[fic] Homecoming (His Dark Materials, G, 1/1)
My second yuletide fic.
Title: Homecoming
Author: Rynne
Fandom: His Dark Materials
Rating: G
Recipient: leah k
Word count: ~1200
Summary: Will comes home.
Notes: Mrs. Cooper doesn't have a first name in the books that I could find, so I gave her one.
Perhaps the last thing Elizabeth Cooper expected to see when she opened her front door was Will Parry, and with him an older woman she'd never seen before. She was so surprised that she invited them to come in before she registered that Will was, in fact, actually there.
"How is my mother?" Will asked the moment she closed the door again. "I'm sorry it's been longer than I said. I didn't mean to leave for so long."
Elizabeth was silent for a moment as she waved the two of them to the sofa in the sitting room. For the past couple weeks, Elaine Parry seemed to have two different personalities, one that was sweet, and helpful, and loved learning the piano; and one that was obsessive-compulsive, and afraid, and constantly looking for her son. And it was for her son's sake that Elizabeth looked after her, because it was obvious that Will had gotten in some trouble and that what he needed most was his mother taken care of. Will was a good boy, and she didn't mind doing this for him. And Elaine was good company, most of the time, but there were times when Elizabeth just didn't know what to do.
Then, suddenly, just a few days ago, things changed. All the fear seemed to just drain out of poor Elaine, and when Elizabeth hesitantly asked her about Will, she just smiled and said that he was coming home soon. Elizabeth hadn't quite believed her, not when Will had been gone for so long, but it looked like she was right.
"She's just fine, dear," Elizabeth said, sitting down herself. "She's been very tired lately, and she's asleep right now, though I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you when she wakes up." She looked at the clock sitting on the mantel. "That should be in just a few minutes, actually. But while we wait, would you and your friend like some tea?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Will flushed slightly, then gestured towards the woman sitting next to him. "Mrs. Cooper, this is Dr. Mary Malone. Mary, this is Mrs. Cooper. She's been looking after my mother."
Dr. Malone smiled at her, and Elizabeth decided she liked the smile. It was wide, and full, and more genuine than polite. "Would you like some tea, Dr. Malone?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Dr. Malone replied. Elizabeth looked at Will, but he shook his head. She saw him keep glancing at the staircase, though he didn't show the signs of impatience she had seen back when he first brought his mother to stay with her. He seemed...more centered now. Calmer. As if he knew who he was and what he was doing. Except for a few moments of adolescent awkwardness, he had a kind of confidence Elizabeth didn't see in men three times his age, and she had to wonder what could have happened in a few weeks to give him that confidence.
"How's she been?" Will asked again. "I really didn't mean to leave her so long."
Elizabeth refrained from asking what he'd been doing. It wasn't really any of her business, even though Elaine had been staying with her. "Better, especially in the past few days. She knew you were coming back soon."
Will looked surprised. "Did she?" He exchanged a glance with Dr. Malone, one that Elizabeth couldn't interpret, then he looked down at his hands, folded in his lap. Elizabeth followed his gaze for a moment, and couldn't help but gasp and stare briefly at what she saw.
"My dear, your hand!" she exclaimed. "What happened?"
Will lifted his left hand, the last two fingers on it nothing but stumps. He had a wry smile on his face, and his eyes looked so old, as if he'd lived a lifetime in the space of a few weeks. But then the look passed, and Elizabeth was left wondering if it had been a trick of the light.
"A lot happened," he said. His thumb rubbed the stumps for a moment, then he spread his hand across his knee. "But nothing I regret." Again, the old look flashed in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.
Elizabeth thought momentarily about pressing further -- such a horrific injury, what could a young boy like Will have been doing to get hurt like that -- but she decided against it. Will obviously didn't want to talk about it, and Elizabeth knew her first impulse was the right one -- it wasn't her business.
"William!" a voice cried from the stairway, and Will immediately stood up. Elizabeth glanced at him for a moment, but then she had to look away; the utter love and affection and relief on his face wasn't hers to see. Dr. Malone smiled at her, understandingly, and Elizabeth smiled back.
"Mum," Will breathed, and then he was darting forward, and Elaine was clattering down the steps, and they met in the middle and just held on, tightly, looking at each other. Tears were falling from Elaine's eyes, and even from Will's, and neither made a move to wipe them away; they just let them fall, unashamed.
Finally they stepped back, and came into the sitting room; Dr. Malone moved to a chair so that Will and his mother could sit next to each other. They did, smiling and holding hands.
"I knew you were coming," Elaine said softly. "I knew it."
"Yes," he replied, smiling brilliantly. "I want to tell you about Dad."
"You saw him, then?" Elaine asked, as it was the most commonplace thing in the world, when even Elizabeth knew that John Parry had disappeared years ago, with no one having heard from him since.
But Will only nodded. "He loved you, always," he said, and moved his other hand atop hers, so that both of his hands held hers between them. "He couldn't get back to us, but he always wanted to, and he never moved on."
Elaine closed her eyes. "I knew that, too." A few more tears slipped from her eyes, and she let them fall. "I always did. But I'm glad you could talk to him, so that you knew it too."
Will nodded again, solemnly. "Would you like to come home now?"
She smiled and pulled her hand free, standing up. "I'll go pack my bag." Then she hurried up the stairs.
Will watched her go, then he turned to Elizabeth and took a deep breath. "Mrs. Cooper," he said, "I don't have much money with me, but if you give me a few days--"
"No, dear," Elizabeth countered firmly, knowing what he was going to say. "You don't owe me a thing. It may have been longer than you thought, but that doesn't matter. Your mother was a pleasure to have, and I enjoyed the company." Will had clearly been though a lot in his long absence, but somehow Elizabeth knew that he'd been off doing good, necessary things. It was in the clear look in his eyes, the determined set of his jaw. She may not have known exactly what he'd been doing, or what the business was about his father, but somehow, that didn't matter. She couldn't take his money for helping him do what needed to be done.
He looked at her, a measuring gleam in his eyes. Then he nodded. "If you're sure?"
"Yes," she replied, and she was. "You just take her home, and take care of yourselves."
Elaine came down the stairs, a bag slung over her shoulder, as Will and Dr. Malone stood up. Elaine set the bag down by the door, then walked over and embraced Elizabeth, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, before pulling away and going back to her bag.
Dr. Malone slipped past them and stood by the door, and Will stuck out his hand. Elizabeth smiled as she clasped it in her own; the handshake was warm, and firm, and confident. "Thank you," he said, echoing his mother.
"You're welcome," she replied, and let go of his hand.
She walked them to the door, and stood there as all three gave her one last smile and walked away.
Title: Homecoming
Author: Rynne
Fandom: His Dark Materials
Rating: G
Recipient: leah k
Word count: ~1200
Summary: Will comes home.
Notes: Mrs. Cooper doesn't have a first name in the books that I could find, so I gave her one.
Perhaps the last thing Elizabeth Cooper expected to see when she opened her front door was Will Parry, and with him an older woman she'd never seen before. She was so surprised that she invited them to come in before she registered that Will was, in fact, actually there.
"How is my mother?" Will asked the moment she closed the door again. "I'm sorry it's been longer than I said. I didn't mean to leave for so long."
Elizabeth was silent for a moment as she waved the two of them to the sofa in the sitting room. For the past couple weeks, Elaine Parry seemed to have two different personalities, one that was sweet, and helpful, and loved learning the piano; and one that was obsessive-compulsive, and afraid, and constantly looking for her son. And it was for her son's sake that Elizabeth looked after her, because it was obvious that Will had gotten in some trouble and that what he needed most was his mother taken care of. Will was a good boy, and she didn't mind doing this for him. And Elaine was good company, most of the time, but there were times when Elizabeth just didn't know what to do.
Then, suddenly, just a few days ago, things changed. All the fear seemed to just drain out of poor Elaine, and when Elizabeth hesitantly asked her about Will, she just smiled and said that he was coming home soon. Elizabeth hadn't quite believed her, not when Will had been gone for so long, but it looked like she was right.
"She's just fine, dear," Elizabeth said, sitting down herself. "She's been very tired lately, and she's asleep right now, though I'm sure she'll be very happy to see you when she wakes up." She looked at the clock sitting on the mantel. "That should be in just a few minutes, actually. But while we wait, would you and your friend like some tea?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Will flushed slightly, then gestured towards the woman sitting next to him. "Mrs. Cooper, this is Dr. Mary Malone. Mary, this is Mrs. Cooper. She's been looking after my mother."
Dr. Malone smiled at her, and Elizabeth decided she liked the smile. It was wide, and full, and more genuine than polite. "Would you like some tea, Dr. Malone?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Dr. Malone replied. Elizabeth looked at Will, but he shook his head. She saw him keep glancing at the staircase, though he didn't show the signs of impatience she had seen back when he first brought his mother to stay with her. He seemed...more centered now. Calmer. As if he knew who he was and what he was doing. Except for a few moments of adolescent awkwardness, he had a kind of confidence Elizabeth didn't see in men three times his age, and she had to wonder what could have happened in a few weeks to give him that confidence.
"How's she been?" Will asked again. "I really didn't mean to leave her so long."
Elizabeth refrained from asking what he'd been doing. It wasn't really any of her business, even though Elaine had been staying with her. "Better, especially in the past few days. She knew you were coming back soon."
Will looked surprised. "Did she?" He exchanged a glance with Dr. Malone, one that Elizabeth couldn't interpret, then he looked down at his hands, folded in his lap. Elizabeth followed his gaze for a moment, and couldn't help but gasp and stare briefly at what she saw.
"My dear, your hand!" she exclaimed. "What happened?"
Will lifted his left hand, the last two fingers on it nothing but stumps. He had a wry smile on his face, and his eyes looked so old, as if he'd lived a lifetime in the space of a few weeks. But then the look passed, and Elizabeth was left wondering if it had been a trick of the light.
"A lot happened," he said. His thumb rubbed the stumps for a moment, then he spread his hand across his knee. "But nothing I regret." Again, the old look flashed in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared.
Elizabeth thought momentarily about pressing further -- such a horrific injury, what could a young boy like Will have been doing to get hurt like that -- but she decided against it. Will obviously didn't want to talk about it, and Elizabeth knew her first impulse was the right one -- it wasn't her business.
"William!" a voice cried from the stairway, and Will immediately stood up. Elizabeth glanced at him for a moment, but then she had to look away; the utter love and affection and relief on his face wasn't hers to see. Dr. Malone smiled at her, understandingly, and Elizabeth smiled back.
"Mum," Will breathed, and then he was darting forward, and Elaine was clattering down the steps, and they met in the middle and just held on, tightly, looking at each other. Tears were falling from Elaine's eyes, and even from Will's, and neither made a move to wipe them away; they just let them fall, unashamed.
Finally they stepped back, and came into the sitting room; Dr. Malone moved to a chair so that Will and his mother could sit next to each other. They did, smiling and holding hands.
"I knew you were coming," Elaine said softly. "I knew it."
"Yes," he replied, smiling brilliantly. "I want to tell you about Dad."
"You saw him, then?" Elaine asked, as it was the most commonplace thing in the world, when even Elizabeth knew that John Parry had disappeared years ago, with no one having heard from him since.
But Will only nodded. "He loved you, always," he said, and moved his other hand atop hers, so that both of his hands held hers between them. "He couldn't get back to us, but he always wanted to, and he never moved on."
Elaine closed her eyes. "I knew that, too." A few more tears slipped from her eyes, and she let them fall. "I always did. But I'm glad you could talk to him, so that you knew it too."
Will nodded again, solemnly. "Would you like to come home now?"
She smiled and pulled her hand free, standing up. "I'll go pack my bag." Then she hurried up the stairs.
Will watched her go, then he turned to Elizabeth and took a deep breath. "Mrs. Cooper," he said, "I don't have much money with me, but if you give me a few days--"
"No, dear," Elizabeth countered firmly, knowing what he was going to say. "You don't owe me a thing. It may have been longer than you thought, but that doesn't matter. Your mother was a pleasure to have, and I enjoyed the company." Will had clearly been though a lot in his long absence, but somehow Elizabeth knew that he'd been off doing good, necessary things. It was in the clear look in his eyes, the determined set of his jaw. She may not have known exactly what he'd been doing, or what the business was about his father, but somehow, that didn't matter. She couldn't take his money for helping him do what needed to be done.
He looked at her, a measuring gleam in his eyes. Then he nodded. "If you're sure?"
"Yes," she replied, and she was. "You just take her home, and take care of yourselves."
Elaine came down the stairs, a bag slung over her shoulder, as Will and Dr. Malone stood up. Elaine set the bag down by the door, then walked over and embraced Elizabeth, kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, before pulling away and going back to her bag.
Dr. Malone slipped past them and stood by the door, and Will stuck out his hand. Elizabeth smiled as she clasped it in her own; the handshake was warm, and firm, and confident. "Thank you," he said, echoing his mother.
"You're welcome," she replied, and let go of his hand.
She walked them to the door, and stood there as all three gave her one last smile and walked away.