Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lorraine couldn’t believe she’d allowed this to happen so easily. Normally, when she was driving somewhere and she was about to have a vision, she’d pull over and wait it out. It was the only way to make sure she didn’t hurt anyone, not to mention the only way to get Ed to let her drive.
And in her defense, she was usually very good at this; tuned in to herself well enough to recognize the signs of a vision coming and deal with it, but this time, it slammed into her out of nowhere.

She was driving home from dropping Judy off at her best friend’s house when everything went black. It was like the lights went out in the world. She could no longer feel the steering wheel between her hands, and she was left standing in the middle of this black, empty expanse of nothingness.

Lorraine took a cautious step forward, the sound of her footstep echoing on and on throughout wherever she was. She glanced around, waiting for the vision, the image her gift was trying to show her; warn her about. And it didn’t take long to find.

When she turned around, she was met face-to-face with the dead eyes of a doll. Correction: the world’s creepiest doll. It’s face was gray and its painted on smile somehow managed to look malicious, evil intentions shining on its face.

It was resting in a rocking chair in an eerily human-like position. The arms were rested on the sides of the chair, and it seemed to bore right through her with its cracked, chipped face. Lorraine backed up a step, a shiver running down her spine. She was hit with the sudden emptiness in her stomach that came from true fear, like the build up of tension in your chest at the top of a rollercoaster, anticipating the drop.

There was a crinkling sound when she stepped back, and she looked down to see a crudely torn slip of paper beneath her feet. Lorraine frowned, bending over and picking it up-all the while keeping her eyes on the doll.

At first, the paper just looked blank, but when she flipped it over, there were two words, scribbled in red crayon.

Miss me?

Lorraine looked up slowly, her hands shaking violently.

But the chair was empty; the doll was gone.

And then the world dissolved into light, the car coming back into focus. Just in time for the sound of screeching tires and honking horns and the smashing of glass shards raining down onto her. Her head whiplashed and there was the sound of crunching metal; steam rising from the engine.

Lorraine looked around wildly, rubbing her head from where she’d smacked it on the side window. Her car was sitting in a ditch, the hood bent at the front where it had crashed into the thick tree trunk before her. She felt blood on her hand, and found that her rosary had been clutched so tightly, she’d cut deep lacerations into her palm.

Lorraine sighed, choking back a string of curses that she’d have to go to confession for. Great. Just great. Her car was wrecked, she was stuck in a ditch, Ed would be out of his mind with worry, and she’d had one of the most frightening visions since the one with Maurice. In fact, the only upside was that she’d hit a tree instead of someone else. But that still left the fact that she was stuck in a ditch with a quite-possibly-totaled car.

It was only then that she remembered the car phone Ed had insisted they get. It was big, and mostly useless, and really more of a radio than a phone, but it was also a lifesaver in the fact that she was in the middle of nowhere with no way to call for help.

Quickly, Lorraine dialed in her house number, gripping the steering wheel anxiously. What if Ed didn’t answer? He could be out in the yard, or even in his office, so caught up in case files that he wouldn’t hear the phone.

Her worries were put to rest when he picked up. “Hello?”

“Ed!” Against her wishes, her eyes filled with tears, and she had to blink away the blurriness. “Lorraine? Where are you?” Despite her best efforts to hide the teariness in her voice, Ed had obviously detected it.

“Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine. I’m in the car.” Silence, and then…..

“I got in a crash.”

“WHAT?!?!” She winced, leaning away from the speaker a little. “Are you hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?”

“No, no I’m fine.” She glanced at the indentations in her hand and the blood on her rosary cross.

“I’m just…..” she blew out a shaky breath. “Can you come get me?” She hated to ask this of him, but she was exhausted from her vision, and her head was throbbing like there was a bass speaker in her brain.

“Of course, Hon. I’ll be there soon, if you just give me the directions.” She quickly rattled off where she was in relation to their home. “Okay, just hold on. I’ll be right there.”

He was about to hang up, but Lorraine stopped him. “Ed?”

“Yeah?”

She could’ve died . In fact, if it weren’t for the rosary in her hand, if it weren’t for God, the crash could’ve gone a lot worse.

“I love you.”

“Love you too, hon.”

Chapter Text

Ed hadn’t driven so fast in a long time; his foot was practically pressing the gas pedal to the floorboards. The road was passing by in a blur of gray and green, and he only ever slowed up if he was near a police car.
Otherwise, he was flying down the street like a bullet on wheels. Lorraine had assured him she was fine, but could he really believe her? As amazing as his wife was, she wasn’t exactly forthcoming when it came to her health. So yes, he had every right to be worried enough to warrant speeding twenty over the limit like a maniac.

A car honked at him as he flew past, and okay, if he was honest, he might’ve blown a red light. But it was for a good cause. Besides, he hadn’t broken a law in his life, ever, so he sure God would cut him some slack this time around.

It was all worth it when he pulled up beside his wife. She was seated on the curb, obviously having had the car towed. Her rosary was clutched in one hand, and the other was wrapped in an old scarf that was beginning to seep through with red.

Ed got out of the car quickly, and she stood up, dusting herself off just as he reached her. “Ed,” she sighed in relief. “What happened to your hand?” He cut in, not waiting for her to explain it herself. Lorraine heaved a sigh. “My rosary cut into my hand….I didn’t even notice until…..”

Her voice trailed off, and she shifted her gaze away from him guiltily. “You had a vision.” It wasn’t a question. Ed knew her well enough by now. But Lorraine gave no answer, still fiddling with the beads of her rosary and avoiding his eyes.

“Lorraine, we’ve been married for fifteen years. In all of those times, have either of us successfully managed to lie to each other?”

“No,” she sighed in response, finally giving in and meeting his gaze with her teary one. The fight left him as he saw how exhausted she was, and he wrapped his arms around her gently. She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked lightly, not sure which had shaken her up more: the crash, or the vision. She blew out a breath. “Not yet. Wait till we get home.” That was fine with him. Just the fact that she was willing to tell him in general.

Back when they were still dating and in the earlier years of their marriage, he used to get frustrated by the fact that she didn’t want to discuss her visions. He never vocalized it, not wanting her to feel bad, but it was hard to watch her suffer through something he couldn’t protect her from.

Then one night, he’d had a dream that she had died, and when Lorraine asked what he’d dreamt of, he couldn’t tell her. Ever since, he’d realized that she would come around when she was ready. He just had to be patient. Ed guessed that he’d come a long way since his eighteen year old self.

“Come on, let’s head home,” he suggested softly, and she nodded, taking his hand in her good one as they walked back to the car.