V (2009) "Comfort in Candlelight" Jack/Erica (PG)
Fandom: V (2009)
Title: Comfort in Candlelight
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Father Jack, Jack/Erica hinted
Rated: PG
Word Count: ~600
Genre: Angst/Introspective
Spoilers: S1, Episode 4 "It's Only the Beginning"
Notes: Written for #86 - Three Words at the Grave for 100_fairytales
Disclaimer: I do not own V or make profit from it.
Summary: Jack waits for his angel.
He didn’t think he’d die like this - gasping for breath, tasting blood and bemoaning his own failures. Jack should have seen this coming, but it was too late to fix things now. He should have been more careful. Georgie had warned them all many times before - it isn’t safe anymore. Don’t trust anyone; be on your guard.
You have to choose, Jack; are you a priest or a soldier?
Jack knew he was dying, but irony paid a visit anyway. A priest trusted people; he opened his heart and listened to the sorrow of others. They confessed. He listened. They repented, and he gave them his blessing.
A priest is supposed to be close to God, and yet he only felt the weight of Him, bearing down on him as he choked on his last coppery breath. God was too big for him, so maybe the Visitors were too.
His last moments were upon him, and Jack thought about the fairytale that always comforted him when he thought of death: an angel would be there to welcome him and take him to the other side into Heaven.
No angels came, not now. Jack was even too weak to laugh at himself. Instead, he heard hers, and if he were ever able to have one last comfort in his life, it would be to die beside her. Even though he always hoped they’d prevail, it did occur to him that they might die in this fight. But he could only see them dying together - side by side and hand in hand, watching each other and waiting until the last moment until they couldn’t stay awake.
His eyes felt heavy, and he saw Erica’s face, her large blue eyes and her challenging smile. Her words would always roll off her tongue, hushed and velvety, and the muscles would lightly tense in her face when he caught one of her rare smiles.
It surprised him how much he now missed her, and the more he imagined her, the less he felt the pain. Blood coated his fingers, and his vision became blurrier after every lulled blink.
Her name passed through his lips in a whisper, and as the pain stole away his reservations, he felt selfish for this moment. No angels would wait for him, but he’d give anything to die with her at his side.
Jack only wished he could have been more useful to their cause. He was ready to fight with the Resistance, to rally against an insurmountable evil of lies and deceit, no matter how small their chance for victory.
He coughed, and blood bubbled over his tongue, and he tasted it on his teeth. His ears began to deceive him, and he heard a scream. Soft warm bodies flanked him, and hands covered the heart of his wound.
Her light voice sprinkled in his ears, and he wished it were all true. He thanked God for giving him at least this, an illusion of Erica’s delicate hands holding him, her body rocking against his to comfort him. He looked up and saw her sobbing, tears glowing in the candlelight as she told him, “You’ll be alright.”
It was the last beautiful sound he heard before he slipped into the darkness. Her lips were against his forehead when he realized she was still there. Until the last second, she stayed with him, this woman he knew he could never truly have.
He felt his heart slowing, and Jack realized his thoughts had never been a fairytale at all.
His angel had truly come.
Title: Comfort in Candlelight
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Father Jack, Jack/Erica hinted
Rated: PG
Word Count: ~600
Genre: Angst/Introspective
Spoilers: S1, Episode 4 "It's Only the Beginning"
Notes: Written for #86 - Three Words at the Grave for 100_fairytales
Disclaimer: I do not own V or make profit from it.
Summary: Jack waits for his angel.
He didn’t think he’d die like this - gasping for breath, tasting blood and bemoaning his own failures. Jack should have seen this coming, but it was too late to fix things now. He should have been more careful. Georgie had warned them all many times before - it isn’t safe anymore. Don’t trust anyone; be on your guard.
You have to choose, Jack; are you a priest or a soldier?
Jack knew he was dying, but irony paid a visit anyway. A priest trusted people; he opened his heart and listened to the sorrow of others. They confessed. He listened. They repented, and he gave them his blessing.
A priest is supposed to be close to God, and yet he only felt the weight of Him, bearing down on him as he choked on his last coppery breath. God was too big for him, so maybe the Visitors were too.
His last moments were upon him, and Jack thought about the fairytale that always comforted him when he thought of death: an angel would be there to welcome him and take him to the other side into Heaven.
No angels came, not now. Jack was even too weak to laugh at himself. Instead, he heard hers, and if he were ever able to have one last comfort in his life, it would be to die beside her. Even though he always hoped they’d prevail, it did occur to him that they might die in this fight. But he could only see them dying together - side by side and hand in hand, watching each other and waiting until the last moment until they couldn’t stay awake.
His eyes felt heavy, and he saw Erica’s face, her large blue eyes and her challenging smile. Her words would always roll off her tongue, hushed and velvety, and the muscles would lightly tense in her face when he caught one of her rare smiles.
It surprised him how much he now missed her, and the more he imagined her, the less he felt the pain. Blood coated his fingers, and his vision became blurrier after every lulled blink.
Her name passed through his lips in a whisper, and as the pain stole away his reservations, he felt selfish for this moment. No angels would wait for him, but he’d give anything to die with her at his side.
Jack only wished he could have been more useful to their cause. He was ready to fight with the Resistance, to rally against an insurmountable evil of lies and deceit, no matter how small their chance for victory.
He coughed, and blood bubbled over his tongue, and he tasted it on his teeth. His ears began to deceive him, and he heard a scream. Soft warm bodies flanked him, and hands covered the heart of his wound.
Her light voice sprinkled in his ears, and he wished it were all true. He thanked God for giving him at least this, an illusion of Erica’s delicate hands holding him, her body rocking against his to comfort him. He looked up and saw her sobbing, tears glowing in the candlelight as she told him, “You’ll be alright.”
It was the last beautiful sound he heard before he slipped into the darkness. Her lips were against his forehead when he realized she was still there. Until the last second, she stayed with him, this woman he knew he could never truly have.
He felt his heart slowing, and Jack realized his thoughts had never been a fairytale at all.
His angel had truly come.