#her mom was a senator from new york

[justicescreaming]

The man finally let her go and Tannis yanked herself away from him. She watched him back off, her lip curling into a habitual snarl. She took a moment to straighten her clothes and brush her curls from her face. "Tannis," she replied in a very quiet voice. "Tannis Winters."

Tannis instinctively growled at the new comer, baring her teeth and looking a vicious as possible. But the soft voice caught her attention. She stopped struggling against the agent. Though her posture remained tense, she took three deep breathes. "Make him let me go," she snapped.

[gaysindistress]

Sad Girl - eight

summary: James has an interesting new business proposal and one hell of a condition to deal with.

pairing: Mob!Bucky Barnes x Reader

warnings: cursing, guns, violence (it is a mob au after all), Bucky’s smartass, kissing, talks of being held at gunpoint, fluff??????

word count: 1.4k

part 7 | series masterlist

taglist: @missvelvetsstuff @angelsincident @spencerreidisagorgman @ goldensunflowe-r @i-have-no-life-charlie @esposadomd @reader-without-a-story @unaxv @iateall-yourcookies  littlelizardlizzie  @alana4610 @kandis-mom

disclaimer: credits to original creator/poster of image/gif. found on google/Pinterest

True to his word, James is back by Saturday albeit at 12:01 am Saturday morning after getting the call from Steve about what had happened at Stark Towers. He had ended his late meeting with some senator he couldn’t be bothered to remember and got on a plane back to New York. Steve did warn him that she had fainted but was otherwise physically fine according to Dr.Banner. Mentally was an entirely different issue and she wasn’t being the best patient. Natasha had been the first one to check on her when they made it back to his house. They’d agreed that she might want to see a friendlier face and to let him calm down before he launched a full-scale attack on John.  

“Hey, how are ya?” Natasha says quietly, hardly opening her bedroom door and slipping in. 

Doll had been bundled in every blanket she can find in her massive bed, blocking out any attempt by Dr. Banner to talk to her. Being a therapist, she knew all of the techniques he was trying to use to get her to speak. She knew that she should be talking about what happened but the human part of her wanted to hide until the memory disappeared. 

A muffled hey came from the pile of blankets and Natasha took a seat on the bed next to her.

“Steve told us what happened. You should’ve seen Buck when he heard what happened. I’m surprised he didn’t destroy the hotel room.”

“It’s not a big deal,” she tries to convince Nat, pushing away all of the blankets and turning over on her back to look at her. 

“Being held at gunpoint is a big deal.”

“I wasn’t held at gunpoint.”

“Then what do you call being cornered with a gun pointed at you and not being allowed to leave?” “Touché.”

Natasha pushes some of Doll’s hair away from her forehead and behind her ear, “He was really worried about you. He wouldn’t stop pacing or checking his phone the whole plane ride.”

She nods her head to the redhead’s words, closing her eyes. 

“He does care about you even if he is an asshole most of the time.”

The two women sit in silence for a few moments when a knock comes at the door. Natasha flashes her a quick smile and goes to open the door while Doll rolls over so she doesn’t have to face the man at the door. Quick pleasantries are exchanged and heavy footsteps thud her way, stopping at the edge of the bed. 

“Can I sit?”

She shuffles over to make room for James to sit next to her hip and feels the bed dip under his weight seconds later. He lays his hand on her hip, applying pressure to get her to turn and face him but she stays put. 

“Bruce said you gave him a hell of a time,” he starts, trying to keep the conversation light and his feelings under control. 

“When have I ever given anyone an easy time?”

His thumb begins to rub circles on her hip bone throw the layers of blankets, “You’re right there, Doll.”

“You didn’t have to come back early. Steve had it handled.”

His thumb stills for a second but instead, he fully pushes her hip so she’s laying on her back and facing him. 

“I know but I came back to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” she shakily pushes herself up to sit up against the headboard. 

“Doll, don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not,” the quiver in her voice is not lost on him as he watches her face. 

“Doll,” he warns, voice low as if to not scare her, “how are you really?”

Tears begin to fall and she drops her head into her hands, “I’m terrified. He broke into the tower and was in my office and nobody even noticed.”

He takes her hands in his and tugs at her to bring her closer to him. There is no energy left in her to fight so she lets him pull her into him, throwing her arms around him and nearly pushing him over from the force. 

“It won’t happen again. I promise.”

“How? I’m not even safe in my father’s building with your men around. How am I supposed to feel safe?”

“We’ll figure it out. Steve and I will work something out to keep you safe,” he whispers into her hair, hands rubbing her back and cupping the back of her head. She doesn’t respond, crying into his chest so hard her body shakes in his hands.

He closes his eyes, cursing himself for not taking care of John when he had the chance and for letting any harm come to her. Her only condition is that no harm comes to her and before they’re married, he’s already failed at his job. It took everything in him to not have Steve kill John and now he’s questioning how good of a man he really is and if God would condemn him for ripping John apart limb by limb. 

After a few minutes, her body stops shaking and her breathing is ragged for all of the wrong reasons. She draws herself away from him, still not looking up at him. His fingers find her chin and tilt her head up so he can see her face even if it is wet from crying. 

“I’m sorry you’re scared and I will do whatever I can so you stay safe.”

She wipes the tears away the best she can with her fingers and he can finally see the red barrel mark on her neck. He drifts his fingers down to graze over it and she grabs it to stop him, replacing it on her cheek. His thumb wipes away what tears are left while she leans into his touch and kisses his palm. James knew that she was beautiful, seeing it every time he looked at her but at this moment he realizes just how stunning she really is, her face full of emotion and vulnerability. There is no hiding at this moment and he is able to see her, the enigma of a woman he is about to marry. 

“You’re beautiful, you know that?’ the words slip past his lips before he has the time to stop them. 

“You’re not too bad yourself,” a sad smile tugs at her lips.

He goes to drop his hand but she catches it and cradles it against her face with her own. Sensing that she needs him close to feel safe, he slips his hand into her hair and guides her back to his body. All inhibitions leave her mind when she grabs ahold of his face and pulls him into a kiss. Her salty lips slide against his slowly, mouths parting to deepen the kiss. It’s unhurried this time with no jealousy or anger trying to be conveyed. This kiss is about safety and promises. Their lips move over each other, exploring and tasting everything they can but still, they aren’t close enough. She swings her leg over his lap, straddling and continuing to kiss him. The shift causes him to let out a soft moan and her hunger for him deepens as she lets her hands drop to his neck. Quiet moans leave both of their lips as they kiss, the other drinking in the sounds. 

She breaks away, eyes never leaving his as she looks down upon him and his puffy lips. He brushes some hair away from her face with a soft smile. The gesture of pure adoration makes her want to start crying again so instead she captures his lips again. She is giving herself to him and letting herself feel the comfort and warmth of his touch. In turn, he is also giving himself to her and taking whatever she is willing to give, basking in the light of her affection. 

He mummers against her lips, “Doll,” nudging her away slightly by her hips. 

“Let’s go to sleep, yeah?”

“Only if you stay.”

“Of course,” he places one last kiss on her lips before she gets off of him. She settles back into her pile of blankets while he takes off his shoes. 

“You’re not sleeping in a suit. Get down to your underwear, Bucky.”

“Oh I’m Bucky now?” he teases as he strips down to black boxers and lifts the covers to join her. They settle into each other, her head on his chest and his arm wrapped under her to hold her against him. Exhaustion is finally crashing over her and she fails to feel the cold metal of his necklace against her cheek. The dog tags he keeps tucked away are finally on display however that’s a story for another day. Having yet to hear any sassy remark back, he looks down to see if she’s still awake but the light snores coming from her are answer enough for him; she feels safe with him. 

[tkachuktkaching]

Keith & Chantal Tkachuk on how Matthew & Brady's vibrant personalities stem from colourful St. Louis roots

It is an attitude and household like theirs in suburban St. Louis that has produced one of the league’s most colourful players off the ice, and one of the most entertaining players on it.

“I assume Brady is the off-ice one and Matthew is the on-ice one?” said Keith, laughing.

Brady’s infectious personality has been on display via several renditions of "Mr. Brightside" posted online by fans thrilled to see him letting loose in local establishments.

The toolkit Matthew has used to become one of the more polarizing and prolific 100-point scorers includes an innate ability to agitate while dazzling with memorable, between-the-leg finishes.      

In a league full of beige, both engaging, natural leaders stand out. 

Brady, captain of the Ottawa Senators, became a folk hero in Calgary last spring with his double-fisted celebrations in support of his brother’s playoff run.

Matthew, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers, single-handedly resurrected the Battle of Alberta with a series of hits on Zack Kassian he punctuated with, “If he doesn’t want to get hit, then stay off the tracks.”

And the hits just keep on coming, from both.

“They’re not boring like a lot of guys in the NHL, tell ya that much,” said Keith, who was one of the more personable players of his era.

“I think it’s good they have a personality. It’s good for them, it’s good for the league, good for the team and it’s good for you guys. 

“You don’t want to talk to boring guys with programmed answers.”

Keith said he remembered watching Matthew on the After Hours segment on Hockey Night in Canada as a rookie, conducting the whole interview with his head down.

“I said, ‘What are you doing? Get your head up and talk,’” said Keith.   

“But now it’s like this (as he snaps his fingers).

“I watched Matthew interviewed last night and he was pretty good. He adds some normal stuff to it that people like. It’s not about the same answers. He does a good job.

“I think it’s being around the locker room for a long time, being comfortable.”

Both Tkachuks are armed with tremendous confidence, no doubt cultivated while growing up at their father’s knee in NHL dressing rooms. 

They’ve honed their interview skills under the glare of demanding Canadian hockey markets where all eyes are on their every move, and they know it.

Yet, they continue letting their personalities shine though.

Brady certainly does that well with a microphone in his hand, belting out The Killers’ anthem like he did just a few weeks ago when a fan posted him performing with teammates.

“The good news is every time he does it, he’s with his fiancée, so it’s not like he’s out by himself,” said Keith.

“If you were in Phoenix or New York no one would care, or know you. But you’re in Canada, so I just told him, you’ve got to be careful.

“It’s not like he’s being a goofball, idiot, drunk. He’s not like that. He just turned 23 years old, but he thinks like a 16-year-old. 

“He just likes to have fun.”

Sure, it’s all good fun like he’s had for years in his parents' basement with friends and family.

“He has a contagious personality – he always has a smile on his face, seems to be in a good mood and is fun to be around,” said Mom, sharing her theory on why his song is the Killers’ classic. 

“I think that’s just a popular college song – a fun song that the kids go crazy over.

Draft parties, grad parties, Christmas parties, you name it, the Tkachuks want to ensure everyone is included, as they value the importance not only of teammates bonding, but the spouses as well.

“One of the best parties was an Easter party we had one of the last years Keith played – we had the whole team over and we got this huge Easter bunny costume and Matthew got into it,” said Chantal, who Keith calls Julie McCoy, the cruise director from Love Boat.

“Matthew was about 12 and he just nailed it, holding the kids’ hands.

“All the moms were oohing and ahhing over how great an Easter bunny he was.

“Honest to god, I still get random texts from moms who said, 'That was just the best.'”

“They like the wine cellar and the scotch,” said a smiling Keith, who taught both his sons to revere their team’s support staff.

“I know what it felt like to be a young guy and not having anywhere to go, so I think it’s important to have that open-door policy.”

That policy extended to the family basement, where current Blues star Robert Thomas lived his first two years in the league before renting Matthew’s St. Louis home this fall.

Keith has three TVs mounted in the basement so he can watch Thomas and both of his sons at the same time. After games, Keith would take on a fatherly role with Thomas and wait up for him to get home to share thoughts on his performance.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Malcolm Ferguson at TNR:

Pete Hegseth called his mom to come do some damage control. Penelope Hegseth appeared��on her embattled son’s former show, Fox & Friends, on Wednesday and was asked about the email she sent him in 2018 in which she begged him to stop lying, cheating, sleeping around with, using, and abusing the women in his life. Instead of answering the question, she chose to point the finger back at the media in a public plea for her son’s nomination for defense secretary. “We all believe in him, we really believe that he is not that man he was seven years ago; I’m not that mother.… I am here to tell the truth. To tell the truth to the American people, to the senators on the Hill, especially our female senators. I really hope that you will not listen to the media, and that you will listen to Pete.” She then turned her scorn on the media, and on The New York Times, saying that they threatened her, and described them as “almost criminal” for reporting on the 2018 email she sent to her son, who could likely become the head of the Pentagon. “They are in it for the commission, for the money, and they don’t care who they hurt: families, children,” she claimed.

Penelope Hegseth went on Fox and Friends this morning to do PR damage control for her son’s bid for Defense Secretary that is threatening to go adrift.

From the 12.04.2024 edition of FNC's Fox and Friends:

[jordanstark007]

Calex Kids 3/6

Owen Cabot-Novak

The Politician

(Set Season 14, just run with it, & the Olivia mentioned is not Olivia Benson)

“Call off your puppies.” Owen smirked at the sound of his mother over the phone, leaning backwards in his chair, the phone at his ear,

“Its good to hear from you to mom, what can I do for you this fine afternoon?” He could hear the eye roll from across the phone,

“I don’t need protecting Owen, neither does your mama, we’re fine.” A heavy sigh escaped from the president his gaze glaring holes at the ceiling of the Oval Office.

“The detail stays. You are my mother and I will have you protected. Now I have a press conference in 15 minutes about my decision to run for a second term, as president, considering the fact that the only reason I am the president was because I was the designate survivor. I love you.” The call ended with a quiet I love you echoing from Alex’s end, and Olivia walking into his office,

“Mr President are you ready?” Owen sighed heavily his head in his hands, before he nodded,

“Of course.” The speech should have been routine, the words were rehearsed, prepared and the questions rattled off answered with a precise precision that had been drilled into him.

Until Olivia interrupted a quiet whisper echoing into his ear, “Owen your mothers been shot, she’s on the way to the hospital now.”

The world fell silent before he looked up his eyes harbouring an angry fury, “I want the jet set for New York now.” She went to argue but his expression coxed a pause in her disagreement, as she nodded,

“Ok.” He released a breathe before returning to the podium,

“I apologise to you all but I will be unable to continue this evening, my mother has been rushed to the hospital and I will be flying to New York, to be at her side. Thank you, goodnight.” He rushed from the stage, immediately, making his way to the black limo, although he knew they’d take too long so veering off he found his most prized possession. His Harley Davidson, forgoing all decorum her mounted the bike, speeding toward the air strip.

“Mr President!” Owen smirked before speeding off,

“I’ll meet you there Olivia.” Owen didn’t know how many laws he broke speeding to the airstrip, but he met the jet in record time, minus his security detail and campaign manager.

“Mr President, we weren’t expecting you for another 15 minutes.” Owen nodded, he’d abandoned all presidential decorum the moment he’d heard his mother had been shot.

“I know, let’s get in the air, I want another Air Force 2 sent for Liv, but I want to be in the air in the next five, my mothers and siblings need me.”

Paparazzi surrounded Owen when he was disembarking from the plane, but his focus rested solely on his mother, was she even still alive? Arriving at the hospital the looks he received where humorous, wide eyes, and open mouths.

But he didn’t care he found her mama, immediately taking her into his arms and his sisters who hugged him briefly, before returning to their seats or in Alec’s case pacing continuously back and forth.

“Where is she, is she okay?” Atlas glanced over at her brother, the tears flowing freely.

“She’s still in surgery, we don’t know anything else.” Owen nodded, his back flush against the wall as he security team ran through the halls of the hospital attempting to locate their missing president. Olivia trailing behind with a hardened expression, when they found him, she glared harshly.

“The senate already hate the fact that they have a 24 year old for president, and you go and be reckless, what were you thinking?!” Owen looked over at his family dragging he woman into the hallway,

“I was thinking that my mother has already been shot once for this job, and she was put into Witness protection for 4 years because of it, I wasn’t there then I was in Boston get my masters degree in politics so that I could do this fucking job.” Olivia backed off slightly the anger radiating from Owen in waves

“Owen-“

“I was made the designated survivor that night by fluke accident, I was never supposed to survive, but I did and I was the only one left, so I took the damn job because my country needed me. And now my family needs me, so I apologise if I don’t give a damn about what some sorry sons of bitches that I put in power say! I get that they think that I shouldn’t have this job, I get it it goes against the constitution, but I also know that of everyone I would do what was best for the people, and the people of this country know that!”

“Owen!” He turned to her suddenly, now paying attention to the woman in front of him,

“You need to calm down, you’re not thinking clearly.” He nodded, tears now welling in his eyes,

“My mother is dying Liv, don’t tell me to calm down!” He paced relentlessly, until she grabbed his arms spinning him around so that his lips landed on hers, when the kiss ended, his head fell to her shoulder as he sobbed,

“I’m sorry, Liv, I’m so sorry.” She pressed a soft kiss to his temple,

“I know Owen, I know. Now you need to man up and march in there and show them that the president is handling this, and show your family that you’re there for them.” Owen nodded wiping away the tears furiously,

“Of course,” He strode into the waiting room taking a seat with his family, his mama clutching his hand, and Atlas crying on his shoulder. The waiting near killed him.

When William emerged, Owen stood the surgeon surprised at the sight of his brother, “Will, is mom okay?”

The man sighed heavily, eyes downcast, “She made it out of surgery, but she’s not out of the woods yet, the next 24 hours are crucial. Mama can got sit with her but it’s one at at time.” The family of 7 all nodded, Casey walking slowly toward her wife’s hospital room, as Owen watched.

He sat relived until Olivia tapped him on the shoulder, “Mr President have you got a minute?”

He nodded slowly, following his campaign manager into a near empty hallway, passing him her phone, “What’s this?”

The woman smiled victoriously, “It’s the public’s reaction to you leaving the Presidential address early, support has gone up 73%, Owen, read some of the comments.”

His gaze filtered through the comments the people commending his dedication to his family, combing through them all he noticed the call for him to run for another term, they wanted him as their president, only this time it was their choice and they wanted him in office.

He nodded a small smile curling at his lips, “This is good.”

Olivia’s wide smile faltered slightly at his seemingly disheartened response, “What’s wrong I thought you’d be happy?”

He glanced up at her handing back the phone, “I will be when my mother makes it through the night, then we’ll celebrate. You me and a nice bottle of champagne, until then, have everything that requires immediate attention faxed over to the Vice President I need to be with my family.”

Elliot: “They’ve got an army of kids.”

Liv: “There’s only 6 of them.”

Elliot: “Only six?! One Cabot-Novak could take over the state, but six?! They’ll be running the country.”

Liv: “One of them already is.”

[lostloveletters]

Bruised Fruit Chapter 3 (Michael Corleone x OC)

Summary: An engagement party only sinks Gloria's roots deeper into the Corleone family and gives her a glimpse of what her future may hold.

Note: I plan to have chapter 4 posted next weekend! This fic has been so fun to write, and I appreciate the support on here and AO3 for it🖤

Warnings: Angst, canonical major character death, discussions of infidelity, emotional manipulation. Sexually explicit content which includes masochism.

Do not interact if you are under 18 or post thinspo/ED content. I will block you.

Chapter 2 | AO3 Link | Masterlist

“Looks like Senator Kennedy might run for president next year. They’re saying just because he’s Catholic, he’d probably lose the primaries in the South,” Gloria said, scanning the copy of the Boston Globe that room service had brought up with breakfast, along with that day’s editions of the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Post. “Can you believe that?”

Michael nodded from his spot next to her on the loveseat, using his toast to mop up the yolk from his poached egg. “I can believe it.”

She glanced at the photo of Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy printed on the Globe’s article. “He sure is easy on the eyes. Almost got my vote already.”

“Would you really vote for a candidate just because you thought he was attractive?”

Gloria shielded her face behind the newspaper, hiding her grin. “It sure helps. You’d win by a landslide.” She started giggling when she heard him scoff. 

She knew the Senate hearings were still a sore spot for him, his family business being speculated about on the national stage. Throughout the hearings, she’d naturally kept an eye on the papers, amused by the various asides about Michael’s appearance. Intimidating, they called him, a powerful presence who commanded the attention of the room. She especially liked the article in a gossip magazine she indulged in that described him as handsome in a dark and dangerous way that almost inspires something primal in a woman. 

“You’re funny.”

“I’m not allowed to give you a compliment?”

He acquiesced with the slightest smile on his face. “Thank you.”

She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re welcome,” she said as she flipped to the next page of the article. “My mom’s already chomping at the bit to volunteer for his campaign.”

Gloria’s mother, Julia, was especially active in the Queens branch of the New York Democratic Party, volunteering for every one of Franklin Roosevelt’s presidential campaigns. Gloria could remember canvassing with her mother during election years. After he was elected president a third time, Julia received a thank you letter in the mail from Eleanor Roosevelt. She had the letter framed, and as far as Gloria knew, it was still displayed in the living room of her childhood home.

“Have you heard from your parents about the engagement party?”

“They’re not coming. Dad can’t take the time off of work,” Gloria said. 

When he had told her such, she knew it wasn’t entirely true, but she wasn’t about to tell Michael that she could hear her father pour himself a drink over the phone when she informed him that she would be marrying a gangster.

He nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’d like to speak with your father soon.”

Gloria hummed noncommittally. “How many people are going to be there?”

“Just family, around thirty or so.”

“Thirty? Michael, you said it was going to be a small gathering.”

He grinned. “In my family it is.” He brushed some of her long black hair from her face. “You’ll know everyone soon enough.”

“Well, I already know your siblings. They’re going to be there, right?”

“Fredo can’t make it.”

“That’s a shame. He introduced us, after all.”

“It can’t be helped,” he said dismissively. “Connie will be there. I know you haven’t seen her in a while.”

Gloria liked all of Michael’s siblings, but she considered Connie a friend. Whenever Connie was in Vegas, which was quite often when she wasn’t jet-setting with her latest beau, Michael would ask Gloria to keep an eye on her. Of course, this would turn into nights of drinking, partying, and watching Connie win or lose astonishing amounts of money in the casino. 

“You have nothing to worry about. They’re friendlier than I am,” he said, earning a soft laugh from her.

By the end of the week, she wasn’t so sure, but Michael had been the one who insisted on the engagement party, telling her that his family had never been involved in his wedding preparations in the past. They hadn’t even attended the ceremony. With his mother’s health declining, it was important to him. 

If Gloria had been nervous to meet Michael’s children, meeting the rest of his family had her stomach in knots. She poured herself a drink to calm down before the car arrived to pick her up from her hotel. While Anthony and Mary could be shielded from the truth of Michael and Gloria’s relationship by virtue of their youth, she figured the rest of his family already considered her a homewrecker. Not entirely untrue, but she wondered how what tale had been woven prior to her arrival. Undoubtedly something to make her more palatable to his extended family.

As she crossed the threshold of his home for the first time, she felt a different warmth in his house than the kind that engulfed her in her childhood home when she had visited for Thanksgiving a few months prior. That warmth had given way to a love that wrapped around her like a blanket, a love she could dream in. The love that permeated the air in Michael’s home clung to her skin like summer sweat. Nevertheless, she supposed a sweltering love was better than none at all.

Though, when he squeezed her hand, his smile betrayed his fondness for her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It almost made her wish that they were alone again, but there were introductions to be made. Namely, his mother Carmela, who was clearly being polite to Gloria for Michael’s sake and to set a good example for Anthony and Mary. Michael’s children barely left their grandmother’s side but seemed happy to see Gloria again. Taking the hint, Michael kept the conversation short. 

“I have some business to go over with Tom. It won’t take long, but I think my sister’s about to steal you anyway,” Michael said softly, giving Gloria a gentle kiss on her cheek. 

As he retreated into his office, Connie rushed over to Gloria. 

Connie beamed, pulling her in for a hug. “Gloria! God, how long has it been?”

“Hi, Connie,” she said, returning her future sister-in-law’s embrace. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Congratulations! Now let me see that ring!”

Gloria moved back, holding out her hand so Connie could inspect the engagement ring Michael gave her. The night had been quiet, unceremonious if not for his presenting her with the ring, beautiful yet understated. After he slid it onto her finger, her hand burned, and she thought she was having some kind of allergic reaction to the metal until she noticed no redness or hives on her skin—psychosomatic, merely branded in her mind’s eye.

“Gorgeous, oh my god,” Connie gasped. “It suits you.”

Before Gloria could say anything more to Connie, a gaggle of younger relatives walked over to introduce themselves. All nieces and nephews, some older with their spouses and fiances of their own. Despite Connie reminding Gloria who was who, she felt her head spin at the amount of new names and faces she would be expected to know. It didn’t help that Michael’s late brother Sonny had twin girls, who were the spitting image of their mother, Sandra. While both of Gloria’s parents had a handful of siblings themselves, her extended family wasn’t nearly as close-knit as the Corleones were.

The line between business and family was almost nonexistent for them. Each son fated to take up some role in the volatile business, a Greek tragedy enacted by mostly Sicilian players–Sonny, the eldest son, dead by enemies taking advantage of his anger and hubris; Tom, the adopted son, a trusted advisor, though his heritage always left him the outsider; Fredo, the forgotten son, good-natured yet quietly resentful; Michael, the youngest son, who tried to escape his destiny but was instead doomed by a narrative greater than himself and even further corrupted by it. The chorus raged on with its warnings of the ruthless pursuit of power ignored, and Gloria shuddered to think what lay ahead for Anthony and the son Michael wanted her to carry.

Going forward, her life would be nothing short of a whirlwind of people. She wondered how Michael’s children could stand it, how he could stand it. For a family so guarded and secretive, they didn’t have much privacy. Everyone knew everything about each other. Corleone family associates filtered in and out of his house day and night. 

“Why don’t you all give the woman a break so she can get something to eat?” Sandra finally said, putting her arm around Gloria’s shoulders and leading her into the kitchen.

“Thank you. I couldn’t eat before I got here. My nerves were all over the place,” Gloria said, taking a plate and helping herself to the antipasto that was set out on the table. She popped a few olives in her mouth as she piled the various meats and cheeses onto her plate.

Sandra stood next to her, taking a slice of prosciutto for herself. “No, I understand. We’re insular, guess it’s just easier that way.” 

Gloria silently wondered how easy it really could be. Sandra had been a widow for at least a decade, with Sonny having been brutally murdered on the Long Beach causeway during the Corleones’ war with rival families. The details were all over the papers at the time, but none showed the photos of Sonny’s body, apparently too gruesome to be printed as he was riddled with bullets to the point where he was nearly unrecognizable. Still, Sandra was taken care of, her marriage all but secured that even after her husband’s death, an Old World life insurance policy. 

“I don’t know what I expected. Everyone seems so…normal,” Gloria said, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “Ah, that’s not the right word. I mean—“

“This thing’s been going on longer than you and me,” Sandra said, gesturing vaguely. “I stopped trying to understand it a long time ago. It’ll drive you crazy.”

“I don’t even bother,” Gloria said through a mouthful of mozzarella. “He keeps me too busy to even think about it, anyway.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Sandra said, a sly smile on her face that Gloria couldn’t help but snicker in response to. “Believe me honey, I get mine.”

Tom appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

She noticed the look Sandra and Tom shared as he walked over, albeit brief, it was all too familiar. The desire, the longing, the silent promise of later, despite Tom’s wife Theresa being just a room away. Interesting. Gloria had more in common with the Corleone women than she thought.

“Gloria, congratulations,” Tom said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

“Thank you, Tom. I appreciate it.”

“Could you come with me to Michael’s office? I just need to go over a few things with you.”

Gloria nodded, following him out of the kitchen and through the labyrinth of people in the living room. 

As soon as she stepped into Michael’s office, she nearly felt the urge to genuflect before taking a seat next to him on the leather upholstered couch, as if sliding into a pew during mass. His face lit up ever so slightly when he saw her, and he took her hand in his. 

“It’s good news, darling. Don’t worry,” Michael said, reading her hesitation.

She gave him a weak smile before bringing her attention to Tom.

“The divorce is almost finalized, but I’ve sent Michael’s petition to the Vatican to have his marriage to Kay annulled,” Tom said. “Between our connections to the Holy See and the severity of what she committed, I don’t anticipate this taking more than two or three months.”

All Gloria could manage in response was a quiet, “Wow.”

Michael smiled, patting Gloria’s hand. The gesture meant to be reassuring, as if Gloria had asked for it, like she was the one who wanted Kay’s sin repaid pound for pound if not in blood, then in excommunication and eternal damnation. Kay’s decision was her own, but Gloria wasn’t without sin, and neither was Michael, yet he was more than willing to have his soon to be ex-wife formally damned. Knowing Michael, the most he believed in was the hierarchy, the institution. God was merely an irritating obstacle at best and outright competition at worst.

The revelation of Kay’s mortal sin to the Vatican would almost guarantee Michael an annulment. With that in place, there’d be nothing to stop them from having a formal wedding mass despite his being divorced from a consummated marriage. An otherwise long and tedious process to convince the Catholic Church to invalidate the eternal, holy bond of matrimony would be taken care of in a matter of months. 

“Once that’s all sorted out, the two of you will be able to set a date. Obviously the situation isn’t ideal, but—“

“Thank you, Tom. I appreciate the effort,” Gloria said awkwardly. 

He nodded, his tight-lipped smile slightly strained. He lacked the pleasure that his brother had in the situation at hand, but there was little else he could do as consigliere. 

“I have one more thing to discuss with Tom, but I’ll join you again soon,” Michael said, walking her over to the door. “Won’t leave you with the sharks too long.”

He kissed the top of her hand before she made her exit. As soon as the door shut behind her, Gloria searched out Connie, who was helping herself to a glass of wine. 

“Always business with them, huh?” Connie quipped.

“Something like that,” Gloria said. “Hey, did Michael tell you why Fredo couldn’t make it? You’d think he’d be here. He introduced Michael and me.”

“You know, I’m not sure myself,” Connie said, though her tone wasn’t entirely convincing. “Hard to keep track of everyone. I mean, Francesca and her fiance are god knows where, and Ma just went off to take a walk.”

Gloria sighed. “I don’t think your mother likes me very much.”

“Ma’s old fashioned, is all,” Connie assured her. “She hasn’t liked anyone I married.”

“Gee, thanks, Connie.”

“You know what I mean. Don’t let this keep you from being excited.”

“I’m excited, absolutely,” Gloria said, feeling that anxious was more appropriate. “The relationship feels so different now compared to when me and Michael were just fooling around.”

Connie’s laugh caught the attention of just about everyone within a few feet of them, turning to see what the commotion was about. “Gloria, you know as well as I do that my brother does not fool around,” she whispered.

That much was true. Michael had a sense of humor, it was one of Gloria’s favorite things about him, but even that was guarded, doled out sparingly to a select few. Nothing half-assed or left to chance, he was meticulous and calculated, necessary traits to earn wartime promotions and later lead the Corleone family. She should have realized sooner that his maintaining their relationship for so long would serve a greater purpose.

Conversely, Gloria never considered herself the marrying type, not finding the trappings of domesticity appealing compared to the independence she enjoyed as a single woman. None of her other dalliances ever lasted longer than a few weeks. While she never considered herself quite the party girl that her Las Vegas peers were, she was never one to deny herself pleasure, throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of a good time if she felt so inclined.

Perhaps her appeal as a wife to Michael was two-fold, what she could offer him as potential mother of his child, and an ego boost in conquering her, a woman half-feral whose worldliness coursed through her veins. A much needed triumph after the domestication of his sophisticated New Englandite ex-wife had regressed until she destroyed her cage, blood and iron reflected in her wild green eyes. 

She looked at Mary and Anthony, playing with their cousins, seemingly unaware of the significance of the occasion. After the dinner a few weeks prior, Michael said that he had told them Kay had done something very bad, and so she left and wasn’t coming back, and they weren’t to ask him any more questions about it. She wondered if they actually believed him.

“I need some air,” Gloria said abruptly.

She rushed over to the sliding glass door that led outside, shoving a cigarette between her lips as she made her way onto the deck that overlooked Lake Tahoe. Lighting the cigarette with shaky hands, she almost didn’t notice her future mother-in-law standing just a few feet away from her.

“Mrs. Corleone—uh, hi,” Gloria said.

The matriarch was silent, save for a brief nod of acknowledgement. 

“How are you liking the party?”

“It’s fine.”

“That’s good. Michael will be glad to hear it.”

Silence once again hung in the air. Gloria brought her cigarette to her lips, watching the smoke rise above them.

“I don’t approve of the way you and Michael conducted your relationship, contributing to his marital strife,” Carmela said, pausing briefly. “Maybe it would have ended up this way without you in the picture.”

Carmela and Kay were close, she knew as much. Connie had told her that the two would often go to Mass together. For all intents and purposes, Carmela had taken Kay under her wing. It made sense, Kay had taken up the mantle previously held by Carmela, and it helped that she was a nice, college-educated woman while still being a devoted wife and mother—until she couldn’t take it anymore. Gloria being Michael’s mistress was enough for her future mother-in-law to have already made up her mind about her.

“I understand.”

“What Kay did was desperate, a horrible thing after her cries for help weren’t heeded by my son.” Carmela side-eyed Gloria. “How often was he preoccupied with you?”

“Whenever he was in Vegas on business,” Gloria answered honestly. “We went to Los Angeles together twice, too.”

“My husband, God rest his soul, always used to tell our sons, ‘A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.’”

It was Gloria’s turn to be silent. She didn’t know the late Don Vito Corleone. Didn’t know whether or not he was a hypocrite. Michael admired him. The whole family spoke fondly of their dearly deceased patriarch. As far as Gloria was concerned, Vito was a myth, a superstition that existed in the whispers of every mafioso, spinning taller tales about their former Don with each passing year. For all she knew, people misquoted him the way they did Abraham Lincoln. 

“I’m not going to pretend I haven’t been selfish and made a lot of questionable choices. I’m not exactly sorry for them, either. For some reason, Michael loves me in spite of all of that, and I do love him.”

“That’s all that matters now, isn’t it? The only thing that can keep the family together…what’s left of it, anyway.” She gave Gloria a wistful smile. “Michael looked happy when he walked in with you. I haven’t seen him like that in a long time.”

Gloria took a long drag on her cigarette, knowing Carmela would rather that happiness be with Kay, his wife, rather than with her. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Michael asked, startling Gloria a bit. She hadn’t heard him open the glass door to go outside.

“No, I’m going to head back inside now,” his mother said. “Chilly out.”

Michael nodded. “Alright, Ma. Don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Michael and Gloria were silent as the Corleone matriarch made her exit. Gloria leaned against the railing, her back pressing against the hard wood as she took one last inhale of her cigarette before flicking it aside. She watched the ember glow faintly in the wet pile of spring leaves on the ground before going out.

“I didn’t see you inside. Connie told me you needed some air,” Michael said, standing in front of her.

“Just felt a little overwhelmed. So many people,” she said, as if that hadn’t been her job for five years. Except those were all strangers. Every person in that house was related to or worked for Michael, and soon she’d be part of it. “You really didn’t have to do all of this.”

“I wanted to,” he said. 

“Like how you want to marry me?” she asked. “The way it all happened, I just—“

“You just what?”

Her attention drifted to her hands, playing with her engagement ring as she withered beneath his intense gaze. “I just wonder if you thought this through.”

“I’ve done the thinking for both of us. I know you’re nervous, darling, but this is what’s best for you,” Michael said, with all the conviction of a man who still believed she was formed of his rib. Silly woman, head full of glittering diamonds, champagne bubbles, and red lipstick. He placed a firm hand over her fidgeting one. “I won’t be as careless as I have been in the past.”

Gloria stared at him for a moment, thinking she liked him better careless, at least more so than the front he put on for everyone, including her. For how important he claimed his family was, there was always distance, if not emotional then physical. At the very least, she closed the few inches between them, kissing him with the ferocity of a woman who was still resisting the trappings of domesticity. 

It didn’t matter to him. His hands found her hips as they always did, fingers pressing deep to claim her flesh as his own. His own instinct had momentarily clouded his reason, as he pulled away from her, albeit reluctantly. His eyes were trained on hers, pupils dilated when he finally glanced behind him, as if to make sure his family hadn’t seen this temporary lapse of control from their Don.

And they hadn’t. At least none of them indicated such as the night went on, and they slowly dispersed back to their respective homes on the vast Lake Tahoe compound or in the surrounding city, giving their congratulations and well-wishes to Gloria and Michael. 

She was grateful he’d at least arranged for his children to stay over at his mother’s, though she could tell he was growing tired of her insisting they be given time to adjust to Kay’s absence and Gloria’s sudden intrusion into their life. They’d undoubtedly have questions about Gloria staying the night, in their father’s bedroom, no less.

All traces of Kay ever being there were long gone, but Gloria glanced at the bed, Michael’s initials embroidered on the linens, wondering how many nights Kay had lain awake in that very bed, knowing her husband was with her. Maybe it was a relief after a while, seeing as Kay’s tolerance for Michael only dwindled as time went on.

Gloria liked it better when those things were separate, when she could be the other woman without having to think too hard about the implications. But she hadn’t driven Kay away. Michael had. And that same man was dragging her in, his desperation not quite as raw as the night he made his proposal, but still evident, if only to her.

This time, he initiated the kiss, his lips claiming hers, payback for her daring public display of affection earlier. He sunk his teeth into her lower lip, fresh blood blending with the red lipstick she wore, no doubt smeared across her mouth as the traces of it were on his. Though his intensity scared her at times, she found it thrilling, perhaps addicted to the adrenaline that came with riling him up, the one time she felt like she had the upper hand on him.

She kissed his neck, knowing better than to leave a mark, but at least temporarily leaving a streak of crimson in her wake. Reaching between them, she rubbed his cock through his pants, feeling it harden beneath her until his hips just barely bucked.

“Jesus—fuck, Gloria,” he groaned.

She gently protested his attempt to guide her back onto the bed. “Missionary, missionary,” she teased against his lips. “You know I’m the type of woman who likes variety.”

His nostrils flared, eyes widened at her words, and she resisted the urge to smirk until he’d turned her around, forcing her ass-up on the edge of his marital bed. Only in her black satin slip and panties, the latter were quickly discarded. She licked her bruised lip when she heard him unbuckling his belt, the rustling of fabric preceding his hand slipping between her folds, his fingers feeling the slick that already coated her pussy. 

She shuddered at the sensation of him rubbing her clit, and as she gripped the comforter she lay on, she silently determined that if she couldn’t get her pleasure from anyone but him going forward, she’d make sure it was on her terms. She loved sex, which was acceptable for mistresses but apparently not for wives, as the act was then relegated for procreation rather than pleasure. She didn’t see why they couldn't have both.

Michael grabbed Gloria’s hips, and she steeled herself as he pushed his cock inside her, his thrusts deep and slow until she growled, “Harder. I’m not gonna break.”

Her nails dug into the soft fabric beneath her, clawing at it as her back arched, cat-like as she took him deeper, his pace unforgiving, her cries of pleasure filling the room. He had jokingly accused her of being a masochist in the past. She never outright denied it.

“Is this what you wanted all night?” he forced out through gritted teeth.

Her moan wasn’t a good enough response, as he slapped her ass, sending a jolt through her.

“Answer me.”

“I always want you.”

“Only me.”

“Only you.”

With that, he came inside of her, and she humped the bed for that extra bit of friction on her clit, feeling her own orgasm achingly close as she felt his seed filling her. Biting her barely healed lip finally sent her over the edge, and she buried her face in the comforter, lifting it a few moments after riding out her orgasm on Michael’s cock to see a stain of blood, spit, and mascara. 

She whimpered when he pulled out of her, her pussy still throbbing from her climax. With aching muscles, she crawled up the mattress, leaning against the neatly made pillows. He undressed, his gaze fixed on her he joined her on the bed, pulling her against his chest, still slightly heaving from the exertion.

“What got into you?” he asked, amusement in his eyes.

“Besides you?” she joked before speaking her next words carefully, ever so manipulatively, “I know we’ve been trying for the baby, but can’t it at least be fun?”

He smiled, kissing the crown of her head. “I don’t see why not.”

After that night, she increasingly split her time between the hotel and his house, slowly getting to know his family better. Carmela was still icy to Gloria when she was able to make it over to the house. Those instances became more scarce, until she could only take so many visitors at her home until one evening in late spring, she passed away.

Melancholy swept over the family at the loss of their beloved mother and grandmother. Gloria regretted not having the time to build a better relationship with the woman, but the more selfish part of her lamented that she would be expected to take up the matriarchal mantle so soon, something she neither desired nor felt prepared for.

“You look beautiful, darling,” Michael murmured, helping her clasp the gold necklace her grandmother had given her for her confirmation, the pendant of the Blessed Mother resting just above her collarbone.

They stood in his bedroom, preparing for the funeral mass and wake that were sure to bring in dozens of people to the cemetery and Corleone compound.

She turned around, forehead wrinkled in concern. “This is about you and your family. I’m not sure if I should even be there.”

“Enough of this, Gloria. You’re going to be my wife, that makes you part of this too,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of people here today, some very important. I need you with me. We need to show strength and solidarity right now.”

“Alright, I—you’re right, Michael,” she said. 

Gloria grabbed her black, lace gloves off the dresser, carefully sliding them onto her hands, though she hadn’t noticed until later at the funeral mass that her engagement ring had torn through the delicate fabric.

[davidkarofskyindie]

gnawteamusings (Hugo/Shaun)

@gnawteamusings continued from (x)

"I know -- I moved around my tutor appointments so I could get home early and surprise you," Hugo said with a laugh as he came into the house with a few bags in addition to his backpack. The smallest one bore the logo of Shaun's favorite underwear shop, and another from a chocolatier. "Happy anniversary, Dad"

It had been a crazy year for the two of them. A year ago today, Marie, Hugo's mom, and Shaun's wife came home from the campaign trail to find Hugo balls deep in his father. After they finished, they talked with the irate sophomore senator of the great state of New York. At first, she wanted it to stop and threatened to go to the police, but Hugo was of age. Going public would be terrible for her public image, so a compromise was struck instead.

"If you'd like, I can go and pick up a dessert or, I dunno, hang out by the pool until you're ready? I can see you're trying to make tonight special, and I don't want to ruin it. The only thing I will ask is, will you wear one of these tonight?" Hugo offers his dad the little bag from the high-end underwear store before he moves towards the sliding glass door to the pool.

"Well this is definitely my favourite kind of surprise... ok second favourite, you still have pants on" Shaun bantered with a playful chuckle, unable to resist trying to see the bags that his son and lover had brought in with him. He really was genuinely happier with Hugo than he'd ever been with his wife. Honestly if he could've just divorced her and married Hugo he would but they had found something that worked and didn't ruin his wife's reputation.

"Oh no, you don't need to worry about dessert. I've got that covered for later on" he said happily with a big grin "If you give me like 10 more minutes I'll have everything ready but... yeah, yeah I can wear one of those" he said as he took the bag, kissing his son's cheek innocently before watching the man head out to the pool. He looked in the bag and chuckled a little "You little devil" he mused before going to make sure the dinner was cooking.

Ten minutes later he opened the glass door, having laid out the meal on the table and gotten the full path of petals set up for them. He also had on the obscenely small blue V-string thong that perfectly framed his cheeks and kept his large cock nicely held in place. He covered it up with a nice fluffy floor-length robe that was tied tightly around him, his lightly-haired chest exposed as he yelled out "Hugo, come on in!" and waited for the other man to get close. Once inside with the door closed he pulled his boy in for a firm loving kiss "Happy anniversary baby, I made your favourite for dinner and we've got a nice full meal to enjoy... and yes, the robe stays on till after you eat, need to make sure my man has the energy needed to properly celebrate tonight" he said, rubbing the man's back "And maybe also wanna be sure you've got the energy to try out the gifts I have for you in the bedroom, but that's an after-dinner thing. You ready baby?"

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Gilmore Girls OC Masterlist ( D-K )

( A-C ) ( L-Z )

Name: Daniella Gilmore-Danes

Story: Home Again

Face claim: Lucy Hale

Love Interest:  Logan Huntzberger

Name: Devorah Barans

Story: The Road Not Taken

Face claim: Gideon Adlon

Name: Eleanor Doose

Story: Last Summer

Face claim: Bethany Joy Lenz

Love Interest: past Jess Mariano; endgame TBD

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Eleanor Doose was a city girl through and through.  She thrived in the fast pace of the city, in the freedom of being able to go anywhere at all, any time she wanted.  There was always something to do, and Eleanor was going to do it all.  She had never been one to slow down, determined that if she just kept going, kept moving, she could stay one step ahead of her problems.  But she couldn’t outrun them forever, and when they finally did catch up to her, it was as explosive as any collision could be.  Suddenly, Eleanor found her entire life packed into two suitcases and pushed onto a bus — for her own good, everyone said.  But there was nothing good about being sent to Stars Hollow, the entire town smaller than the neighbourhood she’d grown up in.  Eleanor Doose was a city girl, a small town in the middle of nowhere had nothing to offer her.  Nothing, that is, until another bus pulled into town, bringing a small piece of New York to her in the form of her ex boyfriend.

Name: Eliya Rygalski

Story: Faking Glory

Face claim: Odeya Rush

Name: Elle Hearst

Story: Untitled

Face claim: Danielle Campbell

Love Interest: Logan & Finn

Name: Emmeline Forbes

Story: (We’ll Never Be) Royals

Face claim: Maddison Brown

Love Interest: Logan and/or Finn

Name: Esme Gerard

Story: You’re In The Band

Face claim: Jadah Marie

Love Interest: Livi Ruiz

Name: Evan Mariano

Story: Story Of A Girl

Face claim: Maia Mitchell

Did Evan Mariano hate living with her mother?  Yes.  Did she desperately want to get away from Liz’s various boyfriends?  Definitely.  Did she want to be shipped off to an uncle she barely knew because her mom took her boyfriend’s side over her children’s?  Not particularly.  But if Stars Hollow was her escape then she would absolutely take it — if only the entire town weren’t trying to get Luke to send them back to hell.

Name: Freya Morgan

Story: New Romantics

Face claim: Adelaide Kane

Name: Gabi Mariano

Story: Wish I Were Here

Face claim: Sofia Black D’Elia

When Jimmy and Brook Mariano divorced, Gabi didn’t handle it well. Acting out, getting into trouble, she tried doing whatever it took to get her parents to pay attention to her instead of constantly fighting. Then, once the divorce was finalized and Jimmy left, Brooke decided she didn’t want to look after the child she never wanted and sent her to the other side of the country to live with an uncle she barely knew. But Stars Hollow was fine. Really. Okay, it was a bit too nosy, a bit too eager to gossip about the new girl, but it was fine. And Gabi was fine, too. Broken, alone, but fine.  She felt trapped, unable to breath, no less explain how much it hurt to be tossed aside like yesterdays garbage by the only family she knew, but she was fine. It was fine. And she was fine for an entire year; until Luke’s nephew comes to town.  A troubled kid, abandoned by his father, tossed aside by his mother, sent to live with his uncle, he sounded more like Gabi than anyone else in Stars Hollow.  And then she meets him.  Jess Mariano.  Her brother — wait, her what?

Name: Gen Saylor

Story: My Way / Piece By Piece

Face claim: Haley Lu Richardson

Name: Harry Bechtel

Story: Delicate

Face claim: Nicholas Galitzine

Love Interest: Troy Donahue-Callisto & @the-witching-ash's Richie Gilmore in Delicate)

Troy Donahue-Calliso had a plan.  A good plan, at that.  A plan that involved graduating from Chilton at the top of his class, then going to Yale to study political science and international affairs, then going to Yale law, then becoming a lawyer, then senator, and then the youngest President in history.  He liked his plan, it was a good plan.  It left room for the occasional stress relieving hookups with his friends, it accounted for the disdain that he would forever face in Hartford – for his sexuality, for the colour of his skin, for his parents’ divorce, for his father not being from Hartford.  It was the perfect, foolproof plan.  He never planned for the Gilmores.

Name: Harry Bechtel

Story: New Romantics / Coming Of Age

Face claim: Nicholas Galitzine

Love Interest: Troy Donahue-Callisto

Name: Holland Bass

Story: Breakaway

Face claim: Meg Donnelly

Love Interest: Jess Mariano

Holland Bass had never been good at staying in one place.  She’d spent her life travelling with her grandmother, being homeschooled and seeing the world.  But in her junior year of high school, her grandma gets it into her head that Holland needs permanence; that she needs normal and consistent socialization; that she needs to finish her last two years of high school in one place.  Unfortunately, rather than getting to stay in a foreign city, in any of the hundreds of places that offer stability but would still be exciting, Holland finds herself in Stars Hollow, moving into her grandma’s inn.  She loved the town, loved her godfather and all the whacky events, but she knew that it would never be enough to satisfy her need for adventure. Until she meets Luke’s nephew, the only person in town as restless and stir-crazy as her.

Name: Hyacinth Nelson

Story: Windward Circle

Face claim: Peyton List

Name: Ilsa Gilmore-Danes

Story: Of Love And Longing

Face claim: Liana Liberato

Ilsa Gilmore-Danes was pretty happy with the way her life was turning out. She lived with her mom and older sister, spent most of her free time and half of her nights at her dad’s, and had turned out pretty well adjusted, all things considered. But when she turns fourteen, everything changes.  First, Rory gets into private school and Ilsa finds herself facing school without her big sister by her side.  Then, Rory’s dad comes back into the picture, as eager as ever to shove Ilsa out of the picture while he plays happy family.  Soon after, her dad’s great heartbreak roles into town, whose sudden departure had been the first heartbreak of Ilsa's young life. And if that weren’t all stressful enough, she now has to spend every Friday of the foreseeable future having dinner with her grandparents, who’ve made no secret of the fact that they think Ilsa’s existence ruined their dreams of the perfect family.

Name: Jacqueline Grant

Story: Drops Of Jupiter

Face claim: Amanda Seyfried

Love Interest: Jess Mariano

Name: Jamey Belleville

Story: Hey December

Face claim: Joshua Bassett

Love Interest: Lorrie Gilmore-Danes

Name: Jane Forester

Story: Long Time Coming

Face claim: Katie Douglas

Love Interest: Lindsay Lister; Lindsay Lister & Jess Mariano

Name: Jeremy Skinner

Story: The Road Not Taken

Face claim: Sean Berdy

Name: Jocelyn Gilmore

Story: Untitled

Face claim: Liz Gillies

Name: Julia Gleeson

Story: Untitled

Face claim: Katie Holmes

Love Interest: Jess Mariano

Name: Kaito Lauder

Story: Loveless Generation

Face claim: Evan Mock

Love Interest: Blythe Langford & Charles Gilmore

Name: Kaylee Hayden

Story: Ego Crush

Face claim: Josephine Langford

Love Interest: Jess Mariano; Logan Huntzberger

Kaylee hadn’t meant to get expelled, okay?  It wasn’t her fault that the fireworks somehow went off early, and really, if the small scars near her eye were anything to go by, she already more than paid for the stained glass windows they destroyed.  But no, apparently even the Hayden princess and Huntzberger heir weren’t above the rules this time, and Kaylee finds herself stuck back in America with her father.  An unfortunate situation, but she’s confident that in a couple of weeks she’ll be off to the next boarding school and won’t have to see him again until summer.  Instead, she finds herself stuck on a motorcycle trip to fucking Connecticut – where, apparently, he has a whole other family.  A whole other daughter, to be specific, one who was still in the womb when Kaylee herself was conceived. And as if that weren’t enough, Connecticut also has her grandparents.  The worst people she’s ever met, hands down, and the only people capable of convincing Christopher that it’s in his best interest to cut his losses and abandon his no-longer-only daughter on the doorstep of the mother she’d never met.

Name: Kirsty Gilmore

Story: Delicate

Face claim: Zoey Deutch

Love Interest: Tristan Dugray & Logan Huntzberger or Jess Mariano

Troy Donahue-Calliso had a plan.  A good plan, at that.  A plan that involved graduating from Chilton at the top of his class, then going to Yale to study political science and international affairs, then going to Yale law, then becoming a lawyer, then senator, and then the youngest President in history.  He liked his plan, it was a good plan.  It left room for the occasional stress relieving hookups with his friends, it accounted for the disdain that he would forever face in Hartford – for his sexuality, for the colour of his skin, for his parents’ divorce, for his father not being from Hartford.  It was the perfect, foolproof plan.  He never planned for the Gilmores.

Name: Kirsty Gilmore

Story: My Way

Face claim: Zoey Deutch

Love Interest: Tristan Dugray; eventual Tristan Dugray & Logan Huntzberger

Kirsty Gilmore loved her family, she loved her town, and she loved her life. Really, she wouldn’t change a thing.  But when she suddenly finds herself transferring to Chilton with her sister, change becomes inevitable.  And with a new school, new friends, and a new world to explore, Kirsty finds herself wondering if she might want to be more than just a Gilmore Girl.

Kirsty AU Masterlist

Name: Kirsty Gilmore

Story: Piece By Piece

Face claim: Zoey Deutch

Love Interest: Jess Mariano

When Tristan was sent to military school, he made Kirsty promise that she would move on, that she would think about her own happiness for once.  And she had tried.  Over the next few months, she’d found herself growing closer and closer to Jess, until the accident.  His sudden departure brought an abrupt end to whatever could have been growing between them. Even after her blowout fight with Lorelai, she’d hoped that a summer on Broadway would be exactly what she needed to keep her promise, to clear her head and hit reset, but it was proving to be just the opposite. Exhausted, lonely, and ready to pack up and give in, Kirsty is quickly losing faith in New York. That is, until something — fate, a panic attack, a thunderstorm, a lack of any clean clothes, take your pick — led her into a small diner and Jess Mariano’s arms.  

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡COVER REVEAL ˚°•*⁀➷

Steal My Breath Away, an all-new steamy, bodyguard, new adult, college romance from New York Times bestselling author Sarah Castille, is coming June 17th, 2025!

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3B5r3Fw 

Nook → https://tinyurl.com/smbabn 

KOBO → https://tinyurl.com/smbakobo 

Google Play → https://tinyurl.com/smbagp 

Add Steal My Breath Away to Goodreads → https://tinyurl.com/smbagr 

Influencers, sign up for the promotional tour here → https://tinyurl.com/smbasu 

Cover Design: @the_book_designers

Emotions run high, but the tempo thrums higher as music, heat, and angst collide between a singer and her bodyguard.

Haley Chapman has struggled against strict rules all her life. As the daughter of a senator, she’s supposed to finish her degree and go into politics, but music is her one true love―the only outlet she has for her wild, impulsive feelings.

When she is accosted during a performance, her mom decides she needs a bodyguard. Security detail following her around college feels like overkill, but the Senator has the perfect solution.

Ace Murphy is a close friend of the family, and a former Air Force pilot, now working in personal security. He’s the same Ace that joined the service with Haley’s brother. He also happens to be the same Ace that used to be dismissive of her when they were growing up.

To Haley, Ace is just another obstacle to her freedom and her dreams―but as their personalities clash, will their friction spark new feelings, or reopen old wounds?

[finalgerl]

a, r, s, z

i will be putting these all under a see more mwah

i have so many 'a' named characters..................i.......................

but lets talk adelaide orlovsky croft (gracie abrams), the absolute bastard, originally created as a demigod, adelaide is a living nightmare. adelaide is like if a horror movie was a prom queen. she is the bastard child of sherry croft, wife to sh*tty senator richard croft, and the younger half sister of queen bee, prudence croft. she has always been the black sheep of her family, with a penchant for the morbid and macabre, but got by on her family's name yet oft faced a LOT of shit from richard that she still struggles to process. she was a tyrant head cheerleader in high school that culminated in public humiliation for her towards the end and in college, actually fully found out about her biological father. she loves to scare people and as a kid would stage elaborate fake death scenes and ends up becoming a prevalent name in the horror community. in a lot of verses she kills richard and gets away with it :pensive:

ruby castañeda (jenna ortega) lmao is a 20 something film nerd and self proclaimed florida girl. she grew up in western florida with her father and uncle as an only child, her mother leaving at a young age presumably to pursue stardom. she is a girl who is STUCK in her room and from a young age, read and wrote fanfiction voraciously that garnered her a popular online following that did not parallel her personal life. she desperately wants to create but she suffers a lot of self doubt and lack of filter that sort of leads her into situations. she'll try (most) things once however and loves to meme out and is incredibly, incredibly serious about letterboxd

gonna talk about simon shockey (charlie plummer) because he's been on the backburner for a minute but lets talk about guyfailure simon. he's the cousin of molly dunleavy and the only surviving child of mary and michael shockey, generally growing up in small town south. lots of ghosts in his life but he's mostly just a socially awkward queer guy navigating the trauma of existing within the dunleavy family. he truly does not know how to connect to people but is sort of the everyman in a lot of situations. he has no idea what to do with his limbs 90% of the time. he has a big interest in cinematography and ttrpgs and generally ends up working in new york or in some sort of media store verse depending.

z.....atm i only have ziggy thornquist (sophie thatcher) who grew up on a "commune" and ran way to LA to become a drummer in a rock band. her mom sells trinkets on venice beach lol. not super developed but punk and generally over it

[silver-rings-and-rabbits]

Open Heart 2 - Chapter 10

The Senator

The words hit Matthew like a bullet, leaving him breathless and shaky.

“You’re…leaving?” he asked, weakly. Rafael was looking back at him sadly.

“Wh…why? And when…?” Matthew stuttered. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know, but that didn’t matter. Whether he wanted to know or not, Rafael had made his decision.

Keeping a distance between them, Rafael shifted on the spot as he scratched the back of his neck.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually. I felt like…I don’t know, it was like a restlessness. I was just treading water without going anywhere.”

“Is this because you got suspended?” Matthew asked. “Suspension isn’t termination. You’ll be able to be a paramedic again.”

“But I don’t know if I want to go back to being a paramedic. So I decided I would quit.”

This part was a complete surprise.

“So…what are you going to do instead?”

He suddenly had a vision of Rafael getting on a train to New York to make it big on Broadway. Little did he know, Rafael was about to say something much worse.

“I’ve decided to move to Brazil. A lot of my mom’s family still live there. I thought it was time to reconnect with my heritage and make a fresh start.”

A fresh start…four thousand miles away. He had well and truly moved on, right in front of Matthew’s eyes. Meanwhile, he had wasted time pining, practicing softball with him and getting butterflies at the slightest touch of the hand. He never had a chance. Their story was over, and had been for a good six months. It shouldn’t be so hard to accept.

“How do your family in Boston feel about this?” he asked. Rafael stuck his hands in his pockets.

“They understand. I mean, they were upset at first, especially Vovó, but I think they can tell I’m not as happy as I used to be. Ultimately they support my decision.”

Matthew couldn’t help thinking back to when he had been applying for various residencies. Of course, he had wanted to place Edenbrook number one but he had hesitated. Holly had already lost one child, he didn’t want to move so far away from her. Don’t you dare put your dreams on hold because of me she had soon told him. You already turned down an ivy-league college, don’t turn down your dream hospital. You supported the dreams of the person you loved.

“When do you leave?” Matthew asked. He put his hand against the wall to brace himself, hoping he looked casual. He didn’t.

“…Next weekend,” Rafael admitted. Matthew winced. It was so soon. But what else would he do in the meantime? They didn’t hang out one-on-one anymore, it would be too weird. And he had been hanging out with the gang less often in general since Sora came onto the scene. Whether he was leaving next week or next month, Matthew was unlikely to see any more or less of him.

“So…that’s that,” he said, hoarsely. “Sounds like you have everything figured out.” He bit his lip, looking away from Rafael. His gaze landed on Kyra, small and vulnerable in her hospital bed. She and Bryce were looking like they were pretending not to eavesdrop, and Matthew returned to Rafael. He couldn’t face the idea of explaining it to them now.

“Matthew?” Rafael asked, gently. “It’ll be OK. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Yeah…” Matthew would look forward to the annual ‘happy birthday’ exchange.

But he didn’t want to be bitter. This was Rafael’s life and Rafael’s choice to make, and Matthew hated that he was nervous to tell Matthew about it. When he thought back over how happy Rafael had made him, he never wanted to make him feel any less in return.

“Good luck out there, Raf,” he said, finally meeting his eyes with a small smile. “I think you can conquer anything you put your mind to. But…” he hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Just in case it doesn’t work out how you thought and you need a break…you’ll always have a place to stay with me.”

“Thank you,” Rafael said warmly, his eyes kind and beautiful. His returning smile was equally small and soft – a private moment for just the two of them.

“I’ll see you around, Raf.”

“Bye Matthew.”

Matthew nodded and turned, walking away without looking back. If he had, he would have seen Rafael watching him go.

He took his time in the locker room, feeling numb. He didn’t want to stay at work, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take on. But he didn’t want to go home either. His roommates didn’t know how much his world was ending. They would ask ‘how was your day’ and he wasn’t sure he could answer that right now.

He hadn’t realised how stuck he’d been until he’d been hit with the realisation of how much further forward everyone else seemed to be. He slumped onto the bench with his head in his hands.

“Matthew?”

Sienna had found him. She stood in the doorway with a frown.

“Are you OK?”

Matthew pressed his lips together, took a deep breath and looked up at her.

“Rafael just told me he’s moving to Brazil.”

Sienna’s eyes widened as her face fell. A mix of emotions flitted across her face – shock, confusion, sadness – and she struggled to say something. There was nothing she could say to alleviate the situation, and she decided to simply sit beside Matthew and hold onto him.

****

Matthew didn’t see Rafael in the hospital the next day, but he facetimed the group that night to tell them about his big move. They all wished him luck, and were sad to see him go, but no one pressed too hard about why he had decided to move. Maybe it was because Matthew was there, and they didn’t want him to be upset by the answer. Or maybe they just accepted that he wanted a change, and Matthew was the only one stuck in the past.

“Are you OK?” Jackie asked him later.

“I’ll be fine.”

Jackie didn’t believe him.

He needed a new focus. The senator had been assigned to the diagnostics team but he hadn’t turned up to the hospital yet. All they had was an email from Travis Perry, his aide, that the senator had business to take care of before he was admitted. It annoyed Ethan, though Matthew wasn’t bothered so much.

Matthew was getting ready for work on Thursday morning – which was taking a little longer than usual because he had suddenly become the victim of crank-callers who were pretending to be news anchors wanting to interview him – when his friends called out from the living room.

“Matthew, you have to come and see this!”

Matthew walked out, half dressed in his shirt and underpants, to find his roommates gathered around Jackie’s phone. A video was playing of the senator, standing in front of the Edenbrook fountain, talking into a swarm of microphones.

“Is this illness serious, Senator? Are you worried about your health?”

“Of course not. Dr Valentine spoke very highly of his team, and the young man himself is one of this city’s premier doctors.”

“Wh-what is this?” Matthew stuttered.

“Senator Ed held a press conference this morning,” Jackie explained. “This interview played on a bunch of local stations, and I think a couple of national ones.”

“He’s been name-dropping you like crazy,” Sienna giggled.

“About that, how does the senator know you by name?” Elijah asked.

“I gave it to him when I convinced him to switch. I didn’t think he’d namedrop me on national television.”

Aurora had been quiet until now.

“He was trying to fly under the radar at Mass Ken, but he’s clearly decided to turn this into a publicity stunt.” She and Matthew glanced at each other and looked away again. She was still being very cool with him, and he hadn’t spoken much to anyone since Rafael told him he was moving to Brazil, leaving nothing but tension between them.

“He obviously decided he could win more voters with this approach. Anyway…” Jackie looked Matthew up and down with a raised eyebrow. “If you want people to think you’re a premier doctor, you need to put some pants on.”

Elijah smirked. “Matthew’s clearly trying to start a new fashion trend—”

“Oh, shut up!”

Twenty minutes later, with everyone fully dressed, they piled off the subway. Kyra caught up with them in the morning rush. She had one last check up before surgical prep but wouldn’t be discharged until she was fully recovered from tomorrow’s surgery, which could take a while. She was bright-eyed and breezy, and as she joked around with everyone, Matthew realised he wasn’t sure if he wanted tomorrow to come at all. The world would be a darker place without Kyra.

“Obviously I want everything to be OK, but just in case, I’ve had a good life. Especially sky-diving with you guys!” Kyra beamed. “But the fact is, there is a very real chance I’m not waking up tomorrow.”

“Kyra.” Matthew tried to hide his fear. “You’ve gotta be more positive.”

“I am being positive. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best,” Kyra argued. “A big part of the process is coming to accept all outcomes.”

“Makes sense…”

“She makes a valid point…”

Matthew wished he could borrow their positive frames of mind. Kyra rolled her eyes and fell into step beside him.

“I’m excited to be taking this risk, I really am. And it’s thanks to you that I’m taking it. If you hadn’t been so brilliant last year, I’d have been too scared.”

Matthew swallowed and nodded, putting his arm around Kyra and squeezing her.

“We’re all so proud of you, Kyra,” Sienna said.

“Seriously.” Jackie looked uncharacteristically emotional. “You need anything between now and your surgery and we’ll make it happen.”

“Well, I do have a list of sundaes from this awesome ice cream shop…”

“Didn’t Bryce say you had to fast before the surgery?”

“Fine…but at least come keep me company whilst I’m bedridden and starving.”

Bryce met them just outside the hospital. He was practically bouncing with excitement.

“There’s so many cameras by the entrance!” he said, eagerly. “Are they here for the senator?”

“He should already be in the hospital, why would the press still be hanging around?”

But the press were indeed still hanging around. They clustered at the main entrance, cameras flashing despite there being no senator. Every time a doctor walked past, the reporters would shout after them, asking if they were Dr Valentine, or knew Dr Valentine, or had anything to do with the diagnostics team. Matthew stopped short, his fingers digging into Kyra’s shoulder.

“Guys…” he said, panic mounting. “I really don’t want to be caught on camera right now!”

“He’s not lying, guys, his hand’s sweating,” Kyra interjected.

“OK, don’t panic. Cover your face with my jacket.” Jackie shrugged her jacket off her shoulders and handed it to Matthew. Meanwhile, Bryce generously volunteered to distract the reporters and swaggered over to them, tossing his fringe and flashing his charming smile.

“Floozy,” Jackie snorted. “Matthew, do you want to be hidden or not?!”

Matthew still held Jackie’s coat, not sure if hiding his face in it would be an adequate disguise. Jackie made the choice for him by snatching it back and throwing it over his head. He heard her instructing Elijah and Kyra to walk in first and act as a battering ram, before she started shepherding him towards the entrance.

“Excuse me, are you—”

“HEY, back off!” Jackie barked. “Some of us have work to do!”

“She’s right, folks, we’re trying to run a hospital here!”

That was the gruff voice of Bobby Gunderson, who could be extremely fierce to unwanted hospital guests, but was a complete teddy-bear to staff and patients. He had been Matthew’s favourite security guard ever since he had let Matthew sneak in to visit Rafael when he was injured and Matthew was suspended.

The jacket was yanked off his face. He blinked in the harsh hospital lights, looking around to find they had made it into the atrium. Bryce had joined them, lamenting that the press didn’t want to hear about the surgeons; he insisted they hadn’t done adequate research. Meanwhile, Bobby had shooed the press away and was now returning to the group, shaking his head.

���Thanks for the assist, Bobby!”

“Yeah, yeah. Should have known you’d be the reason I’ve got a hospital full of reporters.” He looked at them with mock annoyance. “Trying to make my life a living hell?”

“I’ll buy you a coffee to make up for it.”

“You can put in a good word with the senator while you’re at it,” Bobby joked as the group dispersed. “Gunderson of the Presidential Guard…has a good ring to it, don’t you think?”

“Surely you wouldn’t leave your favourite hospital behind?”

“My oldest is turning sixteen this year. Edenbrook ain’t gonna help me buy her a car!”

Matthew chuckled as he headed for the stairs. Bobby might joke, but he loved Edenbrook.

The senator was sat at the conference table when Matthew got to the diagnostics room. The rest of the doctors were already there, as was the ever-present aide.

“Hello, Matthew. I see you made it through the throng,” Ethan said. The senator gave Matthew a warm smile and stood to shake his hand. He was a little shorter than Matthew expected. With the warm smile, dark eyes and streaks of silver through his hair and beard, it was easy to see why he was so popular.

“Dr Valentine,” he said, in a smooth voice that had been trained to never stutter or croak. “Wonderful to see you again.”

“Hello Senator.” Matthew offered a firm handshake. “I just wish you hadn’t mentioned my name on the news.”

“I’m sorry, Doctor, but I believe in credit where credit is due. I have every confidence in your care, and, please, call me Ed. Now,” he said loudly, returning to the table. “I’d like to see my excellent doctors in action.”

“We don’t typically brainstorm in front of patients…”

“Believe me, Matthew, that information has already been conveyed.” Ethan sounded tired already.

“Can I get you anything before we begin, Ed? Coffee?” Baz offered, but Ed shook his head.

“I never touch the stuff, but I could use some water. Travis?”

“Of course, sir.”

Travis heaved a briefcase on the table – coffee spilled over the rim of Ethan’s cup – and took out a notebook and pen, a phone for the senator, several phones for himself, and finally a worn, stainless steel water bottle and reusable cup. Ethan pinched his nose briefly before turning back to the team and opening the discussion.

June had done an initial consult upon Ed’s arrival and reported a list of symptoms including headaches, tingling in the hands and feet, stomach aches and constipation.

“I’m as bloated as a balloon,” Ed chuckled good-naturedly. “As a small-town mayor that might have been endearingly everyman, but a senator needs a certain presence.”

“You started as a mayor?” Matthew asked, ignoring Ethan’s eye-roll. He liked to hear his patient’s stories.

“Indeed. In fact, Travis was one of my constituents back in the day, weren’t you, Travis?”

“If you can call a ten-year-old a constituent…” Travis smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Returning to the brainstorm, the senator confirmed he hadn’t been in contact with anyone who had been ill, was unmarried, and too busy to date. The only person he was in close contact with was Travis, who felt fit as a fiddle.

“I’ve had a bout of flu on occasion, and I was hospitalised following a car accident back in…er, when was that, Travis?”

“I’m not quite certain. It was before I started working for you, sir.”

“At least five years back, then. Though it’s hard to remember a time without you.”

“What injuries did you sustain?” Matthew asked.

“Slight concussion. Nothing serious.”

“I think we can probably rule that out as a cause,” June said. “Any more recent pain, Ed?”

“Standard aches and pains after a workout, though I’ve been slacking a bit lately. I blame the new house for that.”

It transpired that Ed had recently bought a fixer-upper house by the river, and was relishing the prospect of a renovation project. However, being next to the river came with mosquitos.

“I was covered in bites until Travis added bug spray to his little arsenal. Though I suppose presenting my funding bill for addiction services with my arms covered in little red marks had a certain impact.”

“It’s very noble that you’re advocating for addicts,” June said. She had probably been up all night studying the senator’s entire life and, if it had come up in conversation, might have altered the truth of her own voting record to keep him on her side.

“Can we focus?” Ethan asked, irritably.

“We were at mosquitos,” Matthew said. “I’m thinking we should test for West Nile virus.”

Baz was instructed to run the test and Matthew had to escort Ed to his assigned patient room. Ethan warned Ed to stay there, and Ed remained chipper and insisted someone fetch him for the next stage of brainstorming.

Later on, Matthew was darting between patients when he overheard a conversation between Elijah and Sothy:

“You told him he has to take dimethyl thumarate twice a day for the rest of his life, right? And he’ll need physical therapy appointments?”

“I…may have forgotten to mention that. Is it important?”

“Yes it’s important, he has multiple sclerosis. It’s currently incurable. Turn around and explain it to him right now.”

Matthew smirked a little. It was about time Elijah got Sothy to fix his own mistakes, but the smirk disappeared when he turned the corner and found Esme hitting her head against the wall.

“Uh, Esme? What are you doing?”

“Anger management. I just got a new case.”

She thrust a chart into his hands with a scowl and Matthew’s heart sank as he read the name across the top: Garrett Thorne. Neither of them saw him around the hospital very often which had given Matthew a little hope that Esme could get through her intern year unscathed. He hadn’t forgotten the way Dr Thorne’s hand had travelled down Esme’s back, or the way she had broken it by slamming it onto the bar top. Or the way Thorne had glared at Matthew the next day.

“I can get this transferred to someone else,” he offered, but Esme shook her head.

“I’m not afraid of him,” she insisted. “But…it’s going to be stuff staying cool.”

Matthew nodded as he handed the chart back.

“Alright, but I’m coming with you to make sure everything’s OK. And don’t let me catch you banging your head like that again.”

****

Garrett Thorne was pacing the room, wearing his work clothes and a hideous scowl. A patient gown had been placed on a nearby chair and remained stubbornly folded. Thorne stopped pacing when they entered, then looked down on them with disgust.

“I don’t need two doctors. This hardly warrants one from where I’m standing.”

Thorne was glaring down at them, but there was no hint of recognition or snide remarks about what happened four months ago. He glanced at Esme, whose mouth was tight with anger.

“You got this,” he whispered to her. She gave him a tight smile before turning to Thorne.

“You only have one doctor assigned to you today, Dr Thorne. Dr Valentine is my resident. He’ll be shadowing me today if that’s alright with you.”

“They palmed me off to an intern? Seriously?”

“I don’t know who ‘they’ are…” Esme fought to keep her voice level. “But I assure you, you’re in good hands.”

“Whatever. I need you to prescribe me alpha blockers so I can get back to work.” He folded his arms defiantly across his chest. Esme narrowed her eyes.

“May I?” Matthew asked quietly, and Esme handed him the chart. He flipped through it quickly. It was very tempting to call Thorne out on the fact he’d pissed himself and fell on his ass in public, but they were professionals here.

“It says here you’ve experienced some incontinence and balance issues.”

“Can you tell us more about that?” Esme asked.

“It was humiliating enough the first time, thank you,” Thorne said, through gritted teeth. “It happens to plenty of men once they reach a, uh, certain age.”

He looked at Matthew with the impression that he hoped it might happen to him a little earlier than usual.

“Prostate problems would fit the symptoms…” Matthew murmured to Esme.

“True. But I’d like to run some tests to be certain.”

“Don’t bother,” Thorne demanded. “I’ve had no other incidents, no other symptoms. There’s no explanation for this other than BPH.”

“But—”

“I’m not asking, intern, I’m telling. Prescribe me the alpha blockers so I can get back to my surgeries.”

Matthew and Esme stepped into the hall, closing the door behind them. They walked a little way down the hall before Esme turned to Matthew with a face like thunder.

“I hate that asshole!” she steamed. “I know we’re supposed to care for our patients but I just want to sock him in the jaw!”

Matthew wistfully remembered a red-faced, fat man who had dismissed his credentials and would only stop yelling just long enough to belch in Matthew’s face.

“I know,” he said, sympathetically. “But there’s as much to learn from rude patients who will never thank you as from the pleasant ones. Unfortunately, Thorne’s the first of a long list of patients you’ll wish you didn’t have to deal with.”

Esme sighed heavily. “So, how do I deal with him? Take his word and prescribe the alpha blockers or…?”

“You’re his doctor, why are you dithering?”

“Well…probate problems would fit the symptoms, as does karma. But…I don’t know, something feels off.” She bit her lip. “It’s just that, he is a senior doctor so he’d know better than me, right?”

“Don’t let jerks like Thorne make you question your skills,” Matthew said, firmly. “I’ve seen you at work, he hasn’t. Follow your gut. You’re in charge of this situation, not Thorne.”

Esme blinked, then squared her shoulders.

“Hell yeah I am!”

She turned and marched back into Thorne’s room. Matthew chuckled, feeling a little like a proud parent, leaving her to fly solo.

****

Later on, he was back he was back in the diagnostic office with a table full of negative test results. The senator remained in good spirits, but Ethan’s frustration seemed to grow every time Ed turned to Travis to ask a question.

“What’s your diet like, Ed?”

“To be honest, I could do better. I’ve made some changes over the last month: less meat and dairy, more fruit and vegetables. Although I’m not a practicing…er…what’s the word…Travis?”

“Vegan.”

Matthew frowned as he glanced between Ed and Travis. Ed had been asking Travis for a lot of details about his life, but ‘vegan’ was hardly a difficult word to remember.

“How long have you been having memory issues, Ed?”

“Memory issues? I don’t have memory issues…do I, Travis?”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d call them issues,” Travis said quickly. “I mean, you forget things here and there, but who doesn’t?”

“Senator, you’re famed for how well you remember everything,” June said. “Every vote you’ve ever cast, every constituent you’ve met.”

“That’s true, but Travis also keeps track of that,” Ed said. “Forgetting a word or two doesn’t mean I have memory issues, does it?”

“Do you have any idea when it started?” Baz asked.

Ed turned to Travis, who frowned, a line appearing on his forehead as he tried to recollect.

“I suppose…it must have been a few months ago.”

“When did you buy your fixer-upper house?” An idea was forming in Matthew’s mind.

“A few months ago…”

“OK, I have a hunch. I’m going to need another blood sample to test it though.”

****

When the doctors returned to the office, Matthew finally had a positive test result.

“There are high levels of lead in Ed’s blood.”

“Lead poisoning!” Baz gasped. “Good save.”

“Do you know what caused it?” Travis frowned.

“It was probably the fixer-upper house. Before the 70s, a lot of house paints contained lead. I’ve already sent for paint samples to be collected and for the renovation company to be warned that their crew may have been exposed to lead.”

“Good job,” Ethan nodded. “OK, Senator, what we need now is—”

“Yes, yes, just as soon as Travis calls for a press conference. Ah, and contact our friend from the Chronicle. I’m thinking a headline along the lines of ‘Senator Refuses to let his Dangerous Illness Slow Down Addiction Bill.’”

It was almost ridiculous how excited he seemed to be at the news of lead poisoning. Travis didn’t seem too concerned either, frowning and tapping away at a phone screen.

“Senator, would you like to hear a treatment plan?”

“Oh, I trust you all know what you’re doing.”

“Yes, but we need to trust that you can stick to our treatment plan,” Ethan said, firmly. “You’ll need injections of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, which may take some time to work, and then there’ll be side effects. We need to keep you here to monitor for at least a week.”

“Alright, alright,” the senator chuckled, as if he were humouring them. “I can work from here, just as easily as anywhere else.”

At that moment his phone buzzed and he insisted on answering it, cheerfully dismissing them with ‘you all go save some lives!’. Ethan threw his hands up in irritation.

“June, prepare the first EDTA injection. Baz, tell security to keep out the press. And Matthew, when he’s done, get the senator back to his room and make sure he stays there.”

He stormed out. Baz, June and Matthew couldn’t help exchanging amused glances as they left. Matthew sat back in his chair, waiting for the senator to finish his phone call. He tried making small talk with Travis, but his answers were monosyllabic and Matthew gave up.

“You’re missing the point!” Ed was arguing on the phone. “This bill will send addiction rates tumbling. It’s the right thing for Massachusetts!”

He paused to listen to the reply, then shot Travis a thumbs up. Travis barely glanced up as he returned it. Then Ed’s voice became sly.

“If it’s that important to you that I hold off on this, I’m going to need to know that I have your full support…ah yes…yes, I think a campaign contribution of that magnitude would be a very strong show of support. Consider the bill dead in the water.”

Matthew froze, and then leaned closer to Travis.

“Did he just agree to shelve his addiction bill? What the hell happened?”

“Democracy in action.”

“But…he’s supposed to be one of the most progressive members the Senate! And…he said the bill was close to his heart…how could he just…”

“His voting record is progressive,” Travis said, finally looking at Matthew. “He waits until a bill is likely to pass and then he jumps on at the last second. It keeps his success rate high, and he can then look like the hero who got it over the line.”

Matthew had so far been impressed with Senator Farrugia. He made it easy to picture a future that included far less medical debt, falling crime rates, and a generally better standard of living. But now Matthew just felt stupid. Senator Farrugia was just like every other politician.

“How do you not get demoralised, seeing this every day?” Though it would certainly explain Travis’s apathy.

“I don’t have to respect him to be a good assistant. Besides, working with Ed is just a means to an end for me.”

He returned to his phone. Matthew suddenly wanted to be as far away from both of them as possible.

****

The team were packing up for the night when Travis knocked on the office door and said that Ed had been invited to appear on an evening talk show that night to talk about his diagnosis. He also wanted Matthew and Ethan to join, as the doctor who made the diagnosis, and the leader of the team.

“It’s a good idea,” June said. “ANB is a national news channel. This could be extremely beneficial for us.” She shot Travis a charming smile. “They would both be delighted.”

So, rather than curling up in bed, Matthew was sitting on a smart leather sofa, sweating under the lights of a TV studio. They were interviewing with Chris Aarons on the Nightly News Hour. Chris had reassured him he would be fine, just relax and act like the several hundred people in the live studio audience weren’t there. It would have been easy to do so if Chris didn’t then start warming up the audience with chatter and jokes.

As he did so, Senator Ed leaned over to Matthew and started amicably talking about how this publicity could do wonders for his career. Matthew stiffened. He just nodded along in a non-committal way until the senator got distracted by someone else.

“Are you alright?” Ethan asked Matthew. “You seem…uncomfortable with him all of a sudden.”

“A few hours ago I overheard the good senator give up his rehab bill in exchange for a hefty donation.” He sighed heavily. “Why is everyone so disappointing?”

Before Ethan could answer, the crew called for the show to start. The host hopped into his chair, sitting as comfortably as he would in his living room, and the senator seemed cheerfully relaxed as well. Matthew and Ethan sat straight upright. Audience lights were dimmed down and the cameras started to roll, then a cheer went up as the senator and the doctors were introduced as the first guests of the night.

“So tell us, Ed…are you going to be OK?”

“I won’t lie to you, it was a close one. If these two weren’t so incredibly smart, I might not have caught it in time. But I’ll let them explain.”

“Doctors? What was this mystery illness?”

“The senator…ahem…the senator had a fairly advanced case of lead poisoning,” Matthew explained, hoping his voice didn’t sound as dry as his mouth felt. Luckily, the senator jumped back in to explain it was from his fixer-upper house. He took the opportunity to go off on a tangent about how much he loved his constituency and how important public health initiatives were. It earned him heartfelt applause, and Chris was nodding reverently.

“Dr Valentine,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure you’re in high demand right now. Can you explain your process of the diagnosis?”

“Er…” It was hard to describe something that he did without necessarily thinking about it. “Well, simply listening to patients is my best tool. A doctor always has to remember that, in most cases, their patient hasn’t been to med school. That means they don’t always understand what might be relevant information. No symptom should be dismissed. For example, memory issues are a symptom of lead poisoning, which the senator didn’t realise.”

“It’s true. I thought it was a sign I was getting too old,” Ed joked. The audience laughed.

Chris asked Ethan about the treatment, and Ethan explained the science behind the EDTA treatments, and reiterated the importance of rest with some very pointed looks in Ed’s direction.

Ed spoke highly of Edenbrook and insisted that, once he had recovered, he would prioritse a healthcare model that could work for everyone and reduce the cost on the taxpayer. Matthew frowned. Perhaps it was his imagination, but Ed’s smile now looked slimy.

“Well, doctors, has Senator Farrugia won your next vote?”

“I’m sorry, but I make it a point not to discuss my politics with anyone,” Ethan said firmly.

Chris turned to Matthew. Ed looked on expectantly.

“Well…I guess…” Matthew hesitated…but he was sick and tired of the idea that people could get away with screwing over the most vulnerable.

“I guess I was planning to vote for him, but I’m not sure I can, since I overheard him being bribed to drop his addiction bill.”

The audience erupted in surprise, and Chris glanced over to his camera crew anxiously. The senator sat up, going very pale and spluttering out a weak cover. Ethan continued to sit still, but he wore a very subtle smile.

“I…but…a misunderstanding!” The senator gasped, tugging his collar. “I…I remain as firmly committed to passing that bill as ever. I can’t imagine where Dr Valentine got that idea from.”

“So you’re promising, on national television, that you’ll be sponsoring that bill this term?” Matthew asked quickly. He noticed how the senator gritted his teeth.

“…Naturally.”

“Well, I’m glad we were able to settle that little misunderstanding!” Chris said, loudly, before quickly announcing an ad break, after which he would be speaking to a young social media star who had just hit Hollywood.

As soon as they were backstage, Ed turned on Matthew.

“What the hell do you think you’re playing at, Valentine?!” He snarled. “I throw you a bone, let you share my airtime, and you stab me in the back?”

“All I did was tell the truth,” Matthew snapped back. “I wouldn’t vote for someone who abandoned a bill like that.”

“You knew exactly what you were doing, you little—”

“Senator, I have a phone call for you,” Travis interrupted, with impeccable timing. “Um…several, actually.”

“I’ll bet you do,” Ed snarled as he glared at Matthew. He marched out of the room as Ethan walked in.

“Proud of yourself?” he asked, casually.

“Yep.” It might not have been much, but it was nice to regain just a tiny bit of control.

“Good. For the record, so am I.” And for once, Ethan was full-on grinning.

****

His brilliance seemed a little less brilliant the next morning when he woke up and remembered he would have to continue overseeing the senator’s care, and the senator would be even more difficult – not to mention would be less likely to help fund Edenbrook – but his roommates had watched the interview, and cheered him on and clamoured for the full story. It was gratifying to know they would have done the same thing.

Still, he felt slightly apprehensive as he approached the hospital, and then an all-too-familiar voice called his name and nothing else mattered. He did his best to hide his heartbreak as Rafael caught up with him. One more day until his big move…

“I didn’t think I’d see you here again,” he said.

“I have to pick up my last paycheck,” Rafael said. “Come on, it’ll be OK, I’m moving to Brazil but it’s not the moon. You can come and visit.”

“With all that vacation time us residents are known to have,” Matthew muttered. He shook his head, and tried again. “When do you head out, again?”

“My flight leaves tomorrow afternoon.”

“And…is Sora going with, or…?” Matthew was afraid of the answer, but the question had been at the back of his mind since Rafael told him he was leaving.

“No, at least not yet. We’re not quite ready for a leap that big. But he already has tickets for a visit next month!”

The little comfort that was offered by the fact Sora wasn’t moving with Rafael was overshadowed by the fact the two of them already had visits planned and prepared. Sora would still have Raf, they had it all figured out. It was just Matthew being left behind.

“You’re not just here to pick up your last paycheck,” he said, painfully. “You’re here to say goodbye.”

Rafael’s face fell.

“Yeah.”

The two of them gazed at each other. There was suddenly so much that Matthew wanted to say to him, but he didn’t have a clue where to start. His selfishness could ruin everything Rafael was trying to do, and he couldn’t do that to him. Not if he valued his friendship, and Rafael was so excited for what was to come.

“Matthew…”

“Heads up!”

They both jumped as a basketball bounced towards them. Rafael snatched it out of the air before it could bounce up again and hit Matthew in the face. Bryce ran towards them, shirtless and panting from his morning practice.

“Shouldn’t you be prepping for Kyra’s surgery today?” Matthew asked.

“I am, this is how I get in the zone before my day starts,” Bryce grinned. “What do you say, Raf? One last showdown?”

“I’m in if Matthew’s on my team.”

Raf looked at him with bright eyes, and Matthew couldn’t refuse.

“Well, I do like winning…”

He shrugged out of his sweater and tie and rolled up his sleeves. Raf grinned, taking off his bomber jacket.

“Then you picked the wrong partner!” Bryce teased as the other two left their clothes beside Bryce’s shirt and joined him on the small court. Bryce didn’t wait, and dribbled the ball to the hoop, scoring an easy lay-up.

“Bryce, 2. Losers, 0.”

“Doesn’t count until the game has actually started.”

“Then hurry up before I start tallying!”

Matthew chuckled to himself as he and Rafael started playing. For the next few minutes, he didn’t want to think about anything else except having fun with his friends. Chances to relax didn’t seem to come very often these days.

Matthew had his back to Bryce as he dribbled towards the hoop, but Bryce was relentless, trying to dart around him to steal the ball. Matthew passed it to Rafael, who caught it with practiced ease, and made a beautiful three point shot right through the hoop.

“Yes!” Matthew threw up a hand and Raf met him with a high-five.

“You’re making this way too easy, Lahela.”

“What was that you were saying about picking the wrong partner?”

“Lucky start!”

“You guys look like you’re having way too much fun for this time in the morning.”

The three boys turned to find Jackie, Sienna and Elijah at the edge of the court.

“We’re playing a farewell game for Raf,” Bryce said. “You guys in?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Alright, Varma, you’re with me,” Bryce ordered. Jackie obliged, also removing her shirt and declaring their team ‘skins’. They also called Sienna, who agreed but refused to remove her dress, and Elijah rolled over to Matthew and Raf.

“Alright, shirts, start with the ball!” Bryce tossed them the ball and the game resumed with a happy fifteen minutes of friends chasing each other round the basketball court, exchanging praise and insults until the scores were tied. Matthew advanced on Sienna, who had the ball.

“Stop her, Matthew!”

“Don’t let him stop you, Sienna!”

“Give it up, Sienna,” Matthew trash-talked. “Your sports skills are as bad as your chocolate chip cookies!”

“My cookies aren’t bad! You take that back!”

“They taste like ash and garbage!”

“Such a lie! You ate five when I made them that time for—”

Rafael ran past, stealing the ball from her hands, but Bryce intercepted the shot before he could make the hoop.

“You dirty dog.” Sienna pouted at Matthew.

“Too easy,” he laughed, though he hoped he hadn’t gone too far. Sienna took baking very seriously.

The battle resumed until, with thirty seconds left on Bryce’s timer, the ball came back to Matthew. Now the other team were advancing on him.

“Go for the hoop, Matthew!” Elijah called.

“You got this, Matthew!” Raf called as he ran down the court.

He met Matthew’s eye and discreetly signalled to the hoop. Matthew had seconds to interpret and react, and he could only hope he had the right idea as he tossed the ball. Rafael leapt, catching it, and swiftly dunking it through the hoop, scoring the winning point as the timer went off.

“I can’t believe that worked!” Matthew howled as he, Elijah and Raf came together for a celebratory group hug.

“Fair play, guys. I’m actually impressed,” Bryce gasped, pushing his hair off his forehead.

“Actually…” Raf said, slightly awkwardly. Matthew bit his lip, looking away. “…I hate to bring this to an end but I should get inside. Paperwork to sign. People to say goodbye to.”

Matthew tossed shirts back to Bryce and Jackie. He took his time re-doing his tie and putting on his sweater, fighting the lump in his throat and blinking away the sting in his eyes.

“Take care, Elijah,” Raf was saying. “Keep spreading the good.”

“I’ll just do what you do. Minus getting into trouble every four seconds.”

Rafael laughed, and Matthew wished he could hold on to the sound. The sound of Rafael’s happiness.

When Matthew looked over, Rafael had engulfed Sienna’s small frame with an enormous hug, and he had to wipe his eyes.

“I’m really going to miss you sneaking over and letting me taste test your baking.”

“I’ll send you batches to Brazil, but you have to send me postcards in return. Every week. No, every other day!”

“I’ll do my best,” Rafael chuckled. “Jackie?”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

“Yeah, OK, you get a hug. But only because you’re leaving.”

“I’ll cherish it for the rare treasure it is.”

Rafael squeezed Jackie tightly. “Go easy on yourself, OK?”

“I’ll try.”

Bryce had a look of puppy-eyed sadness as he and Raf hugged each other tightly.

“I’m gonna miss you, man. Who am I gonna go on adventures with now?”

“I’m sure you’ll find a worthy replacement,” Raf smiled, patting his back. When they broke apart, he addressed the group as a whole.

“For the record, I expect every single one of you to visit me in Brazil. As soon as you get some time off.”

“Don’t worry.” Matthew had suddenly found his voice. “You won’t have a hard time selling us on a vacation in Brazil with you.”

Rafael turned to Matthew with a bittersweet smile.

“Can I walk you inside?”

Matthew nodded. He might have wanted to hear Raf say a lot of things, but he really didn’t want a long, tearful goodbye. His friends exchanged glances as they filtered off to start their day. It was just him and Raf now, walking towards the main entrance.

“Are you sure about this move, Raf?” he asked, as they walked through the sliding doors. “Why rush into it?”

“I’m not gonna pretend I’m not nervous,” Raf admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “My whole plan is to crash on my cousin’s couch when I get there. But…it feels right.”

Matthew thought about begging Raf to stay. He wanted to hold on to him tightly and never let go and tell him how much he still cared about him. What would Raf do if he knew how much Matthew missed him, and still wanted him to choose Matthew over Sora?

Rafael stepped closer to him.

“The past few weeks have actually been really hard, Matthew. I’ve been directionless. It’s given me a lot of time to think about who I am and who I want to be. Now, I get to find out who that is.”

He smiled with a gentle optimism, and Matthew’s words died on his lips. He couldn’t talk him out of this, and he wasn’t so sure that he should.

He held out a hand and Raf took it, shaking it, and holding on to it tightly. Matthew squeezed back.

“I wish you nothing but the best, Raf, I really do. I’m…I’m really glad you’re putting yourself first for a change.”

“That means a lot, Matthew. Thank you,” Rafael said, with his wonderful smile.

“I’m really gonna miss you,” Matthew blurted. Rafael held his hand in both of his.

“I’ll miss you too, but I promise this isn’t goodbye. I’ve got a feeling we’ll see each other again real soon.” He stroked Matthew’s hand once more. “Listen. When you need me the most, I’ll be there. I promise.”

“…Like Superman?”

“Exactly.”

They shared one more small smile, and then Matthew withdrew his hand from Rafael’s warm grasp, and walked away down the corridor. It was better this way, he told himself. Rafael would be happy in Brazil if that was where he was meant to be. And perhaps Matthew could finally, finally move on with his life. Rafael’s presence was so stamped over Boston, it was hard to imagine him not being in it, but in a year and a half Matthew would finish his residency and would be free to move on to another hospital. Maybe New York, maybe back to Colorado, maybe the other side of the country in California. He didn’t even have to stay in America. Someday his pain would go away. And if he was very very lucky, there might be someone else out there.

Matthew ducked into a bathroom to blow his nose and splash some cold water on his face. He could have a few minutes to calm down, but then he had to go back to his patients. People with much bigger problems than him were relying on him to make sure everything would be OK. They were the reason he had come to Boston in the first place.

He started with his new cases, taking the patients details and ordering tests, then made the rounds on his old cases to ascertain nothing had changed overnight, then going back to check on the test results. His patients were in a good mood, and no one had a bad prognosis. Today would be a good day, he decided.

At around 11AM, he stopped by the cafeteria for coffee. He placed a cup under the machine and pressed the button for a black coffee. Zaid walked up behind him with a flat look.

“You’re looking awfully casual for someone whose intern just ordered one of the most painful waking procedures on Dr Thorne.”

“…Oh god.”

Matthew ditched the coffee line and ran for the door.

****

He practically collapsed by the time he got to Dr Thorne’s room, panting heavily and leaning against the wall as he watched Esme perform a spinal tap. Thorne was shouting so loud that Matthew could hear him threatening to sue.

Esme withdrew the needle full of spinal fluid from between Thorne’s vertebrae and told him he was free to roll onto his back.

“You gave Thorne a spinal tap?!” Matthew gasped as soon as she was out of the room. She was mildly surprised to see him there, still flushed and breathless. “I trust you had a good reason to do that.”

“He tried to claim I had prescribed an unnecessarily painful procedure and threatened legal action sixteen times in the last hour.” Esme rolled her eyes. “Trust me, I ruled out every other possibility. His prostate wasn’t enlarged, like he thought, but he’s been rubbing his lower back a lot. It turns out both sides of his spinal cord show inflammation and it’s interrupting communication between his nervous system and his bladder.”

“Transverse myelitis,” Matthew nodded. “So what’s causing it?”

“I ran a bunch of blood tests first to rule out the potential viral causes. The flu, Zika, Hep B, the works. They all came back negative. Which leaves…”

Matthew’s eyebrows shot up.

“Normal pressure hydrocephalus. We need to test that sample now.”

An hour later, they were back in Thorne’s room facing him down. He was sat on the edge of his bed, looking even more furious than he had yesterday.

“I’m reporting the two of you to Banerji for this,” he exploded as soon as the door was closed. “And the ethics committee. They’ll have your credentials so fast—”

“How about you listen to what your doctor has to say before you make any more of a fool of yourself, Dr Thorne.”

Matthew had interrupted him so ferociously that Thorne was stunned into silence. Esme wasted no time telling him that the test had confirmed normal pressure hydrocephalus. Thorne was so shocked his obnoxious attitude completely disappeared.

“I…what?”

“You’re actually lucky it caused the transverse myelitis, which caused the incontinence issues. It more commonly presents like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease.”

“If Dr Ortega had given you the alpha blockers you asked for, your cognitive state would have worsened and put your patients at risk.”

Esme gave Matthew a quick smile. Dr Thorne was sagging on the bed, speechless as he processed this information.

“You’ll need a shunt,” Esme told him. “I’ve paged Dr Emery and she’ll be coming by for your surgical consult soon.”

She turned to leave but Matthew stopped her.

“In the meantime, I think you owe Dr Ortega an apology.”

Dr Thorne blinked and scowled.

“You want me to thank an intern for doing her job?”

“I do. There aren’t many doctors in this hospital who would have stood up to you to do their due diligence.”

“Oh for…fine. Thank you, Dr Ortega,” Thorne said, through gritted teeth. “And…I apologise.”

Esme chuckled. “Yeah, that’s great and all but…pass.”

She gave Matthew a private wink and left the room with her head held high. Matthew looked at Thorne but Thorne didn’t look angry. There was actually a glimmer of recognition in his eyes and his frown was calculating. Matthew didn’t need to ask to know he was finally connecting the dots between Esme and that night in Donahue’s. He followed Esme out of the room without saying anything.

****

It was mid-afternoon when he was hurrying between patients on the sixth floor when he saw Bryce wheeling Kyra out of her room.

“Hey, you made it!” Kyra said cheerfully when she saw him. “I was hoping to see your face before the big slicey-slicey.”

Matthew had been nervous last year when Bryce assisted on a dangerous surgery for Kyra, and now the stakes were even higher, but he had to be strong as her doctor. He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand tightly.

“Still cracking jokes on the way to the OR, huh?”

“Always. Even if I die, I’m going to be the hilarious ghost of Edenbrook.”

“Matthew, we have to get to surgery,” Bryce said, gently.

Matthew swallowed.

“OK, Bryce. Just…don’t screw this up.”

Bryce gave him a soft smile, remembering that same day from last year. When he spoke, he was one hundred percent serious.

“I’ve been studying this procedure inside and out since I realised Kyra was a viable candidate. We’ve got this. I promise.”

Kyra had a brave smile but she rolled her eyes at Matthew’s po-faced expression.

“Stop looking like you’re never going to see me again. If I die today, I’m haunting your ass.”

“Just make sure you wake up later,” Matthew muttered, gruffly, as Bryce wheeled her away. He mentally crossed all fingers and toes that she would…and then remembered he could watch from the observation room. He had to finish his rounds first, but made a mental note to go straight over to the OR when he was done, until Danny caught up with him.

“Valentine,” he wheezed, and had to take a puff on his inhaler. “Sorry, asthma playing up today. I have the results from the paint samples you had tested. You marked it ‘urgent’.”

Matthew thanked him and flipped through the results before crying out in disbelief.

“Negative?! There wasn’t any lead in Ed’s house?”

So he had to leave Kyra to her surgery and was back in the diagnostics office – empty – frantically googling Ed Farrugia and looking for any article that might suggest another exposure to lead.

Page after page he scrolled, until he was back at the start of the decade and the senator was being referred to as ‘Mayor Ed’. His eyes ached and he was on edge in case an emergency page went off. Since last night’s TV showdown, Ethan was prioritising June and Baz to the senator’s case, but anything could happen.

Matthew perked up when he finally found a promising headline: ‘Three Dead in Lead Poisoning Scandal’. The article spoke of a discovery of aging lead pipes that had been slowly poisoning the town’s water supply for years. It had led to the deaths of three people, including a thirteen-year-old named Jonathan Perry.

Jonathan Perry…Travis Perry…hadn’t Travis lived in the town that Ed was mayor of? And he hadn’t shown any kind of worry about the senator, or even relief that an answer had been found. No, he had seemed more concerned with the cause. And what had he said to Matthew just yesterday? Working with Ed’s just a means to an end for me…

“Oh no…” Matthew whispered, faintly. He grabbed his pager and tore away from the desk, sprinting to the senator’s room. Bobby had been assigned to guard the door and he stood at the end of the corridor, chatting with Rafael.

“Bobby! Call the police, now!” Matthew called as he ran up to them. They both looked at him in alarm.

“Why, what’s going on?”

“Are you alright?”

“The senator’s aide, Travis…I think he’s been poisoning him.”

“You’re kidding.” Bobby reached for the radio on his belt.

“That little weaselly guy?” Rafael asked, wide-eyed. “I just saw him go into the senator’s room…he was acting kind of funny…”

“We need to get in there, now!”

Bobby radioed the police and then burst into Ed’s room. Matthew followed him, Rafael hesitated in the doorway. Danny was in the room, checking some charts, and looked over anxiously. Travis was knelt by the bed, rummaging through a large back pack.

“Dr Valentine? What’s going on?” Danny asked.

Bobby walked over to Travis.

“Travis, step away from the senator. Now.”

His voice boomed, even though he wasn’t shouting. Ed turned to Travis with dawning horror.

“Travis…what’s he talking about?”

Travis glanced past Bobby to Matthew. He gave a weary exhale and then stood up, resting the back pack on the bed.

“Well…at a guess, I would say it’s about the fact I’ve been poisoning you.”

The room froze at the cold-hearted confession. Matthew couldn’t believe he had just heard it. Bobby made towards Travis.

“Alright, come with me…”

Ed wasted no time, jumping out of bed and moving towards the door. He almost got out but then Travis whipped out a black cannister from the back pack.

“Stay back! I mean it!”

“Travis, please, think about what you’re doing…” Ed said, edging closer towards the door. Automatically, Rafael stepped out of his way, his eyes locked on Matthew and Travis.

“Travis, please,” Matthew said, holding his hands up. “I know what it’s like to lose a sibling, believe me, I know. But killing Ed won’t bring your brother back—”

“You think I don’t know that?” Travis roared suddenly. “I tried to move past Johnny’s death for years, but it destroyed my family. My parents. Me.”

Matthew tried to comprehend what he was hearing. It was like a horror story version of his own adolescence.

“If I leave this place, I’m going to jail,” Travis growled. “But I’d rather die and take Ed with me.”

“Travis, what’s in that can?” Matthew’s voice rose in alarm. Travis’s fingers tightened round the cannister.

“Justice.”

“Please…just let us go…we’re not part of this…”

Danny shook in fear, but Travis shook in rage, his fingers still curled dangerously around his weapon.

“Travis, for god’s sake you’ll get someone killed!” The senator cried, but Travis turned on him.

“Like you got my brother killed, thanks to your cost-cutting backroom deals?! I’ve spent years dreaming of how I’d make you pay. Lead poisoning would have been more poetic, but it seems I’m out of time.” He shook his head and looked at Matthew with disappointment. “You could have let him die, you know. You heard his phone call, you knew what kind of man he was.”

“I’m a doctor, Travis,” Matthew said, desperately. “I had to do my job.”

“Matthew’s right, Travis,” Bobby said. Sympathy had crept into his voice. “Come along with me, let’s end this thing.”

He put a hand on Travis’s arm…but Travis pulled away and sprayed a cloud directly into Bobby’s face at point-blank range. Bobby clutched at his throat and fell to his knees, gasping and choking.

“No!” Rafael cried, stumbling forward. Matthew realised the senator had gone, having made a break for it a second before Travis had sprayed.

“Oh my god, Bobby!”

Instinctively, Danny ran at the cloud that hung around Bobby and pressed his fingers to his neck. They came away smeared with a sheen that caught the harsh lighting.

Matthew wanted to help, but then Travis grabbed him by the front of his sweater and was raising the cannister again. It couldn’t be real life, and as Matthew stared into the black hole of the nozzle, he wondered if he was about to wake up…

The force of a freight train slammed into Matthew and he fell hard against the floor. His head spun as he heard the cannister deploying, but when he looked over, he forgot all about his own discomfort.

Rafael had thrown Matthew aside and tackled Travis, who had deployed the entire cannister with Danny also in the vicinity. The three of them gasped and choked as they broke apart. A light mist settled on Matthew’s bare hands and tickled his throat, but Rafael was covered in an oily sheen. He stood slowly, apparently in shock.

“Raf…you’re…”

“What the hell is this stuff?”

“Matthew?”

Ethan stood by the window, looking on in horror. Matthew did what seemed like the only sensible solution. He struggled to his feet, reaching for the door and slamming it shut, locking themselves and the poison inside.

Tags: @sazanes @rafasgirl23415 @ceruleansnake0

[roadtogracelandx45]

Runaway Bride|2| Supernatural Mafia AU

@ohnoitsthebat

“Mom, can you tell me what the hell is going on?” Ellie asked as she pushed her sunglasses on top of her head, her eyes on her mother. She had been picked up by a private driver and to an upscale hotel that made her extremely uncomfortable.

 Ellie had gotten used to a lifestyle where she had to work to earn things. Her aunt and uncle never handed her or Jo anything. They both worked either at the salvage yard, garage or at the roadhouse. Or all three, they learned the value of a dollar. Ellie saved her money up and got her dream car and paid for her college tuition on her own. Things she wouldn’t have learned if she had stayed with Angela after her father died. 

 “We are going to dinner with a senator and his family.” Angela answered as she started holding up different dresses. “A senator? Are you high?” the uncomfortableness was growing in the pit of her stomach.. “I am very serious.” she returned, pushing one of the black dresses into her arms, “it’s time you step up and start being a part of this family.” 

“I have been a part of this family mom. More than you have been.”

 The anger that she had held on for years was starting to break through, “I have worked at Uncle Bobby’s salvage yard and the garage with Dean. Where have you been? As soon as Dad died you dipped out and married James.”

 “Eleanor.” Angela started but her daughter held up her hands. “No, we aren’t going to have this fight again. It’s not worth it. Uncle Bobby and Aunt Ellen were right.” There was a flash of anger in Angela’s dark eyes. “You only want a relationship with me if it's good for you and your status.” She spat, unable to help herself as she stormed into the bathroom. “Eleanor Antonia!” Angela shouted as she tried to push open the door. But it was locked. She slapped her hand against the door and cursed when she heard AC/DC turn on. 

“You are so like your father.’ She muttered as she slapped her hand against the door.

**

Jo’s phone beeped several times at her and she picked it up, her cousin had sent her a message, “You were right. We are going to dinner with a senator and his family. His son is a Harvard graduate and he is a lawyer to boot.” she could almost see Ellie rolling her eyes at her reflection in the mirror

. Another message came in quickly, “I should have brought you with me. This trip would be a lot more bearable.” Laughing to herself, Jo replied to her cousin before going down the stairs.

 “Jo? Where’s Ellie?” Cas’s voice asked as she went down the stairs. “In New York with Angela, she has another man that she wants Ellie to meet.’ Her dark eyes went to Dean who scowled.

 “You know, your life would be a lot easier if you would just tell her your feelings. It wouldn’t hurt anything or anyone. It would probably be alot better for both of you.” 

“Stay out of it Jo. She is a big girl. She can do whatever she wants.” Dean replied as he went over to the cart that had the booze on it. There was one way that he was going to survive this weekend without Ellie being there and that was to get stupidly drunk. 

** “Oh Angela, she is an absolute doll.’ Miram Allerd said looking at Ellie over several times, “She will be perfect for Richard.” 

Angela beamed as she squeezed Ellie’s elbow, this is what she wanted, she will finally be able to take the place within the family that she knew she deserved. 

“What did you do back in South Dakota?” Miram asked as she fixed the charm that hung from Ellie’s necklace. “I went to school for nursing. And I worked at the salvage yard and the garage.’ The salvage yard and  garage had served as fronts for many side businesses and fronts for fraudulent companies for the Gambino Crime Family.  

“Oh, no, no. That won’t do at all. From now on you are just a nursing student.” 

A glare formed on Ellie’s face as she pulled her elbow out of her mother’s grip before she folded her arms under her chest. Furious with herself for believing that her mother had pulled her into this and was using the fact that she wanted a relationship with her to get what she wanted. She should have listened to Ellen, Bobby and Jo, they had been right all along.

 “Eleanor.” Angela started but stopped short when she saw the angry glare in her eyes. “I am not doing this. You can’t make me do this.” 

“Actually Ms Scott.” A man’s voice came from the doorway, “We can, your mother has offered you up as part of a deal she made with Mr. Gambino, she gets the status and money that she is owed and you marry our son.” 

Ellie turned on her heel to look at the man.  

Surprise taking over her anger.  “I have a life back in Sioux Falls. I have friends, I have a career. I have school. I am not going to give that up just so Angela can get what she wants.’ 

“I am afraid darling. You really don’t have a choice.”  

[digihindnews]

Exploring The Impressive Net Worth Of Maya Rudolph

We have gone to talk about Maya Rudolph Net Worth. Maya Khabira Rudolph, better known as Maya Rudolph, is a well-known and highly-awarded American celebrity. On July 27, 1972, Rudolph entered the world in Gainesville, Florida, United States. Rudolph comes from a long line of talented musicians and artists. Both her mother and father were musicians; her mother was a singer and songwriter and her father was a composer. Rudolph and her brother were very young when their family made the move to Los Angeles. They moved to Los Angeles when they were young and stayed there for many years. Rudolph's mom passed away in 1979 from breast cancer. This was a very trying time for her. Rudolph had a passion for photography and aspired to become a professional photographer. Sometime later, in 1995, she completed her bachelor's degree in photography. She quickly discovered a passion for performing and began attending auditions. Rudolph's filmmaking partner is named Paul Thomas Anderson. She's already a mother to four healthy little ones. Let's dig deep into Maya Rudolph's Net Worth.

What Is The Net Worth Of Maya Rudolph In 2023?

Maya Rudolph is a $20 million dollar American comedy star, actress, and singer. Rudolph first gained widespread recognition as a member of the cast of "Saturday Night Live" on NBC (2000–2007). Later films she has been in include "Idiocracy" (2006), "Away We Go" (2009), "Bridesmaids" (2011), and "Wine Country" (2011). (2019). She played Ava Alexander on the NBC comedy "Up All Night" for two seasons (2011–2012) and Judge Gen on "The Good Place" for three seasons (2018–2020). Maya has appeared in several films and television shows, including "Shrek the Third" (2007), "The Nut Job" (2014), "The Angry Birds Movie" (2016), "Big Mouth" (2017-present), and "Bless the Harts," and she co-starred with Martin Short in a variety show called "Maya & Marty" (2016). (2019–present). Rudolph has played in the bands Super Sauce and The Rentals and is now a part of the Prince tribute band Princess. She has appeared in music videos for the Beastie Boys ("Make Some Noise," 2011) and The Lonely Island and her work can be found on the albums "Seven More Minutes" (1999) by The Rentals and "Come Poop With Me" (2003) by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog ("Dick in a Box," 2006; "Hugs," 2013). Maya's portrayal of Senator-turned-Vice President Kamala Harris on "Saturday Night Live" since 2020 has garnered her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.

Maya Rudolph Net Worth: Early Life

Maya Rudolph's birthdate is July 27, 1972, and she was born as Maya Khabira Rudolph in Gainesville, Florida. Maya Rudolph's mother, singer and songwriter Minnie Riperton passed away from breast cancer when she was only six years old. Her father is composer Richard Rudolph. Rudolph and his younger brother Marc moved to Los Angeles from New York when they were very young. Maya went to school with Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow before they became famous, at Crossroads School in Santa Monica. After finishing high school in 1990, she went on to study photography at UC Santa Cruz, where she graduated with a BA in 1995.

Maya Rudolph Net Worth: Career And Awards

Maya Rudolph began her professional career in 1996, two years after she graduated from college in 1995. When Rudolph was younger, he was a member of the improv and sketch comedy group The Groundlings. There, she connected with an SNL cast member who would later become her SNL mentor. She joined the cast in the year 2000 and stayed until the year 2007. In the wake of that, she gained some not-insignificant notoriety and renown. She appeared in numerous films as a supporting character, including Duplex, 50 First Dates, Idiocracy, etc. After leaving SNL in 2007, she went on to star in a string of hit TV shows including Up All Night, The Awesomes, Big Mouth, and Big Hero 6: The Series.

Source: Maya Rudolph If You Are Interested In Know About The Celebrity, Then The Latest Updates Related To The Celebrity News Are Given Below: - Sam Smith Net Worth: Exploring The Impressive Net Worth Of Sam Smith - CJ Harris Cause Of Death: C J Harris Who Once Tried Out for American Idol Died at Age 31 - Jeremy Renner Net Worth: What Is The Net Worth Of Jeremy Renner In 2023? Maya Rudolph's resume as a voice actress is extensive, and it includes films like Shrek the Third, Big Hero 6, Angry Birds movie, and many more. Multiple awards have been bestowed upon Rudolph, including those presented by MTV, the Independent Spirit Awards, the Primetime Emmys, and others.

Maya Rudolph Net Worth: Personal Life

Maya and director/screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson have been together since November 2001 and have four children: daughters Pearl (born October 15, 2005), Lucille (born November 6, 2009), and Minnie (born August 1, 2013), and a son Jackson (born November 17, 2001). (born July 3, 2011). In an interview with "People" magazine, Rudolph said, " was not my plan, but that's what happened...because the baby came out really fast." Lucille was born at the couple's home. Thankfully, she effortlessly floated into her dad's arms. Real Estate Maya and Paul purchased a 2,810-square-foot home in Los Angeles's Sherman Oaks neighborhood in March 2021 for $2.6 million. Arched doorways, an ebony fireplace, quartz, and marble countertops, and.28 acres of land characterize this three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom home. In the early 2000s, the couple spent $2.3 million on a home in Tarzana. Conclusion A. Rudolph Maya, It's one of the most well-known brands in the USA. To get where she is, she has put in a good deal of effort. Rudolph began her career in 1996, and after years of hard work and steady improvement, she was invited to join Saturday Night Live. After becoming well-known, she went on to star in numerous films and television series, for which she received widespread acclaim. Her satirical writings are universally cherished by fans. She also has a stunning singing voice that she rarely uses. If you have access to Digihindnews and would like more information on the most recent developments, please click the link provided for Anime, Celebrity, News, Games, Sports, And Entertainment. Read the full article

[kurt-wagner-official]

Post #47: UXM issues 181-183

The X-Men rematerialize on Earth, but just outside Tokyo, and Lockheed’s dragon friend is suddenly massive. Xavier tells Anna to get back to New York to check on Kitty while the rest of them find and deal with the dragon. Anna looks to Ororo for orders, and she agrees with Xavier. Already, this is a much better and more nuanced take on the leadership struggle. Ororo and Xavier aren’t yelling at each other, they’re just both instinctively leading. Logan’s though bubbles reveal a take I agree with- Ororo didn’t ask for the job of team leader, but she accepted it, and the job has caused her pain and turmoil worse than anything she’s ever dealt with. If Xavier swoops in and takes the job from her, it means all that pain was for nothing. Mariko, who has some sort of vague role in the government, sends her cousin Sunfire out to help the X-Men fight the dragon, who doesn’t seem to be malicious but is still causing a lot of damage in the city. Meanwhile, Scott, who the Beyonder plucked from his honeymoon, is reunited with Madelyne, who’s been worried about him for the past week. It’s hard being married to a superhero, not knowing if your life partner is alive or dead at any given time, but they’re trying to make it work. Back in Tokyo, Xavier, out in the field for the first time in years, panics when faced with the threat of losing his legs again. Logan has no patience for him, still loyal to Ororo over him, and he’s busy helping survivors from the wreckage of damaged buildings. He finds a dying mother who begs him to save her daughter, and he promises he’ll protect her like his own child. The dragon scoops up a bunch of scrap metal and flies out a field, but Lockheed appears and attacks her to defend the children below. We learn what’s been going on- the dragon was gathering materials for a nest to start a family with Lockheed, but didn’t realize that that’s not what Lockheed wanted. Despondent, she abandons her plans and vanishes. The sad story of unrequited love is juxtaposed with Logan and Mariko, who are in the same city fighting the same threat and still in love, but unable to face each other or find their happiness together. After leaning a lot into drama with recent plots, this issue was just Claremont having fun with a giant dragon while still putting work into character arcs. It’s the kind of fun, mostly inconsequential issue that can only work in a years long run like this one, and it was a fun read. The final scene is a terrible portent of things to come: a cut to DC, where Senator Kelly is introducing a bill to potentially legalize the enslavement of mutants for military purposes.

In issue 182, we focus on Anna’s mission to get back to the mansion and check on everyone. As she approaches, she surprises herself by thinking of the mansion, and the X-Men, as home. She likes being a hero, but she also feels like she’s betraying her moms, and she’s scared that she’ll have to keep choosing between them. She hears an alarm when she enters coming from the X-mansion emergency phone, and finds a voicemail from Carol Danvers’s old lover Michael Rossi calling the professor for help on the SHIELD helicarrier before being attacked. She flies off to save him, forgetting her mission to check on the New Mutants, who at this moment are still in Massachusetts. Rossi was caught by Shaw’s double spies in SHIELD while he was researching to Hellfire connection to Project Wideawake. Anna breaks into the helicarrier, causing a bunch of property damage as she searches for Michael, finding him just before he was about to be murdered. When she sees him, her mind starts to unravel- one second she believes she’s Carol Danvers, the next she knows she’s Anna and she’s terrified of what’s happening. While in her Carol persona, she takes Michael to Carol’s childhood home and starts to have a breakdown as Carol’s memories rush through her mind stronger than ever before. Forced to confront how much she stole from Carol, she finally regains control of her consciousness, but still feels Carol’s love for Michael. When she tells him (he had no idea what happened to Carol) he screams that he wishes he could kill her, and Anna agrees. This is the first time we see how much of Carol’s psyche was transplanted into Anna. Anna doesn’t know where the she ends and Carol begins, and it’s tearing her apart. But Michael knows she’s not really the woman he loved, and his condemnation of Anna cuts her to her core. it’s awful to watch her unravel as she realizes everything she’s feeling is something she accidentally stole from another woman. She’s filled with guilt and with grief for having to reject the happy memories that aren’t hers. This complete breakdown of her mind is an important step in her journey, and a foreshadowing of her clashing personas that’ll become an even more prominent struggle down the line. In the final scene, Fury orders his men to hunt down Anna, who they don’t realize was on a rescue mission.

Issue 183 opens with a scene I’ve been looking forward to for as long as I can remember, Peter and Kitty’s breakup. It is actually a very touching sequence. Peter solemnly tells Kitty how much he loves his new, dead girlfriend, and she responds with supportive friendship while her thought bubbles reveal how she feels like he’s destroying her heart. Kitty grows up a lot in this issue. Every little change usually sends her into a rage, but here’s something she though that she could count on be pulled out from under her, and she just quietly sobs in her room while Illyana hugs her. Claremont’s goal here is actually to replace Peter with Illyana as Kitty’s partner, but unfortunately Jim Shooter hates gay people. Anna is in the Danger Room fighting a bunch of robots that she’s programmed to kill her. Because Xavier is out of town with the New Mutants, it’s up to Ororo to be the therapist, but Anna refuses help. She says she’s to dangerous for anyone to be close to her, and there’s nothing anyone can do to help her. Ororo then finds Kitty, who finally opens back up to her. She hates Peter for how he hurt her, and she doesn’t want to let him see her cry, so she’s taking a break to visit her dad. Logan has taken Peter to a bar, with Kurt as chaperone, and they get drunk while Logan chews Peter out. He says Peter didn’t really love Zsaji, he was just scared of how things were getting serious with Kitty and looking for an excuse to end it. Peter is pissed at him, and also very drunk, and ends up spilling his drink on the worst possible person- Cain Marko, the Juggernaut, who was in civilian clothes at the bar. They get into a bar fight that Logan refuses to let Kurt intervene in, until eventually Peter gets kayoed. Cain leaves a wad of cash for the owner to fix all the damage and leaves, not looking for a fight. When Peter is upset that his friends didn’t help him, Logan says it’s the same betrayal he did to Kitty. The issue ends on a cliffhanger with Selene appearing in New York and vowing to rule the world. Logan’s whole speech is very dumb. It’s founded on several terrible key points. The first is that Peter owed Kitty his love, which is not how emotions work and terrible advice. Logan is also basing that on the fact that she gave herself to the Morlocks for him, another terrible plot. Also, Logan and all the X-Men are acting like Peter and Kitty were a healthy couple. Claremont seems to think they were, and he’s upset at Shooter for making him break them up so he’s hellbent on framing it as the wrong move on Peter’s part. Honestly, I’d rather forget about this whole relationship and move on, but that won’t happen for a while. I did really like the bar fight though, it was fun. So this issue had that going for it, plus a nice follow-up to Anna’s mental breakdown.

[coalitiion]

✘ ╱ oliver jackson cohen + cismale + he/him ╾ better keep an eye on AUGUST ALDERIDGE whenever they are around. Shady gossip describes the FORTY year old as IMMORAL + RUTHLESS, close sources say they’re CHARISMATIC + CUNNING. Can be easily found in CITY HALL working as NY SENATOR.

creative touchpoints: Richard III (Shakespeare), Lestat (Interview with the Vampire), Homelander (The Boys, first season, not the latter), Edward Moore Kennedy (Yes the real politician, we’re talking mostly about the cheating and the murder.)

penned by rey (she/her)

tw: murder, infidelity, just... shitty people.

BASICS.

full name: august alderidge (born august smith)

age: forty

gender/pronouns: cis male, he / him 

sexual orientation: will fuck anything with a pulse :/

birthday: july 23

zodiac: leo

alignment: neutral evil 

hometown: queens, ny

affiliations: neutral, selfish af

occupation: ny senator (two-time)

current residence: manhattan

financial status: upper class (married into) 

familial connections of note: amelia alderidge (wife - deceased),  julian alderidge (5 y/o, son, hidden away at boarding school in switzerland), younger sister, younger brother

other: n/a

BACKSTORY. (to be added to)

I. Maybe the Big Apple is rotten to its core because of the gangs that burrow through it like worms -- but the city is certainly made no better because of the politicians that let it stay that way. August Alderidge has always benefited from the corruption of the city, and, if anything, he’s a man that revels in it. There are seven sins — here is a man that cherishes each and every one.

II. Born August Smith to a lower-middle class family in Queens. His mom is an art teacher, his dad a mechanic. With three kids, August being the oldest of them, there are too many mouths to feed in their single family home. He’s born with no silver spoons but a silver tongue does him just fine. 

III. It’s in his university’s political science program that August meets his future wife, Amelia. He’s there on a scholarship - her family’s name is on the library. The Alderidge’s are the Kennedys reborn, of a different kind of money that August has only dreamed of. The courtship is quick, tactical. When he gets married he takes his wife’s name (”A real feminist” they say) and wears Alderidge like a coat, like it’s always belonged to him.

IV. It would take the might of mountains to make August an honest man, a little band of gold on his ring finger certainly isn’t going to do it. Over the course of their courtship and even their marriage, August keeps Amelia obvious to his numerous affairs, including the one he has with her brother. Publicly though, they are the picture perfect couple. The Alderidge’s are a political family and by marrying into them, August steps into the fold. With his father-in-law a Senator himself, August’s own trajectory to Senator is clear. 

ONE YEAR AGO. And then, one fall evening - one august - Amelia passes in her sleep. ‘Freak accident’ the doctors say and they point to distant family medical history as a possible explanation. Amelia, oldest of the Alderidges, is remembered by her husband and her son. She leaves her money and assets to August. August mourns the appropriate amount of time. His eyes stay dry. 

NOW. August is a two time Senator for New York. He intends on continuing to climb the ladder to political success and doesn’t care who he steps on on the way to get there. He’s neutral when it comes to the gangs and, for a price, is willing to help any of them by keeping New York a place where they can continue their business. 

THE SECRET. There is absolutely no doubt August is behind his wife’s murder. He’s meticulously covered his tracks - no one knows. 

HEADCANONS.

former frat president

loves cars

WANTED CONNECTIONS. (meant to be inspo, more than willing to craft our own!)

HIS WIFE’S BROTHER. (WC, will be sending to main) Amelia’s brother - whom August had an affair with while married to Amelia. Consensual on both sides, but there was a considerable amount of guilt from his wife’s brother. Eventually Amelia’s brother cut it off, leading to an immense amount of bitterness from August.

SIBLINGS. Though he’s left his origins behind, August cares for his siblings. However, that love is maybe not expressed in the best ways.

LUST. August doesn’t date. Publicly, he’s still playing the part of a man who is mourning his wife. Privately, August has one night stands. In his lifetime he’s h ad a string of affairs that he tends to leave high and dry and/or heartbroken. 

BLACKMAIL. August is not above blackmailing people and will happily incur debts from people. 

PRIDE. Fellow political animals. 

WRATH. Gang members he can do business with. 

[lboogie1906]

Sheryl Lee Ralph (born December 30, 1956) is an actress, singer, author, and activist. She made her screen debut in A Piece of the Action, before landing her breakthrough role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of Stanley Ralph, a college professor, and Ivy Ralph O.D., a Jamaican fashion designer and the creator of the Kariba suit. She has a younger brother, actor and comedian Michael Ralph. She has appeared in several movies during her career. She received Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her role in To Sleep with Anger. Her other credits include The Mighty Quinn, The Distinguished Gentleman, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, and Deterrence. On television, she starred in It's a Living and had the leading roles in New Attitude and Street Gear. She starred as Dee Mitchell on Moesha, and as Maggie Turner on Instant Mom. She released her first book Redefining Diva: Life Lessons from the Original Dreamgirl by Simon & Schuster. She played Madame Morrible in Wicked on Broadway. She starred in a high-school production of the musical Oklahoma!, portraying Ado Annie. She was crowned Miss Black Teen-age New York. At 19, she was the youngest woman to ever graduate from Rutgers University; during her time at Rutgers, she was one of the earliest winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships awarded by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She was named one of the top ten college women in America by Glamour magazine. She hoped to study medicine, but after dealing with cadavers in a pre-med class and winning a scholarship in a competition at the American College Theater Festival, she gave up medicine for the performing arts. She served as the commencement speaker. She married French businessman Eric Maurice (1990-2001), and they have two children. She married Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes (2005-). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #deltasigmatheta https://www.instagram.com/p/CmytSkOrg1i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=