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ericadawn16Dr Who
G ANGST
With a whir, the TARDIS stopped unexpectedly. The Doctor ventured outside and felt an odd sensation of loneliness. There were no companions to share his journey with at the moment: perhaps he was growing too attached to them. This world seemed very familiar. Then, he was stopped dead in his steps by the sound of a woman singing. It was coming through an open window, but he would know his wife’s voice anywhere. His picture hung over the mantle with black cloth as a shroud. How he longed to stay in that alternate Gallifrey, but he was a Time Lord.
Title: The Fires’ Aftermath
Characters/Pairings: Meredith, Claude, Elle
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: ANGST, one use of F-word
Spoiler alert: Spoilers through the second season although some is just wishful, non-contradicted thinking.
Summary: Who was Claude protecting and why?
Notes: My first Heroes fic, wish me luck, thank you GryffindorGeek!!!
Eight years earlier…
“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, her eyes not leaving the picture he’d just given her.
“Well, it’s not as though I’ve given you the keys to the factory or such, Meredith,” he commented.
“No, it’s not, Claude,” she conceded, putting the picture on the middle of the coffee table and picking up a cigarette,” but at least I’m in the same state…it’s something.”
She lit her cigarette before looking back at him.
“We’re not even people to them, are we?” she asked bitterly, took a long drag, and then continued, “They took away my child like I was a fucking dog.”
His mind urged him to make a joke, comment, anything to lighten the mood but the only thing that could pass his lips was, “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are, that’s why you’re here, why you helped me,” she spoke, flinging the ash into a dish, “just be glad you’re not a father.”
“Right,” he lied in agreement, his genial personality once again escaping him. The silence was unbearable and he soon filled it with, “Back to the old grind then.”
“Won’t they find out?” she questioned and he averted her gaze.
“Probably, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there,” he answered, his fingers a bit fidgety. She nodded and he disappeared.
What was it that led him to help her? Was it just that they had happened so close together?
Two fires happened less than a month apart eight years ago. One fire was his fault and the second broke him apart. Her words affected him more than he wanted to admit and more than he’d ever let her know. He returned to New York. His partner might have settled in Texas, but Claude could never leave the city, not while she was in it. Maybe it was just what they had in common that made him want to assist Meredith.
He used to be naïve about The Company. Every lie let him sleep comfortably at night and was uttered just as easily by his mouth. Ivan had taught him well. However, this same so-called benevolent group, who claimed that they only wanted to help, wouldn’t even let him see her officially.
He stood invisible, peering into her cell. Did she even remember the happy times before she’d set her grandmother’s house on fire? Or had they taken that away, too? Had she been given a new father like Claire had?
She was almost seventeen now, so grown up compared to the little girl he’d held. The blond hair was much lighter than his own; more like her mum. He could see so much of her mum in her except for her eyes. They had always been his, ever since birth. They were as blue as the lightning that came from her fingers. The Company had said they’d help her, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they started using her like they’d used him.
He longed to press the glass that separated them, but that’d leave fingerprints. They’d know.
Sometimes, he maybe he should stay invisible forever because it seemed like everyone he showed his true face to was hurt in the end. It was tiring. Tears started to settle in the corners of his eyes and he knew he couldn’t remain. He took one last look and silently, so no one would hear, said, “I love you, Elle.”
Eclipse
Prompt: Eclipse
Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Rating:PG
Warning: ANGST
Word Count:708
Summary: Severus meets someone unexpected at a lunar eclipse.
Author’s Notes: I wrote a reply to the Challenge post but haven’t received a reply yet so hopefully, it’s not too late to sign up.
January 20, 2000
Severus wondered why he had come. While the lunar eclipse wasn’t a typical occurrence, the fact that he had come to Mount Davidson to watch meant he was surrounded by people and noise and all sorts of the things that bothered him. He preferred to be alone, even his research was independent and in his private lab. Perhaps now that it was orange was an apt time to leave with the moon having entered its total eclipse stage. Then, he saw the boy.
No older than two with bright blue hair and no one paid it any mind, but it was San Francisco. Why had he chosen San Francisco for his exile? It was as far west as he could go without learning a new language, Alaska was far too cold for his liking and Australia was…Australia. However, Severus had heard things before he left Britain of one blue-haired newborn in particular even that was nearly two years ago.
Can’t be, Severus thought, unable to accept that any part of his former life had followed him to America. It was supposed to have been a fresh start. His black eyes tried to focus on the moon yet kept glancing back to the boy darting through legs before returning to a young woman with pink hair.
Rubbish, he told himself, it was California and lots of young women had pink hair, it didn’t necessarily mean…
His hands slid into the pockets of his black trousers and he felt somehow naked in the Muggle clothing without his cloak. He quickly looked in the opposite direction although that was the giant cross.
“Hi,” said a very small high pitched voice. Glancing down revealed what he knew it would: the blue haired boy.
“Teddy!” called a familiar female, “Don’t bother…”
He had closed his eyes with the confirmation and when they opened, they met her brown ones.
“Severus,” she finished in surprise, “I thought you were dead.”
“As were you,” he said softly.
“I thought I was,” Tonks admitted; her expression very pained.
“Bezoar,” he explained, not sure why he felt such a need to interrupt the second of silence following her statement, “It was a bezoar and Dennis Creevey stumbling upon me.”
She was so changed. He supposed they all were, but he could still remember how young and carefree she was when first joining the Order.
“His brother had died, too,” the young woman added and it was if the temperature had dropped in the clearing.
“Moon!” little Teddy yelled and pointed at the amber orb above.
“Yes, honey,” she agreed, patting his head before looking up at Severus, “He loves the moon, but when it’s full like this…it’s hard.”
Her head turned away as though she couldn’t look at him before continuing in broken tone, “I thought it would be good for me to come here because in Britain everything reminded me of him, but…everything’s hard…with just me and Teddy.”
He laid a hand on her shoulder because it was the right thing to do, he was sure of that. However, she whispered, “I’m a bad mother. Sometimes…sometimes…”
Her hands came up to her face and he realized she was wiping away tears as she confessed, “Sometimes I wish I had died, too.”
There was nothing he could do to help that so he put his hand on her other shoulder. Suddenly, she twisted to grab him into a hug. Arms embraced him and he couldn’t even recall the last time that someone had touched him by their own will. It felt even better than he cared to admit yet it shamed him that it came from her pain, but he knew that pain: had known it ever since Voldemort had entered Godric’s Hollow that Halloween.
He surprised himself by holding her tighter and letting her cry into his shoulder for several minutes until Teddy pulled at her large purse. Tonks picked the boy up in her arms and opened her mouth for what would inevitably be a goodbye.
“Would you like to come for tea at my place?” he asked, not wanting her to leave. She needed help and he realized that at least for that night, he wanted to be the one to give it to her.
G ANGST
With a whir, the TARDIS stopped unexpectedly. The Doctor ventured outside and felt an odd sensation of loneliness. There were no companions to share his journey with at the moment: perhaps he was growing too attached to them. This world seemed very familiar. Then, he was stopped dead in his steps by the sound of a woman singing. It was coming through an open window, but he would know his wife’s voice anywhere. His picture hung over the mantle with black cloth as a shroud. How he longed to stay in that alternate Gallifrey, but he was a Time Lord.
Title: The Fires’ Aftermath
Characters/Pairings: Meredith, Claude, Elle
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: ANGST, one use of F-word
Spoiler alert: Spoilers through the second season although some is just wishful, non-contradicted thinking.
Summary: Who was Claude protecting and why?
Notes: My first Heroes fic, wish me luck, thank you GryffindorGeek!!!
Eight years earlier…
“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, her eyes not leaving the picture he’d just given her.
“Well, it’s not as though I’ve given you the keys to the factory or such, Meredith,” he commented.
“No, it’s not, Claude,” she conceded, putting the picture on the middle of the coffee table and picking up a cigarette,” but at least I’m in the same state…it’s something.”
She lit her cigarette before looking back at him.
“We’re not even people to them, are we?” she asked bitterly, took a long drag, and then continued, “They took away my child like I was a fucking dog.”
His mind urged him to make a joke, comment, anything to lighten the mood but the only thing that could pass his lips was, “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are, that’s why you’re here, why you helped me,” she spoke, flinging the ash into a dish, “just be glad you’re not a father.”
“Right,” he lied in agreement, his genial personality once again escaping him. The silence was unbearable and he soon filled it with, “Back to the old grind then.”
“Won’t they find out?” she questioned and he averted her gaze.
“Probably, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there,” he answered, his fingers a bit fidgety. She nodded and he disappeared.
What was it that led him to help her? Was it just that they had happened so close together?
Two fires happened less than a month apart eight years ago. One fire was his fault and the second broke him apart. Her words affected him more than he wanted to admit and more than he’d ever let her know. He returned to New York. His partner might have settled in Texas, but Claude could never leave the city, not while she was in it. Maybe it was just what they had in common that made him want to assist Meredith.
He used to be naïve about The Company. Every lie let him sleep comfortably at night and was uttered just as easily by his mouth. Ivan had taught him well. However, this same so-called benevolent group, who claimed that they only wanted to help, wouldn’t even let him see her officially.
He stood invisible, peering into her cell. Did she even remember the happy times before she’d set her grandmother’s house on fire? Or had they taken that away, too? Had she been given a new father like Claire had?
She was almost seventeen now, so grown up compared to the little girl he’d held. The blond hair was much lighter than his own; more like her mum. He could see so much of her mum in her except for her eyes. They had always been his, ever since birth. They were as blue as the lightning that came from her fingers. The Company had said they’d help her, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they started using her like they’d used him.
He longed to press the glass that separated them, but that’d leave fingerprints. They’d know.
Sometimes, he maybe he should stay invisible forever because it seemed like everyone he showed his true face to was hurt in the end. It was tiring. Tears started to settle in the corners of his eyes and he knew he couldn’t remain. He took one last look and silently, so no one would hear, said, “I love you, Elle.”
Eclipse
Prompt: Eclipse
Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort
Rating:PG
Warning: ANGST
Word Count:708
Summary: Severus meets someone unexpected at a lunar eclipse.
Author’s Notes: I wrote a reply to the Challenge post but haven’t received a reply yet so hopefully, it’s not too late to sign up.
January 20, 2000
Severus wondered why he had come. While the lunar eclipse wasn’t a typical occurrence, the fact that he had come to Mount Davidson to watch meant he was surrounded by people and noise and all sorts of the things that bothered him. He preferred to be alone, even his research was independent and in his private lab. Perhaps now that it was orange was an apt time to leave with the moon having entered its total eclipse stage. Then, he saw the boy.
No older than two with bright blue hair and no one paid it any mind, but it was San Francisco. Why had he chosen San Francisco for his exile? It was as far west as he could go without learning a new language, Alaska was far too cold for his liking and Australia was…Australia. However, Severus had heard things before he left Britain of one blue-haired newborn in particular even that was nearly two years ago.
Can’t be, Severus thought, unable to accept that any part of his former life had followed him to America. It was supposed to have been a fresh start. His black eyes tried to focus on the moon yet kept glancing back to the boy darting through legs before returning to a young woman with pink hair.
Rubbish, he told himself, it was California and lots of young women had pink hair, it didn’t necessarily mean…
His hands slid into the pockets of his black trousers and he felt somehow naked in the Muggle clothing without his cloak. He quickly looked in the opposite direction although that was the giant cross.
“Hi,” said a very small high pitched voice. Glancing down revealed what he knew it would: the blue haired boy.
“Teddy!” called a familiar female, “Don’t bother…”
He had closed his eyes with the confirmation and when they opened, they met her brown ones.
“Severus,” she finished in surprise, “I thought you were dead.”
“As were you,” he said softly.
“I thought I was,” Tonks admitted; her expression very pained.
“Bezoar,” he explained, not sure why he felt such a need to interrupt the second of silence following her statement, “It was a bezoar and Dennis Creevey stumbling upon me.”
She was so changed. He supposed they all were, but he could still remember how young and carefree she was when first joining the Order.
“His brother had died, too,” the young woman added and it was if the temperature had dropped in the clearing.
“Moon!” little Teddy yelled and pointed at the amber orb above.
“Yes, honey,” she agreed, patting his head before looking up at Severus, “He loves the moon, but when it’s full like this…it’s hard.”
Her head turned away as though she couldn’t look at him before continuing in broken tone, “I thought it would be good for me to come here because in Britain everything reminded me of him, but…everything’s hard…with just me and Teddy.”
He laid a hand on her shoulder because it was the right thing to do, he was sure of that. However, she whispered, “I’m a bad mother. Sometimes…sometimes…”
Her hands came up to her face and he realized she was wiping away tears as she confessed, “Sometimes I wish I had died, too.”
There was nothing he could do to help that so he put his hand on her other shoulder. Suddenly, she twisted to grab him into a hug. Arms embraced him and he couldn’t even recall the last time that someone had touched him by their own will. It felt even better than he cared to admit yet it shamed him that it came from her pain, but he knew that pain: had known it ever since Voldemort had entered Godric’s Hollow that Halloween.
He surprised himself by holding her tighter and letting her cry into his shoulder for several minutes until Teddy pulled at her large purse. Tonks picked the boy up in her arms and opened her mouth for what would inevitably be a goodbye.
“Would you like to come for tea at my place?” he asked, not wanting her to leave. She needed help and he realized that at least for that night, he wanted to be the one to give it to her.
