Challenge 466: 10 Drabbles
Title: Hope Chest (5 Drabbles)
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG/PG-13
Warnings: Major Character Death
Word count: 100 Each/500 Total
Summary: Sharon is bereaved to hear of Brenda's death
1.
Sharon found out from Provenza of all people. She'd been busy that week and hadn't gotten to call Brenda for days. As she was finishing for the day, enthused she had a free evening and would be able to have dinner with her girlfriend Provenza made some offhand remark about... the funeral.
Sharon felt the color drain out of her; she groped for her chair, sinking into it shakily. He was joking, wasn't he?
Brenda had been in a car accident. A car accident! The woman survived the CIA and LAPD to die in a car accident? For fuck's sake.
2.
Sharon laid in bed wearing the worn and well-loved DCPD shirt that Brenda kept at her apartment. It was one item of a small box worth of objects that Sharon had to remember Brenda by.
The other items included half a bottle of Merlot, her toothbrush, a pair of sandals, a pen with a chewed cap, a little note that said I didn't want to wake you. Dinner tonight? XO Brenda and an eye mask Brenda always threw across the room during the night.
It was hard to believe that this could be all that was left of a person.
3.
Sometimes Sharon's finger would still hover over Brenda's contact in her phone. She'd texted the number once, without thinking, and it got bounced right back. This brought on a fresh onslaught of tears.
Sometimes it just felt like a long, busy week that she just didn't have time to see Brenda- felt like it would just be a little bit longer and she'd get to hear her voice, hold her, feel the warmth of her skin.
Sharon didn't want to admit that it felt like a part of her had died as well, that she felt empty and desperately alone.
4.
It had been almost six months since Brenda's... passing- Sharon couldn't quite bring herself to say death- and it seemed like she was the only one who still remembered.
Fritz had moved on- with Ann McGinnis, as the rumors went. And why not? He and Brenda had been separated, they'd already been falling out of love. Sharon had just fallen in love with her.
Fewer and fewer people mentioned her, days passed into weeks, weeks into months and before she knew it months would be years.
Sharon couldn't bear the thought of the formidable Brenda Leigh Johnson just fading away.
5.
May 9, 2015: A year to the day since Brenda's death. Sharon was feeling more herself as each day went by. She was busy with Rusty, busy with work and filled the down time volunteering.
Each day she was feeling more normal. Each day she felt less guilty for trying to move on with her life.
The bottle of Merlot had been drunk in Brenda's honor, the toothbrush discarded, the pen used until the ink ran out, the sandals worn until the strap snapped, the note hidden in her jewelry box and the t-shirt tucked away in Sharon's hope chest.
Title: Flowers
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG/PG-13
Word count: 100
Summary: Sharon isn't sure how to handle it when Brenda's mother dies
Sharon knocked on the doorframe of Brenda's office. Brenda looked up over her glasses and Sharon entered. She set an arrangement of bright flowers on the desk in front of the blonde.
"I heard you were coming back today and I wanted to..." Sharon faltered a little, "I'm sorry about your mother."
"Thank you." Brenda said softly.
"Are the flowers too much?" Sharon asked, fidgeting. "I don't really know what's right in this situation..."
Brenda stood and crossed to the brunette and took her in her arms, holding her tight. Sharon leaned her head against Brenda's and squeezed back.
Title: Living
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG
Word count: 100
Summary: Brenda finally figures out what she wants
"Brenda..." Sharon said helplessly, running out of objections but still plagued by conscience.
"We see so much death; we're surrounded by it every day. I want to really feel like I'm living and not just going through the motions out a sense of misplaced obligation."
"It's not... misplaced..." Sharon insisted stubbornly. "You're married. I can't be that person."
"You know as well as I do that just because two people are married it doesn't mean they're meant to be."
Sharon remained silent. Brenda took Sharon's hands, "I want to see where this can go."
"I want that too." Sharon admitted.
Title: Celebration
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG
Word count: 100
Summary: Sharon brings Brenda to an Irish wake
"Sharon! I can't even hear myself think in here!"
"What?" Sharon yelled back.
"This is completely ridiculous!" Brenda insisted, struggling to be heard over the music and the boisterous chatter of Sharon's extended family. "This is supposed to be a funeral!"
"This is an Irish wake!" Sharon smiled indulgently. "It's a celebration of my cousin Ian's life, not a mourning- if you'd known him you'd know this exactly what he would've wanted!"
"This is madness!" Brenda shook her head.
Sharon put her arm around Brenda and held her close. Brenda sighed but smiled despite herself, leaning her head against Sharon's.
Title: Holding On
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG
Word count: 100 Each/200 Total
Summary: Post Futures Rachel is just glad Gill is alive
1.
The door closed behind Janet leaving Gill and Rachel alone in the room.
"You coulda died." Rachel blurted out.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily, kid. I'm indestructible." Gill grinned, her bravado betrayed by her shaking voice.
Rachel pulled Gill into a hug. Gill stiffened for a moment before relaxing against the younger woman. Rachel leaned her head against Gill's and Gill turned her head to lay against Rachel's shoulder.
Rachel kissed Gill's forehead and stroked her hair.
"I was afraid to lose you." Rachel whispered running her fingers through Gill's hair.
"Me too, kid." Gill admitted softly.
2.
"You're sure you don't want me to stay?" Sammy asked, watching his mother with concern.
"No, go out with your mates, I'm just going to go to bed. I'm good." Gill insisted.
He kissed her cheek. "I love you, mum."
"Love you too."
She stood in the doorway and waved goodbye as the car pulled away from the curb and drove off. A few minutes ticked by and Rachel walked up.
Gill held out her hand Rachel took it firmly. She needed the contact, needed to reaffirm that Gill was here, she was alive, she was going to be fine.
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG/PG-13
Warnings: Major Character Death
Word count: 100 Each/500 Total
Summary: Sharon is bereaved to hear of Brenda's death
1.
Sharon found out from Provenza of all people. She'd been busy that week and hadn't gotten to call Brenda for days. As she was finishing for the day, enthused she had a free evening and would be able to have dinner with her girlfriend Provenza made some offhand remark about... the funeral.
Sharon felt the color drain out of her; she groped for her chair, sinking into it shakily. He was joking, wasn't he?
Brenda had been in a car accident. A car accident! The woman survived the CIA and LAPD to die in a car accident? For fuck's sake.
2.
Sharon laid in bed wearing the worn and well-loved DCPD shirt that Brenda kept at her apartment. It was one item of a small box worth of objects that Sharon had to remember Brenda by.
The other items included half a bottle of Merlot, her toothbrush, a pair of sandals, a pen with a chewed cap, a little note that said I didn't want to wake you. Dinner tonight? XO Brenda and an eye mask Brenda always threw across the room during the night.
It was hard to believe that this could be all that was left of a person.
3.
Sometimes Sharon's finger would still hover over Brenda's contact in her phone. She'd texted the number once, without thinking, and it got bounced right back. This brought on a fresh onslaught of tears.
Sometimes it just felt like a long, busy week that she just didn't have time to see Brenda- felt like it would just be a little bit longer and she'd get to hear her voice, hold her, feel the warmth of her skin.
Sharon didn't want to admit that it felt like a part of her had died as well, that she felt empty and desperately alone.
4.
It had been almost six months since Brenda's... passing- Sharon couldn't quite bring herself to say death- and it seemed like she was the only one who still remembered.
Fritz had moved on- with Ann McGinnis, as the rumors went. And why not? He and Brenda had been separated, they'd already been falling out of love. Sharon had just fallen in love with her.
Fewer and fewer people mentioned her, days passed into weeks, weeks into months and before she knew it months would be years.
Sharon couldn't bear the thought of the formidable Brenda Leigh Johnson just fading away.
5.
May 9, 2015: A year to the day since Brenda's death. Sharon was feeling more herself as each day went by. She was busy with Rusty, busy with work and filled the down time volunteering.
Each day she was feeling more normal. Each day she felt less guilty for trying to move on with her life.
The bottle of Merlot had been drunk in Brenda's honor, the toothbrush discarded, the pen used until the ink ran out, the sandals worn until the strap snapped, the note hidden in her jewelry box and the t-shirt tucked away in Sharon's hope chest.
Title: Flowers
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG/PG-13
Word count: 100
Summary: Sharon isn't sure how to handle it when Brenda's mother dies
Sharon knocked on the doorframe of Brenda's office. Brenda looked up over her glasses and Sharon entered. She set an arrangement of bright flowers on the desk in front of the blonde.
"I heard you were coming back today and I wanted to..." Sharon faltered a little, "I'm sorry about your mother."
"Thank you." Brenda said softly.
"Are the flowers too much?" Sharon asked, fidgeting. "I don't really know what's right in this situation..."
Brenda stood and crossed to the brunette and took her in her arms, holding her tight. Sharon leaned her head against Brenda's and squeezed back.
Title: Living
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG
Word count: 100
Summary: Brenda finally figures out what she wants
"Brenda..." Sharon said helplessly, running out of objections but still plagued by conscience.
"We see so much death; we're surrounded by it every day. I want to really feel like I'm living and not just going through the motions out a sense of misplaced obligation."
"It's not... misplaced..." Sharon insisted stubbornly. "You're married. I can't be that person."
"You know as well as I do that just because two people are married it doesn't mean they're meant to be."
Sharon remained silent. Brenda took Sharon's hands, "I want to see where this can go."
"I want that too." Sharon admitted.
Title: Celebration
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG
Word count: 100
Summary: Sharon brings Brenda to an Irish wake
"Sharon! I can't even hear myself think in here!"
"What?" Sharon yelled back.
"This is completely ridiculous!" Brenda insisted, struggling to be heard over the music and the boisterous chatter of Sharon's extended family. "This is supposed to be a funeral!"
"This is an Irish wake!" Sharon smiled indulgently. "It's a celebration of my cousin Ian's life, not a mourning- if you'd known him you'd know this exactly what he would've wanted!"
"This is madness!" Brenda shook her head.
Sharon put her arm around Brenda and held her close. Brenda sighed but smiled despite herself, leaning her head against Sharon's.
Title: Holding On
Author: madampresident
Fandom: The Closer
Pairings: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: PG
Word count: 100 Each/200 Total
Summary: Post Futures Rachel is just glad Gill is alive
1.
The door closed behind Janet leaving Gill and Rachel alone in the room.
"You coulda died." Rachel blurted out.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily, kid. I'm indestructible." Gill grinned, her bravado betrayed by her shaking voice.
Rachel pulled Gill into a hug. Gill stiffened for a moment before relaxing against the younger woman. Rachel leaned her head against Gill's and Gill turned her head to lay against Rachel's shoulder.
Rachel kissed Gill's forehead and stroked her hair.
"I was afraid to lose you." Rachel whispered running her fingers through Gill's hair.
"Me too, kid." Gill admitted softly.
2.
"You're sure you don't want me to stay?" Sammy asked, watching his mother with concern.
"No, go out with your mates, I'm just going to go to bed. I'm good." Gill insisted.
He kissed her cheek. "I love you, mum."
"Love you too."
She stood in the doorway and waved goodbye as the car pulled away from the curb and drove off. A few minutes ticked by and Rachel walked up.
Gill held out her hand Rachel took it firmly. She needed the contact, needed to reaffirm that Gill was here, she was alive, she was going to be fine.