#Chicago Cruise Tour

[getoutofthisplace]

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Mom and I started the day with a walk out to Navy Pier, then decided to keep going because we were enjoying it so much. We walked over 12 miles. Took a history & architecture river boat tour we liked a lot. Got back to our hotel in time to get dressed for dinner at Jeong, which Mom described as "The best dining experience of her entire life," and I'm inclined to see it the same way. The food was phenomenal, and I loved seeing your beautiful mother so happy.

Dad.

Chicago, Illinois. 7.10.2024 - 3.29pm.

[thinking-emoji]

Photo-spoiler free PEOPLE article

wonderful article by the amazing Raven Brunner, but it unfortunately includes extremely cute photos of dnp on stage and in their stage outfits. So here's the spoiler free version for all you hardcore spoiler-fighters

Dan Howell and Phil Lester Say Seeing Fans on Tour Now That They're 'Older and Bit Gayer' Has Felt 'Radical and Freeing' (Exclusive)

Dan Howell and Phil Lester are currently one month into the North American leg of their tour Terrible Influence and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look

By Raven Brunner | Published on November 1, 2024 11:00AM EDT

Dan Howell and Phil Lester are cruising through the United States! 

The two British YouTubers are currently one month into the North American leg of their third joint tour Terrible Influence – and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look.

The duo will continue with stops in Chicago, Toronto, New York City, Nashville and more, before bringing their show to Australia in December. 

"Being able to see our audience in real life, now that we're all older ... and we're a bit gayer, feels so radical and freeing," Dan and Phil said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "We've had so many people joke [that] this tour has felt 'healing' and to see people from all different walks of life feel like they are welcome at our tour makes us so happy."

They added, "Getting to perform a new show that contains so many spicy personal and professional revelations is a thrill. It's truly a DGAF new era and to see people hollering at some of the controversial moments and shedding a tear at the end makes it feel so good every night."

When it comes to traveling the states, the two continued, "The U.S.A. is so huge, we can't believe driving across the middle takes so long. From Texas and the midwest to the upcoming east coast leg - our propaganda is spreading across the nation and we're so happy to be here saving democracy, one brainwashed viewer at a time."

The show sees Dan and Phil on tour together for the first time since their 2018 hiatus from their shared YouTube channel DanandPhilGAMES, during which they both came out as gay and grew their personal brands. During this time, Dan wrote the #1 New York Times bestselling mental health book You Will Get Through This Night and embarked on a solo comedy tour We’re All Doomed, while Phil continued to grow his own YouTube channel AmazingPhil. 

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE ahead of their arrival in the U.S., the two – who have been on YouTube together for over 15 years – spoke about the reactions to their first few shows as they began their tour in September with a stop in Belgium.

"We have had so many funny memes and reactions to it," Phil, 37, told us at the time. "Seeing the buzz on social media the first night we did the show, because no one knew anything about it or what it was going to be, was just a reminder of how hilarious our audience is.”

Dan, 33, added that the show is helping people come to terms with their past and also their future. 

"It has also been amazing seeing all the different kinds of people that come to the show because we have had people that are like, 'I’m old now and identify as a real person' – not someone that spends all their time on YouTube," he said. "All these people have grown up and gone on so many different journeys in the direction of their lives, and yet it feels like they all got to come together and feel like they were welcomed."

Dan continued, "They all got to laugh and feel like they could have some weight taken off their shoulders for who we were, for who they used to be [and] for how scared they should feel about the future. The fact that everyone’s left feeling invigorated about themselves for what the next chapters of their lives could be, I think we are really proud of that."

The new territory of the show also poses new "danger," as Dan said.

Phil has experienced two accidents while working on the show, the first of which occurred during a rehearsal and resulted in a broken rib. Then he fell off the stage during a tour stop in Sweden, after which he wrote on social media, "people think ‘phil is going to fall off the stage’ is an old joke until i actually fall off the stage."

"We joke about this,” Dan explained. “People are like, 'Dan and Phil need to stop exaggerating.' But you don’t even know the extent to which we don’t tell people half the stuff Phil has done."

"I need to be wrapped in bubble wrap at all times," Phil agreed, before adding, "To be fair, it is very dark on the stage. I thought I was leaning over the edge. There was no edge. I did a very stylish barrel roll off the front of the stage and thankfully it wasn’t very high."

He continued, "But the rib was another thing. I won't say much because it'd be a spoiler, but we were rehearsing a very active part of the show and I bent myself in a way I should not have bent myself."

Beyond the challenging physical aspects of the show, Dan noted that the specific scene also includes an emotional element where they are "jokingly being quite confrontational about a lot of things that would have, in the past, been considered sensitive topics – whether it is about us and our audience, or just like people on social media and what this culture is."

As for what the duo enjoys most about touring the United States, Dan quickly noted that "Phil is looking forward to sugar."

"Yeah, I have a sugar issue,” Phil confirmed. "Everything in the U.S. has more sugar in it. So that’s always quite exciting. The pancake stack I am going to get as soon as I arrive in America is going to be legendary."

Dan added, “You’ll find that’s essential. If someone wants a free selfie with Phil, just turn up to the local IHOP at 2 a.m. and see Phil just going, 'More maple syrup.'"

The two shared a story from their 2018 tour Interactive Introverts where their bus broke down "in the middle of Texas" and the only place nearby was a Denny’s. "So we ended up going there having a Breakfast Slam at like 3 a.m. I was like, 'I think I get American culture,' " Dan explained.

"This is it. The Slam,' " Phil added.

Meanwhile, Dan is most looking forward to "bus life."

"A lot of people go, ‘Touring! Don’t you just hate it? Imagine being on a bus cramped up with all those people?' And I’m like, 'I love it.' Get me out of the house," Dan shared. "We are not meant to just be spending all day in our head, being anxious about stuff. We are meant to go outside. And I found that the only way I can do that is to book a tour and commit to dragging myself outside of the house.'

Following their return to YouTube and their joint brand, Dan said that they are living "in this radical present where we are just seeing how things go." However, they are still aware of the demand for them to take on more big projects, particularly in relation to their former jobs as presenters on BBC Radio 1 where they hosted a weekly radio show and interviewed A-list celebrities like Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy at special events.

"Yeah, that was really fun," Phil recalled. "I think there was a lot of anxiety for me doing the radio because you have to press a lot of buttons, you are live – so I can say anything. Anyone knows that me, unfiltered and live, is a dangerous mix, especially when you are the BBC."

Dan added, "People keep asking us. They are like 'Dan and Phil, we need you to get back doing these presenting jobs. You want to come back? Do the radio, do this award show.' We are like, 'Oh, my! Maybe we’ll do it for the people.' "

He continued to note that people are also "begging" him to return to his solo YouTube channel, but for now, they are focused on the tour. 

"This Dan and Phil comeback was so lowkey," Dan said. "Literally we had no plan for it. Phil was like, 'Just sit down, play The Sims, play a little card game,' and it is the most light, casual content ever. People were so enthusiastic about it and now they are like, 'What is the future?' People are begging us to do radio, they want us to do a podcast, they want us to do all this other stuff that their favorite YouTubers are doing. So now, we are like, 'Okay, we hear you, Dan and Phil 2.0 when we get back from this tour.' Honestly, it sounds like a threat."

"Yeah," Phil agreed. "What is it going to be? We are not sure but we are excited about it."

Tickets for Terrible Influence are now on sale.

[zahri-melitor]

Tim doesn’t have a lot from Dana.

Two years of memories.

Just six or so months between her wedding to his father and Jack’s death. Another few months after that until Bludhaven exploded.

Two Christmases, and two birthdays.

The first Christmas never really happened as his dad and Dana were snowed in in Chicago. They’d come home bearing apology gifts, but Dana still didn’t really know Tim at that point, so it had been…stuff. New video games. A new watch. A new Discman. (Dad had ponied up for Green Day VIP tour tickets, out of guilt; Tim had taken Ives with him).

Tim had spent his fifteenth birthday in No Man’s Land. His present had been the government-funded extraction (which he had subsequently ignored only to sneak back in repeatedly).

That year, Tim had spent Christmas Eve in Bristol with his father, just the two of them. It was Jack’s concession to having missed the previous two Christmas Eves, between his coma and the previous year. (It had been two years since Tim had buried his mom. They’d visited the cemetery earlier that day, before Tim answered an urgent call from Oracle to go look for the babies kidnapped by the Joker).

For his sixteenth birthday, Bruce had given Tim a paranoid breakdown, his dad had given him a new wireless modem, and Dana had given him dress shoes.

For all his scepticism at the time, the shoes had eventually come in handy.

For the funerals.

Between the Crisis and the cruise and the chaos surrounding identifying bodies in Bludhaven, the Winters’ had handled Dana’s funeral. An invite hadn’t made it to Tim in time – he’d only met Dana’s family that once, at the wedding – but Alfred had seen the funeral notice in the paper and forwarded it to Tim.

Dana was buried outside of Gotham, with her grandparents. Bruce had taken Tim up to see the grave.

Two years, and a pair of shoes, and a recipe for soup. The memories of her laughter at the dinner table. A mug that she’d picked out and drank her coffee from every morning.

The silent gap of a third missing parent, one that people forget he ever had, because she was only his step-mother.

Little things.

[squadmuse]

DATES ALPHABET

THE MATT CASEY EDITION

A/N: @deanstead 's genius mind and fantastic Matt fics plus her anons have got me deep in the Matt rabbit hole, much love & kudos to them all… so here is my first ever Matt fic!

A - Amusement Park / Arcade

An arcade date definitely happens when you’re dating Matt. The two of you walk along Navy Pier one evening, it’s a lovely summer night and both so in love - you play shooter games, racing simulators, throwing games and more, with Matt winning you so many cuddly bears & animals.

B - Biking / Brunch

Brunch usually happens as a date for you and Matt to catch up after a long shift. You’ll meet each other there and get a booth, cuddling up and chatting away over some nice coffee or fruit juice, pancakes and fruit. The two of usually playfully steal bites of the others order.

C - Candlelit dinner / Cabin getaway

Matt will ask Kelly for use of his cabin once in a while, usually for the day during a holiday. The two of you unplug (not entirely due to careers) and enjoy being around nature.

D - Dinner Cruise / Drive-in Movie

The dinner cruise date is usually reserved for anniversaries and it’s something that you and Matt always look forward to and enjoy the nice meal on the water.

E - Eiffel Tower / Escape Room

Matt loves spoiling you and one time took you to Paris, France for a vacation holiday and one of your dates there was up the Eiffel Tower. He is a big romantic gesture guy and where else than the City of Love?

F - Football Game / Fireworks

The 4th of July celebrations are a date where you and Matt cuddle on a picnic blanket if he’s luckily not working, and watch the Chicago sky light up but if Matt is on shift then he’ll have you come to 51 and watch them there with you.

G - Gala / Glamping

A gala date happens more when Matt is an alderman but it happens once in a while for a charity or the firehouse. He looks extremely dashing in his dress uniform and you look lovely in your gown.

H - Hockey Match / Harvest Festival

Matt surprises you one autumnal Saturday with a date to a harvest festival. The two of you just enjoy the day, drinking cider, eating pumpkin pie and kissing in corn mazes together.

I - Interior Design Expo / Italian Restaurant

Somehow you and Matt ended up an interior design expo one weekend through his construction job and make it a date. Matt is in his element and thinks of ideas for his renovations etc. while you love the art and design side of things but the two love the merging of your interests.

J - Jacuzzi / Jogging

Matt Casey in jacuzzi is something we all need and it’s something you set up one date night staycation, bringing him to the warm jacuzzi to relax and enjoy which he does and does some more with you in your bikini.

K - Kayaking/Kickboxing

With you and Matt working shifts, one way you have dates is at the gym and you get him into trying out a kickboxing class with you and you both enjoy it.

L - Lakeside getaway / Live Music

A grateful survivor gifted Matt some tickets to a rock concert and of course he took you. Much like the Rush concert, the two of you got front row seats, met the band and got a backstage tour too.

M - Museum / Masquerade

You and Matt like to just spend quiet time with each other and Chicago is a wealth of museums that the two of you wander around hand in hand just enjoying the history around you both.

N - Nightclub / Nine Pin Bowling

Matt and you are very competitive and whenever there is a bowling tournament or game held in the firehouse then the two of you are revving each other up and riling up each other too.

O - Observatory / Orchestra Concert

The orchestra date happens when Matt is an alderman and the two of you are attending a benefit concert for the children’s hospital. It ends up being a soothing experience and the two of you enjoy the new date.

P - Picnic / Photoshoot

Matt and you will have picnic dates during the summer or spring, stretched out on the blanket enjoying each other’s company and laughing as you feed each other grapes or cuddling against a tree in the public park.

Q - Quiz Night / Quiet Time

One night Mollys holds a quiz night and of course you and Matt team up together to compete. He’s a smart guy - intellectually, emotionally & street, and so are you - so it’s no wonder that the two of you walk away with the top prize.

R -Resort Weekend / Road Trip

The road trip date happens when you and Matt go away for a long weekend or public holiday. You’ll pack the car up to go camping and roll the windows down, laughing and singing along to the radio.

S - Spa Day / Swimming

You’re big on keeping up your swimming abilities and the healing power of the water, so once or twice you have dragged Matt to your favourite pool or beach and just swim around. You do end up making out a few times but Matt tries to keep it PG-13 in public.

T - Tiki Bar / Tango Lessons

The tiki bar dates that you and Matt have, usually result in massive hangovers the next day but you both have a ton of fun and Matt is cute in his Hawaiian shirt and you’re cute with your luau on.

U - Upscale Dining / Unplugged Date

Matt enjoys just switching off and getting away from electronics. Sometimes the two of you will read together, just snuggle or sometimes cook

V - Valentines Day / Volunteer

Matt always makes sure he is the one organising your Valentines Day dates together and he always goes all out. Dinner cruises, fancy restaurants etc. these dates are very special to you and Matt.

W - Woodworking / Weekend

As Matt has his construction job, one way you end up sort of helping or doing something linked to his hobbies and skills is via woodworking, and he loves seeing how excited you get after creating something out of the wood.

X - eXcursions / eXpensive

Now an excursion date between Matt and you varies from date to date. It can be sailing and fishing, food tours, aquariums etc. they’re never the same and never boring.

Y - Yacht Cruise / Yoga

You love yoga and whenever you see that Matt is getting stressed out or worked up with his duties, you drag him to the yoga studio and get him into the different positions and he jokes that you want him more flexible for more mature reasons.

Z - Zoo / Zip Lining

You love animals and so does Matt, so the Lincoln Park Zoo is sometimes a date idea. Sometimes it’s a date shared between you both as you take the younger Herrmann kids out for the day or Boden’s son but either way, you and Matt just enjoy any time spent together.

[six-costume-refs]

Why do UK productions of Six use the light green for Boleyn costumes, while US and cruise productions use the darker green?

This got stuck deep in my drafts, so my apologies. By the time I'm actually posting this, the UK productions have started using darker green as well. But the explanation at that point was simply that the UK and US makes have often used different materials, which can result in different shades being used. Boleyn was particularly stark for a while, but Howard is another with a really clear color difference.

US actually had light green originally too, for the original Chicago-turned-tour and 2020 Broadway, when they were still getting US materials shipped from the UK.

Cruises have the darker green because, starting with Breakaway 3.0, they're made by the same US-based costume studio (John Kristiansen) as the mainland North American costumes and therefore use most of the same materials etc.

[kmomof4]

Destination Dream Weddings, Driving Disasters, & Dented Derrieres: A Fic Collaboration Between @kmomof4 @snowbellewells @whimsicallyenchantedrose and @jrob64

Hello everyone!!! We are back again!!! After the fun we had turning last year's trip into a fic, we decided to do the same with this years Girls Vacay!

Summary: Picking up one year after last year's fic collaboration - Cave Cruises, Cabin Capers, & Cracked Craniums - the six couples and Roland meet on St. Simons Island off the coast of Georgia for Mary Margaret and David’s dream wedding.

Rating: T

Words: Almost 4800 of approx 21k

On ao3 and ff.net

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it

Emma Swan was truly glad that they were finally on the road and making progress toward their destination. While attempting to leave the previous morning, Elsa had needed to say goodbye to Liam “just once more”, visit the restroom again, and they’d had to rearrange the luggage to fit something else in, as well as call to coordinate with the other members of their friend group numerous times, before they’d actually set out on their travels. Liam needed to lead one more previously scheduled Lake Michigan boat tour before he could follow them from Chicago to Bowling Green, Kentucky.  After a long day of driving, an exuberant reunion with Emma’s dashing and altogether irresistible boyfriend- whom she hadn’t seen in months- and a good night’s sleep in his arms, they were all back on the road again, Liam and Elsa following in his Expedition with Graham and Will in the back seat. 

Now that they were rolling down the highway, wheels on the pavement and making good time toward Georgia, she felt much of her frustration melting away. It had been well past time for a break from her job - even loving it as much as she did - and a few hours of girl talk in the car with Elsa. But now having Killian in the seat beside her, their fingers intertwined where hers rested on the gearshift of her vintage yellow VW, made all the difference in the world. Though she wouldn’t want to admit it to most people, her stomach still fluttered at his nearness with all the excitement and joy of their first date, even a year into their relationship.

She had been pleasantly surprised by how easily Killian had acquiesced to being her navigator and co-pilot rather than trying to take over driving duties himself. She had dated a few guys who would have been unwilling to allow her to take control on the road, and would have had their masculinity insulted if she insisted on driving. Killian had simply taken her hand gallantly, bent over it to kiss her knuckles playfully - much as he’d done the first time they’d met - and helped her into her seat, before rounding the front to get into the seat beside her. “As you wish, Emma Love,” he’d agreed gamely. “It is your chariot which awaits us after all.” Since then, he’d proven to be a very apt and helpful navigator, more so than “the Google Woman” whom he had groused at repeatedly for offering them longer trip times and trying to take them on unwanted scenic detours. She couldn’t help but laugh when Killian managed to find a reroute that shaved fifteen minutes from their drive time and then berated the automated navigator proudly. 

As glad as she had been having Elsa to keep her company on their way to Lost River Caves to pick up the guys, Emma was thrilled to have a little time with just Killian now.  He launched into some story from a recent tour group they’d seen through the caves, and she marveled again at how seamlessly they had navigated into being a couple - even with the physical distance between them. Warmth swelled in her chest and a small voice in her head whispered just how happy it made her that he was hers and she was his - when not so very long ago she wouldn’t have believed such a thing was possible.

She knew that Elsa was equally glad to be back with Liam, despite being apart for just a few hours. Though her friend and Killian’s older brother were both more quietly reserved in their affection, since they had eloped in the spring, they were nearly inseparable unless parting was absolutely necessary - and only then for as short a time as possible. The other members of their group were easy to spot in Liam’s stuffed-to-the-gills SUV as they all traveled to meet the rest of their friends for David and Mary Margaret’s week long nuptial celebration, culminating with their wedding the following weekend on St. Simon’s Island off the Georgia coast. 

For several hours they made decent time, passing from Kentucky to Tennessee and into western Georgia without a hitch. They’d texted back and forth from one vehicle to the other about roadside billboards seen, accompanying commentary that those in the opposite car would enjoy, and when to stop for gas and a restroom break. 

Emma was just settling into a calm stretch of highway and feeling as though they had thankfully reached the last leg of the journey, when dark, jagged detritus reared up in her vision spread across all three lanes. Not even sure what it was, Emma let out a shocked cry, veering as best she could without swiping the traffic on either side of her, in an attempt to avoid the worst of whatever had seemingly exploded on the interstate.

“Well done, Lass!” Killian congratulated - a bit too soon as it turned out, when a moment later a loud thump sounded and their tire and the car’s undercarriage undoubtedly made contact with some of the debris Emma had hoped to miss. If the sound hadn’t alerted them, the jolt they felt could not be ignored. Once they were past the area, Killian breathed out a deep sigh, looking back over his shoulder at the road behind them. “I think someone violently blew their tire, Swan. I doubt anyone could have missed that mess entirely; you really are quite the captain.”

“Learned from the best,” she sassed back at him with a wink, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand affectionately. A moment passed silently as they both calmed down after the alarm of the past few moments. “Still,” she finally added, “just for peace of mind, maybe we should pull over, check the tire pressure, and be sure there wasn’t any damage done the next time we see an exit with a service station.”

“Aye,” Killian agreed. “Good plan. I’ll let the others know.”

Neither of them felt that the car was riding any differently, and Emma accepted that she was probably being overcautious, but the Bug had been with her a long time - longer than any other person or thing, in all honesty - and she wanted to make sure all was as it should be so it could hang in there with her a few years more. Killian texted their intentions to Elsa, got an assurance that the other group would stop as well, and soon they were exiting off the interstate and pulling into a Chevron station, stopping near the air pumps in case they needed them.

Unfortunately, though it hadn’t been apparent on the road, when they pulled into the lot, it was obvious serious damage had been done. Emma hadn’t even made it around the car before Killian was trying to slow her progress, hands gently cradling her shoulders as if to brace her for impact. “Now Swan, don’t get too upset. It’s not as bad as it may look at first.”

She didn’t like the sound of that at all, and coupled with the horrified look on Elsa’s face as their friends had parked alongside them and gotten their own glimpse of Emma’s front passenger tire, it was far from comforting. Nudging her well-meaning boyfriend to the side, Emma rounded her car only to groan and feel an almost irresistible urge to kick the curb repeatedly in frustration. Her tire wasn’t just a little low - it was completely flat! How had they not felt that?!? How had they managed to avoid wrecking her beloved Beetle?

“Great! Now what?” She couldn’t help the snap in her voice as she threw up her hands and let them slap back down against her jean-clad thighs exasperatedly. “We’re due to meet everyone at our rental cottage in two hours. I never paid to join AAA, so it’ll cost a fortune to get anyone else out here to tow us to a repair shop - if they even come within the next century! And - ” She was just gathering up steam to continue on her rant, when she looked around her, realizing that everyone else looked either pitying, rather bemused, or down right biting back laughter at her expense.

“Ya do know we could just change the tire ourselves, don’tcha?” Will suggested cheekily, shrugging as if it wasn’t any big deal. 

“You say that like it’s so easy,” Emma grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him. “The jack never wants to work right, or the lugnuts are screwed on too tightly to remove by hand - not to mention that my cheap little doughnut spare is hardly what we want to be driving on for long.”

“It ain’t all that difficult neither,” Will insisted, giving her a more genuine smile, and taking in the other guys in turn as if to garner their agreement. Killan wasn’t about to get in the middle of this little debate, nor would he side against his lovely Swan, but not hearing much support had yet to deter Will Scarlet when he got an idea in his head. He stepped right up to the passenger side, with a “Budge over, won’t cha?” to Emma, before crouching down for a closer look and then asking for the wrench to begin loosening the lug nuts.

Well used to Will’s good intentioned but often accident prone brand of assistance, Elsa looked to Emma uncertainly from where she stood, cell phone in hand, rather surprised at having had Will brush past her and move into action. “Should I still call for a tow, just in case?” she asked meekly.

Graham snorted and shook his head, sharing a grin with Killian as he spoke up. “No, don’t worry over it yet. Will might just manage this, and we’re all here to help if he needs it.” 

The Jones brothers nodded their consensus, even as Will let out an indignant, “Oi! Some friends the lot of you are! Try to do something nice for a person, and this is the thanks I get? No one even believes I can change a tire!”

Shaking his head and muttering to himself, he put each of the lug nuts into Emma’s waiting hand, while Killian went to fetch the spare tire from her trunk, despite his supposed unbelief in his friend’s capabilities. Rolling the tire with him, he brought the jack to Will, who slid it under the car’s frame to what seemed the appropriate spot. Soon the car was rising, one slow increment at a time, Will now carrying on to himself about the cheap manufacture of the jack in Emma’s kit and how awkwardly constructed the jack’s crank was for anyone to operate. 

Suddenly, without warning, there was a frightening screech that brought yelps of surprise and dismay from all of them. The car lurched sickeningly back and to the right and then to the ground, landing precariously with the wheel sticking out and only partially off the lugs which held it in place. If the sight had looked pathetic before, it was now even more so. 

“Will!” Emma yelled before she could stop herself. “You’re making things worse!” 

Will picked himself up from where he’d ended up on his backside, rubbing the tender spot where he’d landed atop the discarded wrench when he’d quickly moved to avoid being hit by the shifting vehicle. He shot Emma a rather grumpy look. “Well your precious classic isn’t exactly a model of perfection anymore. The wheel didn’t come off as smoothly as it might’ve. This flimsy excuse for a jack is a piece of junk! Bloody thing bent and that’s what made the car fall!” he snarled back.

At this point, Killian took pity on his mate and crouched down beside him to help. Between the two of them, they cranked the jack back down, managed to reposition it further under the car’s chassis and cranked it up once more, finding they could get it even just a little bit higher. This time, with Killian carefully bracing the jack so it wouldn’t shift, Will managed to wrangle the ruined tire from the VW and get the spare into place. All of them cheered heartily, along with letting out several deep breaths of relief, and Will’s friends were all patting him on the back in turn. 

After that, they managed to avoid any more mishaps and were finally able to get on the road again. Emma even gave Will a quick hug and apologized for snapping at him, giving him a teasing kiss on the cheek and declaring him her knight in tarnished armor. 

“And what about me, Swan? I did have some role in his eventual success,” Killian prompted as they got back into the car and began to carefully back out of their parking spot. He waggled his eyebrows at her mischievously, tapping two fingers against his lips and waiting in expectation. “Perhaps some gratitude might be in order?”

She was tempted to tease him back, make him wait until they arrived at their final destination, but she was too relieved to be back on the road and with her dearly loved VW still in one piece to hold out on him. Leaning over the console briefly, she gave him a quick peck on the lips, brushing her nose along his cheek for a moment and smiling warmly. “Hold onto that thought for later,” she purred. “And thank you too, of course -  my real hero.”

~*~*~

“Oh, isn’t it beautiful?!” Mary Margaret exclaimed as David pulled into the driveway of their home for the next week. They’d just dropped off Belle and Ruby at the cottage next door, after driving the past two days from Portland, Maine and then New York City, where Ruby lived. With all the actual wedding preparations on her plate, Mary Margaret was ever so grateful that David had been in charge of the logistics of their respective annual guys and girls trip this year. Since they were planning a summer wedding with all of their friends comprising the wedding party, Mary Margaret had the idea for them to join their two respective groups again - to commemorate how they all met the previous summer - before marrying the love of her life at the end of the week. Mary Margaret hadn’t even seen pictures of  the rental David had reserved for them, and she was blown away by the quaint romanticism of the cottage in front of her. 

Fairy lights were draped along the eaves of the wraparound front porch, which boasted plentiful seating, in addition to the wicker sectional around a romantic firepit next to the driveway where they were parked. They climbed the steps to the porch and typed in the code to unlock the door. Mary Margaret gasped as they stepped inside. The interior was just as lovely as the exterior. Soaring ceilings and tall windows coupled with nautical and beach decor in soft blues and warm creams created a space that was as inviting as it was relaxing. To the left of the door they’d just entered was an open air kitchen and eat-in dining area, while on their right was the living room, with two bedrooms and a bath in between them on the other side of the large welcoming space. 

“How do you like it, Sweetheart?” David asked, a wide smile on his face. He knew his bride well enough to know that she’d love just about anywhere he picked as long as they were together, but he felt his heart skip a little as he finally laid eyes on the charming bungalow. 

“I love it!” she exclaimed, spinning toward him and hugging him tightly. “It’s so light and airy with all this room.” She released him and moved into the kitchen area. “Coffee maker, gas stove, microwave,” she listed, opening and closing the cabinets to see how stocked the kitchen was. She was pleased to find plenty of dishes, condiments, and pots and pans for cooking. Not to mention the terribly organized junk drawer filled with all the unthought of but sometimes necessary things that come up occasionally - scissors, twist ties, Ziploc bags, a small sewing kit, pens, and pads of paper.

“Our room is over the garage,” David informed her. “Come on.” 

She followed him out the side door of the kitchen into the garage and was immediately greeted with a closed door on the other side of a very small landing. David opened the door and they ascended the stairs to the room above. Mary Margaret gasped again when they entered the room. Small lamps on either side of the king-sized bed cast the room in a soft warm glow. Scattered across the cream colored bedspread were red and pink rose petals with a string of pink lights draped from the four posts at the corners of the bed. There was a crystal vase on the low dresser across from where they stood filled with red roses next to a silver tray with an ice bucket holding a bottle of champagne and twin flutes.

Mary Margaret launched herself into David’s arms, kissing him passionately. Given that they were the first ones to the cottage and no one else was expected for at least a couple of hours, she drew him further into the room, determined to show him just how much she loved him and how ready she was to be his wife.

~*~*~

Mary Margaret descended the stairs some time later, to find Robin, Regina, and Roland entering the cottage. Loud exclamations of joy and delight came from the ladies as they rushed toward each other and embraced. Robin grinned as he held Roland back for a moment from joining the heartfelt reunion. As soon as the friends released one another, he let go of his son, who ran as fast as his small legs could carry him to all but tackle Mary Margaret.

“Aunty M’s!” he cried, as she picked him up and spun around with him in her arms.

“Hi there, Roly Poly,” she said, hugging him tightly.

“I hear a little boy in my cottage!” David’s voice boomed as he descended the stairs. “Where’s my Roland?”

“Uncle David!” Roland cried, squirming to get down. 

David laughed and picked up the small boy. “You act like you haven’t seen me in a month instead of a few days,” he said. 

Roland shrugged. “I’m just happy to see you and Aunty M’s.”

David smiled fondly at Mary Margaret. “We’re happy to see you too, Roly Poly.” He ruffled Roland’s curls and put him down, approaching Robin and Regina to exchange enthusiastic hugs and handshakes. “Y’all’s room is back here. I’ll show you,” he said, turning the corner out of the kitchen and down a short hallway to the master bedroom. He flipped on the lights and let the others precede him into the large room. 

“You should have the master,” Robin protested. “It’s your wedding after all.”

David shook his head. “We wanted the room above the garage so we wouldn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone else. Plus, this room had the child’s bed in here,” he said, motioning to the huge walk-in closet that not only had plenty of room for clothes and shoes, but also housed a small bed and dresser. “I didn’t figure you’d want to be too far from him at night.”

“You guessed correctly,” Robin replied. “Where’s the rest of the group? Shouldn’t they be here by now? I thought they were leaving earlier than we were.”

“Emma got a flat and that put them behind just a bit. I think they’ll be here in about an hour.”

Regina exchanged a nervous glance with Robin. “Oh, man…” she trailed away uncertainly. “We’ve been putting Roland off stopping for food the last couple of hours, promising him we’d get dinner with everyone once we arrived. Adding another hour - or more - might be a bridge too far.”

“Roland,” Robin said, poking his head in the closet to find his son jumping up and down on the bed contained within. He immediately stopped, a guilty look on his face when his father appeared and frowned at him. “You know better than that, young man. It’s dangerous. And besides, this bed is not yours. It belongs to the person who owns this cottage. You do anything to damage any of the furniture and you will be in big trouble. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Papa.”

Robin nodded. “Everyone else won’t be here for about another hour. Can you wait that long for dinner, or do you want a snack?”

He climbed down from the bed and took Robin’s hand. “A snack, please.”

“Alright, let’s go, then.”

Killian and Emma arrived not quite an hour later. Killian, trying mightily to contain his laughter and failing miserably, told them that Liam and Elsa were next door, dropping off Will and Graham. As he and Emma were pulling into this driveway, they could see Will, carrying his luggage, hadn’t time to brace himself before Belle threw herself at him, toppling him in the process. He’d landed on his butt again, but Killian didn’t think he minded all that much as he returned Belle’s ardent kisses. 

It was just a few minutes later that Liam and Elsa arrived. After another round of enthusiastic greetings, with Mary Margaret and Regina exclaiming over the beautiful wedding ring set Liam and Elsa wore, the newcomers adjourned to their respective rooms to unpack and relax for a little while before regrouping to decide where to go for dinner.

Mary Margaret came back to the bedrooms containing the other two couples almost thirty minutes later. She was about to knock on the door on the left when she heard Liam and Elsa talking in low voices inside.

“Should we say anything yet?” Elsa asked.

“I don’t think so,” Liam replied. “This week is to celebrate David and Mary Margaret. I don’t think we should take away from that. We can announce it after the wedding.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes got wide and her brow furrowed in thought. What could Elsa and Liam’s secret be, and was it good news or bad? From the tone of their voices, she couldn’t help but speculate that it was good. A smile grew on her face as she imagined the possibilities.

“Time to circle up and decide where we want to eat dinner,” she called, knocking on one bedroom door and then the other. “Come on.” She turned around and went back into the living room to find the rest of their group sitting around waiting for the last two couples.

She entered to uproarious laughter, Ruby grinning unrepentantly, and Graham’s face aflame. “What’d I miss?” she asked, sitting on the arm of the chair David was in.

“Will here was complaining about the noise,” Ruby began, her eyes dancing mischievously, “and I was just explaining that we were only doing what the sign said. Did you all see the Speed Hump sign just before the cottage? Since we had some time before coming over to decide about dinner… we did.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “And it’s not like you were twiddling your thumbs and trying to plug your ears while we were busy, anyway,” she said to Will, causing both he and Belle to blush furiously. Everyone howled again, Mary Margaret, Emma, Killian, Liam and Elsa - who’d just arrived in the room - included. 

“What’s so funny?” Roland asked, coming in.

Regina tried to put on a serious face and motioned him over, picking him up and placing him on her lap. “Nothing, baby. Don’t you worry about it. Now, where are we going to eat? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I do not want to have to drive far.”

“And I’m liable to fall asleep before we get our food if we don’t go very soon,” Elsa added, smothering a yawn with her hand.

Fortunately, David had already done some research, and from print and online reviews, as well as word of mouth, he’d found a well-loved island gem right around the corner from the cottages that apparently wasn’t to be missed.

They all agreed and left to pile into the respective vehicles.

~*~*~

It was a pleasant evening with a cool, gentle breeze blowing as they pulled into the parking lot of the Southern Soul Bar-B-Q and began walking toward the entrance. As they came around to the front of the white painted brick structure, Regina pulled up short, bringing Robin to a stop as well since their hands were joined. “Wait just one second,” she spoke up, her polished voice expressing the exact measure of disdain which served her so well as a practicing lawyer. “This is the famed establishment you’ve been talking about?” she addressed David with arch disbelief. “I am not about to sit down for a good meal in what looks more like a gas station than anything else!”

The rest of them paused, not sure how to counter her logic. The place’s appearance from the outside didn’t quite look like what any of them had expected, but the rest of them were generally a lot more easy going in their tastes and were willing to trust the local reputation and let their taste buds, rather than their eyes be the judge. 

Robin, however, had clearly learned how best to proceed with his regal girlfriend in the time since they had all been together last. He moved closer to Regina, whispering low, cajoling words in her ear, and though the rest of them couldn’t make them out, the tone was clearly doing its job at melting her usually rather inflexible demeanor. And if that hadn’t been enough, there was the added secret weapon of little Roland. When Robin’s young son tugged on her hand, urging sweetly with his open, dimpled smile and adoring brown eyes gazing up at her, there was no way even her sophisticated queen persona could hold out against his, “Come on, Miss Gina, let’s try it! I think it looks like fun.”  

Between the two Locksley men turning their charm on her, Regina finally capitulated and followed the rest of them inside.

Despite any initial reservations, they were presented with a feast of authentic Southern sides like Brunswick stew, Hoppin’ John, and hushpuppies to accompany the variety of brisket, pulled pork and ribs they ordered. Will had insisted on trying the Knuckle Sammich, and Regina had finally settled on a chicken strip basket similar to the child’s version they got Roland, deeming it unlikely she’d be able to order much of anything else which wouldn’t have either sauce or juice dripping off of it.

It wasn’t long before Ruby and Graham drew attention to their end of the table when he attempted to feed her brisket by hand. She’d stared him down sultrily, a glimmer of seduction in her dark eyes before delicately nibbling the morsel he offered her. All would have been fine if she’d stopped there, but that wasn’t Ruby’s style. Instead she’d held her boyfriend’s gaze and then wrapped her bright red lips around his fingers, bringing her tongue into the action as well, and slowly dragging them along his calloused skin as if enjoying a succulent treat. Graham flushed all over as red as her signature shade and seemed to be having a little trouble even drawing breath. He’d started a fire that he wasn’t capable of keeping under control, and clearly he knew it. Sputtering for some sort of response, he quickly pulled his hand away when Ruby released him, glancing around nervously as if afraid their friends might be judging them. “I know I sorta asked for that, Babe,” he murmured under his breath, “but there’s a kid at the table, for crying out loud!”

Unabashed, Ruby merely shrugged her shoulders at him, and grinned at the table as a whole. Her friends knew her well, and were largely unfazed by her brazen behavior at this point. 

Nearly an hour later, they were stuffed and ready for home and their beds. David laughingly joked that Mary Margaret would have to roll him back to their rental to sleep off the meal, but it was a delicious close to day one of their reunion.

~*~*~

Notes:

Welcome to our 2024 Girls' Trip fic! This year, as I'm sure you've already deduced, Krystal, Joni, Marta, and Jen travelled to St. Simons Island, Savannah, and Jekyll Island, Georgia. Along the way, we met up at various times with Giennie and Randi as well. When a group of fic writers get together, naturally, every event is seen through the lens of "how can we fic this?" While normally we'd be looking for ways to turn our adventures into Captain Swan stories alone, we had a lot of characters to work with this year! (Truth be told, most moments were seen through the lens of "How can we comically whump Will with this?" or "What kind of innuendo would Ruby make about that?") As last year, we'd like to give you some idea of what we took from our actual experiences and what we chalked up to creative license.

While a small detail in the fic, the need for creative packing was real with us! It took Jen, her dad and Joni (with Bear supervising) to figure it out on the way there and Krystal and her family (with Minnie supervising) on the way home.

You might think Killian’s frustration with the “Google woman” was a call back to his lack of knowledge of technology in canon, but it was indeed a factor in our trip. Jen’s GPS seemed to have a mind of its own and routinely offered alternate routes that added significant time to the drive.

Regrettably, the “driving disaster” was rather close to real life. On the way to Savannah, Jen was not able to avoid the debris from a blown semi tire strewn across all three lanes and got a flat as a result. Joni tried valiantly to come to the rescue and change the tire, but the jack did, indeed twist and the car fell. Luckily a couple of Good Samaritans helped us out and got us back on the road, all in one piece. (And Jen’s new vehicle seems no worse for the wear.) 

The description of the rental house was true to life–with a bit of creative license taken. As there were four of us and the cottage had four bedrooms, we didn’t rent a second cottage. Marta stayed in the room we gave David and Mary Margaret, but in reality it had two queen sized beds rather than one, and there were no rose petals or romantic candle light. The walk-in closet of the master bedroom contained a high chair and changing table rather than a child’s bed for Roland.

There was indeed a sign warning of Speed Humps on the road in front of our cottage. Naturally, we decided Ruby would run with that.

Southern Soul B-B-Q is a real restaurant only a couple miles from our rental that is apparently highly acclaimed, but we never made it there on our trip. We were struck by the fact that it clearly used to be a gas station and decided Regina would balk at that.

Thank you for reading and sharing! We'd love to know what you think! Stay tuned for day two of the character's adventures posting on Thursday. In the next chapter, they explore St. Simons Island.

[katzell]

Midge and Lenny's alternative adventures

Enough luxuriating in my feelings about Midge and Lenny's goodbye at the airport. Here are some future adventures I'd love to see them have.

Midge and Lenny go on a tour together but after getting tossed off their train by some Christian fundamentalists they wind up roadtripping across the midwest trying to get to Chicago before their show. Susie forbids Midge from ever gigging with Lenny again.

While on a USO tour of military bases in Europe, Midge gets invited to perform at a diplomatic show in East Berlin. And what do you know? Lenny is also on the bill! It all would have been a fun little trip in and out through Checkpoint Charlie if that cat hadn't decided to adopt Lenny and Midge hadn't been convinced they could smuggle it out. How were they to know the cat already had a (high-ranking) family! Susie reaffirms that gigging with Lenny is verboten.

Midge gets offered obscene money to be one of the headliners on an international cruise. She's been in a dry spell because of some Watergate jokes that were honestly pretty tame! At the last minute Lenny gets added to the bill because the male headliner dropped out. Susie reluctantly agrees that they need the money. Of course trapped on a ship winds up being Lenny's worst nightmare so the two of them make a gettaway in Barcelona. Susie's life becomes a living nightmare for months dealing with the breach of contract.

Midge and Lenny never get married, never even properly date. But, yes, there is so much sex. Great sex. The best Midge has ever had. It's distracting really, which might be why she's always a little relieved when they inevitably have to go their separate ways. Love is one thing, but Midge can never let herself become part of someone else's life again. And Lenny is relieved not to carry that responsibility.

But sometimes they argue. Sometimes they have screaming fights and don't speak for months, even years. Lenny doesn't tell Midge things that Midge feels a real friend would know! (But they don't. Lenny doesn't really tell anyone everything). Midge gets stubborn and won't admit when she's wrong. And boy can she be wrong.

During one extended period, Lenny lets himself get talked into a marrying a nice, funny girl who is sweet to his kid and doesn't mind his dicier habits. She's not that sharp, but she's cool, you know. Easy to be with. Then Midge crashes the wedding and by the end of the night he's ready to follow Midge out to her car and speed away into the desert. The annulment goes through in a matter of weeks.

Midge marries three times. Lenny catches the first one in the paper. Some drunken shenanigans in Las Vegas that got out of hand. Lenny sends her a postcard saying "Mazel Tov." Mysteriously Midge writes back, "Once is an accident, twice a coincidence, three times a fucking problem." The second marriage to the singer was widely covered by the press from the moment they were caught exiting his hotel room in the middle of the night. Lenny sent another postcard, "The thing that concerns me most is your shit taste in music." Six months later Midge sends him a ticket to join her at a Diana Ross concert.

The marriage to the media mogul is the one that really pisses Lenny off. It's in the middle of one of their longest dry spells and Lenny sees it as the culmination of their argument: Midge tying herself to wealth, excess, and privilege instead of the subversive values he thought they shared. He almost doesn't go to the wedding, but a nasty part of him want to see this shitshow go down. The feeling deflates when he finds her crying in the bathroom, only an hour after the opulent ceremony. He offers to take her away, but Midge only dries her eyes and says, "Don't worry. I'm going to make him bleed." The divorce settlement becomes the stuff of legends and Midge has Lenny headline the benefit for Midge's new charitable foundation. The endowment will keep the organization is healthy financial shape for decades.

And maybe, just maybe, Midge and Lenny did get married after all. The captain of the cruiseliner said something about them being husband and wife that night they got tanked as they were heading into Barcelona. Neither properly remembers, or really minds. Marriages are dumb anyway. What matters is who sticks around.

[dead--pegasus]

Steddie Fic Recs: Recently Read Edition

I've been reading a metric ton of Steddie fics for the last year, and I have this habit of keeping track of every single fic I've read and am going to try and turn those recs out into the universe starting with some recently read fics in no particular order:

oh, happy dagger on sunshine bones by Inallthingsgoodorbad (Mature, Complete, 115k)

"He washes his wounds off, sparingly, with water this time. He figures it’s probably time to do so. Maybe he’ll be okay.

He falls asleep in the bathtub with a chair wedged against the bathroom door to keep it from opening.

He dreams he’s hanging on in the back of the RV they stole, and Steve Harrington is yelling at him.

“Hang on!” he’s saying, “Hang on!”" —————————— Eddie Munson is stuck in the Upside Down. Barely alive. Steve Harrington is trying to sleep and failing at it, miserably. What a strange thing it is, to save the world alongside friends and come away from it with nightmares and loneliness.

(As a note: I really really loved this one when I read it)

Swing and a Miss by deadonarrival (Explicit, Complete, 35k)

“Hey so … I have some mixed news,” Steve says. “Uh oh,” Eddie says, “are they changing your position, are you gonna be a — like a third base catcher man?” Steve laughs and shakes his head, “no, nothing that bad - I found out more about the whole like, bringing a person along thing.” “Oh cool,” Eddie says, sliding down on the couch next to him, “do I get like a fancy VIP pass?” “You do,” Steve says, “there’s just one catch.” “Okay?” Eddie asks, tilting his head and reaching for the tv remote. “Apparently they usually reserve the box for the wives and girlfriends … so either you’re gonna have to be my boyfriend or you’re going to have to sit in the stands with the fans.” Eddie makes a noise that must register to Steve as alarmed or upset because he rushes to finish. “It’s not that bad, you just need to like, pretend to be my boyfriend so you can sit with the other WAGs and like, then you can be in the box and have all you can drink alcohol and snacks.” “Did you agree to this!?” Eddie asks. “If I say yes, how mad are you going to be?” Steve asks.

(I loved seeing all the wags in this one and I'm a sucker for a fake dating premise)

rest below the cut for space saving

the chauffeur by brattyspice (Mature, Complete, 15k)

"He had intended on a normal drive, really, just cruising at the speed limit to clear his head. But upon passing the last house on the stretch for miles, the long, empty road looks suggestive. Maybe even a little seductive. A bad itch builds from the base of his spine. Swallowing nothing, he presses the gas pedal slowly, eyes continuously flicking down to the speedometer as it climbs exponentially. The drone of the engine changes with it, getting louder, pitch keening, synchronizing with the blood that churns and rushes in and out through his heart, veins, brain.

The needle hovers just over 100mph for approximately one minute and fourteen seconds." - Steve's attempts to return to normal aren't cutting it. When a casual drive turns into something more risky, he learns that a little rush of adrenaline can help. He learns that a little too well.

Around the same time, Eddie starts having car troubles.

The Beginning And End Of Everything by Kwills91 (Explicit, Complete, 80k)

Steve Harrington has lost everything. Head injuries forcing him to retire from the sport he loves. And he's not sure how to move on.

Until he meets disgraced figure skater, Eddie Munson - who is mounting a comeback.

Eddie and Steve learn that they have more in common than they first think and Steve thinks he's found a new best friend.

But things get confusing when he realises he might want more than friendship.

here i have found some peace of mind by GerryStAmour (Explicit, Complete, 60k)

Steve Harrington works at a hotel in Chicago, responsible for making and managing reservations for groups of all kinds: corporate, tours, entertainment, you name it. When some famous metal band signs a contract for rooms three months ahead of their concert date, Steve is swept into a flirtatious back-and-forth with someone he as been led to believe is the tour manager, Chris Cunningham, and quickly finds himself falling for the man...

Eddie Munson is a rockstar still riding the high of Corroded Coffin finally, finally making it big, but with the fame he finds himself almost lonelier than he was before. So when he answers his tour manager's phone and a nice guy with a cute voice starts calling him "Chris," Eddie plays along and maybe gets a bit carried away...

Read, enjoy, comment & kudo, yell at me about the fics if you want bc I always crave fandom friends ❤️

[jules-has-notes]

2016 VoicePlay summer fun — campers, cruises, costumes, charity, and… cops?

The excitement of the spring months rolled right into the summer. After he'd had a few weeks of concentrated new-dad time, the other guys gathered up Layne and headed to Ohio.

They first returned to Port Clinton for a show at the Lakeside Chautauqua Auditorium, and spent the night at a vintage (possibly haunted) hotel. From there, they scooted down to Dayton to be the featured artists at Camp A Cappella.

.

Ahoy, mateys

A week later, while the others took care of things at home, Geoff and Earl teamed up with three of their buddies from Echo — Erik Winger, Antonio Fernandez, and Deejay Young — for a quick cruise on the Royal Caribbean Allure to the Virgin Islands. During their time at sea, they crossed paths with Us the Duo, who had just finished opening for the North American and European legs of Pentatonix's world tour.

.

No rest for the ambitious

They arrived home to an exciting milestone: 100K likes on Facebook! In the meantime, Eli did some session recording work, while Layne and Tony prepped for their next PattyCake video, and Layne worked on an additional side project. (Paternity leave was supposed to be less busy, dude!)

.

Runnin', runnin'

Once the guys were all together again, they got into production on projects for both PattyCake and VoicePlay for most of August. In between location shoots for "Will.of.Oz", they reunited with Emoni Wilkins to film their video for "I Love Me".

.

Cruisin'

At the end of the month, the guys grabbed Winger again, and boarded the Royal Caribbean Oasis for yet another voyage. Since they set sail on Geoff's birthday, they had a toast on board.

.

Almost as soon as they got home, they traded one guest for another, snagging Antonio for the middle leg of an eastbound Panama Canal trip on the Disney Wonder. (Though it seems that they were possibly getting weary from so much travel.) They also seem to have run afoul of the Mexican police on their way home, but I'm pretty sure the getting arrested part was just a joke.

.

Hop, skip, and a jump

After a few days of rest, they embarked on a series of quick trips. First they flew up to New Hampshire for the UNH A Cappella Fest. Next came a show in Iowa, and then a charity fundraiser in Chicago.

.

All about those babes

During their next stint at home, they made time for a little hanging without working. Most of the guys let someone else do the singing for once when they attended a local Meghan Trainor concert. The group included Layne, Cyndi, and their older girls; Cyndi's sister Steph and her elder daughter; Earl and Nick; and Tony.

Meanwhile, Eli spent some time with his own family to celebrate his sister's birthday, and Geoff got his domesticity on at home with Kathy.

.

Back to woOOOork

As summer wound down, VoicePlay prepared for their favorite time of year by finally filming a music video for their arrangement of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" off of their 2012 album "Once Upon an Ever After".

.

All eh-board

They closed out September with a cruise on the Disney Magic from Nova Scotia to NYC and back. Since Tony and Layne were deep in production for their next PattyCake project (and Layne understandably wanted some more time at home with the baby), the rest of the guys called on both Winger and Antonio to fill in again.

[howlingdemon13]

#3, 11 and 14 please!

3.) One of the funniest things that’s ever happened to you:

At the time, it was stressful and kinda scary. Back in August, my “host brother” was getting married and flew some of my family out to Slovakia to attend (which is insanely generous). We were there for a week and we were doing a bit of sightseeing in some neighboring countries. My grandma was suddenly adamant that we go to Budapest to do a boat cruise down the Danube because a friend of hers had done it. This was planned literally the night before, so you know it can only get worse from here. After a very stressful train ride, scrambling to get local currency (thank god I brought my debit card), and trying to verify our train tickets for the return journey, we rushed out to the taxi parking with about 15 minutes left to get on the boat for the river tour. Keep in mind that my grandma is completely oblivious to the panic (which idk if that makes it better or worse). Our driver had lived in the US and spoke enough English to make up for what little Hungarian I practiced to get us by, so off we went. For the next 15 minutes, he told us about his time in San Francisco and pointed out some landmarks and told us a little bit about the Communist era architecture. I think it was how casually he was giving us all this info, coupled with how panicked we were about potentially missing our boat that made it funny looking back. We pulled up the the wharf with maybe a minute to spare, I gave the guy a massive tip (minimum amount of forint I could get was $60 worth, and let’s face it, the guy deserved way more for having to deal with a gaggle of Americans and for being a literal miracle worker), and we basically ran onto the boat. The thing that made it genuinely funny was my brother. As soon as we sat down, he said “we were one history lesson away from missing this fucking boat.” I lost it. I guess it’s one of those things where you had to be there, but my mom and I had been running on fumes planning this whole thing the night before that the relief and the comment kinda broke me.

11.) Something you’ve always wanted to learn:

Archery. Years ago, I went with a friend to a place in Chicago where you can get an hour lesson with other people, and it was really fun. I actually have pretty good aim. I guess I just don’t really have the time or resources right now to seriously consider pursuing it, but it’s something I would totally do in the future.

14.) Something you’re learning right now and want to share:

Social jazz dances I just learned the Charleston and now I’m slowly working on the 30’s variation. I don’t have the best hand-eye coordination, and I broke a bone in my foot last year, so progress has been slow.

[tearyeye-private-i]

Jerry Lee Lewis, c. July 1959. From JLL.org

Elvis Presley, Knickerbocker Hotel, Hollywood, August 18, 1956. From ElvisPresleyMusic.com.

[ 12 Days of Christmas 💕 5/12 ]

At the start of my research, I found all sorts of stories, I wasn’t sure were even true. Like, Elvis and Jerry Lee riding around on motorcycles, with no clothes on the streets of Memphis, in the middle of the night? No way – but as time passed, the story got brought up to him three times (from what I know). He had a consistent reaction, that has led me to believe it happened.

Though, the stories are subjective, so you can draw your own conclusion!

The first reference of the story:

“In a crowded basement meeting room at the posh Omni-Memphis Hotel, 20-some journalists are attempting, with difficulty, to grill the subject of the forthcoming film “Great Balls of Fire”

The discussion, which never quite seems to interconnect, has degenerated to a foreign-sounding report’s question about whether the film’s subject, Jerry Lee Lewis – rock music’s archetypal bad boy – ever motorbiked naked with Elvis Presley, his fellow Memphian an ultra-rival.

“Motorbike?” Lewis says, archly, dismissively.

“Nekkid? Me and Elvis Presley?” His eyes suddenly narrow, “how’d you know that?”

“It’s in Joe Smith’s book,” says a reporter.

“You can’t believe nothin’…” Lewis mutters, his voice trailing off. “Well, that was 3 o’clock in the morning,” he suddenly adds, prompting explosive laughter from the journalists. “It really was,” he goes on with a grain.

“There was nobody out then—except this one policeman on a horse, and he was doing his dead-level best to catch us. Now, that was a sight. If anybody woulda saw that, we never woulda sold no more records. That woulda been the end of that.” Pause, his eyes narrowing again. “How’d you know that?”

“It’s in Joe Smith’s book,” the reporter repeats.

“Who’s Joe Smith?”

“The head of Capitol Records. Used to be head of Elektra Records.”

“Well, that’s ridiculous. That’s not right. Do you believe that?”

“You just told us it happened at 3 o’clock in the morning,” the reported notes.

“I can’t believe people will believe anything you say.”

“Well, is it true?” Another reporter asks.

“Yes. It’s true.”

Welcome, folks to talking with the Killer, a 54-year-old rock king dethroned before his time – in fact, before his prime – by the 1958 disclosure of a mad marriage to his 13-year-old second cousin.

The scandal caused Lewis, a Bible college dropout, to fall from rock ‘n’ roll grace into comparative oblivion – made all the more bruising by the fact that he was arguably the most intense performer, and most brilliant self-taught pianist, to ever rattle music stages around the world.”

From “THE KILLER BLOWS SMOKE FOR ‘FIRE’” by Jack Hurst and Country music. Chicago Tribune, June 24, 1989.

The second reference is from the book the reporter mentioned, actually, it’s called “Buddy Holly: Biography” by Ellis Amburn. In it, Ellis wrote that record executive Joe Smith and Jerry Lee spoke on the plane, during Buddy Holly, along with Paul Anka’s tour to Australia. They’d been drinking when Jerry Lee “confessed,” which is the word Ellis used. That yes, indeed, he and Elvis went on a naked motorcycle ride at 2:30 AM in Memphis, in a young Jerry Lee’s own words; “only for thirty-five or forty seconds, ‘round the corner and back.”

The third reference was from “Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story” by Rick Bragg. When asked the same question, instead of brushing it off or saying it wasn’t true. Jerry Lee laughed and said he can’t say anything about that because “Elvis isn’t here to defend himself.”

So, while Jerry Lee was right that you can’t believe everything anyone says, that doesn’t mean there aren’t patterns. Maybe, he thought it was funny to lie. Maybe, it happened and so what? It’s just two bros cruising down the street at night, naked on motorbikes, 5 feet apart – ‘cause they’re not gay. 😋

Other important lessons are if you do happen to go motorbiking naked with your supposed arch nemesis, don’t get caught, and don’t tell anyone about it!

[bigtimesinsmallspaces]

Post 9: Closing the Circle in Chicago

It actually was exciting getting back into Chicago. Somewhere in that morning, perhaps as we were waking up from not having slept (is that possible?) we discussed the option of staying overnight in Chicago. In truth this option had been discussed throughout the planning and for some reason I had persisted in being reluctant— I had in my mind walking around small bucolic towns and Chicago just did not quite fit. But PG seemed emphatic. And really, here we were! Why, just why, would two people coming off 48 hours in coach, choose to jump on another for 24 more? So we decided the wise move would be to spend the night in Chicago— a horizontal night— a night that included a bed. With one last goodbye to the Zephyr, we began our 1.3 mile walk to the hotel. We were happy to walk, it had been a long sit. And Chicago was bright, sunny, and beautiful. WOW! It had not been so long ago that we were here looking through those eclipse glasses and since then a whole world, or at least 6,800 miles of it, had flashed by our eyes.

It’s a special life blessing when we can rely on old friends to steer us in the right direction when arriving in a big city. In the early 80’s, back when I had really little kids and really big hair, I use to travel to Chicago quite a bit for work. Fortunately I was still in touch with my old child welfare friend Joan Langen who told us the jazz club we needed to go to and the city tour that shouldn’t be missed. So we were well prepared for our 24 hours in Chicago, (before boarding the next overnight train— back to DC)!

I loved sending my many postcards through the mail shute at the hotel— a fitting farewell for such old school greetings— as we raced off for the early seating at Andy’s Jazz Club , apparently a staple on the Chicago scene since before my birth!! It was Big Band night and I was not disappointed. The night walk was warm and gorgeous.

The next morning we headed off for the Chicago Architectural Center River Tour. It was right on Wacker Drive (best name ever for a street) and we were treated to a beautiful river cruise (the same river that is dyed green on St. Patrick’s Day) with stories of the Sears Tower, the Montgomery Ward buildings, the new riverwalk, and a range of stunning skyscrapers that are modern, old modern, post modern, new modern, and modern modern— I obviously did not properly take it all in. Suffice it to say I saw a lot of pretty buildings. I took pictures of about 657 of them.

Before we headed back to the station we hit another dive bar near the train station— appropriately named Dylan’s in honor of PG’s brother (who could not be on this journey because the 7th graders of Massachusetts must learn about equations, rational numbers, proportions, and ratios). We treated ourselves to a fine Mediterranean dinner and once again boarded a train. What a novel idea!! This was the Capital Limited, bound for Washington, DC. Another episode or two of Northern Exposure. Another overnight on the train! And another beautiful sunrise with Amtrak coffee.

Well, we’re almost there. This blog is nearing its end. But don’t despair. Earlier I mentioned there would be some more in depth description of the train experience itself. We have received a lot of questions (from our thousands of fans) that we will try to answer— you know, like—how were the bathrooms, what did you eat, where did you change clothes? If anyone has questions, please message or text us.

[ohblackdiamond]

black and gold (kiss/endgame crossover, part 19 of ?)

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11 | part 12 | part 13 | part 14 | part 15 | part 16 | part 17 | part 18

Prequel to “the end of the world tour.” Four ex-bandmates and even-more-ex-superheroes reunite in the aftermath of Thanos’ snap, and attempt to adjust.

In this chapter: "There’s shit I gotta get over. That’s what she’s telling me. I gotta do better. Be better. But I keep fucking up, you know? I keep fucking up."

After all their travels, Paul and Gene finally make it to Peter's house.

“FEMA Beneficiaries: Refugees and Rockers”

Associated Press, Chicago, Illinois

Celebrities have been the last thing on anyone’s mind lately. 

Some are tweeting-- apocalypse claims, government conspiracy theories. Some are donating, most especially Tony Stark of Stark Industries. But most have stayed silent, and stayed put.

Most. The road warriors of rock and roll, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, in what may be the most telling sign of the times yet, were seen in a FEMA breadline, both bearded and almost entirely unrecognizable. 

They paid for the food, before you ask. They’re traveling, they say, to Connecticut. Their path has been as fraught as any ordinary American’s; their tragedy is the world’s. Simmons and Stanley aren’t returning to their families. They have no families to return to.

Simmons is talkative enough, though Stanley is more aloof as they settle in to take a bite beneath a FEMA tent. Neither is dressed for the below-freezing weather, the seven-inch heels have taken a backseat to worn-out athletic shoes. Simmons notices my glance down.

“You like them? I was going to throw these to the crowd on the cruise,” he says. “They’re serving me better on my feet right now.”

Cruises may never happen again for years. The me-generation, franchise-heaving seventies excess that KISS once represented has never been more blatantly out of reach. Two weeks ago, I might have asked about album plans and tour stops, about Simmons’ recentish marriage and Stanley’s painting escapades. That’s irrelevant now.

I feel like just by spotting them beneath the tent, I’ve pulled the mask off the Lone Ranger. KISS exposed is just another reflection of the brave new world we’ve been saddled with, half a population struggling to survive. And yet, I’m craving. Maybe I want something to believe in among the ashes. A lunchbox superhero to greet me at the last days. Plastic-wrapped and pre-packaged. They can’t oblige-- their last crimefighting stint was in 1980-- but I’d like to see some vestiges. I’d like a little comfort.

Simmons scolds me, gently. The real heroes, in his opinion, are the FEMA workers, the healthcare workers, the law enforcement-- anyone, and everyone, who’s stepped up in the wake of the devastation. Not KISS. “We’re very ordinary, ultimately.”

“Like everyone else, we’re just trying to go home.” Stanley looks a bit surprised at his own words, then, quietly, elaborates. “We’re going to see our old bandmates.”

And what then? For once, even Simmons doesn’t have an answer. I can speculate-- Simmons in particular is known for charitable donations-- but I don’t know. At the end of the world, maybe going home is the best that they, or any of us, can do.

-- 

The road went on. Paul would drive for five hours at a time, then an hour of rest, then another five hours, then they’d sleep in parking lots or FEMA campsites or national parks. Once, they were able to wash their clothes, and twice they got to shower. 

They had run out of cash before they’d hit New England, but that didn’t matter much now that their cards were working again. They’d been eating mostly peanut butter sandwiches and whatever else they could pay for over the last several days. Gene was feeling himself falter, in odd, funny ways. Sometimes, with the lull of the motor, he could almost make himself pretend they were just on tour for a few foolish seconds, before he’d see a campsite or a pile of abandoned cars or a burnt-out building and remember. Pure escapism. 

“Gene?”

Paul reached out, patting his thigh. It was midmorning, and he was driving again. Gene stirred.

“We’re about three hours from Peter’s place, if the traffic doesn’t get any worse.”

“We better call him.” 

“Yeah. You… you go ahead and call.”

“Put it on speaker?” 

Paul inclined his head.

“Hey.” Ace’s voice was tinny.

“Hey. We should be here in about three more hours.”

“Good. Good. Lemme get Peter.” Ace didn’t cover the phone, though Gene hadn’t expected him to, and he could hear Ace yelling Peter’s name. Could practically feel Paul stiffen up as Peter’s voice came through the speaker. 

“Three hours?”

“Yeah. Hopefully.” Gene felt his lips start to raise in a battered attempt at a smile. “Don’t roll out the red carpet.”

“I won’t. Ace told me about the fucking truck.”

Paul mumbled a curse barely below his breath. 

“Do you need anything?” It felt a little stupid to ask. “We weren’t sure how much you’d been able to get out.”

“We ain’t been out at all, Gene.” 

God. Gene glanced sidelong at Paul, who didn’t glance his way. They both had to be going completely stir-crazy. They both used to get so antsy on tour when KISS had been stuck, really stuck, in their hotel rooms. Even Paul had succumbed once or twice to the standard rockstar antics, throwing all his furniture out the window in a fit of pique (and, Gene suspected, drunkenness).

“Is it really that bad out there?”

“You’d know better than us. Wouldn’t you?”

“Petey…” Ace again.

“Ace just won’t leave me here alone. I didn’t figure he’d be playing fucking nursemaid out here.”

“’M just trying to help.”

“Trying to–”

“We’ve got some loaf bread and canned goods, but we don’t have very much else. We’ll be bringing those. If there’s anything you need, we can try to get it.” Gene didn’t elaborate on how difficult it was to really get even basic staples, between the rioting and looting. The help from FEMA had been sluggish at best.

“We don’t need any–”

“Oranges,” Ace said.

“Oranges?” Paul, incredulous. “Are you kidding?”

“You don’t gotta go out of your way for ’em–”

“What do you want with oranges?”

“Well, I wanna eat ’em, Paul. Open my mouth and chew and swallow.” Ace’s tone was unusually dry. Not even the hint of a laugh in his voice. “They’re healthy.”

“You don’t ever  fucking quit, do you?” Peter snapped out.

“Peter, I didn’t mean–”

“We’ll try to get some oranges,” Gene said quickly. “We’ll see you soon.”

–

Paul was quiet from then on. It took longer than the three hours he’d been vying for. For whatever reason, Paul had gotten hellbent on those oranges, stopping in five different areas before he was able to garner a plastic bag full of them. 

“What’d you pay for those?” Gene asked, once they’d gotten back in the truck. Paul just winced and started up the motor.

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Why did you care that much about getting them?”

“You don’t wanna know that, either.”

“Try me.”

“She said there was a call for me if I wanted it.”

Gene started to ask who she was. Then he realized he probably knew. Paul must be in bad shape again, thinking of her, thinking he’d heard from her.

“I was trying so hard to figure it out. I was always figuring with her. She was like that.” Paul’s eyes were on the road. “But it’s obvious, isn’t it? The only calls I’m ever going to get now are from them. There’s shit I gotta get over. That’s what she’s telling me. I gotta do better. Be better. But I keep fucking up, you know? I keep fucking up.”

“Paul–”

“You know it’s true. I can’t help myself. Here I am about to stay at Peter’s house and I haven’t even talked to him one on one. What the hell is wrong with me? I know that guy. I-I know him. I fucking lived on the road with him for over ten years. God, I–”

“Paul–”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do when I see him.”

“You’re overthinking it. Stop.” Maybe it was too much of a brush off, but he thought, in his way, Paul might have appreciated it. He didn’t stiffen up the way he normally did when offended, at least, and after a bit, Paul reached over, touching Gene’s knee.

The road went on. The pavement’s endless stretch. Highways and interstates, on and on, in the hopes of something eternal. The road took Gene back, too, back to thinking about Peter, less abstractly now that the journey was ending.

Peter had always had the best taste. Which was funny, looking back-- the high school dropout of the group, who’d grown up the oldest of about half a dozen kids in the middle of Brooklyn, able to pick out the hippest outfits, the best designs. The best-looking women, arguably. The best-looking houses. His mansion in Greenwich, easily dwarfed though it was in comparison to Gene or Paul’s places, or even Ace’s old home in Wilton, had a class that nobody else’s place could even hope to have. It looked like it came out of a storybook, tucked within four acres of Connecticut forest. In the winter it looked like Currier and Ives; in the summer, it-- in the summer, it looked just as radiant. 

At least, that was how it used to be. 

The first thing Peter had done once the Reunion tour had started was buy that place back. That was Peter for you. Sentimentality incarnate. Everything like it was before. Paul had joked once, cruelly, that he’d been surprised Peter hadn’t done the whole damn house back up in wood paneling and shag carpets once it was his again. Even at the time, Gene had thought it was a hell of a thing for Paul to say while painting himself up in the makeup from twenty years prior.

Paul had turned off the GPS maybe fifteen minutes before they’d pulled into his driveway, evidently knowing the route far better than Gene would’ve ever anticipated. Peter’s place was on a private drive, though that had ceased to matter over the last few weeks. Looking at the house’s exterior now, it wasn’t dilapidated or even unkempt. Just older. The styling was giving its age away.

“You ready?”

Paul had already parked, but he hadn’t moved to even unbuckle himself. He had pulled down the vanity mirror, was staring at himself in silence. 

“We look like shit,” he said. 

“Ace and Peter aren’t gonna look any better.”

“We should’ve tried to get razors after shiva was over.” Paul ran his fingers over the heavy, coarse facial hair on his jawline, the gray streaks surprisingly far outnumbered by black, even now. “They’ve never seen me look this bad.”

“Paul, they aren’t gonna give a fuck right now.” 

“I do.”

“You are absolutely the vainest man I’ve ever met in my life.”

“It’s not just that. Gene, Ace hasn’t even left the house yet because of Peter. If Peter sees me looking like this, if he thinks I can’t hold it together, then– then maybe I can’t, maybe I won’t be able to–”

“You don’t have to. All you have to do is get out of the truck.”

Paul bit his lip and unbuckled his seatbelt, getting out of the truck in silence. Gene helped him take their luggage out of the back.

He’d thought it would feel so much more definite. Like all those moments where his life had turned on the tiniest hinge. The sight of Bill Aucoin in his smart suit, offering them a record contract inside of two weeks. The sight of his firstborn in the hospital, that head full of dark hair, those bright eyes.

The sight of four talismans in a velvet box. 

Paul was behind him, luggage handle in one hand, bag of oranges in the other. He was dragging the luggage carelessly up the brick front porch stairs, the wheels rattling against them in protest.  Gene hadn’t so much as reached for the door knocker before the door swung open. 

Ace. 

Ace, in jeans and a t-shirt and socks. His goatee was somewhat unkempt. No sunglasses– not that he expected him in them, but it had been years and years since Gene had seen him without them. No makeup, either. Ace’s skin was as bad as ever, sallow and scarred, a couple of pimples right on the side of one cheek. The poor alien bastard still had acne at sixty-three. 

Gene hugged him. Fully. It was the first time in years he had, without there being a show or a ceremony or a pile of fans with their phones trying to record the moment. Just shoved himself against him, arms wrapping tight around him. Ace buckled a bit, thrown off-balance as always, but he hugged him back in turn, face pressing briefly against his shirt, then pulling away. Gene felt Ace clasp a hand briefly against his back just before he let go. 

“Hey, Gene,” he said. “Hey, Paul. C’min.”

They stepped inside. Gene made room for Paul, who put an arm around Ace for a brief, quiet moment, and then pushed the bag of oranges into his hands. Ace’s expression changed a little then, became almost searching, before it faltered. 

“Where’s Peter?”

“He… he’s in the kitchen. Paul, he’s not–”

“I know.” Paul strode past them both, going past the entranceway and the dining room, heading straight for the kitchen. Ace followed a bit behind, then Gene, a weird quiver somewhere in the tips of his fingers, and in his throat. Peter’s place was still too familiar, even with some newer decor. Enough remnants of the past remained. A set of raku tea bowls Lydia’d bought him on tour in Japan was still in the armoire in the dining room. A faded photo of Peter from his First Communion was on a buffet table. And there behind the sink, next to the windowsill, was a tarnished silver ring dish in the shape of a cat, one paw up, its tail covered in an assortment of rings. Peter had had that since their third tour, a memento, though Gene couldn’t remember where he’d received it. His eyes were darting everywhere– the clean stovetop and microwave, the print of The Last Supper on the wall, the dirty plates on the table– everywhere except for at Peter. 

Peter, who was sitting down against the fridge, wrapped up in a blanket. He had shaved, but badly, white stubble peeking out in patches across his chin. He only barely lifted his head when they walked in.

“Pete,” Gene started. Peter shifted, putting out a hand against the floor, like he was about to brace himself and get up. But Paul got there first. Gene could barely believe it as he watched Paul crouch down, squat at first, before getting on his knees and putting an arm around him, there on the floor. 

Peter was crying. Gene had seen it a hundred times at least, but never like this. Not a shudder, barely a sound, just the tears. Paul held him there, rubbing his shoulder, without a murmur. Gene glanced at Ace, realizing suddenly that this was what Ace had been dealing with all this time, why Ace didn’t want to leave him alone. He was afraid for him, terribly so.

Paul let go once the tears seemed to stop, standing up a bit awkwardly. After a moment or two, Peter stood, too, after unraveling from the blanket. The effort of getting up made him grunt a bit, rubbing his back. He was in a t-shirt and pajamas. Gene hadn’t seen Peter in anything quite that casual in more than ten years. 

“You made it.”

“We made it.”

“You… Gene, you…”

Then Gene was holding him. Peter had never felt fragile to him before now. He was thin, those drummers’ arms all but gone when he grasped Gene’s waist. Gene could feel those shuddering breaths against him, but as Ace had done with Paul, Peter let go abruptly. 

(you’re feeling it)

(aren’t you?)

Gene didn’t know. All he knew was a peace and security that he thought he’d lost forever. All he knew was that he was sure he could make it now. Sure this was what they all needed. They had scraped together before. They could do it again. They would do it again. A few days together, maybe even a week or two, to… to get settled, to start to… reckon with themselves, with the world, to maybe… to maybe start to heal. Warmth melded with exhaustion in his bones as he pulled up a chair, sinking down into the seat. 

“Y-you can tell us the whole trip later,” said Peter quietly. “But you gotta shower first. Both of you stink.” 

“It’s Road Warrior,” Gene said, feeling the wobbling remnants of a smile skirt the edges of his face. “Very unique aroma, for the discerning traveler.”

“It’s B.O.,” Ace said, laughing harder than the statement merited, that old cackle, reaching over to clasp a hand on Gene’s back. “Ain’t got an excuse now, Geno. Get washed up. We’ll, we’ll make you some sandwiches or something, we…” 

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” As quickly as he’d come into the kitchen, Paul was darting out again, already headed for where Gene vaguely remembered the master bed and bath being. But he turned, calling over his shoulder, voice wobbling slightly. “You’re okay with us, right? You’ll let us–”

Ace shook his head.

“Christ, after all that, you want an invite, Paul? You were let in forty years ago.”

[kmp78]

"The entire world tour is a disaster...he should rather go on a med cruise...🫣😂🙈"

It's not a complete disaster. Some European cities look better like Berlin or Torino. Guess the Us dates are a much bigger problem than Europe for ticket sales!

Oh yeah the US market is and always has been an uphill battle for poor Jarry... 🌮

AUBURN:

CHICAGO:

HOUSTON:

Looks like it´ll be another 🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵 summer!

[kmomof4]

Cave Cruises, Cabin Capers, & Cracked Craniums A fic collaboration between @kmomof4, @jrob64, @snowbellewells, and @whimsicallyenchantedrose

What happens when four fanfiction writer fandom friends go on vacation together? A fic collaboration, of course! We knew from the start we wanted to have a collab sprint involved in our vacay, but it wasn’t until we were in the thick of it that we decided we wanted our story to essentially be a fanfic version of our trip itself. Sadly we did not meet any hot pirates, but it was a lot of fun all the same. All of the pictures in the post were taken by one of us on the trip and the cabin in the picset above is where we stayed.

Shoutout to @motherkatereloyshipper​ for her manip of the Lost Boys Cave sign at the beginning of the fic! You’re the best, babe!

This is a long one y’all, over 16k, so be sure you have snacks and drinks to enjoy while you read!

Summary: When Emma Swan and her friends go on their annual girls’ vacation, they meet a group of guys who seem to keep turning up in the same places. Pranks, yearning looks and romance ensue.

Rating: T for some strong language and a suggestive hot tub scene.

On ao3

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

A collaborative story by @snowbellewells​, @whimsicallyenchantedrose​, @kmomof4​ and @jrob64​, based on our very own girls’ trip (without the guys, sadly)

Emma Swan and her girlfriends–Mary Margaret Blanchard, Ruby Lucas, Regina Mills, Belle French, and Elsa Arendelle–were on the first day of their yearly, week-long girls trip. The friends had been vacationing together since they’d graduated college three years before and all went their separate ways–some to graduate school, others to their chosen career fields. Regina had just graduated from Harvard Law School at the top of her class, and she had job offers in Chicago and Knoxville, so the friends made plans to help her decide on a location by booking this year's trip to Kentucky and eastern Tennessee. The group met in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the Lost Boys Cave tour, and later that day, they would drive to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to the cabin they’d rented for the week. Not only was it near one of Regina’s possible job locations, but Ruby’s grandmother – “Granny” to them all – ran a diner and lived in Pigeon Forge as well.

Regina had been born and raised in New York City and was already complaining that the fresh pine smell in the air was getting to her.

“How much farther is it to this cave that we apparently have to see?” she groused. “My feet hurt already. I didn’t sign up for blisters.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “If you’d taken my suggestion to actually break in your new tennis shoes beforehand, you wouldn’t have that problem.”

Regina was on the verge of what Emma was sure would be an excessive amount of snark, when they heard footsteps approaching them on the walking path.

“Good morning, ladies,” an accented voice said from behind them. Emma turned around and nearly lost her breath at the handsome man who had spoken to them.

His deep blue eyes sparkled in the morning light, and the slight smirk and raised eyebrow on his face sent her heart racing. He had artfully tousled black hair and trimmed scruff the same color, with just a hint of ginger peeking through that became noticeable when the sun filtered through the leaf canopy over the path where they all walked.

A chorus of good morning resounded in response to Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome’s cheerful greeting, but Emma couldn’t find it within herself to speak to him. His good looks left her completely speechless.

“Are you ladies joining the 11 o’clock tour?” he asked.

Emma nodded– still completely tongue tied– while Mary Margaret answered in the affirmative for all of them.

“Wonderful!” he exclaimed exuberantly. “You’re with me then.”

He was walking beside Emma by this time and turned toward her, waggling his eyebrows. “Cat got your tongue, Lass?”

Emma could feel the blush spreading down to her neck as she tried once more to force her mouth to work properly. She wet her lips and took a deep breath, determined to say something.

“Lass?” she asked saucily. “You fall through a time portal or something? What century are you from anyway?” She cocked her head at him challengingly as she lobbed the verbal ball back into his court. She was a bit surprised to find herself anxiously awaiting his reply.

That blatantly expressive eyebrow of his practically leapt into his hairline, and a smirk slid over his mouth at her sassy response. “Let me assure you, Love, though there is nothing wrong with speaking as a proper, dashing gentleman of old, I’m from the same time as yourself, and as you can clearly see, I have quite the youthful glow.”

Someone should register those blue eyes of his as deadly weapons, Emma thought to herself. She was suddenly aware that all of her friends were beginning to take much too curious an interest in their verbal jousting match, so she moved away from him with a rather dry, “Not your love, Buddy.”

He chuckled knowingly but did back up a step. “As you wish then, Darling. Perhaps you will grant me your name instead, so I shall know what I may call you?”

“Her name’s Emma, Handsome,” Ruby interjected, a bit too eagerly in Emma’s opinion. “I’m Ruby. This is Regina, Mary Margaret, Elsa, and Belle.” She gestured to herself and each of her other friends in turn. “And what may we call you? And when? Oh, and how often?”

The man in front of them grinned before answering, “Killian Jones, at your service, ladies.” He gave a small bow and directed a wink at Emma.

Ruby saw it, but she was pleasantly distracted when a tall, curly-headed guy with scruff defining his strong jawline joined them on the path. His eyes quickly took her in as well, before turning his attention to Killian with the message he had come to deliver, “Liam and I’ve got the other boat.”

“Thanks, Graham,” Killian said to the newcomer.

“The other boat?” Ruby asked. “There are two boats?”

“It depends on the size of the group,” Graham answered, a soft smile touching his lips as his eyes lingered on hers.

“How big does the group have to be?” she asked, propping her hand on her hip. “Because I can go flag down some cars on the road, if necessary.”

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem, Love,” Killian said as they crossed the footbridge and reached the assigned meeting place, noting the large group of people waiting for them.

Emma leaned back against a large rock and enjoyed the view as Killian greeted the gathered groups–people hailing from Florida, Michigan, Colorado and even California–and began his spiel about the caves, the local ecosystem, and legends and lore of the area. He was good at his job, and it was clear he loved it.

“Be sure to stop me with any questions you have,” he finished.

Ruby groaned. “You have no idea what you’re asking, Killian. Mary Margaret is a school teacher and will definitely take you up on that.”

He gave her a good-natured smile, before turning his charm back to Emma as they began walking toward the cave. “And what about you, Love? Do you have any questions for me?”

“Depends,” she answered with a smirk, “do they have to be about caves?”

He leaned in and gave her a saucy wink. “You may ask me as many questions as you like…perhaps over a few libations after the tour.”

Emma wished very much she had a witty comeback for that, but his low drawling voice, combined with the flirtatious wink left her not only speechless, but unable to remember what words even were.

He gave her a knowing grin, before turning back to the group as a whole.

“To your left, here, you’ll see what we call the Blue Hole,” he said, gesturing toward a small, round body of dark blue water. “Legend has it that if you dive too deeply within its depths, Peter Pan will grab you and drag you to Neverland. It was deterrent enough to keep the locals from exploring it.”

Elsa scoffed. “Neverland? Isn’t that supposed to be a place of wonder and magic? Why would anyone be afraid of someone like Peter Pan?”

“The child is a bloody demon,” Killian answered, completely serious. “I wouldn’t test him.”

After passing beside the Lost River–called such, because no one knew where it began–they finally reached the cave itself. Two other men waited for them, and Killian promptly introduced them as his older brother Liam, and Will Scarlet.

“Some of you will have the honor of riding with Graham Humbert and myself,” Liam explained, “while the rest will be in the nearly-as-capable hands of Will and my little brother.”

“I think you mean ‘younger’ brother,” Killian muttered under his breath.

Mary Margaret turned to those in their group. “Any preferences about which boat we take?”

Ruby grinned broadly. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I know which one I’m choosing. Graham’s hot, and I certainly wouldn’t mind spending a little extra time with him.” She tossed the woman next to her a knowing look. “And from the way Elsa’s eyeing that new guy, Liam, I’m guessing she wants to join me.”

The woman in question blushed a pretty pink, but didn’t contradict her.

“I’ll stick with Killian,” Belle said. “He seems quite knowledgeable, not to mention more than a little smitten with our Emma.”

Emma rolled her eyes and shrugged. “He’s a shameless flirk,” she asserted, her countenance turning confused the moment the word was out of her mouth.

“A what?” Elsa asked.

Emma waved her hands around aimlessly. “Oh, I meant to say a flirty jerk,” she explained, “but what’s the harm in having a little fun? After all, this is a vacation.”

Regina groaned, stepping next to Ruby and Elsa. “No thanks. If I have to spend a twenty minute boat ride with Captain Guyliner, with his yearning looks and doe-y eyes, I may vomit.”

Mary Margaret, for her part, took her place beside Emma for no real reason other than balancing out their group.

With the seating arrangements made, it was time to step into the boats docked side by side at the entrance of the cave. Emma took Killian’s hand as he helped her in. The moment her hand touched his, it was as if sparks went up between them. Emma gasped, pulling her hand back and meeting his equally startled eyes. For a moment neither moved, eyes locked, chemistry sizzling between them.

“Oi! What’s the hold up?” Killian’s co-guide, Will, complained.

It broke the spell, and Killian stepped back, scratching at a spot behind his ear. “Right, if you will, please take your seat.”

After Killian and Will helped the rest of the passengers onto their boat, Killian leaned over to tie the rope mooring back to the dock and Emma blatantly stared at his backside. The man was entirely too hot for anyone’s good. He glanced back as he finished and caught her staring.

“Like what you see, Love?” he asked with a saucy grin.

“You better believe it,” she tossed right back at him.

Killian laughed heartily as he hopped up onto the raised platform between the two rows of seats in the boat. “If you liked that, you’ll love this. Here is the part where I practice for my next job–as a runway model.”

Emma snorted a laugh as he walked, exaggerating his movements as though he were modeling the latest in haute couture, complete with sound effects.

“If you’ll look to the ceiling directly behind me,” Killian said, a moment later as the boat began to slowly glide through the cloudy water, “you will find our first attraction, the Wishing Stone.”

“Oh, that sounds mysterious and magical!” Mary Margaret said. “Why is it called that?”

Killian gave her a grin, having expected the question. As Ruby had warned, she had, indeed peppered him with a steady stream of questions throughout the entirety of the tour to that point. “Because if you don’t duck your head, you’ll wish you had.”

Emma groaned at the corny joke, but obediently ducked her head, turning it toward the back of the boat, where Will seemed to be so intent on something he was saying to Belle that he’d missed his co-guide’s warning. One second he was talking, and gesturing animatedly, and then, with a crack, his head came in contact with the low hanging cave ceiling.

“Bloody hell,” the man exclaimed, as he tumbled backwards and landed with a tremendous splash in the shallow water behind them.

“Oh, for the love of…” Killian said, shaking his head in disgust. “Would someone in the back kindly give my git of a co-guide a hand up?”

Always eager to help no matter the circumstances, Belle offered a very soggy Will assistance as he climbed back in the vessel. The man gave her a grateful smile. Belle returned it hesitantly before turning determinedly away from him. Emma gave her a sympathetic smile. Belle had only recently gone through a very painful breakup, and feelings or flirtations of any kind were the last things she wanted right now.

The boat tour lasted around a quarter of an hour, Killian and Will each pointing out structures of interest.

“If you notice,” Will said at one point, directing his flashlight to the ceiling, “the occasional floods that pass through this area tend to leave the ceilings smooth, but we’ve got a few baby stalagmites forming up ahead.”

“I think you mean stalactites,” Belle answered. “Stalactites hold tight to the ceiling, while you might trip over a stalagmite at your feet.”

Will tossed her a delighted smile. “Right you are, my sweet! When I cracked my cranium I must have lost my good sense.”

Emma saw Killian roll his eyes and mutter. “Said as though he ever had any to begin with.”

When the tour came to an end, Will and Killian hopped onto the docks, secured the boat, and began helping their passengers out. First on, Emma was the last off, and when she took Killian’s hand, it was like before, but this time even more. It was as though an electric current ran through her at the touch and she audibly gasped, her eyes fixed on his. She couldn’t look away, not as she stepped up onto the edge of the boat, nor when she stepped toward the dock. Her foot landed on a rope, and with a pop, it twisted to the side and she fell on the ground with a quick curse.

He was at her side in a moment.

“Emma. Love, are you okay?” he asked, reaching to steady her.

“I’m fine,” she bit out, feeling the intense embarrassment of her tumble far more than the pain of the sprain. “Just…don’t hover,” she said, waving her arms about. “Let me up!”

“Nonsense, Emma, you must let me attend to your injury,” he said, hand on her shoulder holding her still. “Allow me to wrap it for you.” He called for Will to bring him the first aid kit from the boat.

Emma shivered at the thought of his hands on her, even for something as innocuous as wrapping a sprained ankle. She should refuse; she really should, but it was, after all, a bit of a hike back to her car, and she knew her twisted joint could use the extra support.

“Fine, just hurry up with it,” she grumbled. “Mary Margaret has our vacation planned out to the minute, and she’d give me hell for messing with her precious itinerary.”

He laughed. “I think you'll find my ministrations to be both quick and efficient.”

Quick and efficient they might have been, but Emma felt every second of it with a swoop of her stomach as Killian gently cradled her foot on his lap, carefully removing her sock and shoe, and then expertly wound a long bandage around her foot and ankle, before restoring her footwear.

The swoop intensified as he offered to fetch a golf cart and drive her back to the car. These were dangerous waters she was treading in, and she’d best put a stop to it. The flirtatious rogue, she could deal with. The sweet, genuine man, she couldn’t.“Thanks for the offer, but it’s just a little sprain,” she said, a bit more harshly than she’d intended. “I can hobble back to the car on my own.”

He looked as though he wanted to protest further, but the expression on her face must have deterred him. He took a quick step back and glanced aside. “As you wish.”

“Thanks though,” she said, not wishing to give him the impression she was upset with him. “You know, for the tour and everything.”

He sketched an exaggerated courtly bow, “It was my very great pleasure, Love. And should you ever find yourself in the area again, feel free to look me up.”

While she couldn’t say the idea wasn’t tempting, Emma merely gave him a quick smile and then limped over to her friends who were waiting for her. No point in getting her hopes up. After all, once she left the park, she’d never see Killian Jones again.

************

Once they arrived at the cabin and unpacked all their belongings, the ladies made a trip into town to buy groceries they’d need for the week. Emma’s ankle was still very tender, but she wasn’t willing to be left behind, just to sit and be bored while the rest of them were gone. So she promised Mary Margaret and Elsa, the designated moms of the friend group, she’d use a motorized scooter to do her part of the shopping.

When they pulled into a parking space at the local market, Belle ran in to collect a scooter for Emma, who felt herself both blushing and scowling despite being touched by Belle’s thoughtfulness. She knew that the way she was beginning to hobble unsteadily to deal with the pain in her ankle would require her to use the scooter, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. It made her feel either ancient or like she was blowing a minor sprain completely out of proportion. “Thanks,” she muttered dryly, with a sidelong glance at Belle’s smiling face. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Now, enough of that,” Elsa broke in matter-of-factly, taking Emma by the elbow with little ceremony and guiding her right up to the scooter and into its seat. “You just sit yourself down and stop worrying over how it might look. The sooner we get what we need, the sooner we can be back and you can get off that ankle to elevate and ice it.”

There was no comeback to offer for such sensible reasoning, so Emma nodded, zipped her lips, and steered toward the door, the rest of the ladies following in her wake. They paused only briefly in the chilled grocery air to organize who would grab what and where they would reconvene in twenty minutes. Once each had their short list, they split up to complete their mission.

Emma grabbed most of the dairy essentials she had been assigned quite easily, then motored over to the ice cream freezer to finish up. She could nearly taste the creamy, chocolatey Rocky Road melting on her tongue already, and she was leaning in the case to grab the last carton of it off the shelf before she even noticed there was anyone else nearby. In fact, she wouldn’t have noticed at all if the carton hadn’t been taken from her grasp by another hand grabbing it at exactly the same moment she’d intended to lift it herself.

“Hey, that was mine!” she accused, darting a withering glare to the left at the interloper, only to find their unfairly sexy tour guide from earlier in the day.

Wearing an all-too-smug expression, Killian Jones nodded in greeting with a lazy, crooked grin that Emma wanted to punch - or kiss - off of his face. “Are you sure about that, Lass? It would appear that the Rocky Road is in my possession.”

“Only because you took it out of my hands!” she argued. “And what are you even doing here, anyway? Are you following me now? Crippling me at the start of my vacation wasn’t enough?!?”

Tilting his head to look at her, Killian kept his mouth shut. Even if her assessment was completely unfair, he rarely got himself in trouble for things he didn’t say. Instead, he waited a moment, thinking she might calm down and take back her accusation. When Emma crossed her arms over her chest in a huff and instead looked as though she might happily run him over with the scooter she rode, he realized that was not about to happen. Perhaps a bit of well-placed smolder would be in order?

“Come now, Darling,” he soothed, lowering his voice and purposefully allowing the lilt in his words to become more pronounced. “You know as well as I that your unfortunate fall at the cave was no fault of mine. And I did patch you up as best I could, did I not?”

“Don’t you bat those pretty eyes at me,” she warned in a defensive snarl. “I’m not about to fall for that. And I believe I’ve already told you that I’m hardly your anything - lass, love, darling or otherwise.”

“Very well, Emma,” he enunciated the name ridiculously. “And to answer your earlier query, no, I am not following you. We’re on our way to a vacation rental, and are picking up groceries before we get there. And if I’d known how much you abhor my company, and that you were such a vexatious lass, I wouldn’t have even flirted with you.”

“Well, if I had known you were such a self-righteous prick, I wouldn’t have flirted back,” she snarked, unable to help the little flare of regret that curled in her gut at Killian’s statement of finding her so difficult he would not have even engaged with her had he known. It was the one chink in her armor, ever since she was a child - too guarded, too prickly, too much. It had always been the same when she found herself alone again. Quickly, she shook that regret away and focused back on the current challenge standing before her.

“You want to talk about a self-righteous prick, that would be my brother.”

“Huh?” Emma asked dumbly, not quite following his logic.

Killian gestured down the row nearest them to where the tall, curly-haired captain of the other tour boat–Jones’ older brother, she remembered now–was reaching up to the very highest shelf in the cereal aisle, where Elsa had been trying to grasp a box of her favorite cereal that had toppled over and fallen hopelessly out of her reach. The little tableau took only seconds, but was unarguably sweet, and the bright adoration that lit up Elsa’s face as she turned to thank the elder Jones brother, gave her aspect a stunning beauty the likes of which Emma had never seen from her friend before. When Liam offered what almost looked like the smallest of formal bows to Elsa before continuing on his way, Emma looked back to Killian with a grin, and added, “What, you’re both stuffy and old-fashioned beyond belief?”

He seemed to sense that the mood had shifted and allowed a gentler smile to cross his lips as well. “Aye, something like that, I suppose.”

They had begun to move back toward the front of the store side-by-side, almost without consciously realizing what they were doing. Emma was more than a bit flabbergasted when they reached the front of the market and Killian easily plunked the ice cream into the basket of her cart.

She looked up at him from her seat, surprised and ready to argue again, only to find him looking back at her with a softness that warmed her, even as it discomforted her at the same time. “While it can hardly be deemed my fault that I am so devilishly handsome you couldn’t keep your eyes off me and tripped out of your tour boat, I am always a gentleman. The Rocky Road is yours, Emma.”

Floundering for a moment, and out of her depth, Emma finally settled on a simple, Thank you, before coyly adding, “Maybe you would enjoy something like Rum Raisin more anyway.”

“Think nothing of it,” Killian offered gallantly, and moved to saunter back toward his brother and his group of friends. However, just before he turned away, the more proper facade slipped once more as he teased, “And as a matter of fact, I prefer my rum undiluted…and shared with you, if you’d allow it.” Then, with a wink and a waggle of his eyebrows, he was walking away.

By the time Emma, Mary Margaret, Elsa, and Regina were loading their purchases into the back of Mary Margaret’s Traverse, Emma was getting worried about the state her ice cream would be in when they got back to the cabin. She wondered how Ruby and Belle could have both gotten held up in their shopping when Ruby emerged through the doors of the grocery into the parking lot, walking close enough to Killian’s friend Graham for her arm to brush against his with each step.

The lean muscles of his forearms were on full display as he carried both his own purchases and Ruby’s, and she looked up at him with her red-painted lips curved into a satisfied smile. She clearly appreciated his chivalric efforts as Graham placed the meats and cheeses Ruby had been assigned to gather in the back with the girls’ other shopping bags and stood back to his full height. His eyes already gazed at her with puppy-dog devotion as Ruby allowed her fingernails to trace over his shoulder and down his bicep. What most might not see beyond the overt flirtatiousness – they hadn’t known her as long or as well as Emma had – was just how over the moon the striking brunette already was for this scruffy gentleman as well.

They finally heard Belle coming to join them even before they saw her come through the exit. She was carrying a plastic bag with the condiments and spices she’d had on her list, but she was also brandishing a jar of Polaner All Fruit in her free hand and ranting with her intense librarian’s dedication to facts about just why she had indeed needed to purchase the pricier topping.

“...and it’s all natural, lower sugar, and has a purer taste,” she was saying. Will nodded along with utmost attention, even as the mischievous gleam in his eye could only remind their audience of a junior high boy on the playground who lived to tug on the ponytail of the girl he liked. “Not to mention the fact that the company grows and harvests their berries organically, and that the glass jar is recyclable and more environmentally friendly than plastic.”

“Oi, right ya are,” Will exclaimed, clearly not about to set her off any further. “I only asked if ya needed to buy the ritziest jelly on the shelf. Clearly ya do, so I’ll not say anymore about it.”

Belle startled visibly when they arrived at the Traverse, their friends’chuckles finally registering through her lecture of Will. “Oh, hey guys,” she added almost dazedly with a flattering pink staining the apples of her cheeks.

“Hey yourself,” Ruby simpered with a wolfish grin, “looks like you might have found a rather large extra during your shopping.”

Will’s burst of guffawing laughter set them all off again, and Belle couldn’t help but join in, even at her own expense, before they were all finally on their way to the cabin at last.

*********

Emma was out on the deck enjoying the cool night breeze. She sat in a two person glider, ice on her ankle, after returning to the cabin following the grocery run. It was so quiet and peaceful, Emma could feel her eyelids drooping. It had been a very long day, after all.

Suddenly, the pleasant silence was broken by the slamming of a car door and a familiar voice reaching her ears from the parking area of the cabin next door.

No. Way. She thought, rising from the glider and hobbling to the railing. Looking down, she saw the unmistakable backside of Killian Jones as he reached into the back of a black SUV for a suitcase. As soon as he set it on the ground, Emma backed away from the railing, hoping against hope it was dark enough that if he were to turn around and look up, he wouldn’t see her.

He reached back in, and Emma returned to the railing just to get another glimpse of him. She’d deny it to her dying breath to anyone who asked, but she wasn’t enough of a self deluding fool to lie to herself. The man was breathtakingly handsome and the thought of living right next door to him for an entire week was enough to send her pulse into overdrive.

She hobbled back into the house, drawing everyone’s attention as soon as she came in the door.

“Killian Jones is next door!” she exclaimed. There was a chorus of Whats, but Emma didn’t miss the way Ruby, Elsa, and Belle all either lit up or blushed furiously, realizing immediately that their respective guys were probably going to be at the same cabin. Mary Margaret was just suggesting they go next door and say hi, when she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Regina was closest, so she opened the door to find a tall, huskily built man with light brown hair and a mustache and closely trimmed scruff on his jawline. Regina’s heart rate picked up, but she quickly schooled her features. It wouldn’t do to swoon at the feet of a stranger.

“May I help you?” she asked. His smile lit up his face when his eyes landed on her. Yep, it was a good thing she could slip into her queen persona-–an affectionate nickname the girls had given her back in college and that she’d continued to hone during law school–at the drop of a hat.

The man stepped into the room with his hand held out in front of him. Regina looked down her nose at the offering, her eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline. He cleared his throat and dropped his hand, his gaze going around the room.

“Good evening, ladies,” he said, congenially. “I’m Robin Locksley, owner of Sherwood Forest Resort and I just wanted to say welcome and to see if everything was in order for you.”

“Oh, yes, Mr. Locksley,” Mary Margaret said enthusiastically.

“Please, please,” he interrupted. “Call me Robin.”

“Of course, Robin,” she replied. “I’m Mary Margaret.” She then continued introductions around the room, motioning to each of the ladies in turn.

Robin nodded to each one before coming forward and shaking their hands. He greeted Regina last, and with a mischievous smirk on his face, he lifted her hand to his lips. “Milady,” he murmured before brushing them across her knuckles.

Regina couldn’t help the way her heart thundered in her chest at his boldness, but she’d be damned if she let him see it. She lifted her chin slightly and raised a single eyebrow at him, a move that would have lesser men shaking in their boots, but didn’t seem to phase him at all, his smirk widening just a bit.

“If I can help you with anything,” he said, his gaze still firmly on Regina, “please don’t hesitate to ask. My cabin is the one on the other side of your neighbors.” He pointed to where they knew the guys were staying.

“Thank you so much, Robin,” Mary Margaret replied. “We certainly will. We were just going to go next door and say hi. We met the guys staying there this morning at the Lost Boys Cave Tour in Bowling Green before driving here this afternoon.”

“Did you really?” Robin asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “What a small world. They’re all friends of mine. Liam and I were college roommates, so I’ve known Killian since he was a teenager. Graham and Will work with them at the cave and so a few years back, they started joining Liam and Killian when they’d come here for a visit a couple of times a year.”

“Wow!” Ruby exclaimed. “A small world, indeed. Tell me, Robin,” she continued, glancing at Belle and Elsa before she spoke, “Are all the guys single?”

Robin smirked again and his eyes twinkled. “I am unaware of any romantic attachments for any of them.”

Ruby’s grin was brighter than the sun at his words. He bowed his head slightly and gave a small two fingered salute as he wished them a good evening and departed.

As soon as he was gone, Mary Margaret shot Regina a serious look.

“There’s that wall again, Regina,” she said, shaking her head slightly.

Regina’s head whipped around so quickly, she was surprised her neck didn’t crack.

“What are you talking about?”

Mary Margaret came over to her friend and put an arm around her shoulders. Regina stiffened but didn’t pull away.

“That wall you put up to keep out pain,” Mary Margaret continued, “can also keep out possibilities.” Regina scoffed. “He was very handsome and obviously interested in you.”

“He smells like forest,” Regina said. “If you think he’s so handsome, why don’t you go after him?”

“Because he didn’t look twice at me,” she replied, exasperation coloring her words. “Just keep it in mind, please, Regina,” she urged her friend. “I know you have a wonderful future ahead of you no matter where you decide to go, but love is a part of all happiness, and Pigeon Forge is less than an hour from Knoxville.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “That would probably be a strike in the Knoxville column instead of a plus, just so you know.”

Mary Margaret squeezed her shoulder. “Promise me you won’t rule it out altogether, Regina. Just see what happens.” Their friends around the room were nodding and voicing their own agreement to Mary Margaret’s words. “But for now, let’s go next door and say hi.”

She let Regina go and led the way out the door and across to the cabin next door. Once they were all on the porch, Emma being helped by Belle and Elsa, Mary Margaret knocked firmly on the door.

It was opened by a tall, well-built blonde man who immediately stole Mary Margaret’s breath.

“Uh… I’m so sorry…” she stammered, looking around at her friends, her eyes wide like a deer in the headlights. “We were… ah…”

“What she means to say,” Ruby interjected, when it became clear Mary Margaret was at a complete loss for words, “is we were looking for Killian and Graham.”

The man smiled and Mary Margaret was afraid her knees would buckle. He opened the door wider, inviting them all in. “Of course,” he said. “I’m David Nolan and I don’t believe we’ve met…” he trailed away, his eyes never leaving Mary Margaret’s as he offered her his hand.

“Mary Margaret Blanchard,” she breathed, putting her hand in his to shake it.

“Lovely to meet you, Mary Margaret.” He turned to the other ladies still standing on the porch. “Please come in.”

The ladies filed in to see all the other men they’d already met around the room. Liam was in the kitchen and when he turned toward the door, his blue eyes immediately softened when they landed on Elsa. Graham and Robin rose from their seats in the living room at the entrance of the ladies, with Will remaining in his seat and looking at the others with a confused look on his face. Graham smacked him on the side of the head, jerking his own head toward the women at the door. Will scrambled to his feet as Killian came down the stairs to a much fuller room than what he’d left a few minutes before.

Everyone squirmed a bit in the awkward silence, until Ruby sauntered over to Graham and looped her arm through his.

“Is this a small world or what?” she asked. Her question broke the ice and all the men invited the ladies to take a seat. Regina remembered Mary Margaret’s words but wouldn’t meet Robin’s eyes when she moved to sit down at the bar separating the kitchen area from the rest of the room. Killian couldn’t take his eyes off of Emma as he approached her.

“Here, Emma,” he said, his hand hovering by her elbow, “let me help you to a chair.”

“I don’t need help,” she insisted, hobbling toward the nearest armchair. Once she was seated, she couldn’t suppress the sigh of relief from being off of her ankle.

“May I bring you an ice pack to put on your ankle?” he asked.

Emma sighed resignedly. She knew she was being short with him, but she just couldn’t get past the embarrassment of the accident in the first place, and then his conciliatory actions at the grocery store earlier. She knew she needed to try a little harder with him, even if it was annoying her in the extreme to have to do so.

“That would be great. Thank you, Killian.”

Once everyone was settled, conversation flowed naturally among the friends. The connection between the men was more fully explained and when David told them he was the booking manager for Sherwood Forest Resort, Mary Margaret exclaimed excitedly, “I thought your voice sounded familiar! You’re the one I talked to when I booked the cabin!” David grinned.

“Where’s Roland tonight, Robin?” Liam asked. “That’s Robin’s five year old son,” he explained to the ladies.

“He spent the day swimming and nearly fell asleep in his spaghetti tonight,” Robin explained, glancing at Regina to gauge her reaction. “I put him to bed before coming over to meet and welcome the ladies to Sherwood Forest.”

“So will we get a chance to meet him and your wife sometime this week?” Regina asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

The light dimmed a bit in Robin’s eyes. “Actually, I’ve been a widower since Roland was just a few months old.”

The girls murmured words of sympathy, but Belle couldn’t mask her shock. “You left a small child asleep in the house all by himself?”

“This is a gated community, my dear,” he assured her, “if you’ll remember from when you arrived this evening. He is also a very heavy sleeper. A tornado siren a mile away won’t wake him.” He pulled out his phone, tapped an app and displayed the screen, which showed a grainy picture of a room with a dark-haired boy sleeping in the bed. “But just in case, I use this app if I’m called away at night for some reason. He can talk to me and he can hear me through it, too.” He looked across the room at the clock hanging on the wall. “But it has been about twenty minutes since I put him to bed, so I’d better be heading back,” he said, rising from his seat.

Everyone took that as the signal that the evening was drawing to an end. The ladies all rose and bid the men goodnight. Emma couldn’t hide her smirk at the longing looks between Ruby and Graham, Elsa and Liam, Mary Margaret and David, and even Belle and Will, though she was a little more circumspect than him. She had a feeling this was going to be a fun week.

*********

“Good morning, Granny,” Ruby greeted, giving her grandmother a tight squeeze upon entering her diner.

“ ‘Bout time you graced me with your presence,” the old woman grumbled, though they could clearly hear the affection in her voice. “Couldn’t bother to come see me when you got into town yesterday?”

“We were otherwise occupied,” Ruby replied, glancing around at her companions, who looked a bit sheepish at the admonishment from their beloved matriarch.

Mary Margaret hugged Granny. “We’re sorry. We were busy unpacking, deciding on sleeping arrangements, and getting groceries,” she apologized.

“And meeting our annoying neighbors,” Emma added, limping over to take her turn for a hug.

“What did you do to yourself?” Granny asked, concern coloring her normally stern exterior.

Emma shrugged. “Just twisted my ankle on the cave tour. It’s nothing.”

The rest of the girls shared a hug with Ruby’s grandmother and settled in at a table close to Granny’s famous breakfast buffet. They were just placing their drink orders, when they heard several boisterous and familiar voices coming from the entryway of the restaurant.

Emma looked over her shoulder to check out the commotion. “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” she groaned.

The others turned to see the group of men and a little boy they assumed to be Roland waiting at the hostess stand. Ruby gave a squeal of happiness, while Elsa and Mary Margaret sported soft smiles.

Regina rolled her eyes. “Are they stalking us? There are literally dozens of restaurants that serve breakfast around here.”

“None as good as Granny’s, though,” Ruby said, her eyes lighting up as Graham looked up and noticed her.

As the ladies watched, Granny greeted each man with a hug and picked Roland up for an affectionate squeeze, kissing him on his dimpled cheek.

“Wait a minute,” Belle said, a puzzled tone to her voice. “How does Granny know them?”

“Liam did say they come here a couple of times a year to visit Robin,” Elsa said. “Maybe they make a habit of eating at Granny’s.”

David approached their table, his eyes trained on Mary Margaret. “Good morning, ladies. Mind if I join you?” he asked, reaching for a nearby chair.

As Mary Margaret gave her approval, Ruby jumped up. “You can have my seat. I’ll sit with Graham. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

“As if he has a choice,” Emma muttered.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Will grinned, stepping to the end of the table to scan the occupants, his eyes settling on Belle.

“Granny is Ruby’s grandmother,” she explained.

Will’s thick brows shot up. “As in Granny of Granny’s Diner?”

“Can’t put anything past you, can we?” Regina snarked. “Why are you here?”

“Robin discovered this place when he inherited the resort from his parents many years ago, and he recommends it to all of his guests. We eat here every time we visit. Granny loves us,” Will proclaimed.

“I honestly thought she had better judgment than that,” Emma said.

“Hello, Love,” Killian greeted her, as the rest of the men said their hellos. “Excuse me. I meant, hello, Emma.”

Despite her admonishments to the contrary, Emma found she really didn’t mind him calling her his love, but she wasn’t quite ready to admit it to him. “Hi, Killian. Sleep well?” she asked, mentally facepalming over such a trite question.

He smirked, seeming to read her mind. “Aye, in spite of sleeping alone, and having to listen to Will’s snores coming through the wall.”

She covered her giggle with her hand, then pushed her chair away from the table. “I’m going to the buffet before all of you get there and demolish it.”

He stepped aside to let her pass, brushing the small of her back with his hand as she did. Trying not to shiver at his touch, she threw him a small smile and proceeded to the buffet.

When everyone’s plates were full and they were eating, Granny busied herself keeping everyone’s drinks filled and directing the busboys to clear the tables of dirty plates. Carefully watching the people at both tables over the top of her glasses, she made several observations. She had known Robin’s friends for nearly a decade, and Ruby’s group of friends for almost as long, so she was good at reading all of them. What she saw made her heart swell with happiness. Some of them may be fighting it, but she could see some interesting developments going on.

Ruby sat as close to Graham as possible without actually being in his lap. Granny had witnessed her granddaughter’s interest in many boys and young men as she raised her, but she was confident that she had never seen a more smitten look on the brunette’s face before. Ruby looked at Graham as though he’d hung every celestial body in the Heavenly realms, and Granny was very pleased to see it. The sandy haired Irishman was always such a gentleman and made Granny’s own heart speed up a bit when he looked at her with those deep blue eyes and curled his accent smoothly around every word he spoke.

The old woman smiled, sensing the bubble of mutual attraction surrounding David and Mary Margaret. Ever since he came to work for Robin three years ago, Granny had been trying to set him up with her favorite waitresses, to no avail. Now, she could see why. If he had been waiting for his soulmate, he seemed to have found her in Mary Margaret, whose sparkling green eyes looked adoringly at the handsome man beside her.

Granny saw much the same look on the faces of Liam and Elsa. Both of them were the oldest sibling in their family and tended to be quite serious and responsible, allowing little time for romance. Judging by their side-eye glances and shared smiles, Granny was sure they would be able to find the time now.

Something whizzed by her line of sight and Granny looked over to see Will getting ready to throw another chunk of potato in Belle’s direction. Marching over to him, Granny whacked him on the back of the head. “Go pick it up and find a better way to flirt,” she demanded.

“Me poor head,” he groaned, rubbing it as he stood up to do as he was told.

Granny shook her head fondly, taking in the shy smile Belle gave Will when he bent to pick up the potato which had landed behind her chair. They chatted for a while and Granny was pleased to hear Belle’s genuine laugh again. Granny never liked the man who previously dated the auburn-haired beauty. He treated her shabbily, and Granny wasn’t at all unhappy when she finally broke it off with him, although she knew Belle was heartbroken. Perhaps Will, in his own clumsy but endearing way, could help mend her heart.

When she was refilling Regina’s mug of coffee, Granny caught the glance she was slyly sending Robin’s way. “He’s a good man, that one,” she said quietly.

Regina quickly averted her eyes and straightened in her seat. “I’m sure he is, but he’s not my type. I’m not into mountain men.”

“Scoff all you like, Miss Priss, but you’re not gonna meet a better man than Robin Locksley, I can guarantee you that. He’s a hard worker and a good father, and I don’t think I’m stepping out of line by saying that he seems more than a little interested in you.”

Regina folded her hands on the placemat in front of her, her expression giving away nothing, but her cheeks reddening. “I don’t even know where I’m going to end up living.”

“Well, I’d say Robin would be in the pros column for taking the job in Knoxville,” Granny said, then moved on to refill Emma’s coffee. “And what about you, young lady?” she asked.

“What about me?” Emma questioned, her brows drawing together quizzically.

“Don’t think I haven’t seen those looks you’ve been giving Killian Jones, and that he’s giving back to you. It’s a wonder this place hasn’t gone up in flames from the heat of ‘em.”

Emma blushed furiously. “There’s nothing between me and Killian.”

“Huh, never known ya to lie to me before,” Granny harrumphed. “You wanna look me in the eye and try that again?”

Slumping in her seat, Emma chewed on her bottom lip, before quietly admitting, “Maybe I am just…a little attracted to him.”

“If that’s a little, I’m interested to see what’s a lot,” the old woman chuckled.

Leaving the ladies’ table, she passed by the men’s, ruffling Roland’s curls along the way.

The little boy turned to grin at her, then popped up out of his seat. “I’m gonna get another pancake, Papa,” he declared. Robin started to rise from his seat to help him. “I can get it, I’m five now,” Roland told him proudly.

Robin kept a protective eye on his son, even though there were few patrons in the diner besides the two tables of cabin neighbors. Roland was just tall enough to reach the tongs in the tray of pancakes, standing on his tiptoes to grab one and put it on his plate. His father held his breath as Roland dipped the ladle into the syrup and dripped it across the edge of the buffet to pour it on his pancake, turning to give Robin a gap toothed grin when he succeeded.

After breathing a sigh of relief, Robin’s eyes drifted to the other side of the buffet to see Regina filling a plate with apple slices. She returned the tongs and started to walk back to her seat, when she stopped in her tracks. Roland was peeking around the end of the buffet at her and Robin felt a lump in his throat when the lovely, raven-haired woman smiled sweetly at his son and bent down to say something to him. Then she stood up and looked his way, giving him a demure smile before walking past him.

Roland carefully carried his plate back to the table, dimples flashing. “Guess what that pretty lady just said to me,” he beamed.

“What did she say?” Robin asked.

The little boy puffed out his chest proudly. “She said I must be a very big boy to be able to get my own food, and I am, right, Papa?”

Robin put his arm around his son’s shoulder and kissed the top of his head. “Yes, you are and you’re growing up far too fast.”

“That’s right, Rolly Polly,” Will said, reaching across the table to pinch his cheek. “Yer practically ready to start datin’!”

Roland’s giggle drew Belle’s attention and she smiled softly at the exchange between the flirty Brit and the adorable little boy.

From her spot by the drink counter, Granny’s gaze swept over the group of people seated at the two tables and she folded her arms across her chest, a smug smile on her face.

********

Later that same afternoon, just about the time to begin fixing dinner, David called the rest of the guys into their shared kitchen, where he and Robin stood waiting until all of them had gathered. When the other five men were scattered around the room and listening, David began earnestly, his eagerness all too clear, to explain their plan.

“Guys, I know this is a retreat where we plan to spend time together and reconnect each year. Life isn’t easy, and real friendships are few and far between. I’m not denying the importance of that at all, but Rob and I, well,” he said, glancing at his friend and boss, “we’re more than a bit anxious to see if the lovely ladies next door might fit into our lives beyond this week… and….well, I guess we’re trying to see how the rest of you feel about including them in our cookout tonight for instance.”

“Or if they might be game for taking a stab at the escape room on the Island when we go at the end of the week,” Robin added helpfully.

Graham didn’t immediately speak, but he flushed from the top of his head to where his skin was hidden by the collar of his shirt. Killian realized from where he stood to Graham’s right that the other man appeared to have a rather interesting bruise just nearly, but not quite, hidden by the material where his neck met his shoulder. Shaking his head in defeat, he knew that was one definite vote for Dave and Rob’s suggestion.

Will’s cheeky grin and enthusiastic agreement with their proposal was no surprise either. “Sounds great, lads! Wish I’d thought of it meself!”

Even Liam, who could be standoffish and whom Killian had thought would be at least one other person in his corner, seemed uncharacteristically in favor of the idea. “That does seem like a good and neighborly suggestion. In fact, it’s about late enough to get the fire started, and then I’ll go next door and see if they’re interested in joining us for hot dogs and s’mores.”

All of them, except Killian, were in agreement, and their short meeting was adjourned. It wasn’t that he disliked any of the ladies in the adjacent cabin, and his heart thrilled at the prospect of seeing–and flirting with–Emma again, but he wasn’t at all sure his attentions were welcomed. He wasn’t the sort to force himself on a lady, not when she clearly had her reasons for remaining aloof. However, he was grossly outvoted and it seemed this joining of their groups was happening, whether he climbed onboard or not.

*********

Some minutes later, Elsa wandered across the grass behind her and her friends’ cabin as it sloped into the adjoining space occupied by the men they kept running into. She could see the broad-shouldered elder Jones brother just starting preparation for a bonfire, and though she wasn’t at all sure it was wise, Elsa quickened her step to reach him and offer him a hand. Though she could never be as outspoken or as wildly enthusiastic as Ruby, there couldn’t be anything wrong with offering her assistance. That was what she told herself anyway as she drew near enough to capture the intriguing man’s attention.

“Why, hello, Lass,” Liam greeted heartily, straightening to swipe his forearm across his damp brow and offer her a twinkling smile. “Pleasant surprise seeing you here.”

Elsa felt the grin that stretched across her lips in return, surprised by how easy he was to speak to, despite his powerful manner and imposing stature. None of the usual tongue-tied uncertainty seemed to trouble her in Liam’s company, and it was a genuine relief to experience. “I was enjoying the view out here and taking in the evening air when I saw you. Can I help?”

Undoubtedly he would have been just fine on his own, but Liam happily showed her how he was making a domed bed of the small kindling to start the fire effectively, and as Elsa carried on from where he left off, Liam made three trips back and forth up the gentle rise to the back of their cabin, where already cut firewood was stacked, bringing enough back to keep what would hopefully be a cozy blaze for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows going all evening.

Once the fire was truly started, Elsa found herself hesitating five minutes, then fifteen, and eventually half an hour, before going to tell the rest of the girls that they were welcome to join the guys’ cookout if they wished. She was entirely too comfortable there on the log beside Liam, feeling his leg and hip pressed against hers, and enjoying the rise and fall of his voice as he spoke about his and Killian’s upbringing, how they had both come to live in America, how he’d met and ended up rooming with Robin in college, and hilarious stories from his time working the cave boating tours.

It was only once the other guys began to make their way out to the now-crackling bonfire with roasting sticks, hot dogs, buns, and fixings, that she finally stood and went to see if she could find her own cabin mates. She could almost envision how that would go anyway–Ruby would be there before she could get the invitation out, Mary Margaret practically skipping after her with her besotted heart eyes glowing, Belle would join readily enough as well, surely anxious to educate Will Scarlet on some aspect of camping, outdoor cooking, or hot dog manufacturing of which he was unaware. Emma and Regina would trail along, trying stubbornly not to seem overeager. Regina would probably try to claim she didn’t want her clothes to smell of woodsmoke, and Emma would swear she was only joining in because she wasn’t about to turn down melty chocolate and marshmallow sandwiched in cinnamon-y goodness.

Finishing the evening some hours later, Elsa looked around the fire in the starlight at the relaxed and happy faces of her dearest friends, and the attentive gazes each of them was drawing from a handsome and worthy man, and she couldn’t feel anything but gratitude. She would never have thought that two days into their annual girls’ trip she would be leaning her head on the shoulder of a handsome tour guide whose voice was tickling the fine hairs near her ear as he whispered added commentary to the rousing ghost story Will was regaling the group with. That sensation combined with his arm going round her sent shivers skittering all the way down to her toes in the most pleasant of ways. If this was what being a bit more forward got her, she would have to make more of a habit of it.

*********

On their third day of the trip, various members of their groups paired off to accomplish different things they had hoped to see and do. Liam, Killian, and David helped Robin with some simple cabin maintenance jobs against his protests, as a sort of thank you for his providing them such a perfect place to stay virtually free of charge. Graham had been willingly pulled along with Ruby as she went shopping for clothes and souvenirs along the main drag of the tourist town, and Will had just as happily tagged along with Belle as she set out to fully explore the “Original” Book Warehouse.

Mary Margaret and Regina were upstairs on the cabin’s second story deck, taking in the fresh air and the view as they caught up with each other. Emma was the only one essentially stuck inside as she didn’t really feel like limping along and slowing down any of the others as they made their excursions. She was sitting in a chair in the main living room of the cabin, ankle propped up on a footstool, distractedly perusing the same magazine page repeatedly. They had left the door open between the room and the deck so that she could call out to Mary Margaret and Regina occasionally, and they to her, and so that she could at least enjoy the mountain breeze and feel part of the conversation, but it had been fairly quiet from her friends for several minutes, and Emma could admit that she was feeling bored and sorry for herself.

Just then there was a startling sound of wings beating, and Emma ducked instinctively even as she felt the sensation of something swooping wildly over her head. To her dismayed surprise, a frantic bird had flown in from outside and was now sailing from one corner of the room to another in a confused effort to find its way back to freedom. Emma almost jumped up and made for another room, before remembering the swollen ankle hampering her and screeching in alarm as the bird sailed right over her head once more.

“Out! Get Out!” she yelled, flailing, trying to steer the winged creature back the way it had come.

By the time Mary Margaret and Regina came in from outdoors, Emma had managed to stand and was hopping on one foot as she tried to reach for the broom propped in the corner to swipe at their uninvited guest. Moments later, they heard the front door below fly open and heavy footsteps came pounding up the stairs as David barrelled into sight, having heard Emma’s cries from down on the drive between their houses.

He grasped the situation more quickly than the rest of them had, taking in Mary Margaret’s pleading, “Oh Emma, don’t hurt it! It’s confused and it’s only a baby!” Regina standing in one corner, slightly behind the coat rack and out of the bird’s range, watching the mayhem with a bemused expression, and Emma swiping a broom around ineffectually as off-balance as she was, trying to herd a terrified warbler toward the open door while yelling at her friend, “Enough! I don’t want it taking a crap on my head!”

Thankfully, the jostled songbird finally lit on a bear figurine atop the mantle. With it no longer fluttering over their heads, the ladies calmed down significantly, and David stepped over Emma’s dropped magazine and displaced chair cushion to carefully snatch the bird with practiced stealth, pinning its wings to its sides without harming them, before it could take off again. It wasn’t the first misguided creature he’d removed from someone’s rental in the time he’d worked with Robin, and it wouldn’t be the last, he thought wryly as he opened his hands outside the door, letting the bird make its escape.

He’d never received such a pleasant reward for his efforts though, he thought, as he turned back around to see Mary Margaret Blanchard gazing up at him as if he had given her the stars from the sky. Emma offered him a sheepish thanks and flopped back into the chair she had vacated with a winded thump, while Regina brought the pillow to her and helped her resituate her foot, but David really only had eyes for the tiny pixie haired beauty before him, her sweet smile wrapping him all up in knots and ever more tightly around her little finger.

“Thank you,” she murmured, coming to stand so close in front of him that she had to tilt her head up to look him in the face, the tips of her cute little canvas flats touching the toes of his scuffed work boots. “My hero, as well as that poor little bird’s.”

Just then, with her twinkling green eyes drinking him in like that, David really did feel like he could take on the world.

************

The following morning was pretty quiet. Both guys’ and gals’ groups were cooking their own breakfasts and lunches that day and staying around their cabins; there was plenty to see right within the Sherwood Forest Resort. Graham had gotten Robin’s advice on the best scenic hiking trails, which he was anxious to show Ruby. Robin was taking Roland down to the pool on their premises, and David, Mary Margaret, and even Regina, were tagging along with them to take a dip and do some sunbathing.

Belle, meanwhile, was having a bit of quiet time to herself. She loved her friends and looked forward to the time they spent together each year, but she was also dying to make use of the gorgeous view of the Smokies outside the huge window in her room to curl up for just an hour or two with a good book. She had thrown so much of herself into her failed relationship, that when it fell apart, it felt like her whole world went with it.

She set her book down unopened, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t thought about Robert once this week. Maybe, just maybe, she was finally starting to heal…and a lot of it was courtesy of Will Scarlet. There was no doubt he could try her patience with the best of them, but he was honest and funny and there was a genuinely sweet side to him. She never would have thought it when they first met at the beginning of the week, but she honestly thought he was a man who could be depended upon.

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves and something that sounded like a grunt of exertion. Belle froze. Someone or something was climbing the tall tree that stood just outside her second story bedroom window. What should she do? Should she call for help? Should she hide?

No. She had always read stories of heroes facing their fears to defeat the villains. It was about time she did the same. Looking around, she grabbed the first weapon-like item she could find–a large, bronze candlestick that sat on the mantle above her room’s fireplace.

“Alright, Lumiere,” she muttered, “let’s put the fear of God into whoever is trying to break into our room.”

Taking one more deep breath, she opened the blinds and took a look outside. She was greeted with none other than Will Scarlet smiling like an idiot as he dangled…something from his outstretched hand.

Belle looked closer and saw what appeared to be the wriggling body of a big, hairy spider, just before he dropped it on her window sill. Screaming bloody murder, she jumped back, feeling as though she was about to faint. If there was one thing in the entire world she could not stand, it was a spider. With their eight legs and multiple eyes, their affinity for biting and trapping their prey in their webs, they were more than scary. They were terrifying.

“Hey, Belle,” Will said from the other side of the window. “I didn’t mean anything by it; it was just a harmless prank. I’m sorry I scared you! I’m sorry I–AAAAGH!”

Belle rushed to the window, her heart nearly stopping for an entirely different reason as she saw Will lose his grip on the tree branch and go plummeting to the ground, landing with a thud.

Belle screamed again.

“What? What is it? What happened?” Emma demanded rushing into the room, looking around as though she was expecting an intruder.

“It’s…it’s Will!” Belle said, gesturing to the window.

“It’s…what?” Emma asked.

Belle looked out the window again and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Will groan and get to his feet, rubbing the back of his head. Immediate crisis averted, Belle’s heart rate went back to normal, and her senses returned. In a few short sentences, she told Emma the entire story–from hearing the noise, to seeing Will dangling the spider (which she could now see was just a very convincing fake), to Will plummeting from his perch.

Emma’s face darkened as she heard the tale, and when it was at an end, she scooped the fake spider into her hands and marched out of the room muttering something under her breath about shoving it down Will’s throat.

Belle watched as Emma confronted the prankster. “What the hell were you thinking?” she asked. “She’s terrified of spiders. Like, hyperventilating, fainting terrified. I get that you like her, but stop acting like a fifth grader!”

She growled once more, and then slapped him upside the head.

“Ow!” he complained. “Lay off the noggin!”

“Why?” she retorted. “From the way you act, I’d swear there’s nothing in it anyway!”

Belle grinned, as Will stalked back to his cabin, muttering under his breath all the way and Emma shook her head and went back inside.

An hour later, there was a knock at the girls’ cabin door. Belle opened it to find a single, thornless, red rose accompanied by a small note card that said simply ‘Belle, I’m sorry I’m an idiot. Will’

*********

On the fourth day of their vacation, Emma ventured out onto the front walk about midmorning, finally feeling her ankle was strong enough to take a short stroll and enjoy the gorgeous weather they’d been having all week. She could still feel a twinge of the sprain, but she was tired of being cooped up, and she wanted to enjoy at least a little of the trip before it was over.

Before she could get started, Regina came out.

“Where are you going?”

“I thought I’d take a short walk. You want to join me?” she asked.

Regina looked torn, and it wasn’t hard for Emma to guess what she was thinking. It was clear to all the ladies in their group that Regina really liked Robin, but she’d been essentially raised by a series of nannies and sitters because her rich parents couldn’t be bothered to actually be parents for their only child, or to spend any amount of time with her, and so she’d learned early in her life to keep her heart well protected from those who could hurt her. It had taken years for Emma and the others to get behind that formidable exterior she showed most of the world, to really get to know and love the woman underneath. And now, not knowing where she was going to end up beginning her career, she didn’t want to open herself up to possible heartbreak with the handsome owner of the resort.

Emma smiled, looped her arm through Regina’s, and pulled her along.

“Come on,” she cajoled. “Getting outside will do you some good, too.”

Regina rolled her eyes and acquiesced. They started walking down the hill toward the resort pool until they could see Robin’s cabin. As they got closer, they could see him around the corner on his knees, his hands buried in the dirt of a flower bed. Regina stopped and Emma stopped with her, her heart hurting at the anxiety on the face of her friend.

Emma took her hand. “Regina,” she said quietly, “I know you’re apprehensive, and don’t want to get attached, but we’ve gotten to know him a little bit this week and you have Granny’s endorsement as well. You should spend some time with him and just see. Even if you don’t end up in Knoxville, you can keep in touch with him and take things slow, just to see where it might lead. Life is unpredictable, and you have so many years ahead of you, you shouldn’t close the door on an opportunity like this when it could lead to something truly wonderful.”

Emma watched her friend and could see the indecision in her eyes. But then her gaze turned cunning and a slow smile lifted the corner of her lips.

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll go say hi and see about spending some time with him, but only if you promise to do the same with Killian.”

Emma pressed her lips together in a thin line. She’d walked right into that one and no mistake. There was nothing for it though, so Emma nodded.

“Fine,” she said.

Regina nodded with a self-satisfied smile and walked over to where Robin still dug in the dirt. As she got closer, she noticed Roland on the other side of him copying everything he was doing.

Regina’s smile turned genuine when Roland looked up and saw her.

“Hi, Miss Gina!” he exclaimed excitedly.

“Hi there,” she replied. “What are you guys doing?”

“We’re planting begonias,” Roland said proudly. “Want to help us?” Robin sat back on his haunches and beamed up at her.

Regina’s cheeks heated. “Oh, I really shouldn’t…” she began.

“But, why not?” Roland asked at the same time as his father said “You’d be more than welcome.”

Regina cut her eyes to Robin and smiled shyly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you sure? I don’t know anything about plants.”

Robin’s grin softened a bit and he patted the ground next to him. “There’s nothing to it. Here, let me show you.”

Regina knelt next to Robin and thought about Emma’s and Mary Margaret’s words at the beginning of the week. Growing things took time and effort and at the end, you had a lovely flowering plant that brought beauty, happiness, and joy. Perhaps she was ready to invest some time and effort into a relationship. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain–perhaps love and true happiness with someone who wouldn’t leave her. Regina turned to Robin and gave him a real and happy smile as she joined them in their gardening.

Emma watched as Regina knelt next to Robin and smiled to herself. She had a really good feeling about them, and the job opportunity in Knoxville. She only hoped that Regina would follow where her heart was clearly leading.

Emma turned around and pondered whether she wanted to continue walking down to where the pool and playgrounds were located at the resort entrance, or if she wanted to meander up the drive a ways and see if there were any different views further up the road, when she caught a glimpse of a figure sitting alone in one of the Adirondack chairs which lined the guys’ front porch. It was Killian, looking pensive as he cradled a coffee mug and stared out at the hilltop and sky panorama before him.

Emma nearly turned in the other direction, not wanting to disturb him if he wished to be alone, but then reconsidered. First of all, she’d just made a promise to Regina. Secondly, she’d given Jones an awfully hard time this whole week. And now he looked rather lonely and as though he might welcome some company. Tentatively, she moved toward the boys’ cabin, greeting him quietly when she reached the first step. “Morning, neighbor.”

With a little start, Killian turned away from his perusal of the sky, to meet her gaze and return her smile with one of his own. The crooked curve of it sent ribbons of awareness curling inside her, all the more disarming because he seemed less aware of its power in the stark morning light. “Permission to join you?” she asked playfully, as if asking a captain to board his ship.

The jest seemed to work as she had hoped, the blue of Killian’s eyes twinkling as he nodded and gestured to the seat next to him, “Permission granted.”

Settling in next to him, they both enjoyed the comfortable quiet for a few moments more. However, Emma couldn’t stay that way for long; she was too aware of his presence beside her, his very nearness feeling as though it tingled along her nerve endings deliciously. If her physical reaction to him wasn’t quite so visceral, she wouldn’t have been fighting so hard to shut down all the attempts at genuine friendship he had offered her these last few days. Finally, she drew in a deep breath and gave voice to her swirling thoughts. “Hey, Killian? You’ve probably figured out by now that I’m not exactly very trusting, or even especially welcoming to people I don’t know all that well. I know you didn’t intend for me to get hurt at the end of the boat tour, and you were only trying to help me as much as I would let you afterwards. I was enjoying the flirtation we had going, and I was embarrassed–badly.” She sighed, looking down at her fingers twisted together in her lap. “I didn’t handle it very well, needless to say. But that wasn’t your fault. I think I’ve been taking my disappointment out on you, and I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”

A moment later, Killian’s hand reached over to cover her own warmly, giving it a gentle squeeze as she looked up only to be captured in his overwhelming gaze. “Emma,” he said her name as though savoring each letter of it on his tongue, “no apologies are necessary. We all have our stories and scars, and the beginnings that have made us who we are. Perhaps, if you’ll allow me, I may know more of yours in time.” He paused briefly, eyebrow quirking as if asking permission to go on, not wanting to push too far against the barriers of their newfound truce. “I’m only glad to know I haven’t turned your opinion against me permanently.”

Emma’s grin spread across her face of its own accord, her happiness suddenly infectious and spreading out to engulf her completely. Returning the pressure of his hand on hers, she replied. “I think we understand each other perfectly.”

***********

That evening the two groups gathered at the gentlemen’s cabin for a loudly competitive game night. The next day would see them exploring the shops and attractions of The Island before their planned attempt at the escape room. Several pleasant hours flew by before Elsa found that as much as she was enjoying the company, she could hardly keep her eyes open any longer.

Bidding those still playing a ‘good night’ and telling the rest of her cabinmates she would see them in the morning, Elsa stood and gathered her things to head across the lawn and to her own bed. She didn’t mind at all, however, when Liam stood as well and followed her to the door. “Are you sure you don’t need an escort in the dark, Milady?” he murmured slightly, pressing a close mouthed kiss to her temple.

Elsa savored the press of his lips and the cozy glow of comfort that came with them, but she couldn’t help snickering at his question all the same. “I think I should be alright,” she returned, wrapping her arms around his solid torso for a moment in a parting embrace. “It can’t be more than 15 feet over to our cabin.”

“All the same, flick the porch light once you’re safely in the door, and I’ll flick the light over here in return.” The protective elder brother was showing through again, but she found his concern endearing all the same, and it warmed her heart knowing her safety and well-being were at the forefront of his mind.

Once she had reached the porch, signaled Liam, and gone inside, Elsa made her way slowly across the main room, tidying up things which had gathered on the table and counter, and moving over to the door onto their deck to be sure it was locked. Before she could do so, she heard a noise that caught her attention. She also thought she saw a flicker of light, though she didn’t know who would be out there. She didn’t remember who had left the other cabin before her; she’d really been too sleepy to take much note. But now she was grumpy, tired, and just wanted to make sure things were secure for the night, so when she heard a sort of low groan followed by a breathy giggle, things finally clicked into place in her mind, and she wasn’t feeling a lot of patience for the couple she now realized must be out there making use of the cabin’s hot tub.

Swinging the door open, Elsa stepped out onto the deck, thankfully very barely lit by the moonlight and a single candle, with a stern look and her other hand on her hip. Sure enough, there was a wet and entangled Ruby and Graham in the tub, Graham’s eyes darting around everywhere to avoid meeting hers and Ruby grinning back at her unapologetically. Elsa wasn’t sure if Graham was flushed from the heat of the tub, their activities, or embarrassment at being caught, but the poor guy looked mortified by her presence. Ruby just looked like she wanted to devour him whole. Elsa found herself relieved more than anything, that though it wasn’t much, she could still see the vibrant red ties of her friend’s string bikini showing beneath the dark hair streaming down her back.

“Look, I’m too exhausted for this,” Elsa admonished, slicing her hand through the air to halt the words when Ruby started to interrupt. “You need to take that somewhere else, because others would still like to use this hot tub–for less amorous purposes.”

Ruby just grinned at her shamelessly before quipping, “That’s what the filter’s for. We’ll be done in a little while. Now go away.”

Growling in consternation, Elsa threw up her hands and left them to it. She was not about to lose sleep, or the pleasant buzz she’d been feeling after her goodnight from Liam, over those two and their shenanigans. Ruby was a big girl and could take care of herself. Elsa just hoped Graham would survive.

**********

The day for the escape room had finally arrived. Everyone was up early to eat breakfast before going to The Island on the Pigeon Forge strip. The large entertainment venue was home to amusement park rides, hotels, shopping–lots of shopping–food, and The Escape Game–an escape room that Ruby had found online during the planning phase of the trip. Although the girls hadn’t made definite plans to go, when the guys had mentioned their plans earlier in the week, it was an easy decision to team up.

Instead of all the ladies in one car and all the men in another, Ruby and Mary Margaret suggested that the couples pair off–three in one car and three in the other. Belle and Elsa agreed, so when they all got outside to the vehicles, David, Ruby and Graham, and Robin and Regina all rode in Mary Margaret’s SUV and Elsa, Emma and Killian, and Will and Belle rode in Liam’s Expedition.

The cabins were quite a ways up the side of a mountain and the grade going down into town was steep enough and had enough blind curves that they both followed the 25 mph speed limit and kept a safe distance between them. After Mary Margaret, leading the way, went around a sharp curve and disappeared from sight, a wild turkey suddenly took off flying, only about ten feet away from Liam’s vehicle. Elsa and Emma both screamed at the bird’s proximity, but Liam kept his head and the SUV under control.

It was only a few seconds later that he caught up to Mary Margaret who had stopped in the middle of the road.

“What’s going on?” he asked, turning and looking at Elsa riding shotgun.

“That’s a bear!” exclaimed Will, pointing in between the front seats excitedly.

Sure enough, from where he sat, Liam could just see a black bear climbing up the embankment on the side of the road and into the trees. It took a moment for him to close his mouth and start following Mary Margaret again, who’d started moving as soon as the bear was safely off the road.

Once they all met up in The Island’s parking area and started making their way to the escape room, everyone was talking over each other trying to discuss the bear and wild turkey sighting.

“You must have been driving too fast, Mary Margaret,” Elsa scolded lightly. “The turkey took off and almost hit us after you’d already passed it.” She looked up at Liam next to her and the adoring gaze on the face of her friend made Emma’s heart happy. “But Liam didn’t startle at all; he kept the Expedition completely under control.” Liam preened under her praise.

“I never would have expected to see a live bear,” Mary Margaret said excitedly.

“I didn’t expect to see any bear asses on this trip,” Regina snarked.

David waved his hand around in a dismissive gesture. “You get used to them when you live up here. Not that we see them often, but that’s why we keep locks on the outdoor trash bins to keep the bears out of them.”

By this time, they were at the escape room. They entered the rather nondescript lobby and were welcomed by the attendant.

“What’s the name, please?”

“Jones,” Liam said, stepping up to the counter. “Party of twelve for ‘The Heist’, please.”

“I have you right here, Mr. Jones,” the attendant said.

Once the entire group had signed their waivers, they were ushered to the back and into a decently sized room lined with replicas of famous paintings.

Ruby’s eyes widened comically as she took in the decor. Her background in art had her immediately recognizing every painting in the room. “This is gonna be so great,” she whispered to Graham.

With everyone now gathered in the room, they all turned back to the door. The attendant explained what would happen next and the rules of the escape room. Belle was relieved that if they got stuck, they could ask for help as many times as necessary with no penalty. Will waggled his eyebrows flirtatiously at her.

“We’ll be out of here in no time, me lass,” he declared. “As brilliant as you are, we’ll set the record for the shortest escape time ever.” Belle rolled her eyes at him but could still feel the heat on her cheeks at his praise and belief in her, something that had been in very short supply in her previous relationship.

The attendant left them and they all turned their attention to the screen above the door.

“Hello, Team!” The screen was filled with the face of a man with wire frame glasses and curly red hair. He looked around anxiously for a moment before staring back at the screen at them again. “I only have a few moments to brief you on your assignment. The bypass signal we’re using to speak to you is only good for ninety seconds.” He took a breath and looked around before speaking again. “You’re in the outer office of Dr. George Spencer. Known to most of the world as an art historian and philanthropist, we know the truth. He is nothing more than a black market art thief. He has stolen a priceless Monet from the Louvre. He is out of his office at the moment speaking at a nearby college and will return in exactly one hour. You must be out of his office when he arrives back. Collect the clues and solve the riddles to find the priceless painting. Good luck, Team.”

The screen faded to black and everyone looked at each other. Liam and Elsa, Graham and Ruby immediately moved to the paintings lining the walls of the room looking for clues.

Killian noticed the door they needed to get through had two small cutout doors in it near the top and bottom. They were both locked. The top door had a padlock on it, while the bottom had a combination lock. Suddenly he heard a clattering sound near the entry door. Emma stood in front of a marble bust in the corner, staring down at the floor dumbly.

“What happened, Emma?” he asked, as everyone else’s attention also turned to her.

She bent down and picked up a small, gold metal box from the floor, holding it up for them all to see. “I turned the bust and this fell out,” she explained, popping off the lid to find a key inside.

He took the key from her and moved to the padlocked door. It was a perfect fit and the lock popped right open.

“Well done, Love,” he praised, his smile lighting up his blue eyes as he opened the small door. Emma felt a surge of satisfaction inside and smiled back. From where she was standing, she could see something hanging down in front of the small door they’d just opened, inside the second room, but she ignored it for the moment.

Meanwhile, Mary Margaret was busy checking the frames of the paintings for clues when she gave a little squeak. “It opens!” she exclaimed, swinging the framed painting away from the wall.

“OW!” Will shouted, as the painting connected with his head. Everyone in the room burst into laughter, while Belle tried to soothe him.

“Your head certainly has taken a beating this week,” she said, trying to suppress a laugh herself.

“Look, there’s a numbered keypad here,” David said, “to open this safe.” He pointed to the spot on the wall revealed when the painting was moved.

“Try these numbers,” Graham called out. “7-1-4-3.”

David punched them in and a green light flashed. Mary Margaret twisted a black knob and pulled open the door of the safe. “A mirror!” she cried, holding the object aloft.

Emma took the mirror from her and put her hand through the small upper door to see if she could see anything obviously important in the other room.

“How did you figure out the numbers?” Belle asked Graham.

“We followed the clues on the description of the paintings,” Ruby explained, “and we were able to find hidden numbers in them.”

“There’s more numbers on the back of this door,” Emma cried out.

“Let’s hear them, Love,” Killian called from where he knelt below her, ready to put the numbers into the combination lock on the other small locked door.

While Emma and Killian were working on the combination lock, Will was crawling around on the floor, his nose nearly touching the baseboard.

“What the hell are you doing?” Regina asked, after stepping backwards and almost falling over him, only Robin’s quick reflexes and strong arms keeping her from hitting the floor.

“I’m looking for clues, what do you think I’m doing?”

“I think you’re being an idiot. Now get up before you make someone else crack their cranium.”

Emma was adjusting the mirror to see the numbers better. “8-3-6-4.” Killian entered the combination and the lock opened. He reached up and took the mirror from Emma. Angling it toward the door, he could see arrows on the backside of it pointing up toward some sort of button near the door jam.

“The cane inside the upper door, will it reach the button?” Killian asked.

“I’m not sure,” Emma answered.

“Try it,” he suggested.

“I can’t see what I’m doing,” she said. Everyone’s eyes were on her and she was beginning to get frustrated.

“Would you like for me to try, Lass?” Liam asked.

“Yeah,” she said, “your arms are longer.” She stepped aside and let Liam reach through the door.

“Hold that mirror still for me, Emma,” he said, trying to maneuver the cane to hit the button. He finally did and the way he was leaning against the door caused it to open suddenly, nearly making him fall to the floor.

Everyone cheered and rushed into the other room. It was a little bit larger with a huge bookshelf opposite the door. On it were various knick knacks in addition to books stacked artfully on the various shelves. On the wall now behind the open door, hung a terribly faded world map. To the right of the door they’d just entered was a work table with an in-progress Scrabble game board on it. Over the game board on the wall hung a wooden elephant head.

As soon as they had a good look around the room, Belle glanced up at the video screen over the door and announced, “We have forty-two minutes left.” The couples split up to begin scouring the room for clues, calling out directions to one another as they found them.

Robin lifted a scarf out of a bowl, revealing two puzzle pieces, which he held up. “Anyone else find more pieces to the puzzle?”

Soon, Robin and Regina were busy trying to assemble the numerous pieces handed to them. Meanwhile the other couples split off and began gathering different clues from around the room — from elephant tusks, to stone tablets, books, and keys. They solved several puzzles, but it seemed each answered riddle revealed another question to unravel.

Time was ticking away when they got a small fountain on the bookcase flowing which caused the bookcase to slide to the side, revealing a much smaller room containing the Monet painting. A loud cheer went up from the group until the bars in front of the painting deflated their exuberance a bit.

With only fifteen minutes left on the clock, they were getting desperate. Regina noticed there were lasers near the bars and started tracing where they landed within the office. Belle and Will had found a makeup mirror on a pedestal earlier in their searches, so she took the mirror and set it down on a ledge angling it to another mirror hanging on the wall, which directed the laser back to the painting. The word FAKE was emblazoned in the corner of the painting behind the bars.

Regina huffed out an exasperated exhale. “Are we ever going to get out of here?”

She felt Robin grab her arm and spin her toward him, planting a firm kiss on her lips that was completely unexpected. It only lasted a moment, but that moment was enough to thoroughly steal her breath away. He pulled back and stared into her eyes before he spoke.

“That was a stroke of brilliance, Darling,” he said. “Of course we’re going to get out of here, and we’re one step closer thanks to you.”

Regina felt her cheeks heat at his praise. The friends in this room were the only ones who’d ever believed in her like that and she could hardly believe this man that she’d met only five days ago thought that highly of her, too. She didn’t know what to say in the face of such affirmation, so she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him to her for a passionate kiss, much longer than the first.

“Oi,” called Will, “stop with the smoochin’. We have a Monet to find. The real one!”

Elsa suddenly noticed a small drawer on the book shelf that popped out slightly with the angling of the mirrors. She pulled the drawer open and found a small and very heavy magnet. She held it up with a questioning look on her face.

“Anyone have an idea of what to do with this?” she asked.

“Here!” Will called. He was crouched down next to the bookcase, fingering a small indentation that looked like it was just big enough to hold the magnet. Elsa handed it to him and he put it in the opening. He could feel the magnetic attraction take hold, so he grabbed the end of the magnet and pulled. A full panel opened on the side of the bookcase revealing a hole just big enough for a hand to reach in.

Will knelt on the floor and reached inside, his face scrunched up in concentration. “Don’t get your arm stuck,” Belle advised.

“Aha!” he shouted triumphantly, pulling out a rolled canvas. “It’s the real Monet!”

“Or rather, a replica of the real Monet,” Mary Margaret corrected.

“What do we do with it?” Elsa asked, watching as Will handed it to Belle, who unrolled it and held it up.

“Hey, there are numbers on it!” David shouted, drawing attention to the four bold, black numbers written on the back.

“There’s only one keypad we haven’t used yet,” Emma pointed out. “In the other room.”

They all quickly made their way back to the first room and Emma punched the numbers into the keypad. As soon as she did, the original entry door swung open and the clock on the screen came to a stop with 8 minutes and 15 seconds left.

As the group celebrated with high fives and hugs, Killian turned toward Emma, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. “I don’t mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team.”

“With some help from our friends,” she grinned, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms.

“And one hard-headed git,” he added.

She giggled and leaned in closer until they were nose-to-nose. “And by the way, I’m not upset at all, but…” She paused, her tongue darting out to lick her lips.

“But what, Love?” he asked, searching her eyes.

“But I really want you to kiss me right now.”

His smile lit up his face, before he whispered, “As you wish,” and pressed his lips to hers.

*********

Granny wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and blew out a tired sigh as the last of the breakfast rush crowd finally left. It had been a long day already, and it wasn’t even noon yet.

The bell above the door chimed again, and Granny bit back a curse–until she saw who it was filing into her diner two-by-two and looking extremely happy together.

Ruby led the way, her arm around Graham’s waist and so close to him it was almost obscene. They were followed by Mary Margaret and David, holding hands and looking as though they didn’t realize there was anyone else in the world. Elsa and Liam followed along, shooting each other shy, smitten glances. Will spoke animatedly about something outrageous, judging by the way Belle rolled her eyes and playfully smacked him in the back of the head. Granny noted the librarian couldn’t keep the smile from her face. Granny’s smile grew yet wider when she saw Regina and Robin walking together, little Roland holding Regina’s other hand, his dimples in full view as he smiled happily. Last of all came Emma and Killian, her head on his shoulder, his arm around her waist.

“Table for twelve,” Ruby said with a broad smile.

“Thirteen!” Roland piped up.

“Coming right up!” Granny said, grabbing a stack of menus and waving the group to follow her. The urge to say I knew it! was strong, but Granny was wise enough to refrain from saying it. It was satisfaction enough just to see how happy everyone was.

The future looked bright for Ruby and her friends, and Granny couldn’t wait to watch that future unfold.

The End!

Notes: You made it!!!! We hope you enjoyed reading our not-so-little story!! Below are the real-life adventures on which our story was built.

–Our first stop was in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The park in question was called Lost River Cave rather than Lost Boys Cave. And yes, we met our tour guide (not hard on the eyes, but no Killian!) as we were making our way to our meeting place for the tour.

--Krystal, rather than Mary Margaret, was the one who became known for asking all the questions.

–The Blue Hole was a real thing–only the legend was that it was bottomless rather than that it led to Neverland.

–Yes, our female tour guide really did a runway walk down the center of our boat.

–The Wishing Stone was real, and we had to duck when going under it, but Will’s mishap was entirely fictionalized.

–The guide in our boat did point out the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, although she didn’t mix them up.

–Jen was the one who made an itinerary–although it wasn’t scheduled to the minute and it did end up being rather flexible.

–No twisted ankles, cracked craniums, or any other injury occurred on our vacation, thankfully.

–Our venture to the supermarket was completely ordinary. Maybe if we’d purchased ice cream, it would have gotten more exciting.

–Yes, our cabin truly was in a place called Sherwood Forest Resort. There were no sightings of Robin Hood, though.

–We never met our neighbors, although we certainly HEARD them on the last night we were there. They chose to pretend the resort’s nightly noise ordinance wasn’t a thing.

–‘Granny's’ was based on a pancake house we visited on our first full day in Pigeon Forge. The potato flinging incident was real–although completely accidental on Marta’s part. And an adorable little boy did peek at Joni around the end of the buffet, although it was his freckles and not his dimples which were so cute!

–No birds flew in through our open door–although the bird landing on the bear figurine’s head was an homage to a storefront we saw on the main strip. Three large bear statues, one with a bird atop its head, stood over a “Jesus saves!” sign. It was so random and ridiculous that it became a running joke all week. Likely Marta is still giggling about it!

-The wild turkey and black bear incident really happened, but as we were all in the same vehicle, we all got a front row seat to the resident wildlife.

–Our free day at the cabin was spent entirely in writing this story. We had no Will character show up to play pranks.

–We did, indeed, have a hot tub, but no one made any use of it, and certainly not the kind of use Ruby and Graham did, lol.

–Finally, the escape room scene was based on our own experience on the first full day of our time in Pigeon Forge, and it was indeed called ‘The Heist’. The clues, descriptions and puzzles are accurate to what we did in our own escape room (which Joni found to be the best part of the vacation). We made it out with 6:05 to spare! 

Can you figure out why the group in our story had 8 minutes, 15 seconds left?

–There might be more to come in this universe. Some of the other attractions we enjoyed in Pigeon Forge we know would also be enjoyed by these characters, so they might get written sometime in the future.

[jonathanbyersphd]

taro + cactus 🌵 💚

Hi

taro ⇢ if someone called you right now to catch up, what’re the things you’d tell them about?

It would depend on the person but Mostly Grad school. I'm taking two reading intensives this semester so it kinda consumes everything. Probably a little bit about work then maybe about how I saw Hadestown last weekend. Or about the Historic house tour I went on or the Archive Crawl that's coming up. If someone that knew about fanfic called, I'd probably talk about the Spidey AU tbh

cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)?

Again, grad school consumes everything so this week one of my classes read an extensive case study on the Chicago Historical Society. On Friday (or saturday depending on my mood) I'm going to go see an exhibit about the Lowrider community & the history of cruising in California.

Thanks for the ask!

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