Lancer Fic: Rock and a Hard Place

[shallowz]

Title: Rock and a Hard Place

Rating: PG

Word Count: around 570

Warnings/Spoilers: Blood Rock

Disclaimer: We don’t own Lancer or any of the characters, nor do we make a profit when we play with them.
Summary: A What Happened Next for Blood Rock.

Thanks to Con for betaing, and thanks to Ronnie for the read through.
 

~o~0~o~

 

“Why’d you offer yourself up like that?” Johnny wasn’t angry, but he was confused, and well, maybe a little angry.

 

They had made camp early that night for Ben’s sake and for Scott’s. Ben was struggling through having unknowingly met his father. Met and watched him die not long after. And Johnny had thought the Lancer family reunion had been difficult. Scott wasn’t saying much, suffering through some aches and pains from tumbling off the horse. Better than being shot, but still it didn’t make for an easy ride.

 

Rolling his right shoulder again, Scott didn’t even look at Johnny, simply kept his gaze on the flickering flames of the campfire. “I wasn’t given a choice in the matter.”

 

“You had to know going out there that Price wasn’t about to let you leave.” Johnny sat cross-legged by his brother methodically breaking thin twigs into an ever growing pile in front of his legs.

 

Reclining against his saddle, Scott’s eyes shot over to where Murdoch was softly talking with Ben to settle him down for the night. They were far enough away that they couldn’t hear what was said.

 

Johnny’s eyes followed and he was struck by the thought that this is what their father might have been like with them if Johnny and Scott had grown up on Lancer. That wasn’t something worth thinking on too long.

 

Scott’s eyes moved back to the fire. “A son should at least know his father.”

 

That stilled Johnny’s hands. “Yes, but things don’t always work out that way.”

 

Finally, Scott looked to him. “I guess we are proof of that. I agreed with Murdoch that Ben deserved a chance and to hopefully see that wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps wasn’t a wise choice. Unfortunately, Ben had to see that in the harshest of realities.”

 

“He’ll be okay.” Johnny went back to snapping twigs. “You said it yourself that the Tafts are a good family for him. He’ll have a chance to make something of himself without the shadow of his father following him all his life.”

 

“I hope so.” Scott sighed, then locked his eyes on Johnny. “Thank you for the warning. I have a feeling I would have come out worse if you hadn’t called out.” A slight mocking smile showed itself. “And why did you run out to help me when you knew that fame-seeking sheriff and his merry band would shoot anyway?”

 

Johnny’s head ducked down and the snapping of twigs was a little more forceful. “Maybe because I knew that fame-seeking sheriff and his merry band would shoot anyway. You landin’ in a heap in the middle of that trigger-happy bunch was just givin’ them somewhere to aim.”

 

“And you ran out, why?”

 

“Just a distraction, Scott. Make them think twice about shootin’.”

 

“Or give them another target.”

 

“Still made them think twice about who they were goin’ to shoot, right?”

 

“That it did.” Scott cocked his head to the side. “You didn’t think twice.”

 

“Nope.” Johnny tossed the last of the broken twigs into the pile and brushed off his fingers on his knees, taking his time doing so.

 

“Still, the proverbial rock and a hard place.”

 

His hands stilling, Johnny turned his head to look at Scott. “Not so hard.”

 

~The End~

Comments

[gemspegasus.livejournal.com]

Hi,

Another wonderful story. I love your "What Happened Next" and "Missing Scenes" stories.

I loved the "Lawman" one and thoroughly enjoyed this one.

You flesh out the boy's reactions and characters so well. II am hooked on the way you portray Johnny and Scott.

Thank you for creating and sharing your imagination and talent with us.

take care
hugs
Angela

P.S. If you didn't get my response to the PM, I am honored and thrilled by the request and you can send me the pics anytime.

[shallowz]

Thank you, Angela! Your comments made my day.

P.S.: Looking forward to what you come up with.

[gemspegasus.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

You make my day with your wonderful fic.

Have both of you had a chance to see the collages yet?

Thank you again for asking. It was fun and just love the subject matter. :)

take care
hugs
Angela

[serena64.livejournal.com]

Very nice tag. I like the way you delve a little deeper into the stories
And I like your end comments. Thanks

[shallowz]

The delving part is quite a bit of fun.:) Thank you!

[andy5454.livejournal.com]

Enjoyed this very much. You both have a real way with the brothers and I like seeing how you make them interact--very subtle yet still "mannish". A tricky thing to do, but you all make it seem easy. Nice job....

[shallowz]

Okay, you have to know that we covet the "mannish" comment.:) Thank you!

P.S.: Great to see you on LJ!