thegirl20: (Frankie Hussy)
thegirl20 ([personal profile] thegirl20) wrote2007-09-14 09:39 pm

Fic: Take you through your darkest hour (Waking the Dead: Frankie/Mel)

TITLE: Take you through your darkest hour
FANDOM: Waking the Dead
PAIRING: Frankie/Mel
SUMMARY: Set during 'Fugue States' (4.03) and pretty much requires you to have seen that episode for this to make any sense.
PROMPT: 'Belief' from [livejournal.com profile] ralst's 1001 Nights Table.
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: They're not mine.
WORD COUNT: 741
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This little fic has been in many forms and through many changes. It started life as a conversation between Mel and Grace about the stuff that's now in this fic.

She stays late, watching hours and hours of court footage, trying to find something that will help the case. Or that’s what she tells herself. She doesn’t want to acknowledge the fact that maybe she just doesn’t want to go home and be alone with her thoughts.

Her thoughts are no longer straightforward. Immediately after the incident it was clear in her head. It was a good shoot. She saw a suspect carrying what looked like a weapon. She shouted for him to drop the weapon. He didn’t drop it. She shot him.

But now…she’s not sure. She’s seen the unspoken questions in people’s eyes. Was there another reason you shot him? Do you have abandonment issues? If your mother hadn’t given you up for adoption, would that man be lying in hospital fighting for his life right now?

The truth is she just doesn’t know. For all that she had a happy childhood and she loves her family, there is a part of her that wonders why she wasn’t good enough for her mother to keep her. To love her.

“You trying to outdo me?”

Frankie’s voice rouses her out of her reverie. She looks up and stretches her arms over her head, wincing as her back cracks. She smiles tiredly.

”Thought it was the only chance I’d get to spend some time with you.”

Frankie comes to stand behind Mel’s chair, rubbing her shoulders gently.

“Ah, so this is a date then?”

Mel laughs. She tips her head back so that it rests against Frankie’s stomach.

“Some people go to the cinema, we get to watch videos of tribunals from the 80s.”

Frankie grins and leans down to press a soft kiss on Mel’s lips.

“Lucky us.”

She stands back up and puts a hand on her chin in thought.

“Well, seeing as you’ve caught me off guard with your sneaky seduction tactics, all I can offer you is bloody revolting coffee from the machine and half a Twix. Not quite haute cuisine.”

It isn’t. But it’s just what she needs. Coffee, chocolate and Frankie being normal with her. Frankie’s digging into the pocket of her jeans and sorting through the coins.

“Oh, and you might need to go halfers with me on the coffee. I bought Spence an Aero earlier and I’ve not got much change left.”

Frankie’s the only one who hasn’t looked at her doubtfully since the shooting. She accepted Mel’s version of events without question. Mel supposes that Frankie believes that the shot was in defense of Mel’s own life. The evidence suggests just that. A dark building, a potential weapon, a disregarded command. Frankie doesn’t really question the inner-workings of the mind.

And for that she is thankful.

She knows that Frankie will listen when she wants to talk. She knows Frankie will hold her when she lets herself cry. She knows that Frankie will stay with her, even when it gets hard.

Mel stands up and fishes a couple of pound coins out of her pocket and holds them out to Frankie.

”What the hell, get two Twixes!”

Frankie grins and takes the money, stepping closer to Mel and wrapping her arms around Mel’s waist.

”Never let it be said that I don’t know how to show a girl a good time. And I even let her pay for it.”

Mel pulls Frankie close and they stand in silence for a moment. Mel turns her head, her nose against Frankie’s ear.

“I love you,” she whispers.

She feels Frankie smile against her neck before pressing a kiss there.

“Love you too.”

Frankie lifts her head. Her eyes roam over Mel’s face.

“You OK?”

Mel nods, thinking for the first time that she actually might be. She smacks Frankie’s arse lightly.

“I thought you were getting the chocolate, woman.”

Frankie raises an eyebrow but heads off in the direction of the vending machines. Mel pulls a chair over beside her own and sits back down, rewinding the video footage. She smiles as Frankie comes back in, two chocolate bars dangling from her teeth and a cup of scalding bitumen in each hand. She sets the cups down on the desk and sits down beside Mel, handing her a Twix and ripping into the other one. Wordlessly they watch the screen. Frankie’s hand comes to rest on Mel’s thigh and Mel covers it with her own.

And all at once, things don’t seem as hopeless.

(Sort of, kinda, loosely, a little bit based on 'I believe in you' by Jo O'Meara. And the title comes from that song too.)

[identity profile] lysachan.livejournal.com 2007-09-15 07:05 am (UTC)(link)
Eeeee! *is giddy* This so made my morning! Finally a Frankie/Mel fic ♥

First of all, I know this has been said to death (by me!), but your characterisation is excellent, blows me away everytime. Frankie's character is spot on, and Mel reacts to the shooting exactly the way I imagined she would.

I love it how this sort of a protégée-protector relationship suits these two so well, but without Mel being over-the-top damsel in distress.

*happy sigh* That was really wonderful.

[identity profile] the-girl-20.livejournal.com 2007-09-15 09:36 am (UTC)(link)
*grin* Thank you! Glad you liked it. And I did owe you a Frankie/Mel fic after all.

I found it much easier to write Frankie than I did Mel. Even in that other fic (the crossover with MiS, Frankie is far easier to write). Maybe it's because I think I'm more like Frankie? Dunno.

My plan is to get that other one done before I start on anything else. *fingers crossed*

[identity profile] faithinthepoor.livejournal.com 2007-09-21 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Just so you know I have been trying to come up with an idea of a Frankie/Mel fic but I am not there yet so it's good that you did something about it instead.

I liked this a lot - I can totally picture Frankie comes back in, two chocolate bars dangling from her teeth and a cup of scalding bitumen in each hand. and I am impressed with your inner angst thoughts She’s seen the unspoken questions in people’s eyes. Was there another reason you shot him? Do you have abandonment issues? If your mother hadn’t given you up for adoption, would that man be lying in hospital fighting for his life right now?

The truth is she just doesn’t know. For all that she had a happy childhood and she loves her family, there is a part of her that wonders why she wasn’t good enough for her mother to keep her. To love her.
- kudos

Now I really wish I could come up with something. Have been meaning to tell you that I have finished watching season one of Big Love and to be honest you are likely to get a Big Love fic before you get a Walking the Dead one.

[identity profile] the-girl-20.livejournal.com 2007-09-23 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
I find Frankie and Mel difficult to have ideas for. I see them as more 'fill in the blanks' than 'inventing whole stories' type characters. There are some eps where I'd like to add some more to what's on screen: Frankie's 'We'll get chips' comment after Mel's promotion, or when she says that she got dragged out of bed in the middle of the night and Mel makes some comment, or that whole episode where Frankie got attacked in the lab and then lied about it etc.

My one attempt at writing non-episode related Frankie/Mel hasn't really gone anywhere. Although I did have a flash of inspiration earlier and it may yet be finished!

I am impressed with your inner angst thoughts - Originally they were outer-angst thoughts. I started off with Mel talking to Grace about the whole thing. And originally Mel wanted Frankie to be the same as everyone else so that she knew that she cared. But it got turned around at some point.

you are likely to get a Big Love fic before you get a Waking the Dead one - OK, I am trying not to get too excited by this in case it's not my 'Big Love' pairing of choice. So, who are we talking about here?

[identity profile] faithinthepoor.livejournal.com 2007-09-25 12:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I read that fic and made a comment over there (just a tiny one of encouragement but I hope it actually does mean that you will continue with the fic, if only for my amusement).

OK, I am trying not to get too excited by this in case it's not my 'Big Love' pairing of choice. So, who are we talking about here? In answer to your question I wrote you a little drabble but I also want you to know that I want Lois to adopt me - we would have a great time together hating the world at large.

[identity profile] the-girl-20.livejournal.com 2007-09-25 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
You may be aware by now of my relief at your choice of Big Love pairing.

We should start a Lois fan club.

[identity profile] faithinthepoor.livejournal.com 2007-10-22 10:21 am (UTC)(link)
We should start a Lois fan club. I am so giddy and up - can we be co-presidents?????

[identity profile] the-girl-20.livejournal.com 2007-10-22 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, we can be co-presidents.

But I would probably end up staging a coup so that I could be a dictator sole president. Just warning you.