CHALLENGE 8. ABED NADIR
Challenge Synopsis: Using your knowledge of TV meta and canon, what may have been had something happened just a bit differently?
3 quick What If..? drabbles for tvholics.
Title: Please.
Timeline: What if Emma hadn't bargained with Rumplestiltskin to allow Ashley to keep her child?
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Ashley, Emma, Henry & Mr. Gold.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 307
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"Actually, we have an agreement." Mr. Gold said rather densely as he leaned against his cane, not even hiding the smirk that had spread across his features, enjoying the anger that seemed to ebb off of Ms. Swann in waves.
"Tear it up." Emma said, her words more forceful than she'd intended. She knew that no one liked doing what they didn't like and Mr. Gold ran this town, she didn't want to get on his bad side. She was already on Regina's list, she could do well without angering another powerful town patron. Trying her best to quell the anger, she exhaled, rephrasing her request, this time she'd try appealing to his humanity. Through clenched teeth, she spoke, trying her best to sound sincere, "Could you have it in your heart, to let this go?"
Henry looked up and a look of worry crossed his face when he saw Mr. Gold enter the room along with Emma, an inaudible 'No' encircling his lips. Ashley had been preoccupied, having lost track of the time, her child had Sean's eyes, vibrant, youthful and full of fear, no wait that wasn't right.
Soon enough, fear surged around the room and they seemed to be drowning in it. In a movement that shouldn't have been possible for someone as seemingly fragile a state as Mr. Gold seemed to be in, he had the child in his arm, shifting his weight to ensure the child wouldn't fall.
"Please," Ashley implored and the word seemed to cause the older man to prickle but rather than sit and listen to the pleas of an unfit teenage mother, he exited the room, not glancing back as he heard a single word uttered by both Emma and Ashley; "Monster."
If they only knew how true and how right they were. In time, perhaps they would.
Title: Alone.
Timeline: What if Amy despite knowing the consequences chose to stay with River & the Doctor?
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Doctor, Amy, River, & Rory.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 253
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Amy stared at the gravestone with a solitary name chiseled into the cold unforgiving stone. Behind her, the Doctor had his hand reaching out for hers, begging her to to come along, instinctively their multitude of interactions could be summed up in three words, "Come Along Pond." Amy tried to keep the tears from spilling forth but she couldn't help it, she turned to face the Doctor, in the end, she was a coward. Rory had always been the brave one.
River looked aghast as Amy took the Doctor's hand and the trio began to fade away, leaving Rory to his final fate.
Elsewhere, Rory couldn't help but smile, the girl who waited, she didn't have to wait anymore.
He'd made her spend all that time alone, and now it was him who'd ended up alone, only there wasn't a fix for this time. Permanence was an awful word, like a void, he's spend the remainder of his days in solitude, Amy had left a void that would never be filled.
In the end, they die together, they didn't stay together but the important thing was clear, Amy had lived a full and rich life and if Rory had to endure a bit of grief so she could die with no regrets, it was a burden he was willing to take on.
For even though he'd died alone, in his heart, they'd made the leap together and lived out full lives. A comforting lie that had rung true, in another time, another place.
Title: Roads Untraveled
Timeline: What if Santana hadn't told Brittney about her indiscretion while away at college & they hadn't broken up?
Fandom: Glee
Characters: Santana Lopez & Brittany S. Pearce.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 368
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Santana sat in front of the mirror backstage fixing her lipstick as she waited for her cue, while on stage the males sang about objectifying female genitalia and sex, a typical day in the life of the McKinley High Glee club. They were currently running through dress rehearsal and seeing as Sugar & big lips had opted not to show up Brit-Brit was having fun filing in for the missing roles.
Santana had to admit, even when she was dressed in a black blazer, pelvis hugging tight jeans and had slopped enough hair gel into her normally bouncy blonde curls to choke a horse, Santana still thought Brittany looked amazing. Maybe love was blinding her and the idea of that made her worry, she'd never had her heart broken, she'd always been the heart-breaker.
Which was exactly why Santana had decided against telling Brittany about her little fling.
Brittany plopped down beside Santana and began to massage her back as she leaned in closer, closer and so close that she nearly fell over. Stifling an embarrassed giggle Brittany removed her hands and wiped the sweat away from her brow. "So, how's it feel to be back? Weird sense of deja boo huh?" Santana smiled, knowing what Brittany meant despite her having said it wrong.
"It's good to see you in the flesh. Video chat can only get me so far," Santana smiled, her sultry tone indicating something, alas Brittany wasn't on the same wavelength. Staring at her happily oblivious, Santana seized the moment, locking lips and smiling against those lips that she'd missed so much.
She'd made the right call in not telling her about one little mistake, it wasn't that big a deal. Moving away, Santana ended the kiss and couldn't help but laugh when she saw that Brittany's lips were still parted, waiting for her to start anew. She couldn't leave her alone, she loved this girl and for better or worse, she loved her as much or more in return.
"Places everybody!" Finn yelled in the background, Brittany murmured softly to Santana, "I'm in the best place of all." "Me too." Santana agreed as she they stood, interlocking pinkies as they walked, just like old times.
3 quick What If..? drabbles for tvholics.
Title: Please.
Timeline: What if Emma hadn't bargained with Rumplestiltskin to allow Ashley to keep her child?
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Ashley, Emma, Henry & Mr. Gold.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 307
------------------------------------------------
"Actually, we have an agreement." Mr. Gold said rather densely as he leaned against his cane, not even hiding the smirk that had spread across his features, enjoying the anger that seemed to ebb off of Ms. Swann in waves.
"Tear it up." Emma said, her words more forceful than she'd intended. She knew that no one liked doing what they didn't like and Mr. Gold ran this town, she didn't want to get on his bad side. She was already on Regina's list, she could do well without angering another powerful town patron. Trying her best to quell the anger, she exhaled, rephrasing her request, this time she'd try appealing to his humanity. Through clenched teeth, she spoke, trying her best to sound sincere, "Could you have it in your heart, to let this go?"
Henry looked up and a look of worry crossed his face when he saw Mr. Gold enter the room along with Emma, an inaudible 'No' encircling his lips. Ashley had been preoccupied, having lost track of the time, her child had Sean's eyes, vibrant, youthful and full of fear, no wait that wasn't right.
Soon enough, fear surged around the room and they seemed to be drowning in it. In a movement that shouldn't have been possible for someone as seemingly fragile a state as Mr. Gold seemed to be in, he had the child in his arm, shifting his weight to ensure the child wouldn't fall.
"Please," Ashley implored and the word seemed to cause the older man to prickle but rather than sit and listen to the pleas of an unfit teenage mother, he exited the room, not glancing back as he heard a single word uttered by both Emma and Ashley; "Monster."
If they only knew how true and how right they were. In time, perhaps they would.
Title: Alone.
Timeline: What if Amy despite knowing the consequences chose to stay with River & the Doctor?
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Doctor, Amy, River, & Rory.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 253
------------------------------------------------
Amy stared at the gravestone with a solitary name chiseled into the cold unforgiving stone. Behind her, the Doctor had his hand reaching out for hers, begging her to to come along, instinctively their multitude of interactions could be summed up in three words, "Come Along Pond." Amy tried to keep the tears from spilling forth but she couldn't help it, she turned to face the Doctor, in the end, she was a coward. Rory had always been the brave one.
River looked aghast as Amy took the Doctor's hand and the trio began to fade away, leaving Rory to his final fate.
Elsewhere, Rory couldn't help but smile, the girl who waited, she didn't have to wait anymore.
He'd made her spend all that time alone, and now it was him who'd ended up alone, only there wasn't a fix for this time. Permanence was an awful word, like a void, he's spend the remainder of his days in solitude, Amy had left a void that would never be filled.
In the end, they die together, they didn't stay together but the important thing was clear, Amy had lived a full and rich life and if Rory had to endure a bit of grief so she could die with no regrets, it was a burden he was willing to take on.
For even though he'd died alone, in his heart, they'd made the leap together and lived out full lives. A comforting lie that had rung true, in another time, another place.
Title: Roads Untraveled
Timeline: What if Santana hadn't told Brittney about her indiscretion while away at college & they hadn't broken up?
Fandom: Glee
Characters: Santana Lopez & Brittany S. Pearce.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 368
------------------------------------------------
Santana sat in front of the mirror backstage fixing her lipstick as she waited for her cue, while on stage the males sang about objectifying female genitalia and sex, a typical day in the life of the McKinley High Glee club. They were currently running through dress rehearsal and seeing as Sugar & big lips had opted not to show up Brit-Brit was having fun filing in for the missing roles.
Santana had to admit, even when she was dressed in a black blazer, pelvis hugging tight jeans and had slopped enough hair gel into her normally bouncy blonde curls to choke a horse, Santana still thought Brittany looked amazing. Maybe love was blinding her and the idea of that made her worry, she'd never had her heart broken, she'd always been the heart-breaker.
Which was exactly why Santana had decided against telling Brittany about her little fling.
Brittany plopped down beside Santana and began to massage her back as she leaned in closer, closer and so close that she nearly fell over. Stifling an embarrassed giggle Brittany removed her hands and wiped the sweat away from her brow. "So, how's it feel to be back? Weird sense of deja boo huh?" Santana smiled, knowing what Brittany meant despite her having said it wrong.
"It's good to see you in the flesh. Video chat can only get me so far," Santana smiled, her sultry tone indicating something, alas Brittany wasn't on the same wavelength. Staring at her happily oblivious, Santana seized the moment, locking lips and smiling against those lips that she'd missed so much.
She'd made the right call in not telling her about one little mistake, it wasn't that big a deal. Moving away, Santana ended the kiss and couldn't help but laugh when she saw that Brittany's lips were still parted, waiting for her to start anew. She couldn't leave her alone, she loved this girl and for better or worse, she loved her as much or more in return.
"Places everybody!" Finn yelled in the background, Brittany murmured softly to Santana, "I'm in the best place of all." "Me too." Santana agreed as she they stood, interlocking pinkies as they walked, just like old times.