Canon: Star Trek ENT
Title: Long Time Gone
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I in any way associated with, Star Trek. I do not gain from the production of this work.
Warning: Um ... spoilers for "Carbon Creek"? Though, it's totally understandable without seeing the episode.
Summary: Maggie's ex returns to Carbon Creek.
Jack has been gone at college for four weeks, two days when he walks into The Pine Tree. Maggie is, frankly, impressed with herself when she looks down and finds the thick tumbler she's been cleaning is still in her hand. There was a time when it would have been hurtling across the room towards his head before his presence even registered fully in her mind.
"Hello, Maggie," he says, stepping up to the bar. There's a subtle shifting of chairs and bodies around the oddly quiet room, both from a common desire to have a good view and to keep an eye on the sonofabitch who left town more than ten years (twelve years, ten months, and six days) ago and never looked back. He doesn't even have the decency to be balding or fat, just looks good as ever. She hates him a bit more for that.
"John," she says, setting the tumbler away from her on the bar. It's best not to be tempted, if only because Sheriff Stevens is sitting by the door watching her every move.
John would look meek but she's known him long enough to see the swagger in his step. "I've been to see Jack --" Maggie's hand twitches towards the tumbler -- "he's doing good. Always knew he'd turn out all right."
The words "no thanks to you" sit on her tongue like lead, but she swallows them down. She doesn't want a fight. Oh, she wants to hurt him, sure, to beat him bloody with every birthday, every award, every smile, ever second he wasn't there for Jack over the years.
"You did a good job," he goes on, clearly discomfited by the cool mask she wears despite the maelstrom of hate seething just beneath her skin. "Better than I ever could have," he adds, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was thinking of staying in town for a while. I hear old man Walker has an apartment needs filling."
Her hands fist in her skirt. That apartment has been empty since spring (five months and nine days), since its three tenants very abruptly left. The idea of John living there twists her heart, but worse than that is that it's taken him this long to come back.
"Why?" she asks, her voice calm and cold. The storm of hate has turned icy and she feels brittle inside and wants him to feel the same.
"Well, I've missed my home. This is where I was born and raised after all. It seems right to come back."
"No."
He blinks, taking in the single syllable, and opens his mouth to argue.
She continues. "It was right for you to come home twelve years ago. It was right for you to be a man and raise your son. But those aren't options anymore. My son is grown. I may not be able to stop you from living in this town but you are certainly not welcome in this bar. Get out."
"Mags," he says, leaning over the bar with that smile that's all charm, but the charm has worn off for her.
The sheriff starts to stand and behind him the door opens. The mailman, Chris, whistles when his eyes adjust to the dim light but he doesn't seem as surprised as he should. Clearly, news of John's return has gotten around town.
"Mail, Maggie," Chris says. "You got two letters. Looks like one from Jack -- and one from Mestral," he adds with a knowing smile. As he passes them over the bar he spares a moment to glare at John before heading back out.
"Thanks," Maggie says, pocketing the letters in her apron.
"Who's Mestral?" John asks and it's clear from his tone that he already knows enough.
"No one who concerns you," she says, grabbing a towel and wiping the bar, forcing him to move back.
"Anyone in your life concerns me. You're my wife."
She stops, looks up at him with fire in her eyes. "No, I'm not. You abandoned us. That's grounds for divorce in Pennsylvania." He looks like she slapped him and she can't help but feel the tiniest bit triumphant. It's payback for the tears she shed in the courthouse that day so long ago. "Now, I believe I told you to get out of my bar."