Team Shmoop (Logic)
sorry...got distracted: the new scene grew and grew, but I had to prune it.
Title: Snapshots of Sisterhood <-link.
Author: Keenir.
Beta: Mustangcandi.
Word Count: 1,524 words.
Warning: some segments were added after being beta-read.
Pairing/Characters: Nikki Betancourt, Alice Chen; Colby, David, Bloom, Matt, Mr. Yoon, Nikki’s Dad, Alice’s Mom, mention of Nikki’s mom.
Rating/Category: PG-13 / Gen / Character Study, Missing Scene, Case-related, not exactly an AU.
Spoilers: Trouble in Chinatown, Old Soldiers, Cause And Effect.
Summary: Nikki’s always used logic, as (is) evidenced by her life.
Notes: the definition of Logic is from http://www.yourdictionary.com
The definition of Majie is from They have a word for it by Howard Rheingold
Thanks to: The site of character information.
Disclaimer: I own none of the canon characters, all of whom shall be returned, healthy, hale, and whole, at the conclusion. The original characters, are mine, and may be borrowed.
This fic was written for the Angst vs Schmoop Challenge at numb3rswriteoff. After you’ve read the fic, please rate it by voting in the poll located here. (Your vote will be anonymous.) Rate the fic on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being the best) using the following criteria: how well the fic fit the prompt, how or schmoopy the fic was, and how well you enjoyed the fic. When you’re done, please check out the other challenge fic at numb3rswriteoff. Thank you!
Majie
Verb
To curse the street. (and thus avoiding insulting anyone & starting fights, by verbally taking it out on an inanimate structure)
Origin: Chinese.
{I don't know any more detail than that; apologies}
log•ic (lŏjˈĭk)
noun
The relationship between elements and between an element and the whole in a set of objects, individuals, principles, or events: There's a certain logic to the motion of rush-hour traffic.
Origin: Middle English, from Old French logique, from Latin logica, from Greek logikē (tekhnē), (art) of reasoning, logic, feminine of logikos, of reasoning, from logos, reason; see leg- in Indo-European roots.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Little Nikki Betancourt was sitting on the carpet in the tv room, intent on assembling her Lincoln logs, when her father walked in and sat across from her. He picked up one of the logs she hadn’t gotten to yet and examined it.
“Hi, daddy,” Nikki said, her hair still in the pigtails she liked; she’d liked them more when mommy had done them up, but absent mommy, daddy did okay.
“Hey Nik,” he said.
She knew that tone: it was the one daddy used when he had something really important to tell her. He’d used it a lot after mommy went away. Nikki set down her logs and looked up at him. “Daddy?” she asked, scared now.
“I’m here, I’m okay,” he reassured her. “I want you to know there will be some changes soon.”
“I don’t want a puppy!” She didn’t need to mull it over, so she’d said it without thinking. They’d talked - before - with mommy - about getting a pup…but after mommy had left, the prospect of a pet had lost all appeal to Nikki.
“No dog,” he reassured Nikki. “But I have been dating -”
“My babysitter told me,” Nikki said. Her jaw dropped and she asked, excited, “Are you getting married?”
“We hope so. But we want to see how you do with her daughter first.”
Giddy and beside herself, “I’m going to have a baby sister?” I’m going to be a responsible big sister, and I’ll do her hair and help with her clothes and… “Do I have to change her diapers?” All of that was predicated on one fact in Nikki’s mind: Daddy married mommy, and then they had me. Daddy’s getting married again, and there’ll be another daughter…
“Alice is your age,” daddy said. “As for baby sisters, we’ll see.”
Yes! Nikki stood up and, careful of the logs, went over to deliver a bear hug. “I love you, daddy.”
* * * * *
Their parents pulled them apart. “What are you doing?” daddy asked; Nikki knew he didn’t want to hear ‘fighting’ - he wanted to hear why.
“She hit me,” Nikki said. There wasn’t any blood, but there was a definite disparity in scalp soreness, Nikki’s hair being easier to grab. At least she and Alice both had a black eye
“Alice?” her mother asked.
“She said I’d have to change my name,” Alice answered, clearly still horrified at the prospect. “She was happy about it!”
Nikki still didn’t understand the girl’s problem. Kids had their parents’ names. And when the parents changed their names, so did their kids.
So with Ms. Chen becoming Mrs. Betancourt, why didn’t Alice want to be a Betancourt too?
Alice thrust out her chin, proudly asserting, “I’m a Chen!”
“And you always will be,” her mother assured her. “Until you choose otherwise, you will always be Alice Chen.”
* * * * *
Eyes front, don’t look anywhere but right in front of you, Nikki thought to herself. Answer the question, and then us girls can go back to hanging out.
“What’s important?” dad asked.
Dad’s worried again. With the riots and other problems across the nation, Nikki and Alice knew dad was doing this to keep the family from becoming embroiled in nasty stuff. “Family, duty, friends, obligations,” they answered simultaneously.
“And if there’s a clash?” a question asked knowing his girls would give the right answer.
“Skin last,” the teenaged girls answered. They both knew that meant race should be the last thing on their minds.
And my boyfriend’s a perfect example of me ignoring the skin, Nikki thought again. Though I’m not sure who’s going to be angrier about my dating a Russian - mom or dad.
* * * * *
“A cop?” Alice repeated, incredulity evident in both syllables. “Why would you want to be a police officer?”
“Dad was Army,” Nikki said.
Alice nodded. And then it hit her: “You want to cudgel the next guy who tries spitting on a returning soldier?”
“I’d prefer a nightstick, but yeah, I bet I could do some damage with a stale pastry,” Nikki said, punning on Alice’s verb.
The smile on Alice’s face told Nikki that they were settling back into the way they had been before she had gone off to law school. Alice would be going to pass the bar next… Nikki hesitated before asking something that crossed her mind because of Alice’s reaction to Nikki’s news: “Why, you don’t want to be a cop any more?”
“I still want to protect and serve,” Alice said. “But I while you were studying for the bar, I decided I wanted to work more in immigration. Do like our dad did.”
When he was In Country and when he returned to the States, Nikki knew. Helping the boat people. The immigrants. The men and women and children desperate to live somewhere safe, even if the journey was dangerous. “You get all the good ideas.”
“Yes, madam President,” Alice said.
To Nikki’s ears, it didn’t sound as ridiculous a proposition as it once had. Maybe, she thought to herself. Maybe.
* * * * *
“They drive in the spirit world?” Nikki asked, echoing something she used to use to tease Alice. When in doubt, the aphorism went: use what’s familiar.
Better cars than we’ll have, Alice thought; the answer as good now as it had been back then. “Come,” she said, and led Nikki around the table. “This is Mr. Yoon, the spiritual director here.”
‘Here’ being Chinatown, Ground Zero for a case the sisters were cooperating on: one of Alice’s coworkers had been kidnapped while on a case for ICE.
“My brother and I,” Mr. Yoon began, “we were not close.”
Yeah, I know the feeling, Nikki mused to herself.
“Hard to honor someone so - complicated,” Mr. Yoon said.
Ditto. “Actually, Mr. Yoon, that’s what we want to talk to you about. Were you aware of his activities in criminal activities, specifically the sex trade?” Me and my sister, we’re plenty complicated - and neither of us dabbled in the Dark Side. Our brother, he’s not so complex, and look where he ended up. In her own mind, Nikki had unwittingly established there was no connection between Mr. Yoon’s mention of family being complicated(,) and what he said next:
“Oh, I certainly suspected. But good or ill, he was my brother,” Walter answered.
Not for the first time today, Nikki wondered if the heavens were rubbing her face in something. I’ve never denied she was my sister nor that I grew up one foot in Chinatown. Then again, denial or confirm was difficult when the subject was never raised in conversation.
“Harvey,” Mr. Yoon added, “was just one face of Chinatown. Please, let me show you another.”
Oh, I’ve seen more than a few faces already, Nikki thought. But don’t let me stop you.
* * * * *
‘Welcome to Chinatown,’ Alice said. Nikki quietly accepted the rebuke, hearing ‘This is what you deferred, the world you said you liked without exploring it,’ Nikki heard under Alice’s words.
And now, right now, the stepsisters watched as the flames devoured more symbols of life at the end of this case they’d worked on…together. Each woman pregnant with her thoughts. Her lips barely moving, Nikki said a prayer for all the uncounted missing girls, not just the ghost brides.
Downcast eyes on the flames, I missed out on a lot, I get that, Nikki thought to herself, eyes downcast on the flames. Alice didn’t sound as pissed at me as I thought she would - I know I would’ve been, in her shoes. I should’ve known all that - except about that red dress. And about the ghost brides, definitely the ghost brides.
This case had gone as well as could be expected, considering her and Alice’s teenage years - like two superpowers, neither willing to adopt the ways of the other, but each dipping their toes into foreign waters - lighting a candle for Dr. Martin Luther King, cooking with a wok, and other moments. Nikki still counted herself amazed how well the cake had turned out, considering it had been baked in a wok.
Nikki would have to forgive herself about the red dress. After all, she’d been green around the gills and coughing sputum and had been in no shape to attend that traditional wedding when all the relatives had been able to be in attendance.
When the flames had died away, leaving only ashes, the two women went to where they had parked. “Thank you, Agent Betancourt,” Alice said.
Nikki’s ears heard both gratitude for professional assistance, and a personal ‘It’s good to see you again, sis.’ “Not a problem,” Nikki said. “Thanks, Agent Chen, for all your help,” returning the personal level.
“Anytime.”
That one word was enough reminder of their unity, even when they had planned different career paths.
Before Alice could get in the car, Nikki offered, “Though you should know, there’s something you taught me, that I still do.”
“Yeah?” Alice asked, curious. “Lighting candles?”
“Nope. Maijie.”
Alice smiled. “Makes traffic move faster, doesn’t it?”
“That too,” Nikki sighed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End
Title: Snapshots of Sisterhood <-link.
Author: Keenir.
Beta: Mustangcandi.
Word Count: 1,524 words.
Warning: some segments were added after being beta-read.
Pairing/Characters: Nikki Betancourt, Alice Chen; Colby, David, Bloom, Matt, Mr. Yoon, Nikki’s Dad, Alice’s Mom, mention of Nikki’s mom.
Rating/Category: PG-13 / Gen / Character Study, Missing Scene, Case-related, not exactly an AU.
Spoilers: Trouble in Chinatown, Old Soldiers, Cause And Effect.
Summary: Nikki’s always used logic, as (is) evidenced by her life.
Notes: the definition of Logic is from http://www.yourdictionary.com
The definition of Majie is from They have a word for it by Howard Rheingold
Thanks to: The site of character information.
Disclaimer: I own none of the canon characters, all of whom shall be returned, healthy, hale, and whole, at the conclusion. The original characters, are mine, and may be borrowed.
This fic was written for the Angst vs Schmoop Challenge at numb3rswriteoff. After you’ve read the fic, please rate it by voting in the poll located here. (Your vote will be anonymous.) Rate the fic on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being the best) using the following criteria: how well the fic fit the prompt, how or schmoopy the fic was, and how well you enjoyed the fic. When you’re done, please check out the other challenge fic at numb3rswriteoff. Thank you!
Majie
Verb
To curse the street. (and thus avoiding insulting anyone & starting fights, by verbally taking it out on an inanimate structure)
Origin: Chinese.
{I don't know any more detail than that; apologies}
log•ic (lŏjˈĭk)
noun
The relationship between elements and between an element and the whole in a set of objects, individuals, principles, or events: There's a certain logic to the motion of rush-hour traffic.
Origin: Middle English, from Old French logique, from Latin logica, from Greek logikē (tekhnē), (art) of reasoning, logic, feminine of logikos, of reasoning, from logos, reason; see leg- in Indo-European roots.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Little Nikki Betancourt was sitting on the carpet in the tv room, intent on assembling her Lincoln logs, when her father walked in and sat across from her. He picked up one of the logs she hadn’t gotten to yet and examined it.
“Hi, daddy,” Nikki said, her hair still in the pigtails she liked; she’d liked them more when mommy had done them up, but absent mommy, daddy did okay.
“Hey Nik,” he said.
She knew that tone: it was the one daddy used when he had something really important to tell her. He’d used it a lot after mommy went away. Nikki set down her logs and looked up at him. “Daddy?” she asked, scared now.
“I’m here, I’m okay,” he reassured her. “I want you to know there will be some changes soon.”
“I don’t want a puppy!” She didn’t need to mull it over, so she’d said it without thinking. They’d talked - before - with mommy - about getting a pup…but after mommy had left, the prospect of a pet had lost all appeal to Nikki.
“No dog,” he reassured Nikki. “But I have been dating -”
“My babysitter told me,” Nikki said. Her jaw dropped and she asked, excited, “Are you getting married?”
“We hope so. But we want to see how you do with her daughter first.”
Giddy and beside herself, “I’m going to have a baby sister?” I’m going to be a responsible big sister, and I’ll do her hair and help with her clothes and… “Do I have to change her diapers?” All of that was predicated on one fact in Nikki’s mind: Daddy married mommy, and then they had me. Daddy’s getting married again, and there’ll be another daughter…
“Alice is your age,” daddy said. “As for baby sisters, we’ll see.”
Yes! Nikki stood up and, careful of the logs, went over to deliver a bear hug. “I love you, daddy.”
* * * * *
Their parents pulled them apart. “What are you doing?” daddy asked; Nikki knew he didn’t want to hear ‘fighting’ - he wanted to hear why.
“She hit me,” Nikki said. There wasn’t any blood, but there was a definite disparity in scalp soreness, Nikki’s hair being easier to grab. At least she and Alice both had a black eye
“Alice?” her mother asked.
“She said I’d have to change my name,” Alice answered, clearly still horrified at the prospect. “She was happy about it!”
Nikki still didn’t understand the girl’s problem. Kids had their parents’ names. And when the parents changed their names, so did their kids.
So with Ms. Chen becoming Mrs. Betancourt, why didn’t Alice want to be a Betancourt too?
Alice thrust out her chin, proudly asserting, “I’m a Chen!”
“And you always will be,” her mother assured her. “Until you choose otherwise, you will always be Alice Chen.”
* * * * *
Eyes front, don’t look anywhere but right in front of you, Nikki thought to herself. Answer the question, and then us girls can go back to hanging out.
“What’s important?” dad asked.
Dad’s worried again. With the riots and other problems across the nation, Nikki and Alice knew dad was doing this to keep the family from becoming embroiled in nasty stuff. “Family, duty, friends, obligations,” they answered simultaneously.
“And if there’s a clash?” a question asked knowing his girls would give the right answer.
“Skin last,” the teenaged girls answered. They both knew that meant race should be the last thing on their minds.
And my boyfriend’s a perfect example of me ignoring the skin, Nikki thought again. Though I’m not sure who’s going to be angrier about my dating a Russian - mom or dad.
* * * * *
“A cop?” Alice repeated, incredulity evident in both syllables. “Why would you want to be a police officer?”
“Dad was Army,” Nikki said.
Alice nodded. And then it hit her: “You want to cudgel the next guy who tries spitting on a returning soldier?”
“I’d prefer a nightstick, but yeah, I bet I could do some damage with a stale pastry,” Nikki said, punning on Alice’s verb.
The smile on Alice’s face told Nikki that they were settling back into the way they had been before she had gone off to law school. Alice would be going to pass the bar next… Nikki hesitated before asking something that crossed her mind because of Alice’s reaction to Nikki’s news: “Why, you don’t want to be a cop any more?”
“I still want to protect and serve,” Alice said. “But I while you were studying for the bar, I decided I wanted to work more in immigration. Do like our dad did.”
When he was In Country and when he returned to the States, Nikki knew. Helping the boat people. The immigrants. The men and women and children desperate to live somewhere safe, even if the journey was dangerous. “You get all the good ideas.”
“Yes, madam President,” Alice said.
To Nikki’s ears, it didn’t sound as ridiculous a proposition as it once had. Maybe, she thought to herself. Maybe.
* * * * *
“They drive in the spirit world?” Nikki asked, echoing something she used to use to tease Alice. When in doubt, the aphorism went: use what’s familiar.
Better cars than we’ll have, Alice thought; the answer as good now as it had been back then. “Come,” she said, and led Nikki around the table. “This is Mr. Yoon, the spiritual director here.”
‘Here’ being Chinatown, Ground Zero for a case the sisters were cooperating on: one of Alice’s coworkers had been kidnapped while on a case for ICE.
“My brother and I,” Mr. Yoon began, “we were not close.”
Yeah, I know the feeling, Nikki mused to herself.
“Hard to honor someone so - complicated,” Mr. Yoon said.
Ditto. “Actually, Mr. Yoon, that’s what we want to talk to you about. Were you aware of his activities in criminal activities, specifically the sex trade?” Me and my sister, we’re plenty complicated - and neither of us dabbled in the Dark Side. Our brother, he’s not so complex, and look where he ended up. In her own mind, Nikki had unwittingly established there was no connection between Mr. Yoon’s mention of family being complicated(,) and what he said next:
“Oh, I certainly suspected. But good or ill, he was my brother,” Walter answered.
Not for the first time today, Nikki wondered if the heavens were rubbing her face in something. I’ve never denied she was my sister nor that I grew up one foot in Chinatown. Then again, denial or confirm was difficult when the subject was never raised in conversation.
“Harvey,” Mr. Yoon added, “was just one face of Chinatown. Please, let me show you another.”
Oh, I’ve seen more than a few faces already, Nikki thought. But don’t let me stop you.
* * * * *
‘Welcome to Chinatown,’ Alice said. Nikki quietly accepted the rebuke, hearing ‘This is what you deferred, the world you said you liked without exploring it,’ Nikki heard under Alice’s words.
And now, right now, the stepsisters watched as the flames devoured more symbols of life at the end of this case they’d worked on…together. Each woman pregnant with her thoughts. Her lips barely moving, Nikki said a prayer for all the uncounted missing girls, not just the ghost brides.
Downcast eyes on the flames, I missed out on a lot, I get that, Nikki thought to herself, eyes downcast on the flames. Alice didn’t sound as pissed at me as I thought she would - I know I would’ve been, in her shoes. I should’ve known all that - except about that red dress. And about the ghost brides, definitely the ghost brides.
This case had gone as well as could be expected, considering her and Alice’s teenage years - like two superpowers, neither willing to adopt the ways of the other, but each dipping their toes into foreign waters - lighting a candle for Dr. Martin Luther King, cooking with a wok, and other moments. Nikki still counted herself amazed how well the cake had turned out, considering it had been baked in a wok.
Nikki would have to forgive herself about the red dress. After all, she’d been green around the gills and coughing sputum and had been in no shape to attend that traditional wedding when all the relatives had been able to be in attendance.
When the flames had died away, leaving only ashes, the two women went to where they had parked. “Thank you, Agent Betancourt,” Alice said.
Nikki’s ears heard both gratitude for professional assistance, and a personal ‘It’s good to see you again, sis.’ “Not a problem,” Nikki said. “Thanks, Agent Chen, for all your help,” returning the personal level.
“Anytime.”
That one word was enough reminder of their unity, even when they had planned different career paths.
Before Alice could get in the car, Nikki offered, “Though you should know, there’s something you taught me, that I still do.”
“Yeah?” Alice asked, curious. “Lighting candles?”
“Nope. Maijie.”
Alice smiled. “Makes traffic move faster, doesn’t it?”
“That too,” Nikki sighed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End