True Home

[bttb-rox!]

Story Title: True Home

Type of story: One-shot

Main Characters: Kim and Rachel

BTTB rating: G

Genre: Drama

Does story include spoilers: No

Any warnings: None

Summary: Rachel is in need of a holiday and Kim has got just the thing to cheer her up...but will things go smoothly?...

(This one-shot was my entry for the latest Fan Fic challenge so if you have read it before, thats why )

Kim eagerly rushed through the door and kissed his wife.

’Its official’, he said.

‘What is?’, Rachel asked.

‘I am now on a two week break!’, Kim said excitedly.

‘Oh lucky you’, Rachel said enviously.

‘There’s nothing to say you can’t take a break. You’ve been working hard all year’, Kim said smiling at his wife.

‘Yeah but the hospital needs me and what with you taking a break we need the extra cash, so that’s where I need to be’, Rachel replied, sounding slightly sad.

As Kim sat down to watch the television, Rachel fetched her bag to head out. ‘Hey, where are you going?’, Kim asked.

‘We’re out of desserts. I’m just going to head to the diner’, Rachel answered. ‘Choc chip muffin will do me’, Kim said laughing.

‘I’ll see what I can do’, Rachel replied kissing her husband on the head. Rachel closed the front door behind her as Kim hurriedly got up to find a phone book.

At the diner Rachel was ordering at the counter.

‘What can I get you sweetie?’, Irene asked.

‘A nice two week break would be nice’, Rachel said seriously.

‘Feeling a bit drained are we?, Irene asked.

‘You could say that’, Rachel said honestly.

‘Well you know what you need?...a holiday’, Irene said excitedly.

‘Me and Kim were just talking about that actually but I can’t’, Rachel said in reply.

‘Why not?, Irene asked sounding surprised.

‘It’s complicated. Can I have a cheesecake with two choc chip muffins please?’, Rachel asked.

‘Course you can. Let me guess, Kim was the one who put his order in for the choc chip muffin?’, Irene asked with a smirk on her face.

‘He did indeed’, Rachel said smiling.

‘There you go’, Irene said passing over the desserts.

‘Thanks Irene’, Rachel said passing the money over to her.

‘You know, anytime you want to have a chat, I’m always here to talk to’, Irene said smiling.’

Thank you Irene, I may take you up on that some day’, Rachel replied as she slowly walked out of the diner.

‘Anytime dahl…anytime’, she said smiling as Rachel left the diner.

Rachel arrived back home and saw Kim looking through the phone book.

‘Hey’, Kim said looking at the desserts Rachel had in the bag.

‘Hi’, Rachel said kissing Kim.

‘What are you reading that for?’, Rachel asked, looking at the phone book on the kitchen surface.

‘Ermm…nothing’, Kim said unconvincingly.

‘Come on, what are you looking at?’, Rachel said trying to get it out of Kim.

‘Nothing', Kim said calmly.

‘Okay, I believe you…just about’, Rachel said smirking.

‘I think I might get an early night, it’s been a long day’, Kim said yawning.

‘I’m not far behind you’, Rachel replied.

‘Night’, Kim said kissing his wife on the cheek.

The next morning brought with it a beautiful sunrise.

‘Morning’, Kim said loudly.

‘Kim, its only 6 o’clock, come back to bed’, Rachel said putting a pillow over her ears.

‘Yeah but it’s like the best part of the day. I was thinking we could go for a swim or something. What do you think?’, Kim asked.

‘Ask me in a couple of hours’, Rachel replied, resting her head gently back on the pillow.

‘I’ll keep you to that’, Kim whispered as he shut the bedroom door.

Two and a half hours later and the sun was shining brightly into the house. Rachel slowly lifted up her head before slumping it back down on the pillow again before noticing that Kim was standing by the side of the bed.

‘What are you doing here?’, Rachel asked with her mouth half open.

I’m here to ask you if you would like breakfast in bed’, Kim said in a funny voice.

‘Wow, thank you. I’d love that’, Rachel said turning over to look at the clock.

‘Oh my goodness!’, she said quickly getting out of bed to put her dressing gown on.

‘What?’, Kim asked as Rachel frantically hurtled around the room.

‘Where are my slippers?’, Rachel asked staring at Kim.

‘There in the living room’, Kim said laughing.

‘I have a staff meeting to get to in about 2 seconds and I’m not ready’, Rachel said rubbing her head.

‘Just calm down okay, you’ll get there on time’, Kim said trying to reassure Rachel.

‘I can’t do this anymore’, she replied as she sat down in a chair.

‘Hey, everything will be okay. You might be a few minutes late but I’m sure that Julie and the other staff at work will be okay’, Kim said stroking Rachel’s face.

’ You and me…we hardly see each other anymore. You are working when I’m at home and I’m working when you’re at home, Rachel said sighing.

‘I’m on holiday this week, so we will get to spend some more time together then’, Kim said smiling.

‘But what about when your holiday is over? Everything will just go back to how it was before’, Rachel said sadly.

‘If there was something I could say I would’, Kim said trying to reassure her.

‘I know. The thing is I don’t think it’s the hospital I have to get away from…I think its Summer Bay’, she replied.

’So your saying that you don’t like it here anymore or is it something else?’, Kim asked.

‘No, it’s not that at all. It’s just ever since I came here its just been one thing after another, you know. Mum dieing, meeting you.

‘Which was one of the good things I hope?’, Kim asked jokingly.

‘Yes’, Rachel said smiling at her husband.

Kim smiled warmly.

‘I just need to wind down and relax for a few weeks’, Rachel said honestly. ‘Whether that’s a very practical idea I don’t know but it feels like the right one to me.’, she continued.

‘I’ll ring the hospital and tell them you won’t be in today then okay?’, Kim said.

Rachel nodded, and felt a weight had been lifted off her shoulders already. She didn’t have to save any lives today…she could just be herself and spend time with her husband, something she hadn’t felt like she had done since the day they got married.

‘All done’, Kim said as he put the phone down. ‘You are officially off work for the next couple of days’, he said sitting next to Rachel.

‘Sounds great but I don’t want to spend it just sitting around doing nothing, how about we go for that swim?’, Rachel asked.

‘I’ll just go and get my surfboard!’, Kim said as he quickly shot up from the sofa. Rachel smiled to herself before getting off the sofa to get dressed.

‘This is what having a holiday is all about isn’t it?’, Kim said smiling as he walked up the beach hand in hand with Rachel.

‘Absolutely’, she sighed.

A few days passed since then and Kim was pacing anxiously around the kitchen.

‘Kim?’, Rachel asked.

‘Yep’, he replied.

‘What are you doing?, she asked.

‘…walking around the kitchen. What does it look like?’, he asked.

‘It looks like you have the same expression on your face as that time I come back from the diner the other day and you were looking through that phone book’, Rachel said smirking at Kim .

A couple of second’s letter there was a knock at the door. Kim rushed over to get it.

‘Hi, what can I do for you?’, Kim asked.

‘Just need you to sign this’, the man at the door replied.

Kim wrote his signature on the paper. ‘Thanks, there you go’, the man said passing Kim a letter.

‘Thanks mate’, Kim said smiling as he took the letter and shut the door behind him.

‘What’s that?’, Rachel asked.

‘Ermm…just a letter I was expecting that’s all’, Kim replied.

‘…right’, Rachel said unconvinced at Kim’s explanation.’

‘I might have a shower then go to the diner for lunch, do you want to come?’, he asked.

‘I’d love too’, Rachel said kissing Kim.

Kim walked into the bedroom and quickly tore open the envelope. Inside were two plane tickets to New York! Kim put them back and hid the letter in a draw and went into the bathroom. A quarter of an hour later and Kim and Rachel were heading to the Diner.

‘You were right you know’, Rachel said to Kim.

‘About what?’, Kim asked.

‘Taking a break for a couple of days…it feels great to be spending more time with you’, Rachel said smiling and looking at her husband.

Kim smiled back as they walked into the Diner.

‘Hi you two’, Irene said smiling to both of them as they walked in.

‘Hey Irene, one choc chip muffin please’, Kim said eying the muffins in front of him on the counter.

‘I baked them especially for you Kim’, Irene said jokingly, as she passed the muffin to Kim.

‘I’ll just have a coffee please Irene’, Rachel said as she watched Kim eagerly eating the muffin he had just ordered.

‘Someone sounds better than they did a few days ago’, Irene said to Rachel.

‘Yeah I feel a lot better than I did. A break is really what I needed’, Rachel said smiling as Irene passed the coffee to her.

Both Kim and Rachel walked over and sat on one of the benches inside the diner. Kim’s phone rang just as they had sat down.

‘Ah, I should probably get this’, he said to Rachel as he got up and answered the call outside.

‘Brad’, Kim said.

‘Hey mate, is Rachel there?’, Brad asked.

‘No mate she’s in the diner, I’m just outside’, Kim replied.

‘Good. I just had a call from the airport about you and Rachel’s flight’, Brad said sounding worried.

‘Well what’s happened?’, Kim asked.

‘It seems as though the dates got mixed up, your flight leaves tonight’

‘What!’, Kim exclaimed.

‘Calm down mate, we’ll sort something out’, Brad said trying to reassure Kim.

‘I spent a lot of money on those tickets, Rachel desperately needs a proper break and now you’re telling me our flight leaves tonight. That just fantastic isn’t it? , Kim said sounding annoyed.

‘There’s only one thing you can do…tell Rach, Brad said waiting for a response.

Kim stood still and pressed the end call button on his phone and rushed into the diner.

‘Kim, what are you doing’, Rachel asked as she saw him frantically run towards her.

‘I have a surprise for you but I can’t tell you what it is yet, but I need you to come with me’, Kim said holding Rachel’s hand.

‘Okay, well where is it?’, Rachel asked excitedly.

‘Oh my…goodness!’, Rachel shrieked as Kim showed her the plane tickets back at the house.

‘Thank you so much!’, she said as he wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

‘There’s just one thing…the plane leaves tonight’, Kim said in anticipation as to what Rachel’s reply would be.

‘Tonight?’, Rachel questioned.

‘I know its not much notice but there was a mix up with the tickets and tonight is the only day that specific flight is available for such a good price’, Kim explained.

‘I can’t believe that you went to so much trouble’, Rachel said, still trying to take in what her husband had just done for her.

‘So do you want to go to New York?, Kim asked Rachel, hoping that her answer would be yes.

‘Yes!’, she replied hugging Kim once more.

‘Lets get on that plane tonight and head for New York’, Rachel said excitedly looking into her husbands eyes.

A few hours later and Kim and Rachel were packing their luggage in their bedroom

‘I can’t believe that in a couple of hours we will be on a plane heading to New York!’, Rachel said trying to contain her excitement.

‘It’s pretty amazing’, Kim said smiling.

‘Just like you are’, Rachel said as she moved over to where Kim was packing his suitcase.

‘I love you so much…you are incredible’, Rachel said leaning in to kiss her husband.

A couple more hours had passed and it was finally time for Kim and Rachel to head for the airport. Sally, Brad and Leah had come around to help them get things organized before they left.

‘Now, have a great time’, Leah said as she hugged her dear friend Rachel.

‘And you have a great time too Kim’, Leah said as she leaned up to hug him.

‘Me and Brad have loaded the taxi with your stuff so I think you’re ready’, Sally said as she smiled excitedly at Kim and Rachel.

‘Look after my sister mate’, Brad said jokingly.

‘Don’t worry, I will’, Kim said giving his brother in law a firm hand shake.

Outside of their house, Kim and Rachel waved goodbye to their friends and sat inside of the taxi.

‘You ready?’, Kim asked as he looked at his wife.

‘Yep’, she replied as she smiled at him whilst holding his hand.

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the airport and boarded the plane that they were in New York.

Kim and Rachel opened the door to their hotel.

‘Oh my goodness…this place is amazing!’, Rachel said as she looked around the hotel room’.

‘It’s pretty awesome hey?’, Kim said looking at Rachel.

‘I don’t know how to thank you for doing this Kim’, Rachel replied as she looked into Kim’s eyes.

‘Well…there is one thing you could do?’, Kim said with a smirk upon his face.

‘What’s that?’, Rachel asked.

‘You could make me a bagel’, Kim said laughing.

‘Ah, I knew there was a catch somewhere!’, Rachel said laughing with him.

‘I’m only joking it’s the least I can do considering what you’ve done for me’, she said as she went over to get Kim a bagel.

Kim slumped down onto the sofa.

‘More comfy than the plane was?’, Rachel asked Kim.

‘A thousand times better’, Kim replied.

‘Here you go, one toasted bagel…that didn’t take long did it?’ Rachel asked as she passed the plate to Kim.

‘Aghhh!’ Kim said as he dropped the plate.

‘Oh are you okay?’ Rachel asked.

‘No…the plate was boiling, I’ve just burnt my hand that’s all’, Kim replied clenching his painful hand.

‘I’ll get you some ice’, Rachel said as she rushed over to the kitchen.

She looked in the fridge but couldn’t see any.

‘There’s no ice, come over here and get some cold water over your hand’, Rachel said as she went over to Kim.

‘What kind of a hotel doesn’t have ice?’, Kim asked as he held his hand under the tap.’

Good question…is your hand feeling any better?’, Rachel asked as she turned off the tap.

‘Yeah, yeah it is’, Kim said still holding his hand tightly.

‘The pain will wear off I’m sure’, Rachel said as she sat Kim back down on the sofa.

‘This is a great start to the holiday, isn’t it?’, Kim asked faintly smiling at Rachel.

‘It’s only a minor setback Kim, don’t worry about it’, Rachel replied.

‘Why don’t I go out and get us some take away or something?’, Rachel asked.

‘Sounds good’, Kim replied.

‘You stay there okay? I don’t want you over doing it’, Rachel said smiling.

‘I’m not going anywhere’, Kim said as he lent up to kiss Rachel.

Rachel walked out of the hotel towards the nearest restaurant. When she arrived, she checked her bag but couldn’t find her purse.

‘Oh no’, she said to herself as she realized that she had left it somewhere.

She quickly walked back to the hotel. She knocked on the door as she had also left her key behind somewhere.

‘Coming’, Kim said as he slowly walked over to open the door.

‘Rachel, what are you doing back so soon?’, Kim asked.

‘I forgot my purse and I left my keys here as well’, she replied.

She looked around the hotel for her purse and keys, but couldn’t find them.

‘Where are they?’, Rachel said exasperated.

‘I’ll help you look’, Kim said as he started to look around.

‘No, you go and sit back down and rest your hand’, Rachel said as she made sure Kim would sit down.

‘I must have left them at the airport’, Rachel said as she continued to grow more worried.

‘I should have bought more money with me, but here…take this’, Kim said as he gave her some money form his wallet.

‘Thank you but I don’t what we’re going to do if I can’t find the money’, Rachel said as she paced around the hotel room.

‘Rach, don’t worry about it.’ We will work it out somehow’, Kim said looking at Rachel.

‘Yeah. I’ll go and get us that take away then’ Rachel said as she kissed Kim.

She entered the restaurant and ordered the take away. After waiting for fifteen minutes, Rachel started to get fed up at waiting so long so she went over to the counter to ask why the food was taking so long to get ready.

‘Excuse me’, Rachel said as she walked over to the counter.

‘What can I do for you?’, the cashier asked.’

I ordered some take-away about fifteen minutes ago and I still haven’t been called over so I’m just wondering why its taking so long?’, Rachel replied.

‘What was your order?’

‘Ermm…it was this I think’, Rachel said pointing at a meal on the menu.

‘Oh right. Well that was ready about five minutes ago. I’ll just go and get it for you’, the cashier said smiling.

‘Right’, Rachel said getting more frustrated.

‘Here you go’, the cashier said as he passed Rachel the food.

‘Thanks’, Rachel said as she took the food. ‘…for nothing’, she whispered as she walked away.

She arrived back to the hotel and dished out the meal.

‘I waited long enough so, hopefully it tastes good’, Rachel said passing the plate to Kim.

‘It didn’t burn me, it’s a miracle’, Kim said laughing with Rachel.

‘Who would have thought yesterday, that we would be in New York today?’, Rachel said looking out of the hotel window as she sat down.

‘Me actually’, Kim said smirking.

‘A toast…to us’, Kim said as he poured some wine into a glass and gave it to Rachel.

‘To us’, she said before both the glasses touched together.

As the sun set over New York, Rachel and Kim were admiring the beautiful sunset out of the hotel window. From their hotel room, they could see the New York skyline to its full extent. As the hazy sky slowly turned to darkness, Rachel and Kim both fell asleep on the sofa.

The next day, they were woken up by a loud noise coming from outside.

‘What…what was that?’, Rachel asked as she stirred from her sleep.

‘A dog?’, Kim said putting a cushion over his ears.

‘That was the best nights sleep I have had in ages…and I was on a sofa’, Rachel said in amazement as she got up to make herself a warm cup of coffee.

‘Do you want some coffee?’, Rachel asked. Kim simply nodded as he rolled himself off onto the floor.

‘Kim, are you alright?’, Rachel asked as she rushed over to see him.

‘I’m fine’, he said as he lifted himself off of the ground.

‘So much for a holiday…all I’ve been doing is falling over and injuring myself’, Kim said laughing.

‘You’ll be fine’, Rachel said smiling to Kim as she went over to pick up her cup of warm freshly made coffee.

‘Coming from a doctor, I must be okay then?’, Kim said laughing as he sipped the coffee Rachel had just given him.

Rachel smiled.

‘So have you got any plans for what we should do today?’, she asked.

‘We don’t have much money so I guess the answer to that one is, no’, Kim said sounding disappointed.

‘True, but just because we don’t have much money doesn’t mean we can’t have a good time, does it?’, Rachel asked.

‘I guess not’. Kim said unenthusiastically.’

‘How about we go for a walk?’, Rachel asked as she smiled at Kim who was half awake.

‘Maybe later’, he replied.

‘You get some more sleep then’, Rachel said as she kissed Kim’s forehead.

She walked over to the kitchen and sat on one of the barstools overlooking the amazing view that was the New York skyline at dawn. She sighed as she looked over at Kim snoozing on the sofa, while she was up and about and ready to explore.

A few hours later and Kim began to wake up.

‘Hey’, Rachel said putting the paper she was reading, on the kitchen work surface.

‘How long have I been asleep?’, Kim asked as Rachel came over to sit next to him.

‘A couple of hours’, Rachel said smiling at Kim.

‘I bet you needed it though, after the flight’, Rachel said as she went over into the kitchen to make some toast.

‘Yeah I did’, Kim said as he rubbed his eyes and got up .

‘Toast…my biggest nightmare’, Kim said looking at his hand that was burnt the night before.

‘That was a bagel!’, Rachel said laughing at Kim.

‘They are the same thing…basically’, Kim smirked.

‘So you won’t be having one then?’, Rachel asked.

‘Nah, I think I’ll head out. I was thinking maybe we could go out for dinner tonight'.

What do you think?’, Kim asked as he poured himself a glass of water.

‘With hardly any money?, Rachel sighed.

‘What are we gonna do without any money Rach?’, Kim asked.

‘I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is that I left my purse along with the extra cash you put in there at the last minute at the airport and we can’t go back there now’ , Rachel said disappointingly.

‘I should have kept the money with me’, Kim said as he walked around the hotel room.

‘Are you saying that its my fault we are stuck here with no money?’, Rachel asked.

‘No, I didn’t mean it like that’, Kim said as he went over and looked into his wife’s eyes. ‘What I meant was, is that I wanted you to have a trip of a lifetime and now that’s not going to happen, I’m just disappointed that’s all’, Kim said apologetically.

‘It’s not your fault Kim. I was in charge of carrying the money so if it’s anyone’s fault its mine’, Rachel replied as she went to sit over on the sofa.

‘You know what? Lets not sit around here moping all day lets just go, it might clear our heads a bit’, Kim said smiling.

‘I’d like that’, Rachel said as she kissed Kim.

An hour later and the sun had fully risen above New York as Kim and Rachel walked hand in hand along a secluded beach.

‘Isn’t this just amazing?’, Rachel said as she looked out over the bright blue sea.

‘Sure is’, Kim said smiling as him and Rachel sat on a big rock overlooking the beautiful waves that were making a gentle sound around them.

‘I can’t believe we are the only ones here’, Kim said as he looked around the beach in amazement.

‘Yeah, which means we’ve got the place to ourselves’, Rachel said looking up at Kim.

They smile at each other and start kissing.

‘I could stay here forever’, Rachel said as she slowly closed her eyes and rested her head upon her husbands shoulder.

‘Me too’, Kim said smiling as he kissed Rachel’s heads and look out over the beautiful horizon that was before them.

After walking back slowly, they arrived back at the hotel. Before they could sit down though, room service arrived.

‘Hi’, Kim said as he opened the door.

‘Hope your enjoying your stay?’, the man asked.

‘Yeah, its okay…great’, Kim said as he felt Rachel pinch his arm.

‘I’ve got the bill for you’, the man said as he handed it over to Kim.

‘There must be some kind of mix up, I’ve already paid in advance’, Kim said baffled at the situation.

‘I’m sorry but I think you’re wrong. Your’re going to be paying per night’, the man said.

‘What!’ Kim said loudly.

‘Look I’m sorry if you thought you had paid in advance but you haven’t’, he replied.

‘Lets just pay for last night then’, Rachel said looking a Kim.

‘But we’ll have no money left for the rest of the trip’, Kim said getting more angry.

‘We wouldn’t have had enough anyway’, Rachel said trying to reason with Kim.

‘Here take this!’, Kim said as he handed over the money to the man and slammed the door behind him.’

Kim, I can’t believe you just did that!, Rachel said shocked.

‘This holiday has been nothing but a nightmare since we got here and we’ve only been here what…a day?’, Kim said chucking the bill on the floor.

‘Just calm down a bit Kim’, Rachel said as she could see Kim was getting uptight.

‘We don’t have any money here….its as simple as that’, Kim said as he sat down on a barstool looking out over of the window at the horizon.

‘We’re going to have to go back home’, Kim said looking at Rachel.

‘Don’t worry…I understand’, Rachel said to Kim as she knew that he would feel guilty.

They packed their things together and had soon arrived at the airport. A woman came up to Rachel from the check in desk.

‘Excuse me, is this yours?’, she asked holding a purse.

‘Yes it is, thank you so much! ‘Me and my husband had to cut our trip short because we ran out of money. And it was here the whole time’, Rachel said annoyed but pleased that the money had been returned to them.

‘I’m glad I could help’, the woman replied.

Rachel smiled and ran over to Kim, who was standing near a vending machine.

‘Look what I’ve got?’, Rachel said holding out the purse to Kim.

‘You found it’, Kim said loudly.

‘No, the woman at the check in did’, Rachel said smiling.

‘Excellent, I can get two Mars bars in stead of just one’, Kim said laughing with Rachel.

As the sun set once again over busy New York, Kim and Rachel boarded the plane.

‘I’m glad we came here you know’, Rachel said.

‘Why’s that?’, Kim asked as he bit into part of the Mars bar.

‘Because now I realize how much I love home…Summer Bay’, Rachel said with a beaming smile.

Kim smiled back at her.

As the plane flew off of the runaway, Kim and Rachel looked out of the window and gazed at the incredible sunset that they were leaving behind but looked ahead to the journey ahead in their home of Summer Bay.

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