#Jack and Lisa fic

[the-real-tc]

Fic Update! Bad Business: Ch. 11 Sing Me to Heaven

To the childless wife he gives a home, and gladdens her heart with children.

- Ps. 113

***

Chapter 11: Sing Me to Heaven

Hudson Police Headquarters

6:00 a.m.

Amy yawned widely. Ty observed this action and could not contain a long yawn of his own.

"You're both free to go now," Chief Parker said, satisfied that the debriefing interview with them had gone well. "Thank you for your patience and your cooperation through all this. It's been a long night."

"You're welcome, Chief," Ty said, voice heavy with relief. "I think we're just both glad all this is over."

"Yes, I'm sure you are," Parker said, looking at the pair with sympathy.

"What's going to happen to Jesse?" asked Amy, knowing she would not be facing any charges herself for having shot him.

"Mr. Stanton has been charged with attempted murder for starters," Parker responded. "He's in police custody while he recovers in the hospital, though it's likely he'll post bail. I'm told he came through his surgery just fine. Thanks for not killing him, by the way. That would have created quite the mess."

Amy smiled wryly. "I'll bet it would have. If I'm honest, I'm not sorry I shot him, but I'm glad he's still alive and will face justice for everything he's done."

Parker nodded in understanding. "And Amy—speaking from experience here—I know you're not feeling bad about it now, but if the time comes that it does start feeling bad, you call me, okay? There's also professional help if you need it. Don't underestimate the traumatic nature of what you just went through."

Amy paused before answering. "Thank you for that, Chief. I'll keep that in mind."

Ty looked to her now. "Ready to go?" he asked, grasping her fingers between his.

"Ready," she replied, giving his hand a soft squeeze.

"Hi, Dad?"

"Amy," Tim said, keeping his voice low. "What's the matter?"

"You won't believe what happened last night," Amy said, holding her cell phone to her ear while Ty drove them home.

"What happened?"

"Um, I kinda shot Jesse Stanton."

"You did what?!"

"Dad, he was the one who shot Lisa out on the road the other day," said Amy. "He came out to Heartland because he wanted to make sure Ty wouldn't be able to identify him. I caught him trying to shoot Ty in the barn."

"You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No, he's alive," Amy replied. "Under arrest, but alive."

Oh, so that's why they came and dismissed the cop who was on protection duty, Tim thought to himself.

"Yeah, we thought something big must have gone down, but nobody was authorized to tell us anything specific," Tim said.

"Dad... we know you and Grandpa are at the hospital. Chief Parker told us Lisa's alive," Amy said. "I mean, he said she was still in 'rough shape', but that she's alive."

"Is that how he put it?" Tim asked.

"Yes," Amy said slowly, catching the sour note in her father's voice. "Why, is something wrong?"

Tim snorted. "If by 'rough shape' he means she's probably going to be a freakin' vegetable for the rest of her life and that she'll probably never regain consciousness after that bastard tried to suffocate her..."

Amy's heart dropped to her feet at these words. "Dad... you can't mean..."

"I do mean it, Amy," Tim said. "You're not here. You haven't seen what's been going on. She hasn't opened her eyes once or moved a muscle since that attack."

"But," Amy protested plaintively, "what have the doctors said?"

"Nothing yet," Tim admitted. "Now that she doesn't need that bodyguard anymore, they can take her for another brain scan sometime soon. I guess we'll know more then."

***

Calgary Herald — Online Version

BREAKING NEWS

Herald Newsdesk

May 9, 2019

The Calgary Police Tactical Unit has responded to an incident at the Calgary International Airport. Early reports indicate it is a hostage-taking on a private chartered jet bound for Ft. McMurray.

Authorities have stated the affected area of the tarmac has been contained and that passenger safety at the airport is not at risk. Travellers departing from Calgary International Airport at this time are encouraged to contact their airline for information about potential delays and cancellations.

This is a developing situation. More details to follow as they occur.

***

Lisa stood thigh-deep in the middle of the river's waters. The Rocky Mountains towered in the distance. Other than the flowing water, everything else around her was tranquil. The water should have felt cold running off from the melting winter snowpack on those very mountains, but to Lisa there was no such chilly discomfort.

This is heaven, she thought to herself contentedly, contemplating the rare, happy moments she had been able to spend here with Jack, especially that first special date when she knew she was falling in love with him

On the opposite bank, Lisa's eyes made out the figure of a slim young woman with long, dark hair.

"Hello?" Lisa called, wondering who she might be. She began to approach while asking: "Who are you?"

But instead of answering, the woman raised an arm and extended a finger. Lisa turned around to see what the younger woman was pointing at. Standing on the other riverbank, she recognized a grizzled, mustachioed man wearing a cowboy hat.

Jack. Oh, Jack. You're here. She eagerly started to make her way to where her husband stood.

***

South Calgary Health Campus

Tim cracked his eyes open and sat up from his position in the sleeping recliner. He immediately looked over and saw Jack hunched over at Lisa's bedside.

Nurse Cheryl, too, sat nearby. She saw him stir and said, "Good morning."

"Yeah, good morning," Tim managed to say, giving his face a scrub with his hands. With a start he realised Lisa's armed police guard was nowhere in sight. He relaxed two seconds later upon remembering how mere hours earlier, word had filtered through that Lisa would no longer be in need of that level of protection. How he had managed to fall asleep after speaking with Amy on the phone, he was not sure. Clearly he had been more tired than he realised. "How's Lisa doing?"

"No change," Cheryl responded with a pout. "But given what she went through, that's not surprising..."

"But shouldn't she have woken up by now?" he asked.

"It's difficult to put a timeline on these things, Tim," Cheryl said cagily. "They brought her back from the CT scan about an hour ago. It didn't show any brain damage, so that's a good thing. We just have to be patient."

Tim pressed his lips together, not giving voice to his negative thoughts. Lisa's lying here like a damned vegetable and they're saying we have to be 'patient', giving Jack false hope. It's only a matter of time before they tell us there's no change and no hope and that they're pulling the plug...

"When was the last time you actually slept, old man?" Tim now asked Jack. He looked at his ex-father-in-law with concern, knowing he had maintained his watch by Lisa's side all through the night, and had done so now for several nights in a row.

Jack's reply was curt and low: "I don't know."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"I had one of the sandwiches you brought last night from wherever it was you went."

"Lisa needs you to be healthy when she wakes up, you know," Tim said, trying to bolster Jack's spirits despite his own negativity about the whole situation. "Eat something substantial and get some shut-eye. I'll sit with her."

"He's right, Jack," Cheryl said, glad someone had finally said something, as she was also growing worried about the well-being of her patient's husband. "This isn't the time to be stubborn. Come on, let me buy you breakfast. We'll grab something to go. It's about time for me to take a break, anyway."

"Fine." Reluctantly, Jack pulled himself up from his seat, grunting as his disused knees creaked and sent him a couple jolts of arthritic pain.

"And bring me back something while you're at it!" Tim called out after them.

***

Lisa kept her gaze on Jack as he stood on the dry riverbank. Her progress, however, was hindered by the waters that reached mid-thigh. With much effort and exertion, she could see her destination was finally a few meters away.

Jack suddenly vanished from her sight.

"Jack?" Lisa called in confusion. She turned to look behind her. The young woman with the dark hair was likewise nowhere in sight.

Without warning, the flow of the river's current increased, steadily rising so the level now reached Lisa's hips.

"Jack!" Lisa called again, sensing danger. I need to make it to the other side, she thought to herself.

***

"I haven't thanked you yet for agreeing to look after Lisa through all this," Jack said to Cheryl as they walked towards the cafeteria.

"Just doing my job," the nurse said dismissively.

"Yeah, but all that extra stuff you had to go through with the police screening you, the secrecy, and that armed guard at the door—"

"It's fine, Jack," Cheryl said with emphasis. "A patient's life was at stake."

"Still, I'm grateful. Lisa wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"She's held her own, Jack," Cheryl said. "And she's very lucky to have you at her side. I don't have to tell you things could have been really grim if you hadn't been there the other night..."

Jack merely nodded, absently pulling at his cowboy hat. "Lucky" cowboy hat from now on, he mused.

***

"Hey, Lisa, it's Tim. I'm just here to sit with you for a little bit, 'cause honestly, Jack needs a break," Tim said softly. "I feel like we've just been through this sort of thing with Ty, you know? Some dumb luck this family has...

"I know you probably can't hear a word I'm saying, but I'm going to say it, anyway: You gotta wake up, Lisa. Jack needs you. We need you.

"I wasn't around when Lyndy died, and Jack—he'd already kicked me out of the house by then. But I saw how he loved her. And I see how he loves you now. You're his second shot at lasting happiness, Lisa; a shot he deserves to have for as long as he can.

"I remember the time I first really talked with you, back on that cattle drive we had for Ray's herd. Even then, I could tell he was a different man around you; a better man. If you don't make it, he'll be the most miserable, insufferable S.O.B. on the planet. A man can only take so much loss..."

"Tim, would you please move aside for a moment?"

Tim turned in surprise. He had not even heard when Dr. Kaminska entered the room.

"What's wrong?" Tim asked, picking up on her urgency. He automatically shifted aside so the doctor could get closer to her patient.

"I don't like how her oxygen levels are looking. There might be something going on with how the pleural space is draining. I'll need you to step outside, and please ask Cheryl to come back immediately."

"Yeah, sure. Okay," Tim said, instantly troubled. He quickly exited the room in search of the nurse.

Jack and Cheryl had just begun to return from the cafeteria with their meals when Tim spotted them in the distance.

"Cheryl!" he called. "The doc needs you right now."

"What is it?" she asked.

Jack tensed. "Is Lisa all right?"

"I don't know," Tim said in response to both of their questions. "Something about oxygen levels or whatever."

"On my way," Cheryl said, taking off at a pace, shoving her meal into Tim's hands.

Jack tried to follow as quickly as possible, but Tim stopped him. "Just wait, Jack," he said. "Let them do their jobs. I'm sure everything will be okay."

Annoyed Tim had blocked him, Jack was about to tell him to take a hike, but realised in the small confines of Lisa's room, he would only be uselessly crowding the women. Besides, he was not a doctor. He would be of no help to them.

***

Lisa felt the water all around her. The undertow pulled at her feet, dragging her from the riverbank, submerging her, preventing her from getting to dry land. Her breath was running out. Unless she found the strength to get her head above the surface, she knew she was not going to make it. The inevitable moment would come when she would have to inhale out of desperation.

I'm drowning, she thought, feeling as if her lungs were starting to fill with water.

***

"What's taking them so long?" Jack groused out loud when neither Cheryl nor Dr. Kaminska re-appeared after what seemed to him to be an exceptionally long time, when in reality it was mere minutes.

"I don't know," Tim said honestly.

"Well, I'm going in there," Jack said, making a move for the door.

"Jack, wait," Tim said tersely, grasping him firmly by the arm. "You don't know what they're doing in there."

"Exactly!" Jack said. "Let go of me."

"I'm no doctor," Tim said, still holding onto Jack. "Just stop and think for a moment. You know how badly Lisa was wounded. She's still got a tube in her chest. You going in there right now could put Lisa at more risk. Let them do their jobs."

"I have to do something!" Jack protested.

"Yeah—you have to wait," Tim retorted.

Just then, Jack and Tim noticed a young man with a black guitar case strapped to his back making his way down the corridor towards them. He appeared to be lost, as his uncertain glance shifted around the ward, seemingly looking for a specific room. Instantly alert for the potential threat of danger this newcomer might pose, Jack called out almost menacingly: "Can I help you?"

The young man started slightly. "Uh, I'm Luke," he said, nervously grasping the ID on the lanyard around his neck. "Music therapy. I, uh, it's only my second time here. I think I came down the wrong way..."

"Well, turn around and go back the way you came," snapped Tim, gesturing down the hall. "We didn't ask for any music therapist down here."

"Uh, okay, sorry," Luke said meekly, and began backing up before turning around.

"Wait a minute!" Jack called out, an idea suddenly taking root in his brain. Luke stopped in his tracks and swiveled his head back in surprise at Jack's command.

"Yeah?" came his wary response.

"That guitar any good?" Jack asked.

"Of course it is," Luke replied, almost taking offense. "Why?"

"I'd like to borrow it for a few minutes. Please."

Both Tim and Luke looked at Jack quizzically. Something in Jack's expression and demeanour must have convinced Luke his request was both sincere and desperate.

"Um... okay," he said after a few awkward beats. He slipped the guitar from his back, lowered it softly to the floor and unzipped the case. He withdrew a beautiful sunburst-coloured, six-string Fender acoustic guitar.

"Nice," Jack said approvingly, and deposited his own food items into Tim's already burdened hands. He took the instrument from Luke. Gently, he ran his thumb over the E-A-D-G-E sequence of strings, nodding with pleasure at the tone and resonance. "It's even all tuned up just right."

A small smile flickered on Luke's lips, clearly proud this stranger was impressed with his guitar.

"Be right back," Jack said, sliding the strap over his shoulder. He hustled down to the closed door of Lisa's private room. He still had no idea what was going on behind that door, but he hoped what he was about to do would somehow help matters.

They say patients can hear even if they're not conscious, he thought to himself. Lisa, if you can hear this, I need you to be okay... Jack positioned his fingers in the familiar position across the fretboard and began to strum the familiar chords. After taking a steadying breath, he began to sing:

"There's things I've been meaning to tell you, There's things that I've just got to say. So let's go for a walk, Somewhere quiet to talk, Maybe you'll see it my way..."

Tim and Luke listened, the former wondering what had possessed Jack to do this in the first place. Then he remembered where and when he had first heard this song. This is what Jack and Amy sang at Caleb's dinky little wedding reception, he thought.

Jack continued to sing:

"I felt for a while we've been drifting, With no reason to stay or to go. But I hope that whatever wind blew us together, Is stronger than we even know..."

***

Nurse Cheryl and Dr. Kaminska heard the sound of Jack's music-making through the closed door, but could not yet pause in their procedure to enjoy it.

"Aspirate PPC," Dr. Kaminska said. "Gently."

"Right," said Cheryl, following her colleague's spoken instructions, though she was familiar with the process. "Instilling sodium chloride..."

"Good," Dr. Kaminska said after a few moments. The pair continued to work together, slowly and methodically to unblock Lisa's pleural catheter.

***

Outside, Jack kept strumming and singing, hoping with all his heart Lisa was going to be okay.

"So walk me over this bridge, The river's so deep and so wide. Just walk me over the bridge, my darling, We'll get to the other side."

***

Lisa's vision was fading. The water that would surely become her grave grew dim and murky. When she was on the verge of giving up, she became aware of a faint sound, seemingly muffled by the water that submerged her. That sound now appeared as a distant point, like a tiny spark, and it was growing larger and brighter. She now perceived it as a sphere that was both music and light. Drawn to it, the sphere expanded and completely enveloped her.

***

"There's times I know you inside and outside There's times I don't know you at all But whatever we go through I'll be here loving you Even times when you don't hear me call..."

Please hear me call now, Lisa, Jack silently beseeched as he strummed the borrowed guitar.

"I know what we have is worth having, And I know what's ahead is worth more. So let's go for a walk, Somewhere quiet to talk, We'll see just what life's got in store."

***

The sphere of light and sound that was Jack's voice both surrounded and permeated Lisa's being, warming her and filling her with life. She felt as if she was being drawn up out of the suffocating pull of the river's currents, borne aloft, floating, weightless as a feather. She drifted towards the edge of the riverbank where a man in a cowboy hat stood with a guitar, his heartfelt song calling her to join him.

Jack... you came back, Lisa thought. I'm here. I love you.

***

"Reconnecting bung," Cheryl said.

"And we're done," Dr. Kaminska said a few moments later in relief, noting how Lisa's oxygen saturation level was already improving.

***

"So walk me over this bridge. The river's so deep and so wide, Just walk me over the bridge, my darling, Please be my place to hide."

"Walk me over this bridge, The river's so deep and so wide. Just walk me over the bridge, my darling, We'll get to —"

The door to Lisa's room opened, causing Jack to stop abruptly.

"Is she okay? What happened?" he asked, hurriedly pulling the guitar strap off his shoulder.

Dr. Kaminska smiled faintly. "We had a little scare, but Cheryl and I averted disaster."

"She's going to be okay, Jack," Cheryl said reassuringly while pulling off the PPE gown and tossing it in the laundry basket.

Jack closed his eyes and a silent prayer of thanks passed his lips. "Can I sit with her again?" he asked.

"Of course," replied Cheryl, then spotted Tim still holding their breakfast items. "After you eat something."

***

Calgary Herald — Online Version

BREAKING NEWS

HOSTAGE-TAKING AT AIRPORT RESOLVED

Herald Newsdesk

May 9, 2019

The Calgary Police Tactical Unit has resolved a hostage-taking at the Calgary International Airport without incident.

In custody is one Tanner Gunn, local businessman. Gunn was reportedly trying to flee the country on his private company jet after Calgary Police issued a warrant for his arrest in connection to an alleged murder-for-hire plot. Gunn reportedly took his own pilot hostage and demanded police allow him to take off. He surrendered when the Tac Team stormed the plane. The unnamed hostage was unharmed throughout the ordeal.

News item will be updated as more details become available.

***

Next Day

Hudson General Hospital

"Thank you for all agreeing to this meeting," Chief Parker said to all in attendance in Jesse Stanton's private recovery room. "It's unusual that this type of thing occurs before an arraignment and trial have even taken place—"

"Against my advice," interrupted Percy Clifton, Jesse Stanton's legal counsel. "Mr. Bartlett, I'm sure you're fully aware you are entitled to making your victim impact statement in court during the trial. I've allowed my client to participate in this little meeting as a show of good faith. As I understand, you've all known each other for many long years."

"That's right," Jack stated, looking straight at Jesse, wondering not for the first time how things had gone so wrong with him.

"I want to make it clear this is not a trial, and my client will not be harassed, and he will not be made to answer questions that may further incriminate him in any of the charges brought against him," Percy said. "After all, he is here recovering only because your granddaughter shot him."

"Oh, that's fine," Jack said coldly. "But he's already confessed to shooting my wife, and he was on his way to shoot my grandson-in-law, so cut the crap. We both already know he's guilty."

"That's for the courts to decide," Percy rejoined smugly. "And my client will have a fair trial."

"Yes, I'm sure he will," Jack said with a bob of his head.

"Jack, you may proceed with your statement to the accused," Chief Parker said, acting as mediator.

"Thank you," Jack said, then began his unscripted speech. "Jesse, I won't pretend to know what life was like at Briar Ridge when you were growing up, but I gather it was a privileged one. Must've made you feel pretty high and mighty, having everything handed to you on a silver platter."

Jesse, wearing a sling to support his injured shoulder, did not react to this; Ashley looked away, seemingly embarrassed and ashamed.

"I don't know what kind of values you were raised with," Jack continued. "If you were taught any at all, my guess is you threw them out the window the instant they got in the way of your pursuit of money and possessions."

Jesse remained impassive. Percy seemed to be losing his interest and his patience in this exercise, but Jack was not through. In fact, Jesse's lack of any emotional response was beginning to anger him.

"Was my wife's life so insignificant to you that you thought you could just snuff it out?!" seethed Jack. "What's the matter with you?"

Jesse's sullen expression hardened as he remained silent. He refused to meet Jack's eyes.

"If your mother were still alive—"

Mention of Val set Jesse off like a firecracker. "Don't you bring up my mother, Jack!" he finally snapped. "Her memory—it means nothing to me. Everything about her sickened me, you hear me? Everything! The way she treated us growing up, the way she continued to treat me even after I was supposed to have control of Briar Ridge... The way she kept trying to get into your life and into your bedroom..."

It took every ounce of control Jack possessed not to slam his fist into the young man's face and beat him senseless at that last crass insinuation. Ashley simply stared at her brother, open-mouthed.

"Oh, I can't tell you how thrilled I was that you kept rebuffing her," Jesse continued, not knowing when to be silent, but he was too full of venom and spite to care. "A bitter old woman like her didn't deserve to be happy, not after my father died and left her everything. Briar Ridge was supposed to be my inheritance!"

"You!" Ashley nearly shrieked as the full import of her brother's words dawned on her. "You had Mom killed?! How could you? How could you?!"

Unlike Jack, she lacked any control in that moment and laid into her brother with both fists, pounding at him in a rage-filled flurry of blows.

"Ms. Stanton, stop!" an aghast Chief Parker ordered, moving quickly to intervene.

"You've ruined our family! You've ruined us!" Ashley bawled as Parker did his best to restrain her without resorting to handcuffs.

"Escort her out of here, please, Constable McLeod," the chief said to the female constable who was waiting just beside the door.

The uniformed woman came forward hurriedly at that order. "Let's go," she said calmly, putting a firm, yet comforting arm around Ashley's shoulders. Ashley allowed herself to be led out, her sobs still racking her body.

Jack looked Jesse squarely in the face, having completely ignored Ashley's outburst. "Just tell me: why Lisa?"

"Mr. Stanton, I firmly advise you to ignore that question!" the lawyer squealed. The last thing he needed was his client to admit a clear motive for his actions.

Jesse tried to avoid Jack's gaze, though he seemed to be following his counsel's advice as he remained defiantly mute.

"Answer me, you punk!" Jack bellowed, completely disregarding Percy.

The lawyer narrowed his eyes at Jack. "Mr. Bartlett, I warned you before: my client will not be harassed! Chief, I object strongly to this—"

"It's over, Jesse," Chief Parker's low voice rumbled. "We know about you and Tessa Haywood helping Tanner Gunn to secure all those fraudulent policies on the members of the investors' group. We have them both in custody now. The man Gunn used as a middle man in your little murder-for-hire scheme confessed when Calgary detectives picked him up the other night. You also probably heard about the body we found near the Dude Ranch the other day. It might interest you to learn it was the hitman Tanner Gunn hired through the middle man.

"You should also know Dan Hartfield came to us, fearing for his life because he thought he saw a pattern and that he might be next on the list," Parker concluded.

"Was Lisa on the list, is that it?" Jack asked. "Is that why you tried to murder her?!"

Jesse finally raised his head. His eyes widened slightly in surprise at the intensity of the loathing he read in Jack's glare.

Several beats passed when no one spoke a word.

With a dirty scowl, Jesse finally broke off the staring contest with Jack. "She lived at Heartland," he eventually muttered. "That's why. She—"

"Mr. Stanton, again I beg you to stop talking before you—" interjected Percy in dismay.

"I—I don't understand," Jack stammered in confusion, overriding the lawyer's protests. "What do you mean by 'she lived at Heartland'?"

"Her being at Heartland meant she was closer to Briar Ridge than all the other members of the investors' group," Jesse explained in a tired voice. "Because of that, her movements were easier to keep track of than the others. That's all. That's why Lisa was it. Look, I was desperate, okay? Tanner's gambling buddies—they-they're vicious! They would have killed me if I didn't come up with the money I owed! I was going to lose Briar Ridge!"

"For the love of God, shut up!" Percy groaned and put his head in his hands.

"So when your mother's homicide investigation held up her insurance payouts, you needed another source, fast, didn't you?" Parker supplied the rest of the story.

Jesse did not even bother to deny it. "Yeah," he sniffed.

"That's why Tanner had Stanley Belmont pull Lisa's medical death certificate—so Tessa could start processing the payout for Lisa's life insurance policy."

Jesse nodded.

"And like your sister figured, you're the one who initiated the contract on your mother's life, aren't you?" Parker asked.

"Yeah," Jesse answered, fully defeated.

Percy uttered a few expletives under his breath. Jesse hung his head.

***

Hudson Times—Print Edition

May 10, 2019

Retraction Issued:

The Hudson Times prematurely reported the death of Lisa Stillman of Fairfield Stables. Stillman had been the victim of a shooting on May 2, as well as a physical assault on May 3 at the South Calgary Health Campus. Reports of her death were inaccurate and Stillman remains alive in hospital in stable condition. The Hudson Times apologizes for any confusion on the matter.

— The Hudson Times Editorial Team

***

Parker Residence

When Adam Parker arrived home from school, he was surprised to find both his parents—usually too busy with their respective high-demand jobs to be present together in the house at this hour—waiting to speak to him.

"Hi, Mom; hi, Dad," he began nervously. "What's going on?"

The Parkers looked at each other for a few beats. Without much preamble, Adam's mother asked him to have a seat. The teen slipped his backpack off his shoulders and obediently sat down opposite them in the living room.

"We understand how difficult it must have been for you when you and Georgina discovered that body out at the Dude Ranch the other day," Professor Ann Parker said to her son.

"And we understand you've been raised with a sense of justice, duty, and truth, thanks I'm sure, to my profession in law enforcement," Jim added.

"Right," Adam said slowly, wondering where they were going with this. "So..?"

"So, your father and I want to emphasize we're not totally upset at you for your non-school-related extra-curricular activities," Ann continued.

"What 'non-school-related extra-curricular activities'?" Adam asked with a confused frown.

"Your mother and I named you 'Adam', not 'Hudson Hawk'," Jim said pointedly.

Adam's eyes went wide as saucers. "My blog. How did you—?"

"C'mon, son, did you really think I didn't know about that?" asked Jim.

"I-uh... I hoped it was anonymous enough not to have anyone know it was mine," Adam muttered lamely.

"Give your old man a little credit," Jim said with a chuckle. "I'm a trained investigator."

"I know, I know," Adam said hastily.

"You were poking your nose in some sensitive areas," Jim said, growing serious again. "You could have made the wrong people very uncomfortable with all those theories you were throwing around. It was rash, and it was risky."

"Yes, sir," Adam said, dropping his gaze to his lap, wondering how much trouble he was in.

"Though I have to say you did a remarkable job coming up with your theories with the minimum amount of information available to you," Jim said.

"Oh. Well, thanks, Dad," Adam said shyly.

"We won't tell you to stop blogging, Adam, but..." Ann started to say.

Jim nodded in agreement and added: "Just be careful in the future—not that we expect you to be this close to any more murder investigations any time soon."

"I'll be careful, Mom and Dad. Thank you." Adam declared, relief blossoming now that he realised this was ultimately turning out to be a moment of praise and not punishment.

"That's all we ask, son," Jim said. "Go on, now. Someone needs to keep an eye on Hudson."

"Right. Uh, I'd actually really like to check in on Georgie and see how she's doing," Adam said.

"Go ahead," Ann said.

"Thanks."

***

Heartland

"So, it never was about Herring, was it?" Adam asked Georgie as they sat on the porch after revealing to her the Hudson Hawk blog was his.

"Nope," she replied.

"I guess that's a good thing? Sort of?" Adam asked.

Georgie simply shrugged. "We did find out Jesse was the one who slipped a few poisoned pieces of dog food into the bag of dog chow, though. He did it to get her out of the way so he could sneak up on Ty in the barn office."

Adam heard the note of absolute repugnance in her voice, spoken through clenched teeth.

"She's gonna be okay, though, right?" he asked.

"Ty thinks so. We acted quickly enough that there likely won't be any lasting damage," Georgie said. "But she could have died."

"I'm glad she didn't," Adam said, thinking in that moment of his own deceased dog, Digger.

"Me, too..." Georgie trailed off. Her thoughts had once again drifted to how they found the body near the Dude Ranch. She sincerely wanted to rid herself entirely of the memory of it and the smell of it, the latter of which seemed to have taken up permanent residence inside her nasal cavities. She shivered despite the warmth of the spring afternoon.

"Are you all right?"

"Um, not really," Georgie mumbled. "It's just... everything, you know? It's kind of..."

"Overwhelming," Adam supplied in his usual dry manner when Georgie did not continue. "I thought so. It's perfectly normal to feel that way after all the particularly traumatic experiences you've undergone lately."

"We found a dead body, Adam," Georgie nearly growled, perturbed he was seemingly unaffected by the gruesome incident. "And not just any 'body'. We found the body of the man who killed Val Stanton; the body of the man who nearly suffocated Lisa to death in the hospital... He would have gotten away with everything if the bear hadn't got him first."

"We don't know that," Adam said. "My dad was already turning his investigation to the investors' group and Tanner Gunn. Finding that guy's body only made it easier to connect the dots."

Georgie gave her head a doubtful shake.

"Hey," Adam said, thinking better of his last comment. "I'm sorry. You were grossed out by that body. We don't have to talk about it anymore if it's too much."

"No," Georgie said slowly. "It helps to talk about it. Just not any more right now. Okay?"

"Okay," Adam said. "But for what it's worth, I'm glad we found that guy's body together. I mean, I'm glad you weren't by yourself."

Georgie conceded that would definitely have been much worse. "I'm glad you were there, too, Adam."

"That's what friends are for," he replied, giving a rare, genuine smile.

***

HUDSON TIMES—PRINT EDITION

Briar Ridge Heir Charged With Two Counts of Attempted Murder

Hudson Police also bring charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit murder

Nadir Jutley

May 11, 2019

Jesse Alexander Stanton, heir to Briar Ridge Stables, has been arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of soliciting the murder of his mother, Valerie Jane Stanton.

Hudson Police, in cooperation with Calgary authorities, have also brought charges against Theresa Stephanie Haywood, Tanner Vincent Gunn, Stanley Arthur Belmont, and William Edgar Ulrich in connection with the case.

Story continues on pg. 3...

Email: nadir_jutley

***

Calgary Herald—PRINT EDITION

Arrests Made in Cold Case

Suspects in year-old double-homicide charged with insurance fraud along with conspiracy to commit multiple murders

Erika Volmeyer

May 11, 2019

Calgary Police, with the cooperation of the Hudson Police Department, have made several arrests in connection to the year-old murders of Laurence and Paige Barick.

Local businessman Tanner Vincent Gunn, Calgary resident Theresa Stephanie Haywood, and Hudson resident Jesse Alexander Stanton, have been arrested in connection with the murders of the Baricks, one Valerie Stanton of Hudson, and the attempted murders of Lisa Stillman and Tyler Borden, also of Hudson.

The trio face further charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit murder.

Also facing charges is one William Edgar Ulrich of Calgary, and Stanley Arthur Belmont of Hudson.

Story continues on pg. 7...

Email: e_volmeyer

***

Next Evening

South Calgary Health Campus

"Hiya, Cowboy."

An automatic smile flashed across Jack's face at the sound of his wife's soft voice. He peeled open his eyes and drew himself up to a fully seated position.

"Hi, Lis. How're you feeling?" A tender smile creased his face.

"Like I could use more drugs," she said wryly. "And I am a little hungry, to be honest."

"That's a real good sign," Jack said, gently holding her hand in his. "Want me to call a nurse?"

"Yes, please."

Jack pressed the call button to do just that.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied. "Just fine, now that I know you're out of the woods."

"Your bruises are still pretty awful, Jack."

He drew her hand to his lips to kiss it. "They were all worth it, Lis."

"Any news on the man who tried to... Did they catch him yet?"

"Uh, yes and no," Jack hedged.

She regarded him with a quizzical frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The nurse appeared then, halting the response Jack was about to utter. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"My wife's in some pain," Jack explained.

"She's due for another dose," the nurse stated, coming in and adjusting the I.V. flow. Her nametag identified her as 'Sandra'.

"Thanks, Sandra," Lisa said.

"You should be feeling better pretty soon," Sandra said. "Anything else you need?"

"Am I too late to get dinner?"

"Not at all," said the nurse. "I'll have them send you a tray."

"Great," Lisa said. "I'm starving."

When Sandra had departed, Lisa turned her attention back to her husband. "What were you saying about the man responsible for all this?"

"Yeah, about him," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck as a sudden chill crept up on him. "They didn't catch him—because he's dead."

Lisa's eyes went wide. "Dead?" she repeated. "What happened?"

"What happened is that he got too close to the bear that's been wandering around Hudson, that's what."

"You're joking," Lisa said.

"Nope," said Jack with a serious shake of his head. "Adam and Georgie were out for a ride a few days ago. They thought they spotted something that shouldn't be there, so Adam called his father."

"That 'something'—it was a body, wasn't it?"

"Yup," Jack said in confirmation. "Chief Parker's people found the man's mauled body near the Dude Ranch. He'd been staying in Cabin Two the whole time."

"What?!" Lisa exclaimed.

"I know. Crazy, isn't it?"

"I-I don't even know what to say," Lisa stammered.

"There's more," Jack said uneasily, wondering if the time was right to dump everything on her now.

"More?"

"Jesse Stanton has confessed to shooting you."

"Jesse Stanton?" a perplexed Lisa echoed. "Why would he? I don't—that doesn't make any sense at all."

"I know," Jack said. "It doesn't make sense. But Jesse Stanton, for all his wealth and privilege, hasn't got a moral bone in his body."

Lisa watched Jack and waited for him to explain. "What are you not telling me?"

"Jesse also tried to kill Ty in the barn a few nights ago."

"He what?! Is Ty okay?"

"Ty's just fine," Jack assured her. "All because Amy was on the alert. She caught Jesse just in time. Shot him with my rifle."

If Jack had grown two heads in that instance, Lisa could not have been more astonished.

"Did Amy... kill him?" Lisa asked tentatively.

"Oh, no. Jesse's still very much alive," Jack grunted sourly. And he's lucky Chief Parker was in the room when I saw him earlier. "He's probably going to have a bum shoulder for the rest of his life, though."

"This is crazy, Jack," Lisa said with a shake of her head. "Make it make sense to me, because right now I feel like I've stepped into an episode of The Twilight Zone."

Jack could see Lisa was overwhelmed with all these disparate pieces of information coming her way.

"From what the police uncovered, Jesse conspired with Tanner Gunn to have that dead guy in the woods kill Val," he explained. "They think the dead guy is also responsible for Lanny and Paige."

"Jesse and Tanner Gunn?! Lanny and Paige... But-but... Why?!"

"Both Jesse and Tanner have admitted they needed the money to cover their gambling debts," Jack said. "They had insurance policies taken out for all of you on that investors' group Tanner had going. The police are auditing the group's books now, too. They suspect Tanner's been embezzling the funds."

"Wait a minute, what 'insurance policies'?" Lisa asked, head still spinning. "How was he able—? I never, ever signed up for anything like that."

"That was Jesse Stanton's doing," Jack replied grimly. "Apparently, Tanner roped him into his gambling circle some time ago. When Tanner started owing big-time, Jesse convinced his girlfriend, Tessa, who worked at an insurance agency in Calgary, to falsify the documents. Lanny's was the first."

Lisa's mouth went dry as her lips turned down into a deep pout. "Executive assistant" indeed, she thought now of that not-so-long-ago conversation she had with the young woman at Val Stanton's funeral reception. And to think I thought she was merely a gold-digger at worst.

"So Jesse and Tanner were using us as their personal slush fund, is that it?" she finally asked in disgust after digesting this piece of news. "The investors' group was all a sham from the beginning."

"Hey, you couldn't have known," Jack said.

"But I should have," she replied bitterly. "I should have known nothing good was going to come of anything Dan recommended."

"Well, you'll get no argument from me on that one, Lis," Jack said. "But at least Scott's clinic got something out of it for a while, right?"

Lisa closed her eyes, feeling more drained than ever. "I guess."

"So don't go beating yourself up about it," Jack advised. He hated to give Dan any further credit, but nevertheless told Lisa how Dan had gone running to Chief Parker because he started to suspect he might be the next target on Tanner's would-be hit list.

"If Dan hadn't spoken up, the cops might not have turned their attention to Tanner Gunn so quickly. It's how they were able to find out about his gambling problem—and Jesse's, by extension."

"Hmm," Lisa murmured. "Dan was saving his own skin, is more like it. Oh, did I say that out loud?"

Jack regarded her with amusement. "You did."

"Shoot. I meant to keep that to myself."

"You do make a habit of that, you know," Jack commented.

"Of what?" Lisa asked.

"Keeping things to yourself."

Lisa gave an impatient sigh. "It's not that I want to," she said. "Some things just aren't worth mentioning. There are some things you don't need to hear."

"Like the email threats you got from that fringe animal-rights group?" Jack asked. He had not wanted to spring it on her like this, but he did not want the opportunity to pass now that they were on the subject of keeping secrets.

Lisa stared at him. Her jaw slackened slightly. "H-how did you—?"

"Chief Parker," Jack said. "He had to cover every angle, Lis. His team poked through your emails and found the threats. Why didn't you tell the police? Why didn't you tell me?"

Lisa exhaled sharply, then grimaced at the action. Her chest and side were still so tender, thanks to a couple cracked ribs from when Nurse Cheryl was forced to administer CPR the night of the attack by the hitman. "Fairfield has been receiving those kinds of 'threats' since my dad was alive, Jack," she finally said. "Their bark is worse than their bite. I ignore them because it's not worth it. If I'd told you about it, what would you have done?"

"Probably gone off on them and knocked a few heads together," Jack admitted sheepishly.

"Exactly," Lisa said, "which is exactly what I don't need. There will always be people who don't like horseracing, or the rodeo, or the chucks, or anything with the potential for these animals to get hurt. All I can do is make sure my horses get the best treatment when they're at Fairfield. It's how my dad ran things, and it's how I intend to keep running things. I need to be able to look at myself in the mirror every day and see someone who's doing things the right way."

Jack smiled at her. "In case there was ever any doubt, I see someone who's doing things the right way."

"Thank you for that," said Lisa.

"Still, I wish you'd told me," Jack said. "You don't have to face that stuff alone, even if it only amounts to a bunch of baseless accusations of abuse."

"I promise from now on I will tell you," Lisa said, "if you promise not to go beating them up."

"I promise."

Presently, one of the hospital volunteers arrived with Lisa's dinner tray.

"Thanks," Jack said, taking the meal from the young woman's outstretched hands.

"What is it?" Lisa asked expectantly.

Jack looked at the menu printout sheet and cautiously raised the lids. "Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, diced carrots, some crackers, and apple juice," he announced.

"I am so glad they're letting me eat solid food," Lisa sighed, gingerly shifting herself into more of an upright position. This was not the easiest of maneuvers as her left arm was still immobilized, and even the slightest motion exacerbated the pain of the patched-up wounds in her side.

Jack caught her grimace. "You okay?"

"Fine," she grunted. "Nothing I can't handle."

"Here, let's get that bed adjusted," he said, taking the bed's control and pressing the button to raise the mattress so Lisa had enough back support.

"Thank you," she said, and relaxed as she reclined more comfortably against the now almost vertical upper section of the bed.

"Ready for the first bite?" Jack asked, scooping up a small mound of the potato.

Lisa nodded, and allowed her husband to feed her. Despite feeling quite hungry, exhaustion very quickly took over.

"Had enough?" Jack asked a few minutes later when Lisa put up a hand to stop him from bringing her another bite of the Salisbury steak. She let go a short breath and gave a tired nod after swallowing. "I think that short walk I got to take today tired me out more than I thought."

"Then let's take a pause from eating. Relax," Jack said, putting down the fork.

"I would like some of that apple juice, though," she said, eying the cup. He lifted the drink and angled the straw towards her lips.

Jack waited while she took a couple sips. Once she was finished swallowing, he set the cup back down. He noted with a flicker of concern that more than half the meal still remained on the tray. Unexpectedly, a memory bubbled up from when they were lost in the woods while the status of their relationship was uncertain.

"How do you know ten years from now I won't need somebody to feed me mashed potatoes?" Lisa had asked when he expressed to her his fears about growing old, and her being burdened with taking care of him.

"You're a lot younger than me, Lis."

"You got pretty quiet there, Cowboy. What are you thinking about?" she gently asked, pulling Jack back to the present.

"I was thinking..." he began slowly, "I was thinking that I never thought I'd be playing the role of caregiver in this marriage."

"And you're doing a great job," Lisa said. "I feel very cared-for, Jack. Thank you for being here."

"I couldn't imagine being anywhere else, Lis."

"Can you stay with me again tonight?" she asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes, please," she answered.

"Then I'll stay."

"Good," Lisa said happily.

***

Chapter 12: A Place Called Heartland

[basofy]

it's pathetic

[aquynh]

thinking about buddy daddies and the moment i saw kazuki setting aside money for his ex i immediately started thinking abt a scene somewhere in the future where the kazuki & rei are on an outing with miri and kazuki just happens to run into his ex and its this whole thing™️ where kazuki looks back on his past and what he has now . a family w rei & miri

[jackinalex]

I’m sorry this is about Lisa, but seeing her wearing Alex’s Pink Floyd shirt that Jack bought for him makes me feel a certain way..

Again, this is is why I don’t follow her.

[kerryweaverlesbian]

My tier list! I am only just halfway through s13 so this may change when I actually finish the show. The greatest enemy tier is, to be honest, mostly because I thought it was really funny to have just kid characters on the enemy tier. Or is it. Those whom I'm killing with hammers are those who WASTED MY TIME. GET OFF MY SCREEN. oh oops I mis-clicked with John, he should be one up. He's interesting!! Awful person but great character.

For it's complicated I put characters that I like but the writing around them was really weird - Garth kinda stops being fun after season 7? Which is odd? But maybe he recovers later. I coulda put Donna in that too. Let your quirky guys be FUN. PLEASE. That's why you invented them!!!! And the Empty is in there because I thought they were annoying BUT the Misha Empty voice cracked me up from being SO bad so I think of it with affection.

I left out characters I haven't met yet or enough to have an opinion on.

SPN characters tier list

The results of the poll series are finally here!

Tiers E, G and H turned out to be unnecessary.

Mrs. Butters' poll options are tied, so I've moved her to the "It's Complicated" section.

You can make your own tier list here.

[addictiedtocrimedrama]

26 Years- Chapter 1: Prologue (part 2, because Tumblr won't let me post it as a whole)

Check out part one for the first half of the fic

check out part 1 here

as usual the gif credit goes to @shannyfishwriter because like I said in my last two post of my fanfics it's from their blog where I save the gif and my I add a whole heap more the the three seen so far

In 2009 Jack and Clara had another baby boy who they named Rillie Jacob "RJ" Garrett. The next year was full of stress because first Strauss was killed and Matt became Section Chief then Jeanna Lewis who was their Technical Analyst retired, and their secret almost came into the light while doing a job interview with one of the applicants and almost told the media because she got rejected. And all of that happened in just the first quarter of the year. Later in the year, Clara gave birth to her and Jack's youngest child and daughter, name Emma Rose Garrett.

In late 2020 Clara's brother Brad died in the line of duty and she went on a 2-year bureau sabbatical to clear her head but stayed in touch with her family and kept them updated on her location. The following year Emma joined the FBI's Junior Special Agent Program and later decided that she would join would be the IRT and follow her parents foot steps. Through the program, she met Lisa Garcia a Filipino-American girl who would later be her partner in the field. In 2022 Clara rejoined the team after their case in Thailand where she just so happens to be at the time.

Now it's been almost a year since Clara's return and almost 25 years of hiding the fact that they're married. Ryan is now an FBI agent Jack jr. is in the Marines, the twins are finishing college, and RJ and Emma are starting Junior High. But after this year's events, how will Jack and Clara keep everything a secret from the team now? Questions will spark that sooner or later they need to answer. How will their lives change in the aftermath of a disaster that affects more families than just the Garrett family?

A/n: I hope you guys enjoyed the story. I don't know when I'll be able to update this story since the school year just started last month where I live, so it's still unclear to me when I'll be able to update it.

A/n2 : When Emma joined the IRT she used the surname Rubirosa which is Clara's true maiden name (a one shot about that will hopefully be uploaded soon) and to also distinguish her from her Jack.

A/n3: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7359148/1/29-Years - this is the link to the fanfic "29 Years" where I got the inspiration for this fic/chapter came from

[deancasbigbang]

Arms Around His Angel

Author: blackhorsedances

Artist: stonelions

Rating: Explicit

Pairings: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Benny LaFitte/Garth Fitzgerald IV, Gabriel/Kali. Charlie Bradbury/Meg Masters; Jody Mills/Donna Hanscum. Past Dean and Lee Webb; Past Dean and Lisa Braeden; Past Dean and Benny LaFitte. Sam Winchester/Jess Winchester.

Length: 45831

Warnings: N/A

Tags: Alternate Universe. Inventor Castiel, Rancher Dean Winchester. Top Cas/Bottom Dean. Angst. Miscommunication. Hurt/Comfort. Smut. Fluff. Happy Ending.

Summary: “What’s Jack doing, Sam? Garth says he and Honeybee are out most days from breakfast until well after lunch. Jody says he packs peanut butter and banana sandwiches.” Sam shrugs. “He says he’s out visiting Mister Cas. I think he probably found the fort we built that one summer, and is holed up out there with sandwiches for his imaginary friends. Let it be, Dean. The heifers are out in the north pasture. The steers are in the east pasture. There’s nothing out by the fort to worry about.” “Snakes, Sam. There are snakes to worry about.” Sam looks at Dean across the kitchen island, and shakes his head, hair flopping over into his eyes. “You’re the one that told me that a mule will kill a snake faster than you can say ‘snake’, and I believe you because I’ve seen Honeybee do it. Let him be. Ben will be out of school in a couple of weeks, and he’ll be following Ben around like a puppy.” “Heh, you’re probably right.” Dean runs a hand down the back of his neck. “I know I am, Dean. You worry about all of us, but you worry too much. You can’t watch over everyone all of the time.”

Link to Fic | Link to Art

[foolondahill17]

Dean Winchester’s half-way house for orphaned half-monsters (and humans)

Do you like Dean and kids? Have you been itching for a Dean-collects-all-the-strays fic? Well, have I got the story for you! It starts with a simple enough premise: what if Dean and Sam brought Bobby John to Lisa instead of Samuel? From there, it spirals outward into a complete series overhaul: Saving people, fixing things, the fanfic business.

The plots of seasons 6-15 crest and break, and all along, Dean sweeps up every possible kid, adult, and monster that washes on his shore, eventually turning the Bunker into a safehouse for anyone displaced by things that go bump in the night.

Despite its fluffy premise, this is not a fluffy fic. There’s angst aplenty and trauma by the truckload. I don’t shy away from the seasons’ various events, and the “collecting kids” part of the story sometimes takes a backseat to the true heart of the story: healing from generational trauma and carving out your own piece of, well, peace.

Some things you might look forward to:

Road trips

Bobby putting the fear of God in anyone who messes with children

Dean and Cas circling each other like love-sick vultures

Sam smoking weed

Charlie (alive!) being the best gay aunt ever

Dean calling Benny “Cas” during sex

Baby!Amara, Baby!Jack, all the babies! All the kiddos! All the chaos!

Make sure you check the story-wide and chapter-specific trigger warnings. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions.

I can’t wait for y’all to read it. It’s truly been a labor of love over the past two and a half years. And thank you to all who’ve followed along from the start or are just finding it now!

Tag list:

@angelsdean

@scoobydoodean

@whatseriously

@deanwinchesterwebsite

@imperfectlynatural

@em-bitterred

@cinderellarhea

@pleaseraisemefromperdition

@dyadiccalamity

@pinkdean

@blue-eyed-cutiepatootie

@blackmoldmp3

@hellerstiel

[ladyofthe-lake]

All My Love | Destiel Dads Fic

Just posted the first 3 chapters of my kid fic that started as a quick little drabble in Suptober (called "Face Paint & Stickers") and spiraled out of control~

Will be updating regularly! Huge thanks to my wife @alchemillalost for beta-ing for me

Summary:

Dean's got his hands full with his kids and isn't looking for love. Emma's 13, a young and rebellious teenager, and Dean's still trying to figure out co-parenting 5-year-old Ben with Lisa after their separation. Castiel has just moved to Lawrence to become caregiver for his 3-year-old nephew, Jack, after his sister Anna's sudden death. When the two meet at the local fall festival, neither is able to resist their desire for the other, despite the complications of family life.

Read it here!

[meta-squash]

End Of Days is a really great episode for everyone's acting (Burn Gorman especially) but I'm rewatching and taking notes on it for my weird experimental fic and man there's just a big giant gaping plot hole in the central conflict and I always forget that it drives me nuts to watch this episode. They completely fail to explain what Emergency Protocol One is, why the team know to use it when they mutiny against Jack, why they know that it exists in the first place.

Except that there's a whole scene that explains it that was cut from the shooting script. It takes place just after Gwen brings Rhys down into the vault in the hub. Tosh, Ianto, and Jack are in the main part of the hub:

JACK: Tosh, dig up as much information on Bilis as you can find. Trawl back the last 200 years if you have to: I want to know who he is, where he's been. Ianto, get on to UNIT and the Ministry of Defence, get them to mobilise a united response force for any further incidents. IANTO: This is all we're gonna do? Mop up the consequences. JACK: We deal with the weird stuff. Nothing's changed. TOSH: Jack, everything's changed! Our workload just multiplied a thousandfold -- overnight! We're not equipped to deal with this amount of incidents. We can't just carry on as before! JACK: What, you got a better idea? IANTO: There's a procedure for this. You know there is. Emergency Protocol One. JACK: No way. TOSH: What's Emergency Protocol One? And how come I don't know about it? IANTO: The information's buried deep in the archive. It's the last resort. A contingency created by the people who built Torchwood. To fully open the rift. TOSH: We can actually do that? But-- JACK: [firm, interrupting] It's never been used. With good reason. Torchwood sits on top of the rift. Open it and this building will be the first to go. IANTO: I'd make that sacrifice. [stares at the other two] Wouldn't you? TOSH: Except -- if it's an untested procedure… what if it doesn't work? We might destroy ourselves and leave the rift open. JACK: [To Ianto] And who's left to protect the planet, then?

Then Gwen comes up from the cells and that's where the scene picks up in the actual episode, with Jack asking if Rhys woke up. It explains why Ianto and Tosh are willing to team up with Owen and Gwen with such sureness. It explains why Ianto is the first one to state that they're not going to stop Owen when Jack commands them to. It explains why they suddenly seem so sure of themselves and what they're doing. It also means that there could have been a visual moment where the audience watches everything click into place for Ianto and Tosh, realizing exactly what their visions of Tosh's mum/Lisa want them to do.

[babydollmarauders]

HITS DIFFERENT— JACK HUGHES

final part of the Midnights Fic List

summary: in which y/n and Jack were in a relationship for 4 years before deciding to go separate ways, but everything reminds her of him and y/n realizes she’s made a mistake by letting him go.

specific lyrics: “i washed my hands of us at the club, you made a mess of me. i pictured you with other girls in love, then threw up on the street.” and “they say that if it's right, you know. each bar plays our song, nothing has ever felt so wrong.” and “i find the artifacts, cried over a hat, cursed the space that i needed. i trace the evidence, make it make some sense why the wound is still bleedin'. you were the one that i loved.” and “i heard your key turn in the door down the hallway. is that your key in the door? is it okay? is it you?” and “i never don't cry at the bar. yeah, my sadness is contagious. i slur your name 'til someone puts me in a car.” and “love is a lie; shit my friends say to get me by.”

notes: i don't know how i feel about this one. i feel like i could've potentially done better, but anyways MIDNIGHTS FIC LIST IS OFFICIALLY DONE! it's a month later than i had originally wanted to finish it, but it's finally done!

the reflection staring back at me is a bit of a hot mess. mascara smudged, hair tousled, lipstick fading. i stare in the mirror until i feel the sting of the hot water on my hands, pulling them back with a hiss of pain. the alcohol running through my veins helps me avoid overthinking about this dingy club bathroom, my shoes sticking to the floor with every step. but the buzz does nothing to help with the thoughts that run through my mind when i hear the song that’s blasting from the speakers throughout the club.

“y/n/n, you good?” my head snaps over to Marie, her upper body peeking in through the bathroom door. one look at me makes her sigh. “you’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”

“it’s our song.” i explain, as though she hasn’t heard the same excuse at every other bar we’ve been to in the past six months.

“i know it is, hun.” she gives me a pitiful smile, fully entering the grimy bathroom in order to grab my hand.

“it just feels so wrong hearing it without him.” tears well up in my eyes, my heart hurting just a little extra.

“let’s go get you another drink.” i give a numb nod in response, letting her lead me to our other friends that sit in a booth by the bar. at the sight of my state, they both give each other an unspoken glance before giving me a look of pity.

“i ordered you another tequila sunrise.” Beth tells me, sliding the drink towards me. i drop into the booth, muttering a short ‘thanks’ before gulping at the drink.

“lay it on us, babe. what’s on your mind tonight?” Lisa pipes up, sipping at her own drink and raising a brow at me.

“i just— they say that if it’s right, you know. and i thought we were right. but, it makes no sense because why didn’t i know until we broke up? i mean, i knew. obviously i knew, i followed him here from Michigan. but, i didn’t know know until we separated, ya know?”

“i’m gonna be honest, i only understood maybe half of what you just said.” Lisa says, making Beth and Marie giggle. “but love is a lie, y/n/n. sure, you can like someone enough to be with them for a long time, but romantic love? complete bullshit. it doesn’t exist. this isn’t the movies.”

“she’s right. and the quicker you realize that, the quicker you’ll get over him.” Marie nods, pointing at Lisa as she speaks while Beth hums in agreement.

“i don’t know if i’ll ever get over him. i love him. i miss him.” i whine. “i want him back. i don’t wanna be here. i want Jack.”

“alright, maybe it’s time we get you back home.” Beth sighs, tapping her thumbs on her phone. ordering an uber, i assume.

“i don’t wanna go home. i wanna see Jack.”

“you can’t see Jack, y/n. you’re drunk, and you guys broke up.” Marie pats my shoulder, helping me out of the booth and out of the club, the other two girls following behind us.

i continue mumbling to myself, my words slurred, and i’m eighty percent sure that the only actual audible word was my ex’s name.

“c’mon, hun. watch your head.” Lisa coos, helping me into the uber. “we’ll see you on tuesday, babe. get some sleep.”

Marie and Beth call out some goodbyes before Lisa shuts the car door, she motions for the guy up front to lower his window, whispering something to him before he starts off towards my house.

“would it be too late to ask to change the drop off location?” i ask him, anxiously playing with the strap of my purse as i speak.

“i’m sorry, ma’am. your friend just told me you might ask that. she said i’m under strict orders to take you straight to the predetermined destination.” i heave out a deep breath, slumping back into the seat of the car.

it doesn’t take too long to get to my apartment complex, muttering a ‘thank you’ to the man before sliding out of the vehicle and making my way up to my apartment. as soon as i make it into the apartment, i bee-line for my bedroom, stripping out of my club outfit and changing into some leggings and a tank top. i wipe off my makeup and throw my hair up before entering my closet. my sights set on the old USA Hockey sweatshirt on my shelf, i hop up, reaching for the article of clothing. however, as soon as i pull it down, something else comes tumbling down with it, falling to the floor in front of me.

slipping the sweatshirt on, i bend down to pick up the fallen item. holding it, tears prick the backs of my eyes as i realize what it is, Jack’s hat. his New York Yankees hat to be exact. my heart aches remembering the times he wore it. our Yankees game, date nights, even just lounging around the house. clutching the hat to my chest, i sink to the floor, sitting criss cross as i cry.

space. why did i think i needed space? i got plenty of space when he was always gone for roadies. fuck space. i just want him. my fingers trace the Yankees symbol, my tears falling down onto the dark blue fabric. why does it still hurt so bad? it’s been six months.

i know it may not help that i’m still in the same apartment we shared. every piece of this home reminds me of him. but it’s been much too hard to move. i tried looking at other apartments, but nothing felt as right as this one. i’m not ready to give up the last piece i have of the one i love.

too busy crying on the closet floor, i barely hear the lock on the front door turning. my head snaps up at the sound, trying to remember which of my friends have spare keys. Marie, Beth, and Lisa are the only ones, but i just left them. that only leaves two other options, Quinn or Jack. but, that i’m aware of, Quinn is still in Vancouver. i know he doesn’t have another game in New Jersey until next month. which only leaves Jack. i try not to get my hopes up, but i can’t help but wonder if it’s him, if he’s come back. the chances are slim. it’s been six months, why would he come back now?

i come to the decision that it’s probably Marie checking up on me. probably worried about the way i was when we parted not that long ago. it wouldn’t be the first time she’s checked on me.

footsteps thump against the wooden floors, getting closer to the bedroom, and i huddle further into the closet, hoping Marie will just leave me alone. tears still stream down my face as i clutch the hat closer to my chest, letting out silent sobs.

“y/n?”

that’s not Marie.

too exhausted, i opt out of leaving the closet, not even able to get myself to speak without being racked with sobs. i sniffle as i hear him pass the closet, the footsteps stop for a moment before i hear them start again, getting closer to the cracked open closet door. i don’t bother looking, fully believing that at this point i’m a mix of drunk and sleep deprived, just hearing things that aren’t there. i wipe at my eyes but the tears keep coming. i shift to bring my knees to my chest, the hat now gripped in my hands in front of me.

“oh, baby.” i hear from behind me before a body drops down beside me on the floor, pulling me into them. his cologne fills my senses, my face buried into his chest. the scent fills me with melancholy, memories of when he used to hold me close and whisper sweet nothings in my ear. comforting me. making me feel at home within his arms.

“it’s okay.” as if i summoned the whispers with my thoughts, his breath fans across my ear. “i’m here. i’ve got you. i’m right here.”

his reassurances calm me just slightly, but the real help is when he splays a hand along my chest, taking deep breaths. muscle memory takes over as i mimic his breathing.

“what are you doing here?” i ask once i’ve finally calmed enough to speak. i wipe at my nose with the sleeve of my sweatshirt, finally looking up into the blue eyes that peer down at me.

“Beth called me.” he whispers.

“she did?”

“yeah. she told me you’re not doing okay.” he confesses. “she didn’t tell me much more than that. just that she’d really appreciate if i checked on you.”

“you came over here in the middle of the night just to check on me?” i question. “you have a game tomorrow. you should be sleeping.”

“you’re a lot more important than a game.” his hand moves from my chest to cup my jaw. “i told you i would always be here for you, y/n. i meant it.”

“but, we broke up. i didn’t think you cared anymore.” a lone tear drops from my right eye as i speak.

“i’ll always care about you. i don’t think i can ever stop. i love you, y/n/n. and i know you said you wanted space, and i respected that, but i told you when we broke up that i would be here when you decided you were ready.” he pauses, his eyes scanning my face before he continues speaking. “and now i really hope you’re ready because these past few months have been hell without you.”

“i made a mistake. i don’t want space. i want you. you’re the only thing i’ve wanted since i was seventeen.” my voice is barely above a whisper, scared for his response.

“you have me. i’m right here.” his eyes jump between my own and my lips three times before he leans down. i meet him halfway, our lips pressing together in a slow kiss. gentle passion and love radiates between us, his hands cupping my face as mine grip the nape of his neck as if he'll disappear from my hold.

pulling away, his forehead leans against mine. my breath catches in my throat at the sight of the smile gracing his lips. a smile of my own spread across my face and i crane my neck to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

"i missed you so much." i admit. "moving on from boys in high school was so easy, but the heartbreak hit different this time."

"that's how you know it's real. we're real. there's no moving on from us." he tells me. "at least, not for me."

he pulls me in tighter against him, crashing his lips against mine once more, and i feel content again, my life being fixed with such a simple motion.

[help-i-need-a-cool-username]

Been reading some genderbent spn fics and i disagreed with some of the alternate names some authors gave the characters so i thought id give it a shot myself

There are specific reasons for each name i chose but this is already gonna be long enough so ill skip it for now but if you want to know feel free to ask

Angels

All their names are the same. No difference

Jack Kline -> Jackie Kline

Winchesters

John Winchester -> Joan Winchester

Mary Winchester -> Maury Winchester

Dean Winchester -> Deanna "Dean" Winchester

Samuel "Sam" Winchester -> Samantha "Sam" Winchester

Adam Miligan -> Addison "Addie" Miligan

Hunters

Robert "Bobby" Singer -> Roberta "Bobbie" Singer

Ellen Harvelle -> Allen Harvelle

Joanna Beth "Jo" Harvelle -> Joseph Seth "Joe" Harvelle

Garth Fitzgerald IV -> no change

Jody Mills -> no change

Claire Novak -> Clarence Novak

Eileen Leahy -> sill deciding (current contender: Eli. Maybe Elliott. Tbh i dont like either) edit: after much research ive narrowed it down to Ailean, Eleon, and Eilon/Elon

Allies

Charlene "Charlie" Bradbury -> Charles "Charlie" Bradbury

Kevin Tran -> idk man. Ive met a girl named Devin before so maybe that? Supposably the fem spelling is Kevyn so maybe that?

Benjamin "Benny" Lafitte -> Benjamina "Bennie" Lafitte

Rowena MacLeod -> Rowen MacLeod

Demons

Fergus MacLeod/Crowley -> Fergia MacLeod/Crowley

Meg -> idk man

Ruby -> Ruben

Other

Chuck Shurley/God -> apparently there are in fact women who are called Chuck so im debating on keeping it

Amara -> Amar

Kelly Kline -> no change

Kate Miligan -> Kaden Miligan

Lisa Braeden -> Louis Braeden

Benjamin "Ben" Braeden -> Benna Braeden

Cassie Robinson -> still deciding (contenders: Cassian or Casey)

Jessica "Jess" Moore -> Jesse Moore

James "Jimmy" Novak -> Jamie Novak

Amelia Novak -> idk. Theres no male form but sound wise Emil/Emile is pretty close. Same with Amal. Not really feeling any of those

[autisticandroids]

short fics

i haud covid during the time that we were supposed to rec short fics for @spnficrecfest so i am doing it now. here's a few under 1k, in order of wordcount:

jim, jack, and josé by inlovewithaspiderguy, 335 words

dean and alcohol. and jack.

untitled soul survivor coda by caranfindel, 367 words

sam still knows where the gouge in the wall from the hammer used to be.

colours of the rainbow by etrix, 401 words

henriksen looks at dean's file.

murder the world by darkshrimpemotions, 408 words, mcd

cas watches dean murder the world.

one last favor by kayzo, 846 words

cas mindwipes lisa.

[jackinalex]

I checked out the Reddit post and the comments don’t surprise me. They don’t let people comment on their personal lives at all! The mods will take that stuff down quickly. And they usually never talk about Jalex. I don’t go on there that much anymore because it’s just boring. It’s always the same type of posts. People on here seem to say and post what they want without being judged. And I personally love the Jalex talk and finding new fics.

Yeah, I searched fanfiction and Jalex came out pretty empty. It’s so boring. I mean, I get that the guys have Reddit and sometimes get on that sub, but 🥱 we can have those discussions here because the guys don’t have tumblr anymore (that we know of).

[liminalmemories21]

WIP Wednesday

tagged by @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad, @heartstringsduet, @paperstorm, @bonheur-cafe, @lemonlyman-dotcom,

@ladytessa74, @whatsintheboxmh, @carlos-in-glasses, and @strandnreyes

Thank you!

Latest Buck/Tommy fic (w/ @cecilyv) is so close to completion. We're both using it as a distraction from real life. Have something entirely different instead.

In which the author has some things she'd like to work out about Paris tourist attractions. Seriously, ask me for my potted Paris tour guide.

Also, this is legitimately the most self-indulgent thing I have ever committed to paper (well, virtual paper).

Caffrey slides into the third seat at their table again the next afternoon.  TK slides his sunglasses down his nose. He really is unbearably sexy sometimes.  Carlos makes a note to do something about that this evening.  "Caffrey." Caffrey looks wistful for a moment.  "Been a while since anyone called me that."  Smiles brightly.  "So, what did we see today?" Carlos raises an eyebrow at TK who shrugs.  "The Rodin museum, and then just wandering around St Germain.  Bought a lot of cheese." Caffrey nods genially.  "Excellent."  He glances at TK who is suspiciously quiet.  "Where else have you been?" Carlos gives TK another look, but he's apparently studying the menu.  "St Chapelle, the flower market, Notre Dame, Palais Royal.  We're planning on going out to Vaux le Vicomte later this week." Caffrey nods. "Good choice.  Much less crowded than Versailles, same aesthetic."  TK nods absently without looking up, it's more or less what he had said.  Well, no, TK had said, "only if you want to know how cattle being led to slaughter feel," and then suggested Vaux le Vicomte as an acceptable alternative.  Carlos is basically just along for the ride here.  Caffrey taps a finger on the table.  "Not the Louvre?" "Not unless I'm allowed to break in after hours," TK mutters. Caffrey grins.  "I could help with that."  He and TK share sharp smiles that look more like bared teeth.  "The Mona Lisa is overrated." That gets TK to put down his menu.  "Caffrey, why are you here?" Caffrey taps the table.  "I have a small thing I was wondering if you'd like to help with." TK narrows his eyes.  "I don't do that anymore."  Gestures at Carlos, "and he's a cop." Caffrey hums.  "Yes, I'd heard." TK grins suddenly.  "How is Mozzie?" "Says hello.  Said to tell you Jack says the women in Brazil are looking particularly fine this year."  TK snorts.

tagging @carlos-tk, @vineofroses, @freneticfloetry, and @welcometololaland

[therealtsk]

What Your Favorite Worm Ship Says About You

some people have found my crusty, old ass tumblr post on this very topic, so im making a new one with my updated opinions! Cause those are, in fact, allowed to change. Enjoy! Taylor x Lisa: you're into relationships that could be dysfunctional or healthy with one push in either direction. also something something sun lesbian moon lesbian. Taylor x Rachel: You love dogs, and you want a girlfriend who can kick your ass. You're also into bomber jackets. I respect you. Taylor x Alec: Sadly, you do exist, and you did make it weird. Go away! Taylor x Amy: You read altpowers on the daily and complain about canon worm being too grimdark. Solid odds on you having never read worm. To be clear, it's worse if you have. also something something FBI OPEN UP Taylor x Victoria: You like the vibes of Lisa and Taylor's dynamic, but you want them to be a little more heroic and a little less dysfunctional. But only a little. Taylor x Clockblocker: You're straight and liked that one joke that cropped up. I also haven't seen any of you in a hot minute, thank god. No offense but this ship is mad boring.

Taylor x Sophia: You've come to realize that Sophia is a great character who gets done extremely dirty by the rest of the fandom. Also, rivals to lovers. Taylor x Emma: This can go one of two ways. Either you adore childhood friends to lovers, or you love enemies to lovers. Either way, you're obsessed with hurt and/or comfort fics. Taylor x Theo: You actually read Worm and recognize that Theo is criminally underrated in the fandom. Now just stop shipping him with Taylor and you'll complete the next step on your journey to enlightenment.

Taylor x Simurgh: I can't say for sure you're a anime fan, but you're definitely at least a little bit of a monsterfucker. also something something inherent eroticism of being world-destroying power couple. Taylor x Greg. You read Worm SI's unironically and get really defensive when people say that Greg is an incel. Completely unrelated, you haven't spoken to a woman other then your mother in five years. Taylor x Cherie: I've been informed this is a ship. I've yet to be informed as of a reason why I should like it. Cherie likers stay mad!

Lisa x Rachel: I don't remember the last time I saw this ship that wasn't also tagged as a polycule with Taylor, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're an OT3 enjoyer.

Lisa x Victoria: You’re into the “enemies to lovers” trope, but more of the "Spiderman x Black Cat" type then the "you murdered my entire home town but i can't help but find you sexy" type. Also you have a thing for blondes

Lisa x Faultline: Your ideal relationship dynamic is bickering married couple. You're also into heist movies.

Lisa x Simurgh: You have a thing for smart girls... who hate you. Also, you really liked Part of the Whole.  Contessa x Alexandria: You're fucking based. Also something something inherent eroticism of girlbosses winning Contessa x Numberman: you're friends with Peri and enjoy memes about pants and math Numberman x Jack Slash: You think serial killers are hot and are starved for m/m ships. Danny x Eidolon: You're losersexual and are starved for m/m ships. Also you frequent r/wormemes Danny x Miss Militia: Honestly, i think you all died out. I couldn't be happier, this ship is fucking dumb. Amy x Literally Anyone Besides Taylor: listen, there's like a hundred different jokes i could make here, but all of them boil down to amy defenders always defending the rapist for some reason so let's just agree amy defenders are fucking cringe and move on Dragon x Defiant: You understand that this is unironically the only healthy relationship in worm with some of the best character growth and romance in the entire story, and a majority of all of it happens off screen. You're extremely bitter that so many fanfics do both of them so dirty they get beaten into different characters. Alec x Aisha: You like the idea of this ship, cause two pranksters making everyone miserable is the kinda vibe you enjoy, but constantly run into the issue that Alec is...well. Alec. That or you're into Alec's brand of shit, in which case, FBI OPEN UP Aisha x Missy: You read It's Cold Out There Every Day. I did too. Fuck, this fic is so good. I'm going to go cry about the ending again. Lily x Sabah: Yes, you know the age gap is a little problematic, you just want to be happy with your relatively healthy canon lesbians goddamn it Purity x Literally Anyone: You don't understand why people keep calling you racist. You're not! You're just weirdly defensive of the hot milf who murders people of color and seem to constantly bring up that Kaiser didn't actually believe the nazi propaganda he was peddling. You are racist btw Taylor x Brian: You...are Wildbow