Fic: "Guitar Man", Ned/Tessa (Imagine Me & You), PG
Guitar Man
Written for the “Happy Birthday ASH!” ficathon, masterlist here!
Word: “Guitar”
Pairing/Fandom: Ned/Tessa - “Imagine Me & You”
Disclaimer: Not my characters. They belong to a bunch of people in the film industry who will never read this anyway.
Summary: It’s Ned’s birthday and after seeing Lucy and Rachel so happy together, Tessa has to tell him something…
A/N: If you’ve read my review you’ll know I didn’t really like ASH’s role in this movie, but it IS his latest and I felt sorry for his character. So here’s a little attempt at amends.
“Thank you,” he told her as she was shrugging on her coat and preparing to leave with his daughter for the evening from his house to their own.
Lucy looked at him questioningly, but smiled graciously. “For coming? Of course, Mr. Carol. Fifty-two years is reason enough to celebrate and you’re important to Rach, so that makes you important to me.” Rachel smiled at her.
“Well, yes, for coming,” he admitted. “And for the flowers also. You’ll have to tell me again what they mean sometime. Perhaps you have a book I can borrow? It’s quite fascinating to hear you talk about it all. But no,” he paused and took her hand. “I want to thank you for Rachel. For making her so happy. And for being so happy with her. I think it’s rare to see such a thing as you two have…and well, thank you for giving that to our daughter.”
Luce blushed which wasn’t something she did often, but it looked quite becoming against the auburn of her hair, and Rachel blushed with her, giving her a little hug from behind. Luce managed to say, “I only hope we can hope for as many years together as you have had with your wife.”
Ned looked away for a second, trying not to betray the sting he felt at her words. But then he managed a laugh at the rueful way she still mentioned Tessa. “Give her time. She’ll warm up to you the minute the two of you figure out how to give her grandchildren. I know they have a wonderful selection of ways these days.”
“Daddy!” Rachel said, cutting him off.
Fortunately he stopped himself before he could verbally over examine that thought. “And now that they’ve changed the law, perhaps there’s another wedding in the future? It might be a second for Rach, but it will be a first for you, and it should be special,” he told Lucy.
“Dad!” Rachel said again, only this time there was a touch of affection in her exasperation.
“Well, it should. Let us know when you decide. We’d love to help out.”
“That’s awfully generous. Thank you,” Lucy said.
“Yeah, thanks dad,” Rachel gave him a hug and a peck on the check. “And happy birthday.”
*****
“She’s such a nice girl,” Ned commented after they left.
“Yes…” Tessa admitted grudgingly. “I guess I’ll get used to it…eventually. I keep hoping she’ll find another man…not Hector now that he’s found someone else, but someone…still, if this is what she really wants…”
“I think it is. I’ve never seen her happier. I envy them.”
Something in the way he said it seemed to get through to her, because she paused. “Are you happy, Ned?” she asked. “With me?”
He seemed startled by the question and answered quickly. “Of course.” Then he looked down at his hands finding the knuckle of his middle finger suddenly very interesting. “Are you?”
She was about to answer him flippantly, but saw his look of trepidation and sat down on the couch beside him. “Remember when Rachel first told us about Lucy? And remember how you told her about how you were afraid you never quite measured up for me? You said that if I ever found someone I could truly love, you’d let me go without a thought.”
Ned didn’t look up. He couldn’t for fear she’d see the brightness of his eyes and maybe the terror behind them. “I still would,” he whispered.
“I suppose I should tell you something. It’s something that happened a long time ago, but I was always too ashamed to tell you.”
He was quiet and said nothing, waiting.
“There was someone else, once. It was quite a while ago; Rachel was only a few years old. Anyway, I met a man. He was a musician, believe it or not.”
“A musician?” he asked for lack of anything better to say.
“Yes. Well, he was a banker by day, but he played at a pub at nights. The guitar. He could play it beautifully, and I loved to watch him, the way his hands would move on the strings, coaxing out the music as he sang with it. It was beautiful, sensual. And after he met me, he used to play just for me. He was incredibly charming…” she seemed to shake herself, realizing that extolling the other man’s virtues probably wasn’t necessary just now.
“Anyway, after I heard him once, I kept coming back to listen, and eventually he started talking to me. I’m sorry to say that soon we were meeting outside the pub…I mean, we never did anything that improper,” she said quickly, imagining how her words must have sounded, “but we went to restaurants and on walks and whatnot. That was back when you were working so hard that I barely saw you. It was just…so easy. And I did start to love him. I…I wanted to feel that passion, Ned. I wanted to,” she closed her eyes and this time it was her lashes that were wet.
“What happened?” he asked dully.
“Well, he knew about you, of course. I never hid the ring. But he asked me if I would leave. And…and at first I was tempted. But then I talked to a friend of mine, and you know what she said? She said I needed to decide which I would regret the most - missing out on what might have been with him or missing out on the rest of my marriage with you.”
Tessa reached over and took his hand in her hand. Her other she put to his cheek, bringing his eyes up to look at hers. The tears on his cheeks were evident now, and she saw the vulnerability there. She did love him, she knew, and at times like this, it was possible that she even wanted to be in love with him. “And you know what?”
The looked at each other in silence for a moment before she continued. “I haven’t thought of him in years.”
His breath came out fast, broken like a sob, and he kissed her, lightly then firm, holding her close. “Tessa, I will always love you. I always have. No matter what, always.”
After all these years, it was amazing how easy it had been, she thought, and with the sharing of the secret she felt better, closer to him. “Ned? Happy birthday.”
Written for the “Happy Birthday ASH!” ficathon, masterlist here!
Word: “Guitar”
Pairing/Fandom: Ned/Tessa - “Imagine Me & You”
Disclaimer: Not my characters. They belong to a bunch of people in the film industry who will never read this anyway.
Summary: It’s Ned’s birthday and after seeing Lucy and Rachel so happy together, Tessa has to tell him something…
A/N: If you’ve read my review you’ll know I didn’t really like ASH’s role in this movie, but it IS his latest and I felt sorry for his character. So here’s a little attempt at amends.
“Thank you,” he told her as she was shrugging on her coat and preparing to leave with his daughter for the evening from his house to their own.
Lucy looked at him questioningly, but smiled graciously. “For coming? Of course, Mr. Carol. Fifty-two years is reason enough to celebrate and you’re important to Rach, so that makes you important to me.” Rachel smiled at her.
“Well, yes, for coming,” he admitted. “And for the flowers also. You’ll have to tell me again what they mean sometime. Perhaps you have a book I can borrow? It’s quite fascinating to hear you talk about it all. But no,” he paused and took her hand. “I want to thank you for Rachel. For making her so happy. And for being so happy with her. I think it’s rare to see such a thing as you two have…and well, thank you for giving that to our daughter.”
Luce blushed which wasn’t something she did often, but it looked quite becoming against the auburn of her hair, and Rachel blushed with her, giving her a little hug from behind. Luce managed to say, “I only hope we can hope for as many years together as you have had with your wife.”
Ned looked away for a second, trying not to betray the sting he felt at her words. But then he managed a laugh at the rueful way she still mentioned Tessa. “Give her time. She’ll warm up to you the minute the two of you figure out how to give her grandchildren. I know they have a wonderful selection of ways these days.”
“Daddy!” Rachel said, cutting him off.
Fortunately he stopped himself before he could verbally over examine that thought. “And now that they’ve changed the law, perhaps there’s another wedding in the future? It might be a second for Rach, but it will be a first for you, and it should be special,” he told Lucy.
“Dad!” Rachel said again, only this time there was a touch of affection in her exasperation.
“Well, it should. Let us know when you decide. We’d love to help out.”
“That’s awfully generous. Thank you,” Lucy said.
“Yeah, thanks dad,” Rachel gave him a hug and a peck on the check. “And happy birthday.”
*****
“She’s such a nice girl,” Ned commented after they left.
“Yes…” Tessa admitted grudgingly. “I guess I’ll get used to it…eventually. I keep hoping she’ll find another man…not Hector now that he’s found someone else, but someone…still, if this is what she really wants…”
“I think it is. I’ve never seen her happier. I envy them.”
Something in the way he said it seemed to get through to her, because she paused. “Are you happy, Ned?” she asked. “With me?”
He seemed startled by the question and answered quickly. “Of course.” Then he looked down at his hands finding the knuckle of his middle finger suddenly very interesting. “Are you?”
She was about to answer him flippantly, but saw his look of trepidation and sat down on the couch beside him. “Remember when Rachel first told us about Lucy? And remember how you told her about how you were afraid you never quite measured up for me? You said that if I ever found someone I could truly love, you’d let me go without a thought.”
Ned didn’t look up. He couldn’t for fear she’d see the brightness of his eyes and maybe the terror behind them. “I still would,” he whispered.
“I suppose I should tell you something. It’s something that happened a long time ago, but I was always too ashamed to tell you.”
He was quiet and said nothing, waiting.
“There was someone else, once. It was quite a while ago; Rachel was only a few years old. Anyway, I met a man. He was a musician, believe it or not.”
“A musician?” he asked for lack of anything better to say.
“Yes. Well, he was a banker by day, but he played at a pub at nights. The guitar. He could play it beautifully, and I loved to watch him, the way his hands would move on the strings, coaxing out the music as he sang with it. It was beautiful, sensual. And after he met me, he used to play just for me. He was incredibly charming…” she seemed to shake herself, realizing that extolling the other man’s virtues probably wasn’t necessary just now.
“Anyway, after I heard him once, I kept coming back to listen, and eventually he started talking to me. I’m sorry to say that soon we were meeting outside the pub…I mean, we never did anything that improper,” she said quickly, imagining how her words must have sounded, “but we went to restaurants and on walks and whatnot. That was back when you were working so hard that I barely saw you. It was just…so easy. And I did start to love him. I…I wanted to feel that passion, Ned. I wanted to,” she closed her eyes and this time it was her lashes that were wet.
“What happened?” he asked dully.
“Well, he knew about you, of course. I never hid the ring. But he asked me if I would leave. And…and at first I was tempted. But then I talked to a friend of mine, and you know what she said? She said I needed to decide which I would regret the most - missing out on what might have been with him or missing out on the rest of my marriage with you.”
Tessa reached over and took his hand in her hand. Her other she put to his cheek, bringing his eyes up to look at hers. The tears on his cheeks were evident now, and she saw the vulnerability there. She did love him, she knew, and at times like this, it was possible that she even wanted to be in love with him. “And you know what?”
The looked at each other in silence for a moment before she continued. “I haven’t thought of him in years.”
His breath came out fast, broken like a sob, and he kissed her, lightly then firm, holding her close. “Tessa, I will always love you. I always have. No matter what, always.”
After all these years, it was amazing how easy it had been, she thought, and with the sharing of the secret she felt better, closer to him. “Ned? Happy birthday.”