One Time Unwinds
Title: One Time Unwinds
Fandom: Taken/Band of Bothers
Rating: PG
Authors Note: Blame them. I take no stake in their world. I don’t even plan these things anymore. They just say things and suddenly they take over my fingers, demanding all my focus and attention to the white page. No summary. Much there is much love. For her, and her, and him, and sweetafton.
The only really important note is that if you aren't Milliways, or don't understand some of the basic principles of Milliways, this will be a little baffling in spots.
Allison never knew how or when-just that it had been growing closer.
The information was unknown and unseen, because she didn't want to know it. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Because it was in that place, outside of this one and time, that he'd given her the freedom to look beyond and chose for herself what she took from the universe.
She knew when she woke up that day.
The why, the how, the where, and the reason for her door…which had seldom appeared in her life.
~
“Can I help you?”
Allison looked up, from where her gaze had fallen on a bouquet of white lilies, to find a young woman with blonde hair and red rimmed eyes. A second glance showed her that everyone, save a small group of gathered people in one corner, had evacuated the funeral home.
“I’m sorry. I must have drifted off,” she offered, standing. It wasn’t true, but it might as well have been.
“That’s fine. It’s been that kind of week,” the younger girl agreed, her eyes tearing up as she spoke. “I’m Lana. He was my-”
“Father,” Allison prompted, softly. She picked up a box of tissues from the pew she’d been seated in and offering them to the girl who was rapidly dissolving with each newest word. “I know.”
The girl’s eye quirked in confusion, but they were lost in the flurry of acceptance. The tissues were used to wipe her face and blow her nose a number of times before she managed another few words which wasn’t stopped by her crying.
“Thank you. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m sorry. I’ve been--” she paused, blinking more tears and dabbing her eyes, while forgetting, or choosing not, to end her sentence. “You are?”
“I was a friend of your fathers.” she said, using a hand to indicate her offer to sit back down on the bench if Lana would like. “My name is Allison.”
“Allison Keys?” The girl piped up suddenly, looking wide-eyed over a tissue.
This was her turn to look startled. Although those who knew her best would have recognized the quiet signs, at the edges of her lips and the depth of blue in her eyes, of an equal amusement. “Yes.”
“Mom!”
The small crowd parted to reveal an older woman, who was then helped out of her chair by two men in suits, who went to their mother before even looking to where their sister yelled from.
“Mom! It’s her!”
~
“You didn’t go up,” Delvina commented, as her daughter retreated toward the parking lot.
After receiving no response for this, she added. “I saw you. You just sat in the pew, watching the people go up. You don’t want to see him?”
“I’ll always see him,” Allison said, casting a glance toward the still open casket.
A small chuckle came under her breath, even with saddened eyes. “When other people walk, when other people talk, in the way they laugh, or how a joke is spoken like a ghostly shadow of color over a crowd. He’ll always be there at the edge.”
The older woman’s face was quietly knowingly, though there were regrets there; and something which was both her problem, and theirs. “He never mentioned you.”
“No, I don’t suppose he would.” Allison nodded, smiling understandingly. She looked back at Del very kindly. “I was very, very young when we met. And you’ve heard this enough tonight already, but-if there is anyone on this world, I owe my life to your husband most of all.”
“He was-“ she started and Allison stalled her with a shake of her head.
“-a good man. The best. I know. I agree. You don’t have to tell me.” Letting her hand be taken she squeezed Del’s hand gently. “I am truly sorry for your loss. Thank you for letting me come today.”
Her last sentence puzzled the old woman, but even as Delvina went to open her mouth it wouldn’t come. This time and that and youth all combined to create the diversion that would stay for eternity, keeping its secrets.
“Here!” Lana exclaimed, coming between them and shoving a thick, worn duffle bag into Allison’s hands. “They said it was yours at the will reading. I don’t know why. It’s not like anyone even knew how daddy could ever think-“
The girl rambled her words while Allison undid the top of a rather old bag, the likes of which this end of the twenty-first century did not have a need for. There were inventions and modifications, the evolution of time had passed it by.
“I mean it’s rather strange-”
But when she opened the bag, her eyes finally teared up and she shook her head, without looking to Lana.
“No. It’s perfect.”
~
Exeter’s Veteran's cemetery teamed with more a thousand people who strained, standing and crying, to watch George Luz be buried, while Allison watched from the far outskirts of the flock leaning against a tall, dark conifer tree.
As the casket was lowered into the ground in Rhode Island, a little girl in Seattle-barely into being five, with blue eyes and short blonde hair, wailing on her mothers’ drum set-stilled; an intimate sense of loss and pride welling up inside of her.
“You alright?” her mom asked, leaning out of the kitchen. A small, dark, alien tattoo showed on her skin.
“Yeah. I’m okay,” Allie said, with a big grin. The feeling passed as she slammed a cymbal in triumph.
And she was.
~
The door open and closed quietly.
Allison leaned her back against the door, holding the bag to her stomach. Pushing all the noise of the place away, she closed her eyes and let a breath part through her lips slowly.
“Going to give me back my jump boots?”
Her mouth curled into a smile, teeth grazing her lower lip. She opened one eye to look at the person addressing her. To see for that one moment, with only one view, only one world, no other people in the room but this one.
Oh, yes.
Just what she’d hoped it would be.
Same as the first time she’d ever seen it.
The messy hair, lopsided smile, and bright brown eyes of, the one and only, George Luz.
Allison clutched the package to her and darted between two tables to the right of them, as she started laughing, calling behind her.
“You’ll have to catch me first!”
Fandom: Taken/Band of Bothers
Rating: PG
Authors Note: Blame them. I take no stake in their world. I don’t even plan these things anymore. They just say things and suddenly they take over my fingers, demanding all my focus and attention to the white page. No summary. Much there is much love. For her, and her, and him, and sweetafton.
The only really important note is that if you aren't Milliways, or don't understand some of the basic principles of Milliways, this will be a little baffling in spots.
Allison never knew how or when-just that it had been growing closer.
The information was unknown and unseen, because she didn't want to know it. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Because it was in that place, outside of this one and time, that he'd given her the freedom to look beyond and chose for herself what she took from the universe.
She knew when she woke up that day.
The why, the how, the where, and the reason for her door…which had seldom appeared in her life.
~
“Can I help you?”
Allison looked up, from where her gaze had fallen on a bouquet of white lilies, to find a young woman with blonde hair and red rimmed eyes. A second glance showed her that everyone, save a small group of gathered people in one corner, had evacuated the funeral home.
“I’m sorry. I must have drifted off,” she offered, standing. It wasn’t true, but it might as well have been.
“That’s fine. It’s been that kind of week,” the younger girl agreed, her eyes tearing up as she spoke. “I’m Lana. He was my-”
“Father,” Allison prompted, softly. She picked up a box of tissues from the pew she’d been seated in and offering them to the girl who was rapidly dissolving with each newest word. “I know.”
The girl’s eye quirked in confusion, but they were lost in the flurry of acceptance. The tissues were used to wipe her face and blow her nose a number of times before she managed another few words which wasn’t stopped by her crying.
“Thank you. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m sorry. I’ve been--” she paused, blinking more tears and dabbing her eyes, while forgetting, or choosing not, to end her sentence. “You are?”
“I was a friend of your fathers.” she said, using a hand to indicate her offer to sit back down on the bench if Lana would like. “My name is Allison.”
“Allison Keys?” The girl piped up suddenly, looking wide-eyed over a tissue.
This was her turn to look startled. Although those who knew her best would have recognized the quiet signs, at the edges of her lips and the depth of blue in her eyes, of an equal amusement. “Yes.”
“Mom!”
The small crowd parted to reveal an older woman, who was then helped out of her chair by two men in suits, who went to their mother before even looking to where their sister yelled from.
“Mom! It’s her!”
~
“You didn’t go up,” Delvina commented, as her daughter retreated toward the parking lot.
After receiving no response for this, she added. “I saw you. You just sat in the pew, watching the people go up. You don’t want to see him?”
“I’ll always see him,” Allison said, casting a glance toward the still open casket.
A small chuckle came under her breath, even with saddened eyes. “When other people walk, when other people talk, in the way they laugh, or how a joke is spoken like a ghostly shadow of color over a crowd. He’ll always be there at the edge.”
The older woman’s face was quietly knowingly, though there were regrets there; and something which was both her problem, and theirs. “He never mentioned you.”
“No, I don’t suppose he would.” Allison nodded, smiling understandingly. She looked back at Del very kindly. “I was very, very young when we met. And you’ve heard this enough tonight already, but-if there is anyone on this world, I owe my life to your husband most of all.”
“He was-“ she started and Allison stalled her with a shake of her head.
“-a good man. The best. I know. I agree. You don’t have to tell me.” Letting her hand be taken she squeezed Del’s hand gently. “I am truly sorry for your loss. Thank you for letting me come today.”
Her last sentence puzzled the old woman, but even as Delvina went to open her mouth it wouldn’t come. This time and that and youth all combined to create the diversion that would stay for eternity, keeping its secrets.
“Here!” Lana exclaimed, coming between them and shoving a thick, worn duffle bag into Allison’s hands. “They said it was yours at the will reading. I don’t know why. It’s not like anyone even knew how daddy could ever think-“
The girl rambled her words while Allison undid the top of a rather old bag, the likes of which this end of the twenty-first century did not have a need for. There were inventions and modifications, the evolution of time had passed it by.
“I mean it’s rather strange-”
But when she opened the bag, her eyes finally teared up and she shook her head, without looking to Lana.
“No. It’s perfect.”
~
Exeter’s Veteran's cemetery teamed with more a thousand people who strained, standing and crying, to watch George Luz be buried, while Allison watched from the far outskirts of the flock leaning against a tall, dark conifer tree.
As the casket was lowered into the ground in Rhode Island, a little girl in Seattle-barely into being five, with blue eyes and short blonde hair, wailing on her mothers’ drum set-stilled; an intimate sense of loss and pride welling up inside of her.
“You alright?” her mom asked, leaning out of the kitchen. A small, dark, alien tattoo showed on her skin.
“Yeah. I’m okay,” Allie said, with a big grin. The feeling passed as she slammed a cymbal in triumph.
And she was.
~
The door open and closed quietly.
Allison leaned her back against the door, holding the bag to her stomach. Pushing all the noise of the place away, she closed her eyes and let a breath part through her lips slowly.
“Going to give me back my jump boots?”
Her mouth curled into a smile, teeth grazing her lower lip. She opened one eye to look at the person addressing her. To see for that one moment, with only one view, only one world, no other people in the room but this one.
Oh, yes.
Just what she’d hoped it would be.
Same as the first time she’d ever seen it.
The messy hair, lopsided smile, and bright brown eyes of, the one and only, George Luz.
Allison clutched the package to her and darted between two tables to the right of them, as she started laughing, calling behind her.
“You’ll have to catch me first!”