#》 | 「 wilson‚ jo. 」 ▸ call for interactions.

[kyujosha]

043. ▸ tags 》 jo wilson . . .

[crazy-dog-lady-81]

Unconventional Conventions

Chapter 21

It came as no surprise to either Amelia or Kai. When he had received their legal request to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, Link had become extremely upset. This they had expected; if the tables were turned, they both felt sure they'd be feeling the same way.

However, they felt equally sure that they would manage to keep their emotions and behaviours in check. Link had erupted in fury and had caused significant damage to Jo Wilsons' apartment. When his lawyer had called to tell him about the couples' stipulation, he had thrown chairs, tables, and crockery about. To make it worse, Jo and her daughter Luna had been forced to leave, fearing for their safety.

The police had been called, and Link had found himself in police custody. Jo had decided not to press charges against him, and after spending a night in the cells, he had been released with a warning.

A week later, Link had finally undergone the assessment. The report had been pretty much as Kai's uncle had predicted. The psychiatrist had determined that Link was currently mentally ill. They had made a diagnosis of psychoses. Based on the episode with Jo, he had recommended that Link be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. That's where Link was now.

These events brought Amelia and Kai no satisfaction. Amelia, in particular, was hurting for him. She genuinely saw that Link was a good man, one who was going through a difficult time. She had no wish to make things worse for him, and if they had been able to come to an agreement about Scout's care, she wouldn't have asked any of this of him at all.

Even this morning, when her phone had rung, and their own lawyer had told them that Link had decided to drop his custody application, Amelia had felt no sense of victory. Of course, she and Kai were thrilled to learn that they would not lose their son. How could they not? But, they did see this as a reason to rub salt into Link's wounds.

Instead, they currently sat on their sofa, side by side. Kai had their arm draped protectively around their fiancé's shoulder. Amelia sighed and rested back into their side, laying her head on their strong shoulder. Kai placed a tender kiss on her head.

"I can't believe that it’s all over. Just like that. Without the fight, drama, or trauma that we'd expected, "Amelia mused.

A hum from her partner told Amelia that they agreed with her.

"I know we expected a fight, were even prepared for it. In my wildest dreams, I never could have imagined that it would have ended like this," they replied.

"Yeah, for sure. It's impossible to believe that Link would be in psychiatric care, seriously mentally ill."

"Amelia, you need to remember that while none of this is ideal, at least he's in the right place, where he'll get the help that he needs. Plus, thanks to Jo not pressing charges, he’s going to be able to practice again as soon as he's well enough."

Amelia knew Kai was right. Link would be alright with the proper care.

"I hope he'll make good progress so he can resume his place in Scout's life."

Until Link’s mental health improved, they had made the decision to keep Scout away from him. As he progressed, Amelia and Kai were open to reconsidering this position and bringing him back into the toddlers life. Link would always be his father, and they were committed to making this three-way parenting scenario work.

Over the baby monitor, which was placed on the coffee table in front of them, came the sounds of Scout waking up from his afternoon nap. Still basking in the glow of new parenthood, Kai immediately stood to go to him. Amelia couldn’t help but smile at their enthusiasm.

Her smile widened as she listened to the interaction between the two. She could clearly picture Kai smiling goofily at the blonde boy and reaching to pick him up gently. The neuroscientist spoke to Scout in a soft, calm voice.

"Well, hey there, lil' dude. Did you have a good nap? Come on up here so I can see you."

Amelia imagined Kai bouncing Scout on their hip while a still sleepy Scout wrapped his arms around their neck and cuddled into their body. Her mental image was proven accurate when Kai came downstairs with the boy.

"What are you smiling about, Shepherd?"

"My two favourite and most beloved people in the world."

"Oh. Well, in that case, please do carry on."

Kai set Scout down on his feet. The child sat down with his toys and Amelia's heart swelled with love as his new parent sat down with him. She knew that this play time Kai shared with him was vital to the bonding process between them. That Kai was patiently, diligently, and enthusiastically doing the work, made her love them even more, something that she didn’t think possible.

Amelia wanted him to have a parental figure in his life who would teach him to ride a bike, fish, swim, and once, she'd have said those things would be Link’s job. Now, looking at her child and her partner giggling together, she wasn’t so sure. Now she could picture Kai doing those things with him. And if she was being completely honest with herself, the thought filled her with joy.

"Hey, Amelia. Come join us. Family time means the whole family."

She didn’t need to be asked twice.

[kyujosha-arc]

lviii. ;; ic ﹚ jo wilson !

✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   call for transmissions. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   call for interactions. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   call for narratives. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   call for dynamics. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   entering a reality. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   reality in progress. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   mirror image. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   fashion sense. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   musings and isms. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   transmission received. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   dynamic desires ﹚ romantic. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   dynamic desires ﹚ familial. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   dynamic desires ﹚ platonic. ✦   ┊   「   jo w.   」   dynamic desires ﹚ antagonistic.

[jobrookekarev]

I Remember it All Too Well

Chapter One of Six: Invisible String Tying You to Me

Words: 2200

Summary: Alex knew from the moment he signed the divorce papers that leaving Jo and Seattle was the worst mistake of his life. As Alex works his way back to Seattle, he sees Jo again four times before she allows him back into her life. 

Or

The four times Alex saw Jo after their divorce, and the one time they finally got back together with her, plus a soft epilogue.

Fandom: Grey's Anatomy

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson.

Characters: Jo Wilson, Alex Karev, Helen Karev, Eli Stevens, Alexis Stevens.

Rating: General Audiences

Additional Tags: Regret, Longing, Pining, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Foster Kid, Adoption, the Pandemic.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

AN: Will update weekly

……………………………………………………………………

Alex was in the kitchen getting dinner ready. It was spaghetti night which means twice the mess as usual nights as he dumped the first jar of spaghetti sauce into the huge pot on the stove. 

“Here you go, Daddy,” Eli said, handing him the other jar of spaghetti sauce.

“Thanks, bud,” Alex smiled at Eli, his little co-chef tonight.

Eli ran off to get the noodles as Alex put the other jar of sauce in the pot and turned on the burner to simmer.

Izzie always went all out with the homemade sauce and everything, but Alex made a version of spaghetti sauce that he and Jo used to make. It was basically just, roasted ground beef, two different kinds of store-bought spaghetti sauce, and a dash of fresh garlic and hot pepper flakes. Izzie hated it, but the twins absolutely loved it and she wasn’t here to tell him what to do. So Daddy’s spaghetti sauce it was.

“Alex!” He heard his mother call out to him from the office down the hall. “There's something wrong with my video call!”

“Just a second mom,” Alex said as he put the can of sauce in the sink and wiped his hands. 

“Eli hold off on the noodles and don’t do anything in the kitchen until I get back,” Alex said, taking the pack of noodles from him.

“Okay,” Eli said as he scurried off to join his sister on the carpet as she played with their tablet. It was a little pre-dinner technology time and they were completely engrossed in it and didn't even notice as Alex left the room. 

He walked down the hall to the little office Helen had in the corner of the house. Ever since the pandemic started Alex had moved back to Iowa to keep an eye on his mother during the lockdown. The library had closed and Helen struggled to maintain her schedule. Having Alex there had helped as he set her up with her therapist two times a week and she was able to help the kids with their school work in place of her work at the library. It wasn’t perfect, but they made do.

Izzie wasn't with them as the two of them were fighting. Izzie was upset he wouldn't call her his girlfriend, despite their relationship and the fact that they lived and parented together. Alex tried to love her and he wanted to make it work, but he couldn't just jump all in. Izzie wanted to pick up where they left off. She wanted them to be together, so she could say she had the perfect life; a partner, and kids, and everything. However, Alex wasn't ready to fully love her like that again. Truth be told he was still in love with Jo. He needed time to let go of Jo and grieve the loss of his marriage to her. 

The pandemic had put a strain on all of that and Izzie had opted to stay back in Kansas, although she called every day to talk to the kids. As Izzie continued to work through the pandemic, Alex was left alone to parent the twins when the schools closed. Before the shutdown, Alex hadn't been able to find a job and was just subbing for the Ped’s attendings at the hospital Izzie worked at. With the quarantine that had transitioned to the occasional Zoom call consult and now he was mostly just a stay-at-home dad to the twins. 

“I had the email on the computer and I clicked the link, but then this little box popped up and asked for a password, but I've never used a password before?” Helen explained as she pointed to the computer set up on the desk for a video call with her doctor. 

She sat back in the chair and twisted her fingers as she looked up at the clock. It was five minutes past five and he could tell she was getting upset that the call hadn't gone as planned throwing off her schedule. She was going to therapy twice a week and had an extra doctor’s video appointment every other week, on Friday evenings. 

“Okay, let me see,” Alex said as he pulled up the zoom meeting on the computer. He double checked the internet settings and went back to the original email. Alex quickly read it over. It was the standard zoom email with time and place and the passcode at the bottom. Alex clicked the link and waited for it to start up. 

The Zoom started up but prompted him for the password and Alex quickly input the code and the zoom meeting connection started up on the screen.

“Thank you, Alex, but you should go,” Helen urged as she put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back. 

Alex stepped away to give his mother her privacy, but then the video connected and a baby appeared on the screen. The baby couldn't have been more than six months old as the camera was angled to the floor so they could see the baby sitting up on a blanket surrounded by toys. The baby smiled as soon as the video started. They locked eyes with Helen and babbled excitedly before leaning towards her. The baby excitedly babbled, as they seemed to recognize Helen and she smiled as she looked at them.

“Hello, little one,” Helen said as she leaned forward and waved at the baby. “I’m so happy to see you, but where’s your Mommy?”

Alex stepped forward and smiled as he watched them interact. He wasn't surprised that the doctor put their computer on their coffee table and did Zoom meetings with their baby. They were in the middle of a pandemic and he had done the same with the twins when he consulted for a few Ped’s cases at the hospital in Kansas City. Then he recognized the couch behind the baby. It was the white couch that Jo had bought for him with his money that she won after the ping pong match. The room around the baby was the loft in Seattle.

“Hey, do you see Grandma?” Jo's sweet voice came through the line as she sat down on the floor next to the baby and picked them up before sitting them in her lap. “I was worried when you were late. I was just about to call you, but I couldn’t find my phone... Alex?” 

Alex stood there dumbfounded as they locked eyes. Jo was just as shocked to see him as he was, but only for a moment before Jo grew angry and reached forward to end the call.

“No, Josephine, please wait, he's leaving,” Helen pleaded with her but it was too late as Jo closed the laptop and ended the call.

Helen turned around and glared at him. “I told you to go.” 

“No you can't do that, you can't just tell me to leave when you've been video chatting with my ex-wife and her baby?” Alex said, he tried not to get too upset, but he couldn't help it.

Alex just stood there shocked as he thought about Jo and the baby in her lap, video chatting with his mother. This had to have been an ongoing thing as Helen had it scheduled out every other Friday for weeks. He remembered walking past the door one time and hearing baby giggles, he brushed it off as just weird feedback, but there was a baby. 

It was Jo’s baby. He didn't even know how she’s had a baby. She couldn't have been pregnant when he left because the baby was around six months old and he'd only divorce her five months and twenty-one days ago. So unless she’d given birth right after he left Seattle the baby wasn’t theirs and he’d certainly know if Jo was nine months pregnant before he left. The tally in his head of how long it had been since he left her was a constant reminder of the life he'd left behind. 

“Just because you cut Josephine out of your life doesn't mean that I have to,” Helen said, raising her voice as she twisted her fingers. “When you left she had no one, no family, I still remember the day she called me to say that you had divorced her. Instead of hearing it from you, I heard from my daughter-in-law that my son had two kids and an ex-wife in Kansas and that he was divorcing her to be with them.”

“So what, you just took her side in everything?” Alex said, getting defensive as he crossed his arms.

“I'm not on anybody's side,” Helen insisted, getting more upset. “I let you come stay with me and, I love you, Alex I do, and I love your twins, and I love being a Grandma to them, but I love having Josephine as my daughter-in-law, too. Before your divorce, Josephine and I called each other twice a month and after you left her I continued to call her, she never stopped taking my calls, unlike how you did. It's part of my routine and I'm so gracious that she still lets me be a part of her life. Her one condition was that I couldn't tell you that we were still in contact and I respected that.”

Alex sat down in the chair across from his mom as he processed the information. He didn't know anything about Jo’s life now. Meredith wouldn't tell him anything when they talk, despite how he asked occasionally. 

“I'm sorry, you're right and you have every right to keep in contact with Jo,” Alex said as Helen nodded and relaxed back into her chair. “How is she? The baby, is it hers?”

“Sort of, he’s her foster baby and she’s trying to adopt him. Josephine picked him up from the fire station after his birth parents dropped him off there and she’s been fostering him ever since. His name is Asher, he just turned six months old last week,” Helen said as she smiled and pulled out her phone, she quickly pulled up a picture of them and handed her phone to Alex. 

Jo was holding Asher and they were pressed up against each other cheek to cheek. Jo had such a wide smile across her face, one that he had seen many times when she was joyously happy and it made him smile too. They had been trying for a baby before he left and it made his heartache, despite how happy he was for her. 

“He’s really cute,” Alex said handing the phone back to his mother, but the image remained burned into his mind. 

“Yeah he's such a sweetheart too, always babbling on about something,” Helen said as she looks down at the picture. 

“Why don't you text Jo and tell her that I'm gone. I won't interrupt your video chats again, maybe she'll call back,” Alex said as he got up and went to the door.

“Thank you, Alex,” Helen said standing up and reaching to put a hand on his cheek. 

Alex just nodded and left. He went back down the hall and went back to the pot of sauce, but he couldn't get his mind off the image of Jo and Asher. He looked over at the twins. They were completely engrossed in the game they were playing. It was this water game where they had to draw a path to give water to an alligator so they could take a shower. Alexis was directing Eli's hand and trying to draw the path over him as they argued over the right path for the water. 

“Alexis let your brother create the path for the water this time, you can do the next one,” Alex said to them as he turned the heat on the spaghetti sauce down as it had started bubbling over while he was gone. “But just five more minutes guys and then I need your help to set the table.”

“Okay,” They quickly replied in sync, but didn't look up from their game.

It was easy for Alex to step back into the role of father for his twins and focus on the life he had in front of him, but he couldn't get Jo off his mind. Alex started the water for the pasta set before he got out a stack of four plates and set them on the counter where the kids could reach them. Then he walked back down the hall. Alex pressed his ear up against the door as he heard Jo and Helen talking while Asher babbled in the background. He heard Jo laugh at something that Asher did and he took in a breath as a knot formed in his chest. 

He had regretted his decision to divorce Jo from the second he sent out the papers, but he was too much of a coward to take it back now. Alex loved Alexis and Eli with every fiber of his being and he didn't regret a second of his life with them. He just wished he could go back and tell Jo about them. He wished he would have asked her to co-parent them with him. He wished he would have done all this with her, but he didn't and he couldn't take it back now. So he just stood there and he closed his eyes as he listened to her laugh.

[thejolexgroupchat]

the one where they met in med school - part seven

Jo’s first day at Seattle Grace

Be sure to check out our Master List for parts 1-6

You guys really have no idea how much Nat, @iamtrebleclefstories​ and @doc-pickles​ love writing this story.

(July 2007)

"You ready?" Alex asked as he looked at Jo in the passenger seat and Lexie in the back. They were sitting in the hospital parking lot, Jo and Lexie taking in the fact that today was the first day of their intern year. "You don't want to be late on your first day. Trust me, you want to hear Webber's speech. And I don't want to be late to meet my interns."

"Do you guys already know who you have?" Lexie asked. She wasn't originally supposed to come to Seattle. She had a top tier surgical residency waiting for her at Mass Gen, but when her mom died about a month ago, she got rematched at Seattle Grace to be closer to her father. On top of that, Lexie had just found out that she had an older sister who was working in this very hospital.

"No, we find out when you do," Alex shared. "Are you sure you don't want me to talk to Meredith? She's a good person. A bit emotionally stunted, but she's a good friend."

"No, Alex it's fine," Lexie shook her head. "I think she should hear it from me."

"Okay. I'm going to go inside. I'll see you guys later. Maybe if you're lucky you'll be on my service," he leaned over to the passenger seat and gave Jo a peck on the lips before getting out of the car. "Don't forget to lock the door."

About an hour later, Jo and Lexie were in the locker room, waiting for Webber to share which resident they would be working under. He went through the list of residents and called out interns.

“Alright everyone listen up. I am going to assign you to a resident. When I call your name, you will go find your resident in the hallway and await instructions. Trimble, Franklin, Morales, and Bozniack you’re with Stevens. Harrison, Allen, O’Malley, Johnson, and Phillips with Grey. Lawrence, Crowley, Vega, Brown, and Grey you’re with Yang. Last but not least, Hernandez, Jenkins, Davis, and Wilson, you’re with Karev.”

Jo and Lexie exchanged a glance. Jo knew that being on Alex’s service was always a possibility, however, she never thought it would actually happen. That would make things much more difficult than she’d anticipated. Prior to starting, Jo and Alex had agreed to keep their relationship private. Aside from Lexie, no one would know that the two of them were together, so that if Jo got to scrub in on a surgery or was handed a case, it was because she was good and not because she was dating a resident. But what was once a possibility, quickly became a reality, and they were going to have to learn how to deal with this situation if they wanted to keep their relationship private.

Soon after Webber assigned the interns to their residents, they all left the room, leaving only Jo and the other three residents there.

Jo was organizing her locker when she heard the others gossiping about Alex.

“Ughh, what was I even expecting from this? I have the worst luck ever. Of course I was going to end up with the douchiest resident. You guys heard about him, right?” Jenkins complained, Jo’s eyes glued to the objects in front of her.

“Yeah. His reputation around this place is not the best. I heard he is really good, though. Not everything is lost yet. Let’s wait and see,” Hernandez tried to be positive.

“I heard that too. Looks like he is really talented and hardworking, but I heard that if you’re not one of them, he will treat you like trash no matter what. One of the residents in his class, that is,” Davis added, making Jo’s heart sink a little.

If only they knew a bit more about him, they wouldn’t be so quick to judge. She knew that her boyfriend wasn’t the easiest person to deal with and he still had a lot of growing and learning to do, but he had the biggest heart. Hearing the other residents talk about him made Jo sigh.

“What about you, Wilson? Things aren’t looking good for him already. Dude is already late. First thing he does is make us wait for him. Ever heard anything about the guy?” Jenkins asked Jo, forcing her to pull her head out of the locker and interact with them.

“Not really, to be honest. Maybe he’s not that bad. I’m not the biggest fan of judging people before actually knowing them. Maybe the three of you can give it a shot? Soothes the soul a bit,” Jo gave them a sarcastic smile after closing the locker aggressively. She knew she shouldn’t be doing that. Getting into arguments with the people she was going to spend the next five years of her life glued to. Especially not that early into the thing, but she wasn’t about to let them say bad things about her boyfriend without giving him a chance. And she wasn’t wrong. They really shouldn’t judge him before knowing nothing but his name.

“You find him hot, don’t you?” Hernandez smiled at her. "You saw him earlier when Webber was giving us the tour and you thought he was hot."

Jo didn’t want to blatantly lie to them, so she was more than thankful for the moment Alex interrupted and entered the room.

“Hernandez, Wilson, Jenkins and Davis, come,” he ushered them to get ready.

Alex guided the four interns to the hall before glancing at his girlfriend, who was supporting a poker face like he had never seen before. Still, he could see through it with ease. His face twitched into a crooked half-smile, causing Jo to roll her eyes ever so slightly.

Although he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t excited about having her closer to him, he was worried that their original plan was going to be even harder than they had thought it would be. Knowing that she was going to be so close in proximity to him after a year of being an entire country apart, was going to severely push his restraint.

“So, I’m Dr. Alex Karev and I’ll be your resident. I have five rules, and you’ll have to use your underdeveloped brains to memorize them,” he started walking after noticing Jo was trying hard not to laugh at the things he was saying, but still keeping a straight face.

“Rule number one: don’t even think about kissing my ass. It won’t work. I already hate you, and that’s not gonna change. Rule number two: run! Trauma protocol, phone list, pagers, nurses will page you. You will answer every single page at a run. Your first shift starts now. I have no idea how long it will last. It’s not my problem. You should know that. You’re interns, grunts, nobodies, bottom of the surgical food chain. You run labs, write orders, work until you drop and don’t complain. I am not going to raise whiny babies,” he stopped in front of a door and eyed the four people in front of him before opening it and walking inside the room. “On call rooms. Attendings hog them to sleep or do other things. You will sleep when you can, where you can, and I don’t want to have to

find any of you doing the nasty anywhere, understand? Rule number three: if I’m sleeping, do not wake me, unless the patient is dying. Four: the dying patient better not be dead when I get there.”

Jo’s eyes shined teasingly as she raised her hand, “You said five rules. That was only four.”

Alex tried not to smirk as his pager went off, “Rule number five: when I move, you move. Let’s go.”

***

Jo’s first shift ended after thirty-six hours. She was completely and utterly exhausted, every muscle in her body protesting as she walked the two blocks from the hospital to her apartment. When she finally made it in the house, Alex was waiting for her with a beer and pizza in hand. He guided her to the couch and helped her sit down.

Jo groaned as her body sank down into the cushions, “I feel like I want to just curl up into a ball on this couch and sleep forever.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Alex chuckled. “I know you’re exhausted, but I need you to eat before you pass out, so take the pizza and beer.”

“I thought you said you hate your interns and that’s not gonna change,” Jo raised her eyebrows. “You’re being awfully nice to me, Dr. Karev. I hope you don’t think that this means I’ll sleep with you. Because even if I wanted to, I think I’m too tired to do anything.”

“Shut up,” Alex rolled his eyes. He looked at her suggestively. “And, you know I don’t mind doing all the work. It might be good for you, ya know? Like a stress reliever. All it will cost you is making sure you get some food in your system.”

“Are you offering to service me?” Jo laughed. This was reason one hundred fifty-seven of why she loved this man. “Is this something you do for all your interns, Dr. Karev?”

“Only the ones I’m in love with,” Alex leaned across the couch for a kiss. “Trust me when I say, I am very eager to please you.”

“You’re so dirty!” Jo giggled and pushed his shoulder lightly. “But, I may have to take you up on that offer.”

The pair talked and laughed while they shared their meal. It was nice being able to spend time together again and finally be on the same page. Agreeing to finish their food, they sat there in silence for a while before Jo spoke up again, “Are you sure this isn’t a conflict of interest? Me being your intern?”

“It might be,” Alex sighed. “I have a hard time telling you no, or when to stop because I respect you and I love you. But I also know that going easy on you would only be a disservice to your career, so I’m going to do my best to let you know when you’re in need of improvement.”

“Thank you,” Jo brought her hand up to his face. “I’m really happy that I’m here.”

“So am I,” Alex grinned. “So, what do you say we go to the room and I’ll… help you relax.”

“Three and a half years in and you still have a one track mind,” Jo shook her head, an amused look on her face.

“What can I say?” Alex shrugged. “I have a super hot girlfriend and can’t get enough of her.”

[lovecanbesostrange]

I’m so glad I’m used to Grey’s making me cry. Guess that will be amped up for this season. But it’s a bit different, because I can already see that the writers try to balance it all with little positive things. They just don’t hold back reality and that is the worst thing right now.

Okay, getting it out of the way. We have confirmation, JO WILSON IS OFFICIALLY BACK. Maybe it’s just because that can of worms is one too many, so let’s go back to something easy and nice. I don’t care why, thanks for finally clarifying that. Also omg, she is an actual doctor. She did actual medical things. I’m baffled. And it was especially mentioned. Wow. This is something I am not used to. (lol DeLuca is an attending now and he only took five years like he was supposed to, even if we ignore the almost one year timejump at the end of S11, Jo’s 5year residency took six years.......)

Well, I got Wilson and Bailey together in an OR and they got to have a rare case and a good outcome and I am always here for Bailey feeling some joy. Plus fuck, Jo observing mother-baby-bonding is emotional as hell. And after Station 19 I was so glad that Carina had a win as well. God, Carina is starting her fourth season and now as Maya’s girlfriend... I like her. Terrible things will start to happen to her soon, right? I mean, witnessing her brother’s mental break already counts.

I feel bad for Schmitt. Except it’s almost a fun running joke by now, getting thrown off of cases... Also, dude, thank you so much for spitting out like that. There are some things you really shouldn’t say during a pandemic. Can I assume he still lives with Jo now? Liked seeing them close.

The Jackson/Link/Helm team-up was also cool. I just want rotating doctor teams treating patients and this was hilarious. Although... do people remember that Private Practice was an actual spin-off that existed with Charlotte King, Sexologist, in it?! Guess that would mean acknowledging Amelia once had another close friend........... (I only really liked Charlotte on that show, would love to know what she is up to now) But hey, the sex therapist lead to another great Amelia/Link moment and I will devour every bit of happiness they share.

The talk between Link and Jackson was great. And once again, two sides of a thing are totally understandable. Link being glad he got to leave the crazy house with the four kids for a day. And Jackson missing spending more time with his daughter. And thank you, thank you, for not just mentioning April, but also Matt.

Speaking of mentions... Alex Karev...... Meredith’s power of attorney..... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I remember when it was a fun scene discussing healthcare proxies back in S10. Did Alex ever change his? He is known for having trouble with forms (his student debt, the unmailed marriage license) - if he’s in an accident, will Cristina get a call in Switzerland????? A~nyway it is only fair that Maredith picks Richard now. Role reversal and all. At least she tells him before! I was wondering if Bailey tried dropping hints that she wants dibs on pulling Mer’s plug if the time comes........

Watching Meredith run across the beach and faceplanting was such a relief. I laughed way too much, but it’s the stress from the rest of the ep. So thanks for doing that.

I’m glad Maggie has Winston, even if it’s only a video-call. He gets it. And everybody at Grey Sloan should have somebody outside to talk to anyway. But Maggie’s breakdown was so fucking real and awful... doing her best to just be the sister. While losing so many patients. And the way they threw in her mom’s death - yep, new perspective on that, now that people die alone. It’s not a statistic. People are dying.

Laura Cerón on Station 19 and Lisa Vidal on Grey’s, Please import more people from Emergency Room. New interns, well, the Webber speech sure changed... that hit hard. Especially with only three people left. Gonna look out for Mama Ortiz now.

I should say something about Tom. Hmmm... guess somebody has to asymptomatic.

Station 19 was good as well. A tiger. Shouldn’t surprise me, we saw a pet lion before. Ben should be glad they call him Dad. Not Grandpa. XD Still the best dude, good peptalk to Carina. A+ interaction. Seeing a happy Andy sure is weird, will she find five minutes of peace in all of this? Also Webber being Sullivan’s sponsor is a better way for a crossover than more interconnecting romance.

[bi-lullaby]

Meredith vs People

Alternative titles: “My other post in a similar format got slightly popular and I crave attention” and “I’m still hung up on the one time Owen called Mer “the only universally liked individual in the hospital” because she is my fave”

Meredith x Cristina

Once called “the true lovestory of the show” I think it’s one of the kost refreshing relationships between characters I’ve ever seen in my, admittedly not that long, experience with fandom. The love and support each other wildly and publicly, straight up say to others how their person is important and a thing to prioritize. It’s so... Amazing to watch their deep, soulmate-like bond develop. I also love them from a narrative standpoint: How they started out as ambitious, driven people with complicated relationships with intimacy who saw surgery as the end all be all goal, and how they’re allowed to grow apart from that slightly, acquire other goals and relationships and projects (Meredith) or continue on that path, prioritizing their career and success solely/mostly (Cristina) and how both are treated as valid, rewarding choices (Mer with her happiness at family life and her Harper Avery, and Cristina with her bomb-ass hospital and the resolution of her personal relationships). They’re two characters that took on distinct journeys, but whose paths to personal fulfillment are deeply intertwined to each other.

Meredith x Alex

Okay, this is my favorite friendship ever. If Izzie showed Alex that his “evil spawn” ways weren’t exactly preferable nor they made him better than anyone or immune to pain, Meredith stuck out her hand for him and said “you’re dark and twisty? Cool. Doesn’t mean you can’t find, and fight for, happiness. Lets be dark and twisty together while we figure this out.” They relate to each other in a fascinating way, both children of neglect (to varying degrees) who worked their way to the top with a lot of bumps in the way. Also, seeing as I’m Mer’s number one stan, I also love their relationship because Alex is so amazing to her. Even Cristina had her moments of “mommy tracking” her, or even putting her aside in favor of a relationship, while Alex sticks by her side like glue and puts her above almost everything (which, I’m not saying a friendship is less valid if it’s not the most important thing in the world to you, of course not. I’m saying that everyone has a favorite person in the world, and the fact Mer is someone’s, makes that someone (Alex) even better in my eyes). Meredith sticks by the people she cares about’s sides through whatever they’re going through, in whatever way she can, and I find that that is surprisingly not-reciprocal in some instances, so it’s good she has her own ride-or-die. It’s also comic to me that two of the most sexually active, sex-driven characters in the show have never had an indication of sexual tension between them. (Almost like men and women can be friends, shocking!). The show’s not complete without Merlex, that’s for sure!

Meredith x Lexie

BRB, will be crying about the softest sisters ever, who deserved a much more fleshed-out relationship! To this day, all my (unpublished) Grey’s fanfiction involve “Lexie is actually alive” because it was such a traumatic loss to Meredith (that was under explored, imo, even if the little mentions of it through the show are heartwarming AND breaking). I loved that they made Mer push her way at first, because it showed her deep resentment of her own life, of not getting the doting father and the protective mother and the “growing up with siblings” and then having someone who had all that come and throw at her face the word “sisters” like they shared anything but DNA at that point... I think my two favorite examples of “family is about choice, not blood” examples of this show are their relationship and how it got deep through knowing each other (Meredith donates a piece of her liver to their father because of Lexie, but doesn’t remember Molly’s name in the same ep because Molly has not actively been her sister) and another one I’ll talk about later. And the contrast between Lexie’s own sadness from suddenly being left with basically no family (alcoholic father, dead mother,stranded older dister and far-away younger sister, all things I feel like people don’t consider enough to understand Lexie has also suffered) and her fight to get that family back was just so amazing. In a way, Lexie was Meredith’s Izzie, not only by being cuddly and fuzzy and nurturing but by having a “I deserve better than you being an asshole so I’ll make you less of an asshole or so help me god” attitude. Mer got softer for lexie and I think that’s beautiful.

Meredith x Amelia

Yeah, that’s my other “favorite family is not by blood, it’s by choice” ark. That clear-contrast scene of Amelia coming from her “sisters” meetup, emotionally drained after having to endure their toxic, demeaning, vicious attacks, and into her sisters, who are earning to hear what she has to say, who empathize with her and support her... I ate that shit UP, let me tell you. Because Mer was such a huge bitch to Amy at first, but came to love her after allowing herself to truly get to know her (which is the opposite story with Nancy and Lizzie and Kate, who all refuse to get to know her past the version that they despise). I also love that Derek was kind of a barrier between them, because he had his own views of Amy that influenced Mer and when he was gone, she had to face a... quite different reality. I see a lot of people shitting on Mer for the “You’re not my sister, Cristina is my sister. You’re Derek’s sister and Derek is dead” line, and I can see why, it was rude, but... That’s Meredith’s whole instance on family? Yeah, Amy was sweet and I’d bet she was mer’s favorite “Shepherdress” out of the four woman (she had stood up to her before, against Derek, nonetheless), and it breaks my heart that Amy saw her as “the only sister she could relate to” (seriously I was sobbing) but... Sister? That’s a personal, intimate title she reserved very, very few people in her life, and Amy has earned that right with a lot more patience and care than most people put into relationships. Of course she was more loyal to Cristina than to Amy at that point (who herself was more loyal to Addison than to her own siblings, hence she didn’t tell Derek about the affair, for example). But then? She literally tells Megan she can’t possibly choose which one of Owen’s wives she likes more, and need I remind you the other one is Cristina herself? (who she called “her soulmate” over Derek?. They’re two example of women who’ve gone through tremendous trauma and pain and came out changed from it, and the fact they have each other for support now makes me very, very happy. I do wish they had more scenes together, but the ones they do share are enough for me to say their relationship is a gift for this show.

Meredith x Maggie

So pure! I like that they meet up when they’re both older and more experienced and have kind of “set” personalities, that clash sometimes, but also can add up into beautiful things when combined. It was... slightly frustrating to see Mer push away yet another person at first, but watching them get closer was also sweet. I hate the comparisons between their relationship and Merlexie’s (and the comparisons between Maggie and Lexie/Cristina/April like she’s just a stand-in for them). They were different moments of all their lives. Mer and Lexie? Inexperienced 20-something women going though shit trying to find their place in the world, when Mer was still in her dark and twisties and needed to be cajoled into giving Lexie even an inch. Mer and Maggie? Well-established women in their late thirties whose relationship wasn’t built on a need for each other, but in working together for the sisterhood they wanted. I love that it was Maggie that had to get to know Meredith and be persuaded into liking her, actually. And look where they are now! They have such a comfortable, intimate relationship that’s based on love and mutual respect! I love Maggie’s small fangirl moment when Mer pulls that amazing straw-in-the-skull stunt in the airplane and Maggie’s filming the interview (although I hated what came afterwards. C’mon Maggie, fighting over a boy? Really?). It’s also good to see how Meredith helps Maggie navigate her first real trauma (loosing her mother) and how her pain has build her up and actually helps others! It’s an excellent stance of character development that remains true to the character. Their little interaction when Mer’s creating her little dream-induced invention and Maggie looks at the board once and understands it, helping her figure it all out, is so cute and nice! They’re sweet and good for each other, and I’ll protect this relationship forever!

Meredith and Jo

“You’re Jo Wilson, I know exactly who you are!” makes me weak. Because it’s such a powerful, important phrase, but also such... A Mer thing to say. At the end of the day, Mer loves people and takes them under her wing and empathizes with them. She becomes Jo’s support system and doesn’t let go. I love how she’s the one to stand by her side and protect her from Paul, and I love how she’s the one in the more recent episode to manage to get Jo to open up, to get up and get help. They’re almost mirrors, Jo with Mer’s headstrongness and emotional baggage, barging in and taking the world by storm, with Mer being Jo’s Bailey in a way, with a lot of crankiness and a slight superiority complex but lots of wisdom and care, looking at her go with a smirk like “that girl will go far but she’ll need a couple wrist slaps on the way”. Mer was extremely important in Alex’s life, she became extremely important in Jo’s life, and that’s beautiful and sweet. Also, their “shared custody” of Alex is hilarious.

Meredith x Callie

How could we have guessed that two people that initially were at each others throats constantly would be so close one day? They are absurdly different, and yet so close! The way they support each other’s journeys as mothers, wives and surgeons is a great thing to see. And they have such iconic moments, like the panties in the bulletin board, the trial, and the little kiss!

Meredith x Mark

I’m not gonna lie, I shipped those two very briefly but very intensely when they first met! Then they evolved into a rather sweet friendship. I love to think Mer tells Sofia all sorts of stories she heard through Derek in those first years. When she told Callie that Mark used to call her (not Derek, not Addison, not Derek’s mom, not Bailey, her!) whenever he needed advice or had a crisis in the middle of the night, I teared up a little, because that’s such a huge step from who they began as! From loner and relationship-phobic insecure to parents with loving relationships who could count on each other! My favorite dirty mistresses ever!

And there’s so much more! Meredith and Bailey and how they both grew so much, Meredith and Arizona and how their relationship is underrate, Meredith and Jackson’s sibling-esque relationship, Meredith and April... “I used to think you could only have one person, but now I know. Turns out I have a whole damn village!”.

[nnightskiess]

Summary: Reader is a doctor at the hospital and their significant other was just brought in with heavy injuries.

Meredith was waiting outside with some residents, preparing for incoming trauma when the ambulance arrived.

"What do you have?" Meredith asked.

"Woman in her early twenties, fell off a balcony, four-story-tall, has an open-skull fracture and dilated pupils."

They rolled out a gurney and as soon as Meredith saw the girl's face, her face quickly faltered. 

"That's dr. Y/L/N's girlfriend," Meredith gasped while some resident was checking her eyes and ignored Meredith's comment.

"She fell?" She asked in disbelief, hoping this hadn't been an attempt at suicide.  

"She was babysitting and saved the kid but ended up falling herself."

"Get her into an OR," She shouted over the chaos and pushed the gurney towards the entrance of the hospital.

"Should we-should we page dr. Y/L/N?" A resident asked, a bit taken back. 

The girl looked pretty far gone, what if these were her last moments alive? Wouldn't Y/N want to be there for her?

"No, I'll do it myself." And with that, she ran off while the girl was pushed inside. 

Meredith ran to the pit when Arizona stopped her in the hallway. 

"Y/N's girlfriend was just brought in," She exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I know- Wilson!" Meridith called as soon as she saw Jo round the corner. "I need you,"

Jo furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, "I'm supposed to be scrubbing in with-"

"No, Y/N's girlfriend is dying and we're going to tell her, she needs her best friend right now," She grabbed Jo's arm and dragged her through the hallways. 

"She's dying? What do you mean? Was she just brought in? What happened?" Jo started rambling before she suddenly gasped.

"Tell me it's not the girl with severe head injuries!"

Meredith looked back at Jo and gave her a look. Jo swallowed and nodded her head, taking the hint. 

------

"I think she's almost done now," Jo noted as the two of them looked through the OR doors right when Meredith's pager went off. 

"It's Derek. They're taking her to the OR now, shit," She mumbled since Meredith wasn't so sure if the girl would survive the surgery. 

"They're done," Jo peeked through the window in the door again before she ran to the scrub room, trying to catch Y/N with Meredith following her.

"Hey, guys," Y/N face lit up as soon as she saw the two of them walk in. "What's up? Need me for something?"

Jo and Meredith shared a look before Jo stepped up to Y/N, holding her hands. 

"Listen, um...I'm going to have to tell you something you won't-"

"Your girlfriend was just brought in, she's in critical condition and they're taking her to surgery. We should hurry if we want to catch her before she's brought into the OR," Meredith helped Jo. 

Y/N's eyes widened. She knew they weren't lying, seeing how serious and panicked they looked. 

"What do you mean? What happened to her? She is babysitting my niece today, how-" She stopped herself and her mind was going a thousand miles per hour. Jo looked down while still holding onto Y/N's hands, squeezing them every so often.

"Lead the way," Meredith nodded.

The three of them walked out of the scrub room when they were stopped by Derek. 

"I need to stop you here," He sighed out, sadness clouded his eyes. "I know you want to see her but we rushed her into the OR. I don't want you in the room when I'm operating." Derek was about to put a hand on her shoulder but Y/N slapped it away.

"You cannot expect me to wait a few hours and leave her there alone. She hates hospitals. In the five years we've known each other she has never ever visited me while I was working so no, I won't listen. You can't ask that from me," She pointed a finger at him. 

Derek looked behind the girl and Meredith nodded at him. He stared at the ground for a moment before looking back up.

"Alright then," He sighed, "I'll give you a moment with her alone but I want you out of the OR the moment we're done prepping," He stepped aside and Y/N stormed out.

"Keep her down a bit," Jo nodded at Derek's words and followed Y/N who had already walked into the OR.

Jo sighed when she heard Y/N's sobs. "Hey angel, I'm here. You're gonna be just fine, you're safe here. You don't have to be scared, I promise," 

Jo walked up to Y/N and hugged her side, leaning her head onto Y/N's. The girl on the operating table was like a sister to Jo. She cherished that bond since she didn't have any siblings. The thought of losing her made her eyes start to water. 

Suddenly a monitor started beeping. Multiple doctors and residents were starting to crowd around the operating table, shouting. Derek walked in, giving Jo a look. 

"Y/N/N, we should go. They need to start now,"

Jo started to grab the girl's shoulders but she wriggled herself out of Jo's grip. The girl tried again but Y/N just pushed her arms away. Arizona, who had been watching from the gallery burst in and helped. 

"No!" Y/N groaned when she felt them tug her away. 

"Let me go!" Tears were clouding her eyes now.

"Status?" She heard Derek shout.

"Intracranial pressure is starting to get higher," Someone answered.

"Prepare for craniectomy and can someone get dr. Y/L/N the hell out of here?" He yelled the last part.

"Sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Arizona apologized, probably both to Y/N and Derek.

The moment they left the OR, Y/N fell into both of their embraces and cried into their shoulders. Arizona and Jo shared a look, their faces both clouded with worry and sadness.

"She's not going to make it, is she?" Y/N quietly sobbed out after a while, still being held tightly by Arizona and Jo.

"Don't say that," Jo started.

"Hey! Yeah, no negativity. We've been hugging each other for a while now. Hugging is equal to positivity so hush," Arizona tightly squeezed her arms around both girls.

"You know what else brings you positivity? Singing-"

"Dr Robbins, please," Jo furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know-"

"It's alright, it's well-meant." Y/N mumbled into their shoulders.

"I want to ask what you're all doing but I actually rather do not want to know," dr. Bailey's voice suddenly rang through the hallway and interrupted their interaction. 

Arizona's head shot up and she was met with a confused looking dr. Bailey. 

"We're hugging,"

"That I see, but why-" dr. Bailey stopped herself when she saw how teary faced Jo and Y/N were.

"What in the world happened to you two?"

That caused Y/N to start sobbing again and Arizona gave Bailey a stern look.

"Y/N's girlfriend was just brought in, she's in surgery right now," she explained.

Dr Baileys features softened and she slowly opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Instead, she walked up to the three women and wrapped her arms around them as much as she could.

"Wilson, I'll tell Torres to find someone else to scrub in if you'd like," Miranda Bailey let go of the hug and took a step back, nodding her head at Jo before focusing on the teary-eyed Y/N.

"And Y/L/N, listen to me very carefully... whatever happens, we got you. Don't forget that," She gave the girl a toothless smile and caressed her back, trying her best to reassure the girl in a time like this.

A small hint of a smile formed on Y/N's lips as she thought of that.

She indeed had the best people around her.

[krispyweiss]

The Live Music Year in Review

If live music is a drug, Sound Bites is a user and abuser. But, dang, a drug never felt so good and left so little damage (read: none) as live music.

The following are excerpts from the blog’s original reviews and do not include performances at the Nelsonville Music Festival, the Outlaw Music Festival and other difficult-to-encapsulate events.

That said, it’s a fair look at an exceptional year of concertgoing and one of the many things Sound Bites is grateful for in the year that was 2019. These sound bites (lower case) are listed in order of quality; parenthetical numerals indicate the number of times the blog’s seen the act.

A+

Los Lobos (18) at Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland, Ohio, March 1 - This was a band that wanted to be exactly where it was doing exactly what it was doing. And it showed in the music and the on-stage interaction, resulting in what was likely the best of the nearly 20 Los Lobos concerts Sound Bites has experienced since the early 1990s.

Los Lobos (19) at Rose Music Center at the Heights, Huber Heights, Ohio, July 23 - Los Lobos earned multiple standing ovations, created enough energy to make the half-full shed feel like a packed arena and proved once again why on any given night, this is the best live band in America.

Brian Wilson (2) at Rose Music Center at the Heights, Huber Heights, Ohio, Aug. 13 - Wilson’s performance of Pet Sounds and Beach Boys hits wasn’t perfect, yet it was sheer perfection. The concert humanized a musical god; it celebrated of the soundtrack of a generation; and it demonstrated the healing power of music, for both Wilson and his followers.

Wheels of Soul feat. Tedeschi Trucks Band (10), Blackberry Smoke and Shovels & Rope at Rose Music Center at the Heights, Huber Heights, Ohio, July 20 - Tedeschi Trucks Band proved the existence of life after death Saturday night, as the 12-piece killed with song after song after song and the audience came back with increasing enthusiasm each time. And while there is no denying the value in this packed night of music - which ran from 7 to 11 p.m. on a steamy, Southwestern Ohio night - it was the headliners that slayed listeners time and time again.

Livingston Taylor (2) at Thirty One West, Newark, Ohio, Dec. 6 - Livingston Taylor is as well-rounded an entertainer as anyone could ever hope to see, even if his relative obscurity meant only about 80 people turned out to see him put on an outrageously entertaining Friday-night show.

Marc Cohn feat. the Blind Boys of Alabama at Rose Music Center at the Heights, Huber Heights, Ohio, June 19 - Singing with their "Hebrew buddy" Marc Cohn, the Blind Boys of Alabama provided healing salve to the blues that immediately preceded and followed their joint set at the Rose Music Center at the Heights. The unexpected combo stole the night, an evening when Robert Cray was uncharacteristically tepid in his performance.

A

Punch Brothers (4) at Southern Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, March 20 - Even by the Punch Brothers' high standards, the band's March 20 show in Columbus was exceptional and featured a setlist that spurned esoterica for pure musicianship and songcraft. The precision in their performances continues to stagger, even more than a decade in to their career, as the band zigs and zags through various stylistic landscapes, stops on any number of onstage dimes, accelerates from zero to 60 in nanoseconds and demonstrates time and time again that intricate ensemble playing is typically much more effective than even the most evocative solo.

Todd Rundgren (39) at State Theatre, Cleveland, Ohio, May 6 - By the time he closed with “Just One Victory,” fans who had given sporadic standing ovations all evening had crowded up front for a chance to slap hands with their musical hero. Rundgren obliged. But even if he hadn’t, he’d already delivered.

Hot Tuna (Acoustic) (9) at Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza and Live Music, Worthington, Ohio, Nov. 5 - Some people say going to concerts is like going to church. Sometimes that church is a pizza shop. And the preachers are occasionally a couple of former psychedelic warriors and Woodstock veterans who have always been grizzled bluesmen at their core.

Darrell Scott (3) at Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza and Live Music, Worthington, Ohio, Sept. 29 - Accompanying himself on hollow-bodied electric guitar, six-string acoustic guitar and piano, Scott previewed tracks from the four albums, including a Hank Williams tribute, he's working on - "It sounds crazy, but it's just music," he said - sung Joe South's "Games People Play” and briefly turned the restaurant into a church.

Steep Canyon Rangers (8) at Midland Theatre, Newark, Ohio, Oct. 24 - To call the show lively would be an insult to the word, as the group moved on and off stage to play in various incarnations with members moving up front to solo and backing off to give their mates their own star turns.

Circles Around the Sun at Woodlands Tavern, Columbus, Ohio, June 11 - The band whipped out a nine-song, nearly two-hour performance that whizzed by in what seemed like 45 minutes as the quartet laid down thick grooves and the audience in the tight, well-sold space stomped around gleefully in them.

Lyle Lovett (4) and His Acoustic Group at Victoria Theatre, Dayton, Ohio, Oct. 18 - No matter whom he plays - Acoustic Group, Large Band, solo or acoustic with friends like Robert Earl Keen and Shawn Colvin - Lyle Lovett is always a wise ticket.

Todd Snider (11) at Speaker Jo Ann Davidson Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, April 10 - For 90 minutes, Snider played a career-spanning set that culled songs from 1994's Songs for the Daily Planet through this year's Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3 and most of his other albums as well. The crowd was small but enthusiastic, singing loudly on old songs such as "Easy Money" and listening attentively to new ones such as "Watering Flowers in the Rain" and "Just Like Overnight."

The Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams (4) Band at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, Pomeroy, Ohio, April 13 - The Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams Band can play anything. And they played most of it during a knockout, two-hour show inside the Fur Peace Station. This was one of those concerts - a show rewarded with several standing ovations from the sold-out house as Campbell and Williams - with Williams’ parents on hand - covered the Carter Family (“I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”), Johnny Cash (“Big River”), traditional songs via the Grateful Dead (“Deep Elem Blues”) and performed originals from their two duo LPs as Jorma Kaukonen joined in for most of the second set.

Joan Osborne (3) at Memorial Hall OTR, Cincinnati, Ohio, Aug. 2 - For 95 minutes, Joan Osborne and her trio played tracks from Songs of Bob Dylan. But it was Osborne, whose voice ranges from soprano cries to deep-throated, bluesy wailing to tender and cracking in a girlish way, who made them work. "Buckets of Rain" was the little girl; "Highway 61 Revisited" was the brassy blues singer. Meanwhile, "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" was a rest on a front-porch swing and "Tangled up in Blue" was a walk through a lifetime - either Dylan's or Osborne's.

Grateful Ball Featuring the Travelin’ McCourys (2) and the Jeff Austin Band at Woodlands Tavern, Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 27 - Bluegrass meets jamgrass meets psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll when the Travelin’ McCourys and the Jeff Austin Band get together for a Grateful Ball. Playing alone and together, the bands treated the sold-out bar to more than three hours of exhilarating, Sunday-night roots music that bled into early Monday morning.

Leo Kottke (5) at Thirty One West, Newark, Ohio, April 21 - Leo Kottke held the audience at in rapt silence as he demonstrated what an acoustic guitar - two, actually; a 12-string and a six-string - can sound like in the right hands. And in Kotte's hands, the guitar can sound like a bass, a dulcimer and multiple guitars all at the same time.

Dom Flemons Woodlands Tavern, Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 23 - Touring behind his Black Cowboys LP, the bespectacled Flemons looked as if he’d just walked off the ranch with a hat, suspenders holding up his blue work pants and a pocket watch on a gold chain. The former Carolina Chocolate Drop, known as "the American Songster," was the consummate entertainer and played in the style of De Ole Folks at Home-era Taj Mahal.

A-

John Oates with the Good Road Band at Victoria Theatre, Dayton, Ohio, Jan. 15 - A blind person attending this show would have spent most of the 110 minutes not realizing this was the same John Oates who is most famous for playing pop music with Daryl Hall. This was music culled mostly from the first half of the 20th century, when blues, country and jazz were still a melting pot of Americana and hadn't yet separated and led to rock 'n' roll.

Crash Test Dummies (2) at Memorial Hall OTR, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 21 - On the road celebrating 25 years of God Shuffled His Feet, four of the five original band members played 10 of God's dozen tracks and offered others from 1991’s The Ghosts that Haunt Me through 2010’s Ooh La La!

Jeff Lynne's ELO at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio, July 30 - Jeff Lynne's ELO ended the show where the former Electric Light Orchestra's career began to take off, playing a rambunctious version of "Roll Over Beethoven" - replete with its quotations of the composer's famous 5th symphony found on ELO 2 - and wrapping a night full of highlights with one of the brightest of all.

Lake Street Dive (2) and the Wood Brothers (7) at Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, Ohio, June 15 - Though they’re a disparate pair, Lake Street Dive and the Wood Brothers displayed shocking congruity during sit-ins and while playing alone across their rain-soaked, co-headlining sets.

Dead & Company (8) at Rouff Home Mortgage Music Center, Noblesville, Ind., June 12 - Like a young relative you see only occasionally, Dead & Company seems grow by leaps & bounds in between its annual summer tours.

Chicago (13) at Rose Music Center at the Heights, Huber Heights, Ohio, May 5- Down to three original members in keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Robert Lamb, trombonist James Pankow and trumpeter/vocalist Lee Loughnane, the recently expanded, 10-man Chicago recreated the original septet’s sound via standout performances by all as they focused mostly on their first decade of recorded music.

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets at Palace Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, April 7- For 110 minutes, the former Floyd drummer and his outstanding band plumbed the early-Pink discography, plucking songs from every album (except Ummagumma) from 1967's the Piper at the Gates of Dawn to 1972's Obscured by Clouds. These weren’t covers so much as interpretations and the band gave the music enough of a contemporary nudge to keep it from sounding too dated.

It Was 50 Years Ago Today at Akron Civic Theatre, Akron, Ohio, Sept. 28 - The Fab Faux Five consisted of a Utopian (Todd Rundgren), a Monkee (Micky Dolenz) with a Badfinger (Joey Molland), a dude from Chicago (Jason Scheff) and Christopher Cross. Motley and, unbelievably, well-matched, the group was backed by a stellar four-piece band who provided essential vocal backing and played synths, keys, drums, guitars, harmonica and bass as needed. They didn’t get a break, while the stars spent little time on stage all together (now), instead coming and going to play 23 of the Beatles' 30 tracks and two solo/band songs apiece.

Bob Dylan (12) and His Band at Mershon Auditorium, Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 4 - Never one to stand still or rest on his legacy, Dylan starts futzing with songs almost as soon as he commits them to tape and continues to do so basically forever.

Chris Smither and Sierra Hull at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, Pomeroy, Ohio, Sept. 7, 2019 - Chris Smither mic'd his boots, played bottom-string-heavy, country blues on his acoustic guitar and solicited a lot of laughter. Sierra Hull played mandolin, octave mandolin and guitar and was mostly serious, eliciting a few gasps of disbelief.

B+

Bruce Hornsby (10) & the Noisemakers at Rose Music Center at the Heights, Huber Heights, Ohio, July 16 - Though the Rose's sound system was typically muddy and Hornsby and company seemed to be at about 88 percent of their capability, they shouldn't have been opening for Amos Lee, whose mix of soulless soul and funk that wasn't funky caused dozens of Hornsby partisans - Sound Bites included - to bail after four songs.

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band (3) at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 19 - The show came 18 months after back issues forced a last-minute postponement of his previously scheduled Columbus show - and eventually, his entire 2017 tour. And though Seger was noticeably less powerful than he was during his 2015 visit, he was also was visibly happy to be performing on what he says will be his final outing.

Mark Lanegan Band at MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, May 18 - Sound Bites ducked in and out of Sonic Temple Day 2 to see Lanegan after scoring a $1 dollar ticket. A $25 parking spot and a bottle of water priced at $5.50 negated some of the value, but Lanegan’s nine-song set was worth every dollar and every hassle to get inside the sold-out soccer stadium for his 35 minutes of stage time.

B

Bob Weir and Wolf Bros at Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 6 - This Bob Weir and Wolf Bros performance is best described as a solid, Weir-led Grateful Dead spin-off show that was more successful than RatDog in its later years, but much less exciting than Bob Weir & the Campfire Band.

Rory Block and Cindy Cashdollar at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, Pomeroy, Ohio, Oct. 19 - A show that reached its apex - and potential - late.

B-

The Richie Furay (2) Band at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch, Pomeroy, Ohio, Aug. 10 - With his voice in sick bay, Furay didn't even attempt his signature songs, "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing," which would have seemed too ironic, and "Kind Woman," which he couldn't have pulled off in his diminished state.

Funky Feat at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch, Pomeroy, Ohio, June 16 - Ultimately, Funky Feat provided an opportunity for Little Feat fans to hear the music they love played by some of those who made it - and that makes the group a worthwhile endeavor. But folks unfamiliar with Feat’s music should turn to the original recordings for their primary education.

Experience Hendrix at Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, March 17 - There's no shame in being unable to play like Hendrix. And most of the performers were unable to muster what was needed to make covering him for more than 180 minutes worthwhile. But the exceptions - including Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, Mark Nanji and Doyle Bramhall II - were exceptional.

Martin Barre (3) at Athenaeum Theatre, Columbus, Ohio, May 8 - Narrated by a disembodied voice that was piped in every few songs to tell the story of Jethro Tull's evolution, the concert was a little too contrived for its own good.

C+

Elizabeth Cook (4) and Will Hoge at Natalie's Coal Fired Pizza & Live Music, Worthington, Ohio, Oct. 30 - Each performer played 50 minutes; too long for Hoge and too short for Cook, who seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but on stage.

C

Blues Traveler at Columbus Commons, Columbus, Ohio, May 17 - The free concert had its moments. And the tickets were worth every penny.

12/18/19

[coverthqs-blog]

Dear faculty, agents and cadets,

It has been 3 months since the attack on the North American Unit and I hope you are all finding the new living arrangements enjoyable. I know it can be hard to make changes to something that has been a long standing tradition for over 100 years but we are all a family here at the UEA and when one home gets destroyed we welcome those members to a different one. It is easy to get caught up in the friendly competition there has been between the North American Unit and the Eurasian Unit, but I am sure by now you all have learned to set aside your differences and see that we are all helping form the greater good; the future of the UEA. Until we find the source of the attack curfews and strict rule checks will still be in place. Below you will find the new quarterly roommate assignments for cadets.

Signed, Commissioner of the UEA

the time has come everyone! we are officially open for ic interactions! below wil be some basic knowledge to get everyone started as well as the cadet roommate list.

he attack on the north american unit was 3 months ago and the source is still unknown. cadets and agents alike have been trying to put the “rivalry” to bed, but we all know how competitive and strong minded spies can be so there are still some lingering jealous feelings. lessons and missions are still being conducted as normal. normally cadets have the opportunity to simulate field missions outside of the academy, this however has been put on hold due to the unknown attack and in fear of another one. agents are free to leave the premise at will but cadets must receive prior approval before leaving, again due to security. there is a strict curfew of 10 pm for all cadets and a wake up call of 6 am for lessons. feel free to star posting starters using the tag covertstart!

roommates:

tessa cahill & fallon radford

noelle lauren & katherine swan

jo thorne & rory knight

poppy vos & lilah chavez

ivy blake & adelaine lavoie

adri sousa & fiona krisof

maxine maracshido & amira sinclair

leyla burakgazi & pietra richetti

silas moon & hwang min-jae

jack guthrie & cass zabek

samson lillion & lucas wilson

nicolo clemete & daniel whitmore

[fandomimaginesftw]

What Happens in Vegas

TagSummary: Y/N wakes up in Vegas, married to a complete stranger, who actually turns out to be one of her bosses at her new job at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.

Pairing: Alex Karev x Reader (Slow Burn!)

Word Count: 1,731

Warnings: None, except Alex is being a jerk

Tags: @ovenumberonestudentdreamfan (Wasn’t sure if you wanted to be tagged, let me know if not :) )

It was the kind of headache that you could feel in your entire body. It started with a strong pulse in your head, and ended at the point of your toes. The light coming through the window only made it worse, and rolling over to shield your eyes only made your sore muscles ache even more. A short but deep sigh left your lips as you rolled over, the edge of the bed pressing against your back a bit faster than you’d expected. Before you knew it, your body was pushed onto the ground by gravity, and all the breath was knocked from your body. One curse and a roll of your body later, you were up and stumbling, trying to remember what the hell happened the night before.

Your eyes scanned around the room, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, hoping that at least seconds of last night would come back to you. When you had no such luck, you sighed, deciding to look for your clothes instead. You must have had a wild time, because this definitely was not the hotel room you booked. It was way nicer, nothing you’d be able to afford at the moment. It was the epitome of Vegas, gold walls, mirror on the ceiling, huge windows with a view of the strip. The bed had white and gold silk fabrics with a man laying between them.

And in that moment, you freaked out a bit. There was a man in the bed, seemingly naked. From what you could see, he had short brown hair, soft facial hair, and pink lips. You blinked, then started looking for your clothes with a little more haste than before. You didn’t really have time for this, your first day as an intern at Seattle Mercy West started the next day, and you had a plane to catch.

“Who the hell are you?” A deep voice sounded from the bed, and it made you jump. You looked over, grateful that you had gotten everything but your shorts back on when he spoke to you. You cleared your throat, looking away slightly before glancing back at him. His light brown eyes seemed to pierce right through you, and you felt like you were under a microscope.

“U-um, I’m Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N, who are you?” You raised a brow, putting on your pants as he seemed to try and get his head to stop spinning. He sat up, holding his head as the blanket fell, revealing his naked torso. You looked away, feeling just a bit awkward, even though, using context clues, you two had definitely slept together the night before. He shifted his body so that his legs hung over the side of the king size mattress.

“Alex. Listen, I have somewhere to be, so I kinda need you to, you know, leave.” He said it with no emotion in his voice, and it probably would have offended you if you didn’t have the hangover of the century. As he got up and pulled some jeans on, you noticed a silver band on his left ring finger. You cursed, shaking your head. You now had a certain urgency to leave, as you were not a homewrecker.

“I get it, you don't want your wife to walk in and see us. Figures, I sleep with a married guy when I’m blackout drunk.” A chuckle left his lips as he looked over at you.

“I’m not married.” He said simply, but when you pointed at his finger, he looked down and his brows immediately furrowed. “What the hell happened last night?” He looked up at you, his eyes going to your left ring finger as well. You did the same, and you thought your eyes were going to pop out of your skull. A beautiful white gold wedding ring that costed at least five thousand dollars was hugging your finger, a perfect fit. A quiet shrieking noise left your lips as you let it sink in.

“Did we get...married?” You yelled, turning away from him. Your eyes searched the room, and you noticed a little piece of paper that was seemingly tossed  carelessly across the room. You walked over, bending over to pick it up, ignoring the massive headache in your skull. You picked it up, and you felt your heart drop. It was a marriage certificate, and your name was drunkenly scribbled on it, as was Alex Karev’s. The paper was snatched from your hands by Alex, who looked at it closely. He then looked up at you, seeming to study your face.

“We got married.” It was a statement more than anything else. He looked upset, and you understood why. “I don’t have time for this, I have to be at work in a few hours.” He sighed, tossing the piece of paper away again. You watched it glide to the floor, which was ridden with alcohol and God knows what else. You picked it up again, folding it so you could put it in your pocket.

“Yeah? You’re not the only one. I start my first day tomorrow, and I don’t even live in this state. I have to catch my flight to Seattle today, so, how about we just go and get this annulled or get divorced or whatever?” You sighed, watching as he grabbed his clothes from the night before and shook his head.

“I can’t. Like I said, I have to get to work in a few hours.” He then turned his head towards you, humming. “You said Seattle? That’s where I live. So why don't we just, I don’t know, exchange numbers so we can meet up and get this thing over with?” He pulled out his phone from his back pocket, handing it to you. You looked up at him, checking to see if he was serious or not. When he had nothing but seriousness in your face, you decided to just put your number in as “Soon to be Ex Wife”. You gave it back to him, then turned to look for your purse. He chuckled at the name, turning to pack up his stuff.

A few minutes later, you were both ready to go. He sat up straight, giving you an awkward half smile. You looked up at him, giving him a straight lined smile, trying to think of what exactly you were supposed to say in this situation. You looked at the door, then up at him again.

“Uh, well, just give me a call when you’re free, and we’ll go get this thing...over with.” You laughed gently, and so did he. He nodded, going to the door to open it for you. You walked out, heading towards the taxi that waited outside to take you to the airport.

You were finally going into work at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. You were a first day intern, excited to start your first day. You have wanted to be a surgeon since you were a kid, and you finally got the chance. You walked through the glass doors, your heart almost pounding in your chest. You had been given a map on a piece of paper, so you followed it to find the intern’s locker room.

It was full of people around your age, who looked just as excited and terrified as you felt. You walked over to an empty locker, putting some of your stuff inside. Everyone was talking amongst themselves, making friends. You were never the type to really make relationships with people, so it didn’t really bother you that you were by yourself in the locker room.

The door to the locker room opened, and everyone’s attention was brought to the person that infiltrated the atmosphere. The woman at the door was pretty, beautiful even. Long brown hair that was curled perfectly, comforting brown eyes, and a nice smile. She closed the door, and everyone stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak.

“Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Today is the day that you start your journey as surgeons. Some of you will make it, some of you will fail, but you all will learn something. My name is Jo K-, uh, Wilson, and I am your chief resident. It’s nice to meet you all, but I only have five interns with me.” She named off some names, one of which was yours. You smiled, excited that she was your resident. She was the best, and that made you confident in her abilities as a teacher.

You and four other interns followed her, the others scrambling to find their own resident. She lead you through the hospital, showing you five where everything was and what to do. The hospital was huge, and you felt like your eyes were as well.

“Okay, and this is the pediatrics wing. Any of you have any interest in peds?” She turned towards your group, and you raised your hand slightly. You’d always loved babies, kids, they were awesome. She smiled, “great! Well, I’m sure you’ll meet Dr. Karev eventually.” She turned and started to walk away, but you felt your feet stick to the ground. Karev? There was no way, you thought.

“You called?” There was his voice from behind you. You stayed still, not moving a muscle as you saw him walk past you. Jo looked over, her smile fading and all of the joy that was in her face slowly dissipating. You watched their interaction, Alex’s smirk on his face forced. You hummed, looking down at the papers you had in your hand, hoping he would just move along. But, you could feel eyes on you, so you looked up. Sure enough, you met his gaze. He blinked, raising a brow.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but you definitely weren’t expecting him to just walk past you. He did mumble to you to meet up with him at lunch, but that was it. You watched him go off, the ring that was still on your finger suddenly feeling very heavy. You nodded, then ran off when Jo called you. She looked really upset as you left the peds wing, and you wondered what was going on between the two of them. But, you quickly told yourself to focus so you didn’t mess up on your first day.

[leylinefiction]

Chapter 4: Call and Answer

Steve decides to stay the night and go to the festival with Edie. It’s a decision he doesn’t regret. He tries to convince himself that he’s shocked to discover she’s afraid of losing his friendship but he’s not surprised. Over the course of the last few months he’s come to the conclusion that Edie, although great at her job and one of the kindest people he knows, doesn’t have many friends. Being raised, quite literally, in the SHIELD organization didn’t allow for much interaction with other people. He reminds her of an outdoor plant that has been kept inside for too long. It gives him the determination to make things right with Sam and Bucky. Even if they don’t forgive him for his choice, he hopes they’ll at least accept Edie into their ranks.

He leaves Australia, doing his best to convince Edie that he will be in consistent communication with her and she appears to believe him. Fury points him in the direction of Louisiana so that’s where he starts. It’s not hard to find Wilson’s Family Seafood in Delacroix since Sam has taken up the mantle of Captain America. Steve stays lost in the crowds of New Orleans until Fury confirms that Sam and Bucky are chasing a possible Flag Smasher cell that is forming in Canada that he decides to take a trip down to the dock. He knows that Sam’s sister Sarah and Bucky’s significant other Jo typically work the dock and grill when Sam and Bucky are out of town. It seems like the best starting point.

It’s just after lunch when he parks the rental car and walks down the dock to where the business is located. There is fresh fish sitting in ice on display for purchase, a grill that is currently being used by a young woman with red hair, and a small group of older Delacroix residents are sitting at one of the picnic tables playing chess. A woman comes out from the back with fresh ice and pours it into an empty display case.

“Hey Jo, I just refilled the front two cases with fresh ice for when Carlos gets in with this afternoon’s catch.”

“Got it,” the woman at the grill shouts back.

“Okay, I’m off to pick up AJ and Cass from school. Call if you need anything!”

Jo gives her a thumbs up as she gathers her purse and keys. She passes Steve on her way down the dock and she gives him a large smile.

“If you’re looking for lunch I’m afraid the regular crowd wiped us out of mostly everything. There’ll be an afternoon catch coming in soon though if you wanted to wait. Jo, the woman who is at the grill, can get you some cornbread if you want.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind.”

She nods and keeps moving away from him towards where cars are parked. He pulls the baseball cap lower over his forehead and approaches the grill. Jo is cleaning up the grill area from the lunch rush and she looks up, flashes a smile that falters slightly, before greeting him.

“I’m afraid I’m down to a small bucket of prawns and some hushpuppies.”

He hunches his shoulders. “That’s fine.”

“Sit where you like,” she motions over to the picnic tables that overlook the water. “I’ll bring it out.”

He nods and sits at the table closest to the water. It’s only a handful of minutes before a metal bucket is dropped in front of him, the noise of it hitting the table startling him. Jo is standing there with a wry smile on her face. She puts down a basket of hushpuppies and two bottles of beer before sitting down across from him. He’s not exactly certain what is happening so he just sits still and watches her.

She’s not threatening in any way, quite the contrary. She is a petite woman with freckles splashed across her oval face. Her dark red hair is in a braid and hanging over one of her shoulders and she’s dressed in a cotton t-shirt, rolled up chinos, and converses. But it’s her narrowed, translucent green eyes and that twist to the corner of her mouth that unsettle him.

“You missed the wedding,” she says after taking a sip of her beer.

“I’m sorry?”

“The wedding. Bucky and I got married last weekend. You just missed it.”

He laughs but it comes out strained. “I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“No,” she shakes her head. “I know Steve Rogers when I see him. Though I did expect you to look much older than you do.”

Steve sighs in defeat and takes off his sunglasses. “So Bucky told you about the plan?”

She leans her elbows on the table. “He told me a little bit. Said you went back to return the stones and that you were planning on spending the 70 years that you were in the ice with Peggy Carter.” She pauses, waiting for him to say something and when he doesn’t, she gives him another off-kilter smile. “I’m an investigative journalist, do you really want me to start asking more pointed questions?”

He smiles at her in response. “Has Nick Fury met you yet? I’m sure he could use an interrogator with your skills.”

“Oh, we’ve met. Phil Coulson and I have gone toe to toe during Captain America trivia nights at the Smithsonian. Back on topic though,” she motions to him with her beer bottle, “Why are you here and not aged?”

“Straight to the lightning round then.”

“Do you expect anything different from your best friend’s wife?”

“No, actually I don’t.” He laughs shortly at that, takes a sip of the beer and turns serious. “My intent wasn’t to stay there for the full 70 years. If I had stayed that long then I would have completely changed the timeline. She wouldn’t have married her husband, had children, or formed SHIELD. I couldn’t alter history that much.” He remembers back to years before when he visited her before she died. She told him she had lived her life and it had been a good life. He couldn’t take that away from her. “So, I went back for a few months and...left.”

“Left? Just up and disappeared?”

Steve nods. “Yeah. She knew though. We had a proper good-bye this time.”

In fact, he’s still trying to figure out what she meant when she had kissed him goodbye that morning. Promise me that I won’t be your first and last love. I’ll go live my life but you need to go live yours.

Jo disrupts his thoughts. “So there must have been another machine, other than the one that Banner was using.”

Steve is thankful for the technical question. “Fury had it. It’s been dismantled and all the parts are spread out now.” He has to admit, he’s impressed by her questions and the understanding behind them. He’s sure she’s put Bucky through the ringer more than once and he hopes to hear some of those stories. “So what about you? I feel like I’m at a significant disadvantage.”

“That’s because you are.”

“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

“You haven’t exactly made it easy on Sam or Bucky, moreso on Sam. At least Bucky knew the plan, well mostly.” She shrugs. “So why didn’t you let them know you were back? Why the whole ‘I grew old living a peaceful life’ routine?”

“Would Sam and Bucky really have worked together if I were still around?” Jo goes to answer but Steve interrupts her. “Be honest.”

Jo acquiesces. “Fair. I came in a little late to the game and they were actually speaking to each other at that point. Although, speaking is a term I am using loosely.”

“They got over it though.”

“They did.” Jo gives him a direct look. “And Sam did what you wanted. He is Captain America and a damn good one.”

“He is,” Steve agrees with her. “I’m not here to discourage him from that. Quite the opposite.”

“So you’re not here for the shield?”

“Absolutely not.”

A slow smile full of relief spreads across Jo’s face. “Alright, the basics on me. I was an Army brat growing up, and learned to love to travel because of it. My father was a huge Howling Commandos follower which is why I know so much about you and Bucky. Earned a Masters at the Columbia Journalism School, completed my internship at the New York Post and went on to cover a little international event known as the Sokovia Accords. Yes, I was in both Vienna and Berlin. The Blip happened and I was one of the unlucky ones to have a five year gap. I met Bucky by accident when I texted the wrong number and we just hit it off.”

Steve can see why. “I’m sorry I missed the wedding.”

“It was at the courthouse, nothing big. Sarah, Sam’s sister, is giving us a reception this Saturday night.”

He starts to nod and then realizes that the information Fury gave him doesn’t match up with Bucky and Sam being back by Saturday. “Wait-”

“Oh yeah,” Jo stands up from the table, “they’re back from Canada.”

Steve looks out at the dock and sees Sam and Bucky making their way towards him and panic sets in. He looks at Jo for help.

“Tell them what you told me. It’s a good starting point. Also,” she looks out as a boat is docking, “you might gain some points by offering to help unload this afternoon’s catch.”

“That would work?”

Jo gives him a genuine smile. “How do you think those two knuckleheads worked things out?”

***

Jo walks over to the boat, grabs the rope Carlos tosses to her and moors the boat. Bucky ties off the second mooring before greeting her with a kiss.

“Is that-”

“Yup,” she answers quickly. “He’s nervous as hell.”

“Good.”

“Bucky,” Jo scolds. “If he offers to help unload the boat, you should let him.”

“You think so?”

Jo shrugs and kisses him again. “Play nicely.”

He huffs but she can see the warmth in his eyes. He’ll give Steve a hard time, no doubt, but reconciliation is an absolute. Sam won’t look at her so she’s not sure how that’s going to go down. She pushes Bucky towards Sam as they disappear into the shade of the dining deck.

“Where’s our crew?” Carlos shouts.

Jo shrugs and hops into the boat. “Guess it’s just me for now.”

“Well, let’s see if you know your fish,” Carlos sets out the bins so they can sort the fish by species.

Jo has done this enough to easily recognize catfish so she starts pulling those first. She starts grabbing the tarpons when Sarah returns with the boys. Jo picks up the bin with the catfish and hands it to Sarah who is standing on the dock.

“Who’s down there with Sam and Bucky?”

Jo takes a deep breath and tries to sound as casual as possible. “Steve Rogers.”

“Hold up.”

“Sarah-”

“What the hell is he doing here?”

“Sarah, wait,” Jo jumps off the boat and onto the dock. “He’s only here to reconcile. He’s not here for anything else.”

“How do you know?”

“I talked to him.” Sarah gives her a pointed look. “Okay, I interrogated him.”

“Investigative journalist interrogation?”

“This is Sam and Bucky we’re talking about; of course I did.”

Sarah is still peering down the dock. “You’re sure he’s not here for the shield?”

“Positive.” Jo bumps her shoulder against Sarah’s. “Besides, the world thinks Steve Rogers is gone for good. If he does want the shield, we’ll just have Carlos cut him up and use him for bait. Who’s going to come looking for him?”

A small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “Alright.”

“Besides,” Jo gets back on the boat and slides the second bin of catfish up on the dock, “it’s not up to us whether they forgive him or not. Steve left them, not us.”

“Yeah but we were the ones that picked up the pieces.”

Jo has to admit Sarah has a point but before their conversation continues, AJ and Cass come running up to them.

“We met Steve Rogers!”

Sarah still looks unimpressed so Jo jumps in. “Oh yeah? What did you think?”

Cass lifts his arms up. “He’s tall!”

AJ looks up at his mother. “I asked him if he was going to be Captain America again.”

Sarah’s eyes go wide. “You didn’t ask him that.”

“I did.” AJ says with the confidence only a child can have. “He said no and that Uncle Sam was doing a really great job and he wants him to keep doing it.”

“Look at that,” Jo fist bumps AJ, “a little investigative reporter in the making. Good job kiddo.”

Sam, Bucky, and Steve all walk up to Sarah and the boys. Bucky jumps into the boat and goes to help Carlos sort the fish. Sam formally introduces Steve to Sarah, who remains cautious.

Steve gives her a humble look. “I would like to help.”

Sarah looks at Jo, who turns around and goes to help Carlos and Bucky. She does hear Sarah say “pick that up and follow me.” It’s a start.

[theartscenter-blog]

Masters of Cajun Accordion

UNC Library’s Southern Folklife Collection and the Friends of the Library Present the Masters of Cajun Accordion Festival at The ArtsCenter on Sunday, October 1st Interview: Steve Weiss Posted by Jenks Miller

Residents of Chapel Hill/Carrboro enjoy proximity to one of America’s foremost archival resources for American folk music and popular culture, UNC Library’s Southern Folklife Collection. The SFC grew out of the Curriculum in Folklore at UNC -- which was itself among the country’s first graduate programs in folklore when it was established in 1940 -- and features materials documenting the development of all folk musics endemic to the South, including old-time, country-western, hillbilly, bluegrass, blues, folk, gospel, rock and roll, Cajun and zydeco. The collection spans an impressive range of media: according to the library, the SFC now contains “over 250,000 sound recordings, 3,000 video recordings and 8 million feet of motion picture film as well as tens of thousands of photographs, song folios, posters, manuscripts, books, serials, research files and ephemera.”

One of the challenges facing public archival collections of this size is how to make them accessible not only to researchers, but to the populations they represent. To meet this demand for accessibility, the SFC regularly presents lectures, concerts, and viewings of its materials, often curated to reflect certain topics of interest in today’s popular culture. In this way, archives like the Southern Folklife Collection ensure that we remain informed by our many histories.

The next event to feature materials from the SFC archives will be the Masters of Cajun Accordion Festival, presented by the SFC and the Friends of the Library at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro on Sunday, October 1st. This event celebrates the forthcoming release of Swampland Jewels, a compilation of classic Cajun music produced in a new partnership between the SFC and Hillsborough’s Yep Roc Records. We spoke with Steve Weiss, Curator of the Southern Folklife Collection, about the history of the archive and the details of the Masters of Cajun Accordion Festival. (interview continues below)

The ArtsCenter: First off, I wanted to get a little background on the Southern Folklife Collection for readers who may be unfamiliar with the special collections archives at UNC. The SFC is unique not only in its significant size: it also feels more outward-facing, or interactive, than many cultural archives concerned primarily with preservation. Was the SFC originally designed as a platform for festivals, conferences, and publications, or did that function develop as the archive grew over the years?   

Steve Weiss: When the Southern Folklife Collection first opened in 1989, it was celebrated with a large event called Sounds of the South which included an academic conference, a concert (held at the ArtsCenter!) and was followed up with a book of the conference proceedings. Ten years later, when I started as the director of the collection, the SFC was co-publishing our second book, a major reference work entitled Country Music Sources which spawned another academic symposium. Since then I've made public programming and publications a more active part of our mission, culminating now in our partnership with YepRoc Records. 

TAC: This year, the SFC has been involved in presentations on depression-era grassroots music and left-wing politics (March's "Depression Folk" lecture and concert); the twenty-five year partnership between farmworkers and students in the Southeast, as chronicled in Student Action with Farmworkers' archive of photographs and oral histories (August's "Más de Una Historia"); and the legacy of Eno River conservation efforts (August's "Saving the River One Song at a Time: The Eno River Festival Legacy"); among other themes. The topics here feel less like dry history and more like the living and breathing issues currently debated in our state politics and across the Southeast at large. Looking at the SFC's activity since the 2016 election season, I'm reminded of that famous Faulkner quote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." To what extent are the SFC's various activities informed by today's headlines and political discourse? Do you make an active effort to engage on these issues, or is this another example of history's seemingly inescapable cyclical nature?

 SW: Great question! It is inevitable, because of where we live and the important work done by grassroots organizations in our community.  The work documented by the materials in the library is never really dead, only dusty if there is no one to make sure it is promoted to the public.

TAC: The Masters of Cajun Accordion Festival, which will be presented by the SFC and the Friends of the Library here at The ArtsCenter on October 1st, features a free 6:00pm lecture from Barry Jean Ancelet, aka Jean Arceneaux, a Cajun folklorist, author, poet, and lyricist. Before retiring from the University of Louisiana Lafayette faculty, Ancelet gave a talk on "the theory and practice of activist folklore" for UL Lafayette's Last Lecture series. Some of us may associate folklore with storytelling and oral history, but this sounds different. What do folklorists mean by "activist folklore?" Do you know what Ancelet will be speaking about on October 1st?

SW: I've invited Barry to speak on the Cajun Music. I'm not familiar with the definition of "activist folklore" as Barry has presented it, but it isn't hard to imagine as the role of the folklorist is working with communities, and confronting the issues communities face is inescapable. Of the collections in the SFC, the late folklorist Guy Carawan comes to mind as a great example as he was actively involved in voter rights issues while living in the Johns Island, SC community and recording fieldwork. 

 TAC: The festival also features a ticketed 7:30pm concert by Jo-El Sonnier with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. Both Sonnier and Riley are living legends of the accordion, with records on Rounder, Mercury, RCA, and Capitol, among other labels (Sonnier's cover of Richard Thompson's upbeat and tragicomic "Tear-Stained Letter" was a country radio hit single in the 1988). Will there be two separate sets, or will Sonnier perform with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys? What can audiences expect from these artists in a live setting? 

 SW: Jo-El will be performing in a small trio setting. Steve will be playing with the Mamou Playboys. I imagine there will be some nice collaborations during the show. 

 TAC: What else does the Southern Folklife Collection have in store for 2017? Will we see more presentations in off-campus locations in Chapel Hill and Carrboro like The ArtsCenter?

SW: On October 26th, we will be presenting an evening with banjoist and scholar Stephen Wade who will be performing music from his new Smithsonian Folkways CD Across the Amerikee: Showpieces from Coal Camp to Cattle Trail. That event will be held in Wilson Library. In early 2018 the SFC will release our second album with YepRoc, a live recording of Doc Watson at the beginning of his solo career in 1963. We hope to do something for the record release at MerleFest this Spring.  

More information: Masters of Cajun Accordion Festival 

Presented by the Southern Folklife Collection and the Friends of the Library Date: October 1st, 2017  Location: The ArtsCenter in Chapel Hill  Tickets: www.artscenterlive.org.   Schedule: 5:30pm Reception, Nicholson Gallery/Lobby  6:00pm Lecture: Barry Jean Ancelet (University of Louisiana, Lafayette), West End Theater  7:30pm Concert: Jo-El Sonnier with Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Earl & Rhoda Wynn Theater  Concert is ticketed. Reception and lecture are free and open to the public. CD/LP bundles include a copy of the record Swampland Jewels.  For more information contact Liza Terll, Friends of the Library,  liza_terll@unc.edu (919) 548-1203 

www.library.unc.edu

[aj22writes]

Chapter eight...

...Is where the real conflict of this story begins. The rest of this arc will not be consumed by this fight with the villains, who we see interact with the Dueling Hearts here for the first time, but this will be when the Dueling Hearts see just how powerful some of the foes out there in the real world actually are.

We also get a new mystery in this chapter, in the form of the name of the organization that the villains claim to represent. What does it mean? What is this organization? Only time will tell.

Chapter Eight

The Sol Takers

The Dueling Hearts took things easy for the next few days. They kept active, of course, but even Tucker, who thrived on all things to do with fighting, even the pain that it left behind, found it necessary to limit himself in the wake of the exhibition match. During this period, Jen and Tucker told Jo about their meeting with the manager of the Megadojo, and, after some serious thought, Jo went to meet with Eric as well. By the time she left, she had a lot on her mind, enough that she immediately set a time for the Dueling Hearts to all meet up to talk, two nights later, at Wilson’s

They met up just after dark. The dojo was closed. Jo was sitting inside on one of four fold out chair that she had set up for them to use, with only the minimum number of interior lights turned on, when the others arrived, almost at the same time. Despite that Jo had been planning how to start this conversation all evening, it was actually Sara who spoke first, asking, “Okay, what’s with all the melodrama.”

Jo was immediately disarmed, “I am not being melodramatic.”

The other three Dueling Hearts laughed. “Yeah you are, dude,” Tucker told her. “You brought us here, after dark, to a closed dojo, to tell us some big important thing. You do this kind of thing all the time.”

Jo’s left eye twitched. They’d figured her out, but it didn’t matter. “This is important, though,” she told them.”

“I’m sure it is,” Jen replied, sitting down in the folding chair across from Jo. She had her hair up today, except for the colored part of her bangs, which hung down over the left side of her face. She was wearing just enough makeup to make her eyes seem a little sunken, and a similar combination of clothing articles as she had at the match, save for a pair of knee-high black and purple striped socks, and black boots.

“Yeah,” Sara added, sitting down next to Jen, “the only reason any of us still pay attention to you when you pull something like this is because it means you have something important to say.” She was wearing a yellow t-shirt with a white stripe down the left side, and a black 9 on the right breast, matching yellow and white shorts, and black cleats. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and dirt caked her face, reminding Jo that Sara had just come from soccer practice.

“I’d still listen to you, even if it was about something dumb,” Tucker told Jo, taking the seat next to her. He was wearing black shorts, and a black t-shirt under a brown jacket with red stripes down the arms, and the symbol for the Checker Township Fire Department on the left breast. Jo remembered when he’d found that jacket the previous year, at a Goodwill.

Jo frowned at her friends, and then said, “This is all beside the point. I went day before yesterday to talk to the guy at the Megadojo.”

“And he apologized to you?” Sara asked, crossing her arms.

“Yeah,” Jo replied, and continued, “and he asked me something. Something that got me thinking. We have a decision to make. We formed this team to compete in the exhibition match, not so we could start a career as professional fighters. I mean, I’ve thought about that. I know you have too,” she looked over at Tucker, and he nodded, “but I’m not sure we’re ready for something like that.”

“I know I’m not,” said Sara. “I haven’t even graduated middle school yet. I’m pretty sure that most major tournaments wouldn’t even let me enter at my age.”

“What is this all about, Jo?” Jen asked, in the thoughtful way that she often did when she was fairly certain that she’d already worked out the answer.

Jo took a deep breath. What she had to tell the other Dueling Hearts was exciting, but it was also a huge deal, one that could shake up their lives for a long time to come. It wasn’t a question that they could take lightly. “I don’t know exactly why,” Jo told her friends, “if it was because we really impressed someone, or if it’s to make up for what that guy said to me, but Prometheus Corporation has offered to make us the face of the Megadojo. We’ll get free memberships, guaranteed entry into Megadojo events, in our area, and wherever they end up building more Megadojos later on, and financial help if we decide to pursue careers as Sol fighters.”

“That is a pretty big deal,” Jen said, nodding. Jo couldn’t tell from her cousin’s reaction if she had been right about what Jo had brought them together to say, and Jen didn’t confirm either way. Instead, she thought for a second, and then asked, “How official will this be? Will we need to get our parents involved? Will there be contracts? Will we be obligated to do anything?”

“There will be a contract,” Jo answered, “so we will need our parents’ permission. We’ll be expected to compete in major Megadojo events, if we can. And train there every now and then.”

“That’s going to be hard,” Sara told her sister. “I have other extracurriculars, and I’m not ready to give them up.”

“Which is why,” Jo told Sara, and the others, “we don’t just have to decide if we want to keep the team together, and if we want to do this, but also if we want to expand the team. We each know at least one other good Sol fighter. Our cousin Amanda, for one, or Kimi. If we add a few more people to the team, then we’ll have relief in case one or more of us can’t make it to a match.”

“Your cousin Amanda?” Tucker asked. “Isn’t she, like, eight years old?”

The other ignored him, and Jen said, “I wouldn’t be opposed to this, assuming that we can break this off at any time without legal ramifications. I’ve considered a career as a fighter before. Something like this would give me a chance to feel out whether or not it’s for me, without having to give up on school and travel around.”

“If we bring more people in,” Sara announced, “then I’m all for it.”

Jo looked over at Tucker. He frowned, “You know I want to be a pro, but I just don’t know if my dad’ll go for this. Hell, he might say “no” just to spite me, like that field trip two years ago.”

“Then we’ll forge his name,” Jo told her best friend, “like we did on your field trip permission slip. If you want to do this, I’ll make it happen, no matter what.”

Tucker thought about it for a second more, and then finally said, “Yeah, okay, let’s do it. Let’s become pros.”

The four fighters beamed at each other. They were excited, and they were proud. All of that was sapped away, however, when they heard a slow clapping from the direction of the dojo’s main entrance. The Dueling Hearts turned as one toward the noise. They had been so wrapped up in their conversation that they hadn’t heard anyone enter, let alone the three people who now stood before them.

Two of them were male. The tallest of them had light brown hair and hazel eyes that scrutinized the Dueling Hearts harshly. He wore a black t-shirt with a golden dragon decal printed across the chest., torn and faded black jeans, and a chain strapped to his belt loops. The next tallest, the other male of the group, had longer, darker hair that stuck out in random directions, but there was a certain order to that chaos. He wore a pressed button-up shirt under a purple silk vest, and black slacks. The look that he gave the Dueling Hearts was one of indifference.

The third, however, was the one who caught Jo’s eye, and moved her to stand. The only female of this group of interlopers stood in front of her two male companions. She was the shortest of the three, but only by a few inches. Jo guessed her to be an inch or two shorter than herself, and, like the other two, to be about Jo’s age. She was gorgeous, with silky brown hair that flowed down her back, eyes a shade or so lighter than Jo’s that shined like marbles behind square-framed glasses. Pale freckles dotted her nose and cheeks.

She didn’t have the physique of a fighter, instead having a rather womanly figure despite her age. She looked like she could be a model, and yet, just looking at her, Jo felt something strange, as if this young woman were the most imposing presence that she had ever encountered. Jo had to stop herself from staring. It was this young woman who had been clapping. “That’s inspiring,” she told Jo and Tucker, looking upon them, and the other two Dueling Hearts, with amusement.

The others must have also sensed something odd from these three, or they were just following Jo’s lead, because they stood as well and faced the three. After a second to find her voice, Jo said, “Sorry, but if you’re here to inquire about joining Wilson’s Dojo, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. It’s technically closed right now.”

“That’s not why we’re here,” the brown-haired girl replied. “I am Karen,” she announced, “and these are my teammates, Peter Lawrence,” she gestured to the tallest of her group, “and Montgomery Williams,” she gestured to the young man in the silk vest.

“Call us Monty and Lawrence,” Monty interjected.

“We represent an organization called the Sol Takers,” Karen continued, “and we’ve come looking for you four. You were impressive in your recent victory against Team Beatdown.”

Jo relaxed a little bit. These three still gave off a strange vibe, but now she at least had an idea of why they were here. Since beating Team Beatdown, there had been plenty of amateur fighters, and fans of Heart to Hearts, who had approached her and the other Dueling Hearts, randomly, wherever they went. Some wanted to praise them, some wanted to go at them for beating their favorite pro team, and others attempted to challenge them. Jo was getting a little sick of it. She simply wasn’t used to the attention yet, but with that being the reason for these three showing up, it at least gave her an idea of how to get rid of them quickly.

“I’m glad you guys liked the fight,” Jo told them, stepping closer to them, noticing, as she did, how nervous she became as she grew closer to Karen, “but this place is private property. I work here, so I’m allowed here after hours, but you’re technically trespassing.”

Jo smiled nicely at each of them in turn, “But, if you come back tomorrow, I’ll be here, and we can talk about the match.”

She made to guide the interlopers to the door, but stopped when Karen said, “Actually, that’s not why we’re here, either.”

Jo took a couple of uneasy steps back. “Do you want to challenge us?” she asked, starting to get a little concerned. These three weren’t really dressed for a fight, but that didn’t really mean anything. A lot of Sol fighters were practiced in fighting in their regular clothing. If these three did want to fight the Dueling Hearts, and they came here, at this hour, to issue their challenge, then they were likely very serious about it.

Karen smiled, “Yeah, I guess you can say it’s something like that.”

Jo nodded, and suppressed a frown, saying, “Well, the same point still stands. The dojo is closed until tomorrow. Come by then, and I’ll spar with you guys a little.”

“We don’t want to spar with you,” Karen countered. “We want a Heart to Heart, and we aren’t asking.”

She smiled again, “Isn’t it true that the old man who runs this place sleeps in a room behind the offices?”

She glanced in the direction of the wall separating the main section of the dojo from Wilson’s apartment. Standing by the door, the three interlopers were relatively close to it. Before Jo had a chance to realize what it was that Karen was saying, Karen nodded to Lawrence, and he reached toward the wall. As he flexed his arm, without any warning at all, that arm became surrounded by a huge avatar of an arm, even longer than Lawrence’s entire body. It was a similar golden color to the animal avatars that Jason had created with his Sol during the exhibition match, but where the color of Jason’s avatars had been a pale yellow-gold, this avatar shone a proud bright gold that lit up the room.

The huge arm didn’t have the proportions of a human arm. There was a texture to it, like scales, and it ended in four long, clawed fingers. It’s claws were less than an inch from the wall, and the arm was not fully outstretched. If Lawrence so chose, he could extend the huge arms even further, and knock the wall over onto the sleeping Wilson. He might even be able to reach inside and attack Wilson with it.

“What is this?” Jo asked, stunned.

“It’s exactly what it looks like,” Karen answered. “If you don’t agree to fight us, we’ll kill the old man. And if you’re standing there thinking that, whatever we try, you four will be able to stop it, I promise you, Lawrence is just trying to be visually impressive. If we want to old man dead, we won’t have to rely on Lawrence’s power. Any one of us can do it in seconds, and we’re closer to him. Really think about it, are you sure that you can stop all three of us, when you don’t even know what we’re capable of?”

Jo looked to the others. Jen was considering the Sol Takers carefully. Tucker looked like he was ready to attack them. Sara looked somewhere between nervous and angry. Jo didn’t know if her friends would back her, she didn’t even know if she wanted them to, as serious as these three were, but she was not going to let them hurt Wilson.

“Fine,” Jo said, “there’s a lot out back. I’ll fight the three of you there.”

Karen smiled again, and shook her head, “Sorry, no, it’s all of you, or none of you.”

Jo was about to protest, but she didn’t have a chance. Tucker stepped up next to her, “If you guys want a fight, we’ll give you one.”

“You don’t get to go around making threats like that,” said Sara, ignoring the sweat running down her face.

“There’s only three of you,” said Jen logically, “and four of us. Our chances are good. But in exchange for this, you have to leave once the fight is over.”

Karen nodded. As she did, Lawrence lowered his arms to his side, and the avatar around it faded away. “Shall we?” Karen asked, and she and her companions led the way to the back lot of Wilson’s dojo, with Jo and the Dueling Hearts following close behind.

The back of the building was fairly well lit. A couple of nearby street lights, as well as a security light positioned above the back door of the building, made sure of that. Fighting here wouldn’t be a problem, and Jo was personality at a pretty large advantage, seeing how the three lights cast deep shadows that crossed each other at multiple points. If Jo was careful, she could use Shadow Step almost anywhere on the lot without having to stop even once. Even if these guys did see the fight with Christopher, they wouldn’t be ready for that.

The two groups reached the stage of their battle, and took up positions at opposite ends of the lot. It was the tallest one, Lawrence, who stepped onto the rubbery ground first, cracking his knuckles. “I get the first fight,” he said, his voice dripping with eager confidence. Listening to him, Jo was almost reminded of Tucker.

“How are we going to handle this?” Jo asked Karen. It was clear that she was the decision-maker of the group, after all. “We can’t have a proper teams match with an uneven number.”

Karen thought for a second, “How about this? We’ll have three separate Heart to Hearts. Monty and I will each fight one member of your team. Lawrence, since he’s so eager, will fight the remaining two. If your team wins even one victory, the three of us will leave.”

Jo was surprised. Karen sounded completely serious, and yet what she’d said didn’t make any sense. Lawrence was fighting first. If they only fought three Heart to Hearts, then that would mean that Karen intended for Lawrence to fight two people at the same time. There was no way he could win something like that. He’d lose, and Monty and Karen wouldn’t get a chance to fight at all. Still, it was the fastest way to get rid of these guys, so why not?”

“Okay,” Jo agreed. She was about to offer to be one of the fighters to take on Lawrence when Tucker cut her off.

“I’ll fight you,” Tucker announced, stepping forward and facing Lawrence. They glared at each other, and static leaped between them as their competitive energies mixed.

“Me too,” declared Jen, stepping forward as well. Jo moved to stop her, but Jen cut her off, saying, in a voice too quiet for Karen and her group to hear, “these guys are too confident. If they think that this Lawrence guy is tough enough to take on two of us at once, and he’s not even the one in charge, then the others could be even stronger. We need to save our best for last.”

She looked to Jo and Sara in turn, “And our best is you two, hands down. Besides, we all saw how big the arm of Lawrence’s avatar is. My gravity powers will have a huge affect on something that size. I’m the best choice to fight him. The choice is obvious.”

Jo couldn’t find any fault in Jen’s reasoning. That was pretty common. None of the Dueling Hearts were stupid, and Jo liked to think of herself as being uncommonly clever about fighting, but Jen was on a whole other level. She could come up with incredible strategies on the fly, and her creativity with Sol went far beyond Jo’s. It was never about pride or thrills with Jen. She felt those things, sure, but she approached each fight logically. If she was volunteering to fight someone, it was because she had thought it through and determined that she was the most likely to beat them. So Jo nodded, and Jen stepped up beside Tucker. The amount of energy filling the air between them increased even more, and yet Jo found her eyes once again wandering to Karen. She had to fight to peel them away, and focus on the impending action.

In the makeshift ring of rubberized turf, Jen took up her usual tight stance, while Tucker stood with his arms up, but his stance loose and open. Meanwhile, Lawrence paid the two of them little mind, not even bothering to guard. Jo found his behavior insulting, even though it was the same kind of thing that she did often when faced with fighters who she didn’t expect could beat her. Was this Lawrence’s attitude as well? Was he so convinced that he was stronger than two of the Dueling Hearts at once? Even if he was convinced, he was wrong. No one was that powerful.

Yet Karen didn’t seem concerned. The way she stood so nonchalantly on her team’s side of the makeshift arena, you would never know that she had started this match by threatening a man’s life. You would never know that her teammate was in a bad situation where he could easily find himself seriously hurt. Either she was just as unconcerned as Lawrence himself, or she just didn’t care. In fact, she seemed almost impatient to get things started. She looked from Jen, Tucker and Lawrence, to Jo, and said with a grin, “Let’s make this official, shall we? Team Dueling Hearts versus the Sol Takers, round one, let the Heart to Heart begin.”

Onward to Chapter Nine

[morganaspendragonss]

1-40

I get that whoever sent this was probably having me on because I put in the tags that nobody would actually do this, but I honestly don’t care because it’s interaction with my followers.

(Also I love talking about my writing hmu about it)

This is going under a cut because it’s going to be super long.

1. Describe your comfort zone - a typical you-fic

I love to write angsty, hurt/comfort stories that are quiteintrospective and possibly a little existential.  

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at,but really want to?

Someday, I’m definitely going to write a soulmate AU fic.  

3. Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a tenfoot pole?

I really hate sibling AUs. I’ve avoid reading them and I wouldn’t everwrite one.  

4. How many fic ideas are your nurturing right now?Care to share one of them?

Far, far too many. I will write them…. at some point…..

There’s one that I’ve been nurturing for a really long time.Essentially, it’s a Supernatural fic in which Sam dies with Jess in the fire atStanford. Not being one to let his prize horse go before he’s even entered thefield, however, Azazel returns him to life and guides him down the path tobecoming the boy king. 

Fast forward two years, Dean and Bobby put together a bunch of strange,demonic sounding deaths. People called Jake Talley, Ava Wilson, Scott Carey,etc. They go to investigate, and imagine their surprise when they find out it’sSam doing all the killings. 

5. Share one of your strengths

I’m generally pretty good at characterisation and worming my way intothe character’s thoughts and feelings. 

6. Share one of your weaknesses

I’m not great at motivating myself to write. There’s one of my fics thathasn’t been updated in months because I haven’t felt like sitting down andwriting. 

7. Share a snippet from one of your favouritepieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

There will never be enough time. 

Everyone alive thinks they have all the time in theworld to do everything they want, and so much more besides, and no one realisesuntil it’s their time that we’re all just trapped in hourglasses with the sandsof our lives slipping through our fingers. Death is a far off thing that comesfor everyone whether we like it or not, and when it does we will all wish formore time that we cannot have.

This is from my Harry Potter fic, every second you’re alive. I’m proud of it because I remember writing it and really liking what I had just produced, which is such a rare feeling for me.

(read the full fic here)

8. Share a snippet from one of your favouritedialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

“If the poor man wants to speak with you aloneyou ought to let him,” she scolded. 

“Come, Wilhelmina. Let’s leavethe men to it.” She started towards the door, but Alfred moved to stopher, embarrassed.

“Really, Duchess, that’s really not necessary.I’ll just-”

“Apparently it is necessary,” she cut in.“Didn’t your parents ever teach you manners?”

(read thefull fic here) This is from a Victoria fic and I like it becauseI felt like I could really hear the characters’ voices coming through after I’dwritten it. 

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

My Supernatural-Merlin crossover fic, Our Broken Souls. I haven’t updatedit in a while because it’s quite honestly exhausting to write because I have tokeep track of all the characters and make sure they’re all in character andit’s also my first real long fic so it’s been a challenge to write it whilstalso being in full-time education. 

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?

Probably my Supernatural 13x01 coda, You Say Goodbye. I knew exactly where I wanted to gowith it and how I wanted to write it. 

11. Is writing your passion or just a fun hobby?

Both. I really, really love writing, but currently I am only able to indulgein it as a hobby. 

12. Is there an episode above all others thatinspires you just a little bit more?

Episode 13x12 of Supernatural really inspired me. Unfortunately, Ihaven’t been able to upload my coda to that episode yet, but I’ll get there. 

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve comeacross?

 To always get a second perspective on your work.  

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve comeacross?

This is just personal, but to keep writing even when you’re notmotivated or inspired. This advice probably works for loads of people, just notfor me. 

15. If you could choose one of your fics to befilmed, which one would it be?

Probably my Supernatural 13x07 coda, Little Boy Lost because I need more Sam angst/Sam worrying aboutJack in the show. 

16. If you could only write one pairing for therest of your life, which pairing would it be?

That’s a tough one, but probably Charlie Bradbury/Jo Harvelle 

17. Do you write your story from start to finish,or do you write the scenes out of order?

Depends on the fic. Generally I write from start to finish, but ifthere’s a particular scene that I know I want to happen, but I don’t know whereit’ll go, I’ll write it beforehand and then insert it in later. 

18. Do you use any tools, like worksheet oroutlines?

 No 

19. Stephen King one said that his muse is a manwho lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?

It probably sounds strange, but no, I don’t really have a muse. 

20. Describe your perfectwriting conditions.

Sitting on my bed, the Game of Thrones soundtrack playing quietly in thebackground. 

21. How many timesdo you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

Anywhere between 0 and 3 

22. Chose a passagefrom one of your earlier fics and edit it into your current writing style.

Oh man I hate looking at my earlier writing. This is an improvement of a2016 Sherlock fic entitled Lost (readit here)

JimMoriarty shot himself in the back of the head. His eyes stared blankly up atthe blue sky, his lips still quirked upwards into a triumphant grin. He hadwon. He had won, despite the halo of blood spreading across the concrete. 

(Sherlockwondered if that was how he hadlooked when it had happened. If anyone deserved a halo, it was John Watson) 

(Butthen, Sherlock had seen enough car crash victims to know that wouldn’t be thencase) 

23. If you were to revise one ofyour older fics from start to finish, which would it be any why?

My veryfirst fic, Binding Love, a PJO fic from way back in 2014. That was written inthe days where I didn’t know how to structure my fic properly, and my writinghad improved in leaps and bounds since then.  

24. Have you ever deleted one ofyour published fics?

I have. Ideleted a Divergent fic because it didn’t get a response, and when I read itover I saw why. I also deleted two other fics because I was honestly justembarrassed about them. 

25. What do you look for in abeta?

Someonewith patience because I am the worst at keeping a good updating schedule, andsomeone who is good at spotting grammatical mistakes because my fics often havequite a few. 

26.  Do you beta yourself? If so, what kind ofbeta are you?

I dobeta. I tend to be quite clinical, going through it and making changes where Ispot errors, but I also like to interact with the writer so that I understandwhat they want to achieve and how I can help them, and so that they understandmy thought process and why I made the changes I did. 

27. How do you feel aboutcollaborations?

I’m partof one now! They can be stressful, but I’ve had a lot of fun with them. 

28. Share three of your favouritefic writers and why you love them so much.

TolkienGirl onff.net – She has written so many wonderful fics for a huge variety of fandomsand each one is literal perfection. I have never read a single story of hersthat I have not loved. 

elsaclack on ao3 – I have only recently started reading their fics but oh my god they areamazing. I finished reading one of them the other day and I was so disappointedthat I have got to the end because I was enjoying it so so much. 

Lenelle on ff.net – I amin love with their fic. Again, it’s all so good and they write some amazingSam-centric SPN fic, which is all I need in life. 

29. If you could write the sequel(or prequel) to any fic out there not writtenby yourself, which would you choose?

Probablya sequel to Lay Down YourArmour by rainbowflavouredfabulous on ao3. It was such a good fic and isvery deserving of a sequel. Whether I’d be able to do it justice, however, isanother matter. 

30. Do you acceptprompts?

Yeah, definitely! I can’t say how long I’ll take to write them, but Ilove receiving prompts. 

31. Do you takeliberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canoncompliant?

That is very dependent on the fic and on the canon. For example, when I’mwriting episode codas I generally stay true to canon, but I have taken someliberties if I dislike the canon. 

32. How do you feelabout smut?

I love to read it, but I’ve never written it. 

33. How do you feelabout crack?

Not really my thing. 

34. What are yourthoughts on non-con and dub-con?

I generally try to keep away from it. 

35. Would you everkill off a canon character?

I have and I do, although not so frequently now as I used to. 

36. Which is yourfavourite site to post fic?

I used to exclusively post on ff.net, but I quite like ao3 as well.

37. Talk about yourcurrent wips.

Currently I’m trying to write a coda to SPN 13x09 that’s been in theworks for a long time. I can’t quite figure out what I want to write, otherthan that it’s post-episode from Jack’s POV.  

Then there’s my crossover, OurBroken Souls. I really do enjoy writing this because I’ve always wanted towrite a Merlin-Supernatural crossover, but it takes time. I’m hopefully goingto update over Easter. 

38. Talk about areview that made your day.

All the reviews I get make my day if I’m being honest, but I receivedone on my fic To Ashes that made meso happy. I was really unsure about this fic, but the review was just so lovelyand really cheered me up. 

39. Do you ever getrude reviews and how do you deal with them?

Surprisingly, I very rarely get rude reviews. I got one near Christmasthat basically told me I shouldn’t write because it goes against God’s willetc. etc. It was a guest review so I just reported it. 

40. Write analternative ending to [insert fic title]

I wasn’t given a fic so I’ll choose one myself. This is an alternativeending to my Victoria fic, Achilles and Patroclus,in which Drummond doesn’t die. 

When the fifth day came, Alfred was sure he was going to lose Drummond.His face was grey, his breathing laboured, and Alfred didn’t know how a personcould recover from that. His eyes filled with tears as he left, certain hewould never enter this place again. 

In the end, it turned out he was right, if only in part. The palacereceived word two days later that Drummond was expected to make a fullrecovery, and had been moved to his own home to do so. Alfred barely managed tocontain himself at the news, and rushed off to Drummond’s house as soon as hewas able. 

When he arrived, a maid showed him up to the room, warning him not todistress Drummond too much. He assured her he would do nothing of the sort,then stepped inside, shutting the door quietly behind him. Drummond was pale,and his eyes were closed, but his head turned in Alfred’s direction as Alfredmade his way over to the bed. Alfred felt tears gather in his eyes again, buthe blinked them away, sitting down in a chair next to the bed and hesitantlytaking Drummond’s hand in his. 

Drummond’s mouth quirked up into a smile at the touch. “Alfred,” hebreathed, and that sound alone caused a warm feeling to spread in Alfred’schest. 

“Edward,” Alfred choked out, finally letting the tears fall. Hetightened his grip on Drummond’s hand as they sat in silence, thankful thatthis wonderful man hadn’t been stolen from him.

[bootandbradford]

Redo

Okay, so little side note. I haven’t written much of anything in the past 4 or 5 years, so this fic is probably going to be rusty and possibly awful. But, I couldn’t think of a better way to get back into writing than writing about my new OTP Omelia. That being said, here is the inspiration of this prompt: What if Owen and Amelia really decided to “redo” their relationship starting at the end of 12x12 and the situation in 12x15 never happened? That is what this fic will entail, be warned that this fic is quite lengthy. Enjoy!

After an exciting start to her day, Amelia Shepherd arrived to work considerably late. On a mission not to get caught by anyone (especially not her sisters), she ran into the attendings lounge and started to promptly undress as soon as she was in the room. But, much to her dismay, she was caught red-handed when she turned around and realized that her sister Maggie was standing in that same room and witnessed the entire ordeal. Considerably embarrassed, Amelia felt the need to tell her currently surprised sister just what happened this morning leading up to this exact moment.

But before Amelia could even start to explain, Maggie questioned her sister about her erratic behavior by asking “Are you drunk?”

To which Amelia immediately countered her statement and told her “No! I was in a hurry because I was late. And the reason I was late was because Owen’s trailer is very dark, and I couldn’t find my boot.”

Maggie wasn’t completely sold on Amelia’s explanation. So, she further questioned if there were any other reasons as to why she was late.

Amelia stopped what she was doing right at that second and immediately regretted having said anything to her in the first place.

Maggie caught on to her hesitant reply, and asked point blank: “Were you late because you and Owen were having sex?”

Amelia finally gave in and admitted that She and Owen had been having sex when she realized how late she was.

Maggie laughed as her suspicions were confirmed.

Amelia could already tell this day was off to a curious start. 

Later on that same day, while looking over scans, Amelia sensed that someone was behind her watching. Her suspicions were confirmed when she came face-to-face with a certain ginger.

Thinking about the events this morning, Amelia asked Owen if he had found the boot that she left at the trailer this morning. Owen promptly replied that he had found the boot and would give it to her after their shifts ended tonight.

Sensing some uneasiness from Amelia, Owen glanced at the scans in front of her and began to wonder why she was so worried.

“Is everything okay? Do you want some help?” Owen obliged to Amelia.

“I just have this feeling that I’m going to kill this girl [Katie Bryce].” Amelia replied.

After hearing this statement Owen became slightly confused as Amelia was doubting her abilities as a neurosurgeon.

Noticing Owen’s confusion, Amelia further explained her feelings toward this particular surgery. “I’ve been trying to distance myself from cases like this ever since my relapse, but then today, this girl arrives with a live grenade in her head and she also happens to be Derek and Meredith’s surgical lovechild” Amelia admitted uneasily.

Owen took a second before adding: “Amelia, who cares what Meredith thinks, she’s not a neurosurgeon, you are. The only reason you are feeling this was is because your brother’s and her name is on the file. If any other surgeon’s name was on it, you wouldn’t be feeling this way.”

Amelia contemplated Owen’s statement and realized that he was right. Why would she listen to anything Meredith has to say about her work. Afterall, she removed Nicole Herman’s tumor despite all of the backlash she received.

After her surgery, Amelia made her way to an on-call room to change and go home. But before she could leave she needed her boot back from Owen. Right at that moment, Owen appeared in the doorway and bellowed a sincere congratulations.

Amelia tried to respond but ended up laughing. She couldn’t however avoid the elephant in the room. She made sure to quickly add: “We’re not starting something new, last night was a mistake.”

Owen chuckled momentarily before replying with: “I don’t accept that, if it were new, I wouldn’t have your boot. But, if you want to start over, and forget all of that, start fresh, if that’s easier for you, then we can do that, too.”

Amelia was stunned by Owen’s statement. But, quickly retorted: “Just like new?”

Owen affirmed his statement: “Yep, square one.”

Amelia was suddenly overcome with emotions for the man in front of her. She moved forward in hope of kissing him. But she was puzzled when Owen backed away from her and started to stand up.

Owen watched Amelia’s face grow in bewilderment. He continued to add to it by saying: “What are you doing?, at least ask me out on a date first.”

Amelia was baffled by his actions and could only laugh.

The next week went by quick, partially due to the fact that Amelia and Owen had limited interactions. But also because they were both on-call almost every single night the past week.

But, Owen was determined to spend some quality time with her. Tonight he had a surprise for Amelia.

Amelia’s day started out pretty great. But she was in for a couple of surprises herself.

Before Amelia could get her surprise from Richard Webber, Owen popped in her elevator and made some small talk before letting her in on his surprise. “Long night?”

Amelia responded by giving Owen the specs on the patient. “75-year-old man ran his car into an electrical pole. Electrocution and a big intracranial bleed. And a pacemaker implantation.”

Owen responded with a simple huh.

Amelia wondered why Owen joined her in the elevator in the first place. She remained silent and wait for him to elaborate.

Owen finally clued her in by saying the following: “Uh, so I booked a reservation around 8:00, so we should maybe head out around 7:00. That work?”

Amelia was speechless, but managed to say: “Yeah, I can do that. How fancy is this?”

Owen happily retorted: “Well, first date, so I took a big swing.”

Amelia didn’t reply, but she heartily laughed. Amelia’s jolly mood would not last for long, as another surprise was about to take her mood into a turn for the worse.

As soon as the elevator dinged, Penny Blake came through the doors and began to question the doctor in front of her. “Dr. Shepherd, is this Mr. McColl?”

Amelia was taken by surprise but replied: “Yes, Blake. Why?”

Blake continued the conversation with “The patient’s wife is downstairs”

Amelia slightly annoyed at this point asks: “Why are you telling me this? Where’s Edwards?”

Blake explained the resident switch-up: “Dr. Webber mixed us up. I pulled your service.”

Amelia was fuming at this point. So she snapped at Blake and said not so nicely: “No.”

Blake recognized Dr. Shepherd’s anger and annoyance, but carried on by retorting “No?”

Amelia sensed Blake’s confusion and continued asking: “No, where’s the wife?”

Blake finally caught on and replied: “She’s downstairs in admitting”

The elevator chimes in again, momentarily stopping the conversation.

Blake used the momentary silence to form her next sentence: “Dr. Webber told me…”

Amelia finally having enough of Blake, demanded that she “Tell Dr. Webber I said no.”

A couple of hours later, Blake was reprimanded yet again after she relayed medical information about Mr. McColl to another woman who was not his wife.

After listening to Blake make this mistake, Amelia was fed up with her. But before letting her leave Amelia snuck in “Get your facts straight before you let me go spilling medical information to just anybody. You embarrassed me.”

At this point Blake was trying to get through the rest of her day without angering Dr. Shepherd and further. So, in trying to make amends with her she “I’m sorry, she said that she was his…”

Interrupting her Amelia sneered at her and added: “Why are you even here? I said to tell Dr. Webber…”

Blake sensing her hostility, tried to explain: “Dr. Webber said that he chooses to decline your proposal.”

Amelia, still not satisfied with Blake’s explanation: “Well, then take the day off.”

Blake further explained the situation by saying: “Dr. Webber rejected that, too.”

Amelia having enough of Blake, leaves her with the following instructions: “Watch his monitors, don't touch him, and stay out of my way.”

Blake retreated to one of the only places where she could escape Dr. Shepherd’s wrath. The bathroom. When she entered, she was met with two other familiar faces, Jo Wilson and Stephanie Edwards. They too were having a hard time with the resident mixup. Stephanie Edwards was talking when she entered. “I've been urinated on three times today.” Said Stephanie disgustingly.

Jo replied with: “What did you expect from babies?”

Stephanie clarifies: “ I'm talking about puppies... dogs. There are puppies upstairs with the kids. The only thing worse than peds is peds with puppies because we're surgeons, not veterinarians, because we should not be urinated upon.”

Jo replies: “I'm being crapped on.”

After listening to their conversation, Penny decides to chime in and starts talking to Stephanie, “You have to help me with Shepherd. Shepherd wants me dead.”

Jo tries to cheer up Penny, “At least she knows who you are. Grey keeps calling me your name.”

A few minutes later, Amelia catches an elevator and comes into contact with Riggs.

He states that he is “Heading up to check on Mr. McColl’s vitals.”

Amelia mentions to Riggs: “Make sure Blake's watching monitors.”

Riggs, picking on some potential hostility: “What is Blake's problem? What don't you like about her? She seems on top of it to me, so what am I not seeing? She's... No, she's... I'm the new guy. So if she's the dead fish, I'd like to know.”

Amelia says “It's personal between her and me. You can form your own conclusions.”

Riggs jokingly replies: “Aww. That's kind of you. Must be nice for Blake.”

Amelia not catching on: “What does that mean?”

Riggs remarks:  “Oh, come on. You and Hunt are obviously pretty tight. I'm sure you've formed some conclusions about me.”

Meanwhile Riggs is heading toward Mr. McColl’s room, Blake is in the room observing him as he speaks to his wife. However, in the middle of the conversation, she notices that something isn’t right. “I’m sorry guys, can I get in here for a second, please? Mr. McColl, can you squeeze my hands as hard as you can, okay?” At that moment, the monitors started to beep rather loudly. Yet, Blake continues her neuro check “Follow the light.” Just then, Dr. Riggs walks in and immediately becomes curious as to what is going on.

Riggs asks: “Blake, what is it?”

Blake informs Dr. Riggs to: “Page Shepherd immediately”

Riggs informs her that his ICP is rising.

At that moment, Blake realizes what she has to do. She has to do a ventriculostomy, and quick

Riggs questions if she can do the procedure before allowing her to do it. Blake says that she can do one. Blake realized that she’s not allowed to touch him, so she can’t perform the procedure.

“I’m not supposed to touch him.” Blake informs Riggs.

Riggs then replies: “You’re the neurosurgeon on call.”

Although she didn’t want to quarrel with an attending, she repeated what she had said before which was that she was told explicitly not to touch him. Riggs pushed her for more.

Blake recounts: “Shepherd said no, so I’m not going to drill a hole in his head.” Wanting to follow her attending orders she asks Riggs: “Would you do it please? We’re running out of time.”

Riggs impatiently says: “No, you’re running out of time Blake.”

Blake reluctantly begins the procedure.

But, before she gets anywhere, Dr. Shepherd reappears and is angrier than ever.

“What are you doing!?” She angrily asked Blake.

Blake replied what she had done prior to her storming in the room: “His ICP was through the roof, there was some evidence of herniation, so I had to drill a burr holes to…”

“Relieve the pressure. Don’t tell me what a ventric is. Why would you let her do this?” Amelia asked angrily.

“Cause she caught it, and she could do it.” Riggs replied.

Amelia signals to Blake: “Get out of my way. Get away from him.”

Amelia started walking down to the main lobby to update the patient’s wife on his condition. Riggs and Blake followed. After updating the wife, Amelia signals to Blake: “Find Edwards. Tell her to meet me in O.R One.” Blake receives the message and quickly leaves, but before she does, Riggs informs Amelia: “Shepherd, you don’t have time to go chasing around for Edwards. You need to be in there now”

Amelia hesitantly takes Riggs advice and says: “Blake, wait.”

While in surgery, Blake continued to tell Amelia just what she did this afternoon in her absence.

She continued to keep talking to Dr. Shepherd until he flatlines. Blake immediately asks if she’s done something wrong. And Amelia replies that she hasn’t, she even says: “You were perfect.”

Amelia takes some time after the surgery and lays down on one of the many cots located in the hallways. She is caught off guard when she notices Owen approaching her in non-work clothes. Oh crap. She completely forgot about their date and hadn’t changed yet.

Owen asks: “Are we not going?” after noticing Amelia had not changed yet. “We’re cancelling.”

“No, Owen I’ll rally.” She then begins to inform him about her day and about Blake.

After Amelia finished explaining, Owen realizes just how exhausted she is. He tells her that dinner’s off. But before she can walk away, he says to come with him. Amelia, not enjoying surprises, as mentioned many times throughout today reluctantly follows him. Little did she know that she would love this surprise.

When arriving at the room, she hears the faint noises of puppies barking. As Owen opens the door he mentions: “Studies have shown that petting a dog can actually lower blood pressure. And they can make a really crappy day a lot less crappy.”

Amelia, overjoyed with emotion can think of doing one thing at this moment. And that is showing her appreciation for Owen.

He’s one step ahead of her though, because when she turns to face him, he’s already planned for them to share a passionate but sweet kiss.

Amelia was very glad that this quick week ended on a sweet note.

The next time we see Owen and Amelia together, they are still on a conversation about dogs, but this time, in a different context.

Referring to to their time last night, Amelia excitedly asks Owen: “You should get a dog. You seem like a dog guy.”

To this Owen replies: “I live in a trailer.”

Amelia then inquired Owen’s opinion on this statement: “Yeah, that’s something that we can talk about.”

Owen, not getting where she was headed with that statement says: “You don’t like my trailer?”

Amelia still trying to get to her point replies: “No, sure, but I also like grown-up houses.”

Owen laughs at her response, before continuing the conversation with: “Listen, I was thinking we could have dinner tomorrow? It’s my birthday and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather spend it with so… ”

Amelia was momentarily stuck on what to say, but after a moment she said: “Tomorrow’s your birthday?” while side bumping him.

Owen clarified her statement: “No, no. It’s next week, so you still have time to buy my gift, but I was thinking we could, you know kick things off with dinner.”

Amelia tuning into what Owen was saying, started to think about what they could have dinner, when an idea popped into her head: “Do you like lobster?”

Owen happily replied: “Love lobster.”

Amelia was happily surprised by his answer. She continued with: “You know how to cook lobster?”

Owen, wanting to impress her with his lack of cooking knowledge: “Sure, you just boil a pot of water and…”

Amelia, trying to grasp what Owen was trying to explain: “Yeah, see. You’re already losing me.”

At that moment, Owen’s pager went off signaling incoming trauma.

Amelia reminds him of their plans: “So, tomorrow night then?”

Owen replies simply with: “Lobster.”

Amelia replies jokingly: “Birthday lobster, which you are cooking.”

“That’s become obvious” Owen replied while smirking.

A couple of hours later, while visiting a patient after a particularly bad outcome, Owen and Riggs began fighting after a comment he said to that patient’s parents. At first, it didn’t bother him, but once he started talking about a certain topic, a person, more specifically Owen’s sister and his former fiancee. Owen could no longer keep silent. Owen and Riggs began to quarrel about who is to blame for Megan’s death. Riggs deliberately brought up the fact that he stopped looking and came back home to Seattle after stopping his search for her. Owen became very defensive and angry. Riggs takes one last jab at Owen mentioning that he should look in a mirror if he needed to find someone to hate.

Needing to get away from Riggs as soon as possible, Owen quickly walked to the nearest on-call room to cool down before heading home to his trailer to prepare for his birthday dinner with Amelia.

After finishing her last surgery of the day, Amelia quickly drove back to Meredith’s house to shower and get dressed. She then drove to the local market to pick up some fresh lobster to cook for dinner.

Upon arriving at Owen’s trailer, Amelia noticed that the string lights were shining beautifully and the inside lights were on, signaling that Owen was home. She walked carefully up the porch stairs to reach the door. She hoped that Owen would hear her coming up the stairs and open the door for her, but he was obviously preoccupied as he didn’t come and open the door. “Happy Birthday!” she said while knocking on the trailer door.

Amelia, now a little worried at this point: “Owen, are you going to let me in? I’m holding a box a creepy squirming lobsters.”

Owen, while opening the door admitted apologetically: “Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear any of your knocking.”

“Owen, it’s completely fine. As long as I can put these lobsters down sometime soon, everything's good.” Amelia laughed while walking into the trailer. She noticed that he had already set the table, with a cream tablecloth, which was perfectly accented with 3 red roses in a vase in the center of the table across from the oven. Amelia smiled and took in her surroundings, she wondered how she got so lucky. She was snapped out of her trance when Owen asked her how to prepare the lobsters before boiling them in water.

Amelia moved over the the countertop to give Owen a lesson in lobster preparation, so that the next time they have lobster together, he can actually make the lobster himself. After a little time and patience, Owen finally got the hang of it. Amelia happily smiled at her accomplishment.

A short time later, dinner was ready. Owen graciously helped Amelia transfer the food from the counter to the table. When all was said and done, Owen grabbed the final touch, candles.

Before either could start eating, Amelia chided in saying: “Today was kind of a rough day for me. I’m glad that I am spending the night with you.”

Owen was surprised to hear that Amelia had a bad day, but was also relieved. He didn’t want to spoil her night by complaining about Riggs. “I had quite the day also, Riggs got on my last nerve today. You wouldn’t believe what he said to me.”

Listening carefully to what he had to say, Amelia was slightly confused as to what he and Riggs were fighting about this time. She didn’t want to pry, but she wanted to know what happened. She began to formulate a question, but before she could say anything, Owen began to explain all about his day starting from the beginning. He talked about the good and the bad. Eventually, he got to the end of his day and Amelia finally found out what he and Riggs had been fighting about. Owen’s sister Megan. Owen had never mentioned anything about even having a sister, but she was glad that he felt comfortable telling her intimate details about his dearly departed sister. They went back and forth telling stories about their day, and eventually they ended dinner talking about their siblings. This brought up many teary but happy memories from the both of them. After realizing that they had been talking for almost 3 hours, they decided to head to bed.

Amelia and Owen ended the night the same way the started the week, together in bed.