Double Negative [Jack, Shannon] [PG]
Title: Double Negative
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Shannon, Mr. Rutherford, Sarah
Rating: PG
Spoilers/Warnings: S2
Summary: Jack makes a different choice.
A/N: Written for drabblefix: this week was a double drabble (200 words) and the theme was "alternate universe." Not sure how I feel about the quality of this, but here it is...
~~
Jack won’t wait outside the school where Sarah teaches; he won’t keep catching at shadows, won’t ask, “Is that him?” every time he sees the silhouette of another man.
They won’t meet at the lawyer’s office and face each other awkwardly on the couch, because she won’t leave him.
Jack won’t take Sarah for granted, won’t call from work and apologize for coming home late.
He won’t write his vows, but he won’t forget them either.
He will not save her.
Sarah will not dance at her wedding. She will not dance at all.
~
Shannon will dance. She will come in waving a letter during Mr. Rutherford’s recovery, and Jack won’t be able to help but feel startled, almost alienated when he sees them hug warmly, when Shannon turns to him with a smile and says radiantly, “He was the only one who really believed in me.”
Jack will shake his head after he shakes her hand. He will not be able to imagine it, wanting to ask her exactly how it feels.
Years later, she will come to the hospital with tickets to the ballet, ducking her head, “It’s not a starring role, but-”
He will go.
~