Eat Your Cake and Have It by 2ndary_Author (cake or death challenge, amnesty 2008)

[2ndary_author]

John Sheppard, who always does things on his own schedule or not at all, doesn’t freak out until four months after they lose Ford.  That’s the word he uses on the rare occasions when he mentions the kid-“lose”-and it’s clear to Rodney that he means “temporarily misplace,” like Ford is a set of keys, the other blue sock, bound to turn up sooner

Comments

[bironic]

Oh, that's lovely. Snort-worthy jokes and great little insights into the characters and the Athosians, with this deep, deep sadness running through, the hole where Ford should be and Rodney's comment that Sheppard wasn't happy before, either. Really nice.

Some lines I love:

“No,” the caveman says around a mouthful of spaghetti

He just shakes his head, wraps Sheppard in a giant apron, gives him a spoon, and tells him to go at it.

Sheppard wasn’t missing Earth: he was missing Ford missing Earth.

And that last line, what a zinger. Whew.

[2ndary_author]

Thanks for the comment! I love hearing which lines people like the most. I also love Ford, as you may have noticed, and think it's sad that no one seems to miss him anymore. Also, Sheppard would have major survivor guilt, y/y?

[bratfarrar]

I do so love the way you write these people.

[2ndary_author]

And I love writing them! I still have a few old challenges unfinished, so I'm hoping the amnesty lasts until I can dust them off...

[panisdead]

I like this a lot. It seems like the sort of approach Sheppard would take to grief that he wasn't even necessarily aware of.

When are you picturing this set? Before "The Lost Boys"/"The Hive" or after? I'm guessing before, because the references to Ronon make me think he hasn't really gelled with the team yet, but I could see it either way.

[2ndary_author]

You know, I was thinking before, because of all the new-team activities Sheppard is doing and because I was imagining the guilt/grief as being pretty new (give or take *four months* John?) But after would work, too...then Ford really would have passed the point of no return, except in Sheppard's head. Hmmm. Now you've given me something to think about!

[propinquitine]

Oh, Ford! I wish we had gotten to see more of the impact that losing Ford had on everyone -- he was team, after all, and part of the original expedition, and I feel like that should have mattered more. This had some great insights into that, and I always love seeing bits of Pegasus culture (a hasty fool drinks milk with a fork -- hee!). And this bit:

Zelenka’s idea of a quick explanation starts back with the concept of closed communion and the Council of Trent.

Awesome. &hearts

[skieswideopen]

This is lovely! I really like the look at the effect of Ford's disappearance on Sheppard, and his attempts to cope via baseball and ice cream and all Ford's favourite things. Very nice piece.