#beckman deserves a break

[local-loser-clown]

Beckman is tired of Shanks' shit

Shanks constantly tells Beckman about his relationship problems and thought he was being clear with who his ex was. He was not and goes on about both as his ex lovers

Buggy and Mihawk enjoy sending this to Shanks to make him suffer

[otkuhotgirl]

─── 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 .

# with akagami no shanks.

the captain was drunk — and a bit self-conscious. not to fret, for you were his favorite entertainer.

KINKTOBER, day ten. smut (mdni!). strip-tease. lap dance. masturbation (reader!receiving). thigh riding. dry humping. usage of conqueror’s haki. afab!reader. no y/n used.

WC: 1.9k.

akagami no shanks had lost his arm.

upon his return to the wild seas of the new world, those had been the most frowned upon words. the fearsome captain, the unmovable force, somehow would miss a limb forevermore. the reactions were but a divergent cacophony. fear — for what human could achieve such a feat? was it even a human? if not so, how close was the beast? if it had been enough to face him, what chance did the commoners have? anger — for mihawk no longer had a worthy rival. it would be far from honorable to face in combat a swordsman whose dominant arm was gone. and, at last, curiosity — for why was the truth hidden? one did not brag about a loss, but aside from overused jokes, shanks refused to spare a single word. who was he protecting? it was hilarious to witness the fuss as part of the select number of people aware of what had, in truth, happened.

akagami no shanks had lost his arm. and you had been the one to hear his puns ever since.

of course, he faced decent struggles. waking at night phantom pain; forced to master the art of the sword yet again with a hand he had no experience with whatsoever. yet, above the frustration soared an undeniable truth — for luffy, it had been worth it. besides, a decade past and shanks had grew accustomed to the mandatory shifts, living as though had not lost a thing.

however, as it seemed, there was yet one he would never cease to whine about.

the man was drunk — a common occurrence — and awfully clingy — another common occurrence. you had dragged him from the bar, pitying the poor beckman, for the man deserved a break from the captain’s shenanigans, and shanks had been hugging your waist ever since. he sat on the bed, drooling on your flesh, not allowing you to at least go fetch some water. his grip was a prison of itself on usual hours, but it did not help that you, too, were a bit intoxicated, swaying to the sides and failing to pull his face off your body.

“dooooooooooooll,” he drawled out, hiccuping. “i miss your ass.”

shanks gripped a considerable amount of flesh, daring to whine. “get over it, you’re a grown man.”

“how mean, i am half a grown man,” he laughed at said joke, biting the bare inch of your waist.

“half a man deserves half an ass,” you stated matter-of-factly, fighting off the urge to let out a hiccup yourself.

“but i miss groping both sides at the same time,” shanks insisted, dragging his nose on your belly, daring to grow drunker on your scent.

“you never had this complaint with my tits,” you pointed out, to which he liked his lips, seemingly aroused all of the sudden.

the hand pinching at your waist trailed itself up to rest on one of your breasts, his once slouched figure straightening up so that he could drag a sloppy stripe across your covered nipple. he had no problem with it whatsoever, for he was a man of considerable height.

“i can tease both of my girls at the same time,” he stated, wetting the fabric of your shirt, grinning at the elicit expression. “i can’t slap both your asscheeks at the same time anymore.”

your nipple hardened due to his ministrations, all but his for the taking, for you hadn’t felt the need to wear a bra that night. shanks closed his lips around the bud, humming as he sucked on it, spit soaking clothing and skin alike.

“and you like it,” the man teased, voice a bit muffled; rough.

you arched your back with a sigh, gripping locks of red hair, falling prey to his sensual tongue. yet, though your glance was tethered to his face, shanks’ own eyes seemed ever-so-lost, melancholic, even. you caught on the instance he moved his other shoulder, as though aiming to grip your hip with a nonexistent arm — a maintained instinct despite the absence of the limb. shanks laid down, retreating from your figure altogether, explicit vulnerability that would not have been shown otherwise, was he not drunk.

“see, doll? half a man,” he scoffed, to which your eyes narrowed; face scrunching in concentration as you then pondered on how to comfort him.

your fingers tugged at the waistband of his pants, whistling with faux innocence. shanks observed your approach with hooded eyes, laughing with delight once your chest was pressed against his own.

“my poor, poor husband,” you teased, pleased to witness the sudden shift in his attitude.

shanks and you hadn’t officiated the marriage; no celebration to be seen whatsoever. it had been the initial plan, two years prior. however, with newgate’s death and the aftermath of the war, waiting on a better period was the agreement. that did not mean the titles weren’t used, and shanks, in particular, never failed to be aroused whenever the word husband fell past your lips. a decade worth of lovemaking, too, made you more than attuned to what had him squirming.

“how i hate to see you so sorrowful,” you hummed, kissing the scars etched on the flesh of his eye. “i will fix that.”

“yeah, doll?” he grunted, growing excited when you dodged his advances. “how so?”

shanks sat on the edge of your shared bed, widening smirk and lustful eyes following your every move. you spun around the room, strutting your hips and nearing the corner, positioned far from his reach.

“you’re not allowed to touch,” you ordered, far more daring due to the alcohol. “just watch.”

shanks had his legs spread, a growing erection visible through the thin fabric of his pants. you opened the small, circular window, allowing the music from the outside bar to travel inside. your hips moved accordingly to the beat, an established sensual pace that had your fingers hovering over your breasts as you spun and approached him with languid steps.

you danced around the border of his reach, teasing the thin grip he had on his self-restraint. when he dared move, you dodged with a fit of giggles. “how should we start, sea emperor?”

he groaned at the title. “let me see your tits, doll.”

you hummed, rolling your hips with a languid sensualness born from the usual influence of alcohol. your fingers teased the straps of your shirt, trailing down the fabric until you reached the button of your shirts. rather than listening to his request, you sluggishly tugged down the zipper, perching your ass up as you slowly turned around, movements following the rhythm from the music outside.

the loose piece of clothing threatened to fall, yet you held the hem, controlling the pace of its trajectory, rolling your hips; lowering yourself on your knees. when it was, at last, off, you kicked it away, snapping the strap of your underwear. shanks had a brief sight of your soaked cunt before he was forced to face your front yet again. he cleared his throat, eyes trailed to the lacy, borderline transparent, fabric that left near nothing to the imagination.

“tits?” you mocked, trailing your fingers down your clothed labia.

shanks was left conflicted, his inebriated mind struggling to wrap itself around what to answer. would you concede if he reacted positively? or would you tease him yet again, offering the much desired sight of your intimacy? how could he outsmart that? shanks was far too drunk for an elaborate plan.

“thighs,” he answered smugly, a grin that indicated he felt all much too quirky.

you parted your legs open, pinching and grabbing the bare flesh, mimicking his touch. your lover was drooling, observing the outline of your intimacy; stroking his clothed member. yet again, a temptive roll of your hips deprived him of what he yearned for. shanks gripped his cock, growing out of patience as your fingers gripped the hem of your shirt, raising it ever-so-slowly, a languid set pace. you stretched the fabric, biting on it in order to keep your nipples covered, using your fingers to tease said hardened buds, muffled moans and dancing matching the melody of the song.

when the saliva started dripping down your chin; staining your shirt; you removed it, spinning it on your finger until it fell at his feet.

“doll,” he warned, sweat surging on his temples, ceasing the ministrations of his hand on the hardened member. “c’mere.”

“nuh uh,” you sang, turning around on purpose. shanks had the entire sight of your cunt when you lowered down to remove your panties, dancing with it stuck between your teeth, growing hot at the explicit lust on his eyes.

“come to me,” he demanded, the applied pressure stealing your free-will.

your dance ceased altogether, for shanks had dared use his conqueror’s haki to guarantee compliance. your figure stumbled towards the awaiting man, his index beckoning you in a mocking manner.

“sit on my lap,” you conceded, no questions asked. shanks gripped your chin, a lonesome finger tugging at the lacy underwear dangling from your lips. “i want that.”

he opened his mouth, forcing yours to mimic the movement. your panties fell on his tongue, and he moaned at the taste of your essence, the loud slurping causing your walls to clench around air. you whimpered, neglected and unable to move, and shanks all but spat out the piece of clothing, rutting his hips as though a hound in heat.

“turn around,” he instructed, groaning when you brushed against him. your ass rested on his clothed cock, legs spread and back arched, prepared for whatever he had in store. “dance for me, doll.”

the music fell on deaf ears, overthrown by the choir of your moans once you started to move, the roll of your hips teasing your clit, growing swollen due to the texture of his pants. shanks panted, leaning forward. he sucked on your earlobe, twisting one of your nipples as he teased the clothed erection under your bare entrance. the dancing grew sloppy, for he had your back pressed against his chest; his lips latched to your neck. shanks made out with the flesh, spit trailing down your breast, the wetness used to tease your abused nipple.

shanks’ feet sunk down on the ground for further support, and he interrupted the languid roll of your figure on his lap by rutting his hips, forcing his clothed cock to rub itself on your folds. he licked a trail up your chin, biting on the bone, tilting your head with his nose. expert fingers left your breast to dance down your stomach, finding themselves a home amidst your folds. he drew fast-paced circles on your clit, and you closed your eyes, moaning at the sensation. your legs trembled, thighs burning, yet the pressure of his command lingered. you were but a puppet whose strings he pulled, dancing despite your own tiredness.

the growing knot at the pit of your stomach snapped, your orgasm arriving with treacherous swiftness, for the alcohol had done its part when enhancing your pleasure. shanks laughed, shoving his fingers past your parted lips without warning, forcing you to taste yourself; to lick him clean.

he wrapped his arm around your figure to throw you against the mattress. you had but a brief sight of him — removing his clothes, standing in naked glory — before he hovered above you, teasing your slick, sensitive entrance with his leaking tip.

“you were kind enough to dance,” shanks mocked, his lips mere inches away from your own; hot breath fanning over your face. “but the spectacle won’t be complete until i have you singing.”

— 🐈‍⬛ : i’m running out of things to write here omg, happy kinktober? 😭

[gicosmo]

When They Neglect You Pt.1

One Piece Men(Luffy, Shanks, Mihawk, Corazon)

Warnings: Neglect, A bit a toxicity on Mihawk’s part, Corazon being a stressed, Doflamingo(he deserves his own warning), Just overall angst for this first part :((

This is my first time writing for One Piece characters lol. I’m sorry if any of them are ooc😔Part 2

Luffy

You knew Luffy would never intentionally ignore you. Let alone neglect the whole relationship. But that didn’t stop the pang in your chest when you realized you weren’t spending as much time with him.

Walking around on an island, the town was bustling with people. The crew finally had some air to breathe after continuous battles. Finally, you thought you had a chance to be close with your boyfriend again. Reaching for his hand to hold, he suddenly stops, snatching his hand away from yours.

You’d be lying if you said it didn’t hurt your feelings. It hurt. A lot.

“Looks like we’re fighting again.” Luffy chuckles, cracking his knuckles with a sly smile. Zoro huffed, readying his sword by his side. Sanji sighed, “Do we ever catch a break?”

“Luffy—”

“Sorry! Not now!” Luffy replied ever so quickly before jumping straight into fighting. Even though it was a moment to fight, a hurt feeling still rose in your heart.

You felt like you were overreacting… Or maybe this was just the result of being constantly pushed aside, regardless if intentional or not?

Shanks

Sadly, it wouldn’t be the first time Shanks had neglected the relationship. And it definitely won’t be the last.

But this incident ticked you off to the max. After sailing to an island, Shanks had conducted his usual business. After he was done, of course the crew had to celebrate(even when it wasn’t really necessary).

In the bar the crew cheered and laughed. The overall vibe was positive, nothing but smiles plastered on everyone’s faces. Well… Everyone except you. Throughout the night you had tried getting Shanks’ attention, but his attention was always elsewhere.

You were moping in the corner, your brow twitching in irritation. After a while, Beckman made his way over to you with a soft smile,

“Someone’s upset.” He chuckled.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” You sighed, rubbing your temples. Beckman just shook his head with a smile, “When is it never.” He grabbed a chair, sitting next to you, “Go on. Tell me what he did this time.”

You laughed. Beckman always had to be the peacemaker, “It’s what he always does, Beck. Every time I want a bit of his attention, it’s always elsewhere.” You sighed as you looked up, the sight you saw sending you over the edge.

There Shanks was, chatting it up with someone else. Being a bit too friendly for your liking. Beckman followed your gaze, immediately mentally face palming. He was about to speak but you had already left the bar.

All Beckman could do was sigh and shake his head. Seems like he had to be the one to make peace. Again.

Mihawk

Your relationship with Mihawk was nothing but bliss. Everybody around you would be shocked to hear of such a sweet relationship ever happening with such an apathetic man like him. But he loved you… Or so you thought?

When Zoro and Perona lived with you both for two years, your relationship did have its moments of distance. Mainly due to Mihawk helping with training for Zoro and you doing your duties that you usually did.

You both knew having two strangers, two strangers that were practically your guy’s children during those two years, would put some type of strain on the relationship. But you both silently agreed that you both always found a way to make things work.

When Zoro and Perona left, you couldn’t lie about the slight emptiness that filled the castle. The only upside was now you could be close with your lover again. Well, you thought that was supposed to be an upside, only it didn’t happen.

“I’m busy.” Mihawk spoke with little to no interest, not even sparing you a glance as he read the newspaper. You crossed your arms, glaring at him, “Mihawk, it’s been weeks since those two left and you still haven’t at least tried to put some effort into our relationship again?”

Mihawk sighed, a sigh you knew all too well,

“I honestly don’t understand what you’re getting upset about.”

“And I honestly don’t know who you’re talking to right now.” You snapped back rather quickly. Mihawk placed his newspaper down, standing up and staring you down, “You’ve never been this much of a pain before. We were and are quite fine.”

Your mouth fell open in shock. He thought the relationship was… Fine? You immediately scoffed, “Oh? So you think us being distant from one another is fine?”

“I liked it when you weren’t a nagging brat.”

“I’m nagging now? Seriously?”

All you could do was shake your head. Not bearing to hear whatever else he had to say, you immediately stormed off.

Little did Mihawk know, you got on a boat and left. You didn’t know where you were going, but anywhere was better than being with someone who clearly didn’t care for you anymore.

Corazon

Corazon was also someone who wouldn’t intentionally neglect you. Your relationship was a secret from the Donquixote family, more specifically, Doflamingo.

Corazon and you took a liking to one another. You didn’t care that he was mute, well, you thought he was mute until he revealed who he really was to you one day. That faithful day solidified your relationship. He couldn’t have been any happier.

What he wasn’t happy about, however, was Doflamingo’s ever so obvious liking to you. Countless times he had to sit there and witness his brothers constant flirts and rather interesting remarks about you. The whole thing made his blood boil.

Everything changed when Law came into the picture. Corazon made it his mission to save him, and you, of course, tagged along on said mission. You really didn’t have a choice since Corazon wouldn’t dare leave you alone with his brother.

Going from hospital to hospital was stressful for everyone. Corazon witnessing how horrible society really was irked him day by day. He slowly began to lose hope, but didn’t show it much. But you knew better than that.

Day by day, he would pull away from you. In all honesty, you barely noticed it since you were so busy comforting Law. It was one day when Law was sleeping, you went to talk about your frustrations to Corazon only for his responses to be short. If you even got a response, that is.

Of course you were hurt, but you understood. This whole thing was stressful on everyone. You could keep your feelings to yourself or find other ways to let out your frustrations.

But you couldn’t.

Law thankfully had comfort from you. Corazon found comfort in occasionally smoking and sometimes maybe a drink or two. You? You had nothing.

You wanted nothing more but the love from your partner… But you felt selfish for wanting that when you all had more important things to worry about.

[i-am-vita]

Ghost Rose musings: Loves and Friends

Some shorter Headcanons for OcReader because I have too many ideas to concentrate in my actual WIPs. And I still have to finish her bio and family. And her Phantom Pirates crew because stupid overachieving brain has to create full Ocs and lore. I swear I worked on this a normal amount of time.

Based on my first OPLA older menxfemreader headcanons

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👉 Masterlist

Phantom Pirates Crew already.

Soon the Strawhats.

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Characters: Shanks, Beckman, Mihawk, Bogard, Garp, Buggy, Zeff, Kuro, Crocodile, Do Flamingo, Big Mom.

Warnings: Swearing, back at excessive and unnecesary use of the word Fuck. Suggestive themes. Some spoiler of future OP (for the just OPLA readers).

Expect: Use of You, not y/n. Still bad english. These are not the Consistent Time Tenses you are looking for. I wrote half of this instead of working.

Still not beta'd because I exist in the void.

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Redhead "I Ran Away with Him not Abducted by" Shanks

Bestie (with benefits most of the time). The person you trust most in the world. Always there when you need him, somehow. You love him to death, as a friend because man’s anti commitment in the best of days and you know it.

He is NOT jealous that Mihawk is interested in you and you reciprocate enough to have ended his benefits indefinitely. Not at all... Of course you deserve someone who loves and cherish only you as the treasure you are, to wake with you in his arm for the rest of his life... Fuck.

Fave of your Captain Erik. He still believes he can convince Shanks to settle down with you. Maybe he should arrange more jobs where you end up stranded somewhere and Shanks has to pick you up.

Benn "Hang in There, Old Man" Beckman

Just marry his Captain already so he has another babysitter that's not him, damn it! Give a man a break. May teams up with Eriksson to rid Shanks of his libertine ways.

Totally not getting Shanks all riled up by wondering out loud if Mihawk would actually propose to you. Should he tell him about the Bathhouse incident?

Dracule "I'm not Falling for Him" Mihawk

Woman, you stole from him, cinderella-ed him and he keeps looking for you. Get your shit together and fuck him already instead of running away after smooch him and heavy making out with him every time he finds you. It's not like you're falling in love with him. Nop... Fuck.

He is absolutely not so head over heels about you that has started to name your future child. Damn, you want to bring over your redhead plaything idiot from time to time? Go ahead. That Marine fucker better keep away from you. No, he’s not drunk in your favorite sweet red berries juice wine that he despises but still drinks because it reminds him of The Day You Met and the taste of your lips… Maybe.

Fave of your captain's wife. Full going for he's-the-catch-of-the-season victorian-matchmaker mode. May be arranging an unusual amount of balls and inviting him. Has the wedding planned already.

Bogard "It Would Never Have Worked" Rick

We don't talk about Bogard. Too sad and guilty for leaving him hanging in your youth. You can't help but still care for him. Maybe still love him. A little. Let's not think about him.

He's not dying inside to have discovered you're the Ghost Rose and you may be in love with Mihawk. Absolutely no... Fuck.

Wait until he finds out about Shanks.

Monkey D. "My Son is the Most Wanted Man in the World" Garp

He is all for Bogard to "go fight for her, you idiot". Actually likes you and your boss.

If the Duchess arranges a ball, he's sending Bogard undercover to inform him if he notices some "suspicious activity". Bogard isn't getting it, would just byronicly sulk in the noir corners, doing his job and longing for you from afar.

"And why didn't you dance with her, moron? yOu WeRe DoInG yOuR jOb... I didn't get married and had a son by staying away just doing my job." Wait, was he married to the mother of his son? "Am I a barbarian like Roger? Of course I am married to the mother of my son." Wait, is she still around? "Like alive? Of course. She left and hates the guts of me for being absent all the time and driving our son away to an anti-government life but... still!" Hence...

Neither of you knows what is your bosses deal or history but Garp may be the only Marine in the world who knows that Duke Shostakovich Eriksson is the Phantom Captain. And gives no shit because he's a pal.

Who else is going to snitch all the gossip from his son's whereabouts and the marine highest ranks info they try to hide to him? All those jobs of sneaking in Marine Bases to get intel? They didn't come from him. Not at all... Oh.

Buggy "It was Just One Time" the Clown

You were wasted-drunk and freshly dumped Kuro!!! Not happening again because STANDARDS. Just don't let him sweet talk you and look at his pretty blue puppy eyes at the same time. DO. NOT. LOOK.

Somehow, your captain adores him, thinks he has potential. For what? You have no idea. Outdo him in extravagance?

Buggy kisses the ground your captain walks on. Even when he already told him that Roger never confessed to him about the One Piece. Doesn’t matter. Eriksson rocks. Yes, he knows his identity as does Shanks since he was besties with their captain. Never telling, clown’s promise!

Your crewmates Raoul and Carlotta may or may not have a crush on him. They can have all his chop-chop parts for all you care.

Red "I Ate my" Leg "to Save This Little Flirty Gremlin" Zeff

Eriksson's old bestie. Worked together for a while to seek information about the All Blue. They just talk in insults to each other.

They were supposed to meet that time his ship was wrecked and looked for him for months until your crew found him in that rock with his new kid. "And why the fuck did you tough it was a great idea to raid a ship in the middle of a storm, you mangy landlubber?" “There was something suspicious! Germa 66 was in the area some weeks ago, gossip said they may have planted something important there, you hornswogglin' son of a biscuit eater!” *Kid looks around pretending not being there*. "And that's why the intel dealer is me, not you, scurvy-ridden old sea rat!" *Eriksson looks pointly at kid while Zeff isn't looking*.

Helped him to retire and open his restaurant. His kid may have had a massive crush on you.

Not-friends/Hated

Kuro "Fuck That Guy and His Fucking Plans"

Except you did. Literal and metaphorical. And then dumped him for being a piece of shit. But the guy dared to threaten your niece and spat your identity in front of Bogard. Now they can truthfully give him up for death.

Sir "I Hate that Guy" Crocodile

He DARED to mistake you for an escort and groped you when he went to try to make a deal with Eriksson (as the Duke, not the Phantom Captain, he’s unaware of his alter ego). You almost beat the shit out of him (Gara vs Rock Lee style, see: Naruto) but ended up very even at the time.

(Doesn't look like I thought about this obsessively.)

After that, he actually respected you but still ogles you shamelessly. Not forgetting it for the rest of your life. It goes without saying he never got a deal from the Duke.

It would be a shame if in the future it reaches the ears of a certain Best Swordsman to whom Croc is allied.

Don Quixote "That Fucking Bastard" Do Flamingo

Your captain despises him. They have history. Say no more, for you that's enough.

Charlotte "Big Souless Ugly $%&! Bitch Mom" Linn Linn

Hate her with all your being. No more comments or you may stab someone.

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[chillin-at-partys-bar]

Flashback Break Downs

starter for { @fellapart }

It was one of those places that had the appearance of being important when one considered the types of clientele it serviced, but was truly just as run down as the rest of them.

Shanks was sure as shit that this place wasn't passing any health code evaluations. But the rum was sweet and no one was trying to challenge him. Or murder him. All of the above were, as he would put it eloquently: quite nice. Probably aiding that last note was his crew, who were scattered about the seedy little island with a seedy little bar. They kept their eyes and ears on him. He trusted them to help keep him from undeserved harm.

Deserved harm, now that was a different story.

The golden liquid swished in its glass as he got lost in his thoughts while sitting alone at the bar. They might not be challenging him, but he could tell some were wary of him. But they weren't on his mind much. There were a few pirates who, on his way up, swore that a life like this would only make one a target. Even your closest allies were ready to take your head, to do you in. Slit your throat in the middle of the night.

But he couldn't even dream of Beckman, of Yasopp, of Lucky, of any of his men doing that to him. Maybe he was naive - he did know he was a romantic fool - but the safest place for him was his allies. Even cranky old Mihawk would be there for him. That's why he could drink like this tonight. He'd get wasted, Benn would help him back to the ship, and tomorrow Shanks would cry about his hangover. Not once thinking that tomorrow might not come by the hands of his friends.

[rize-said-so]

One Piece Live Action Ep2 The Man in the Straw Hat

Another brilliant episode.

Starting it with Kid Luffy training with his gomu-gomu powers and breaking all the furniture in Party's Bar was what I'd expect from Luffy.

Makino probably asked Shanks about the Devil Fruits. So that's why she's the one telling Luffy about it. I'd like to believe that because I still ship Makino and Shanks. ANd they discuss parenting tips with each other.

But also, Makino being the one to explain it to Luffy because she's basically the one taking care of him was a nice touch.

I know Jeff Ward as Deke in Agents of SHIELD. My time traveler who puts lemons in people's beds. So seeing him as Buggy and the twist they put into him was brilliant writing and casting. He was truly the star and deserved that spotlight.

His whole nose gag was my favorite in the show so I love they kept it

I love that he was an actual menace. Not only was he occupying the whole town but he held the residents captive and made them watch his show. His entire crew was a circus so I love that they incorporated it like this.

Then foreshadowing Nami's own situation here.

Buggy was everything in this episode. His powers were done nicely. Comical and terrifying all at once.

The Red Hair Pirates actually doing something rather than just looking cool and hangover was a nice addition. Yassop skills as a shooter, Ben Beckman having his captain's back and Lucky Roux... honestly didn't expect him to murk a man with a lamb leg.

Then THAT SCENE!

Don't get me wrong. I still love the scene but I wanted it from that angle. It was still impactful.

Just Luffy's right-hand man, first mate, one of the wings already starting to show his loyalty.

Nami has slave number2. 1 is Luffy 3 is Sanji Usopp is her coward bestie

With time and writing constraints I understand why they didn't adapt Chuchu and Richie so it was still nice to see their existence was acknowledged.

And that ending. Still wondering if Nami placed the slug in her ear

Garp feeding the Den Den Mushi was a nice touch

[ikkaku-of-heart]

@mediicusvitae asked: “IKKWAKWUUU!” Lamy wailed, pushing through the rest of their crew and the gathering of Red Hair pirates to engulf her nakama in one crushing hug. It wasn’t often that she just let her emotions spill like this, snot and tears flowing freely on display for all to see. But she had been worried sick about her newfound sister ever since she had tumbled overboard, clutching her vivrecard in her palm like a lifeline to the shore. “DON‘T DO THAT AGAIN, EVER!” she sniffled, golden eyes overbright as she clung to her with no intent on letting go any time soon.

"Gah! Lamy! You're squeezing me too tight!" Ikkaku gasped. She'd only just gotten her breath back from Law's crushing hug, but it seemed the younger Trafalgar had decided it was her turn to knock the wind out of her. Of course, the engineer didn't try to push her off or anything, either. She needed this hug as much as her newfound heart sister did.

It had been...hard, being away from her nakama, even if she'd been in the genial company of the Red-Haired Pirates. Shanks and Beckman and the others were all good folk, especially for pirates, but they couldn't compare to her family.

Her family which included Lamy, who seemed to be doing her best to break the ribs that Law had already bruised with his hug. Ikkaku absently wondered if Lamy would give Shanks a black eye to go with the bloody nose her brother had already given him. Which was a bit mean, considering how the Yonko had been kind enough to look after her and keep her safe while she waited for her crew to find her. He hadn't even jokingly asked her if she wanted to join his crew until Law had teleported himself onto the Red Force's deck and seen for himself that his missing engineer was alive and well.

Ok, maybe Shanks did deserve that punch, and if Lamy had overheard, he'd be getting worse for sure. Trafalgars could be violently protective at times.

Smiling to herself, Ikkaku hugged Lamy back, not caring about the snot and tears that were staining her borrowed clothes. She was just happy to see her sister again. To know she was safe and where she really belonged.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lamy," she softly assured her sister, grateful to be back in the pigtailed woman's warm embrace again. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

[sabo-has-my-heart]

TPRG Ch.6 It’s Finally Over

Word count: 1440

Collapsing over the back of the couch, you finally let a tired groan escape your lips

“Somebody get me the hell out of this dress.” you said, letting out an exhausted growl while kicking off your heels. Almost immediately, your handmaidens were tearing at the strings of the dress, practically throwing it off you before starting in on the corset and petticoats.

“Do you know how many men I danced with?! And in these accursed heels!” you demanded as another woman began to take your hair down.

“Princes Marco, Charlos, Yamato,” Ace began listing, raising fingers as he began counting, “All three Vinsmoke brothers, Prince Charlotte Raisen, Kings Shanks and Eneru, Lord Mihawk, your father, twice. Sabo and I. As well as the nobles Cavendish,

“Lord Stelly.” Sabo hissed angrily, his hands clenching into first, though why, you weren’t sure.

“Law, Rob Lucci, and Shanks’ advisor, Benn Beckman.” Ace finished. Now looking at both his and Luffy’s hands to make sure they were correct.

“In heels! Do you see those things! They’re torture devices!” you shouted as your handmaidens removed your corset, petticoats, and other annoying clothing, allowing you to pull on a pair of trousers and a loose fitting tunic.

“You can turn around now.” you stated to the three boys who were staring at a wall. Said boys moved to sit on the other couch and chair as you flopped down, picking up one of the heels.

“Do you see this shit? Who decided this should be a thing?” you shouted before flinging it across the room and into a vase full of flowers, easily breaking the vase.

“Sorry Tate!” you shouted at the blond woman who came running in with a couple other servants to clean up the mess.

“It’s perfectly fine, Princess. We don’t mind.” the woman said with a small smile and a bow to you.

“It’s not fine. I caused you trouble. I’ll try to be more careful in the future.” you said apologetically, giving the woman a sheepish smile. The woman smiled and bowed once more as she and the maids cleaned up the vase and flowers. I’m going to bed!” you declared, heading towards your room.

“I’m not getting up to go to sleep.” Luffy cried, his legs over one armrest and his head thrown over the other in his usual chair.

“Agreed. Sabo, take the other couch.” Ace whined, kicking his brother onto the floor before laying down on the couch as Sabo grumbled.

“Screw it, I’ll sleep on the floor, I’m not moving.” Sabo said, all three boys asleep in no time. You chuckled as your handmaidens got your large bed ready, letting you get to sleep after a long night.

You rubbed your eyes as you looked around your bed chambers. It was late at night, the moon still pretty high in the sky, so why were you awake? You wandered out of your chambers to see the brothers still asleep where they fell, at least, for the most part. Luffy was half hanging off the chair, Ace somehow had his legs over the back of the couch and his head hanging off the seat, drool dripping down his face and onto Sabo’s coat, the blond lying face up on the floor, one leg under the couch, another resting next to Ace on the couch, arms spread wide, and his head under the table. You let out a tired laugh as you looked at the boys for a moment before walking over to Luffy and picking him up before heading towards your bed chambers. They’d been fantastic the whole month, they deserved a good night's sleep and if Sabo and Ace were anything like Luffy, dragging them into your bed wouldn’t wake them. With the three boys situated in the bed, you grabbed an extra pillow and blanket, and laid down on the couch. It wasn’t the first time you’d slept on the couch and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. The next morning, you were awoken by a rather confused maid.

“Milady, didn’t you fall asleep in your bedchambers?” the girl asked curiously as you sat up and stretched.

“The boys needed it more.” you said before standing up and walking over to the doors to your bedchambers and opening it.

“Get Gina.” you whispered urgently as you looked at the boys, “Tell her to bring her pencil and sketch pad and hurry.” The boys looked positively adorable while simultaneously hilarious. Luffy on the far left was completely turned around, his head laying on one of Sabo’s legs, his right leg resting across Sabo’s chest, right arm holding a pillow close as he chewed on it, left foot tucked nearly under his butt and left arm thrown over the end on the bed. Sabo, in the middle, was probably the most ‘normal’ of the three, his legs splayed out, one under Luffy’s head and the other over Ace’s leg, his arms crossed behind his back, underneath him and head thrown back. Finally, Ace, on the far right, was face down, starfished out, left foot next to Luffy’s head, right arm sprawled partially across the side table, left arm across Sabo’s face and right leg hooked around the bedpost. As soon as Gina entered your room, you gestured to the bed, the young woman trying not to laugh as she began to sketch the scene before her. She’d started out as one of the maids who cleaned your room, but when you’d accidentally stumbled across one of her sketches, you’d insisted on finding her an instructor. She was still learning from her instructor, but when she wasn’t, she still helped out with cleaning your room, feeling like she was indebted to you. Surprisingly, the woman managed to get a very detailed sketch before the boys began to stir, the smell of your breakfast, that you’d had brought to your room, waking them.

“I smell breakfast.” Luffy groaned, turning onto his side.

“Food smells good.” Ace added as he stretched.

“We should get up and get ready first.” Sabo groaned, as he sat up, uncrossing his arms. You chuckled, the boys jumping slightly at the sound, looking over to see you in the doorway.

“Glad to know my bed’s that comfortable. Don’t worry, I had the cooks make enough for three ravenous boys.” you said, stepping aside to reveal large plates piled high with food, “You can get ready after you’re done eating.” you added, finishing off the plate that you’d served yourself first.

You, Sabo, Ace, and Luffy stood in the throne room, your father sitting on his throne and Madam Selena standing halfway between you and your father, looking particularly sour.

“After an entire night of debating, it’s been decided that you did well enough to pass. However, Madam Selena has put together a list of things that she noticed that you should uh… work on.” your father said, gesturing to the woman who walked over to you and handed you a scroll. You nodded to your father as you took the scroll, the boys bowing.

“Thank you, father. Madam Selena, may your work take you far.” you said, the insinuation being far away. The woman huffed before exiting the throne room, you and the boys breaking out into grins the moment the doors closed behind her.

“Thank you, father. I hope to keep making you proud.” you added with a large smile at your father.

“I believe you already have. An Alliance with King Newgate is no easy feat, a matter that tipped the scales greatly in your favor.” your father said with a large smile.

“It really wasn’t much. Ace was the one to suggest I dance with Prince Marco and Prince Marco was the one who suggested the alliance.” you said with a smile. Your father smiled and nodded in understanding.

“Still, you were able to secure an alliance with them, it’s a great thing.” your father praised, “Just remember that your happiness should come first, an alliance is a great thing, but love and happiness are far greater possessions.” he added with a loving smile.

“I know, thank you.” you said, with a similar smile and a nod.

“I just want to make sure. Now why don’t you and your guard go celebrate. You’ve earned it.” your father said. You nodded, giving him a curtsy before leaving, happy to finally have some freedom.

You smiled as you walked towards the garden, the three boys in tow. Now that you had some more freedom, you really wanted to return to your garden, the tree and flowers in the center bringing you the most peace.

[deepmagician]

Chapter 41: To The Sea

This is a nice cover, featuring a good look at young Luffy, Shanks, and his Red Hair Pirates. Now that we finally found out the name of one of the crew members, being Yasopp there in the corner, let’s have a look at the other names that haven’t been told to us yet.

The big guy eating the meat, who shot one of Higuma’s men back in chapter 1, is Lucky Roux. I remember it being Lucky Roo, but apparently all official sources after the first translation go with Roux. Roux is an ingredient, and he certainly likes food, so that seems to check out. The man with the cigarette and rifle behind Luffy is Ben Beckman, who took out all the rest of Higuma’s men single-handedly in chapter 1. He’s Shank’s first mate.

And that’s it. None of the rest of them have been named. Hard luck, but also maybe they should’ve done anything and maybe they’d deserve it.

So Luffy seems to be recovering well from his injury, as he almost eats an entire fish skeleton. He’s just sucking plates into his mouth whole, I guess. Zoro implies that he could’ve eaten the skeleton better, and Nami reminds them that they’re crazy people. So all is well with Luffy and friends, but it’s about to be better.

Kaya shows up looking better than ever, now that her mean ol’ butler Klahadore isn’t abusing her trust any more. And she’s got a ship? Anything’s an upgrade from two small boats. Meanwhile, Usopp’s finished packing up his life, having moved literally everything that’s not furniture into his backpack.

Turns out this makes his bag comically large, and he breaks the front wall of his little house and rolls down a hill in the process of leaving.

Life is great, he says with double exclamation marks. Definitely no brain damage from the roll or being crushed here! Usopp’s as durable as Zoro and Luffy, turns out.

Ah, and here she is! Complete with thematic sheep figurehead. birds for scale, and Merry’s personal Jolly Roger on the mast, it’s the ship Kaya’s giving to Luffy: The Going Merry! 

...Oh? The Viz translation calls it the Merry Go? Nah, I’m ignoring that one like I did with the Nyabans. Going Merry is the name of the boat, and if you said Merry Go I and other One Piece fans would be pretty confused.

Merry says he thought Luffy would be taller as he explains some traits of the ship, which he designed himself. It’s true that heights tend to be pretty exaggerated in One Piece- Luffy’s 5′7″, and Shanks is 6′6″ and not even the tallest of his crew. Kuro was 6′9″!

The ship is a type called a Caravel, apparently a sort of faster, lighter sailing ship from the 15th century. It was favoured by merchants due to speed and manoeuvrability. Seeing as Luffy’s shown no desire for a huge crew like the Black Cats, this should be perfect for them.

Usopp rolls in for his comedy approach- does he stick the landing?

Perfectly! I love his long nose sticking out between their feet, it’s a good gag. Usopp promises Kaya that he’ll return one day with better stories than ever- and they’ll all be true.

Why? says Luffy? Why would Usopp act like they might cross paths one day? Because they’re going to be sharing a path- Usopp is of course going to join the crew!

This chapter came out May 25th 1998, almost 23 years ago. Of course people reading these recaps 100% knew Usopp would join the crew, along with any future member’s identity. Still, imagine what it would be like for people reading this as it originally came out, the excitement of a new crew member joinging the main cast. A joyous occasion.

As the Going Merry sails off into the horizon, the Children Formally Known As The Usopp Pirates watch and wonder what they’re gonna do now. As well, Kaya and Merry watch from their own cliff, and Kaya confesses that she did want Usopp to stay. Merry decides to tell her a story about Usopp in response.

Yes, every crew member has a tragic backstory. Usopp’s father left to be a pirate, and shortly after his mother died, so he had to take care of himself. As she lay sick in bed, young Usopp burst in, yelling that his father’s ship had returned to take them away once she was well again.

Usopp was desperately scrabbling for any hope, and as his mother weakened, his lies and wishes and dreams were where he found them. Yes, he shouted every day that a pirate ship was coming, but he secretly wished it would really happen, so that he could see his father again and have a family.

It’s legitimately a sad story, but it inspires Kaya to carry on Usopp’s strength of heart.

As the children take up Usopp’s mantle, Kaya declares that she’s going to become a doctor. Syrup Village is in good hands.

And with that, the arc is over. Kuro is defeated, Usopp has joined Luffy’s crew, and they finally have a proper ship. There’s still so much ahead for us, though- let’s see where we’re going!

[axiomsofice]

Wild-ing Out: MIN on the Rise

In 2019 the Wild hired Guerin as GM, coming off a near decade of Minnesota being easy prey in the early rounds of the playoffs. After years of Fletcher as GM, and a brief stint of the Paul Fenton era, on the surface it would seem there was not much besides an older team whose best years might be behind them. Much of the roster has remained the same (even coach Evason is an internal hire) and though Staal and Dubnyk were shipped out there was much more developing underneath that very surface level analysis.

 The Wild have long, perhaps always, had a very strong defensive identity (shoutout to Lemaire). The defence core, especially the top 4 (Suter-Spurgeon and Brodin-Dumba) is very strong if not amog the leagues best. A lot of their forwards have long histories of defensive results (Bonino, Foligno). It has very much given them the platform for their successes through the years, so to understand what is so different about this year we’ll have to look somewhere else, the 2015 draft. 

McDavid, Eichel, Marner, Rantanen, Boston had 3 picks in a row that were not Barzal, Chabot, and Connor,  while Aho went in the 2nd round, among so much more, such a great draft. Lost amid all that noise the Wild picked Joel Eriksson-Ek (20), Jordan Greenway (50), and Kirill Kaprizov (135). They each have had different paths, but their ascendance has converged and their play has really elevated a strong, stout group with a very believable path to the post season (sorry Anaheim, Arizona, Los Angeles, San Jose).

Kaprizov has been a star in the KHL for a few years now, and is a year younger than an obvious prior in Artemi Panarin at his Calder winning debut season (Kaprizov will win this year). He’s been the Wild’s best offensive player, and probably will be for some time. He is a very dynamic skater, and uses his agility to protect the puck and attack lateral space. Great sense, passing, shot, everything you could want in a scorer, but definitely brings a certain intensity as well. 

Eriksson-Ek has been on the team for a few years now. After surprising his way onto the roster as a teenager, he seemed to stagnate or even regress when looking at his point totals, but the Centre brings other aspects to the game. He plays a very strong defensive game, similar to a Safety in the NFL, patrolling the middle of the ice and breaking up plays. This year he’s earned more responsibility and is probably the Wild’s best Centre.

Greenway is a personal favourite (yes I picked him up in fantasy hockey), I definitely remember being impressed with him in the World Juniors and Olympics for USA. He’s a huge person, but don’t let that distract from the strong skating and good puckskills, along with a few in-tight JVR type moves. He’s really taken off with Eriksson-Ek, who together form the basis of what might be the best checking line in hockey. 

Outside of that Zuccarello and Parise still have some game left. Fiala is a great pick for most underrated player, just tons of skill. Talbot is a great 1B to the young Kaapo Kahkonen in net who looks primed to have a great career with such a strong group in front of him. 

The best part, there’s even more on the way with a really strong prospect system including Rossi (get better), Beckman, Khovanov, Boldy, Khusnutdinov up front and Addison, Warren, and O’Rourke on Defence, all of which I have good thoughts on. Things are definitely looking up which hasn’t always been the case, and Minnesota Hockey, Wild fans, and Matt Dumba deserve it. 

[smolbeandrabbles]

Just Another Thing - Phil Beckman x Reader (Knowing)

This Kiss

GIF Credit: X

Author’s Note: “HOLD ON!!” I hear you splutter “SHE FINALLY WROTE THAT SEQUEL TO THIS KISS SHE PROMISED US BACK WHEN SHE WROTE IT IN JUNE!?” Yes. Yes I did! 😏 What can I say. I missed this man.

Also I watched it the other day, and therefore have thrown MIT in as liberally as possible-!  Disclaimer: Knowing Characters not mine / lyrics not mine / gifs not mine - see credit. It’s about the only set on this website 😉

Premise: As expected, you’re unable to concentrate in your lecture. And Phil is justly rewarded for his curiosity. But your affair has bigger things to worry about than that right now, and make no mistake, Phil Beckman wont stand for it... 

Words: 4404

Warnings: May-December Romance / Student/Teacher Relationship  / swearing / sexual connotations & pre-amble

____ I ought to know better but you know that never stopped me before Yeah, my wheels just have a way of spinning, always ending back at your door So add your name to the list Of all the things I can't seem to kick Just like smoking, just like drinking, I'm a fool for ever thinking I'm done Yeah, I always break that promise, if I'm honest it ain't ever just one Or two, when I'm running into you I'm right back on that road, pushing that first domino Yeah you're just another kiss, another Friday night I shouldn't be wasting Just another "what you doing later on?" I shouldn't be saying I got my excuses, no I don't know why I do it You're just another, just another thing I shouldn't be doing --- At least you were correct on one thing. You couldn’t successfully sit through two hours of John Koestler without getting distracted, or clock watching. All you could think of was the way Phil had pulled back from you curiously with his hands under your dress wanting to know what you were wearing. He was less than two hours away from finding out at all points of this lecture. But you didn’t think one had ever gone so slowly. John was always interesting, and you were mostly attentive of what he said because he had a habit of giving his tutees pop quizzes any time they went to 1:1s or had questions, just to make sure you’d been paying attention to at least the rest of his lecture. You knew you were likely to fail the next one. Maybe you could get Phil to bail you out of that-! Even your friends all knew you were distracted, but would never have guessed the reason in a million years. Sometimes you’d heard your friends talk about how stunning lecturers were – or some of the lab technicians – and Phil was, on occasion, the hot topic. But you never took any bait offered to you. Besides, they were right, he was hot and deserved to be the only one you ever talked about, and you had all the facts. But, you instead opted to spend your college time as far from single as you could get. It not like you were ever meant to get involved with Phil, after all. Your problem was, what had started off as a good romance – perhaps even something promising, was now a break-up-make-up-break-up nightmare. And you weren’t sure who was keeping who and for what reason. Probably good cover for any time you’d been with Phil and had to walk into a classroom right afterwards looking flushed with a bruise in a risqué place. So long as they think that’s what was distracting you, you weren’t going to say otherwise. None of them were going to assume it was John, and you’d for sure set them straight on that one immediately. The bell wasn’t even merciful on you, observing that your note page was practically blank as you collected your things and slung your bag back over your shoulder - Yeah, there was no way you were remembering a minute of this class. You exited with your friends, itching to spring across the campus into Phil’s office and subsequently his arms. However, Ethan was waiting for you outside the building. Oh… shit… You sighed softly, the girls nudging you with giggles. He was tall and conventionally attractive. On the football team – but not the quarterback, which was fine with you. “Hey-!” He dipped his frame to kiss your cheek, surveying what you were wearing with as much interest as any other boy on campus was. You nearly huffed; still not for you! “Girls-!” He gave your friends a soft wink as they left you to it. “Hi!” “How was your day?” “It’s gone pretty good yeah-!” If he’d let you get on it’d be better, “Yours?” “Better now.” He gave a grin, “Hey, babe, I was thinking we could go out and grab dinner… movie at my place?” “Oh.” This was where problems always started – nothing he’d suggested was bad, if it was a usual night. But not right now… “I have a 1:1 now, and then I was gonna study.” “We can study together?” He immediately suggested, and then pressed; “Who is your 1:1 with? I can wait.” “Well it’s not like I know how long it’s gonna be…” “Who is it with?” Ethan demanded; eyes narrowed. “Phil Beckman.” You were a little uneasy about that, why was he interested? “Oh. He’s your favourite, right?” And jealous. And right now made you wish you’d never mentioned Phil at all, once, ever. “He’s a good teacher…” “Skip it – say you forgot-!” “What!? No, I need to go ask him about this it’s important--!” Please don’t make this hard… “Just send him an email-! How hard is that-!?” “Ethan.” You sighed, “Please. I need to see him.” “Why?!” Well you weren’t gonna give him a straight answer, “This work is due. Tomorrow, babe, I promise.” “Fine.” But it was obvious he wasn’t happy. “Fine-!” He therefore didn’t say goodbye and turned to walk back to his car, kicking leaves and stones as he went. You raised an eyebrow and rolled your eyes; this is exactly why you spent your relationship efforts on a man. There was no way in hell you’d ever think Phil would behave like this. You brushed it off and turned back in the direction you wanted to head – you had way more important things to worry about now. *** Phil opened his office door with a smirk, leaning against the door frame with his arm up – like for a second he wasn’t about to let you in. But the way he looked at you made your mood instantly brighten. He took a half step forward, twisting his body to see if anyone else was around. You both knew how to keep it quiet if people were in the offices either side of his, but if no one was at least you could be a little more vocal. He stepped in to let you past, and you noticed his blinds were already all closed – that allowed you to bite your lip a little harder. “How was the lecture?” “Terrible...” “Oh! Really?! John’s lectures are supposed to be riveting!” You let him round you, so that your back was now to his wall, covered with an intricate array of star charts and planetary information. And other pieces he was working on for papers. You’d asked him about nearly all of them and at this point could probably recite them, or do his research, yourself; but heck – you’d been in here enough. “Well yeah, but I wasn’t really listening. I was thinking about you...” “Oh?” Phil took the step forward that made you concede one, pressing your back up against the wall. “Oh? Mr.Beckman, don’t pretend you don’t know that…” “Mr.Beckman?” He questioned with a playful smile, “Good think I’ve been sitting thinking about you this past 30 minutes…” Phil’s smirk was as equally delicious as he was, “…You are quite the distraction…” You bit your lip again, this time far more seductively, “Speak for yourself.” He placed his hands above your head, pulling in his forearms and also pressing them to the wall – his lips touched yours – and your hands were on him before he could do anything about it. You wanted that overshirt off, you wanted his shirt off, you wanted him to hoist you up against this wall and you wanted your dress on the floor… you wanted marks all over you. You needed him to make you his once more. His lips moved from your mouth to your neck, following the trail of your pulse – your nails raking up his back and through his hair. The day was over; Phil would let you mess it up now. You found yourself staring at the ceiling for a few blissful moments and almost giggled – Phil had once spent a great deal of time sticking stars up there in constellation forms; because once you’d make the mistake of telling him that climaxing with him was like shooting to the stars. He’d laughed, considering his profession, and the next thing you knew he’d stuck the plastic shapes to the ceiling and declared ‘Now you can be with them. Among them-!’ He pulled away with a slight growl to his voice. Your heart leapt – you always wanted to hear that. Phil with that tone thrilled you, it always happened when he was turned on. “Your dresses drive me insane. Stop wearing them in class. It’s not going to end well and I’m going to get suspended, is that what you want?” His lips grazed yours again as he brought his hands down to your hips. You sighed – wanting them under your dress again. No, of course you didn’t want him to get suspended… But Phil knew you wore them for him – and you were fairly certain he didn’t really want you to stop. The dress didn’t really matter, all it was doing was hiding everything else; what he actually deserved. “It’s not even the dress...” You breathed, watching his gorgeous blue eyes darken further by the second “…What I want most is it on the floor…” He tipped his head; bringing his hands to the buttons – remembering the feeling of lace under his fingertips. This had to be good. Phil’s fingers worked quickly through them as his kisses became rougher – but his choices of where to place them, almost with pinpoint precision, was where he knew would make you moan the loudest. Phil responded to that by grinding his hips into yours, and this time you moaned his name. It wasn’t fair that this man felt so right. That it could feel quite this good to be with him. He pushed the unbuttoned dress over your shoulders and it felt to the floor. Phil took a step back, biting his lip a little at the marks he knew were going to be left along your collarbone. Hardly caring, because not only would you be unconcerned, but he’d probably end up with his own collection before he left this evening. But ever since this had started, you liked buying different lingerie, literally for the sole purpose of him taking it off. You always noted styles, colours and fabrics that Phil liked best. Lace being one of them. Phil was classic – he liked black, red and pink lace and satin… and eccentric patterns. But also anything he deemed unusual – you’d worn lime green once as a joke and he’d been pretty impressed. Phil growled again, this time a little louder; “…Black Lace…?” He ran his fingertips under your panties and you gasped again, “…For me?” He chuckled, sliding them down your legs as he kissed you once more; “Oh, darling, you needn’t have…” ***  Every so often you’d go a week or so without being lectured by him – either because his classes had labs conducted by someone else, or because you had home study time rather than having to attend class. You saw him around but you both knew better than to see too much of each other. Whatever illusion you were trying to keep up. But every time you caught a glimpse of him whilst heading to another tutorial, or passing in corridors in lectures and you got to smile and say ‘Hi!’ was certainly the highlight of your day. You also both got to laugh privately at the outfits you wore when you didn’t have to see each other. Of course, you were still in summer dresses but they were a little more modest, or you wore leggings under them, and he rarely wore his black jacket; opting instead for ringer-tees and looser fitting clothing, occasionally with slogans on. And you hated to tell him that he probably didn’t look as cool as he thought he did. Which reminded you that you still hadn’t told him how hot he looked in that black number. Phil was at least glad that it gave both of you the opportunity to work – or focus on work. But that didn’t mean he didn’t think about you, and often. And it wasn’t like he didn’t look up your class schedule and make sure that wherever he was walking might coincide with your exit from lectures. Today however, he was walking across the MIT grounds with John – talking about each other current set of research papers – he was sipping good coffee and so absorbed in the science of everything that even though he missed you, you were the furthest thing from his mind. Even when John started to make jokes about Phil getting a girlfriend. “Nah-! Man. Nah-! That’s not… I’m good!” He laughed, “I’m perfectly fine-!” As they kept walking, they realised that many of the students were weaving out of the way of something going down in the middle of the campus. And as they approached, they realised that shouting was quickly turning to screaming. They both stopped dead. Your friends were standing over to one side looking like they might rather be anywhere else, the other students were dispersing and heading to their own classes as quickly as possible; except from those curious enough to slow their walks down to watch the entertainment. Of course, the ‘entertainment’ was you and Ethan. Having a fall out in the middle of campus was not an ideal situation, but this shouldn’t have surprised you. And this argument was just about as vicious as usual – both of you throwing words you’d end up pretending you didn’t mean. Phil’s eyebrows furrowed; he didn’t like this for obvious reasons. But he wasn’t sure he could get involved either. John just shook his head; “AH, yeah. I can understand why you wouldn’t…” “Shit, we surly can’t allow them to scream at each other in the middle of campus-?” “I dunno. Twenty somethings…? You ever seen these two go at it before? It happens all the time. They’ll just make up in a few hours.” Phil narrowed his eyes, disliking that even more; “You think smart girls wouldn’t get involved in something like that!” John raised an eyebrow at his friend; “Oh, the whiles of being young!” Phil scoffed, running a hand through his hair – “I still think we should stop this.” He ground his teeth together nearly full on glaring at Ethan. Justified, because then it started getting physical – and the second Ethan put his hands on you Phil wasn’t looking for John’s permission. You pulled away but he grabbed you again – and this kept happening; Ethan continued to drag you back as you pulled away from him, and with both of you still yelling at each other this wasn’t about to end well at all. “HEY!” He pushed his coffee into John’s chest and started across the grass. Not my girl! “Phil-! Hey- Phil-!” John’s protests were ignored “HEY-! HEY-! LET HER GO!” As Ethan’s grip only seemed to tighten on you Phil was seeing red; How fucking dare he!! Funnily enough that looked to be near enough what you were saying – and you didn’t even notice Phil until he was practically next to you. “MAN! I SAID LET HER GO!” “She’s my girlfriend-! I’ll do what I like.” Phil almost did a double-take. Ethan! You are walking a thin line! Then took a deep breath and pushed between the two of you. You reeled, rubbing your wrist, but also hardly believing this was about to happen. “She’s not YOURS!!!” Phil’s arm was out, and you knew he was essentially protecting you. He was shorter than Ethan but older; and right now, fierce. But that rung in your ears ‘she’s not yours!’ Oh…Phil… He seemed to realise what he’d said too; “Y/N is NOT a possession!” He took a breath, and stilled his anger – this boy was still a student after all “…No girl is.” His eyes flicked back to see if you were alright, but you were nearly in a world of your own. Did he… did he feel the same thing for you as you did for him? What was he thinking? That was dangerous…! Ethan scoffed, “Yeah, whatever man.” “Ethan.” Phil tipped his head, “I know I might not lecture you, but I know the people who do. And more importantly, I know the coach. You really think he’s gonna wanna hear about this?” Phil turned again, seeing the marks on your arm – and suddenly having a pretty good idea that the bruises on you weren’t always from him. “…Or see pretty hard evidence…” His swivel back was measured, if Ethan wasn’t careful Phil was going to deck him. Luckily, Phil had got a pretty good handle of the situation, and Ethan swallowed hard – stepping back. His body was still between you and him, but Ethan had to take one last jab; “Now you need some teacher defending you-!? You’re just fucking lucky-!” He shouldered his bag and stalked off, leaving Phil to yell after him again. “COOL IT-!” Once Ethan was across the other end of the field, he turned back to you voice immediately alarmed; “You alright-!?” “Yeah…” You straightened your dress of choice today and neatened your hair – “It happens often, I’m used to it.” “And you’re still with the guy-!?” “Phil.” You sighed gently, “It’s… this isn’t the place or time…” you bit your lip, “Please…” “Don’t ask me not to make a scene after that-! Are you sure you’ll be okay!?” You nodded up to your friends still standing awkwardly off to one side “…Yeah…” He followed your eyeline and had to concede that. “Okay. Just take care... Be careful.” You couldn’t help your smile at the concern filling his eyes, and extending to the rest of his features, he was leaned in, his back bent to get closer to you. Still fairly protective.  If you were alone you knew you’d have reached out to hold him, to kiss him in thanks. Heck – it was hard to not to do so right now. “I will. I promise…” You took a few steps back; “Thank you…” “You’re welcome.” Then he grinned, “Anytime.” And you knew he meant it. Phil watched you nod, then turn to go back to your friends, who were all ready to welcome you with open arms. “Y/N!” he couldn’t resist making you look back at him; he missed you this close. “If it happens again – my door is always open. I’ll follow through. I promise.” You almost blushed; “Thank you… Mr.Beckman… I’ll keep that in mind.” ***  Phil didn’t really think he needed to worry about you – you didn’t come and see him, and you didn’t email him either. Things hadn’t quite graduated to having each other’s numbers, although if you ever asked him, he knew he’d give it up in a heartbeat. You were grown up yourself now, a young adult, you didn’t need him to hover around you like a parent – which would have obviously been completely the wrong word. You could take care of yourself, Phil knew that too. He’d rather you come to him if you really needed him. Today he was immersing himself in some practical work with the other scientists and thoroughly enjoying not having to deal with students for once. He didn’t have papers to mark and – away from his desk – no emails to answer from people who clearly hadn’t been listening in lectures. Sometimes he rolled his eyes and thought about sending them over to you, but never did. If only they had her intuition-! Also, Phil was sometimes selfish with his time and wanted to give it to those who wanted to excel to the next level – he had plenty of final years wanting to do their PHDs and Doctorates, go into the field, and lecture themselves – or those that were genuinely struggling despite doing everything they could. Which caused him to sarcastically respond to some of the other students on Saturday nights when he got takeout and had nothing better to do. Today was also when you turned up again. It was a few minutes before he spotted you, immersed in measurements and brainstorming around machines and the gigantic telescope that MIT had installed here. But when he did spot you, Phil immediately became worried – you were crying. And that wasn’t what he wanted to see. He gently touched his colleague on the shoulder to excuse himself, to which she gave him a gentle smile – and ran across the lab to you. “Y/N-!” His voice was filled with the concern etched across his face, “Oh, sweetheart what’s wrong?” “I- He--- He--” I fucking warned him! - Phil had to be careful with the way he touched you here, “Oh…Oh God! Okay. Okay, sweetheart, come on… come on, lets go to my office… It’s gonna be okay, It’ll be okay…” By now the scientists Phil was working with had turned to see where he was running to and he held his hand up to excuse himself. But they thankfully seemed to understand, most were female, and he thought they’d probably appreciate where you were coming from. But maybe not why you’d go to him. At least he could explain the fight in the grounds, although he was sure that’d got around the campus by now. Phil led you up to his office, hand moving from hovering over your shoulder to your lower back, slamming the door shut – in anger at Ethan – he locked it. “What did he fucking do to you-!?” “No… No, Phil it’s… it’s not like that… he didn’t…” This was strange for you, this was a side to Phil Beckman you’d never even glimpsed before now – seeing you and Ethan fighting had really shaken him up, like suddenly it was a reality that you were technically ‘with’ someone else. And Phil didn’t like it one bit. “Don’t lie to me. Sweetheart, don’t lie to me. I promise, I will make him regret it – and if he comes for you again, he’s gonna wish he never fucking touched you.” He rubbed your arms, soothingly, forehead to yours; “Darling, what happened?” “You saw what he did to me when we were outside on campus. You think he’s any better when we’re together? He’s not exactly your biggest fan…” “Well that was obvious. Don’t tell me he took me out on you-!?” “He takes everything out on me.” You sighed, “And now especially you.” Phil narrowed his eyes; “He’s not good enough for you. You know that right?” “Phil-” “He’s certainly no good for you, and he doesn’t deserve you.” “Phil, please don’t-” “He’s hurting you. I don’t know if it’s because you think you need him so desperately as cover for this, but…” Phil shook his head, and you thought he was about to start welling up “I can’t watch him hurt you…” He pressed a delicate kiss to your forehead and then your lips, “Do you need to stay here a while, I’ll stay with you you know that…” His left hand moved to yours, as his right moved to your side, pulling you protectively to him. But you winced, and checking the position of his hands, Phil knew there was no way that Ethan was leaving bruises on you like that just pushing you around… And suddenly his cheeks were burning, and you could read that expression as well as anything. Phil was jealous - you could think of many reasons why. Ethan could show you off, could be with you outside and off and on campus. Ethan was your age. And then the one that was more obvious, your intimacy. You let his hand go and took his face in your hands, “Phil… Phil – I’m not. We didn’t…” You shook your head, “I’m here. I’m here with you. I’m not having sex with him.” You pressed your lips to his, hard, as if that would prove it. “…How can a man like you be jealous of someone like that?” He sighed; “Because of everything he gets to be with you…” But he returned your kisses, slow and loving. “How can someone like you be with a man like him?” “Maybe I’m not as smart as you think I am…” You ran your hands up his chest, and he didn’t stop you, gripping onto his overshirt. “Bullshit.” “You think I don’t get jealous too?” For a minute Phil wasn’t sure how to answer that, but then he chuckled, and very nearly smirked. If you cared enough to get jealous too. He didn’t have a girlfriend, that much was true – but he did have a lot of female colleagues. And you knew he was an all-around nice guy - Phil had a certain charm – and you were sure that you weren’t the only woman in the University enamoured with it. “It’s kinda cute when you’re jealous – that I would have to admit…” You gripped him tighter with a small pout, not exactly liking that, as he thought. Then Phil threw your phrasing right back at you; “It’s not like I’m having sex with them though, is it?” He wasn’t sure that sex was the right word; that made it neither here nor there. But Phil wasn’t sure which one it was – and he was afraid to call it either way. You let his overshirt go, running your hands beneath it; allowing your fingertips to splay over his heart – before leaning forward, pushing your forehead to his. He closed his eyes, allowing you to have that moment of calm to yourself. Before you moved to brush your lips to his – a sweeter kiss than usual – and he pulled you closer, holding you tighter. You ran your hands into his hair, and only tentatively pulled away. “Y/N…” He breathed your name, sending shivers over your skin – gorgeous blue eyes reopening – “As your lecturer I can only advise you on your work here, perhaps your career. I can perhaps implore you – if you came to me with something more personal. Off the record advice…” Phil took a breath, and he sounded hurt; possibly more because of his feelings for you than anything else, “…But as whatever we are. I would beg you to leave him, I would beg you so I don’t have to worry about you being hurt. You don’t deserve to have someone you love hurt you.” You blinked multiple times, hardly daring to believe the words coming out of his mouth. Not because of what was said, but because of the choice it presented you. One you weren’t sure you could afford to pass up. You looked between his eyes, hands gathering in the middle of his chest, you took a deep breath and swallowed - looking away, just to look back into his eyes with renewed confidence; “I don’t love him.” The silence was momentary – the urgency to reply was great, but in reading what you were really telling him you both needed that moment of gravitas. Phil found himself saying the words before he knew he was saying them. But upon doing so knew he’d desperately wanted to say them for a long time; “I love you too.”

---

Thank You For Reading! 😘

@menndelsohn​ @3134045126​​ @happyskywhale​ @wltz-bby​ #MendoTagSquad

[koganphrancis]

WE ARE FINALLY, TRULY CAMLESS!

Season 9 Episode 6 Recap

First and foremost, I want to single out Noel Fisher for being a truly class act and returning to this demon show to give fans what happiness he could-the ONLY happiness a lot of fans have found here, myself included, in a very long time.

Next a serious piece of appreciation to Cameron Monaghan.  I know he worked hard on what little they gave him to do in the past few years, and I’m thankful he had Gotham to work on to actually use his talent while mired down in the stinky swamp this show has become.  In another actor’s hands, I don’t know that Gallavich would’ve been as captivating as it was-without Noel I know it wouldn’t have been, but Cam does deserve credit for bringing the other half of the couple to life-when they were on screen together, they had an undeniable magic happening.

Finally to any of the “fans” that are thinking or posting that we got this actually pretty shitty prison endgame because people pestered the show producers, writers, and actors too much to “bring Mickey back” may I please direct you to watch the early episode (I believe it was in Season 1, but certainly no later than S2) where Lip tells Ian prison must be a gay man’s dream with all the tattoos and unlimited sex partners.  THAT is John Wells’ perception of gay men and it has been since long before he even thought of breaking Ian and Mickey up, let alone bringing Mickey back.  

Personally I’m supremely disappointed this gay couple, like so many others, did not get a free and truly happy ending in canon, even though my friends know I predicted this could very well be all we got in the end.  FFS it’s the year twenty gayteen-couldn’t ONE iconic gay couple be given a nice, normal happy ending?  John Wells is a fucking dinosaur.  He needs to go to a sensitivity training camp run by Dan Levy, Emily Andras, and Ryan Murphy.  

Anyway-my last recap (baring a miracle) of this shit show is under the cut

(screen cap credit: justmikhailothings)

This episode was brought to us by White Castle.  I’d like to think they gave every dime they got from them to pay Noel, but I’m sure it went to the other “big name” guest stars.

Also the show was (disappointingly) written by Nancy “Ratfucker” Pimental, so you know it’s gonna be bad.

The show begins with Ian putting his stuff away up in the attic and claiming he wants to eat a shitload of White Castle.  Sure, whatever.  Everyone is trying to offer ideas of what they should all do on his last day of freedom, but suddenly THIS Ian is talking and making decisions for himself.  WHERE HAS HE BEEN THE PAST 4 SEASONS?  He only appears when Mickey’s about...

Debbie offers to bring him to a gay bar to “get laid” (flashing back to Monica in S3, ugh-it was a bad idea then, it’s a bad idea now), Ian says, “Pretty sure I’ll get laid a lot in prison.”  He says it with a grim expression, but considering how they end the show/who his cellmate is, he should be so lucky.  

Frank pretty much ignores Ian in the scene, and they certainly don’t interact.  Frank recommends Ian should read James Joyce’s Ulysses in prison, but other than the fact that it’s by an Irish writer and it’s extremely long and dense to get through (aka it’ll take Ian some time to do it), I don’t know if there’s any significance to his suggesting it.  

This scene with just a throwaway send off from Macy seems to be in line with John Wells’ vision to have the series fade away with the characters going about their daily lives rather than end, but I really think both Cam and WHM were screwed out of not having a final scene together with just the two of them.  Their comedy timing was always the best out of Macy and all the Gallagher kids.  The lack of respect is just astounding-especially since the show wasted so much time on rando actors/characters we’re never going to see again.

The rest of Frank’s story this week takes place with Liam in tow again and it’s just dumb and boring.

The next scene shows Fiona and Bored looking at an apartment-they’re going to move in together (why?  And when was this decided?  Not that I care, but they could’ve cut a scene of them bickering to show a scene where they arrived at a decision together for once).  It makes absolutely no sense-they have Fiona’s whole place to themselves, why waste $3000 a month living in some other apartment all to themselves?  Just because it has two bathrooms?  Do they shit that much?

And then, ooh, bad news for Fiona-her business partners require her to kick in another 25 grand or their investment will be dead in the water.  I still don’t know how she went from having $50K to invest to $100K, so this new twist is just more bullshit that I can’t care about.  

Then there’s a scene where we have to see Carl’s new girlfriend’s head in Ian’s lap.  WTF.  We need to see Mickey’s head there-or better yet, Ian using Mickey’s perfect thighs as a pillow.  

There’s a couple of boring, unfunny bits of the nun and then the priest (is it supposed to be hilarious that the dad from Full House is spewing out sex scenario names Nancy must’ve googled?) from Kev and Vee’s kids’ preschool with a dildo.  Seriously, Nance, not even close to funny, probably time to put yourself out to pasture, old girl.  This show has used dildos as a sight gag so many times at this point there’s just nothing more to do with them except maybe shove them up the writers’ asses.

Lip’s storyline this week is something out of very, very bad fan fiction: A movie star comes to their house!  Cuz, that happens, okay?  I’m sure studios and billion dollar make up companies don’t run any kind of background check on people they hire to babysit their clients-why would they?  It’s not like a crazed fan would rape/maim/kill the object of their obsession or anything.  ANYONE can be a star minder for one day, surely.  

BORING ALERT: Lip has a couple more running scenes this week, because no one got enough of that last episode.  This week the least they could’ve done was play the Friends theme song over the endless footage where he’s chasing Courtney Cox around on location in Chicago.  

While watching, I was wondering if Courtney’s role was written for her or they just settled for her when Roseanne Barr was suddenly unavailable-the stuff they had her say and do (except for the sprinting) seemed like it was written for a more jaded motherly type-but I’m jumping ahead.  Since we DID get CC, here’s a couple of stray observations.  1. She looks like a rich man’s Emmy Rossum, and 2. was part of the purpose of her storyline to throw shade at Jennifer Aniston?  Her character is named Jen Wagner, and there’s this whole dumb thing where Nancy’s trying to make, “Face it, you’re gorgeous” happen as her make up commercials’ tag line-which was reminiscent of Aniston’s ads for L’Oreal that stated “I’m/you’re worth it”.  

Meanwhile, after Fi gets the devastating news that she needs to come up with more money she tries to get out of taking the new apartment with Bored by lying to him and telling him she smelled mold there-HE RESTORES OLD HOUSES/BUILDINGS FOR A LIVING why does Nancy think that was a clever lie for Fiona to come up with?  How stupid is Fi supposed to be?

Back at the Gallaghers, Ian is practicing self defense moves with Carl and Kelly to prevent someone from raping him at knife point.  Everyone’s flipping each other in these scenes and it just felt like they wanted to give their stunt coordinator (and Cam’s double) a lot of (boring) shit to do this week...Ian’s final scenes being played out with this meaningless newbie (who Carl will probably wind up killing or dumping or both) made me very sad.  I guess maybe it was to build dramatic tension for when Ian’s in his cell later and the door slides open before he turns around.  But it’s lame because the scenes play like he’s JUST realizing prison’s rapey.  

Someone knocks at the door-my heart started racing but it wasn’t Mickey.  A guy who wasn’t in the jail scenes tells Ian Joselito sent him.  Ian starts asking him about the guys he was in county lock up with-WHO CARES.  The guy tells him the couple he’s asking about broke up when one of them got out and Nancy throws in a line about long distance relationships not working.  Joselito sent this Antonio guy to give Ian an “in-depth safety orientation about Beckman Correctional” before they send him up.   

Antonio draws Ian a map of the facility and tells him the areas to avoid, then draws a big circle with Mickey Mouse ears on it and tells him that’s “Disneyland” and he can get all good things there-smooth blowies, weed, Snickers...I’m sure ol’ Nancy thought she was being clever, but it just took me out of the scene hearing Antonio say “Disney” at least three times-reminded me of Cam’s publicity stunt “coming out date” there last year.  

Fi comes in and asks if anyone has any money (shades of S4 when Ian gave her his Fairy Tail tips) and that she needs 25 grand.  She’s so stupid.  And she’s honestly that out of touch with the family that she thinks maybe one of them has thousands of dollars they could give her?  (although, if she had only gotten to Lip before he tried to buy Xan...)

Fiona tells Ian, “Don’t forget, I’m driving you to prison tomorrow.”  And that’s the last time they see each other.  So much for family, eh, Nance?

A huge time waster of a scene where Kev and Vee pack up all their sex toys and then another drawn out scene of them throwing the stuff off a bridge happen.  Seriously, these are Cameron’s final moments on this shit show-they couldn’t think of anything for him to do?  This was all screen time Cam and Noel could have had, SHOULD have had!

I have to recap this next bit because it was beyond belief unrealistic-Frank steals a bicycle and goes following Katey Sagal and her ex-husband when they leave the hospital in an Audi-and Frank manages to keep up with them all the way to their nice neighborhood that must be some distance away since it was daylight when they left and dark when they get to their door.  Frank.  On a bicycle.  Kept up.  YOU’RE SUCH A DUMB FUCK, NANCY.

Then there’s more White Castle with the money shot of the food and packaging all over the Gallagher kitchen table.  Courtney gets to make a bulimia joke Nancy wrote into the scene.  Hope you weren’t looking for a Guest Starring Emmy, CC.  

Ian tells a “Carl story” about him puncturing his scrotum (on purpose) with a screwdriver when he was a kid.  Carl must have the most mangled dick and scrotum on the planet between his several botched circumcisions and now this.  Kelly asks him if that’s why he has “that scar”.  You know what, Nance?  While some people do in fact find scars sexy, self inflicted ones on scrotums don’t make that list.  

Debbie comes in, recognizes “the chick from the make up ads” having dinner with them.  I’m sorry-having WHITE CASTLE with them.  Now everyone else sees it too, and Kelly insists that CC says “the” line that Nancy made up to make happen-why do they keep trying to make meaningless things A Thing?  

After dinner, Jen is giving Ian advice about prison: “Find a hobby, it makes time go so much faster.”  Ian asks, “Did you learn that from one of your movies?” and she says she did 48 hours for DUI (hey, just like Ethan, Nancy!).  Jen really needed to get into making TP paper mache to get through 2 days?  

Debbie, desperate to make shit about her says, “Maybe I should go to prison too.  It seems like the only way I’ll find a real relationship.”  WHY are they acting like Ian’s going away on a single’s cruise?

Jen says to Debs that’s not true and Debbie says it is, that she’s unlucky in love (when the fuck has she ever been “in love”?)...”men, women...”  

Jen tells her she’s a special woman (how the fuck does she know?) and that she doesn’t want just anyone, she wants somebody “who gets you” and then for the second time in two weeks an older woman, without determining if Debbie is of age, pulls her into a kiss and the others (Ian, Lip, Carl, Kelly) stare like, “WTF?”  The kiss ends and Debbie looks all amazed like she did after the Mel kiss, but then Jen looks at everyone and says, “I played a lesbian once in a movie.”  And that’s what your research into that role led you to believe lesbians do?  Kiss random teens when they’re whining?  Lip starts the “Face it” line and everyone else chips in with “you’re gorgeous” and everyone laughs and I don’t get why it’s funny or even why it’s supposed to be funny.  Seemed like they were trying to drive home the point that ACTORS only PLAY gay characters, but no matter how convincing they seem, they are in reality the much more “preferable” heterosexuals we can feel safe with and really want them to be.  Fuck you, Shameless.

Also, Courtney/Jen is three times older than Debbie-CC is 54 irl and Debs is forever 17 now, so more Kash vibes for anyone who was missing those.  Also perpetuates the writer room’s fantasy that hot young actors would find middle and past middle age folks suitable sex partners.

Fi goes to Patsy’s Pies and there’s another hysterically lame scene where she opens the office safe and is counting out money-I don’t know how much a place like Patsy’s rakes in (or keeps in their safe) but I would think it would take a long time to accumulate 25K in CASH in this day and age of debit and credit cards.  She abandons that bad idea and winds up going down to the docks and drinking with a Patsy’s employee and reciting all her “mo money” problems while he counters with the facts that his car’s been repossessed and that he and his moms are being evicted from the projects.  Then the guy kisses drunk Fi but she tells him she has a boyfriend and that she has to apologize for lying to him (although, really, the underlying implication is she has to apologizing for never seeing that he’s always right about her being a dumb woman who has no head for business decisions).  

Lip and Ian have their last one on one scene.  After the movie star mom for a day leaves, Ian’s fake smoking on the front steps and Lip joins him.  Lip gives him money for his commissary account and Ian says, “I’ll pay you back,” (but not thank you) and Lip says, “No you won’t,” and I’m at home saying, “Lip, why are you being such a dick?”  Ian goes to hand him the lit cigarette, but pulls it away when Lip reaches for it, but then gives it to him and rubs his shoulder.  I guess this is supposed to signal to us that they’ve said everything that’s needed to be said?  Except we’ve been watching and we know Lip is supposed to be a mouthy motherfucker and in the old days they would’ve had actual conversations that they DID NOT have at all-all their conversations this season have been short and awkward.  Ian’s been made into a fucking mute now, even in these final moments.

Their last scene should’ve been in their room, in their beds-Ian can’t sleep and they talk things out in the dark like the brothers they used to be, but no.  Can’t have that.  

The Fiona drama finding out Bored has a wife, kid, and house and then drunkenly smashing up her leased vehicle is so “bad soap opera” I can’t believe this show is still on the air.  If we were supposed to cry for Fiona as her make up  and fake blood ran down her face after her millionth time of being let down by a guy everyone else could see was an ass from the start-well, we just didn’t.  

Next day the Gallaghers are waiting in the living room for Fiona to take Ian to prison.  Kev steps up to drive them all in his truck.

They get there, get out, and Ian looks around, then says to his family, “All right.  I thought Geneva and some of the others would be here but...”  Thank christ they weren’t!!!  The show/Ian wasted too much time on those randos as it was.  However, credit where credit is due-the show got us all the way through this swan song arc without bringing up Terror once!  But I digress, back to our scene.  Carl says, “You can only count on family, dude.”  I scream BULLSHIT at my TV screen.  

Debbie says, “I’m gonna miss you.” 

Group hug.  Kev says, “Don’t get too raped in there, aight?”  Everybody breaks apart, the moment ruined.  Kev says he doesn’t know what to say in these situations (and clearly no one can improvise but Noel).  Vee says, “How about goodbye and I love you?”  

Kev says, “Goodbye, man. I love you.”  

Ian says, “I love you guys too.”  Wasting it on the wrong fucking people!  All of them-except Kev and Vee who never voiced an opinion-didn’t care if went to prison!  

Ian looks at Lip, walks over to him.  “Hey, uh, thanks for being my brother.”

Lip, still a dick, says, “Never had a choice.”  That’s right, bitch-you didn’t get to choose to play the interesting gay brother, you got cast as the dick know-it-all who never cared about anyone but himself.  

During this entire farewell scene I was sitting at home, strangely unmoved.  I felt nothing watching it, probably because everyone was such an asshole about Ian going to prison all season, plus never caring about what he was doing all last season, plus the fact that none of these characters are the characters we first got to know.  It hasn’t been a case of character growth and development, it’s been character assassination and retconning.  

Ian breaks the hug.  “All right.  See you guys.”  He goes to the gate, shows his papers, gets let in through the gate, waves to his family as he walks past the fence, walks into the prison, slaps his phone (wouldn’t he just give that to Lip to hold on to?  Battery’s gonna be dead by the time he gets out) and watch (probably ditto on the watch battery) onto a counter, strips down so we see one last quick shot of his naked ass (what, no cavity search?  And just how long has it been since we’ve seen his unclothed ass anyway?), and a glimpse of the boob tattoo.  

Next we see him in his yellow “I Love You, Philip Morris” jumpsuit, carrying his bedding through the GP.  He’s attracting “fresh meat” attention and Cam actually does a really good job of looking a bit scared while trying to look tough and “don’t fuck with me”-there’s a vulnerability there, but he’s not overplaying it, and he’s certainly not overplaying the fronting.  His acting was really powerful in that scene.  

They put him in his cell and slam the door and he winces a little at the sound, then he sadly looks at his 6X8 foot (or whatever the dimensions are) room, puts his bedding pile on the top bunk and leaves his hands up there and lets his head hang down.  He hears the door slide open behind him again and gets this, “Ugh, here we go,” expression on his face and turns around to see it’s Mickey standing there.

Me at home: Not what I wanted for end game but I’m still thrilled to see the man, the myth, the legend again anyway.  He’s all beefy still from when he was shooting Fonzo and looking good.  

Ian’s looking at him like he’s not sure he’s really there.

Mickey mildly says, “I rolled on the cartel I was working for and in exchange guess who gets to pick where he gets locked up?”  

Ian’s got tears in his eyes now and says, “Holy fuck.”

“Oh hey-I got bottom,” Mickey says as he points to the lower bunk.  Then he walks past Ian and says, “So...you’re on top,” in a bit of a sing-songy voice. 

He flops down onto the bunk, puts his hand behind his head-and check out the gifs closely, especially on Twitter-in the jumpsuit you can see the outline of his dick and it “twitches in interest” as the fan fics say (don’t know if Noel did it by adjusting his thigh, don’t know if it was intentional or what-but it was a sight to see whatever the case).  He does a lip lick/bite combination, Ian’s face lights up a bit and he gives a smile, he crawls onto the bunk on top of Mickey, pinning his hand down while Mickey smiles softly, they gaze at each other a beat, Ian gently strokes Mickey’s cheek, Mickey wraps his free hand behind Ian’s neck, their noses boop, and Ian sort of gently thrusts into a kiss (it was good-definitely had a bit of a sexual vibe to it), which Mickey expertly returns.  It was a very good kiss, tender and loving, but that scene needed words, needed Ian to say SOMETHING to Mickey-needed an “I’m sorry” and a “thank you for always being here for me” and exchanged I love yous.  Neither of these boys are ever told they’re loved!  JFC, nine seasons and the show couldn’t manage to work mutual ILYs in ONCE?  Fuck you, Shameless.  They didn’t even say each other’s NAMES!  

Mickey (and Noel) looked so fucking good lying there-relaxed and happy, finally back with his love where he’s always belonged.  Even when his eyes are closed, they’re perfect.  The angle the scene was shot at, we see more of Mickey’s microexpressions than Ian’s.  

An after the credits began scene of them lying in an afterglow embrace would’ve been nice.  Mickey could’ve mocked Ian’s hair (give us one last “Fire Crotch” you cowards!) and boob tattoo (or offered to fix that for him while they’re in the joint).  

Mickey’s got new ink on his forearm we never see clearly.  Until and unless we’re told otherwise, I’m saying it’s a big ginger root ;)  Bam.  

On a personal note, and not to rain on anybody’s parade, while I believe 100% in Drunk Crew Guy and what he said, I really don’t see us getting another scene in the finale.  This show’s attention span is down to nothing now, and I can’t see them dragging these guys back out now that they’ve given us (shitty) endgame. I don’t think enough time will have passed to let them out of prison by then, I think those final episodes are going to be about Fiona leaving and not Ian and Mickey getting to Mexico-and I can’t really see Mickey being able to go back there now that he’s crossed a cartel.  My feeling is the show filmed 2 possible endings using Noel to choose from-one ending with them in Mexico and the other being the one we got.  They probably ripped off The Shawshank Redemption too much with a Mexico ending and decided to go with this “original” idea instead.  I’d love nothing more than to be wrong, and to get one more scene of these two free and happy.  Cam’s question mark at the end of his farewell post and the fact that I do trust everything DCG said leaves a spark of hope burning in my heart, but hopefully I can back away from endless online speculation and theories about it over the next 5 months.  If it happens, beautiful.  If it doesn’t, at least we got one last look at Mickey and he’s getting dicked down and the love he’s always deserved, even if I hate the fact they’re locked up and will be in danger whenever they’re not in their cell-not to mention this is the shitty way gay love stories get handled in general, but I must not go down that path again in this recap.  

I want to add that Mickey didn’t sound all that “Mickey” in his scene, but maybe he didn’t need his swagger and was being more “real” to let Ian know he had a choice (as always, Mickey didn’t force himself on Ian-he let him come to him).  And kudos to Cam for not doing his hideous Chicago accent for most of the episode.  

There WAS love and chemistry in that final scene.  Just sucks that we don’t get it anywhere else in the show and they wasted so much time last night that could’ve been given to Cameron and Noel.  

But hey, I’m finally free of recapping ;)  While I’m sorry the Gallavich parts are now over, I’m not sorry I can finally quit missing what we used to get while watching what the show now does.  Mickey and Ian are back together now, so, fuck you, Shameless.  

[davidcarner]

Chuck and Sarah vs The Break Up Ch 12, Normal Couple

A/N: You know, I've kinda turned this one into some slapstick, tomfoolery, Charah lovefest and gotten away from the main story. I should probably not do that….why doesn't anyone believe me. True story when I got the idea for this chapter, my face…well, you know that gif of the Grinch smiling…I kinda did that….For those of you who enjoy that weird banter I've done in this fic where they aren't talking about each other, but they are, I added Ellie to it this time…Fair warning…Tears could hit you by the end…Sorry (no I'm not)…Sit back, relax, and welcome to the suburbs folks, it's Ch 12, Normal Couple

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, but Casey's line gave me the idea for the name of the chapter.

The suburbs, with his partner. He hated it. He didn't mind the spying, but to have to mingle like this when all he wanted to do was shoot someone, or sit back, have a glass of Johnny Walker Black, or even a hotpocket, it was absolute torture. At least he was grilling.

"Can you turn a little to your left, Casey?" Sarah asked through the ear wig.

"ACHOO!" Chuck sneezed. Sarah reached over and felt his head again, still a low-grade fever. "I'm so sawwy," Chuck moaned.

"Walker, do something with him," Casey said.

"Casey, I'm not doing something with him just because you told me to, plus I'd get snot all over me," Sarah replied, grinning cheekily.

"I need brain bleach," Chasey grunted.

"Do we even know if I can flash like this?" Chuck asked, trying to get back to the op and then his bed.

"Bartowski, if you get me killed because your brain is screwed up from that stupid cold, I'll kill you," Casey growled softly. He then gave a smile to one of his neighbors, and went back to grilling. At least he had his Beastmaster 3000 to grill on.

"John, you're scaring the neighbors," Alex whispered into his ear, getting close to him like the newlywed she was trying to play.

"She deserves an academy award," Chuck mumbled, his hand over the mike. Sarah covered hers and turned toward him.

"I don't think it's an act," she said, smiling as Chuck got a shocked look on his face. She reached over, cupped his cheek, sighed, and turned back. Only four more neighbors to get a picture of and hopefully Chuck would flash on one of them. This mission had gone south before it had even began. Chuck and Sarah were supposed to be the newlyweds in the house, but Chuck's illness had taken that option off of the table. Sarah looked down at the wedding and engagement ring that was on her finger. She played with it for a second, looked over at the matching wedding ring that Chuck wore, through her insistence, and concentrated on the mission. While Chuck was safer in the van with her, she knew they could pull off a married couple better, and part of her was upset she wasn't in there with Chuck. Not for the mission, but as a test run, which was stupid she knew, they were already living together. But in a house that was theirs, being married, and having the dog, which was back at the apartment and Sarah wasn't giving back when the mission was over. What kind of monster expected her to return that beautiful animal. Sarah thought she could run her own sub-mission at home, Operation Mrs. Bartowski. She smiled at the thought.

"Casey," Chuck muttered. "Can we hurry this up?" he whined. Sarah looked over at her poor husband, she smiled at the thought, looked down at the rings, and hit the mike.

"Cable guy, you sure about your current status?" Sarah asked.

"Single and ready to mingle, Valkyrie," Morgan said. "Apparently the similar heights didn't intrigue her." Sarah shot Chuck a look and he shrugged. Morgan was undercover as the cable guy and he walked outside, looking for Alex to talk to her about an "emergency." He turned slowly getting three of the last four people he needed on the camera. He looked around trying to find the fourth when he felt someone behind. He turned around and a beautiful woman was there.

"Hi," she said grinning, and taking a sip of her drink. "I don't think I've ever met a cable guy as cute as you." Morgan grinned. "Feel like laying some cable later?" She asked raising an eyebrow. Chuck and Sarah shared a shocked look, both of their eyebrows about shooting off of their face.

"I don't have a work order, or I'd be glad to," Morgan said smiling. The lady took a card, put her number on it, and put the card in his pocket.

"There," she said, patting his chest. "Give me a call, my husband will be out of town later this week, and I'll need to see about upgrading my service." Chuck nearly spit the drink out he took. Morgan turned, saw her husband, and gulped. He was huge man. "I'd rather he be there."

"Kinky," she said, grinning. "He's not into that," she said, and walked away slapping his backside.

"Did Morgan just get hit on by a cougar?" Chuck asked. Sarah turned to look at him. "We have to go save him."

"No, Mr. Bartowski, you need to sit there," she said. Chuck nodded.

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Walker," he replied. She gave him a look. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing, Chuck, nothing," she said.

}o{

They had found a bug in the kitchen, ran fingerprints on it, and found out it belonged to the husband of the cougar. Morgan had called her, and he was supposed to go over to her house in a few days. In the meantime, Chuck and Sarah stayed at home for Chuck to recover. They were just a phone call away if needed. He came into the kitchen the next morning to see Sarah making breakfast. She was softly humming and looked at peace. Chuck noticed she still had on the wedding and engagement ring. She was feeding the dog bacon while she cooked. Chuck crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe thinking.

"See something you like Mr. Bartowski?" Sarah asked, giving him a smile. He nodded.

"Something smells good," he said. Sarah rubbed the dog's head.

"I gave Peaches a bath last night," Sarah said grinning. She walked over and felt his forehead. She reached up, tilted his head down, stood on her tiptoes, and gently placed her lips on his forehead. "Looks like it's gone." She dropped back down, took his hands and smiled at him.

"So does that mean we go in?" Chuck asked. Sarah shook her head.

"Nope, we stay here, Mr. Bartowksi," she replied, winking. She walked back over to the stove.

"So for the next few days, just me and you, no new missions unless something goes pear-shaped with Alex and Casey?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded. "Sarah, if we're staying here, why is the dog with us?"

"You don't like Peaches?" she asked, grinning.

"I love the dog," he said. She bounced a shoulder. "Are we keeping him?" She grinned and smiled.

"Anything else?" she asked coyly. Chuck nodded.

Why are we wearing the rings?" Sarah looked at him, studying him for a long minute. Chuck stood there, not backing down.

"I can't tell you," she said, smiling at him and walking toward him very slowly. Chuck held his ground, but gulped.

"Why not?" he squeaked.

"Because, this stupid nerd I fell in love with wanted to go slow, and I don't want to scare him," Sarah said.

"Stupid nerd," Chuck said. "I mean he probably wants to spend the rest of his life with you, stupid nerd."

"Don't talk about my nerd that way," Sarah said, her eyes dangerous.

"Stupid, stupid nerd," Chuck said, a daring twinkle in his eye. She grabbed him, and pinned him against the wall, a look in her eye he never saw before. "He probably is scared he's going to scare you and doesn't have the guts to ask you what's in his head even though you've both said no secrets no lies."

"I told you, don't say those kind of things about my nerd," Sarah said softly. "Even if he is scared he's the best thing that ever happened to me. I just need to keep working on building up his confidence. Now, be nice, or else I'll have to punish you."

"Stupid, stupid, stupid nerd," he said, scared to death. Sarah shook her head. "He probably dreams about you all the time, being in his life, taking care of him when he's sick, taking care of you while you're sick."

"You're going to pay for that Mr. Bartowski," Sarah said. "You're gonna pay by making me breakfast on mornings I don't want to get out of bed, by taking care of me when I'm so sick I don't even want anyone to see me. You're gonna pay by being with me until my dying day."

"Who's going to make me pay for it?" Chuck asked. She gave him a long look. Chuck smirked, and she narrowed her eyes. He ran his fingers over her left hand, and one circled the rings. "Seems like someone likes playing that she's Mrs. Bartowski." The look on Sarah's face changed. Chuck thought he might die…happily…but die.

}o{

"GENERAL!" Sarah screamed.

"Calm down, Walker, what is it?" she asked.

"He's got a Fulcrum Intersect in his head!" Sarah yelled.

"He's got a what?!" Beckman said. Sarah took a deep breath and told her the quick version of the story. How Morgan got into the home, was seduced, found the computer, put on glasses to transmit to Chuck and he downloaded it, causing Chuck to pass out. "What does Ellie say?" Beckman asked.

"She doesn't know anything yet, General," Sarah replied. "He looked the same way he does whenever he gets an upgrade. His eyes jerking everywhere," she said, near tears.

"Sarah," Beckman said softly. She saw the rings on her fingers and looked up at her. "Sarah, we'll get him the best help."

"Blow it up," Sarah growled. Beckman nodded.

"That's one thing you can be damn sure of!" she said. "I'll talk to you soon, Sarah," Beckman said.

"Never heard the General call you by your first name, Sarah," Devon said walking in. She turned, and he saw the tears running down her face. He opened his arms and she launched herself into him. "Not awesome."

}o{

"Did we get them?" Beckman asked.

"Yes, General, I turned it on them, and it killed most of them, the ones that survived aren't in good shape," Casey said. "We have the intel and Ellie is examining it, seeing if it can go into Chuck without harming him." Beckman nodded.

"What about Sarah?" she asked softly. Casey took a breath.

"She's with Bartowski," Casey answered. "He hasn't woken up yet, although Ellie thinks it will be soon. It looks like whatever is in that Fulcrum upload didn't play nice with the updates Ellie had done." Beckman nodded.

"Keep me updated," she said as she cut the feed. Casey walked into the infirmary. Morgan walked up to him.

"This is bad," Morgan said.

"I thought he was about to wake up," Casey said, getting worried. Morgan gave him a look and shook his head.

"Oh, he is, it's just…you'll just have to hear it for yourself," he said, and walked away. Casey walked over to where Chuck was. Sarah was holding his hand. He noticed that Sarah and Chuck both had on wedding rings. She kept running her fingers back and forth over them. He moved closer until he could hear her.

"…and it's got a red door, and a white picket fence," she said softly. "I know it sounds cheesy, but that's what I want Chuck. Inside I want something, a piece of painted art, or a sign or something that says something about the Bartowski household. You can ever have one that says established the year we're married. I really want it to be this year, Chuck." Casey walked away. She was gone, and he wasn't about to stop those two. They deserved to be happy, and he'd make sure they were.

}o{

Morgan brought Sarah a cup of hot chocolate. She gave him a sad smile, and he gave her a one-arm side hug.

"He's gonna be okay, you know," Morgan said. "It's Chuck, he doesn't leave, he never leaves." He was quiet for a second and then added softly, "Except me."

"Morgan, I'm his girlfriend, not his best friend," Sarah said giving him a look.

"He's always been there for me," Morgan said.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked.

"I miss Anna," he said. "I want her back."

"Do you think there's a shot?" Sarah asked.

"She said it would be a cold day in hell before she ever dated me, kissed me, or even let me look at her again," Morgan said. "So yeah."

"Uh, Morgan, I don't think that's how it works," Sarah said.

"I hear she's seeing some dude, I need to go check him out, make sure he's at least good enough for her," Morgan said. Casey walked in, and Sarah gave him a head jerk to get over there.

"You'll need back up," she said, grinning. Casey rolled his eyes.

"Casey, I never stopped caring about her," Morgan said. Casey stared at him.

"You haven't been faithful," Casey said.

"She told me she never wanted to see me again," Morgan said.

"And you think this is a good idea?" Casey said.

"She wouldn't see me," Morgan said. Casey started to say something, but stopped. He looked at Sarah.

"Maybe it would get his mind off of things," she said, glancing at Chuck.

"Maybe you should go then," he said. Sarah started at him. He grunted.

"Come on, Grimes, I'll get the camera," he said leading Morgan away. Morgan followed, happily.

Sarah walked over to Chuck and took his hand. She started to nod off. She had been up for almost 48 hours now over the whole incident, and it was wearing on her. She got in the bed beside him and snuggled up against him. She knew she was falling asleep when she felt Chuck's finger slide over her wedding and engagement ring. They weren't real, and that brought back the tears.

"Why ya crying, Angel?" his voice asked softly.

"Because the rings aren't real," she replied, smiling at the good dream.

"Feel real to me," he replied. She grinned. Her nerd.

"They are real, but you didn't ask me to marry you or put this wedding ring on my finger," she replied.

"Is that what you want?" the tired voice asked her. She snuggled closer and felt his hot breath on her ear. "Do you really want to be Mrs. Bartowski? Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Do you want to grow old with me, Sarah? Sarah, do you want to marry me?"

"Chuck, you know I do," she said smiling as she felt herself slipping to sleep…wait…if she was only slipping to sleep now…her eyes shot open, and looking back at her were two huge brown eyes, that were dancing. She took a deep breath and said the words that were in her heart. "No takebacks!"

"No takebacks?" Chuck asked. "What are you, twelve?" She gave him a sultry look and he swallowed. "I withdraw the question. You are obviously not twelve."

}o{

Ellie and Sarah watched him sleep. Sarah was very quiet, thinking. She kept staring at the rings.

"Wanna share?" Ellie asked, looking at Sarah.

"Just thinking how it would be easier cover-wise if we were married," Sarah said softly. "Just thinking how if God forbid something happened and I had to take him to an actual hospital it could be a little difficult with all the regulations in health care." Ellie watched her. She heard the words, but they were a cover. Sarah Walker was scared to death, and all Ellie could do was smile.

"You know what would really sell the cover?" Ellie asked. Sarah looked at her. "Kids." Sarah got the faintest smile on her face.

"That would be a serious cover," Sarah admitted. "How many do you think would be necessary?"

"Oh, at least two, but no more than four," Ellie said. Sarah nodded. "That's a big commitment."

"Huge," Sarah said, nodding, tears in her eyes.

"Think he has any clue of all the sacrifices you make for him?" she asked.

"I don't think it's that big of a sacrifice on my part," Sarah said, the grin growing.

"You could order him you know, it's your mission," Ellie said. Sarah studied Ellie for a second, took a deep breath, and told what was in her heart.

"Ellie, I could never order him to do that," Sarah said. "In fact, I don't think I'm that kind of agent anymore."

"What kind of agent is that?" Ellie asked.

"The kind of agent that will do anything for a mission," she said tears in her eyes. Ellie placed her hands on the outside of Sarah's shoulders, looking her in the eye.

"Then be that kind of woman, that would do anything for the man she loves," Ellie said.

"It has to be real," she said softly. "It's not fair to him if it's not."

"Or to you," Ellie said softly.

"I love him," Sarah said, tears streaming down her face.

"He's a lucky guy to have you protecting him," Ellie said, hugging the woman she thought of as her sister.

"What he doesn't realize is he's saved me more than I saved him," Sarah said, hanging onto Ellie for dear life.

"Do you two always do this?" Ellie asked. Sarah pulled back and gave her a look. "You know talk in these weird ways without ever saying to each other what you really mean?" Sarah looked a bit sheepish. "No wonder your communication sucks."

"I'm working on it," Sarah said. "He's working on it, but this back and forth, well, it's fun." The countdown came on, and Sarah turned to leave.

"The official report is he should make a full recovery," Ellie said.

"Unofficially?" Sarah asked, concerned. Ellie smiled.

"I'm making an upload of the data retrieved that he can upload and not hurt him," she said. Sarah hugged her again.

"You're the second best Bartowski I know," Sarah said. Ellie playfully shoved her.

"Go, we'll find some magazines later to get ready for your cover wedding," Ellie said, beaming. Sarah walked into the conference room, and Beckman came on the screen.

"How is he, Sarah?" Beckman asked, genuinely concerned.

"He's going to be fine, Diane, thanks for asking," she said. Beckman smiled, and nodded. Sarah looked down at the rings on her finger, took a deep breath, looked up at Beckman and started to speak, when she saw the smirk on Beckman's face.

"I don't think those rings, suit you, Sarah," Beckman said. Sarah looked momentarily hurt, but schooled her features. "You two should probably find some that are more your style." Sarah replayed that in her head and could only come up with one conclusion.

"Ellie and I were talking just a minute ago how that would strengthen the cover, you know, for medical purposes, paperwork, that kind of thing," Sarah said.

"Of course," Beckman answered with a straight face.

"Ellie also suggested kids," Sarah said, swallowing.

"Adopted or both of yours?" Beckman asked, the grin growing.

"I mean either would work, but if they were ours, it would really solidify it," Sarah replied, her leg trying to bounce but her steeling it.

"That is an excellent point and a true level of commitment," Beckman said.

"He's my last mission," Sarah said softly.

"It's about time you figured it out," Beckman said, leaning forward. "Agent Walker, you are in charge, whatever you two think goes."

"Thank you, Diane," Sarah said.

"Sarah, this has been my pleasure," Beckman said, signing off. Sarah smiled and hummed softly. This was going to be fun.

A/N: I know some of you just love this story and I apologize for not updating it as frequently as others, but figuring out how to rewrite these takes some doing some days…Again, any suggestions, I'll gladly listen to…Til next time!

DC

[camillebeckman-blog]

Two Tips that Will Transform Your Self-Care Routine

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Original Source: https://goo.gl/LtWuej

[davidcarner]

Chuck and Sarah vs The Break Up Ch 2, The Truth Comes Out

A/N: Just post this random one-shot I thought. No one will like it. Welp. Wrong again. Don't think I can't feel some of you Mollyverse fans giving me the stinkeye, and no Mollyverse isn't going anywhere, I may update it less, but it is my fluffy feel-good story….although let's be honest, there will be fluff in this. How long is it going, who knows. But, let's have some fun with it, whatta ya say? Ch 2, The Truth Comes Out

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck nor a Beastmaster.

Chuck watched Casey at the Buy More. Casey kept glancing his direction, not sure what was going on. He was trying to sell another grill, but the constant staring…it was too much, he lost the sale. Casey stormed over to the Nerd Herd desk.

"Bartowski, what are you doing?" He hissed, trying not to draw attention to them. "I mean do you have a thing for all you partners?" Chuck just stared at him.

"I know you call me moron a lot," Chuck began. "I know you hate lady feelings, but what happened earlier, there's only one way I can think that it happened." Chuck stuck his hand out. "Thank you, John." Casey looked at Chuck and then his hand.

"If I shake your hand, you'll quit looking at me?" he asked. Chuck nodded.

"I mean as much as I enjoy looking at your chiseled jaw, I do have a cover to pull off," Chuck said. Casey grunted, but he wasn't really sure to throw up, or take the compliment. He reached out and took Chuck's hand, and pulled him in.

"Remember, you got what you asked for," Casey said, grinning. "But do you really know what you asked for?" Chuck's eyebrows raised. "We both know how well the two of you communicate, I mean moving in together will just open the sharing floodgates, won't it."

"I'm not going to do it to her," Chuck said. Casey's eyebrows shot up. Chuck shook his head. "No, not that, wait, I mean I am," Casey started smirking. Chuck shook his head again. "Agh! I mean, forget that. What I am saying is I'm not going to push, I'm going to let her tell me what she wants, when she wants." Casey looked ready to burst into laughter.

"You, mister lets-talk-about-every-single-one-of-our-feelings-and-what-kind-of-sandwich-I'd-bring-to-a-deserted-island are not going to push?" Casey asked, highly amused. He chuckled and walked off. "That may be the funniest thing I have ever heard in my life." Chuck's phone rang. He looked down and saw it was Sarah.

"Hey, Sarah," Chuck said, trying to play it cool. "What's up?" he asked, popping the "p"

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Well, Casey and I were talking, and now I'm just waiting for my shift to end so I can go on a date with you," Chuck said, thinking he had gotten out of it.

"I mean, the way you were staring at him…" Sarah trailed off. "Look, I'm not judging, but is there something I should know. Now is the time."

"What!? No, no. Nothing like that, it's just," Chuck said and looked around. "Someone got to the general," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Sarah, the packet was ready for you when you got there today," Chuck said. "Someone who wanted the team to remain the same."

"Casey hates you," Sarah said.

"You say the nicest things," Chuck replied. "No, Casey hates doing surveillance on me." Sarah was quiet for a second.

"Chuck, I need to go," she said.

"Sarah, there is one thing I need to know," Chuck said. Sarah took a deep breath. She knew what was coming. She knew she had to let him in if she was going down this road with him, and make no mistake she was going down this road, it just scared her. Scared her so badly.

"What is it, Chuck?" she asked, as many nerves pushed out of her voice as possible.

"Jenny," he began, she swallowed. "Is that with an 'I' or a 'Y'?" Sarah chuckled. Every time she thought she had Chuck Bartowski figured out, he went and changed things.

"'Y,' she said softly. "Of all the things that's what you needed to know?"

"What can I say," he began. "Sarah doesn't talk much about Jenny and her time in…I don't even know where you were Jenny at."

"San Diego," she said softly.

"You didn't have to tell me," he began.

"I want to," she insisted.

"Sarah, you tell me as much or as little when you want," Chuck said. "I already know all I need to know." Sarah grinned.

"I think I'm going to really enjoy my new job," she said.

"Signed the paperwork yet?" he asked.

"I need to make a few phone calls and get some clarifications on some things before I do," she replied. "You obviously haven't quit the Buy More yet."

"Well, let's be honest, I could just not show up for a month and there's a good chance no one would really notice," he replied.

"You don't give yourself enough credit," Sarah replied. "That place would fall apart without you. I need to go. Bye, Chuck."

"Bye, Sarah." With that, Sarah hung up, went downstairs, and pushed the button to contact Beckman. After a few moments, Beckman appeared on the screen, and she looked at her watch.

"I'm going to have to have a long talk with Casey," Beckman said. "He was only a few minutes off with how long it took you to contact me."

"He's behind all of this, isn't he?" Sarah asked. Beckman pursed her lips, and decided what the hell.

"Agent Walker," she began. "We are intelligence agencies, we're not stupid." Sarah crossed her arms, looked away, and couldn't help but grin.

"Well, he was right," Sarah muttered. She looked up and saw Beckman's grin. "Chuck always wondered if you didn't think something was up. I've done nothing unprofessional, General." Beckman stared at her.

"Sarah, why the hell not?" Beckman asked.

"General!" she exclaimed, shocked.

"It's Diane, Sarah," she said, sighing. "Listen, I know you know the stories about me in Berlin." Sarah grinned. Beckman couldn't help herself and did the same thing. "Roan and I sat the world on fire, and we walked away from it all, because of the greater good. As much as he is a pain in my ass, Bartowski is right. What about your greater good? I've seen your records, everything that Graham had you do. Sarah, this is your chance."

"No kill order, no termination order?" she asked. Beckman shook her head.

"No, Sarah, that was a mistake," Beckman said.

"Mistake?" Sarah asked her eyebrows up. Beckman realized then that Sarah didn't know.

"Casey was ordered to when the new intersect went online," Beckman explained. "I don't think he would have though." Sarah stood there. "Sarah, you have to understand something, they are building a new intersect, they are going to try and put it in an agent, and that's why your job is permanent, so Chuck isn't terminated. You have to protect him for the rest of his life." Sarah couldn't stop the grin.

"I can't believe I'm asking this, but can't you put some skills or something in the updates Chuck gets?" Sarah asked. Beckman sighed.

"Then they'd want him to be a full agent," Beckman explained.

"Chuck should never be an agent, or have a red test, but the skills would protect him and the intersect," she countered. Beckman thought for a second.

"That has a lot of merit," she said. "I'm not promising anything, but it also might not be a bad idea for you and Casey to train Chuck." Sarah nodded, she looked around, and groaned at herself.

"I've been around Chuck too long, but, what about this place?" Sarah asked. Beckman dug through her papers, and did a double take.

"A dance club," she said, looking at Sarah, a little stunned. Sarah looked around.

"I can see it," she said. "So, a new building with a medical clinic, and Chuck's security company, and a new place to live. Anything I have missed?" Beckman smiled.

"You obviously haven't got all the way through the orders, but you are now in charge of Team Bartowski," she said. Sarah's mouth dropped. "And, the security company, it's all Chuck's."

"Diane," she began, but couldn't. Beckman shook her head.

"I've made a lot of mistakes, you two deserve a chance, but it won't be easy," she said. "You are going to have to open up, and realize he isn't perfect."

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked. Beckman stared at her.

"Sarah, he makes mistakes, you are worthy of him. CIA psyops 101, find someone so down on themselves and convert them to a machine. Destroy their humanity and self-worth." Sarah sighed. Before she met Chuck she wouldn't have thought that was true about herself, since knowing him, she knew it was the gospel.

"You need to also realize he thinks he's not worthy of you," Beckman said. Sarah looked confused. "Sarah, he's a nerd, he's been rejected and broken at every turn, and he thinks you'd rather be with someone more like yourself…a spy."

"Psyops 101?" Sarah asked. Beckman nodded. "So, how do I convince him?" Beckman leaned forward.

"Talk to him," she said, grinning. "Earlier was the perfect example, you two both were so busy trying to protect the other, you didn't really know what the other wanted, or thought they wanted." Sarah nodded. "Plus, it would be beneficial in the field if you two weren't bickering all the time." Sarah started to say something. "Casey," Beckman said, and Sarah shut her mouth. "Remember you are in charge of this op, so if you think someone else needs to be read in, then you have my okay, as long as there is a reasonable explanation. If I know Chuck, he's going to want the bearded one, I think it's a bad idea, but I did say you could handle things however you see fit." She paused, studied Sarah for a moment, and continued. "Sarah what you are about to do is something that is hardly ever done, something rarely condoned by the intelligence community, and has every chance of blowing up in all of our faces…but it's about damn time." Beckman smiled, and cut the feed. Sarah grinned, looked around, and felt like celebrating. Maybe she should call Ellie…she had to tell Ellie…everything…Sarah didn't feel like celebrating any more.

}o{

"What did you do to Blondie this time?" Lester asked Chuck who had his head down working on a phone. Chuck lifted his head up.

"I'm really not sure what your talking about." Chuck said.

"Move it, Lester," Sarah said, having found Chuck. Lester grinned.

"He made you mad, didn't he?" Lester asked. Sarah looked at Chuck who shrugged with "you gotta do what you gotta do" look. She gave him a, "you sure?" look, and it was on. "You now the best way to make him mad?" Sarah grinned like a possessed succubus.

"Take one of his coworkers right in front of him?" she asked, slamming Lester up against the desk, and pinning him there with her body. Chuck looked on, amused. "I don't think this is enough, Lester. I think we're going to have to make love right here."

"Oh, look, someone needs me for an install. Now! I'm so sorry!" Lester said, having slipped her grip, (honestly, Sarah let him) and ran away.

"Now do Chuck that way," Jeff said. Sarah shrugged, grabbed Chuck by his tie, and dragged him across the desk, and planted one on him. "Wow!" Jeff hip bumped Sarah out of the way, grabbed Chuck's tie, and leaned in to kiss him, before Lester showed up, and pulled Jeff away. The two power walked away Lester reminding Jeff he was into girls, and they had sales to make. Chuck looked terrified.

"I think I owe my life to Lester," Chuck said.

"You definitely weren't kissing me again until multiple tests were run," Sarah replied. Chuck looked at her, thought about what she said, and grinned. She grinned and leaned across the desk close to him. "You know what would get you all sorts of kisses?"

"No, what's that?" he asked, leaning in, not paying attention.

"For you to tell Ellie about what's been going on for the past two years," she said, her lips millimeters away from him. Chuck shot backwards, his face pale, him shaking his head.

"No, no, no, no, no," Chuck said. "You have to help me with this, Sarah. She'll kill me."

"She won't kill you," Sarah said.

"Then you do it!"

"Oh, there is no way I'm doing it by myself," Sarah said. Casey walked by, hearing that line, turned, gave them a look, grunted, and walked on.

"Is that all he thinks we talk about?" Chuck asked.

"We go out of our way to not talk about it," Sarah replied.

"Right, that's our thing, not talking about our thing," Chuck said.

"You followed all that just came out of your mouth?" Sarah asked, grinning.

"Not even close," Chuck replied. "We need to go tell Ellie."

"Come on," Sarah said.

"I have work," he replied. Sarah grinned at him.

"What are they going to do, fire you?" she asked. Morgan came up to the two.

"Notice anything weird?" Morgan asked. Sarah looked around.

"Yeah, things are selling like crazy," Sarah said. Morgan smiled.

"The new sales policy is to sale an item for whatever someone will give them for it," Morgan said. Chuck's eyebrows went up.

"This is going to go so bad," Chuck said.

"That's the beauty of it," Morgan said, and wandered off. Chuck turned to see the confused expression on Sarah's face.

"You do know Lester is in charge and the assistant manager now, right?" Chuck asked. Sarah grinned.

"Hey, Lester," she yelled. Lester looked terrified. "I'm taking Chuck for the rest of the day."

"Go home, Bartowski," Lester yelled.

"Sarah would like to thank you," Chuck yelled back. Lester scampered away. Chuck turned to Sarah. "I think he's scared of you."

}o{

"So let me get this right, you're a spy," Ellie said to Sarah. "You're an analyst that has a computer thingy in his head because of Bryce Larkin, and you're moving in together across the courtyard."

"Yes," Chuck said, currently hiding behind Sarah. She was supposed to protect him after all. They had told Ellie and Awesome everything, after they signed all the NDAs. She hadn't yelled…yet. She hadn't squealed…yet. She hadn't done anything…yet.

"Okay, Chuck quit hiding behind Sarah, I'm not going to hurt you." Sarah gave him a look that said, "I told you so." He gave one back of, "You're supposed to protect me." She rolled her eyes. "So they want me to work on the…Intersect?" Sarah nodded. "Because of my time in neurology?" Sarah shrugged.

"I guess," she said. "I'm not 100% sure about that part, Ellie. The general will explain it more. Here is what they are offering you, and here is what they are offering you, Devon." They both took their compensation packages, looked at the numbers, then at each other, and then at Sarah.

"We're not going in the field, right?" Ellie asked. Sarah shook her head, grinning. Devon held out a pen to her. She signed and then so did Devon.

"Awesome!" he said. "Now I get to be a spy doctor. I've always wanted to." Ellie looked at Chuck and Sarah with sadness in her eyes.

"We'll talk about the danger you two are in later, because we need to have that conversation," Ellie began. Sarah grabbed Chuck before he could hide behind her again. "I guess I get now why you two always said it's complicated." Chuck nodded. Tears began to flow down her cheeks. Devon looked at Chuck, confused. Chuck sat down beside Ellie and put an arm around her. "I was going to ask you to be a bridesmaid, but I see now that would be silly." Sarah's face fell. Chuck turned to Sarah, and then back to Ellie.

"Uh, Ellie, Sarah is still your friend," Chuck said. Ellie shook her head.

"Sarah, explain to Chuck how it's not real," Ellie said. "Please, tell him before he falls any further in love with you. I'm trying really hard not to be mad at you, but he's going to get his heart broken." Sarah pulled on Chuck, and he stood up, she moved him out of the way and sat down in front of the force that was Ellie Bartowski.

"Ellie," she said, her voice close to breaking. "I don't think you understand." Ellie looked up at her, confused. "Do you think what I told you is normal SOP? Do you think spies are given permanent assignments like this at random?"

"Well, I don't really know," Ellie began. Sarah smiled and nodded.

"Ellie, this happened because of the Bartowskis," she said. Ellie looked at Chuck then back to Sarah. "Not just Chuck, but you as well, Ellie. You should have been an interrogator. See it wasn't enough that Chuck wormed his way into my heart and worked on removing walls I had built for years, but his sister, who is my friend, prodded, asked questions, and snuck her way into my heart as well. You see, Ellie, I am compromised, not just by Chuck Bartowski, but by Ellie Bartowski, and Devon Wodocomb for that matter." Devon grinned at her. Ellie started to smile. Her face was tear-stained, but the smile was starting to grow. "You three have completely compromised me, and I will do everything within my power to protect you three. And, if the offer is still there, I would love to be a bridesmaid."

"Really?" Ellie asked. Sarah grinned and nodded. Ellie looked from Chuck to Sarah.

"You have your own apartment across the courtyard?" she asked. Chuck gulped, he tried to touch Sarah's shoulder to get her to stand up, and move back, but she slapped at his hand. Outside, John was coming home from his shift, and noticed everyone was gathered in the Bartowski apartment. Feeling like the fat kid who got picked last, he opened the door of his apartment and put on the headphones to listen in on what was going on.

"Yes, Ellie, we are moving in together," Sarah said. "It's for the cover, but, what we do there is our business." Chuck took another step back, knowing what was coming.

"You two," she said, pointing at both of them. "You're for real?" Sarah reached back to take Chuck's hand but realized he was quite a bit away she gave him a look, and he came forward to take it. Sarah turned back to Ellie.

"Yes, we're for real," she answered. Ellie popped up off the couch. Sarah did the same a little startled. Ellie sprung forward catching both of them in a bear hug, squealing at a high decibel. John, who had sat down in a kitchen chair to listen, flipped over from the noise, knocking off the headphone. Chuck swore window panes rattled.

"Black Canary's got nothing on you, Ellie," Chuck said.

"I thought she was blonde," Sarah chocked out from being bear hugged. Chuck stared at her, mouth agape. Sarah winked a him. "Ellie, you're killing us." Ellie let go, and backed up, her smile about to break her face.

"You don't know how happy you made me," she said. Sarah smiled.

"Good, because I have another job for you," Sarah said. Ellie nodded. She looked at Chuck, and sighed. "I've given this a lot of thought, and you know every player who knows about Chuck's life now." Ellie shut her eyes.

"We have to tell Morgan," she said. Chuck started to protest, and Ellie held up her hand. "Chuck, you know how he's going to be."

"But, what can he do, because you know he's going to want to be with all of us," Sarah said. Chuck and Ellie shared a look.

"You know, he's a tactician at heart," Chuck began. Ellie nodded. "If a game gives him a problem, he works out the solution, literally. He'd be great at logistics."

"The bearded gnome?" Casey growled. "At least I won't have to listen to surveillance."

Back at the Bartowski apartment Sarah thought everything had been worked out.

"I guess we ought to go check on Casey," Sarah said. Chuck was shaking his head no, but she didn't catch it.

"What's wrong with John?" Ellie asked. Sarah chuckled.

"Well, that squeal you let out, may have burst his ear drums if he was listening in on surveillance," Sarah said. Ellie's face became enraged. John threw down his headset, ran to the door, opened it, and sprinted across the courtyard to his Crown Vic just as Ellie opened the door.

"I know where you live, Casey!" Ellie screamed.

"Chuck me!" Casey muttered to himself as he drove away.

A/N: Before you yell Beckman is out of character, think about the Beckman we knew by the end. She loved those two in her own way just like Casey. I have the darndest feeling that Beckman learned all sorts of shaddy stuff about Graham. We also know she lost a love life to her job. Is it out of character? We'll never know because she was never put in that situation.

Some of you have pointed out that Ellie keeps dying in my fanfics, well she's not in this one! And I love Ellie and Sarah Lancaster, this is going to be fun. Again, I don't know how long this goes, but, as long as it's fun, we'll see. Til next time!

DC