jeriendhal (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jeriendhal) wrote2010-10-11 04:16 am
jeriendhal) wrote2010-10-11 04:16 am
Entry tags:
Fic: Altered Trajectory (concluded)
Sorry this doesn't end on an actual wedding scene, but I'm not quite up to writing that at the moment. Perhaps I'll do it as a short story after NanoWriMo is over next month.
After leaving Mac to his recovery, Rufus took the hyper-train back to Grassy Bank, the seat of his mother's district and the where her manor was located. He found Hazel, released two days ago from the hospital, in consultation with his younger sister Bethany, both of them huddled over the comconsole in Bethany's office, engaged in a contentious argument.
“You absolutely can't wear a dress in those colors for your wedding,” Bethany declared. “It's all browns and tans. With your coloration you'd look like a walking pine cone!”
“It's going to be an Autumn wedding,” Hazel countered. “Brown and tan are traditional.”
“But you'd look so much better in something with orange highlights.”
Hazel shuddered. “Absolutely nothing in orange, or the wedding is off. Rufus, tell her.”
“Sorry, I'm with Hazel on this one, Beth,” Rufus said apologetically.
“Rufus, it's bad enough you'll be sliding by with your House uniform. Hazel is the only sister-in-law I'll ever get. I want her wedding to be an Event.”
“And I want it to be over with already,” Hazel said glumly. She looked at Rufus, and he wondered if the same tempting thought of elopement crossed through her mind at the same time as his. Though in their hearts they were already married, from a legal standpoint they still had several formalities to overcome. Not to mention Bethany taking the role of Wedding Planner as a sort trial run for her own nuptials however many years hence.
Further discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door. At Bethany's call, Whitebrow, one of the family's oldest retainers, entered.
“Yes, what is it Whitebrow?” she asked.
“Forgive me, milady, but there is a... gentleman here to see Lord Ru Ofanius,” he said, the old servitor's normally unflappable features looking distinctly... flapped.
“Very well, show him in, Old Man,” Rufus ordered. Whitebrow nodded and opened the door again, gesturing the visitor inside. At the sight of him, both Bethany and Hazel let out surprised gasps, and even Rufus caught his breath, as his twin brother entered the room.
This other Rufus, his brother from a brighter, very different universe, looked as handsome and trim as Rufus often felt skinny and unhealthy. He retained his original right arm, having never sacrificed it in a desperate attempt to keep a pressure door from closing to help his companions escape. There was even a cheerful, carefree twinkle in his eye as he leaned over Bethany's shock paralyzed paw and gave it a kiss. “Hello Bethany, hello brother,” he greeted. “How are you two doing today? I hope I'm not taking you from anything important. Oh, and who is this young lady?”
“We're fine,” Rufus answered. “This is Miss Haz Elin Brushtail, nee Swiftfoot, my wife. We were just in the middle of planning our wedding.”
His brother grinned. “You're getting married? Excellent. Though aren't you going about it a bit backwards?”
“The circumstances are complicated. But what brings you here? I thought transiting the wormhole jump to our universe was too dangerous to do casually?”
“It is, but we judged it was worth the risk,” his brother said, his expression growing more serious. “Our conflict with the revived Dominion is about to burst out into a full blown shooting war, and our side is nowhere near ready.” He sighed. “Since your first contact with your Dominion's Galapados Warriors went so much more peacefully, we were hoping you had begun to have close contact with them. Basically I was hoping to arrange a meeting with them, in the hopes that they could give us insight concerning their counterparts in our universe, their probably tactics and weaknesses, and perhaps some information on the old Dominion's weapons technology.”
“I might be able to arrange that,” Rufus said. “We just concluded some business that will help assure a more lasting alliance. I'm sure Administrator Gisko will be amiable to an information exchange. Is there anything else on your agenda?”
“Not really. Except, well, I wanted to see how you were doing. You looked like you've made a remarkable recovery. The new arm suits you.”
Rufus grasped Hazel's hand underneath the table. “I don't know if I'm ever going to be truly recovered, but with the help of Hazel and my family I'm getting by.”
“Good to hear, brother.” His twin smiled and leaned over to give Hazel a kiss on her own paw. “Take care of him for me would you? This fellow seriously needs a keeper.”
Rufus cleared his throat noisily. “Why don't you head to Mother's office to wait for her. She'll be back in a half hour and then she can set you up with the Minister of External Affairs for a full briefing on what we know about the Galapagos.”
“Excellent, I'll meet you there,” his brother said. He gave them all a cheery wave and left.
Rufus glanced over at Hazel and Bethany, who were both staring at the closed door rather slackjawed. “What?” he asked.
“Holy Den Mother bless us all, he's real. You really do have an alternate twin,” Bethany finally said.
He gave her a hurt look. “I told you I did. I testified that I did, under interrogation chemistry, in front of the whole bloody Council of Farmer Lords. You mean you still didn't believe me?”
“Hearing about it is one thing, Ru,” Hazel said. “Seeing is quite another. Handsome fellow I'd say.”
“Oh really?” he asked, trying to keep the growl out of his voice.
“Well he does look like you,” she added.
“Thank you,” he said, feeling slightly mollified.
Her eyes twinkled. “Mind you, you've got completely different personalities, from what I see. He's nowhere near as serious for one thing.”
Rufus cocked his head. “Does that make a big difference to you?”
Hazel tightened her grip on his paw, which she hadn't released since Rufus had taken hold of it earlier. “Yes. For one thing, I know when you swear to something, you mean it.”
He smiled at her, squeezing back. “Yes I do.”
The End
After leaving Mac to his recovery, Rufus took the hyper-train back to Grassy Bank, the seat of his mother's district and the where her manor was located. He found Hazel, released two days ago from the hospital, in consultation with his younger sister Bethany, both of them huddled over the comconsole in Bethany's office, engaged in a contentious argument.
“You absolutely can't wear a dress in those colors for your wedding,” Bethany declared. “It's all browns and tans. With your coloration you'd look like a walking pine cone!”
“It's going to be an Autumn wedding,” Hazel countered. “Brown and tan are traditional.”
“But you'd look so much better in something with orange highlights.”
Hazel shuddered. “Absolutely nothing in orange, or the wedding is off. Rufus, tell her.”
“Sorry, I'm with Hazel on this one, Beth,” Rufus said apologetically.
“Rufus, it's bad enough you'll be sliding by with your House uniform. Hazel is the only sister-in-law I'll ever get. I want her wedding to be an Event.”
“And I want it to be over with already,” Hazel said glumly. She looked at Rufus, and he wondered if the same tempting thought of elopement crossed through her mind at the same time as his. Though in their hearts they were already married, from a legal standpoint they still had several formalities to overcome. Not to mention Bethany taking the role of Wedding Planner as a sort trial run for her own nuptials however many years hence.
Further discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door. At Bethany's call, Whitebrow, one of the family's oldest retainers, entered.
“Yes, what is it Whitebrow?” she asked.
“Forgive me, milady, but there is a... gentleman here to see Lord Ru Ofanius,” he said, the old servitor's normally unflappable features looking distinctly... flapped.
“Very well, show him in, Old Man,” Rufus ordered. Whitebrow nodded and opened the door again, gesturing the visitor inside. At the sight of him, both Bethany and Hazel let out surprised gasps, and even Rufus caught his breath, as his twin brother entered the room.
This other Rufus, his brother from a brighter, very different universe, looked as handsome and trim as Rufus often felt skinny and unhealthy. He retained his original right arm, having never sacrificed it in a desperate attempt to keep a pressure door from closing to help his companions escape. There was even a cheerful, carefree twinkle in his eye as he leaned over Bethany's shock paralyzed paw and gave it a kiss. “Hello Bethany, hello brother,” he greeted. “How are you two doing today? I hope I'm not taking you from anything important. Oh, and who is this young lady?”
“We're fine,” Rufus answered. “This is Miss Haz Elin Brushtail, nee Swiftfoot, my wife. We were just in the middle of planning our wedding.”
His brother grinned. “You're getting married? Excellent. Though aren't you going about it a bit backwards?”
“The circumstances are complicated. But what brings you here? I thought transiting the wormhole jump to our universe was too dangerous to do casually?”
“It is, but we judged it was worth the risk,” his brother said, his expression growing more serious. “Our conflict with the revived Dominion is about to burst out into a full blown shooting war, and our side is nowhere near ready.” He sighed. “Since your first contact with your Dominion's Galapados Warriors went so much more peacefully, we were hoping you had begun to have close contact with them. Basically I was hoping to arrange a meeting with them, in the hopes that they could give us insight concerning their counterparts in our universe, their probably tactics and weaknesses, and perhaps some information on the old Dominion's weapons technology.”
“I might be able to arrange that,” Rufus said. “We just concluded some business that will help assure a more lasting alliance. I'm sure Administrator Gisko will be amiable to an information exchange. Is there anything else on your agenda?”
“Not really. Except, well, I wanted to see how you were doing. You looked like you've made a remarkable recovery. The new arm suits you.”
Rufus grasped Hazel's hand underneath the table. “I don't know if I'm ever going to be truly recovered, but with the help of Hazel and my family I'm getting by.”
“Good to hear, brother.” His twin smiled and leaned over to give Hazel a kiss on her own paw. “Take care of him for me would you? This fellow seriously needs a keeper.”
Rufus cleared his throat noisily. “Why don't you head to Mother's office to wait for her. She'll be back in a half hour and then she can set you up with the Minister of External Affairs for a full briefing on what we know about the Galapagos.”
“Excellent, I'll meet you there,” his brother said. He gave them all a cheery wave and left.
Rufus glanced over at Hazel and Bethany, who were both staring at the closed door rather slackjawed. “What?” he asked.
“Holy Den Mother bless us all, he's real. You really do have an alternate twin,” Bethany finally said.
He gave her a hurt look. “I told you I did. I testified that I did, under interrogation chemistry, in front of the whole bloody Council of Farmer Lords. You mean you still didn't believe me?”
“Hearing about it is one thing, Ru,” Hazel said. “Seeing is quite another. Handsome fellow I'd say.”
“Oh really?” he asked, trying to keep the growl out of his voice.
“Well he does look like you,” she added.
“Thank you,” he said, feeling slightly mollified.
Her eyes twinkled. “Mind you, you've got completely different personalities, from what I see. He's nowhere near as serious for one thing.”
Rufus cocked his head. “Does that make a big difference to you?”
Hazel tightened her grip on his paw, which she hadn't released since Rufus had taken hold of it earlier. “Yes. For one thing, I know when you swear to something, you mean it.”
He smiled at her, squeezing back. “Yes I do.”
The End