Original: The Ending and the Beginning (Mel and Dad) PG
Title: The Ending and the Beginning [ INDEX]
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Mel and her Dad (mention of Rick, Josh, Jamie and Mel's mom)
Rating: PG
Summary: It's always a phone call that changes your life. For Mel, one ending may lead into a new beginning.
Warning: Any drooling brought on by a certain fireman being awesome is expected... about a month before Started as a Flicker.... *Written for Round 25 of prompt_in_a_box. Prompt #32: "tears" *for luxuria_oceanus. BECAUSE.
Disclaimer: For the first time, I can say that EVERYTHING about this one is MINE, ALL MINE. Mwahaha!! Inspirations all come from characteraday, with thanks.
Originally posted: HERE
Mel glanced at the clock as her phone buzzed on the counter. It was almost time for Rick to get off work, and then he'd be over with the pizza. As she moved from the desk in the corner to the kitchen, Mel assumed he was either calling to verify the pizza order - which never had changed - or to let her know he was running late.
As much as she hated the middle of the month-slump at work, Mel really enjoyed the middle of the month. For whatever reason, Rick had the most screwed up two-day schedule in the history of screwed up scheduling, right in the middle of the month: out on Thursday afternoon and back in on Friday afternoon.
Chief Marks had offered to work it out a few times, but Rick was used to it, especially now that he had a system. It only took three months to work that system out, but, it worked. Rick picked up the pizza, Mel picked up the movie and they had a relaxed night, with food, friends and the latest blockbuster.
Mel picked up the phone as she rounded the corner and, as she opened the fridge for a bottle of water, she noticed the name on the screen wasn't Rick's, but her folks. Smiling, she hit the button and answered. "Hello."
"Melly," she heard.
"Hey, pop." Mel held the phone up with her shoulder and twisted the cap off the water bottle.
"Hi, sweetheart." The tone of his voice caused Mel to frown, almost immediately.
"What's up?" she asked cheerfully, figuring her father was probably just tired.
"I have some news," he said, continuing in the lower tone. Mel's brow tightened and she set the bottle down and leaned against the counter.
"Good news or bad? Did Grandpa get his snow?" she asked, remembering that Jamie had mentioned, two nights before, that the weather was beginning to change. When he didn't answer right away, she nodded. "Okay, bad news." As she tried to think of all the things that would constitute a call, Mel heard her father sigh. She straightened slightly and, before she could ask if she should sit down, he told her to.
Mel gripped the edge of the sink and closed her eyes. "Dad, just tell me." Her breath caught and, as she heard him say 'Grandpa,' Mel noticed the room had started to spin a bit.
"Melly?" Mel sucked in a breath and straightened, willing herself not to throw up or pass out.
"I'm here," she nodded and tried to lock her jaw, forcing back any sort of emotional response. "What happened?"
"Emmaline-"
"What happened?" she demanded. She heard another sigh from her father.
"He skipped lunch, to lie down. Said he worked too hard with the team last night. Figured the temperature change brought on a cold." Mel closed her eyes. Jamie McGregor loved to watch the high school football team’s practices, and had told her that Friday’s game was a big one for 'his boys'. "I'm sorry, baby... he just didn't wake up-"
Mel heard her father’s voice change and she was no longer able to hold back the tears. She leaned forward and held the phone away from herself as a sob escaped, then quickly pushed it back down. "Mom," she managed to get out.
"Holding up better than I seem to be. Go figure," he said with a slight chuckle.
"Josh?" Mel asked quietly. Her grandfather and her brother were extremely close, and Mel knew that however hard this would hit her - when it did - it was going to hit Josh twice over.
"He went straight to the airport. I don't even think he packed a bag." Mel heard him sigh again and she turned to glance at the clock.
"Dad, I-" Maybe Rick would lend her his truck; he didn't exactly need it to get back and forth from work, after all. Or she could call Liz and ask her to get in touch with the company's travel agent.
"Honey, we're getting you home," Mel heard her father say. "There's just nothing out tonight. It'll be morning, kiddo. I'm sorry." She started to protest, but as she was her father's daughter, he already knew what she was going to say. "Emmaline, you will not drive anywhere. I'll get you home," he repeated slowly, sternly.
Mel turned away from the phone slightly and blinked back a few stray tears as she nodded. "Yes, sir." Her free hand grabbed a handful of her t-shirt and Mel hugged herself as tightly as she could.
"Melly, we have to go get Josh... I will call you back," he assured her. Mel nodded again and hummed an understanding. "Love you," he said.
Mel's whole body shook as she nodded into the phone again. "Love you, Daddy," she whispered. She was able to hold back another sob until after he'd hung up and she nearly broke the phone, for as tightly as she was holding on to it.
Slowly, Mel sniffed and turned to set the phone on the counter. Lifting her hand up again, Mel wiped at the tears on her cheek and grabbed the counter again. Letting out a breath, she bent at the knees and dropped herself to the floor, waiting until she was down before letting go of the counter and pulling her knees to her chest.
As she stared at the refrigerator door, Mel began to rock slightly as her face screwed up. Her breath hitched again and whatever resolve she had to hold back the tears was suddenly gone.
Less than a minute later, the door to her apartment pushed open and she managed to look up long enough to see Rick was staring down at her, pizza in hand.
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Mel and her Dad (mention of Rick, Josh, Jamie and Mel's mom)
Rating: PG
Summary: It's always a phone call that changes your life. For Mel, one ending may lead into a new beginning.
Warning: Any drooling brought on by a certain fireman being awesome is expected... about a month before Started as a Flicker.... *Written for Round 25 of prompt_in_a_box. Prompt #32: "tears" *for luxuria_oceanus. BECAUSE.
Disclaimer: For the first time, I can say that EVERYTHING about this one is MINE, ALL MINE. Mwahaha!! Inspirations all come from characteraday, with thanks.
Originally posted: HERE
Mel glanced at the clock as her phone buzzed on the counter. It was almost time for Rick to get off work, and then he'd be over with the pizza. As she moved from the desk in the corner to the kitchen, Mel assumed he was either calling to verify the pizza order - which never had changed - or to let her know he was running late.
As much as she hated the middle of the month-slump at work, Mel really enjoyed the middle of the month. For whatever reason, Rick had the most screwed up two-day schedule in the history of screwed up scheduling, right in the middle of the month: out on Thursday afternoon and back in on Friday afternoon.
Chief Marks had offered to work it out a few times, but Rick was used to it, especially now that he had a system. It only took three months to work that system out, but, it worked. Rick picked up the pizza, Mel picked up the movie and they had a relaxed night, with food, friends and the latest blockbuster.
Mel picked up the phone as she rounded the corner and, as she opened the fridge for a bottle of water, she noticed the name on the screen wasn't Rick's, but her folks. Smiling, she hit the button and answered. "Hello."
"Melly," she heard.
"Hey, pop." Mel held the phone up with her shoulder and twisted the cap off the water bottle.
"Hi, sweetheart." The tone of his voice caused Mel to frown, almost immediately.
"What's up?" she asked cheerfully, figuring her father was probably just tired.
"I have some news," he said, continuing in the lower tone. Mel's brow tightened and she set the bottle down and leaned against the counter.
"Good news or bad? Did Grandpa get his snow?" she asked, remembering that Jamie had mentioned, two nights before, that the weather was beginning to change. When he didn't answer right away, she nodded. "Okay, bad news." As she tried to think of all the things that would constitute a call, Mel heard her father sigh. She straightened slightly and, before she could ask if she should sit down, he told her to.
Mel gripped the edge of the sink and closed her eyes. "Dad, just tell me." Her breath caught and, as she heard him say 'Grandpa,' Mel noticed the room had started to spin a bit.
"Melly?" Mel sucked in a breath and straightened, willing herself not to throw up or pass out.
"I'm here," she nodded and tried to lock her jaw, forcing back any sort of emotional response. "What happened?"
"Emmaline-"
"What happened?" she demanded. She heard another sigh from her father.
"He skipped lunch, to lie down. Said he worked too hard with the team last night. Figured the temperature change brought on a cold." Mel closed her eyes. Jamie McGregor loved to watch the high school football team’s practices, and had told her that Friday’s game was a big one for 'his boys'. "I'm sorry, baby... he just didn't wake up-"
Mel heard her father’s voice change and she was no longer able to hold back the tears. She leaned forward and held the phone away from herself as a sob escaped, then quickly pushed it back down. "Mom," she managed to get out.
"Holding up better than I seem to be. Go figure," he said with a slight chuckle.
"Josh?" Mel asked quietly. Her grandfather and her brother were extremely close, and Mel knew that however hard this would hit her - when it did - it was going to hit Josh twice over.
"He went straight to the airport. I don't even think he packed a bag." Mel heard him sigh again and she turned to glance at the clock.
"Dad, I-" Maybe Rick would lend her his truck; he didn't exactly need it to get back and forth from work, after all. Or she could call Liz and ask her to get in touch with the company's travel agent.
"Honey, we're getting you home," Mel heard her father say. "There's just nothing out tonight. It'll be morning, kiddo. I'm sorry." She started to protest, but as she was her father's daughter, he already knew what she was going to say. "Emmaline, you will not drive anywhere. I'll get you home," he repeated slowly, sternly.
Mel turned away from the phone slightly and blinked back a few stray tears as she nodded. "Yes, sir." Her free hand grabbed a handful of her t-shirt and Mel hugged herself as tightly as she could.
"Melly, we have to go get Josh... I will call you back," he assured her. Mel nodded again and hummed an understanding. "Love you," he said.
Mel's whole body shook as she nodded into the phone again. "Love you, Daddy," she whispered. She was able to hold back another sob until after he'd hung up and she nearly broke the phone, for as tightly as she was holding on to it.
Slowly, Mel sniffed and turned to set the phone on the counter. Lifting her hand up again, Mel wiped at the tears on her cheek and grabbed the counter again. Letting out a breath, she bent at the knees and dropped herself to the floor, waiting until she was down before letting go of the counter and pulling her knees to her chest.
As she stared at the refrigerator door, Mel began to rock slightly as her face screwed up. Her breath hitched again and whatever resolve she had to hold back the tears was suddenly gone.
Less than a minute later, the door to her apartment pushed open and she managed to look up long enough to see Rick was staring down at her, pizza in hand.