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meridian_roseTitle: Broken Vows, Broken Dreams
Fandom: Indian Summers
Pairing/Characters: Alice, Charlie
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 935
Summary: Post s02e06, Alice waits for her family to return; Ralph has much to do, but Charlie, on edge, returns home needing to see his son after the events of the day. The expected confrontation comes after that, but not the violence she anticipates; rather a reminder of a past she cannot wholly regret and the vows she never intended to break.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply. Episode Tag. Angst. Family Drama. Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Infidelity, issues that aren't black and white, this is a bad situation for everyone, posting before jossing occurs, can we remember that Ralph is also violent and possessive
Also posted @ AO3
Author notes follow at end of fic.
"Are you all right?"
Charlie ignored Alice, pushing past her. She watched him head upstairs, wringing her hands. Ralph wasn't home, would probably be out until late, dealing with the aftermath of the bomb, but he was unhurt.
One casualty, people were saying, only one and it could have been so much worse. Alice thought of Sarah, alone with a fatherless child, a widow in a country she hated, and how it would have been better if no-one had died at all.
Alice went upstairs. Charlie was kneeling on the floor in Percy's room, speaking softly to the boy. She paused at the doorway. He was different with their son, gentle in ways he no longer was with her. Percy showed Charlie the toy he was clutching. Charlie nodded, caressed Percy's cheek with a shaking hand before he pulled the boy into a hug.
As he released Percy, Charlie caught sight of Alice and his expression hardened. He pressed a kiss to Percy's hair. "Play nicely," he said, and got to his feet, walking towards their bedroom with the expectation that she would follow him.
She did so, because it would be now or later, and she'd rather get it over with. She didn't close the door, just stood watching as he poured and downed a whisky. He poured a second and turned to glare at her.
"Did you know?"
"What? About the bomb?" That hadn't been the question she'd been expecting. "No!"
His lip curled. "You didn't feel up to going to the picnic," he said. "Very convenient."
She shook her head.
"You remained here, safe," Charlie went on, outrage warring with relief for her and Percy, and his own alarm over the event. "I find it hard to believe you'd put your precious brother in danger, but I can believe you would let me attend, knowing the risk."
"I didn't know about the bomb." Aafrin had told her to stay away, but not why.
Charlie took a gulp of whisky. "It would solve all your problems, wouldn't it? Can't bring yourself to throw more crockery at me, can't bear to put a knife in my heart, but if I were killed by a terrorist, well, you'd be quite the merry widow!"
Alice gaped at him. "Is that what you think?" She stepped forward. "I promise you, I did not know what was going to happen. I – I've never wanted to see you dead."
He actually took a step away, suspicion in his eyes. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you? I saw you talking to him. You're always talking to him."
This was the conversation she'd anticipated, the accusations, the anger. She remained silent.
"You make me a cuckold," Charlie said, fingers tightening against the glass. "With a native! You adulterous whore!"
The glass hit the wall, shattering. Alice jumped, but remained where she was, trying not to shake.
"You don't deny it?"
There was no point. She shook her head. She expected him to cross the line this time, to receive a slap or worse at any moment.
"Does Ralph know?"
"No. At least, not who."
Charlie gave a humourless laugh. "His pet Indian turning tricks with his innocent little sister. That should give him quite the shock."
She would not beg him to keep silent even though she knew that Ralph's rage would spill over once he knew, his potential for violence as ever present as Charlie's.
"Do you love him?" Charlie tried to light a cigarette, but his fingers were clumsy with distress.
That question too threw her off guard. She shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose – I care for him."
Charlie gave her a long look, unshed tears in his eyes. "Did you ever love me?"
"I don’t know," she said again. She moved to take the lighter from his trembling fingers, afraid he might accidentally set himself or the house alight.
"I did my best," he said. "I was the best husband I knew how to be."
The honesty smarted. "I know."
"If I am harsh with you, it is because you left me once, taking Percy with you." He swallowed. "I love my son."
She nodded. That had never been in doubt.
"I will not let you take him from me again," Charlie said, choking out the words. He looked away, tried to swallow a sob.
It had been a long and terrible day. Tomorrow there would be repercussions for everyone. For now, Alice kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. She sat back against the headboard and patted her lap.
"Come here," she said.
He gave her a look of suspicion for a moment and then all his rage, his rightful anger at her abandonment was gone. All that was left was the hangover of the adrenaline rush from the incident at the picnic, his fear of losing Percy, his need to be comforted.
Charlie laid his head in her lap and Alice stroked his hair, a gesture both meaningless and meaningful in equal measure. She could not be sorry for wanting more, but she was sorry that it had caused such pain. She had never intended to break her vows, but she could not truly regret that she had. She wished she could turn back the clock, make other choices, marry someone else; but that was impossible and besides, that would mean her losing Percy, would mean that he'd never been born.
She loved their son, as did Charlie. Somehow, surely, that meant something. Somehow, there had to be a way to find, if not happiness, a solution that was bearable for all involved.
Notes
About to be jossed, given the trailer I've seen for the next episode.
There's no evidence in season one that Charlie was previously abusive. Alice seems to have left him purely because she wasn't happy enough. She expressed concern for him when Farquhar visited so she clearly does/did care for Charlie at some point. And we've seen Charlie's genuine upset over how Alice took Percy from him three years ago. Their relationship is more complex than "he's evil therefore she should commit adultery with the most unsuitable man she can find".
That's what I wanted to explore here, a past where no-one was to blame, but the choices made led to the current situation, and that, ruffled by the bombing, Charlie confronts her with as much grief over what he's lost (he says they were happy before she left) as anger at her actions.
Fandom: Indian Summers
Pairing/Characters: Alice, Charlie
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 935
Summary: Post s02e06, Alice waits for her family to return; Ralph has much to do, but Charlie, on edge, returns home needing to see his son after the events of the day. The expected confrontation comes after that, but not the violence she anticipates; rather a reminder of a past she cannot wholly regret and the vows she never intended to break.
Content Notes: No standard warnings apply. Episode Tag. Angst. Family Drama. Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Infidelity, issues that aren't black and white, this is a bad situation for everyone, posting before jossing occurs, can we remember that Ralph is also violent and possessive
Also posted @ AO3
Author notes follow at end of fic.
"Are you all right?"
Charlie ignored Alice, pushing past her. She watched him head upstairs, wringing her hands. Ralph wasn't home, would probably be out until late, dealing with the aftermath of the bomb, but he was unhurt.
One casualty, people were saying, only one and it could have been so much worse. Alice thought of Sarah, alone with a fatherless child, a widow in a country she hated, and how it would have been better if no-one had died at all.
Alice went upstairs. Charlie was kneeling on the floor in Percy's room, speaking softly to the boy. She paused at the doorway. He was different with their son, gentle in ways he no longer was with her. Percy showed Charlie the toy he was clutching. Charlie nodded, caressed Percy's cheek with a shaking hand before he pulled the boy into a hug.
As he released Percy, Charlie caught sight of Alice and his expression hardened. He pressed a kiss to Percy's hair. "Play nicely," he said, and got to his feet, walking towards their bedroom with the expectation that she would follow him.
She did so, because it would be now or later, and she'd rather get it over with. She didn't close the door, just stood watching as he poured and downed a whisky. He poured a second and turned to glare at her.
"Did you know?"
"What? About the bomb?" That hadn't been the question she'd been expecting. "No!"
His lip curled. "You didn't feel up to going to the picnic," he said. "Very convenient."
She shook her head.
"You remained here, safe," Charlie went on, outrage warring with relief for her and Percy, and his own alarm over the event. "I find it hard to believe you'd put your precious brother in danger, but I can believe you would let me attend, knowing the risk."
"I didn't know about the bomb." Aafrin had told her to stay away, but not why.
Charlie took a gulp of whisky. "It would solve all your problems, wouldn't it? Can't bring yourself to throw more crockery at me, can't bear to put a knife in my heart, but if I were killed by a terrorist, well, you'd be quite the merry widow!"
Alice gaped at him. "Is that what you think?" She stepped forward. "I promise you, I did not know what was going to happen. I – I've never wanted to see you dead."
He actually took a step away, suspicion in his eyes. "You're sleeping with him, aren't you? I saw you talking to him. You're always talking to him."
This was the conversation she'd anticipated, the accusations, the anger. She remained silent.
"You make me a cuckold," Charlie said, fingers tightening against the glass. "With a native! You adulterous whore!"
The glass hit the wall, shattering. Alice jumped, but remained where she was, trying not to shake.
"You don't deny it?"
There was no point. She shook her head. She expected him to cross the line this time, to receive a slap or worse at any moment.
"Does Ralph know?"
"No. At least, not who."
Charlie gave a humourless laugh. "His pet Indian turning tricks with his innocent little sister. That should give him quite the shock."
She would not beg him to keep silent even though she knew that Ralph's rage would spill over once he knew, his potential for violence as ever present as Charlie's.
"Do you love him?" Charlie tried to light a cigarette, but his fingers were clumsy with distress.
That question too threw her off guard. She shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose – I care for him."
Charlie gave her a long look, unshed tears in his eyes. "Did you ever love me?"
"I don’t know," she said again. She moved to take the lighter from his trembling fingers, afraid he might accidentally set himself or the house alight.
"I did my best," he said. "I was the best husband I knew how to be."
The honesty smarted. "I know."
"If I am harsh with you, it is because you left me once, taking Percy with you." He swallowed. "I love my son."
She nodded. That had never been in doubt.
"I will not let you take him from me again," Charlie said, choking out the words. He looked away, tried to swallow a sob.
It had been a long and terrible day. Tomorrow there would be repercussions for everyone. For now, Alice kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. She sat back against the headboard and patted her lap.
"Come here," she said.
He gave her a look of suspicion for a moment and then all his rage, his rightful anger at her abandonment was gone. All that was left was the hangover of the adrenaline rush from the incident at the picnic, his fear of losing Percy, his need to be comforted.
Charlie laid his head in her lap and Alice stroked his hair, a gesture both meaningless and meaningful in equal measure. She could not be sorry for wanting more, but she was sorry that it had caused such pain. She had never intended to break her vows, but she could not truly regret that she had. She wished she could turn back the clock, make other choices, marry someone else; but that was impossible and besides, that would mean her losing Percy, would mean that he'd never been born.
She loved their son, as did Charlie. Somehow, surely, that meant something. Somehow, there had to be a way to find, if not happiness, a solution that was bearable for all involved.
Notes
About to be jossed, given the trailer I've seen for the next episode.
There's no evidence in season one that Charlie was previously abusive. Alice seems to have left him purely because she wasn't happy enough. She expressed concern for him when Farquhar visited so she clearly does/did care for Charlie at some point. And we've seen Charlie's genuine upset over how Alice took Percy from him three years ago. Their relationship is more complex than "he's evil therefore she should commit adultery with the most unsuitable man she can find".
That's what I wanted to explore here, a past where no-one was to blame, but the choices made led to the current situation, and that, ruffled by the bombing, Charlie confronts her with as much grief over what he's lost (he says they were happy before she left) as anger at her actions.
