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Title: Questions That Must Be Asked
Author: LadyOfScorel
Word Count: 570
Prompt(s): Written for Cotten Candy Bingo Prompt: Wonder
Notes: Original Work, not quite ‘wonder’, but it sort of applies to Jen/Jay’s reaction. (There is a reason why there’s two names there…it is not explained in this). There is a period of angst in the middle of this that is then rather rapidly resolved and turns into fluff again.
Summary: Well, Tom needed someone stood with him when the woman he loved finally married him. Jen just can’t quite believe it’s her.
“Jen?” Tom asked as he watched his younger ‘sister’ working on the old Jaguar.
“Yeah?” she glanced over her shoulder at him.
“You know how me and Sophia are getting married?”
“T’is hardly somethin’ I coulda missed,” Jen’s normally perfect English accent had wavered and her accent was fluctuating as it tended to do when she was relaxed.
“Well, I was just wondering…Would you…Could you…?”
Jen paused what she was doing. “Turn the ignition would you?”
Tom did that as he tried to get the question out, noting Jen’s pleased smile as the Jaguar purred into life.
“Got it,” she nodded to herself, wiping her hands on a nearby rag, and closing the bonnet over. “You were saying?”
“I was?” Tom tried for innocent, deciding to ask later, but Jen saw right through him.
“Sounded like you wanted to ask me something?”
“Oh, yeah. That.”
Jen sighed and leant against the workbench. “Look, I understand if you don’t want me at the wedding. It’s not like I’m even family, not really…”
Tom blinked, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken, because that was not what he meant.
“…especially since…”
Tom saw pain cloud Jen’s eyes. (It had been half a year since their father had died, and Jen still felt bad about it, still blamed herself). He got to his feet and swept the taller, but thinner woman into a tight hug that even she couldn’t squirm out of.
“That wasn’t your fault,” he stated firmly. “And where the hell is all this coming from? You are family! Nothing is going to change that. Understand that now. You understand me, Jen?”
“What?” Jen was still struggling, but he’d managed to pin her pretty efficiently (for once, he expected it was the surprise).
“Do you understand me?”
“Yeah,” Jen slumped in his hold, and hugged him back as best she could from her position. “Yeah, I understand.”
“Good. Now. What I was going to ask you,” (and, boy, was that conversation better than any alcohol for Dutch courage), “will you be my best man?”
He felt Jen stiffen in his arms and pulled back.
“Look, if it was stupid question…”
“Are you serious?” Jen’s voice was disbelieving.
Tom looked at her, and saw the look in her eyes.
“Isn’t there someone else you’d rather have stood there?”
“Who the hell else would I ask?”
“I dunno, someone your fiancée actually liked?”
“Oh, she likes you well enough, she just isn’t sure how to deal with you. Not many people are. And besides, everyone else I would ask will give truly horrifying speeches. You wouldn’t do that to me,”
“Wouldn’t I?” Jen’s eyebrow arched, and a smile was slowly making it’s way onto her face.
“Nope. You’re too sentimental.”
Jen tilted her head back and laughed. “And you’re the first one whose ever called me that.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Hell yes. Of course I will! But for the record, I’m a best woman. Not a best man.”
“Fair point. Uh…why are you smirking like that?”
“Because I’ve just realized something.”
“Oh?” Tom felt nerves building in his stomach.
“I get to plan your Stag Do.”
“I’m doomed.”
Jen laughed and hooked an arm around his shoulder as they headed back into the main house. “Maybe. But there’s a bright side.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I am going to have blackmail material on you for the next century.”
Tom groaned as Jen continued to laugh.
Author: LadyOfScorel
Word Count: 570
Prompt(s): Written for Cotten Candy Bingo Prompt: Wonder
Notes: Original Work, not quite ‘wonder’, but it sort of applies to Jen/Jay’s reaction. (There is a reason why there’s two names there…it is not explained in this). There is a period of angst in the middle of this that is then rather rapidly resolved and turns into fluff again.
Summary: Well, Tom needed someone stood with him when the woman he loved finally married him. Jen just can’t quite believe it’s her.
“Jen?” Tom asked as he watched his younger ‘sister’ working on the old Jaguar.
“Yeah?” she glanced over her shoulder at him.
“You know how me and Sophia are getting married?”
“T’is hardly somethin’ I coulda missed,” Jen’s normally perfect English accent had wavered and her accent was fluctuating as it tended to do when she was relaxed.
“Well, I was just wondering…Would you…Could you…?”
Jen paused what she was doing. “Turn the ignition would you?”
Tom did that as he tried to get the question out, noting Jen’s pleased smile as the Jaguar purred into life.
“Got it,” she nodded to herself, wiping her hands on a nearby rag, and closing the bonnet over. “You were saying?”
“I was?” Tom tried for innocent, deciding to ask later, but Jen saw right through him.
“Sounded like you wanted to ask me something?”
“Oh, yeah. That.”
Jen sighed and leant against the workbench. “Look, I understand if you don’t want me at the wedding. It’s not like I’m even family, not really…”
Tom blinked, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken, because that was not what he meant.
“…especially since…”
Tom saw pain cloud Jen’s eyes. (It had been half a year since their father had died, and Jen still felt bad about it, still blamed herself). He got to his feet and swept the taller, but thinner woman into a tight hug that even she couldn’t squirm out of.
“That wasn’t your fault,” he stated firmly. “And where the hell is all this coming from? You are family! Nothing is going to change that. Understand that now. You understand me, Jen?”
“What?” Jen was still struggling, but he’d managed to pin her pretty efficiently (for once, he expected it was the surprise).
“Do you understand me?”
“Yeah,” Jen slumped in his hold, and hugged him back as best she could from her position. “Yeah, I understand.”
“Good. Now. What I was going to ask you,” (and, boy, was that conversation better than any alcohol for Dutch courage), “will you be my best man?”
He felt Jen stiffen in his arms and pulled back.
“Look, if it was stupid question…”
“Are you serious?” Jen’s voice was disbelieving.
Tom looked at her, and saw the look in her eyes.
“Isn’t there someone else you’d rather have stood there?”
“Who the hell else would I ask?”
“I dunno, someone your fiancée actually liked?”
“Oh, she likes you well enough, she just isn’t sure how to deal with you. Not many people are. And besides, everyone else I would ask will give truly horrifying speeches. You wouldn’t do that to me,”
“Wouldn’t I?” Jen’s eyebrow arched, and a smile was slowly making it’s way onto her face.
“Nope. You’re too sentimental.”
Jen tilted her head back and laughed. “And you’re the first one whose ever called me that.”
“So you’ll do it?”
“Hell yes. Of course I will! But for the record, I’m a best woman. Not a best man.”
“Fair point. Uh…why are you smirking like that?”
“Because I’ve just realized something.”
“Oh?” Tom felt nerves building in his stomach.
“I get to plan your Stag Do.”
“I’m doomed.”
Jen laughed and hooked an arm around his shoulder as they headed back into the main house. “Maybe. But there’s a bright side.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, I am going to have blackmail material on you for the next century.”
Tom groaned as Jen continued to laugh.
