Shock and Awe (Code Red Original Fiction)
Sep. 25th, 2019 02:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Shock and Awe
Fandom: Code Red original fiction
Pairing: Ali Matson + Blake Matson
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 634
Summary: Ali is trying to enjoy a quiet night at home when someone knocks on her door.
Author’s Note: Written for Day 24 of the comment fic challenge at 1_million_words. The prompt was ‘surprise’.
The knock on the door startled her. Grabbing the nearest thing she could find to use as a bookmark – in this case, a receipt for the whisky she’d bought two nights ago – she slid the paper into her book and set it on the end table beside her chair.
Before she could get up, the knock came again. Giving the door some serious side-eye, Ali hauled herself to her feet and made he way to the door. The kids were with her brother and his wife for the weekend, playing with their little cousin, so she didn’t have to worry about them for once. All she had to worry about was herself.
“Some days,” she muttered, “I’m more than even I can handle.”
She thought again briefly of the now half-empty bottle of whisky. Never again. At least, never when Dusty and Andrew were around. They were what had gotten the bottle empty faster than usual. Pushing last night aside, she looked through the peephole and sighed.
“What the hell could he possibly want,” she growled. Opening the door, she glared at her ex-husband. “I don’t know why you’re here and I don’t give a damn. Go away.”
She shut the door.
“Cookie,” he heard from the other side of the door. “Give me five minutes and I’ll leave you alone.”
As if that ever happened.
Pulling the door back open, she looked up, way up, into his big, blue eyes. She was a tall woman, but he was six foot five, possibly taller. There was a time when she’d joke about looking at him would give her a crick in the neck. Little did she know what a pain in the ass he’d become. “Speak.”
Half of his mouth turned up in a smile and she could feel her insides melt. She must still be buzzed from the night before if her body was reacting to him like this.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it’s too little, too late, but it’s true. One day, I hope that you can forgive me enough to let me back into the kids’ lives.”
“Never stopped you there,” she said. Then, rethinking, “Although, I probably didn’t make you feel all that welcome either. But they need you as much as they need me. You’re always allowed to see them unless you’ve really screwed up. But then, I’d make sure you knew that.”
His smile blossomed into the fully loaded version that had won her heart all those years ago. “I can’t blame you for kicking my ass to the curb,” he said. “But I appreciate that. About the kids.”
What could she do? They were his. And while he was a cheating asshole, he’d never physically hurt her or his children. He might be a lousy husband, but he’d always been the best father he could be.
“Anytime,” she said. “They’re with Albie and Jo and I have no doubt if you call, they’d be happy to have you over.”
“Thanks,” he said, giving her a look that she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“No problem, cowboy,” she said, using her old pet name for him. “Go, I’m sure Jo will be getting dinner ready soon.”
He nodded and smiled at her again. “Okay. I’ll call you later, if that’s okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, “it is.”
He looked like he was going to say something more, changed his mind, and gave a wave as he walked back towards his truck. She watched him drive away and she fished her phone out of her pocket and called her brother.
“You’ll never guess in a million years who just showed up on my doorstep,” she said, going back into the house and closing the door behind her. “Color me surprised as hell.”
Fandom: Code Red original fiction
Pairing: Ali Matson + Blake Matson
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 634
Summary: Ali is trying to enjoy a quiet night at home when someone knocks on her door.
Author’s Note: Written for Day 24 of the comment fic challenge at 1_million_words. The prompt was ‘surprise’.
The knock on the door startled her. Grabbing the nearest thing she could find to use as a bookmark – in this case, a receipt for the whisky she’d bought two nights ago – she slid the paper into her book and set it on the end table beside her chair.
Before she could get up, the knock came again. Giving the door some serious side-eye, Ali hauled herself to her feet and made he way to the door. The kids were with her brother and his wife for the weekend, playing with their little cousin, so she didn’t have to worry about them for once. All she had to worry about was herself.
“Some days,” she muttered, “I’m more than even I can handle.”
She thought again briefly of the now half-empty bottle of whisky. Never again. At least, never when Dusty and Andrew were around. They were what had gotten the bottle empty faster than usual. Pushing last night aside, she looked through the peephole and sighed.
“What the hell could he possibly want,” she growled. Opening the door, she glared at her ex-husband. “I don’t know why you’re here and I don’t give a damn. Go away.”
She shut the door.
“Cookie,” he heard from the other side of the door. “Give me five minutes and I’ll leave you alone.”
As if that ever happened.
Pulling the door back open, she looked up, way up, into his big, blue eyes. She was a tall woman, but he was six foot five, possibly taller. There was a time when she’d joke about looking at him would give her a crick in the neck. Little did she know what a pain in the ass he’d become. “Speak.”
Half of his mouth turned up in a smile and she could feel her insides melt. She must still be buzzed from the night before if her body was reacting to him like this.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry,” he said. “I know it’s too little, too late, but it’s true. One day, I hope that you can forgive me enough to let me back into the kids’ lives.”
“Never stopped you there,” she said. Then, rethinking, “Although, I probably didn’t make you feel all that welcome either. But they need you as much as they need me. You’re always allowed to see them unless you’ve really screwed up. But then, I’d make sure you knew that.”
His smile blossomed into the fully loaded version that had won her heart all those years ago. “I can’t blame you for kicking my ass to the curb,” he said. “But I appreciate that. About the kids.”
What could she do? They were his. And while he was a cheating asshole, he’d never physically hurt her or his children. He might be a lousy husband, but he’d always been the best father he could be.
“Anytime,” she said. “They’re with Albie and Jo and I have no doubt if you call, they’d be happy to have you over.”
“Thanks,” he said, giving her a look that she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“No problem, cowboy,” she said, using her old pet name for him. “Go, I’m sure Jo will be getting dinner ready soon.”
He nodded and smiled at her again. “Okay. I’ll call you later, if that’s okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, “it is.”
He looked like he was going to say something more, changed his mind, and gave a wave as he walked back towards his truck. She watched him drive away and she fished her phone out of her pocket and called her brother.
“You’ll never guess in a million years who just showed up on my doorstep,” she said, going back into the house and closing the door behind her. “Color me surprised as hell.”
