Fic: Bend Down and Whisper

[rachg82]

Title: Bend Down and Whisper
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica
Author: rachg82
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: A/R
Word Count: 337
Spoilers: Daybreak, Parts I and II
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, which is a pity. Roslin would've worn that nightie again if I did.
Warnings: See above, re: spoilers. The tissues are complimentary!
Summary: "He'll build a home for her here, and then he'll say goodbye."

P.S. This is my first bit of writing for the BSG fandom, and it kind of came out of nowhere, honestly. That being said, I'm hoping it turned out okay. *crosses fingers*



Pre-fic note: Since I've included a song with each of my previous three fics (for Bones), I'm going to do that here as well. Who doesn't like a little música to set the tone?

---

He'll build a home for her here,
and then he'll say goodbye;
not just once, but again & again,
at the dawn of each new day
until it's over.

When the time comes,
and it will come,
he knows,
he'll close his eyes with a smile
and say hello.

missed you

It's not that he's in any particular hurry to go,
but he's been waiting for this his whole life--
waiting for her, waiting for them.

He knew her face
and loved it
before she was even born.

Their forever was interrupted
far too soon, it's true.

He's still grateful for every moment.

He still sees her in his dreams.

He still remembers
how she wanted to see him grab
that first fistful of Earth.
She told him so, and it helped him carry on
when it all came together
and then flew apart.

It was the least he could do to return the favor,
wrapping her up & holding on tight.

In the end,
he buried her by hand,
dirt gathering beneath his fingers,
rocks piling above her lips.

It seemed wrong somehow,
putting anything but him above her.

(The child in him was worried she might get cold)

And yet Bill knew
it was exactly where she'd want to be,
lying on a hillside, bathed in light,
welcoming the solid weight of his gaze.

A daily bouquet placed on her grave:
purple for royalty, purple for dignity,
a simple testament
for the journey she made.

It's a sun-kissed land,
this final resting place of the gods,
unexpected & full of life--oddly fitting in its way.

He says one prayer, then lets it go.

(This, too, is how she'd want it)

Standing alone now,
a sailor
without his mate,
he is not lonely.

There's only room for one
in a lighthouse,
after all.

As always, he keeps watch.

It serves as a comfort
to be done, to keep beginning.

His future will be her tribute.
He knows.

She made him believe.

They'll be together again.

---

FIN

And that's it! I hope y'all enjoyed. I'm fighting a lean, mean perfectionist streak lately, so I'm sort of just forcing myself to post this with both eyes closed. Heh.

Comments

[defyingnormalcy.livejournal.com]

Aww,really lovely. :) Welcome to the fandom! :D

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! I've been a part of the BSG fandom before this, don't get me wrong. I'm just normally kinda lurky. :)

[tjonesy.livejournal.com]

What an auspicious debut for a writer in this fandom. This was absolutely breathtaking. I hope this is just the first of many wonderful fics from you.

Welcome. :)

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Coming from you, that is excellent encouragement. Thanks for being so welcoming!

[somadanne.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. I still usually avoid Daybreak fic, but had to peek since this is your first BSG piece. I'm so, so glad I did. This was beautiful.

These lines really, really hit me:

In the end,
he buried her by hand,
dirt gathering beneath his fingers,
rocks piling above her lips.

It seemed wrong somehow,
putting anything but him above her.

I'm so glad you decided to post this.

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Heh, I so understand. I just finished a rewatch of BSG the other day, and that finale STILL makes me cry. From her walking across that red line & on, I'm pretty much a goner.

And thanks! It was actually that image--plus the idea of him saying goodbye over & over--that inspired the drabble. I woke up with it in my head yesterday & ~voila~. Honestly, the thought of him burying her has always been one of the most gut-punching things about it for me.

[somadanne.livejournal.com]

Honestly, the thought of him burying her has always been one of the most gut-punching things about it for me.

Oh, I know! It's absolutely heartwrenching. :(

And hey, I've seen your name around--are you okay if I friend you?

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

The only thing that gets me more is the idea that there won't be anyone around to bury him. Sometimes I fanwank it for myself that he & Tigh still know where each other are & keep in touch. That way there'd be a chance of someone coming to take care of him when he needs it.

And hey, I've seen your name around--are you okay if I friend you?

Absolutely!

[somadanne.livejournal.com]

The only thing that gets me more is the idea that there won't be anyone around to bury him.

*sobs* I know. :(

I'm with you--I don't think he remained out of contact with everyone forever. He took whatever time he needed, built the cabin (*sobs some more*) but I can see him knowing where Tigh was and all that, too.

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

I think I might have read a fic once where Tigh did come to take care of him right as he was dying (or soon after, maybe, burying him. One or the other). I can't remember who wrote it, but I've stuck to that idea ever since.

I swear, that cabin. The line from him about having a garden, too (and hoping she had a green thumb)? Gahhh. It's like even *there*, he was still playing along with denial, acting like she was gonna be around longer, despite knowing full well she wouldn't.

*edited for brainfail

[http://users.livejournal.com/vinyl__/]

I love this.

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! ♥

[adarosbsg60.livejournal.com]

When the time comes,
and it will come,
he knows,
he'll close his eyes with a smile
and say hello.

missed you

This was so incredibly beautiful!!
I will now go curl up with a box of tissues and cry!!!!

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Hee, you should add some vehement teeth-brushing while you're at it. Keep with the theme!

Thanks so much for your comment!

[nixmom.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! This is such a beautiful reflection on the people that Bill and Laura were as well as the relationship and the love between them.

I was going to pull out line or teo, but they all work so lovely one into the next, though I have a personal affinity for the lighthouse stanza having just written a "Bill in his lighthouse" story.

Welcome to the club. Open your eyes next time!

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the club. Open your eyes next time!

Heh, okay. Thank you! Do we get our own clubhouse? I'm hoping yes.

It's funny, because I'm in the middle of another fic (for a different fandom), and I'd already written something about a lighthouse in it. Clearly, I have a thing for lighthouses. Heh. It makes so much sense for Adama though! Especially with that quote from New Caprica and all.

[cynicalangel88.livejournal.com]

This was really lovely. I liked the calm acceptance of Bill; how he misses Laura but knows he’ll see her again after death. I think this was my favorite line:

The child in him was worried she might get cold

I like the idea of Bill thinking this and knowing it’s childish, but not being able to help himself from still worrying about her. Thanks for sharing.

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I wanted to convey--calm acceptance. It's what I saw in him in that final scene, and it's what balances the sadness of it all for me.

I've had similar childish thoughts myself when attending funerals; I liked the idea of throwing something so basic in, reminding us that Bill may be old & strong, but he's still human.

Thanks so much for taking the time to review. :)

[larsfarm77.livejournal.com]

You got me all choked up ( i tried to watch Daybreak just to verify some of the locations and I totally lost it ... didn't even get to her actual death). There's a wonderful sense of acceptance and comfort here. Just a beautiful first fic!

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

I thought I could make it without crying this time, and I didn't cry AS HARD as when I first watched it (I'm counting that as a victory, heh), but I still broke down before Part I was even over. I think I legit wailed a little during the "so much life" scene, totally unintentionally.

There's a wonderful sense of acceptance and comfort here. Just a beautiful first fic!

Thank you so much! That's what I wanted to get at, in addition to the sadness. I'm glad it balanced out.

[vash26.livejournal.com]

Lovely ♥

I still havn't rewatched daybreak *sigh*

[rachg82.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ♥

How's your Bones rewatch going? Still doing that?