"Okay." Duke flashed her one last smile, gave her hand one last squeeze, then headed off down the dock.
Audrey glanced back at Octavia as Duke caught up with her and Nathan. "How's she doing?"
Duke looked back as well and shrugged. "She's pissed, mostly. I kinda promised her a fun night away from it all and -- well."
Nathan looked like he wanted to make some snide remark about Duke and promises, but instead just shook his head and headed over to talk to his dad. Audrey headed for her car, and Duke hopped a little as he fell in place beside her.
"Hey." He held out a little box with a big red bow on it. "Happy birthday."
Audrey grinned. "You're kidding me."
"Ah, just because you got body snatched doesn't mean you don't get a present on your birthday." He leaned against her car and watched her face closely as she opened it.
Under the ribbon was a intricately carved wooden box, inside of which sat a silver locket. Audrey looked from it to Duke, surprise and faint concern on every line of her face.
"Wow, this is beautiful." Even her customary smirk fell off her face as she picked it up. She had no idea how to react to something this fancy from a man she saw only as a friend. "Thank you."
"Look closer," Duke said. "At the engraving."
Audrey flipped the locket over. "L.R.?"
"Lucy Ripley," Duke said.
Audrey's eyes went wide. "How -- where did you get this?"
Duke didn't answer for a long moment. He was starting to realize that he'd fucked up here, too. Audrey wasn't reacting at all how he'd imagined. He'd let himself forget how intensely she pursued everything associated with the woman who might be her mother.
"Lucy gave it to me."
Audrey could only stare at him, her thoughts racing.
"The boy," Duke said slowly. He hated even thinking about this. "Standing next to Lucy in the Colorado Kid photo. That's me."
Audrey's expression wandered through more emotions than either of them could name, before landing on anger.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: As You Were - epilogue
Date: 2020-09-20 04:04 pm (UTC)Audrey glanced back at Octavia as Duke caught up with her and Nathan. "How's she doing?"
Duke looked back as well and shrugged. "She's pissed, mostly. I kinda promised her a fun night away from it all and -- well."
Nathan looked like he wanted to make some snide remark about Duke and promises, but instead just shook his head and headed over to talk to his dad. Audrey headed for her car, and Duke hopped a little as he fell in place beside her.
"Hey." He held out a little box with a big red bow on it. "Happy birthday."
Audrey grinned. "You're kidding me."
"Ah, just because you got body snatched doesn't mean you don't get a present on your birthday." He leaned against her car and watched her face closely as she opened it.
Under the ribbon was a intricately carved wooden box, inside of which sat a silver locket. Audrey looked from it to Duke, surprise and faint concern on every line of her face.
"Wow, this is beautiful." Even her customary smirk fell off her face as she picked it up. She had no idea how to react to something this fancy from a man she saw only as a friend. "Thank you."
"Look closer," Duke said. "At the engraving."
Audrey flipped the locket over. "L.R.?"
"Lucy Ripley," Duke said.
Audrey's eyes went wide. "How -- where did you get this?"
Duke didn't answer for a long moment. He was starting to realize that he'd fucked up here, too. Audrey wasn't reacting at all how he'd imagined. He'd let himself forget how intensely she pursued everything associated with the woman who might be her mother.
"Lucy gave it to me."
Audrey could only stare at him, her thoughts racing.
"The boy," Duke said slowly. He hated even thinking about this. "Standing next to Lucy in the Colorado Kid photo. That's me."
Audrey's expression wandered through more emotions than either of them could name, before landing on anger.
"Are you kidding me?!"