((OOC: In this thread, I will be playing Rachel, Lee's sister.))

Rachel had been working on a plan since before she had left Lee’s apartment the day before. It was so obvious that there was something going on between those two. Even if Lee was going to be too stubborn to admit it until it was standing right in front of her with a flashing sign.

Which meant that Rachel obviously had to do something. Because she knew that Lee wasn’t going to do it herself. She’d spent the last six years refusing to even go on a single date, after all.

But Rachel thought that she needed to be careful; this Tarin seemed like he’d baulk at the opportunity if he found out Rachel was trying to actually set them up on a date.

She had that plan figured out now, though, and just before lunch she left her own boutique to go try and find Tarin. She hadn’t been to this shop very many times, but she at least had an idea of where it was.

And the signs in the window made it quite obvious when she reached it.

An excited grin on her face, Rachel opened the door and walked in to speak with the Tarin Brooks who hadn’t been her brother-in-law.

Weird…

Friday. Usually Tarin looked forward to the end of the week because he rarely booked appointments for the weekend. Work/life balance was important and unless there was an emergency there was really no need. All of his appointments from Monday had been rescheduled throughout the week and despite the fact that it had meant some late nights the work week had gone relatively well all things considered.

That brought him back to the fact that it was Friday though. With the excuse of the extra appointments, it had been easy to slip out of the apartment early and return late each day. He’d been polite and a good roommate, but had done his absolute best to stay out of Lee’s way.

Except at night. Even alone in the shop, thinking about the nightmares made Tarin flush slightly. They came like clockwork every night and the sleep paralysis that set in when Tarin was in their grip would not abate until someone woke him up. Until Lee woke him up.

It was hard to keep an appropriate distance from someone when they had to wake you like that. There was substantially less clinging than there had been early on, but the experience was still jarring and Tarin couldn’t find it in himself to reject comfort when it was offered.

Still. The weekend was going to present challenges. Could he just say he had clients? It was probably the easiest solution to the problem.

The little bell on the door to the shop jingled and Tarin made his way around the corner…to be greeted by Lee’s sister.

“Rachel?” He said, confusion clear on his face, “Lee is definitely not here.” Because of course she was looking for Lee, not him.

“Rachel? Lee is definitely not here.”

“Good,” Rachel replied, grinning at Tarin as she made her way further into the shop. “Because if she was, that would make it that much more difficult to pull off than she’s already going to make it.”

Rachel slowly walked further into the shop as she looked at Tarin’s confused face. “I mean, she was kind of right about the logistical reason she doesn’t go out. I honestly haven’t seen her use a babysitter that wasn’t me since before we had even moved to New York. And I mean, I’ll happily do it, you saw that, right? But she just doesn’t go out.

“You have no idea how many dates I’ve tried to set her up with since Blaine left,” Rachel continued, her frustration and concern about Lee coming through in her words. “And it’s not even a matter of me not knowing her type - though, to be honest, I’m not sure even Lee knows what her type is. I mean, as far as I know, she’s only ever dated two guys…”

Rachel trailed off a bit as she realized she was getting off track and quickly went back to her point. “I even convinced the girls that work at the bar to plan a girls night out and invite Lee. Nope. She wouldn’t even go out for that.

“Did you know she sings and plays guitar?”

Well. Rachel wasn’t looking for Lee.

She started talking and just kept right on talking…and walking. As Rachel advanced, Tarin retreated.

Rachel talked about Lee not going out.

Rachel talked about Lee not using a babysitter even though she would have been happy to watch Kevin.

Rachel talked about Lee rejecting all the dates that Rachel had tried to set her up on for six years.

Rachel talked about someone named Blaine that Tarin thought maybe Lee had mentioned before, but he didn’t have time to think about it because then Rachel was talking about Lee’s type and how the girls at the bar had tried to get Lee to go out and that also had not worked.

And also Lee could sing and play guitar. Tarin did, in fact, know that Lee could sing and play guitar. Lee had mentioned that at some point, probably when they’d been walking to the Empire State Building.

“Are you asking me to babysit?” Tarin said. He supposed it made sense considering the fact that Lee wouldn’t go out without Rachel…but Rachel had also been reluctant to stay in the same apartment with Lee and Kevin, it seemed odd that she’d ask him to take care of the kid.

“Are you asking me to babysit?”

“No,” Rachel replied, then waved that answer off. “Well maybe if all else fails. But no, the last time I took her to an open mic night, she knocked a guy out for touching her arm, so it might be best to not recreate that or she’ll never want to go out again.”

This could be the part that kills the whole idea here, Rachel couldn't help but fear. So she surged on. “No, I thought I’d come babysit, make sure she’s wearing something appropriate and isn’t in her pjs already. Then you can grab her guitar and drag her to the bar. It’s been so long that everyone knows Blaine’s gone, but between you and Matt, most of the guys should leave her alone. Even after they hear her sing.

“Matt’s already pencilled her in on the list for the open mic night. We just need to get her there.”

On one hand, he wasn’t being asked to babysit, Tarin mused as Rachel launched into another monologue. On the other hand, he was being asked to do something much much worse…especially considering the fact that he was trying to avoid interfering in Lee’s life.

Tarin couldn’t help but react to certain parts of the story though. Lee had knocked a man out for touching her arm? That didn’t sound like Lee.

The rest of the plan though, Tarin was already shaking his head by the time Rachel got to the part about him grabbing Lee’s guitar and dragging her to the bar.

“It’s funny that you think I can drag Lee anywhere…that you think anyone can drag Lee anywhere.”

Rachel had taken the liberty of signing Lee up for the open mic night and looked so damn hopeful. Like this was the chance she had been waiting for to get Lee back out there. Tarin and the Matt who worked at the bar and was terrible at knowing what was going on at meetings were going to make sure guys left Lee alone.

“Who is Blaine?”

Well where the hell had that come from?

When Tarin commented about how he didn’t think anyone could drag Lee, Rachel was actually stopped in her tracks for a moment as she stared at him in confusion. “In case you haven’t noticed, Lee is tiny,” Rachel pointed out, her words probably leaving her mouth slower than Tarin had ever heard. “I’ve dragged Lee places plenty of times…”

Maybe this wouldn’t work if Tarin thought it somehow wasn’t possible for him to drag Lee to the bar. Her mind was already racing, trying to think of other arguments, other things she could say to get Tarin to-[/font]

“Who is Blaine?”

Score!

“Blaine, her ex-boyfriend,” she explained. He was interested. Why else would he be questioning who Blaine was? “They weren’t together long, but they seemed really serious. And then, here’s the really strange thing, I guess his…him from the other side of that rift, you know, came here and they fought. Like actually fought. Someone recorded it and it went viral level of fighting. Things went really weird after that, and then all of a sudden Blaine was gone. Lee kept insisting they hadn’t broken up, that he was going to be coming back, but I mean, it’s been six years. She needs to move on.”

“Like I said the other morning…Lee is strong. She obviously just hasn’t ever shown you just how strong she is, but I promise you there is no planet on which I, or anyone else, could drag Lee somewhere she really didn’t want to go.”

Was this a silly thing to mince words on? Probably, was it something he could cling to instead of the fact that he was actually entertaining the thought of helping Rachel with her mad scheme to get Lee to an open mic night?

Yes.

But then Rachel was explaining who Blaine was and it was just one more terribly sad story in a long string of stories related to Lee and the rift. Not only had she lost her ex-husband, but her boyfriend at the time had gotten into trouble with his own alter-ego and had ran. Never to be heard from again.

It had been six years and Lee hadn’t so much as had a night out on the town. It seemed like she’d simply given up…or she hadn’t given up hope that this Blaine guy was coming back. Either way, things made more sense now.

“I’m having a bit of whiplash here.” Tarin said, “Two days ago, you didn’t even know if I was an acceptable roommate. Now you’re asking me to take Lee out to a bar and make her sing and play a guitar.”

It sounded like a date was what it sounded like.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea…you brought up some really good points the other morning Rachel…in fact I’ve been trying to keep my distance more. Lee mentioned that her life has been more normal in the last 5 years than it ever has…I don’t want to mess that up any more than I already am…” he said, “Doesn’t she deserve normal?”

Why was he telling all of this to Rachel? Crossing his arms, Tarin shut his mouth and just stood, “I don’t think she would go out somewhere with me if I asked. It’s just not like that.”

Tarin was trying to explain that Lee was strong enough that no one would be able to drag her somewhere if she didn't want to go, and she raised a sceptical eyebrow. Maybe, Tarin just didn't want to make her do something she didn't want to do even if it was good for her.

“That's because two days ago I didn't know a thing about you. And to be honest, Lee was so concerned about me getting Kevin out of the city because of…whatever all was going on I was worried about you being around them. She is my sister. But I didn't see any worry on her face, and believe me, I've grown to know that face, so you must be ok.” Very ok, Rachel thought, based on how Lee had looked at him.

And then he brought up how Lee had mentioned that her life had been normal the last few years. Not only did Rachel shake her head, but she rolled her eyes as well. “Of course it has been. Because she hasn’t done anything. She quit one job she had, and she stopped working at the bar at night. All she does is the paperwork, most of it at home, I might add. And yes, she does go out and do stuff with Kevin, but that’s about all she does. So of course her life has been normal. My life isn’t even that ‘normal’.”

“I don’t think she would go out somewhere with me if I asked. It’s just not like that.”

She was losing him. Time for the big guns. “Do you know the reason I finally got out of her for why she won’t let me set her up? She’s given up on love. Doesn’t think there’s anyone else who would care about her. Not like that. And I’m hoping she’ll change her mind, but even if she doesn’t, she at least needs more friends than just me, and other than Matt which is just work, I don’t think she has any. But she’s actually opened up to you.”

The Smith sisters were either terrible judges of character or Tarin was underestimating himself. Rachel didn’t know the full story though, and hadn’t seen the bruises all over Lee's back so he assumed he was in the right here and Rachel was just wrong.

Rachel spoke though and Tarin just stared at her. He’d been having the exact thoughts that Rachel was applying to Lee about himself. He’d been bored with the monotony of just surviving and had decided he’d wanted to live. It had all blown up so spectacularly in his face, though, that he’d wondered often lately if he’d ever want to try again.

Lee, though. The more Tarin thought about it, the more sad it made him that she had seemingly just stopped doing things for her. That she’d stopped living outside what she had to do for her son. Lee was so strong, so vibrant…she deserved more.

Tarin hadn’t known Lee very long, but the kind of person she was deserved to be out in the world. The kind of person Lee was deserved to have friends. Tarin had been wondering what he could do to make up to Lee what she’d done for him. Maybe Rachel was there to show Tarin how he could do it, even if it would be difficult. Even if it meant being the kind of friend who paved the way for their friends to be happy while they watched from the side.

“When am I supposed to do this?” he asked, resignation clear in his voice, posture, everything.

Rachel almost started speaking again, trying to throw more arguments toward him, more reasons why he should be the one to take Lee to the open mic night rather than him just staying at the apartment as the babysitter for Kevin while Rachel took Lee. She almost did, and then she noticed the wheels turning in his head.

He didn’t look happy about the idea of taking Lee, and Rachel wondered why he wouldn’t be happy about it; she’d seen how he had looked at her sister the previous day. She’d heard the tone in his voice as he’d talked about her. He liked liked Lee. And even if it wasn’t ‘like that’ between them, shouldn’t he be happy about the opportunity to maybe get closer to ‘that’?

“When am I supposed to do this?”

Yes! She’d done it. Well, at least the first step. They still had to actually get Lee out of the apartment. “The open mic is Sunday night. I’ll get there around 8 to fight with Lee about clothes. I’ll hopefully have her ready to go by 9. Maybe 9:30. Depends on how picky she is about what she’s willing to wear that night.”

Tarin nodded as Rachel rattled off the times and the plan she had for getting Lee…dressed and out the door. Tarin didn’t ask Rachel why Lee would need help getting dressed, as far as he could tell Lee dressed herself just fine. More than just fine if Tarin had to weigh in.

Ugh though, they were going out at 9:30 on a Sunday night? Tarin made a mental note to check Monday’s schedule and see how early he needed to be at the shop.

“What kind of bar is this? What do I need to wear? Is she going to know we are doing this, or is it going to be some kind of surprise?” If Tarin was going to do this, he was going to do this right.

He was asking for details, she had definitely won. She grinned at Tarin. “It’s mostly a rock bar, but it’s definitely a lot broader with the open mic. Matt keeps the place up really well, but you can get away with just jeans and a decent shirt. Unless you wanted to wear something more stylish, of course. You wouldn’t stand out if you did.”

Was this going to be some sort of surprise for Lee? “In my experience, the less notice she has before I drag her to go out, the fewer chances she has to wiggle her way out of it. But maybe that’s just a sisters thing. You can tell her about it if you want.”

Something…more…stylish.

Well, Tarin was going to have to see what he had in his closet. When he’d gone out in recent history he’d pretty much just worn what he’d wear anywhere else. It was just kind of who he was.

Rachel said that he was allowed to tell Lee about the trip to the bar and he fixed her with a raised-eyebrow look, “I can tell her about this? You mean to tell me you aren’t even going to tell her?”

Tarin sighed, “How mad at me is she going to be?”

“If you want to,” Rachel said with a shrug. “Or she can figure it out on her own when I show up on Sunday and start going through her closet. Don’t worry, this isn’t the first time I’ve let her know she’s going out by doing this.”

He wanted to know how mad Lee would be at him for this whole thing. Wow, Lee really had opened up to Tarin if he already knew something like this would make her mad. More than Rachel had thought. “It’ll probably be a silent trip to the bar, but she normally calms down fairly quickly once there. And if not, just get Matt to get her up on stage sooner. She tends to lose herself in the music, so she’ll be feeling better after she sings.”

At this point, Rachel pulled out her phone and checked the time. “I should be getting back to work. But don’t worry, Tarin, you’ll have fun. Both of you.” And with that, Rachel gave Tarin a little wave and left the shop just as quickly as she had first entered.