FIC - Life Effect (24, Martha/Charles)
Title: Life Effect
Fandom: 24
Characters: Charles/Martha
Rating: G
Word Count: 800
Spoilers: Through the end of Day 5.
Summary: A five part look at the relationship between Martha and her husband.
Author’s Notes: This was written for that 'Five Things' meme - ladyofavalon77 wanted five things that no one knew about Charles and Martha Logan.
1.
Martha was told that her husband committed suicide two days after being arrested. She believed that it was just as likely that he had been killed to avoid the national circus that a trial would bring, but that didn't change anything. Charles was dead, and she was relieved.
She skipped the funeral (there was a priest there to say a prayer, but nobody was willing to give a eulogy), but she did visit the grave a year later. It was late, and she was alone by his gravestone.
"I know you meant well, Charles," she said. She didn't worry that addressing her dead husband could be considered a sign of insanity, because people spoke to the dead all the time in graveyards. "But the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and wherever you are, I hope you've realized that now."
And she felt like there was more that she should say, but she had no real desire to dwell on her past, as even her happy memories were tainted by how it had all ended.
She left no flowers by his grave, or any sign that she had ever been there.
2.
Charles never was happy with the restrictions on his authority. Once he'd committed himself to being President, he'd found every single obstacle in his way infuriating.
"They blew Keeler out of the sky. They detonated a nuke over the desert, and they caused a meltdown at a nuclear plant. At this rate, we'll all be dead by the time congress wakes up."
Martha was somewhat less concerned with Congress's refusal to pass the more extreme of the anti-terrorism bills. "Don't worry so much about it, Charles. Nobody's managed to kill us yet, and it's not as if they haven't been trying."
"It's only a matter of time," he replied. "People don't really understand how dangerous the threat is, how badly we need governmental control. They need something to show them," he said, voice full of frustration.
"It's better this way, really," said Martha, trying to calm him.
"You don't really think the new legislation is good idea at all, do you?"
She weighed her options before she answered him. "I'm not sure that handing the government that much power would be good for the country."
He looked disappointed for a second, but then he was smiling at her.
"Of course," he said, before he hugged her and left for a meeting.
Martha found the whole conversation unsettling, but her days were full of meetings to attend and articles to read, and very soon she had forgotten the entire incident.
3.
"I can't do this," he said. "I honestly can't do this," he said, and Martha thought he might be close to tears.
She took his face in her hands and leaned in close to him. "Yes, you can. Of course you can," she said, smiling in the most reassuring manner she could. "You're the President of the United States now - you can do anything you put your mind to."
"You really think so?" he said, and he looked so unsure that for a moment she wondered if it would be better for them if he did just resign.
But instead she said, "I'm sure," and he seemed to believe her.
After that he threw himself into his work with an eagerness that she couldn’t have predicted, and neither of them mentioned his moment of doubt again.
4.
The Vice-President and his wife had no children. Reporters would periodically question them about it, but Charles would mention something vague about a medical difficulty and that was that. Nobody questioned the story too seriously, because the Vice-President's family situation wasn't of much concern at the time.
In fact, both Martha and Charles were perfectly capable of having children, and Charles had always wanted them.
The problem was Martha, and her memories of her own mother. All the casual insults and violent temper tantrums remained seared in her memory, and Martha was terrified that she was going to look down on her own daughter one day and crush her soul without even thinking about it.
Charles hugged her close as she explained it to him, and he told her that it was fine, and that he'd never tell another soul.
5.
In the beginning, they were honest with each other. They told each other everything - Martha told him about her mother's manic depression, and he told her about his father's alcoholism, and they'd both shared their fears about turning into their parents.
They both had problems, but they were good at keeping each other's secrets. And when they got married, they told each other they'd they stay together forever.
It turned out to be a lie, but they'd both believed it at the time.
Fandom: 24
Characters: Charles/Martha
Rating: G
Word Count: 800
Spoilers: Through the end of Day 5.
Summary: A five part look at the relationship between Martha and her husband.
Author’s Notes: This was written for that 'Five Things' meme - ladyofavalon77 wanted five things that no one knew about Charles and Martha Logan.
1.
Martha was told that her husband committed suicide two days after being arrested. She believed that it was just as likely that he had been killed to avoid the national circus that a trial would bring, but that didn't change anything. Charles was dead, and she was relieved.
She skipped the funeral (there was a priest there to say a prayer, but nobody was willing to give a eulogy), but she did visit the grave a year later. It was late, and she was alone by his gravestone.
"I know you meant well, Charles," she said. She didn't worry that addressing her dead husband could be considered a sign of insanity, because people spoke to the dead all the time in graveyards. "But the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and wherever you are, I hope you've realized that now."
And she felt like there was more that she should say, but she had no real desire to dwell on her past, as even her happy memories were tainted by how it had all ended.
She left no flowers by his grave, or any sign that she had ever been there.
2.
Charles never was happy with the restrictions on his authority. Once he'd committed himself to being President, he'd found every single obstacle in his way infuriating.
"They blew Keeler out of the sky. They detonated a nuke over the desert, and they caused a meltdown at a nuclear plant. At this rate, we'll all be dead by the time congress wakes up."
Martha was somewhat less concerned with Congress's refusal to pass the more extreme of the anti-terrorism bills. "Don't worry so much about it, Charles. Nobody's managed to kill us yet, and it's not as if they haven't been trying."
"It's only a matter of time," he replied. "People don't really understand how dangerous the threat is, how badly we need governmental control. They need something to show them," he said, voice full of frustration.
"It's better this way, really," said Martha, trying to calm him.
"You don't really think the new legislation is good idea at all, do you?"
She weighed her options before she answered him. "I'm not sure that handing the government that much power would be good for the country."
He looked disappointed for a second, but then he was smiling at her.
"Of course," he said, before he hugged her and left for a meeting.
Martha found the whole conversation unsettling, but her days were full of meetings to attend and articles to read, and very soon she had forgotten the entire incident.
3.
"I can't do this," he said. "I honestly can't do this," he said, and Martha thought he might be close to tears.
She took his face in her hands and leaned in close to him. "Yes, you can. Of course you can," she said, smiling in the most reassuring manner she could. "You're the President of the United States now - you can do anything you put your mind to."
"You really think so?" he said, and he looked so unsure that for a moment she wondered if it would be better for them if he did just resign.
But instead she said, "I'm sure," and he seemed to believe her.
After that he threw himself into his work with an eagerness that she couldn’t have predicted, and neither of them mentioned his moment of doubt again.
4.
The Vice-President and his wife had no children. Reporters would periodically question them about it, but Charles would mention something vague about a medical difficulty and that was that. Nobody questioned the story too seriously, because the Vice-President's family situation wasn't of much concern at the time.
In fact, both Martha and Charles were perfectly capable of having children, and Charles had always wanted them.
The problem was Martha, and her memories of her own mother. All the casual insults and violent temper tantrums remained seared in her memory, and Martha was terrified that she was going to look down on her own daughter one day and crush her soul without even thinking about it.
Charles hugged her close as she explained it to him, and he told her that it was fine, and that he'd never tell another soul.
5.
In the beginning, they were honest with each other. They told each other everything - Martha told him about her mother's manic depression, and he told her about his father's alcoholism, and they'd both shared their fears about turning into their parents.
They both had problems, but they were good at keeping each other's secrets. And when they got married, they told each other they'd they stay together forever.
It turned out to be a lie, but they'd both believed it at the time.