TWW Fic: "Easy Child"; CM Fic: "Morning's Guard"
The internet is back up here, and I'm relearning a full-size keyboard. So: IT'S COMMENT FIC A-GO-GO!
Or, why Em seems congenitally not able to write anything short. Yet again, the credit goes to my muses, melliyna and katewallace , without whom I am nothing.
Disclaimers: Nothing in either the West Wing or Criminal Minds fandom belongs to me. They belong to Sorkin, Bernero, Wells, Gordon, etc.
Title: "Easy Child"
Fandom: The West Wing
Rating: FRC
Genre: Drabble/Gen/Angst
Prompt: "Sam Seaborn, the easy child"
Characters: Toby POV.
Timing: Sometime during early S3.
******
"Work family." "Leo and the 'kids'." "Clan Bartlet."
Toby usually resists seeing the office like this. It annoys him, strenuously, for many reasons, though he only needs one.
Their enemies do it too. It makes them vulnerable. And occasionally, it drastically oversimplifies the situation. These are talented professionals, with years of experience in the trenches together. (And there he is veering into another overused metaphor- watch it, Ziegler.)
But if he were to use it, against better judgment? He'd have to correct them on one thing.
Sam Seaborn isn't, nor has he ever been, 'the easy child.' He looks quiet, he looks like the dork he's always admitted to being, he looks easy to please. But look closer.
CJ is a big sister, who knows she has to be flexible, and be on guard at all times. She is impressive when she's angry, but also nearly never out of her own control.
His own temper, and Josh's, are large and boisterous when they flare. But they also burn out just as quickly. Give Josh a new victory, or a new problem to solve, and he's happily splashing about in another sandbox.
But Sam? Sam burns slow, and he burns cold. It's been six months since his parents' separation, and Toby's pretty sure Sam's called his father exactly twice in that time. For a man who was the epitome of the Sunday phone call before, even if it was two minutes while riding the motorcade.
Sam feels deeply, and that includes betrayal as well. And Toby knows this, unfortunately, too well. It's all strictly professional. No childish silent treatment, no blowups like Josh; just trust, and vulnerability, that has to be earned back one action at a time.
Sam, the 'easy child'? Define 'easy.'
*******
Title: "Morning's Guard"
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: FRC
Genre: Fluff/Angst/Friendship
Characters: Team, with a focus on Rossi, JJ and Hotch.
Spoilers: 5.21, "Exit Wounds"
Prompt: "The next time Dave and Aaron shared a room after "Nights' Watch" (or the next morning)"
*******
JJ Jareau had a list. Not a physical, paper-list, certainly. But it was an important one, nonetheless.
"Things Not To Try Again While Out On A Case."
Some of them were somewhat risque, and she blamed Emily Prentiss, or occasionally Derek Morgan, for those.
But the newest one was now: "Do not expect to get a quick breakfast for 7 anywhere in the vicinity of Anchorage, Alaska."
After the seaplanes had returned them to ANC, she had had the bright idea to treat the team. It had been a tough time for all of them. And Penelope had cooked so many psyche-salving baked goods, she deserved some in return.
She had barely made it back to the jet in time, even running. She expected more ribbing than she got. Hotch in particular. He nodded nearly imperceptibly, to her, and returned his gaze out the window.
The mood lifted greatly among the junior profilers when she distributed the provender, obtained from The Bearded Otter grill and greasy spoon. Reid and Morgan were especially enthusiastic. And when Penelope saw her blueberry pancakes, the broad grin was worth every ache in JJ's calves.
When she got back to the quiet end of the plane, she was about to hand Hotch his sandwich, when she noted its exact duplicate in front of him, half eaten. With a cooling cup of Earl Grey tea. He didn’t even seem to realize she was there.
JJ could profile a little too; she just backed away, slowly. Then she zeroed in on the culinary culprit, and sat opposite him. Handing him his fried egg and tomato sandwich.
"Rossi, you could have warned me."
"Wellllll, I'd already cooked it in the kitchenette, and you were so enthusiastic..."
He tried something that, for David Rossi, was akin to puppy-dog eyes.
"Okay, okay, stop it, that's just not right."
They both grinned, but Rossi's faded quickly, and he looked over her shoulder. She followed his gaze, looked back, and decided to risk it.
"Late night?" In a tone that they both knew didn't just mean that.
“Yeah. A lot of wrap-up. Neither one of us got much good sleep.”
JJ could profile, but it was also not an accident that she was where she was. She knew when not to push. She didn’t really have to. As the second-to-last one out of the office, she had been where Rossi was.
Even Unit Chiefs needed to sleep occasionally. Even, or especially, when it was the last thing they wanted to do.
JJ got up, and moved to head towards the rest of the team. But standing by Rossi’s left shoulder, she squeezed it gently.
“He’s lucky to have a friend like you.”
Rossi smirked, and crinkled his eyes at her.
“Damn straight he is.”
That was David Rossi all over, thought JJ, as she proceeded to join the raucous BAU breakfast.
*fin*
Or, why Em seems congenitally not able to write anything short. Yet again, the credit goes to my muses, melliyna and katewallace , without whom I am nothing.
Disclaimers: Nothing in either the West Wing or Criminal Minds fandom belongs to me. They belong to Sorkin, Bernero, Wells, Gordon, etc.
Title: "Easy Child"
Fandom: The West Wing
Rating: FRC
Genre: Drabble/Gen/Angst
Prompt: "Sam Seaborn, the easy child"
Characters: Toby POV.
Timing: Sometime during early S3.
******
"Work family." "Leo and the 'kids'." "Clan Bartlet."
Toby usually resists seeing the office like this. It annoys him, strenuously, for many reasons, though he only needs one.
Their enemies do it too. It makes them vulnerable. And occasionally, it drastically oversimplifies the situation. These are talented professionals, with years of experience in the trenches together. (And there he is veering into another overused metaphor- watch it, Ziegler.)
But if he were to use it, against better judgment? He'd have to correct them on one thing.
Sam Seaborn isn't, nor has he ever been, 'the easy child.' He looks quiet, he looks like the dork he's always admitted to being, he looks easy to please. But look closer.
CJ is a big sister, who knows she has to be flexible, and be on guard at all times. She is impressive when she's angry, but also nearly never out of her own control.
His own temper, and Josh's, are large and boisterous when they flare. But they also burn out just as quickly. Give Josh a new victory, or a new problem to solve, and he's happily splashing about in another sandbox.
But Sam? Sam burns slow, and he burns cold. It's been six months since his parents' separation, and Toby's pretty sure Sam's called his father exactly twice in that time. For a man who was the epitome of the Sunday phone call before, even if it was two minutes while riding the motorcade.
Sam feels deeply, and that includes betrayal as well. And Toby knows this, unfortunately, too well. It's all strictly professional. No childish silent treatment, no blowups like Josh; just trust, and vulnerability, that has to be earned back one action at a time.
Sam, the 'easy child'? Define 'easy.'
*******
Title: "Morning's Guard"
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: FRC
Genre: Fluff/Angst/Friendship
Characters: Team, with a focus on Rossi, JJ and Hotch.
Spoilers: 5.21, "Exit Wounds"
Prompt: "The next time Dave and Aaron shared a room after "Nights' Watch" (or the next morning)"
*******
JJ Jareau had a list. Not a physical, paper-list, certainly. But it was an important one, nonetheless.
"Things Not To Try Again While Out On A Case."
Some of them were somewhat risque, and she blamed Emily Prentiss, or occasionally Derek Morgan, for those.
But the newest one was now: "Do not expect to get a quick breakfast for 7 anywhere in the vicinity of Anchorage, Alaska."
After the seaplanes had returned them to ANC, she had had the bright idea to treat the team. It had been a tough time for all of them. And Penelope had cooked so many psyche-salving baked goods, she deserved some in return.
She had barely made it back to the jet in time, even running. She expected more ribbing than she got. Hotch in particular. He nodded nearly imperceptibly, to her, and returned his gaze out the window.
The mood lifted greatly among the junior profilers when she distributed the provender, obtained from The Bearded Otter grill and greasy spoon. Reid and Morgan were especially enthusiastic. And when Penelope saw her blueberry pancakes, the broad grin was worth every ache in JJ's calves.
When she got back to the quiet end of the plane, she was about to hand Hotch his sandwich, when she noted its exact duplicate in front of him, half eaten. With a cooling cup of Earl Grey tea. He didn’t even seem to realize she was there.
JJ could profile a little too; she just backed away, slowly. Then she zeroed in on the culinary culprit, and sat opposite him. Handing him his fried egg and tomato sandwich.
"Rossi, you could have warned me."
"Wellllll, I'd already cooked it in the kitchenette, and you were so enthusiastic..."
He tried something that, for David Rossi, was akin to puppy-dog eyes.
"Okay, okay, stop it, that's just not right."
They both grinned, but Rossi's faded quickly, and he looked over her shoulder. She followed his gaze, looked back, and decided to risk it.
"Late night?" In a tone that they both knew didn't just mean that.
“Yeah. A lot of wrap-up. Neither one of us got much good sleep.”
JJ could profile, but it was also not an accident that she was where she was. She knew when not to push. She didn’t really have to. As the second-to-last one out of the office, she had been where Rossi was.
Even Unit Chiefs needed to sleep occasionally. Even, or especially, when it was the last thing they wanted to do.
JJ got up, and moved to head towards the rest of the team. But standing by Rossi’s left shoulder, she squeezed it gently.
“He’s lucky to have a friend like you.”
Rossi smirked, and crinkled his eyes at her.
“Damn straight he is.”
That was David Rossi all over, thought JJ, as she proceeded to join the raucous BAU breakfast.
*fin*