FanFic100: #092 Christmas
It just wasn’t fair. The first time in five years he had managed to score leave for the last two weeks of December and then his flight home on Christmas Eve got canceled. In fact, all flights were cancelled until further notice. Stupid snow and stupid cold. White Christmas is totally overrated, at least for those who, like him, desperately want to get away from Colorado Springs.
Honestly, mankind has achieved so much and still whole airports got tied up because of a bit of frozen water falling from the sky? And he couldn’t even get back to the SGC because going outside and driving would just have been unwise. But alas, at least he wasn’t the only one here who had to sit and wait for the blizzard to stop. All around the airport, people were sitting or standing around. Fathers and mothers trying to keep their kids from doing stupid things out of boredom, some youngsters bent on a skiing trip up in Canada, bunches of cadets from the Academy, some business travelers… and a few soldiers like himself. Even in civvies, he could pick them out fairly easy.
But before he could get on with his musings, he suddenly heard a female voice behind him that sounded vaguely familiar. “Mom! I can’t… mom? Hey, are you still there? Hello? Aw, fuck it.” As he had turned around, he could see a red-haired woman in her late twenties shoving a cell back into her backpack, looking a little distraught… well, to put it mildly. And it had honestly surprised him to see who it was. Laura Cadman. Who then obviously just realized she was being watched. “What’s there to… oh. Major Lorne. Uh… ‘evening, sir.”
Involuntarily he had to smile at her slightly caught expression, because she just had been about to tell off a senior rank who also used to be her commanding officer back on Atlantis. “’Evening, Lieutenant.” And because he hadn’t known what else to say, he had added, “It’s still Lieutenant, isn’t it?”
That had conjured a smug smile on her face. “Nope, since two weeks ago it’s Captain. Sorry to disappoint you, sir.” He had found himself smiling back.
“You didn’t. Congratulations.” For a moment, there was silence between the two of them. The kind of silence where there’s just a very, very thin line between either launching into a conversation or turning around and hope to never see the other again.
The decision, however, had been taken from him when Cadman said, “Well… it’s been a while since I saw someone from Atlantis. And seeing we’ll be trapped here for the rest of the night… might as well catch up a little. If you don’t mind, I mean.”
Well, he’d thought, everything’s better than staring at the flight board only to see a big red “CANCELLED!”-sign draped over it or frantically trying to reach his parents or his sister in San Francisco. “I don’t. What exactly are you interested in, Lieut… Captain?”
“First of all… what’s this talk I heard about Rodney breaking Katie Brown’s heart? And then…” He’d tried to answer all her questions as truthfully as he could as they wandered over to one of the benches. While they had talked, the blizzard outside had seemed to become more unimportant with every hour, until it was more providing just the right background for talking the night through than being a real nuisance.
Even though they’d been sitting in an airport, surrounded by lots of people, on uncomfortable benches and on Christmas Eve when there really were nicer things than this, he had managed to forget his annoyance at the cancellation of his flight and that he had to wait another night to see his parents and his sister and her family. Captain Cadman had proved to be a very nice partner to pass the night, and he had wondered why he never really noticed her back in Atlantis.
Really… the smile and the little habit of tugging lose strands behind her ears and the great story telling talent… how could he have overlooked that? But maybe, he had mused while watching her talk animatedly about one of her missions with the SGC, it’s better like this. Because if he had had noticed her then like he was noticing her now, they both might have been in trouble. There was this one moment… where he caught himself just in time to prevent himself from reaching out and tugging one of her lose strands behind her ear, before she could do it.
And now he’s sitting here, still not fully sure how they ended up like this - him with his legs outstretched and his feet lying on his duffel and her with her head on his thigh, on her side, with her own coat wrapped around her shoulders and his draped over her feet - and wondering whether he should wake her up or simply enjoy being able to watch her undisturbed for a little while. The flights still haven’t been cleared, and he knows he should phone his family, seeing as this is Christmas Day and everything and his nephews will surely be very disappointed their uncle couldn’t make it in time to see what they got him for his stocking, but that would mean having to wake Laura… Captain Cadman.
And so he settles back in his seat, telling himself that it’s still too early to call anyway. He closes his eyes again and starts to doze a little. Without him even noticing, his hand drops on Cadman’s shoulder, gently, but still firmly enclosing it… as if telling the world to stay away from this woman… stay away from them.
It takes another hour for both of them to finally fully wake up and they find themselves looking at each other a little drowsy after the long uncomfortable night. He takes a moment to drink in her slightly ruffled hair, the tired eyes, the slight paleness… and for some reason in that moment it seems to be one of the most beautiful sights he ever saw on a Christmas morning.
And then she goes and smiles a little tired smile and says “Merry Christmas, sir.” and for a moment he finds himself at a loss for words.
Then he catches himself and manages a smile himself - although he’s a little afraid that it borders on goofy - and replies, “Merry Christmas, Captain.” Then some little devil must be riding him and he adds, “And I wouldn’t mind being called Evan… seeing as we just passed the night together.”
That makes her first stare at him with surprise and then laugh a nice little laugh. “Well, then, guess it’s only fair if you dropped the Captain for simply Laura, isn’t it?”
He wants to reply something, but suddenly the airport announcer cuts him short, telling them that the runways are cleared and that the respective flight lines’ ground crew members will now start the boarding procedures for all the flights that got cancelled yesterday. Immediately both of them have a look at the board. He hears a very low curse from her, and when he looks at her questioningly, she simply says, “First flight to go is mine. Sorry, but I have to leave… thanks for keeping me company. You did a great job listening to all my nonsense. And you really make a great pillow.” Then she seems to have realized what she just said, colors brightly and says, “Okay, forget I ever said that. I’ll just… I gotta go. Nice talking to you. Take care.”
With that, she has grabbed her backpack and immediately starts to run in the direction of her terminal. For a moment, he just sits there totally dumbfounded as to what just happened. And then something inside him makes him get up, grab the duffel and follow her. He has no idea why, but he runs until he sees her again, and he can’t hold back calling “Laura, wait!” over the whole long hallway.
It takes him a little by surprise, but she does stop and turn around. As he reaches her, he needs a moment to get his act together. But he just has this feeling that this might be a very rare chance, something you don’t get that often in life… and that this blizzard happened for a reason. He’d be an idiot if he just let this all slip by. So, for lack of a better idea, he asks, “You… you already have something planned for New Year’s Eve?”
For a moment, she doesn’t say anything, and he’s afraid she’ll just laugh at him and turn around and never look at him again, but then she replies, “Well… yeah, I do.” Crap. That’s the only thing he can think of in that moment, and the intensity of that catches him a little off-guard. “Some of the Corps girls from the base are having this nice little party and… oh, I think, they wouldn’t mind me bringing along some company. Even if that happens to be a zoomie.” Holy… did she just invite him to tag along with her on New Year’s Eve?
He blinks. Good God, she did. Don’t mess this up now. “I’d be happy to accompany you.” A bright smile that’s matching the clear light of the winter sun from outside appears on her face.
“Great. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure the girls behave themselves. So… until New Year’s Eve, huh? Pick you up at the base?” He simply nods. “Great. Have a nice flight.”
“You, too.” She smiles again and turns to leave.
But just after a few more feet, she turns around again, and suddenly there’s a lovely shade of pink on her cheeks. “Oh, and Evan? Would you mind… if I called you during the next days? Just to specify the exact time and everything?”
There’s really only one answer to that. Smiling, he says, “No, not at all.” Looking a little relieved she finally turns around to run and catch her flight. As he stands there watching her until she’s round the next bend, he realizes that in fact… he’s already looking forward to getting her call, even with all the commotion around him a family Christmas brings with it.