Chris went back to town for a few days to check on Michelle. When he entered the house, Fear walked up to him and nuzzled him as if they were old friends. The dog followed him as he walked to his bedroom. Chris was tired and all he wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for a few hours. He put down his bag of clothes, and pet the dog.
Michelle steps in the hallway, with the phone at her ear. She smiles and waves at him. "Beth, Chris just walked in, there's something I have do." She says laughing, and hangs up the phone. She walks over to Chris. "There's only one way to find out." She says to him.
"Find out...." Before he can finish speaking, she pushes him against the door and kisses him. To her surprise, he doesn't push her away. He pulls her closer to him and kisses her back.
You were right Beth, Michelle thinks, as they continue kissing.
-----------
Matt, Jeff and Rachel decided to go for a ride in Matt's new car. It was the first time he had driven since his accident. His foot taped up, they rode around town and tried to stay out of trouble.
"Where are we going?" Rachel asked, as they past the house again.
Matt and Jeff look at each other and Jeff answers her." Moms grave."
"Oh." Is all Rachel says. Jeff notices that she tenses up.
"You'll be ok." Jeff says, as he reaches up to the front seat and messes her hair.
"Sweetie, this is your first time home in ten years, I think mom deserves this." Matt said in an older brother tone.
"It's part of the healing process." Jeff says, as he starts to massage Rachel's tense shoulders.
She tenses up even more, as the cemetery comes into view.
"Guys, you don't understand. I don't know if I will be able to make my legs move." Rachel says with tears in her eyes.
---------
The phone rings a the Hardys, and Rachel's dad answers the phone.
"Hi, Mr Hardy.. This is Adam, is Rachel home?"Adam asks softly.
"Hey son. She's not home right now. I think the boys took her to the cemetery to visit their moms grave. I think, I over heard the boys talking earlier." the dad says to Adam.
"Really? Do you think that was a good idea??" Adam asked him in shock.
"Well, son, its time to leave the past behind. Wipe the slate clean so to say. Coming back here was the best thing for her. We all need to have new beginnings, are you listening to me boy?" he said to Adam, hoping he was getting a point across.
"Yes sir." Adam replied.
"She's coming home tomorrow. I heard something about some kind a request this magazine wanted her to do." Her dad says to Adam.
"Thanks for letting me know sir." Adam says, as they hang up. He stands and stares at himself in the mirror. He had never looked or felt so miserable in his entire life.
----------
Rachel sat at her moms grave and ran her fingers across the name of her mother. She was so mixed with emotion, happy, sad, sick, and a little regretful for running like she did. She started to talk to her mother, she knew her mom could hear her.
"Mom, hi. I know you can hear me." Rachel says, as the first tear falls down her cheek. "I am so sorry I ran after you died, sorry for blaming dad for something he couldn't control. Jeff says you would forgive me, I hope you do." She says, as she hears sniffles. She looks up to see Jeff walking away. Matt stood next to her for a few moments, and then walked away too.
It's been ten years, and not much has changed. We've only gotten older. I don't have to tell you what we do, you see us." Rachel says, as she lays down next to the grave.
"Rach, what are you doing?" Matt asks her.
"I'm ok, it's ok.. don't worry." Rachel says, as she lays her head on the stone. "Mom, if Adam and I are meant to be, can you please send me a sign? Anything. I feel selfish for asking, but I really want what you and dad had."
Matt walks over to Rachel with a piece of paper and a crayon. "You can trace the name. I have a few in a scrapbook, I make one every year." He says as he sits next to her.
Rachel sits up and starts to trace. "Thanks, where is Jeff?" She asks Matt, and he points to the car. Jeff stands next to the car, wipping his eyes off with the sleeve of his shirt.
"After you finish tracing, I guess we will head home. Dad might start worrying." Matt says, as he handed her a kleenex.
"I think Jeff needs one of these." Rachel says laughing.
A few minutes later, they walk to the car. Rachel hugs Jeff, and then he opens the car door for her to get in.
"Rach, hold on, you have a bug in your hair." Jeff says as he picks it out.
"Eewwww!! GET IT OUT. " Rachel screams.
"Relax, it's just a love bug." Jeff says laughing. He plucks it out, and Rachel tries to hold it. It flies away just as she is about to touch it.
------------
They get back to the house, and their dad meets them on the porch. " Adam called, Rach."
"Adam called." Matt said, and elbowed Rachel.
"Ouch, so, Adam called." Rachel said and elbowed him back.
"Don't be so hard headed." the dad said to her.
The phone rings, and Matt runs to the phone.
"Maybe its him again." He says as he answers the phone. "OH, hi Christi."
Rachel stays out on the porch, while the rest of them go in the house. She was stubborn alright, she thought.
Jeff came back onto the porch with a glass of tea for his sister. He sat next to her for a few moments, both of them lost in thought.
"So, Adam called." Jeff said, and then sipped at his tea.
"How is Beth?" Rachel asks, hoping to change the subject. "Have you called her lately?"
"She's got a boyfriend, and I haven't called her since I have been here." Jeff said, and then changed the subject back to Adam. "Are you going to call him?"
"No." Rachel said, as she listened to Matt talk to Christi. "Do you think Christi and Matt will make it?" Rachel asks Jeff.
"Honestly?" Jeff asks.
"No, lie to me. Yes, I would like an honest answer." Rachel says laughing.
"No." Jeff says as he swats at a bug that flies in his face.
"I don't think so either." Rachel says, as she sees the bug land on Jeff's knee. "OHhhh, a Love Bug." Rachel says, as she scoops it up into her hand. A few seconds later, it flies away. "Jeff, do you believe in signs??"
-------------
Michelle sat at her desk and stared glassyeyed at the phone. She was so happy, that she almost ceased to think properly. Rachel walked into the office, and she never heard the scream of joy from Meri. Michelle shook her head, as she realized she was being stared at..
"HI!!" Michelle said, and slowly stood up from behind the desk. She was still a little bit dizzy.
"Hi there. I'm sorry for not being there for you." Rachel said, as the two ladies hugged.
"Oh, its understandable. You had things going on yourself." Michelle says to Rachel.
"There's something about you....you look happy." Rachel says, as she looks at Michelle. "I can't put my finger on it."
Rich walks by making smooching noises.
"Shut up Rich." Meri says, and pulls him away.
"Oh thanks Rich!!" Michelle laughs, and pulls Rachel into Rachel's office. "Let me tell you why I am so competely happy. So happy I could sing, happy." Michelle said, laughing.
"Does this have anything to do with Chris?" Rachel asked, laughing along with Michelle.
"Possibly." Michelle says, for the first time her smile lighting up her eyes.
"WOW, thats great!! I hope you two work out!!" Rachel says, as they hug againe. Rich walks in the door and stares at them.
"Ok, no more hugs on the clock." He says, and taps his watch. "OH MICHELLE!!" HE yells and runs at her. She screams and hides behind Rachel laughing. He stops and hands Rachel a folder.
"What is this?" Rachel asks, as she quits laughing.
"Work, its the request from that magazine. I guess you should get back with them, it's been a week now since I last spoke to them." Rich said, as he stood at the door to leave the room.
"Do I really want to do this?" Rachel asked the two of them.
"Yes!!" They replied in unison.
-----------
It was nine in the morning, and Rachel and her brothers had to be at the arena in less than an hour. She hated getting her picture made. Now people were really going to know her as "The Hardyz Sister", she thought. She sighed as she looked in the mirror. I hope Adam won't show up, she thought. Why did they want to know about her, she wondered.
-----
Rachel stood between her brothers as the photographer snapped away with the camera.
"Turn this way....guns up higher Matt....Rachel, show me your pierced tongue." The lady said, as she continued to snap pictures.
The three of them started to laugh at the last request of Rachel showing her tongue. The phographer continued to snap pictures in the meantime.
"You took pictures of that?" Jeff asked, as he laid down in the ring.
"Please get up." The photographer said to Jeff, as she started to get impatient.
Chris pushed in a ladder, and Rachel and the boys watched the Photographer set it up.
"Whats the ladder for?" Rachel asked.
"Props." Was the reply.
Matt looked at Rachel and rolled his eyes dramatically. "Isn't this played out?" Matt said, and leaned on Rachel.
Chris shrugged his shoulders, and sat next to Michelle in the front row to continue watching.
A loud whistle is heard, and they look up from the ring to see a few figures sitting half way up the arena. Rachel shields her eyes from the light, and sees Albert, Adam and Jay.
"Who is it." Jeff asks.
"Shit, it's Adam." Rachel says, and turns away, so she can't see him.
"Adam!" Matt says, and shields his eyes to look. He waves, and then puts and arm around his sister.
"I don't think i am ready for this." Rachel says, as she starts to panic.
"Babe, pretend he isn't there." Jeff says, and hold her hand. "Remember the love bug? He asks.
"It was just a love bug, it doesn't mean anything." Rachel says, as she starts to sweat.
"Lunch break." Matt yells and jumps out of the ring.
Rachel starts to jump out of the ring, as Adam runs up to it and jumps in.
"Don't go."He says, and walks up behind her. "We need to talk."
Rachel stands with her back to him. "Here?" she asks.
"No better place than right now, and here." he replies.
She turns to him with a spark of anger. " I thought you said all you had to say that night.You were really clear in what you thought was right." she said through her teeth.
"I was wrong. I had no right not to trust you. Its just that I love you too much." He said, as he touched her arm. She jerked away and stared at him. "Give me another chance. I know I messed up baby, please."
"Another chance? How could you trust me all of a sudden, when you couldn't then?" She said, and pointed at him in the chest.
"I was confused....that's all. I tried to get in touch with you so many times to tell you I was wrong. I don't know what I will do if you don't forgive me, you are my life." He says, with tears in his eyes.
"You have to learn to trust me, it still hurts me that you didn't." Rachel says to Adam.
"Everytime I saw you, you had Albert at your side." Adam said with his hands in the air.
"Everytime I saw you, you were trading secrets with my brother, what was I to think of that?" Rachel said, backing away from Adam.
Adam started to laugh, and she slapped him hard across the cheek.
"What was that for?"Adam asked, as he put a hand to his face. She had never slapped him that hard before.
"Lets face it. It's over." She said. She couldn't believe he was laughing at a time like this. She turned away from him.
"Rach, wait, it's time I come clean." He says, as he feels in his pockets for the ring that was no longer there.
Rachel turned back to him to listen what he had to say. This ought to be good she thought.
He walked to the edge of the ring, and Chris handed him the small box. "I told you you were going to need this." Chris said, and smiled.
"Rach, you know I love you, and for the past few months I've been wanting to ask you a question. One question and we always got interrupted. I have that chance now, and this may be the wrong place to do it, but I definately know its the right time." He says to Rachel.
Rachel loved Adam, she knew that. She had since the day they met. Her stubborness was finally breaking. Her knees grew wobbly and weak. She finally realized what he had been wanting to ask her all that time, all the time they had been interrupted. She could no longer stand, so she sat in the middle of the ring, with her head in her hands.
"Rach are you ok??" Adam asked, as he walks to her and kneels in front of her.
"No,...um YES." Rachel says, as she looks at him with tears running down her cheeks.
"Rachel??" Adam says, as he wipes away her tears, and starts to cry himself. He loved her too much to ever loose her.
"YES YES YES." She screams laughing.
"I haven't asked the question yet." He says laughing. He takes out the ring and puts it on her finger. "This looks good there doesn't it."
"Baby, you don't even have to ask it." She says, as they kiss and hug for the first time since the fight.
The small crowd that was there started to cheer. But Adam and Rachel were oblivious to anything but each other..