TITLE: Closer Then Ever.
AUTHOR: Eb.
RATING: G.
PAIRING: G/C
SPOILERS: None
SUMMERY: Family bonding at Lindsey's school play, Romeo and Juliet.
AN: Just a ficlet I had to write for the QCS. (Queensland Core Skills test.) If there are any other Queensland school leavers from 2004 out there, you'll remember it. Basically, we were given a topic and we had to write a 500-600 word essay on it. I chose fanfiction. The topic for this one, I think, was support.
Peeking through a gap in the curtain that hid the stage from view, Lindsey gulped at the number of people in the audience. No matter how many times she stared in a stage production, she still always felt butterflies dancing in her stomach at her first glimpse of the audience. Feeling the presence of someone behind her, Lindsey turned around to find her stepfather, who seemed to be just as nervous as she. Smiling an impish smile, she calmly strode up to him and embraced him. It was a special kind of hug, the kind that all daughters save just for their fathers, meant to give comfort as much as to receive it. Stepping back, Lindsey looked up at the man her mother had married, the man who was more a father to her then her own ever was, and grinned. Embracing him again she quietly confided,
"I'm so nervous."
"I know," her replied. "If I'm feeling this bad, I can't imagine how you're feeling." Still grinning, Lindsey pulled back so that she could look into his eyes.
"You're nervous?"
"Of course, it's not everyday I know the star of the play." Spying the hair dresser signaling her back she gave her step-dad one last quick hug and whispered,
"Thank you for coming, I couldn't have done it without you, dad," before scrambling off to have her hair finished.
Still standing there with a stunned expression gracing the features of his face, Gil watched his stepdaughter disappear around the corner of the corridor. He loved her like she was his own, but he had never expected her to feel the same. Arms wrapped around hi, embracing him from behind. Gil turned to face his wife. Before she could ask anything, he managed to get out,
"Lindsey, she... She called me dad." Smiling, his wife reached out and cupped his face in her hands,
"Of course she did."
"But..." was all he could manage.
"Gil, it's OK. She's not trying to replace her father, but rather, allowing you to have the job since he can't do it." Since he still looked stunned, she endeavoured to explain further,
"You have been part of her life since she was born. You've been there for every special event in her life. You helped her overcome her grief when her father died. You have always been there for her, and that's what matters most to her." Finally, he grinned, realising the truth behind his wife's words. Gripping her hand, Gil pulled her around the corner he'd seen Lindsey disappear around.
"Come on, lets go wish our daughter good luck." Smiling serenely, his wife matched him stride for stride while retorting,
"It's bad luck to wish an actor 'good luck' before a performance, we'll tell her to break a leg."
During the play, Cath reflected on what she had explained to her husband earlier while she watched her daughter. She hadn't realised the full truth behind her words until now. It was not just her daughter Gil had been there for, but herself as well. Since they had met some 20 odd years ago, he had never left her alone when she needed him. He had always been there for her and her daughter. As she took a stroll down memory lane, she gazed at him from the corner of her eye. As she watched him watch her daughter, she felt all the love she felt for him wash over her. She loved this man more then life itself, and he loved her and her daughter just as much.
'Love,' she thought, 'That's what matters most.'
As Cath and Gil entered the back stage area after the play, they were met with organised chaos. The actors were hugging and congratulating each other, while still managing to remove make-up and costumes. Props were being organised and placed in their appropriate areas, ready for the next performance. The producer and director were moving through the actors offering congratulations and constructive criticism. Essentially, trying to spot their daughter was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Finally they caught a glimpse of her hurrying towards them through the crowd. When Lindsey was close enough she through her arms around both of them, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Thank you, thank you for letting me do this. I couldn't have done this without you." Wiping the tears from her daughter's cheeks, Cath joked,
"Hey, it's not everyday my daughter gets to play Juliet is it?" Hugging Lindsey again Gil whispered to her,
"You had fun and that's what matters." With that, they began to make their way home, closer then ever.
Fin.