New story posted

[katallison]

Luck.

I originally started this for the "three-way" challenge on dS Flashfiction, but as usual things got a bit away from me. It's Vecchio in Vegas, it's 21K, it's uncheerful (you're so surprised, I know). Many thanks to eyrea for beta!

As always, comments and critique are welcomed, here or at kat@mrks.org.

Comments

[beledibabe.livejournal.com]

Damn, woman. ::shaking head:: You're awesome.

Fuckin' awesome.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Carla, thanks so much! I'm delighted that you like it!

[lorie945.livejournal.com]

Well I suppose this makes me a really twisted puppy, but I loved this. One of the best 'return of Victoria' stories I've ever seen. You captured all the uneasiness of the undercover operation, gave a plausible reason for it happening in the first place, and my only quibble is that I think Victoria might have tried guile first, before being quite so starkly honest. Fear could lead to that kind of desperation. But one can make a case that she's smart enough to know it won't work, as I think you've done.

Wonderful as always.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Heh. It probably makes *me* a really twisted puppy that I had a lot of fun writing it.

my only quibble is that I think Victoria might have tried guile first, before being quite so starkly honest.

You know, I totally agree with you on this, and in fact I let this thing sit for a month while I waited for Victoria to get going with some guile and some stratagems and whatnot, and she just flat refused to do so, and I finally said "All righty, then, *be* that way!" I'm very glad that you feel at least some sort of case was made for her actions.

Thanks so much for your kind words; I'm very, very pleased that you liked it.

[lorie945.livejournal.com]

I waited for Victoria to get going with some
guile and some stratagems and whatnot, and she just flat refused

What a witch! Well, we knew that already.

Do you mind if I rec this & link to your LJ on TwoAxes, the yahoo group for Vecchio fans?

[katallison.livejournal.com]

I'd be honored, and thanks very much for the kind offer!

You rool!

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

Eerie timing... I just saw part two of "Victoria's Secret" again today.

I love the way she takes her jealousy and tries to stick it to him, and the way it works on him. And the way he has to kill her.

Vecchio as Bookman stories are something I groove on, and you handle the milieu perfectly.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Wooo! Synchronicity! *g*

Vecchio as Bookman -- yeah, wow, it can go in *so* many interesting directions, and I'm thrilled that you felt this did justice to the concept. Thanks a million, Alyx!

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

What I really love, now that I've had time to think, is the inevitability of the ending. Once he took that first action, he had to see things through to the conclusion you draw.

(Trying not to be spoilery here... )

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, Kat, this is spectacular. Not a word out of place. I'm speechless.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Aw, Kass, thanks so much! Writing (or *trying* to write) to the flashfiction word limit pushes me to condense and focus, which I think is a good discipline for me.

Anyway, I'm totally jazzed to know this worked for you! Thanks again.

[umbo.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. Purely brilliant.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

::big hugs:: Thank you so much, sweetie; I'm *really* happy to know this worked for you.

And hey, you got some sleep! Now for the writing! Go team Shell! ::pumping fist::

[dine.livejournal.com]

so exactly perfect - dark but right. you nailed this so beautifully, and I'm so glad I read it instead of working.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Hey, any day I can keep people from working is a day well spent! *g*

Many thanks, Dine; I try not to write dark just for dark's sake, and it makes me really happy to know that you felt I hit the balance right here.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

My icon is too frivolous for this brilliant story, but it's what I got, so.

"I wanted him to be with me, he wanted to be with me, and if that was ever going to happen I had to—even things up between us. Get rid of some of his ideas about himself. Then we could be together." She looked back at him. "You wrecked it."

This is the best, most succinct explanation of Victoria's motives I've ever seen. I feel like, after reading this, I can finally understand her, really understand her and what she was after.

I love that you bring the slash here, too. Never thought I'd see even *implied* F/V from you. (: Having her, of all people, call him on it. Having him in denial right up until his last line...::shudder::

This is a classic, Kat, An absolute classic.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Wow, Laura, thank you *so* much. ::big sigh of relief:: I was going to have you run an eye over this before posting, but what with the just-back-from-London and all, I knew you were probably way busy. Needless to say, I'm over the moon that you liked it.

I love that you bring the slash here, too. Never thought I'd see even *implied* F/V from you. (:

Heh. Watch this space for an entry I'm trying to lash together on "My thing with Fraser/Vecchio, and why for me it's a whole different take on slash." Or something like that.

[aerye.livejournal.com]

Can't wait. ::g::

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

What she said. ::pointing up::

And hey, I appreciate the consideration. Between London and VividCon and craziness at work, I am utterly slammed right now.

But, hey, VividCon! I get to see you in two weeks! Eee!

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

First of all, I don't know where you get off saying this wasn't cheerful; from where I'm sitting, saying bye-bye to Victoria makes for a mighty cheerful story.

*g*

No, seriously, this was fantastic, Kat. And Victoria read Fraser and Vecchio's interactions perfectly that night, because even if there was nothing sexual going on (and you know I think there wasn't), there was...that. Which she saw.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'll tell you, the last time I rewatched VS, that Ray-comes-to-the-door scene leapt out at me in a way it hadn't before, and I was just sitting there going "Buh?" (I think in previous viewings I'd been deeply distracted by unbuttoned-shirt-Fraser, which is a distracting thing indeed.) Yeah, there was indeed...that. Something.

Thanks for the kind words, Beth; I'm delighted you liked it!

[akite.livejournal.com]

Holy, moly, something or the other, dang. This is so freaky. I have a story into Bast right now for her next F/K zine in which Vecchio as Armando offed Victoria. Not as much detail as yours, of course, as he's telling it not actually doing it in the story, and in a little bit of a different circumstance, but not that far off. This was so real to me. Wow!

[katallison.livejournal.com]

GMTA! *g* But seriously, yeah, I think it's an idea with great potential and one that can be taken in a lot of different directions. (And let the world note you got yours in first, even though the pub date will be later.)

I really look forward to seeing your story, and thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this one!

[the-star-fish.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. I'm with Beth(bethbeth) -- I'd call it a very happy ending.

Seriously -- I do adore the way you write Bookman!Vecchio. He's always so wary, knowing that at any moment *he* could be the one "taking a ride"... and I think it makes a lot of sense that Victoria could end up somewhere like Vegas, and that he'd do what he did if he found her.

After all, he *did* warn her.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

You and Beth ... tsk. I always *knew* all you eeevil slashers were misogynists! You probably liked it when Methos dropped Cassandra in the river, too! (Hey, I know *I* did.)

I am immensely revved that you liked this, Deb, and you make excellent points about the situation Vecchio's in. And yeah, the warning ... ::shiver::. I wanted to work that in here somewhere, but didn't mesh properly.

Thanks so much for your kind comments!

[the-star-fish.livejournal.com]

The warning was subtext!

Seriously, while a lot of what comes out of Vecchio's mouth is obvious and utter bullshit, I never for one second thought he was joking or exaggerating when he told her he'd kill her if she hurt Fraser.

'Cause dude, I'd load the gun for him...

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

Wow, that was really, really interesting. What a fabulous take! I'll admit I wasn't going to read it -- what's 'uncheerful' to you could leave me a blood-smeared wreck sobbing in the gutter -- but after perusing the comments I decided it was fairly safe.*g*

I love your Vecchio, and I love him taking care of business. Love his knowing that it was personal, love her getting her digs in since she's going to die anyway, and she's had his number all this time.

I don't remember ever reading a story where Vecchio really did shoot Fraser on purpose, much less admits it. Vecchio fans want him to be nicer than that. But I think his tiny ruthless streak is part of his charm. As a friend of mine once said, "He's a good man, but he's not a nice man."

I can't WAIT to see your ideas about Vecchio and slash!

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

Pretty pansy to reply to my own post, but I forgot this part.

love her getting her digs in since she's going to die anyway, and she's had his number all this time.

Because . . . if Vic *truly* loved Fraser, in her own twisted way, she could never see Vecchio (whom she believes is in love with Fraser) shooting his best friend as an accident. Because that's what she'd do. Therefore, she sees the darkness inside Vecchio and recognizes he's as ruthless as she is -- and that right now, she's the walking dead. That's why she didn't bother with guile.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

You know, one thing I truly love about getting feedback (apart from feeding my massive ego and so on) is that readers are usually much more astute about what's going on in a story than *I* am. You make wonderful points here, Karen, and get at stuff that I wasn't really aware of when writing, and you express them beautifully. ::mwah::! Many thanks!

[aerye.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Exactly! God, I love this story.

He's a good man, but he's not a nice man.

That may be the best one line description of Vecchio I've ever heard.

[halimede.livejournal.com]

Wow. There's always so much inevitability in play once Victoria shows up, isn't there? And it's never how the unfortunate people involved think it will be. Amazing, awesome story.

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Yes indeed; I'm very grateful that the show left her fate open-ended. Gives us all a lot of possibilities to play with.

Thanks so much for your comments--I'm delighted you liked the story!

[rowanfairchild.livejournal.com]

Kat, man, I *loved* this, and I'm so glad you decided to finish and post it, deadlines be damned! *g*

I'm another one who thinks there is much, much left to be mined in the Bookman!Vecchio vein -- and having Vecchio get to confront Victoria, of all people, while playing this role where he has license to be (hell, is expected to be) ruthless, vicious, and violent sets up the most delicious kind of dark tension. His line to her here says it all: "You have no idea who I am." -- and, maybe, neither do we.

Also adored, as others have mentioned, the take on this particular "threesome". Love sure can be a subtle thing, huh? *g*

-R