "Think we'll get a phone call?"

Rogue: "We c'n buy ya a new lighter when we get there." She watched the guards as they gave them both a surly look and she huffed. "Guess that's a no?"

Rachel: "That one was my favorite though." Rachel shrugged, "Maybe all our talking is annoying."

Rogue: "We're women. We're gonna talk. Comes with tha genes." She winced at her bad choice of words. "Tha 'normal' genes..."

Rachel: She shot Rogue a grin, "I wasn't aware we weren't normal."

Rogue: "We're awesome. Normal is far from awesome."

Rachel: "True," she conceded. After a sigh, she added, "I was thinking we should call Bobby."

Rogue: "...Would he come? Or would he just laugh at us?"

Rachel: "...Both?" Rachel bit down on her lip, "Do we have any other options?"

Rogue: "Not really... Darren would leave me ta rot."

Rogue: She pushed away from the wall, "Can we call our friend? Who can vouch f'r us?"

Rachel: Rachel watched the guards give each other questioning looks and decided it was in her and Rogue's best interests to speed up the decision making process. She gave their minds a slight nudge toward an affirmative answer and was fairly pleased with herself when one of them nodded. ...However she tried not to look overly smug because then Rogue would know.

Rogue: "Thank goodness." She walked over to the phone on the desk behind the guards and picked up the receiver, dialing Bobby's number. Instant voicemail. She frowned and turned to show Rachel that she wasn't happy. At the beep, she turned back to focus on the call, "Bugsy... Rae an' Ah are at tha airport... Bein' detained... Her Christmas present was a trip ta Fiji... An' they still think we're terrorists. Come help?"

Rachel: Her face twisted at Rogue's expression. They were totally going to be stuck here for a few more hours.

[tears~fall~like~glass]

[placeholder]

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Paige: After a long day of preparing the lab for the upcoming semester, Paige worked on sweeping out her lab. "Allllllmost done!" She sang out to herself, going for the mop.

Rachel: Rachel had spent most of her day in bed, which wasn't all that unusual. However, it was due to coming in late from the airport instead of a hangover. Once she'd managed to drag herself from bed, she'd dug through her shopping and found Paige's present, figuring she may as well get gift-giving over with. Plus, something that wasn't baby Jesus would likely be good.

Rachel: Catching the singing, she called as she stepped into the lab, "Well, hurry up and finish, so I can give you your present!"

Paige: Paige jumped at the voice, then squealed, pouncing on her. "Rachie!" She gave her friend a happy hug. "You're back!"

Rachel: Rachel swayed, flailing a bit to keep her balance and a hold on the gift, as she was attacked with the hug. "Yeah, sadly, SHIELD might be a bit displeased if I spent the rest of my time lounging on the beach instead of suffering students."

Paige: Paige relaxed her hug a bit. "Oh poo on SHIELD... but I'm so glad you're back!" She tightened it again.

Rachel: Snorting, she wrapped her arms around Paige to return the hug for once, "As nice as it was, I don't think I could've stayed forever anyway. Nowhere's better than New York."

Paige: "Truth!" Paige giggled and finally broke the hug to get back to mopping. "I'll speed mop!"

Rachel: Rachel found a desk to sit on with a grin, asking, "How was your hangover after Christmas? And the rest of break?"

Paige: "Ohhh don't you worry about me." Paige flashed her a grin. "I don't drink too much without you or Bobby. And since you both left me..." she trailed off.

Rachel: She rolled her eyes, "It's not like I knew I was getting a vacation for Christmas."

Paige: Paige giggled and poked her as she passed with the broom. "Yeah yeah! You and Bobby got to lounge on beaches and I stayed here and cleaned the lab."

Rachel: "Oh, come on, the beach totally wasn't more exciting than that..." Rachel replied with only a hint of sarcasm, leaning in an attempt to avoid the broom. She also pointed out, "And, hey, no one's going to have a better Christmas story than getting drunk, kissing me, stealing Jesus, and decorating Jason. You totally win there."

Paige: "Well... erm.. yeah." Paige was a bright red at the reminder of her kisses with Rachel. "There's that, yeah?" She quickly finished the mopping.

Rachel: It took her a moment to decipher exactly what there was to be embarrassed about as she watched Paige finish the mopping. Once she had, she averted her gaze, figuring she should probably leave that bit out when retelling the story. It wasn't that big of an accomplishment anyway, right? "Yeah, totally."

Paige: "Soooo how was the beach?!" Paige hopped up onto the next next to Rachel, pulling out a bag of gummy bears.

Rachel: Rachel smirked, holding out a hand for some gummy bears, "Sandy."

Paige: Paige slid the bag between them to share, kicking her feet a bit. "Mmmm glad you had a good time though." She popped a bear into her mouth.

Rachel: "Yeah, it was pretty fun. We also shopped, hence the gift..." Rachel offered the small bag, "Well, and I didn't do any shopping before Christmas... because fuck shopping before Christmas."

Paige: "Well now I feel bad... I didn't do any Christmas shopping." Paige peeked in the bag and let out a squeal. "Rachie!"

Rachel: Rachel about choked on her gummy bear at the squeal, recovering with a shrug, "I don't need anything."

Paige: "Well still.. this is amazing!" Paige slid the pink bracelet on her wrist. "I'll just have to buy you a new pair of shoes."

Rachel: "...I'm not even sure where I'd put a new pair of shoes."

Paige: "On your feet. Duh!" Paige grinned at her.

Rachel: Rachel laughed, shaking her head, "Well, of course."

Paige: Paige giggled and ate another gummy bear. "Glad to have you back. It was boring without you."

Rachel: "I can't be that exciting."

Paige: "You are the only excitement around this place."

Rachel: "I'll be sure to hold my status over Bobby," she grinned.

Paige: "Well he wasn't here either. But yes. Gloat over him! After all. He never got a kiss." Paige realized what she said, her face turning bright red again.

Rachel: "Yeah, but you said I'm the only excitement around this place, which includes when he is here... So, I will gloat over him." Rachel eyed Paige, smirking slightly at the blush and popping a gummy bear in her mouth. Eventually, after running through a number of possible comments, she replied, "I'm sure he did... Just not from one of us."

Paige: "Stupid happy couples." Paige glared at a gummy bear before biting its head off.

Rachel: "You don't even have to be drunk!"

Paige: Paige laughed and her and sighed. "Obviously I'm happy for them... but it still sucks from the outside."

Rachel: Rachel considered that over a few gummy bears of her own, nodding. "Yep, I can see how it fucking sucks."

Paige: Paige sucked on her gummy bear and passed a jar to Rachel. "Quarter."

Rachel: She blinked at the empty jar and then over at Paige, "What?"

Paige: "You cussed. Quarter goes in the jar."

Rachel: "...Really?"

Paige: "...Yes." Paige gave Rachel a very serious look.

Rachel: Rachel gave her one in return, "I'm not giving you a quarter for saying fuck."

Paige: "50 cents."

Rachel: "...No."

Paige: "Yes."

Rachel: She ate another gummy bear, shaking her head.

Paige: Paige pouted hard at her.

Rachel: Rachel stared at her for a few moments, frowning as she relented and dug through her pocket for some change. "This is stupid."

Paige: "No it isn't... it's important around students! It sets a good example."

Rachel: "Everyone knows I'm a bad example. It was all over the news," she rolled her eyes. "So, since you didn't have any fun the entire time I was gone... Vito's later?"

Paige: "Sure! I'll buy first round," Paige volunteered.

Rachel: "Awesome, you can use the money I just gave you."

Paige: "That'll pay for the tax!

Paige: " Paige scooped it up with a giggle.

Rachel: "Glad I could help," Rachel snickered, glancing down to the floor. It looked dry enough. Hopping down, she snagged a few more gummies, "Right, so... No stealing Jesus or spending the night with Jason this time?"

Paige: "Well... I can promise one of those things..." Paige grinned at her, hopping down too.

Rachel: "I hope it's Jason because I don't think we can dodge Monet a second time."

Paige: "Exactly. But Baby Jesus is lonely..."

Rachel: "We'll have to see about getting him a friend. Maybe."

Paige: "He's Jesus! He doesn't need a girlfriend! Maybe his own nativity with us though?"

Rachel: "I said friend, not girlfriend," Rachel pointed out with a roll of her eyes, adding, "Do you know how many times we'll have to get drunk to steal an entire nativity scene piece by piece?"

Paige: "Not if you do it right this time." Paige poked her.

Rachel: "And what did I do wrong last time?"

Paige: "I stole the baby. You could steal the whole thing."

Rachel: She raised an eyebrow, "While I'm so drunk I'm on my ass?"

Paige: "Who says you need to be drunk!?"

Rachel: "Well, we were going to Vito's first... Why would I go to Vito's and not get drunk?"

Paige: "So you want to do this all tonight?" Paige grabbed her coat, slipping it on.

Rachel: Rachel shrugged from her spot by the door, "Did you have any better plans for tonight?"

Paige: "Well... no...." Paige shifted her weight a bit, studying Rachel. "Ok then. Drunken thievery! Oh, and you owe me another quarter." She held out her hand this time.

Rachel: "Worried about having to confess again?" she asked, smirking, at Paige's hesitation. Once she realized how that could be taken, Rachel focused intently on digging the third coin from her pocket, reluctantly surrendering it.

Paige: "Maybe I'll get you into the booth this time." Paige snickered at her.

Rachel: Rachel shot her a wicked grin, "I imagine you'll have a lot more to confess to then." ...Okay, that was bad. She should just shut up. At least when she was drunk, she had an excuse for her comments, but now she was lacking one. Face coloring slightly, she quickly added, "So, I'm going to change, and I'll meet you downstairs?"

Paige: Paige worked her mouth to find a reply. "Yeah... meet downstairs!" She quickly hurried to her room. Her room was safe!

Rachel: Once she was also safely in her room, she leaned back against the door, letting her head fall back against it hard as she let out a breath. She still couldn't believe she'd actually just said that. To Paige. What the hell was wrong with her?

[Slarti]

Paichel is coming.

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Rachel: Rachel was swaying and grasped at the bar, holding the edge tightly as she stared hard at the countertop. Ooooh, a shot. Reaching for it with her free hand, she downed it and set the tiny glass down a bit more forcibly than intended, pulling a face as she looked over to Paige and asked, "What round are we on again? Not a high enough one if I'm asking, right?"

Paige: Paige hiccuped at her. "I forgot..." She giggled at Rachel, poking her arm. "I forgot!" She giggled more.

Rachel: She snickered and attempted to swat at one of Paige's hands, shaking her head, "Because that's something that doesn't happen often..."

Paige: She leaned in close to eye Rachel, then burst into a fit of giggles, backing up again. "Nope!" She reached for another shot. "More booze!"

Rachel: Rachel gave her a wary look as she leaned in and let out a sigh of relief when she backed off again. She reached for the new shot and cursed profusely as it sloshed because she wasn't actually paying attention to the drink. She pulled her gaze back to the bar, taking the glass as carefully as she could with her other hand, trying to shake the booze off the one as she took the shot.

Paige: "Stop wasting good boooooze." Paige ran her fingers through Rachel's hair. "I need to get ahold of this again..."

Rachel: "I'm not trying to!" she protested, biting down on her lip at the fingers through her hair. People touching her hair still reminded her of Josh... She motioned for their next round, wishing it'd just instantly appear from thin air, and put on a grin, eyebrows going up, "Oh, really?"

Paige: "Yes... I am your hair stylist after all. I styyyle haaaaair!" Paige grinned with her goofy grin. "Whadaya think of Phil? the SHIELD Agent?"

Rachel: "You do... Wait... How are we styling my hair?" Rachel asked, blinking. As the next shot arrived, she immediately took it and risked glancing over to the other girl at the questions. "What about him?"

Paige: "Something pretty for Rachie! Pretty pretty hair!" Paige played with it a bit. "And I don't know.. do you think he's cuuuuute?

Rachel: She wasn't sure whether she wanted another shot or if a drink to chug would be better at that. "...I, um... I don't know. I haven't really been, y'know, looking... Hell, kissing you is the most I've had going on like that..."

Paige: "Yeah me too..." Paige admitted. "Well look at Phil for me next time! He's supposed to be a nice guy. Ohhhh you should get in his miiiind and find out!"

Rachel: "At least it was good," Rachel commented. Now she was just debating whether drowning herself in a drink was possible. As for the whole thing with Phil, she made a face, "That's usually frowned upon. Apparently, it's not ethical or some other bullshit, according to Xavier."

Paige: "Ohhh what's the point of having telepathy then?" Paige pouted at her. She wanted to know if Phil thought she was cute!

Rachel: Rachel had absolutely no desire to know what Phil thought about Paige. For all she knew, it was potentially scarring, and she didn't want to find out. Plus... Just no. "...I have no idea."

Paige: Paige fixed Rachel's hair for her with a smile. "There! Pretty!"

Rachel: Rolling her eyes, Rachel decided that meant it was her turn to fix Paige's hair... which really meant brushing most of it into her face. "There! Now you look like I usually do!"

Paige: "I can't see!" Paige protested, trying to fix it.

Rachel: "You don't need to see to drink!"

Paige: "Yes I do! I might have spillage like yooooou."

Rachel: "Pfft," Rachel scoffed, grabbing her own glass and placing Paige's in her hand, "There. Now you don't."

Paige: Paige peeked at her through her blonde hair. "Yay! Thanks!" She downed her drink.

Rachel: Setting the empty glass back on the bar, Rachel giggled and shook her head, reaching out to carefully fix Paige's hair, "You just look ridiculous..."

Paige: "I told you... fix it fix it!" Paige leaned a bit closer to make it easier for Rachel to reach.

Rachel: Rachel leaned a bit closer herself, running her fingers through the blonde hair as she gave her an incredulous look, "I still remember, like, thirty seconds ago. You didn't tell me. You whined you couldn't see."

Paige: "That's because I could't see... I looked ridiculous." Paige wrinkled her nose at the redhead as her own hair was fixed.

Rachel: She eyed Paige for a few moments, taking in the expression with a slight smile. "Well, now you look better."

Paige: "Yay I can seeeee!" Paige flounced her hair a bit, waving for more drinks. "We look sexy!"

Rachel: Rachel glanced down at herself and shook her head, "Maybe you do."

Paige: "Awww come on Rachie... you look sexy too."

Rachel: "Eh. I guess I don't look too bad," she shrugged, taking up her new drink.

Paige: Paige gave her a harsh look, looking up up and down. "I do this for a living, Rachie. I knooooow.. I KNOOOOW!"

Rachel: Rachel about snorted her shot as she giggled, setting it back on the bar before she spilled some of it as well.

Paige: "Now then... we have a family to create. Yes?" Paige attempted to get to her feet.

Rachel: ...And, at this rate, she was never going to finish her last shot, however she did manage to get out, "That's what she said."

Paige: Paige gave her a look, then giggled happily at her. "You are so craaaaazyyyy." Paige offered Rachel her hand to help her up.

Rachel: Finally getting the shot down, Rachel took the help and gave a bit of a shrug, "Can't deny that."

Paige: There was more giggling. Paige linked arms with her. "Tonight... is gonna be a good night!"

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Paige: Paige lay with her head down on the table, her steaming cup of coffee sitting beside her. "Uggggggggggggh." She whined at Rachel.

Rachel: "Not so loud," Rachel muttered. Her own cup of coffee was completely untouched, as she was far more in favor of her face bonding with the table as well. "That's 'bout how I feel though."

Paige: "You got me arrested..." Paige whined at her.

Rachel: She opened her eyes long enough to peer over at the mess of blonde hair next to her, grumbling, "Did not."

Paige: Paige shot Rachel a look through her hair. "Yes... yes you did."

Rachel: "Got yourself arrested."

Paige: "Did not... you were the look out."

Rachel: Rachel shook her head as well as she could with her cheek pressed to the table, arguing, "I told you that I'm not useful when I've fallen on my ass... Plus, who thought baby Jesus needed friends? Because it wasn't me."

Paige: "Yeah, huh... remember? I thought you said girlfriend. I remember thaaaat." Paige rubbed her forehead.

Rachel: "I hope you remember that. It was before we ever got to the bar," she commented, grudgingly sitting up. Once she had, she promptly slumped over again. Yeah, sitting up was unacceptable. "It's not a big deal anyway. We just sat in the drunk tank all night."

Paige: "I've never been arrested before..." Paige pouted a bit, sitting up to look Rachel over.

Rachel: Rachel opened her eyes at the sound of Paige shifting and wasn't sure she'd seen her look so pathetic. "Well, hey, at least it was just a little theft," she managed a slight smirk, "It beats being tackled, put in a chokehold, and arrested for being a terrorist." It didn't take long for the smirk to drop. Still a bit too soon to be joking about that.

Paige: Paige reached across the table and took Rachel's hand. "Rachie..."

Rachel: She forced herself to sit up again, looking down at their hands and blinking, "Paige..."

Paige: Paige rubbed her face with her other hand, then stared at Rachel again. "I think it's time we admitted something."

Rachel: Rachel blinked a few more times. Was she still unconscious in jail? And, if so, what the fuck was wrong with her mind? She had absolutely no idea what they were supposed to be admitting and let her head fall to rest against the back of the chair, squeezing her eyes shut once she realized there were lights up there. Only one way to find out what Paige was on about... "What are we admitting?"

Paige: "That we're running away from our problems and avoiding them rather than facing them... I think it's time to stop drinking."

Rachel: ...This was a nightmare.

Paige: At her lack of words, Paige tried to meet her eyes. "I'm serious..."

Rachel: Rachel groaned, "...How can you be this serious right now?"

Paige: "Because I was just in jail..."

Rachel: Biting back her first response, she heaved a sigh and would've given an eyeroll if she hadn't been staring at the back of her eyelids. What was a nicer response to that? Actually, not responding and changing the subject was better, "We can't drink and face them?"

Paige: "Doesn't work like that, Rachie," Paige told her softly, finally taking her hand back. "You don't have to do this alone."

Rachel: Rachel curled her now empty hand into a fist, shaking her head. Not at all wanting to have this discussion, she simply mumbled, "Yeah..."

Paige: Paige took a silent sip of her coffee, mulling things over in her head.

Rachel: She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, resting her elbows on the table and placing her face in her hands. After a few moments of attempting she think through her headache, she blew out another sigh. "I don't know, Paige..."

Paige: "I don't want to either... but I think it's the best thing for us to do. It's not like I'm taking your cigarettes away..."

Rachel: "Ugh, don't even speak of that."

Paige: Paige smiled at her, patting her hand again. "We can do this... together."

Rachel: Rachel wasn't so sure about that and moved to stand, cringing at the sound of the chair scraping against the floor. She grabbed her cup of coffee and went to dump it, seeing as she wasn't going to drink it. "We'll see, I guess."

Paige: "I guess we can only take it one day at a time anyway."

Rachel: "Well, then... Today..." she paused, leaning against the counter as she thought, "I think I'm going to die in bed after a shower."

Paige: "See? You have good ideas too." Paige rubbed her forehead again.

Rachel: "Not often enough," Rachel muttered. She bit down on her lip as she considered Paige, "Think you can make it to your room?"

Paige: "I... don't know," Paige admitted, finishing her coffee. "Guess we'll find out?"

Rachel: "I'll make sure you get there," she rolled her eyes, putting on another smirk despite her mood, "Least I can do after getting you in trouble."

Paige: "You could just stay on my couch... my room is closer." Paige leaned against Rachel as they headed for the stairs.

Rachel: Rachel considered the offer. On one hand, she really wanted a shower. On the other... "Eh, fuck taking a shower. I'll just do that."

Paige: "I don't think I could stand through one anyway," Paige laughed, sighing a bit.

Rachel: "I didn't plan on standing," she shook her head. "Just dying on the couch seems more appealing at the moment."

Paige: Paige just shook her head, which caused it to hurt worse. Yeah... No more drinking was a good idea. "Fair point. Crashing for the day is the plan now. Maybe pizza later..."

Rachel: Rachel considered that plan. "Agreed."

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Paige: Rachel had been staying with Paige for several days, which was just fine with Paige. She loved having the company. She happily snuggled into her pink sheets, getting much needed rest.

Rachel: Rachel had been going back and forth between Paige's room and her own, spending most of the day in hers and invading Paige's in the evening. If she was there, she was far less tempted to go out drinking. However, her sleep was far from restful, and it had nothing to do with the fact she was stuck on the pink couch.

Paige: Paige mumbled in her sleep and rolled over, snuggling her teddy bear.

Rachel: Turning in her sleep, Rachel teetered on the edge of the cushions before going crashing to the floor, sharply inhaling as she awoke. Being sandwiched between the couch and coffee table wasn't exactly the most comfortable way to lay, but it was the least of her concerns. She rested her forehead against the floor, sniffling. Maybe she'd move once she regained some of her composure.

Paige: Paige sat up at the noise, going for a twirling baton for a weapon. At just seeing Rachel on the floor, Paige quickly moved to her. "Rachie?" She asked softly, touching her gently.

Rachel: Rachel startled at the sound of Paige's voice and the touching, breathing a curse or two. Swallowing and sucking in a shuddering breath, she tried to force out, "I-I'm... I'm fine..." After a moment, she repeated more evenly, "I'm fine."

Paige: Paige shoved the coffee table away so she could lay down next to Rachel, just being close to her. "I know." She told her.

Rachel: Despite the lack of coffee table in her way, she didn't shift much nor was she sure how she felt about Paige being that close. It was nice, in a way, but uncomfortable because she wasn't really in a state she wanted to be seen in.

Paige: Paige just lay silently beside Rachel, hand resting soothingly on her back. She didn't try to force her to talk, but instead, just tried to hold her a bit.

Rachel: Rachel was half-tempted to curl up against Paige, but that seemed like it'd be awkward, which was something to be avoided. Instead, she finally moved, rolling completely on her stomach and pressing her hands to the floor, debating whether to push herself up or not. "Couch is more comfortable," she decided in a mumble.

Paige: Hesitating, Paige pressed a kiss to her friend's hair. "You can have the bed."

Rachel: Rachel tensed at the kiss, glad she had her head down and that in the darkened room Paige couldn't see the blush. "I-I meant for sitting, not sleeping."

Paige: "Ok... take my hand." Paige offered it down to her to help her up.

Rachel: She tentatively reached for Paige's hand, scrubbing at her face as soon as she was on her feet. Though, standing didn't last long, as she simply flopped back into the pink cushions and mess of blankets.

Paige: Sitting back down next to her, Paige rested her head on Rachel's shoulder, still not pushing her to talk.

Rachel: Hands dropping to her lap, Rachel bit down on her lip at the closeness and resisted the urge to smoke, anxiously twisting her ring instead. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as nicotine. With a sigh, she gave in and rested her head against Paige's, staring down at her hand as she eventually admitted, "I have nightmares."

Paige: "I'm so sorry, Rachie..." Paige spoke softly, frowning. She didn't know how to fix nightmares. "Is there anything I can do?"

Rachel: "Not much more than... this..." It was strange to say, felt similar to a conversation she'd had with Josh. She sucked in a breath, jaw working.

Paige: She smiled more then sighed a bit. "Well, I'm good for this then. That's what I'm here for."

Rachel: "I'm sure you're here for more than just babysitting me."

Paige: "Not sure what could be more important than being here for you though."

Rachel: Rachel didn't know what to do with that phrasing, but she decided she wasn't going to dwell on it at the moment. Not that she could list any right now, but she was sure... "There's plenty of things."

Paige: "Stop trying to make yourself less important."

Rachel: She shifted slightly, pulling her head from Paige's in order to shake it. "I'm not that important."

Paige: Paige just rolled her eyes. "Yes you are. Stop that."

Rachel: Rachel righted the ring on her finger, giving a roll of her own eyes as she asked, "Stop what?"

Paige: "You are important to me, alright?"

Rachel: Her mouth worked for a response that wasn't bitter, and she simply closed it when one didn't come, pulling her knees up. She wrapped her arms around them, sighing.

Paige: "Thank you." Paige sighed a bit. "Just wish I could do more."

Rachel: "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." Feeling guilty again, wanting a drink and smoke, and wishing she didn't look like a mess, but fine... All of those did qualify as fine, right? Because that's what she was trying to convince herself.

Paige: "Yeah..." Paige decided fine was code for not fine. In which case... "I'm fine too."

Rachel: Rachel flinched, somehow feeling worse for... Well, lying to Paige, she supposed. Picking a spot on the floor to stare at, she somewhat reluctantly expanded on her comment about nightmares, "I could tell you their names, what they were doing, their secrets... All the people I murdered for simply being in my way. Or there's how badly the fights in London, Paris, and Cairo could've gone..."

Rachel: "None of those are as horrible as the memory of..." she shook her head, trailing off for a few moments as she worked to push the image from her mind. "Josh. Dead. Bled out." She didn't think she'd shared that last part with Bobby or Darren.

Paige: It was Paige's turn to flinch, then she felt the tears. She hugged Rachel tightly, holding her close. "Oh, Rachie..."

Rachel: She uncurled and leaned into the hug. "It'll get better, less vivid... Eventually..."

Paige: "Are you sure?" Paige glanced up at Rachel, unsure.

Rachel: "The ones from after Essex the first time around did..." Rachel shrugged. Though, she'd had Josh to help with that.

Paige: Paige gave her a bit of a squeeze. "Ok then. Just the hard part of getting through it."

Rachel: Having Paige like this wasn't so bad either... except she could hardly believe she was thinking that. "Pretty much."

Paige: "You can stay here... as long as you want."

Rachel: "I, uh... I imagine you'll get tired of me eventually."

Paige: "Sounds like a challenge." Paige giggled at her. "And I'm sure I won't. It's nice having you around."

Rachel: "A challenge?" Rachel raised an eyebrow, "It is?"

Paige: "I don't think so. I think it will be a piece of cake. Mmmm cake..."

Rachel: "You shouldn't tempt me into making things difficult... Well, more difficult..." she managed a slight smile. "Think there's any cake in the kitchen?"

Paige: "Well there's only one way to find out...."

Rachel: "But... That means moving..."

Paige: "Hmmm if you ask real nice... I'll go look for you."

Rachel: "Shit out of luck there. Me, really nice..." Rachel teasingly scoffed with a genuine smirk, giving a roll of her eyes as well.

Paige: Paige tickled Rachel and fled for the door.

Rachel: Giggling, she squirmed, almost falling off the couch again in an attempt to get away from the tickling. She eyed the door, debated whether she really wanted cake, and decided she didn't. However, she supposed she'd go search for some anyway and moved to follow.