Whatever Comes Our Way 24/?
Sorry this is late, guys. I was flat-out this week with getting a new car, and with someone at work who has decided I am Bitch Extraordinaire #1, and making life Hell because of it.
I know this is short, and I apologize, but it's at least something to keep you going until next Wednesday!!
♥ to you all!
Title: Smoke & Lightning : Whatever Comes Our Way (24/?)
Authors: eviltwin and bloody_adorable
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Wordcount: 3,912
Rating: Adult.
Summary: The boys have a new family and face a whole new set of challenges and possibilities. But they can handle it.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
( master post)
He must have looked a sight after the phone call, because Andy reached out for him. “Jensen?”
He didn't move until he felt the squeeze to his hand. Finally, he blinked and focused his gaze upon the man across from him. “I have to go.”
“What happened?” Andy asked. “Is everyone alright?”
He drifted off again. Being a doctor, he knew all the possibilities that could go wrong, all the scenarios playing in super-fast motion in his head. Again, he turned his gaze to Andy. “I have to go.”
Andy watched him. Something bad happened at home, something that had put Jensen into shock. He probably wasn't going to get any further information out of him right then, so Andy just nodded his head. “Okay,” he agreed. “I'll have the charter plane ready in an hour. Go get your stuff.”
Jensen heard him, but didn't move right away. He nodded his head and stared down at his breakfast, his stomach no longer willing to cooperate with him. He swallowed the bile at the back of his throat, but knew the very first thing he'd do when he got upstairs was throw up the nothing he had in his stomach.
He didn't remember packing, didn't even really remember the trip to the airport. He had bits and pieces of the memory, but no conversation stuck out, nothing was more noteworthy than the thoughts in his head.
Hannah...
“Jensen, try not to think too hard on it,” Andy suggested as they sat down in the charter plane.
It was roomy and comfortable. When they'd flown to DC, they'd just traveled first class on an airline, all expenses paid, of course. This time, they were in a rush to get back, so the charter was used. It was very tastefully decorated. Jensen would have been impressed, if his mind wasn't working overtime. “I know,” he said.
“You're a doctor,” Andy reminded him. “You're trained to handle tough situations, right?”
Swallowing, Jensen nodded. “It's different when it's your own kid,” he told him.
Andy smiled, buckling his seat belt. “I'm sure it's not as bad as you're imagining. As a parent, we tend to exaggerate things. Think of the worst possibility there is.”
Jensen looked over at Andy. Ever the optimist. He tried to smile, but was pretty sure it turned out to look like a grimace. Nodding his head, he searched for his belt buckle, already feeling the plane moving.
The Stewardess started towards the back of the plane. Andy reached out and took hold of her wrist, pulling her closer. “Bring a scotch, please,” he said. “He's going to need something to help him through the flight.”
“Right away, sir,” she nodded. She glanced at Jensen before she continued on her way, to the back of the charter plane.
* * *
It has been hours - hours - since Jeff had talked to Jensen. Where the hell was he? In the family room at the ER, Jared sat upon the overstuffed sofa, knees on his elbows, hands folded and thumbs digging into the corners of his eyes. He could feel Jeff next to him, hear his breathing. The man should have been a comforting presence. He was anything but. Jared knew it was just because he was just on edge, not having heard from the doctors yet. Jesus fucking Christ, this was murder on him.
“Where the hell is he?” Jared asked, moving to stand from the sofa in one quick motion.
Jeff sat up, moving to rest on the edge of the couch. “He'll be here, Jay.”
Jared started to pace. “I wish he'd just get here. Get this shit over with.”
Standing, Jeff set a hand to Jared's chest, making him stop and look at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? This isn't about you, you little prick.”
“It's not,” Jared agreed. “It's about my daughter. It's about her. Jensen warned me about horses. He told me not to let her do this.”
“Excuse me,” Jeffrey almost snapped. “This isn't anyone's fault, if that's what you're getting at. It was an accident. Nobody planned it, nobody instigated it. That's why they call them accidents.”
“It's my fault,” he said, his voice nearing it's loudest. “Jen would agree with me.”
“That's where you're wrong,” someone said.
Jared recognized Jensen's voice and spun around to the doorway.
Jensen watched Jared's angry expression fade away to one of hurt and sadness. Watched him rush towards the doorway, grabbing hold of Jensen and hugging him tightly. Jensen returned the embrace, his strong arms wrapping around Jared's solid frame. He felt another hand to his arm, and opened his eyes to see Jeffrey there. Jeff didn't need to say anything; Jensen understood the look in his eyes. He reached for Jeff, in a silent thank you as Jared held onto him for dear life. Quietly, Jeffrey left the room, allowing them some time to themselves. In the corridor, he met Stevie, who had two cups of coffee in her hands.
“Hey, Jensen's here?” she asked. She handed him a cup. “That one's regular.”
Jeff took one of the coffees from her. “Yeah. Let's leave them to talk.”
Inside the room, Jensen was still tight in an embrace when Jared finally spoke.
“Jen, I'm so sorry,” he said. “It all happened so fast.”
“Alright.” He pushed Jared back, but still kept him in his arms. “Let's sit down. Talk to me, okay?”
Sitting on the sofa, Jared motioned to the closed door to the family waiting room. “They haven't come to tell me anything,” he said.
“I know, it's okay,” Jensen nodded. “I've talked to them. I want to know what happened first.”
Shaking his head, Jared thought for a moment. “I don't know, I wasn't there. I mean, I was there, but I was helping Henry. We were working on the tractor. It had broken down again and I was helping him get it running. Hannah was at her lesson. Matty was watching.”
“Where is Matty?” Jensen asked, looking around the room.
“He's home,” he told him. “Kenzie came to sit with him. He wanted to be here, but I didn't know if that was a good idea.”
“You're pretty worked up,” Jensen nodded. “That might have just made him more upset. You did the right thing.”
“How are you so calm?”
The question was almost accusatory, but Jensen understood why. Maybe Andy was right - his training had kicked in after all. “Trust me, I just look it,” he said. “Tell me.”
Elbows on his knees, Jared set the heels of his hands against his eyes and squeezed hard for a second. “I don't...I just...I don't get it,” he stammered. “She was doing great. We started the tractor, and it backfired. It scared the horse, I guess, and she flipped out. She fell in a hole or something. When we'd gotten there, Maude had told us that they'd had the outdoor arena dragged, where the lesson was going to be. Whoever dragged it must've pulled something out of the ground and dragged it over, thinking the dirt would just fill-in. Maggie stumbled and fell on Hannah. Maude's here somewhere in the hospital, but Henry stayed home. They think they'll have to put Maggie down.”
Of course, Jensen was worried about his daughter, but he was also sad to hear about Maggie. He closed his eyes and sighed, deciding that this family would never be without their drama. “Okay,” he said. “Now, I have to tell you what I know.”
Taking a deep breath, Jared sighed and clasped his hands in front of him. He met Jensen's eyes, his own fearful, and full of regret.
“Hannah's doing okay,” he said. “She's got a lot of problems, too. She's got a broken leg and a fractured pelvis. But the pelvis is a low-energy fracture, okay? That means it'll heal up without any problems.” Jensen nodded at Jared, who was sitting there looking so broken himself. “The leg was a compound fracture. They're only concerned, really, with infection. They were able to set it really nicely.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Jesus,” he said to himself. “What about her arm? Her arm looked broken.”
Jensen shook his head. “Her shoulder was dislocated. They took care of that, too.”
Jared couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He let them fall, setting his head in his hands. Jensen put his arm around him again, trying to comfort him. He could feel Jared trembling, felt his own tears stinging his eyes.
“It's okay, Jay,” he tried to assure him.
Jared sniffled noisily, raising his head. “It's not okay,” he refused. “It's not okay, Jen. What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to being a father. I'm not cut out for this.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Look at what I did to Hannah,” he almost shouted.
“You didn't do anything,” Jensen reminded him. “This was an accident. This is one of the dangers of riding horses.”
“And you tried to tell me that too,” he said through a stuffy nose. “I didn't listen to that either.”
Jensen took a deep breath and sighed. He was quiet for a moment, listening to Jared's tears. “Do you know why you're a great dad?” he finally asked.
Wiping at his eyes, Jared didn't say anything, just looking down at his hands.
“You're a good dad because you let the kids be themselves,” he said. “You remind parents like me, who worry at every little thing, that life is supposed to be lived. You remind us that you can't fail if you don't ever get out there and try to begin with.”
Still gazing down at his hands, Jared sniffled again. He cleared his throat and took another swipe at his eyes. “That speech writer type that up for you?” he said.
It was almost a tease. Jensen smiled and rubbed at Jared's shoulder, moving to rest his chin there. “Nope,” he said. “Guess I'm not so bad after all.”
Jared reached out and took hold of Jensen's hand, interlocking their fingers. They were strongest when they met things head-on together. This was no different. Jared felt Jensen's breath seeping through the cloth of his shirt. He found it incredibly comforting.
“Let's go see our daughter,” Jensen said, his words partially muffled as he spoke against Jared's shoulder.
Sniffling again, Jared took a deep breath. He stood from his place, pulling Jensen with him, and wiped one last time at his eyes. He knew they were red, that his face was wet, but he didn't care who knew he'd been crying.
He was so damn tired, and still so guilt-ridden. He felt better, though, knowing Jensen was there, and that they would get through this. They'd been to Hell and back, and had survived. As Jensen's mother always said, This, too, shall pass.
And it would.
tbc
I know this is short, and I apologize, but it's at least something to keep you going until next Wednesday!!
♥ to you all!
Title: Smoke & Lightning : Whatever Comes Our Way (24/?)
Authors: eviltwin and bloody_adorable
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Wordcount: 3,912
Rating: Adult.
Summary: The boys have a new family and face a whole new set of challenges and possibilities. But they can handle it.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
( master post)
He must have looked a sight after the phone call, because Andy reached out for him. “Jensen?”
He didn't move until he felt the squeeze to his hand. Finally, he blinked and focused his gaze upon the man across from him. “I have to go.”
“What happened?” Andy asked. “Is everyone alright?”
He drifted off again. Being a doctor, he knew all the possibilities that could go wrong, all the scenarios playing in super-fast motion in his head. Again, he turned his gaze to Andy. “I have to go.”
Andy watched him. Something bad happened at home, something that had put Jensen into shock. He probably wasn't going to get any further information out of him right then, so Andy just nodded his head. “Okay,” he agreed. “I'll have the charter plane ready in an hour. Go get your stuff.”
Jensen heard him, but didn't move right away. He nodded his head and stared down at his breakfast, his stomach no longer willing to cooperate with him. He swallowed the bile at the back of his throat, but knew the very first thing he'd do when he got upstairs was throw up the nothing he had in his stomach.
He didn't remember packing, didn't even really remember the trip to the airport. He had bits and pieces of the memory, but no conversation stuck out, nothing was more noteworthy than the thoughts in his head.
Hannah...
“Jensen, try not to think too hard on it,” Andy suggested as they sat down in the charter plane.
It was roomy and comfortable. When they'd flown to DC, they'd just traveled first class on an airline, all expenses paid, of course. This time, they were in a rush to get back, so the charter was used. It was very tastefully decorated. Jensen would have been impressed, if his mind wasn't working overtime. “I know,” he said.
“You're a doctor,” Andy reminded him. “You're trained to handle tough situations, right?”
Swallowing, Jensen nodded. “It's different when it's your own kid,” he told him.
Andy smiled, buckling his seat belt. “I'm sure it's not as bad as you're imagining. As a parent, we tend to exaggerate things. Think of the worst possibility there is.”
Jensen looked over at Andy. Ever the optimist. He tried to smile, but was pretty sure it turned out to look like a grimace. Nodding his head, he searched for his belt buckle, already feeling the plane moving.
The Stewardess started towards the back of the plane. Andy reached out and took hold of her wrist, pulling her closer. “Bring a scotch, please,” he said. “He's going to need something to help him through the flight.”
“Right away, sir,” she nodded. She glanced at Jensen before she continued on her way, to the back of the charter plane.
* * *
It has been hours - hours - since Jeff had talked to Jensen. Where the hell was he? In the family room at the ER, Jared sat upon the overstuffed sofa, knees on his elbows, hands folded and thumbs digging into the corners of his eyes. He could feel Jeff next to him, hear his breathing. The man should have been a comforting presence. He was anything but. Jared knew it was just because he was just on edge, not having heard from the doctors yet. Jesus fucking Christ, this was murder on him.
“Where the hell is he?” Jared asked, moving to stand from the sofa in one quick motion.
Jeff sat up, moving to rest on the edge of the couch. “He'll be here, Jay.”
Jared started to pace. “I wish he'd just get here. Get this shit over with.”
Standing, Jeff set a hand to Jared's chest, making him stop and look at him. “What the hell is wrong with you? This isn't about you, you little prick.”
“It's not,” Jared agreed. “It's about my daughter. It's about her. Jensen warned me about horses. He told me not to let her do this.”
“Excuse me,” Jeffrey almost snapped. “This isn't anyone's fault, if that's what you're getting at. It was an accident. Nobody planned it, nobody instigated it. That's why they call them accidents.”
“It's my fault,” he said, his voice nearing it's loudest. “Jen would agree with me.”
“That's where you're wrong,” someone said.
Jared recognized Jensen's voice and spun around to the doorway.
Jensen watched Jared's angry expression fade away to one of hurt and sadness. Watched him rush towards the doorway, grabbing hold of Jensen and hugging him tightly. Jensen returned the embrace, his strong arms wrapping around Jared's solid frame. He felt another hand to his arm, and opened his eyes to see Jeffrey there. Jeff didn't need to say anything; Jensen understood the look in his eyes. He reached for Jeff, in a silent thank you as Jared held onto him for dear life. Quietly, Jeffrey left the room, allowing them some time to themselves. In the corridor, he met Stevie, who had two cups of coffee in her hands.
“Hey, Jensen's here?” she asked. She handed him a cup. “That one's regular.”
Jeff took one of the coffees from her. “Yeah. Let's leave them to talk.”
Inside the room, Jensen was still tight in an embrace when Jared finally spoke.
“Jen, I'm so sorry,” he said. “It all happened so fast.”
“Alright.” He pushed Jared back, but still kept him in his arms. “Let's sit down. Talk to me, okay?”
Sitting on the sofa, Jared motioned to the closed door to the family waiting room. “They haven't come to tell me anything,” he said.
“I know, it's okay,” Jensen nodded. “I've talked to them. I want to know what happened first.”
Shaking his head, Jared thought for a moment. “I don't know, I wasn't there. I mean, I was there, but I was helping Henry. We were working on the tractor. It had broken down again and I was helping him get it running. Hannah was at her lesson. Matty was watching.”
“Where is Matty?” Jensen asked, looking around the room.
“He's home,” he told him. “Kenzie came to sit with him. He wanted to be here, but I didn't know if that was a good idea.”
“You're pretty worked up,” Jensen nodded. “That might have just made him more upset. You did the right thing.”
“How are you so calm?”
The question was almost accusatory, but Jensen understood why. Maybe Andy was right - his training had kicked in after all. “Trust me, I just look it,” he said. “Tell me.”
Elbows on his knees, Jared set the heels of his hands against his eyes and squeezed hard for a second. “I don't...I just...I don't get it,” he stammered. “She was doing great. We started the tractor, and it backfired. It scared the horse, I guess, and she flipped out. She fell in a hole or something. When we'd gotten there, Maude had told us that they'd had the outdoor arena dragged, where the lesson was going to be. Whoever dragged it must've pulled something out of the ground and dragged it over, thinking the dirt would just fill-in. Maggie stumbled and fell on Hannah. Maude's here somewhere in the hospital, but Henry stayed home. They think they'll have to put Maggie down.”
Of course, Jensen was worried about his daughter, but he was also sad to hear about Maggie. He closed his eyes and sighed, deciding that this family would never be without their drama. “Okay,” he said. “Now, I have to tell you what I know.”
Taking a deep breath, Jared sighed and clasped his hands in front of him. He met Jensen's eyes, his own fearful, and full of regret.
“Hannah's doing okay,” he said. “She's got a lot of problems, too. She's got a broken leg and a fractured pelvis. But the pelvis is a low-energy fracture, okay? That means it'll heal up without any problems.” Jensen nodded at Jared, who was sitting there looking so broken himself. “The leg was a compound fracture. They're only concerned, really, with infection. They were able to set it really nicely.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Jesus,” he said to himself. “What about her arm? Her arm looked broken.”
Jensen shook his head. “Her shoulder was dislocated. They took care of that, too.”
Jared couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He let them fall, setting his head in his hands. Jensen put his arm around him again, trying to comfort him. He could feel Jared trembling, felt his own tears stinging his eyes.
“It's okay, Jay,” he tried to assure him.
Jared sniffled noisily, raising his head. “It's not okay,” he refused. “It's not okay, Jen. What the hell was I thinking when I agreed to being a father. I'm not cut out for this.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Look at what I did to Hannah,” he almost shouted.
“You didn't do anything,” Jensen reminded him. “This was an accident. This is one of the dangers of riding horses.”
“And you tried to tell me that too,” he said through a stuffy nose. “I didn't listen to that either.”
Jensen took a deep breath and sighed. He was quiet for a moment, listening to Jared's tears. “Do you know why you're a great dad?” he finally asked.
Wiping at his eyes, Jared didn't say anything, just looking down at his hands.
“You're a good dad because you let the kids be themselves,” he said. “You remind parents like me, who worry at every little thing, that life is supposed to be lived. You remind us that you can't fail if you don't ever get out there and try to begin with.”
Still gazing down at his hands, Jared sniffled again. He cleared his throat and took another swipe at his eyes. “That speech writer type that up for you?” he said.
It was almost a tease. Jensen smiled and rubbed at Jared's shoulder, moving to rest his chin there. “Nope,” he said. “Guess I'm not so bad after all.”
Jared reached out and took hold of Jensen's hand, interlocking their fingers. They were strongest when they met things head-on together. This was no different. Jared felt Jensen's breath seeping through the cloth of his shirt. He found it incredibly comforting.
“Let's go see our daughter,” Jensen said, his words partially muffled as he spoke against Jared's shoulder.
Sniffling again, Jared took a deep breath. He stood from his place, pulling Jensen with him, and wiped one last time at his eyes. He knew they were red, that his face was wet, but he didn't care who knew he'd been crying.
He was so damn tired, and still so guilt-ridden. He felt better, though, knowing Jensen was there, and that they would get through this. They'd been to Hell and back, and had survived. As Jensen's mother always said, This, too, shall pass.
And it would.
tbc