Cleaving the Bone by Belantana (PG-13)

[oceloty.livejournal.com]

Fandom: SPOOKS (MI-5)
Pairing: Zoe Reynolds / Will North
Length: One-shot, 1800 words
Author on LJ: belantana
Author Website: Belantana's Spooks fic on livejournal
Why this must be read:

This short, tightly-written story tackles four different storylines from series three: Zoe’s final, ill-fated undercover operation, Zoe and Danny’s assassination mission on the ferry, Zoe’s troubled relationship with Will North, and Danny’s unrequited feelings for Zoe. Belantana weaves the disparate plotlines into a dense, layered story. The rich imagery and complex themes strongly evoke the claustrophobic inevitability of Zoe’s downfall. There's not a word wasted in here, and some of the turns of phrase will take your breath away.


Excerpt:

She'd already given away the shoes she'd bought for the wedding. Now she took down the photograph on the fridge, the two of them being obnoxiously happy at the beach or somewhere. But the empty space on the fridge caught her eye more often than the photograph had. She put a bill there. It was a quote for the catering. She took it down and put up the surveillance photographs of Ozal and Celenk.

Do you MI5 take Zoe Reynolds to be your lawful wedded wife, she thought, and then she poured herself another shot of vodka.

Cleaving the Bone