Till Death (1sentence challange, Harry/Betty Callahan)
And here it is! I finished the sentences much quicker than I thought I would. Possibly because I was too excited about writing my first Young Wizards fic. Whoot!!
Enjoy!
Title: Till Death
Pairing: Harry Callahan x Betty Callahan
Theme Set: Alpha
Rating: G - PG13
Warnings: Um... much punctuation abuse, and some very mild references to sex.
"Till Death"
#1 - Comfort: Comfort comes to Harry only when he realizes just how much Nita is like Betty, and that his wife's legacy will live on through his daughter.
#2 - Kiss: One night as he lies in bed, something brushes against his lips and he imagines it's his wife's soft lips pressing against his; then he wakes up and huddles under the covers, too weary to close the window he left open.
#3 - Soft: She was the epitome of a woman to him: graceful, gracious, and always soft spoken, though never afraid to speak up when necessary.
#4 - Pain: Pain is waking up in the night and having your stomach clench, not from the disease that's taking your life, but from the realization that you've failed your family: you'll never get to walk your daughters down the aisle, never get to spoil your grandkids rotten, and more importantly, you'll never get to grow old and wrinkly with the husband who's become the best friend you've ever had.
#5 - Potatoes: Betty always jokes that Harry would have been a potato farmer instead of the florist, were they in another time and place.
#6 - Rain: She always loved the rain and even when they had kids of their own she would take the time to go out and dance in it; sometimes, he would even join her in her fits of childishness, much to their children's amusement; now he pretends that the moisture running down his cheeks are from the rain drops dripping down from the umbrella he's holding.
#7 - Chocolate: Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know which one is going to be the perfect fit unless you take a chance.
#8 - Happiness: She never thought she could be happier the first time Harry kissed her... then he proposed... then they got married... then they had their eldest, and their youngest; even when her life was in the pits and she knew death was near she felt happy and safe, just knowing that she had the support of her family.
#9 - Telephone: They finally accept their daughter's status as a wizard the first time they take the plunge and call the Advisories for advice.
#10 - Ears: She's always been his sounding board, and he's only too happy to return the favor when one night, she feels the need to vent her frustration at everything that's happened.
#11 - Name: Harry's throat closes when Nita and Kit tell him their daughter's name, and wonders if he's going to have to find something else to call her to keep the memories from overwhelming him.
#12 - Sensual: She finds chocolate dipped strawberries hidden away for after dinner, sees lit candles and rose petals strewn over the room, and knows she's not going to get much sleep tonight.
#13 - Death: "Till death do us part," Harry mutters bitterly as he looks through their wedding album on their first anniversary after her death.
#14 - Sex: Though Harry and Betty don't know what their daughter and her new best friend do when they go off together, they feel lucky that they've raised a girl with her head set on straight; still, it never hurts to ask.
#15 - Touch: He touches her, and it's all she can do to keep from begging him for more.
#16 - Weakness: By now, they're well familiar with their weakness's and strengths, and they try to support each other as best as they could.
#17 - Tears: He comes home from the funeral and that night he cries until he thinks he can cry no more; then the next day he remembers what he's lost and the tears flow again.
#18 - Speed: Her parents (and his) worry that they're moving too fast but they both believe they're doing what's right; and if you can't trust your heart, what can you trust?
#19 - Wind: "I love you!" he shouts to the wind; he would whisper it, but the one he would whisper it too is too far away to hear.
#20 - Freedom: Freedom is the release you feel from making the right decision, and knowing that decision will have a positive effect for the greater good, even if it will cause the ones you love (especially your husband, the man who's been with you through good times and bad) immeasurable pain.
#21 - Life: "In Life's name and for Life's sake," Harry reads the translation of the Wizard's Oath Nita has provided them with, and his and Betty's eyes widen in wonder at the heavy burden their daughter and her friend took upon themselves.
#22 - Jealousy: Harry feels a twinge of jealousy when he sees his girlfriend talking to a handsome guy, then kicks himself for being such an idiot - after all, he should recognize the brother she's told him so much about, and had even reminded him last night that she was bringing her brother over to meet him.
#23 - Hands: "It's your turn," she informs him, and hands over a squirming, smelly Nita.
#24 - Taste: Days after, she laughingly claims that she can still taste the charred taste of the dinner he accidentally left in the oven too long; years later she still teases him about it.
#25 - Devotion: Though she is deeply grateful for her husband's devotion during this rough time, she hopes her children never have to learn from this example.
#26 - Forever: All her life Betty has known that nothing lasts forever; she just hoped that maybe this time, that wouldn't be true.
#27 - Blood: Harry often wonders why he was never offered the Oath if wizardry was in his blood.
#28 - Sickness: He used to curse the sickness that took her away from him; now he curses the one that caused the illeness, and cheers every time his daughters and their colleagues score even a small victory against It.
#29 - Melody: She dances to an unheard melody as she cooks and he just watches; after all these years he still wonders what he did to deserve such a wonderful woman.
#30 - Star: They look up at the stars and wonder why they were never given the chance to protect all that Life.
#31 - Home: The first time they truly feel at home in the new house they've just bought (a definite fixer-upper, given their budget constraints) is when they wake up in the morning and remember all the things they need to do to their house... their house.
#32 - Confusion: The first time he dreams after her death he's confused - because even in his dream he knows she's gone; then he realizes this must be Timeheart, and thanks the Powers That Be for this opportunity.
#33 - Fear: In Harry's eyes, Betty is the fearless one, and she feels the same way about him.
#34 - Lightning/Thunder: They hear the thunder and see the lightning, and snuggle closer under the covers, grateful that they've both taken the day off.
#35 - Bonds: They have both formed many bonds over the years - with family members, friends, etc, but every so often they take time out to strengthen the most important one.
#36 - Market: He worries that there won't be enough of a market for flowers in their neighborhood,
#37 - Technology: They can't really blame the new computer for pulling Dairine into wizardry; they've long resigned themselves to the fact that their daughters seem to have a greater destiny; they're just grateful that technology will make her practice that much safer.
#38 - Gift: The greatest gift he ever gave her was himself.
#39 - Smile: It's her smile he missed the most; specifically, the one reserved only for him that made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world.
#40 - Innocence: Her mother often worries about what her daughter and her boyfriend do when they're alone, and Betty almost thinks about telling her mother not to worry, because her innocence was taken way back in the eleventh grade.
#41 - Completion: Even in the Heart of Time Betty feels empty; she isn't truly completed unless Harry is by her side.
#42 - Clouds: They see their daughters lying on the grass and pointing out cloud shapes, and almost wish they were that young again.
#43 - Sky: They like to look up at the sky and just imagine.
#44 - Heaven: She brings the food, he brings the flowers and wine, and they both wonder if they haven't died and gone to heavan.
#45 - Hell: Hell is having to stand by and watch the one you love die because no matter how much you want to, there's just nothing you can do.
#46 - Sun: When the sun goes out, they wonder if this is the end; but it will be alright as long as they're
together.
#47 - Moon: Their first (and only) trip to the moon leaves them both breathless and scared - breathless because they've never seen such beauty, scared because they know just how much damage their daughter could do if she ever turned bad.
#48 - Waves: Harry tries to ride the waves and Betty laughs at him; later, he laughs along with her.
#49 - Hair: He finds some of her hair still left on her brush and toys with keeping it in a ziplock bag in his nightstand drawer, then quickly discards it; he has other, better ways of keeping her memory alive.
#50 - Supernova: Both daughters are away when they see an article about a supernova, and all they wonder is which one caused it.