This fic is not for you if a) you think Agent Sandoval is a machine, or b)
you can't stand death. Everyone else, enjoy and review, even if it's just
to flame me (I like fire!). Constructive criticism is appreciated. Okay,
here we go, and I DO NOT OWN EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT, so don't sue me.
When Renee saw who it was on the doorstep, she started to slam the door.
"Please," Sandoval managed to get out, "I didn't come here to cause any trouble."
She opened the door just wide enough to stick her head out.
" What do you want?"
He took a breath. No turning back now.
"I'm trying to find my son. I thought that you might know him, considering you were both in the resistance."
Renee studied the former agent carefully. This normally proud man was vulnerable, and making no effort to hide it. She could read the pleading on his face. 'How do I tell him about Liam?'
She opened her door. "Come in."
A few minutes later both of them were seated in Renee's kitchen. The sink was full of suds. Apparently Sandoval had interrupted her while she was doing the dishes. They sat silently for a moment, Sandoval waiting and Renee pondering. Finally she spoke.
"I don't know where to begin. He and I were good friends."
"But you had a falling out?" Sandoval asked, but he dreaded that he already knew why Renee had used 'were'.
She didn't answer the question.
"Liam-"
Her voice broke. She swallowed hard and continued.
"Liam was your son, but he's dead now."
Renee started to cry softly, not caring that Sandoval was sitting right across from her. Not that he was paying attention.
'Oh my.' He remembered every insult, every slight he'd ever paid Liam as clearly as the days he'd said them. Sandoval had made his son's short life completely miserable. 'How could I. do that to him?'
Sandoval's vision was blurred, but he didn't know why. He touched his eyes, and realized that his vision was obscured by tears. He was crying. After for struggling for what seemed like an eternity, he found his voice and said hoarsely, "Thank you, Ms. Palmer. You don't mind if I show myself out?"
She was startled by his tone, by the pain she heard in it. The Sandoval she knew and hated had never seemed capable of that kind of emotion, but there he was, with honest-to-goodness tears in his eyes.
"I'll show you out."
When they were back on the doorstep, Sandoval silently turned to leave.
"Wait." Renee blurted out.
He turned to regard her, dark eyes hooded against their previous emotion.
"If you want to talk about Liam sometime, I'll be around, okay?"
A trace of sorrow flickered through those deep eyes, but all he said was, " Thank you."
Then he left.
'What am I doing?' Renee thought as she watched him disappear down the snowy street. 'Why on earth did I invite him back here?'
She knew the answer. Despite the roll he played in the war- both wars- he was one of the few people who remembered what it was like.
When Renee saw who it was on the doorstep, she started to slam the door.
"Please," Sandoval managed to get out, "I didn't come here to cause any trouble."
She opened the door just wide enough to stick her head out.
" What do you want?"
He took a breath. No turning back now.
"I'm trying to find my son. I thought that you might know him, considering you were both in the resistance."
Renee studied the former agent carefully. This normally proud man was vulnerable, and making no effort to hide it. She could read the pleading on his face. 'How do I tell him about Liam?'
She opened her door. "Come in."
A few minutes later both of them were seated in Renee's kitchen. The sink was full of suds. Apparently Sandoval had interrupted her while she was doing the dishes. They sat silently for a moment, Sandoval waiting and Renee pondering. Finally she spoke.
"I don't know where to begin. He and I were good friends."
"But you had a falling out?" Sandoval asked, but he dreaded that he already knew why Renee had used 'were'.
She didn't answer the question.
"Liam-"
Her voice broke. She swallowed hard and continued.
"Liam was your son, but he's dead now."
Renee started to cry softly, not caring that Sandoval was sitting right across from her. Not that he was paying attention.
'Oh my.' He remembered every insult, every slight he'd ever paid Liam as clearly as the days he'd said them. Sandoval had made his son's short life completely miserable. 'How could I. do that to him?'
Sandoval's vision was blurred, but he didn't know why. He touched his eyes, and realized that his vision was obscured by tears. He was crying. After for struggling for what seemed like an eternity, he found his voice and said hoarsely, "Thank you, Ms. Palmer. You don't mind if I show myself out?"
She was startled by his tone, by the pain she heard in it. The Sandoval she knew and hated had never seemed capable of that kind of emotion, but there he was, with honest-to-goodness tears in his eyes.
"I'll show you out."
When they were back on the doorstep, Sandoval silently turned to leave.
"Wait." Renee blurted out.
He turned to regard her, dark eyes hooded against their previous emotion.
"If you want to talk about Liam sometime, I'll be around, okay?"
A trace of sorrow flickered through those deep eyes, but all he said was, " Thank you."
Then he left.
'What am I doing?' Renee thought as she watched him disappear down the snowy street. 'Why on earth did I invite him back here?'
She knew the answer. Despite the roll he played in the war- both wars- he was one of the few people who remembered what it was like.