By Danielle
Shane is an incredibly complex character and I often find myself trying to get inside her head. I wanted to try to write a series of one shots, all from Shane’s perspective, that focus on key moments that she has experienced with Oliver. I’ve never tried anything like this before, so please review and let me know if you like it.
I don’t any of these characters, they belong to the wonderfully talented Martha Williamson
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CHAPTER 1: The Dance (For Christmas)
Shane walked into the Postal Ball and immediately took in her surroundings, surprised at how magnificent everything looked. She never attended the ball in DC when she lived there, so she was excited at the prospect of getting all dressed up and dancing the night away. She spotted Oliver and Norman from across the room and she couldn’t help but smile at the look on Norman’s face as he caught site of Rita. His jaw was agape and his eyes were about ready to pop right out of his head. “Mission accomplished.” Shane thought slyly to herself. Hopefully he would finally work up the courage to ask Rita out on a date. Or at the very least, ask her to dance. She could see Oliver looking at her out of the corner of her eye, however she refused to turn her head to meet his gaze for fear that his ogling would make her blush. As Rita began her descent to meet their friends, Shane also caught the eye of another gentleman whom she had promised a dance to.
Jordan politely took her hand in his as she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. They moved together to the flow of the music, but their steps were out of sync. She instantly noted Jordan’s inexperience, so she offered to show him a few of the moves she had learned with Oliver. They laughed together as he clumsily tried not to step on her feet. Jordan was kind and handsome and she had to admit that she was actually enjoying his company. It’s not that she was interested in him, it was just nice to be in the presence of an available man that she could freely flirt with if she pleased. He had asked her about her dislike of Christmas and she rebuffed him, hoping he would get the hint and not press further. That was one can of worms she was not ready to open.
The next thing she knew, Oliver was there tapping on Jordan’s shoulder and requesting to cut in. Shane could hardly believe the look of disdain that Oliver had etched across his handsome face. If looks could kill Jordan would surely be dead at her feet in the blink of an eye. Shane introduced the two gentleman to each other and Oliver snubbed Jordan’s attempts at being friendly.
As soon as Jordan stepped aside and walked away, Oliver extended his hand to Shane and began guiding her through their familiar routine. The irritated look he was giving her bore straight into her soul as he started sprouting complete and utter nonsense. He’s angry with her for dancing with another man. What right does he have to dictate who she can and can’t dance with? He’s going on and on, basically staking claim as her one and only dance partner as if he was the sole proprietor of her moves. How dare he treat her as though he owned her! He was the one that ended their partnership because he wanted to save his newly earned skills for his absentee wife. She was single and lonely and deserved to have a man hold her and look at her the way Oliver did when he thought she wasn’t looking.
She bites back with each opposition he throws her way, getting angrier with each attempt he makes to plead his case. Oliver glares at her with a drive and determination that she has never seen in him before, which flatters her fragile heart. This possessive side of him is both insulting and exhilarating and she can’t stop the knots from forming in her stomach. “Dip.” He commands, maneuvering her into the sensual pose as he supports her in his arms. Their promenade has become a battle of wits and she fears that she’s losing.
Shane was seeing a side of Oliver that she had never experienced before and could only describe it as unadulterated jealousy. Was he resentful that another man had held her close, swaying their hips together to the classical melody? Did he think of her as his and did the thought of her with another man drive him to insanity? She momentarily let her mind wander into uncharted territory. She met Oliver step for step and wondered what it would be like to be loved by this man. His passion is like nothing she has ever witnessed before and the way he is looking at her makes her feel like a surge of electricity is igniting her very soul. She is helpless in his arms and that exasperates her further. This unavailable man has complete control of her body and senses and all she wants to do is scream at him and kiss him, not caring which one she does first.
The realization that she can never dance with another man again strikes her like a ton of bricks. No one will ever measure up to Oliver, he has tainted her for all others. The music is coming to an end but their dance is just beginning. Shane can no longer speak as she stares into his piercing blue eyes, noting the satisfied grin across his face. He knows that he has made his point and there’s no question who she belongs to. Oliver has most certainly won this battle, but Shane intends to win the war.
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By popular request, here is my take on one of my favorite scenes from To the Altar. I tried hard to do this scene justice, please let me know what you think. Thank you everyone for all of your support!
These amazing characters belong to the wonderfully talented Martha Williamson.
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CHAPTER 2: The Dress (To the Altar)
“No, no, no, no, no!” Shane made a mad dash out of the DLO, shoes cast aside and determination on her mind. She reached the floor in record time and began frantically searching through the rubble slated for auction. She looked in every crevice, panic filling her heart as her quest kept coming up empty. Just as discouragement began to set in, she spotted the object she desired under a pile of unclaimed items. She felt triumphant as she delicately clutched the box to her as if it were her lifeline.
As she began making her way back to the DLO, she saw Oliver approaching and looking rather lost. She had wanted to escape with her treasure unnoticed, however her heart leapt at the site of him before she realized her secret may be discovered. He reassured her that he had Thursday night covered, however she wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince of that. She believed the wedding had him distracted, however he corrected her and described his mood as “contemplative”.
Unfortunately for her, he gained a temporary focus and noticed the box that she was grasping. He was confused as to why she was attempting to go against protocol and bypass the auction. He felt the need to remind her that he could not break the rules on her behalf, fearing his integrity could be questioned.
She knew exactly what she needed to do in order to get out of her current predicament. She slowly got on her tippy toes and sensually whispered close to his ear, knowing the smell of her perfume was invading his senses. She could see the blush creep up from his neck to his cheeks as his eyes glazed over, her proximity causing him to silently agree to her request. She smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him in response to her victory. As he walked away to go to his meeting, she wondered what he could be contemplating.
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Shane walked around the DLO and attempted to get some work done, but her eyes were drawn to the tattered box. She knew that Norman and Rita were at the florist and Oliver was in a meeting, so she had some time alone. Maybe she would just take it out and look at it…there was certainly no harm in that. She delicately pulled out the magnificent gown and her eyes filled with tears. It was more beautiful than she remembered and she couldn’t help but wonder what she would look like wearing it. No one would ever have to know that she tried it on.
As she began changing into the dress, she could only speculate as to what Oliver would think if he knew what was in the box that she so desperately wanted. Would he panic and think they are moving too fast? Or maybe he would let her down easy and tell her that he never wanted to get married again. She had no idea how he might react, as marriage was a subject in which she had always been afraid to broach with him.
She stood in front of the full length mirror as she tried to finish buttoning the back of the dress, however her shaky hands would not allow it. She finished adjusting the veil and was in absolute awe at how she looked. As a little girl she had always dreamed about being a bride and wearing a gorgeous wedding dress like this one. Her father would meet her at the back of the church and take her arm in his, helping to keep her steady as they began their journey down the aisle. When they reached the end, her husband to be would be waiting for her. He would lift the veil off of her face and gaze into her eyes with pure love and admiration, whispering to her that she was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. As a child, the man’s face was never visible. But now when she thought of that dream, it was Oliver staring back at her and vowing to love her forever.
Shane continued to gaze at her reflection, completely lost in a fantasy that included her and Oliver as the bride and groom and forever in their wake. Her eyes closed in an instant as she felt a surge of electricity ignite her body and she gasped in response. She was taken aback when Oliver appeared behind her and gently shushed her, his fingers nimbly working the buttons on the back of the dress. Between his touch and the way he was looking at her, she was in complete euphoria. Her vocal cords were temporarily paralyzed as she tried to come up with a believable explanation for wearing the wedding dress. He tried to rescue her from embarrassment, offering her the excuse that perhaps she was just “contemplating”.
She was unprepared to give into that explanation and stammered to try to come up with various uses for the dress. Did he believe her when she said that she just loved the material? She doubted he bought her story, however she was relieved that he was trying to lighten the mood. He could have run out of the DLO when he’d caught her in the gown, but instead he turned it into an intimate moment for them to share. She raised the veil from her face and spied Oliver in the mirror, her soul aching for him to see this as a sign. He always said that he didn’t believe in coincidences, trust the timing. Maybe God intended for him to walk in at that very moment. The look on his face told her that he was intrigued by what he had witnessed as he offered up his own suggestions for the use of the fabric.
She turned to face him, hoping to convince him that she wasn’t really expecting to need the bridal gown. Her rationale was interrupted as she brought her arms down and discovered a secret pocket on the side of the dress. To her astonishment, there was a letter safely tucked inside. The moment that Oliver began to read aloud, Shane felt as though she had woken from her dream. Her heart was aching as she prayed that someday she would get her chance to wear her own wedding dress.
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I hope you liked it!
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