Fic: Dear Laurie by velocitygrass, G

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Title: Dear Laurie
Author: velocitygrass
Pairing: John/OFC, implied John/Male
Rating: G
Wordcount: 495
Summary: John still wrote her a Christmas card every year, 17 years after their divorce.


Dear Laurie,

yes, it is still summer.


John still wrote her a Christmas card every year, 17 years after their divorce. It sometimes didn't arrive on time, but it did arrive eventually.


I'll be in the States next month and would love to see you and kids (and check if Paul is treating you all right).


He came to her wedding.

He still didn't think she was right, but she was clearly happy with Paul. John did a check-up on him and took him aside after the ceremony to threaten him if he ever hurt Laurie. No matter what had happened, he felt he had the responsibility and the right to do it.

Laurie never complained.


I'd like to bring a friend, if that's not a problem. You'll like him. (And if you hate him, I'll find a way to keep him out of your way.)

We'd arrive August 7th.

I hope you and the kids are well (and Paul) and that we'll see each other soon.

Love,
John


"I love you."

She didn't answer. John would have let it go, if it had been the first time that he felt that something was wrong between them. Or the second or third. But it wasn't.

"Laurie?"

She bit her nail, as she always did to buy some time, then she turned to him. "No, you don't."

"What?!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. If anything he had suspected she'd met someone. But even that was hard to imagine, because she would have told him. Her honesty was one of the things he loved most about her.

"Let's not discuss this now. I shouldn't have said anything."

And that was so unlike her. It was just wrong. "You... do you think I can just turn off the lights and sleep after that? What the hell makes you think I don't love you?"

"John, I... I know that you think you love m-"

"Think?! What..." He didn't know how to continue, because she looked miserable and for once he had no idea what was going on in her head. He had married her, because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. "Of course I love you," he said quietly.

"Yes, you do," she said with a kind smile and stroked his cheek with her soft fingers.

He still didn't understand.

"Just not the way I love you," she continued quietly, pulling back her hand.

One month later after he'd pleaded with her, shouted at her, argued that he didn't just love her as a best friend, they got a divorce.


PS: You were right. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it.


She tasted like sunshine and strawberries and it was impossible for John not to join her when she laughed her big honking laugh that crinkled up her freckles covered nose. In that moment John could think of nothing that would be better than falling in love with your best friend.

Comments

[psyko-kittie.livejournal.com]

Oh! Please tell me the unidentified man is McKay *crosses fingers* A beautiful piece of work. :)

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Please tell me the unidentified man is McKay *crosses fingers*
He is, if you want him to be ;)

Thank you very much for your kind words.

[infinimato.livejournal.com]

This is really sweet.

And as a die-hard NON-mcshepper, I love that you left the "who" of the person he's bringing ambigious, so that it could be any one of the fine, fine men around...

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

I had a longer version in my head that more heavily implies Rodney, but I ended up with this where it wasn't necessary, because it really is about John finding himself.

[iadorespike]

This is very bittersweet - I really like it. It had to be hard for her to recognize the truth. :( It was good for both of them, though.

In that moment John could think of nothing that would be better than falling in love with your best friend.

Luckily, this time he has. *nods firmly* And, oh...I'm sure that she'll love Rodney. *winks*

Anna

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Yes, I imagine it was bitter for her. She must have felt like John, falling in love with her best friend and thinking it was the greatest thing that could have happened to her. But at least she found someone, too.

Luckily, this time he has. *nods firmly* And, oh...I'm sure that she'll love Rodney. *winks*
You read my mind :)

[iadorespike]

You read my mind :)

*giggles madly*

[lavilleperdue.livejournal.com]

She tasted like sunshine and strawberries and it was impossible for John not to join her when she laughed her big honking laugh that crinkled up her freckles covered nose. In that moment John could think of nothing that would be better than falling in love with your best friend.

I love these lines -- they really say so much. Beautiful little fic. :)

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much. Those might be my favorite lines, too.

[taiteilija.livejournal.com]

That was beautiful.

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Thanks, dear :)

[4466584.livejournal.com]

Hey, who's that in your icon?

It looks . . . but . . .

:S

[taiteilija.livejournal.com]

That's young Sheppard and young McKay *g* The original manip was made by berlinghoff79. It's over here (http://berlinghoff79.livejournal.com/36456.html#cutid1) if you want to check it out :)

[4466584.livejournal.com]

Ahh! *Squeee* Thanks!!

[mitzi007.livejournal.com]

That was lovely. I like the idea that John has a good relationship with his ex-wife.

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

I like the idea that John has a good relationship with his ex-wife.
So do I. I just like to imagine that she was a really great person, but just not the right one for him.

Thank you for the feedback :)

[athousanderrors.livejournal.com]

Awww, this is really sweet.

And I'm gonna to differ from everyone else and say that he's taking Lorne home with him. *grin*

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much.

And I'm gonna to differ from everyone else and say that he's taking Lorne home with him. *grin*
And I'm sure he's making John very happy. *g*

Actually I can really see Lorne playing with Laurie's kids. He'd teach them to paint and there'd be color all over him by the end of the day. And then John would volunteer to help take care of that... ;)

[athousanderrors.livejournal.com]

*pokes you into writing that, because awwwww*

This is literally my...3rd day of reading SGA fic, I'm rather new to the fandom. And totally in love with Lorne/Sheppard, but no one writes it. *sad face*

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, but no amount of poking will help ;)

What I wrote in my comment is as far as I can go John/Lorne-wise. I'm a John/Rodney OTPer, so if I wrote John and Lorne, it would be friendship and it probably would end up being Lorne encouraging John to make a move on Rodney... but good luck with your search for John/Lorne fanfic!

[athousanderrors.livejournal.com]

*sigh* Oh well, never mind. *grin*

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Hehe. Well, it never hurts to ask ;)

[athousanderrors.livejournal.com]

Hee yeah, that's what I figured. Thank you anyway - I loved the ficlet. :)

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

May I just tell you that I love the way you've set this up? With the backward history of John's failed marriage entwined with that postcard? It works really well. :)

And since you know me, I won't mention who I'm pairing John with. *g*

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

And since you know me, I won't mention who I'm pairing John with. *g*
Yeah, who could that possibly be? *is stumped* ;)

And thank you for your kind words. When I heard backstory challenge I immediately thought of John's wife. This is the kind of scenario that I favor, but I wanted to combine it with John's present and that he's finally come around and realized the truth. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to match up the pieces, but I'm glad it fit :)

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity: In which order did you write the snippets? If you remember, that is. :)

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'm not sure, but I think I organized the scenes in my head and then wrote it down as it is (so much more possible for a 500 words fic than 50,000!).

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

awww.....I love this.

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you did :)

[npetrenko.livejournal.com]

Nice job!

[velocitygrass.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)