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Nov. 22nd, 2006 03:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
why_me_why_notcomputer issues suck.
I broke down and wrote Jericho fic. This is actually only the beginning of it. I was going to stop here, but thanks to a persistent bunny, some voices in my head, and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ordinary_magic, I didn't. So, I'm posting this as it is and once I get the rest beta'd, I'll post that too & I'll archive it on Codex at Tauri. But I wanted to put this up before the new show comes along & spoils things with new canon...
Title: tbd
Author:why_me_why_not, aka Tabby
Fandom/Pairing: Jericho, Jake/Heather
Rating: Same as the show
Word Count: 1141
Beta: the fabulousordinary_magic, was also glanced over by my anasuede even though she has never seen this show; any remaining mistakes are purely my own (and if you see something, point it out, yeah?)
Summary: Heather runs into Jake after she's been drinking, aka what I thinkshould have happened after the end of Crossroads
Heather tried to be quiet as she slipped back into the bar, which wasn't the easiest of tasks given her current state of extreme uncoordination, but she managed -- somewhat. She spotted her keys lying on the closest table and snatched them up, intending to sneak back out without disturbing Mary, but the sound of an unfamiliar voice caught her attention and she stepped closer. She saw Eric sitting on the other side of the bar, studying the drink in front of him, and Mary close beside him, arm around his shoulder. His voice was quiet,
so Heather had to strain to hear him.
"-- and when I got back, there's Jake standing in the middle of the road with the detonator in his hand, threatening to take himself out along with Ravenwood and the bridge."
"What?" Heather's voice was loud and abrupt in the stillness of the deserted bar, and both Mary and Eric looked sharply in her direction.
"Hey, Heather, everything okay?" Mary asked, concern evident in her tone and expression.
Heather held up her key ring for them to see. "Forgot my keys. Now what did Jake do?"
Eric repeated what he had said and Heather's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure whether she should be frightened or angry, so she settled for the latter.
"Where is Jake?"
"Uh, he was over at town hall talking to dad, I think," Eric answered, looking confused by Heather's reaction.
Heather threw a hasty "thanks" in the direction of the couple and rushed out the door. As she neared the town hall, she saw Jake coming down the front steps, heading for his car.
"Jake!" If she had been sober, she probably would have noticed that Jake wasn't in a very sociable mood, even for him, but her perception was tainted by the alcohol. "Jake Green!"
Jake turned around just as she reached him, in time to catch her and keep her from falling when she stumbled over her own feet.
"Heather, what are you doing out here so late? And alone? And... are you drunk?"
"Trying to talk to you. And no, I'm not drunk," she said indignantly.
He released her arm and she swayed slightly, glaring at his amusement.
"Okay, so maybe I'm a little drunk," she amended. "But I'm old enough to drink and it was only a few and... Hey! Don't change the subject! I'm mad at you!"
Jake let out a partially-smothered laugh. "For what?"
"For that little stunt you pulled this afternoon!" Heather still felt unsteady but her balance returned as her irritation towards Jake heated up. "Do you have a death wish? Wanna get yourself blown up over some macho standoff bullshit? Just what is so horrible about Jericho that you would die just to escape it?"
"I'm willing to die to keep Jericho safe," he answered, and the calm of his voice angered Heather even more.
"This town needs you! Don't you realize how many people here care about you? Not just your family, but your friends and everyone whose lives and children you've saved? If you had died out there on that stupid bridge... God, Jake, don't you know how I..." she trailed off and looked away from Jake, blinking her eyes to try and stall the tears. "Nevermind. Goodnight, Jake."
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't I know how you what?"
She thought about struggling but she rather liked it where she was, even if she was amassing even more reasons why she should never drink again.
She did, however, manage to resist the urge to break down in tears; her current display of weakness was enough. She let herself relax into the embrace, storing away little details for later, like how soft the material of his t-shirt was against her cheek, how steady and reassuring his heartbeat was beneath that, how warm and solid his body was, how safe she felt being surrounded by him.
In the weeks since the bombings, she had tried to be strong, concealing her weakness from everyone. It was a relief to have someone to lean on, even if she wasn't completely ready to do so emotionally as well as physically. And the fact that it was Jake... well, that was definitely a bonus.
"When you were in Rogue River," she started, her voice shaky with emotion, "I spent a while driving around, worrying. I knew you were coming back because you promised, but I also knew that a million things could go wrong, that you could be hurt, whatever. Me going to your parents' house was selfish; I didn't want to worry alone, plus I felt closer to you being in the house where you grew up. And I knew that would be the first place you'd go and I needed to be there, to see you and know that you were all right." She pulled away slightly so that she could look up at Jake's face. "You know, you could say something any time now...."
Jake hesitated a moment before saying, "You kissed me."
"What?"
"Before Eric and I left for Rogue River, you kissed me. Why?"
Heather forced herself not to avert her eyes and swallowed hard. "Because I was afraid I'd never have another chance."
Jake's gaze flickered over her face, his expression unreadable but Heather was certain she could still lose herself in his dark eyes. He raised a hand to cup her face, thumb rubbing softly against her cheek to wipe away a stray tear, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. His body shifted slightly before she felt his lips against hers, stealing her breath away even as he coaxed her lips apart, drawing her into the kiss. It was different than their first kiss, less rushed, less worried, and it wasn't fireworks and earth-shaking. It spoke more of calm nights and steady quiet, enough to make her realize that the other things were fairy tales she didn't want.
Jake pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavy. "I should take you home."
"I can drive myself," she said, unsettled by what this meant for them.
There was that half-laugh again. "Not in that truck."
"There's nothing wrong with my truck!" It had been good enough for him to drive before he got his car back, right?
"No arguments, Miss Tipsy-toes. C'mon."
He moved so that they were side by side, her hand around his waist, and steered her towards the Plymouth. He opened the driver side door so she could slide into the middle and he slid in beside her. He cast a glance in her direction as he started the car and rested his hand on her knee while he drove her home.
I broke down and wrote Jericho fic. This is actually only the beginning of it. I was going to stop here, but thanks to a persistent bunny, some voices in my head, and
ordinary_magic, I didn't. So, I'm posting this as it is and once I get the rest beta'd, I'll post that too & I'll archive it on Codex at Tauri. But I wanted to put this up before the new show comes along & spoils things with new canon...Title: tbd
Author:
why_me_why_not, aka TabbyFandom/Pairing: Jericho, Jake/Heather
Rating: Same as the show
Word Count: 1141
Beta: the fabulous
ordinary_magic, was also glanced over by my anasuede even though she has never seen this show; any remaining mistakes are purely my own (and if you see something, point it out, yeah?)Summary: Heather runs into Jake after she's been drinking, aka what I think
Heather tried to be quiet as she slipped back into the bar, which wasn't the easiest of tasks given her current state of extreme uncoordination, but she managed -- somewhat. She spotted her keys lying on the closest table and snatched them up, intending to sneak back out without disturbing Mary, but the sound of an unfamiliar voice caught her attention and she stepped closer. She saw Eric sitting on the other side of the bar, studying the drink in front of him, and Mary close beside him, arm around his shoulder. His voice was quiet,
so Heather had to strain to hear him.
"-- and when I got back, there's Jake standing in the middle of the road with the detonator in his hand, threatening to take himself out along with Ravenwood and the bridge."
"What?" Heather's voice was loud and abrupt in the stillness of the deserted bar, and both Mary and Eric looked sharply in her direction.
"Hey, Heather, everything okay?" Mary asked, concern evident in her tone and expression.
Heather held up her key ring for them to see. "Forgot my keys. Now what did Jake do?"
Eric repeated what he had said and Heather's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure whether she should be frightened or angry, so she settled for the latter.
"Where is Jake?"
"Uh, he was over at town hall talking to dad, I think," Eric answered, looking confused by Heather's reaction.
Heather threw a hasty "thanks" in the direction of the couple and rushed out the door. As she neared the town hall, she saw Jake coming down the front steps, heading for his car.
"Jake!" If she had been sober, she probably would have noticed that Jake wasn't in a very sociable mood, even for him, but her perception was tainted by the alcohol. "Jake Green!"
Jake turned around just as she reached him, in time to catch her and keep her from falling when she stumbled over her own feet.
"Heather, what are you doing out here so late? And alone? And... are you drunk?"
"Trying to talk to you. And no, I'm not drunk," she said indignantly.
He released her arm and she swayed slightly, glaring at his amusement.
"Okay, so maybe I'm a little drunk," she amended. "But I'm old enough to drink and it was only a few and... Hey! Don't change the subject! I'm mad at you!"
Jake let out a partially-smothered laugh. "For what?"
"For that little stunt you pulled this afternoon!" Heather still felt unsteady but her balance returned as her irritation towards Jake heated up. "Do you have a death wish? Wanna get yourself blown up over some macho standoff bullshit? Just what is so horrible about Jericho that you would die just to escape it?"
"I'm willing to die to keep Jericho safe," he answered, and the calm of his voice angered Heather even more.
"This town needs you! Don't you realize how many people here care about you? Not just your family, but your friends and everyone whose lives and children you've saved? If you had died out there on that stupid bridge... God, Jake, don't you know how I..." she trailed off and looked away from Jake, blinking her eyes to try and stall the tears. "Nevermind. Goodnight, Jake."
She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Don't I know how you what?"
She thought about struggling but she rather liked it where she was, even if she was amassing even more reasons why she should never drink again.
She did, however, manage to resist the urge to break down in tears; her current display of weakness was enough. She let herself relax into the embrace, storing away little details for later, like how soft the material of his t-shirt was against her cheek, how steady and reassuring his heartbeat was beneath that, how warm and solid his body was, how safe she felt being surrounded by him.
In the weeks since the bombings, she had tried to be strong, concealing her weakness from everyone. It was a relief to have someone to lean on, even if she wasn't completely ready to do so emotionally as well as physically. And the fact that it was Jake... well, that was definitely a bonus.
"When you were in Rogue River," she started, her voice shaky with emotion, "I spent a while driving around, worrying. I knew you were coming back because you promised, but I also knew that a million things could go wrong, that you could be hurt, whatever. Me going to your parents' house was selfish; I didn't want to worry alone, plus I felt closer to you being in the house where you grew up. And I knew that would be the first place you'd go and I needed to be there, to see you and know that you were all right." She pulled away slightly so that she could look up at Jake's face. "You know, you could say something any time now...."
Jake hesitated a moment before saying, "You kissed me."
"What?"
"Before Eric and I left for Rogue River, you kissed me. Why?"
Heather forced herself not to avert her eyes and swallowed hard. "Because I was afraid I'd never have another chance."
Jake's gaze flickered over her face, his expression unreadable but Heather was certain she could still lose herself in his dark eyes. He raised a hand to cup her face, thumb rubbing softly against her cheek to wipe away a stray tear, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. His body shifted slightly before she felt his lips against hers, stealing her breath away even as he coaxed her lips apart, drawing her into the kiss. It was different than their first kiss, less rushed, less worried, and it wasn't fireworks and earth-shaking. It spoke more of calm nights and steady quiet, enough to make her realize that the other things were fairy tales she didn't want.
Jake pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavy. "I should take you home."
"I can drive myself," she said, unsettled by what this meant for them.
There was that half-laugh again. "Not in that truck."
"There's nothing wrong with my truck!" It had been good enough for him to drive before he got his car back, right?
"No arguments, Miss Tipsy-toes. C'mon."
He moved so that they were side by side, her hand around his waist, and steered her towards the Plymouth. He opened the driver side door so she could slide into the middle and he slid in beside her. He cast a glance in her direction as he started the car and rested his hand on her knee while he drove her home.
