(no subject)

[the_chappy]

After his chat with Chase (and a few shots of vodka), Ryan makes his way back to the flat. He's willing himself not to think about anything he just saw or discussed, hoping that eventually he'll convince himself that it never happened.

It's not working yet but he's going to keep believing. Unlocking the door, he steps into the flat. "Elaine?"

Comments

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine comes out of the bedroom, dressed in her chemise and her hair down. Crossing over to him, she gives him a hug. "Anyone we know in the bar tonight?"

She's so glad he's back.

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

"Yeah, there was," he murmurs, wrapping his arms around her and leaning in to kiss her.

He doesn't add anything more, not interested in going into detail. At the moment, Ryan is just so very glad to be back with his beautiful, loving and oh-so-very female wife.

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine stands on her toes to kiss him, putting her arms around him. "Did you have a pleasant evening?" she asks softly.

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

He wraps his arms around her, pulling her close to him. There's a sigh and a slight shudder as he remembers some of the story. "I've had better."

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine tightens her arms around him. "What's happened? Is everything all right?" she asks in concern.

She hopes not. Things were finally getting back to normal.

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

He pulls away with a sigh, wondering how to explain this to her or if he even should. "It's nothing to worry about..."

Though with Chase flipping out over it, maybe he should tell her before she finds out from him.

"Let's sit down," he suggests, taking her hand.

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine tenses a little bit, involuntarily. But all she says is, "Okay..." as she leads him over to the couch.

"What is going on?" she asks softly.

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

Ryan sits down next to her, wondering where to even begin.

"It's nothing serious," he repeats. "Chase was in the bar and ... he found these stories written about people from CTU. The television version of us."

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Well, people pass stories down all the time, don't they?" Elaine has had several versions of her story written, after all. All of them with varying degrees of inaccuracy. "People add and change things but the story is still the same...isn't it?"

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

He nods along to most of what she says, realizing that for Elaine this wouldn't be so unusual. There were probably thousands of versions of the Arthur legend.

"Not necessarily," he answers slowly. At least he hopes not, the idea of some alternate version of himself sleeping with every male field agent he coud find was unsettling. "Some of these stories had me in... romantic relationships with certain people whom I would never be involved with like that."

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine headtilts. "How...odd. Why would they do that? Who was writing these stories?"

And why does he look so very concerned about it?

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

"As far as I could tell - I didn't look to closely - it was just random crazy people on the Internet. They're not from my universe so I don't know them or why they would do that," he finishes with a sigh.

Then, with a burst of annoyance, "Chase couldn't keep his mouth shut about them." In an grumpy mutter he continues, "I don't know why he had to share."

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine looks at him in concern. "They must have been very disturbing, to upset you so," she says gently, pressing her hand to his cheek. "I am sorry."

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

He almost feels a little silly to be this upset. They were just stories and it wasn't important what anyone else thought. It shouldn't bother him that much.

"It's all right," Ryan says with a slight smile, taking her hand in his and kissing it. "How are you?"

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

But sometimes those stories make you wonder about yourself, wondering if other people saw those sorts of...inaccuracies.

She smiles when he kisses her hand. "I am all right. I saw Michelle the other night. I made her smile with tales of our escapades--when we all went a little insane. It was worth the slight embarrassment to see her smile again."

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

"Yeah? How was she doing?" The only thing that made it easier for him when thinking about how ridiculous he'd been acting is to remember that pretty much everyone else had been acting the same way.

Which reminds him...

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

"Still terribly sad. It was hard to see her so. But she seems to be doing as well as can be expected."

Elaine wishes she could help more, but she knows she can't do any more than she already has.

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

He nods at this, remembering what it was like after Vicky died. "That's pretty much what Chris has said. I can't imagine what it's going to be like for her... raising a kid on her own."

The small comfort he had after his wife's death was that his children were grown, his youngest had been a teen in high school. They'd at least known their mother even if they didn't have enough time with her.

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

"She'll have help, but still...she'll have to tell them about their father, and what he was like. I can't imagine that will be easy." She leans her head against his shoulder.

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

"No, it won't. But, hopefully his family will help out and she'll have friends who knew him." He wraps an arm around Elaine, pulling her close.

"I didn't tell you about Jack and Chris, did I?"

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine smiles as she nestles comfortably against him. "No, I don't think you said anything about them lately. What did you want to tell me?"

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

He begins with a sigh, "A couple weeks ago, while on that chocolate that made us all act like idiots, they sort of got married."

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

Elaine picks up her head. "Got. Married? When did that happen? And...where?"

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

"On Halloween. They got married in the bar. It wasn't... official or anything, they didn't have ceremony. They just exchanged rings and vows."

He knows that doesn't make a lot of difference but since they weren't calling themselves married he had no idea what to call them either.

Well.

[maid-of-astolat.livejournal.com]

It's as married as most people get. In Elaine's world, as long as there was a witness, it was enough. Elaine lays her head back down on Ryan's chest.

"Have you spoken to them since? Are they going to...when they get back to Los Angeles?"