#Cornelius Rhodes

[kitweewoos]

An Incomplete List of Questions I'd Like to Ask the Chicago Med Writers

Where's Ethan's parrot?

What happened to Kol?

How come we never saw Claire Rhodes again?

How did she handle Cornelius' death?

What's Robin up to?

Is Anna Charles okay? I miss her.

What's going on with Denise Lockwood?

How come there's no queer doctors in your hospital?

Why is Crockett Marcel so fruity if you're not going to make him bi or pan?

[thena0315]

What if Connor and his father had decided to patch things up between them back in Season 1 AU?

In The Resident, Conrad and his wealthy father were estranged in the first season, but the two managed to patch things up between them and became close. As a result, he helped out the hospital when needed for his son, supported his relationship with Nic and became a loving grandfather to Gigi. He was also the shoulder Conrad leaned on when Nic died and helped take care of his granddaughter.

That could have also happened for Connor and his dad if things were written differently for them.

(Thinking about it now, I wish it was like that)

His dad did offer the olive branch back in 1x02 for them to start over, but didn't try hard enough to convince Connor.

Like, what if his dad or Claire had showed him the family album much earlier about his mom, of how she wasn't the perfect mother he always imagined her being when he was a kid. That his dad and Claire were right, her mental illness took a toll.

The two were starting to slowly fix things between them towards the end of season 4, it could have happened A LOT earlier.

The three of them could have been a family. Father & Son no more trying to compete with one another.

Could have also donated to the Hybrid OR cause he wanted his son to stay in Chicago after finally fixing things with him.

Could have supported his relationship with Ava, hoping he could be a grandfather at his age (and not lust after her, leading to neither of them dying, and not destroying Ava's character at all.)

The Butterfly Effect should does work wonders on "What If" things were different from the start

Also, it would have been interesting to see what kind of relationship he would of had with Jack Dayton.

[thena0315]

He had that punch coming, honesty. Still wish they didn't ruin Ava's character development in this season.

If he was a better father and wanted to fix his relationship with Connor, he would have donated to get him to stay cause he wanted him to stay.

Oh, 💩

[faithandarisadventures]

The Library February 17, 2024 The Breakers Newport, Rhode Island

[alannacellucci]

The Breakers Music Room —

The MUSIC ROOM, designed by Richard van der Boyen and Allard et Fil, reflects the French Baroque interior the Vanderbilts would have seen in places like the Paris Opera House, and was the setting for family weddings and debutante parties. Gold and silver leaf, blue-grey Campan marble from France, mirrors, and crystal light fixtures combine to make a glittering effect for evening concerts and receptions. The spirit of music and numerous great composers are celebrated in the ceiling painting. This room and furnishings, in addition to those in the Morning Room, were designed and constructed in France then shipped to this location for installation.

————————————————————————

The Breakers Morning Room —

The wall paneling in the MORNING ROOM was designed by Richard van der Boyen, who carved elaborate garlands and figures in the late Renaissance style. Classical mythology and allegories decorate this room, from the painted allegory of the four seasons on the ceiling, to the Muses who appear in the corners of the room, painted on platinum leaf panels.

The room also displays portraits of Cornelius Vanderbilt II by the preeminent American portrait painter, John Singer Sargent, and the Count Laszlo Széchényi and Countess Gladys Széchényi, by the Hungarian artist Philip Alexius De László. Countess Széchényi was born Gladys Vanderbilt, the youngest of Cornelius and Alice's children. In 1908, Gladys married Count Laszlo Széchényi, a member of Hungary's premier aristocratic family and a minister to the Court of St. James in London and, later, to the United States.

When her mother Alice passed away in 1934, Countess Széchényi inherited The Breakers. In 1948, to raise funds for the Preservation Society's restoration of Hunter House, Countess Széchényi opened The Breakers to the public for tours. That same year, she leased The Breakers to the Preservation Society for $1.00 a year and continued to fund the maintenance of the house. The Preservation Society purchased The Breakers in 1972 for approximately $400,000. As an early member and supporter of the Preservation Society, Countess Széchényi made a major contribution to the preservation of Newport's architectural heritage.

——————————————————————————

The Breakers Breakfast / Dining Room —

The BREAKFAST ROOM served as both breakfast room and informal family dining room. The table, which may be extended to seat 16 would have seated the entire family or served as seating for a small, informal dinner or luncheon. One of the premier decorators for America's elite families, Jules Allard et Fils Cules Allard & Sons) of Paris, supplied the Louis XV style furniture for the room and decided on the room's color scheme. The Vanderbilts were surrounded by imagery of the harvest.

Look around to see fruits and vegetables plentifully adorning the walls. The 12 rose-colored stone columns are solid alabaster and draw your eyes upward to the ceiling painting of the goddess Aurora heralding the dawn. The massive chandeliers and wall sconces in the Imperial design are made of French Baccarat crystal, and were piped for gas and wired for electricity at the time the house was built. The crown shaped tops indicate the style, while the rings on the chains were used to adjust the flow of gas.

Allard and Sons of Paris assisted Hunt with furnishings and fixtures, Austro-American sculptor Karl Bitter designed relief sculpture, and Boston architect Ogden Codman decorated the family quarters. The mansion covers nearly an acre of the 13-acre property and has 70 rooms including 48 bedrooms for family and staff. There are 27 fireplaces. It was equipped with electricity – still a novelty in houses during the Gilded Age – as well as gas for lighting.

The Breakers has entertained presidents, royalty and guests from across the world for more than 125 years and today is visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year. It is the flagship of the Newport Mansions and a world-famous iconic image of the City-by-the-Sea. The Breakers was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.

[callsign-dexter]

Big Brother to the Rescue

Summary: You, Y/N Rhodes, get really sick during the night and have to be taken to the hospital. You're dad is not around and Claire is out of town so you turn to the only person you trust, your big brother, Connor Rhodes.

Pairings: Connor Rhodes x Sister!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, cussing, inaccurate medical talk, fever, vomit, hospitals

Masterlist

You loved your brother, Connor Rhodes, to death and he loved you the same, maybe even more. You love your sister, Claire Rhodes, too but not as much as you loved Connor. They practically raised you. Your living situation was not good. Your father, Cornelius Rhodes, was a massive jerk and your mother passed away when you were young. You looked up to Clarie as a mother figure and Connor as a father figure. Connor was only 16 when you were born and he instantly fell in love with you and was proud to be the big brother and jumped at every chance to help out with you. He was the best big brother you could ask for. Clarie was the best sister you could ask for too but it wasn't a bond like you and Connor had. 

Growing up was not the most pleasant and it turned worse when your mother passed. When Connor turned 18, he tried so hard to get custody over you but it was quickly shot down even though he had a steady income and home but your dad was so powerful that he made it not happen. It also didn't help that Connor was going to medical school and wasn't home a lot but it could've worked, you still visited him often and had a lot of sleepovers with him plus it was a place for you to escape from your dad.  When your guys’ dad started to criticize him for his medical school he had enough and moved to a different state but that didn't stop you from contacting him all the time and taking trips, when you were allowed, down to see him in Guadalajara, Mexico. It broke your heart that he moved but your bond never weakened and when he spent his residency in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, you weren't allowed to visit him but video calling was a daily routine. He hated that he couldn't bring you with him but he didn't have custody and it would be too much hassle to get you over to Saudi Arabia whereas Mexico was a little easier.  

—------

When Connor finally came back to Chicago, you were 12, you were ecstatic you finally had your father figure back. You caught him up on everything and while he was away. Claire resented him for leaving but she could never be mad at you. She would do everything to protect you, if you had girl questions or boy problems you were going to her. Your dad couldn't give a shit about you, sure he fed you and gave you a roof over your head but he didn't want you and he could care less about you. So, when Connor came back and started working at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center for his fellowship for trauma surgery fellowship everything went back to normal. Your daily meetups, sleepovers, and going to him for problems and medical issues started right back up like he never left. He still tried to get custody but it failed every time but he wasn't going to stop fighting for you, they wouldn't let him have you even if you said you wanted to live with him.

—------

When you were 13 you had gotten really sick like hospital sick. It was a night that Connor wasn't working and you were just in agony. Claire had moved out and your father was at a charity thing leaving you home alone. It started in the middle of the night waking you up from a dead sleep. You desperately tried to call your dad but it just went to voicemail so you tried one more time and he answered 

“Dad, I don't feel good.” You told him. 

“What's wrong?” He asked and this gave a you some hope. 

“My stomach really hurts. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I feel hot.” You said

“Suck it up. There is medicine in the cabinet downstairs.” He said and hung up and you let out a sob. 

You pulled yourself off your bed and dragged yourself to the steps and took painful steps down the steps. You sobbed the entire time. You finally got to the kitchen and opened the cabinet and grabbed the painkillers and you took them. Almost immediately as it touched your stomach you were throwing up everywhere. You were so weak. So weak that you just ended up collapsing onto the kitchen floor just barely missing your throw up. Thankfully you had grabbed your phone and slowly and shakingly grabbed your phone, your vision blurring. You unlocked it and pulled up your contacts and hit one you knew all too well. It rang not even once and Connor's voice came through.

“Y/N/N? It's 3 AM. What's wrong?” He asked in a voice full of concern.

“I... I... I don't feel good.” You said your teeth were chattering because despite your temperature, you were freezing.

“Where's dad? Did you tell him?” He asked and you could hear him rustling around.

“He's at a charity event. I... I called him and told him but he told me to suck it up and take the medicine in the cabinet in the kitchen. I'm in so much pain, Con. I took the medicine and immediately threw it up.” You told him the feeling of the cold floor was nice.

“Bastard.” He murmured “I'm on my way. You stay put.” He said. 

“I'm hot but so cold.” You said letting your eyes droop. “So tired.” You added.

“Hey, stay on the phone with me. Why didn't you call Clarie? She lives closer.” He asked

“She's gone out of town.” You said and you could hear him get into his car and the engine start. 

“Son of a bitch.” He said and started to drive as fast as he could while still obeying the speed limit. He kept talking to you but you stopped responding and that scared him. He hung up when he arrived at your guys’ family home. He was quick to jump out and run to the front door and grab the key under the mat and opened it.

The house was dark but he knew where you were at. “Y/N/N. It's me.” He yelled out but got no response. He walked into the kitchen and saw you lying there. “Fuck.” He murmured to himself and ran over to you missing your vomit. He kneeled down and touched your forehead and retracted his hand “Damn, Sis. You're burning up.” He said. He walked over to the drawer and grabbed the thermometer and thankfully it was on that stuck in your ear. He put it there and waited for it to beep and when it did, he cursed and read it aloud “104.3. Fuck I need to take you in.” He said and started to try and wake you up. “Y/N/N, Sweetheart. It's me. Your brother. Can you open your eyes?” He asked as he pressed two fingers to your neck. “Damn, pulse is way too fast.” He said and him talking must've started to rouse you.

“Con?” You asked and he smiled softly. 

“Yea it's me. Can you open your eyes?” He asked and you cracked them open until they were open. “There we go.” He said.

“Tired.” You said and started to close again.

“No. Hey, keep those eyes open. I'm going to take you to Med, Ok?” He asked and you nodded.

“Ok. Go see Will?” You asked and he smiled. Will has become a favorite of yours and he doesn’t know why.

“Yes. We'll go see Will.” He said as he started to stand you and your legs shook like a newborn foal's standing for the first time. “Can you walk?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” You said in barely just a whisper and you tried to take a few steps and all but collapsed into his arms.

“That is a no.” He said and then he was scooping you up into his arms and walking out of the house and to his car. He got you in the passenger side seat and then him in the driver’s seat and he was off heading to Med as fast as he could. He continued to talk to you to keep you awake and before you knew it you were pulling into Med. He parked and turned the car off and got out heading to the passenger side seat. He quickly scooped you up and shut the door hastily. He rushed you into ED where he saw Maggie. “Mags.” He said and she looked up at him and quickly rushed you into a bay. “She wants Will.” He said and she nodded. She walked out of the room and went to get Will not even a second later he was rushing into the room.

“Connor? What is going on?” He asked

“She called me saying she didn’t feel good and when I asked her what was wrong, she told me she was hot but so cold. She said she took some medicine but once she took it, she immediately threw up. When I got there, she was passed out on the floor next to a pile of vomit. She was burning up to the touch, she had and still has according to the monitor a temperature of 104.3 and her pulse was fast, way too fast.” He explained as they could see from the monitor “She also said she was really tired. I woke her up and had her stand and she shook like a life, she tried to walk but she collapsed into my arms and then I quickly got her in the car and rushed her here.” He finished.

“Why isn’t Cornelius here instead?” Will asked

“He is at a charity event. Left her by herself. She called him and told him she was sick but he told her to suck it up and take the medicine in the cabinet.

“Bastard.” Will said

“That’s what I said.” Connor said

“I want to get an ultrasound done on her stomach to rule out appendicitis.” Will said and Connor nodded.

“I agree.” Connor said and soon Will was calling in the ultrasound machine and he got to work with the help of a nurse. “So, it is not appendicitis.” Connor confirmed and Will nodded.

“I want to run some tests on her. Swab for flu and viral infection and take some blood as well.” He said and Connor nodded. Throughout this entire process you had been out and now that you were in the hospital you were allowed to sleep. “I want to get some fluids running to help with her temperature and get some IV children’s Tylenol on board as well.” He said and again Connor nodded. As the nurse was preparing everything you started to wake up. 

“Will?” You asked and he smiled and looked over at you.

“Hey, Sweetheart. We’re going to get you feeling better, ok? I just want to run some tests.” He said and you nodded.

“Ok.” You said and then you saw the needles “Con, no.” You said and shook your head but that was a mistake because it hurt your head.

“Hey it is ok. I’ll be here the entire time. Ok?” He asked and you nodded and then he nodded at the nurse and Will and everyone got to work. Soon blood was taken, fluids were hooked up, and swabs were taken.

“Get those tests going ASAP.” Will told the nurse and she nodded and they were out of the room. Will had to tend to some other patients and you both understood and they let you go back to sleep. With the fluids going your pulse was starting to come up and it was steady since you were sleeping and your temperature was starting to come down and the IV children’s Tylenol helped with that. 20 minutes later Will was coming in.

“So?” Connor asked

“She has a really bad viral infection and she has a really bad case of the flu. I want to get her admitted and keep her here for a few days.” Will said

“This had to be going on for a few days.” Connor said

“Did she not tell you anything about it?” He asked and Connor shook his head.

“No, she didn’t look sick when we met up a couple of days ago.” Connor said, sighing and Will nodded.

“Let’s get her moved.” Will said and so they did.

The next time you were waking up, 3 hrs. after coming into ED, you were waking up in a room. “Connor?” You asked sluggishly.

“Hey, Sis. I’m here.” He said coming over to you as he entered the room with a cup of coffee. 

“Where am I?” You asked and he smiled and came over and sat next to you.

“In the hospital. You have a really bad case of the flu and a bad viral infection. Will is taking care of you and has you on antibiotics.” He said and you nodded and you were struggling to keep your eyes open. 

“Dad?” You asked

“Not here.” He said and to be honest he didn’t want him here. He hadn’t even thought about him since you arrived here and boy was, he going to have some words for him. “Go back to sleep.” He said and you nodded and were out like a light and he could tell because your heart rate slowed. Now it was time to have some words for his father. He made sure you were asleep before pulling his phone out and stepping out of the room where he saw Will. “Hey, I need to make a phone call. Mind staying with her?” He asked and Will smiled.

“Of course.” He said and walked into the room with you and Connor walked into the doctor’s lounge and dialed his dad’s phone number and he rang 5 times before he answered. Cornelius didn’t even have time to say hi before Connor started to rail into him.

“Do you know where your daughter is?” Connor asked

“No, but she has made a mess in the kitchen she needs to clean up.” Cornelius said and Connor saw red.

“She’s in the hospital because she has a bad case of the flu and a bad case of a viral infection.” Connor said venom in his words.

“Well, she needs to get home now and clean the mess up.” He said 

“She will be doing no such thing. Not anymore.” Connor said

“And why is that?” Cornelius asked

“Because she is coming to live with me. I was the one that found her when she called and told me what was going on while you were too busy at a charity event. She told you she was sick and you told her to suck it up. You told her to take the medicine in the cabinet and she instantly threw it up. She was running a 104.3 fever when I found her and she couldn’t even stand or walk. She was so weak. I’m filing for sole custody of her and you’re going to sign it because you are not fit to be a father let alone a guardian. You will not be coming to see her. You will not see her at all unless she is with me or have contact with her. That is final.” He went off on him. Cornelius was silent by the time he was done.

“Fine. Keep the bitch. I don’t care. I’ll have her stuff packed and waiting for you to pick it up.” He said and then hung up the phone. Connor was relieved now he needed to start the paperwork. He let out a sigh of relief.  

Connor walked back to your room and saw you wake and sitting up talking to Will. You looked over and saw him. You still looked tired but you were awake. “Where were you?” You asked.

“I was on the phone with dad.” He said

“I’ll leave the two of you alone. I will be back in a few to check on you.” Will said, directing that last sentence to you. You and Connor nodded and Will left. 

“Is he coming?” You asked and he shook his head.

“No.” He said and you looked relieved “I have good news though.” He said and you perked up.

“Oh?” You asked curious and he nodded.

“From now on you will be coming to live with me and you won’t see him or talk to him.” Connor said and your face brightened.

“Really?” You asked and he nodded.

“Really.” He said and you squealed in excitement. Your wish was finally coming true. You were going to be living with your big brother. You then started to go on about all the things you two could do together and he smiled and nodded. You suddenly stopped talking and looked at him and smiled. “What?” He asked.

“I love you, Con.” You said and he smiled.

“I love you too, Y/N/N. Now and forever.” He said and he leaned over to kiss your forehead.

“Now and forever.” You confirmed. Your wish did come true and you couldn’t be happier.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

@callsign-revenge

[theyonagoda]

Hickey knife details + other similar knives! B/c a lot of people only know about his.

So, like, I think us The Terror enjoyers all know about the Hickey knife:

This isn't the only piece of cutlery marked by Cornelius Hickey, but it's the only one with his full name on it. His initials are at the back, as well!

His neatness is distinctive- I'm not sure if he was literate, but given how he previously worked as a carpenter on the HMS Belvidera (Which many FE members including John Irving, Alexander Macdonald, and the Erebus' Caulker's mate, Fracis Dunn, also previously served on,) he's certainly got experience with woodwork and it shows.

Here are pictures of the other ivory/bone handled knives which have initials carved onto them.

Magnus Manson, though this is a bit debatable.

Most likely Richard "Dick" Wall, a cook. Another knife, "WR" (William Reed or William Rhodes) didn't have a good photo of it unfortunately. Here it is at the bottom, slightly to the left- you can kind of make it out! It seems like Mr WR is also a neat carver.

Perhaps they traveled together and wanted to mark their own cutlery instead of using it communally? These knives were purchased from different groups of Inuit in different areas, but they might've traded hands many times.

[chicaotaku-fanfics]

There's Three of You?! Pt. 10

Ok, I'm soooooo sorry for the delay on this one. I really hoped I could post it when I said, but unlucky for me, life came in the way.

Warnings: foul language, might be some medical inconsistencies.

CHAPTER 10

After all that ordeal with “Her Highness” and helping Reese, I decided to go to the lounge, but decided otherwise last minute and went to the cafeteria instead for a coffee. There, I was in line and got an iced large white mocha, with one more white mocha pump, soy milk, and two more espresso shots, I waited near the bar for it, and while doing so, I saw Connor approach a table where his sister and… oh wow, the one and only Cornelius Rhodes, were seating.

“Dad.” Connor said, I was then given my coffee, and I went to the bar to grab some napkins, all the time having an ear on my friend’s conversation.

“Doctor. How's our patient doing?” asked the older Rhodes.

“Russel's stabilized for now. I have found something that could help us with the surgery. It's an imaging system called Surgical Theatre SNAP.” Connor explained, I thought about that. It was a very good ide and, the tech was amazing, I’ve seen it in action, thanks to a med journal Will shared with me, it was wonderful. My brother must’ve said something to Connor about it.

“Okay.” Claire’s voice made me come back to the present.

“It's FDA approved, so insurance is gonna cover it, but Russel is going to be looking at a lengthy hospital stay afterwards, and I just want to make sure that–” Connor cut himself off.

“That somebody covers the co-pay?” asked Mr. Rhodes.

“We will.” said Claire in an instant.

“Hang on there, Bernie Sanders. Now, I love Russel as much as you do, but we have to be responsible to the company. Are you prepared to do this for every one of our employees?” asked the older Rhodes, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“We are talking about Russel here. God, he's worked for us since he was 14 years old. He's family.” said Connor.

“Us? When did it become "us"?” asked Mr. Rhodes with a smirk on his face. Connor looked annoyed and defeated, he turned to leave the place, walking by Dr. Charles on the way out, I had already started to move to catch him.

“That's your dad?” asked the head of psychiatry.

“Yep.” said Connor unenthusiastically.

“Fathers like that keep me in business, baby.” said the older doctor with a snort, Connor kinda smiled.

By the time we were out of sight of everyone, I chose to make my presence known to the surgeon.

“For what its worth, I already knew who you were. Dind’t influence me in anyway.” I said, he turned to look at me with a confused expression on his face.

“What’s that supposed to mean Dr. Halstead?” he asked, we made our way out and went to the elevator, it arrived and we got inside.

“It means, Dr. Rhodes, that I don’t care if you’re a Rhodes, a Callahan, or whatever other family name. You’re you Connor. You’re Dr. Connor Rhodes, a great trauma surgeon and an excellent doctor who cares deeply about his patients. Your upbringing and family name don’t matter to me.” I said, he looked relieved with what I said.

“You really are something else Lilly Halstead. Thank you.” he said, I smiled at him and offered him a drink of my coffee, he took the drink, gave it a stir with the straw and took a sip. He gave it back and I gave a good sip too.

“Don’t need to thank me Con. That’s what friends are for.” I said with a smile. He smiled too, offering his fist for a fistbump, I did and then we made our way to the lounge. “Oh, and I aslo heard my brother recommended the SNAP for your patient’s CT scans.” I said nonchalantly.

Connor let  out a sigh and then a snort. “Yeah, before mentioning the family business and that he could only buy some socks there.” I let out a sigh too.

“My brother will tell anybody who will listen of his school debts any chance he gets… but there’s a foundation behind that.” I started to explain. “I don’t mean to make my brother, or me for that matter, seem like a charity case because of what I’m about to say” I warn the man beside me.

“He may be a pain in the ass, but he’s earning my respect.” Connor said, I nodded.

“Will always comments on his debts, because our father never supported his drive to go to college.” I said, Connor looked confused. “Yeah, my father is very, VERY, traditional and conservative in some ways… one of them being the belief that a man has to go straight to work… you can guess how that went.” I made a pause, remembering that day very well. “It was an awful argument. Jay made the effort for me not to see it, but in the end, the aftermath was obvious: Will stormed out the house with his things and left to New York, and that also meant that he had to put himself through college and med school… since then, they haven’t seen eye to eye, or more like, us Halstead siblings haven’t seen our father eye to eye in a long time.” I said.

“I’m sorry to hear that Lilly.” he said, the elevator ringed on the ED floor and we both got out.

“Don’t sweat it. Like I said, I’m not trying to make a charity case out of my brother… nor out of us three. I know we had it rough, growing up where and how we did, but we made it: Will and I are doctors and Jay is a detective. We’re good with being each other's support system.” I said with a small smile and gave my coffee another sip.

As we made our way to the “control center”, commonly known to everyone else as the “nurses desk”, Connor took my coffee and gave it another sip, we ended up sharing it, the last sip being mine. Maggie saw us since we came out of the elevator, clearly surprised and even amused by what we were doing.

“Care to share what you two are doing?” asked our beloved head nurse.

“Nothing Mags, just sharing a coffee.” I said nonchalantly.

“I could see that.” she said, smug and teasing at the same time, both Connor and I chuckled, Maggie looked at me in shock.

“I had heard Will comment on it, as well as Jay, but I told them I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it… and now I have, the famous “Halstead Chuckle®”. Girl you really are the spiting image of your brothers when you do that.” Maggie said, I let out another chuckle, giving the head nurse a charming, cheeky smile.

“What can I say Mags? Runs in the family.” I said, she snorted at my comment, and gave me an iPad.

“Your new patient. Treatment 2, little boy with a dislocated shoulder and scrapes on his knees.” said the nurse, pointing both of us in the direction of the treatment room. We turn to her, asking with our eyes why would she need two doctors to cover one simple case. “The mom is almost in hysterics.” I smile and shake my head, Connor snorts beside me.

“It’s showtime Dr. Rhodes.” I said with a small smirk on my face.

“Indeed Dr. Halstead.” said Connor with the same expression on his face. Just as we made our way to the treatment room, my brother came out of the doctors lounge, looking at us with a confused expression.

WILL’S P.O.V

“Since when do those two get along so well?” I asked Maggie, as I saw my baby sister and Rhodes go for one of the treatment rooms.

“Since day one, actually. Your sister’s an angel, compared to you.” she said, that last part with fake annoyance.

“Oh come on, I’m a delight!” I said, a cheeky and boyish smile on my face, Maggie looked at me shocked, then shook her head with a smile.

“You two are mirror images.” she said, I made a confused expression, she then pointed towards the treatment room where my sister and Connor had disappeared to. “You and Lilly!” she clarified. I snorted.

“Yeah, we get that a lot. Is as if we were siblings or something” I said to annoy her, it worked a little too well, cause she hit me with a folder containing a patient file. I laughed. “I give! I give!” I said in between laughs.

“You are something else William Halstead.” Maggie said, then Lilly’s and Connor’s voices carry out to us, both Maggie and I look up just in time to see them both coming out of the treatment room, smiles on their faces, they grab some antibacterial gel and walk over to us. Lilly has the iPad under her arm.

“Another successful treatment. Maggie get us the discharge papers for little Tim, please and thank you.” she asked the nurse, handing her the iPad back, then she noticed me. “Wish you behaved that well when we were kids.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I was the role model for both you and Jay.” I said, she just looked at me with her «are you kidding?» face.

“Really? The role model who, when we were 14, 12, and 10 years old respectively, was practicing how to play the guitar, made Jay angry, got his nose broken and proceeded to make the three of us siblings escape dad’s anger by sneaking out the piping line next to his bedroom window which, may I remind you, wasn’t the first time you prompt us to escape that way?” she said. I blushed, Maggie out right laughed, and Connor snorted.

“Never thought you were raking havoc since your early teens Halstead.” he said.

“Oh shush you.” I said to my sister, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. I lightly pushed her and she laughed.

GOODWIN’S P.O.V

I was in my office checking some papers and patient forms, when the door was knocked. I gave permission for the person on the other side to come in… and in came Cornelius Rhodes. We talked, and went back and forth on an “issue”, Dr. Rhodes’s involvement in a patient’s care.

“I'm not sure you're aware, but Connor knows Russel Rollins, and it just didn't seem appropriate to me that my son be the one treating him.” he said.

“Well, the degree of familiarity doesn't warrant taking Dr. Rhodes off the case, and Mr. Rollins, when he was lucid, did not request another physician.” I explained

“Let me put it another way.” he started. “I would like Russel to receive the very best medical care, and I do not think my son can provide that.” he said.

“Your son is a first-rate surgeon, otherwise I would not have hired him.” I said.

“I want him off the case.” he demanded. This man has to be joking.

“It's not your decision to make, sir.” I said, firm on my stand.

“Excuse me, but I'm the one writing checks here.” he said, trying to intimidate me with his wealth.

“And while we appreciate that, this is my shop, and I will not be pulling Dr. Rhodes from the case.” I said, finality in my voice.

“I want you to remember this conversation, because if anything happens to Russel, you will be repeating it in a courtroom.” he threatened.

“I will remember. And you, sir, have a nice day.” I said,standing up, dismissing him.

“This may not be your shop for long.” he threatened again as he stood up.

I’d like to see you try Mr. Rhodes.

LILLY’S P.O.V

About three hours later, I had discharged Tim, checked on other patients, had helped Connor and Will with other patients and I was now on the lounge with my third cup of coffee of the day. I then got a page from Connor, requesting my presence in the main neuro OR room, I went there and was, again, amazed at the function of the SNAP.

“Incredible.” said Dr. Zanetti.

“Wait till you get the headset on. It's like I'm moving around inside of his body.” said Connor, I let out a low whistle.

“This is definitely amazing… remind me to tell Will that he’s a genius for recommending this.” I said, Dr. Zanetti looked at me with a sour expression on her face.

“Okay, so tell me how this thing works.” requested Ms. Goodwin.

“It combines images from the CT angiogram and creates a three-dimensional model of the patient's anatomy. With the HTC Vibe, you get virtual reality. It allows us to better tailor our operation.” Dr. Zanetti explained. “Are you having some concerns?” she asked

“No, no, no, just--just curious. Oh, by the way, Dr. Rhodes, I met your father today.” said Ms. Goodwin.

“Yeah? Did he charm you?” asked Connor.

“Not exactly.” she said with a serius tone.

“If its any consolation Ms. Goodwin, he didn’t charm me either.” I said, she smiled a small smile at me. I nodded.

“Hey, Dr. Zanetti. Take a look at the middle-left subclavian artery.” said Connor.

“The glass is going straight through. It's like a finger in a dike.” she said.

“I can't believe there's still flow past the injury.” added Connor, I was looking at the image with all of my attention.

“Rotate a little to the left.” said Zanetti, but I spotted the problem before she did.

“There. Looks like our dike sprung a leak.” I said, worried about our patient, I could tell Zanetti was mad at me, while Goodwin looked at me with awe and surprise on her face.

“He's bleeding.” Ms. Goodwin said.

“Yeah.” said Connor and I at the same time.

“If I may?” I asked, Connor nodded. “I think you can get away with a collarbone incision.” I gave my opinion.

Zanetti didn’t looked please that I had pretty much “stolen” her idea, but I don’t care, my priority is our patient… even if I can’t assist in the surgery.

“Come on, let's go.” said Zanetti to Connor.

I stayed behind for a little longer, looking at the image in front of me with Ms. Goodwin by my side.

“Good call Dr. Halstead… very good call.” she said, before pating my shoulder and leaving. I turned off everything and headed out. I managed to catch up to Dr. Zanetti and Connor.

“Claire, Dad, this is Dr. Zanetti. Russel is being prepped for surgery right now, and she and I will perform the operation.” Connor explained.

“Okay.” said Claire.

“You must have a lot of faith in him.” said Mr. Rhodes, smirking cynically.

“I do.” said the blonde surgeon.

“And so do I.” I announce my presence.

“Hmm, I never thought I'd see the day; my son saving lives.” said the older Rhodes, clearly ignoring me, making it sound like mockery. I decided it was time to step in.

“Then why does it sound like you’re mocking him, Mr. Rhodes?” I asked the man, he turned to look at me.

“And you are?” he asked, confusion and annoyance clear in his voice.

“Dr. Lillian Halstead. Emergency Medicine physician with a double certification in Forensic Pathology.” I said, extending my hand to him, he seemed shocked, as well as both the younger Rhodes and the blonde surgeon.

“Well, Dr. Halstead, I don’t see where you could get the idea that I’m mocking my son. I’m genuinely impressed with what he does.” he tried to lie to my face, I decided to call him out on his bullcrap.

“We all know that’s a lie Mr. Rhodes.” again, everyone seemed surprised. “If you’re wonderig how I know you lied, it’s pretty easy; you can school your expressions all you want, make an impenetrable mask… a poker face if you will, but your microexpressions…” I pause, letting out my Halstead Chuckle® “those are way harder to control Mr. Rhodes.”

“What do you think gives you the right to…” he started, I interrupted him.

“Talk to you like that?” he seemed surprised. “Remember the part were I said I have a Forensic Pathology certification? I might as well add my Forensic Psychology certification to the mix.” I said, and as an «afterthought», added the icing on the proverbial cake. “As well as my experience as the medical consultant for CPD’s District 21’s Intelligence Unit. I believe you’ve heard of Sergeant Hank Voight?” I said, Mr. Rhodes paled at the mention of the man, nodding. “I’ve worked with him and his unit. Might do you good remembering that Mr. Rhodes.” I said, smirking. I then turned to Dr. Zanetti and Connor. “Well, Dr. Zanetti, Dr. Rhodes, I’ll get out of your hair so you can perform the surgery… I’ll see you later.” and with that, and my charming smile I left them all to go back to the ED.

I arrived back just in time to hear my brother explain something to Natalie, worried about one of his patients, why he became a doctor.

“I became a doctor to save people's lives.” he said, getting a bit mad.  “It's all I've ever wanted to do. I don't have a fallback plan or some hidden passion. This is it for me.” he added, making a pause. “It's just… no one ever told me there'd be this much loss involved.” he asid, storming off in the opposite direction to where Natalie was, directly into my way to the lounge. I followed my brother and enter the room.

“Hey. No one blames you, you know. Sometimes… patients don’t see what we see, and even if we explain it to them, they still need time to process things.” I said, Will turned to look at me. Then, in one swift move, he took me into his arms, hugging me and resting his head in my shoulder, something that should be a feat of wonder, since this redheaded giant is easily 8 inches taller than me.

“Thank you for being here Lilypad… I don’t know what I’d do without you… or Jay.” he said, his voice sounding so small. I ruffled his hair and kissed his head.

“You never have to thank me for that Will. I love you. I’ll always be there for you.” I said, honesty and certainty in my tone, I felt Will’s smile against my neck.

“I love you too Lilly.”

We spent some time there, until Will had to leave to check on his patient. I decided to do the same and went to look for Connor… which was easier than I thought cause he was looking for me.

“Hey, Lilly!” he said.

“Hi Connor.”

“What you did back there with my father…” he started.

“I’ll start by saying that, if he wants an apology, he won’t get one. He doesn’t deserve it.” I said, he right out laughed.

“No, no… don’t worry about that.” he took a moment to catch his breath. “I just wanted to thank you, for having my back, back there. My father has always been an ass, but having your support and seeing the way you talked back to him… I’ll never be able to repay you.” he said, I smiled.

“No need to thank me Connor, that’s what friends are for. And now that I found you… or more like, you found me I wanted to ask, how was the surgery?” I asked him, we made our way down the hall and Ms. Goodwin catched up to us.

“Dr. Rhodes, how's your patient?” asked Ms. Goodwin once we´re approaching Connor’s family.

“The surgery was successful, and he should be okay.” he said, I smile at that, relieved everything turned out alright.

“Oh, thank God.” said Claire, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Isn't that great news, Mr. Rhodes?” asked Ms. Goodwin, I turn to look at him too.

“Yes, I had every faith in my son.” he said, cynical smile on his face. 

Liar. I think, biting my tongue in an effor not to say a thing. 

“That's exactly what I told the Chairman of the Board when he dropped by to see me today.” said Ms. Goodwin, Connor and I looked shocked for a quick second.

“Thank you.” said Claire to Connor, he turned to look at her and grabbed her hand in his.

“Of course.” he said to her.

“Well, looks like we can go. Thank you very much.” said Mr. Rhodes, I can tell my presence was making him uncomfortable.

“Dolan Rhodes. That's a big name in Chicago. Growing up with that can give a person a skewed perspective, like whatever he wants, he ought to get.” said Ms. Goodwin casually.

“My dad give you a hard time?” asked Connor, a bit down in the dumps.

“Nothing I couldn't handle.” she said with a chuckle.

“My grandfather was the one who started the business.” he told us.

“Oh?” I asked, curiosity at its peak.

“Yeah. Salt to the Earth kind of guy. He used to say to me, «You're gonna have to work harder than everybody else,» you know? «Be better than everybody else so that you don't turn out like everybody expects you to.»” he said, and I can’t help but remember my own grandfather.

“Hmm.” was Ms. Goodwin’s way to ask Connor to continue.

“«So that you don't turn out like your father.» Took me a while to get that message.” He said.

“Well, congratulations, Dr. Rhodes.” said Ms. Goodwin, before leaving to go God-knows-where.

I turn to look at Connor, and seeing him still leaning on the nurses’ desk, I bump his side with mine. He turns to look at me, confused. I look at him with a smile.

“Congratulations indeed. You not only didn’t turn out like your father… you’re a better human being than him.” I say sincerely, Connor looks at me shocked, then chuckles and side hugs me.

“Thanks Lilly.” I return the hug as my way of responding.

After our moment, I went back to the ED, only to find Will looking at Natalie with hearts in his eyes as she played the violin with her patient. I stood beside him, putting my hands inside my scrubs’ pants pockets.

“Didn’t know she played the violin.” I said to make my presence known to my brother.

“She’s good at it.” Will said, I wanted to chuckle at the way he sounded.

“I can give her that.” I said, Will turned slightly to look at me.

“Would you try to learn how to play?” he asked, I snorted.

“With our kind of hectic schedules? No thank you. I’ll stick to my base, guitar and singing, thank you very much for asking.” I said, patting his shoulder and heading to the lounge to get my stuff. “Don’t stay here for too long, I actually wanna manage to grab a bite for dinner with you.” I said to him.

Finally, all the chapters I had written are posted! I appreciate that you've given my story a chance, it means a lot to me.

Feel free to leave comments, reblog, and like if you enjoy this crazy ride we're all in. Also, I've posted the AO3 link here, feel free to go there too if you want.

(Note, the next chapter's in the making, I beg for consideration and patience.)

Thanks again, tons of love.

ChicaOtaku out! 💜

[hotchs-second-wife]

DON'T BLAME ME || 4 || Jay Halstead x Thea Rhodes

Synopsis: Theodosia Rhodes, the youngest daughter of a big-time Chicago CEO, needs a husband of her own choice before her father makes that decision for her. Jason Halstead, newly-made Intelligence detective, needs a wife to inherit his portion of his mother's inheritance.

Warnings: Allusion to smut, but nothing outright excluding sexual thoughts. Mentions of arson, kidnapping, murder, rape; allusion to childhood trauma, suicide, cancer-related death; descriptions of vehicular accidents including, but not limited to, car-on-car collision, car-on-truck, train; outright familial/parental pressure; portrayal of misogyny and misandry; Elli's speech downgrades and upgrades a lot because I'm not around kids 24/7 (thank god). Read ahead at your own risk.

THEA

The socialites I grew up with always were—and likely always would be—gossip mongers. When they weren't out spending Daddy Dear's money, they gossiped about the lives of others.

Half speculated Jay had gotten me pregnant, and to keep up Dolan Rhodes' public image, he married me so the child wouldn't be born out of wedlock. The other half suspected he was after my money—why else would a "no-good rat with nothing to show" marry into one of the most prominent businesses in Chicago?

Most Chicago socialites shared one braincell and smarts rarely worked in that one cell. Most, because I still had good friends from high school that were smarter to think I was pregnant, or my husband wanted my money. Especially a detective.

Jay was a kind man, better than half of high society's socialite boyfriends or fiancès. At least he had some decency to make it clear he didn't love me like a husband should, nor would he take advantage of the fact we were married to get into my pants.

"You know if I was him, I would've slept with you in an instant." Shay insisted, leaning against the back of the sofa as I scrolled through articles on my laptop. I'd originally been ordering new air masks for the team, but Shay wanted to snoop on the society I grew up in.

Gabby snorted, "you would've slept with Teddy even if you weren't married to her."

I had to agree with her. While I was into women, Shay was too close for me to think about a romantic relationship with, even just as friends-with-benefits. And considering we worked together, things would've ended awkwardly in the long run. We both knew that.

"Told you he was a good one." Gabby pointed at me. "Makes a good husband by the sound of it, and your family's alright with him. Your sister likes him, and your father hasn't said anything."

"Because he knows I'd just ignore him. As far as he's concerned, I'm in love with Jay." I snorted, turning back to my laptop. "Nothing beats a love match in high society."

Otis pointed at the articles popping up at the bottom of the website open. "You didn't say you're an heiress."

DOLAN RHODES HEIRESS FINALLY MARRIED.

RHODES HEIRESS MARRIED TO A DETECTIVE.

WHO IS DET. JAY HALSTEAD? WHY HAVE WE NEVER HEARD OF HIM?

The last title piqued Cruz and Otis' interest, both nagging me to click on it. As we do, photos the press took from the wedding infiltrate the screen.

"The wedding Theodosia Rhodes and Jason Halstead has been the talk of Chicago lately, with many speculating that Detective Halstead married into the Rhodes family for a piece of the money. Why else would a Canaryville native marry one of the richest young women in Illinois?" Cruz read out loud.

"Because he needed a wife?" Gabby deadpanned.

Cruz continued. "Dolan Rhodes doesn't hire just anyone. Marrying the second child of CEO Cornelius Rhodes would certainly give Detective Halstead the jump into getting his own store.

And let's not forget the dramatic difference on childhoods between the married couple. Detective Halstead grew up with one older brother in Canaryville, while Lieutenant Rhodes grew up as the older of two twins with an older sister. Rhodes' mother died by suicide when she and her twin brother were only ten years old, and Halstead's mother passed when he was 23 and deployed."

"Of course, my mother is brought up again." I grunted, sitting back as Otis took my laptop.

"Detective Halstead is made out to be a loving husband, but would he be there if something happens to the lieutenant?"

"Like any of these pampered poodles would be there if something happened," I rolled my eyes, watching Mouch jump channels.

Most calls happened during the day—people were awake then, and more likely to get in trouble. So we had the night to ourselves.

Which, with firefighters, meant sleeping.

Unless you were a 20-something newly-married lieutenant with a pile of paperwork to do that should have been done when you were on your honeymoon, but wasn't.

I needed popcorn to get me through it, since having Pride and Prejudice playing on my computer required popcorn. I knew we had some left over from a few days ago, so I snatched it from the shelf and put it in the microwave.

"Rough night?" I heard Herrmann's voice ask from behind me. When I nodded, he continued. "How's the marriage going?"

"In all truth, Herrmann, I don't know how it's meant to go. I mean, my mom and father's marriage was pretty much so there'd be good-looking kids guaranteed and a smart heir to the company."

He raised an eyebrow with concern etched on his face. "Is that what you want?"

I shrugged. I didn't know. "Jay told Brooklyn he wanted an amicable partner and a fine marriage that his mother's lawyer would believe, just in case that it took forever for the will to be done. I just wanted my father off my back."

"Do you want a fine marriage, as Halstead calls it?"

"What's with all the questions, Herrmann?" I frowned, taking the popcorn bag out of the microwave and emptying it into a metal bowl.

"I just worry about you, kid. You know you and Gabby are like daughters to me." Herrmann sat with me at the round table. "I can tell something's bothering you, and it's a different look to just paperwork."

I sighed. "I don't know how to be a good wife, much less a good girlfriend. I broke up with Chief Jones' son purely because my father didn't like him being a firefighter."

"I think that break up was more than your father's opinion."

"I don't know what I'm doing, Chris." I stuffed a few popped kernels in my mouth. "I offered myself up for him to sleep with me on our honeymoon and he turned it down."

Herrmann gave me a sympathetic smile. "He's a good man for you, Teddy. He's not taking advantage of a situation he knows you don't know anything about." He grimaced briefly. "Cindy might have mentioned your lack of...preparedness of marriage."

"Gee wow. I love Cindy and all, but—wow."

"She was hoping he'd take it as you only wanting your father off your back and nothing else, and it worked." He excused. "He knows you're doing as well as you know how. I'm sure he'll say something if he wants more out of this arrangement of yours."

I offered him some of the warm popcorn. "Thanks, Herrmann. You have some good advice—some."

"I'll take it." Herrmann shrugged. "Finish that and get some rest, kiddo. Can't have our Lieutenant Rhodes falling asleep on a call."

"You and I both know I could never!"

#

JAY

I knew the apartment would be quiet without her home, but I didn't think it would be quiet enough to hear a feather drop. Especially with housekeepers around.

I couldn't help but call Brooke. I needed someone to talk to and staring at the roof was driving me crazy.

"It's 3-freaking-am. You better not tell me someone's been murdered, because that'll be Voight in half an hour." Brooke's voice hissed through the phone. She was a cranky one whenever she got woken up from her sleep.

According to Thea, that was all Severides. Including Brooke's niece, who slept near all day anyway. Severide was alright with me taking her for the 24 hours he and Thea were working, but so long as Brooke was around and Elizabeth had gone back to Brooke's after we spent time together.

"Is that Mommy's husband?" And to say that little girl loved me was an understatement. Thea had been cautious about introducing me to her so soon, but Elizabeth had delighted over the wedding, and Brooke had to stop her from running after Thea's car when we left for the cruise.

"Yes, say hi to Mr. Jay."

"Hi, Mr. Jay! Do you miss Mommy too?"

I laughed at her question. Not because it was an outrageous thing to think, but it was true. I slept in the same bed with Thea for three nights, and I was missing her. A large, quiet apartment was a lonely one. I was used to living in my own, but I guessed that expecting someone home soon was what made me uneasy.

"I do. Your mommy's fun to be around." I answered truthfully.

Elizabeth let out an agreeing hum. "Mommy is fun. She lets me dress up and do things Daddy won't let me do."

"That's because Daddy says no, and you go to Mommy and she can't say no to you." Brooke snorted, and I listened to their play tussle over the phone. "Thea says she's always wanted a daughter, so when she and Kelly met Elle at the hospital, she immediately offered to help raise her. When Claire met her, she'd mistaken Elle as her sister's baby.

"Apparently Elle looked like Thea when she was a baby." It made sense, she still looked like her mother. Even if Thea didn't give birth to her.

Brooke excused herself, putting her phone on her bedside table, as she took Elizabeth back to bed. When she came back, she was getting a call from Kelly and said goodnight.

So I went back to staring at the ceiling. Then I looked at the bookshelf, glancing over the book spines. I recognised a couple Thea had been reading last week, and there were a few gaps between the book sections. Of course, separated by genre because—as Thea put it—she's not a monster.

I remembered her tour she gave of the apartment, and her showing me the spot on the balcony I was absolutely not allowed to stand on at any given time because the wild birds that visited her claimed that is their spot and she usually left seed out in the mornings she had work.

I'll put some out when I wake up, so she doesn't have to worry about it when she gets home.

One of the other bedrooms—there were five—was turned into her office where, if she wasn't doing CFD paperwork, she was reviewing store reports or resumes for potential store employees. The other four were the master bedroom—hers—mine, Elizabeth's and a spare room. We'd briefly discussed it'd be our future child's room, but she promised she wasn't expecting anything right away.

"CFD Firehouse 51, Lieutenant Rhodes' office." The house phone blared, and I almost forgot it did that. I rolled over to answer the phone on the bedside table.

I was expecting it to be her assistant when I'd answered, but her voice was instantly recognisable. "Did I wake you up?"

"No, I haven't been able to sleep." I excused. "How's work?"

"It's the usual, kid up a tree or in a hole he dug himself." She let out a breathy laugh. Thea went quiet for a moment, "lost a vic earlier."

"I'm sorry, Thea. That's rough."

She hummed. "I figured if anyone understood, you would." I couldn't argue with that, even though if I had to be called in, it was too late. We talked about stuff like that. "We have an engagement party to attend next week, an old friend of mine from high school. Loose term."

"Do you want me to buy an engagement gift?"

"No, no, she's got everything she could ever want and if she didn't, she could just ask her fiancé for it anyway. Just wanted to make sure you knew." I'd imagined social events would be a key feature of this marriage, and Thea had told me as such, but I'd figured nonsensical, baseline events like charity fundraisers where we'd only run into a few people she knew through her father.

She knew the engaged couple, so I'd have to act like I know her more than I actually do.

Make Brooke write a list of everything she knew about Thea.

"You can just wear a dress shirt and pants with your work shoes if you want," she continued, sitting her phone up on the desk as she opened her laptop. "What colour shirts do you have?"

"Uh, blue, black, and white—the one I wore at the wedding."

She hummed, and seemed to scroll through a website on her laptop. "We'll go with the white—if you don't mind—and I'll see if I can find a dress to match."

"Don't you have a dress picked out?" I asked, and Thea explained couples matching was the bride-to-be's thing. And likely the theme of their wedding. "Do you need me to do anything else?"

"Act like you're in love with me. I don't know how hard it could be, but I'm sure you'll find out."

The firehouse bell rang, and Thea said goodbye before hanging up. Act like you love me.

If I needed to put on a show in front of rich people, I could at least embarrass myself in front of friends first.

Brooke liked the idea of taking Elizabeth to see her mom and dad after work, so I convinced the girls to come buy flowers for Thea. Elizabeth led the way, of course, pointing out that her mother loved pink flowers and we settled on roses.

"Do you like Mommy?" Elizabeth asked, as Brooke strapped her into her seat. "Daddy says he likes Mommy a lot, and I asked him why he didn't marry her, but he doesn't like her that much."

"Because your mom and dad are best friends, like Mr. Jay and I," Brooke reasoned. "They love each other just as much as they love you, but it's a different love than you're thinking of, Sweet pea."

"Mommy and Daddy are best friends?" She looked at me with her little brown eyes sparkling. "Are you and Mommy best friends?"

"Someday, maybe. But we are friends. I used to be with Aunt Gabby."

Elizabeth giggled, "Auntie Gabby is funny. That's why Mommy likes her so much. Do you still like Auntie Gabby?"

"She's a Severide, naturally curious." Brooke smiled, sitting in the driver's seat. She looked at her niece in the rearview, checking if she was ready to see her parents.

When we arrived at the firehouse, only a few of the crew were sprinkling out and I recognised a few from the wedding. Thea's team, if I remembered them correctly. Elizabeth bounced at my feet, waving at her mother's team who happily waved back, and Brooke scrolled through her messages.

"They always take the longest; doesn't bother Elli though." Brooke snorted, playing a video showing her niece. Before long, her little voice squealed as Kelly and Thea walked out the apparatus doors with Casey and Gabby in tow.

As she ran towards them, Thea crouched down and opened her arms. "Principessa! Do you come to pick us up with Auntie Brooke?"

"And Mr. Jay has something for you!"

"I don't think you were supposed to say that, Elle," Kelly laughed, playing with her hair as Thea held her. He smiled at Brooke and nodded at me in greeting as we stopped in front of them.

"Aren't they pretty, Mommy?" Elizabeth meant the flowers, but Thea kept staring at me.

Kelly slipped his daughter from her arms with a "Tedd, I'm not an expert with romantic gestures, but I think you're meant to say something."

"Thank you," she squeaked. With a cough, this quiet Thea faded away. "You didn't have to."

"You're my wife."

Gabby practically squealed with Shay—Elizabeth's godmother—behind her and she gave them a side glance.

"I don't think I can do a big grand gesture every time I pick you up, but I can at least bring you flowers in a colour you like." I reasoned. Husbands who liked their wives did romantic gestures for their wives all the time, right? Sure, Thea was a means to an end and so was I, but it didn't mean I shouldn't bring her flowers or make her breakfast when I could.

Thea smiled, letting out a breath, before pointing at her BMW parked in front of the house. "I drove here."

"That's fine, I'll take Kelly and Shay home," Brooke laughed, passing Elizabeth to me. "Since it's your 48 hours with Elli, I'm sure Kelly won't mind her being with you."

Kelly and Thea gave each other silent looks—one which likely said I'd be a dead man at some point—before he agreed. He said goodbye to Elizabeth, and waved a goodbye to me as well.

Elizabeth fiddled with my collar as we walked to Thea's car. "He'll get used to you being around Elli. We agreed it was up to her if you're in her life, and she wanted to meet you, so he's adjusting."

"I'm fine with him not wanting me around Elizabeth, I understand. I wouldn't want a man I barely know around our young daughter either." Our?! Why did I say our?! Why did I assume we'd have a daughter?

"Mr. Jay missed you last night, Mommy. I bet it was really cold at Mommy's House without you there." She looked at Thea from the back seat. "He called Auntie Brooke because he was lonely."

"Because he and Auntie Brooke are best friends, principessa."

The ride home was mostly quiet, the occasional mention of something random from Elizabeth in the backseat. When she asked for snacks, Thea reminded her that there were snacks at home.

Getting to the apartment was less of a hassle with her around, since Doorman Willy recognised her from a mile away. There wasn't any triple checking to make sure we lived in the apartment, and Elizabeth enjoyed her lollipop as we rode the elevator.

Thea let out a sigh of content as she dropped her bag beside the door in the entry, fumbling with her keys to hang them on a hook with T etched into the holder. She'd gotten a J put above my key hook once I'd gotten the spare key, and a new spare was being made for her to give Elizabeth in ten years.

"Jay will put a show for you, and I'll get some snacks ready, okay?" When she received a nod, Thea headed into the kitchen. The apartment wasn't overly big, the kitchen and living room being open, with three bedrooms on the main floor and a loft above the kitchen. A laundry room was across the corridor to Elizabeth's bedroom along with a bathroom between them. Thea's ensuite was between our bedrooms; mine would become the spare bedroom whenever someone outside of Firehouse 51 and the unit would come by, and we'd move some of my things like photos into her room.

Thea set down the snacks in front of Elizabeth. "I'm going to figure out some dresses for upcoming events. You're fine to watch Elli for a few minutes, right?"

"Mommy runway!" Her daughter cheered, holding a carrot stick in one hand and a cookie in the other.

"Okay, let Mommy pick out a few dresses and you and Jay can rate them."

Elizabeth wiggled up onto the sofa, patting the cushion beside hers and eagerly signalling for me to sit down. Her mother had skipped off to get into some dresses.

The first was a pink off-the-shoulder dress that reached her mid-thigh, with bubblegum-like sleeves connected over the chest. It complimented her skin tone well, and thanks to her morning runs and her job, her legs worked with the dress rather than against it.

"Pretty Mommy!" Elli clapped her hands together excitedly.

Thea thanked her, giving her a curtsy as well as the dress would allow.

"It looks beautiful on you." I agreed earnestly. There was no point in lying—especially since she was warming up to me—and even a toddler could see she was beautiful.

We continued Thea's fashion show before Elizabeth became sleepy and was put to bed. "She was probably keeping Brooklyn up all night," Thea laughed, making sure the bedroom door was fully closed. The in-house chef mastered away at lunch, as we settled on the sofa.

We decided on a movie to watch, and sat in silence. Nothing inherently big happened, and we swapped watching the movie to being on our phones occasionally. "I've got a new candidate," Thea grunted, slumping further into the sofa.

"I thought Casey got the candidates."

"I sometimes get the chiefs' kids or the captains' brothers. They'd rather their candidate family members get 'better' training from a 'higher' officer." Thea rolled her eyes. "It's a load of bull, but at least it gives us something to do. Someone new, as well. Chief Jones' kid."

Why'd that name sound familiar?

Thea nodded beside me, "yes, one of my exes' little sister. She's a total sweetheart, but I think having a chief for a dad and officers for brothers gets to her head a lot of the time."

"You'll knock her down a few pegs, and get her into shape." I tried to reassure her, but I don't think she wanted it as she kept looking at her phone. I just thanked God that I wasn't in-charge of anyone too, and continued watching the movie.

[fervidus]

@gravdefy asked: “a snowball fight? seriously  -  are we twelve?” from the holiday meme

maybe he's being childish, but the holiday season hasn't ever been greeting card worthy for the rhodes -- no matter how much money cornelius tried to throw at it -- so maybe he's desperate for a little bit of childish fun for both of them. he won't consider himself successful until he sees a smile out of catherine. crouched down behind his car, he shouts back. ❝ sounds like the response of someone that knows she's losing! ❞ a few seconds later he shoots up for long enough to send another snowball sailing toward the arm of her coat before disappearing behind the shield of his car again.

[felicitysmoaksx]

anything Rheese and the 'come back, be here' series?

Hi anon! Thanks so much for the prompt. So this drabble is from Guilty By Association. It was adapted from an outtake scene I had, but I don't think I can flesh it out enough to get it to be a full fic. In this au Connor did call his dad for help to get Sarah bailed out.

Family had always been a tricky thing for Connor. At the age of eighteen, Connor had cut his father and sister from his life as if they had been rotten flesh (in his father’s case he had exactly been rotten like rotten flesh) but sometimes rotten flesh had their uses, Connor kept telling himself that as he found the number he had been searching for in his contacts, pressing his phone to his ear. 

“Connor, my this is a surprise,” Cornelius Rhodes’ voice was already grating on his son’s nerves and he had only answered the call. It must’ve been a new record. Connor swallowed back his retort of annoyance. After all, he was calling to ask his father for a favor. There was more of a chance of catching more flies with honey than vinegar.

“Dad, I need a favor.” There was no use in small talk. Connor hated it, besides if he tried, his father would snuff it out. 

“Oh?” 

“I need you to pull whatever strings you have at the CPD and get someone out of jail for me."

"And why would I do that? You certainly haven't been..." Connor tuned out the rest of what his father was saying and resisted the urge to throw his phone at the wall.

"Because Dad," he sighed agitatedly. He had put Sarah in that jail cell for nothing. Because his patient was ruined by his own self-entitled father, and now Connor was doing the same with his. But this was for Sarah. His wife, who was only in this situation because she had been backing him up. She was worth breaking his own self-imposed rules for. "She's been my wife of three years and your daughter-in-law."

[LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Sarah kept her back and eyes closed as she leaned against the concrete wall of her holding cell.

"Sarah Rhodes?" Someone called out and Sarah picked her head up, glancing around as she raised her hand. The police officer moved to the door of the holding cell. Then it was unlocked and held open for the curly-haired brunette.

"You're free to go."

"What? How is that-" Sarah asked as she started forward. Then a movement caught her eye and she turned toward it. There stood a man she had only seen from afar and in old pictures. Cornelius Rhodes stood a little ways away, looming and eyeing her warily.

The brunette sighed internally, bracing herself as she made her way to her father-in-law whom she hadn't met once in the last three years she and Connor had been married.

"Mr. Rhodes," she said quietly.

"Daughter-in-law," he said in equal quiet, flinging the title like it was an insult. She didn't take the bait though. Instead, she gave him a wan smile.

[LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK] [LINE BREAK]

Sarah was escorted the rest of the way by her father-in-law to see her husband waiting for her, looking wary and tired.

“So I come out of surgery to find out my wife has been arrested. I’m still wondering how we got to point C when we started at A.”

“She was going arrest Maggie for it and we both know that ED needs her. She keeps it running like a well-oiled machine. So I stepped in and took her place because she had your back with the blood draw and it’s like I told her, you’re my husband. You're more my responsibility than you are hers.”

Connor huffed, but still leaned in to kiss her forehead, forgetting that his father was standing behind them. “Greying prematurely is a real thing, you know.”

She laughed as he wrapped her in her coat to protect her from the Chicago arctic blast, “You just never thought I’d be the one in jail. You thought it’d be the other way around, didn’t you Dr. Rhodes?”

“Nuh-uh,” he wagged his finger at her, “That tone or name is not going to work right now, because we have to go back by the hospital. Mrs. Goodwin and Maggie both want to see you.”

Then Connor glanced up, finally meeting his father's eyes for the first time. His tone was surprisingly sincere when he said, "Thank you for this. I really appreciate it, Dad."

Cornelius Rhodes couldn't find it in him to speak because he was witnessing his son as a husband for the first time. So when the older man met Connor's eyes, he merely nodded and watched the couple make their way out of the precinct.

[slightlyaboveaverageiq]

Connor and the Brat {Part 18}

Connor and Brat arrived at the restaurant looking for a sign of the younger Rhodes sibling. “Connor!” They didn’t have to look long because there his sister was flagging him down from a table, she got up and started walking over to them smiling warmly at Brat and then hugging her brother. “I’m sorry.” She whispered into this ear and Connor was about to ask what she was sorry for when he spotted the older man walking towards them, his father had joined Claire.

“Connor. How lovely you decided to join us, a your little friend too.” His father held his hand out and Connor was tempted to tell him where he could shove it but didn’t want to worry Brat so he took his hand in his and gave a squeeze he was sure would be strong enough to break his fathers hand had held it it any longer. Connors message was clear, he didn’t want to see his father, he wasn’t here for his father, and he would most certainly leave if he said anything out of line. “Well, our table is waiting on us, please follow me.” Brat looked uncertainly at Connor clearly picking up on the change in the atmosphere but Claire took her hand in hers and gave her a reassuring smile leading her to the table with Connor bringing up the rear.

“It’s very nice to meet you Ravenna, Connor has nothing but good things to say about you. And your dress looks beautiful on you.” Bless his sister for trying to make Brat more comfortable, she gave Claire a small smile but quickly dropped her gaze to her napkin and started fidgeting with it. “Connor tells me that you like to paint, do you think maybe you could paint me something for my design room?” Ravenna’s eyes lit up at that and she nodded eagerly to Claire, she pulled the phone out and handed it to her showing her some of the paintings she had taken pictures of before leaving Connor’s condo. Connor’s father watched Brat closely before twisting his mouth into a kind of rueful smirk.

“You don’t talk very much do you Ms. Scott? That’s the best kind of woman in my opinion, pretty but knows when to keep her mouth shut.” Brat opened her mouth and looked ready to defend herself when Claire sent a scathing look to their father and he held his hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying, no arguments, no whining, it’s just a shame my son found you in the loony bin.” Connor frowned and couldn’t begin to fathom why Claire would tell his father about Brats stay in the hospital, in fact he couldn’t even remember if he had told Claire that’s where he met Brat.

“How did you know about that?” Brats voice was steely, challenging Cornelius to berate her further but Connor could see her slightly shaking. She was trying so hard to be strong but his father scared her and he couldn’t blame her, there was nothing warm nor inviting about the man.

“Funny thing I ran into Dr. Zanetti at a museum a few days ago and she told me all about Connor’s little…charity case I believe is how she put it. She failed to mention how beautiful you were though my dear.” Connor’s jaw clenched and he stood taking Brat’s hand in his own.

“Well this was about as unproductive as I imagine it would be. You’re still a bigoted, misogynistic bastard. Claire we appreciate you having us for brunch, why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?” Claire looked sadly at her brother but she nodded, she couldn’t fault him for wanting to get Ravenna away from their father. Connor watched as Brat squeezed Claire’s shoulder reassuringly as they passed her letting her know she didn’t blame her for what had just transpired. Connor lead the way back to the car and he held the door open for Brat before going and getting in himself.

“Well he’s just a ray of sunshine, I can see why you don’t want anything to do with him. Your sister seems very nice though and I would love to make something for her.” Connor reached his hand over and laced it through hers before giving her a soft squeeze and she squeezed back.

“My father is not a good man Brat, but Claire seems to really like you so how about we go grocery shopping for dinner tonight?” Brats smile increased ten fold and he turned down the street towards the grocery store. “What are you thinking?”

“What if we made crockpot chicken and dumplings? It’s been a long time since I’ve had that.” Connor grabbed the cart and they went through the aisles grabbing the things they would need for dinner along with grabbing a few bottles of wine and some things to make an apple pie for dessert. Connor noticed that Brat looked particularly exhausted when they got back in the car and by the time they got home she was passed out cold against the passenger side window. He smiled softly at her before shaking her shoulder gently and waking her.

“Why don’t you go take a nap? You were up early this morning. I can get everything started for dinner.” Brat looked unsure for a moment but ultimately nodded and trudged herself up the stairs and to his condo, her legs trailing behind her like they weighed a hundred pounds and Connor frowned. It had been a very large change for her in just a few short days, maybe she wasn’t coping as well as he had originally thought.

Connor got the chicken and dumplings going and they should be finished right at 6:30 which is when they had planned on Claire coming over, he had the pie all prepped and ready to go in the oven when she got here that way it would be ready by the time they finished their dinner. He walked down the hallway and cracked Brats door open slightly to see she was breathing steadily and seemed to be in a deep sleep, he smiled at her before going into his own bedroom and changing out of his slacks and shirt and into some joggers and a plain t shirt. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he chuckled softly to himself.

Ava- Since you insist on hogging Ravenna all to yourself the entire meds staff has proposed a custody schedule for your highness 😝

Will/Natalie: Lunch on Mondays and they promise to have her back before dinner

Ben/Maggie: Want to have dinner and overnight stays on Wednesday’s

April/Ethan: Would love to have her join them for the yoga thing on Mondays after dinner

And of course mommy and step mommy Sarah want to have Brat every other weekend 😂😂

Connor could see no flaw in their logic so he texted her back telling her he would make sure to ask Brat what she thought and he would let her know once she woke up from her nap. He was startled by a quiet knocking on the door and looked down at his phone to see it was 6, Claire was thirty minutes early. He went to open the door and smiled at his sister before motioning for her to be quiet.

“Ravenna is sleeping.” Claire made her way into the kitchen taking the lid of the crockpot to peer at the contents of it. “She wanted chicken dumplings and apple pie.” Claire gave a knowing smirk and sat down at the dinner table crossing her legs.

“She’s got you wrapped around her little finger. You like her.” Connor sighed and really wished for the umpteenth time that people would stop calling him out on things he already knew. He was fully aware that he liked Brat but as long as she was in IOP there was nothing he could do about it.

“I do but she’s still a patient so it would be highly unethical of me.” Connor murmured quietly and poured himself a glass of wine.

“Hi Claire.” Connor turned and decided he was going to have to buy Brat some pajama sets because the girl just couldn’t keep walking around in oversized T-shirt’s. She look looked so adorable in it and sleepily rubbing her eyes.

“Hey Ravenna, I think dinners about ready so how about we make our plates and we can eat?” Brats stomach let out an embarrassing growl and she blushed while the two siblings laughed at her red face. Dinner flowed smoothly Claire asking more about Brats makeup and painting projects and while Brat shared a few ideas for a painting she would do for Claire. Connor smiled softly seeing how well Brat took to Claire and how much his sister seemed to enjoy her company as well; they would be good for each other. Dinner stretched in into the evening and Claire excused herself for the night around 9pm leaving Connor and Brat to drink their wine in peace in front of the fireplace.

“I know I’ve been saying it a lot the past few days but I really appreciate you letting me stay with you Connor and how supportive everyone has been.” Brat stood and gave him a small kiss on the top of his head before wishing him goodnight and leaving him alone with an almost empty bottle of wine and wishing that he could have kissed her on the mouth instead.

[grimmusings]

♢ canon muses ♢

Sideblogs are linked below. Each has a pinned introduction with general information about how I write the muse, wanted connections, and verses.

♢ comics ♢ ♢ Benjamin Poindexter ⭒ Daredevil ⭒ Wilson Bethel ♢ Brock Rumlow ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Frank Grillo ♢ Bucky Barnes ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Sebastian Stan ♢ Clint Barton ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Bradley James ♢ Elektra Natchios ⭒ Daredevil ⭒ Élodie Yung ♢ Ellie Rogers ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Kat McNamara ♢ Frank Castle ⭒ Daredevil ⭒ Jon Bernthal ♢ Gwen Stacy ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Emily Browning ♢ James Rhodes ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Charles Michael Davis ♢ John Constantine ⭒ DC/Vertigo ⭒ Matt Ryan ♢ Johnny Storm ⭒ Fantastic Four ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Karolina Dean ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Madison Iseman ♢ Mia Smoak ⭒ Arrowverse ⭒ Kat McNamara ♢ Nancy Callahan ⭒ Sin City ⭒ Jessica Alba ♢ Natasha Romanoff ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Scarlett Johansson ♢ Red ⭒ The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys ⭒ Levy Tran ♢ Steve Rogers ⭒ Marvel/MCU ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Thor Odinson ⭒ MCU ⭒ Chris Hemsworth ♢ Torunn Thorsdóttir ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Margot Robbie

♢ disney/dreamworks/etc. ♢ ♢ Barrel ⭒ Nightmare Before Christmas ⭒ Drew Ray Tanner ♢ Captain Hook ⭒ Peter Pan ⭒ Colin Farrell ♢ Cowardly Lion ⭒ The Wizard of Oz ⭒ Paul Rudd ♢ Dorothy Gale ⭒ Return to Oz ⭒ Emily Browning ♢ Jack Frost ⭒ Rise of the Guardians ⭒ Bradley James ♢ Jack Skellington ⭒ Nightmare Before Christmas ⭒ Milo Ventimiglia ♢ Lock ⭒ Nightmare Before Christmas ⭒ Matthew Daddario ♢ Mad Hatter ⭒ Alice in Wonderland ⭒ Jackson Rathbone ♢ Mallymkun ⭒ Alice in Wonderland ⭒ Ashley Greene ♢ Prince Cornelius ⭒ Thumbelina ⭒ Max Irons

♢ mythology/folklore ♢ ♢ Hades ⭒ Greek Mythology ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Hercules ⭒ Greek Mythology ⭒ Kellan Lutz ♢ Lancelot ⭒ Arthuriana ⭒ Chris Hemsworth ♢ Mordred ⭒ Arthuriana ⭒ Ian Somerhalder ♢ Will Scarlet ⭒ Robin Hood ⭒ Sebastian Stan

♢ film ♢ ♢ David Powers ⭒ The Lost Boys ⭒ Dacre Montgomery ♢ Frank Adler ⭒ Gifted ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Jennifer Check ⭒ Jennifer's Body ⭒ Megan Fox ♢ Jerry Dandridge ⭒ Fright Night ⭒ Colin Farrell ♢ Laurie Strode ⭒ Halloween ⭒ Lili Reinhart ♢ Lawrence Talbot ⭒ The Wolf Man ⭒ Rahul Kohli ♢ Leo Barnes ⭒ The Purge ⭒ Frank Grillo ♢ Victor Frankenstein ⭒ Frankenstein ⭒ Bill Skarsgård

♢ tv shows ♢ ♢ Alvey Kulina ⭒ Kingdom ⭒ Frank Grillo ♢ Andy Barber ⭒ Defending Jacob ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Betty Cooper ⭒ Riverdale ⭒ Lili Reinhart ♢ Billy Hargrove ⭒ Stranger Things ⭒ Dacre Montgomery ♢ Carter Baizen ⭒ Gossip Girl ⭒ Sebastian Stan ♢ Castiel ⭒ Supernatural ⭒ Misha Collins ♢ Damien Thorn ⭒ Damien ⭒ Bradley James ♢ Daryl Dixon ⭒ The Walking Dead ⭒ Norman Reedus ♢ Dean Winchester ⭒ Supernatural ⭒ Jensen Ackles ♢ Hannibal Lecter ⭒ Hannibal ⭒ Mads Mikkelsen ♢ Nate Archibald ⭒ Gossip Girl ⭒ Chace Crawford ♢ Paul 'Jesus' Rovia ⭒ The Walking Dead ⭒ Tom Payne

♢ books ♢ ♢ Cassian ⭒ ACOTAR ⭒ Can Yaman ♢ Ginny Weasley ⭒ Harry Potter ⭒ Kat McNamara ♢ Hermione Granger ⭒ Harry Potter ⭒ Ashley Moore ♢ Remus Lupin ⭒ Harry Potter ⭒ Rahul Kohli ♢ Ronan Lynch ⭒ The Raven Cycle ⭒ Dacre Montgomery ♢ Sirius Black ⭒ Harry Potter ⭒ Rob Raco

♢ test muses ♢

Test and minor muses are written from the main, at least until they demand their own blogs, although some of them will probably always be super niche and just stay here. Bio and verse information is linked if available.

♢ Ben Hanscom ⭒ IT ⭒ Jay Ryan ♢ Bill Weasley ⭒ Harry Potter ⭒ Michael Fassbender ♢ Camille L'Espanaye ⭒ The Fall of the House of Usher ⭒ Kate Siegel ♢ Chris Beck ⭒ The Martian ⭒ Sebastian Stan ♢ Colin Shea ⭒ What's Your Number? ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Danika Fendyr ⭒ Crescent City ⭒ Florence Pugh ♢ David 8 ⭒ Prometheus ⭒ Michael Fassbender ♢ Dean Redding ⭒ The Naturals ⭒ Cooper van Grootel ♢ Doyle ⭒ Merry Gentry ⭒ Idris Elba ♢ Dwayne Hicks ⭒ Aliens ⭒ Jensen Ackles ♢ Edward Forrester ⭒ Anita Blake ⭒ Alexander Skarsgård ♢ Fangs Fogarty ⭒ Riverdale ⭒ Drew Ray Tanner ♢ Feyre Archeron ⭒ ACOTAR ⭒ Riley Voelkel ♢ Gabryjel Janek ⭒ Prometheus ⭒ Idris Elba ♢ Grey Hollow ⭒ House of Hollow ⭒ Taylor Swift ♢ Hector ⭒ Greek Mythology ⭒ Joe Manganiello ♢ Henry Devlin ⭒ Dreamcatcher ⭒ Michiel Huisman ♢ Jason Schuyler ⭒ Anita Blake ⭒ Chace Crawford ♢ Jay Kulina ⭒ Kingdom ⭒ Jonathan Tucker ♢ Jedidiah Sawyer ⭒ Texas Chainsaw Massacre ⭒ Leatherface ♢ Levi Stewart ⭒ Fangirl ⭒ Luke Benward ♢ Lidia Cervos ⭒ Crescent City ⭒ Margot Robbie ♢ Madeline Usher ⭒ The Fall of the House of Usher ⭒ Willa Fitzgerald ♢ Matthew Brown ⭒ Hannibal ⭒ Jonathan Tucker ♢ Newt Scamander ⭒ Fantastic Beasts ⭒ Eddie Redmayne ♢ Nick Gant ⭒ Push ⭒ Chris Evans ♢ Oliver Wood ⭒ Harry Potter ⭒ Max Irons ♢ Pepper Potts ⭒ Marvel ⭒ Gemma Chan ♢ Rebecca 'Newt' Jorden ⭒ Aliens ⭒ Taylor Russell ♢ Richard Zeeman ⭒ Anita Blake ⭒ Joe Manganiello ♢ Ruhn Danaan ⭒ Crescent City ⭒ Ian Somerhalder ♢ Sandman ⭒ Folklore ⭒ Matthew Daddario ♢ Sholto ⭒ Merry Gentry ⭒ Alexander Skarsgård ♢ Tom Hanniger ⭒ My Bloody Valentine ⭒ Jensen Ackles ♢ Toni Topaz ⭒ Riverdale ⭒ Vanessa Morgan ♢ Walter One ⭒ Alien: Covenant ⭒ Michael Fassbender

[faithandarisadventures]

Mr. Vanderbilt's Bathroom February 17, 2024 The Breakers Newport, Rhode Island

[alannacellucci]

The Breakers Newport Mansion —

Built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, one of the richest men in America, The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages." The Breakers was everything a millionaire of the Gilded Age could want in a summer getaway. The Breakers was built from 1893-1895 to replace a smaller, wooden house that had been destroyed by a fire. To reduce the risk of another fire, Vanderbilt and his wife, Alice, commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt, a leading architect of the Gilded Age, to design the new structure of steel, brick and limestone; utilities such as the boilers were placed underground and away from the house.

The Vanderbilt's summer home was modeled on Italian Renaissance palaces with open air courtyards, the finest American and European craftsmanship, and modern technology combined to make the ideal setting for luxurious living and entertaining.

——————————————————————————

The Breakers Great Hall —

The GREAT HALL is the largest room in this house, measuring approximately 50 feet wide by 50 feet long by 50 feet high. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky, which along with the large doors that open to the ocean breezes evokes the feeling that you are outdoors. Looking up at the ceiling, you will see four blue-green medallions with the acorn and oak leaf inside. This is the Vanderbilt family symbol of strength and longevity and can be seen in many places throughout the house.

Many parties were held in this room over the years, with the first being in 1895 for Miss Gertrude Vanderbilt. Over the years, this hall was the scene of tricycle rides and sliding down the grand staircase on silver dinner trays by children in the family.

The house stands as a symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial power in 19th and early 20th century America - a period known as The Gilded Age, when the nation became a world economic power. The Vanderbilts were prominent in the worlds of society, sport, business, fashion, and cultural life. The term, "Gilded Age" referred not only to the great wealth produced by vast economic and industrial growth in the years following the Civil War (1861 - 1865), but also the social changes and inequities that were growing at the same rate as the American economy. This wealth was seen in opulent buildings and the Vanderbilts were among the country's greatest builders.