PB Fic: Remember You Have Chance and Possibility

[out_there]

Title: Remember You Have Chance and Possibility
Author: out_there
Fandom: Prison Break
Pairing: Alex/Pam, Alex/Michael
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 24,730
Notes: Thank you to oxoniensis, who did a wonderful job betaing this and finding the spots that needed improvement. A huge thanks to aurora_84 and damaduende who encouraged and supported this wip over the 12 months it took to finish. (I can't believe I started this in September 2008. I need to be more disciplined about finishing what I start.) Title comes from a line in Something For Kate's song, Jerry, Stand Up. This is an AU set before the start of S1.
Warning: Mentions of violent attacks (from Shales). Only mentioned in passing, but better to warn than not.

Summary: "Let me spell this out in terms you'll understand," Alex says, pushing a hand through his hair and taking a grounding breath. "If. I. Can't. Find. Shales. There's no way in hell some kid with no experience stands a chance."

Posted on Dreamwidth, since it was too large for one LJ Post.

Comments

[effingeden.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's breath-taking and makes me ache for their what-ifs and could-have-beens. Lovely. It made my night.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's breath-taking and makes me ache for their what-ifs and could-have-beens.

I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you.

[flurblewig.livejournal.com]

Oh, ah, just. Yes. This.

So perfect, how it would have been, the awesome partnership and the greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts-ness that they have, that they are, together. And yes, of course, Alex would be drawn and fascinated and Michael would be just that bit in love because really, who wouldn't be? :-)

And the ending broke my heart because of course it had to be that way, Alex... he couldn't be Alex, *this* Alex, and do that no matter how much he wanted it, no matter how good, how right, it could have been for them.

So, yes. In conclusion, ::hands::

:-)

[out-there.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I've been meaning to reply to this comment for half a week now. But every time I start, I just want to say, "Yes, yes, you get it!" and I think it deserves more than five words in reply. (But still: yes, yes, this is it. Exactly.)

And the ending broke my heart because of course it had to be that way, Alex... he couldn't be Alex, *this* Alex, and do that no matter how much he wanted it, no matter how good, how right, it could have been for them.

Unfortunately -- because I love writing happy endings -- it really did have to be like this. It's not an unhappy ending per se, not when you can argue how much heartbreak they both avoided as opposed to canon, but it's not the happily-ever-after that I tend to prefer.

And yet despite that, I'm really fond of this story. I liked being inside Alex's head, I liked giving Michael just a little more support instead of leaving him to carry all the responsibility and planning by himself, and I even liked that wistful almost-if that could have been.