"Yeah?" He answered, his voice sounding a bit choked.  He inched towards her on the bed and Rachel's entire body felt like it was on fire.  A shiver ran down her spine and her stomach flipped as he continued to stare deeply into her eyes.  She fought to hold onto her resolve.  She wasn't going to let him win this one.  He needed to know what he was up against and damn it; she was going to show him.

"Do you think..." She stopped and licked her lips and felt a surge of female satisfaction shoot through her as his eyes immediately dropped to her mouth.  "Anything that draws attention to the mouth is a good thing." A quote from her favorite movie passed through her mind.  "Do you think we could..." She stopped again.  She knew he was frustrated.  She could see it in his eyes and feel it in his body.  He was wound tighter than a spring and she knew he was going to break at any moment.  Deciding to go for the kill and see just how strong his restraint was, Rachel slowly closed her eyes and parted her lips, wondering if he'd give in and take the bait.  Maybe kissing me will help jog his memories loose. She thought. 

She braced herself for the interruption by the sales associate and the resulting disappointment that always came at this point.  However, Rachel sucked in a surprised breath as JC captured her lips with his.  Her eyes sprung open as he brought her fully against him and proceeded to kiss her passionately.  She quickly got over her shock however, and readily participated in the heated exchange.  He rolled them slightly so he was pressing her into the mattress.  Rachel instinctively hitched one leg over his hip as he slipped one of his legs between hers.  She moaned and closed her eyes again as he tilted his head slightly and deepened the kiss.  Running the hand that had been resting on his chest upwards, Rachel dug her fingers into his hair as he brought his hand up and cupped her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as his mouth continued to move against hers. 

She'd forgotten how amazing he tasted, forgotten how it felt to be so completely absorbed in his kiss to the point of forgetting everything and everyone else around them.  JC kissed her like no one ever had before and she realized at that moment how much she had missed the way his mouth blended with hers so perfectly-as if he had been made to kiss only her.  She let out another soft moan as he released her mouth, his lips trailing over her jaw and down her neck.  Rachel wrapped her other arm around his back attempting to hold him close.  He pulled back slightly and looked down at her, his incredible blue eyes searching hers as he struggled to catch his breath.

"I didn't think I'd ever get to kiss you again." He said and Rachel's heart leapt.  He remembered her!  As he bent his head and once more took her mouth Rachel couldn't help giggling at the thought that passed through her mind.

"What's so funny?" He asked pulling back slightly.  His eyes narrowed in confusion and she reached a hand up, brushing it through his hair.

"You realize we're making out in the middle of a furniture store, right?" She asked.

He looked around as if just noticing where they were.  "No one's here." He said.  Rachel lifted her head and looked around them.  Sure enough, the store was deserted.  They were alone.  Where is everyone?  She thought, but once more JC's lips were against hers and Rachel closed her eyes, relishing in the affection he was showering her with.  She laid her head back, her hands once more becoming lost in his hair as he mastered her with his mouth.

She was a little shocked when he moved to straddle her, but also felt a rush of excitement run through her-until his hands began to wander and his once gentle actions suddenly became rough.

"Woah." Rachel said with a chuckle, pulling her lips away.  She attempted to still his insistent hands. "Slow down, cowboy."

However, JC refused to stop.  She closed her eyes as his mouth moved to her neck again.  When she felt his hands slip beneath the hem of her shirt Rachel tried to move away from him, but found herself pinned-unable to move.  She opened her eyes again and was surprised to find they were no longer in the furniture store.  Their surroundings had changed and they were in a small, dark bedroom that smelled of cigarettes and alcohol and Rachel's heart began to pound.  As he raised his head and looked at her Rachel screamed.  Instead of JC's gorgeous, gentle, adoring, hypnotic blue eyes, Rachel found herself staring into an all too familiar pair of dull, lust filled brown ones.  Rachel's adrenaline was pumping and she frantically tried to get away from him, screaming once more as Brian pinned her arms above her head.

She begged him to stop, but all he did was lower his head and attempt to kiss her again.  Rachel's heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as she felt his lips on hers again-she'd never felt so terrified.

Not again.  She thought.  Please, not again!

"Brian, stop!"

Rachel woke with a start, breathing heavily, her teeth clenched tightly and her hands fisted at her sides.  Why can't I be free of this? She thought as she closed her eyes.  She felt dirty.  She hated that feeling.  She felt a frustrated and frightened tear leak out from beneath her lashes.  Wiping it away quickly she focused on calming her breathing and her heart rate.  She knew it was just a dream-that Brian wasn't really there, intent on hurting her again-but every time it happened, Rachel was always amazed at how a simple dream could play with her emotions to such a strong degree. 

"Find an outlet." Rachel remembered the advice her therapist had given her.  "When the memories come-and they will-don't let them control you.  Find an outlet-a way to release the pain associated with them."

Throwing off the blankets Rachel stood and, flipping on the light, walked to her dresser.  Grabbing a pair of running shorts from one of the drawers and quickly changing into them she tied her hair back and grabbed a pair of socks from another drawer.  Sitting on the end of her bed she put on the socks and shoved her feet into her well worn pair of grey running shoes.  Taking her black hoodie from the closet and, zipping it over the tank top she'd slept in, Rachel left her bedroom.  Grabbing her keys and putting her cell phone in the pocket of her jacket she left her small apartment and headed down the stairs to her car.  It was dark as she drove through the city and made her way towards her favorite running spot.  She glanced at the digital numbers illuminated on the dashboard.  4:40.  She was going to have a hard time come two o'clock this afternoon trying to stay awake, but there was no way she could go back to sleep now.  She couldn't go back to bed, knowing that Brian could still be lurking in her dreams.

Twenty minutes later Rachel pulled her car off the side of the road and got out, locking the doors.  Putting her keys in the same pocket as her cell phone she made her way down to the water.  The early morning chill, combined with the breeze coming off the ocean made her shiver and she was glad she'd thought to grab her hoodie.  Rachel stood for a moment, just out of reach of the lapping waves and watched the few remaining stars twinkle as they were reflected in the dark water of the Pacific Ocean.  Taking a deep breath she turned and began jogging along the waterline slowly working into a steady run.

After her knee injury Rachel had been warned by her doctor and physical therapists that running would only cause more damage and if she didn't take care of her knee she'd have to undergo more surgery later, but she didn't care.  She had to do something to cope with the memories and running was the only thing that seemed to help.  When she was running she was able to forget.  She was usually in pain for the next few days and often had to spend the evenings with an icepack on her knee, but still she ran.  She pushed her body to its limit, hoping one day she'd be able to finally outrun Brian and the hold he still had over her.  One day.  She thought as she ran, her feet pounding out a rhythm in the stillness around her.  One day I'm going to beat you and you will cease to torment me. 

Coming to an outcropping of jagged rocks she knew well Rachel reversed course and ran back to her starting point.  As the sky began to lighten she saw a few more people venture outside.  She passed some other runners like herself, a pair of middle aged women walking and laughing together, and an elderly man playing fetch with his dog.  As she reached the spot she'd started from Rachel slowed to a brisk walk and eventually came to a stop, bending over and placing her hands on her thighs, as she attempted to catch her breath.  Her knee was throbbing, but she felt better.  She walked up the beach a bit, away from the water.  She did a few stretches before sitting down, gazing out at the water, hypnotized by the steady rhythm of the waves. 

She had found this spot of beach when she'd first moved to California and had made the run she'd just done several times.  However, she'd been so busy recently-what with the never ending design project for Lucy's wedding and being a bit preoccupied with JC-she hadn't been out here in a few weeks and she was surprised to realize how much she'd missed it.  Drawing her knees up to her chest Rachel rested her chin on them and closed her eyes, soaking in the sounds she'd come to know well-the pounding of the surf, the cry of the sea gulls, the sound of traffic as the city woke up behind her-all of which had come to mean home to her.  Sure Arizona was her home state, but she had quickly discovered California was where her heart lay and she never wanted to leave.

The vibrating of her cell phone startled Rachel and she stretched her legs out in front of her as she reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out.  Megan.  The screen read, and Rachel flipped the phone open quickly, worried that something bad had happened.  It was barely seven o'clock in Phoenix.  Megan never called her this early unless it was important.

"Megs?" Rachel asked, bracing herself for whatever bad news her friend had to share. "What's wrong?"  Had something happened to the baby?  Rachel wondered.  Was Jackson okay?  

"Are you alright?" Megan asked.  Rachel was caught off guard.  She sat, trying to let her mind catch up, not knowing quite how to answer that particular question.  "I woke up thinking about you," Megan continued.  "Are you okay?"

Rachel bit her lip and blinked to keep the tears that had suddenly appeared back at Megan's genuine concern.  Her unconditional love and friendship was what had gotten Rachel through the trauma surrounding her experience with Brian.  Without Megan, Rachel knew she wouldn't be where she was today.  It was safe to say Megan had saved her life-literally and figuratively-and Rachel knew she was lucky to have such a friend.

"Why are you such a good friend?" Rachel asked her voice suddenly thick with emotion.

"What's going on?" Megan asked.  "You sound like you need a hug.  I wish I were there to give you one."

"I wish you were here to give me one too." Rachel replied, wiping away a tear that had escaped. "I just went for a run." She said.

"Rachel..." Megan sighed heavily.  "You're going to regret that later." Megan stated.

"I already am." Rachel replied with a soft chuckle as she reached a hand out and rubbed her still throbbing knee.

"Are you going to tell me what's got you upset enough that you're willing to put yourself in pain for the next couple days?"

"It's the same old thing." Rachel replied, sighing and gazing out at the ocean again.

"I thought you were doing good." Megan said her voice sympathetic.

"I was."

"What happened?"

"I don't know." Rachel answered.  "I had a dream last night."

"The same one?"

"No." Rachel shook her head.  "No, this one was different."

"What was different?" Megan asked.  "Maybe that'll give you a clue as to what triggered it this time."

Rachel thought back to the dream that had woken her up.  "Remember how I told you about the whole thing with JC and the bed at the furniture store last week?"

"Yeah." Megan replied.

"That's how it started out.  We were lying on the bed, like we were that day, and right at the point where-in real life-the sales guy came up and interrupted us, he kissed me."  Megan made an interested noise.  "And it was a good kiss." Rachel confided with a sigh, making Megan laugh. "A really good kiss."

"I bet it was." Megan replied, still laughing.  "What happened?"

"Well, we're kissing and then he pulls back and says, ‘I never thought I'd get to kiss you again' and I got really excited.  I remember thinking, ‘he remembers me!'" Rachel paused.

"Then what?" Megan prompted her.

"He kissed me again.  I pulled back and reminded him we were in the store and basically he didn't care.  He kept kissing me, getting more and more into it and..."

"And?" Megan asked.

"And at first I went along with it.  But then...it wasn't JC anymore.  It was Brian and...and we weren't in the store, we were back in that bedroom.  I kept trying to push him off and make him stop but he wouldn't...he wouldn't..." Rachel stopped as her emotions began to get the best of her. 

"It's okay, Ray." Megan soothed.  "Take a deep breath."

Rachel did as Megan suggested then continued.  "He wouldn't stop.   I screamed, but no one could hear me...I told him to stop and then I woke up."

Both girls were quiet for a moment-one not knowing what to say to offer comfort and the other not knowing how to express her feelings.

"I still feel dirty, Megan." Rachel confided softly.  "What's wrong with me?  It's been four years!"

"Nothing's wrong with you!" Megan stated firmly.  "Do you hear me?  Nothing's wrong with you, Rachel."

"Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and wonder what guy would ever be interested in someone like me."

"You've been through a traumatic experience that no one should have to go through, Rachel." Megan said.  "But you've been able to rise above it and thrive despite it which is a hell of a lot more than a lot of people who have been through less can say.  You are beautiful and confident and talented.  You've taken the crap life has dealt out to you and have made the best out of every situation.  Any guy would be lucky to have you."  Megan was quiet for a second.  "You're my hero.  I don't know if I've ever told you that.  But I look at you-at what you've been able to overcome and everything you've accomplished and I want to be like you."

Rachel sniffed and wiped away the tears that had fallen at Megan's admission. "Thanks." Rachel replied, her voice a bit shaky.

"You're welcome." Megan said.  "I love you, Ray.  And so do a lot of other people in your life.  You're not alone, and like I said, any guy would be lucky to have you."

"I know." Rachel said.  "I just have to keep reminding myself that the past is behind me and it shouldn't matter." 

"That's right." Megan said.  "So, what made you think about being on that bed with JC before you went to bed last night?" Megan said, a teasing note to her voice.

"Uh, let's be honest." Rachel said with a chuckle as she wiped away the remaining tears.  "I'm always thinking about being on that bed with JC." She admitted with a sniff.  "I don't need a reason."  Why hadn't she just gone ahead and kissed the boy?  She'd asked herself that question about a thousand times since last Monday.  She'd definitely missed a golden opportunity.  Megan laughed. Rachel stood and sucked in a breath as her knee screamed out in protest.

"What?" Megan asked in concern.

"My knee." Rachel groaned.  "Pretty sure, this was a really stupid idea." She replied as she began limping back to her car.

"I'm sorry." Megan offered in sympathy.

"So am I." Rachel replied dryly as she reached her car.  "I'm meeting with JC this afternoon and I'm going to be hobbling around like an eighty year old woman.  That's just lovely." She snorted in derision.

"Are you okay?" Megan asked as Rachel opened her door and slid behind the wheel. 

Rachel was quiet for a moment. "No." She replied honestly.  "But I will be."

"Are you sure?" Megan answered. 

"Yeah."

"K, so I'll see you in a couple days?"

"I can't wait." Rachel said, smiling.  "I don't think you realize how excited I am to see you."

"Oh, I think I do." Megan laughed.  "Just promise me you won't do anything else to your knee?  Take it easy this week so we can party this weekend, will ya?"

"I'll try." Rachel said, "But I can't promise anything." She looked down at her knee and grimaced.  She could see the bruising already starting.  No chance of wearing a skirt today.  She thought.  She'd really overdone it this morning.  Not only had it been a few weeks since she'd run for this long, but it had been even longer since she'd run as hard as she had.

"Alright.  Well then, I will see you on Friday."

"I can't wait." Rachel said again.  "Thanks for calling, Megs.  Really.   I mean it.  Thank you."

"You're welcome.  What are best friends for?"

"You truly are the best, I hope you realize that." Rachel said.  "I don't know what I'd do without you." 

"Oh, stop it.  You're making me blush." Megan replied.  "Promise me one more thing." She said.

"Anything." Rachel replied.

"The next time you're lying on a bed with JC and he's got his arm around you...kiss him!"

Rachel laughed as she turned the ignition on her car.  "Believe me." She said, reaching behind and pulling the seatbelt across her chest.  "I will not be letting that opportunity pass me by again."

Megan laughed.  "Alright, good.  I'll talk to you later."

"Bye." Rachel hung up the phone and flipped her car around, heading back towards her apartment.          

~~~~~~

JC pulled his door open later that afternoon and smiled at Rachel.  "Hey." He said.

"I brought more paint samples." She said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, as she held up a sample book.  He groaned good-naturedly and rolled his eyes as he stepped back.  Rachel chuckled quietly as she walked through the door and he couldn't help noticing her pronounced limp.

"What happened?" He asked, instantly concerned.

"Huh?" She asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Why are you limping?" He asked, closing the door and turning to look at her.  The khaki pants and brown V-neck shirt she was wearing were simple and comfortable.  He'd noticed a difference in the way she'd been dressing lately.  Where at first she had been the picture of professionalism in suits and heels, more recently she'd begun to get more casual and relaxed in her outfit choices and he couldn't help hoping this meant she was getting comfortable with him.  Normally with her wearing heels she was just a few inches shorter than he was but today, with her wearing a pair of brown flats, she only came to about his chin and he couldn't help noticing how nicely she would fit tucked up against him.  

"Oh." She waved her hand as she chuckled, bringing him back to the conversation at hand.  Again he noticed her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.  The usual sparkle was missing and he was curious as to why.  "It's nothing." She tried to assure him.  "I went for a run this morning and kind of over did it."

"Are you okay?" He asked as they began walking slowly towards the front room.  He watched as she grimaced slightly with each step she took.  No wonder she's not in heels today.  He thought.  It was obvious she was in a lot of pain. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." She answered with a brave smile.  She stopped as the came to the newly finished space.  "This turned out great!" She smiled as she took in the room.  JC leaned back against the wall and watched her, a smile on his face, as she soaked in the ambience of the room she'd created.  The room had undergone a dramatic change since the first day she'd seen it and he had to admit he really liked it.  It was open and airy and the whole feeling of the space had changed from being stiff and formal to comfortable and homey-which was what he had wanted.  He smiled as he watched her limp across the room to the baby grand sitting in the corner.  It had just been delivered yesterday and already JC had found himself wondering why he'd never had one in his house before.  After it had been delivered and tuned, he had sat down and played around on it for awhile.  Rachel had been right; it was perfect for the room. 

"Alright." She said, turning and walking back towards him.  "One down, three to go.  Let's go choose some colors."

He groaned again.  "If we must."

"We must." She said.

"Alright." He sighed.  "Where do you want to go to commence with the torture?" He teased, wondering if he could really make her smile.  He watched as Rachel quirked one brow up as her eyes connected with his.  He watched her lips turn up slightly, but was disappointed when that was all the further it went-her eyes remaining dull.

"Somewhere with a lot of light." She replied. 

Something was wrong.  Could she be lying about the cause of her knee injury?  He had thought after that near kiss at the furniture store last week that he had finally broken through her walls.  The ride home had been fun.  They had talked and laughed together and he'd found himself hesitant to see her go when they'd returned to his house.  But it seemed they were back at square one for some reason.  Something had happened to cause her to close off again.  The fact that she wasn't in a suit, however, gave him hope that whatever it was hadn't caused her to shut down completely.  She was still comfortable with him on some level-even if she didn't want to admit it to herself.

"Let's go back to the great room."  He said.  "That's the room with the most windows."

"Sounds good." Rachel replied, following behind him as they made their way through his house.  "I was thinking that with you going out of town next weekend it would be a good idea to work on your bedroom, what do you think?"

"I think that's a good plan." He smiled at her.  "But I'm only going to be gone for a couple days, is that enough time to do what you want?"  He watched as she sat down on the couch, biting her lip as she stretched her left leg out in front of her. 

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem.  All we're doing is painting, and moving some of the furniture around.  When are you leaving?" She looked up at him.

"I'm leaving next Wednesday." He said.  "Hold on, I'll be right back."

 ~~~~~ 

"Okay." Rachel said, watching as he left and went into the kitchen.  She sighed.  Seeing JC after the dream she'd had last night had been harder than she thought.  Part of her wanted to beg him to kiss her like he had in her dream, knowing that if he did he would remember who she was.  A much bigger part of her, however, was scared and hesitant to get any closer to him then she had already allowed herself to get.  Every time she let herself get close to a guy she just wound up getting hurt.  Brian had been the last guy she'd let in to her heart and it had turned into a nightmare.  A nightmare she was still dealing with four years later.

Rachel put the sample books she'd brought down on the coffee table and began rubbing her knee.  She had had to fight through the pain all day as she'd gone to her different meetings and appointments and she knew she should really be sitting with it elevated on something and with some ice but, she looked at her watch, it was only three.  After she was done meeting with JC she really should go back to the office and take care of a few other things before taking off for the day.  Rachel heard a few drawers being opened and closed in the kitchen and wondered what JC was up to.

"When are you getting back from your trip?" She called out, leaning her head back against the couch.

"Saturday night." He answered back.  "It's a short trip." 

"Are you excited about going home?" She asked, turning her head and straightening when he walked back into the room.  He was carrying something wrapped in a green dish towel. 

"Yeah." He smiled.  "Put your leg up on the table."

"What?" Rachel asked, confused.

"I said, put your leg up on the table." He said sitting down next to her. 

"Which one?" Rachel asked looking at him with one brow cocked in confusion.

"The one that's killing you right now." He looked at her, his blue eyes serious but concerned.  Rachel kept her eyes locked with his as she raised her left leg onto the coffee table.  JC watched her intently for a moment then turned and placed the dish towel over her knee.  Rachel sucked in a breath and shifted slightly as the coldness of the icepack hit her.  His eyes shifted to her again.  "I figured, if we're just sitting here for the next little while you could probably use this."

Rachel felt her resolve to stay away from him slip.  What kind of guy made an icepack for their interior designer to put on her knee while they sat and picked out colors for his bedroom?   "It's the little things you have to watch for."  Rachel heard Megan's voice in her head.

"Thank you." She said sincerely. 

"No problem." He answered with a grin.  "I know how knee injuries can be."

"No, I mean it." She said, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm.  "Thank you."  She smiled at him.

"You're welcome." He replied, looking down at her hand resting on his arm, then back up at her, the blue of his eyes dark and intense.  He leaned towards her slightly and Rachel panicked. 

"So I was thinking tan." She said, her heart pounding as she leaned away from him.

"Tan?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her. 

"For your room?" She clarified, reaching for the sample cards on the other side of her.  She flipped through them searching for the color she'd picked out earlier and showed it to him.

"You want to paint over one neutral color with another neutral color?" He teased.

"Your walls are white right now." She replied dryly.  "Anything would be an improvement."

"But tan?" He asked, flipping through a few pages.

"Or we could go with brown." She said, reaching over and taking the book from him.  "I want to do something pretty basic that won't require you repainting every time you decide to change the color of your sheets."

"And how often do you think I change the color of my sheets?" He asked with an amused chuckle.

"I don't know." She replied in defense.  "You never know."  She could feel her cheeks warming.  "This is a good color." She replied pointing out a rich brown sample.  "It's a warm color, which is good for a bedroom, and would match the pieces you've already got in there.  What do you think?"

"Chocolate Truffle?" He read the name aloud.  "I think it's going to make me hungry every time I'm in there." He smiled over at her.  Rachel smiled back and he was encouraged to see the tiniest hint of a sparkle in her eyes.  "I like it." He replied, keeping his eyes locked on hers.  It matches your eyes.  He wanted to confess, but bit his tongue instead.  A week ago if she'd suggested this color at the store he wouldn't have hesitated saying something like that to her, but now...Something was different about her and he wasn't sure how she would react to his blunt statement. 

Rachel felt her cheeks warm as JC continued staring at her; much the same way he had been when they'd been trying out that damn bed last week.  Rachel finally tore her eyes from his.  This is getting dangerous.  She thought.  She cleared her throat.  "If you like it, then I'll call the painters and have them come out next Thursday and Friday.  Is Sarah going to be here?"

"Actually, no." He replied.  "She's off all next week."

"That could be a problem." Rachel mused.  How was she supposed to get the painting done if she couldn't get into the house?

"I'll get you a key." He said.

"Really?" Rachel said, surprised that he would trust her that much.

"Sure." He shrugged.  "You're a trustworthy person, aren't you?" He smiled.  "As long as you promise not to steal any of my underwear to sell on e-bay it's all good." He winked at her. 

"I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think your underwear is going for much these days."  She replied with a smirk.  "Justin's where the money's at in the pop-star underwear business right now, so yours are safe."  JC began laughing and Rachel couldn't help joining in.

"How's the knee feeling?" He asked as their laughter quieted.

"It's okay." She replied automatically.

"Don't lie to me." He said looking at her and Rachel stared back at him in surprise.  "How does it really feel?"

"It hurts like hell." She answered honestly.  "It's going to be rough the next couple days, but I did it to myself.  Now I have to deal with the consequences.  Do you like going home?" She asked, turning the conversation back to him.

"Yeah." He smiled.  "I don't go as much as I probably should.  Do you want something for the pain?" He asked, once again focusing the conversation on her.  "I've got some pain killer I can give you."

"I'm fine." She assured him.  "I took something before I came over.  Is there a special reason you're going home next weekend?" She asked, tucking some hair behind her ear.

JC watched her for a moment then sighed.  "My brother's birthday is on the twelfth and my sister's is a few weeks after that.  Since I was already planning on coming for a visit my mom decided to turn it into a big family get together."

"That sounds fun." Rachel replied with a smile.  "My best friend is coming into town this weekend," she said, looking for any way to lengthen out their time together.  Choosing a color for his bedroom hadn't taken as long as she'd thought it would and she didn't want to leave.  "We're celebrating my birthday while she's here."

"When's your birthday?" He asked in interest.

"October twenty-seventh." Rachel replied. 

"Big party plans?" He asked.

"Sort of." Rachel smiled.  "Megan's pregnant so we can't party too hard."

"Ah." JC smiled in understanding. 

"But it'll still be fun." She said.  "It's actually my golden birthday this year."  Rachel watched as JC's smiled faded and he looked at her, his blue eyes serious.  "You know what a golden birthday is, right?" She asked.

"Yeah." He replied.  "It's when you turn the age of the day you were born."

"Right." Rachel replied. 

"I thought...never mind." He shook his head.

"What?" She asked. 

"I just..." his brows furrowed.  "I just thought you were younger, is all." He replied.

"Really?" Rachel smiled.  "I don't look my age?"

"No." He shook his head. 

"Well, let's hope it'll always be that way.  How old did you think I was?" She asked, curious.

"Twenty-three." He answered honestly.

"Really?  Why?"

"You said you just graduated.  Don't people usually get a degree in about five years?" He shrugged.

"If you go straight through, yeah." She smiled.  She reached out and took the icepack off her knee and lifted her leg off the table.  "I'll call the painters tomorrow." She said.  "If all goes according to plan, you should have a brand new bedroom when you get home next Saturday." Rachel smiled at him as she stood.  "Thanks for this." She said handing him back the icepack as he stood beside her. 

"You're welcome." He smiled.  Rachel felt a little unnerved at the way he was watching her as she hobbled around the table and towards the hall.  "Hold up." He said as they reached the foyer.  Rachel stopped and looked at him.  "I'll be right back."  He turned and jogged back down the hall.  Returning a few seconds later he held a silver key out to her.

Rachel smiled as she took it.  "I might not be able to get much for your underwear anymore, but I'm sure there're a few girls out there willing to pay big for the key to your house." She teased as he opened the front door for her.  He chuckled and Rachel's smile grew as his cheeks warmed slightly. 

"It won't do much good without the code for the gate." He replied rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ah, but you forget." She said as she limped out the door.  "I've got that too." She tapped the side of her head with a finger as she smiled at him.  "If I don't see you before you go, have fun with your family." She said as she continued limping towards her car.

"Thanks." He replied.

Rachel turned and waved at him as she slipped the key he'd given her into her pocket and got into her car.  I have JC's house key, I have JC's house key, I have JC's house key.  She sang to herself.  This day may have started out a nightmare, but it was definitely ending on a happy note.