#LIKE OKAY considering they’re both married and all of that but Frank cheated on his wife with Billy’s wife anyway and then Franks wife left

[i-may-be-an-emu]

ok sure Billy x Frank as a ship might be terrible morally but anyway wanting another man’s face on yours is kinda gay

[legxllyblxndc]

CHARACTER HEADCANON 

thalia frank, 41 years old, primary school teacher: during a trip to the museum with her school, thalia met ashton. while he was showing the class around, the pair got on like a house on fire. he caught her just before she was leaving and asked her on a date. the pair went out for drinks. thalia didn’t know that he was in a relationship when they slept together. they had a short lived affair - only ending a couple months previously - when she found out about his girlfriend. thalia has every intention on telling poppy about what happened. 

chloe richards, 40 years old, cafe owner: when chloe was young, all she could dream about was opening her own cafe, with a little reading nook so people could eat cake and read. she was so determined to make it happen and never really had much of a chance to date. she had a couple of boyfriends but none that had lasted that long. she recently decided - after having the cafe for two years, to concentrate on love, now. she me jude after his break up with ava and he came into the cafe. she thought he looked pretty lonely so struck up a conversation. chloe has always loved hearing other peoples stories. the two of them ended up chatting for most of the afternoon and ended in chloe asking him on a date. he liked her confidence, how sure of herself she was and so he said yes. they’ve been dating since then and recently became official. 

franklyn brooks, 42 years old, english teacher: franklyn met river in the library. he was looking for a book and she was able to help him find it. they got chat after that and got on really, really well. they went out for dinner that even and basically saw one another every single day afterwards. a few months in, river found out that she was pregnant and growing up the way that he had, he proposed. he genuinely already thought he could be with river for the rest of his life. their daughter, ravens, birth and their wedding was the happiest time of his life. for the longest time, river, franlyn and raven were a team. they were happy. and franklin wasn’t even sure what changed, what caused him to cheat on his wife. but after fifteen years together, that was exactly what he did. he had been out with some friends on a stag do. he ended up talking to a couple of girls - he had always been a very friendly person, so that wasn’t out of the ordinary - and when one of the girls kissed him, he kissed her back. he went to her hotel room with her. and although it was only the one time, franklyn was torn apart by the guilt. he told river as soon as they got home. for a little while, they tried to make things work but after a couple of months, river told franklyn that she just couldn’t get past it. that she saw him differently and so she filed for divorce. his daughter hasn’t spoken to him since but franklyn is determined to win river back. he still loves her. 

brett porter, 41 years old, editor: when brett was asked to go to a comedy stand up night, he hadn’t known what to expect. it turned out to be one of the best nights of his life. it was that night that he met audrey mccoy. she had been with some of her friends - one of which was dating his friend. they were introduced and basically didn’t stop talking for most of the night. they swapped numbers and then he asked her out for dinner a couple of nights later. it wasn’t too long before they found out that audrey was pregnant with their daughter, phoebe. a couple of months after phoebe was born, brett proposed. they’ve been married for seventeen years now and he loves audreys other daughter, ivy, as much as he loves phoebe. he’s has had suspicions about audrey and ashton for a little while now and is really struggling being okay with him being back in her life. 

enid mcguinness, 40 years old, florist: when johnny and enid were set up on a blind date - by one of their mutual friends - she hadn’t expected to get on quite so well with him. he was everything that she had been looking for and the two of them quickly became official. he was her best friend and her boyfriend all rolled into one. pretty much straight away, enid started thinking up the life that they would have together. it was about a year after they had gotten together, that she found out that they were going to have a baby. although they hadn’t been together that long, enid was thrilled and so was johnny. they had twin boys - robin and teddy. and about a year later, they welcomed virginia to their family. it was just after ginny was born, that johnny proposed and of course she said yes. their wedding was a joyous occasion - with the boys being the page boys and ginny as their flower girl. although they were happy, just over a year after their wedding, enid started to think that the feelings she had for him were more friendship than love and once she spoke to johnny about it - she was relieved to hear that he had been thinking the same thing. they agreed to a trial separation, which resulted in their divorce. enid still has the utmost respect for johnny and still considers him as one of her closest friends. she is trying to ignore the return of butterflies in her stomach any time he’s around - she doesn’t want to complicate things. 

katherine ‘kat’ vincent, 24 years old, tv personality: ever since katherine was 18 years old, she has been on made in chelsea. she is the sister of one of the main cast so was only in a few episodes here and there for the first couple of years but people seemed to enjoy her dry sense of humour and how unafraid to tell it how it was so she was made a main cast member. when kat was told that lydia davenport was joining the cast, she was pretty excited. she had been following the other girls career for a little while now and she was looking forward to working with her. what she didn’t realise, though, was just how closely she and lydia were going to be working. after a few months of lydia working on the show, she and kat started dating. their relationship has never been straight forward. they’re both very firey people and so, sometimes, they can butt heads. it makes for great tv but it’s hard to properly form a strong relationship when they’re like that constantly. all kat really knows is that she likes being with lydia and she doesn’t really think that any of the rest of it matters that much.

oscar blake, 154 23 years old, police officer, vampire: growing up in 1867 in salem heights was difficult for oscar and his family. they were poor and finding the money for food was hard. as soon as he was old enough, oscar was sent to work in the factories so that he could bring in a little bit of money for his family. he had always dreamed of a bigger life, a better life and so when he was asked to run away with an older, wealthy woman when he was eighteen, he jumped at the chance. he didn’t say goodbye to his family. what oscar didn’t know, though, was that this woman was a vampire. when he found out, he demanded that she turn him - and she did. he was twenty three years old when he ‘died’ and oscars new life began. with his new found vampirism it meant that he was able to get whatever it was that he wanted from people and he absolutely exploited that. oscar travelled the world, discovered things that he never would have if he had stayed in the life he had, had at home. he came back to england, though, in 1940 and met charlotte gilmore. he took advantage of her need, using her as his personal blood bag, making sure that she never remembered and then - when he decided it was time - he changed her. oscar and charlotte were together for about ten years - he even took her back home with him - before he got bored and moved on. things didn’t tend to take oscars attention very much. he rarely makes connections with people and is forever moving from town to town and doing all the things that a working class boy in the late 1800s would never have been able to do. although, recently, thoughts of charlotte have been creeping in and he decided to try looking for her, just to see how she was doing.

lucy taylor, 21 years old, journalism student: lucy was born in salem heights and has always known about the supernatural and it was for that reason, that she was dying to get out of the town. when she started university, lucy moved to edinburgh. she was home during the christmas holiday when lucy met finn. her car broke down at the side of the road. he stopped to help her - eventually he towed the car into the garage that he worked out. he and lucy talking all the way there. there was an instant spark there and finn asked her out on a date when she came to pick up her car. it wasn’t the best first date - finn was so nervous - but lucy found that pretty endearing and so they went on a couple more before they decided to make things official. she really likes him and has no idea that he’s still so cut up over his ex girlfriend. they’ve decided that they’re going to try long distance. 

tristan odema, 20 years old, was a film & tv student, deceased: being from salem heights,  tristan was enveloped in the supernatural and it was something that never really bothered him. it was something that was just a part of the world. he was that kind of person though. as long as something wasn’t bothering him, then it wouldn’t be something that he really thought about it. about a year ago, tristan and another friend decided to tag along with enzo on a trip to london but on the way home, his friend swerved to miss an animal and enzo completely lost control of the car. tristan died in the car accident that they then had.  

george hunt,  239 27 years old, vampire: the world when george was turned into a vampire, was a world that’s incredibly different to the one that he is in now but he has been able to adapt. he enjoys the difference in the decades. george has never gone too far from his home - salem heights. he has the image of being the nice boy. he can come across as being incredibly kind and very funny when in reality, he’s actually the opposite. he is harsh and he is cold. he would change his personality to suit whoever it was that he was near and when he was done with the other, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them. george has never been someone who was particularly careful with the pile of bodies that he left behind but he was always one step ahead of the hunters, too strong, too smart. he’s been drinking vervain since he had been changed, after all. george met nell when he returned to salem heights only a couple of months ago and he has set his sight son her, to charm her. so far, it seems to be working. 

[agentemo]

When in the timeline of MCR do you think Frerard was active. And, if you believe the timeline overlapped with known girlfriends/fiances/wives, do you think that it was condoned or no?

considering frank called himself a swinger, and they’ve been together longer than a lot of you reading this have been ALIVE, i’m sure jamia was perfectly fine with it 

frank “you’ll have to ask my wife” iero is not a man that will cheat on his girl

gerard married lindsey 2-3 months after dating her, after breaking up a previous engagement a couple months prior... the same year that his two younger bandmates got married. he also wrote an entire album about “killing” a girlfriend he had before all this nonsense.

*deep breath* SO

frank said he falls in love with everyone he meets. or something like that. gerard (semi-publicly) “dated” bert while they were binging. i don’t know where i’m going with this. but i do wonder when frank started wearing his wedding ring because it was around the same time i think?

i’m sorry this is fully speculation, it’s a meme, i don’t have any “proof” but gerard is a very weird dude, okay? he’s a weird dude. they’re both weird dudes, th- being gay is weird! i’m basically writing fan fiction. but these are the facts, do with them what you will lol

[somerandomwriter1234]

Sydney to the Max Fanfiction: Sydney’s Secret Sister

14 Years Ago...

Max Reynolds was sitting at a kitchen table with a young boy as he said, "And so that's how you multiply that fraction. You get it?" The boy sighed and said, "I guess. But I'm still a little confused." Max then smiled as he said, "Hey. The first step to improving is recognizing what needs to be improved." Then a woman entered the room and said, "How's my little boy doing with his math homework?" Max then said, "Definitely a lot of improvement today ma'am." The woman then said, "Oh come on Max. You can call me Debby. Okay son, you can go to your room and play video games now." The boy then got up and walked away as he said, "Yay!" As Debby sat next to Max she said, "Well Max, you're definitely one of the best tutors I've ever hired. Do you have kids?" Max turned his head and said, "No. Me and my wife Alicia only just got married, and she's too busy with her work as a doctor for us to even consider that right now." Debby smirked as she said, "I understand that. My husband is way too busy with his work to help provide me another kid if you know what I mean. It's been so long since I've even touched another man. Actually, may I..." Debby then pointed to Max's arm, as Max giggled a bit and said, "Sure." Debby then gently touched Max's arm and said, "Mmm. That's some nice arm muscle you got there Max." Max smirked as he said, "Why thank you." Then Debby quickly moved an arm down and touched Max's upper leg and said, "And nice leg muscle down there too." Max then slowly moved away and stood up as he said, "Um... thank you Debby. Anyway, I should be going." As Max began to head out the door, Debby smiled and said, "Well you're always welcome here Max."

The Present

Sydney and Olive were digging through boxes in the garage as Max walked in on the two. Max then said, "You find my old music equipment yet?" Sydney sighed and said, "No dad. Still looking though." Olive then said, "I still can't believe you were in a band in college Mr. Reynolds." Max smiled as he said, "Well it was really just one of many attempts to make some extra money in my 20's. Not only did I try making money playing in a band, I also took up tutoring and running an underground grilled cheese sandwich restaurant from my college dorm room." With a smile, Olive said, "I had a feeling about that when you gave me your old portable oven. Thanks so much for that by the way Mr. R. It was the best Christmas present ever." Max smiled as he said, "You're welcome Olive. So, find my old amplifier Syd?" Sydney sighed and said, "No. But considering we still have fifty more boxes to go through, I'm sure it'll turn up." Max then said, "Well call me if you need anything." Max then stepped out as Olive said, "Wow Syd. Your dad must've held onto everything he ever got in his life here." As Sydney opened one box she said, "Yeah. Look at these old books." Then as Sydney picked up one book, an envelope fell out from between the pages. As Olive picked it up she said, "Hey Syd. Look at this old envelope. It's addressed to your dad but there's no return address." Sydney opened the envelope, and looked at a paper inside as she said, "There's no name listed in terms of who wrote this. But it says: Max, I got tested and took the ultrasound at the hospital today and got the final confirmation. I'm pregnant with a little girl. I know if Alicia finds out, this will destroy your marriage, but I know it's better for you to know the truth than hide it." Olive's eyes widened as she said, "Sydney. Does this mean..." Sydney had a horrified look on her face as she put the paper down and said, "Olive, my... my dad cheated on my mom, and I... I have a secret sister."

14 Years Ago...

Max sat a kitchen table with a young boy as he said, "Great work. You have come so far with multiplying fractions." The boy smiled and said, "Thanks Mr. Reynolds." Then Debby stepped into the kitchen and said, "Okay now son. Off to your room." The boy then stood up and said, "Yeah, yeah. I know. So you can get another of your hour long talks in with Mr. Reynolds. See ya." The boy then walked away as Max and Debby looked at each other for a moment, and then Max said, "I guess we do talk a lot after every tutoring session." Debby sighed and said, "Yeah. It's just... with Frank at work so much, it is nice to talk to another adult." Max then said, "Yeah. And with Alicia out of the country helping deal with medical emergencies in other countries for so long now, I feel the same way." Debby sighed and said, "It's just... if our spouses loved us so much, you'd think they could be there more for us." Max nodded and said, "I know." Max and Debby then looked into each other's eyes silently. Then the two two moved their faces forward and kissed. Within seconds though, Max moved his face away as he said, "Debby, I can't..." Debby then said, "But Max. We've been feeling this tension for six months now. Maybe we should..." Max then stood up and said, "Maybe we should... just end this conversation now." Then Max walked out of the room.

The Present

Sydney and Olive were sitting alone together at at a table near the mall as Sydney said, "I... I just don't get it Olive. How could my dad cheat on my mom. Dad loved mom. He's one of the most loyal and caring guys on the planet." Olive then said, "Sydney, you only have a handful of years' worth of memories of your parents being married. Maybe there was some drama that happened when you were little, or before you were born." Sydney sighed and said, "Yeah. You could be right. But... I still can't over the fact that I have a secret sister out there. A half sister, but still... I mean before this morning, I thought I was an only child this whole time. But now..." Olive smirked and said, "I hear ya. Suddenly it feels like another piece of your heart is out there, and you wanna know who it's connected to." Sydney nodded and said, "Yeah. But first... I need to talk to my dad about this because... I just don't understand how my dad could have cheated on my mom."

14 Years Ago...

Max sat on a couch while holding a phone next to his ear as he said, "Alicia, what do you mean you're not coming home for another five months!?" Max then heard his wife Alicia say, "They're having a bad outbreak here Max. It's my job to help cure all these people." Max sighed and said, "I know you have a duty to help others Alicia. But what about your duty to me and our family? Your patients have many doctors Alicia, but I only have one wife. I need you with me honey." Alicia then said, "I know Max. I know we wanna start a real family one day, but my work..." Max the interrupted Alicia and said, "Your work can't be your whole life Alicia. You need to balance personal and professional needs at some point. I mean, we've only slept together in the same bed just once (when you came home briefly last week) in the last four months. When's the next time we get to sleep together Alicia? Nine months? Twelve!?" Alicia sighed and said, "Max... this is hard for me." Max then angerly said, "Well this is hard for me too!" Then Max angerly hung up the phone, tossed it to the floor, and then walked out the door.

The Present

Max was putting away some groceries in the kitchen, when Sydney walked into the kitchen looking nervous. Max noticing Sydney, then said, "Hey Syd. How was your trip to the mall? You and Olive get some nice new outfits with that gift card I gave you both?" Sydney nodded and said, "Yeah dad. Olive loves her new dress she got with it. But dad... I need to talk to you about something." Max looking more direct at Sydney now said, "Sure. What is it?" Sydney then held up the letter she found earlier and said, "Dad... I found this in a box of your things." As Max saw the letter, his face began to look horrified and guilty as he said, "Sydney, I..." Sydney then had tears in her eyes as she said, "How could you do it dad!? How could you cheat on mom!?"

14 Years Ago...

Max knocked on the door to a small house. Debby answered the door as she said, "Max?" Max looking around said, "Are Frank and the boys here?" Debby turned her head and said, "No. They went with him on his business trip like I told you." Max then stepped into the house and closed the door behind him as he said, "Good." Max the instantly kissed Debby and wrapped his arms around her. Debby then broke the kiss as she said, "Max... are you sure?" Max nodded and said, "Completely sure." Then Max picked up Debby and took her to a bedroom. Then Max and Debby quickly took off all their clothes as Max got on top of Debby and pulled a blanket over them. Max then pushed his body onto Debby, as Debby said, "Ohh! Oh yes Max. Ohhh! Ohhh!"

The Present

Max sat in front of Sydney at the kitchen table as he said, "It was before you were born Sydney. Your mom was gone on long trips helping people fight diseases in other countries, and..." Sydney then interrupted Max and said, "Oh, so it's mom's fault you cheated on her?" Max turned his head and said, "No Sydney. It was completely my fault. A man needs to be loyal to his wife and his family, no matter how hard it is. And yes Sydney, I failed. But you have to understand, I've regretted cheating on your mom every day of my life since my affair ended. Since you were born, I promised myself I'd never let anything divide me and your mom again. I promised myself I'd never hurt her again, just like I promised I'd never try to hurt you." Sydney then with an angry face stood up and said, "Well you did hurt me dad. You cheated on mom, and that's the worst thing in the world you could have ever done!" Then Sydney stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Max alone and sad.

13 Years Ago...

Max and Debby were both laying naked in a hotel bed together with a blanket covering them, as Max smiled and said, "Wow. We climaxed about... what... five times each today? That's gotta be a record for us. Oh wow, that was just what I needed for a long lazy Sunday afternoon." Tears then appeared in Debby's eyes as Max noticed and said, "Debby, what's wrong?" Debby then wrapped a blanket around her body, and stood up as she said, "I'm sorry Max. We can't do this again. We can't ever do this ever again!" Max looking confused said, "What's wrong Debby? Do you think Frank suspects? I mean, there's no way Alicia could know about us, so..." Debby turned her head and said, "It's not that. I... I've been living in denial for the last several weeks but... Max... I think I'm pregnant... with your baby." Max sat up with wide eyes as he said, "What!?"

The Present

Sydney and Olive were watching several other preteens their age playing music at an outdoor stage. As they watched the preteens play, Sydney then said, "Wow. Those kids are good." Olive then said, "I know. You've got some tough competition for this music contest." Sydney then said, "Oh man. When I get super nervous, my voice sounds terrible." Then Olive said, "Too bad. You sounded great when you recorded that demo the other day." Sydney then said, "Wait. That's it. I'll just play my demo for the contest and lip sync to it." Olive then said, "Wait. Isn't that cheating?" Sydney then said, "The judges said I can use already recorded background music for my performance, and even pre-recorded backup singing. I'll just be using my demo as the ultimate back up." Then a loud voice said, "Next up to the stage... Sydney Reynolds!" Sydney took a deep breath and got on stage and connected her phone to a large amplifier. Sydney then began to sing her song while standing up, but within seconds, Sydney while taking a step forward: tripped and fell down. Realizing her vocals from her demo could be still heard, Sydney realized everyone could tell she had been just lip syncing. In humiliation, Sydney then ran off the stage.

13 Years Ago...

Debby sat on a park bench alone. From nearby, Max walked over to Debby and sat down next to her as he said, "Hey. I got your letter. Listen, I..." Debby then interrupted Max and said, "No, let me say everything first. Max... I'm going to work everything out with Frank. We've already talked a bit and he's already gotten a new job so he'll stay at home more with me and the boys. I... I love Frank, and no matter what happens, I want my marriage with him to work." Max nodded and said, "Yeah. And I should do the same thing with Alicia. But... what about our child?" Alicia took a deep breath as tears appeared in her eyes as she said, "Max... there's something difficult I need to tell you."

The Present

Max was cleaning the living room when Sydney walked in through the front door looking humiliated. Max then looking at Sydney said, "So... can I ask how the competition went?" Sydney then sat down on the couch silently as Max eventually sat down next to her. Sydney then looked at Max and said, "Dad... I forgive you. What you did to mom was wrong but... well, today, I experienced how easy it can feel to fall into the trap of wanting to cheat. It may not have been on the scale of cheating you did but... I think I understand how you might have felt now. Like how a moment of weakness can feel. And I know you're sorry, because you've always forgiven me for every time I've been sorry. And... I'm sorry dad." Sydney then hugged Max as Max said, "No apology needed Syd. I'm indeed the one that's so sorry for hurting you. And I promise every day I'll try to be a perfect dad for you." Sydney then looked at Max as she said, "You're not a perfect dad. But you always try. And that's what really makes you perfect. But now that we've gotten past all that... dad... I'd like to meet my secret sister now, wherever she is, or whoever she is." Max had a sad look on his face as he said, "Oh Sydney. I'm sorry but... the woman I had an affair with... she lost the baby. You know what the term miscarriage means?" Sydney now looked devastated as she said, "No. I mean, yes, I know what it means but... you mean I don't have a secret sister?" Max turned his head and said, "No. But I promise you, had the child from my affair been born, I would've helped take responsibility for her. I would've helped provide for her, and definitely would've made sure you'd get a chance to grow up alongside her. I know this is hard to hear Sydney but..." Sydney turned her head and with a brave face said, "No, it's okay dad. I've still got you. That's what matters."

13 Years Ago...

Max was preparing food in the kitchen, when Alicia wearing a long coat walked through the door and said, "Hello Max." Max's face lit up as he said, "Alicia!" Max and Alicia ran into each other's arms and kissed. After a moment, the two stepped away as Max said, "You're home early! How..." Alicia then said, "I thought long and hard about what you said and you're right. There's plenty of sick people out there that need my help to feel better, but there are other people that can help them. However the only person that can help Max Reynolds feel better is me." Max then said, "But Alicia, your work is important. I don't want you to give it up." Alicia then said, "But I'm not. I already got a job at the local hospital. I'll still be using my skills for good. But now it means I get to come home nearly very day now to you and our family." Then Max said, "Wait. Are you saying..." Alicia then took off her long coat and showed her stomach size had increased as she said, "I'm pretty sure it happened last time I was home four months ago. Max... you're going to be a father." Max then smiled as he said, "Alicia. I love you so much. And I promise from now on, I will be 100% committed to you and our child forever!" Max and Alicia smiled and then kissed once again.

The Present

The doorbell rang, and Sydney opened the door seeing Olive. Olive smiled as she said, "Ready for our week long sleepover!" Sydney smiled as she said, "Totally!" Then Max walked into the room as he said, "Hey Olive. You have all your things you need for the week?" Olive then said, "Yep Mr. Reynolds. Thanks for letting me stay over again this week. I always get queasy when my family decides to take their annual week long tour of the world's fastest roller coasters." Then suddenly Olive's mom appeared at the front door and said, "Olive, you forgot one of your suitcases." Olive then took the suitcase and said, "Oh, sorry. Hey Mr. R. You mind taking these up to Sydney's room while the two of us start doing our makeup?" Max then said, "Well maybe you two should start learning to..." Olive then smiled and said, "Thanks Mr. R. You're the best!" Then Sydney and Olive ran up the stairs together. Max then looked at Olive's mom as he said, "That's middle school girls for you." Olive's mom smiled as she said, "Well... thank you Max for always being there... for our daughter." Max nodded and said, "I always will be. By the way... does Frank still think..." Olive's mom then said, "Does he still think Olive is his daughter? Well there are times I think our thirteen year long deception is about to crack, but... so far, so good. Still... if he did find out, I think he would still care for Olive for the rest of his life." Max nodded and said, "And I know I'll still be doing the same."

THE END

[whencallstheheart]

Survey Comments

Okay, I’m copying and pasting the comments in their entirety.  And there’s a lot of them.  I didn’t go through and edit this, sorry, but there’s a lot of good stuff in here.  Each line is a separate comment unless it’s a longer comment or paragraph.  Read them all below the cut!

I do not appreciate being manipulated for ratings. Series wayyy off the rails I am disappointed with the direction of the show. I will record season 6 but only watch the episodes you say are good in this blog. I'm not giving them ratings when they drag out silly story lines and neglect good ones..

Something is just off with the series. It used to be so good. I miss the lightheartedness and I'm going to miss Jack. I am disappointed that the cast/ executive producers keep saying there is hope in Hope Vally because of the baby coming. I have no desire to see that story line played out. I lived it. There is no hope or joy in growing up without a father.

The way the powers that be are trying to do damage control is insulting to fans’ intelligence. I can’t believe they knew for a year and a half and this was what they gave us. I think they should bring Jack back and say he was found alive with amnesia. I’m so mad that they dragged the wedding out until season 5 and only gave us a couple episodes of them being married before killing off Jack. It feels like they don’t actually care about the story at all, just trying to squeeze out as much ratings as possible. I feel really used. I wish they would have handled Dan's exit a whole lot better than they did, but oh well. Going to miss Jack. He was my favorite character. I'm still too numb. I loved "dark" Elizabeth. Thought it gave a lot of depth to her character. Nice to see her not be so happy all the time, it is rather unrealistic.

They should've told fans that Daniel was leaving to prepare them. It's like they are admitting they don't have confidence in the show beyond the main couple. Next season I hope they spend more time on the characters we already know instead of bringing in new people we only see for an episode or two.

Well done! You're amazing! :) ras i would like to see daniel and erin in a ,movie f their own I think they are all amazing actors/actresses. I do not blame Dan for moving on but I am sure going to miss him. Disappointed in how his exit was handled.

My favorite episode was "Heart of the Matter" but I thought the denouement in "Weather the Storm" was lacking. That story arc probably needed three episodes, but that was indicative of this season and series. The writing has always been up and down throughout the seasons. I am disappointed with Jack being gone as he is a great character, but I think I would have been more disappointed with recasting. I know the actors and writers and producers are very connected with the fans, but I would never have expected them to give me a heads up when they chose the death route. I accept that this is how it is handled. I would have loved, however, having a few more Jack-read letters to Elizabeth. I really thought it would have been great to have one in the Season 4 finale, but also one in "Weather the Storm." It would have felt a little more even and connected. Regardless, I think "In My Dreams" and "Close to My Heart" were probably the two best episodes back to back in the season. I think there are great storylines going forward, but I am also prepared for suspending reality as usual when it comes to uneven plots, missing characters, magical travel times, and pristine sets. That's how it's been since season 2 and I just accept it because while it isn't the greatest, it's good enough to keep me interested and chuckling. I really enjoy your Tumblr. Thanks for all the work you do. NA The only storylines that could get me to continue watching the show would be a Henry and Abigail romantic relationship and the development of Jesse and Clara as a couple. Take them off the back burner for a bit while Elizabeth copes with single motherhood. No, it's unfortunate that Dan wanted to leave, but that's reality. So I don't feel "cheated" as fan. I've been watching since Day 1 but honestly havent kept up with the most recent season. I was sad that Jack's character is no longer part of it, but I'm hopeful. I'll probably start faithfully watching again to see how the show continues.

Thanks for your hard work The season finale was extremely well done! Incredible cinematography! The actors and crew did an amazing job considering the pill to swallow! I hope they made J&E married life longer with a marriage at thr end of season 4 with a baby on the way! And season 5 about their married life and the baby! With an unfortunate departure for WW1 (in terms of time/date, I think we are pretty close from beginning of WW1) and a very heroic death on the field! Although I knew something not good was going to happen with Daniel’s reduced participation I had hoped it was temporary and he would be back full time for season 6. I feel betrayed and think it’s all about the ratings has nothing to do with the fans.

I love Carson's character. I love how he found himself again after losing his wife. I think if Jack cannot come back, then Carson would be the perfect character to pair with Elizabeth because they were both hurt by feeling cheated of their loves. They can find comfort, strength, and a new faith in God's plan in each other. This series is dead to me. I'm done. They should have told us in advance that it was Dan's last season.  Fans were misled.  The hair and makeup is completely overdone - makes it feel sooo fake. Why couldn't you just recast Jack in s4? we would have accepted that more easily and allowed the story to continue. Please don't milk something that is "cute" once (i.e. Brownie).  It gets very old. This season was cruel now that we know they knew Dan was leaving for 1.5 years. They should have had a show where we got to say goodbye knowit was his last show.

Bring Frank back! Loyal fans were cheated, used and deceived. Makes me more angry to know all involved knew for year and half and yet through together the rest of J&E story.

They Mase a mis tale Wotherspoon Jack death

Season 5 ended with the wedding for me.  The rest of the season just fell flat! Season 5 was extremely disappointing with terrible writing. No Bring back Jack I am upset that they had a wedding to kill off Jack and now Elizabeth will be a single parent.

no More doom and gloom next season.  Elizabeth will probably die giving birth to Jack's child.  I will never watch the show again. I think faith and Carson should be an item. They need to gather up the many things going on too busy.

The producers and writers dropped the ball in dealing with Dan's departure. What was the point of the wedding if they were going to kill him off immediately after. Would rather have had the wedding instead of the engagement in Season 4 and at least seen the two happy before he left for the Northern Territories. Season 5 could have had them in their home and happy before sending Jack off on his training exercise. I feel cheated and lied to by the PTB and won't be watching into Season 6. And I don't believe all the hype about Dan still being part of the Hallmark family. I've seen just about every other cast member, including the kids, in more than one movie over the last 5 years, but only one with Dan in it. That speaks volumes. No wonder Dan wanted to leave. He's a far better actor than many of the men in the Hallmark family and yet they shelved him. I could see in Dan's eyes that he was conflicted about lying to Hearties and fans of WCTH. I hope he walks away and never looks back. It's obvious Hallmark, BB and even Lori knows they screwed the pooch in the way they handled Dan's leaving and I am getting fed up with all the damage control they're doing. Why don't they just be honest and admit they screwed up instead of continuing to lie to and manipulate the fans of WCTH. If they were confident they did the right thing then why all the damage control. I guess that's entertainment business for ya. They're all full of crap and only want one thing....MONEY

They should have had Jack & Elizabeth marrying at the end of Season 2 and had Season 3 be about their married life with possibly a child, they made the mistake of drawing out the courtship way too long-very unrealistic. Also needed more in depth character development with core characters instead of bringing in new people and killing off Cat Montgomery for instance. Season 1 was the best Season by far in my humble opinion.  If the writing does not improve, I will not continue to watch. They had a really good thing and pretty quickly proceeded to kill it.  SAD! I miss the season one aesthetic so much, it was darker and grittier and much more real. Now it's just a pointless soap opera with no direction or plot. Jack and Elizabeth were the bar  -  chemistry will be difficult to match I feel like they can move past Jack's death only if they spread around the character focus. Hopefully, we will have more time with Rosemary and Lee. I want to see their family grow. I want to see progress between Abigail and Henry. Give Henry more screen time! He is such a interesting character. I so didn't like Elizabeth being pregnant, it feels like another slap to the face. Now, she has to raise this child without its father!  She will probably have another love interest and it will probably be Carson. It will be interesting to see where the show goes from here.

No

It's just heartbreaking and unfair to the fans and the characters.

I understand that Dan is an actor and wanted to leave, but as Jack and Elizabeth were built up to be the main characters of the show(in my opinion), they should have had them go off together.  To keep the show going after that they should have been building up another couple to take their place.  Shows like Little House on the Prairie had main characters leave like Charles and Caroline, but the show remained with them returning periodically to guest star.  I would have hated to have Erin leave, but I think that would have been the best option for the fans.  Sorry, Lori you have lost a fan of your show. Good luck in your future endeavors, Dan! My overall feeling is that if the writers handled and developed other characters well, then a main character's death would be just an addition to the plot. I'm not upset about Jack, I'm upset with the lack of development.  The show just doesn't hold my attention anymore. Thanks for doing this survey!!! And for taking time to listen to followers.

I did not care for the way they handled Daniel Kissing leaving. Hallmark is the channel people watch for escape, a happy ending.  I will not be watching next season. Bring Jack back

No Not right now

Know many will disagree but would have preferred a recast so the characters'' lives could go on. Thanks for all that you do well if Eliszabeth is happy with carson i would'nt mind but other wise anyone apart from Charles i am good.

Writing is so sad Needed more married time. His death would have been easier if they had written it better. I think Lori Loughlin’s indluence as an executive producer led to a change in focus for the show .All of the crowd storylines took time away from the central focus from season 1, which was Elizbeth and her life. Just watching the social media interactions and the stories in recent seasons it seems as if Abigail, not Elizabeth will be the central character.

I wish I'd stopped watching after season three when I was mad they didn't at least have a proposal after his near death experience. I personally would never want Elizabeth to be paired up wih anyone from Hope Valley. No Your blog is awesome.  Thank you for all the work you put into it.  We appreciate it!  I think the storyline I liked best was Henry's almost return to the dark side only to turn towards good in the end.  I do think there will be more seasons, but I don't think there should be.  The money/ratings are just too good for Hallmark to shut it down... and the "hearties" will continue to support, I have no doubt.IMO, that's why Elizabeth had to be pregnant.... ensured storylines for future seasons. Thanks for the spoilers on the last two episodes of the season, I haven't watch those episodes because of that. I think it was rotten of all of them (Hallmark, BB, Lori, etc.) to decided to kill off Jack rather than recast. Not sure if I want to watch next season because of the way they handled it. If I do watch in the future it will be for Lee and Rosemary.

I've been shocked by Lori's attitude on fb live. She was selling the damage control as the right hand of BB. Never have thought that she has so much influence on the show. I've got a very bad taste in my mouth seeing and hearing her talk about the show. 18 months of knowing it and do nothing to make the end acceptable for tke fandom. I won't support this emotional manipulation anymore. WCTH stab their fanbase in the back.

Boy do they need to work on their skills They really screwed themselves by waiting so long to get e/j married. It would have been much easier to swallow if everything wasn't so rushed.  Also, I hope we get more story lines about the dangers of the frontier next season, they kind of lost those at some point.

I really miss Jack This is a cool tumblr . I'm really pissed Jack is gone I was pretty 'yuck' about the suggestion of Carson/Elizabeth, but I think with a little care and attention, it might be an okay pairing. Of course, this hinges on them not jumping into it, and preferably not failing to acknowledge that both of them can still love their deceased spouse while finding a new love. Not sure they're fully capable of doing it well, but I'll take 'reasonably decent' at this stage. Thanks for the survey! :) I just hope Elizabeth finds someone new soon in the appropriate time that we can all love and that Abigail and Henry get together or Abigail and Bill or Bill and AJ

The way the powers that be (specifically Brian Bird) have handled this is incredibly frustrating and insulting to fans. The constant deception and snarkiness is so over the top, and really doesn't jive with their whole goody-goody Christian values image that they're trying to project. Booooo.

it was an interesting season and i really love this show.

I feel it was super sad to have jack die. The fans and myself truly loved that relationship and honestly that’s a big reason I watched the show. I’m not sure if I will continue to watch or not. I feel it is too sad to not have him there anymore and the relationship between them will make it hard to see her with someone else. However, she needs to have love in her life. Rosemary needs to get pregnant but I’m glad elizabeth is. They could have handled Lessing's departure so much better, moving on with the story from season 4. Pity.

Abigail as a character is unrecognizable and by getting rid of Frank they threw away their most interesting male.

. I would like to see the series have a time jump and have Elizabeth with a new love interest I don’t think Carson and Elizabeth is a good idea but maybe if they pursue the paring, the show will prove me wrong

With a year and a half of knowing Dan was leaving the show.  They could have done better.  If they had married in season 4 and shown them together as a married couple for a while then he died in the northern territories and she found she was pregnant when he was gone it would have been better Keep hearing Dan was fired and then he quit. Want to know what’s happening. Only ereason I started watching was for that pairing not interested in saccharine sweet storylines and dropped characters. Nothing to add

It appears that Dan has taken on the role of resident scapegoat.  The message is "Please blame me for leaving, but keep watching the show".  I think the issue was Dan wanted to branch out from Hallmark and guest star on NBC where he got his North America break, and that didn't sit well with management.  It' feels like the other actors are only working for Hallmark. I've been feeling dissatisified with WCTH since the Charles proposal, but I was holding on for the engagement and the wedding.  Now after season 5, I'm disappointed in myself for not trusting my instincts and stopped watching three seasons ago.  Aside from the cute moments between Rosemary and Lee, there's not enough substance to keep me interested in WCTH.  I will continue to look for Dan in future roles and wish him all the best. I feel SO cheated! I think they should have ended it, or have Elizabeth and Jack leaving Hope Valley together and continue the show with the other characters. I don't know if I will ever watch another show from Hallmark, they used to be my happy place! Now I feel betrayed. Not happy with waiting to season 5 for all that happened between E&J.  Totally a manipulative move especially when we know they have been working towards him leaving the show for some time.

Hope there is more Henry and Abigail next season. Barley got anything. Maybe if they didn't drag out the Elizabeth and Jack storyline/wedding we would have gotten to see more of the other characters.Hopefully next season will be better! just have to wait an entire year No

Questions are good, but some answers need expanding. Killing off a central beloved character is very risky, so anything after 1st 3 episodes of S6 is shakey. HM counld have handled Dan’s leaving a little better. Other thing is this show keeps getting rid of the “strong male” characters, which I don’t think is good. I love seeing shows with strong women roles, but I also like to see them paired against a strong male character. This show is lacking balance, and has begun to morph into The Widows of Hope Valley. Also, life is hard enough, that’s why I like to escape into Hallmark shows. This show could be long lived, if they develop the characters, stop making Bill so ornery and Henry depressing, and Jesse a little stronger. Lee seems balanced- take the lead from that character. Not a fan of Carson, though him and Faith could have a good relationship.One last thing, the finale was too stark and depressing, which I think also added to the fans upsetment. Thanks for taking the time to develop the survey. Just recently found your blog, but glad I did. Although there were quite a few gems this season, it felt very...unorganized overall. There was very little cohesiveness, and the storylines were (for lack of a better word) cheesey.

With Daniel not really committed to the show the past 2 seasons I am fine with his death. Not really sure how it could have been handled better since they missed the chance at a wedding earlier in the series. Hoping it will return to its earlier formula of developing other characters and storylines. Carson is boring, Frank was boring, bill is boring as a romantic lead. I don't think they necessarily had to kill Jack off if Dan wanted to leave. More stories with Lee and Rosemary

I hope they stop with all the pairing. Life isnt about that and Elizabeth should be a great teacher without a pairing.  In fact teachers weren't allowed to get married and keep their teaching job.  I really hope, although it is Halmark, to see more of what life is suppose to be like at the turn of the century.  Or at least idealized as in Anne of Green Gables.  This shows writing has gone down hill.  But its Halmark paried with Oak.  Overly sweet sappy love stories ahea. If they were going to have Jack and Leixabeth to get married, they should have had them married by the beginning of season four. They could have had Jack die in the NT and it would have been painful and meaningful and whatever else. Lee and Rosemary have so much potential and the writers refuse to utilize them and it’s very frustrating. I would actully like to see a relationship between Carson and Faith!

No

Should have found another way Incredibly poor writing with gaping plot holes and disappearing characters.

The lack of a proper funeral for Jack the character was an insult to all the character has been to the story - 3 minutes reallY!  43 minutes of grieving is ridiculous - all it takes is a letter from the dead, a ride on the horse and a talk with Opal and she's smiling - totally unrealistic.

I was widowed a couple months after I got married when I was 25. I use TV to escape so it’s dishearting that TV thinks death is the only way to close a characters chapter on the show. It’s like I lived this, I see it in real life, give me an escape. It’s been 9 years but sometimes I think my daydream about my husband coming back. I understand Dan wanted to move on, and the show could have sent Jack on assignment, he could have still been mentioned in the show and made occasional guest appearances when his scheduled allowed. That way the fans still get what they want and when the series ends we could have had Jack and Elizabeth riding off into the sunset with their family. I would have preferred not for Elizabeth to be pregnant because now not only did we actually get to see Jack and Elizabeth as husband and wife but we don’t get to see them as parents....together. Although I stopped watching the show when Dan’s screentume became less and less, I still keep up with the show here and there. I would support Elizabeth and Carson only because they know what the other has been through but I still won’t watch the show consistently.

I respect Dan's decision to leave, really sad about it but I think I felt relieved over the fact that they developed a lifelong friendship. But truth be told, those obstacles led to Jack and Elizabeth getting paid dust and honestly deserved so much more - especially with the house and baby talks they had during the season. Recasting would have turned out horribly, but I think it's pretty understandable that Jack died a hero since he's a Mountie. His life is on the line in his job. I just wish they had settled down after the wedding instead. Will watch the Christmas special, and that'll be the deciding factor if I'm sticking around. It's going to be hard without Jack, but having Dan and Erin's friendship as it is, that's something I'll hold onto. After Jack went to western teritories the show lost its momentum and it went downhill from there. It felt as if he was absent even when he was in Hope Valley. Such a shame. I want Elizabeth to be happy but I also do not want to get invested in another relationship of hers. I am also not thrilled about the baby - super predictable, and I don't think every woman would be thrilled that she has to go through pregnancy and raising a child without the father. I'm sure Hope Valley will support her, but I hope they show her struggle with that. I don't particularly like Carson/Faith (it seems like she has a kid crush on him) but I also don't like Elizabeth/Carson. Not sure what they'll do for season 6 ...

I do like that most problems start and end in one episode, I do miss the ongoing issue that runs through an entire season. Saw that season 1-3 but it lacked the last two. The financial crisis didn’t count this season. That was just poorly executed.

Pay Dan what he wants. Make it a dream,continue the show as it was. Horrible way they played along with the romance for years and then threw everything together like a bowl of spaghetti.  I'm done removed it from my DVR.

I really don’t blame Hallmark for the entire mess.  I fell there is a lot more to Dans leaving than has been reported. Hallmark and the Hearties jump started his career in the US and he could have stuck around to given  them another season to continue his and Elizabeth’s love story and be there to see his child born. They only film for barely 3 months so I think it could have been worked. I feel Dan is responsible for taking the joy out of the series. I respect that one has to move on, but I hope for his sake that he made the right choice. Hollywood is fickle. This show has always had its faults, but both season 4 and season 5 have felt utterly directionless. Maybe that's a result of trying to steer a large ship away from Jack and Elizabeth to focus on other story lines, but it has been so very frustrating to watch. I watched all previous seasons on Netflix (I don't have cable), but I bought the 5th season because Daniel Lissing was finally back and I wanted to see the weddings I could finally put this show behind me. Basically, I bought this season out of a sense of desperate frustration. The wedding itself was wonderful (not the whole episode - just the wedding), and when Jack and Elizabeth said "Finally!" at the end, I did too. But the rest of the season? Ugh. Plot progression is so slow, if there is any. I feel like we see the same thing over and over with Lee and Rosemary, the same crisis over and over with Abigail as mayor, even the same conversation between Henry and Abigail over and over ("I'll never be accepted, Abigail" "Yes, you will. I know you're a good man."). It's exhausting. And this isn't a popular opinion, but I'm not crazy about the kids - too cheesy for me and the school scenes are so sugary sweet I can't stand it. Elizabeth has turned into a walking stick of cotton candy. Anyway, for me, I was planning on ending this show with the wedding unless something in this season really grabbed me. I haven't watched the end of the season because I already got what I came for, but I am frustrated that Jack died and angry at the way the whole production team decided to handle it - although with their plot pacing decisions over the past 5 years, I'm not sure why I expected better. This show could be so much more, but it's not.

It's the most saddest, tragical love story I've whitnessed on tv. Not only between Jack and Elizabeth, but also between Dan and Erin. I quite the show and really hope that season 6 is their last one. I don't wanna be part of a show in which fans are cheated and lied to, only for the ratings and the money. The powers to be and also the leading cast, Dan, Erin and Lori, don't deserve any attention from the fandom. The way they handled everything about the show was devestating. I will also unfollow Dan. I'm not interested in him either. To deserve attention you have to show some respect to your fans. He didn't. Only control damage, especially by Lori. I've always admired her for working hard and combining private and business live together, but this time I've got a very bad taste in my mouth considering her. Finally the show, Hallmark, the powers to be and the leading cast showed their true colors!!!!!!  I wanna thank you for your time you've spent on me. It's just a show. Just some Sunday night entertainment. More Rosemary appreciation around the town, PLSSSSSS

I'd prefer that Jack's character have been played by another actor rather than removed from the show (even if he rode off happily into the sunset), UNLESS Elizabeth left too. (I think Andrew Walker would have made a superior replacement for Daniel Lissing.) I'd happily watch the show just for Lee + Rosemary, but this plot twist has squeezed all the joy out of a previously happily un-realistic TV show with this crudely presented character death. It was unfair of the network to insert gut-wrenching drama at the conclusion of a season where the (previous) worst problems were resolved in moments. Hallmark didn't allow the hero in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries to be killed off even though his character dies in the books, conveniently sending him back to the CIA instead. But in their "family-friendly, heart-of-TV" show, they kill off the hero in a landslide instead of recasting? What a sad way to end five seasons of “sweet and naïve” television. They handled things well. I would say that I’m disappointed that they knew for so long and decided not to tell us that Daniel was leaving. However, it was Daniel’s choice to leave the show so he could focus on other things. Like they said in their live stream, they went through every option. I strongly believe that killing Jack was the best thing they could do because replacing him with a different actor would not have worked. I’ll continue watching the show and supporting the cast because they have a story to tell and I want to see where it goes. Jack's death should have been handled differently. The reaction of BB and LL left a bad taste in my mouth. Thead shows are supposed to entertain and uplift, not depress. That was a terrible way for them to get rid of Jack. I would like to have seen Jack recast since DL wanted to leave, it could have been very exciting to have a new Mountie Jack. Maybe still could be if the backlash is strong enough.

Thanks for the fun times! I feel hurt and cheated. I know its just a show but I have been crying all week, I was hoping Jack was still alive. Henrigail. Only thing I'm hanging on for. Wishing, but not bothering to hope, that they do that right. Steeling myself for continuing mediocrity.

Unless I hear that jack is miraculously back, I’m out

Definitely understand Dan's decision to leave. They could have handled it better. Especially having a long time to plan for it. Not mad at Dan in the slightest. Really going to miss him. Hope nothing but the best for all involved in the making of When Calls the Heart. Carson and Faith pairing all the way! Thanks for your blog!! I think they should have ended the show with this season since Dan wanted to leave. It would have been more respectful for the fans who have been following this show for 5 years now. I get the comment made by Lori about a lot of people depending on the show for a job. However, this show is filmed in Vancouver and there are plenty of tv jobs within that city. Also, tv is unpredictable and people who work in film know that. I just find Jack’s death as a slap in the face to the fans. They should have ended it this season. I mean let’s be honest, this show is obviously very different since it started. The quality in storytelling has gone way down.

I want for season 6 more deapt in the stories and not so many plot per episode.

This season was a huge letdown.  The wedding episode was terrible.  Also, Rosemary should have been pregnant instead of Elizabeth. no Thank you!

I'm done with this show. Jack and Elizabeth was what hooked me.

Overall, I think the show has the potential to return to it's former self in previous statements. But I do think it's lost its way this season. This season was a train wreck and I feel cheated on J and E's relationship.  Very jerked around by Hallmark regarding the hype of the wedding.  From chalkdust to eternity?!  How about from chalkdust until 3 weeks from now--when you die!

Shitty season. Honestly, they could've had Jack go elsewhere and still send letters just in case Daniel did want to come back. Thanks for the survey! This has been a great season (except for them killing Jack off). I enjoyed all the stories. I loved all of the kids getting storylines. Opal's adventures. I loved the stories of Jesse and Clara. I loved Rosemary and Lee. Gowen's stories, too. I loved they tied up Tom and Julie. I hate that everything was rushed with Jack and Elizabeth and now he's dead. That is why I won't continue. I'll miss it, but life goes on.

The series touches hearts and gives hope...life isn't sunshine and roses but with faith and hope we are able to make it good... This season was wasted on filler- and they did not utalize Dan's limited time wisely. I think we are still getting half the story on why they went the route they did. In the FB LIVE You could tell Dan was given the lowdown on what he could or could not say- poor guy!

This season could have been better but they need to get rid of all the one and done people. But i'm here for Henry and Abigail. Let that ship sail!!

[g0dblessthefandom]

Wags and Kisses (A DogPark!Brittana One Shot in 3? Parts)

Part Two!

The next days seemed to pass like some sort of dream. Santana would show up to the dog park at her usual time, and there was Brittany, waving to her from over the gate. They’d rush towards each other, almost as eager as the pups were, and before long, Dolly and Frank were good friends. She didn’t have much in common with Brittany, she found that out not long after their meeting. Santana was a high powered New York City lawyer, while Brittany was a dance instructor at a performing arts high school. Brittany always cried during movies about dogs and Santana was a sucker for romances. Brittany had traveled all over the world, visiting every continent at least once and Santana had stayed in her small town until she moved to New York. They were about as opposite as they could be, but there was something special about their conversations. The way that Brittany would always light up when she would see Santana coming and the way Santana frowned when they had to say goodbye.

They had seen each other almost everyday for a week when Quinn’s case decided to explode. Quinn and Mercedes were due back in the mid-evening and Santana was both happy and sad about it. On one hand, she'd be happy to be rid of Dolly. The dog was beginning to grow on her, but the constant maintenance was seriously cramping her style. On the other that meant there would only be one more day at the dog park before she probably never saw Brittany again. It was a harrowing thought and one that she didn't look forward to.

And so, as she sat at her desk, contemplating what to do next, she hadn't noticed the emails that were steadily filling her inbox, or the droning of her phone on silent until her desk phone rang.

“Santana Lopez.” She answered, still only half paying attention.

“Goddamnit, Santana, where are you?!” The angry voice of her partner, Quinn Fabray filled her headset and Santana pulled the phone a few centimeters away from her ear.

“I'm at my desk, Fabray, hence you calling my desk phone and getting me.”

“Don't get coy with me, Lopez. I've sent you a million texts and your cell phone has been ringing off the hook!”

Santana quickly flipped her phone over that was lying facedown on her desk.

“Dammit. Why didn't someone come and get me?”

“Your door was closed and everyone was afraid to call you because they know that when you're in the zone, you're liable to throw a stapler at their head if interrupted.”

“Fair enough.”

“So the question is, what are you doing?”

“Nothing, what's wrong?” To be honest, Santana was a bit annoyed with the interruption. She had an important afternoon to plan.

“How about you turn on a TV, Santana?” Quinn responded in an icy tone.

“Geez, okay.”

Santana flipped the TV that was muted and playing in the background to the news station and gasped as she saw the headline: BREAKING NEWS IN MOTTA/ABRAMS DIVORCE BATTLE! Santana smashed the volume button.

“-And that brings us to today, Anne, where the drama has been cranked up to eleven, and no one is quite sure what to make of it. Of course, this information is still breaking, but no word from attorneys on either side as to what it might mean.”

“Of course, Sarah, but these cheating allegations regarding Mr. Abrams are not new.”

“They are not, however, if this proves to be authentic, these turn of events would blow this thing wide open.  This would serve as irrefutable proof that Mr. Abrams did cheat on Ms. Motta while they were married, and that leaves their prenuptial agreement null and void.”

“The hell…?” Santana muttered, muting the TV again. “What is going on?”

“Some kindergarten teacher from Portland.  says she’s got a kid and Artie is the dad. He started going out there three years ago when his label opened up a west coast studio. And low and behold, the kid is three years old. He paid her a bunch of hush money, but apparently the mom wasn’t happy that she had to lie to the kid about who her dad was.”

“There’s a kid?” Santana nearly fell out of her chair with laughter. “How in the hell could he be so sloppy?”

“Hey, don't complain. He might have just handed us the silver bullet to end this thing. We were looking for the proof, and now we’ve got it. We’ve got to run a DNA on this kid, and get a timeline. That means interview the mom. And that means getting your ass on a plane to Oregon.”

Santana shot off a quick email to her staff, asking her assistant to book a flight. “Sure, and what are you going to do when you get into town?”

“I’m coming after you. I’m get back with ‘Cedes and then I leave tomorrow night.”

“Okay fine, anything else I need to think about?”

“No, Lopez, just get that interview, and start the court proceedings to get Artie’s DNA. I’m sure this is far from over, but I think we just nailed this thing.”

Santana agreed and hung up the phone, picking it up a moment later to make dozens of phone calls. She opened her door, and sent the group of associates who were crowded there flying, scattering them to the four winds with different missions. Santana looked at her watch.The flight headed for Portland would be leaving in less than two hours, giving her just enough time to catch it and get through security if she left that moment. Luckily, she kept an overnight bag in the office.

She was almost to the airport when another thought came to mind. She opened the phone app and began dialing frantically. After a few rings a voice answered.

“Santana! I heard the news! What does this mean for the case? Does it mean you win? That poor child, I can’t imagine what she’s going through. Have you talked to Quinn?”

“Shut up, Rachel, and listen to me. I forgot Dolly!”

There was a moment of confusion as Rachel tried to process the sudden change of topic. “What do you mean, you forgot Dolly?”

“I mean what I said! I’ve got to go to Oregon, and Quinn’s not going to be back until late, and Dolly is in the house and she hasn’t had her dinner or her pills, and she has to go to the bathroom, and I totally forgot! What kind of person am I that I’d forget a totally helpless dog like that? She’s got nobody but me and I completely let her down! What am I going to do? You’ve gotta help me, Rachel, you’ve just gotta. I’m-”

“Breathe, Santana, breathe.” Rachel soothed. “Just take a few breaths already! You don’t have to worry about Dolly, I’ll take care of her.”

“But she’s at my house, Rachel, and you don’t know what to do-”

“Actually, Quinn filled me in on everything before she left because she was sure that you’d be at your wit’s end after the first week. So, I was the backup.”

Santana was almost too relieved to be annoyed. “Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. And also I still have a key to your apartment from last summer when I watered all your plants, even though they’re all dead now.”

She’d forgotten about that, but Santana was glad that she hadn’t demanded her key back like she’d planned to right after she got home from that vacation.

“So, I’ll go over there, and take care of everything. Don’t worry.”

Suddenly, another thought struck Santana.

“Rachel?”

“I said don’t worry, Santana, everything is under control.”

“No, not that, it’s just…” She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. “It’s just that the girl at the dog park, Brittany. I don’t think I’ll see her after today, and-”

“Oooh, will I get the chance to play Cupid? I’ve been wanting to meet this girl considering you talk about her so much.”

“You know what? Nevermind.” Santana said firmly.

“But, Santana-”

“Nope. The last thing I want is you sticking your nose into my love life. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll see her again at some point. It's not like they don't let you into the dog park if you don't have a dog. Right? They don't do that do they?”

Rachel sounded disappointed. “Are you sure you don't want any help, Santana? I can be very persuasive.”

“Sure, I’m sure. Leave it alone, Rachel. Just take care of Dolly and don’t forget to pick out all the green kibbles! She hates those.”

“Will do. You just get out there and win big for your client!”

Santana could almost hear Rachel saluting and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever. I’ll see you when I’m back in town. Oh, and Rachel?”

“Yes, Santana?”

“Thanks, twerp.”

“You're welcome, and have a good flight!”

\

It was almost a week and a half before Santana and Quinn got back into the city. What was looking like a slam dunk for them was requiring a bit more work than they’d bargained for, but they left with good news for Sugar, so that was something. On her first day back in the city, Santana figured it might be a bit much to just ‘happen’ by the dog park, but between the work that was waiting for her when she came back, and her own awkwardness at the prospect of showing up just to see Brittany gave her pause. One evening she found herself at Quinn’s place, and used the opportunity to get some quality time with Dolly. She laid on the couch, Dolly sitting on her stomach while they both listened to Quinn and Rachel argue about something in the study.

“If I didn’t know better, Santana, I’d say you missed that dog.” Mercedes teased. She brought in some snacks and set them on the coffee table, brushing Santana’s legs aside, and sitting next to her on the couch.

Santana ignored her, kicking her feet out over her friend, and continued petting Dolly. “Look at this Susie Homemaker routine. Wow, Mercedes, what’s next, a glass of cognac and a pair of slippers when Quinn gets home at night? Ow!”

Mercedes held her fingers out menacingly. “Yeah, keep that up and another pinch is coming. Anyway, Quinn normally cooks, and we have a housekeeper, you know that, Santana.”

“All I’m saying is, Mercedes, is that you’re nesting. You can deny it all you want, but in a year if I’m not looking at little Santana Jr. I’ll be very surprised.”

“Like we would name our daughter Santana.”

“What else would you name her?”

“My grandmother is Shirley, and it’s a bit old fashioned, but I always liked it-”

“A ha!” Santana nearly shouted, startling Dolly off her lap. “Oh, sorry, Dolly.”

“What are you a-ha-ing about?”

“You’ve been thinking of baby names! You are nesting!”

Mercedes laughed, shaking her head. “You know, instead of using your lawyer skills on me, you should be looking inward. ‘Physician heal thyself.’ Your personal life is a bit of a mess right now.”

“Ah, you know me, ‘Cedes. I’m busy these days, you know?” Santana laid back on the couch, patting her stomach until Dolly was settled back on it. “I just don’t have time for a relationship.”

“What about the girl from the dog park? Bridget?”

“Brittany.” Santana played with Dolly’s ears thoughtfully. “Yeah, I dunno. I mean I kind of dropped off of the planet, and I told her I had one  more day with Dolly.”

“Seriously? You’re going to let that chemistry go just because you’re too much of a wimp to go to the dog park alone?”

“I mean, when you put it like that-”

“Here’s what you do.” Mercedes said, getting up from the couch, and riffling through a nearby desk drawer. “Dolly went out this afternoon already, but she could use another walk. Why don’t you go see if there’s a certain someone hanging out there.”

She tossed a leash into Santana’s lap.

“I dunno, Mercedes. I like her, I really do. She’s adorable and great, and has so many cool ideas, but she also makes me forget what I’m saying, and act like a complete idiot.”

“News flash, Santana, you’re not very smooth. You get most of your girlfriends by being ridiculously attractive.”

“Why, thank you.”

Mercedes roller her eyes. “I just mean, it’s not about ‘being smooth’, it’s about spending time with someone that you like. You can do that, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Okay then, get off of my couch, and get out there!” With a push, Mercedes nudged Santana off of the couch.

“Fiiiiine.” Santana whined. “But don’t say anything to Rachel and Quinn.”

“Don’t say anything about what?” Quinn purred, she’d followed Rachel into the living room, and Santana raced to put her shoes on.

“Nothing! I’m just taking Dolly for a walk. See you guys later!”

Santana could hear their chorus of ‘oooh’s’ as the door closed behind her.