Another Life - Part 21/21
Jan. 25th, 2015 01:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
diandrahollmanI need to apologize for taking so LONG to finish this story. I could make excuses about my life and my job getting in the way (which is partly true since I've gone through three major deaths in the extended family and been spending a lot more time on work stuff), but I think the main reason I couldn't bring myself to finish this was the sense of finality that came from putting the words "the end" on it. This is my longest, most ambitious, and probably my best story in the Lost fandom. I have not been inspired to write fic in any other fandom since, so some part of me suspected that the minute this story (and a couple other shorter Lost works) was done, I would be finished with writing and fandoms.
That being said...I am currently working on a Sherlock plot bunny that has been biting at my ankles for months. I'll try to post a preview of it soon. Since this is my first attempt at actually participating in that fandom (as opposed to just observing from the outskirts), I would love any suggestions for places to post. Do I have anyone on my friends list who is a fellow Sherlock fan?
Thank you, everybody who has stuck by me while I slowly got through this story. You have been wonderful!
Another Life
by Diandra Hollman
Rating: PG-13 this chapter.
Date Finished: 1/23/15 (I take it as providence that I finished it on a date containing two of the Numbers)
Keywords: slash, Jack/Sawyer, Alt!Verse, first time
Spoilers: Nothing really detailed or time specific. This just lives in the sideways verse of season 6. Sort of (see author's note).
Disclaimer: I don’t own them. I'm not really sure anyone *technically* owns them anymore but Darlton blah blah Bad Robot blah ABC blee blee don't sue.
Dedication: To ellel for inspiring me to write this story. And to the cast and creative team behind one of the best damn shows ever televised. You will be missed.
Summary: “In another life, I would make you stay so I don’t have to say you were the one that got away.” The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
Author's note: Much as I loved the finale and thought it was totally appropriate this story will henceforth assume that Daniel's "let's detonate a hydrogen bomb" plan worked and follow my crackpot version of quantum suicide theory. In other words, when the bomb went off, our characters were split into two different universes. One where the bomb didn't go off, and one where it did. Both universes are very real and neither is purgatory.
Previous entries
*************
Ford had been shot once before in his career. Well, technically he had been shot twice, but one had been a graze that barely counted for anything in his mind. The other time the bullet had lodged in his bicep. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it hurt like a son of a bitch and had taken months of physical therapy before he could even use it for things he used to take for granted. Like reaching into the cupboard for a box of cereal. That was nothing compared to this though. Even through the fog of painkillers the hospital kept flowing steadily through him, he could feel the dull throbbing in his abdomen. He groaned and tried to sink back into the welcome oblivion of sleep but something wouldn't let him.
"James?"
Oh. Right. Someone wouldn't stop calling his name.
"Can you hear me?"
As consciousness slowly came back to him he realized that the voice belonged to his boyfriend and he experienced a strange feeling that he would later decide was a combination of panic and déjà vu. For a moment, he forgot where he was and didn't know which version of Jack he would find if he opened his eyes. Was this reality or was it another dream?
"James?"
Jack was the only one who was allowed to call him by his full name. He'd always hated it, but for some reason he decided it sounded nice...natural...good coming from Jack's lips. He found himself wondering, strangely, at that moment why.
Jack's fingers twined with his, squeezing just hard enough to draw Ford's attention back. Ford grunted a sleepy approximation of Jack's name.
"I got your message." Jack made a sound like a mostly-choked laugh. "When you're feeling better I'm going to kick your ass for doing that in a voicemail and then getting yourself shot."
Ford couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips. "D'n't...try to." He managed to open his eyes a fraction, blinking against the harsh hospital lighting, trying to focus on Jack's blurry shape hovering near his left shoulder.
"I know. Just...don't ever do something that stupid again. I don't..." He took a deep breath and ran his free hand over the two-day stubble on his chin before leaning over and pressing his lips to Ford's. He was far more gentle than Ford thought he needed to be, strictly speaking, but it was an affirmation. He pressed another light kiss to Ford's jaw and whispered "I love you," in his ear.
"Careful," Ford mumbled. "Ain't ev'r gonna get rid 'f me now."
An almost surprised laugh burst from Jack and he pressed his forehead to Ford's shoulder wearily as a wave of relief swept over him, so powerful it nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Ford managed to raise the hand Jack wasn't clutching to his chest, his stiff, shaky fingers tunneling into Jack's hair. "S'okay," he said over and over. "M'okay."
They stayed in that position, occasionally murmuring to each other, until the drugs pulled Ford back into a healing sleep.
************
Epilogue
"He's crashing!"
Jack frantically tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. There was nothing he could do anymore.
A gunshot rang out and he looked up in time to see Ford's body slump to the floor.
'I can fix this,' he thought frantically, reaching for the bomb perched on the tray alongside his surgical tools. 'I have to do this.'
He pushed the detonator and closed his eyes. One way or another, it would all be over soon.
"Doc?"
Jack opened his eyes. Ford was standing in front of him, an amused smile tugging at his lips. They were on a beach, but Ford was wearing a suit.
"Dad."
Jack turned as David pressed something into his hand. David was also wearing a suit and smiling at him. Behind him, Jack's mother and Claire stood side-by-side, both wearing dresses and smiling at him proudly. Jack looked at the ring in his hand.
Right.
He turned to Ford and had a momentary panic when he couldn't remember which hand the ring was supposed to go on before slipping it on the proper finger.
"By the power granted to me by the State of California, I pronounce you married." Jack spared a glance at Juliet, who winked and addressed the rest of her statment directly to him. "You may kiss your husband."
Ford cradled his head gently and kissed him and their surroundings seemed to melt away. Everything except for a strange, shrill beeping.
Jack opened his eyes blearily and fumbled for the alarm clock on the bedside table. He heard Ford grumble unhappily as he rolled toward the far side of the bed, taking the blankets with him. Jack sighed and rolled back to spoon up against his boyfriend.
"Don' you needta go ta work," Ford slurred sleepily.
"Five more minutes." Jack buried his face in Ford's hair, pressing tighter against his sleep-warm body.
Ford reached back to pat his hip, then sighed and relaxed as he slowly started drifting back to sleep.
Jack let his fingers trace delicately along the edge of the scar on Ford's abdomen. Nearly six months had passed since Ford had nearly died on a case - over a year since they first met - and Jack hadn't had the dream again once. He still saw the bomb occasionally in different contexts, but "Sawyer" had never again tried to kill him. Ford reported that his dreams had gone entirely back to normal ("teeth fallin' out...showin' up at work naked...fuckin' you in front of an audience. You know, the usual").
"I c'n hear you thinkin'."
Jack shook himself from his thoughts. "Thought you were going back to sleep."
"Mmm." Ford reached for his wandering hand, tangling their fingers. "Bad dream?"
Jack thought about it for a moment. Yes, he'd seen the bomb again, but that part of the dream had a certain sense of finality about it. He had taken control. He had changed it. He didn't think he would have those dreams anymore. And the rest of it...
"No," he smiled. "Good dream."
He settled in against Ford, closing his eyes. Five more minutes.
THE END
That being said...I am currently working on a Sherlock plot bunny that has been biting at my ankles for months. I'll try to post a preview of it soon. Since this is my first attempt at actually participating in that fandom (as opposed to just observing from the outskirts), I would love any suggestions for places to post. Do I have anyone on my friends list who is a fellow Sherlock fan?
Thank you, everybody who has stuck by me while I slowly got through this story. You have been wonderful!
Another Life
by Diandra Hollman
Rating: PG-13 this chapter.
Date Finished: 1/23/15 (I take it as providence that I finished it on a date containing two of the Numbers)
Keywords: slash, Jack/Sawyer, Alt!Verse, first time
Spoilers: Nothing really detailed or time specific. This just lives in the sideways verse of season 6. Sort of (see author's note).
Disclaimer: I don’t own them. I'm not really sure anyone *technically* owns them anymore but Darlton blah blah Bad Robot blah ABC blee blee don't sue.
Dedication: To ellel for inspiring me to write this story. And to the cast and creative team behind one of the best damn shows ever televised. You will be missed.
Summary: “In another life, I would make you stay so I don’t have to say you were the one that got away.” The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
Author's note: Much as I loved the finale and thought it was totally appropriate this story will henceforth assume that Daniel's "let's detonate a hydrogen bomb" plan worked and follow my crackpot version of quantum suicide theory. In other words, when the bomb went off, our characters were split into two different universes. One where the bomb didn't go off, and one where it did. Both universes are very real and neither is purgatory.
Previous entries
*************
Ford had been shot once before in his career. Well, technically he had been shot twice, but one had been a graze that barely counted for anything in his mind. The other time the bullet had lodged in his bicep. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it hurt like a son of a bitch and had taken months of physical therapy before he could even use it for things he used to take for granted. Like reaching into the cupboard for a box of cereal. That was nothing compared to this though. Even through the fog of painkillers the hospital kept flowing steadily through him, he could feel the dull throbbing in his abdomen. He groaned and tried to sink back into the welcome oblivion of sleep but something wouldn't let him.
"James?"
Oh. Right. Someone wouldn't stop calling his name.
"Can you hear me?"
As consciousness slowly came back to him he realized that the voice belonged to his boyfriend and he experienced a strange feeling that he would later decide was a combination of panic and déjà vu. For a moment, he forgot where he was and didn't know which version of Jack he would find if he opened his eyes. Was this reality or was it another dream?
"James?"
Jack was the only one who was allowed to call him by his full name. He'd always hated it, but for some reason he decided it sounded nice...natural...good coming from Jack's lips. He found himself wondering, strangely, at that moment why.
Jack's fingers twined with his, squeezing just hard enough to draw Ford's attention back. Ford grunted a sleepy approximation of Jack's name.
"I got your message." Jack made a sound like a mostly-choked laugh. "When you're feeling better I'm going to kick your ass for doing that in a voicemail and then getting yourself shot."
Ford couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips. "D'n't...try to." He managed to open his eyes a fraction, blinking against the harsh hospital lighting, trying to focus on Jack's blurry shape hovering near his left shoulder.
"I know. Just...don't ever do something that stupid again. I don't..." He took a deep breath and ran his free hand over the two-day stubble on his chin before leaning over and pressing his lips to Ford's. He was far more gentle than Ford thought he needed to be, strictly speaking, but it was an affirmation. He pressed another light kiss to Ford's jaw and whispered "I love you," in his ear.
"Careful," Ford mumbled. "Ain't ev'r gonna get rid 'f me now."
An almost surprised laugh burst from Jack and he pressed his forehead to Ford's shoulder wearily as a wave of relief swept over him, so powerful it nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Ford managed to raise the hand Jack wasn't clutching to his chest, his stiff, shaky fingers tunneling into Jack's hair. "S'okay," he said over and over. "M'okay."
They stayed in that position, occasionally murmuring to each other, until the drugs pulled Ford back into a healing sleep.
************
Epilogue
"He's crashing!"
Jack frantically tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. There was nothing he could do anymore.
A gunshot rang out and he looked up in time to see Ford's body slump to the floor.
'I can fix this,' he thought frantically, reaching for the bomb perched on the tray alongside his surgical tools. 'I have to do this.'
He pushed the detonator and closed his eyes. One way or another, it would all be over soon.
"Doc?"
Jack opened his eyes. Ford was standing in front of him, an amused smile tugging at his lips. They were on a beach, but Ford was wearing a suit.
"Dad."
Jack turned as David pressed something into his hand. David was also wearing a suit and smiling at him. Behind him, Jack's mother and Claire stood side-by-side, both wearing dresses and smiling at him proudly. Jack looked at the ring in his hand.
Right.
He turned to Ford and had a momentary panic when he couldn't remember which hand the ring was supposed to go on before slipping it on the proper finger.
"By the power granted to me by the State of California, I pronounce you married." Jack spared a glance at Juliet, who winked and addressed the rest of her statment directly to him. "You may kiss your husband."
Ford cradled his head gently and kissed him and their surroundings seemed to melt away. Everything except for a strange, shrill beeping.
Jack opened his eyes blearily and fumbled for the alarm clock on the bedside table. He heard Ford grumble unhappily as he rolled toward the far side of the bed, taking the blankets with him. Jack sighed and rolled back to spoon up against his boyfriend.
"Don' you needta go ta work," Ford slurred sleepily.
"Five more minutes." Jack buried his face in Ford's hair, pressing tighter against his sleep-warm body.
Ford reached back to pat his hip, then sighed and relaxed as he slowly started drifting back to sleep.
Jack let his fingers trace delicately along the edge of the scar on Ford's abdomen. Nearly six months had passed since Ford had nearly died on a case - over a year since they first met - and Jack hadn't had the dream again once. He still saw the bomb occasionally in different contexts, but "Sawyer" had never again tried to kill him. Ford reported that his dreams had gone entirely back to normal ("teeth fallin' out...showin' up at work naked...fuckin' you in front of an audience. You know, the usual").
"I c'n hear you thinkin'."
Jack shook himself from his thoughts. "Thought you were going back to sleep."
"Mmm." Ford reached for his wandering hand, tangling their fingers. "Bad dream?"
Jack thought about it for a moment. Yes, he'd seen the bomb again, but that part of the dream had a certain sense of finality about it. He had taken control. He had changed it. He didn't think he would have those dreams anymore. And the rest of it...
"No," he smiled. "Good dream."
He settled in against Ford, closing his eyes. Five more minutes.
THE END
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-26 12:11 am (UTC)http://sherlockbbc.livejournal.com/
http://our-bbcsherlock.livejournal.com/
(no subject)
Date: 2015-02-04 03:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-28 02:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-02-04 03:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-02-01 09:55 am (UTC)You did it! It's amazing! I love it!! I actually had a thought for a while that somehow they'd wind up back in our reality, what with dreaming of it and everything, but nope, they are secure in their reality! They get a happy ending together!
Also, I'm excited at the prospect of a Sherlock fic from you! I agree that
(no subject)
Date: 2015-02-04 03:33 am (UTC)I went back and forth about how to end it. I always thought it was a separate reality that they were just tuned to for some reason (call it the universe trying to bring them together). I wasn't sure if I should figure out a way to tie them together more concretely in the end or just leave it a mystery. I decided the mystery was more interesting. And yes, they get to be happy in this reality without dying first. And David is real. Those are the important parts. :)
Yay, you're in Sherlock fandom! I've been reading a TON of JohnLock lately, but this is the first time I felt drawn to actually participate (and it's all Benedict's fault). I would love to hear what you think if/when I get enough to post!