#I looove mitch/Laura

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Were somewhere in the vicinity of LHAW which I never manage to do in time dammit, but here's an idea

Fresh after the Fire, Laura and Derek are in New York, shell shocked and afraid for their lives, just trying to stay alive and safe.

While trying to keep everything together, Laura meets Mitch. He seems sweet enough, but Laura can't trust him, not now. Mitch doesn't press for anything. He makes whatever assumptions he does, and doesn't do anything more than sometimes text Laura or ask her out for coffee/study dates. He wants to be her friend, and isn't that something?

Little by little, she lets him in. Lowers her walls Just enough to see over. She wants to trust him. She's so tired of being alone, having to be the strong one, the Alpha, taking care of everything. She wants someone to lean on.

A few months in they start dating. Mitch is still sweet as ever, never pushes for anything Laura doesn't want to give, and handles her mood swings amazingly well. Eventually she tells him a sanitized version of the truth, to explain why she is the way he is. Mitch tells her about his own father, who died when he was a teenager, and then his first girlfriend was murdered almost 2 years ago. It's not the same thing as losing everyone, but he kinda of gets it.

Despite all of her instincts and fear telling her not to, she begins to trust Mitch. She can't find any reasons not to: he seems like a genuinely kind and caring person, and she needs that.

The first time they sleep together, Laura doesn't notice anything is off. Everything is actually really good, distractingly so. But later, when he gets out of bed ringer dressed again, Laura notices the tattoo on his shoulder: he's a hunter.

Flashes of Kate and fire and death run through her mind, and all she can think is, how could she be so naïve? This is exactly how Kate got to Derek.

Laura attacks him, and sure enough, he fights like a hunter, too. Knows exactly how to use her weaknesses to overcome her before she kills him, and oh, is she going to tear his throat out with her teeth.

It's not an easy struggle. There's shouting and crashing furniture and blood and Mitch is lucky Derek isn't home or he would be dead. As it is, he keeps trying to make Laura listen to him; insisting that he's not like other hunters, as if she can believe that. "Have I done anything since we met to make you think I'd ever want to hurt you?"

Mitch has never had very good self-preservation instincts. When he sees he's not getting through to Laura, he lets her go and dares her kill him. If that's what she thinks he deserves, then fine, to for it, he's at her mercy.

She wants to. All the pent up rage and grief and injustice makes her inhuman, bloodlust singing through her veins. But she knows Mitch had nothing to do with her family, even if he is a hunter. And she's not like them. She won't do anything to anyone who hasn't hurt her first.

Laura demands he gets out of the apartment. She doesn't want to see him ever again. Mitch doesn't try to fight this time. Got his shoes and phone and left without another word, before she can change her mind, and Laura finally cries. The betrayal and the heart break and the fear finally breaks her. What if she hadn't caught him tonight? She per the last of her family at risk by letting a hunter into their home, and she may not have realized until it was too late. It's worse when she realizes she's still wearing Mitch's shirt, and his scent is comforting even now.

She understands how Derek must have felt in a way she never had before. When Kate came slithering into his life in the aftermath of Paige's death. When she pretended to love him just so she could destroy everything.

Derek comes home to find her a wreck, her room in shambles, smelling like pain and anger and so much grief that it chokes him. He's horrified when Laura tells him, because he knows. He knows.

Mitch waits a few days for everything to cool off before contacting Laura again. He doesn't try to see her, or even call, but he does send her a text. Tries to explain that he had never, would never, want to hurt her. The message goes to read and doesn't get a response.

It's weeks before Laura decides to see Mitch again. It's a risk—she can hardly trust him atbfsce value, but she misses him. Misses the way things had been. Even now she still sleeps with her face buried in his shirt; even though his scent has faded. It's the one small comfort she has.

And she knows it's stupid but she meets him at their usual coffee shop. Derek tells he not to do it, he doesn't want his sister hurt the way he was, but she needs answers. And the only way she can be sure Mitch isn't lying to her, is if she can hear his heart.

The first thing she asks is how Mitch's girlfriend really died, already suspecting she knows the answer. Sure enough, it was a werewolf. A rogue omega that killed her.

She asks if Mitch knew what she was from the beginning—he didn't. Hale isn't and uncommon name, and they've always been more prevalent on the West Coast, anyway. It didn't click until she told him about her family, and he remembered hearing rumors through the grape vine about an entire pack being eradicated in California. He did some research and found the news paper reports.

Why didn't he tell her? He was trying to avoid this. Looking for the right time to tell her when the grief wouldn't be so fresh. He knew she wouldn't trust him if she knew, and damn did he get that one right. The dig hurts, but he knows he deserves it.

After the very long interrogation, Laura's nerves are raw. She needs time to think everything over.

When she goes back home Derek is waiting for her, obviously stressed, knowing she had to have been with Mitch. He's relieved when she comes home okay, until he sees that she looks like hell.

Another few days go by and the whole time, she really just misses Mitch. Seeing him again calmed something inside her, even despite the circumstances. (And deep down, she knows he could be her mate. Has known for a while, she just couldn't find the right time to tell him, afraid of scaring him off, and the irony isn't lost on her.)

Finally she can't take it anymore. After tossing and turning all night, unable to sleep, she does over his apartment in the middle of the night. When he opens the door with a displeased scowl that quickly turns to confusion upon seeing her, she falls into his arms and tells him that if he ever lies to her again she'll kill him, and that's that.

[jordm]

Heartland 12x09 - Long Road Back review

Hey... Heartland people! We’re baaaack - and guess what? SO IS KATIE. and she’s in more than two scenes. We also got a Cassandra mention! (if only we actually saw her)

Georgie

Georgie almost faints during a run after she’s skipped breakfast, even to the point of throwing up. This isn’t a good sign.

Bigger warning: Georgie insisting she needs to practise more even though Kim is very very reluctant to let her, even to the point of saying rest is good after all this work. How about that foreshadowing from Amy? “Star should have never raced last week. This is exactly what can happen when a horse isn’t sound.” --> Trade in Star for Georgie and.... I mean this is pretty accurate.

Yes she wants to do everything she can to win but if Kim knew the lengths Georgie was going for, i’m not even sure she would allow it. She might even disallow (remove) Georgie as her client. This is 100% not Kim’s fault, since Kim is not there even for maybe 75% of the time she’s training/working out and is only there for the time in the ring practising, not for every meal or run. However maybe a talk about balance in life would help? Even if Georgie may not listen all together. 

Thing is, I also don’t blame Lou and Peter for blaming Kim initially. It’s a gut reaction, however Kim is right that Kim gives her the tools but Georgie is the one putting most of the pressure on herself - and thinking Lou selling the business for Switzerland didn’t help.

Anyways, Georgie wins the race but at a cost. She faints and is diagnosed with physical and emotional stress - but not an eating disorder as we suspected. Disappointed but not unexpected. I’m glad they didn’t go the whole eating disorder route - truthfully - if they couldn’t do it justice. At the same time, I think it could have been a great opportunity for Heartland but I digress.

It ends as fast as the problem begun. Georgie has a talk with her parents and Lou lets her knew she didn’t come sell Maggie’s - she sold Maggie’s because she wanted to be home more and that they will support Georgie in whatever she decides. So... problem solved?! Eh. Still wish there could be a little more... consequences, because it can’t be solved - it rarely is - THAT easily.

Anyways she calls Wyatt after her fainting spell and he doesn’t answer. Perhaps he’s just busy, perhaps he’s ignoring her and giving her space. Either way I don’t blame him for being upset for how she treated him last episode.

Ty, Amy (and Laura)

Laura does seem aware that what she’s doing to Shooting Star (Star) is not ethically correct; you can see on her face she’s deep (deep deep x1000) down worried. I’m also not convinced “one more race” is all she really wants but y’know. Actions and words are two different things, what can I say. I can also tell that even though this is money motivated, she is still trying to convince herself that Star and herself will be okay.

Luckily, they manage to pull Star from the race. Big ups to the the race manager person for believing a vet over Laura. Anyways, Star has acute renal pain - and his (her?) life is in danger even if Ty won’t say and it’s safe to say Laura made the situation a lot worse than it could be... and Ty also didn’t help his situation with Amy.

// Enter mini rant about Ty //

What can I say about Ty? Oh Ty, oh Ty. This ones ALL on you. When will you learn to not be so dismissive of your wife... no, YOUR PARTNER’S methods. That’s the bonus of having a partnership of people with two different views. When Amy suggests adding feeds, bringing in Cassandra (I’m aching for a Cass/Amy scene, I looove their friendship and they’ve come so far!) among other things, Ty dismisses it saying he doesn’t think it’ll help. And I am 100% on Amy’s side this time. This isn’t a partnership, this is more like Ty the vet and his ‘employee’. Only he can have final say and this isn’t right - at all. Like I said, actions and words are one thing and Ty keeps on apologizing but keeps on making the same mistake and acting the same way (see last episode)... so let’s see how long this lasts.

I’m also very disappointed in Amy for caving and saying sorry when she shouldn’t be sorry about anything. Hold your ground and stand up for what you believe in.

// end rant about Ty //

Anyways, Laura helps Star eat... and Ty wants to Laura to not be around Star. Amy is more on the end of ‘but she did help Star....” until she hears that Laura did shockwave therapy when Laura comes in to hand in her resignation. Oh and did I mention that THIS IS ALL WITHOUT LISA KNOWING WTF IS GOING ON?!?! There is so much wrong here.

Lisa

So Jack still hasn’t told Lisa and says that he will indeed tell Lisa before he leaves with the herd. However, like I said, actions and words are two different things and I don’t know if he actually will. But he tried... so I guess that’s worth something? What I don’t understand is why Amy and Ty couldn’t let Lisa know - why couldn’t it be Jack? Anyways now Laura is resigned and LISA HAS NO IDEA WHY! or the full story... when she should DEFINITELY know by now.

Jack, Tim and Mitch

Tim and Mitch take a meeting with Fred... without Jack. Something tells me this won’t end well. What I don’t get is why they can’t meet half way - for example if their current supply is X and Fred wants Y, why not meet halfway at a point between X and Y? But then again, maybe that wouldn’t lead to drama so...

Anyways Jack is NOT happy to hear about Tim and Mitch taking a meeting and you know what? i don’t blame him. Tim also takes the reigns on this whole herd thing, pushing them towards the river when Jack knew damn well the river would be too deep and running too fast. Turns out Tim was just taking out his anger on the whole Jack doesn’t want to expand problem.

“Things tend go wrong when you take shortcuts” - Jack (talking about the cattle run and the Garland offer)

This time, Mitch takes Jack’s side - or rather agrees that they all need to be on the same page. Which is by far the right page to be on.

Lou

Tim talks up Lou in front of Fred, ever so subtly and Mitch’s reaction is... something else. He has no right to be jealous, he’s fricking engaged. It appears that the other shoe has flipped, or whatever that preverbial saying is. In the beginning of the season, it was Lou who was jealous - now it’s Mitch’s turn. Can these two figure their shit out? I’m tired of the back and forth.

Lou asking for advice from Mitch is also super awkward. Didn’t they agree to not ask for advice about relationships/other ex’s to each other for the sake of their friendship? Or am I perhaps remembering this wrong?

Anyways, this guy Fred is obsessed about Grocery Stores - how do you revamp grocery stores? A book called Grocery? Only working holidays for examining Grocery Stores? This guy is definitely not for Lou. It’s safe to say there won’t be a second date.

Anyways Mitch comes to tell Lou - because he totally has the right yo - he doesn’t think the date is a good idea. And even if he is right because they don’t mesh, he also has no right. He’s engaged - and doesn’t seem to be very enthused about it.

Episode ends with Georgie being happy making chicken noodle soup - and you know what? I ship Lou having a healthy relationship with her ex (Peter) and being home more.

Songs in this episode @heartlandians

So You Can - Brian McKenna, Joseph Katsaros

I’d Do It All Over - Chloe Collins

Home - Joshua Hyslop

[the-cookie-of-doom]

So have you guys seen Magic Mike? 

Yeah I got an AU for that too. 

Mitch started stripping through college but the money was actually really good so he kept doing it after graduation, and put his business degree to good use when he became a partner. 

Stiles finds out one day what Mitch really does for work and after catching a performance, meets Mitch’s boss, who starts scheming as soon as he sees Stiles. Sure Mitch may be a few years older, but from a distance they could practically be twins, and they could absolutely play that up. Stiles ends up auditioning just because he knows how badly Mitch doesn’t want him to, and actually passes muster. So dammit, Mitch is going to be stuck working with his little brother in a strip club. He’s going to make Stiles suffer for that decision. 

Predictably, they’re a hit. And because the plot of the first movie was way too serious for an otherwise fun movie about male strippers, we’re gonna skip to the plot of the second movie! Everyone goes on a trip, on their way to a big stripper competition, and along the way they meet the Hales. 

Then at the end they do the Mike/Malik mirror performance except they are just about perfect mirrors at this point, minus the hair and general attitude. Derek is Embarrassed when he gets led up on stage and Laura is shocked/disbelieving/delighted. 

And they all live happily ever after!