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fandomweekly2016-05-23 02:29 pm
mareel) wrote in fandomweekly2016-05-23 02:29 pm
Entry tags:
[#014] Heirloom (Mass Effect)
Theme Prompt: #014 - Secondhand
Title: Heirloom
Fandom: Mass Effect
Rating/Warnings: G, No warnings
Bonus: No
Word Count: 622
Summary: Almost a year after the end of the Reaper war, Shepard and Kaidan have been at the Alenko family orchard in British Columbia to attend a memorial for Kaidan's father, killed in action during the war. It is Shepard's voice.
"John?"
"Out here on the porch, Elena."
The grey clouds and intermittent drizzle of an early November afternoon make the golden light in the orchard a few days ago seem very distant. Kaidan tells me that his is typical weather for this time of year here and that the crisp sunny day we had for Michael's memorial was a last, unexpected autumn gift.
"You'll freeze out there. Won't your leg stiffen up with the damp cold?'
Turning, I see that she's bundled up in a dark green woolen sweater and a long knitted scarf. "I'm okay... haven't been out here too long. I was waiting for Kaidan... he wanted to take another walk over to the orchard before we leave for home."
"You didn't go with him?" She sounds surprised. I guess we usually are together.
"I'd have just slowed him down...” Oh hell, who am I kidding? She's his mother and knows her son pretty well. "Actually, he didn't say it, but I knew he wanted to go alone this time."
I follow her gaze as she turns toward the section of the orchard where we'd planted an apple tree last Saturday... a memorial to her late husband and Kaidan's father. Her voice is quiet. "I wondered if he would want to check on the tree after last night's wind. I was going to offer to go with him."
"I'm sure he'll make sure it's okay. But I kind of think he wanted a moment to say goodbye, you know?"
"You're probably right. This has been so hard for him. Last night he offered to give me back one of Michael's dogtags... so I'd have one to keep too. I told him they were his now. I have my own mementos."
She hands me a small wooden box. It looks old, but the hinges don't squeak when I open it. Inside is a deeply curved blade hinged onto a walnut handle having a matching curve. It looks like it would fit my hand perfectly. "What's this? A pocketknife?"
Elena nods. "A pruning knife. It was Michael's – he always carried it when he went out to the orchard... he said he never knew when he'd need it. It was a gift from his father."
"It's beautiful. But why for me?" I close the lid and offer the box back to her. "Shouldn't it go to Kaidan?"
She shakes her head and presses it back into my hands. "No, he has his own. Michael gave him one as soon as he was old enough to use and care for it. And Kaidan tells me that you want to plant a few fruit trees in your yard at home."
"Yeah... a couple of apple trees to start with, I think. Maybe more later. I like the idea of planting something that we can enjoy for years."
Her smile lights her eyes... the same warm brown as Kaidan's. "So you'll need a pruning knife. Kaidan can teach you all you need to know about shaping a young tree, showing you... just as Michael showed him. I want you to have it, John."
I can just glimpse Kaidan heading back toward the house as I wrap my arms around her for a hug. "Thank you. That means a lot."
Noticing the box in my hands, Kaidan glances at his mother with a smile before pulling me close for a kiss. "Looks like I won't be the only farmer in the family now."
"How did the new tree weather its first storm, little one?"
He quickly swipes the back of his hand across his eyes. "Standing strong. It will be fine."
Elena reaches for a hand from each of us, replying softly. "I know. As will we."
Title: Heirloom
Fandom: Mass Effect
Rating/Warnings: G, No warnings
Bonus: No
Word Count: 622
Summary: Almost a year after the end of the Reaper war, Shepard and Kaidan have been at the Alenko family orchard in British Columbia to attend a memorial for Kaidan's father, killed in action during the war. It is Shepard's voice.
"John?"
"Out here on the porch, Elena."
The grey clouds and intermittent drizzle of an early November afternoon make the golden light in the orchard a few days ago seem very distant. Kaidan tells me that his is typical weather for this time of year here and that the crisp sunny day we had for Michael's memorial was a last, unexpected autumn gift.
"You'll freeze out there. Won't your leg stiffen up with the damp cold?'
Turning, I see that she's bundled up in a dark green woolen sweater and a long knitted scarf. "I'm okay... haven't been out here too long. I was waiting for Kaidan... he wanted to take another walk over to the orchard before we leave for home."
"You didn't go with him?" She sounds surprised. I guess we usually are together.
"I'd have just slowed him down...” Oh hell, who am I kidding? She's his mother and knows her son pretty well. "Actually, he didn't say it, but I knew he wanted to go alone this time."
I follow her gaze as she turns toward the section of the orchard where we'd planted an apple tree last Saturday... a memorial to her late husband and Kaidan's father. Her voice is quiet. "I wondered if he would want to check on the tree after last night's wind. I was going to offer to go with him."
"I'm sure he'll make sure it's okay. But I kind of think he wanted a moment to say goodbye, you know?"
"You're probably right. This has been so hard for him. Last night he offered to give me back one of Michael's dogtags... so I'd have one to keep too. I told him they were his now. I have my own mementos."
She hands me a small wooden box. It looks old, but the hinges don't squeak when I open it. Inside is a deeply curved blade hinged onto a walnut handle having a matching curve. It looks like it would fit my hand perfectly. "What's this? A pocketknife?"
Elena nods. "A pruning knife. It was Michael's – he always carried it when he went out to the orchard... he said he never knew when he'd need it. It was a gift from his father."
"It's beautiful. But why for me?" I close the lid and offer the box back to her. "Shouldn't it go to Kaidan?"
She shakes her head and presses it back into my hands. "No, he has his own. Michael gave him one as soon as he was old enough to use and care for it. And Kaidan tells me that you want to plant a few fruit trees in your yard at home."
"Yeah... a couple of apple trees to start with, I think. Maybe more later. I like the idea of planting something that we can enjoy for years."
Her smile lights her eyes... the same warm brown as Kaidan's. "So you'll need a pruning knife. Kaidan can teach you all you need to know about shaping a young tree, showing you... just as Michael showed him. I want you to have it, John."
I can just glimpse Kaidan heading back toward the house as I wrap my arms around her for a hug. "Thank you. That means a lot."
Noticing the box in my hands, Kaidan glances at his mother with a smile before pulling me close for a kiss. "Looks like I won't be the only farmer in the family now."
"How did the new tree weather its first storm, little one?"
He quickly swipes the back of his hand across his eyes. "Standing strong. It will be fine."
Elena reaches for a hand from each of us, replying softly. "I know. As will we."