(no subject)
Title: Peace in the Valley
Author: Kayla
Feedback: would make me one happy writer.
Pairing: All canon couples are implied.
Word Count: 842
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst/Gen
Summary: “God, what happened to the peace in the valley?” Angel wants something, near the end of her life.
Notes: My return to speed_rent after so much absence, so it might be a little rusty. Kind of my return to writing too...after about a month’s absence.
Special Thanks: Well, thanks to all the Rent fans who make this such an awesome fandom to write for.
Spoilers: All apply.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Jonathan Larson owns Rent.
ETA: YES! First speed_rent win...I am in absolute shock.
“You know what I want for them, for all of them?” Collins remembered the words so well, the soft, yet desperate sounding words. He recalled them often, for they were soft, and dreamlike, and sometimes he was sure they were going to be forgotten.
“What I want,” Angel had said, in a weakened, but firm voice, “is for them...the four of them, and Mark too, is to stop with this. Fighting is normal, but it’s...hurting the bond we’ve all worked so hard to grow during this past year. Even without...without this.” Angel did not need to say it. Collins saw her eyes turn to her surroundings - the white walls of a hospital. Even without the disease in their lives...there was so much at stake, for everyone.
“I know. I know that it’s horrible, but I know they’ll make it through this.” He remembered his own words to her, desperate, unsure.
“You saw the way they were earlier today, as well as I did. My poor, darling Mimi, she was on the verge of falling apart. Of course, all I could get from her was...that they’d let go of each other, for now. And...yesterday, when Joanne finally got you out of here, for a minute...she started crying. I don’t want that poor girl to be alone, not...”
Collins remembered his loss of words. He had sat at Angel’s side then, not knowing what to say. She was right - of course, that they were throwing away so much, with this tension. She was so right. He hated to admit it, but he knew that Angel was looking at them. Ten months and their happiness was coming to an end here.
Angel was weak, but she continued talking. “And Mark having to deal with it all,” she said, looking at him desperately. “That boy would not have to detatch himself so much...if he did not have to play in the center of all this tension. God, what happened to the peace in the valley?”
“Peace in...what?” Collins had asked.
Angel had just laughed. “Something my grandmother used to say, when I was younger,” she’d explained, a smile on her face. “I think she...lived in a valley, somewhere at sometime. I don’t know why it’s in my mind now...but she used to say that people always wasted time with anger. Then she would talk about bringing peace...into the valley.”
He had thought it was a nice concept. Complete peace, without the fighting, the anxiety, and the fear. Sort of like what they had lived, for their time together.
Angel laughed. “I know the whole valley thing makes no sense...I just like saying it.”
“I like it,” Collins had told Angel. “It’s what’s right.”
Peace in the symbolic valley of their lives did not come when Angel died, and for that, Collins was bitter for a long time. They had not realized what Angel wanted for them. They had fought, even at her funeral. He had watched things fall apart.
Yet now, things were different...nearly a year after Angel’s death, Collins could see that there was peace.
“Hey...” he said aloud, the words from the past still in his mind. He was in the familiar churchyard where Angel had been buried, but for a much happier purpose. He stood by her grave site. “Angel...you always wanted them to have peace. Well, we’ve found peace.”
He stepped gently along , until he was directly in front of the spot. He found more comfort in speaking to her. “I’m here for a different reason today. Maureen and Joanne...married for real Angel. They figured it was the best thing to do, for their daughter. I still can’t even believe they decided to adopt her...even though they did it six months ago. And...Mimi and Roger. I don’t know how long either of them has...but they’re very happy. They still fight a bit, but they don’t let it get in the way. They had one today...because he didn’t want her to come here. He said she was too weak, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She wanted to come to her friend’s wedding.”
He laughed. “Peace in the ‘Valley’ Angel...we’ve got it. Still don’t know what kind of valley we’ve got in New York City...but...there’s peace here. I know you’re proud of everyone. I am. Things are...good.”
Author: Kayla
Feedback: would make me one happy writer.
Pairing: All canon couples are implied.
Word Count: 842
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst/Gen
Summary: “God, what happened to the peace in the valley?” Angel wants something, near the end of her life.
Notes: My return to speed_rent after so much absence, so it might be a little rusty. Kind of my return to writing too...after about a month’s absence.
Special Thanks: Well, thanks to all the Rent fans who make this such an awesome fandom to write for.
Spoilers: All apply.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Jonathan Larson owns Rent.
ETA: YES! First speed_rent win...I am in absolute shock.
“You know what I want for them, for all of them?” Collins remembered the words so well, the soft, yet desperate sounding words. He recalled them often, for they were soft, and dreamlike, and sometimes he was sure they were going to be forgotten.
“What I want,” Angel had said, in a weakened, but firm voice, “is for them...the four of them, and Mark too, is to stop with this. Fighting is normal, but it’s...hurting the bond we’ve all worked so hard to grow during this past year. Even without...without this.” Angel did not need to say it. Collins saw her eyes turn to her surroundings - the white walls of a hospital. Even without the disease in their lives...there was so much at stake, for everyone.
“I know. I know that it’s horrible, but I know they’ll make it through this.” He remembered his own words to her, desperate, unsure.
“You saw the way they were earlier today, as well as I did. My poor, darling Mimi, she was on the verge of falling apart. Of course, all I could get from her was...that they’d let go of each other, for now. And...yesterday, when Joanne finally got you out of here, for a minute...she started crying. I don’t want that poor girl to be alone, not...”
Collins remembered his loss of words. He had sat at Angel’s side then, not knowing what to say. She was right - of course, that they were throwing away so much, with this tension. She was so right. He hated to admit it, but he knew that Angel was looking at them. Ten months and their happiness was coming to an end here.
Angel was weak, but she continued talking. “And Mark having to deal with it all,” she said, looking at him desperately. “That boy would not have to detatch himself so much...if he did not have to play in the center of all this tension. God, what happened to the peace in the valley?”
“Peace in...what?” Collins had asked.
Angel had just laughed. “Something my grandmother used to say, when I was younger,” she’d explained, a smile on her face. “I think she...lived in a valley, somewhere at sometime. I don’t know why it’s in my mind now...but she used to say that people always wasted time with anger. Then she would talk about bringing peace...into the valley.”
He had thought it was a nice concept. Complete peace, without the fighting, the anxiety, and the fear. Sort of like what they had lived, for their time together.
Angel laughed. “I know the whole valley thing makes no sense...I just like saying it.”
“I like it,” Collins had told Angel. “It’s what’s right.”
Peace in the symbolic valley of their lives did not come when Angel died, and for that, Collins was bitter for a long time. They had not realized what Angel wanted for them. They had fought, even at her funeral. He had watched things fall apart.
Yet now, things were different...nearly a year after Angel’s death, Collins could see that there was peace.
“Hey...” he said aloud, the words from the past still in his mind. He was in the familiar churchyard where Angel had been buried, but for a much happier purpose. He stood by her grave site. “Angel...you always wanted them to have peace. Well, we’ve found peace.”
He stepped gently along , until he was directly in front of the spot. He found more comfort in speaking to her. “I’m here for a different reason today. Maureen and Joanne...married for real Angel. They figured it was the best thing to do, for their daughter. I still can’t even believe they decided to adopt her...even though they did it six months ago. And...Mimi and Roger. I don’t know how long either of them has...but they’re very happy. They still fight a bit, but they don’t let it get in the way. They had one today...because he didn’t want her to come here. He said she was too weak, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She wanted to come to her friend’s wedding.”
He laughed. “Peace in the ‘Valley’ Angel...we’ve got it. Still don’t know what kind of valley we’ve got in New York City...but...there’s peace here. I know you’re proud of everyone. I am. Things are...good.”