All Good Things (Frasier, Frasier/Lilith)
TITLE: All Good Things
AUTHOR: mouseydork
FANDOM: Frasier
PAIRING: Frasier/Lilith (kind of, but not really?)
RATING: PG
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this show ended over three years ago, but I never felt like these two did. And, frankly, I wrote so much fanfiction for them back in the day that their voices never really stopped going in my head. I think I just wanted more closure between them than what I got. And, well, I've learned to love Laura Linney over the years, so this story is a very different story than what I would have (and did) write when the show first came to an end. This feels more organic to me. (And, yeah, the title is Mandy Moore's fault. I lose.)
SUMMARY:
It wasn’t as though their relationship hadn’t been magical, because it had. But, in hindsight, it had been more the magic caused by fire than anything else. They were never made for each other, she was a bit of an ice queen and she was a bit of a goof.
The funny thing is, probably because they were married, their divorce brought out some of their more unexpected qualities. Lilith was softer than she let on, even to him, and Frasier was in need of someone who was willing to admit that she was soft. They would have worked had they not both been so stubborn.
Charlotte was perfect for him - and not in the way Claire had been. Charlotte had the fierceness he’d found so sexy in Lilith, she kept him in line and that was something he always sought.
Albert worked for her. He made her laugh and she knew from that first plane trip that he wasn’t testosterone with legs. Not to mention he adored her and that was a trait she always found to be so appealing. (She loved a man she could wrap around her little finger, sometimes literally.)
There were some moments of regret, their marriage hadn’t always been happy. The last year had been downright miserable. But regret doesn’t change the past and they both knew they wouldn’t if they could. Even if she somehow always managed to complicate his life every single time he saw her. (At least they could now go an entire visit without having sex with each other. Or each other’s siblings.)
It was Frederick’s high school graduation and there she was. As he saw her, with Albert, fawning over her son, he couldn’t help but wonder how much time they had left. Maybe they’d cross paths during his collegiate years but, after that, there was really no need for them to be together.
In recent years, their encounters had been more rare and even more brief. When Freddie was younger, she insisted on being present for every single moment of every single visitation. (Some would say she had issues trusting him but far from it. She enjoyed his company; she enjoyed seeing her ex-husband interact with their son. It was in those moments when she remembered why they’d gotten married.) And when he started traveling by himself, he saw her only once a year when she’d occasionally pop by for something bizarre.
And then there were two years where she hadn’t been a part of his life at all. He’d been building something new with Charlotte and she’d reconnected with Albert. Their night spent together on the couch and their morning doling out free marriage counseling had been the last time they’d had a face-to-face encounter.
What saddened him most was, seeing her there, he missed her. Yet, somehow, the lack of her presence didn’t bother him any other day of the year. And maybe that was the sad thing. That he only missed her when he was around her.
She was cutting a cake, their son’s cake, and he was chuckling over some cute remark she’d made. He was standing on the sidelines, she was hosting this event.
She’d raised Frederick.
Was that one of his regrets? From time to time. But, the thing was, he knew that she was the best possible person for the job. She loved him and she had such an instinct for it. Frasier often wondered how Freddie would have ended up had he come to Seattle with his father.
Probably like Niles. Thus, he was grateful to Lilith for raising their son to be well-adjusted and downright normal. Despite how scared they’d been early on that he might be normal. How silly they’d been.
She had a bit of frosting on her upper lip. Charlotte was off making sure the rest of the Crane clan had settled in with their cake and beverages.
“You put on quite the production, Dr. Sternin.” She smiled, she always smiled when he referred to her in that manner.
“I’m glad you could come. It’s been a long time.”
“It’s been nice seeing you.” He made an attempt at helping her remove the frosting from her lip. She thanked him and turned to rejoin her husband.
“Hey Lilith,” he called, perhaps a bit too loudly. She turned slowly and brushed a bit of hair away from her face.
“Yes?”
“Are you happy?” He was sounding too serious, much too serious, for a graduation party. It made her laugh. She laughed so much now, it was beautiful.
“Yes, I am. Are you?”
“Very. Thank you.”
And with that, they were done. There’d be moments here and there throughout the years, of course there would be, they had a son together, but not many of them. He learned to enjoy her company when he had it and bask in its absence when he didn’t. They just didn’t share a life anymore and he was okay with that.
AUTHOR: mouseydork
FANDOM: Frasier
PAIRING: Frasier/Lilith (kind of, but not really?)
RATING: PG
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this show ended over three years ago, but I never felt like these two did. And, frankly, I wrote so much fanfiction for them back in the day that their voices never really stopped going in my head. I think I just wanted more closure between them than what I got. And, well, I've learned to love Laura Linney over the years, so this story is a very different story than what I would have (and did) write when the show first came to an end. This feels more organic to me. (And, yeah, the title is Mandy Moore's fault. I lose.)
SUMMARY:
It wasn’t as though their relationship hadn’t been magical, because it had. But, in hindsight, it had been more the magic caused by fire than anything else. They were never made for each other, she was a bit of an ice queen and she was a bit of a goof.
The funny thing is, probably because they were married, their divorce brought out some of their more unexpected qualities. Lilith was softer than she let on, even to him, and Frasier was in need of someone who was willing to admit that she was soft. They would have worked had they not both been so stubborn.
Charlotte was perfect for him - and not in the way Claire had been. Charlotte had the fierceness he’d found so sexy in Lilith, she kept him in line and that was something he always sought.
Albert worked for her. He made her laugh and she knew from that first plane trip that he wasn’t testosterone with legs. Not to mention he adored her and that was a trait she always found to be so appealing. (She loved a man she could wrap around her little finger, sometimes literally.)
There were some moments of regret, their marriage hadn’t always been happy. The last year had been downright miserable. But regret doesn’t change the past and they both knew they wouldn’t if they could. Even if she somehow always managed to complicate his life every single time he saw her. (At least they could now go an entire visit without having sex with each other. Or each other’s siblings.)
It was Frederick’s high school graduation and there she was. As he saw her, with Albert, fawning over her son, he couldn’t help but wonder how much time they had left. Maybe they’d cross paths during his collegiate years but, after that, there was really no need for them to be together.
In recent years, their encounters had been more rare and even more brief. When Freddie was younger, she insisted on being present for every single moment of every single visitation. (Some would say she had issues trusting him but far from it. She enjoyed his company; she enjoyed seeing her ex-husband interact with their son. It was in those moments when she remembered why they’d gotten married.) And when he started traveling by himself, he saw her only once a year when she’d occasionally pop by for something bizarre.
And then there were two years where she hadn’t been a part of his life at all. He’d been building something new with Charlotte and she’d reconnected with Albert. Their night spent together on the couch and their morning doling out free marriage counseling had been the last time they’d had a face-to-face encounter.
What saddened him most was, seeing her there, he missed her. Yet, somehow, the lack of her presence didn’t bother him any other day of the year. And maybe that was the sad thing. That he only missed her when he was around her.
She was cutting a cake, their son’s cake, and he was chuckling over some cute remark she’d made. He was standing on the sidelines, she was hosting this event.
She’d raised Frederick.
Was that one of his regrets? From time to time. But, the thing was, he knew that she was the best possible person for the job. She loved him and she had such an instinct for it. Frasier often wondered how Freddie would have ended up had he come to Seattle with his father.
Probably like Niles. Thus, he was grateful to Lilith for raising their son to be well-adjusted and downright normal. Despite how scared they’d been early on that he might be normal. How silly they’d been.
She had a bit of frosting on her upper lip. Charlotte was off making sure the rest of the Crane clan had settled in with their cake and beverages.
“You put on quite the production, Dr. Sternin.” She smiled, she always smiled when he referred to her in that manner.
“I’m glad you could come. It’s been a long time.”
“It’s been nice seeing you.” He made an attempt at helping her remove the frosting from her lip. She thanked him and turned to rejoin her husband.
“Hey Lilith,” he called, perhaps a bit too loudly. She turned slowly and brushed a bit of hair away from her face.
“Yes?”
“Are you happy?” He was sounding too serious, much too serious, for a graduation party. It made her laugh. She laughed so much now, it was beautiful.
“Yes, I am. Are you?”
“Very. Thank you.”
And with that, they were done. There’d be moments here and there throughout the years, of course there would be, they had a son together, but not many of them. He learned to enjoy her company when he had it and bask in its absence when he didn’t. They just didn’t share a life anymore and he was okay with that.