stargateficrec | Brothers by WildCat88 (PG) (Reply)

Show: SGA
Rec Category: Gen
Characters: David Sheppard, Nancy, Ronon Dex, Rodney McKay
Pairing: none
Het/Slash/Gen: gen
Warning: perceived character death, spoilers for episode "The Last Man" and "Outcast"
Author on LJ: wildcat88
Author's Website: 2010 Master Fic List, 2009 Master Fic List, 2008 Master Fic List, 2007 Master Fic List, Fanfic.net
Link: Brothers

Why this must be read:

A powerful look at the alternate timeline from "The Last Man" where John is ruled KIA. Wildcat takes us on an emotional journey of loss and what it does to those left behind. I love how Wildcat shows us the different effects death can have on different people. Dave Sheppard is faced with some very hard truths about himself and his relationships while Nancy is touched with painful memories and powerful grief. How Wildcat portrayed Nancy is such a high point in favor of this fic. We get to see how much she really did love Sheppard; seeing how sometimes love isn't enough to hold a marriage together was a powerful side journey. Another point of awesome to this fic was the details... the deep, slow ticking of the Sheppard grandfather clock, the light breeze at the funeral that Nancy's sure John engineered, the dark shadows around Jack O'Neill in the beginning. Very powerful stuff... And then the funeral. Wow... my chest was in pain at seeing how John's death touched his family, ex-wife, and team. Highly, highly, highly recommended!

Story Summary: Nancy and David learn that John has been declared KIA.

John? Dead? Nancy dropped into her desk chair as her heart squeezed painfully. Memories of her life with John flashed in her mind – that wicked smile, his beautiful eyes that always said what he couldn’t vocalize, features that could harden into a frightening mask or soften into the man she fell in love with. And she had loved him, still did in some ways. Grant was… safe, responsible, open – the kind of man she needed. She didn’t miss the secrets, but sometimes when she was being completely honest, she missed the element of danger that had surrounded John. And had apparently killed him.

Suddenly thankful Grant wasn’t coming home, Nancy grabbed her things and hurried to her car. She drove for a while, allowing her thoughts to roam freely. She wasn’t surprised when she found herself at the park, trailing her hand over the back of the bench where they’d sat, where John had asked for her help. Taking a seat, she lifted her face to the sky, the late night breeze stirring her hair as the moon reflected off the pond. And slowly, the tears fell.