Shelter fic - Time Passes (future fic)

[raynedanserwrites]

TITLE: Time Passes
AUTHOR: Den / raynedanser
RATING: PG
Word Count: 878
SUMMARY: What happens when Cody is nearly grown and Jeanne comes to see him?
SPOILERS: Not really.
You can find the rest of my Shelter goodies Right Here
A/N: Many thanks to my wife, bellamyrose, for the quick n' dirty last minute beta. *smooches* Love you baby.
A/N #2: Perhaps it needs mentioning that this isn't my usual happy go lucky fic? ;-)

***********

The door snicked shut behind him and Cody dropped his backpack and keys onto the table in the hall. Alberta had been there today. Though the apartment was always kept neat, today the deep, rich wood gleamed extra bright. He kicked off his shoes into the corner and walked slowly down the hall to the living room. There, he came to an abrupt stop.

Usually his Uncle Zach was in the large, brightly lit living room sketching. Or at the very least, he would be out on the patio. Today, he was no where to be found and neither was Shaun. No. Instead, his mother, a woman he hadn't seen or spoken to in the last five years, sat on the leather sofa. She stubbed out a cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table in front of her and stood nervously, wiping the palms of her hands on her faded jeans.

Time had not been kind to her and wrinkles had set in around her eyes, her hair was limp and lifeless. She looked like she had been beaten down by life as she tiredly sat back down.

“Cody,” she said quietly.

Cody glanced quickly around the room. For a second, he entertained the idea of a hasty retreat and quickly decided against it. Curiosity got the better of him and he sat in the matching recliner across from her.

“Mom.”

He knew that's who she was. Even though it had been at least five years since he'd seen her, Zach and Shaun had made sure he had pictures, that he'd written letters once a month, even if he got few or none in response. He tried to muster up some emotion, something beyond just idle curiosity, but couldn't. He had no emotional tie to this woman. Didn't hate her, wasn't angry with her. He felt nothing and wondered if he should feel guilty about that.

Jeanne slid forward, as though she thought about standing, wanted to hug him. Cody braced himself and was relieved when she didn't. The silence dragged out.

“How – How are you?” she asked finally.

Cody pushed a lock of hair behind his ear and met her gaze. “I'm good. You?”

Jeanne nodded as though that answer meant something. “Good. I'm good.”

Cody sat back in the recliner and linked his fingers in his lap. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. Waiting.

“School is good?” Jeanne prodded.

Cody opened his eyes and sat up. He nodded. “Yeah. Mostly A's and B's. Some C's. Math is my best subject. Hate English. Shaun tells me tough shit,” he chuckled. Shaun who had been writing since before he and his Uncle Zach got together. Shaun who had a long list of best sellers.

Jeanne looked up sharply. “Watch your language.”

Emotion flared through Cody, then quickly fizzled. “You're kidding right?” he finally said. “Now you're going to try and mother me? Even when I lived with you, Zach was more of a parent than you were.”

Jeanne lit another cigarette with shaky hands, then took a long drag off it before answering. “Cody. I know. I was young, I -”

“And Uncle Zach wasn't? He was just a kid when you pushed me onto him.” Cody shook his head. “Why are you here, mom? Checking up on me?”

“Yeah, kind of,” she reluctantly admitted.

“Well, here I am. Almost done high school and the best thing you ever did was let me leave with Uncle Zach and Shaun.”

“I know. I'm dying, Cody,” she said in a whisper so quiet he wasn't sure he'd heard her. “Cancer. They say I have about 6 months left. I know I can't make up for what I did in the past, but I'd like to change what I have left,” she continued.

Cody stared at her in silence and tried to figure out how he was supposed to feel. He was sad, sure. Cancer was a shitty way to go, but was he sad for her? He didn't think so. “What am I supposed to do? I'm sorry mom. You had your chance. You signed me away to Uncle Zach and Shaun a long time ago. I – just go. Please?”

He knew it was a mistake, that he should tell her all was forgiven, but there was nothing to forgive. She was nothing to him. A stranger that shared his DNA and that was it. There was nothing for her here. Any chance she'd had with him had passed a long time ago.

She nodded and stubbed the cigarette out, before reaching down to the floor to retrieve her purse. With hunched shoulders, she walked away from Cody. The door had barely shut behind her when Zach came out from one of the rooms down the hall. He'd been working, apparently, and a smear of red paint stretched across his cheekbone.

“You ok?” he asked.

Cody nodded. “I'm good. She died for me a long time ago,” he said after a moment's thought. “You and Shaun are my family.”

~ fini

hit counter

Comments

[bellamyrose.livejournal.com]

*smooches back*

I've already told you this, but I adore the 'feel' you have for all of the characters. You seem to capture each of their personalities and translate them into words for us. I can 'see' this clearly in my head, just like it could have had it been in the movie.

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Thank you sweetie!

[boonesfarmgirl.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...

That was kind of sad actually. (Not that it wasn't well written because it was.)

Chelle

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

And sad is something I don't normally do. ;-)

Would it help if I told you that I had happy fic in the works? *g*

[dragontatt.livejournal.com]

Oh wow- so painfully good. I don't blame Cody at all, by the way....

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's such a departure (for me) from my usual happy stuff, but yet... I had to do it. I don't see Cody being angry or resentful. Maybe if he HADN'T had Zach and Shaun, but with them? I just think he may have felt ... nothing. She was too absent.

[kalimai.livejournal.com]

Awwwwww! My little heart is melting and breaking! That was awesome!

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!!

[spikedluv]

That was painful and just perfect. I can see Jeanne staying away until something major happened, and Cody feeling as if she was a stranger to him. Loved the image of Cody sitting with his eyes closed, waiting, 'cause that seemed like such a teenager thing to do. *g*

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Jeanne just... irks me to no end. She has this beautiful little boy and is just SUCH a flake. I know that there's people out there like that and I just... I can't fathom it, you know? And I just don't see her getting a clue. She has Zach and Shaun bailing her ass out and I think she's just going to keep on her merry way until... Like you said.. Something major happened.

[spikedluv]

I agree about Jeanne. Her comment to Zach about not being there for Cody because he was out enjoying himself for one freaking night irked me so badly, especially because her real problem was that Zach wasn't there for HER, so she could go out and do whatever instead of being a mother. Grrr!

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

I seriously, seriously wanted to rip her face off in that scene. Built in babysitter, he is not, though that's how she treated him.

[spikedluv]

Totally. She really had some nerve making some of those cracks, especially about Zach trying to fuck up their family. (Of course, I get really annoyed when people make the gay =/= family values judgment, so...)

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah. Like she hadn't done enough of her own screwing up, right?

(Of course, I get really annoyed when people make the gay =/= family values judgment, so...)

Makes two of us. Just. Ugh.

[delibby.livejournal.com]

oh dear. You weren't kidding about not happy go lucky.

I wasn't expecting dying, but otherwise, that's so how the conversation went in my mind when you mentioned the idea. Which leads me to the question, why were you rummaging around in my mind?

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

I wasn't expecting dying either. She just... said it. LOL

And I like your brain! It's comfy! ;-)

[snowmore.livejournal.com]

So well crafted! It was sad to watch Jeanne's interactions with Cody, yet uplifting to see Cody's with Zach.

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

*blushes* Thank you!

[equally-dour.livejournal.com]

That was really sad - but totally realistic. Poor Cody, it must be hard not feeling anything about your own mother... As for Jeanne, let's just say she made her bed and know she has to lie in it.

On a lighter note, the image of Zach with red paint on his cheekbone is really, really yummy!

[raynedanser.livejournal.com]

I could see it as ... Shaun and Zach aren't going to badmouth her in front of him. As you said, she made her bed. And he'd be smart, able to figure things out and make up his mind all by himself. With Shaun and Zach there showing him how family SHOULD be, it wouldn't take much.

On a lighter note, the image of Zach with red paint on his cheekbone is really, really yummy!

Liked that, did you? I couldn't resist and had to add SOMEthing like that after the earlier part of the fic. ;-)

[qaf-fanatic.livejournal.com]

Wonderful.