#sorry Leland I took your name

[s-misaki]

ever thought we’d see gangnam style with Monk? I didn’t (you would never guess how I found this tiktok template)

special thanks to Sei for approving my stupidity XD 💕

[outlastrabbit]

tis the season! 💘 any Coyle headcanons (sfw and/or nsfw!) for a female reader for Valentine's day? ❤

Thank you! You're the best. 🥰

Thank u!☺️💖 sorry for the lateness🫣

Leland Coyle Valentine’s Day Headcanons

SFW💕

You expected nothing from Coyle on Valentine’s Day, but to your surprise, he actually remembered. He sat you on his lap and read to you the poem he wrote; ‘Love, Honour and Obey.’ It wasn’t… the most romantic thing on earth, but from Coyle? It meant the world.

You smiled and kissed his cheek, rubbing his chest. “Thank you, Landy. You wrote that just for me?” You asked.

Leland grinned and hugged your waist, tugging you closer to him. “Of course I did, darling.” He stroked your hair in a weirdly gentle manner, then slowly slid his hand down to the back of your neck.

A lot of his poem kind of sounded like a threat, but you took what you could. It was rare when he acted soft. You hugged his neck and nuzzled his beard, making him cuddle you against him.

NSFW💕

Coyle smiled down at you as he laid you along the leather couch. For Valentine’s Day, he was gonna play nice. You couldn’t believe how gentle he was being when he kissed you. It was slow and soft, a big change from how he usually started things.

Coyle liked to bend you over or get real rough, but he had you facing him this time. You looked up at him longingly as your bare hips moved together perfectly. It felt so good when he took you hard and fast, but this was… actually really romantic.

You smiled and cooed his name in a breathy moan. Coyle chuckled when he moved at a pace that made your eyes roll back. He hoped you knew you owed him for doing this for you. He tangled his fingers through your hair while he sighed in pleasure, moving quicker as you moaned more.

The closer you both grew, the rougher Coyle got. He couldn’t stop himself from soon pounding into you, making you scream his name.

[adaptacy]

Pre-drabble :)

the gears are turning. they are turning. they are SO turning. the fanfic brain is working. and leland is my next target (/pos). so here's a prequel drabble to something that hasnt even been written yet!

Cw: they're so fucking cringe and in love ugh i can't eyeroll (i can)

Survivor!Leland x Afab!Reader (third person)

There was something about her smile. Something so sweet. So innocent. Reminded him of the girls in college. The ones who were in sororities, who'd never faced any sort of trouble- a shiny, practically gleaming, shimmering smile. The kind of smile that your childhood best friend would have.

He could remember a time when he smiled like that. Untouched by the world. Practically on top of the world. He didn't see that kind of smile anymore. He'd stopped seeing them years ago. Stopped searching for them.

He still tried to give that kind of smile, to wear his classic cheesy grin, but people knew, and people talked. People didn't believe his smiles, so he'd stopped giving them. But he was smiling now. Not a toothy grin, but he was smiling. And she was talking, and rambling about a childhood story, and he could've listened forever.

"Oh, there I go again. I'm sorry, what was your question?" She laughed, scratching the right side of her neck.

Leland shook his head. "That's alright, it was a good story. I just wanted to know if you had any extra bags," he asked, looking down at the small container hooked onto her hip, and she nodded.

"Yeah, of course!" She reached into the container, removing a thing plastic film. He took it from her, slipping it into his pocket. "Is he a rescue?"

The man looked down at the gray dog by his ankle, who wagged his tail and looked back up at his owner. "Yeah, he is. Harrier?" He asked, motioning towards the white and brown dog by her side. Her jaw dropped, and she scoffed, pressing a hand to her chest.

"Damn! You're good. Most people assume she's a beagle mutt. How'd you know?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"Been 'round a lotta dogs. You start to pick things up."

"Do you work with them or something?"

"Uh, you could say that, yeah. I help out at a shelter sometimes," he chuckled. "May I?"

"Yeah, totally. She's super friendly," she giggled. Both of them knelt down, and she ran her palm over the mutt's head, and then her fingers came underneath the bottom of his jaw, scratching underneath his neck. "Oh, he's precious," she cooed, her smile somehow growing at the interaction.

He was staring, and he looked back at the Harrier in front of him, who tenderly sniffed his hand. The smaller dog seemed hesitant, and he took his time, only patting her head when he was sure she wouldn't be caught off guard by it. His head tilted, finding the dog somewhat familiar. "Is she a rescue, too?"

"Yeah, I got her about a year ago," the girl replied, letting out an umph as Jacs' head slammed into her shoulder, demanding more pats.

"Jacs, easy," he commanded, but the dog seemed to have caught onto the same magnetism that he did. She didn't complain, simply gave him a kiss on his snout and rubbed along his neck. "Is she from the shelter on the corner of Hansen?"

She looked over at him, and both of them realized how close they were. He took a small step backwards with his knees, and she merely looked away, returning her attention to Jacs. "Yeah, she is. Why?"

"That's where I volunteer," he chuckled. "Kelly, right?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "No way. I mean- yes, but I couldn't let them get away with giving a dog such a human name. Her name's peanut," she giggled, and he couldn't seem to take his smile off of his lips.

It wasn't long before his smile was on your lips too, enjoying the small vibrations of your giggles against his mouth. It drew laughter- real, genuine laughter from him, and you lay on his chest, your head turning to glance at the two dogs on one large dog bed, curled up against one another. There was quiet country music coming from a stereo in the kitchen, filling the air with a sort of domestic tranquility.

"Lee?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"I think we should move in together," you said, and his heart fluttered at the thought. He didn't reply immediately, so you continued. "It's just- Peanut and Jacs get along really well, and my lease will be up soon anyways, I mean, not that I need to move in with you, I can always find somewhere else, but-"

"I'd love to," he assured, running his hand up your back. You smiled again, your charming, impossibly sunny smile, and he wanted to kiss you, but he feared that he'd ruin the smile. So instead, he brushed his nose against yours, and you giggled once more.

You suddenly sat up, rolling off of his body and darting into the kitchen, turning the knob on the stereo. "Sing it, Glen!" You laughed, cranking the volume up loud enough that the dogs woke up, stirring from their sleep. Leland sat up, watching as you twirled your way over towards him, outstretching a hand.

He took it, and you yanked him off of the couch, holding it as you twirled.

"Get a house in the hills, you're payin' everyone's bills," you sang, and Leland laughed, joining in with you.

"Country boy, you got your feet in L- Ow, Jacs," Leland grunted, stumbling on his feet as the large dog pawed at him, his tail harshly wacking into Lee's ankle. Peanut barked, jumping up, and you reached down, picking up the dog and twirling with her. Jacs barked, and Leland reached down, rubbing the dogs head, laughing as he did so.

Peanut was placed back onto the floor, and Leland held out a hand, which you took without hesitation. The two of you danced together for a while longer until the song came to a close, and Leland pulled you in close, simply hugging you, appreciating you. And you hugged him back, your hands sliding up his back, but you heard his breath hitch, and you moved them back down.

His smile was soft, and you gave him a gentle squeeze. Pressing a kiss to the top of your head, he let out a gentle "I love you so much, baby."

"I love you too, Lee," you replied, enjoying his warmth for a while longer before you finally pulled away. "Dinner?"

"Hmm... Grilled cheese?" He asked, and you nodded.

"Sounds great."

[alexandersimpleton]

Not quite so different

Frederick isn't really cursed like the rest of the CPC, but maybe he isn't so different from them.

Frederick woke up, exited for another meeting with Gwen that day. It wasn't for anything important, but Jack had been in a good mood when he scheduled it and thought a short visit would be nice, especially so he could beat Leland at chess again.

He got dressed in one of his many green plaid jackets, took his... pills... and headed down for breakfast, where nothing of note happened, fitting the (relatively, Blain saw a huge bear or something in the forest somewhere) uneventful carriage ride to the pastel palace.

"Jackie!" "Leeloo!"

The kings embraced in the center of the room, while the princes met with their eventual fiances

"Hey Lorena! I saw a huge bear on the way here!"

So Lance and Lorena got into a heated discussion about the big bear, and Blain and Maria talked about... whatever those two talk about, but Gwen was nowhere to be found.

"Uh, where's Gwen?"

"Oh, she had to go to her fancy princess school today." Maria said.

"Fancy princess school?"

And a chime in from Lorena "Yeah the Cos- Cosma- Cosmo-"

Before Blain but in with "the Cosmopolitan Princess Conservatory. Has no one told you this before?"

Cosmopolitan Princess Conservatory...

CPC

Cursed Princess Club!

She must have had something important there!

"Oh! Now I remember!" But just to be safe "They were the school from that dinner party that Gwen held, right?"

"Yeah, them"

I'll just... um... go outside and read a book! Yeah I probably packed a couple in the carriage."

Luckily, his bad lying was taken for having thought of the idea of the top of his head (which it was, but they didn't need to know that), so he was let out to "read a book".

He, instead, immediately booked it for the CPC. A bit to fast

And as he finally found the club, already winded, because of course he was, he looked though the trees and found at least most of the club (that Whitney ended up joining apparently) sitting at desks while a woman, Prez he thinks, gave a lecture about something or other. Frederick was suddenly glad he wasn't in this club, be a use he can not focus on lectures.

They seem kind of busy. Maybe he should just go-

"Hey kiddo! Get out here!" The Lady giving the lecture called.

"Yeah! If we aren't free from her lectures, neither are you!" The only non-whitney boy that Frederick couldn't get the name of called along with the Prez's.

"Ahh!" Frederick stumbled out of the forest and into the clearing. "Sorry, I didn't think- uh-"

"Frederick!?" The most beautiful girl in the seats exclaimed.

Frederick only let himself get flustered at her beauty for a few moments though before "Why are you here?!"

"Um... my family was visiting today, and your sisters said you were here, and I can leave if you want, but I just figured that I'd-"

"Oh, you're not leaving Frederick! You're stuck listening to us whether you like it or not!"

"U-um- ok..."

Frederick saw that all the desks were filled, and just sat criss cross next to the beautiful girl, which he did remember the name of. It was Gwen.

But as the lecture droned on, Frederick felt his nose getting rather itchy. Allergies! They shouldn't be a problem for him, but with his condition-

Suddenly, Frederick bursted out into a fit of coughs, and all of them sounded painful. "U-um- just- just allergies! Nature doesn't like me very *cough* very much..." Frederick just managed to get out before more coughs.

Nobody knew what to do, all being concerned but still clueless as to what was going on, except Whitney, who had spent a long time with nerses, and knew something was very wrong.

He got up from his seat in the back, and knelt next to Frederick, with a clear sense of urgency, and Frederick started leaning on his chest, and drawing his legs together, clearly in pain

"Frederick, do you have any meds on you?"

Frederick gave a very slight, but still noticable nod and tried to reach into his pant pocket, but got interrupted by more coughing. Whitney reached into the pocket, and took out what looked to be a small pill bottle, opening it and slowly helping Frederick swallow one.

Whitney helped Frederick into the CPC building and helped Frederick in the couch, as the coughing slowly tapered off, leaving Frederick breathing heavily, which slowly stopped as well.

After a little while if recovering, Frederick slowly made his way out of the building. He was royally screwed wasn't he?

Gwen ran up to him, before remembering something Whitney had told her earlier while Frederick was recovering about not rushing him, and stopped in front of him, before the rest of the club followed her. "Frederick, are you ok?!"

"Uh, yeah, I'm- I'm fine..." Frederick attempted to speed walk away from the situation and hope to never see the club again out of embarrassment. He failed

Prez grabbed his arm "Oh, you are not getting away just like that. Explain. Now."

Frederick never realized Prez was so scary.

"It's... Um...." Frederick mumbled something under his breathe, breaking eye contact. "You're gonna need to explain a little louder bud."

"..." After a bit of hesitation

"I HAVE SOME STUPID CHRONIC ILLNESS AND ITS REALLY EMBARRASSING SO PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE!" The boy yelled, and immediately clapped his hands over his mouth and shrank away from Prez. "I get it if you judge me for it though... Everyone else does..."

"Oh kid... We're not gonna judge you for something like that..."

Another CPC member, Abbi, speaks up "yeah Fredy. If you're not judging us for our cursed, than why should we judge you for yours."

"It isn't a curse, it's an actual illness. You just have a curse that makes you look older than you are, Jolie's just missing her eyes, and Saffron just has a weird hand, but this... I can't run to fast, I can't even try to fight anything without passing out, heck, I wasn't even allowed to leave my bed until middle school!" Frederick started to tear up "I'm broken..."

Stunned, most of the CPC just looked at the boy, before Prez hugged him like she'd never hugged anyone before, and brought them both to the ground, as Frederick started to cry into her shoulder. "You're not broken Frederick. Nobody is." Gwen than hugged Frederick to, clearly crying as well, followed by the rest of the club.

"Hey, let's skip the rest of the lecture today."

And so, they mainly just spent the rest of the day relaxing the CPC building, until it was time for Frederick to go home, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as broken as he thought.

[genevievemd]

head scratches e and g

Confessions

Book: Open Heart: Third Year Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Genevieve McClure) Word Count: 1399 Rating: G Category: fluff, hurt/comfort Trope(s): and they were in the office

Summary: MC has been feeling unsteady, and Ethan has finally noticed. 

No Warnings

A/N: this turned into a post ch 4 (bk 3) fic. Because I’m a little disappointed that PB didn’t let us talk to Ethan about the weird shit he was doing with Harper. Also look at me, once again using a one word title, because I suck at titles and its 3 am and I’m too tired to try to come up with something better. 

The sun sets outside the floor to ceiling windows, casting the diagnostics office a dance of shadows and lights. Ethan gets up from the desk, walking over to shut off the fluorescent lights leaving the room in growing darkness. He rolls his neck as he returns to the desk, turning on the lamp on the wooden surface. 

He’s felt a migraine forming all afternoon, since Leland’s bombshell that Ethan’s rival would now be joining his team. The sense that all control is steadily slipping through his fingers, growing by the day, by the hour it seems. 

What was promised to be a democracy was now nothing but a dictatorship disguised in new equipment and pay raises. 

Ethan closes his eyes, leaning back in the chair, desperately trying to cling onto the thoughts of the one good and stable thing he has left. 

Genevieve. 

“How are you feeling?” 

A soft voice breaks through the silence, Ethan opening his eyes to see the very thing he was thinking of standing in the doorway. A pleasant warmth runs through him, he’s not a man that believes in fate, but there is something utterly divine in the way she appears at the very moment he needs her. 

Genevieve walks to the desk, every step that brings her closer settling the anxiety and rage boiling inside him. She smiles sweetly at him, perching herself on his desk.

“Like I’m slowly losing control.” Ethan sits up, a hand coming to rest on her knee, thumb tracing circles on her skin. “It’s bad enough we have to deal with Bloom, but now I have to contend with Tobias as his lapdog, as well.” 

“You have me, though,” Her green eyes fill with warmth as she leans forward, holding his cheek delicately in her hand. “And I’ll always be on your side.” 

“I know. I’m incredibly thankful for that, believe me.” 

They share a smile, that four letter word swirling around his head for the umpteenth time as they get lost in each other. Gen breaks the spell, hopping off the desk and settling in his lap. His arms come around her without a second thought, pulling her impossibly closer. 

“How can I help?” Her words are nothing more than a whisper as her fingers trace his jawline. 

“There’s nothing you can do, unfortunately.” 

“I can at least try and alleviate some stress. It’s what girlfriends are for, after all.” 

The word girlfriend sparks something inside him, setting his heart into a rapid beat. They haven’t discussed terms, which is mostly his fault. In the moments when he has Gen alone, he spends the time doing everything but talking. The need to make up for the months he had spent pushing her away taking precedence over defining what they are to each other. But he knows they need to have that talk soon, he can see her growing impatient and hesitant with each passing day. 

Gen takes off his glasses, tossing them onto the desk. She threads her fingers in his hair, scratching lightly as she goes. He closes his eyes again, forehead coming to rest on her shoulder as her fingers continue to weave through his hair.  

“I meant what I said at lunch, G. Just having you in the room makes me feel more at peace.” 

“Should I stop then?” 

“Absolutely not.” He kisses the side of her neck, nuzzling sweetly. “I will take any and all forms of affection from you.” 

“Quite the difference from last year, Doctor ‘We Need a Reset’.” 

“We all have a lapse in judgment from time to time.” 

“Mhm.” He can feel her giggle, his arms tightening around her. 

They settle into an easy quiet, drawing comfort from a shared space. 

As much as he wants to get lost in her touch, he can’t help but fall back to the thoughts of Gen’s newfound uncertainty. Ethan’s half sure it has something to do with him, but he hopes more than anything that it’s not. Praying instead that it all falls to the new easy comradery of the team and the ever growing changes their employer makes. 

He wants nothing more than for Genevieve to confide in him, lean on him in the same way he leans on her. 

“Are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you lately?” 

“It’s not important anymore.” 

“I beg to differ, Gen.” He presses a kiss to her shoulder before lifting his head to look at her. “You’ve been tossing and turning every night for a week. Something is wrong.” 

“I don’t want to ruin the moment or make you feel more stressed.” 

“So it’s me?” 

“I didn’t say that.” 

“You didn’t have to.” His brows furrow at her lack of honesty, she’s never been this closed off before. Its unnerving and so unlike her. Fear settles deep in his bones as their eyes meet, the need to find a solution growing with every second that passes. “I can’t fix it if you aren’t forthcoming.” 

“It’s already fixed, kind of.” She sighs, adverting her eyes from him again. “Harper more or less set things straight.” 

“Harper?” Ethan tilts his head, face scrunched in confusion. 

“I was... feeling unsteady, about my place on the team and with you.” 

“With me? The team I can understand, but I thought things were fine between us.” 

Her face drops, taking a breath. “You really have no idea?” 

Gen gets up from his lap, moving back to her previous spot on the desk. The distance she places between them is small, but enough to make his heart ache fiercely. 

“Let’s put it this way, if my ex joined the team and I spent more time reminiscing about our history - weddings and flamenco lessons and dates at some intimate bistro named after a freaking Disney character - and you had to sit here, constantly interrupted, looked over and forced to listen to every second of it, how would you feel?”

“I was doing that to you.” The pain he feels is instant, regret following quickly after. “I didn’t realize.” 

“Which, if I’m being honest, Ethan, makes it hurt ten times more. Because that says that you didn’t think of me or my feelings at all.” 

He wants to jump up and dispute her claims. She’s the only thing he thinks of on most days and it kills him that he’s somehow made her feel the opposite.

“I don’t care that you’re friends with your ex, Harper is wonderful. But when you sit here and talk about dates you went on and veer off topic to bring up some inside joke, it makes me feel like you don’t respect me or our relationship. Like this is a casual fling you could quickly let go off and not a committed relationship. Like I’m an afterthought and that isn’t fair to me.” 

Ethan stands from his chair, unable to cope with the distance between them any longer. He steps in front of her, holding her face in his hands. “This isn’t causal, Gen. Far from it. And you’re not an afterthought, you never have been.” 

“Yeah, well actions speak louder than words and half of your actions lately say otherwise.”

“You’re right. I was being inconsiderate and tactless” He can see by the way she pulls away that his words aren’t enough. If he’s going to really set things back into place, Gen is going to need a real apology. 

Ethan lets out a breath, holding her gaze for a long moment. “It was wrong of me to do that to you, even worse that I did it without realizing. Your thoughts and feelings are important to me, they take precedence. I’m sorry, Genevieve. Truly. It won’t happen again.” 

“Thank you.” She reaches for his hand, interlacing their fingers. 

“Not that there’ll be a next time, but should I do something this imbecilic again, feel free to call me out on it sooner rather than later.”

“Trust me, I will.” 

Her smile returns, brighter than it was when she’d walked in ten minutes ago. Ethan leans forward, pressing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. He gets bolder when she sighs, as she opens up to him and threads her fingers through his hair. 

“This is teetering towards a pg-13 rating.” Gen mutters against his lips, their foreheads pressed together as they catch their breaths. “Take me home.” 

“Whatever you want, Rookie.”

a/n: it took me all week to get this to a point where I liked it enough to post it. But we did it and I like it enough. 

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[starryeyedrookie]

Soulmates (Ethan x MC) Part 2

Book: Set after Open Heart book 3 with topic mentions from previous books.

Pairing: Ethan x F!MC (Evelyn Long)

Word count: 1,072

Rating: Teen

Category: Mostly fluff with some suggestive dialogue

Summary: Evelyn’s POV with continuation from Part 1 and elaboration on her story featured in The Newlywed Game.

Author’s note: I didn’t for this part to be so long, but I got a little carried away lol. Translation is in brackets on the side, and I hope you enjoy reading!❤️

The morning breeze was warm, with the smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries flooding Evelyn’s senses as she and Ethan walked to Dolce Vita.

She never imagined that they would get to this point. Holding hands, walking down the surprisingly quiet streets, now a married couple.

Still feeling a sense of disbelief, she smiled and shook her head, glancing down at her hand, her ring glittering in the sunlight confirming that yes, they had vowed to stay by each other's side for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.

“What’s got you so giddy?” Ethan asked, catching her smiling to herself.

“I was just thinking about how far we've come together. We’re married! I guess it just doesn’t feel real yet.”

“I can understand that. Are you having any doubts?”

“Dr. Ramsey! I’m horrified that you would even ask such a thing!” Evelyn exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart faking distress. “No, I’m not having any doubts. You’re stuck with me until the day I die Mr. Chief of Medicine.”

“Good, because I don't intend on ever letting you get away. Oh, here we are.” Ethan announced as they approached the little café. “After you madame,” he said, holding the door open for her.

“Why thank you, kind sir.”

Entering the store, they’re both overwhelmed by all the options.

As they waited in line, Evelyn began thinking back to those Duolingo lessons that she tried taking months prior. She never liked going anywhere that she couldn’t understand the language.

Reaching the front of the line, a new drink on the menu caught her eye.

“Buongiorno. Cosa posso offrirti oggi?” the barista asked. (Good morning. What can I get for you today?)

“Buongiorno, che sapore ha tua Madre?” she asked, pointing to the item on the menu behind the barista. (Good morning. What does your mother taste like?)

“Excuse me? Did you mean to ask, che sapore ha quella bevanda?” he inquired, pointing to the same spot on the menu. (What does that drink taste like?)

Quickly trying to think back to what she said, her face dropped in horror.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I got mixed up, and I didn’t realize-”

“She was trying to learn Italian before we came, so she can order in it,” Ethan added, trying to not make her feel worse.

“Don’t worry about it,” he responded laughing, “I know how it is to try to learn a new language. I moved here three years ago and trust me, I’ve had my fair share of mishaps. The drink that you’re asking about is caffè d’un parrinu. It’s coffee with flavours of clove, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.”

“That sounds amazing.” she managed to replay still blushing furiously, hoping no one had heard her mistake.

“We’ll take two of those and two tiramisu-filled croissants please,” Ethan glanced at the barista’s name tag, “Oliver.”

“Coming right up!”

After paying, Oliver handed them a bag with their croissants and their coffees. “Here you go, have a nice day!”

“Thank you, you too,” Evelyn replied, taking Ethan’s hand and heading out.

The walk back to the hotel was quiet, neither one wanting to bring up what had just happened.

Upon entering their room, Evelyn placed her coffee on the small table and collapsed on the bed, screaming into her pillow.

“Dammit dammit dammiiittt!

Placing their bag and his coffee down, Ethan sat down on the bed next to her and rubbed her back soothingly.

“Sweetheart, I know you’re embarrassed, but please, if the other guests are going to file a noise complaint against us, let’s be wise about what we use the opportunity for.”

Sitting up and laughing through tears she wrapped her arms around him.

“I know what would cheer you up.”

“What?”

“Here,” he said, handing her his credit card, “take this and go get whatever you want.”

“I can't do that.” she protested.

“Yes, you can. Consider it your wedding gift.”

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, pushing him down on the bed and showering him with kisses. “Don’t you want to come with me?”

“Surprise me,” he responded, giving her one last lingering kiss.

- - - - - -

About an hour later, Evelyn returned with two bags in hand.

“Thank you!” she exclaims, handing Ethan his card back.

“Of course, darling. Did you get everything you wanted?”

“I did.”

“Excellent, I slipped my mind to mention it to you earlier, but tonight, after dinner, we’ll be going on a gondola ride.”

“Booyah!” she squealed, pumping her fist in the air and dancing.

“If you do that on the boat, trust that I will push you off.”

She smiled and kissed him, “No you won’t. I think you’re all talk Dr. Ramsey.”

- - - - - -

That evening, after dinner, the newlyweds boarded the gondola and began floating along The Grand Canal, the setting sun shining a glorious golden light upon the water.

Evelyn sat across from Ethan, admiring how bright his blue eyes looked in the light, his face a look of calm peacefulness. She didn’t think that she’d ever seen him so relaxed.

Before she met Ethan, she thought she knew what love was. She had only loved one boy from the age of eight until eighteen. Her first and only boyfriend. When she left home for school, they tried to make long distance work, but slowly fell out of touch. It made her sad, but it didn’t break her.

Then she thought of when Ethan left for two months to go to the Amazon. She had felt more hurt at that moment than she did in her entire life. Hurt that Ethan hadn’t contacted her or even mentioned to her that he was leaving. Hurt that he had tried to erase all the progress that they had made in the previous year.

But they overcame it all. They stayed and fought together through everything that was thrown at them. From working tirelessly to find a cure for Naveen, to the attack on the Senator and the deaths of their friends. Leland Bloom had even tried to overthrow the hospital, but they took him down together.

Now here they were, Chief of Medicine and Head of the Diagnostics Team. They made each other stronger and pushed each to always be their best.

He was the love of her life and she was the love of his, and together they would be unstoppable.

Catching her staring, Ethan smiled and took her hands in his, “I love you Evelyn.”

“I love you too Ethan.”

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

Tag list: @mercury84choices , @a-crepusculo, @emmasumbrella , @quixoticdreamer16 , @headoverheelsforramsey, @mm2305

@choicesficwriterscreations

Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed❤️

[heauxplesslydevoted]

Deja Vu (Ethan x MC)

Summary: While on their honeymoon, Ethan and Naomi come face to face with a blast from his past.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 3k+

A/N: Wow, how has it been almost 4 months since I’ve written for Ethan?? Insanity.

~v~

The Waldorf Astoria all the way in Amsterdam is the last place she ever thought she’d see Ethan Ramsey again. A five star hotel on a different continent should be an escape, but here he is, at the front desk talking to the receptionist without a care in the world.

It’s been 15 years, and not much has changed for him. Older obviously, his hair is graying along the temples, a few wrinkles settling in around his eyes, and he has a beard, a full beard. He looks...good. She’ll even admit to saying he looks great. Terribly so.

What are the odds that they’d both end up in the same place at the same time like this? After all this time passing by? She almost wants to say it’s fate trying to tell her something.

So she takes the plunge and greets him. “Ethan? Ethan Ramsey?”

The sound of his name being called grabs his attention, and he turns around. His eyes widen in shock, and she can see just how blue they are.

Ethan almost feels like he’s looking at a ghost. He hasn’t seen Victoria Sharpe since he was in medical school, not since he saw her with Tobias. And it’s been years since he’s given the moment so much as a passing thought. And now she’s here, in the flesh.

Her dark auburn hair is much shorter than he remembers. When they were younger, it flowed down to her waist, and now it doesn’t even pass her shoulders. She’s wearing glasses, the thick frames hiding her wide green eyes and most of her face, a face that had him entranced back in his twenties.

“Victoria Sharpe.”

Victoria smiles brightly and steps forward to hug Ethan, but his body goes rigid and he takes a step back as if her touch could burn him. She almost goes in for a handshake, but Ethan’s hands stay rooted at his side and he gives her a curt nod instead. She receives the message loud and clear that he doesn’t want to touch her.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Victoria says brightly. “How have you been? Last I heard, you were in Boston, right? Under the tutelage of Dr. Naveen Banerji, working on his special diagnostics team.”

“Yeah, I’m still at Edenbrook, er-Bloom Edenbrook, as it goes by these days. I started my residency there and never looked back. But Banerji doesn’t practice anymore, he’s now the chief of the hospital.”

“I spent my residency in Houston, and then I landed in San Francisco, where I’ve been for the past 7 years.”

It’s not information that Ethan was fishing for, nor does he truly care. Not wanting to be terribly rude, Ethan hums, acknowledging the fact that he heard her speak. He doesn’t want to be trapped in an awkward small talk situation with this woman, especially when he has nothing to say.

Victoria frowns. Ethan was always a tough nut to crack, even when they were dating, but there’s an uncomfortable distance between the two of them now, and she doesn’t know how to navigate it.

“Are you in Amsterdam for the AMA conference as well?” Victoria asks. Surely this is the best way to get him to talk: their shared love of medicine. “There’s supposed to be a meeting on hematology hosted by Dr. Arthur Saunders, and  I remember how much you admired him back in our John Hopkins days.”

Ethan’s eyebrow raises in question. He didn’t even know there was supposed to be a conference in Amsterdam. He shakes his head. “No, I’m not here for any conference, I’m here with–”

“Okay, the concierge just gave me the rundown on all of the cool places we have to hit up while we’re here! There’s so many restaurants I want to try.”

Victoria watches as a woman excitedly wraps an arm around Ethan’s waist and hugs him close to her. Whatever cold front he was putting on a mere seconds ago dissipates as he smiles warmly, and drops a kiss onto her forehead.

“We’re only here for a week, darling, please pick the restaurants wisely.”

“Apparently, we have to go to some place called Foodhallen. It’s a one stop-shop for all sorts of goodies.”

“That sounds fun,” Ethan murmurs. “How about we go tonight?”

“I was thinking we should order room service tonight,” Ethan doesn’t miss the way her eyes twinkle as she speaks, “so we don’t have to leave the bedroom.”

“Mhmm, I like that line of thinking.”

It becomes apparent that Ethan has forgotten all about her, his attention now solely on the woman clinging to his side. Victoria clears her throat in an attempt to regain some of the attention. When the couple breaks apart, Victoria looks to Ethan, wondering if he’ll introduce her.

When he makes no effort to do so, the woman at his side thrusts her hand out. “Hi, I’m Naomi.”

Victoria grabs her hand, giving it a firm shake. “Victoria.”

She’s gorgeous, Victoria notices it instantly. Her huge brown eyes are deep and expressive, her long curly hair going past her shoulders. Even with bags under her eyes, the younger woman is a stunner.

“Naomi, this is Dr. Victoria Sharpe. We went to medical school together. Dr. Sharpe, this is my wife, Dr. Naomi Valentine.”

Victoria bristles at the introduction. Given their history, reducing her to any old classmate just seems wrong. They were together for almost two years, for goodness sake. They were attached at the hip, and while the relationship didn’t end well, there’s no need to trivialize who she was to him. But she doesn’t dwell on it for long, because she’s more interested in Naomi’s moniker. Out of all the things Naomi could’ve been introduced as, Ethan’s wife was not what Victoria expected to hear. He got married? But Ethan Ramsey isn’t the marrying type. “Your wife?”

The word sends a pleasant shiver up Ethan’s spine and he smiles warmly. Sure, it’s been a week since they exchanged vows and the newness hasn’t worn off yet, but Ethan still can’t believe it. Naomi is his wife, and he’s obsessed with saying it.

“Yes,” Ethan nods. “That’s what I was saying, we’re not here for a conference, we’re actually here for our honeymoon.”

Victoria’s stomach rolls upon hearing that, but she plasters on a smile, nonetheless. Her cheeks hurt and her shiny white teeth are probably blinding them, but Victoria powers through. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you.” Ethan turns to Naomi, Victoria’s presence already fading from his mind. “While you were off making friends with the concierge, I got us checked into our room. Someone already took up our luggage for us. Are you ready?”

“Am I ready to dive onto a pile of down feathers and pass out for the next few hours? Absolutely.”

Ethan takes her hand, interlocking their fingers. “Then let’s go.”

He barely spares Victoria another glance before turning on his heel and walking away, but Naomi, always more gracious and poised than him, gives Victoria a warm parting smile. “It’s always nice to meet a fellow Hopkins alum. Enjoy your stay, Dr. Sharpe!”

“Thank you,” Victoria replies, even though she’s almost positive they didn’t hear. Ethan is whispering something into Naomi’s ear, and she’s giggling as they walk off.

It takes the newlyweds a few minutes to make it to their room—an 1,100 square-foot suite, because Ethan wasn’t going to subject his bride to anything less than the best—and true to her word, Naomi’s first line of business and falling face first onto their bed. It’s covered in red roses which all splay wildly around her, as she gives them no attention.

“I’m exhausted,” she says, the 10 hour flight getting the best of her. Ethan chuckles and grabs her foot, helping her out of her shoes. They fall onto the soft rug with a thud. “Why didn’t we pick somewhere closer for our honeymoon, like New York? The Hamptons would’ve been lovely this time of the year.”

“You said you wanted to add another stamp to your passport.”

“Well stop listening to me,” Naomi grumbles.

Ethan leans over his new wife and kisses the back of her head. “Famous last words, Valentine.”

Naomi rolls over in order to look Ethan in the eye. “So, the woman we met downstairs. That was the Victoria, right? The one you and Tobias were both after?”

Ethan’s eyes close and his head drops at the question. He knows whatever comes next won’t be all that enjoyable.”

He nods anyway. “That was Victoria, the one I thought I was in a relationship with until Tobias threw his hat in the ring. Then we did the back and forth thing for almost 6 months, before she chose to be with him.”

“I’m sorry,” Naomi replies, a small frown playing on her lips. Sure it was a long time ago, but she hates hearing about anything that has caused Ethan pain.

Ge shrugs. He’s long let go of his anger over that situation and the subsequent fallout. “It’s whatever.”

“No, it’s not whatever,” Naomi argues. “She messed with you, and broke your heart.”

“I survived,” Ethan says. “I haven’t thought about that woman since I mentioned her in passing nearly three years ago, on Leland Bloom’s yacht. She didn’t ruin me for future relationships, I didn’t carry a torch for her, there’s no leftover baggage, no need for closure, nothing. If anything, I look back on that time of my like in annoyance. Annoyed at how I lost years of friendship with Tobias over a woman that neither of us ended up with, and annoyed with myself that I let her hold so much power over me.” 

24 year old Ethan was head over heels for Victoria. He would’ve done any and everything for her. And like a siren leading him to certain death, she wielded that power over him—and Tobias—whenever she saw fit. It took him a long time to realize just how toxic and dysfunctional the love triangle really was, and it’s not something he’s particularly keen on rehashing.

“It’s hard to imagine you letting someone hold power over you.”

“You’ve had power over me since the beginning, Valentine. Mind, body, and soul. But the difference is I yield to you, with no hesitation.”

Naomi smiles. He doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he never fails to take her breath away. “Well lucky for you, I intend on using my superpowers for good.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Naomi grabs a handful of her husband’s shirt and pulls him towards her, though it doesn’t take much effort and he comes willingly. Warmth floods his chest, and just like that, all thoughts of Victoria Sharpe are banished from Ethan’s mind, as all he can focus on is Naomi, the smell of her jasmine perfume filling his nostrils and her lips against his.

“Are you sure you’re okay after seeing her?” Naomi asks after breaking the kiss, her hand gently raking through his beard.

“It was a surprise,” Ethan admits. His gaze slides over Naomi’s sparkling engagement ring. “But I’m in Amsterdam with the love of my life, celebrating my honeymoon, and she is nothing more than a memory. You have my full, undivided attention, now and forevermore.”

“Good. You know what we should d-do?” Her breath hitches as Ethan resumes kissing her, the juncture between her neck and shoulder his new target. His tongue slides over the warm skin, her pulse pounding erratically, and Naomi is sure she’s lost the ability to breathe.

“What?”

“Order a bottle of champagne and break in that super huge shower in the en-suite.”

Ethan is off of her in a flash, his hands never leaving her as he sweeps a giggling Naomi off of the bed and into his arms. “I knew I married you for a reason. You have excellent ideas.”

~v~

The next morning, Victoria spots Naomi in the hotel’s restaurant, sipping on a cup of coffee, reading a magazine. It’s a huge five star hotel, part of Victoria hoped she didn’t have to run into the newly minted Missus Ethan Ramsey for the rest of their duration here.

But the other part of Victoria couldn’t stop her morbid curiosity. Who the hell is Naomi Valentine? And what makes her so special?

She spent the night researching the younger woman. Naomi has private social media accounts, but that didn’t stop her from getting information that is public record. Her profile on the Bloom Edenbrook website says she’s from Washington D.C. and got her BS and MD both from John Hopkins. She found news articles and videos detailing an attempted murder that happened at the hospital a few years ago, involving Naomi, the former senator of Massachusetts, and a few other hospital staff. She poured over research articles written by Naomi and Ethan detailing septic shock, an ailment that nearly killed Dr. Naveen Banerji a few years ago.

Unable to stop herself, Victoria marches over to the table currently occupied by her fellow doctor. Sensing her presence, Naomi looks up, shock flitting across her features. Realizing she must look wild, Naomi smiles at her. “Good morning, Dr. Sharpe.”

“Victoria.”

“Good morning, Victoria.”

“Do you mind if I sit?” Victoria asks, gesturing to the empty seat at the table. Wordlessly, Naomi nods her head. “Thank you.”

Why on earth am I here? Victoria thinks to herself. In what universe is the acceptable or appropriate conduct?

“You’re up early,” Victoria says.

“I was too excited to sleep, despite the jet lag.”

Naomi doesn’t say anything further because there’s no need to. She was perfectly content by herself. If Victoria wants to say something, she’s going to have to open her mouth and do so, because Naomi feels no compelling reason to initiate small talk.

The silence stretches for a long time, with Victoria unable to start the conversation. As the painstaking time stretches on, the urge to get up and run away gets stronger and stronger.

Her eyes settle on Naomi’s engagement ring, an incredibly large princess cut diamond and a simple platinum band on top of it, and she’s reminded of why she’s here in the first place. She’s sitting in front of Ethan Ramsey’s wife.

“I’m sorry, this is just...surreal,” Victoria says.

“What?”

“The Ethan I know doesn’t agree with marriage, so to know that he’s on his honeymoon is weird.”

“I love him, he loves me. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, simple as that. The Ethan I know and the Ethan you knew are vastly different,” Naomi says, making the deliberate distinction. He’s changed a lot in the past 3 years, let alone the past 15.”

“I just can’t imagine it. Back in school, Ethan’s steadfastness was so intense, it was almost like he had tunnel vision. There was absolutely no room for him to see a grey area or compromise.”

Naomi chuckles humorlessly. It’s good to know that part of Ethan has endured. “He’s still like that sometimes. A lot of times. But I argue him down, and it’s been like that since the day we met. I don’t think he was used to it, but I force him to think outside the box. He grounds me when its time to color inside the lines again.”

“Good for you.”

They fall into silence again, though this stretch is a bit more comfortable than the last. 

Naomi takes a sip of coffee before clearing her throat. “Can I ask you something?”

“Ask away.”

“How did things end between you and Ethan?”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s given you all of the gritty details.”

“He hasn’t, actually. I only know the bare minimum.”

Victoria’s face flushes, cheeks turning pink as she thinks back on her relationships with both Ethan and Tobias. “Ethan asked me out during our second year of medical school. He and I...we were good, when we were good. Dating him was fun, he had a confidence about him that choked a room, he was great in bed,” and now it’s Naomi’s turn to flush, and she tilts her head slightly, not knowing how to respond to that. Is she supposed to say something snarky? Laugh and agree? “I’m sorry, that was so inappropriate of me.”

“Apology accepted.”

“While what we had was fun, I was convinced that it was meant to be a fling, something that was going to fizzle out eventually. He never said it aloud, but I know Ethan was in much deeper than I, but we were at a standstill. Then Tobias told me he was interested. I should’ve shut him. And I should’ve told Ethan that our relationship had run its course, but I didn’t. They were at the top of their class, poised to be two of the greatest doctors of our generation, they were extremely gorgeous, and they wanted me.”

Victoria sighs heavily. “I was fully aware of what I was doing, but I didn’t care. You can’t imagine the power trip I was on. I had them wrapped around my pinky finger, if I said jump, they were already 5 feet in the air. I was a young woman in my 20s, I was having more fun than I knew how to handle. I played them like fiddles against each other because I knew I could. I would get away with it. And then Ethan issued an ultimatum, saying I had a decision to make, because he was tired of sharing me. I decided to pick Tobias. He was so charismatic, fun, and easygoing. I was able to justify things because like I said, I couldn’t continue having a real relationship with Ethan. He was vehemently against marriage, like, would go on. He didn’t want children. He wasn’t made for the life I wanted to carve out for the life I wanted to have.”’

Victoria’s nails dig into her palm as she tries to breathe. Had she misjudged the entire situation? If she stuck around and not pulled both men into a love triangle, could she be the one in Naomi’s shoes, wearing a ring the size of the moon on her finger, living happily ever after?

“I’m not particularly proud of my med school days,” Victoria continues. “It was selfish and callous, and I’m sure Ethan probably hates me.”

“He doesn’t,” Naomi insists, with a shake of her head. “So don’t go around holding onto any guilt. Just...learn from it and do your best.”

Victoria locks eyes with Naomi. She wants to dislike her, so much so. If Naomi is horrible, it’d soothe some of the ache in her chest, and she could continue on believing that what she did to Ethan didn’t matter. But she can’t. By all accounts, Naomi Valentine is…impressive. Smart as a whip, gorgeous, and highly accomplished for someone who’s only been a doctor for around 4 years. And the fact that she’s even giving Victoria the time of day proves that she’s a decent person.

“There you are!”

The hairs on Victoria’s neck stand up as she hears Ethan’s voice from behind. She sees him out of her peripheral as he glides to Naomi, either not noticing her presence at the table or choosing to ignore it.

“I needed caffeine,” Naomi replies, craning her neck to greet Ethan with a kiss. “And I decided to let you sleep in.”

“Thank you.”

Victoria averts her gaze. It feels like she’s intruding on a rather intimate moment, and she doesn’t want to interrupt.

When they break away is when Ethan finally spares a glance her way. His eyes go wide, and yeah, that’s confirmation enough that he didn’t notice her.

“Dr. Sharpe,” he exhales deeply through his nose. “I didn’t know you were here.” His eyes flicker over to Naomi and his hackles go up, defensive and ready to strike at any given moment.

Victoria notices it instantly, his protectiveness over Naomi. Her stomach twists uncomfortably. She couldn’t really blame him, their previous relationship ended on a sour note and didn’t inspire any trust within the man.

Before she can open her mouth to explain, Naomi jumps in. “We were just having some old fashioned girl chat,” she says smoothly, touching her husband’s hand, and he does relax a little bit at the contact.

“I’ve taken up too much of your time,” Victoria announces. She stands up. “Thank you for entertaining an old lady.”

“You’re not old, and it’s no problem,” Naomi shoots back. She stands up as well, finishing the rest of her coffee as she does so. “Enjoy the rest of your time here.”

“You as well.”

Victoria watches as Ethan pulls out his wallet. He tosses a few bills onto the table, paying for Naomi’s drink as well as a generous tip. “Are you ready to go?”

“Always.” Naomi slips her arm around Ethan. Come on handsome, we have some obnoxious tourist-y activities to do.”

Before they walk off, Naomi gives Victoria one more glance. Both women nod at each other, silently saying goodbye. Once they’re out of the restaurant, Ethan garners her attention. “What was that about?”

“Nothing. She just wanted to meet the amazing woman who managed to lock down the elusive commitment-phone known as Ethan Ramsey.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“And what did you tell her?”

“Our story isn’t really her business, I said you’ve grown and we love each other, and we wanted to get married. And then she gave me her version of your relationship.” He doesn’t respond to that, but Naomi does hear him scoff slightly. “Do you want to know what she told me?”

“No.”

That’s a shock. If the roles were reversed, Naomi would covet every single detail. “No?”

“No.” Ethan stops walking and Naomi follows suit. He turns, looking her in the eye. “I meant what I said to you yesterday. I don’t need any sort of closure from that chapter of my life. You, Naomi Marie Ramsey, are the only woman in my life that I care about.”

Even though she hasn’t made any sort of effort to change her name, she still giggles at being called Ramsey. Surging forward, she captures his lips in a kiss. It doesn’t take Ethan long to respond, his hand traveling to the small of her back, holding her close.

Too soon for her liking, Ethan breaks apart from her, resting his forehead on hers. “You know, if you want to actually explore anything other than the four walls of our suite, I suggest we put this on pause. You wanted to do some exploring, last I heard.”

“You’re right,” Naomi relents, pecking him on the lips once more for good measure. “Now let’s go shopping, Dr. Ramsey. I didn’t marry rich for nothing.”

~v~

Tags: @mercury84choices @mvalentine @sizzlingcashherohumanoid @choicesaddict5 @professorkingslay @nikki-2406 @maurine07 @aka-calliope @edgiestwinter @brycesgirl @akshara16 @bluebellot @whimsicallywayward15 @honeyandsunfl0wers @blossomanarchy @takemyopenheart @jamespotterthefirst @fanmantrashcan @whatchique @ao719 @x-kyne-x @colourmeshy @paulfwesley @the-pale-goddess @writinghereandthere @ramseyandrys @perriewinklenerdie @aworldoffandoms @thatcatlady0716 @drakewalker04 @canknot @hatescapsicum @lapisreviewsstuff @senseofduties @badchoicesposts @ethandaddyramseyx @chasingrobbie @zodiacsign1 @choices-lurker @my-heart-beats-for-ya @adrian-motherfucking-raines @riverrune @edith-eggs1 @thatysn @bellcat2010 @blainehellyes @cecilecontrera @junehiratas @choices-love-affair @openheart12 @caseyvalentineramsey @desmaranj @nazario-sayeed @aestheticartsx @ruinedbypixels @nooruleman @rookie-ramsey

[spacegoatart]

Hi! I've seen your post about Treasure planet headcanons, soo here is a bunch of mine:

• Silver speaks multiple languages; sometimes he mixes them up as he goes, especially when he's tired, and ends up with "wait what" moments. Some of those become inside jokes between him and Jim.

• Silver hums space shanties when he's working; sometimes he isn't really aware that he's doing that, and if someone (Jim or maybe Sarah Hawkins) asks him what song he is humming, he may not be able to answer right away. He taught Jim a bunch of them, and Morph learned them by constantly overhearing; sometimes the little shapeshifter would either copy Silver's humming or morph into a musical instrument(tin whistle, harmony, maybe a really small lute/guitar) and literally play itself, or morph into whatever lyrics say–tiny ships, aetherium sea monsters, you name it.

• The eye in the bonzabeast stew isn't an actual eye plucked from someone – its actually a fruit from Silver's homeworld, basically a really freaky looking space cherry tomato; it is tricky to industrially grow and harvest even in its natural range, so there is little export and not many people know about it. It is tasty, though, especially pickled, and Silver likes it. They are legally required to be sold in opaque glassware on some worlds, though.

• Jim really likes the texture of solar sails(I hc it to be similar to a really tough, but smooth synthetic, like an outer layer of clothes for winter sports–not stretchy and making nice crinkly/hissy sounds when rubbed against itself) also, solar sails are ironed together rather than sewn when repairs are needed, and when Jim gets his hands onto a real sail iron press for the first time and gets a feel of patching up a sail, he nearly cries with happiness(he put the sails on his solar surf together with homemade instruments, and it was a lot of trial, error and burned fingers)

• Jim has either inattentive or combined type ADHD(a good bit of projecting here, gotta admit); it added a lot of stress for him, both during his sailing on RLS Legacy and in the Academy; Silver is mildly confused, but supportive dad.

• Jim learned some really fancy cooking skills from Silver–he knew how to cook before, but had a pretty utilitarian attitude towards it, not a passion for it. Sometimes he stress cooks or stress cleans, and Silver has to remind him to drink water/stretch/take a break, kid, seriously, you've spent literally hours pacing around, you'll have blisters on your feet if you won't stop

I have more, but I feel like I shared a lot for the first time. Hope you're having a good time ^_^

yess thank u for these, i love all of these :D i wanted to talk about each one so it gets kind of wordy, i really enjoyed seeing these (sorry it took me a few days to finally answer, i meant to answer earlier but i got busy)

1. i love this one, this could be canon lol. its very resourceful to know multiple languages as a pirate so i’m sure he does know many, as well as mix them up. Jim would immediately tease him about it, Silver would laugh about it too.

2. UGH YES he totally sings, i was kind of disappointed that we don't hear him sing in the movie but whatever. morph loves his singing and would totally join along or find a pocket and fall asleep. Silver probably has a great voice making his humming/singing even more enchanting to listen to.

3. this one is really interesting, i hadn't thought about the fact that it may not be a real eye but that would make sense. it wouldn't be the first time nature has adapted visual defense mechanisms to stop things from eating them. the glass jar idea is really cool because yeah, you don't want to buy a jar of something and see eyeballs, as well as someone might put actual ones in, that's a hazard.

4. yess love Jim with sensory issues, he would totally just go up on the mast and touch them and loose his mind. Silver would tell him to get down, etc but he kind of gets it. solar sails are probably hard to care for, especially if they're supposed to soak up energy (i think at least, they're supposed to be solar panels but thinner and flexible) so they would need a special set of tools, ones i’m sure Jim couldn't afford at the time. i wonder if he bought his own or if Sarah and Silver got him one for a birthday or something

5. YES i hadn't even thought about mentally ill Jim but yes he 100% has ADHD (i also have ADHD so don't worry about projecting xD). he probably couldn't focus as well in school and with the stress of the inn and Leland leaving him, he got so frustrated and kind of gave up. while that sucks, he found something to entertain himself, solar surfing and it absolutely became his special interest. when he gets to the academy, he starts to struggle again but this time hes not as put off by it, since he really did want to go. he probably doesn't find out that he has ADHD until either a year or few months in, mainly because it isn't his behavior causing him to fall back. Sarah probably feels so guilty but Jim lets her know that its ok, even he wasn't aware. he starts using his diagnosis to learn what he can do to help himself and he starts getting motivated to keep learning. i was thinking about Jim in the academy, i think he’d become super interested in math, maybe it'd even become a special interest! i just think he’d love to know the way numbers make up the world and how you can determine events based on calculations

6. Jim probably knew how to cook before from his mom but Silver definitely sparked an interest in him. cooking became less of a known skill and became an art, watching Silver garnish dishes, make special sauces and create something delicious out of just the few things on the ship. i bet he’d come home and start stress cleaning, confusing the heck out of Sarah. she knew he was stressed but couldn't help but be a little grateful that her kitchen was completely clean. when Silver is around, he doesn’t really understand that Jim is stressed out, he just thinks he’s cleaning. once he DOES catch on however, he hangs around while Jim is scrubbing, handing him water, convincing him that he can talk about it if he wants and keeping an eye on him in general. it ends up stressing Silver out, watching Jim get so worried over a grade or an assignment, so Silver tries to get Jim to go on walks with him and relax a little. however, Silver knows he can’t make Jim do anything so when Jim insists he just wants to clean and think for a bit, Silver leaves him be. not that he doesn’t immediately go to Sarah to talk about how worried he is about Jim. i wonder if Sarah stress cleans to, maybe Jim gets it from her?

[coffeeheartaddict2]

When egos collide pt 12- Declaration of war

Book: Open Heart (book 3 rewrite)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Casey Valentine

Summary: well well well, Leland will be in for a surprise in later chapters but the keeping Casey out of this mess plan that Tobias and Ethan hatched is looking rather shaky. The title says it all so this will be a Caroline and team Toban (Tobias and Ethan) installment.

Warnings: language

Disclaimer: All characters, plot points, dialogue (actual and paraphrased) belong to Pixelberry. MC is Casey Valentine.

Tobias, Ethan and Casey are shocked. They had all seen the email from Caroline. Casey was shocked as she too her knowledge had not done anything wrong, Tobias and Ethan though exactly how Casey was dragged in and it was back to the Ethics hearing Ethan had recently endured. Casey was also anxious, from what Ethan said, it would be at least another week or two before any offers came in, however if she got embroiled in whatever Leland was planning she was anxious for her future. Ethan said there was not much that they could do until Friday when they had their meeting with Caroline. Ethan said they would run business as normal until they knew more.

“If Leland knows we know, that will force him to move stuff up, I do not want to give him that advantage.” Stated Ethan. They worked as normal for the next few days then it was Friday. They met in Caroline’s office.

“Thank you for meeting Doctor’s, this is my personal lawyer Ms Juanita Phillips. I will let her give you a run down of what we know.”

“Thank you Caroline,” said Ms Phillips. “Basically the cornerstone of this case is a lawsuit that is being brought forward by a Ms Anika Groves. Due to this case nearing the statute of limitations, Leland has found other cases of alleged Medical misconduct. One, he is still investigating as he is convinced there was some money paid to drop the lawsuit in the first place. The client is the family of a Mrs Theresa Martinez. He tried to get the sister of a Delores Hudson involved also but she was not willing to join in on the suit. The last complainant is a Sen. Ed Farrugia, who is citing the attempted assassination of him as medical malpractice. “

Ethan is shellshocked about Annika Groves. Caroline advises that anything that is said in this meeting is covered by attorney client privilege.

“Annika was treated here for Asperilgus poisoning. I had her on a course of NSAIDS to control the symptoms but whilst she was still on them, she was given variconazole. That caused an anaphylactic reaction...”

Tobias cuts in. “Ethan, we took that class in our first year, majority were second years, you topped the exam with me a close second and in all honesty daylight third, how the fuck did you make such a juvenile error?”

“I may have signed my name on all the charts but it was Naveen who made the error. His sister to whom he was really closed passed away quite suddenly. Needless to say he did not cope with the death well. Needless to say the situation with Ms Groves was a wake up call to him. She was offered a very intense regimen of speech, she always was going to have a rasp. Naveen never found out what I did.”

Everyone was shell shocked. Even Ethan was upset. He thought that this incident would never see the light of day.

“Sorry for coming across as selfish, especially after that bomb you just dropped on us Ethan but is Leland bringing all of these suits on in one hit or will it be gradual?” Asks Casey.

“I don’t think it is selfish Dr Valentine” said Ms Phillips “you have an important exam coming up, from what I have heard from Caroline, the medical world is your oyster. From what we have been able to gather, Ms Groves is the first suit, then the other matters will be brought on regardless of result. It appears Mr Bloom’s main priority is to discredit and defame Dr Ramsey and then anyone closely associated with him.”

Casey sits in stunned silence and Ethan grabs her hand and starts to massage the outside with his thumb.

“I have a lawyer, who I engage for malpractice matters, she will be called upon when I get the summons for Ms Groves. I will also swear an affidavit that no money or threat of any other action transpired between myself and Luis Martinez, the son of Theresa Martinez to drop the lawsuit. All I did was send him an email of his Mother at Sacre- Couer, which was where she wanted to go most in the world. He realised when he saw it, that despite what Casey did, it enabled Theresa to live, not merely survive.” Resolutely stated Ethan.

“Ok plan time, we need to get Dr Banerji involved. I know he does not know what he is done but the fact that it was not you will throw a major spanner. Engage your lawyer. We will see what we can do to keep the other matters out of court entirely. To be honest Sen Farrugia is a weak case because anyone who did due diligence would have picked up that Mr Perry was a family member of someone who died and that the death lead back to something that the senator did. As Dr Ramsey just said, there is no evidence of coercion to drop the Martinez suit, which is what seems to be pinning that case together so Casey, you should hopefully be alright but we will prepare you just in case. Mr Carrick, Leland believes you are on his team, so you will more than likely be called upon to testify against Ethan. Dr Valentine, we will get you to testify for Ethan.” Said Caroline.

“Question, how do I find myself a malpractice lawyer? Am I covered by the hospital?”

“Do not worry about the legal representation Dr Valentine. And as for the rest of it, if any of this comes to court you will be covered by hospital insurance.” Casey nods. The meeting ends. The three of them make their way back to the office in silence. When they arrive back they finally speak.

“That was unexpected.” Stated Tobias, “at least it looks like yours may not see the light of day Casey.”

“I am still nervous though. And boards, like this could not have come at a worse time.” Casey starts pacing. “And Naveen, how could you have done that Ethan and not tell him.”

Ethan pinches the bridge of his nose. “He felt bad enough that what happened had occurred. He was already in a bad enough shape mentally. I did not want to add to it, in fact he did blame me for what happened, claiming I was too distracted by Harper at the time.”

Just then Harper walks in. “Who was distracted by me now?” Questions Harper.

“Remember Annika Groves?” Asked Ethan

“I received an email from Leland awhile now, asking me if I thought anything would come of it, I just presumed he was getting files ready for archiving given the statute of limitations was fast approaching.” Stated Harper.

“Well glad you are capable of throwing other team members under the bus then” said Casey rather spitefully.

Harper was taken aback by the reply.

“Long story short, there is legal action now being taken.” Stated Tobias “it is all we know at this stage.” Tobias knew he was lying as there was a lot more that he knew but he wanted as many people in the dark as possible, given how he had been playing double agent all this time had the potential to be exposed.

Casey gets a page about one of her patients and leaves the room. Tobias, Harper and Ethan chat about what will happen as Ethan will again be out of action temporarily. Tobias states that he was happy to have the team again, with boards so close I do want Casey minimally involved however.”

Harper stated that she had little objection to this. Ethan stated that he would work up to when he gets the summons which is the normal procedure.

Harper then leaves.

“I was not expecting that level of spite out of Casey” said Tobias.

“Nor was I” stated Ethan, “I can not blame her though after the ethics hearing debacle. Although I do not think it was deliberate in this case, if she was flat out asked if she thought anything would come of it then well she gave her answer. How was she supposed to know Leland was upto anything sinister?”

“Good point. Who is telling Caroline of this development?”

Ethan states that he will and he does. He also contacts his lawyer as well.

Ethan catches up with Casey at the end of her shift and he takes her to her apartment. When they arrive they are home alone but go to her room out of habit.

“I know I said I would move in with you in two weeks but can we put it off until after boards and the legal stuff?” Asks Casey, visibly upset. “I still want go move in with you, please do not panic about that, it is just another stress I do not need right now.”

Ethan comes up behind her and gives her a hug. “I am looking forward to when you do move in Casey and I understand your reasoning. Just let me know when you are ready to do so.”

Casey turns around and burrows into his chest.

Casey and Ethan have a quiet night in, both not knowing what will be brewing as early as tomorrow.

Late the next morning, Tobias is summoned into Leland’s office. Tobias is informed by Leland that there will be a malpractice suit brought against Dr Ramsey. Leland does not know that Tobias already knows and Tobias makes sure he has his best poker face on. Leland goes through the details of the case whilst he is doing something on his screen. The next thing Tobias knows is that there is an alert on his phone for a deposit into his bank account. Tobias looks at the alert. “$100,000???? What is that for?”

“Let’s just say that I feel you need to be rewarded for our relationship but also I want to ensure you that our working relationship continues.”

Tobias knows that Leland means inducement to throw Ethan under the bus which he never had any intention of doing even if he still hated his guts. Tobias just simply states thank you. They talk more about trying to get more immuno compromised patients through the team to get onto various research projects. The meeting ends. Tobias has patients to attend to but he knows he needs to tell Caroline what Leland just did.

Meanwhile Ethan is office alone when a courier comes. It is the court summons for the malpractice suit. Ethan calls his lawyer, Ms Laura Whitman to advise that he has received the official summons. What is being brought against Ethan is what Caroline and her lawyer stated. There was a court date on the summons. Ethan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was after Casey’s boards. Ethan again reminded Ms Whitman that one of his key witnesses was to be prepped sooner rather than later to board exams. The call ends. Ethan sits at his desk, looking troubled. Just then Harper, Tobias and Casey walk in. Ethan advises that he has received the official summons for the Annika Groves case. Ethan states that Tobias will be leading the team as he did when Ethan was suspended. Ethan reiterates that Casey’s load within the team is to be kept to a minimum due to boards fast approaching.

Harper once again apologises for her involvement. Ethan ignores her and he gives Casey a hug, as he can see she is visibly upset.

“We will get through this.” He mutters in her ear.

Casey takes a breath and goes and answers a page for one of her patients and Harper also leaves.

Tobias remains. “The overlord does not fuck around does he?”

“Appears not,” says Ethan, mind you with statute of limitations being nearly up. Speaking of the overlord, what did he want with you earlier?”

“Let’s just say I was given a bribe to perjure myself. Caroline will not be happy, I am meeting with her tomorrow when Leland is not in. Don’t worry, I will not be lying on that stand. You have always being a great doctor, you had your reasons for protecting Naveen, hell even all the background stuff you did to help Casey out with her Ethics hearing in the intern year show how great you are. I could never do it. Even if we were not getting along.”

Ethan is left speechless. “Go home, kick some legal butt, I will mind the fort here and please try not to shut Casey out, I know there would be some legal stuff you can not talk to her about but you do need each other.”

“I know Tobias. I know.”

Casey skips her lunch break, choosing to work but in the afternoon she hits a wall during afternoon rounds. Tobias is the attending supervising today and at the conclusion he meets with Casey.

“What is up?” He asks.

“Ok I may have worked through lunch in the hope that it would help keep my mind off stuff.”

“I am not going to let you work yourself to exhaustion. Your shift is nearly over, I will get Aurora to look out for your more trickier patients, please take the rest of today off and no skipping breaks please.”

Casey opens her mouth to argue but Tobias cuts her off. “No arguments, go.”

Casey finishes up and leaves the hospital. She makes her way to Ethan’s. He is home and is both shocked and relieved to see her. He gives her a hug.

Casey burrows into his chest and Ethan hugs her close. “You will be ok and I will be ok, we will be okay he whispers into her hair. They stand in the doorway for what seems like ages. Light headedness from hunger and being burrowed in Ethan’s chest force Casey to move. Ethan gets Casey to sit down while he cooks an early dinner for them both.

They eat their meal in companionable silence. When they are finished Casey asks Ethan if he is nervous about the trial.

“A little yes, if I am being honest, coming clean to Naveen about what I did has me more nervous. How are you feeling with it all?”

“Terrified to be honest. I have always had your back and will do so but still scary, given that Leland is after my blood too.”

“His cases are pure witch hunt and show no malpractice, there was malpractice with mine, even though it is the wrong person being accused. I spoke to my lawyer today and I did remind her that you do have boards coming up so she should be in touch soon.”

Ethan laces his fingers between hers and massages the outside of her hand with his thumb. Casey smiles, rather exhaustedly.

“Did you want to stay or head to yours?” Asks Ethan.

“Stay, I feel like I could fall asleep standing up in the shower.” Says Casey.

Casey and Ethan shower together and Casey falls asleep straight away when they finish. Ethan lays awake for awhile and he eventually falls asleep.

The next day comes, Tobias meets Caroline. He shows her the transactions page of his bank account. Caroline wishes she was shocked but she knew that $100,000 went missing from an account but it was nice to know where it ended up. Tobias was shocked that Caroline was not as shocked.

“I have been taking over and gaining access to various accounts and assets, not only as apart of my contribution with what you and Dr Ramsey are uncovering with my husband but my end game is to ultimately take control of this hospital from him and a few of his other businesses also where I have a considerable stake.”

Tobias raises an eyebrow. “Well I am sure you will do a better job in a lot of respects Caroline.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence Dr Carrick. He has been a man possessed for far too long and quite frankly I am over it. What happened to Casey would not have happened in any of our other businesses. Leland has always generally respected the FDA on quite a lot so the fact he wanted to make his own shows just how much of a changed man he has become.”

Caroline suggests making another account so that any further inducements can be quarantined. Caroline also advised that she was meeting Dr Ramsey, with his lawyer and Naveen on Monday. Tobias wished her luck with that and left.

As he leaves the office he sees Casey.

“I was not expecting you today” be said with a hint of concern.

“I need to keep busy Tobias, thank you for the concern though but I need to go to my mediation session with Harper.

Casey, Harper and the mediator met. The main topic was Ethan’s lawsuit and Casey’s spiteful reaction of Harper inadvertently throwing Ethan to the lions.

Harper was adamant that she had no idea what Leland was planning.

“As I said the other day, I literally thought that he was prepping files for archive given how close it was to the statute of limitations was.”

The mediator then asked, “If the file was nearing the statute timeframe, and it was a patient that was in the care of Dr Valentine, and there appeared to be no signs of any legal action, would you have given the same response?”

Casey held her breath, she hoped it would be similar to what went down as she hoped that jealousy was not a motive for the study debacle.

Harper took a deep breath before giving her the answer. “I would advise to hold off onto giving the file to archives until the statute period was up as anything could have happened in that time.”

Casey in that moment turned away from Harper.

The mediator then asked Harper why the difference, and did the difference have anything to do with what had occurred with Dr Ramsey.

Harper was shocked as she in that moment realised that she did favour Dr Ramsey and perhaps there was a deep seated jealousy of Dr Valentine that was manifesting itself by favouring Dr Ramsey.

“I’m sorry Casey, truly,” says Harper. “I do not consider myself a jealous type, and my actions are not typical of a jealous person so that is why I always ruled it out, however it appears that there is some there.”

Harper then leaves the room. Shocked at herself but in one way relieved as she knows what is really driving her behaviour.

She goes to find Tobias. She finds him in the office. Harper details the revelation that she has come too and advises that she will be stepping down from the team at the completion of Ethan’s trial.

Tobias is shocked at the admission, however understands her reasoning and is quietly relieved that Harper will be staying on the team until Ethan’s trial is over.

Later that night at the Bloom residence Caroline confronts Leland.

“Why do you have a vendetta against Dr Ramsey and to a lesser degree Dr Valentine?” Questioned Caroline.

“What vendetta sweetheart?” Asked Leland.

“What so it is not you behind the current lawsuit and two potential ones? It is not you who did his utmost best to keep someone who admitted to rape of a colleague out of prison when in any other company even the rumour of someone wanting to do something untoward would get them warned by HR straight away?”

“The tech world is different to the medical world darling, there are different expectations...”

Caroline cuts him off. “Sexual harassment or sexual assault is still the same thing, no matter the industry and you know it. I hate the man you have become Leland. I get wanting to find a cure for my condition but it has turned you into a man that I can not love. The Leland I know would not do half of what he is doing or has done in the past year. I did appreciate the zeal in the beginning but I can not pretend to be alright with what you are doing and what you have become. I will be taking up residence at one of my other properties. Any further contact you wish to have with me will be through my attorney Ms Phillips. As far as I am concerned, this marriage is over. You will be served papers in due course.”

Caroline walks out and makes her way to the car that is waiting for her. Leland sits there in stunned silence. He had no idea that Caroline had grown to resent him. He was not going to give up on his marriage without a fight though. This was no longer a battle to find a cure but a war to save his marriage.

[theinvisibledreamergirl]

Has everything changed? (Part two)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Klaw Craig)

Word count: ~2.5k

Category: Angst but in the end... you’ll see it 😉

A.N: This is the second and the last part for this fic. Thank you so much for taking your time reading these bullshits of mine❤️ and then for everyone waiting OH AU 1 the next fic is called “Friendship questioned”. Hope you enjoy this!

MASTERLIST

PART ONE

————————————————

She wanted now to escape from this building as if that kind of air was blocking her lungs. A cup of lemon tea would somehow release the tension in her shoulders.

At Derry Roasters everyone were talking about the same topic with new faces appeared in front of her. Interns chatting excitedly about their first day and cursing their attendees for the anxious hours they spent until now.

She let a smirk to herself remembering the first day when she was an intern. A rebel one and didn’t even have to spare a glance to the man whom she hated the most. She was so clueless about him that only knew his name but not his face.

You can say she was the only intern who got the attention of Dr. Ramsey after a decade and no one could replace her.

The interns eyed her incredulously as if they were seeing a miracle whispering to each other.

“It’s her!”

“Shush dude she doesn’t like gossiping.”

“She’s so fucking gorgeous!”

“Damn lucky whoever is with her!”

“It’s Dr. Ramsey.”

“Really?”

“They’re such a power couple!”

“Hm. I wonder if they’ll invite us to their weeding.”

“Matt shut up or she’s going to hear us and I don’t want to have any bones broken!”

“Fine fine.”

She took a seat at the corner of the bar facing the window in her left.

This was their place.

The place where they felt themselves and out of the real world.

He would be opposite her smiling and telling his stories as a troublemaker teenager or how his father would always get angry after another defeat in the chess game.

Or how he would touch and kiss her hand bringing closer to him.

Or how she would scold him to not do anything publicly and he still didn’t give a damn what the others would say.

She really wanted to relive these moments so much but her logical side told her he was wrong and he had to apologise.

Whereas the feeling side... told her to go and kiss him and tell him that it was just a temporary weakness and that she loves him.

While she was sipping her tea relishing a sigh a soft voice distracted her.

“So British of you.”

She chuckled while placing the tea to the plate. “You’re not British if you don’t drink a cup of tea.”

“I highly agree with that. And you’re not American if you don’t drink an espresso.”

Both women shared a laugh when Harper Emery took a seat opposite her.

“Soo... how’s the first day going?”

“Really Harper? Just say what you want. I know this look of yours.” She knew what she came for and didn’t want to skip it like nothing had happened. Even though she sounded harsh Harper only let a gentle smile.

“Fine I just wanted to ease this conversation a bit but it looks like I have a long talk with you little miss.”

“If he has sent you here don’t even try.” She said nonchalantly bringing back the tea to her lips.

“Correction: he didn’t and I don’t think he would.”

He wouldn’t? Of course what did you expect.

“I came here because I wanted to talk with you Klaw. As friends.”

“What makes you think you can change?”

Mini Ethan. Stay strong Harper.

“Well let’s just say that I have this instinct of mine that what I want to achieve- it will be achieved. I know it’s sounds cliche but I’ve never failed in this path.”

“Keep going then.”

“Look Klaw... I think the real problem is not you or him. It’s you both against the problem.” She eyed her curiously.

“The problem is Leland and it’s dragging you both into a black hole till you fall and no one’s going to help you. What you need to understand is that Bloom is trying to provoke us and to see who’s going to be on his side. What Ethan agreed wasn’t because he is on Bloom’s side. He agreed because-“

“That was the only way he said.” Klaw replied in frustration while reminiscing his court voice on her mind.

“Tone, please?” Harper arched an eyebrow.

Gosh they’re both the same.

“Sorry.” She murmured while her gaze was falling on her nails ripping the cuticles.

“As I was saying he only agreed because he knew that even he would do the contrary, Bloom wouldn’t listen to him anyway without asking us because this is his character and is unpredictable. Ethan is taking this calmly but do not forget- he will always be on your side. Yes he’s really mad with you because of your lack of control against your emotions and of not showing professionalism. But he is wrong too for treating you as someone foreign and not considering as your colleague and not rethinking that not always you will agree in everything.”

Harper was thinking if this could work for both of them because she wanted to help as much as she could and also couldn’t see them separated from each other.

“Or if I make it simple- just fucking go and get him already!”

“I don’t think that would be simple. He said if I don’t get my shit back then there’s no way I could step in the team.”

“And you think with such a weak and useless threat of him you’re not going to talk about this? Bullshit. This is the perfect moment to say the apology because if not- you’re going to be very late and you’ll lose him.”

“But this is not actually what hurt him.” Harper frowned in confusion while Klaw’s eyes started to well up.

“I offended him Harper. I said that... that he doesn’t care about me even though I know he cares! He does...a lot but... I’ve really messed this thing up and I’m worried about facing him.” She gulped while putting her palms behind her neck. “I can’t do this. How am I supposed to look him in the eye Harper? I know he is right now really tired of this behaviour of mine and has tried his best to push me and to seal this bad sided woman you’re talking to! Ethan has been a careful, supportive and kind to me in many ways that I can’t explain. Whereas I...” she let a scoff. “I’ve been nothing but only bragging about everything and not be the best girlfriend he wants.”

Harper Emery was lucky to know someone as Klaudia Craig because not only she had been a great shoulder to lean on for everyone but also has been a great person to her.

She would always be in a debt for making Aurora speak and standing up for herself in her intern year and to show what a mistake she did by underrating her niece for her achievements.

And here she was now- confessing her feelings such beautifully for a man whom she loves most and if she was in her place... No.

It was clearly that this woman was the only spark who could give light in Ethan’s darkness and the contrary.

They were both meant for each other.

“Then all of these things you said to me-“ She leaned her palm giving hers a gentle squeeze. “- you should say to him. Whatever happens. I think he will listen to you.”

“You think so?”

“Hey. I’m a neurosurgeon and this the dumbest question ever raised by you Dr. Craig.”

Klaw let a weary chuckle. “Okay. Let’s see if the grumpy man wants to talk with the grumpy woman.”

“That’s my girl.”

—————————

Her steps lead her to the Diagnositics Office and far from the corner she could see there was no one inside. So the only place he could be was...

Hospital’s gym.

She could hear some hard breathing and panting while kickboxing in a big arena. He was wearing his loosely T-shirt and his sport’s boxers that fit perfectly his shape of the body.

Every movement he did and his focused gaze to the training made her head tilt in a wander that how was possible this man could be such sexy.

And how she was so lucky that he was hers.

Or that’s what she thought.

“Ethan!” She called behind him but it seemed he didn’t hear her as he was having his headphones on clearly listening to his rap music. She tried again. “Ethan Jonah Ramsey!”

No answer again. “Is he fucking kidding me or what? I’ll show him.”

She entered the ring arena rapidly and when she was just about to call him again unexpectedly was twirled in his arms, her back facing chest. She gasped and felt her breath hitched. What now?

“Well look who made it here.”

“I...”

“What the hell do you want Rookie?” He growled on her left ear.

Her lips trembled despite her efforts to not cry in front of him. “I’m sorry.”

He sensed her change of tone and turned her back to face him.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I know that I’m really such a bad bitch when it comes to these situations but I want you to know that I love you and I don’t want us to have these debates ever again because I know that always screw the things up... I ALWAYS RUIN IT!” Her last words flinched him when she punched his shoulder in anger and couldn’t see her in this broken state.

“No. I ruined it.” He admitted. “I know I shouldn’t even think about what you considered Harper at first because I know you weren’t jealous about her and still I thought it-” he let a weary chuckle “-and you never fail to be right about that. And I know I shouldn’t treat you as someone who wasn’t part of the team and I’m sorry if I made you doubt about yourself.”

He pulled her closer giving her the kiss she deserved but she backed off saying. “No more fights?”

He gave her the brightest smile. “No more.” She smiled too and felt his soul completely in peace. “Now Miss Craig-” he held his right hand to her. “-would you like to be my companion for tonight’s gala?”

She giggled and cleared her throat. “How can I refuse it Mister Ramsey?”

———————————————-

After two hours at Ethan’s apartment.

“I seriously can’t believe we’re going to that fucking party.” She was strapping her high heels frustratingly then got up while Ethan was doing his buttons of his sleeves looking at the mirror.

“Relax Rookie. Just put a fake smile and chat about medicine as doctors usually do.”

She scoffed while reaching to do his tie. “How can you be such calm? I expected you to be furious just like me.”

“Well unlike you ma’am I have a master’s degree that I’ve held for eleven years for being talkative, social and well respected diagnostician.” He let a smirk when she quirked her left eyebrow.

“I totally agree with the last one but I highly doubt about the first two y’know.”

He pressed her body closely to him, his eyes looking intensely into her dark brown. “And may I know why you’re doubting Dr. Craig?”

Instead of making it as a casual chat she turned it to something else. “About everything.” He got the message when she lowered her gaze playing mindlessly with the buttons of his lapel jacket. “I mean- what’s going to happen later Ethan? Some things have changed and we already are aware of it but...” She pressed her lips.

“But?”

“For how long? What if Bloom will try his tactics again to track another doctor and if there’s going to be someone else- who knows? I’m scared Ethan. What if this is the end of all of us? What if we lose our jobs for nonsense reasons?”

“I know. I’m worried about it too and I have absolutely no idea where this is going to take us. But one thing’s for sure.”

She let his hands cup her cheeks meeting with his face.

“No one...not even Bloom can tell us to back off from what is right. We will continue our mission, Naveen’s mission and we will always do it for the sake of the Oath. Don’t lose the confidence you have and all your thoughts even when they’re wrong. I’ve told you since the first day of your residency last year. It is not wrong to ask questions ‘cause if you didn’t well I would be very concerned. I know you say that you trust yourself but I don’t agree with it. So please... don’t overthink it. Let’s just enjoy this night while we can hm?”

His voice was so assuring and there was nothing else she wanted to hear.

The one she fell so hard capturing her in an inevitable trap.

His presence made her entirely safe whenever he gave a smile just like now with his eyes reflecting on hers like a magnet.

She wanted to stay there forever.

In his arms.

In his heart.

He seemed to notice it and kissed her forehead while she was closing her eyes.

“You always calm me down. How the hell you do this Rams’?”

“You’re not the only one with skills here lil girl.” She scrunched her nose when he tipped with his index finger. “Now I think we should leave before we are too late.”

“Actually...” She bit the corner of her lip. “Can we please not go? I don’t want to see that big rat blooming all the way up.” She pleaded while shrugging her right shoulder crossing her arms on her back.

“Klaw you can’t be serious.” When he saw her expression he scoffed before pointing his finger. “You’re too late to anything else because we’re dressed now for that occasion. Many doctors will be there and then is goin-.”

She grabbed instantly the back of his neck silencing him with a kiss. “Will you repeat that again doctor?”

“Not now Klaw-”

She kissed him again pinning him to the wall then whispering in a sultry voice.

“Wrong answer doctor. I’ll propose this- we’ll get the best scotch from Reggie and then buy some Calzones while we are enjoying the starry night that only the Boston’s sky can give us. Completely alone. Just the two of us. So...what do you say? I think it’s an opportunity of a lifetime.” She winked.

He sighed while looking up in the ceiling as if searching for help in his defeat. She loved making him at this state.

At her command.

“How the hell do you convince me Craig?”

“Well you’re not the only one with skills here old man.” She squeezed his cheeks while he was frowning. “Aww you’re so cute and you look like a fish doing ‘o’!”

He spoke or better tried to mumble the words. “I’m mnot olf man and I’m mnot ffsh!”

“Yeah yeah that’s why you can’t use the Instagram correctly.” She giggled when couldn’t contain her laughter anymore then took his hand leading them to the door. “Now shall we go because I’m really starving and we won’t make it home earlier.”

“True. We won’t make it home until the morning.”

He gave her a known devilish grin while he was unlocking the door that made her eyes go wide, her heartbeats accelerate and gulped hardly.

He winked.

Damn it.

This was going to be a very long night ahead of them.

—————————————————

TAGS WILL APPEAR IN A REBLOG!

[enigmainvestigations]

AO3 post: ???    Series link: ???

Some of the paint was chipping off the mural. Its massive length spanned almost the entire wall of the walkway, making it almost fifteen feet long. The painting was rather crude in its depiction of the island, juvenile, as if it was created by an unskilled artist. Most of it was large blue strokes to represent water, with a large slab of green floating in the middle in an attempt to resemble the island. Blots of green brush strokes depicted trees, with blue four-leafed flowers speckling the landscape. The island was void of any buildings, except for a tiny mansion perched on the top of the green blob. At least the artist hadn’t taken too much liberty with the scale and hadn’t tried to make the mansion appear much larger than it should. There was tiny writing next to the mansion. It read: "Gotham House of Madness and Ill Humors"

Edward Nigma took a step back from the mural and concluded that perhaps it wasn’t supposed to be some beautiful depiction of a rich family’s property. But it did seem odd. What was the point of the mural if it was only going to be a slab of green painted over a slab of blue? And that begged the question: why was it painted at all? He tilted his head to look down the walkway to the mural’s end and heard someone call his last name from the hall behind him. They were far away, and he decided he didn’t need to hurry with his examination. Looking down to the other end of the mural, he saw there was a tiny blotch in the water, and Edward assumed it was supposed to be a boat. Strange to paint only one, he thought.

“Nigma.” The voice called again. This time it was much closer, and followed by the sounds of heavy footsteps advancing in his direction. They slowed as the orderly drew nearer and came to a stop at his side. “I know you heard me calling you. If ya wanna know what I think, that’s not the best way to start your first day in the wing.”

Edward ignored him and lifted a finger to point at the mural. “I’ve never seen this before.”

The orderly looked at the mural and shrugged. “Welp, you’ve never been in this wing before.”

“Doesn’t it seem strange to you?” Edward asked.

“Out of all the strange things I see in this building, it’s probably on the least strange side a’ things.” The orderly shifted his feet and waved a hand in front of Edward’s face to break his concentration on the painting. “You can stare at this later, alright? Dr. Leland wants ta see you.”

Edward found that odd. He had spoken to her yesterday morning, and she had implied it’d be a while before they’d speak again. A chime broke out over the loudspeakers, signifying the guard shift change. Edward let out a deep sigh and turned toward the orderly, noting the slight show of fear in his eyes. “Alright then, ready when you are.”

The man looked suspicious, yet grateful of Edward’s compliance. “Thanks, Edward. I’ll escort you over there.”

Normally, that suggestion would get on Edward’s nerves. It was understandable that a patient might need supervision, but it always felt like they were implying he needed babysitting, as if he’d fall down the elevator shaft if he was left on his own. Currently, though, he didn’t mind the offer. Not all of the guards were aware of his transfer, and the last thing he needed was for one to spot him and sound the alarm in fear of his attempted escape. That was the last thing he wanted, he didn’t feel like being tackled to the ground today.

As the two men proceeded down the hallway, the vapid sound of speech hit Edward’s ears. He was coming to the decision he didn’t like this ward as much as the Rutan Wing. Initially, he’d found the more populated wing to be more exciting. The groups of people were a welcome change after his previous surroundings outside the asylum, but those feelings were wearing off quickly. At least the Rutan Wing was quiet and mostly empty. It wasn’t entirely a “Wing” of the asylum, just a smaller ward, but his room had a decent view of the Trigate Bridge. The dayroom was typically empty, and he’d spent most of his time reading or listening to the guard’s radio at the security station. At the time, he felt that the lack of activity was dull, and he was itching for a change in the environment.

But, last night the orderlies and guards had come to his room and said he was being transferred. He’d assumed they were taking him to a more secure area of the asylum. But they’d brought him here, the wing at the front; the least secure wing in the whole building. At first, he’d seen this as an achievement. If Dr. Leland was moving him to the front wing, it must be a statement about his progress. That he could be trusted with less supervision, and that he was getting better. He’d never even seen these wards before, and it was fascinating to see how the non-threatening patients experienced the asylum. They were allowed to wander around the halls freely -- well, mostly freely. But, it was certainly much more freedom than Edward was used to on this island.

The issues that arose became clear rather fast. Since the other patients had more freedom, it meant he had to interact with them more than usual, and they interacted with him with much curiosity. He started to find the chatter, noise, and hectic energy of the ward unsettling. So unsettling that he found himself wandering the halls until he found a spot where the echoing voices were much quieter. His tiny room in Rutan was starting to sound like paradise compared to this.

The orderly motioned Edward down the hall that led to the main clerical offices. He’d been there a few times during his frequent lock-ups in the facility. Usually, it was during his multiple escapes from his cell -- either breaking into offices to snoop for information, or for stealing certain supplies to aid in a more dramatic escape from the asylum. He’d always enjoyed watching the police and guards try to figure out how he’d disappeared, or how he’d gathered the supplies to enact his theatrical exit. It had always been an exciting experience being here, until the Bat had designed him a new cell. Then he began to understand why the others disliked their confinement in Arkham so deeply.

The two men stopped at Dr. Leland’s office door, and Edward watched as the orderly knocked and opened the door for him to enter. “Nigma is here for his appointment, doctor.”

Dr. Leland thanked the orderly and motioned for Edward to sit in the guest seat in front of her desk. Sitting down, he made himself comfortable, though it was mostly for appearances. Dr. Joan Leland wasn’t an unintelligent woman, regardless of her sense of morality that certainly made her do stupid things. She was one of the “good ones,” believing that the patients in this asylum were capable of rehabilitation and living normal lives. This belief had remained firm, even after the magnitude of evidence she’d witnessed that proved she might be wrong.

Edward watched the doctor finish filing some paperwork, and he resisted the urge to fidget his fingers. Dr. Leland was smart and observant; she would certainly notice his unease. But Edward knew that she also didn’t do things without reason, and there were too many odd occurrences to indicate something was going on with his situation. Putting a file away in her desk drawer, the doctor finally looked at him -- right in the eye, as she usually did.

“Hello, Dr. Leland,” Edward said, trying to sound casual.

“Hello, Edward. How are you liking the Thayer Wing?” Dr. Leland asked with her typical direct approach.

“It's okay.”

“Just okay?” Dr. Leland arched her brow.

It looked like she found that in conflict with what she’d assumed, so Edward adjusted. “I'm enjoying the broader freedoms. I spent all morning in the library, that was enjoyable.”

Dr. Leland eyed him closely. She did this quite often, and it was obvious she did so when she was trying to decipher if Edward was lying. “That's good, I had a feeling you'd take advantage of that amenity immediately.” She scribbled down a few notes, then gave him a calm smile. “How are you adjusting to the people? The wing is much more populated than what you’re used to, has that been a concern?”

“No.” Edward lied.

Dr. Leland didn’t catch the deception and began writing down a few more notes in his file. “I see. I know it's just been one day, but how do you feel about the new schedule?”

Edward found that a bit strange. He hadn’t been told of any schedule changes, but he decided not to dwell on it. “It's alright.”

The doctor nodded and flipped through a few pages in his patient logs. “I see your stitches were removed… you have a clean bill of health.” Signing off on some of the papers, she finally looked him in the eye again. “Are you still in communication with Ms. Quinzell?”

“No,” Edward said, a slight chuckle in his voice.

“Really?” Dr. Leland’s brow arched again.

Edward sighed. “You monitor everything I do, doc. You'd know before I would if she was trying to get in contact with me.”

The doctor leaned back in her seat, tapping her pen between her fingers as she examined him and Edward examined her in return. It seemed strange that she was more concerned about his contact with Harley than his adjustment to the new wing. He was starting to feel like she was going down some kind of checklist, but for what, he couldn’t imagine.

“If she does try to contact you, what would you do?”

Edward huffed. “I doubt she would, but I would just tell her to leave me alone.”

“You would?”

“Yes,” Edward answered, annoyance showing in his voice. “I'm sorry, doc, but what is going on here?”

“What makes you think something is?” After the words left her mouth, she appeared to catch herself and waved an apologetic hand in his direction. “I'm sorry, Edward. Sometimes it’s difficult to get my mind to drop old habits with you.” Dr. Leland set her pen down and rested her elbows on the desktop. “Edward, we had our meeting with the superintendents today. When Dr. Young heard about your progress, she was very impressed.”

That wasn’t the answer he was expecting, and he found himself confused on how best to respond. “Is that a good thing for me?”

Dr. Leland paused, and her eyes averted from Edward’s for a brief moment. “Things are being run differently here now. With new head doctors, new procedures --”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Edward cut her off. “Jerry is dead, and now things are different. I’ve heard all of that enough since I’ve been back. Can I ask you to please skip the public relations speech and just get to the point? Or would that request be considered part of my unproductive personality traits?”

“You're being released, Edward.” The doctor said flatly.

“I'm what, now?”

Dr. Leland paused again and folded her fingers together in an attempt to seem more forthcoming. “The head doctors think that, since you've progressed in your treatment, and you aren't exhibiting any aggressive tenancies -- they think you're a good candidate for the supervised release program.”

Edward stared at her, his disbelief apparent on his face. He let out a small chuckle. “This is a joke. This has got to be a joke, right?”

“No, it's not a joke.”

His eyes narrowed and his mouth was slightly agape as the weight of what she’d said set in. “Have you all gone insane? Has everyone in this building lost their minds? You can't release me.”

Dr. Leland jumped on that statement, quickly adding, “Why is that, Edward?”

“I can't go out there! I'm me!” he exclaimed, though tightly gripped the armrests of his chair to control his temper. Dr. Leland was watching him closely, her eyes searching for something as if she was looking for a clarification of some sort. Edward could feel his pulse rising and a tremble beginning in his hands. He leaned forward and spoke calmly, yet directly. “Look me in the eye, doc, and tell me you think I'm ready to be a part of society.”

The doctor contemplated that question for a moment before averting her eyes again. “You are no longer a danger to yourself or to others. That is the major reason you were the property of the state.”

Edward scoffed. “Oh, so now that I'm not dangerous I'm suddenly not "crazy" anymore, and I get kicked out?”

Dr. Leland’s eye very subtly twitched. “That's the way the rules work.”

Edward’s grip tightened on the armrests, his eyes darting around as his mind tried to come up with a solution. “Can I re-admit myself?”

“We're an asylum for the criminally insane, Edward, so, no. But you can admit yourself to a different hospital.”

“I can't believe this,” he said as he threw his hands up in exasperation.

Dr. Leland leaned forward, and lowered her voice in an attempt to calm him. “Edward, I know this is frightening. But you will have another doctor to continue to help you adjust --”

“I don’t want another doctor, I want you to be my doctor!” He noticed a somber realization flicker in her eyes, and he tried to slow his breathing. She had been his most frequently appointed doctor whenever he was at the asylum, and, once he’d made the decision to reach out, she’d been willing to listen to him. But that had taken years of sessions, years of him playing with her mind and refusing to speak. He’d had time to observe her, and he knew she would honestly provide assistance. The thought of talking with someone new was inconceivable.  

Edward released his grip on the chair and rested his elbows on the desktop in front of him. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to just -- to start taking this seriously, and start letting my guard down?”

Dr. Leland leaned in more as well. “I know that was very hard for you, and I know that you can do it again.” Her expression was strong, as if she was trying to show him how much she believed those words. “Your new doctor won’t have as many patients, they’ll be able to give you more personalized care. It will be better for you.”

“Who are they?” Edward asked in a huff, “Who is my new doctor?”

A hint of sadness flared in Dr. Leland’s eye, and she tried to cover it up with a small smile. “I’m not sure, yet.”

“Wonderful.” He sighed and flopped back in his chair.

“Edward, you can do this,” she said, and her strong expression returned. “You need to keep reminding yourself why you wanted to make a change in your life. Keep that as your cornerstone, and try not to lose focus.”

He shook his head, still in disbelief, “I don’t… have anywhere to go.”

Dr. Leland gave him another sad smile. “You’ll be put on an assistance program. They’ll help you find a place to live, a place to work, and you’ll have some money to help you pay your bills.”

Edward chuckled at that. Yeah, I bet plenty of landlords in this city will be jumping at the chance to have you as a tenant, his thoughts chimed in, and he immediately tried to ignore them.

“How long?” He asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“How long until you all kick me out of here?”

“It takes about a week to get all the paperwork in order.” Noticing the cynical look on his face, Dr. Leland continued, “You can spend that time wisely. You should be thinking about what profession you’d like to go into.”

“What?” That statement yanked him from his internal thoughts.

“Well, you won’t be a criminal, and you’ll have a stamp of approval from the asylum. You should start considering what you’d like to do for employment. You’re very good at gathering information, perhaps you could be a journalist, or a researcher for one of the papers.”

Edward began fidgeting in his chair, and the trembling in his hands started to die down. That was a thought, but completely out of the question. If he was going to be out on the streets, the news of his release was going to spread like a wildfire in the underworld. And working for any news outlet would put him too close to the criminal activity in the city. That line of work would be unreasonably dangerous for him at the moment, but the suggestion had triggered his thoughts to wander. There were other professions he could get involved in, especially if he wanted to stay off of everyone’s radar.

Despite what the state might intend, he was sure they were going to have difficulty finding even a grocer that would allow him to mop their floors for a few measly cents a week. He could already see the hurdles they would have to jump through to find him employment, and something he’d heard on the guard’s radio in Rutan snuck into his memory. The city was desperate for new business owners after all the carnage on the streets the last few months. Many people had had to close down, and migration into the city had trickled down to nothing. The newscaster on the radio often mentioned the officials’ constant complaining about the dwindling funds in the budget.

His doctor shifted in her seat, and the movement pulled him out of his thoughts. She was staring at him, still examining him with those searching eyes. Dr. Leland normally would allow him to get lost in his thoughts, and she rarely interrupted him when he did. But, this time, she looked more curious than usual.

“Did that help calm you down, Edward?” She asked.

He slowly let out a breath, “Yeah.”

“Good. Just remember, you have more possibilities now than you did before, and many more options at your disposal. You don’t have to leave here and get lost again.”

Edward looked her in the eye, “Can I ask for something?”

“That depends on what it is.”

“Can I have some reading material?” Seeing her apprehension, he swiftly explained. “I just want to refresh my memory on the laws, and the current services available for opening a business.”

Dr. Leland tilted her head. “I don’t see why we couldn’t get you some books on the requirements. However, you’re going to have a lot of paperwork to go through the next few days. There is a lot of information you’ll need to get familiar with concerning the current services available to the survivors.” She picked up her pen and scribbled down something on one of her notepads. “I’d suggest you read through all of it, no matter how daunting the volume might be. Those conditions and services apply to you, too, remember.”

He gave a weak shrug. “I’ve never been intimidated by large volumes of information, doctor.”

She attempted to hide a smirk, and gave him a stern look. “Read through all of it, Edward.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll read through it.”

She nodded her approval, then turned her attention down to her notes. She pretended to contemplate them for a moment, and then looked back up at him and fixed her gaze with his. “I know we already went over this, but I’d like to go back to the subject of Ms. Quinzell.” She ignored Edward’s eye roll and set his large patient file aside. “It is a source of concern for me, Edward. I want to ensure that I have explained my position fully before you leave this facility.”

“What else is there --” Edward stopped himself, and his lips thinned. Taking a deep breath, he let it out and motioned for her to continue. “I’m sorry, doc. Go ahead, what is your concern?”

Dr. Leland seemed pleased with his composure. “I know you said you aren’t going to be in communication with her, but you haven’t ever fully explained why you two were in such close communication while she was here. The two of you haven’t ever been hostile toward each other, but you two also never paid much attention to one another. My concern is that something is going on.” She set her pen back down, and her shoulders slumped. “I’m not trying to pry into your personal business, but I’m afraid that if she contacts you then you will talk to her. I don’t think that is a good idea.”

Edward nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but Dr. Leland beat him to it.

“You are doing the hard work to try to live a better life. Ms. Quinzell spent her time here exhibiting her usual behavior, and then escaped from the facility. In my opinion, she is not on the same path that you are, and any communication with her would be detrimental to your rehabilitation.”

Edward fidgeted in his seat and nodded again. “I know, doctor. I think my reluctance to talk about this situation might have given you the wrong idea. Harley and I just -- we had very different experiences during the lockdown. I know it will sound cruel of me to say so, but I was genuinely really surprised that she survived. I was just curious how she did, that’s all. Honestly, doc, that’s it.”

Dr. Leland wasn’t buying that explanation, Edward could see it on her face, so he kept going. “And, I felt like I could talk to her about our experiences. It was easier to discuss it with her, since she was there, albeit under different circumstances, considering her side.”

Dr. Leland perked up, but she did a decent job of not letting her eagerness show too much, “You spoke to Ms. Quinzell about your time on the island?”

“Yeah. As I said, it was easier to talk to someone who already knew a lot of the circumstances.”

“Did it help to talk to her?”

“Kind of. Not really, actually.” Edward ruffled his hair, mentally kicking himself for bringing up the subject. “She understood some things, but -- I mean, it helped at first, but, now, I don’t know.” Edward adjusted his glasses and looked his doctor in the eye. “You don’t have to worry about me talking to her. Harley made her position quite clear, she has no intentions of quitting her criminal behavior. I don’t even see why she’d contact me, since I made my position clear as well.”

Dr. Leland stared at him in silence. She wasn’t showing any tells, but Edward could see it: she was still suspicious. Eventually, she stood from her seat and gave him a final look, “If she contacts you--”

“I won’t speak to her,” Edward confirmed.

The doctor nodded and picked up his patient file, setting it on the filing cabinet behind her. “I apologize for having to cut this discussion short, but I have a patient to assess. I’ll see to it that we get you those legal texts. If you need anything from me, just tell one of the nurses or the orderlies that you’d like to speak with me.”  

Edward agreed and stood from his chair. The doctor stepped around her desk, and Edward moved backward toward the wall to keep a safe distance between them. Watching him, a smile crept across Dr. Leland’s lips. “You don’t need to keep your distance from me, Edward. You’re not in Intensive anymore.”

Hearing her words, he felt a bit foolish. He nodded to her to show that he understood, but remained standing by the wall. Dr. Leland took a step toward him, her smile shifting to a calmer one. “You’ll be alright. Just try not to let your negative thoughts hold you back, and stay on course. If you need me --”

“Yeah, don’t worry. I know where you work, I’m sure I can find you if I need you.” Edward said, triggering a small chuckle from Dr. Leland.

He walked with her out of the office, and she motioned for one of the guards to get Edward an escort. “So, thinking of making your own business. What line of work were you thinking of going into?”

Edward gave her a weak smile, “Finance.”

Dr. Leland gave him a suspicious look, but returned the smile. “Not a bad idea. Lots of money to be had in the world of taxes.”

“Yeah, that’s why I decided I should brush up on the laws.” Despite his honesty, she still looked concerned, though she didn’t voice it. She bid him good day, instructed him to follow the rules, and he watched as she hurried off down the hall to her next appointment. It took a few moments before an orderly showed up to take him back to his wing in the asylum, and he found himself bewildered again. He wasn’t used to being treated with so much lack of concern, and it was beginning to make him feel nervous.

As the two walked back to the Thayer wing, the orderly tried to make some small talk, though his choice in subjects made Edward quickly lose what little interest he’d had in the discussion. As they arrived at the heavy dividing door, the orderly motioned for Edward to go ahead of him and locked the security door behind him with a loud clang. The wandering patients took note of Edward’s return, and he hurried back to the empty hall to avoid the curious stares. His eyes landed on the mural immediately, and he slowed his pace as he walked up to it.

He found himself staring at the tiny, lone boat in the water, and a different sensation hit him. As he looked over the painting, he found that it had a charm to it he hadn’t noticed the first time. The starkness of the island felt calming, and the little blue flowers didn’t look so juvenile now. The blue void of the water was serene, as if it was a protective barrier surrounding the land. He was starting to feel like he understood what the artist was trying to convey. It was something that didn’t require masterful artistic skills to explain, which was probably why they didn’t bother. The island was a sanctuary from the outside world, a tiny home locked away by a river of water. Somewhere where the struggles on the lands surrounding it couldn’t touch. Though the mansion at the top still looked creepy.

Oh, so you’re happy being locked away on islands now? The thought came from nowhere, and he willed it to stop, but his mind persisted. The outside world is too frightening for you, so now you want to be like whatever patient painted this? Locked away in a cage where you’re safe, so the scary bad men can’t hurt you anymore?

His eyes narrowed as his temper began to rise. That wasn’t it, he just wasn’t ready to leave yet. Despite what the doctors said, he knew he hadn’t made enough progress. There were too many issues he was dealing with. He kept telling himself to keep things simple. To keep his world small, and not worry about the larger issues at hand. It wasn’t an emotional decision, it was a logical one. He wasn’t being a coward.

But he couldn’t shake the feelings, now that the thoughts had pointed them out. It could be that he was scared. That he was wasting valuable time sitting around in this cold building. The doctors didn’t want him here, and he’d lost his sanctuary of isolation from the other patients. He wondered why he felt so desperate to stay.

It’s because you’re afraid of what waits outside these walls, his thoughts concluded.

All at once, the mural in front of him had lost its appeal, and he had the impression of being right back where he’d started.

[fanficnewbie]

Sienna Weighs in P9

OPEN HEART: SECOND YEAR - CHAPTER NINE

(ETHAN x FEMALE MC)

MC is Dr. Francesca Houseman *This entry takes place two days after the Mass Kenmore heist. (This is a chapter by chapter series…)

Baz starts to question Francesca and Ethan’s relationship.

To anyone who may have noticed how late I am with this installment, thanks for your patience. I think I needed to write this when I knew OHB2 was coming back online.

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS Chapter 1:  MC tells Sienna about her Ethan convo at Donahue’s. Chapter 2:  MC and Sienna discuss Ethan’s gym routine. Chapter 3:  MC questions how well she really knows Ethan. Chapter 4:  MC takes Elijah and Sienna to see Evelyn’s exhibit. Chapter 5:  Sienna talks MC through a panic attack over Ethan. Chapter 6:  Sienna cheers on MC for standing up to Ethan. Chapter 7:  MC confides in Sienna how she met Ethan’s mother. Chapter 8:  MC has to the consequences after the baseball game.

Word Count: 1935 Rated: Teen

*** Francesca closed her eyes against the crisp breeze as it rushed past her face. For the first time in the past few weeks she felt a sense of contentment. She had gotten her revenge on Mass Kenmore, both by beating them at the softball game and stealing the Senator from them. She was back on good terms with Aurora, Kyra was scheduled for her life saving surgery, and Ethan had passionately kissed her not once, but twice. 

“Why are you smiling?”

She turned to Baz who was strolling next to her, “I’m just,... I’m excited for ice cream.”

Baz arched his eyebrow, “It’s really that good, huh?”

“Yes, and you must order ‘Death by Chocolate’. No questions asked.”

“Well, at least I’m guaranteed to die happy.” Baz laughed as the small shop came into view. 

He was someone else Francesca was grateful for. A true ally, someone who didn’t pretend to be anything other than what he was (unless he was pretending to be Zaid). Their hospital heist had brought them closer together, reinforcing their growing bond. Still unsure of June’s true motives, Francesca at least knew she could now trust one other person on the team.

Sienna looked up as they walked into the ice cream shop, she smiled and waved them over to her table, “Hey, you two!”

And of course there was Sienna. There were hardly words to express how much she meant to Francesca, and after their softball game fallout, she was almost happiest of all that their friendship was back on track. 

Francesca sat down, “Hey there. You got my text about Baz joining us right? I owe him this treat.”

Baz grabbed a menu as he sat, “Yes, to celebrate the sweet success of our latest win over Mass Kenmore.”

Sienna giggled, “Yes, I did and I’m glad you could join us Dr. Mirani. You guys are bona fide heroes! The whole hospital has been talking about your coup. I still can’t believe you managed to pull it off.”

“Well, we had quite a bit of luck on our side.”

“Yes, and his name is Dr. Ethan Ramsey.” Baz put down the menu, it’s obviously a ‘Death by chocolate’ hot fudge sundae for me. Do you guys know what you want?”

Francesca and Sienna gave him their selections as he got up to order from the counter. As soon as he was out of ear shot, Francesca lowered her voice and leaned in excitedly, “I haven’t had a chance to tell you, but Ethan kissed me again the other day!”

Sienna didn’t even try to hide her glee, “What?! How?! When?!”

Francesca looked over her shoulder to make sure that Baz was still out of hearing range, “At Mass Kenmore! We were about to get caught by someone on staff and needed a distraction. Next thing I know, his body is pressed against mine and his tongue is in my mouth! It was unexpected, and hot, and crazy, and glorious!”

“What was crazy and glorious?” Baz smiled as he reappeared, handing them each a bottle of water.

“Uh, our revenge on Mass Kenmore. A patient stolen for a patient stolen.”

“Hear, hear!” Sienna held up her bottle in a mock cheers. “To the best Diagnostics team in Boston!”

The three laughed as they knocked their bottles together, then settled into an easy banter about hospital life, clueless interns and difficult patients until their ice cream was served. Baz took a bite, “Okay, this is heavenly. Your friend who recommended it is my new best friend.”

Francesca shifted uncomfortably as Sienna leaned over to pat her arm, “She’ll get through the surgery, she’ll be okay.”

Baz shook his head, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I wasn’t thinking.”

Francesca smiled, “No, it’s fine. It’s not like Kyra isn’t constantly on my mind already. Part of the reason I wanted to come here is because it reminds me of her. I know she’d be happy to know that we’re celebrating a small success. We have to enjoy them as they come.”

Baz nodded, “We do, we really do.”

There was a short silence as they continued eating until Sienna spoke up, “Hey, Aurora told me that you guys are okay again. I’m so glad to hear it.”

Baz chuckled, “Yeah, that was crazy. I thought we were done for sure when I saw her. Based on what I overheard at the softball game, it sounded like she owed you one Francesca.”

Francesca bit her lip, “Yeah, I guess she did.”

Baz finished his ice cream in astonishingly short order and pushed his cup away, “Okay, Francesca, I have a question for you.”

She turned to him with her spoon in her mouth.

“What’s going on between you and Ethan?”

Francesca exchanged a quick but panicked look with Senna before she answered, “What do you even mean?”

Baz shrugged, “I never really noticed or thought about it until June said something---”

“June?!” Francesca was still processing that June would be talking to Baz about her and Ethan as Baz answered, “Yeah, she mentioned something about how you guys have history.”

They both turned to Sienna when she started to laugh, “Of course they have history. Where have you been? Together they saved Dr. Banjeri’s life.”

Baz mulled her words for a bit, “Well, yeah, there’s definitely that. But I’m not sure it explains everything else…”

Francesca tried her best to sound casual, “What’s everything else?”

“For one, he’s chosen to take you out in the field each time we’ve had a patient require it since you joined the team.”

“She’s new!” Sienna chimed in, “He’s obviously exposing her to those opportunities as part of her training.”

Baz nodded, “Okay, but the way you yelled at him when we were at Leland Bloom’s house. I mean, it was awesome but, how’d you get away with it?”

Francesca started to answer, but hesitated as she struggled to come up with something plausible.

“But she didn’t get away with it.” Francesca turned to Sienna who subtly motioned for her to go along, “Remember you told me how he laid into you later in private?”

Francesca’s eyes widened with false recognition, “Yeah, yeah, he admitted he was wrong but also totally disapproved of how I handled the situation. You and June just weren’t there to witness that part. He said he didn’t want to stoop to my level.”

Baz mulled it over, “Huh. That does sound like him.”

Sienna took her last bite of ice cream nodding, “Exactly, it totally does.”

Undeterred, Baz continued, his curiosity and obliviousness blinding him to the growing anxiety at the table. “Well, how did you get him to play softball? That was also pretty out of character.”

Francesca was thankful for an easy out, “Oh my God, that was crazy simple. I just offered him the chance to humiliate Tobias!”

Baz laughed, “Yeah, that would have been a quick sell. Hmmm, I guess it also explains his part in our Mass Kenmore excursion? Making Tobias look bad?”

Francesca quickly assented, “Yes! That’s an angle I intend to play for as long as I can. So far it’s worked out for us really well.”

Sienna clasped her hands together, “See Baz?! There’s nothing out of the ordinary. It looks to me like June is causing unnecessary drama.”

Baz chewed on his lip, “Yeah, she can be … interesting.”

Francesca sighed, “That’s the understatement of the year.”

Leaning back Baz looked at both women and grinned. “Well, I’m glad I got that all cleared up. Zaid told me I was crazy when I mentioned it to him. But Zaid is constantly telling me I’m crazy, so I never exactly know when he’s being serious or not.”

Sienna frowned, “We just tend to assume he’s always being serious.”

“You asked Zaid? Did you ask anyone else?”

Baz shook his head “Nope! You offered me ice cream later that day so I figured I’d just bring it up with you, well, now!” He shrugged, “I’m normally not one to look into things like this but we’re a small team, and things are already tenuous and, well, I just needed to know that we’re all on equal footing.” 

He stood up, “Okay, I’m going to go hit the little boys room, I’ll meet you out front.”

Sienna turned to Francesca wide-eyed as he walked away, “Holy cow, that was a close one!”

Francesca grabbed her purse and headed to the counter to pay, “I really need to figure out June’s game. What the hell? Who else is she talking to?”

Sienna nodded, “You should mention it to Ethan and get his take. You know, when you guys aren’t busy sucking face.” She giggled when Francesca rolled her eyes as they walked towards the door. 

“Argh! It seems like there’s always some looming dark cloud threatening everything, and I just hate it all so much. Walking in here I felt lighter than I had in weeks but now, I feel the weight on my shoulders all over again. In so many ways things are improving, but at the same time, I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Like you’re at a crossroads where things can go either really great or really bad, and you’re still waiting for directions on which way to turn.”

Francesca looked up surprised, “You feel it too?”

Sienna nodded, “I do. Between the fate of the hospital and Kyra, and everything else, it’s hard not too.”

They were met with Baz’s smiling face as he walked out of the shop, “Much better!” His expression slipped as he saw their faces, “What’s wrong?”

Francesca shook her head, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked at him. “Baz, I have a question for you.”

“Shoot!”

“How do you stay so above it all? So nonchalant and, well, happy, when everything around us is on the verge of collapse?”

Baz took a thoughtful breath, “Part of it is that the ‘doom and gloom’ gene went to my brother. The other part of it is that I’ve watched him worry about worst case possibilities his entire life, and none of his fretting ever contributed to the outcome one way or another. So I figured, who needs it? I’ll stress when there is something concrete to stress about.”

“But Edenbrook, it could close! We could all be out of jobs soon and the patients will have nowhere to go.”

Baz tilted his head, “Yes, but it’s open now and we can help people now. And just like it could close, it could also stay open. Right?”

Sienna slowly nodded, “I mean, it is a valid point.”

Baz sighed, “I make more of those than I get credit for, so here’s another one. Say the worst thing does happen, you know why you’ll still be okay?”

Francesca shrugged, “Because we’re all excellent doctors who are bound to land on our feet?”

Baz chuckled, “Probably, but not what I meant. You have an amazing support system. Your group of friends, you guys are the envy of the hospital staff. You’ll will get through whatever it is together. That, coupled with your stellar resumes, means you’ll be able to find ways to help whoever needs your help, wherever they may end up.”

Francesca absorbed his words as Sienna responded, “Thank you Baz. We do have an incredible group, and you know what?”

“What?”

She smiled as she looped her arm into his and the three of them headed back towards the hospital, “I think we may have just found our newest member.”

Chapter 10:  Sienna confronts Francesca on Ethan’s “Not Single” status. 

***

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. YOUR LIKES AND COMMENTS MEAN THE WORLD!

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[eleanorbloom]

When You’re Ready Ch. 11

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x f! MC (Eleanor Bloom) x Ethan Ramsey.

Word Count: 4.5k

Warning: Angst and cursing.

A/N:  We are already halfway through this journey and things are finally getting interesting, so thank you all so much for all the support I’ve received and for stuck with me till this point.  ❤

Taglist: @utterlyinevitable​ @binny1985​ @shanzay44​ @choicesficwriterscreations​ @laiba-the-person​ @starrystarrytrouble​ @lahellacute​ @lucy-268​ @aylamreads​ @cinnamonspongecake​ @romewritingshop​ @angela8756​ @bratzlahela​​

Let me know if you wanna me added or removed from the taglist!

Enjoy!

_______

Chapter 11. Don’t Start Now

Don’t show up, don’t come out

Don’t start caring about me now,

The following weeks were calmer than previous. The conversation Eleanor had with Ethan seemed to work because, since that day, he stopped directing his anger toward her, and instead, he did what he was good at in second place: ignore her.

Eleanor didn’t mind, obviously. If she confronted him in the first place, was because she was tired of his childish attitude and knew very well that his next obvious reaction would be ignoring her like he did the past months. She needed peace and that was the only way to get it.

Still, she couldn’t deny that the situation was painful. She never expected to spend the first months in the Diagnostics Team in such a bad position with Ethan, when it had to be the best time to learn from him, learn from his mentor, the person she had idolized since she was in high school. And all because he was jealous.

The silver lining in all this was that it soothed things with Bryce. As she didn’t rant about Ethan with him, the next weeks were very sweet and calm in the company of Keiki. For some reason, Eleanor clicked very well with her. Perhaps it was the fact that she had many similitudes with Bryce, even if they hadn’t lived together for ten years, and Eleanor thought she was undeniably attracted to that, so it couldn’t be any different with Keiki.

Some nights a week, she would stay with the Lahelas and have sleepovers in the living room to talk and watch movies until they would fall asleep on the mattress of the new bed Bryce had bought for Keiki. Some other nights they would play cards, or just talk about the day and about life.

Eleanor would even chat throughout the day with her too.

“Wait, my sister is sending you memes?”—Bryce asked, really offended while they were taking a break in the cafeteria—"Why she doesn’t do that with me?”

“Because she likes me more than you.”

“But I’m his brother!”

“Hey, take it as she has the same good taste as you do. Another thing you two have in common.”—She winked at him and Bryce couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Mmh you’re right. Spending so much time with me it’s getting on you, uh?”—He whispered proudly, leaning to her to kiss her in the cheek.

“Couldn’t be any other way”

“She’s really disappointed when I get home and you don’t show up. It hurts my feelings.”

Eleanor released a hard laugh at his pouting lips and his puppy eyes just like a Golden Retriever.

“Ohmygod, finally I’m seeing your Golden Retriever side. Are you jealous of attention?”

“What do you think? Keiki came for me but only wants to see you.”

“She just enjoys my company, a female presence, that’s all. But what she really needs it’s her brother. You have nothing to worry about, Goldie.”

She stroked his cheek and a second later, he furrowed his brows.

“Goldie?”

“That’s my new nickname to you when you’re behaving like a Golden Retriever, just like now.”

“Excuse me? You still have no pet names for me, but I got a freaking dog nickname? Seriously, Bloom?”

“Bloom? You think you can offend me by calling me like that?”—She grinned—"We talked about this. I’m not comfortable enough to use pet names yet, Bryce. But it’s a step, don’t you think?”

“It is a pet name after all”

“God, you’re impossible.”—Eleanor sighed, getting up from the seat with the empty paper cup in her hand.—“I gotta go”

“Don’t ignore me.”

“See? You’re such a Goldie.—She laughed again.—"Gosh, you’re sooo cuteee”

Eleanor placed a hand over his hair and patted him softly, just like she would do with a real puppy. Bryce scowled her, feigning to be offended.

A moment later, she leaned close to his face and looked at him tenderly.

“I love you, Goldie.”

Then she kissed him, a soft brush against his lips that made him cackle before she parted her lips from him.

“Goddamn, you know how to manipulate me, don’t you?”—He stood up from the chair and pulled her in a tight embrace—"Love you too, princess.”

“Good boy.”—She praised, hugging him back before untangling herself from his arms and dragged him outside the cafeteria so both could get back to work.

*

Eleanor was snuggled to Bryce, deeply asleep when she heard a knock in her bedroom door. It took her a while to wake up and go to see what it was. She didn’t even think about how poorly dressed she was. Just a rose satin tank top and her panties.

“This better be important”—She murmured opening the door mid-third knock, only to find a tall figure with deep blue eyes in front of her—"Oh!”

Ethan was standing on the other side his face impassive. He tried to focus on her face, but he couldn’t resist roaming his eyes over her body for a few moments.

“Oh, uh good morning.”—He greeted, returning his eyes to her face, only to notice someone behind her, under the sheets of her bed.

“What is it, babe?”—He heard a husky voice and then he saw Bryce stirring under the sheets and looking in their direction with a drowsy expression.

Babe.  

Eleanor saw how his face disfigured hearing that single word. And obviously, the fact that Bryce was in her bed, sleeping. Ethan glanced at her stoically, but she could decipher the disappointment when his eyes betrayed him for a split second.

“It’s Dr. Ramsey”—She murmured looking back at Bryce, her cheeks flushed.

“Ramsey?”—Bryce sat up, startled, waking up in an instant.

Ethan followed his gaze.

“Good morning to you too, Dr. Lahela.”—He scowled at him briefly, evidencing how much he was hating that he was there.—"I’m sorry Dr. Bloom, I didn’t know you had company.”

His words sounded like an iceberg that made her shiver even if the room was warm with the morning sunlight filtering through the curtains.   

“What are you doing here?”

“We have a case, I need you to dress up and go with me.”

“But is my day off!”

“The Team doesn’t have days off, Bloom. Wear something nice, the board is desperate to impress this patient”

“Okay.”

“Hurry up, I’ll wait outside.”

Eleanor closed the door and looked at Bryce biting her bottom lip, guilty.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry. You better finish this case soon, so you can come back to me.”

“We planned this for weeks. It’s your birthday.”—She pouted, sitting over the edge of the bed, beside him.

“Baby, we celebrated last night.—He took her hands and caressed her palm softly—"I slept with you, I woke up with you, and I have my sister here in Boston, what else can I ask?”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

“Just hurry up and go to my place once you’re done, okay?”

“Okay, promise.”—She leaned to kiss him and then got up to look for a formal dress in her wardrobe until she found a navy-blue corporate dress that had been saving for that kind of occasion.

Bryce chuckled suddenly.

“You saw his face? Oh, man. I know this is cruel, but it was some kind of birthday present to me.”

Bryce crossed his arms behind his head with a satisfied smirk over his face, while he was staring at Eleanor stripping from her clothes and putting on clean underwear.

“What do you mean?”

“His face when he realized I was sleeping in your bed. It was like his eyes were just about to jump out of his face and strangle me.”

“I want to know who thought it was a great idea to let him pass knowing you were here.”

Eleanor unfastened the dress, stepping into him one leg at a time.

“Maybe that person did it on purpose.”—Bryce speculated, standing up from the bed—“C’ mere”

Eleanor took a few steps and turned her back to him so he could zip her dress up.

“I bet was Jackie. She is such a troll and would totally do that.”—She turned to him—“Thank you.”

“If it was her, I have to thank her.”

Eleanor scowled him.

“What? She did you a favor. You didn’t want to tell him, fine. He just found us.”

She stood in silence for a couple of seconds, thinking.

“Yeah, it’s kinda relieving, actually.”

Eleanor conceded, before going to brush her teeth in the bathroom. Even if he had had his suspicions and this was nothing surprising, still she didn’t know how Ethan would react from now on. And what could unleash in her.

When she returned to the room, Bryce was already dressed up.

“Hey, you don’t need to leave. Sleep for a couple of hours more.”

“Nah, I prefer to go home, Keiki has been too much time alone.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Eleanor collected her things, cellphone, keys, and purse, and both left the room.

Once they opened the building door, they found Ethan leaned against a red mini cooper. The moment Ethan exchanged glances with them, he turned around to get in the car. Eleanor stopped a few feet away from the vehicle and smiled at Bryce, her cheeks blushed.

“Well, that’s me. I hope this ends soon.”

“I hope so too. Have a great day, babe.”

“You too, birthday boy.”

She kissed chastely in the lips and then turned to get in the vehicle.

The first consequences of what had happened were seen a few blocks away for her apartment. Ethan started to call her out because if they were doing home service to patients now was only because of her and her decision to pursue wealthy patients to save the Team. But she didn’t waste energy in replying. Instead, she decided to simply turn a deaf ear to any of his outbursts and ignore him the whole ride.  

However, when his anger risked the possibility to compete with Mass Kenmore to cure Leland Bloom, one of the wealthiest men in the country, Eleanor decided to speak up. She didn’t brook up for weeks his hurtful words just to let go of a wealthy patient that could probably help to solve two and maybe more patients that don’t have the resources to be treated in any other hospital.

As Ethan left the house after declining the competition Leland Bloom had offered,  without consulting with his colleagues, Baz, June, and her followed him outside to talk some sense into him.

“Ethan”—Spurted Baz—“Please, we need this. You know we need this.”

“No, I’m not going-”

“Could you please surgically remove your head from your ass for one second and consider that this is for the Team?—Eleanor interrupted, employing the same words he had used last year when Declan Nash was denying to even have a conversation with him about a possible treatment for sepsis. She wanted him to know how stupid and irrational was being at that moment.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re behaving like a goddamn diva, a freaking a spoiled child, you know? Do you think your ego is bigger than the needs of the Diagnostics Team? How unprofessional of you, seriously.”

Ethan’s face disfigured at words, exposing his embarrassment and mortification. After a few moments, he glanced at his colleagues apologetically.

“I, uh… Spoiled child seems to suit the occasion. And unprofessional. I owe you all an apology.”

Baz and June seemed clearly surprised by the bold words Eleanor had used on him and how she got to tame his anger in just a few seconds when Ethan had been punishing her for weeks after what happened with Gwyneth. When Ethan wasn’t looking at them, Baz raised his thumb, nodding amazed. 

*

After the meeting with Leland Bloom, the team returned to Edenbrook to discuss the possible diagnosis with the information provided by the patient.

“The results will be ready this afternoon, so I’ll be doing rounds while I wait for them”—Eleanor informed after ordering the exams in the Nurses’ Station.

Ethan nodded imperceptibly but didn’t say anything, making Eleanor sigh.

She needed to talk about this. Her colon couldn’t support another day or another week avoiding the topic and hearing his outbursts just like that day. Now that the truth was out, there was no point in avoiding facing it. She looked around to check if there was any sight of June or Baz near, but the hallway was absolutely deserted.

“So, you stopped acting like a spoiled child, but you’re keeping the unprofessional act?”—She asked, standing in front of his desk, arms crossed and serious glare.

“Excuse me?”—Ethan took off his glasses, visibly offended.

“You are clearly pissed off with me because you saw me this morning with Bryce, and if you are bringing personal stuff to our working relationship, let me tell you that you’re being pathetically unprofessional, Ethan.”

“Watch out your tone, Bloom.”

“Watch out your reactions, Ramsey.”—Snaped her, instantly—"You have scolded and snubbed me for weeks just because I’ve ignored all your insinuations, and  you can’t keep being like that.”

“Insinuations, what are you talking about?”

“Oh, please. Don’t act like you don’t know it. Since you came back from the Amazon you have waited for me to make a move on you, even if you said we were over for good. And when you realized that I wasn’t gonna play that game, you started to act like an ass just like before you left.”

“Clearly ego issues are contagious, and the scalpel jockey infected you badly.”

“Oh. So why the hell you’ve been acting this way with me, then?”

“Because you went behind my back in contacting Gwyneth Monroe.”

“No, it started before her. When we visited Evelyn Vega’s art exposition you were already acting weird. The fool’s act doesn’t work with me, Ethan.”

He stared thoughtfully, trying to suppress the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He didn’t want to say it. It was against his nature and against the decision he had made. But like everything that involved Eleanor, he was about to act against all his self-control.

“Four months ago you were so… persistent about us being together, and now you’re dating him?”

“A lot of things can happen in four months, you’re smarter than that, Ethan. And should I remind you that you were the one who ended things and only wanted a professional relationship?”

“No, I know that.”

“Then tell me, why is all this fuss really for? We broke up whatever we had four months ago, so clearly my personal life it’s not your concern, and yet it’s messing with our working relationship.”

“I just don’t understand why you’re with him.”

“What do you mean by him?”

“He’s shallow, annoying, egocentric, a scalpel jockey, and you deserve more than that.”

“Don’t you dare to talk about Bryce like that, Ethan.”

Ethan stopped, eyes wide opened, surprised with the almost visceral reaction she had had at hearing his words.

“I’m wrong? Do you know what’s behind all that skin-deep beauty and ego?”

Ethan knew he was more than that, but still, he wasn’t enough for Eleanor. He needed a sharp mind, someone, that challenges her. Someone like him.

“Of course I know him, why the fuck do you think I’ve been with him for three months?”

Since the first moment her intention wasn’t to hurt him, but god, he was being so mean that somehow now she wanted to throw all over his face how much time she had been with Bryce, so he knew this wasn’t an insignificant relationship and that she didn’t spend two whole months crying for his absence. At least not physically, but emotionally, she did.

“D…”—Her words were like a punch in the face. Three months.—“Don’t you see he’s not for you? You deserve better than that, Eleanor.”

Eleanor took a deep breath, containing all her anger. She didn’t want to make a scene. She had to be an adult, but it was difficult when Ethan was acting this irrational and stupid.

“I don’t know who you think you are to talk about someone you clearly don’t know. Not even your status as a second-best diagnostician in the country gives you the superpowers to know a person without really talk or spend time with them.—She took another breath—"That said, I’ll inform you that Bryce has been all the transparent you never were with me in all this time. When I was about to be suspended by the Committee, he was there to give me moral support. When you left for the Amazon, he started inviting me out because he couldn’t stand to see me sad. He saw my pain and did something to relieve me, not like you, that every time you saw me drowning, you preferred to ignore me because it’s easier than to deal with my emotions and yours. When I’m sad, when I can’t deal with this whole situation with you, he is there for me, to supporting and listening to me. So, do you really think I don’t deserve someone like him?”

Ethan felt how his ego was taking hostage of his body, he hated to be this way, but that question had been wandering her mind since the moment he saw Bryce in her bed.

“Do you still love me?”

That question took her by surprise. She knew he would ask her at some point, but not now. Still, she didn’t have intentions to deny it.

“Unfortunately, yes. But it isn’t important, actually.”

“It is.”

“It’s not.”

“Eleanor…”

“Why do you care now?”—She interrupted before he could say anything that could trick her mind.—"You were very clear to me that nothing can happen between us, you ignored me for two months when you left for the Amazon, and now that I’m doing my life you suddenly care? The bollocks, Ethan.”

“I never thought you…”—He stopped mid-sentence.

“That I would move on? That my life would keep going after you? I can’t believe you’re this selfish Ethan. And this egocentric.”

“I don’t mean it like that…”

“I don’t care. Whatever you have to say, save it. You had your chances, and you preferred the easiest path. Punish me and ignore me, and I don’t deserve that.”

Eleanor left the room, her heart racing really fast. She was angry, scared, sad, anxious, guilty. All the stupid feelings Ethan always managed to make her feel, now were invading her mind and heart, threatening to explode inside her. She ran to the nearest restroom she found and once there she locked herself in the cubicle, releasing a sob.

All that had been holding up these weeks since Ethan was back in Boston, was now free. All that had been holding up because of Bryce, because she wanted things to work, but she wasn’t going to make Ethan a regular topic in their relationship. She had shared with Bryce the whole fight and how of an ass he was acting but never told him how she really felt. How devastated she was with the fact that he was ignoring her and scolding her because she had moved on. Never told him how difficult it was not even looking at him in the eyes because she was afraid that she would surrender to her most deep desires. Never told him that this whole situation was unfair because that was a moment to be learning from him, not avoiding him. Instead, she was receiving the worst of him as a person and as a doctor as he was throwing all outside the window because he was jealous.

And now she was feeling angry and more disappointed than ever. She never expected that Ethan would question her choices, especially the person with whom she had to move on. And never expected him to be this prejudicious. That he would suggest that Bryce as her partner was synonymous with insult and indignity. 

She felt sick at realizing how blindly selfish he was. And for a person like that, Eleanor couldn’t spend another tear, so after a few deep breaths, she wiped the tears from her face and started to wander around the hospital to find something useful to do.

Half an hour later, she was informed that the results couldn’t be ready that day, so she went back to the office to inform Ethan, in the hopes that she could leave early to spend the rest of the afternoon with Bryce and Keiki.

“Dr. Ramsey, the lab has informed me that the results couldn’t be ready today, there was a problem with previous analysis that had to be made again and that is on top priority, but they’ll be ready tomorrow morning.”

“Alright. You’re discharged, then.”

“Thank you.”

She was about to grab her purse when Ethan stood up from his chair.

“Eleanor, wait.”

She turned to him, her face emotionless.

“I need to understand why.”

“Why what?”

“Why you… moved on so fast when you… you said you love me. How could you leave what we had in the past just after a month? Was all you said a lie?”

Eleanor felt heartbroken. She sensed his pain and how subtly he was acknowledging that after all this time he still couldn’t move on, but at the same time, she couldn’t believe he was questioning her feelings when he had been the one who broke everything they had.

“How… How can you doubt my feelings, Ethan? How?—She said as her voice was breaking—"I was honest with you the whole time. The whole time you were ignoring me I opened up my heart to you, I ridiculed myself in front of you every time I tried to make to your senses. You really think that all that was a trap?”

“No, but…”—Ethan walked towards her and stopped a few inches away as he sensed her discomfort.—"How could you do it so fast and…. with someone so shallow, you deserve better than that. You’re brilliant, you need someone who comprehends your sharp mind…”

“Shut up!”—She roared—"I’m tired of this shit, Ethan. Don’t ever talk about Bryce like that, you hear me? You have no idea…”—A sob escaped from her throat. It really affected her how bad he was treating Bryce—“…how wonderful he is and all the things he had done for me. If you knew, you wouldn’t be saying this bullshit. You should be grateful to him instead.”

“Why you say that?”

“Because he cleaned the mess you made. You were the one that broke me into hundred pieces, and not just when you left, but every time you ignored me and pretended that I didn’t exist, every time you didn’t answer my calls or emails, even when you started to punish me for moving on. You have spent months breaking me, Ethan. In million pieces. And you know who took all the broken pieces of me, who is putting them all together? Him. Like the brilliant scalpel jockey he is, he has been stitching every single piece of me with love, dedication, with patience, with a lot of patience. He has shown me how real and selfless love is by being a good friend, inviting me out, making me laugh, putting me on top of his priorities when not even I was putting myself first.  And he had never hurt me, you know? So don’t ever say that I don’t deserve him, because he’s precisely what I deserve after all the hell you made me live.”

Ethan couldn’t say anything, and after a few moments, Eleanor turned to leave, but before she could take her belongings, he spoke.

“Do you love him?”

She faced him, bravery in her entire body even if she was still crying.

“Yes”.

Eleanor could see how his life fell apart, how she broke him with just a single word.

“But you said that you…”

“I love him but I’m not in love with him, yet.”

“You’re still in love with me, then?”—He said with a hint of hope.

“Yes, but that doesn’t change anything between us.”

“It does. Eleanor, I wanted to make things right, but I was afraid.”

“Don’t you think I wasn’t afraid too? I exposed myself in front of you a hundred times and I kept doing it even if you rejected me ninety-nine times before.”

“You have always been braver than I am.”

“Yes. That’s why I asking you to please end all this crap for good and let me be happy.”

“I … I don’t know if I can.”

Suddenly, he heard a hiss and before he could direct his eyes to the source of the noise, an imponent and categorically voice filled the air.

“Enough. ”

Ethan and Eleanor turned to the voice, startled, only to find Bryce standing in front of the sliding doors, his face frozen in a cold glare.

“Enough of your stupid game of making her feel guilty for the shit you created, Ramsey.”

“Bryce…"—Eleanor said in a tiny voice, clearly surprised of his attitude, but grateful that he had interrupted that tortuous exchange.

"This is not of your concern, Lahela.”

“If you are making her feel like shit, if you are making her cry like she is now, of course it’s my concern and I won’t let you do this to her anymore, you hear me?”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, I’m asking you to behave like a decent human being and stop torturing her with your mistakes. She has paid more than enough for them, and it’s not fair you keep doing this. So, if you really, really care about her like you’re trying to show, take a step back and leave her alone.”

Ethan was speechless. He never thought he would see Bryce this serious and commanding, and that he would call him out like this. His eyes were now burning with fury and was standing a few inches ahead of Eleanor in a protective way, waiting for anything Ethan could throw at her or him and respond.

When Bryce understood that Ethan wouldn’t say another word, he turned to Eleanor.

“Come on, babe, let’s get outta here.”

“Okay.”—Her voice was barely a murmur.

"You have your purse here?”

“Yeah, it’s…”

“ Got it"—He said when he localized the black leather bag hanging from a chair in the circular table. Once he was standing beside her again, he held her hand and together walked out of the office, while the examining eyes of Ethan followed every movement of them.

The last thing he heard before the doors slid shut was a soft "It’s okay baby, I got you” after a few sobs, while through the windows he could see how Bryce was holding her in his arms, her face deep buried in his chest. Then, total silence. His hammering head full questions and guilt had deafened him. 

___

A/N2: So, with this chapter, I officially declare that Bryce is Leo cusp Virgo in my AU, thank you very much. 

[imagine-the-energon]

How bout Silas experimenting on his teen kid to make them a techno organic? They run away and bump into the autobots. The bots look at them and their like this is our child now. Fight us their ours now. :)

(So sorry person who originally asked this. I accidentally deleted it when trying to clean the inbox)

You got it! This will be a multipart series. Currently, only two parts are planned: this one and one where Silas gets his dues, but more can be added if requested.

~~ Mod Ohma ~~

tw: abuse, neglect, mentions of torture, experimentation and death

The first thing she saw once she was out of the warehouse was green. There was so much, it made her head spin, and as she stumbled back, she could hear the guards yelling, signaling that the empty cell and dead guards. Pushing forward, she could hear the branches and fallen logs under her break as she vaulted over them, doing her best not to look, not to feel because if she did either, she’d certainly break down.

Finally, after what felt like both forever and a few seconds, she tripped and caught herself with her arms, forcing her to look at the white metal, at the dark grey blade she had tried so hard to pry off only to get shocks after shocks the second she had managed to get it away.

Her breath hitched and she could feel her eyes stinging. When she closed her eyes, her mechanical arms gave out, allowing her to collapse on the ground, sobbing in the new and confusion freedom she had found in the forest.

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She woke up to the ground shaking. Normally, she would’ve just gotten under the small bunk her father had given her, but as she rolled over, she had a stick whack her in her face, causing her to open her eyes and realize that the dream had not, in fact, been a dream.

She felt the vibrations stop and thought that it meant she was ok, that she could move, like all the other times, so she slowly stood up, grimacing at the state of her hospital gown. it was backward for the sake of her running away, but it was also too short, having been made for a kid rather than a tall teenager. Or, well, a robotically enhanced teenager.

She wasn’t sure if the sound she made was a choked laugh or a choked sob, but once it was out of her mouth, there was a tremor, and then another one. Looking around, she felt herself freeze up at the sight of the giant red and blue robot, who seemed just as shocked (well, perhaps a little bit more) as she was.

“Hello,” she rasped, feeling the headpiece attacked to her skull buzzing lightly as it forced information into her head. “I need your help, Optimus Prime. An enemy of MECH is a friend of mine.”

“What did MECH want from you?” He rumbled, and she knew that this was the make or break moment.

“My name is Phoebe Leah Bishop, daughter of Leland Bishop, and he was the one who did this to me. He wanted a techno-organic, a supersoldier for his stupid war, and he decided that since I never agreed with him, he’d make me agree with him. I have no love for him, and all I can ask if that if you decline my help, then please, allow me to live in peace.”

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She could feel their mistrust the second Prime made it known that she was sitting in his hands. Ratchet, the one MECH pegged as old and decrepit due to rarely being on the field, plucked her out of his grasp and took her over to the medical area, and she could feel the information rewriting itself.

“Scans indicate that your limbs have been replaced... and that this crown has been screwed onto your head,” he said, voice disgusted and aghast as she just shrugged.

“It’s not screwed in,” she corrected, unsure what to really say. “It’s sending information into my head whether I want it to or not, and I don’t think screws can do that.”

“Fraggers,” she heard Arcee mumble. “Can’t we rethink the no harming humans rule? Just this once?”

“No, Arcee,” Prime answered, sounding just as angry as the femme. “Miss Bishop-”

“Phoebe,” she interrupted. “Bishop reminds me of him.”

“Phoebe, what can you tell us of MECH’s plans?”

She found herself tilting her head, unknowingly tapping against the bed with her left hand. “I was the only prototype to survive the fifth surgery,” she said. “They started with our arms and made sure they were functional before turning to our legs. Two didn’t survive that surgery. After that, they wanted to make sure we would be able to use those blue crystals as a type of fuel source if we didn’t have food on us, so they went in and completely changed our digestive system. Twenty died on the table, another seven having complications afterward. We had to have our strength enhanced, so they inserted a chip at the base of our neck to control our muscles beyond the limits our brains set. Three died on the table, four died off when their muscles ripped them in half. Five survived to the fifth surgery, which was to implant an information node. Mine’s all fancy because I was supposed to be Daddy’s Little Leader.”

The yellow one, Bumblebee, let out a series of beeps that had her furrowing her brows and tilting her head. “I agree,” the green one, Bulkhead, growled. “We should be out here making sure this doesn’t happen again, Optimus.” There was a silence as Prime looked at her with an... odd expression before motioning for everyone to follow him out of the medbay area. Ratchet was the last one to leave, and even then, he looked back.

“Are... am I allowed to stay?” She hated how insecure she sounded, how insecure she felt, but being here, it felt nice.

“You’re more than allowed to stay, youngling,” he promised her before walking out as well, leaving her to curl up on the bed and ignore the pain slowly building up in her hips.

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How I imagine what Phoebe looks like:

[katslitg]

how the open heart lis would react to you being pregnant. (obvs jackie’s pregnant in her scenario.)

Jackie Varma:

god she’d be pissed!!!!!!

“what do you mean positive??? check the other ten tests!!!!”

“jack, all of them say posi-“ “shut up!!!”

she’d be mad, mostly at herself for not being careful enough

pregnancy on top of money problems is rough

good thing you two already live together

wouldnt acknowledge it until she started showing

“dr varma, ure pregnant???” “yeah, just ignore it.”

shed ignore you at the beginning, not knowing what to do

“jackie, c’mon, you cant keep ignoring me! it takes to two to tango!” “i can and i will,”

when you finally force her to come shopping for baby clothes, supplies, furniture etc, she loves it

“omg look how adorable! can you believe our baby’s feet are this small!”

she’d become insecure further into the pregnancy

“what if im not going to be a good mom, hm?”

“don’t say that, jack, you’ll be a great mom,”

you two would move into the your room, since it had a better view and change her room into a nursery

the boys would help you put everything together.

“bryce, that’s not where its supposed to be- ykw forget it.”

“jesus, dr ramsey do you even know how to-“ bryce would shut up just seeing ethan give him a glare

“see i knew raf would come around to save the day” she’d flirt with him, making him blush

cutest mood swings ever!!!

“all im saying is he’s a fucking jerk and i- ohhh sienna are those donuts?”

jackie would get stressed at the weirdest moments, and you kiss her and cuddle with her to calm her down

“mc, you know i hate kids, why did this have to happen to us!!!!”

she’d slowly come to terms with the fact that she was going to become a parent

god giving birth would scare this woman, and trust me not a lot of things scare her

“mc, what if-“ “jack, breath, everything will be fine!”

when you two found out you’d have a daughter she smiled

“at least i wont have to deal with a little mc” she’d joke

when she got in labour she’d curse at everyone!!!

“AND YOU! YOU MC ARE THE WORST ONE HERE! GETTING ME PREGNANT AND THAN MAKING ME DO THE HARD PART I FUCKING HATE YOU!!!”

“uhhh....”

after a couple of years, the three of you would move into a bigger apartment, still close to the hospital

god, your daughter absolutely lovessssssssss aunt sienna and uncle elijah!!!! these two dorks would hang around with her all the time

“dad, can i stay at aunt sienna’s after school?”

“she’s working today sweetheart but mommy will be there to pick you up”

you two would have some sweet, annoying nicknames for her

love, sweetheart, sugar, honey etc

Bryce Lahela:

he’d be excited and scared

he would freeze when he found the positive pregnancy test in his trashcan

“i wanted to tell you but seems like you already found out,”

he’d shut you out and be less loud at work

“bryce, please talk to me” “uhh, cant have a long shift today”

but one day you’d show up to his apartment, keiki opened the door

“oh hey keiki, is bryce home?” “yeah come in”

youd try to get him to talk but man he was not feeling it

“i just need some space mc,”

wouldnt even take a week for him to come over and apologize to you

“im just not sure if i’d make a good dad, i mean i had two bad examples growing up, what if i-“

youd cut him off with a kiss

“no need to stress, bryce, im certain you will make a great dad!”

you two would have to look for a bigger place, and also someone to fill your spot at the apartment

sienna, elijah and jackie would help you decorate the nursery

“jackie those colours do not match with the blankets i bought” sienna would say while jackie just rolled her eyes

“well maybe you shouldn’ve bought so! many! blankets!” jackie said while holding up multiple blankets

“guys please its mc and bryce’s child we can’t fight over this” elijah was the only one who would think rationally

when you found out you were having a son bryce almost jumped into the air

“a little bryce,,,,” he’d say with heart eyes, making you roll your eyes

when you went into labour, he’d be the one freaking out

“can’t believe im saying this when im the one in labour, but good god bryce calm down!”

uncle raf!!!!! aunt kyra!!!!!

rafael and kyra would absolutely adore your son!!!! theyd fight over whose turn it was to babysit

“kyra, you had him last weekend!” “but mc said he always talks about how fun aunt kyra is!”

“why dont you two take him to the park together? he loves both aunt kyra and uncle rafael equally” bryce would say, making the two adults reluctantly agree

“finally a moment alone with the woman of my dreams” he said the second they left, making you chuckle

keiki would hang out with your son. occasionally.

“aunt keiki can you read me a bedtime story?” “right. im aunt keiki.”

she’d love it secretly

Rafael Averio: (pretending sora doesnt exist here lol)

this man would beam with joy!!!

he had always dreamt of having a big family of his own

“youre pregnant?” “yeah.... i-“ he’d kiss you before you could even say anything else

would brag to everyone about it

“do you guys know im goin-“ “going to be a dad? yes raf you told us like a million times” his paramedic friends would say

it was even funnier when you saw how some people avoided him because of it

would not leave ur side

“jesus ever heard of personal space?” “oops sorry”

he’d be at ur apartment all the time

“raf, not that we don’t enjoy you being here but don’t you idk have other friends?” jackie would try to get him out of the house

sienna’d be fine with it since he would help her cook n bake stuff

“i didnt know you cooked!” “not really just some stuff i picked up from my grandma”

he’d sleep over at your apartment

when you got insecure he’d talk to you and make u forgot about it in a certain way ;)

“what if im not a good mom? or what if your fanily doesn’t approve of me?? oh good god this is not going how i imagined-“ “relax, you know my family loves you, now get over here”

you’d move in with him, and get someone to fill ur spot in the apartment

the two of you going to the senior center together!!!

“now edith you better not get to comfortable” you’d joke, earning a laugh from rafael

kyra and bryce would come over and help with the nursery, of course it was after the boys’ gym day so bryce dragged ethan with them

“hey gu- oh hey dr ramsey!” you’d say with a bright smile when you opened the front door.

“kyra not that i dont love you but what even is this?” “yeah i tried to make a blanket but as you can see it backfired”

“uhm ethan you sure that this is the color we picked out?” bryce would panic, knowing damn well they didnt do the one you asked them to do right

“well good thing aunt kyra did got the good color” she’d go get it from the car while the two men started at her in confussion

when you found out you were having a girl he got super excited

“a little mc running around the house” he’d say, already coming up with names

when you’d go into labour he’d put up a calm gentle persona while in reality he wanted to screammmmm

uncle bryce n aunt jackie!!!

u cant tell me bryce n raf havent become close friends

“hey dad can uncle bryce and aunt jackie stay for dinner?” “sweetie youre ignoring the rest of our guests”

even tho they would admit it bryce and jackie loved babysitting her

“do you want to come with uncle bryce?” “bryce thats enough its MY day!”

his family would come around often, bringing gifts every single time

his grandma would try to get him to propose, earning glares from him

when your daughter heard juliana say something along the lines of “when is the wedding” she’d get super excited!!!

“are you two really getting married??!!”

Ethan Ramsey:

you two would already be in an awkward position bc of the gwyneth thing

what was worse was that he admitted to not wanting to get married and have children

god, that little fight on the way to leland and at house took a toll on you, so when june came to check on you back in the hospital you told her

“so, youre pregnant?” “yeah” you’d sob

she wouldnt force you to tell her who the dad is, but it was obvious

before the fight you’d always come to the diagnostics team’s meetings with a smile on your face but now it was a neutral face or sometimes even a frown

soooo ethan found out. not directly from you, but from june, resulting in another fight

“you told june but not me?” “you dont even want kids i cant just casually bring it up!”

the awkwardness would be there for a while, im talking 2-3 months

“enough already! you two talk this out! not only is this bad enough for the two of you but also for me and baz! think about us! and our patients!” june’d snap one day

you’d talk it out, still awkward around each other

“jesus, ethan we can’t keep doing this, i have an appointment to check on the little one, you want to join?” you would try to keep the awkwardness at a certain level, he’d nod with a smile on his face

so when he found out he was having a son, he’d be happy, still very scared but very happy

“im sorry, mc. i acted as a jerk and didnt listen to your needs. i want to be in your and our baby’s lives.”

he’d ask you to move in with him, which you reluctantly agreed to, i mean there wasnt even enough space for a nursery in your apartment

sienna would invite herself and elijah over to help you with the nursery , since they knew about you two since that time after the hearing

“thank you, trinh,” ethan would say as he accepted the cookies she had baked

“i helped too. just so you know” elijah chimed in, earning a chuckle from you

god labour was the worst, you had to do an emergency c section since it was a bit too early for the baby to be born

so when they send your son off to the nicu, ethan would be there the whole time, very worried

“dr ramsey, you should go we’ll take care of him” the nurses would try to get him out of there with no luck, “no its fine i just want to stay here”

when you two could finally go home he would make sure to never youre side

“mc do you need anything? want me to bring you something to drink? maybe an extra blanke-“ “ethan shut uppppppppppppppppp its 3 am”

of course your friends would come over but not as often since they had to take care of their interns and stuff

uncle baz and aunt june!!!!!

“AUNT JUNE!!!!” he’d yell when you, june and baz picked him up from the daycare at the hospital

“wow so youre just ignoring uncle baz?” baz would act hurt, making the boy laugh

[lilyvalentine]

Walls

Title: Walls

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x f!mc (Dr. Hannah Valentine)

Warning: none

(This is my first fanfiction, I’m not a writer and my imagination is very limited. I hope my story is not too lame/boring. I would like to know what you guys think about it. ☺ )

Summary: A beautiful mysterious woman shows up in Ethan’s office and the hospital gossip starts.  Will the gossip affect their relationship?

-----------------

Hannah and Ethan’s relationship became official 6 months ago. The two doctors’ relationship wasn’t exactly a secret but they wanted to keep their relationship to themselves. Only her friends and Naveen know that they are together.

Monday:

On Monday morning a beautiful, mysterious woman went to Ethan’s office and the hospital gossip began. Hannah stood at the nurse station and checked one of her patient’s lab results when the women left Ethan’s office, her beauty caught Hannah’s eyes but taught she was only a regular patient and that’s all. The whole day was crazy and she was busy with her intern all morning.

After her lunch break, she heard when two nurses speak about Ethan and the mystic woman. She almost faded when she heard what they were talking about. She tried to keep her calm and went to his office to talk to him about that woman.

Dr. Hannah Valentine was a confident woman but next to Ethan she felt she is just not good enough.

She knocked on the door and entered his office. He was sitting behind his desk and wrote something on his laptop.

“Hey, do you have a little free time?”-she asked.

“I’m pretty busy with my article but sure, what do you need?” Finally, he looked up at her. He saw her worried expression but ignored it.

“Do you have a new patient? Because I saw you with a beautiful woman in your office this morning and I don’t know. It seemed you two were too friendly”- her thoughts just swirled in her head.

“Yes, the team has a new patient. She is a worried mother whose son is ill, you will know everything when the time comes. Jealousy is not a good look on you Rookie and if you'll excuse me now I have a lot to do.”-after he finished his sentence, he resumed his work immediately.

She stared at him in shock and without a word, she left his office and ignored him all day and for another 2 days.

Ethan didn’t even realize what was going on, he was too busy with his work.

Thursday:

3 days later she still didn’t speak to him except for their patients.  Ethan tried to reach out her but she was too resentful.

After her long shift she went to the cafeteria to eat something because she hasn’t eaten anything since breakfast. When she entered the buffet her eyes went to Ethan. He was sitting alone in the farthest booth, reading his medical journals. Hannah was surprised because he never ever eaten in the cafeteria.

“What the hell is he doing here?” She murmured to herself.

Then their eyes met…they were staring into each other’s eyes, forgot the whole world for a second. Then Hannah composed herself and went to the line to buy some food. She felt his eyes on her back than someone touched her arm.

“Hannah, we need to talk, you can’t ignore me forever. I can’t handle the silent treatment anymore”.

“Ethan. I don’t want to talk to you after what you did. I know you are hiding something or someone. I thought we have something special but I guess I was wrong.” Her cool gaze scares him.

“Han, please. You misunderstood the whole situation. Just give me 5 minutes to explain everything.”

Her mind was full of thoughts, she was desperate to hear his version, she was so broken. Every good memory came back to her brain. Every kiss, every hug, everything about them.

“Fine. You have 5 minutes to clarify yourself.” She wanted to hear his explanations, wanted to forgive him, but she was so insecure about their relationship. They have been together for six months now, but she couldn’t truly believe that the great Ethan Ramsey is fell for her.  

She bought some chicken salad and they went back to Ethan’s table together and she started to eat her dinner in silence.

“So”- he said. “I heard the rumors about me and that woman but that is not true. I know what you think about this whole mess but I would never cheat on you, Hannah. You are my life, my happiness, you have to believe me.

She was staring at him, she couldn’t say anything to him, she closed her eyes and replay what she heard about Ethan.

---”-and then Dr. Ramsey held the woman’s hand and took her into his office. I saw that they hold each other hands and the women hugged and kissed him. - What? She kissed him? –asked one of the nurses. I thought he is dating Dr. Valentine. -Well, maybe she was just a little fun for him, anyway, he is too good to that girl -said the nurse to the other one”--- She opened her eyes, tears falling down on her cheeks.

“Who is she? Why did she kiss you?”

“Her name is Eve McCord, we were at Hopkins for med school. She came to me because her son is sick and she couldn’t diagnose him. You will meet her next week because this case is yours.” –he said.

Her eyes opened wide and she was staring at him with a shock, tried to process everything what that she heard. She remembered when they were on Leland Bloom’s yacht, Ethan talked about his bad relationship with Tobias and mentioned that they fell for the same women. The realization hit her hard, her face growing serious.

“Is she your ex-girlfriend, isn’t she? She is the girl from med school who choose you over Tobias? You want me to treat your ex-girlfriend’s son? Do you have feelings for her? What the hell is going on?”

“Yes, she is my ex-girlfriend but she doesn’t mean anything for me. She is my past and will stay in the past. I hugged her because I wanted to comfort her, and after our discussion, she kissed my cheek. I didn’t kiss her at all. That’s all. And Hannah doesn’t forget that I am your boss, I signed this case for you because this is a tough one, I want to push you to get better and better.” He stopped talking to wait for her answer.

She put her head into her hands. “I am sorry. I’m acing like a child. I should never have doubted you. I should have known better. I take the case, I will heal him whatever it takes. But seriously Ethan. We have been together for a while now, talked about your past a lot and you have never ever mentioned Eve. How many walls do I have to break down to reach you, the real you? “- she asked.

Ethan stared at her, thinking about the right answer. Eventually, he talked about Eve just didn’t mention her name and kept the big part of the story to himself. He couldn’t care less about Eve since med school. Her voice takes him back into reality.

“Do you hear me?”-she asked.

“Jesus Christ Hannah, I didn’t mention her name because we haven’t talked to each other for 10 years. I never considered her as someone important. She is my past but you are my present and my future. You broke down every wall around me, around my heart. I’m learning to love myself through you. You led me out of the darkness and you are the only one I want to do life with. God, you are lucky I love you because you are really getting on my nerves.  Can we move on, please? I hate the silent treatment. ”

Her face suddenly softened and tears came into her eyes. “I love you too, but don’t think you get away from talking. I wanna know everything about you and no more secrets!”-she said with teary eyes.

“No more secrets. Shall we go home now?”-he glanced at her lovingly and took her hand and led her out to the cool Boston nightgown.