OC Fic

[garnigal]

If I'm going to start with the OC fic, I need an OC icon. Much as this one makes me giggle, it doesn't quite cut it. :)

Title: Stationary
Disclaimer: I don't own them, duh!
Summary: missmara's Pic Challenge #1 - Two people, waiting in a police station. Pre-series.

She sat facing forward, feet on the floor and together, almost prim in her black suit. She was studiously ignoring the shy looks from the blond beside her. She was in a police station, for God’s sake. This wasn’t Ferris Bueller; she wasn’t going to strike up a conversation with a felon in training.

She was going to kill Sandy when she got home. Getting arrested at a protest march was fine in the Seventies, fine when they were in college, but Seth was only 15. He might not even get to college with this sort of thing on his record. What had Sandy been thinking, taking Seth to the protest? For that matter, why was Sandy there? He was a grown man, working within the system now. What had happened to put him back on the streets carrying a placard and shouting at cops? What had she missed?

“Are you okay?”

Kirsten’s head jerked up from where she’d let it fall against the wall. She’d almost forgotten her neighbour until he spoke. His words were soft, tentative, like he wasn’t used to speaking but just couldn’t resist. His voice and concern were appealing, and she couldn’t help but smile at him in thanks.

“I’m fine, thank you.” Her eyes darted down to his wrists – no handcuffs. Maybe he was here to pick someone up as well.

“You sighed.”

“I did? I didn’t even realize. I’m just frustrated with my husband and tired of waiting.”

“You’re here for your husband? Are you sure you are okay?” His eyes were blue, like hers. Sandy always said he could read her every emotion in her eyes, and she could understand what he meant now. Confusion, worry, hesitation, shyness, they all were easily recognizable in the bright blue eyes looking back at her.

It took her a minute to realize why he was so worried for her, but once she understood, she rushed to reassure him. “ Sorry, it’s nothing like that. He thinks he’s an activist. He was at a rally and got himself arrested, which is bad enough. But he also took our son with him. My husband got my child arrested.” She let her head fall back against the wall. “My father will never let this one go.”

Ryan was really confused now. “What does your father have to do with anything?”

“Dad… he’s a hard man. He’s in real estate development and doesn’t exactly appreciate Sandy’ s visionary tendencies. Or bad publicity. Or me having to leave work to pick up my husband and son in prison.”

“They aren’t exactly in prison, though. I mean, you get to take them home tonight.”

“I’m afraid my father won’t see it that way,” she said. She smiled gently though, touched by his attempt at comfort. “If nothing else, Seth will find it exciting. He’ll be talking about it for weeks.”

As if on cue, a boy appeared in front of them. “Mom, you will not believe what we did today! I mean, you know what we did, but you weren’t there so you don’t know, you know?”

Ryan melted against his chair and tried to fade into the background as an older version of the dark-haired boy walked up to greet the blonde woman. “Honey, I’m so sorry. I know you don’t need this kind of stress right now, but this was an opportunity I couldn’t let Seth miss out on.”

“Ry!” The voices faded out as he jumped to his feet and hurried over to his brother’s side. Trey was glaring – getting picked up by the cops always put him in a crap-ass mood. “I’m done, let’s get gone.”

She looked up just as he looked back. One last smile to say thanks for the company, and they were both sucked back into their own family dramas.

Comments

[brandywine421.livejournal.com]

Oh, very nice! I really enjoyed this 'what if'. Yays! Fic!

Thanks for sharing!

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for reading. It was a fun little experiment, writing in a new fandom. I think I like it. :)

[missmara13]

Popping in briefly (I'm feeling marginally better and trying to catch up on comments while I can... lol) to say I LOVE this! Great response for the pic!

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Glad you are feeling better and thanks for reading. I'm surprised you haven't had more responses to the picture. I really like this idea and hope you continue with the Pic Challenges!

[missmara13]

I plan on doing another one... I was hoping for more responses, too... I'm gonna put my own response up within a day or two, and if no one else responds by the end of March I'll go ahead and put up a new pic... people will still be free to post fics for the 1st pic, but... it'll be a new chance with a new pic... lol

[scarlettlily.livejournal.com]

I really liked it.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for reading! I always appreciate your feedback.

[whatawookie.livejournal.com]

I have some edits, do you want them at book club?

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Sounds perfect. I swear, I'm eventually going to surprise you by handing you the first chapter of the original fic to edit. :) Not that I've worked on it in months....

[whatawookie.livejournal.com]

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not creative enough to write but picky enough to be an editor.

Born to criticize! My poor kids!

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

But hopefully the kids will always use proper grammar.

[fredsmith518.livejournal.com]

that was an interesting riff (sp?) on the pic
I liked it

Also your icon, I love when my fandoms collide randomly

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Hee. Hello, Buffy fan. I mostly write Buffy (obviously I'm a big Spike fan), but I love the OC and it's a fun universe to write in. I'm looking forward to the next picture.

[fredsmith518.livejournal.com]

shoulda remembered to change my icon...:)

I'll see you around!

[beachtree.livejournal.com]

Thanks for taking up the challenge for this very engaging AU version based on the pic.

You've incorporated so much from canon, even with the very different circumstances. The initial meeting between an elder Cohen and Ryan still takes place at a correctional facility, but this time, Ryan is on the outside looking in as well. Both he and Kirsten aren't there because of any professional reason or because of any act they were involved in, but merely because of family members in need. Still, while Ryan doesn't judge or label Kirsten, she still makes assumptions about him that aren't that far from those inaccurate ones she unkindly made in canon. She goes so far as to check his wrists for proof that he isn't some tainted, threatening criminal element despite his calm manner, polite inquiries and quiet concern.

The line about Caleb is so reminiscent of her difficulty with the contractors in "The Model Home," but so appropriate based upon what we would learn about him, his opinion of Sandy in many ways, her relationship with such a controlling father.

There's such a different perspective on display as you show how upset Kirsten is over an act of civil disobedience and the ripple effect she imagines for consequences and how Ryan views what seems to be all too common for him even if he is there to have his brother released for an act that would warrant a reaction more akin to that of Kirsten's. For Ryan, sadly, cleaning up his brother's messes any way he can seems to be his lot in life. Ryan gets pulled back into the destructive orbit where he'll be used and abused again as he fades away more and Kirsten is able to leave to rehash what will surely become some sort of family legend and a source of entertainment. What a contrast!

Thanks for the wonderful characterization with such a firm grasp on each of those involved even if their dynamics had shifted. The qualities and personalities are undeniable. This could be the foundation for starting a whole AU for how their lives intersect differently.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for reading and commenting. I really appreciate all the thought you put into the comment. There was something about the picture that made me think of how uptight and closed off they both were. In my head, I visualized Ryan and Kirsten talking and realizing they'd met in passing years earlier.

[beachtree.livejournal.com]

Thanks for inspiring me to read with your take on this! Their body language, as is so often the case with the two of them, is very closed, guarded and contained. Ryan actually gives the illusion of being more relaxed, but that's all it is. Yet another one of his ploys that he incorporates so well non-verbally. And no one but Ben could look relaxed superficially yet convey so much tension, culpability and guilt.

You really did capture them both so well and had two separate conversations going on simultaneously, even if Kirsten didn't realize it while Ryan did. I would love to read a fic where they did become aware they had met a few years earlier. If they had met when Ryan was twelve or thirteen, it would explain some of the ways Kirsten seemed to look at him in the beginning that would go beyond her surprise at his very "Newport" and "un-Chino-like" appearance as well as how she seemed to be appraising him less out of judgement and more out of something indefinable.

Thanks again! I look forward to reading more from you with these characters- not that I'm prodding!

[fifimom.livejournal.com]

Nice job! Very interesting. Ships passing in the night. Thanks.

[garnigal.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading!