Strachey Mysteries Fic - Planning Ahead
Title: Planning Ahead
Author: kaly
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2325
Characters/Pairing: Donald/Timothy, Kelly
Category: movieverse
Warnings: none
Spoilers: minor for Ice Blues
Summary: After being injured, Donald decides it's time for a plan.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing, no money earned.
Note: Thank you to geminigrl11 for the beta.
"Tim. Go home."
Donald watched as the words fell on deaf ears, and the man in question busied himself tucking the covers more securely around Donald. It was a nervous habit that Donald was accustomed to, as it made an appearance each and every time he managed to land himself in the hospital. Donald would be laid up, Timothy would hover.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
This time was no different, as expected. Donald had woken from the anesthesia and found one arm bound to his body and Tim clutching his other hand. Since then, he had regained his faculties - if not entirely shaken the doped up feeling - enough to watch the familiar scenes play out. He might have smiled, if Tim would have forgiven him for it.
Sighing, he tried again once Tim returned to his seat beside Donald's bed. If he was lucky, he could convince his partner to go home before the latest round of painkillers kicked in completely.
"Honestly, honey. I'm fine." Taking a close look at his husband, Donald bit back another sigh at how old Timothy looked. "You need to rest."
Timothy waved his hand absently, clearly dismissing the observation. "You're the one who needs to worry about resting." He saw Tim's hands twitch, and knew how close the other man had come to tugging on the sheets once more.
Letting his chin rest against his chest, Donald closed his eyes briefly and prayed for patience. Honestly, anyone who thought he was the stubborn one didn't really know Timothy. When he looked up, Donald saw Tim chewing on his lip and staring at him with haunted eyes.
"Please go home and rest."
"Donald..."
He held out his hand again, waiting until Timothy took it. "I know I scared you, but it was a clean shot - through and through. I'm just here for the night, for observation, and they're letting me go." Timothy didn't look convinced, even though Donald knew he was aware of this information already. Squeezing Tim's fingers, Donald tried to smile. "Honest."
"I know," Tim finally replied, though his reluctance was obvious. "I just don't want to leave you here."
This time Donald's smile wasn't forced. "I know. I love you, too."
"You scared the hell out of me, Donald." The words were angry, but the tone was anything but.
It pained Donald to hear Timothy sound so shaken, as it always did. While Donald loved his job, he hated what it was prone to putting Tim through. If he were honest, Donald wasn't so fond of being shot, either.
"I keep waiting for the call when..." Tim's voice trailed off, and he stared off into space.
Very carefully, not wanting to pull on his stitches, Donald ran his fingers along Tim's jaw. "Hey." He waited until Timothy looked at him, and shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry."
Timothy glanced away and shrugged. "I know it's your job. I just..."
"You worry," Donald said, having known that to be true since long before Timothy admitted it to him the first time. He had joked about it then, but it both touched and worried him that Timothy took it so much to heart. Though, he had to admit if the situations were reversed he would feel the same. Honestly, he wasn't sure he would be as strong as Tim, were the situations reversed.
Sniffing quietly, Tim managed an unsteady smile, his response going back to that day: "Of course I worry."
Donald glanced at the clock when Timothy yawned, though he tried valiantly to hide it. "What do you say you call Kelly to give you a ride home?" As he said it, Donald thanked his lucky stars that it was almost Thanksgiving, and Tim's sister was in town for the week. If he was lucky - and admittedly that was debatable - she would help keep Timothy distracted. Or rather, Tim would let her.
"I don't want to bother her."
Tim's voice shook Donald from his meandering thoughts. He gave a glance at the IV, wondering if it was responsible for his wool-gathering, in addition to the increasingly floaty feeling he had. Sadly, Donald had gone through this situation enough that he knew he had an hour, tops, before he would be asleep once more. The time limit gave him a better focus to getting Tim out the door.
"Somehow, I don't think she'll see it as a bother," Donald replied honestly.
It hadn't been quite a year since Kenny had helped him find Kelly, but in that time, the siblings had slowly worked on repairing their relationship. More importantly, Donald knew the woman adored her brother, and regretted what had come between them for so long.
Batting his eyes, Donald said, "For me?"
He nearly laughed in triumph when the corner of Tim's lips quirked in an almost-smile. "Oh no, the puppy eyes haven't worked on me in years. If they ever did."
"Says you." Donald did laugh then, wincing as he did so. Laugher might be the best medicine, but it sucked after a gunshot wound, even with the good drugs on tap. He saw Timothy's forehead crease with worry, and Donald held out a hand until he caught his breath. "I'm fine."
"Donald..."
Gesturing toward the phone, Donald nearly begged, "Call. I'll just worry if you don't." It was dirty pool and he knew it, and judging by Tim's glare he knew it, too.
"Fine."
Donald could tell Tim wasn't happy about it, but was too happy he had agreed to muster the energy to care. Besides, it wasn't as though Timothy had the corner on the worrying market - Donald worried about Tim, too. And when things weren't so fragile, Timothy understood that.
He let his eyes close while Timothy spoke quietly with his sister, not bothering to try and follow the conversation. There was no doubting Timothy would be true to his word, even if he didn't like it.
A hand brushing against his forehead roused Donald, and he opened his eyes to find Tim looking at him with sad eyes. Smiling lazily, Donald asked, "She coming?"
Tim sighed, but nodded. "She'll be here in fifteen minutes."
Relieved, Donald nodded. "Good."
"But I'm coming back first thing in the morning."
Donald remembered at the last possible second not to laugh, though it was a close call. Instead, he smiled fondly at his partner. "Never doubted it."
Although he tried to give Donald a stern look, Tim's lips curved in a smile. "Good." Timothy ran his fingers through Donald's hair, and Donald would have purred, if it were possible. The tricky side to Tim, was he knew all of Donald's not-so-secret vices.
He might have dozed off - lovely things, painkillers - because the next thing Donald was aware of was Kelly's voice whispering, "Hey."
"Thanks for coming," Tim replied, also whispering, and Donald managed to drag his eyes open.
Kelly must have noticed him staring at her, because she smiled, if a bit uncertainly. "How're you feeling?"
"Like a bad piece of road," Donald admitted, giving Tim's hand a reassuring squeeze as he did so. "But I'll live."
She looked genuinely relieved. "Good to hear." Turning to Tim, she asked, "Are you ready?"
Donald watched as Tim opened his mouth to reply, only to shake his head. He glanced at Donald before leaning over the bed to kiss him on the cheek. Standing, he said, "I want to go check with the nurse before I go."
Somehow, even groggy, Donald barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Really, they were entirely too predictable. Tim cut him a look - clearly having read Donald's mind - and Donald bit back a yawn and replied innocently, "Yes, dear."
He waited until Tim had left the room, before waving Kelly forward. Hoping he could stay awake - and coherent - long enough to talk he asked, "Have a seat?"
Kelly nodded, taking the chair Timothy had so recently been haunting. "Everything's okay, right?"
"Sore, but fine," Donald admitted, gesturing toward the binding with his free hand. He stared at it for several moments, lost in thought. "I've had worse."
Grimacing, Kelly glanced toward the door. "I can only imagine Tim then, if this is what you call fine."
"Yeah, it's never easy." Taking a deep breath, Donald considered his next words as carefully as the medication would allow him. For some reason, he felt compelled to talk to Kelly now, not to wait.
While he had come to know Kelly somewhat in the months she had been back in Tim's life, and he cared for her, they weren't close as of yet. He hoped that would change in time, but only time could allow it.
"Something's on your mind," Kelly said, and he looked up at her, blinking slowly.
Wincing, he waved toward the IV. "Sorry, this stuff makes me drift off a bit."
"Understandable." She paused, chewing on her lip just like Timothy was prone to doing. It was almost comforting to see. "Did you want to talk to me?"
"This is going to sound morbid," he began, finding himself unable to look at Kelly as he spoke. Instead, he stared at the sheets and hoped Tim's visit to interrogate the nurse would take as long as it normally did. He nearly jumped when Kelly took his hand, offering silent support.
Shaking his head, hoping it might clear it for just a little while longer, Donald said, "I don't have the safest of jobs."
"I think that qualifies as an understatement." Her mouth quirked in a half-smile, although it faded quickly.
Grinning, having no doubt how goofy he must look, Donald nodded. He took a deep breath, stretching his eyes wide, but the lure of the medicine was strong. He finally replied, "True. And, well, like you've said, this is Tim when it's not bad."
Focusing as best he could, Donald watched as the pieces fell into place, and Kelly sat back in the chair, staring at him. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she finally found her voice. "You're worried about when it is bad."
He nodded and Donald managed to say, "I'm worried about if it's that bad." Donald couldn't bring himself to say the words if I died out loud, drugged up or not. Seemed like asking for trouble.
Kelly paled at the words, and Donald felt horrible for laying such a request at her feet. However, he knew without a doubt how dangerous his job was - he had just been given a stark reminder. And while he might just as easily die at ninety, peacefully in his sleep, he was still worried for Tim's sake.
"I don't know what to say," she said, finally finding her voice.
Hating himself just a little bit, Donald forced himself to look her straight in the eye, though she was slightly blurry. "Just say you'll do it? I know we don't know one another very well, and I hate..."
"I'll do it," she replied, interrupting him. Her eyes were glassy, and Kelly blinked quickly to clear them. Donald found himself impressed that not a single tear fell. "My brother loves you, and I do know you, Donald. Not as well as I hope to if given the chance, but I know you and that you love him." She managed a smile, and Donald felt a knot in his chest loosen. "How can I not do it?"
Donald swallowed roughly, hating the heavy drag of the painkillers that was making him drowsy during such an important conversation. However, it was emotion that made his voice gruff as he said, "Thank you."
"But if..." Kelly coughed and looked skyward, obviously seeking composure. "Just know that if the reverse was to happen..."
Denial raged through Donald at the unfinished suggestion, making him suddenly more lucid than he had been in hours. She swallowed roughly, and before she could speak such unthinkable words, he said, "It won't. He won't. Not Tim."
Smiling, though her chin was quivering, Kelly nodded. "I imagine he'd say likewise. All the same..." Donald was grateful she left the statement incomplete - he couldn't bear to think such words, much less hear them spoken.
"I don't plan to take you up on the offer," Donald said, relaxing back against the bed and hoping to lighten the conversation. "There's lots of years left to drive Timmy crazy."
Kelly laughed softly, nodding. "That's more like it."
Donald was spared the effort of trying to find a coherent reply when Timothy came back into the room. Just as he did, Donald yawned loudly. Once he was done, he glanced sheepishly at the siblings. "Sorry."
Timothy shook his head fondly, though clearly still uneasy about leaving Donald. Stepping to the side of the bed, he ran his hand over Donald's hair. "Don't be sorry, just get some rest."
"You, too," Donald replied mulishly. He hated the idea that Timothy might go home and stare at the ceiling all night. "Actually sleep, okay?"
Rolling his eyes, Timothy smiled. "I'll see what I can do." Donald interrupted him with another yawn, and Tim added, "I would say you do the same, but I don't think that's going to be a problem."
"Doubt it."
Kissing Donald on the forehead, Timothy sighed quietly and pressed their foreheads together momentarily. "I'll see you in the morning."
Eyes closed, Donald smiled drowsily. As if there was ever any doubt of that. "Counting on it," he replied, ignoring how his words slurred.
"I love you."
"Love you, too."
He fell asleep to Timothy and Kelly's quiet good nights. For once, Donald relaxed in the knowledge that if it ever was needed, there was no doubt Tim would be taken care of. And that - along with the fact Timothy loved him - was all Donald needed to hear.
end
Author: kaly
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2325
Characters/Pairing: Donald/Timothy, Kelly
Category: movieverse
Warnings: none
Spoilers: minor for Ice Blues
Summary: After being injured, Donald decides it's time for a plan.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing, no money earned.
Note: Thank you to geminigrl11 for the beta.
"Tim. Go home."
Donald watched as the words fell on deaf ears, and the man in question busied himself tucking the covers more securely around Donald. It was a nervous habit that Donald was accustomed to, as it made an appearance each and every time he managed to land himself in the hospital. Donald would be laid up, Timothy would hover.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
This time was no different, as expected. Donald had woken from the anesthesia and found one arm bound to his body and Tim clutching his other hand. Since then, he had regained his faculties - if not entirely shaken the doped up feeling - enough to watch the familiar scenes play out. He might have smiled, if Tim would have forgiven him for it.
Sighing, he tried again once Tim returned to his seat beside Donald's bed. If he was lucky, he could convince his partner to go home before the latest round of painkillers kicked in completely.
"Honestly, honey. I'm fine." Taking a close look at his husband, Donald bit back another sigh at how old Timothy looked. "You need to rest."
Timothy waved his hand absently, clearly dismissing the observation. "You're the one who needs to worry about resting." He saw Tim's hands twitch, and knew how close the other man had come to tugging on the sheets once more.
Letting his chin rest against his chest, Donald closed his eyes briefly and prayed for patience. Honestly, anyone who thought he was the stubborn one didn't really know Timothy. When he looked up, Donald saw Tim chewing on his lip and staring at him with haunted eyes.
"Please go home and rest."
"Donald..."
He held out his hand again, waiting until Timothy took it. "I know I scared you, but it was a clean shot - through and through. I'm just here for the night, for observation, and they're letting me go." Timothy didn't look convinced, even though Donald knew he was aware of this information already. Squeezing Tim's fingers, Donald tried to smile. "Honest."
"I know," Tim finally replied, though his reluctance was obvious. "I just don't want to leave you here."
This time Donald's smile wasn't forced. "I know. I love you, too."
"You scared the hell out of me, Donald." The words were angry, but the tone was anything but.
It pained Donald to hear Timothy sound so shaken, as it always did. While Donald loved his job, he hated what it was prone to putting Tim through. If he were honest, Donald wasn't so fond of being shot, either.
"I keep waiting for the call when..." Tim's voice trailed off, and he stared off into space.
Very carefully, not wanting to pull on his stitches, Donald ran his fingers along Tim's jaw. "Hey." He waited until Timothy looked at him, and shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry."
Timothy glanced away and shrugged. "I know it's your job. I just..."
"You worry," Donald said, having known that to be true since long before Timothy admitted it to him the first time. He had joked about it then, but it both touched and worried him that Timothy took it so much to heart. Though, he had to admit if the situations were reversed he would feel the same. Honestly, he wasn't sure he would be as strong as Tim, were the situations reversed.
Sniffing quietly, Tim managed an unsteady smile, his response going back to that day: "Of course I worry."
Donald glanced at the clock when Timothy yawned, though he tried valiantly to hide it. "What do you say you call Kelly to give you a ride home?" As he said it, Donald thanked his lucky stars that it was almost Thanksgiving, and Tim's sister was in town for the week. If he was lucky - and admittedly that was debatable - she would help keep Timothy distracted. Or rather, Tim would let her.
"I don't want to bother her."
Tim's voice shook Donald from his meandering thoughts. He gave a glance at the IV, wondering if it was responsible for his wool-gathering, in addition to the increasingly floaty feeling he had. Sadly, Donald had gone through this situation enough that he knew he had an hour, tops, before he would be asleep once more. The time limit gave him a better focus to getting Tim out the door.
"Somehow, I don't think she'll see it as a bother," Donald replied honestly.
It hadn't been quite a year since Kenny had helped him find Kelly, but in that time, the siblings had slowly worked on repairing their relationship. More importantly, Donald knew the woman adored her brother, and regretted what had come between them for so long.
Batting his eyes, Donald said, "For me?"
He nearly laughed in triumph when the corner of Tim's lips quirked in an almost-smile. "Oh no, the puppy eyes haven't worked on me in years. If they ever did."
"Says you." Donald did laugh then, wincing as he did so. Laugher might be the best medicine, but it sucked after a gunshot wound, even with the good drugs on tap. He saw Timothy's forehead crease with worry, and Donald held out a hand until he caught his breath. "I'm fine."
"Donald..."
Gesturing toward the phone, Donald nearly begged, "Call. I'll just worry if you don't." It was dirty pool and he knew it, and judging by Tim's glare he knew it, too.
"Fine."
Donald could tell Tim wasn't happy about it, but was too happy he had agreed to muster the energy to care. Besides, it wasn't as though Timothy had the corner on the worrying market - Donald worried about Tim, too. And when things weren't so fragile, Timothy understood that.
He let his eyes close while Timothy spoke quietly with his sister, not bothering to try and follow the conversation. There was no doubting Timothy would be true to his word, even if he didn't like it.
A hand brushing against his forehead roused Donald, and he opened his eyes to find Tim looking at him with sad eyes. Smiling lazily, Donald asked, "She coming?"
Tim sighed, but nodded. "She'll be here in fifteen minutes."
Relieved, Donald nodded. "Good."
"But I'm coming back first thing in the morning."
Donald remembered at the last possible second not to laugh, though it was a close call. Instead, he smiled fondly at his partner. "Never doubted it."
Although he tried to give Donald a stern look, Tim's lips curved in a smile. "Good." Timothy ran his fingers through Donald's hair, and Donald would have purred, if it were possible. The tricky side to Tim, was he knew all of Donald's not-so-secret vices.
He might have dozed off - lovely things, painkillers - because the next thing Donald was aware of was Kelly's voice whispering, "Hey."
"Thanks for coming," Tim replied, also whispering, and Donald managed to drag his eyes open.
Kelly must have noticed him staring at her, because she smiled, if a bit uncertainly. "How're you feeling?"
"Like a bad piece of road," Donald admitted, giving Tim's hand a reassuring squeeze as he did so. "But I'll live."
She looked genuinely relieved. "Good to hear." Turning to Tim, she asked, "Are you ready?"
Donald watched as Tim opened his mouth to reply, only to shake his head. He glanced at Donald before leaning over the bed to kiss him on the cheek. Standing, he said, "I want to go check with the nurse before I go."
Somehow, even groggy, Donald barely refrained from rolling his eyes. Really, they were entirely too predictable. Tim cut him a look - clearly having read Donald's mind - and Donald bit back a yawn and replied innocently, "Yes, dear."
He waited until Tim had left the room, before waving Kelly forward. Hoping he could stay awake - and coherent - long enough to talk he asked, "Have a seat?"
Kelly nodded, taking the chair Timothy had so recently been haunting. "Everything's okay, right?"
"Sore, but fine," Donald admitted, gesturing toward the binding with his free hand. He stared at it for several moments, lost in thought. "I've had worse."
Grimacing, Kelly glanced toward the door. "I can only imagine Tim then, if this is what you call fine."
"Yeah, it's never easy." Taking a deep breath, Donald considered his next words as carefully as the medication would allow him. For some reason, he felt compelled to talk to Kelly now, not to wait.
While he had come to know Kelly somewhat in the months she had been back in Tim's life, and he cared for her, they weren't close as of yet. He hoped that would change in time, but only time could allow it.
"Something's on your mind," Kelly said, and he looked up at her, blinking slowly.
Wincing, he waved toward the IV. "Sorry, this stuff makes me drift off a bit."
"Understandable." She paused, chewing on her lip just like Timothy was prone to doing. It was almost comforting to see. "Did you want to talk to me?"
"This is going to sound morbid," he began, finding himself unable to look at Kelly as he spoke. Instead, he stared at the sheets and hoped Tim's visit to interrogate the nurse would take as long as it normally did. He nearly jumped when Kelly took his hand, offering silent support.
Shaking his head, hoping it might clear it for just a little while longer, Donald said, "I don't have the safest of jobs."
"I think that qualifies as an understatement." Her mouth quirked in a half-smile, although it faded quickly.
Grinning, having no doubt how goofy he must look, Donald nodded. He took a deep breath, stretching his eyes wide, but the lure of the medicine was strong. He finally replied, "True. And, well, like you've said, this is Tim when it's not bad."
Focusing as best he could, Donald watched as the pieces fell into place, and Kelly sat back in the chair, staring at him. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she finally found her voice. "You're worried about when it is bad."
He nodded and Donald managed to say, "I'm worried about if it's that bad." Donald couldn't bring himself to say the words if I died out loud, drugged up or not. Seemed like asking for trouble.
Kelly paled at the words, and Donald felt horrible for laying such a request at her feet. However, he knew without a doubt how dangerous his job was - he had just been given a stark reminder. And while he might just as easily die at ninety, peacefully in his sleep, he was still worried for Tim's sake.
"I don't know what to say," she said, finally finding her voice.
Hating himself just a little bit, Donald forced himself to look her straight in the eye, though she was slightly blurry. "Just say you'll do it? I know we don't know one another very well, and I hate..."
"I'll do it," she replied, interrupting him. Her eyes were glassy, and Kelly blinked quickly to clear them. Donald found himself impressed that not a single tear fell. "My brother loves you, and I do know you, Donald. Not as well as I hope to if given the chance, but I know you and that you love him." She managed a smile, and Donald felt a knot in his chest loosen. "How can I not do it?"
Donald swallowed roughly, hating the heavy drag of the painkillers that was making him drowsy during such an important conversation. However, it was emotion that made his voice gruff as he said, "Thank you."
"But if..." Kelly coughed and looked skyward, obviously seeking composure. "Just know that if the reverse was to happen..."
Denial raged through Donald at the unfinished suggestion, making him suddenly more lucid than he had been in hours. She swallowed roughly, and before she could speak such unthinkable words, he said, "It won't. He won't. Not Tim."
Smiling, though her chin was quivering, Kelly nodded. "I imagine he'd say likewise. All the same..." Donald was grateful she left the statement incomplete - he couldn't bear to think such words, much less hear them spoken.
"I don't plan to take you up on the offer," Donald said, relaxing back against the bed and hoping to lighten the conversation. "There's lots of years left to drive Timmy crazy."
Kelly laughed softly, nodding. "That's more like it."
Donald was spared the effort of trying to find a coherent reply when Timothy came back into the room. Just as he did, Donald yawned loudly. Once he was done, he glanced sheepishly at the siblings. "Sorry."
Timothy shook his head fondly, though clearly still uneasy about leaving Donald. Stepping to the side of the bed, he ran his hand over Donald's hair. "Don't be sorry, just get some rest."
"You, too," Donald replied mulishly. He hated the idea that Timothy might go home and stare at the ceiling all night. "Actually sleep, okay?"
Rolling his eyes, Timothy smiled. "I'll see what I can do." Donald interrupted him with another yawn, and Tim added, "I would say you do the same, but I don't think that's going to be a problem."
"Doubt it."
Kissing Donald on the forehead, Timothy sighed quietly and pressed their foreheads together momentarily. "I'll see you in the morning."
Eyes closed, Donald smiled drowsily. As if there was ever any doubt of that. "Counting on it," he replied, ignoring how his words slurred.
"I love you."
"Love you, too."
He fell asleep to Timothy and Kelly's quiet good nights. For once, Donald relaxed in the knowledge that if it ever was needed, there was no doubt Tim would be taken care of. And that - along with the fact Timothy loved him - was all Donald needed to hear.
end