Title: The Price of Freedom
Summary: At the end of the day, when the dust settles none of them would be the same again – ever. Post Ep OS to eppy 5.12 'Keep the Peace Part 1' Contains spoilers
Disclaimer: If I owned anything to do with FP Ed would be all mine and FP would have a better ending*alas* I own only my DVD's that fuel my imaginative muse Alice.
A/N: Okay so yes it's taken me a bit before I could even think about getting to this. As you all know if you have watched the finale, my AU heart is utterly crushed. The writers/producers IMO did a travesty with our fave female SRU and her death was pointless and needless (no satisfying ending for me!)! Lame, to say the least! I will not cover that in this piece (it'll be in another - but as you can all see from my AU stories she lives on and so does our couple!). So for now I just want to put this out there b/c we don't know how this week's will end yet (am praying Clark lives). So call this therapy for all of us (hey misery loves company)*oye*
Note: Words in italics and double quotes taken directly from episode
For all of them the day ahead would start out with joy and mirth; the start of a new family, a happy announcement coming on the heels of true love's vows spoken from the heart and a night to celebrate a new union. A young couple with their future happiness ahead of them; standing before family and friends, uttering the solemn oath before an intimate crowd that could only wish them future success and try their best to contribute to their future happiness.
The expectant faces of hope and promise; a bright future filled with love and security – all the things pondered on the day of two people being joined together under God's watchful eye.
Pain, carnage…death. The furthest thing from anyone's mind and heart when the blushing bride announced to the happy group their thrilling news; an heir. Their legacy. A child coming. Celebration indeed.
Loss, heartbreak and despair. The last emotions anyone wanted to contemplate when the proud groom took her in his arms and planted one final kiss to seal their news in stone.
He looks at the happy couple, knowing from the moment he first saw them stealing a private moment a few years back that despite professional and personal odds, their future story had already been written – a day that had been in the making the moment the 'brash young ex-military brat laid eyes upon his sexy sniper chick'.
In that moment, he thinks about his own marriage and how at present things are faring for the few decade old marital veteran.
There had been joys…heartaches…heartbreaks and numerous trials. Growing pains and uncertainties. Surprises and setbacks. Ups and downs. Life…and death. Things had finally gotten back on track at home; him and his son on more than speaking terms – a new bond of friendship being allowed to flourish; him and his wife sharing the marriage bed once again as a solid union as it was before May Dalton's untimely death changed his life forever.
May Dalton. How her death had changed him. But he got passed that unspeakable travesty with help from family, friends and a professional therapist; stronger for it, and told himself each day was the opportunity to make things right; spend more quality time with his doting baby girl; more one on one time with his beloved son and more personal time with his devoted wife. He had made peace with his brother and helped him get back on the correct professional track. Things were seemingly where they should be.
Being at the wedding and basking in the new marital glow reminds him of a happy conversation the night before; a promise to his wife that after the reception they'd stay at a fancy hotel and renew their own marital dues; their son old enough to stay on his own and daughter with her grandmother. The day to just enjoy the celebration was set. What could go wrong?
Of course he would never actually utter those words. Twenty years of professional karma as it were would always prove to have the last laugh if he did dare such a brazen stance; showing him up as it were that time and unforeseen occurrence would always have the mastery over puny humans who only thought they were the superior beings. Life always proving too precious and fragile to take for granted and those that did often paid the ultimate price – everlasting demise. Death.
Spending time with his best friend was also a joy the day ahead promised. Despite not working side by side on the same team on a daily basis, their bond forever strong and cemented by the odd professional joint tasks and regular personal association. Laughing. Talking. Drinking. Joking. Just being…them. It wasn't the time to get lost in melancholy or melodrama; not the time to ponder medical frailties – life's too short. Just enjoy the time given. But that time was about to be cut short as fate and destiny each pick up a weighted sword and start to wage an unseen battle for the future of their unsuspecting prey.
Seeing another familiar face always warms his heart. Someone with whom he shares a mutual love for hard work and dedication to the job. She would always be special to him in ways he could never verbally express. Since she first entered his life. They were two of a kinda – two halves of the same professional uniform. Personally, close friends. Forever.
So the agenda for the day was simple. Witness the union. Have something that wouldn't affect his abilities to work. A few hours in another uniform and then spending the evening hours forgetting the rigors of the day.
But the ugly side of fate was about to step in and spoil destiny's bliss; the heavy black sword about to cast an ugly shadow of death and despair over the bustling city below. Horror…terror…carnage…bloodshed…abject despair and pointless casualties. All the things it delights in; casting a heavy black shadow over destiny's sparkling arms and showing that it is indeed always darkest before the dawn. Mocked for the lame cliché; the day carries on – the only promise that would be fulfilled would be one of heartbreak and gloom – for him at least. The future re-written by the mere press of a tiny button.
Laughter…smiles…hugs…kisses…well wishes and touching anecdotes. Teasing…connecting…promises and reminders. Mirth…revelry…joy and love. All things to be enjoyed. That is until the clock finally struck the 11th hour and Hades opened it's arms to welcome the unwillingly innocent.
"Bomb threats…mass casualties…city at war…"
The call came in…the day forever changed; sullied by one man's ugly vendetta; a personal grudge against life in general; a final epitaph to a life he had cursed the day he was born. There would be no reasoning…no understanding…no bargaining for the precious lives that would be taken at random. No pleading…no begging…no trading one soul for another to end the pointless tirade. Death in the end would have the last laugh. There would be no making amends in this arena. The hammer had fallen. No one would have the strength to pick it back up.
As he feels the proud city beneath him shudder and groan, his mind starts to race. Where is his wife? His daughter? His son? His brother? His friends not at his side? Could he spare them even a seconds thought before called to action. No. That luxury would be handed to others, not the team leader of the city's elite. Time was against them. Every second used to call to account those caught in the path of the remorseless madman.
"Eddie…I need you over at the Health and Welfare…"
He hears the despair and utter emotional exhaustion in his superiors voice; the uncertain despair from the two that just joined their union and the fake promises of those around him that all would work out in the end. Lies. Lies for which not one of them would be faulted or held to account. Who would judge them for being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Their sentence already passed and judgment rendered. For some the sentence of death would be commuted…for others it would be carried out instantly.
What the hell is going on? He demands of himself. Uttering a pithy…"nail his ass to the wall," statement when asked about the outcome of this heinous crime. That's the only end he wants to see. But as he looks around he now wonders who else would be forced to pay the price of the madman's call. And why? Why is this happening at all? What is the reasoning…is there reason? No.
His eyes fixed on a black tag…the size of the being not more than a few feet in height and feels himself inwardly shutter. There would never be a satisfying reason for this. Never. The devil had unleashed his fury and the good were made to suffer. No matter the answer; it would never heal the pain. Some wounds would fester forever.
But it's not time to bend to personal frustration or inquiring thoughts about the outcome of the day or the reason behind the ugly deed; a job has to be done and a leader to take control and get it done. For a few split seconds his mind quickly travels back to another terror attack on another proud city – New York City. September 11, 2001. He remembers the pictures of utter destruction…the sights of fear…the faces of terror…the scenes of death…abject carnage…emotions fate gets off on and remembers thinking how he'd react in that situation. Today he'd get the chance to put those thoughts into action but ponder them later. Much later.
"Okay we need…"
His voice is firm and strong; so far nothing overly personal has clouded his judgment, thinking or personal agenda. Help the wounded. Honor the dead. Save the living. It was simple. Get the job done and get the hell out of there. It takes seconds assess and react; kneeling down…eyeing the crimson sludge…feeling for a pulse…pulling a tag. Green…yellow…red…black. Never liked black – the color of death. Today…black would be the only flag hoisted.
He lifts his eyes and sees a teen emerge from the smoke, carrying another in his arms; the look of sheer failure on his face saying it all; limbs askew, eyes black. One was spared…the other taken. Why? No time to offer comfort or an answer, he doesn't have it. It's time to act. Time to go into autopilot and get the job done. It's the only way to lead right now. The only way to survive.
As he heads into the smoky carnage before him, he thinks back to something his therapist had told him not so many days before: 'your job is black and white…how you feel about it isn't.'
Was this the price of freedom? A city brought to its knees so easily? Innocent souls called to account for doing nothing more than being allowed to exist? People going about their daily tasks without the thought of someone taking that away from them with the mere blink of an eye? And for no other reason than he could?
He carries a body…numbly deposits it beside the rest…too many black tags to count. Next he spies a woman a few feet way with blood on her face. Within seconds he's at her side trying to offer comfort; they are coming at him faster than he wants. Control? He wants control; craves it; curses the fact he doesn't have it. He needs it to be his personal safety blanket; that he can still have his world the same after all this is over. Control. Fate laughs at his proud stance telling him that control cased to exist the moment the devil gave the okay for the war to take place. So willingly offered his grace for peace to be sullied and war to flourish. A city under siege. Freedom threatened. Lives destroyed. Destiny shattered.
"Ed…in there children…a daycare…"
He hears the panic in his team members voice and knows there is no time to ponder the would be's and what if's about gaining back that control. Save the children. Save the innocent. They are our future. Pay the price. Would destiny ever be allowed to pull back from the black shield covering the light? Would freedom be allowed to ring out strong and true once more? Would things ever return to normal? Normal? No. After today normal would never exist again. The definition already rewritten.
This is the price of freedom, Ed's tormented mind is forced to acknowledge. Time to pay up. All of us. Death has no discrimination. It has opened its arms for anyone…the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the bad, the good…and the honorable.
As Ed slowly stands up and casts his eyes over the blood, dust and strewn bodies around him; looking up at his fellow team members and giving them a firm nod to advance before he leads the charge; he knows, no matter what happens from this moment onward, at the end of the day, when the dust would finally settle none of them would be the same again – ever.
THE END…(for now)
A/N: Hope it was okay…supposed to be angsty b/c hey the eppy was far from happy (well aside from the like 2 mins of the wedding). I wanted this one a bit detached b/c otherwise I'd be a mess otherwise and I need to get through the finale. And I had to leave it open b/c I don't know how to encompass Ed's heartache – yet over Clark's situation. That and a tribute to my beloved Donna will be coming…I just need the courage and encouragement to get there. So thank you all for your patience and hope you liked this brief little piece enough to review and thanks so much!
PS: I know I just updated Vengeance and am working on Scars for this week, but I had to get this up today and hope its not too much. Please forgive me if it is.