Happy
Title: Happy
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Series: Part of the Goddess 'verse (Sequence #5)
Character: Alison Porter
Rating: Gen
Orientation: Gen
Word Count: 1,292
Notes: For camshaft22 - here's your 5 o'clock bunny
Prompt: AU Bingo: Figure Skating
Allie’s breath was a floating cloud around her as she did the spin again. This time she remembered to keep her arms arched perfectly overhead as she finished. She still had trouble bringing what she learned at her ballet class into the rink, but she was getting better, Mrs. Pascale said so.
“Very good, Allie! Very good, that was exactly what I was looking for.” Mrs. Pascale clapped her hands. “Now let me see the circle eight again. Keep your form, dear.”
Smiling, Allie set off across the ice and began the sequence. She nearly crashed into Kristy Carson again as she went up the ice. Even Kristy’s nasty glare couldn’t dim Allie’s good mood. She’d nailed the spin, Kristy couldn’t say the same.
As Allie went towards the locker area, she smiled and waved at the Ponytail Lady. She wondered which of the kids skating on the ice she was here for, Allie never saw anyone leave with her. Black Jacket Guy was there too, as usual, not far from Ponytail Lady. He smiled and called out, “You did good out there today, kid, saw you nail that spin. Good job.”
“Thanks!” Allie waved and smiled shyly. “Hey Mom! Mom, did you see, did you see?” She threw her arms around her mom and pressed her face into the softness of her down jacket. It was a good day.
~*~
She had thought coming here today would help, that losing herself in the routines would take her mind off things at home. It wasn’t, though. She came out of a spin and lost her footing, stumbling forward. She got her toe down and managed to not fall, but it was close.
Expelling her breath in a sob, Allie realized she couldn’t do this today. She hugged her arms around her waist and skated off towards the side. She dropped onto one of the benches and hurriedly began unlacing.
“Cutting out early today?”
Allie glanced up to see Ponytail Lady leaning against the railing. She was pregnant again, Allie noticed. And surprisingly alone, that was odd; her husband was always with her. “Yeah. I shouldn’t have come today at all; I thought it would be okay.”
“Something wrong, sweetie?”
The tears started, rolling off her nose and onto the toe of her skate. “My mom is really sick, has been really sick. The doctor told us this morning that she’s not going to get better.”
Ponytail Lady waddled over and lowered herself to the bench. “I’m sorry,” she said simply.
“They think she might make it to graduation, maybe even through Nationals.” Allie looked down at her skates and started to lace them again. “What am I doing? I have to practice; I have to make Nationals this year. It’s the last time…”
“Shh, honey, shh. Not today,” Ponytail Lady patted Allie’s shoulder and rubbed a circle on her back. “Go home and be with your mom. Practice tomorrow.”
Sniffling, Allie debated about what to do.
“If you go out there and hurt yourself because your mind isn’t on the game, you’ll regret it more than you will the few hours of missed practice.” Black Jacket Guy was back. Allie had never gotten this close to him before. He had really blue eyes, and a kind smile. And he was right. She’d almost fallen out there once already, if she hurt herself today she’d be out for the season.
She undid her laces. “Yeah, I’m gonna go home and spend the evening with Mom.”
“Good idea,” Ponytail Lady said. “Spend as much time as you can with her.”
“Bye! Thanks.” Allie ran to the door. She realized she hadn’t ever asked their names, even though she saw them all the time. She turned back, but they were gone.
~*~
She landed the triple Salchow to thunderous applause. Allie was certain that the smile on her face was the cheesiest and stupidest ever, but she didn’t care. She’d finished her routine perfectly, no mistakes. Perfect.
As she skated off into the arms of her trainer, Mrs. Pascale, she let out a scream of joy. All the years of work and pain and sacrifice towards this, towards this moment.
“Oh, Allie, Allie, your mom would be so proud! You did it, sweetie!” Mrs. Pascale said, hugging her tightly and lifting her off the floor.
As the scores came up, Allie clapped her hands over her mouth. “Enough, it was enough, it was enough!” She leapt up from the bench and waved happily at the spectators.
“See you at the medals ceremony, Allie,” the team’s coordinator called as she was lead through to the dressing rooms.
“Go get changed, you’ll have to run the press gauntlet. I’ll find your dad and bring him to the media area,” Mrs. Pascale told her as she pushed Allie gently into the dressing room. After she changed, she ran out of the dressing room, grabbing up her jacket and trying to remember which way she was supposed to go.
“Left,” a familiar voice said. She turned to see Black Jacket Guy leaning against a wall. “Mrs. Pascale went left.”
“Oh wow, you’re here! Hi!”
Allie ran up to him, bouncing on her toes. He smiled at her. “Wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Congratulations, Allie.”
“You know, all these years, and you’ve never, ever changed.” Allie stared at him; he looked the same now as he had when she was a kid. Same jacket, too. “And I have never asked your name.”
He laughed. “No, you haven’t. Mrs. Pascale is looking for you. Good luck, Allie, in everything,” he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Allie, Allie!” she turned to wave to her trainer. When she turned back, Black Jacket Guy was gone. It made her a little sad, it had seemed like he was saying goodbye.
She did her press interviews, walking away blinded from the flashes of all the cameras. As Mrs. Pascale led her towards the doors where they would meet the bus and the rest of the team, Allie saw the reddish gold ponytail she had been looking for in the crowd. He’d been here, she wouldn’t be far. “Hold up a minute, please, Mrs. P?”
“Sure, honey.”
Allie walked over to this stranger that had always been there. “Hi. I saw your husband before.”
Pomytail lady smiled mysteriously and rand a hand over her belly. “Are you happy, Allie?”
“I’m so happy. This is what I always wanted, what I promised my mom I would keep working for. I wish she could have been here.”
Placing a palm against Allie’s heart, her strange friend said, “She was here, right here. You did so well today, so well. Is it everything you hoped for?”
Allie nodded as tears started to spill down her cheeks.
“Be happy, Allie. Please be happy.” Ponytail lady pressed her forehead to Allie’s and then stroked her cheek. “Hold onto the moment.”
~*~
“Are you happy?” he asked as they watched Allie leave.
“For the moment. I can’t ask for more than that, can I?”
He tugged her into his arms and held her, trying to give comfort. “This was what she wanted, the choice she made.”
She sobbed into his shoulder, “I know… but… I can’t let her go.”
“We have to, for now. She’ll be safe here, and if we can’t get back to her, she’s on the right path. We have to go.” He tugged the end of her ponytail and chucked under her chin. “Smile for me, Chaos-girl. Then take a deep breath and make a wish.”
She gave him a wavering smile, reached down and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. She took a deep breath, “I wish that Allie has a good life.”
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Series: Part of the Goddess 'verse (Sequence #5)
Character: Alison Porter
Rating: Gen
Orientation: Gen
Word Count: 1,292
Notes: For camshaft22 - here's your 5 o'clock bunny
Prompt: AU Bingo: Figure Skating
Allie’s breath was a floating cloud around her as she did the spin again. This time she remembered to keep her arms arched perfectly overhead as she finished. She still had trouble bringing what she learned at her ballet class into the rink, but she was getting better, Mrs. Pascale said so.
“Very good, Allie! Very good, that was exactly what I was looking for.” Mrs. Pascale clapped her hands. “Now let me see the circle eight again. Keep your form, dear.”
Smiling, Allie set off across the ice and began the sequence. She nearly crashed into Kristy Carson again as she went up the ice. Even Kristy’s nasty glare couldn’t dim Allie’s good mood. She’d nailed the spin, Kristy couldn’t say the same.
As Allie went towards the locker area, she smiled and waved at the Ponytail Lady. She wondered which of the kids skating on the ice she was here for, Allie never saw anyone leave with her. Black Jacket Guy was there too, as usual, not far from Ponytail Lady. He smiled and called out, “You did good out there today, kid, saw you nail that spin. Good job.”
“Thanks!” Allie waved and smiled shyly. “Hey Mom! Mom, did you see, did you see?” She threw her arms around her mom and pressed her face into the softness of her down jacket. It was a good day.
~*~
She had thought coming here today would help, that losing herself in the routines would take her mind off things at home. It wasn’t, though. She came out of a spin and lost her footing, stumbling forward. She got her toe down and managed to not fall, but it was close.
Expelling her breath in a sob, Allie realized she couldn’t do this today. She hugged her arms around her waist and skated off towards the side. She dropped onto one of the benches and hurriedly began unlacing.
“Cutting out early today?”
Allie glanced up to see Ponytail Lady leaning against the railing. She was pregnant again, Allie noticed. And surprisingly alone, that was odd; her husband was always with her. “Yeah. I shouldn’t have come today at all; I thought it would be okay.”
“Something wrong, sweetie?”
The tears started, rolling off her nose and onto the toe of her skate. “My mom is really sick, has been really sick. The doctor told us this morning that she’s not going to get better.”
Ponytail Lady waddled over and lowered herself to the bench. “I’m sorry,” she said simply.
“They think she might make it to graduation, maybe even through Nationals.” Allie looked down at her skates and started to lace them again. “What am I doing? I have to practice; I have to make Nationals this year. It’s the last time…”
“Shh, honey, shh. Not today,” Ponytail Lady patted Allie’s shoulder and rubbed a circle on her back. “Go home and be with your mom. Practice tomorrow.”
Sniffling, Allie debated about what to do.
“If you go out there and hurt yourself because your mind isn’t on the game, you’ll regret it more than you will the few hours of missed practice.” Black Jacket Guy was back. Allie had never gotten this close to him before. He had really blue eyes, and a kind smile. And he was right. She’d almost fallen out there once already, if she hurt herself today she’d be out for the season.
She undid her laces. “Yeah, I’m gonna go home and spend the evening with Mom.”
“Good idea,” Ponytail Lady said. “Spend as much time as you can with her.”
“Bye! Thanks.” Allie ran to the door. She realized she hadn’t ever asked their names, even though she saw them all the time. She turned back, but they were gone.
~*~
She landed the triple Salchow to thunderous applause. Allie was certain that the smile on her face was the cheesiest and stupidest ever, but she didn’t care. She’d finished her routine perfectly, no mistakes. Perfect.
As she skated off into the arms of her trainer, Mrs. Pascale, she let out a scream of joy. All the years of work and pain and sacrifice towards this, towards this moment.
“Oh, Allie, Allie, your mom would be so proud! You did it, sweetie!” Mrs. Pascale said, hugging her tightly and lifting her off the floor.
As the scores came up, Allie clapped her hands over her mouth. “Enough, it was enough, it was enough!” She leapt up from the bench and waved happily at the spectators.
“See you at the medals ceremony, Allie,” the team’s coordinator called as she was lead through to the dressing rooms.
“Go get changed, you’ll have to run the press gauntlet. I’ll find your dad and bring him to the media area,” Mrs. Pascale told her as she pushed Allie gently into the dressing room. After she changed, she ran out of the dressing room, grabbing up her jacket and trying to remember which way she was supposed to go.
“Left,” a familiar voice said. She turned to see Black Jacket Guy leaning against a wall. “Mrs. Pascale went left.”
“Oh wow, you’re here! Hi!”
Allie ran up to him, bouncing on her toes. He smiled at her. “Wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Congratulations, Allie.”
“You know, all these years, and you’ve never, ever changed.” Allie stared at him; he looked the same now as he had when she was a kid. Same jacket, too. “And I have never asked your name.”
He laughed. “No, you haven’t. Mrs. Pascale is looking for you. Good luck, Allie, in everything,” he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“Allie, Allie!” she turned to wave to her trainer. When she turned back, Black Jacket Guy was gone. It made her a little sad, it had seemed like he was saying goodbye.
She did her press interviews, walking away blinded from the flashes of all the cameras. As Mrs. Pascale led her towards the doors where they would meet the bus and the rest of the team, Allie saw the reddish gold ponytail she had been looking for in the crowd. He’d been here, she wouldn’t be far. “Hold up a minute, please, Mrs. P?”
“Sure, honey.”
Allie walked over to this stranger that had always been there. “Hi. I saw your husband before.”
Pomytail lady smiled mysteriously and rand a hand over her belly. “Are you happy, Allie?”
“I’m so happy. This is what I always wanted, what I promised my mom I would keep working for. I wish she could have been here.”
Placing a palm against Allie’s heart, her strange friend said, “She was here, right here. You did so well today, so well. Is it everything you hoped for?”
Allie nodded as tears started to spill down her cheeks.
“Be happy, Allie. Please be happy.” Ponytail lady pressed her forehead to Allie’s and then stroked her cheek. “Hold onto the moment.”
~*~
“Are you happy?” he asked as they watched Allie leave.
“For the moment. I can’t ask for more than that, can I?”
He tugged her into his arms and held her, trying to give comfort. “This was what she wanted, the choice she made.”
She sobbed into his shoulder, “I know… but… I can’t let her go.”
“We have to, for now. She’ll be safe here, and if we can’t get back to her, she’s on the right path. We have to go.” He tugged the end of her ponytail and chucked under her chin. “Smile for me, Chaos-girl. Then take a deep breath and make a wish.”
She gave him a wavering smile, reached down and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. She took a deep breath, “I wish that Allie has a good life.”