#also hos exact words were 'If in the same week I had my daughter I had beef with Tommyinnit I would kill myself'

[rat-rosemary]

Man. So apparently bench trio reunion comes in the shape of Tommyinnit telling Logan Paul to kill himself

[snowyseba]

Bucky’s Reason

I’m back! It’s been a while, but I’m finally feeling a bit of inspiration again! This was written for @waiting4inspiration‘s 2,000 follower celebration. Congratulations, hun! If you haven’t already, go check out her work - ‘Just Try’ is one of my favorite series ever!

 I chose prompt #25: “Damn, you’re strong for a little thing.” 

Summary: Life is catching up with Bucky. He’s been different since Thanos’s snap was reversed. You can tell that he’s tired, and not just physically. He needs a break, but he refuses to step back. The news you have for him just might be enough to change his mind.

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: mentions of smut, angst (fluff at the end), talk of pregnancy, premature birth, swearing, blatantly ignoring the ending of Endgame

You and Bucky weren’t trying for a baby, but you weren’t exactly not trying for a baby either. After Thanos was defeated and Bucky was back in your arms after five excruciatingly long years, things had changed. Although he continued his work with the Avengers, you could tell that his priorities had shifted. He wasn’t the only one. Tony and Pepper had Morgan. Steve continued to give back, helping struggling veterans, but he was stepping back from being on the front lines so much. Missions came and went, but each time, there was a certain reluctance in Bucky. 

“Don’t make me go, doll,” Bucky murmured against your lips. His arm was heavy across your bare stomach as he spooned you, trailing kisses over your neck. 

“I’m not making you, Buck,” you replied, intertwining your fingers with his. “You know I’d fully support you taking a step back from the Avengers if you want to. You’ve done your part, baby. It’s okay to focus on you and your life. Look at Tony. Look at Clint. Just because you’re living your life doesn’t make you any less of a hero. I’m not saying you have to stop completely, but...is this really what you want?” 

He sighed, hugging you tighter against him, pressing one more kiss to your forehead before standing, going to change. You were too spent from the earlier exertion to follow, besides, you wanted to stay in your warm, post-orgasmic haze just a little while longer, so you totally missed the way Bucky’s gaze lingered longingly on your belly as he replied, “Maybe I just need the right reason.” 

Now here you were, three months later, staring at the positive pregnancy test in front of you. For some reason, Bucky’s words from all those nights ago lingered in your head. You were so lost in thought that you didn’t even notice him enter the bedroom you shared. He had just returned from a mission. It was a long one this time, lasting over a month, which meant that Bucky had also completely missed out on the beginnings of the symptoms of your pregnancy. 

It was only when you felt the bed dip next to you, Bucky’s lips on your forehead, that you realized he was back. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Bucky hummed, stroking your hair back like he always did to soothe you. “They must be pretty fascinating if they kept you from noticing me come home.” 

“Sorry,” you winced. You hadn’t meant to ignore him. You had been eagerly awaiting his arrival, but trying to figure out how to break the news made you lose track of time. “I was just thinking.” 

Bucky settled down onto the bed next to you, propping his head up on his hand and regarding you quizzically. He was only wearing sweatpants, having forgone a shirt, not that you minded. He looked exhausted, though, physically, but it went deeper than that. “I can see that. What’s on your mind, princess?” 

“What if I told you I might have a reason for you take a bit of a break from the superhero life?” 

He chuckled at that, pressing a kiss against your lips, amused. “Oh yeah? And what might that be?” 

As soon as the words left is mouth, it was life your mind went blank. The script you had carefully rehearsed in your head was gone, and you couldn’t seem to find the right words. Instead, you took his hand in your own, looking into his eyes as you brought it to rest over your stomach. If he was confused, it was barely discernible. He drew a sharp breath, his eyes frantically scanning your face for any hint that this was a joke. 

“Y/N...?” his voice was shaky, barely audible, and yet his eyes were shining brighter than you’d seen them since he first laid eyes on you after the snap was reversed. “A-are you? Are we?”

“Do you think baby Barnes is a good enough reason to take some time off?” Your voice was just as uneven. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Bucky gazed at you fondly, his hand still pressed firmly against the slight swell of your stomach. “Not for a long, long time. Nothing’s gonna come between us again.” 

He nudged your shoulder gently, pushing you onto your back as he reached for the hem of your shirt. Bucky paused, looking up at you for permission. “Can I...?” As soon as you nodded, he was pushing your shirt up, his hands rough against the soft skin of your belly. Quietly, barely loud enough for you to hear, he whispered to the tiny life the two of you created, “You and your momma are the greatest things that have ever happened to me.” 

_______________________________________________________________________

It had surprised you just how much Bucky had stepped up since you shared the news that your little family was expanding. True to his word, he had already scaled back on missions significantly, opting to stick with search and rescue or background work where possible. He couldn’t justify taking the same risks he used to, not when he had his wife and unborn child to come home to. Pepper and Morgan had almost lost Tony. Bucky witnessed firsthand the terror as they waited while doctors worked to save his life. They had succeeded, but since then, they’d all reevaluated their priorities. 

So far, everything had been perfect. By all accounts the pregnancy had been easy, despite carrying a super soldier’s baby. Finding out you were carrying a little girl had made everything even more real. The swollen stomach, aches and pains, cravings, and the tiniest flutters of movement were real enough reminders, but knowing that you and Bucky were going to be parents to a little princess was when things really hit home. 

The nursery had just been painted a pastel pink, at Bucky’s insistence. He was already spoiling her. He had ordered the best crib he could find, the most comfortable rocking chair so you could easily nurse her. Everything in the nursery had been carefully researched. At times, you were a bit annoyed that you couldn’t just pick out something on a whim, Bucky had to read the reviews first, which meant the nursery was still unfinished, but you couldn’t stay mad for long. He was so excited about being a dad and just wanted to provide his daughter with the best. How could you fault him for that? 

At 32 weeks along, you weren’t too worried. You still had several more weeks until your due date, or so you thought. You were folding laundry when you felt the first contraction, the pain catching you off guard. Rubbing a hand over your belly, you brushed it off. It was probably just the start of Braxton Hicks, which your doctor had warned you about. So you thought nothing of it, continuing to go about your day until you felt another. Uneasiness was beginning to gnaw away at you. Something felt off, but you didn’t want to send Bucky into a panic over practice contractions, so you waited. He was working with Sam and Steve today. If you were still feeling the contractions when he got home in a few hours, you’d tell him. 

As the afternoon wore on, the contractions continued, only worrying you more. If that wasn’t enough, you could swear that you felt a steadily building pressure in your pelvis. But you couldn’t be in labor, you just couldn’t. It was way too early, your baby girl still had weeks left before she’d be fully ready to enter the world. Another contraction caught you off guard, leaving you breathless. It was that exact moment that your husband walked in the door. 

“Hey, doll, I’m ho-- sweetheart?!” Bucky was at your side in an instant once he saw your expression, contorted with pain. “Darling, what’s the matter? Where does it hurt?” 

“Bucky!” No matter how hard you tried to stay calm, the second Bucky walked in the room, you lost it. He was home. That meant you’d been having contractions all day, and they were only getting worse. 

“Talk to me, doll!” Bucky was frantic, a hand cupping your chin, tilting your head so he could search your eyes for any clue as to what was going on. “Please, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s goin’ on.” 

“I’m having contractions, Bucky.” 

You had seen Bucky face down some of the world’s greatest enemies, you had seen him turn to dust before your very eyes. None of those moments, though, could even come close to comparing to the utter fear and helplessness that tainted his expression, the blood draining from his face, hands frantically running over your bump, pushing the fabric of your shirt up and resting his palms against your skin, voice thick with emotion “N-no..” 

“I thought it was just Braxton Hicks, so I waited. I walked. I changed positions. Nothing helped, and they’re just getting closer together. Are you okay to drive me to the hospital, or should I call Steve?” 

Bucky shook his head, a determined expression taking over, replacing the panic that had been there only moments before. “No, I got you, baby. I promised you I’d be here for both of you. C’mon, do you think you can stand and walk with me to the car?” He gently gripped your arms, guiding you up.

Just as you stood, you felt a ‘pop’ rapidly followed by a trickle of liquid that sent your heart racing. “I think my water just broke...” 

The words were so quiet that at first you thought Bucky hadn’t heard you, but next thing you knew, you were in his arms, on your way to the car. After carefully buckling you in, he raced to the other side, giving your hand a tight squeeze. He leaned over, giving you a quick kiss. “You’re gonna be okay. Both of you. I texted Steve, he’ll come grab your bag and lock up, then meet us there. Stark has the world’s best doctors on their way to meet us at the hospital.”

“You really think of everything, baby. We’re lucky to have you.” Despite the uncertainty, despite the pain each time a contraction seized you making the muscles of your abdomen clench, having Bucky by your side made you a little less afraid. 

“Of course I do. Nothing’s gonna happen to my best girls on my watch.”

_______________________________________________________________________

From that point on, things progressed in a blur. True to Tony’s word, there was a team of doctors waiting for you as soon as you arrived. Soon, you were settled in a private suite in the maternity ward, monitors strapped all over you, monitoring contractions, your baby’s heart rate, and things the doctor had explained to you, but had long since been forgotten in the constant ebb and flow of contractions. 

With your water having broken, delaying labor meant risking infection, but with how small your baby girl was, you also wanted to give her all the time you could to develop. After weighing options with Bucky and the medical team, you decided to try to delay labor. They administered antibiotics, gave you medication to stop the contractions. It was a long shot, but you still took it. 

The whole time, Bucky was by your side, clasping your hand tightly in his own, rubbing circles over your bump, doing anything he could to soothe you. He was trying his hardest to be strong for you, even though he was panicking on the inside, worst-case scenarios rushing through his head. What if the baby didn’t make it? What if you didn’t make it? What if he lost both of you? Never in his life had he felt so completely helpless, not even during his time under Hydra’s control. There was nothing he could do here, no enemies to punch, no weapons to aid in the fight. This was an entirely new battle field for Bucky, and it scared the hell out of him.  

Somewhere in the middle of the night, the call was made. The labor hadn’t stopped; in fact, it had progressed, and like it or not, it was time for you to push. Bucky had been surrounded by warriors, fights, and bloodshed for most of his life. None of it could have prepared him for the rollercoaster that was the birth of his child. He watched, not sure if it was pride, terror, or a mix of the two, that he was feeling. He was behind you, arms wrapped around you. He could feel the way your belly clenched with each contraction, feel the force as you pushed and fought to bring his child into the world, hear the your screams fill the room. At that moment, Bucky was convinced that you were the strongest person he had ever met.

“That’s it, Mrs. Barnes. Gentle pushes, now. The head’s almost out.” 

Through the haze, Bucky registered the doctor’s words, and he hazarded a gaze downwards. He wasn’t quite prepared for the sight, but he had arguably seen worse. It was only then that it hit him. Bucky had seen so much death, so much that the faces blurred together, so much that he couldn’t even count the number of lives he’d seen leave this world. But this was the first time that he’d seen a new life entering it. And then, suddenly, as you gave a final cry, collapsing against his body, she was here. At 3:47 AM, his daughter was born. For a moment, the room was silent, the doctors already preparing to intervene if needed, and then she let out a shrill cry, and her tiny body, almost impossibly small, was placed on your chest, and you knew you were hers for the rest of your life. Behind you, Bucky’s hands carefully reached around you, gently holding his newborn as he pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

“Y/N,” the way he spoke your name was something you’d never heard before. It was full of admiration, adoration, and pure awe. “You did so good, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you. She’s perfect. God, she’s so small...she’s like a little doll.”

All too quickly, little baby Barnes was whisked away. You understood why, of course. Even though she seemed to be doing extraordinarily well considering how early she was delivered, the doctors wanted to give her a thorough look-over.

“Well, all things considered, I’d say you’ve got a very lucky little girl, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes,” the doctor returned, a small bundle of blankets in her arms. “It would seem that the serum you were injected with, Mr. Barnes, saved your daughter. She’s small, but her development is further along than we’d expect. Her lungs were our main concern, but they’re functioning just fine. We’d like to keep you both here a few extra days for observation, but I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to take her home afterwards. We’ll need you to come in for regular check ups, and we’ll have to keep her on a strict feeding schedule to make sure she’s gaining weight, but she’s going to be just fine.” You couldn’t help but notice the way he teared up when hearing that his serum, the very thing that he was afraid would harm his child ended up being what saved her.

She stepped forward, transferring the tiny bundle that was your baby into your arms. Immediately, Bucky’s arms snaked around yours, helping you support her. He didn’t even hesitate to hold her with his metal arm. “Hi there, princess. You gave your momma and I quite a scare, you know. I’ll forgive you this once, but don’t you make a habit of it.”

“She’s our daughter, Buck, and the Avengers are her aunts and uncles. I don’t think a life without scares is in our future.”

As you both held your daughter, her tiny hand reached out, impossibly tiny fingers clutching onto one of Bucky’s. You could feel the breath catch in his throat, hot tears dripping onto your shoulder as he let out a breathy laugh, “Damn, you’re strong for a little thing.”

“Yeah? Have we got a little Steve on our hands?” 

“Don’t you even start,” Bucky threatened playfully, “I spent enough time getting that punk out of trouble. I thought I was finally gonna settle down.” 

“Who are you calling punk, jerk?” Steve’s voice sounded from the doorway. Though his tone was teasing, he looked about ready to cry. “I heard you’re a daddy now, huh? Congratulations, both of you. Can I meet my niece?” 

“Yeah, I’m a daddy now,” Bucky murmured, unable to tear his gaze away from the little girl clinging to his finger. 

“She’s beautiful. Everyone’s so glad to hear that you’re both okay. They’d all love to see you, if you’re up for it. I checked with the nurse and she said it’s fine provided it’s a quick visit,” Steve smiled as he watched his best friend.

“Please,” you flashed him a grin. “I want to show off our princess.” 

He ducked out the door, saying he’d be right back, and you turned you attention back to Bucky and the little bundle sleeping soundly in your arms. Soon she’d wake, crying and squirming and you’d have to face the whole new challenge of feeding her.

For now, though, you were content to lean against Bucky as he pressed kisses against your skin, every now and them murmuring how proud he is, how thankful he is, finally enjoying the peace after so much chaos and fear. 

That moment, holding his family in his arms, was one he’d never forget as long as he lived. He had been wrong, before, when he said that she was his reason to step back from work. No, from that day on, you and your daughter were his reason for everything. 

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, December 14

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Prince William’s secret cancer crisis

Page 2: Chris Martin is caught between girlfriend Dakota Johnson and ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow who are both hawking sex toys -- Gwyneth is accusing Dakota of copying her Goop brand and she’s letting Chris know it loud and clear -- Dakota signed on as co-creative director with the sexual wellness brand Maude to launch a line of hip sex products and Dakota’s gotten wind of Gwyn’s whining and thinks she’s being ridiculous -- Chris is proud of Dakota and he feels for Gwyneth but he really wants to be left out of this 

Page 3: Martha Stewart has whipped up a new recipe for romance which is red-hot dates with a string of men ordered up online and she may be 79 years old but she’s still cooking with gas in the dating department -- Martha’s getting more dates now than she ever has and she’s saying it makes her feel younger and hotter than ever but all the guys know the deal that there’s no pressure and no commitment and it’s just for the fun and the good company because Martha’s not looking for a relationship 

Page 4: Just weeks after Blake Shelton popped the question to longtime love Gwen Stefani they have something else to celebrate as Gwen is expecting a miracle baby at 51 -- after years of trying and failing to have a child together new photos show Gwen sporting what looks like a telltale baby bump -- after years of enduring grueling rounds of IVF treatment without any success Gwen had given up hope of being able to conceive again and she and Blake even looked into adopting but their baby dream has come true naturally 

* Reba McEntire’s romance with actor Rex Linn is less than a year old but she’s already driving him crazy -- it was wonderful for the first few months but Reba is so controlling Rex is begging her to give him some space -- Reba wants to be together 24/7 and while Rex loves being with her he’s starting to find her a bit suffocating -- Reba also sees red whenever Rex mentions his former fiancee Renee DeRese and she’s worried Rex is talking to his ex when he’s not around and he has a good relationship with his ex and believes that’s none of Reba’s business 

Page 5: Britney Spears lost her bid to have her father Jamie Spears removed from a controlling role in her conservatorship so she’s spending whatever money she can get her hands on to exact her revenge -- Britney is worth about $60 million and she gets a very healthy stipend from that so she’s going through it like water to thumb her nose at her dad and her recent no-holds-barred trip to Maui to celebrate her 39th birthday was more than a little payback because dropping $50,000 on a birthday trip to Hawaii was a satisfying slap in the face to her dad 

Page 6: Matthew McConaughey is taking his midlife crisis to an all-time high by planning to do a stand-up comedy tour -- after baring his soul in a memoir the 51-year-old star is totally gung-ho about the comedy thing and he’s cleared his schedule and hired a coach to work on his timing and punch up his jokes -- he’s written a lot of jokes and tried them out on his wife Camila and friends but they’re already tired of his cheesy one-liners and dad jokes and fart gags -- Camila wants to be supportive but she can’t fake it and friends wonder if Matthew’s lost the plot and others claim he might get more inspiration is he took up smoking weed again 

Page 7: Grieving Bobby Brown worries he’s cursed after the tragic death of his 28-year-old son Bobby Brown Jr. -- his son’s death follows the deaths of his ex-wife Whitney Houston in 2012 and the couple’s 22-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in 2015 -- Bobby has suffered through so much pain in his life and it’s left him feeling like he’s cursed and he’s a loving father who always does the best he can and what’s right for his kids but there seems to be no escaping tragedy -- no foul play is expected in the death of Bobby Jr. but the coroner has yes to release the cause of death but Bobby Jr. seemed fit and healthy and had never been a drug user and was excited about a singing career after releasing his first single in September

* Donny Osmond is heading back to the Vegas strip to do a one-man show without his sister Marie Osmond and she’s fuming over the betrayal -- Marie is still smarting after getting dumped by The Talk and she thinks Donny could have been sensitive enough to at least invite her to join him -- Marie’s jealous co-stars on The Talk drove her off the daytime chat show because they couldn’t handle being overshadowed by her -- Donny will debut his new solo show at Harrah’s in August 

Page 8: Doting Dolly Parton swooped in to save goddaughter Miley Cyrus from a meltdown after Miley trashed her sobriety during a boozy bender -- Miley has been on the wagon for six months after years of indulging in weed and alcohol but the boredom of lockdown pushed her over the edge -- Dolly has been a source of inspiration and strength to Miley during this difficult time and she’s never lectured Miley about her lifestyle only shown her unconditional love and understanding and that’s what Miley’s responded to 

Page 9: Lady Gaga hopes to tango with Brad Pitt and they’re close to making a love connection -- the two have been in deep talks about working on a big-screen thriller and the conversations have turned up close and personal because the two have more in common than people realize -- Brad has always been a huge music nerd and Gaga wants to throw herself into movies in a big way after the success of A Star Is Born -- Gaga is ready to cash out of her latest relationship with businessman Michael Polansky because they quarantined together and things got a little too close for her tastes and she’s now set her sights on Brad who recently became unattached after giving the brush-off to German model Nicole Poturalski -- Gaga’s interest in Brad has not gone unreciprocated because Brad is fascinated by Gaga saying she’s cool and talented beyond words and he’s made it clear she’s his number one choice to star alongside him in next movie and as a result the new duo is set to spend months together in Japan filming the racy thriller Bullet Train and they both think that this will be a great opportunity to see if the chemistry they’ve shared in conversations is real 

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Julia Garner filmed her role as a phony heiress in Inventing Anna in NYC, Gary Busey picked up a copy of the National Enquirer at a Malibu newsstand, Jay-Z tossed around a football with pals during a Hawaiian getaway, Heidi Klum shot Germany’s Next Top Model in Berlin 

Page 11: In the latest tragedy to strike the Getty dynasty 52-year-old John Gilbert Getty was found dead in a Texas hotel room -- he was a descendant of J. Paul Getty the oil tycoon who was once the world’s richest man -- the Getty fortune is worth an estimated $5 billion but the family has been rocked by a string of tragedies 

* Gutsy Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman kept his colon cancer diagnosis secret from his own brothers Derrick L. Boseman who is a pastor in Murfreesboro in Tennessee -- but when Derrick called Chadwick to congratulate him on his career the actor broke the tragic news -- Chadwick’s last words to him still echo in his heart: Chadwick said, “I’m in the fourth quarter and I need you to get me out of the game,” which Derrick understood to mean it was time for him to go -- Chadwick died on August 28 

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- the scrawny look of the holiday tree at Rockefeller Center revealed something that happens every year -- the tree is always filled with faux branches because that’s the only way the tree can sustain 50,000 LED lights

* Marie Osmond hasn’t spoken to Sharon Osbourne since she left The Talk because Marie and Sharon were professional but never friends

* Scarlett Johansson is worth $165 million while her new husband Colin Jost tops out a $6 million but despite the difference Colin bought both wedding rings -- some men may be intimidated by a wife who’s rich and famous but not Colin and paying the bills is something the two have worked out together

* Woody Harrelson chats with police after a day filming The Man from Toronto in Ontario (picture) 

Page 13: Conan O’Brien is putting on a happy face on his retirement from late-night TV but he was forced out -- after nearly three decades hosting a daily show Conan announced he’s leaving his TBS talker for a weekly variety series on HBO Max but he knew he had to go even before he was asked because he was made aware months ago that his show would not be renewed because the ratings weren’t great and the network was looking to replace him so he started looking for other opportunities 

* Lizzo wailing about the pitfalls of fame in an emotional TikTok post has sent out the alarm among her friends who fear she is days away from a full-on meltdown -- she seems to be hanging by a thread and is trying to numb the pain with endless cycles of comfort eating and she already weighs 350 pounds -- Lizzo’s unhappy with her weight and hates the sight of herself when she looks in the mirror but she’s unable to stick to a diet and ends up binge eating through the night 

Page 14: Crime 

Page 15: Emboldened by his legal victories last year accused sexual abuser Kevin Spacey is denying all the allegations in a 2020 lawsuit in New York against him and demanding the case be brought to trial so he can clear his name -- Kevin is feeling pretty confident after two sexual harassment cases against him in Los Angeles and Massachusetts were dismissed last year and he wants his day in court to prove he is not the monster these charges paint him to be -- in the September suit two male accusers charged Spacey sexually assaulted them when they were 14 and the first accuser alleged Spacey assaulted him on multiple occasions after they met in an acting class in the ‘80s -- in the same suit actor Anthony Rapp charged Spacey invited him to a party at his home and grabbed his buttocks and lifted him onto a bed and lay on top of him

* Serial killer Ted Bundy relived the details of one of his horrific killings in his final conversation before he was fried in the electric chair in 1989 -- Bundy who was convicted of killing 30 women and suspected of doing the same to many more across four states in the 1970s and ‘80s spilled his guts to a psychologist just hours before his execution death and it can be heard in its frightening entirety on the Crimedoor app -- Bundy details the murder of Georgann Hawkins 

Page 16: Accused Jeffrey Epstein madam Ghislaine Maxwell is under quarantine in a federal pen after being exposed to a guard with COVID-19 and now sources fear she could die before facing justice on child sex trafficking charges next year 

Page 17: Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton’s kids are devastated after their best friend Lupo the family dog passed away -- the beloved dog had become a fixture in family photos but sadly died at age nine leaving Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte and especially Prince George enormously upset -- for George especially this is a tremendous upset as Lupo was his best friend and he has been there his entire life and this is his first experience with loss and he’s been crying nonstop and asking where Lupo is now 

Page 18: American Life 

Page 19: Russia is using a brain-frying microwave weapon to target American envoys in the U.S. and around the world -- a team of doctors and scientists at CIA headquarters determined the mysterious illness that’s plagued embassy workers in recent years was the handiwork of a weapon that can send a mind-scrambling sonic beam through windows and walls from two miles away -- since 2018 the weapon has zapped 26 diplomats in Cuba who reported suffering from migraines and ringing in the ears and dizziness and vertigo -- Some has longer-term effects such as fatigue and loss of vision and difficulty sleeping symptoms dubbed the Havana Syndrome 

* Elon Musk is already designing posh planetary digs for residents of his future city on Mars and he said the first million Earthlings to arrive will live in glass domes -- Musk’s outer-space enterprise is still a little sketchy on details of how to ship a million people to Mars by 2050 and change the atmosphere by terraforming or planting the right stuff to create oxygen 

Page 21: American Pie singer Don McLean’s daughter has blasted him as a verbally abusive tyrant who left her with deep psychological scars -- Jackie McLean claimed her father insulted and degraded her and forbade her from following in his musical footsteps and even threatened to exclude her from his $50 million fortune if she spoke out against him -- despite her dad’s warning Jackie has embarked on a musical career with her husband Shawn Strack forming the group Roan Yellowthorpe

Page 22: Hey, Big Spender! Hollywood’s tippers and tightwads -- Jessica Simpson, Mick Jagger, Rachael Ray, Taylor Swift 

Page 23: Russell Crowe, Donnie Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven, Johnny Depp, Bill Cosby 

Page 25: Justin Bieber is questioning his future in the scandal-scarred Hillsong church after his former pal and pastor Carl Lentz was booted out in disgrace -- the singer has long relied on Hillsong which some have branded a cult and Lentz to help him navigate fame -- Justin’s at a crossroads right now because he definitely felt betrayed by Carl and now he and his wife Hailey Bieber are deciding whether to stay with the church 

Page 26: Viola Davis has revealed how growing up poor in Rhode Island affected her self-worth saying what comes with poverty is invisibility and we just want to be somebody desperately -- Viola says her feeling of I’m Important helped drive her career which has led to an Oscar and two Tonys and an Emmy 

* Hollywood Hookups -- Vanessa Hudgens is dating Cole Tucker of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jordan Fisher and Ellie Woods married, Luann De Lesseps dating Garth Wakeford 

Page 27: Nicole Kidman has revealed there is only one cure for her desperate struggles with loneliness which is in the arms of husband Keith Urban -- Nicole said she practices psychological discipline to keep her career and home life separate but isolation still plagues her 

* Dallas star Linda Gray is mourning the death of her son Jeff Thrasher at the age of 56 -- she’s heard from some former Dallas colleagues who have rallied around her and expressed their condolences -- no cause of death for Jeff has been revealed 

Page 28: Cover Story -- Prince William is trapped in a cancer nightmare after medical tests have led doctors to suspect the heir to Britain’s throne may be fighting a slow-moving form of the deadly disease and now the 38-year-old royal and his family are terrified he is in severe danger and medical experts are monitoring his health for any symptoms of the illness -- there’s talk around the palace the prince’s decision to reveal he tested positive for COVID-19 during the spring is really an attempt to explain away his condition because doctors found something funky when they checked for the virus -- if William’s health takes a turn for the worse it could further erode confidence in the monarchy which has already endured Prince Andrew’s sex scandal and the defection of Prince Harry -- when William’s doctors dropped their cancer bombshell his wife Duchess Kate Middleton locked herself away with just their kids for five days and she’s practically had a breakdown but she’s learned to be a royal and is now coping very bravely and confronting the future with steely resolve but she is urging William to mend fences with his estranged brother Harry

Page 32: Health Watch 

Page 36: Jessica Simpson is preparing her windpipes for a post-pandemic musical comeback -- she hasn’t released an album since Happy Christmas a decade ago but wants to storm the pop charts once again and recruit some of her wider family to give her a disco edge because Jessica has always looked up to Diana Ross who is sister Ashlee Simpson’s mother-in-law and Jessica has been bugging Ashlee to hook her up with Diana and she thinks they could do an incredible duet 

Page 38: Paul McCartney has taken a seething jab at a two-faced gold-digging mystery woman in his new song Lavatory Lil but insisted it’s not about his ex-wife Heather Mills 

* Lil Wayne’s ex-girlfriend fears he will go insane behind bars -- the rapper is a convicted felon banned from possessing a weapon and now faces up to 10 years in jail after federal agents in Miami caught him with heroin and cocaine and ecstasy and marijuana and a gold-plated gun -- former girlfriend Melissa Howe says he won’t cope and it took him years to get his life back to normal after his last trip inside so for it to happen again for him to be put behind bars it would really get to him mentally 

Page 42: Red Carpet -- American Music Awards -- Kristin Cavallari, Christian Serratos, Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Megan Fox 

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- LeAnn Rimes holding a dog on Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family 

Page 47: Odd List 

[rainbowserenity]

It started out as a little friendly competition.

Really, Lightning could get behind that. After all, how often had she done the exact same thing during training with her fellow Corps members? Challenging someone to a race around the track wasn't an unheard of phenomenon.

But at least with that, it didn't grow into something crazier.

Honestly, she should've figured something like this was inevitable when she and Hope moved into a little house right across the street from Serah and Snow. Having her sister living so close was like something out of a bad sitcom, but Lightning wouldn't have it any other way.

Except during the holidays.

“Ha! Suck it, Estheim!” Snow shouted at the top of his lungs, probably waking up the whole neighborhood in the meantime. He gestured wildly to the display of lights on his house. There were twinkling icicle lights and lines of colors running along the edge of the roof. He even had one of those lit-up wire statues that looked like reindeer. “Ours is the best on the block!”

“I don't think so!” Hope's hands were on his hips as he stood proudly in the driveway. Lightning rolled her eyes. Their own light display on the house was similar, but she had to admit, Hope's was arranged a little better. Not that she'd admit that out loud.

Serah was taking pictures of both houses, a huge grin on her face. “We'll have to get an impartial third party. Maybe Noel?”

“Good idea, baby!” Snow laughed and scooped Serah up in his arms, much to her delight. Lightning rolled her eyes again, especially when Hope glanced at her.

“Do that and you die.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Not that she didn't show her appreciation in other ways...

Noel had declared Hope's light display the winner. Snow demanded a recount before realizing it didn't quite work that way, but he promised that he'd get two more people to vote next year.

“We're not doing this next year,” Lightning argued.

“Sure we are! Me and Serah are gonna have the brightest house on the block, just you wait!”

This she did not doubt.

After the holidays were over and all the lights plummeted to ridiculously cheap prices, Hope and Snow scooped up as many as possible. Serah just seemed amused by the whole thing. “Maybe the winner should get a prize next year.”

“They're not going to do this next year.” Lightning frowned. “They're going to forget about it and put up the lights like normal people, so when families drive down the block, they'll be in awe and not wondering who the two grown men shouting at each other from across the street are.”

“Don't dampen their dreams, Sis.”

Despite her protests, Hope put even more lights on their house the next year. He refused to get one of those wire reindeer sculptures, though. “They're tacky.”

“You just don't like them because Snow had one first.”

Hope huffed out a laugh, a sure sign she was right. “No...!”

Lightning just smirked, holding onto the ladder as he tacked a string of lights up, then frowned and moved them down half an inch. No comment. “Did you find two more judges besides Noel?”

“Yes. Fang and Sazh said they'd come, but we have to feed them afterward.”

“We're going to get eaten out of house and home.” She pretended to mind. They hadn't yet made use of the two empty bedrooms in the house, so it was nice to have it full of people for a bit. “Why not Fang and Vanille?”

“Snow thought that she wouldn't be impartial, since she's one of my best friends.”

“You and Noel are close, though, and he was the first one you called. You don't call that impartial?”

“Yeah, but he's also close to Serah.”

“True.” Lightning held on a bit tighter when Hope slowly climbed down the ladder, only letting go when he was safely on the ground. When they were face-to-face, he wrapped his arms around her waist with a smile, pulling her close for a kiss. Or twelve.

“Hey,” he murmured once they'd finally managed to pull away. She wanted to close the space between them again. “You really don't mind this, right? Me putting up all these lights?”

“I think it's our electric bill you should be asking.”

Hope chuckled, reconnecting their lips. “Good point.”

That year, Sazh and Noel voted two-to-one in favor of the HopeLight display. The Snerah one wasn't nearly as exciting, they claimed, but Fang had been endlessly amused by those wire reindeer decorations. They all moseyed into Hope and Lightning's home afterward, demanding to be compensated. Snow bought all the beer since his display had lost.

That had been the best thing. Maybe she could get used to this.

And the thing was, as the years passed by, she actually did. It came as absolutely no surprise to her when she saw Snow and Serah's kids helping out with the lights when they were old enough. Rosa was actually quite skilled at knotting the wires together and making her dad go out to buy more lights. Lightning had no idea who'd taught her that, but considering Uncle Hope was Rosa's favorite relative, she had her suspicions. Josh was the smart kid who stayed out of it.

The first two years after she and Hope had their daughter, Seven, Hope's winning streak was broken since he was too busy helping his wife raise a kid. Lightning couldn't say she minded this a bit, but when Hope was feeling more confident and made a dazzling light show when Seven was a toddler, it was pretty great to see their daughter's eyes all wide and amazed.

And speaking of amazing...

“Hope.” Lightning glanced up, where her husband was puttering around the roof. Seven was stumbling around, looking like a marshmallow in her winter clothes. It'd already snowed this year, and the rest of the season was promising to be cold...if it didn't all melt from the heat from all these lights. “Is this really necessary?”

“Yes!” Hope had to shout to be heard from up on the roof. He was assembling some kind of insane contraption that had a Santa with his eight reindeer. There'd been another set with a Rudolph, but Hope refused to get it because Rudolph was so commercialized. He didn't seem to find any irony in this. “You saw Snow's last year, Light! His Santa waves and talks!”

“And is a complete nuisance.” That, admittedly, wasn't entirely true, since they all turned off the lights at a reasonable hour. Plus, there were those electric bills to think about. She signed, smiling a bit as Seven plopped down and looked around. “If you get anything that talks, I'm moving in with Fang and Vanille.”

“Like they wouldn't be just as noisy?”

“...Point taken.” Those two had no shame.

That year, Hope won a unanimous vote because none of them thought the constant 'ho-ho-ho!' coming from Snow's yard was all that endearing. The nonstop talking Santa was in the curbside trash by the new year.

As their kids all started growing up and got to help their dads out, the whole thing became something of a tradition for the whole block. Once the displays were all up and working, almost all of their neighbors would come and look at them. Hope and Snow had taken advantage of this and now put out collection boxes, where every donation went to a needy cause in the neighborhood. The simple loser-buys-beer get-togethers that they'd had was now a big block party – all of Seven's friends would team up and have snowmen (“No, Mommy, it's snowpeople,” Seven had explained in exasperation at one point) building contests with Rosa and Josh's friends. The adults would get tipsy and all bring a dish so they could have an 'impromptu' potluck, though Lightning knew for a fact that some of them made their dishes days in advance.

Not that she minded a bit.

“You're going to be able to see the house from space at this rate,” Lightning said a few years later, as Hope lined the roof with alternating colors.

“Not scientifically possible, Mom,” Seven replied. “The watts on these aren't bright enough.”

“Atta girl,” Hope said with a huge grin. Lightning rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide her little smile. She knew just how to handle the conversation. After all, she'd been a teenage girl once, too.

“So, Seven.” She raised an eyebrow. “Any chance we'll see Sice come over to see the judging this year?”

Seven immediately blushed and sputtered out something unintelligible before mentioning homework and rushing inside. Hope chuckled.

“Oh c'mon, Light. That was unfair.”

“Maybe a little.” She held onto the ladder as he climbed down, like always. “But it means when we won't get any commentary when I do this.”

“Do wha - ”

His words were cut off with her lips. Somehow, the lights turned on as they kissed, bathing them in a twinkling glow. She ignored the wolf-whistle from across the street, knowing that Serah would shut Snow up the same way soon enough.

Even after so many years of holidays with him and this ridiculous tradition, it never failed to feel like something new every time. Funny how Hope had always had that effect on her without realizing it – every day felt new when they were together. Maybe it was because he was always by her side as they'd built this life.

A sappy thought, she mused as they continued to kiss, but she'd cut herself a break. It was the holidays, after all.

And eventually she'd pry herself away from his lips –  he did have an eleven-year winning streak to uphold.

“Estheim's the winner!” Sazh declared with a flourish several weeks later.

Make that twelve.

(Unless I get a windfall of random inspiration, this might be my last fic of the year. If I've entertained you all, please consider buying me a coffee ❤)

[samwinlover-blog]

Tuck the World Away

Pairing: teenage!Sam x teenage!reader Characters: Sam, the reader, mention of a few others  Warnings: light swearing, some fluff, some angst, ya know a little bit of everything, no monsters au!  Summary: An overview of (Y/N)’s relationship with Sam over the years  A/N: Okay so I’m like really super proud of this one, idk why....so enjoy! Also I changed the tense for the first time so lmk how you like it! It was a little harder to write lol I kept finding myself saying “you” instead of “she” but whatever! Unbetad so all mistakes r mine:)

1990: Fourth grade

The elementary school’s doors seemed bigger and scarier than they every had before as (Y/N) walked in, clutching her mother’s hand tightly. She’d been there once before- to meet the principal and tour her new school- but it hadn’t seemed this terrifying back then.  

Her pigtails bounced up and down as she walked in, peering around nervously at the sea of new faces. They all seemed friendly enough, but a giggle or smile here and there wasn’t enough to make (Y/N) want to let go of her mom’s hand. 

The two of them walked to her classroom to greet (Y/N)’s new teacher. Mrs. Mayweather was a short, blonde haired woman with a kind face- dressed in a long floral dress that didn’t match the dreary weather outside. 

“Alright sweetie, I have to go to work,” Mary (Y/L/N) squeezed her daughter’s hand once before turning to walk back down the hall, “Have fun at your first day of fourth grade!” 

For a minute, (Y/N) didn’t know what to do with herself. Standing there awkwardly in front of the class, she felt completely out of place. Her pink shirt was too bright, her hair was too curly, and nobody else was wearing power rangers light up shoes. 

“Everyone, this is (Y/N).” Mrs. Mayweather chirped,“She’s new this year from California, everybody say hello! You’ll be sitting in the back row, Honey, the open seat just there.” 

Hi (Y/N), the class chorused, turning their heads to look at her and smiling. 

She gave a halfhearted nod at the rest of the kids, shuffling awkwardly to find her seat next to a brown haired boy in a striped shirt. “Hi, my name’s Sam. Wanna be friends?” He said almost instantly after she sat down, smiling big and bright and gap toothed. 

“I’m (Y/N), and, um, sure” She replied with a little grin. 

And even though she wasn’t showing it, (Y/N) was ecstatic to have made her very first friend in New York. 

1991: Fifth grade

(Y/N) had been going to Pratt Elementary school for a little over a year now, and had adjusted quite nicely. She made friends in her 4th grade class, which she then carried onto 5th grade, and discovered her love of reading through a boy named Sam Winchester.  

Ever since the two of them became friends (Y/N)’s first day of school, they’d been attached at the hip. She taught him how to braid hair and he leant her a new book every week from his dad’s collection- which, as far as (Y/N) knew, went on forever. 

Recently at school a rumor had been going around that Jenny Longmeyer and Billy Tang had kissed under the twisty slide at school. And as a result, even though they knew it probably wasn’t true, kissing seemed to be (Y/N) and Sam’s main topic of conversation. 

One sunny afternoon, just after school got out, the two of them were sitting under their favorite tree waiting to be picked up. It was hotter than usual, and (Y/N) was squirming around in her sticky, wool-lined sweater, really fidgeting to no end. 

“What’s the big deal with kissing?” Sam asked randomly, sighing and leaning back, “I just don’t get it.” 

“Me neither- have you ever seen any grown ups do it?” She responded, absentmindedly running her hand over her initials carved into the tree’s trunk- right along side his. 

“Nope,” Sam shrugged, “Only in movies. And even then- seems a little weird.” 

“I don’t know....” (Y/N) turned to him, “Maybe we should try it- just to see what everyone’s talking about.” 

Sam considered it for a moment, “My dad told me I could only kiss the girl I was gonna marry,” 

“Oh come on!” (Y/N) hit his shoulder and whined, “Quit bein’ such a baby about it, Sam!” 

“Alright, fine.” He said, rubbing his arm, “On three, okay?” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

“One.....” 

Both their hearts started thumping and they didn’t exactly know why. 

“Two.....” 

(Y/N) leaned in and closer her eyes, Sam did the same. 

“Three!” 

The two of them butted their heads together, pecking each other on the lips before pulling apart just as quick. It was awkward, half a second long, and everything you’d expect out of a first kiss. 

(Y/N) rubbed her mouth in confusion, “Huh, that wasn’t all it’s chalked up to be.” 

“I didn’t mind it,” Sam said shyly, chees going red before saying, “Hey, if you don’t end up marrying Billy or Charlie or anyone else in our class.... wanna marry me? 

She thought about it for.a second before shrugging and saying, “Sure, why not! I gotta go though, my Mom’s here- see ya tomorrow, Sammy!” 

1992: Summer of sixth grade “Sam!” (Y/N)’s vice shrieked over the phone, “What middle school are you going to?” 

“Uh, one sec, lemme see.” He responded, the rustling of papers ringing in (Y/N)’s ear, “Thoreau School- please tell me you are too.” 

“On ho,” (Y/N) already felt herself starting to cry, “Sammy, I’m going to Emerson.” 

She heard him gasp over the phone, “What’s going to happy? (Y/N) are we still gonna be best friends forever??” 

(Y/N) looked down at her wrist, at the bracelet fastened there that was twin to one on Sam’s ankle, “Yeah, Sammy, we’re always gonna be best friends forever.” 

“Promise?” 

“Pinky promise.” 

He let out a sigh of relief. 

1995: Freshman year  The first day of high school wasn’t exactly what (Y/N) had thought it would be. 

She’d watched all the movies, read all the magazine articles, so she pretty much knew what to expect. Yet, still, when she walked into her first da. of freshman year, everything was pretty new. 

The kids were bigger than they had been in Middle School, wore less clothing and smoked in the bathrooms- something (Y/N) had never done before. She’d walked in with her two best friends, Liz and Hannah, linking arms as they all tried to navigate the halls of their new school. 

Freshman orientation was the first class they headed to, and met the rest of their grade. The way schools worked in Inlet, New York was this: there were two elementary schools, three middle schools, and only one high school. So (Y/N) found herself surrounded by a lot of people she'd never met before, or only knew from 4th and 5th grade. 

The perfect example of this was the boy she found sitting to her right, someone she hadn’t thought about in a long, long time. Sam Winchester 

She remembered they used to be best friends in elementary school, but then went to different middle schools. In 6th grade, they’d tried to keep in touch, but the inevitable had happened and they’d grown apart. After about a year, it got ot the point that they didn’t talk at all. 

Back then Sam had been lanky, awkward and nerdy, but not anymore. Not at all. The guy (Y/N) found herself staring at was nothing like the kid she used to know. 

Puberty must have hit him like a truck because he was god damn beautiful to her. Muscles seemed to bulge out of every inch of his tanned skin- which was almost glowing in the low light of the auditorium. His too-long, parted in the middle hair had been cut, and now hung about his face with just the right amount of shagginess to it. 

When he turned to smile, she saw the white of his teeth flash, “Hey, (Y/N), right?”

“Yeah... Sam Winchester?” 

“Yeah,” He chuckled, “It’s been.... years.” 

“I know, She breathed, “Uh, what do you have next?” 

“History,” He replied after looking down at his schedule, and then back up to her face. 

“Me too!” She said, too loudly, too excitedly, “I mean, yeah, I have history too.” 

But his face lit up, “Which one are you taking??” 

“AP Ancient Greek studies,” She said sheepishly, it was such a nerdy class to be taking as a freshman. 

“Me too! Can I walk you to class? Maybe we have the same teacher,” He smiled and picked up his bag, nodding towards the stairs and telling you to lead the way. 

1996: Sophomore year  (Y/N) had been dating Sam for a little over a year now, and was completely in love with him. 

With him she felt free, wild even. LIke she could dance on tables or run through a storm without a care in the world, and he felt the exact same way. Their relationship was defined by their loose idea of love, and loving each other. Neither he nor she really knew what the word meant, but they did know it was what they were feeling. 

(Y/N)’s idea of love was shaped by her parent’s example, watching sappy rom-coms with her friends and reading Romeo and Juliet on a rainy day. Her idea of love was spending all afternoon lazing around with Sam, tucking the rest of the world away from a few hours. Or getting lost in a corn maze like they had that one time on halloween, and laughing their asses off until Dean had to come find them. (Y/N)’s idea of love was Sam’s crazy, unkept hair in the morning- wild, off kilter and breathtaking. 

Sam had a very different vision of love, and the girl he was in love with. 

He took inspiration from the thousands upon thousands of books he’d read, because he didn’t have two parents to look up to. He looked towards his brother’s love, and knew that what he felt with (Y/N) was just as deep- even though it was a different type of love. Sam had learned from a young age that love was what you made it, and he’d decided that he was going to make his love with (Y/N) last. 

But the first step to doing this, was telling her. 

So one rainy night, when the two of them were curled up together in (Y/N)’s car, he leaned over and whispered it in her ear. 

The sound of the rain almost drowned it out, and when (Y/N) didn’t respond at first he got nervous. But after a moment he heard a sniffle, and went to touch her face. 

He quickly found tears wetting her cheeks, rolling down in thin streams to collect at the collar of her shirt. For a second he wasn’t sure how to react, how to respond. 

But when he asked her why she was crying, she just whispered back it was because she loved him too. She told him she’d loved him since fourth grade, when they sat together in the back of class and drove Mrs. Mayweather insane. She’d loved him when they carved their initials into their favorite weeping willow, and she’d loved him when they’d kissed for the first time under that same tree. 

He was the one crying now and he didn’t know how to respond. All he knew was that she was real, everything they had was real. And even if neither of them understood what love really was, he knew just from the tone in her voice that they were going to make it. 

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