Fic: Angel Instead (Claire/Echo, Dollhouse)

[fembuck]

Title: Angel Instead
Author: Janine
Fandom: Dollhouse
Pairing: Echo/Claire
Rating: PG
Word Count: 711
Disclaimer: I don’t own them.
Summary: Claire falls asleep at her desk, Echo wakes her up.
 

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In my dream, blood ran down my cheeks like tears as a shadow loomed over me lashed my face repeatedly, creating a patchwork of bloody gashes.

When I awoke my cheeks were damp, but the wetness was caused my tears instead of blood, and soft fingers trailed across my skin, soothing the phantom cuts that stung me instead of bringing fresh waves of pain.

The shadow was gone, replaced by brown-eyed Angel bathed in warm, pale light.

“Echo,” I breathed out, blinking up into the Active’s cherubin face.

“Hello,” Echo said softly, her eyebrows scrunching together in concern as she gazed down at me, my face still cradled gently in her hands.

“What are you doing here?” I asked softly.

I’d fallen asleep in my office, and as happy as I was to have been woken up, she shouldn’t have been there.

My eyelids fluttered as I really registered the warmth of Echo’s hands for the first time. It felt nice. I knew that I should straighten up and try to make myself presentable, but I stayed slouched where I was, safe in Echo’s hands. It felt nice, and I needed to feel nice, if only for a moment.

“You hurt,” Echo breathed out, her voice cracking in sympathetic pain. “I heard you,” she continued stroking my cheek softly. “I wanted to make it stop,” she said softly, staring searchingly into my eyes.

“You did,” I murmured, feeling my heart beating calmly beneath my breast. The nightmare I’d been having was a common one, and usually left me feeling shaken for hours after I had awoken. But this time, with Echo beside me, I felt … okay.

“No more hurt?” Echo asked, her relief clear in her voice as she blinked at me.

“No,” I said, lifting my hand to cover one of the ones she had pressed against the side of my cheek. “Not right now,” I murmured as I wrapped my fingers around hers and gently removed her hand from my face.

Echo stared at me for a long moment as I lowered her hand and cradled it in my own.

“You still hurt,” Echo finally whispered. Her voice was fragile and soft, as if my pain was her own.

I winced at the words, but quickly controlled the reaction and pasted a smile across my lips. I stood, and directed my hand under Echo’s elbow, encouraging her to stand.

“You’re supposed to be swimming right now,” I said, changing the subject, knowing that Echo couldn’t hold onto threads of conversation long enough to register the evasion. Holding something shiny up in front of her and wiggling it would have worked just as well, but I didn’t like reflective surfaces.

Echo turned her head to the right, and then the left, a look of confusion coming over her.

“I’m not?” she asked, looking down at herself a moment later as if to confirm that she wasn’t wearing her bathing suit.

I smiled sadly, and placed my hand on the small of Echo’s back.

“I’ll take you,” I said gently, feeling bad for confusing her though it had been necessary for my mental health.

Echo could find her own way now that she had been reminded where she was supposed to be, but one of the Guardians was probably out looking for her, and I wanted to talk to them so that Echo wouldn’t be punished. She had just been trying to help. She was especially sweet that way.

“Thank you,” Echo said as we made our way towards the door of the lab.

“Thank you,” I told her sincerely, rubbing her back for a moment before I simply allowed my hand to rest lightly on the small of her back.

We continued to walk in a companionable silence. It was pleasant for me to feel the warmth of her against the palm of my hand, and the way she kept looking over at me and smiling, told me that she enjoyed the contact as well.

Echo smiled again, and I returned the expression.

Echo couldn’t take the hurt away like she wished she could, but more than any other person I had encountered since being attacked, she could soothe it. And that was worth thanking her for.

The End

 

Comments

[emmademarais.livejournal.com]

I needed to feel nice, if only for a moment.

Amazingly that gives me so much isnight into Claire, just in those few words. Strong women tend to feel they can never be weak, never let themselves be human - that their suffering is noble and must not be shirked.

So this, is her acknowledgement that she is human and not a superwoman. She has needs and fight them as she might, she never stops needing things.

Indulging for the brief moment makes me like her so much more.

Nice look inside her head...

[dhamphir]

“You still hurt,” Echo finally whispered. Her voice was fragile and soft, as if my pain was her own.

That is exactly the quality I saw shining through in their scene together in the first episode.

Thank you for this sweet, quiet moment between them.

[ishfeeny.livejournal.com]

I keep waiting for the fic to stop and to me be all sad again, but it's not stopping, and I'm still happy :]

Holding something shiny up in front of her and wiggling it would have worked just as well, but I didn’t like reflective surfaces.

I love how like, at one point you think it's the physical scars that she hates, but then you realize that the physical scars might just be a reminder of the emotional ones, and then it gets all complicated and conflicted and yay :]

Also?

“You’re supposed to be swimming right now,” I said
...
Echo turned her head to the right, and then the left, a look of confusion coming over her.

“I’m not?” she asked

Cutest. Thing. Ever.

[alexz6.livejournal.com]

AH!!!! The way you write just makes me want to hug someone!!!
but since youre the writer you deserve them *sends oodles of hugs!*
I always feel a little bad when Claire confuses Echo like that but I probably would do the same to avoid talking about something so painful*nod*
I'm so excited for future episodes as I'm sure they'll lead to many more great fics from you :D
oh and on a side note: where have you been getting your Dollhouse icons? cuz i kinda love 'em

[mediumrawr.livejournal.com]

I like the little bit of cruelty in Claire considering distracting Echo with something shiny, and the emptiness of Echo's actions - so innocent that they can't be appreciated properly.

[crys-22.livejournal.com]

“I’ll take you,” I said gently, feeling bad for confusing her though it had been necessary for my mental health.

I really hope this show last long enough for these two to come to some kind of equal grounds, because as much as I love this pairing, they always leave me so sad.

Great fic, I like how Echo manages to find a way to comfort Claire who needs it in the most way. She's not going to get it from anyone else in the Dollhouse, everyone (except maybe Boyd) seems so cold and sterile, like the house itself.

[sexyback94.livejournal.com]

Hi. I've been reading your fics for a while but I've never been able to gather up the courage to comment. Haha. I just wanted to say your writing is amazing!

PS: Have you heard about who's going to be playing Alpha? Alan Tudyk!!!

[oroborusfox.livejournal.com]

I love what you do with these two, there's this kind of... tender longing? I think that's the description I want.

(More Adelle/Echo would be great too... *is subtle*)

[cyandragonfly.livejournal.com]

Awww...

Really loved the wording in that.

[cirroco-desade.livejournal.com]

Excellent.

Two favorite lines:
"You still hurt."

and

"I'm not?"

Rock on.

[lost-dreamer23.livejournal.com]

Aww, so sweet. So truly, truly sweet.

~kinda makes me with I had someone as sweet as Echo in my life..

[anna709.livejournal.com]

Awww... That was just too sweet for words. And angsty. *sighs*

[force-oblique.livejournal.com]

Awwwws!
This was adorable!!
So sweet and so Claire!! <3
I love it, especially the ending! <3

[giacomplex.livejournal.com]

Holding something shiny up in front of her and wiggling it would have worked just as well, but I didn’t like reflective surfaces.

I think someone else pointed this out already but I love how, when you write, the reader doesn't realize Claire's physical scars until the emotional ones resurface. This line just really stuck with me the whole story.

You should, ya know, keep on writing this pairing. :D I hope, like eeeeveryone else here, that this show stays around long enough for something to evolve between the two of them.

*gives you a Caf-Pow*

[curiousleigh.livejournal.com]

Still haven't had the pleasure of watching Dollhouse however, I skimmed enough to get a general idea of the characters and storyline. You have inspired me to do more than just skim. I thank you. I enjoyed this and look forward to more.

[rebelrogue127.livejournal.com]

Amazing! But how can it not be since you wrote this.

"I’m not?” she asked, looking down at herself a moment later as if to confirm that she wasn’t wearing her bathing suit.

That line totally made me think of River. Then I was like River would be a perfect candidate for a doll and, then we could have a River Echo pairing.

Summer would make an awsome doll in general specially considering the other characters she's played as but she's busy with tscc now, though I love that show too.

Can't wait to see more slashy goodness!

[foreverxkisses.livejournal.com]

This is so peaceful and warm. I especially love the line: "“You still hurt,” Echo finally whispered. Her voice was fragile and soft, as if my pain was her own."
Just beautiful!