due South snippet: "Family"

[luzula]

Title: Family
Fandom: due South
Characters: various Fraser family members
Rating: G
Prompt: forgotten
Length: 299 words
Summary: Ben grows up with a mother.
Notes: Trying to kick-start my writing again. Spontaneous and not beta-read.

Ellen opened the door into the late April sunshine. "Ben? Ben! Dinner's ready."

"Coming!" he called from somewhere around the yard. Ellen looked around for him, and then he came running, with little Maggie riding on his back and shouting at him to run faster.

"I'm riding!" she said, pulling at his hair.

Ben winced and disentangled her fingers. Ellen grinned and held the door open for them, and Ben let Maggie down and then helped her take her outdoor clothes off.

Bob was already at the table, and they all wolfed down the stew with the appetite of people who had spent most of the day out of doors.

"I'm teaching Maggie how to harness the dogs," Ben said, and Maggie beamed.

Bob nodded approvingly. "Can't start too young."

Seeing as the dogs could practically harness themselves, lifting their paws up at the proper moment, Ellen didn't doubt Maggie's success at the task, even if she was only three. And she was glad Ben had taken so to his sister (well, half-sister). He was nothing if not responsible, and she had no qualms about leaving him alone with Maggie while she checked her traps.

He was a far cry now from the reserved, quiet boy she'd first met. Ben had lived with Bob's parents for while after Caroline died, and they were good people, but so strict and old-fashioned. She couldn't seen them encouraging the boy to play and have fun, which was what he needed, in Ellen's opinion.

Bob--well, he came and went, as he did. Theirs was a second marriage on both sides, and neither Caroline nor Matt were forgotten. But it wasn't easy to live alone up here, and they'd found both companionship and comfort with each other. And Ellen had always wanted children.

Comments

[exbex]

Nice. Inspires a very wistful feeling.

[luzula]

Thank you!

[spuffyduds]

Ohhhhhh, this makes my heart go squeezy for what might have been. Lovely.

[luzula]

Thanks! I really like thinking of him growing up with Maggie.

[brigantine]

Aww, now see, if Bob had had a lick o' sense, this might easily have been. I wonder how differently Fraser would have turned out?

[luzula]

I know--it does seem like a plausible way for things to have gone. Oh Bob, you and your mathematically (and emotionally) challenged self...

[thursdaynext_27]

Very sweet, and it does leave you wondering how Fraser might have been different with this family.

[luzula]

Thanks! I'd love to see him growing with Maggie as a sister.

[mergatrude]

I'm equally wistful for this possible life for Ben. I wonder what choices he might have made.

&hearts

[luzula]

Thank you! I think he might have been less of a loner. Of course, I love him just as he is, too. &hearts

[andeincascade]

I'd say your writing mojo is just fine, Luz. This breaks my heart a little because Benton could have had this. He should have had this.

[luzula]

Oh, I don't think my writing mojo is broken or anything. It's just that there's a story which I need to finish, and I'm stuck on a scene (an action scene, sigh). And I'm fairly busy right now, so of course writing that story gets shoved to the side.

And thank you!

[springwoof]

oh, lovely!! makes me feel all wistful for Young!Ben. I like Ellen's voice--you make her sound brisk and practical, yet kind. Just like the mother I imagine for Maggie.

[luzula]

Thank you! Yes, I liked how Ellen turned out, too.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I love it. Ben-with-a-mum is happymaking, and a great "what if" character study. Thanks!

[luzula]

Thanks! It really struck me what a difference it might make if he had a sister, too.

[ria-oaks.livejournal.com]

Aww, I love this! I've really been wanting fic where Fraser grows up with a mother (even if it's not Caroline, like in this case), so I was excited to see this. Very sweet. :)

[luzula]

Thank you! I love it when someone happens to write fic about something I've been wanting to read about, so I'm glad I could do that for you.

[hsavinien.livejournal.com]

Ahh, neat idea. ^_^

[luzula]

Thank you!

[vermin-disciple.livejournal.com]

This is one of those AUs I never would have thought of - and it's so lovely and sweet. Both the idea and the execution of it. Well done! :)

[luzula]

Thanks! It does strike me as a quite plausible AU, so I'm surprised no one's written it before.

[sl_walker]

It sincerely makes one wonder what kind of man he would have been, had this gone this way. Wistful and lovely; nice work!

[luzula]

Thanks! I think growing up with a sister would make a big difference for him, too.

[plotbunniofdoom]

Aw! I love this. :)

Makes me wonder how differently things would turn out.

[luzula]

Thanks! Yes, it might have been quite different, I think.