Everybody's Waiting For You To Break Down
This has been...a pretty fun month, posting every day. (I mean, I post often enough anyway, but...) At the same time, sometimes it's been a pointless gif or something, so it will be good to not force myself when there's been no content...
Speaking of content! More Into The Mystic!
Title: Into The Mystic
Rating: pg-13
Word Count: 1,252 (2/?)
Summary: There is a moment, a split-second, an exact pinpoint in time that splits the child with the person he will be forever...
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's Note: This veers from GH canon last May. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. ^_^
Previous
Kristina wakes up as she feels the car pull to a stop, and guilt washes over her that Ethan drove straight through another night while she slept against his shoulder. She lifts her head to lean back and stretch. He lays his head back against the seat for a moment to close his eyes and Kristina wants to smooth a hand over his brow, ease the weary lines that she doesn’t remember seeing before. She knots her hands in her lap to keep them to herself.
They’re sitting in the dark parking lot of a horseshoe-shaped motel. Ethan finally opens his eyes and looks at her. “I’m going to get us a room for the night.”
Kristina thinks of the girlish fantasies she’s had of spending a night with Ethan. They were nothing like this. “Do you think that we should spend the money, and-”
“We’ve got a little bank from Johnny to get by for some time,” Ethan chuckles mirthlessly. “I have to sleep. In a real bed. And shower. Oh God, I need a shower.”
Kristina wishes she could grow a third arm with which to turn around and slap herself. She sure is easily distracted. Here they are, six hundred miles from home, on the run from cops and God knows who else, and now all she can think about is that in the very near future, they’re going to be in some sort of motel room and Ethan is going to be showering. But actually, come to think of it, now that he’s mentioned it, there’s very little in the world that she wouldn’t give for a shower herself. She puts her hand on the door to get out of the car, but he puts an arm out to stop her.
“I’ll go by myself, you should wait here,” he closes his mouth before he can continue and Kristina realizes why. She’s on New York’s Most Wanted list -- God, maybe even it’s gone nationwide at this point. That thought is more than enough to cool her down.
She flips the radio on when Ehtan gets out of the car and hums along. He’s not even gone for two whole songs, but she barely breathes when he’s out of her sight.
***
Kristina was chopping lettuce for the salad more slowly than anyone had ever chopped lettuce, ever, in the history of the world. She knew she was being a little ridiculous, hiding in the kitchen, but her sisters’ chatter with her mom, Diane, Maxie, Robin and little Emma was setting her teeth on edge. A tiny part of her wished Ethan had never said anything -- at least she wouldn’t be feeling like this, like she was ready to jump out of her skin. Kristina shook herself out of that train of thought. Ethan had saved her from herself.
Again.
“Hey, what are you doing in here?” Maxie wandered into the kitchen, tilting her wine glass to her lips. Maxie’s tunic exactly matched the shiraz she was drinking, which Kristina was sure she had planned. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Um no, I’m fine,” Kristina answered with a quick smile.
“Mmm, it’s just as well,” Maxie sidled closer to the counter, eying her salad implements as if it were a surgery. “The kitchen isn’t really my domain.” Kristina had to laugh. It was nice having Maxie around (and Robin, and Emma). She sure knew how to lighten the mood.
It was another reason why she was so glad her mom and Mac were spending time together lately.
Kristina glanced over ot the refrigerator, where she could see a photo magnet of herself, Molly, their mom and Uncle Ric from when she was about seven, before everything went to hell. She knew that Molly would come into the kitchen when she thought no one was watching and she would shuffle the papers around this little magnet so that it would always be a bit hidden and therefore always be there, a reminder that she had a father of her own, somewhere. Kristina wondered if her baby sister could remember the time when the four of them were a family. Maybe it would be better for her if she couldn’t.
“Hey, are you done with that salad yet?” Sam popped her head into the kitchen with a pretty smile. “We’re all ready to eat in here.”
“Yeah, I’ll be right in,” Kristina said, shaking herself out of her memories.
***
Ethan would be happy to stand under this narrow, poorly lit shower for an entire week. He knows he should get out before the water turns lukewarm and with a sigh, he does. It’s a gymnastic trick to dry himself off in the tiny bathroom and get dressed into the spare clothes from Johnny’s never-ending bag of tricks. The jeans are too short and the shirt is too big, but it will have to do.
Of course, there’s still the problem of what to give to Kristina. He will have to figure out something soon. He takes a gray undershirt out of the bag - it will be long enough for a nightshirt for her - and opens the door to their shitty motel room.
Kristina is already curled up in the middle of the bed, uncovered except for his ratty old jacket. He drags a corner of the bedspread over her and steals one of the pillows, tossing it on the floor next to the bed. He’s slept in worse places.
***
“Full house, Dodge,” Luke laid his cards on the table with a quizzical quirk of his eyebrow. “What’s going on with you? I’ve been cheating all night and you haven’t picked up on one tell.”
Ethan threw his hand down, pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen in his eyes. “Just have a lot on my mind,” he mumbled, hoping that Luke wasn’t in a chatty mood.
“Well, I wouldn’t call Kristina Corinthos ‘a lot’, she’s really just a little bit of a thing,” Luke replied, shuffling the deck and not bothering to look his son in the eye. He didn’t have to, Ethan’s silence was more than enough confirmation.
“It’s not-” Ethan began, but Luke cut him off.
“It’s not what I think, sure,” he chuckled. “Never is, Dodge.” He sat back, studying his younger son and dealing out the next hand.
“I’m just worried about her,” Ethan sighed, picking up his cards, but not looking at them. “She’s...she’s going through something that...God, as if she hasn’t been through enough...”
Luke sat up. “Is someone going after her again, like that scumbag mayor’s kid?”
“No,” Ethan answered firmly. He had to shove down dark memories of last spring even just thinking the name Kiefer Bauer.
“But let me guess, you can’t talk about it,” Luke’s eyes were clear and his tone was relaxed. Bloody perfect poker face on his old man.
Ethan heaved a sigh, but said nothing. It had been a hell of a few days.
Luke shook his head and chuckled softly. “Secrets and Sonny Corinthos’s only daughter. Not a great mix. I’ll just give you this one pearl, Dodge: make sure you know what you’re betting.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Ethan said, his voice so low and quiet that he could barely hear himself.
Luke gave an imitation of a bitter smile, muttering something about a ‘damn mirror’, under his breath. “None of us ever does, Dodge. That’s lesson number one.”
Next
<<<333
Speaking of content! More Into The Mystic!
Title: Into The Mystic
Rating: pg-13
Word Count: 1,252 (2/?)
Summary: There is a moment, a split-second, an exact pinpoint in time that splits the child with the person he will be forever...
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's Note: This veers from GH canon last May. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. ^_^
Previous
Kristina wakes up as she feels the car pull to a stop, and guilt washes over her that Ethan drove straight through another night while she slept against his shoulder. She lifts her head to lean back and stretch. He lays his head back against the seat for a moment to close his eyes and Kristina wants to smooth a hand over his brow, ease the weary lines that she doesn’t remember seeing before. She knots her hands in her lap to keep them to herself.
They’re sitting in the dark parking lot of a horseshoe-shaped motel. Ethan finally opens his eyes and looks at her. “I’m going to get us a room for the night.”
Kristina thinks of the girlish fantasies she’s had of spending a night with Ethan. They were nothing like this. “Do you think that we should spend the money, and-”
“We’ve got a little bank from Johnny to get by for some time,” Ethan chuckles mirthlessly. “I have to sleep. In a real bed. And shower. Oh God, I need a shower.”
Kristina wishes she could grow a third arm with which to turn around and slap herself. She sure is easily distracted. Here they are, six hundred miles from home, on the run from cops and God knows who else, and now all she can think about is that in the very near future, they’re going to be in some sort of motel room and Ethan is going to be showering. But actually, come to think of it, now that he’s mentioned it, there’s very little in the world that she wouldn’t give for a shower herself. She puts her hand on the door to get out of the car, but he puts an arm out to stop her.
“I’ll go by myself, you should wait here,” he closes his mouth before he can continue and Kristina realizes why. She’s on New York’s Most Wanted list -- God, maybe even it’s gone nationwide at this point. That thought is more than enough to cool her down.
She flips the radio on when Ehtan gets out of the car and hums along. He’s not even gone for two whole songs, but she barely breathes when he’s out of her sight.
***
Kristina was chopping lettuce for the salad more slowly than anyone had ever chopped lettuce, ever, in the history of the world. She knew she was being a little ridiculous, hiding in the kitchen, but her sisters’ chatter with her mom, Diane, Maxie, Robin and little Emma was setting her teeth on edge. A tiny part of her wished Ethan had never said anything -- at least she wouldn’t be feeling like this, like she was ready to jump out of her skin. Kristina shook herself out of that train of thought. Ethan had saved her from herself.
Again.
“Hey, what are you doing in here?” Maxie wandered into the kitchen, tilting her wine glass to her lips. Maxie’s tunic exactly matched the shiraz she was drinking, which Kristina was sure she had planned. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Um no, I’m fine,” Kristina answered with a quick smile.
“Mmm, it’s just as well,” Maxie sidled closer to the counter, eying her salad implements as if it were a surgery. “The kitchen isn’t really my domain.” Kristina had to laugh. It was nice having Maxie around (and Robin, and Emma). She sure knew how to lighten the mood.
It was another reason why she was so glad her mom and Mac were spending time together lately.
Kristina glanced over ot the refrigerator, where she could see a photo magnet of herself, Molly, their mom and Uncle Ric from when she was about seven, before everything went to hell. She knew that Molly would come into the kitchen when she thought no one was watching and she would shuffle the papers around this little magnet so that it would always be a bit hidden and therefore always be there, a reminder that she had a father of her own, somewhere. Kristina wondered if her baby sister could remember the time when the four of them were a family. Maybe it would be better for her if she couldn’t.
“Hey, are you done with that salad yet?” Sam popped her head into the kitchen with a pretty smile. “We’re all ready to eat in here.”
“Yeah, I’ll be right in,” Kristina said, shaking herself out of her memories.
***
Ethan would be happy to stand under this narrow, poorly lit shower for an entire week. He knows he should get out before the water turns lukewarm and with a sigh, he does. It’s a gymnastic trick to dry himself off in the tiny bathroom and get dressed into the spare clothes from Johnny’s never-ending bag of tricks. The jeans are too short and the shirt is too big, but it will have to do.
Of course, there’s still the problem of what to give to Kristina. He will have to figure out something soon. He takes a gray undershirt out of the bag - it will be long enough for a nightshirt for her - and opens the door to their shitty motel room.
Kristina is already curled up in the middle of the bed, uncovered except for his ratty old jacket. He drags a corner of the bedspread over her and steals one of the pillows, tossing it on the floor next to the bed. He’s slept in worse places.
***
“Full house, Dodge,” Luke laid his cards on the table with a quizzical quirk of his eyebrow. “What’s going on with you? I’ve been cheating all night and you haven’t picked up on one tell.”
Ethan threw his hand down, pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen in his eyes. “Just have a lot on my mind,” he mumbled, hoping that Luke wasn’t in a chatty mood.
“Well, I wouldn’t call Kristina Corinthos ‘a lot’, she’s really just a little bit of a thing,” Luke replied, shuffling the deck and not bothering to look his son in the eye. He didn’t have to, Ethan’s silence was more than enough confirmation.
“It’s not-” Ethan began, but Luke cut him off.
“It’s not what I think, sure,” he chuckled. “Never is, Dodge.” He sat back, studying his younger son and dealing out the next hand.
“I’m just worried about her,” Ethan sighed, picking up his cards, but not looking at them. “She’s...she’s going through something that...God, as if she hasn’t been through enough...”
Luke sat up. “Is someone going after her again, like that scumbag mayor’s kid?”
“No,” Ethan answered firmly. He had to shove down dark memories of last spring even just thinking the name Kiefer Bauer.
“But let me guess, you can’t talk about it,” Luke’s eyes were clear and his tone was relaxed. Bloody perfect poker face on his old man.
Ethan heaved a sigh, but said nothing. It had been a hell of a few days.
Luke shook his head and chuckled softly. “Secrets and Sonny Corinthos’s only daughter. Not a great mix. I’ll just give you this one pearl, Dodge: make sure you know what you’re betting.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Ethan said, his voice so low and quiet that he could barely hear himself.
Luke gave an imitation of a bitter smile, muttering something about a ‘damn mirror’, under his breath. “None of us ever does, Dodge. That’s lesson number one.”
Next
<<<333