AN: For me, there are certain prompts that I read and immediately have a scenario constructed. For others, I think I know what I'm doing, but it evolves into something completely different. I joke that if I write too much fluff, I start to get twitchy. This fic was the turning point. I couldn't do the fluff any longer and it turned angsty. I'm only kind of sorry about that. LOL I would love to hear what you think and it only takes a few seconds to review. I'd appreciate it so much.
1987
Elizabeth Adams sat in the passenger seat of her boyfriend's car and they were on their first road trip together-destination, his parent's house. She and Henry McCord had been dating for roughly four months and had met right when she arrived on campus,two months prior to that. Henry wanted her to accompany him for Christmas, but that seemed too intimate a gathering for meeting someone's family for the first time. Elizabeth didn't want to intrude. She was nervous with it just being a long weekend. Henry assured her it would be fine.
Elizabeth was usually a self confident person. She got along with most people she met, and really didn't have a problem connecting with people of various ages, but this seemed like a disaster in the making. Henry had told her at length about his family, including his strained relationship with his father and his oldest sister. If she were honest with herself, she was scared to death that they would all immediately hate her and that put her in an awkward position with Henry. She would never want to come between him and his family, but she was falling hard for the young man five years her senior, and the thought of giving him up made her ill.
Anxiously, she strummed her fingertips on her thigh, until Henry noticed and placed his hand on top of hers, stilling the movement. "You'll be fine. And I'll know pretty quickly how well you're liked."
"How?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm not telling you that, because then you'll be looking for it," he smirked at her and she rolled her eyes.
"But you'll tell me if it happens, won't you? I'm already nervous and if you withhold information from me, it won't be good!" she teased. He linked his pinky in hers by way of a promise as they continued to get closer to his hometown of PIttsburgh.
When they pulled up in front of the house, Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat. Henry ran his thumb over the knuckles of the hand he was holding. "It will be fine. I promise." He climbed out of the driver's seat and Elizabeth took a couple deep breaths before he opened her door to let her out. They walked hand in hand up the walk and into the house. "Mom, I'm home." They heard footsteps above them and then the stairs creak as Marion McCord descended them.
"Hanks, I'm so glad you are here. It's been too long." She pulled away and looked at the very confused girl standing next to Henry, or was it Hanks? "Elizabeth! Hanks has told me such wonderful things about you. I look forward to getting to know you myself. Come. Can I get you some coffee or tea?"
They spent the afternoon with the McCord matriarch before Henry's youngest siblings made it home from school. Conversation was easy as they laughed and talked about school and what was going on at home. While she thought everything was going well, she was confused by who Marion was referring to half the time. Elizabeth was positive that Henry had told her that his sisters were Maureen and Erin and his brother, Shane. It took her awhile to figure out that Mo, E, and Shay were his, Hanks's, siblings. Marion rose to get something from the kitchen and Elizabeth was just about to ask Henry about it when Erin and Shane burst through the door tackling their older brother. There was a pile of giggling bodies and limbs in the middle of the living room floor and even though overwhelmed by the boisterousness of it all, Elizabeth found herself laughing.
"Ellabee," Marion called over the din. Elizabeth looked up and Marion waved her over to help in the kitchen. As Elizabeth skirted the tangled mess of McCords to assist, she heard Henry's youngest sister call out.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
'What?" Shane asked.
"Mom just gave Henry's girlfriend a nickname." All three stopped and stared at the girl who walked through the kitchen door following their mother.
"Aw, shit," Shane, whispered under his breath.
"Mo's gonna be pissed," Henry looked at his sister. "She's been going with Jerry over a year and mom still calls him Gerald. All three burst into another fit of laughter.
Later that evening, Henry and Elizabeth walked around the block for some peace and quiet. Once they made it out of earshot of the house, Elizabeth elbowed him, grinning "So, Hanks, what's up with the name thing?"
Henry blushed. "Do you know how annoying that can be? When I played baseball, Mom would be screaming that, so then every team I was on, they called me Hanks McCord. Anyway, if my mom likes you, she messes with your name." He elbowed her back. "I noticed your name change."
"People mess with my name all of the time, although Ellabee is a new one. But, she probably does that to everybody."
"Evidently not Maureen's boyfriend, Gerald," he said. "And no, she doesn't do it to everyone, although if you don't like it, you could probably tell her and she wouldn't. Or, if there is something else you'd prefer to be called," he offered.
Elizabeth stepped in a little closer and melded their sides together, linking their hands. "How come you never call me anything but Elizabeth?"
"It's how you introduced yourself to me. Do you want me to call you Lizzie, like Will does, or Liz, or Beth?" He tickled her side and she pulled away from him.
"No, but usually people do whatever they want." She looked up at him shyly. "I like that you're the only one who calls me Elizabeth. It makes me feel like our relationship is special."
"It is special, but I don't know that it's about your name. I love the name Elizabeth. It's important sounding. You are someone who will do important things. I know it." Henry unhooked his fingers from hers and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close. She did the same and leaned against his shoulder. "So you don't mind if Mom calls you Ellabee."
"Not as long as I'm ranking higher than Gerald," she quipped. Henry laughed and placed a kiss at her hairline.
2011
Elizabeth moved restlessly through the McCord home. She had come with Henry because she couldn't bear to let Henry be alone for his mother's last days. Not that he was alone-his father and siblings were also on hand, but oftentimes, he didn't relate to them, and his mother held such a large part of his heart. She needed to be there, for him.
She was the only spouse at the house, so she quickly offered to stay behind so the others could get away and have dinner out, getting away from the stress. She had just finished the dishes when she heard a noise from the bedroom. Elizabeth had just checked on Marion and she was sleeping. Rushing in to see what the noise was, she was dismayed to find the frail woman attempting to get out of bed.
"Marion, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, taking her shoulders and holding her steady so she wouldn't fall.
"Trying to get up to use the bathroom," Marion muttered.
Elizabeth grimaced. "You aren't supposed to be out of bed. The nurse put a catheter in so you wouldn't have to get up." She helped Marion scoot back so she wasn't teetering on the edge of the bed.
Marion grumbled, "Can't do a damned thing on my own anymore." In spite of herself, Elizabeth chuckled. This was a woman who shouldn't even be able to move, much less hoist herself out of bed and then complain about it. "Don't go giving me lip, Ellabee. I feel like shit."
"I know. I'm sorry. Can I help you lay back? I can get some pillows to help prop you up if you'd like." Marion nodded.
"Did they finally get out of here for a while?" she asked as Elizabeth situated the pillows.
Elizabeth nodded, "They went to eat." Marion closed her eyes as Elizabeth held her shoulders, easing her back into the pillows. Elizabeth ran her hand down Marion's arm and patted her hand. "Can I get you anything?"
"Sit with me Ellabee." Elizabeth quickly moved to sit on the edge of the hospital bed which seemed to swallow the sickly woman. "Thank you for being here. I know Henry appreciates it. I appreciate it." She weakly squeezed Elizabeth's hand. Marion fell asleep. Elizabeth didn't move. She just watched over Marion and thought about her interactions with the woman over the years.
Marion had always welcomed her. Erin and Shane were easy going and they had always got along. It had been much harder to be accepted by Patrick and even less so by Maureen, but Marion always kept them in line, made them be respectful, even if they couldn't always manage actual kindness.
Henry loved his mother so much and was struggling with her illness. Elizabeth hoped she could be enough for him as he he grieved. When her own parents had died, she had weathered that storm alone for the most part and hoped that Henry would never have to. Tears streamed down her face and she was brought out of her thoughts be Marion squeezing her hand.
"Ellabee, it will be okay. Time makes the pain fade." Even though her skin was sallow and her eyes suck deep in the sockets, Marion still held onto her mental faculties. Elizabeth nodded. "You know, when Henry left for college, I was so worried about him. He was the only one to go so far away and even though he was a good boy, I worried just the same. When he said he was bringing a girl home to meet us, I prayed that she would be the right one for him. I knew it would take a special person to keep up with Henry, especially with his military obligations. The first time I met you, my fears were dispelled immediately. I knew you were the one." Marion's long speech had worn her out and she drifted off for a few minutes. Elizabeth waited until she opened her eyes to ask her question.
"Is that why you named me so quickly?" Elizabeth asked. She originally didn't think too much of it until she became a member of the McCord family and watched as all of the kids had significant others, some of whom never received a nickname from Marion, even once married into the family. She wondered if that was part of the reason, Maureen had never been able to fully accept her.
Marion smiled. "Maybe. I don't do it consciously. I just use whatever comes to mind and you've always been my Ellabee in my mind. I immediately knew that you were the one for my Hanks, and that you would love him as much as I do. Someday soon, I'm going to go and I fear that Hanks will take it the hardest. I think he's always felt guilty that he was the only one to move away and not come back. I'm sure some would blame that on you, but I don't think that's the case, is it?"
Elizabeth remembered when two different opportunities came up in the CIA to make a move to Philadelphia, which would bring them a couple hours closer to his parents. She looked into both and Henry refused to let her seriously consider them. He said that he couldn't be closer than he was. He missed his mom terribly, but he just didn't feel like it would be good for him to be much closer to his dad and sister. They really drained him and it affected his state of mind, even after a week of vacation spent in the area when the kids were little or over a holiday. Henry told her that he liked where they were and they were just far enough away for him to function well.
Elizabeth shook her head, and Marion nodded slightly. "I thought so. Henry and Patrick are so very different and Maureen will always take up with her father. Wouldn't matter if he was standing over a bloody body with a knife, she'd side with him without question. I love my husband and all my children dearly, but even I could see that Henry keeping his distance was best for all of them."
Marion closed her eyes and rested. After a few minutes, she carried on as though there hadn't been a lull in the conversation. "Once I met you, I knew it would be okay. You were going to love him in the way he deserved to be loved."
Elizabeth had tried to keep an emotional distance, but Marion's words broke down her resolve. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Thank you for filling in for my Mom all of these years. I'm sure that's not what you signed up for, but you did a fabulous job. I love you so much. I'm not sure what we're going to do without you."
"You'll eat a lot more take out," Marion quipped, causing Elizabeth to laugh through her tears. She squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "I love you like my own. Keep taking care of Henry for me, would you? Please, Ellabee?"
"I would be honored to do so for the rest of my life." Elizabeth held Marion's hand until she fell into a deep sleep. Quietly, Elizabeth left the room and went to sit on the back porch steps, sipping a glass of Jameson she'd poured on the way through the kitchen.
Moments later she heard the back door open and fall shut behind her. Turning, she saw Henry and motioned him to sit on the step below her perch. She offered him the remainder of her glass and when he took it she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, resting her head against his. "Did you look in on her?" Henry hung his head.
"I just-I couldn't. Maureen and Erin are in there now." Henry tipped back the glass, letting the amber liquid flow down his throat. He sat the glass on the step and rubbed her eyes with the heels of his hands. "Damnit Elizabeth. My mom is dying, and I'm angry, and sad." He paused. "And I'm scared. I haven't had to do this before."
"I know," she whispered. "I've got you."
Henry spun around on the step to see his wife. "And who's got you? You love Mom as much as I do."
"We've got each other." Elizabeth leaned closer and hugged Henry. "Let's spend some time with your mom while we can." They stood and walked into the house together, hand in hand.
Madam Secretary Prompt: Her family called her Lizzie, her colleagues Bess, Henry only ever Elizabeth ... but there was another nickname that only Mrs McCord called her.