Fall in Four Seasons
Oct. 31st, 2012 05:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rinkhcTitle: Fall in Four Seasons
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis - AU
Prompt: Fall from Grace
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,235
Warning: No standard warnings apply
Summary: Alison Porter and Laura Cadman are ice skaters.
Spring
The new girl had something. Laura watched her circle the rink, her back lightly arched as she did inverse circles, warming up. She was tiny, too fragile, it seemed to hold the weight of any of the heavy costumes that the show might require. As she reached the far edge of the ice, she suddenly stopped and then began a dancing run across the rink, her feet flying through intricate footwork. An ice dancer, professionally trained, if Laura was any judge.
As she got closer, Laura got a good look at her face. She was pretty. The smile on her face was genuine and Laura would bet it could be seen from twenty rows up.
This one would be center ice before long, no chorus or animal suits for her. She’d be a fairy tale princess, Laura was willing to bet money on it.
Clomping her cane along the floor beside her, Laura turned and made her way back to the locker room to find her stray performers. There was a new routine to be learned, and they were dawdling. A thought occurred to her and she turned towards the ice.
“Hey, new girl!” she called.
Skidding to a stop in a spray of ice shavings, the dark haired woman looked over at Laura. “Yes?”
“You have dance training, no? I saw some ballroom moves out there a minute ago, some quickstep, if I’m not mistaken.”
She skated over to the wall, her smile not fading. “My parents taught ballroom. I competed as a child until I caught the skating bug. I’m Allie Porter.”
“Laura Cadman.”
“The choreographer? Ohmigod! It’s a pleasure to meet you. That routine you designed, the one that got the silver? Genius, pure genius.”
How the mighty had fallen. From olympians to a second rate knock off of the Ice Capades. Laura felt her thin smile fade. “That was a long time ago. Would you have time to do the third slot before your costume change? I’m trying to train a few clods how to dance like flowers and they’re just not getting it. They need a strong lead for the routine.”
“Sure, I’d love to. I’m off the ice halfway through second slot, and not on again until fifth. I’m thrilled for the chance to work with you.”
Laura stuck her hand out to take Allie’s offered one. Her grip was firm and assured. Stronger than Laura had anticipated.
Summer
As Laura predicted, Allie wowed the audiences and became a favorite. She claimed the spotlight and held it, becoming the show’s headliner within a few months of joining. She really caught the attention of the media when she performed on a variety special on television. Her popularity helped to fill the seats.
Laura felt as if she were riding the tail of a comet. She was choreographing most of the routines Allie did now. Allie was in constant motion, never slowing down or taking time for herself. Recognizing the driven dancer and skater she had once been in Allie, Laura wanted to counsel her, to tell the younger woman to enjoy life, to slow down and not work so hard. But she watched from the sidelines, holding her tongue.
Allie was approached by a network to appear on a popular dancing show, and she made it all the way to the finals before she was eliminated in the vote off. Undeterred, she smiled through the tears and returned to the ice show, and seats began to sell out for their performances in city after city.
Fall
“I’m so tired,” Allie whispered one afternoon as she was being fitted into a new costume for the routine she was about to go on and do.
Laura looked over at her friend and saw that she was drooping. She had dark circles under her eyes, which had lost a little of the shien that had always been there. “You need a break,” Laura said cautiously. Usually, when she ventured any advice about slowing down, Allie snapped at her.
“Maybe.”
“How about a cruise, somewhere warm, away from the ice?” Laura suggested.
“A dream, Laura. I can’t get the time off, we’re going into Christmas season, with all those extra shows,” Allie snorted and shook her head. “Someday.”
“At least turn down the Sports Talk position. Let them find another pro skater for their commentary.”
Allie shrugged and checked her skirt in the mirror, smiling at the dresser that had helped fix the costume. “I’ll think about it.”
It was a stupid, simple move, a toe loop. There might have been something on the ice, Allie couldn’t remember later. The last thing she remembered was chatting with Laura in the dressing room about a cruise, and then she woke up in the hospital in traction, her back broken.
The doctors told her she might not walk again. Laura, standing beside the bed, called bullshit on that and told Allie that she had been told the same thing once. She needed to believe that she could do it, and not listen to any of the naysayers. Allie’s mother had grabbed Laura’s shoulders and kissed her when she said that.
Laura was as much a fixture throughout Allie’s recovery as her parents. She took turns going to physical therapy whenever she could, coaching Allie anytime she started to lose hope. When she finally agreed to go on that cruise to the Caribbean, she walked up the gangway and left the wheelchair behind.
Winter
“Oh, you’re Allie Porter, aren’t you?” one of the mothers standing at the wall asked. “I’m Megan Lowell. I saw you skate at Lake Placid.” Allie smiled and nodded. “So, do any of these little ones look like future stars to you?”
“That one,” Allie smiled and tilted her head towards the blonde steadily skating across the ice as the others in the class stumbled, shuffled and fell. “I see potential there.”
With a snort, Laura tossed her long hair back over her shoulder and bumped Allie’s shoulder. “You’re prejudiced,” Laura said, then leaned past Allie to tell Mrs Lowell, “That one’s ours, she’s been on skates since she learned to walk.”
“Before, we used to hold her up and pull her around, remember?” Laura patted Allie’s shoulder. “Okay, time to herd the tots. Wish me luck.” Laura headed out onto the ice and scooped up the first fallen child she came across, setting him on his feet.
“Good luck, I know you can do it!”
“Okay, boys and girls, we’re going to practice how to stop and how to fall so we don’t get hurt!” Laura called cheerily.
“Don’t worry, Mrs Lowell, Laura is very good with them.”
“I can see that. She comes highly recommended. That’s my Ellie she’s working with now.” They watched the class for a few minutes in silence. “Are you still skating?” Megan asked.
“I keep in practice. I’m doing private training. I also teach ballroom dance. But Justine is my main focus, being there for her.”
Megan nodded as Justine did a small spin to demonstrate to the rest of the children that it could be done. “Family is the most important thing.”
“That it is. The most important thing in my life,” Allie agreed, watching the two most important people in her life out there on the ice.
The End
Prompt:also for: Cotton Candy Bingo Fill: Four Seasons
Notes: Forcamshaft22 for Trick or Treats
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis - AU
Prompt: Fall from Grace
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,235
Warning: No standard warnings apply
Summary: Alison Porter and Laura Cadman are ice skaters.
Spring
The new girl had something. Laura watched her circle the rink, her back lightly arched as she did inverse circles, warming up. She was tiny, too fragile, it seemed to hold the weight of any of the heavy costumes that the show might require. As she reached the far edge of the ice, she suddenly stopped and then began a dancing run across the rink, her feet flying through intricate footwork. An ice dancer, professionally trained, if Laura was any judge.
As she got closer, Laura got a good look at her face. She was pretty. The smile on her face was genuine and Laura would bet it could be seen from twenty rows up.
This one would be center ice before long, no chorus or animal suits for her. She’d be a fairy tale princess, Laura was willing to bet money on it.
Clomping her cane along the floor beside her, Laura turned and made her way back to the locker room to find her stray performers. There was a new routine to be learned, and they were dawdling. A thought occurred to her and she turned towards the ice.
“Hey, new girl!” she called.
Skidding to a stop in a spray of ice shavings, the dark haired woman looked over at Laura. “Yes?”
“You have dance training, no? I saw some ballroom moves out there a minute ago, some quickstep, if I’m not mistaken.”
She skated over to the wall, her smile not fading. “My parents taught ballroom. I competed as a child until I caught the skating bug. I’m Allie Porter.”
“Laura Cadman.”
“The choreographer? Ohmigod! It’s a pleasure to meet you. That routine you designed, the one that got the silver? Genius, pure genius.”
How the mighty had fallen. From olympians to a second rate knock off of the Ice Capades. Laura felt her thin smile fade. “That was a long time ago. Would you have time to do the third slot before your costume change? I’m trying to train a few clods how to dance like flowers and they’re just not getting it. They need a strong lead for the routine.”
“Sure, I’d love to. I’m off the ice halfway through second slot, and not on again until fifth. I’m thrilled for the chance to work with you.”
Laura stuck her hand out to take Allie’s offered one. Her grip was firm and assured. Stronger than Laura had anticipated.
Summer
As Laura predicted, Allie wowed the audiences and became a favorite. She claimed the spotlight and held it, becoming the show’s headliner within a few months of joining. She really caught the attention of the media when she performed on a variety special on television. Her popularity helped to fill the seats.
Laura felt as if she were riding the tail of a comet. She was choreographing most of the routines Allie did now. Allie was in constant motion, never slowing down or taking time for herself. Recognizing the driven dancer and skater she had once been in Allie, Laura wanted to counsel her, to tell the younger woman to enjoy life, to slow down and not work so hard. But she watched from the sidelines, holding her tongue.
Allie was approached by a network to appear on a popular dancing show, and she made it all the way to the finals before she was eliminated in the vote off. Undeterred, she smiled through the tears and returned to the ice show, and seats began to sell out for their performances in city after city.
Fall
“I’m so tired,” Allie whispered one afternoon as she was being fitted into a new costume for the routine she was about to go on and do.
Laura looked over at her friend and saw that she was drooping. She had dark circles under her eyes, which had lost a little of the shien that had always been there. “You need a break,” Laura said cautiously. Usually, when she ventured any advice about slowing down, Allie snapped at her.
“Maybe.”
“How about a cruise, somewhere warm, away from the ice?” Laura suggested.
“A dream, Laura. I can’t get the time off, we’re going into Christmas season, with all those extra shows,” Allie snorted and shook her head. “Someday.”
“At least turn down the Sports Talk position. Let them find another pro skater for their commentary.”
Allie shrugged and checked her skirt in the mirror, smiling at the dresser that had helped fix the costume. “I’ll think about it.”
It was a stupid, simple move, a toe loop. There might have been something on the ice, Allie couldn’t remember later. The last thing she remembered was chatting with Laura in the dressing room about a cruise, and then she woke up in the hospital in traction, her back broken.
The doctors told her she might not walk again. Laura, standing beside the bed, called bullshit on that and told Allie that she had been told the same thing once. She needed to believe that she could do it, and not listen to any of the naysayers. Allie’s mother had grabbed Laura’s shoulders and kissed her when she said that.
Laura was as much a fixture throughout Allie’s recovery as her parents. She took turns going to physical therapy whenever she could, coaching Allie anytime she started to lose hope. When she finally agreed to go on that cruise to the Caribbean, she walked up the gangway and left the wheelchair behind.
Winter
“Oh, you’re Allie Porter, aren’t you?” one of the mothers standing at the wall asked. “I’m Megan Lowell. I saw you skate at Lake Placid.” Allie smiled and nodded. “So, do any of these little ones look like future stars to you?”
“That one,” Allie smiled and tilted her head towards the blonde steadily skating across the ice as the others in the class stumbled, shuffled and fell. “I see potential there.”
With a snort, Laura tossed her long hair back over her shoulder and bumped Allie’s shoulder. “You’re prejudiced,” Laura said, then leaned past Allie to tell Mrs Lowell, “That one’s ours, she’s been on skates since she learned to walk.”
“Before, we used to hold her up and pull her around, remember?” Laura patted Allie’s shoulder. “Okay, time to herd the tots. Wish me luck.” Laura headed out onto the ice and scooped up the first fallen child she came across, setting him on his feet.
“Good luck, I know you can do it!”
“Okay, boys and girls, we’re going to practice how to stop and how to fall so we don’t get hurt!” Laura called cheerily.
“Don’t worry, Mrs Lowell, Laura is very good with them.”
“I can see that. She comes highly recommended. That’s my Ellie she’s working with now.” They watched the class for a few minutes in silence. “Are you still skating?” Megan asked.
“I keep in practice. I’m doing private training. I also teach ballroom dance. But Justine is my main focus, being there for her.”
Megan nodded as Justine did a small spin to demonstrate to the rest of the children that it could be done. “Family is the most important thing.”
“That it is. The most important thing in my life,” Allie agreed, watching the two most important people in her life out there on the ice.
The End
Prompt:also for: Cotton Candy Bingo Fill: Four Seasons
Notes: For
camshaft22 for Trick or Treats