An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fandom: The Americans (TV 2013) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Philip Jennings | Clark Westerfeld & Paige Jennings, Elizabeth Jennings/Philip Jennings | Clark Westerfeld & Paige Jennings Characters: Paige Jennings, Philip Jennings | Clark Westerfield, Background & Cameo Characters Additional Tags: Pre-Canon, Missing Scene, Post-Canon, Psychological Trauma, Parenthood, Father-Daughter Relationship, Identity Issues, Yuletide, Yuletide 2018 Summary: Paige will never be hungry as Philip was as a child, but as the Jennings family implodes, food often feels like the only thing she doesn't lack.
They’re alone, the three of them, not a nurse in sight, and the utter absurdity of the situation makes him laugh.
“Paige.” The most American name either of them could stand, one they couldn’t apply a Russian diminutive to even by accident. Babies are babies, surely, and yet she’s a happy alien to the world he thought he knew: She’s solid and warm and may never know a single day of hunger. He kisses his girl on her forehead. “Privyet.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widen in her sweaty face, but her grip on the bed loosens and she leans back against the pillows with a soft mouth that makes Philip smile.
Yuletide author reveals have happened! I wrote this fic for @intrikate88 tracking the Paige & Philip relationship over the years, before, during, and after canon—mostly bittersweet, like canon, but with some hope as well. Most of my thoughts previously had been about the Elizabeth & Paige relationship, since that’s the one given more obvious screen time, but the Paige and Philip parallels are so fascinating and deliciously painful as well, and so it was great to dig more into them (as well as the Elizabeth/Philip marriage a teeny bit in the background, as I personally think Philip sees a lot of things in America through the lens of Elizabeth, including of course their children, thanks to the early impression she made on him, though not slavishly so).
Happy 2019 to all!!
