due South snippet: "Tying-off"

[luzula]

Title: Tying-off
Fandom: due South
Characters: Victoria Metcalf, Benton Fraser
Rating: G
Length: 289 words
Summary: After thirty years, Victoria wants closure.
Notes: For the prompt "weave". Not actually that angsty, so don't be scared off. : )

Her hair was short and graying these days, her clothes different. Still, Ben's gaze snagged on her immediately. He stopped, staring at her as she approached him on the Yellowknife street. His hand moved, very slightly, towards where his service revolver would be if he were on duty.

She deserved that one, she supposed. Victoria spread her hands, palms up. "I just want to talk. In public. I don't mean any harm."

He hesitated, then said, "All right."

They went into a nearby diner, ordered tea.

"So," she said. "Still a Mountie?"

"Yes."

"Are you...all right?"

His hair was graying, short and neat. There were wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. But God, it was still him. It felt unreal.

He nodded. "You?"

She smiled wryly. "Not robbing banks. I'm a software developer."

"Oh," he said, not betraying any surprise, then, "I'm glad."

She felt a tiny prick of anger--she shouldn't need his approval--but put it away.

Silence for a while, then she asked, "Are you married?" indicating the ring on his finger.

He nodded.

"Kids?" she asked.

"No. You?"

"Not married, not any longer. But I do have a daughter."

He drew in a breath and glanced at her sharply, but Victoria shook her head. "No. She's not yours."

Ben let the breath out again. "Right. Of course not."

She stared down at her hands. What was she after here? Absolution? No, not really. More like...closure, perhaps. This man, who was woven so inextricably into the fabric of her life, for good and for ill--she'd needed to see him again, to know.

She raised her head, murmured finally, "I'm sorry."

He looked at her for a long time. Then he said, "I'm sorry, too."

Comments

[baronjanus]

I like this. A quiet moment of closure, without all the drama. Or, with inhibited drama, rather than external. So him.

The icon was random but oh dear does it work, with context.

[ride_4ever]

Wow. This one gives me feels about NOT having feelings. Amazing snippet.

(And perhaps I shouldn't interject into what's left unsaid here, but my head!canon leap landed on Kowalski at the part with the ring on Fraser's finger. And I wondered if V would have any reaction to that.)

[luzula]

Thanks! Yeah, that was pretty much what I was going for.

[luzula]

Thanks! : )

You're welcome to read what you like into it, of course! Although obviously there's too little information to say, really...in my head, Victoria wants to see him, and to know the bare bones of how he's doing, but she doesn't really want to meet his spouse or anything.

[ardyforshort]

I love how quiet this is, it seems very in character for them.
And I like the ring on Fraser's finger, whoever he fetched up marrying :)

[luzula]

Thanks! I wanted to write something different for them. And I actually have no idea who Fraser is married to in this snippet. : )

[exbex]

I like how realistic this feels. And for being as uncomplicated as it is, it offers a lot of closure.

[luzula]

Thank you! And hey, realism, thanks. I wanted to do something different with them, and especially with Victoria, and I'm glad it read as realistic.

[scribe]

Don't know how I missed this when it was posted! I love the idea of closure for them so many years later, and how calmly you go about it with all the feelings buried under the surface. I really like not knowing who Fraser's married to, too- someone from the series, or someone else. It puts the reader in the same place as Victoria, seeing that he's moved on with his life but not knowing the details. :-)

[luzula]

Oh, thank you! You know, I never thought of it that way when I wrote it--that not knowing who Fraser is married to puts the reader in the same place as Victoria--but that is an interesting point.

[desireearmfeldt]

Nice. :)

[luzula]

Thanks! : )