One-Shot: What Anne-Marie Saw
Title: What Anne-Marie Saw
Author: springfall_kg
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: James McAvoy/Georgie Henley
Summary: Before he knew what he felt, she saw it between them.
What Anne-Marie Saw
In two thousand and five, he got a card in the mail with a big heart in the middle, and it said “I miss you”.
He smiled and said, “She’s ten.”
She said, “She has a wee crush on you.”
He looked over her shoulder and out the window. “She is going to be something special, when she grows up.”
“Someday I hope to meet her.”
“I can’t wait to see the woman she becomes.”
“James!” a cry startles him, and he turns just in time to catch Georgie as she hurls herself against his stomach.
“What’s the matter, Georgie?” he asks, kneeling down to her level. Her green eyes are awash in tears. She sobs, clings to him, and her hair smells like earth.
“Why’re you going away? We still have the whole film to make! And you can’t leave-it’s my birthday! Did you forget?”
James laughs, and he levels his face with hers.
“No, of course I didn’t forget, Georgie,” he says, voice low, to calm her down. “I’m going to bring your present back from London. I have to go back for my TV show. Do you understand?”
Georgie nods slowly, like she doesn’t want to agree but has to.
“Won’t you come back?”
“Of course,” James says, kissing her firmly on the top of her head. “Of course I will, Georgie.”
In two thousand and seven, he got a card with big pink lips, candy-colored and plump, and a long letter in cursive on the left side.
He read it out loud to her.
“She’s still got such a crush on you,” she smiled. “It’s so cute, James.”
“Yeah,” he said with a smile, looking at the card again. “She’s twelve.”
“I hope I can see her again some day.”
“She’s such a character,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the woman she becomes.”
“Jamie!” the shriek echoes in the doorway of her house, and her arms are strong around him. Her lips are sticky when she kisses his cheek-lip gloss or soda, he can’t tell which. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, it’s your birthday,” he says, flushing at how sleek her cheekbones are under her skin. The beginnings of breasts press against his chest. “I thought I’d come say hello.”
“Oh, please, come in,” she begs, tugging at his arm. Her hair smells like drug-store perfume.
“I didn’t drive this far just to stand on your stoop,” he chuckles, and she pulls him inside, crying “Mummy, Daddy, James is here!”
In two thousand and ten, he got an e-mail from her, telling him she would be stopping by the next night and to please be home so she could see him.
“I’m so glad we can celebrate her birthday with her!” She said, and it’s clear to him that she still wanted children.
“Yeah,” he said with a smile, saving the e-mail. “She’ll be fourteen. She’s such a great girl.”
“Well, we’d better get a cake.”
He found a card somewhere in the drawers, and he wrote a short note on the side. When she leaned down to sign it, she read I can’t wait to see the woman you become. J xx.
She was jealous for a moment, but she pushed the feeling away.
The stairs creak and James wakes up to see her standing over him, red hair hanging down loose like a curtain.
“Georgie,” he says, looking groggy, “what are you doing up so late?”
“I wondered if you would give me a birthday present,” she says with an innocent smile.
“What d’you want?” he asks, sitting up on the couch. She had left the door to his bedroom open. There is a light on in the guest-room, where Anne-Marie should be asleep in the twin bed. “I already got you dinner and that necklace.”
“I want something else,” she says softly, sitting down next to him on the couch.
“Georgie,” he says quietly.
“James,” she replies. And when he sighs, she reminds him, “You promised.”
“You were ten. How do you remember what I promised?”
“Because I wrote it down.”
“Jesus, Georgie.”
“You promised.”
“Okay, okay,” he sighs again, and leans over, cradling the back of her head in his hands. He kisses her, her first kiss-and he did promise her; she asked him, in two thousand and five, to kiss her once on her birthday. As a gift.
And he had said yes, though he didn’t know then why he agreed.
Her hair smells like the ocean.
In two thousand and twelve, she was making lunch for them. The phone rang and she answered and a crackly voice said, Is James there please and she shouted for him, handed him the phone. She listened to it for a moment, as James shouted her name in excitement, asked How is filming listened to her reply Fine, today’s my sixteenth birthday and he said I know, I’ve sent you a package. She had almost put the phone down when the girl said, wistful, I’d rather have you and he replied, Well, I’ll see you soon, I’m sure; I can’t wait to see the woman you’ve become.
She hung up the phone, stood quietly for a moment before going back to the sandwiches. He came down stairs, lugging a duffel, kissed her on the cheek and said “I have to go”.
“Have a good trip,” she said after the door clicked closed.
“It doesn’t seem the same without him here,” she says glumly to Anna. The older girl puts her arm around her shoulders and smiles mysteriously.
“Well, you never can tell what will happen,” and the gravel crunches behind her. She stands up and there he is. Her face is a lantern, glowing, and there is no question: she is surprised.
He holds her close; her hair smells like hairspray and he realizes she is still in costume.
“Thanks, Anna,” he says, and the dark haired girl waves it off, walks back to her trailer where two boys are setting up a surprise party.
“I can’t believe you came,” she breathes, and James holds up the old duffel.
“Here’s your package,” he grins, and she waits until she hears the trailer door close before she lunges at him, mouth on mouth, and she is relieved when he holds her roughly, hands tangled in her hair.
In two thousand and fourteen, she picked up the phone and it was him, Hey, Annie, sorry it’s been so long. Phone’s been acting all shitty down here. She smiled, grateful to have heard from him. That’s okay, how is filming going She could feel his smile when he told her great, just great. She turned off the water, began wiping off the dish she used for dinner. Any news He thought for a moment, and the sound of the ocean washes in the background Yeah, today is Georgie’s birthday. I wish you could see her, she’s grown into the most amazing woman. She finished drying the plate; she opened the cabinet and put it away. Tell her I hope I’ll get to see her soon. Pips were loud in her ear as he ran out of money on the pay phone. Oh, damn, got to run-take care.
“I love you,” she said, but it was too late. The line went dead and she stared at her reflection in the glass.
He hangs up the phone and rolls over, back to her. Her mouth is soft against his and as they move together her long hair hangs down across his face.
He holds onto her hips as she opens herself up to him, and her hair smells like roses.
“I love you,” she tells him, and he does not hesitate before he replies,
“I love you more than anything I ever have before.”
In two thousand and sixteen, she was watching television when he came downstairs looking grim.
“I have to tell you something,” he said.
“What?” she asked, muting the television. Faces talked on noiselessly. The silence was heavy in their living room.
“I am in love with someone else,” he blurted, all at once, and he looked both shocked and relieved when she replied, “I know.”
“With Georgie.”
“I know.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Good luck.”
He stood before her, looking embarrassed.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said suddenly, like that would make it better.
“James,” she said, “It’s fine.”
He stood awkwardly before going to the door, eyes dark blue and far away.
“Well,” he said. “’Bye, then.”
“James,” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Has she become the woman you always hoped she would?”
“All that and more,” he replied, his voice reverent. “Everything I could never even dream of, she is.”
He closed the door; she closed her eyes, let him go.
“You told her?”
“I had to,” he said, sitting down heavily. “I hate to do it on your birthday.”
“Just so you’re alright,” she says, and he reaches out to touch her belly, safe and warm.
“I feel so bad,” he whispers. “She said she knew all along.”
“Didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” he says, looking up. “I suppose I did.”
She leans over and kisses him, and her hair smells like earth.
In two thousand and eighteen, she received a letter in the mail from him, asking how she is.
She put it in the drawer, on top of the cards from Georgie that lead up to their death.
She closed the drawer and noticed that the whole house smelled strangely like roses.
Author: springfall_kg
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: James McAvoy/Georgie Henley
Summary: Before he knew what he felt, she saw it between them.
What Anne-Marie Saw
In two thousand and five, he got a card in the mail with a big heart in the middle, and it said “I miss you”.
He smiled and said, “She’s ten.”
She said, “She has a wee crush on you.”
He looked over her shoulder and out the window. “She is going to be something special, when she grows up.”
“Someday I hope to meet her.”
“I can’t wait to see the woman she becomes.”
“James!” a cry startles him, and he turns just in time to catch Georgie as she hurls herself against his stomach.
“What’s the matter, Georgie?” he asks, kneeling down to her level. Her green eyes are awash in tears. She sobs, clings to him, and her hair smells like earth.
“Why’re you going away? We still have the whole film to make! And you can’t leave-it’s my birthday! Did you forget?”
James laughs, and he levels his face with hers.
“No, of course I didn’t forget, Georgie,” he says, voice low, to calm her down. “I’m going to bring your present back from London. I have to go back for my TV show. Do you understand?”
Georgie nods slowly, like she doesn’t want to agree but has to.
“Won’t you come back?”
“Of course,” James says, kissing her firmly on the top of her head. “Of course I will, Georgie.”
In two thousand and seven, he got a card with big pink lips, candy-colored and plump, and a long letter in cursive on the left side.
He read it out loud to her.
“She’s still got such a crush on you,” she smiled. “It’s so cute, James.”
“Yeah,” he said with a smile, looking at the card again. “She’s twelve.”
“I hope I can see her again some day.”
“She’s such a character,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the woman she becomes.”
“Jamie!” the shriek echoes in the doorway of her house, and her arms are strong around him. Her lips are sticky when she kisses his cheek-lip gloss or soda, he can’t tell which. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, it’s your birthday,” he says, flushing at how sleek her cheekbones are under her skin. The beginnings of breasts press against his chest. “I thought I’d come say hello.”
“Oh, please, come in,” she begs, tugging at his arm. Her hair smells like drug-store perfume.
“I didn’t drive this far just to stand on your stoop,” he chuckles, and she pulls him inside, crying “Mummy, Daddy, James is here!”
In two thousand and ten, he got an e-mail from her, telling him she would be stopping by the next night and to please be home so she could see him.
“I’m so glad we can celebrate her birthday with her!” She said, and it’s clear to him that she still wanted children.
“Yeah,” he said with a smile, saving the e-mail. “She’ll be fourteen. She’s such a great girl.”
“Well, we’d better get a cake.”
He found a card somewhere in the drawers, and he wrote a short note on the side. When she leaned down to sign it, she read I can’t wait to see the woman you become. J xx.
She was jealous for a moment, but she pushed the feeling away.
The stairs creak and James wakes up to see her standing over him, red hair hanging down loose like a curtain.
“Georgie,” he says, looking groggy, “what are you doing up so late?”
“I wondered if you would give me a birthday present,” she says with an innocent smile.
“What d’you want?” he asks, sitting up on the couch. She had left the door to his bedroom open. There is a light on in the guest-room, where Anne-Marie should be asleep in the twin bed. “I already got you dinner and that necklace.”
“I want something else,” she says softly, sitting down next to him on the couch.
“Georgie,” he says quietly.
“James,” she replies. And when he sighs, she reminds him, “You promised.”
“You were ten. How do you remember what I promised?”
“Because I wrote it down.”
“Jesus, Georgie.”
“You promised.”
“Okay, okay,” he sighs again, and leans over, cradling the back of her head in his hands. He kisses her, her first kiss-and he did promise her; she asked him, in two thousand and five, to kiss her once on her birthday. As a gift.
And he had said yes, though he didn’t know then why he agreed.
Her hair smells like the ocean.
In two thousand and twelve, she was making lunch for them. The phone rang and she answered and a crackly voice said, Is James there please and she shouted for him, handed him the phone. She listened to it for a moment, as James shouted her name in excitement, asked How is filming listened to her reply Fine, today’s my sixteenth birthday and he said I know, I’ve sent you a package. She had almost put the phone down when the girl said, wistful, I’d rather have you and he replied, Well, I’ll see you soon, I’m sure; I can’t wait to see the woman you’ve become.
She hung up the phone, stood quietly for a moment before going back to the sandwiches. He came down stairs, lugging a duffel, kissed her on the cheek and said “I have to go”.
“Have a good trip,” she said after the door clicked closed.
“It doesn’t seem the same without him here,” she says glumly to Anna. The older girl puts her arm around her shoulders and smiles mysteriously.
“Well, you never can tell what will happen,” and the gravel crunches behind her. She stands up and there he is. Her face is a lantern, glowing, and there is no question: she is surprised.
He holds her close; her hair smells like hairspray and he realizes she is still in costume.
“Thanks, Anna,” he says, and the dark haired girl waves it off, walks back to her trailer where two boys are setting up a surprise party.
“I can’t believe you came,” she breathes, and James holds up the old duffel.
“Here’s your package,” he grins, and she waits until she hears the trailer door close before she lunges at him, mouth on mouth, and she is relieved when he holds her roughly, hands tangled in her hair.
In two thousand and fourteen, she picked up the phone and it was him, Hey, Annie, sorry it’s been so long. Phone’s been acting all shitty down here. She smiled, grateful to have heard from him. That’s okay, how is filming going She could feel his smile when he told her great, just great. She turned off the water, began wiping off the dish she used for dinner. Any news He thought for a moment, and the sound of the ocean washes in the background Yeah, today is Georgie’s birthday. I wish you could see her, she’s grown into the most amazing woman. She finished drying the plate; she opened the cabinet and put it away. Tell her I hope I’ll get to see her soon. Pips were loud in her ear as he ran out of money on the pay phone. Oh, damn, got to run-take care.
“I love you,” she said, but it was too late. The line went dead and she stared at her reflection in the glass.
He hangs up the phone and rolls over, back to her. Her mouth is soft against his and as they move together her long hair hangs down across his face.
He holds onto her hips as she opens herself up to him, and her hair smells like roses.
“I love you,” she tells him, and he does not hesitate before he replies,
“I love you more than anything I ever have before.”
In two thousand and sixteen, she was watching television when he came downstairs looking grim.
“I have to tell you something,” he said.
“What?” she asked, muting the television. Faces talked on noiselessly. The silence was heavy in their living room.
“I am in love with someone else,” he blurted, all at once, and he looked both shocked and relieved when she replied, “I know.”
“With Georgie.”
“I know.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Good luck.”
He stood before her, looking embarrassed.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said suddenly, like that would make it better.
“James,” she said, “It’s fine.”
He stood awkwardly before going to the door, eyes dark blue and far away.
“Well,” he said. “’Bye, then.”
“James,” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Has she become the woman you always hoped she would?”
“All that and more,” he replied, his voice reverent. “Everything I could never even dream of, she is.”
He closed the door; she closed her eyes, let him go.
“You told her?”
“I had to,” he said, sitting down heavily. “I hate to do it on your birthday.”
“Just so you’re alright,” she says, and he reaches out to touch her belly, safe and warm.
“I feel so bad,” he whispers. “She said she knew all along.”
“Didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” he says, looking up. “I suppose I did.”
She leans over and kisses him, and her hair smells like earth.
In two thousand and eighteen, she received a letter in the mail from him, asking how she is.
She put it in the drawer, on top of the cards from Georgie that lead up to their death.
She closed the drawer and noticed that the whole house smelled strangely like roses.