Shattered Dreams: She
Title: Shattered Dreams: She
Fandom: Whose Line UK
Pairings: Josie/Tony, one-sided Greg/Tony
Rating: PG
Summary: Greg thinks she's no good for him - but he doesn't know the full story.
Disclaimer: This fic is in no way intended to portray a true representation of the people involved. As far as I know, this never happened.
Note: Part two of the Shattered Dreams series. ( If Only)
Cross-posted to britline, whoselineslash and wl_fanfiction. Submitted to fanfic100 for prompt 085 - She.
Shattered Dreams: She
Over the week that ensued, Greg spent every spare minute he could at Tony's side. Others came and went; friends and colleagues stopped by to express their wishes that Tony felt better soon, but it was Greg who waited constantly outside the room. It was Greg who held Tony's hand when the Brit was too weak to see anyone, but too afraid to be alone. It was Greg who everyone called to find out what the latest situation was, and how long it would be before Tony would be allowed home.
Then, one week to the day that Greg had received that horrible phone call, she arrived.
As Greg watched her approach, he felt his heart sink. While she had been gone, he had been able to forget about the fact that Tony belonged to someone else. Now, however, he had been sharply reminded of the fact that he could never have the one person he wanted most.
He stood to greet her, forcing himself to stay civil. They were all colleagues, after all, and there was no point in making life on set difficult for himself. Or for Tony, for that matter. Especially not for Tony, after this.
As she reached him, she pulled him into a big hug. "Oh Greg, how can I ever thank you? I've heard all about how you've been looking after my Tony for me. How is he?"
Greg extricated himself from the hug as politely as he could. "He's sleeping," he replied. "We've been relatively quiet on the visitor front, so he's taking advantage of that."
She smiled. "Wonderful. I'll take it from here."
Greg frowned. So that was it? All he had done for Tony, and he was being dismissed just because she had finally had the grace to show up? Oh, how he wanted to bring her down a peg or two - but before he could, a new voice interrupted.
"Oh, hey Josie. I didn't realise you were back."
Josie moved to hug Colin. "Colin, there you are! Ryan told me everything; thank you so much for finding my poor darling. I knew I should have taken him with me."
Greg had to hide his hands behind his back to disguise his clenched fists. He had quite happily forgotten how annoying she could be - or was that just because of his own feelings? But no, here she was right in front of him, acting for the whole world to see how 'devastated' she was.
Colin turned to Greg, noting the expression on his face. "Come on, Greg. You haven't slept properly for days. Why not make the most of Josie being here and come away for a while?"
Greg frowned, but nodded his agreement. "I guess." Turning to Josie, he began, "If he asks..."
"I'll handle it, you don't need to worry." Josie smiled. "Now go on, run along. Before you forget what the outside is like."
Greg watched silently as she walked into Tony's room. He felt Colin's grip on his arm, a gentle tug away, but he was rooted to the spot. From within, he could hear her patronising tone.
"Tony, darling! Whatever have you done to yourself, you silly man?"
The subdued apology from Tony made Greg furious, but before he could do anything, he felt a more determined tug on his arm. He looked up, glaring slightly as he snarled, "I can't..."
"You have to." Colin began to pull Greg away from the ward. "They need their time...You can't protect him from her, Greg, it's too late for that. He has to fix this himself now."
Greg felt uneasy at Colin's words. "You really think he can fight anything himself right now?"
"I never said anything about 'fight'." Colin sighed. "You've done a lot for him, Greg. But if you try to fight this for him, you end up being just like her."
Greg chose to ignore the accusation, focusing instead on the unspoken implication. "You see it too, though. You must do, or you wouldn't be saying these things."
Colin didn't reply to this. As they walked outside, he said, "Go back to the hotel, Greg, and get some rest. Let her look after him tonight. You can't see it, or won't see it, but she's not the only one at fault."
~*~
Later that evening, Josie sat and watched as her partner slept. She knew she'd been too dismissive of Greg, but she couldn't help it. The resentment in Greg's eyes had been all too clear, and she knew that if Colin hadn't arrived, the accusations would have started.
She should have been here sooner, she knew that. She shouldn't have left at all, but her career demanded it and Tony had insisted. He always insisted that she took job offers, even if it meant they'd be apart for weeks on end.
Especially if it meant they'd be apart for weeks on end, if she was honest with herself. He cared for her, she held no doubts about that, but that was about all she could be sure of. She'd known something was wrong for a while now, but he had never responded to her attempts at finding out what. For months, he had been pulling away from her, and still she could not bring herself to leave.
She smiled a little as Tony awoke. "Hello, sleepy. Feeling better?"
Tony shifted to sit up, almost falling as his hand slipped from the sheet. Immediately, Josie caught him, helping him into a position he would be comfortable in. As he steadied himself, he still kept hold of her hand. "Thank you. I've missed you."
Josie forced a small smile. "No you haven't. Greg's been doing a wonderful job."
"He's not you, though, is he?" Tony sighed. "I'm sorry, Josie. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You were thinking that you'd do it while I was away, so that I wouldn't have to be the one who found you." Josie squeezed his hand. "You may not tell me anything, but I do have some idea of what you're like."
Tony looked down. "I've not exactly been the best boyfriend ever, have I?"
"I'm not exactly perfect myself." Josie gently lifted Tony's head so she could meet his gaze. "But we can change that...if you want to, that is."
Tony swallowed, his voice rough as he replied, "I can't lose you, Josie. I love you too damn much. I know I haven't shown it, exactly, but..."
"You were trying to protect me, I understand that." Josie kissed him softly before continuing, "But I don't need protecting from you, Tony. I love you because of who you are, and if that means seeing things I may not like, well, isn't that what relationships are all about?"
Tony gave her an uncertain look. "I suppose that's true...but there is one thing I have to ask in return."
"I promise I'll stop trying to smother you." Josie looked down. "I know I've come down on you pretty hard sometimes, but I just...I couldn't find any other way to get through to you."
Tony pulled back a bit, motioning for Josie to join him on the bed. "Come here, you. It's my own fault you ended up having to pester me to the point of madness. I suppose I just needed to hear you say it yourself...but I know I wouldn't want anyone else at my side while I fight this...whatever label they eventually decide to stick on me."
Josie moved to lie beside him, as closely as she could, as she replied, "And I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else. I've already told them to finish the run without me."
Tony held her as tightly as he could without hurting her. "I'm not worth sacrificing that much for. But thank you."
"Oh, I think you are." Josie kissed him. "There'll be other shows but if I lost you, I'd lose everything. And I'm just not prepared to do that."
Fandom: Whose Line UK
Pairings: Josie/Tony, one-sided Greg/Tony
Rating: PG
Summary: Greg thinks she's no good for him - but he doesn't know the full story.
Disclaimer: This fic is in no way intended to portray a true representation of the people involved. As far as I know, this never happened.
Note: Part two of the Shattered Dreams series. ( If Only)
Cross-posted to britline, whoselineslash and wl_fanfiction. Submitted to fanfic100 for prompt 085 - She.
Shattered Dreams: She
Over the week that ensued, Greg spent every spare minute he could at Tony's side. Others came and went; friends and colleagues stopped by to express their wishes that Tony felt better soon, but it was Greg who waited constantly outside the room. It was Greg who held Tony's hand when the Brit was too weak to see anyone, but too afraid to be alone. It was Greg who everyone called to find out what the latest situation was, and how long it would be before Tony would be allowed home.
Then, one week to the day that Greg had received that horrible phone call, she arrived.
As Greg watched her approach, he felt his heart sink. While she had been gone, he had been able to forget about the fact that Tony belonged to someone else. Now, however, he had been sharply reminded of the fact that he could never have the one person he wanted most.
He stood to greet her, forcing himself to stay civil. They were all colleagues, after all, and there was no point in making life on set difficult for himself. Or for Tony, for that matter. Especially not for Tony, after this.
As she reached him, she pulled him into a big hug. "Oh Greg, how can I ever thank you? I've heard all about how you've been looking after my Tony for me. How is he?"
Greg extricated himself from the hug as politely as he could. "He's sleeping," he replied. "We've been relatively quiet on the visitor front, so he's taking advantage of that."
She smiled. "Wonderful. I'll take it from here."
Greg frowned. So that was it? All he had done for Tony, and he was being dismissed just because she had finally had the grace to show up? Oh, how he wanted to bring her down a peg or two - but before he could, a new voice interrupted.
"Oh, hey Josie. I didn't realise you were back."
Josie moved to hug Colin. "Colin, there you are! Ryan told me everything; thank you so much for finding my poor darling. I knew I should have taken him with me."
Greg had to hide his hands behind his back to disguise his clenched fists. He had quite happily forgotten how annoying she could be - or was that just because of his own feelings? But no, here she was right in front of him, acting for the whole world to see how 'devastated' she was.
Colin turned to Greg, noting the expression on his face. "Come on, Greg. You haven't slept properly for days. Why not make the most of Josie being here and come away for a while?"
Greg frowned, but nodded his agreement. "I guess." Turning to Josie, he began, "If he asks..."
"I'll handle it, you don't need to worry." Josie smiled. "Now go on, run along. Before you forget what the outside is like."
Greg watched silently as she walked into Tony's room. He felt Colin's grip on his arm, a gentle tug away, but he was rooted to the spot. From within, he could hear her patronising tone.
"Tony, darling! Whatever have you done to yourself, you silly man?"
The subdued apology from Tony made Greg furious, but before he could do anything, he felt a more determined tug on his arm. He looked up, glaring slightly as he snarled, "I can't..."
"You have to." Colin began to pull Greg away from the ward. "They need their time...You can't protect him from her, Greg, it's too late for that. He has to fix this himself now."
Greg felt uneasy at Colin's words. "You really think he can fight anything himself right now?"
"I never said anything about 'fight'." Colin sighed. "You've done a lot for him, Greg. But if you try to fight this for him, you end up being just like her."
Greg chose to ignore the accusation, focusing instead on the unspoken implication. "You see it too, though. You must do, or you wouldn't be saying these things."
Colin didn't reply to this. As they walked outside, he said, "Go back to the hotel, Greg, and get some rest. Let her look after him tonight. You can't see it, or won't see it, but she's not the only one at fault."
~*~
Later that evening, Josie sat and watched as her partner slept. She knew she'd been too dismissive of Greg, but she couldn't help it. The resentment in Greg's eyes had been all too clear, and she knew that if Colin hadn't arrived, the accusations would have started.
She should have been here sooner, she knew that. She shouldn't have left at all, but her career demanded it and Tony had insisted. He always insisted that she took job offers, even if it meant they'd be apart for weeks on end.
Especially if it meant they'd be apart for weeks on end, if she was honest with herself. He cared for her, she held no doubts about that, but that was about all she could be sure of. She'd known something was wrong for a while now, but he had never responded to her attempts at finding out what. For months, he had been pulling away from her, and still she could not bring herself to leave.
She smiled a little as Tony awoke. "Hello, sleepy. Feeling better?"
Tony shifted to sit up, almost falling as his hand slipped from the sheet. Immediately, Josie caught him, helping him into a position he would be comfortable in. As he steadied himself, he still kept hold of her hand. "Thank you. I've missed you."
Josie forced a small smile. "No you haven't. Greg's been doing a wonderful job."
"He's not you, though, is he?" Tony sighed. "I'm sorry, Josie. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You were thinking that you'd do it while I was away, so that I wouldn't have to be the one who found you." Josie squeezed his hand. "You may not tell me anything, but I do have some idea of what you're like."
Tony looked down. "I've not exactly been the best boyfriend ever, have I?"
"I'm not exactly perfect myself." Josie gently lifted Tony's head so she could meet his gaze. "But we can change that...if you want to, that is."
Tony swallowed, his voice rough as he replied, "I can't lose you, Josie. I love you too damn much. I know I haven't shown it, exactly, but..."
"You were trying to protect me, I understand that." Josie kissed him softly before continuing, "But I don't need protecting from you, Tony. I love you because of who you are, and if that means seeing things I may not like, well, isn't that what relationships are all about?"
Tony gave her an uncertain look. "I suppose that's true...but there is one thing I have to ask in return."
"I promise I'll stop trying to smother you." Josie looked down. "I know I've come down on you pretty hard sometimes, but I just...I couldn't find any other way to get through to you."
Tony pulled back a bit, motioning for Josie to join him on the bed. "Come here, you. It's my own fault you ended up having to pester me to the point of madness. I suppose I just needed to hear you say it yourself...but I know I wouldn't want anyone else at my side while I fight this...whatever label they eventually decide to stick on me."
Josie moved to lie beside him, as closely as she could, as she replied, "And I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else. I've already told them to finish the run without me."
Tony held her as tightly as he could without hurting her. "I'm not worth sacrificing that much for. But thank you."
"Oh, I think you are." Josie kissed him. "There'll be other shows but if I lost you, I'd lose everything. And I'm just not prepared to do that."