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TW fic: Children of (another) Earth. AU. Epilogue.
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Five
Six months later.
The hill outside Cardiff is steep, and it’s cold and dark, but Steven walks without complaining, holding on tightly to his mother’s hand.
The view at the top is spectacular indeed, just like she promised, and for a long moment they stand in silence.
“Uncle Jack took me here when I was a little girl,” Mum finally says, and Steven goes completely still. Uncle Jack has been a taboo subject since they had to run. As has everything that happened when the aliens came. And even though they’re now back home, no longer looking over their shoulders for unknown danger, nothing’s really the same.
Mum works for UNIT now - she never explained, except saying ‘It’s part of the deal’, and they have an au pair living with them who looks after Steven when Mum works late. She often works late. And sometimes she’s hurt - Steven knows this, even though she tries to pretend she’s not.
“Mum?” he asks, gathering courage, “is Uncle Jack ever coming back?”
She gazes at the stars for a long moment, and almost looks as if she’s going to cry. (She cries a lot these days. She tries to hide that too.)
“No Steven,” she says, finally. “No, Uncle Jack is never coming back.”
He nods, wondering if he’ll ever find out what happened that day. But then Mum hugs him, so tightly that he thinks she might never let him go, and whispers:
“It’s OK, darling. I’ve still got you, and that’s all that matters. He did it for you.”
Steven hugs her back, not daring to ask what ‘it’ was, and silently prays that she will never disappear.
~~~
She is killed in action two years later.
Six months later.
The hill outside Cardiff is steep, and it’s cold and dark, but Steven walks without complaining, holding on tightly to his mother’s hand.
The view at the top is spectacular indeed, just like she promised, and for a long moment they stand in silence.
“Uncle Jack took me here when I was a little girl,” Mum finally says, and Steven goes completely still. Uncle Jack has been a taboo subject since they had to run. As has everything that happened when the aliens came. And even though they’re now back home, no longer looking over their shoulders for unknown danger, nothing’s really the same.
Mum works for UNIT now - she never explained, except saying ‘It’s part of the deal’, and they have an au pair living with them who looks after Steven when Mum works late. She often works late. And sometimes she’s hurt - Steven knows this, even though she tries to pretend she’s not.
“Mum?” he asks, gathering courage, “is Uncle Jack ever coming back?”
She gazes at the stars for a long moment, and almost looks as if she’s going to cry. (She cries a lot these days. She tries to hide that too.)
“No Steven,” she says, finally. “No, Uncle Jack is never coming back.”
He nods, wondering if he’ll ever find out what happened that day. But then Mum hugs him, so tightly that he thinks she might never let him go, and whispers:
“It’s OK, darling. I’ve still got you, and that’s all that matters. He did it for you.”
Steven hugs her back, not daring to ask what ‘it’ was, and silently prays that she will never disappear.
She is killed in action two years later.