"This is What You Did"
By Mai (Maisfeeka@AOL.com)
Rating: PG
Archive: CD, anywhere, just let me know, please
Summary: What does Jack do?
Spoilers: Almost Thirty Years (Indirectly)
Disclaimers: J.J. Abrams and ABC own ALIAS.... NO copyright
infringement is intended by the writing and publishing of this
piece.
(Disclaimer for the Disclaimer: The preceding disclaimer was
blatantly stolen from Sentinelgyrl and Kara B.'s last post.
Thanks, ladies!)
Author's note: I've been working on a very long story (Jack/Other,
Romance) in which a woman discovers, while on an unorthodox
mission, that Jack Bristow is the man she's been having these
strange, and sometimes disturbing, dreams about for twelve years.
One thing leads to another and Jack ends up letting down enough
of his guard to become involved with her. This is not that story.
But after watching "Almost Thirty Years" this one came up and
grabbed me by the throat and refused to let me go till I wrote it
down. All comments are welcome, though I'd prefer any flames/
critiques to be sent privately. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.
*****************************************
He opened the door to the darkened bedroom. He could just barely
see her there, curled up on her side of the bed, warm and peaceful
under the covers. He watched her.
Watched her sleep.
Watched her dream.
Wished he could sleep with such peace.
Wondered if he ever had.
After a few minutes (two? ten? twenty?) she stirred, opening her eyes
slowly and turning towards the doorway as if she knew that he was
there. He tensed as she looked at him -- wondering, dreading, fearing.
She tipped her head to one side as she looked at him, forehead furrowing
in thought, and then pushed herself upright on the bed.
"I dreamed," she said and his heart fell.
He waited. Waited for her to send him away, to turn from him in
disgust.
"I dreamed," she said again and he dropped his head, unable to look
at her, afraid of what he would see in her face.
"I dreamed that you came to me and you said to me -"
"I killed a man," he said, "I killed him in anger. Not because I had
to, but because, god help me, I wanted to."
"Yes," she said quietly, eyes filled with wonder and tears, "Yes. That's
just what you said in my dream."
He waited again for her to continue, but she just looked at him with those
eyes, eyes filled with a knowing he would never be able to understand.
"And what did you do? In your dream. What did you do when I told you
that?" he whispered, barely able to make himself stay to hear the worst.
It was as if a shadow moved across her face leaving pain and sadness
behind. The ache in his heart grew until he didn't think he could bear it
any longer. He forced himself to stay stiffly upright, forced his face to
maintain its oh, so familiar look of detachment and indifference, forced
himself to stay where he was as if her response meant nothing to him.
She slid over until she was sitting on the side of the bed facing him and
extended her arms to him as a mother would reach out for a hurt child.
"This," she said, "this is what I did."
He took one halting step forward before he could stop himself, then came
to a stop. "And I?" he managed, "What did I do?"
"Oh, Jack," she said and he found himself moving to her, dropping to his
knees in front of her, going into her arms and letting himself be enfolded
into her warmth.
She held him tightly to her, stroking his hair, feeling his shoulders start
to shake, feeling the warmth of tears soaking through her nightshirt.
"This," she whispered into his ear, "this is what you did."
*********************************************
Mai
5-13-02
By Mai (Maisfeeka@AOL.com)
Rating: PG
Archive: CD, anywhere, just let me know, please
Summary: What does Jack do?
Spoilers: Almost Thirty Years (Indirectly)
Disclaimers: J.J. Abrams and ABC own ALIAS.... NO copyright
infringement is intended by the writing and publishing of this
piece.
(Disclaimer for the Disclaimer: The preceding disclaimer was
blatantly stolen from Sentinelgyrl and Kara B.'s last post.
Thanks, ladies!)
Author's note: I've been working on a very long story (Jack/Other,
Romance) in which a woman discovers, while on an unorthodox
mission, that Jack Bristow is the man she's been having these
strange, and sometimes disturbing, dreams about for twelve years.
One thing leads to another and Jack ends up letting down enough
of his guard to become involved with her. This is not that story.
But after watching "Almost Thirty Years" this one came up and
grabbed me by the throat and refused to let me go till I wrote it
down. All comments are welcome, though I'd prefer any flames/
critiques to be sent privately. Thanks and I hope you enjoy.
*****************************************
He opened the door to the darkened bedroom. He could just barely
see her there, curled up on her side of the bed, warm and peaceful
under the covers. He watched her.
Watched her sleep.
Watched her dream.
Wished he could sleep with such peace.
Wondered if he ever had.
After a few minutes (two? ten? twenty?) she stirred, opening her eyes
slowly and turning towards the doorway as if she knew that he was
there. He tensed as she looked at him -- wondering, dreading, fearing.
She tipped her head to one side as she looked at him, forehead furrowing
in thought, and then pushed herself upright on the bed.
"I dreamed," she said and his heart fell.
He waited. Waited for her to send him away, to turn from him in
disgust.
"I dreamed," she said again and he dropped his head, unable to look
at her, afraid of what he would see in her face.
"I dreamed that you came to me and you said to me -"
"I killed a man," he said, "I killed him in anger. Not because I had
to, but because, god help me, I wanted to."
"Yes," she said quietly, eyes filled with wonder and tears, "Yes. That's
just what you said in my dream."
He waited again for her to continue, but she just looked at him with those
eyes, eyes filled with a knowing he would never be able to understand.
"And what did you do? In your dream. What did you do when I told you
that?" he whispered, barely able to make himself stay to hear the worst.
It was as if a shadow moved across her face leaving pain and sadness
behind. The ache in his heart grew until he didn't think he could bear it
any longer. He forced himself to stay stiffly upright, forced his face to
maintain its oh, so familiar look of detachment and indifference, forced
himself to stay where he was as if her response meant nothing to him.
She slid over until she was sitting on the side of the bed facing him and
extended her arms to him as a mother would reach out for a hurt child.
"This," she said, "this is what I did."
He took one halting step forward before he could stop himself, then came
to a stop. "And I?" he managed, "What did I do?"
"Oh, Jack," she said and he found himself moving to her, dropping to his
knees in front of her, going into her arms and letting himself be enfolded
into her warmth.
She held him tightly to her, stroking his hair, feeling his shoulders start
to shake, feeling the warmth of tears soaking through her nightshirt.
"This," she whispered into his ear, "this is what you did."
*********************************************
Mai
5-13-02