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(Not) Eliza Dushku (![[info]](http://www.journalfen.net/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} _elizad) wrote,@ 2008-02-01 06:12:00 |
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Eliza Dushku and Channing Tatum (with Alex Moen): 1, 2, 3.
{Current. Takes place after Eliza shouts the big news at Channing, Eliza and Alex don't shout about it, and Channing and Robert Downey Jr don't shout about it either}
The Planned Parenthood office smells like a doctor's office, that antiseptic smell. And it's make Eliza queasy if she's honest. She still holds the clipboard and the forms she's supposed to be filling out. Except she can't seem to fill them out. Alex is here, thank god, or she might have bolted, her hand reassuring on Eliza's thigh. Jesus. When did this become such a big deal? It's just a...
Shit. She can't even think it. Jesus Christ. Her head falls back to the wall with a clunk and before Alex can even ask if she's alright, her cell goes. Figures. Pulling it out of her purse, she looks at the Caller ID and whatever had gone soft in her ices over. Channing. "What do you want?" She hisses into the phone. "It's being taken care of. You don't need to worry, okay?"
Whoa. Channing rubs his eyes frantically. Having crashed for fourteen hours straight, he has just gotten up. Robert's question number one (as in "do you want this baby?") has popped in his mind as a ready and truly terrifying answer. He has steeled his nerves for Eliza to shout into the phone, he is not prepared to hear her hissing. Apparently, there are unforeseen issues with the question number two. About Eliza wanting the baby.
"I'm not worried," he lies, sliding into his jeans as he speaks. "Where are you?"
"Why do you even care? I'm getting it taken care of. Planned Parenthood to the rescue, all hail Roe v. Wade." As has been her usual position of late, Eliza pulls her knees to her chest, shaking her head at Alex's questioning look. "Just..." she says, sounding as tired (and sad) as she feels. "Just do your own thing, C-Channing. It won't matter in about an hour."
Channing stares at the wall in panic. It is hospital white. Has he overslept something this important by a few hours? How many abortion clinics are in the Los Angeles area? "Long drive?"
"No. Fifteen minutes. Traffic was light." Unaware of what she's saying, Eliza just thinks about what she wishes... If wishes were fucking fishes. "Bye, Channing," she whispers, so she doesn't start crying and wuss out like she really wants to, closing her phone and putting it back in her purse. The forms in front of her are blurry. Goddammit. She swipes at her eyes and frowns, leaning closer.
The Google page in front of Channing is as blurry but he scribbles down the only *there is a God* clinic near Eliza's place.
For the next twenty minutes he is trying not to kill himself in a car accident. Hands are shaking pretty bad. There is someone picketing the clinic's parking lot and he brushes past them unceremoniously. He is neither pro-life nor pro-choice, he just needs to see Eliza's face, now. He has no idea what he is going to say. The woman at the reception stares at him warily. He starts to raise his voice.
"What the--" Eliza would know that voice anywhere and fuck if there isn't a flash of something like hope that runs through her at this as well as some vestiges of rage and the seemingly unquenchable desire to smack Channing upside the head. She stands up from her curved plastic chair, her purse falling to the floor, and takes the few steps it takes to connect the voice to a face. Oh my god. What does this mean?
"Ch-Channing?" She sounds as shocked as she feels, emotions still warring in her belly. Yeah, she's more than a little nauseous by this point.
He turns around himself so fast, his head is spinning. As soon as he sees Eliza, something warms washes over him and he is no longer terrified. Everyone is staring but Channing is not about to apologize he is the only person around who has a dick. He is walking towards Eliza and he still has no idea what to say. Except the answer to the question number one. He wants this baby.
Alex watches Eliza rise and wonders what to do. She looks to the man, and then to Eliza and she stands, realising that no matter what else, Eliza will need support right now. She stands beside Eliza and holds on to her, not wanting her to faint. "Is everything okay?" softly.
Not looking away from Channing, Eliza nods. "Yeah. Fine. Alex? This is Channing. Channing, Alex."
Not that Alex had expected him to be anyone else. She offers a smile, and the hand that's not supporting Eliza, social manners overriding curiosity. "I've heard a lot about you," she murmurs, and her eyes sweep over him.
Channing looks at Alex blankly for a moment. He cannot switch gears. His emotional state overrides civility as his fingers wrap around Eliza's upper arm before acknowledging her friend's hand briefly. "I have a question for you," he says urgently, seeing only Eliza in the room full of people. "Maybe two."
For some reason, instead of shoving Channing's hand away, Eliza nods mutely and looks at Alex with a nod. "I'll be back." She doesn't touch Channing again as they walk past the security guard who had been summoned with the raised voices and she's told that if she has any trouble to alert them. "I'm fine," she says, time and again. Why is she doing this? Why? She knows what she needs to do and she isn't at all sure why she's not doing it. She's not even sure she sees anything as they walk out until they're in the parking lot and she turns, looking up at him. For some reason, she can't say a word because if she opens her mouth, she's honestly not sure what will come out. So she wraps her arms around herself and she waits.
He shifts on his feet and wants to run his hands over her shoulders as she looks like she is freezing. Channing is ill-equipped for grand declarations or sweeping, romantic gestures on cue in busy parking lots. Besides, he is not sure he is doing anyone a favor here except... "The baby. Would it change anything if I wanted it?" He cannot read her face but he cannot shut up anymore. "I want you too. I kinda want the whole thing. I want to know if this is a boy or a girl. And ride bicycles with you on Sundays. Please don't laugh. I could just have the baby if you're not into the whole thing. I'd figure it out."
Staring, Eliza goes blank for a long moment. A long moment that stretches into a longer moment. Channing ... and the baby? Channing and the baby. Images of Channing, holding a baby. God, Eliza doesn't know whether to laugh or cry and so she does both, a tear rolling down her cheek before she can wipe it away, a choked laugh working its way out. And the laugh makes her want to cry more and the tear just pisses her off and she wipes it away brusquely. "Are you high?"
"No," he says earnestly. "Why is this so hard for you to believe, Eliza?"
It doesn't look like she's doing ok. Channing needs to start asking important questions but instead, he reaches out for her crossed arms and pries one of her hands free. Then he slowly pulls her towards himself, watching her face. C'mere.
"C... We're just... aren't we? Are you serious?" Tears --goddamned tears-- just keep coming. She's tugged and goes. She can't seem to slow herself, only stopping when she can straight-arm him, keep him just that far away. "Are you serious. Don't you dare lie to me!"
"Oh come here," he gently takes her other hand out of the way and puts both of her arms around his neck. Just the right height. Would it be wrong to kiss a crying girl? Guess he'd find out as he brushes his lips against her wet cheek.
"Channing!" She growls, hands fisting, beating futilely at his neck. But she doesn't let go, face in his neck. "Goddamn you, Channing! Goddamn you! What the fuck are we doing?"
"We're doing what we want. Who cares if it makes no sense. Our baby, our way. You with me? Eliza?" He runs his hands up and down her sides.
Leaning back, fisted hands still on his shoulders, she looks into his eyes. As much as she looks, she can't find any bullshit. He... Holy fuck, he means it. What does this mean? Are they actually--? Channing doesn't seem to have any trouble saying the words, so why is she struggling? "Our? Baby. C." She grabs his neck. "You can't change your mind. This isn't temporary. This is...fuck, C. This is life. Jesus."
"Have you been listening to my whole white fences pitch?" he asks back. "I am through with temporary. I want to see a kid, my kid grow. If you are not into Sundays, then we'd be into Friday nights. Unless you are not into me and that would suck, frankly. I am really into you. Even when you're not pregnant."
"You are so full of shit," she mutters before she can stop herself. Some habits don't die. The she finds herself speaking, saying words she totally didn't expect to say. "We do this? We do it all the way. Live together and raise this kid together. Thick and thin, C. No bailing and no running out. You hear me?"
She is throwing many scary words and terrifying ideas at Channing at once but he knows he cannot flinch now, no matter how many 'we's and 'together's are advancing on him. As brave as he sounds, the years of dodging commitment die hard. When he replaces a faceless scary girl from the 'living together' part with Eliza, it suddenly does not seem so bad again. He can live with Eliza. All the way. If she does not change for the worse. Like beats him up too much. And piles on weight. And cuts her hair. Would she still have sex with him? Oh shut up already.
"I hear you," he finally says. Their bodies touch and he realizes with a jolt that his baby is inside her, now. His hands tighten on her waist with sure possessiveness. "I want this. The question is, do you?"
That is the question, isn't it. It's all well and good for Eliza to give Channing shit. But. She looks up at him, and he's not looking away. Is it just sex? Is there more? Is this crazy? He still has eyes that seem to want to know her and she's nodding before she realizes it. Holy shit. "Alex comes with," she says, continuing on theme of things she didn't expect to say. "Okay? She's got her shit together. And she can help. Jesus, C." Her eyes are big and dark and she's pretty much still scared shitless, but it's almost a good scared shitless. "We're gonna have a kid."
"Hey," he says, pulling her closer, on top of him, lifting her up in the air. She is light. He is suddenly laughing and some of it is nerves but most of it is happiness. "I guess we need someone who has her shit together. We're gonna have a kid."
"Put me down," she gruffs, but she's smiling and it's like holy shit. They're outside an abortion clinic and she can't touch the ground and she's still crying and how fucked up is this that she's laughing and crying and still thinking she might barf, and that it wouldn't be good to barf on the father of her baby and there is a father of her baby because there's a baby, and--
"I'm not marrying you," she announces. Jesus Christ. She can't control her mouth and her face shows that she's just as surprised that she said it as he looks.
"Jesus, girl, I heard you right the first time around. Months ago," he is not putting her down yet and openly laughing at her bringing this up. Girls. "What would it take? Fucked you right, spent Christmas with you, made you a kid, you still won't marry me. Running out of options here."
"If you really want to marry me, you'll set me down. And you'll know what to do." Jesus what a chick thing to say. Eliza would eye-roll herself. "Set me down!" Seriously. "Put me down!" Because Eliza kinda needs to kiss him and that's hard to do when he won't put her down. Jesus, she's such a chick. Such a pregnant chick.
Channing slowly lets her slide down his body. He is hoping Robert was right and the girls do run out of crying and shouting. Eventually. "I damn hope the baby has my sweet temper," he grins but not without apprehension. Between the two of them, the baby cannot do bad on looks, that's for sure. But what if the baby gets his brains?! Oh shut up.
"Shut up," she whispers as her arms again wrap around his neck. They may not be getting married, but some serious shit is going down. Life-changing. So she looks at him again and he doesn't blink and she doesn't blink. She's done shouting. She might even be done crying, at least for a while and she just looks up at him and she feels her insides shift (nausea, baby, who the hell knows). The strangest thing. The very strangest thing is that this feels okay. That if she's going to do this with anybody, she kinda thinks she'd do it with Channing. "Give me a kiss?"
He leans in and he is not being playful about it. It is sincere and open and his hands are sliding up her body, over the side of her breasts, to her neck. He cups her pretty face into his hands and keeps kissing.
{Current. Takes place after Eliza shouts the big news at Channing, Eliza and Alex don't shout about it, and Channing and Robert Downey Jr don't shout about it either}
The Planned Parenthood office smells like a doctor's office, that antiseptic smell. And it's make Eliza queasy if she's honest. She still holds the clipboard and the forms she's supposed to be filling out. Except she can't seem to fill them out. Alex is here, thank god, or she might have bolted, her hand reassuring on Eliza's thigh. Jesus. When did this become such a big deal? It's just a...
Shit. She can't even think it. Jesus Christ. Her head falls back to the wall with a clunk and before Alex can even ask if she's alright, her cell goes. Figures. Pulling it out of her purse, she looks at the Caller ID and whatever had gone soft in her ices over. Channing. "What do you want?" She hisses into the phone. "It's being taken care of. You don't need to worry, okay?"
Whoa. Channing rubs his eyes frantically. Having crashed for fourteen hours straight, he has just gotten up. Robert's question number one (as in "do you want this baby?") has popped in his mind as a ready and truly terrifying answer. He has steeled his nerves for Eliza to shout into the phone, he is not prepared to hear her hissing. Apparently, there are unforeseen issues with the question number two. About Eliza wanting the baby.
"I'm not worried," he lies, sliding into his jeans as he speaks. "Where are you?"
"Why do you even care? I'm getting it taken care of. Planned Parenthood to the rescue, all hail Roe v. Wade." As has been her usual position of late, Eliza pulls her knees to her chest, shaking her head at Alex's questioning look. "Just..." she says, sounding as tired (and sad) as she feels. "Just do your own thing, C-Channing. It won't matter in about an hour."
Channing stares at the wall in panic. It is hospital white. Has he overslept something this important by a few hours? How many abortion clinics are in the Los Angeles area? "Long drive?"
"No. Fifteen minutes. Traffic was light." Unaware of what she's saying, Eliza just thinks about what she wishes... If wishes were fucking fishes. "Bye, Channing," she whispers, so she doesn't start crying and wuss out like she really wants to, closing her phone and putting it back in her purse. The forms in front of her are blurry. Goddammit. She swipes at her eyes and frowns, leaning closer.
The Google page in front of Channing is as blurry but he scribbles down the only *there is a God* clinic near Eliza's place.
For the next twenty minutes he is trying not to kill himself in a car accident. Hands are shaking pretty bad. There is someone picketing the clinic's parking lot and he brushes past them unceremoniously. He is neither pro-life nor pro-choice, he just needs to see Eliza's face, now. He has no idea what he is going to say. The woman at the reception stares at him warily. He starts to raise his voice.
"What the--" Eliza would know that voice anywhere and fuck if there isn't a flash of something like hope that runs through her at this as well as some vestiges of rage and the seemingly unquenchable desire to smack Channing upside the head. She stands up from her curved plastic chair, her purse falling to the floor, and takes the few steps it takes to connect the voice to a face. Oh my god. What does this mean?
"Ch-Channing?" She sounds as shocked as she feels, emotions still warring in her belly. Yeah, she's more than a little nauseous by this point.
He turns around himself so fast, his head is spinning. As soon as he sees Eliza, something warms washes over him and he is no longer terrified. Everyone is staring but Channing is not about to apologize he is the only person around who has a dick. He is walking towards Eliza and he still has no idea what to say. Except the answer to the question number one. He wants this baby.
Alex watches Eliza rise and wonders what to do. She looks to the man, and then to Eliza and she stands, realising that no matter what else, Eliza will need support right now. She stands beside Eliza and holds on to her, not wanting her to faint. "Is everything okay?" softly.
Not looking away from Channing, Eliza nods. "Yeah. Fine. Alex? This is Channing. Channing, Alex."
Not that Alex had expected him to be anyone else. She offers a smile, and the hand that's not supporting Eliza, social manners overriding curiosity. "I've heard a lot about you," she murmurs, and her eyes sweep over him.
Channing looks at Alex blankly for a moment. He cannot switch gears. His emotional state overrides civility as his fingers wrap around Eliza's upper arm before acknowledging her friend's hand briefly. "I have a question for you," he says urgently, seeing only Eliza in the room full of people. "Maybe two."
For some reason, instead of shoving Channing's hand away, Eliza nods mutely and looks at Alex with a nod. "I'll be back." She doesn't touch Channing again as they walk past the security guard who had been summoned with the raised voices and she's told that if she has any trouble to alert them. "I'm fine," she says, time and again. Why is she doing this? Why? She knows what she needs to do and she isn't at all sure why she's not doing it. She's not even sure she sees anything as they walk out until they're in the parking lot and she turns, looking up at him. For some reason, she can't say a word because if she opens her mouth, she's honestly not sure what will come out. So she wraps her arms around herself and she waits.
He shifts on his feet and wants to run his hands over her shoulders as she looks like she is freezing. Channing is ill-equipped for grand declarations or sweeping, romantic gestures on cue in busy parking lots. Besides, he is not sure he is doing anyone a favor here except... "The baby. Would it change anything if I wanted it?" He cannot read her face but he cannot shut up anymore. "I want you too. I kinda want the whole thing. I want to know if this is a boy or a girl. And ride bicycles with you on Sundays. Please don't laugh. I could just have the baby if you're not into the whole thing. I'd figure it out."
Staring, Eliza goes blank for a long moment. A long moment that stretches into a longer moment. Channing ... and the baby? Channing and the baby. Images of Channing, holding a baby. God, Eliza doesn't know whether to laugh or cry and so she does both, a tear rolling down her cheek before she can wipe it away, a choked laugh working its way out. And the laugh makes her want to cry more and the tear just pisses her off and she wipes it away brusquely. "Are you high?"
"No," he says earnestly. "Why is this so hard for you to believe, Eliza?"
It doesn't look like she's doing ok. Channing needs to start asking important questions but instead, he reaches out for her crossed arms and pries one of her hands free. Then he slowly pulls her towards himself, watching her face. C'mere.
"C... We're just... aren't we? Are you serious?" Tears --goddamned tears-- just keep coming. She's tugged and goes. She can't seem to slow herself, only stopping when she can straight-arm him, keep him just that far away. "Are you serious. Don't you dare lie to me!"
"Oh come here," he gently takes her other hand out of the way and puts both of her arms around his neck. Just the right height. Would it be wrong to kiss a crying girl? Guess he'd find out as he brushes his lips against her wet cheek.
"Channing!" She growls, hands fisting, beating futilely at his neck. But she doesn't let go, face in his neck. "Goddamn you, Channing! Goddamn you! What the fuck are we doing?"
"We're doing what we want. Who cares if it makes no sense. Our baby, our way. You with me? Eliza?" He runs his hands up and down her sides.
Leaning back, fisted hands still on his shoulders, she looks into his eyes. As much as she looks, she can't find any bullshit. He... Holy fuck, he means it. What does this mean? Are they actually--? Channing doesn't seem to have any trouble saying the words, so why is she struggling? "Our? Baby. C." She grabs his neck. "You can't change your mind. This isn't temporary. This is...fuck, C. This is life. Jesus."
"Have you been listening to my whole white fences pitch?" he asks back. "I am through with temporary. I want to see a kid, my kid grow. If you are not into Sundays, then we'd be into Friday nights. Unless you are not into me and that would suck, frankly. I am really into you. Even when you're not pregnant."
"You are so full of shit," she mutters before she can stop herself. Some habits don't die. The she finds herself speaking, saying words she totally didn't expect to say. "We do this? We do it all the way. Live together and raise this kid together. Thick and thin, C. No bailing and no running out. You hear me?"
She is throwing many scary words and terrifying ideas at Channing at once but he knows he cannot flinch now, no matter how many 'we's and 'together's are advancing on him. As brave as he sounds, the years of dodging commitment die hard. When he replaces a faceless scary girl from the 'living together' part with Eliza, it suddenly does not seem so bad again. He can live with Eliza. All the way. If she does not change for the worse. Like beats him up too much. And piles on weight. And cuts her hair. Would she still have sex with him? Oh shut up already.
"I hear you," he finally says. Their bodies touch and he realizes with a jolt that his baby is inside her, now. His hands tighten on her waist with sure possessiveness. "I want this. The question is, do you?"
That is the question, isn't it. It's all well and good for Eliza to give Channing shit. But. She looks up at him, and he's not looking away. Is it just sex? Is there more? Is this crazy? He still has eyes that seem to want to know her and she's nodding before she realizes it. Holy shit. "Alex comes with," she says, continuing on theme of things she didn't expect to say. "Okay? She's got her shit together. And she can help. Jesus, C." Her eyes are big and dark and she's pretty much still scared shitless, but it's almost a good scared shitless. "We're gonna have a kid."
"Hey," he says, pulling her closer, on top of him, lifting her up in the air. She is light. He is suddenly laughing and some of it is nerves but most of it is happiness. "I guess we need someone who has her shit together. We're gonna have a kid."
"Put me down," she gruffs, but she's smiling and it's like holy shit. They're outside an abortion clinic and she can't touch the ground and she's still crying and how fucked up is this that she's laughing and crying and still thinking she might barf, and that it wouldn't be good to barf on the father of her baby and there is a father of her baby because there's a baby, and--
"I'm not marrying you," she announces. Jesus Christ. She can't control her mouth and her face shows that she's just as surprised that she said it as he looks.
"Jesus, girl, I heard you right the first time around. Months ago," he is not putting her down yet and openly laughing at her bringing this up. Girls. "What would it take? Fucked you right, spent Christmas with you, made you a kid, you still won't marry me. Running out of options here."
"If you really want to marry me, you'll set me down. And you'll know what to do." Jesus what a chick thing to say. Eliza would eye-roll herself. "Set me down!" Seriously. "Put me down!" Because Eliza kinda needs to kiss him and that's hard to do when he won't put her down. Jesus, she's such a chick. Such a pregnant chick.
Channing slowly lets her slide down his body. He is hoping Robert was right and the girls do run out of crying and shouting. Eventually. "I damn hope the baby has my sweet temper," he grins but not without apprehension. Between the two of them, the baby cannot do bad on looks, that's for sure. But what if the baby gets his brains?! Oh shut up.
"Shut up," she whispers as her arms again wrap around his neck. They may not be getting married, but some serious shit is going down. Life-changing. So she looks at him again and he doesn't blink and she doesn't blink. She's done shouting. She might even be done crying, at least for a while and she just looks up at him and she feels her insides shift (nausea, baby, who the hell knows). The strangest thing. The very strangest thing is that this feels okay. That if she's going to do this with anybody, she kinda thinks she'd do it with Channing. "Give me a kiss?"
He leans in and he is not being playful about it. It is sincere and open and his hands are sliding up her body, over the side of her breasts, to her neck. He cups her pretty face into his hands and keeps kissing.
