Haven fic: Somebody to Lean On (PG, 1/1, Audrey, Duke)
Title: Somebody to Lean On
Author: Shane Vansen
Category: post-ep, friendship, h/c
Spoilers: any eps through Lockdown are fair game
Rating: PG
Length: ~1000 words
Disclaimer: It's probably best that they're not mine; I'd screw it up. Haven, its characters, and the overall concept belong to people much more talented than me.
Summary: Everyone needs somebody to lean on. Lockdown post-ep.
Author's Notes: Started a while back during one of my Haven re-watches; something about the timing of Chris Brody caught my attention and I wanted to make it into a story. Somehow it became a post-Lockdown fic.
Say it with me now: Thanks go to december21st for her betaing skills and making the ending way better. Missing commas, titles ending with prepositions, and possible Canadianisms are all mine.
***
Audrey doesn't know how long she sits there on the pier, only that eventually more people start crowding the space; tourists, she thinks, and remembers that not so long ago that was her, and oh how things change.
She's in no mood to be around others. Briefly, she considers going back to the station; burying herself in work has always been her go-to solution for avoiding the personal stuff. But after the night they've had Nathan would just send her home, and besides, she really isn't in the mood for company.
Maybe she'll just go home and wallow.
***
She's got one foot on the stairs leading up to her apartment when she spots Duke, slouched in a chair on the Gull's deck. She hesitates for a moment, not sure what to do. Everything she knows about him suggests he'd rather be alone, but he could just as easily drown his sorrows while hidden away on the Cape Rouge. Making a decision, Audrey changes direction.
She drops into a chair across from him, graceless and tired, and without asking permission reaches for the bottle sitting on the table.
"So," she starts, helping herself to a healthy swallow of scotch before plunking the bottle back on the table.
Duke reaches for it. "Whatever you're about to say," he says, taking a hit, "I really, really don't want to talk about it."
She studies his face, sees the pain and exhaustion, and follows his wishes. "Chris and I broke up," she says instead, dropping her eyes and wrapping her coat around herself more closely.
That grabs his attention. "What happened?"
She fidgets with the edge of her jacket. "His affliction... he changed. I don't think he could separate who I am from what I am and he was using that to remind him of who he is. That's not-" Audrey cuts herself off abruptly. That's not my job, she was going to say, but maybe that's the problem; in a way, it is her job. And she's come to be proud of what she can do to help the Troubled, understands that it's a huge part of who she is, but that doesn't mean she wants it to take over her entire life.
Unbidden, she thinks of Nathan, who didn't treat her any differently when he found out he could feel her touch, who didn't even mention it until she noticed it herself. Even though he must be tempted to take advantage of her immunity to his Trouble, the only other time he brought it up was during that day he could feel again, when her abilities didn't affect him any longer. Audrey had no idea how much that meant to her until just now.
From the corner of her eye she can see Duke watching her. "I'm sorry about Brody," he says, and she can hear the genuine empathy in his voice. "But you had to know that was coming, right?"
Audrey jerks her head up to stare at him. "What are you talking about?"
He blinks at her, looking surprised. "You didn't notice?" She shakes her head, and he makes an oh face. "You met Brody just a week after you learned about the other Audrey's boyfriend. They even kind of look alike. Between that and the timing, I just figured...." He shrugs, taking another sip of scotch.
Audrey's aware that she's still staring at Duke, but her mind's going back to more than a month before, to meeting the other Audrey Parker's boyfriend. Duke's right, she realizes; there is something of a resemblance between Brad and Chris. And he's more right than he knows about the timing. The appearance of Agent Parker - with shared memories and another Agent Howard to boot - had been enough to make Audrey question who she really was. With all of it coming right on the heels of learning that she's probably Lucy, she'd been having the identity crisis to end all identity crises. Given the circumstances, Audrey might have been in exactly the right headspace to be charmed by an obnoxious jerk.
Some days, she's pretty sure she's even more screwed up than she realizes.
Duke offers her the bottle but she shakes her head; she hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday and the little she's had is already going straight to her head. He just tips his head in acknowledgement and takes another swallow. "Do we know how to pick 'em or what?" he asks, almost rhetorically, but although the words are light the look on his face is anything but.
"Hey," she says softly. "I know she made a mistake, but she did it for you. She just wanted to help you."
His face twists and for a moment Audrey thinks he's going to shout at her, or maybe even cry, but then his expression smooths out to one of studied indifference. "Yeah, well, she made her choice."
She's not buying it for a second. "Duke-"
"Audrey," he interrupts, and it's the look in his eyes more than the tone of his voice that stops her cold. "I meant what I said. I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," she murmurs, and ducks her head to meet his gaze. "Do you want company?"
He considers it, but shakes his head. "Right now I think I'm just going to drink until I pass out." She thinks it's his way of saying thanks for the offer when he adds, "Maybe later?
"Sure." She stands, hesitates for a moment, then moves close enough that she can bend down and kiss his forehead. "Call if you need anything."
His eyes are closed but he manages to grab her hand, squeezing hard before letting go. "Catch you later, Audrey."
She touches his shoulder before turning to the stairs, leaving him staring out over the water. She mentally chastises herself - the problems with her love life seem so petty compared to Duke watching his wife, no matter how at odds they were, die in his arms. And yet, he was the one who noticed, who took the time to talk with her when he had every reason to be wrapped up in his own grief.
It occurs to Audrey that she has something unique, something that the other Audrey doesn't have. She has Duke as a friend.
-end-
Author: Shane Vansen
Category: post-ep, friendship, h/c
Spoilers: any eps through Lockdown are fair game
Rating: PG
Length: ~1000 words
Disclaimer: It's probably best that they're not mine; I'd screw it up. Haven, its characters, and the overall concept belong to people much more talented than me.
Summary: Everyone needs somebody to lean on. Lockdown post-ep.
Author's Notes: Started a while back during one of my Haven re-watches; something about the timing of Chris Brody caught my attention and I wanted to make it into a story. Somehow it became a post-Lockdown fic.
Say it with me now: Thanks go to december21st for her betaing skills and making the ending way better. Missing commas, titles ending with prepositions, and possible Canadianisms are all mine.
***
Audrey doesn't know how long she sits there on the pier, only that eventually more people start crowding the space; tourists, she thinks, and remembers that not so long ago that was her, and oh how things change.
She's in no mood to be around others. Briefly, she considers going back to the station; burying herself in work has always been her go-to solution for avoiding the personal stuff. But after the night they've had Nathan would just send her home, and besides, she really isn't in the mood for company.
Maybe she'll just go home and wallow.
***
She's got one foot on the stairs leading up to her apartment when she spots Duke, slouched in a chair on the Gull's deck. She hesitates for a moment, not sure what to do. Everything she knows about him suggests he'd rather be alone, but he could just as easily drown his sorrows while hidden away on the Cape Rouge. Making a decision, Audrey changes direction.
She drops into a chair across from him, graceless and tired, and without asking permission reaches for the bottle sitting on the table.
"So," she starts, helping herself to a healthy swallow of scotch before plunking the bottle back on the table.
Duke reaches for it. "Whatever you're about to say," he says, taking a hit, "I really, really don't want to talk about it."
She studies his face, sees the pain and exhaustion, and follows his wishes. "Chris and I broke up," she says instead, dropping her eyes and wrapping her coat around herself more closely.
That grabs his attention. "What happened?"
She fidgets with the edge of her jacket. "His affliction... he changed. I don't think he could separate who I am from what I am and he was using that to remind him of who he is. That's not-" Audrey cuts herself off abruptly. That's not my job, she was going to say, but maybe that's the problem; in a way, it is her job. And she's come to be proud of what she can do to help the Troubled, understands that it's a huge part of who she is, but that doesn't mean she wants it to take over her entire life.
Unbidden, she thinks of Nathan, who didn't treat her any differently when he found out he could feel her touch, who didn't even mention it until she noticed it herself. Even though he must be tempted to take advantage of her immunity to his Trouble, the only other time he brought it up was during that day he could feel again, when her abilities didn't affect him any longer. Audrey had no idea how much that meant to her until just now.
From the corner of her eye she can see Duke watching her. "I'm sorry about Brody," he says, and she can hear the genuine empathy in his voice. "But you had to know that was coming, right?"
Audrey jerks her head up to stare at him. "What are you talking about?"
He blinks at her, looking surprised. "You didn't notice?" She shakes her head, and he makes an oh face. "You met Brody just a week after you learned about the other Audrey's boyfriend. They even kind of look alike. Between that and the timing, I just figured...." He shrugs, taking another sip of scotch.
Audrey's aware that she's still staring at Duke, but her mind's going back to more than a month before, to meeting the other Audrey Parker's boyfriend. Duke's right, she realizes; there is something of a resemblance between Brad and Chris. And he's more right than he knows about the timing. The appearance of Agent Parker - with shared memories and another Agent Howard to boot - had been enough to make Audrey question who she really was. With all of it coming right on the heels of learning that she's probably Lucy, she'd been having the identity crisis to end all identity crises. Given the circumstances, Audrey might have been in exactly the right headspace to be charmed by an obnoxious jerk.
Some days, she's pretty sure she's even more screwed up than she realizes.
Duke offers her the bottle but she shakes her head; she hasn't eaten since lunch yesterday and the little she's had is already going straight to her head. He just tips his head in acknowledgement and takes another swallow. "Do we know how to pick 'em or what?" he asks, almost rhetorically, but although the words are light the look on his face is anything but.
"Hey," she says softly. "I know she made a mistake, but she did it for you. She just wanted to help you."
His face twists and for a moment Audrey thinks he's going to shout at her, or maybe even cry, but then his expression smooths out to one of studied indifference. "Yeah, well, she made her choice."
She's not buying it for a second. "Duke-"
"Audrey," he interrupts, and it's the look in his eyes more than the tone of his voice that stops her cold. "I meant what I said. I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," she murmurs, and ducks her head to meet his gaze. "Do you want company?"
He considers it, but shakes his head. "Right now I think I'm just going to drink until I pass out." She thinks it's his way of saying thanks for the offer when he adds, "Maybe later?
"Sure." She stands, hesitates for a moment, then moves close enough that she can bend down and kiss his forehead. "Call if you need anything."
His eyes are closed but he manages to grab her hand, squeezing hard before letting go. "Catch you later, Audrey."
She touches his shoulder before turning to the stairs, leaving him staring out over the water. She mentally chastises herself - the problems with her love life seem so petty compared to Duke watching his wife, no matter how at odds they were, die in his arms. And yet, he was the one who noticed, who took the time to talk with her when he had every reason to be wrapped up in his own grief.
It occurs to Audrey that she has something unique, something that the other Audrey doesn't have. She has Duke as a friend.
-end-