Sports Night fan fiction: This Sporting Life
Title: This Sporting Life
Fandom: Sports Night
Characters: Mainly Dan Rydell/Casey McCall, some Dana Whitaker, Natalie Hurley, Jeremy Goodwin, Isaac Jaffee, other characters
Rating: PG-13
Category: Gen, slash undertones
Summary: All words have more than two meanings; everyone needs a shoulder for a pillow.
Word count: Nineteen single drabbles, three doubles, one triple: 1,090 words
Disclaimer: The characters and situations in this original work of fan fiction are based on the TV series Sports Night (ABC, 1998-2000), created by Aaron Sorkin.
Notes: Written for sn100's Challenge #167, July 2008; prompt: Sports Night titles reinterpreted; one drabble for each of the episodes of Season One. Many thanks to the various people who offered help with titles.
01. The Pilot: Barcelona
He was leaning against the bar when they walked into Anthony's, flight bag at his feet. Kim saw him first and stopped so short that Will cannoned into her. Then it was an unseemly scramble, a battle of elbows to beat one another to him. Dana, predictably, won.
Next day she came in glowing. When cards with foreign postmarks started to cover her office walls, everyone waited for something to go wrong.
Six months later she came back from the airport sporting a diamond the size of the Ritz. It was love, it was real, and Dana … was happy. Yes?
***
02. The Apology: Unworthy of Your Love
Casey sneaks away from the post-wedding crush, out to the cool of the garden, seeking five minutes' peace.
No luck. Two shadowed figures spring guiltily apart, and he retreats quickly, embarrassed. It's not till he's back at the bar that he registers Dan's unaccountable absence. And the best man's.
The following day Dan slinks in, avoiding Casey's eye, mumbling "I'm sorry," and "It won't happen again." But they both know better. It will happen again, many times. Sooner or later it'll be one time too many.
When that time comes, Casey isn't sure where his loyalties are going to lie.
***
03. The Hungry and the Hunted: Memory
For years now, Elliott's been on a mission to find the perfect sandwich. Ham and turkey, extra mayo, soft white seedless bread. And something else, some elusive extra ingredient he's never quite been able to identify.
He had it once, snatched as he raced through the city on the way to who-remembers-where. He'd flopped onto a bench, taken one big bite, and found himself in sudden heaven.
Everyone knows about his quest. Sometimes they bring him samples, but nothing's ever quite right. They laugh about it, he knows, but they don't understand.
It's not just a sandwich. It's his past.
***
04. Intellectual Property: A Secretary is Not a Toy
When Charlie stops by the office, Dan sees at once that he's upset but trying to hide it. Casey often looks exactly the same way.
"Everything okay?" he asks. Charlie nods.
Dan waits.
Sure enough, eventually it comes out: Charlie's great idea for his science project, how his lab partner stole it and took all the credit, while Charlie ended up with a lousy A-.
"H'm," Dan says. "You need to meet somebody." He walks Charlie down the corridor, opens a door. "Charlie, this is Mallory Moss. She can teach you everything you'll ever need to know about intellectual property."
***
05. Mary Pat Shelby: Who Taught Her Everything
"Good show!" Natalie murmurs, out of habit. Hearing it echoed she looks up, surprised, to see Danny, half-hidden in the shadows.
"Casey's holding the fort," he explains, as she goes to hug him. He holds her away. "You barfed yet?"
"Half an hour ago," she admits. "I've brushed since then."
"Okay," he says, and opens his arms. She can still feel the warmth of his body as she gets seated and waits to be counted in. Then:
"Good afternoon, New York, and welcome to Women's Matters. I'm Natalie Hurley, and today I'll be talking to abuse survivor Mary Pat Shelby …"
***
06. The Head Coach, Dinner, and the Morning Mail: Be Back Soon
Charlie's never going to be a sports fan. Maybe it skips a generation; maybe Charlie takes after Lisa. Lisa always hated sports.
Casey's swallowed his regret, and goes out of his way to encourage Charlie in what he does love - math, mostly. He's even paid for Charlie to go to science camp this summer. Casey can't think of anything worse, but doesn't say so: just takes Charlie out for pizza, then sees him safely onto the bus.
Next morning there's a postcard: the familiar mad-haired Einstein, with, on the back, a simple, heartfelt message. "Thanks, Coach!" it says.
Casey smiles.
***
07. Dear Louise: High Flying Adored
Jeremy worries about Louise.
So, this boy, he IMs, only half-joking, is he Jewish?
It's force of habit. Truthfully, Louise is the calmest, most capable and competent young woman imaginable. She sailed through college into a high-paying design job, shares an apartment that makes Jeremy's look like a Dickensian slum; she's smart, pretty, popular, a joy to the world, a blessing to his parents and to him.
Louise's response is an emoticon so obscene it makes him blink.
Jeremy sighs. He gets it: Louise can take care of herself. Still, she's his little sister, and he worries. That's his job.
***
08. Thespis: Another Op'ning, Another Show
"Come with me," Dan coaxes. Casey wrinkles his nose.
"To a musical?" He daren't say this aloud, but - it's not very manly, now, is it?
"Do I have to sic Dana on you?" Dana still hasn't quite shut up about The Lion King. "Or Isaac?"
Casey shudders, and allows himself to be dragged to - why, god, why?! - a show about a failed transsexual. Which he hates. He only stays because he knows how disappointed Danny would be if he walked out.
Still: if Thespis should suddenly drop from the flies to wreak havoc, Casey, for one, would welcome him gladly.
***
09. The Quality of Mercy at 29K: The Impossible Dream
Dan's sitting silently, staring at his hands. Casey knows something's wrong, but daren't ask. Dan's in a weird mood these days.
He doesn't have to. Dan looks up, traces of tears in his eyes.
"They've found George Mallory," he says simply. Casey understands at once.
"Did he - ?"
Dan shakes his head. "They don't think so. They might never know for sure." He inhales sharply. "He came so close. So damned close…"
Casey touches his arm. For a moment they’re united in grief; in mourning a man, dead long ago, who reached toward the heavens, fell short - and paid the price.
***
10. Shoe Money Tonight: The Simple Joys of Maidenhood
Sometimes there are evenings so magical and marvellous that you never want to say goodnight; nights when the show comes together so seamlessly that you're still buzzing when you come in the next morning. There are perfect dates when the one you're with makes you feel special, precious, beloved.
Then there are the other times: when the show falls flat, your friends grate on your nerves; when you kiss the prince only to see him turn into a toad before your very eyes.
On days like these, a girl has only two real friends. Her credit card; and Manolo Blahnik.
***
11. The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee: Dance with the Devil
They met Luther Sachs for the first time in person at the network's formal reception. Up until then he'd been no more than a name; all his business had been conducted through smooth, confident, overpaid lawyers who tried to dazzle them and only succeeded in making their hackles rise. There was something rotten at the heart of this golden opportunity, they knew it - and yet, how could they possibly pass it up?
"Be nice to him," Casey warned as their new boss - owner? - approached, trailing a half-dozen hangers-on.
"I'm always nice," Dan said, offended. Casey patted his arm.
"What matters is that you believe that." He held out his hand, started making introductions, while beside him Dan smiled outwardly and, inwardly, kept watch: noted that Sachs had one voice and one smile for Casey, another for himself and, when Isaac joined them, still a third for him, and that that third one bordered on condescending. He reached his own conclusions; and drew up his battle plans accordingly.
He'd work for Sachs. But he didn't have to like him; didn't have to trust him. And he sure didn't have to play by his rules.
No job was worth selling his soul.
***
12. Smoky: I Don't Believe in Heroes Any More
Casey doesn't even realise there's a crisis until it's over. He hears a yell, the sound of running feet, feels someone brush swiftly past him. Then there's a thump, an acrid smell that's more than just the barbecue, and he turns to see two people rolling on the ground, a girl and a boy, the new intern, what's-his-name, Danny? Hands are reaching to help the two of them up, and Gina's racing back to the house - to call 911, he registers, seeing the girl's charred sleeve, the blistering skin beneath.
He starts forward but realises he'll only be in the way and instead slides unobtrusively into the background, becoming so thoroughly invisible that he's surprised to feel a touch on his sleeve. It's Dan; his hair smells of smoke.
"You got your car?" he's asking, low-voiced.
Casey nods.
"Then can you get me out of here?"
"Why?" Casey's surprised. "Aren't you the hero - ?"
Dan cuts him off sharply. "I'm really not. Please. Would you mind?"
Casey looks at him; sees him properly for the first time. He's not sure why, but he nods again, and rests his hand on Dan's shoulder. "Stick with me," he tells him. And Danny does.
***
13. Small Town: Lonely Town
For a big city, New York can be a very small town. Especially when you have a secret to hide. The places you can go unrecognised, the partners you can trust: they're shatteringly finite.
Dan's lived here for many years now. He's seen countless changes, a lot of people come and go. He's getting older, tireder. All he wants is a little stability: to find one face among the thousands that won't look straight through him, that'll see him for who he is.
He has to believe there's somebody out there. But, lonely and sleepless, sometimes all faith is lost.
***
14. Rebecca: Movie in My Mind
"This movie's black and white!" Casey realises, disgusted.
"Shhhhh!" Dan tells him. "It's Hitchcock," he whispers. "It's a classic. Sit back and be educated."
Casey has little choice. With Lisa out of town, he'd called up everyone he knew, only to find they all had other plans. This film festival of Dan's had seemed the least of many evils.
He starts awake sometime later to find the credits rolling, his head nestling comfortably on Dan's shoulder. People are staring.
"Um - " he says, flustered, "Sorry?"
Dan just turns to grin at him. "Hey," he says, agreeably, "at least you don't snore."
***
15. Dana and the Deep Blue Sea: Cock-eyed Optimist
For her honeymoon, Dana had wanted the Maldives. She reasoned that if the afterglow from her wedding couldn't get her over her fear of fish, then nothing ever would. But Andrew's schedule had been crazy; all they'd had was a snatched weekend in Cape Cod, where the only fish in sight had been safely on a plate.
Three years later, she's finally made it; alone, but that's okay. She digs her toes into the soft white sand, shifts the weight of the oxygen tank on her back, and breathes deep before slipping the mask over her head.
Moment of truth.
***
16. Sally: A Perfectly Lovely Couple
Natalie's dozing on Jeremy's shoulder as yet another of his geekathons-with-elves unwinds with no apparent hope of an ending. Okay, some of the actors are pretty cute under the stupid wigs and the fake pointy ears, but surely not three hours' worth of cute?
Something catches her attention, and she leans forward.
"Jeremy? How comes that fortress-thingy has a side door?"
"It's a sally port," Jeremy tells her, and goes on to explain at extreme and tedious length.
"Huh," Natalie muses. Then, "Our Sally's more of a welcome wagon, isn't she?"
Jeremy sighs. "I weep for the future of feminism."
***
17. How Are Things in Glocca Morra?: I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More
This time, when he said 'retired', Isaac absolutely meant retired. For good. Stack of books, hammock, organic gardening - he's got it all planned.
That's not to say he can't drop by the studio occasionally, see what they've done to his show. He likes to keep up with technical developments - why not? - but his main, unspoken purpose is to check up on his second family: the ones who've gone, the ones that've stayed.
Plus he knows the words 'Isaac Jaffee's in the house' can still strike fear into the hearts of men. That's a kick he's not giving up anytime soon.
***
18. The Sword of Orion: Lost in the Stars
Celestial navigation.
Dan's stretched out on desk, hearing the waves lap, naming familiar constellations as they wheel overhead: Bears Great and Little, Cassiopeia, Orion. He remembers these names from his childhood, his mother pointing to the sky, tracing the shapes with a finger as she hugged him close.
There haven't been many constants in Dan's life; not much he can hold and call his own. But this much - these stars, these memories - will never leave him.
There's a footfall behind him. Lazily, he turns his head and smiles.
There's one more thing, now, that he knows will be his forever.
***
19. Eli's Coming: Something Just Broke
"Guys?" Natalie's hovering, anxious. She drops a newspaper between them. "You need to see this blind item."
Casey cranes forward. "'Which well-known sports anchor was recently seen buying his-and-his pyjamas?'" Involuntarily, he glances up at Dan, who sniffs disgustedly.
"As if!"
"We need to prepare a rebuttal," Natalie begins, but Dan stands, touches her shoulder gently.
"No. We don't. It's time. I'll talk to Trager." He glances at Casey, says nothing. He doesn't have to.
Casey can't move; can't speak. He swallows. After a moment, Dan smiles, sadly, resignedly.
"There's a darkness to this day," he murmurs. And he's gone.
***
20. Ordnance Tactics: Always True to You in My Fashion
After Danny's gone, Casey finds it hard to face himself in the mirror, let alone his colleagues and the world.
It may only be his imagination that that world's a less friendly place than before. It's colder, that's for sure. Without Danny by his side every day, it's as though a bright flame had suddenly been doused.
That takes him back to their first meeting, and sets him wondering: when they'd been friends so long, so close that they could almost read one another's thoughts, how had they drifted so far apart?
And, more importantly - how can he fix that?
***
21. Ten Wickets: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Once he'd cut himself free of Sports Night, it took Dan no time at all to realise that the world was now his oyster. He was allergic to seafood, but let that pass. He'd been hobbled for years by the need to write to a format, network restrictions, what the audience would take. Now, at last, he was free to speak his mind.
And he did: in talk shows, in magazines, on the internet. Finally, in the book he'd been not-quite-writing for years, suddenly there in his hands, bright, shiny and real and, if his agent could be believed, practically leaping off the shelves into the clutches of the literary public.
The signing tour took him everywhere, from left coast to right and beyond: Australia, the Far East, Europe. Suddenly Dan was a star, and anything he wished for was granted. Or almost anything.
Sitting in a green space just outside of London, half his mind trying to unravel the mysteries of Test Series Cricket, the rest lamenting that the players no longer wore white - or, probably, drank tea - something sparked in his brain.
Wishing wasn't enough. For what he wanted, he needed never to have left home at all.
***
22. Napoleon's Battle Plan: Wherever He Ain't
When he gets back to New York, with no real plan beyond turning up on Casey's doorstep and taking it from there, it has, predictably, been raining. The warm, sticky humidity welcomes him like an embrace - one that leaves him damp, sweaty, and limp-haired, but what the hell. It's not as if Casey'll even notice.
As it turns out, it's not a problem. Casey isn't there.
"Where is he?" he asks Dana, when she picks up the phone.
"London," she says, confusedly. "He was coming after you."
Dan drops the phone, flops back against the wall, and starts to laugh.
***
23. What Kind of Day Has It Been?: Seasons of Love
Casey hears the key turn, but doesn't look around. After all these years, there's no need. He knows Dan's tread, his breathing, the smell of his skin. They're part of his everyday life; a part of him.
There's a chinking sound, then the couch dips, a cold bottle is pressed into his hand, and a pair of white-socked feet appear on the coffee table. Casey lifts his own foot to nudge them off again. Rules are rules.
"How was your day?" He doesn't turn his head from the screen.
"Busy," Dan says. "I probably broke the back of the new chapter. You?"
"Yeah, me too." Casey tries to sound like the honest, trustworthy senior citizen that he is. But Dan knows him too well; Casey hears the smile in his voice as he asks slyly,
"Working in the garden?"
"Yup," Casey admits. 'Working in the garden' is shorthand for 'a hammock, and a pile of books up to here'; Casey's hands are too arthritic now for pruning or digging.
Dan lets out a soft huff of laughter. He moves closer; his head comes to rest on Casey's shoulder, comfortable, familiar.
"What're we watching?" he wonders.
"Octopush," Casey tells him and, into Dan's silence, clarifies, "Underwater hockey. From Vancouver."
"Uh-huh," Dan says, slowly. "Why?"
Casey has no good answer. "Because it was there?"
That seems to satisfy Dan. "Okay, then." He nestles closer; moments later, he's asleep.
Casey slides an arm around his partner's shoulders, treasuring the touch. Every day they have together is a miracle; they came so close to losing everything - and all for nothing. For stubbornness, for pride.
One day soon, he knows, with the inevitable march of time, they will lose one another again. But, until that day, he will treasure what he has, and give thanks.
***
Fandom: Sports Night
Characters: Mainly Dan Rydell/Casey McCall, some Dana Whitaker, Natalie Hurley, Jeremy Goodwin, Isaac Jaffee, other characters
Rating: PG-13
Category: Gen, slash undertones
Summary: All words have more than two meanings; everyone needs a shoulder for a pillow.
Word count: Nineteen single drabbles, three doubles, one triple: 1,090 words
Disclaimer: The characters and situations in this original work of fan fiction are based on the TV series Sports Night (ABC, 1998-2000), created by Aaron Sorkin.
Notes: Written for sn100's Challenge #167, July 2008; prompt: Sports Night titles reinterpreted; one drabble for each of the episodes of Season One. Many thanks to the various people who offered help with titles.
01. The Pilot: Barcelona
He was leaning against the bar when they walked into Anthony's, flight bag at his feet. Kim saw him first and stopped so short that Will cannoned into her. Then it was an unseemly scramble, a battle of elbows to beat one another to him. Dana, predictably, won.
Next day she came in glowing. When cards with foreign postmarks started to cover her office walls, everyone waited for something to go wrong.
Six months later she came back from the airport sporting a diamond the size of the Ritz. It was love, it was real, and Dana … was happy. Yes?
***
02. The Apology: Unworthy of Your Love
Casey sneaks away from the post-wedding crush, out to the cool of the garden, seeking five minutes' peace.
No luck. Two shadowed figures spring guiltily apart, and he retreats quickly, embarrassed. It's not till he's back at the bar that he registers Dan's unaccountable absence. And the best man's.
The following day Dan slinks in, avoiding Casey's eye, mumbling "I'm sorry," and "It won't happen again." But they both know better. It will happen again, many times. Sooner or later it'll be one time too many.
When that time comes, Casey isn't sure where his loyalties are going to lie.
***
03. The Hungry and the Hunted: Memory
For years now, Elliott's been on a mission to find the perfect sandwich. Ham and turkey, extra mayo, soft white seedless bread. And something else, some elusive extra ingredient he's never quite been able to identify.
He had it once, snatched as he raced through the city on the way to who-remembers-where. He'd flopped onto a bench, taken one big bite, and found himself in sudden heaven.
Everyone knows about his quest. Sometimes they bring him samples, but nothing's ever quite right. They laugh about it, he knows, but they don't understand.
It's not just a sandwich. It's his past.
***
04. Intellectual Property: A Secretary is Not a Toy
When Charlie stops by the office, Dan sees at once that he's upset but trying to hide it. Casey often looks exactly the same way.
"Everything okay?" he asks. Charlie nods.
Dan waits.
Sure enough, eventually it comes out: Charlie's great idea for his science project, how his lab partner stole it and took all the credit, while Charlie ended up with a lousy A-.
"H'm," Dan says. "You need to meet somebody." He walks Charlie down the corridor, opens a door. "Charlie, this is Mallory Moss. She can teach you everything you'll ever need to know about intellectual property."
***
05. Mary Pat Shelby: Who Taught Her Everything
"Good show!" Natalie murmurs, out of habit. Hearing it echoed she looks up, surprised, to see Danny, half-hidden in the shadows.
"Casey's holding the fort," he explains, as she goes to hug him. He holds her away. "You barfed yet?"
"Half an hour ago," she admits. "I've brushed since then."
"Okay," he says, and opens his arms. She can still feel the warmth of his body as she gets seated and waits to be counted in. Then:
"Good afternoon, New York, and welcome to Women's Matters. I'm Natalie Hurley, and today I'll be talking to abuse survivor Mary Pat Shelby …"
***
06. The Head Coach, Dinner, and the Morning Mail: Be Back Soon
Charlie's never going to be a sports fan. Maybe it skips a generation; maybe Charlie takes after Lisa. Lisa always hated sports.
Casey's swallowed his regret, and goes out of his way to encourage Charlie in what he does love - math, mostly. He's even paid for Charlie to go to science camp this summer. Casey can't think of anything worse, but doesn't say so: just takes Charlie out for pizza, then sees him safely onto the bus.
Next morning there's a postcard: the familiar mad-haired Einstein, with, on the back, a simple, heartfelt message. "Thanks, Coach!" it says.
Casey smiles.
***
07. Dear Louise: High Flying Adored
Jeremy worries about Louise.
So, this boy, he IMs, only half-joking, is he Jewish?
It's force of habit. Truthfully, Louise is the calmest, most capable and competent young woman imaginable. She sailed through college into a high-paying design job, shares an apartment that makes Jeremy's look like a Dickensian slum; she's smart, pretty, popular, a joy to the world, a blessing to his parents and to him.
Louise's response is an emoticon so obscene it makes him blink.
Jeremy sighs. He gets it: Louise can take care of herself. Still, she's his little sister, and he worries. That's his job.
***
08. Thespis: Another Op'ning, Another Show
"Come with me," Dan coaxes. Casey wrinkles his nose.
"To a musical?" He daren't say this aloud, but - it's not very manly, now, is it?
"Do I have to sic Dana on you?" Dana still hasn't quite shut up about The Lion King. "Or Isaac?"
Casey shudders, and allows himself to be dragged to - why, god, why?! - a show about a failed transsexual. Which he hates. He only stays because he knows how disappointed Danny would be if he walked out.
Still: if Thespis should suddenly drop from the flies to wreak havoc, Casey, for one, would welcome him gladly.
***
09. The Quality of Mercy at 29K: The Impossible Dream
Dan's sitting silently, staring at his hands. Casey knows something's wrong, but daren't ask. Dan's in a weird mood these days.
He doesn't have to. Dan looks up, traces of tears in his eyes.
"They've found George Mallory," he says simply. Casey understands at once.
"Did he - ?"
Dan shakes his head. "They don't think so. They might never know for sure." He inhales sharply. "He came so close. So damned close…"
Casey touches his arm. For a moment they’re united in grief; in mourning a man, dead long ago, who reached toward the heavens, fell short - and paid the price.
***
10. Shoe Money Tonight: The Simple Joys of Maidenhood
Sometimes there are evenings so magical and marvellous that you never want to say goodnight; nights when the show comes together so seamlessly that you're still buzzing when you come in the next morning. There are perfect dates when the one you're with makes you feel special, precious, beloved.
Then there are the other times: when the show falls flat, your friends grate on your nerves; when you kiss the prince only to see him turn into a toad before your very eyes.
On days like these, a girl has only two real friends. Her credit card; and Manolo Blahnik.
***
11. The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee: Dance with the Devil
They met Luther Sachs for the first time in person at the network's formal reception. Up until then he'd been no more than a name; all his business had been conducted through smooth, confident, overpaid lawyers who tried to dazzle them and only succeeded in making their hackles rise. There was something rotten at the heart of this golden opportunity, they knew it - and yet, how could they possibly pass it up?
"Be nice to him," Casey warned as their new boss - owner? - approached, trailing a half-dozen hangers-on.
"I'm always nice," Dan said, offended. Casey patted his arm.
"What matters is that you believe that." He held out his hand, started making introductions, while beside him Dan smiled outwardly and, inwardly, kept watch: noted that Sachs had one voice and one smile for Casey, another for himself and, when Isaac joined them, still a third for him, and that that third one bordered on condescending. He reached his own conclusions; and drew up his battle plans accordingly.
He'd work for Sachs. But he didn't have to like him; didn't have to trust him. And he sure didn't have to play by his rules.
No job was worth selling his soul.
***
12. Smoky: I Don't Believe in Heroes Any More
Casey doesn't even realise there's a crisis until it's over. He hears a yell, the sound of running feet, feels someone brush swiftly past him. Then there's a thump, an acrid smell that's more than just the barbecue, and he turns to see two people rolling on the ground, a girl and a boy, the new intern, what's-his-name, Danny? Hands are reaching to help the two of them up, and Gina's racing back to the house - to call 911, he registers, seeing the girl's charred sleeve, the blistering skin beneath.
He starts forward but realises he'll only be in the way and instead slides unobtrusively into the background, becoming so thoroughly invisible that he's surprised to feel a touch on his sleeve. It's Dan; his hair smells of smoke.
"You got your car?" he's asking, low-voiced.
Casey nods.
"Then can you get me out of here?"
"Why?" Casey's surprised. "Aren't you the hero - ?"
Dan cuts him off sharply. "I'm really not. Please. Would you mind?"
Casey looks at him; sees him properly for the first time. He's not sure why, but he nods again, and rests his hand on Dan's shoulder. "Stick with me," he tells him. And Danny does.
***
13. Small Town: Lonely Town
For a big city, New York can be a very small town. Especially when you have a secret to hide. The places you can go unrecognised, the partners you can trust: they're shatteringly finite.
Dan's lived here for many years now. He's seen countless changes, a lot of people come and go. He's getting older, tireder. All he wants is a little stability: to find one face among the thousands that won't look straight through him, that'll see him for who he is.
He has to believe there's somebody out there. But, lonely and sleepless, sometimes all faith is lost.
***
14. Rebecca: Movie in My Mind
"This movie's black and white!" Casey realises, disgusted.
"Shhhhh!" Dan tells him. "It's Hitchcock," he whispers. "It's a classic. Sit back and be educated."
Casey has little choice. With Lisa out of town, he'd called up everyone he knew, only to find they all had other plans. This film festival of Dan's had seemed the least of many evils.
He starts awake sometime later to find the credits rolling, his head nestling comfortably on Dan's shoulder. People are staring.
"Um - " he says, flustered, "Sorry?"
Dan just turns to grin at him. "Hey," he says, agreeably, "at least you don't snore."
***
15. Dana and the Deep Blue Sea: Cock-eyed Optimist
For her honeymoon, Dana had wanted the Maldives. She reasoned that if the afterglow from her wedding couldn't get her over her fear of fish, then nothing ever would. But Andrew's schedule had been crazy; all they'd had was a snatched weekend in Cape Cod, where the only fish in sight had been safely on a plate.
Three years later, she's finally made it; alone, but that's okay. She digs her toes into the soft white sand, shifts the weight of the oxygen tank on her back, and breathes deep before slipping the mask over her head.
Moment of truth.
***
16. Sally: A Perfectly Lovely Couple
Natalie's dozing on Jeremy's shoulder as yet another of his geekathons-with-elves unwinds with no apparent hope of an ending. Okay, some of the actors are pretty cute under the stupid wigs and the fake pointy ears, but surely not three hours' worth of cute?
Something catches her attention, and she leans forward.
"Jeremy? How comes that fortress-thingy has a side door?"
"It's a sally port," Jeremy tells her, and goes on to explain at extreme and tedious length.
"Huh," Natalie muses. Then, "Our Sally's more of a welcome wagon, isn't she?"
Jeremy sighs. "I weep for the future of feminism."
***
17. How Are Things in Glocca Morra?: I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More
This time, when he said 'retired', Isaac absolutely meant retired. For good. Stack of books, hammock, organic gardening - he's got it all planned.
That's not to say he can't drop by the studio occasionally, see what they've done to his show. He likes to keep up with technical developments - why not? - but his main, unspoken purpose is to check up on his second family: the ones who've gone, the ones that've stayed.
Plus he knows the words 'Isaac Jaffee's in the house' can still strike fear into the hearts of men. That's a kick he's not giving up anytime soon.
***
18. The Sword of Orion: Lost in the Stars
Celestial navigation.
Dan's stretched out on desk, hearing the waves lap, naming familiar constellations as they wheel overhead: Bears Great and Little, Cassiopeia, Orion. He remembers these names from his childhood, his mother pointing to the sky, tracing the shapes with a finger as she hugged him close.
There haven't been many constants in Dan's life; not much he can hold and call his own. But this much - these stars, these memories - will never leave him.
There's a footfall behind him. Lazily, he turns his head and smiles.
There's one more thing, now, that he knows will be his forever.
***
19. Eli's Coming: Something Just Broke
"Guys?" Natalie's hovering, anxious. She drops a newspaper between them. "You need to see this blind item."
Casey cranes forward. "'Which well-known sports anchor was recently seen buying his-and-his pyjamas?'" Involuntarily, he glances up at Dan, who sniffs disgustedly.
"As if!"
"We need to prepare a rebuttal," Natalie begins, but Dan stands, touches her shoulder gently.
"No. We don't. It's time. I'll talk to Trager." He glances at Casey, says nothing. He doesn't have to.
Casey can't move; can't speak. He swallows. After a moment, Dan smiles, sadly, resignedly.
"There's a darkness to this day," he murmurs. And he's gone.
***
20. Ordnance Tactics: Always True to You in My Fashion
After Danny's gone, Casey finds it hard to face himself in the mirror, let alone his colleagues and the world.
It may only be his imagination that that world's a less friendly place than before. It's colder, that's for sure. Without Danny by his side every day, it's as though a bright flame had suddenly been doused.
That takes him back to their first meeting, and sets him wondering: when they'd been friends so long, so close that they could almost read one another's thoughts, how had they drifted so far apart?
And, more importantly - how can he fix that?
***
21. Ten Wickets: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Once he'd cut himself free of Sports Night, it took Dan no time at all to realise that the world was now his oyster. He was allergic to seafood, but let that pass. He'd been hobbled for years by the need to write to a format, network restrictions, what the audience would take. Now, at last, he was free to speak his mind.
And he did: in talk shows, in magazines, on the internet. Finally, in the book he'd been not-quite-writing for years, suddenly there in his hands, bright, shiny and real and, if his agent could be believed, practically leaping off the shelves into the clutches of the literary public.
The signing tour took him everywhere, from left coast to right and beyond: Australia, the Far East, Europe. Suddenly Dan was a star, and anything he wished for was granted. Or almost anything.
Sitting in a green space just outside of London, half his mind trying to unravel the mysteries of Test Series Cricket, the rest lamenting that the players no longer wore white - or, probably, drank tea - something sparked in his brain.
Wishing wasn't enough. For what he wanted, he needed never to have left home at all.
***
22. Napoleon's Battle Plan: Wherever He Ain't
When he gets back to New York, with no real plan beyond turning up on Casey's doorstep and taking it from there, it has, predictably, been raining. The warm, sticky humidity welcomes him like an embrace - one that leaves him damp, sweaty, and limp-haired, but what the hell. It's not as if Casey'll even notice.
As it turns out, it's not a problem. Casey isn't there.
"Where is he?" he asks Dana, when she picks up the phone.
"London," she says, confusedly. "He was coming after you."
Dan drops the phone, flops back against the wall, and starts to laugh.
***
23. What Kind of Day Has It Been?: Seasons of Love
Casey hears the key turn, but doesn't look around. After all these years, there's no need. He knows Dan's tread, his breathing, the smell of his skin. They're part of his everyday life; a part of him.
There's a chinking sound, then the couch dips, a cold bottle is pressed into his hand, and a pair of white-socked feet appear on the coffee table. Casey lifts his own foot to nudge them off again. Rules are rules.
"How was your day?" He doesn't turn his head from the screen.
"Busy," Dan says. "I probably broke the back of the new chapter. You?"
"Yeah, me too." Casey tries to sound like the honest, trustworthy senior citizen that he is. But Dan knows him too well; Casey hears the smile in his voice as he asks slyly,
"Working in the garden?"
"Yup," Casey admits. 'Working in the garden' is shorthand for 'a hammock, and a pile of books up to here'; Casey's hands are too arthritic now for pruning or digging.
Dan lets out a soft huff of laughter. He moves closer; his head comes to rest on Casey's shoulder, comfortable, familiar.
"What're we watching?" he wonders.
"Octopush," Casey tells him and, into Dan's silence, clarifies, "Underwater hockey. From Vancouver."
"Uh-huh," Dan says, slowly. "Why?"
Casey has no good answer. "Because it was there?"
That seems to satisfy Dan. "Okay, then." He nestles closer; moments later, he's asleep.
Casey slides an arm around his partner's shoulders, treasuring the touch. Every day they have together is a miracle; they came so close to losing everything - and all for nothing. For stubbornness, for pride.
One day soon, he knows, with the inevitable march of time, they will lose one another again. But, until that day, he will treasure what he has, and give thanks.
***