Faded Scars
By Camilla Sandman
Disclaimer: I live in my own little delusional world where Frank, Rachel, Mick, Alex, Jack and the rest of the Water Rats actually belong to me. It's just a happy little dream, Hal, I'm not making any money on it. Won't you let me continue to live in it? Thanks
Author's Notes and Ramblings (with a fair bit of warnings):
The new and old cast get to mingle. Ain't I nice?
This isn't, however, a nice story.
Sometimes life is worse than fiction. I started this story weeks before the tragedy of the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11th 2001. Because my story deals with a somewhat similar situation, a fair warning is needed. I was not in any way inspired by those events, it's one of those very spooky coincidences. If you think it will disturb you, please do not read.
My heart goes out to all those affected by the tragedy.
In my story, hell breaks loose in Sydney. Pretty much literally. If you're faint hearted, you wanna head somewhere else pronto. There's violence, character deaths, some coarse language, bombs, car crashes and many other nasty things.
There is also a little bit of nice stuff and a lot of sex. If you don't wanna read steamy stuff, be careful around chapter four and avoid chapter nine altogether. I mean it. If you insist on reading these bits, take a cold shower and don't go bitching to me is if you feel your own love life is inadequate (I know mine is.. sigh).
Don't say you weren't warned.
In my universe, Lance ain't dead, Jack ain't dead, and Rachel ain't dead. Happy days. The events of the end eps of season six didn't happen either. Having your own universe is a mighty fun thing.. (Hey Mick, my place tonight? Hehe my universe rules)
This story is over 42,000 words (excluding the author's notes and such). Yes, really. Plunge ahead on your own risk. If you wanna read it in one go, make sure you're sitting well, unhook the phone, have Kleenex within reach, as well as Tim Tams and brace yourself. It's a bumpy ride.
And by the way.. Out write me. I *dare* you. No, really, I do.
Lyrics (in the order they are used):
Beautiful Day U2; Don't Panic Coldplay; Sheryl Crow Ordinary Morning; Three 6 Mafia Life or Death; Queen All Dead, All Dead; William Butler Yeats - The Second Coming (poem); Sarah McLachlan Shelter; Art Garfunkel - Bright Eyes; Sarah McLachlan I will remember you; Joe Dee Messina Bring on the rain; Cranberries Away; Elton John Pain; U2 New Years Day; Briskeby Wide awake; Lene Marlin Playing My Game; Sarah McLachlan Shelter; 911 Moving On; Sarah McLachlan I Will Remember You; Sarah McLachland I Will Not Forget You; Savage Garden Hold me; Nick Cave Sweetheart Come
Some thanks are owned, as always
Jules for betareading, for bothering to listening to my rants about politics (especially with the whole Tampa mess), for helping with Sydney knowledge and just because
Sarah for tapes, for agreeing with my views when I felt very alone in Australia, for helpful comments and lyrics and well, just because
Suz nag, nag, nag :)
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Prologue
Sky falls, you feel like
It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away~
It was just another Tuesday.
And it was pretty much like any other day in Sydney, a relatively clear sky with a few pecks of clouds here and there and a nice, warm sun. It was early in the morning, so the sun wasn't uncomfortably warm yet. A light morning fog had lifted, and there was simply nothing sinister and dark about the day. It could have been a beautiful day, the kind that makes you feel good for nothing in particular except being alive.
But when stories would be told of this day in the future, it was said to have been a dark and glum morning. Nobody believed something so terrible could have happened on a nice, ordinary day. And in a way it was right. It had been a dark day. Only the weather had been nice.
It happened so suddenly no one quite understood what happened at first.
There was a loud bang from the Opera House, much like a firework going off. At first this seemed a logical explanation, and only a few people looked up. Then an orange-red flash came from the Harbour Bridge and the whole population of Sydney looked up in terror.
The second bang was deafening.
The bridge keeled over, metal screeching, sparks flying, flames eating at the train that had been halfway to the other side. With a sickening sound, much like a dying seal, the bridge ripped and the train fell.
And the people screamed as with one voice.
And we live in a beautiful world
Yeah we do Yeah we do
We live in a beautiful world
Bones sinking like stones ~
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