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tanaquiljallTitle: Foreign and Domestic
Fandom: Jericho
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Implicit reference to violent deaths
Words: 860
Summary: Major Beck receives some news he's been expecting and dreading.
Disclaimer: These stories are based on the Junction Entertainment/Fixed Mark Productions/CBS Paramount Television series Jericho. They were written for entertainment only; the author does not profit from them nor was any infringement of copyright intended.
Author's Note: This story is part of Awesome!Jakeverse, the shared post-season 2 verse being written by Scribbler (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scribblesinink) and Tanaqui (tanaquific). Thanks to scribblesinink for the beta and sgafan for checking my American-speak.
oOo
Heather knocked quietly on the door frame but Beck didn't turn. He was staring at the map of Jericho on the wall of the interview room that he and his men used as an office when they were in town. His hands were behind his back; his feet planted; there was tension in every line of him. He didn't respond even when Heather called his name. It was only when she crossed the room and put a hand on his arm that he jumped.
His gaze, when he glanced down at her, was dark and haunted, and he quickly went back to staring at the map that he surely wasn't seeing.
Heather snatched her hand away, the same wave of shock, fear and adrenaline coursing through her as when she'd unwarily grasped that hot door handle during the library fire. She took a deep breath, and then tentatively reached out again, her hand stopping just short of touching him. "What is it?"
He swallowed. "The last mail exchange." His voice was raw. "There was a letter from the Red Cross...." He tilted his head towards the table.
Heather gave him a searching look, and then crossed the room and turned around the single sheet of paper in the centre of the table. It is with regret that we write to confirm the deaths of Alejandra Beck and Isabel Maria Beck in a car accident on I25 in the vicinity of Belen. Date of death is undetermined. Burial was arranged by the authorities in Belen on 22 January 2007....
The crisp print blurred in front of Heather's eyes.
"I'm so sorry." Her own words were choked by the lump in her throat. She turned back to where Beck still stood unmoving.
"I'd been expecting...." He stopped and his head dropped a little.
Heather took two quick steps back to his side. "That's not the same as knowing." She tentatively rested a hand on his back and was surprised, and yet not at all surprised, to discover he was trembling. She slid her hand up and gently gripped his shoulder.
They stayed like that for a long minute, Beck silently accepting the little comfort she could provide, until there was an apologetic cough from the door. They both turned, Heather letting her hand fall from Beck's shoulder. Beck's aide-de-camp was hovering in the doorway. "Sir. Everything's ready."
Beck nodded absently. "Thank you, lieutenant." His voice was still rough. "I'll be right there."
The lieutenant dipped his own head in acknowledgment and left. With a weary sigh, Beck crossed to the table and picked up his helmet. He paused, looking down at the inside, and then reached in.
Heather's fingers on his wrist stopped him. "Leave it," she suggested gently.
He didn't look at her, but he nodded. She let his wrist go, and he jammed his helmet onto his head, buckling the chinstrap as he strode out of the room.
oOo
Jake had been standing at the counter, some papers spread in front of him, when he looked up and saw Heather and Beck standing close together. Heather had her hand on Beck's shoulder, but he couldn't see if they were speaking. He swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat. Why couldn't she just stay away from him?
Eventually, he saw Beck turn away and pick up his helmet, and then Heather was at his side again, resting her hand on his as she said something to him. Then Beck came out, his face impassive as he left the office. Heather followed a minute later.
"What's eating him?" Jake nodded in the direction Beck had gone as Heather rounded the end of the counter.
She halted, one hand resting on the top. He noticed her fingers were curled into a fist. "He just received confirmation from the Red Cross that his wife and daughter died."
Jake suddenly felt very ashamed. He turned to look in the direction Beck had gone.
"It's OK, Jake." He heard Heather sigh quietly. "I don't expect you to feel any pity for him. Not after what he did to you."
Jake looked back at her. "I'm not completely heartless, you know." Her softly spoken words had bitten even more deeply into him than seeing her with Beck. He shook his head. "I'm never going to like the man, but," he reached out and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, "I am glad he's got a good friend around."
Heather caught his hand as he drew back. "Thank you."
His fingers curled around to clasp hers for a moment, before he let her hand drop. She gave him a half smile, and a nod, and then was brushing past him on her way out.
Jake watched her go. He hadn't lied. This wasn't the kind of thing any man—even Edward Beck—should have to face alone. But it also wasn't something an officer could share with those under his command, and Jake knew Beck hadn't mixed much with the townsfolk. Which left Beck with few options. So Jake was glad Beck did have someone to help him through it.
He just wished it wasn't Heather.
Fandom: Jericho
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Implicit reference to violent deaths
Words: 860
Summary: Major Beck receives some news he's been expecting and dreading.
Disclaimer: These stories are based on the Junction Entertainment/Fixed Mark Productions/CBS Paramount Television series Jericho. They were written for entertainment only; the author does not profit from them nor was any infringement of copyright intended.
Author's Note: This story is part of Awesome!Jakeverse, the shared post-season 2 verse being written by Scribbler (
scribblesinink) and Tanaqui (tanaquific). Thanks to scribblesinink for the beta and sgafan for checking my American-speak.Heather knocked quietly on the door frame but Beck didn't turn. He was staring at the map of Jericho on the wall of the interview room that he and his men used as an office when they were in town. His hands were behind his back; his feet planted; there was tension in every line of him. He didn't respond even when Heather called his name. It was only when she crossed the room and put a hand on his arm that he jumped.
His gaze, when he glanced down at her, was dark and haunted, and he quickly went back to staring at the map that he surely wasn't seeing.
Heather snatched her hand away, the same wave of shock, fear and adrenaline coursing through her as when she'd unwarily grasped that hot door handle during the library fire. She took a deep breath, and then tentatively reached out again, her hand stopping just short of touching him. "What is it?"
He swallowed. "The last mail exchange." His voice was raw. "There was a letter from the Red Cross...." He tilted his head towards the table.
Heather gave him a searching look, and then crossed the room and turned around the single sheet of paper in the centre of the table. It is with regret that we write to confirm the deaths of Alejandra Beck and Isabel Maria Beck in a car accident on I25 in the vicinity of Belen. Date of death is undetermined. Burial was arranged by the authorities in Belen on 22 January 2007....
The crisp print blurred in front of Heather's eyes.
"I'm so sorry." Her own words were choked by the lump in her throat. She turned back to where Beck still stood unmoving.
"I'd been expecting...." He stopped and his head dropped a little.
Heather took two quick steps back to his side. "That's not the same as knowing." She tentatively rested a hand on his back and was surprised, and yet not at all surprised, to discover he was trembling. She slid her hand up and gently gripped his shoulder.
They stayed like that for a long minute, Beck silently accepting the little comfort she could provide, until there was an apologetic cough from the door. They both turned, Heather letting her hand fall from Beck's shoulder. Beck's aide-de-camp was hovering in the doorway. "Sir. Everything's ready."
Beck nodded absently. "Thank you, lieutenant." His voice was still rough. "I'll be right there."
The lieutenant dipped his own head in acknowledgment and left. With a weary sigh, Beck crossed to the table and picked up his helmet. He paused, looking down at the inside, and then reached in.
Heather's fingers on his wrist stopped him. "Leave it," she suggested gently.
He didn't look at her, but he nodded. She let his wrist go, and he jammed his helmet onto his head, buckling the chinstrap as he strode out of the room.
Jake had been standing at the counter, some papers spread in front of him, when he looked up and saw Heather and Beck standing close together. Heather had her hand on Beck's shoulder, but he couldn't see if they were speaking. He swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat. Why couldn't she just stay away from him?
Eventually, he saw Beck turn away and pick up his helmet, and then Heather was at his side again, resting her hand on his as she said something to him. Then Beck came out, his face impassive as he left the office. Heather followed a minute later.
"What's eating him?" Jake nodded in the direction Beck had gone as Heather rounded the end of the counter.
She halted, one hand resting on the top. He noticed her fingers were curled into a fist. "He just received confirmation from the Red Cross that his wife and daughter died."
Jake suddenly felt very ashamed. He turned to look in the direction Beck had gone.
"It's OK, Jake." He heard Heather sigh quietly. "I don't expect you to feel any pity for him. Not after what he did to you."
Jake looked back at her. "I'm not completely heartless, you know." Her softly spoken words had bitten even more deeply into him than seeing her with Beck. He shook his head. "I'm never going to like the man, but," he reached out and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, "I am glad he's got a good friend around."
Heather caught his hand as he drew back. "Thank you."
His fingers curled around to clasp hers for a moment, before he let her hand drop. She gave him a half smile, and a nod, and then was brushing past him on her way out.
Jake watched her go. He hadn't lied. This wasn't the kind of thing any man—even Edward Beck—should have to face alone. But it also wasn't something an officer could share with those under his command, and Jake knew Beck hadn't mixed much with the townsfolk. Which left Beck with few options. So Jake was glad Beck did have someone to help him through it.
He just wished it wasn't Heather.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-19 08:03 pm (UTC)Yup. And it was definitely the case that what Emily wanted/needed almost always outweighed what they wanted/needed, and dictated her actions. (Like: Scribbler and I were rewatching Sedition last night and I noticed that, in the scene where Jake's sleeping after he's rescued and wakes up with a start, it's because Emily touches him. And then she has the nerve to say she wishes he could have slept longer. Then stop POKING him! In her mind, her need to touch outweighed his need to sleep.... Grrrr.)
Bite. Your. Tongue. *swoons in disbelief* LOL
*whispers* There may be some Heck-ish moments in the fic I'm currently working on....
no subject
Date: 2009-06-20 01:03 am (UTC)*whispers* There may be some Heck-ish moments in the fic I'm currently working on....
*swoons for romantic reasons* LOL And I noticed your updated (?) icon - I couldn't have missed Beck before!!! That actually made me whimper a little today at work when I saw it. Thankfully, nobody was nearby LOL.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Heck-ish moments, but I'll do my best not to get too attached. ;)
no subject
Date: 2009-06-30 11:45 pm (UTC)And I noticed your updated (?) icon - I couldn't have missed Beck before!!!
Yup, I updated it--decided he definitely deserved a starring role in that icon. *g*
That actually made me whimper a little today at work when I saw it. Thankfully, nobody was nearby LOL.
Hee! Explaining fannish obsession to work colleagues is always kinda tricky, isn't it?
Also, apologies for the lack of new fic posting. Lots of writing going on by both Scribbler and myself, but the current projects are deciding to be epic. Hope to get something new through final edits and posted soon.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-04 05:16 pm (UTC)And since Esai Morales is already my desktop picture, it's even more tricky! LOL
Also, apologies for the lack of new fic posting.
No worries - I figured you guys were (a) busy with offline life, and (b) working hard regardless. ;) I've been extremely busy myself offline - as I keep saying "I suddenly have a life, and I don't know what to do with it. It's freaking me out, people!" But, it will slow down soon. My family will be leaving next week, and then the next sets of visitors are more spread out and won't be nearly so time intensive (phew...).
Hope to get something new through final edits and posted soon.
I see stories have been posted; haven't been able to read them yet, but I did notice them there! :)