#wild mccoy appears

[honey-minded-hivemind]

⚔Wouldn't You Like🏛 AU, The Gods of Genosha, Krakoa, and the Human Kingdoms:

Charles Xavier/Cerebro: one of the kings of the gods, is the god of the mind and learning, can control minds, influence thoughts, heal inner pain, cause hallucinations, and puppeteer others; has a moving throne of metal and stardust; sometimes wears a helmet with an X on it; is married to Erik/Magneto, the other king of the gods; his symbols include: twined branches, mourning doves, ravens, and peridots, jades, and emeralds...

Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto: the other king of the gods, is the god of metals and justice, can control any metal, make anything from metal, is immune to certain powers, can manipulate iron in the blood, and uses metal to summon or throw lightning; has a helm of metal, a cape of silver, and usually his face is unseen; is married to Charles/Cerebro, one of the kings of the gods; his symbols include: shields, helmets, crossed spears, eagles, and titanium, iron, and silver...

Ororo Munroe/Storm: is the goddess of all weather as well as motherhood, can summon any kind of storm (snow, sand, thunder, etc.), can control lightning and the winds, can make the sun shine or make it rain; has a cape/cloak of clouds, hair of mists, and fastenings of gold; her symbols include: clouds, raindrops, lightning bolts, cranes, and blue/yellow topaz, aquamarine, and diamond

Raven Darkholme/Mystique: goddess of trickery, deceit, and secrets, can turn into any person or animal, is able to spy in any form, and is the wife of the minor goddess Destiny, who sees the future; appears naked, but is always blue, wears a belt and loincloth of white or black silk, sometimes a top of white or black; her symbols include: blue snakes, blue moons and stars, tragedy/comedy masks, and sapphires and garnets...

Logan Howlett/Wolverine: god of the wilderness and protection, as well as small woodland predators (ex. wolverines, badgers, foxes, wolves, coyotes, etc.), can go into a berserker mode, has six sharp, gleaming claws of poisonous metal, can take on an army of hundreds of soldiers, can bring out the protective side of others, can make a person become like an animal; wears a jacket or coat of brown leather, and pants or a loincloth of faded blue or black; is the brother of the older (and dual) god of nature and the wild, Victor/Sabretooth; his symbols include crossed claws or swords, badgers and wolverines, and howlite, hawk's eye, and jasper

Victor Creed/Sabretooth: dual god of nature and the hunt, as well as large predators (ex. smilodons, tigers, lions, bears, etc.), can fall into berserker mode, lives by his instincts, can drive men into insane rage/bloodlust, can destroy an entire kingdom barehanded, is also a god of protection; is the older brother of Logan/Wolverine, the autumn side of nature to his winter; wears large furred coats and jackets, or loincloth of golden or brown; his symbols include: tigers, lions, fanged skulls, curved, clawed footprints, and tiger's eye, amber, and gold + pyrite...

Hank McCoy/Beast: god of science, teaching, medicine, and literature, possess great strength of body and mind, knows the secrets of medicine, has scrolls and stone tablets of ancient texts, has taught medicine and shared written language with kingdoms past, and is both a lover and a fighter; is fluffy and dark blue/indigo, has little need for cloths, but will wear dark blue/black pants or cloths; his symbols include: gorillas, lions, scrolls, quills, medicinal herbs, and labradorite, obsidian, and turquoise...

Kevin Sydney/Morph: deity of cunning, mirth and merriment, comedy and tragedy, and change, can take any form and any power, can cause madness, is a master trickster, tends to help down-on-their-luck mortals; is a good friend of Logan/Wolverine; wears a cloth/toga, can be naked or covered in a jacket or clothes, usually in shades of brown, yellow, or blue; their symbols include: chameleons, vipers, butterflies/moths, caterpillars, masks, and opals, color-changing sapphires/garnets, and pearls

(They all had once trained and given a gift/blessing (a mutation) to Reader, but after The Fight, they rarely speak of them... no one can ever speak ill of Reader in their presence or where they can hear, lest they earn the wrath of any of them... they try to be better mentors (read: parents) to the new demigods...)

[electronickingdomfox]

"The New Voyages" review

This one is actually a collection of short stories by fan authors, which makes the stories seem more like episodes of the series. It has also the distinct honor of being introduced by Roddenberry and most members of the cast. The stories are generally well-written and in character.

Some spoilers ahead:

Ni Var (by Claire Gabriel; intro by Nimoy) takes the plot of "The Enemy Within", but applied to Spock and the division between his Vulcan rational part, and his human emotional part. Besides the fact that I'm not sure such division works at that biological level, the two Spocks aren't all that different really. And it's not a very novel concept, specially right after a similar plot in previous book "Spock must die". But bonus points for Kirk giving the middle finger to his own reflection.

Intersection Point (by Juanita Coulson; intro by Doohan) is one of the best stories. The Enterprise is seriously crippled while navigating through an anomaly cloud, which is quickly contracting and threatens to crush the entire ship. Anyone who enters the cloud to retrieve a crucial component of the ship, is mentally destroyed by its eldritch qualities. Great tension and difficult choices.

The Enchanted Pool (by Marcia Ericson; intro by Nichols) is an attempt to write a fairy tale with Spock thrown in the middle for good measure. A bit of purple prose, and doesn't quite work. The resolution of the mistery is ingenous, even when convoluted.

Visit to a Weird Planet Revisited (by Ruth Berman; intro by Barrett) is actually the other half of a fanfic (Visit to a Weird Planet, not published here) where Kirk, Spock and Bones end up in the real world, right in the studio where they're filming Star Trek. Here instead, we follow the actors, who appear in the Enterprise and have to improvise to avert a danger. The other story was more fun, since Kirk and co. are more clumsy and hilarious in our world (being even "attacked" by fans), while the actors are just slightly less competent than their counterparts.

The Face on the Barroom Floor (by Eleanor Arnason and Ruth Berman; intro by Takei) is a really fun story. Kirk gets into a fight in a bar while in shore leave, is detained, teams up with a ratty thief, and crashes a party, while his crew search for him frantically. In the line of TOS best comedy-adventure episodes.

The Hunting (by Doris Beetem; intro by the editors) is a bit "meh". Spock goes into a Vulcan ritual which requires to mind-meld with a wild beast, and McCoy accompanies him. When Spock goes wild in the process, the good doctor has to hunt him and give him back his sanity. There could have been a more homoerotic fight between them, as in "Amok Time".

The Winged Dreamers (by Jennifer Guttridge; intro by Kelley) is another high point. The Enterprise crew falls under the influence of some creatures that make their fantasies seem real. So real that people can actually die if imagining the wrong thing. Spock is less affected, but slowly begins to hallucinate too, and the triumvirate fall into paranoia as neither they (nor the reader) can tell what's real and what's not anymore.

Mind-Sifter (by Shirley Maiewski; intro by Shatner) drags a bit at the beginning, when Kirk wakes up in a sanatory, his mind almost destroyed. It gets more interesting once Spock and McCoy start a quest to search for him. Great interactions between these two, reminiscent of "The Tholian Web".

After the eight stories there's still a little poem about Spock and Leila.

Spirk Meter: 10/10*. Not all stories are equally slashy, but the parts which do, are slashy in spades.

Ni Var has Kirk worrying about Spock all the time, and "human Spock" wondering if what he feels for the Captain is friendship... or love (something which happens too in one of Roddenberry's story concepts for a movie, around this time).

Intersection Point has a clear parallel between the anguish of a female crewmember, after a man (obviously her boyfriend) loses his mind in the anomaly, and Kirk agonizing once Spock has to enter the same anomaly.

The Enchanted Pool, where Spock refuses to kiss a beautiful female time and time again. Even when the woman assures him it's the only way to break a spell and escape. Even when Spock is doing far more dangerous things ALL THE TIME to solve problems. Of course, he considers the kiss a total waste of time once it doesn't work.

The Face on the Barroom Floor: Kirk is invited to a bar by McCoy and Sulu, who have found three women to pass the time, one for each. What does Kirk do? He gets out the bar two seconds later, puts on a samurai costume, and goes instead to a bar full of muscular, rowdy men, to get thrashed by them. Of course.

The Winged Dreamers has Spock wishing to stay on a planet with Kirk, just the two of them, for ever and ever. McCoy totally gets what's going on.

And I thought that Mind-Sifter would be about the love between a (quite unproffesional) nurse, and her mentally unstable patient, Kirk. But oh man, where do I even begin!? For starters, we have Kirk using his mind link with Spock to cry for help, across the galaxy and several centuries. And later he's concerned about how much can Spock read into his mind. Then we have McCoy informing the nurse that no, Kirk can't stay with her, because his love is his career and his... (trails off, having said too much). Gallant Spock carries an unconscious Kirk in his arms, and tells the nurse that, no matter how much she loves him, Kirk DOES NOT love her back (bitch!). If that wasn't enough, there's a lenghty conversation at the end, where Kirk almost melts in love and appreciation for Spock, and the Vulcan blushes at his own emotional display.

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[sparklingelectricblue]

From the Ashes: Marvel Infinity #15

I really appreciate the quiet character moments that are coming from the FtA: Infinity Comics. We haven't seen Hank grapple with being a clone and what became of Beast Prime and AoA Beast in the current X-Men line and it has been rubbing me the wrong way.

I know Scott Lobdell is not on the top of anyone's X-Men's writers list but he did quiet character moments well. I miss that. Although I haven't read those comics since I was a kid (a long, long time ago). So I could be remembering them more fondly than if I read them today.

And my goodness, someone is talking to a professional! Finally! Maybe Hank can get everyone else on board the therapy train.

And speaking of people who need therapy... a wild Magneto appears!

Quick question for everyone. What is the feeling behind long Tumblr posts? Is that bad Tumblr etiquette? Asking because I want to do a breakdown of Silver Age Magneto.

[whumpbug]

new ocs!!!

hi gang!!!!!!!!!!!! i've been hinting at more characters for a bit and HERE THEY ARE!!! i might try to use the whumperless event to intro them a bit more, but if anyone has any drabble requests until then feel free to send em in! and if you have any clarifying questions, PLEASE ask them!!!

as you can tell, i love westerns. i love cowboys. i NEEDED a cowboy/wild west setting to whump in so i made these guys (yes i am aware their color palletes are just simon and archie in a different font. i am a one trick pony.)

sidenote: rdr2 fans, you're gonna love this (these two are practically rdr2 ocs) (′ꈍᴗꈍ‵)

onto the boys (men?? we'll go with men.) this post is embarassingly long. strap in guys.

picrew here (though i couldn't find one that captured their looks the way i envisioned.... sigh i need to start drawing again. anyways, i included some outfits to go along with them!

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eugene (gene) delaney

age: 28

height: 6'2

occupation: deputy sherriff (his town is called Whiteridge)

description: gene is. well, for lack of better words, he has a stick up his ass. that is to say that he is very particular about things, namely the safety of his town and the activities that go down in it. he cares very much about keeping the streets safe from gangs and criminals because his mother was killed by a gang when he was just a child and he knows the dangers of having bad people run around unrestrained. also, the sherriff he works under is crooked and useless, so gene is left with a lot of responsibility in terms of managing Whiteridge. he's strong-willed and intelligent, but very morally conflicted about many things. he wants whats best for his people, but is controlling everything with an iron grip really the best way to go about it?

here is his outfit that you'll usually see him in!

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cassidy "silver" mccoy

age: 27

height: 6'0

occupation: outlaw/one of "montana's boys"

description: cassidy gets his nickname "silver" from his silver tongue. he's been known to talk his way out of death more times than he can count. he runs with a gang lead by a man named welles montana, and he is one of montana's most respected men. he was taken in by montana when he was very young, and believes he owes him his life. he trusts him blindly and is convinced evetything he does is for a good cause, even if sometimes it's questionable. he greatly enjoys his job and loves seeing the fruits of his labor in the form of hungry kids getting to eat for the first time in weeks, or single mothers able to afford a new dress. he did not grow up wealthy, so what he does is very personal. despite wanting to appear smooth and charismatic, he is a deeply feeling person that sort of lets his emotions rule him.

here is his typical outfit!

a bit about montana's gang: they lead robin hood-esque type heists where they exclusively take from the wealthy to give to the poor, but their methods are often violent and destructive. also, montana himself is not a very good man but cassidy doesn't necessarily know that. montana is sort of leading a double life where he spends part of his time with his gang and the other part with the wealthy assholes they're trying to take down. none of his gang know he is getting the best of both worlds and betraying them all. he's very manipulative and acts as a whumper in this story. cassidy is at his beck and call, and follows orders often without question.

also, there is a rival gang lead by a man named o'malley. they are your typical old western gang with no strict morals, sort of just trying to get the most money they can. members of o'malley's gang act mostly as whumpers as they are much more harmful and destructive than montana's boys, and have it out for cassidy specifically.

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their relationship/more background info:

cassidy and gene have a bit of a cat and mouse thing going on. cassidy often pulls heists with his boys in plain sight and since gene is the deputy, he's the one sent to bring him into custody. the two spend quite a bit of time together because of it. (cassidy is an escape artist. he is never locked up for more than a few days. gene hates this.) to gene, cassidy is infuriating. he believes you can't fight fire with fire and that cassidy is just causing more problems with his violent approach to "helping others"

cassidy on the other hand, loves to tease and provoke gene. when they first meet, it's while cassidy is locked up in a jail cell. he clocks how "stuck up" gene is, and sees it as a challege to try and piss of gene as much as he can and get away with it. he knows and he and gene actually have very similar goals: protect the people that can't protect themselves, but gene's approach feels too slow and ineffective to cassidy. still, he respects his dedication and never actively wants to cause him harm. regardless, cassidy's loyalty to montana is stronger than any respect he has for gene (AT FIRST), so the two have an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers type thing going on

as for a silly detail, even though the two men are less than fond of eachother, their horses are infatuated with eachother. they seriously have the biggest crushes on eachother, and make it known that they are upset when they have to be seperated.

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BONUS here are their respective horses:

this is calliope, gene's mare. she is sweet as sweet can be, very gentle and extremely, totally spoiled by gene.

this is scotch, cassidy's gelding. he is opinionated and stubborn and only answers to cassidy (and even then, it's only about half the time)

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thank you so much for listening to be ramble! i plan to have at least one fic of these guys during the event, maybe more, but i'm honestly so excited for them. i've been wanting to make ocs like them for a LONG time and here they finally are!! i hope you all enjoy!

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[positivelybeastly]

Can't help but wonder if beast was really that happy on krakoa, or if he was even happy at all.

"What do I have to be unhappy about."

"Everything."

"Is."

"Fine."

So, this is kind of an interesting question, because there are two Beasts on Krakoa - and I don't mean original Beast and clone Beast. I mean that there are two versions of Hank that were being written, especially in 2019-2020 when House of X was still coming out, things were still developing, and X-Force had yet to take a giant shit on Hank McCoy.

Because there's this.

And this.

And this.

And weirdly this???

And then there was this.

And like . . . these two versions of the character don't really feel like they can co-exist? Like, this is mostly on Benjamin Percy for just. Completing failing to capture a satisfying or sensical ramp up for Beast's villainy and just hitting that genocide button like he's queuing up for a game of fucking Fortnite, but it's also on the editorial staff, for just not. CHECKING. With their writers, to make sure that characters are being written consistently across titles.

Beast in X-Force does not feel like the same guy who appeared in House of X #4 or 6, or Hellions #1, or even in X-Men #18. The first three, fine, whatever, maybe plans weren't locked in yet, but Percy had to know he was going to take Beast down the genocide path, given how early it happens in X-Force, so why is Beast still acting like his pre-Krakoan self? And why the fuck is Duggan writing Jean like she thinks Hank is just going through a rough spot right now, instead of this being POST-GENOCIDE AND POST-NAZI SPACE PRISON???

It's just. Baffling, frankly.

Anyway. There's no logical throughline, you're just kinda meant to accept that Beast was hiding his natural insanity and evil, if you believe a word that Ben Percy has to say (which you shouldn't), so any appearances where he's not acting like a raving maniac, he's just pretending.

Me, though . . . I kinda have to make sense of it, because I'm me.

Me personally? I don't think Beast was ever truly happy on Krakoa. How the fuck could he be? Beast is a staunch integrationist/assimilationist. He doesn't believe that mutants and humans should live apart. He never has. Hell, of maybe ANY mutant, he has the most proof that it can work!

This is what he was doing pre-Krakoa!

He doesn't even want to be on an X-Men team anymore, and you want me to believe he's gonna up sticks and move to a fully mutant nation? Fuck no! I don't believe you!

This is part of a wider narrative problem with the Krakoan era, which is, it's really nice, Jonathan Hickman, that you want to have all the mutant toys in the toy box so everyone can play with them, but these characters would not go in for this. This is why the 'Xavier is telepathically controlling everyone' theories ran so wild for such a long time. It just. Doesn't make sense.

And it especially doesn't make sense for Hank because by this point in his history, he has so much negative history with the X-Men! The time travel debacle, the intervention, being attacked with a lightning bolt and caged during the Inhuman conflict, being forced to parlay with evil Steve Rogers during Secret Empire, getting drawn into the Age of X-Man, like, NONE of this is something he asked for or enjoyed! Hell, if you want to go further back, Hank hasn't enjoyed being on an X-Men team since, like, the mid-2000s! Before Utopia!

So why in god's name would he not only go back to them, but decide, yeah, I want to live on the mutant island that's actively pissing off most of the human allies that I had personal relationships with?

In my mind, the only way it makes sense is if Charles came to Hank and said, look. I know I've asked a lot of you, but I have a plan, and this is a way you can make it up to us all. This is how you can get back in good with all your old friends, this is how all can be forgiven, which fits in with the whole Krakoan clean slate angle they were going with.

And thus, Hank's creation of the Krakoan wonder drugs that sustain Krakoa's economy (yes, reminder, that was Hank's creation, those did not magically come together out of nowhere, Hank was the genius responsible for those, you're fucking welcome).

So, Hank does this, it's all one happy family, everyone's working in unison, it's great.

Except. It doesn't last.

Because how could it? Textually speaking, Hank does not have positive history with 90% of the X-Men anymore, and they have no real reason to trust him or want him around, judging by the way they talk about him. As we see with Cyclops and Mister Sinister, even with the kayfabe that everyone's cool and fine now, they are still the same characters with the same history, so the clean slate is not actually a clean slate, they're just saying that.

So, in my mind, almost instantly, things just kinda get weird, and awkward, and when everyone's deciding on habitats to live in, Hank just ends up siloed off on his own, in his little house that nobody visits. And so he's just. Instantly miserable. Maybe there's a period where he tries, and maybe some other people try, too, but I think the weight of pre-Krakoan history, and the general weirdness of the Krakoan status quo, mean that Hank was pretty much never happy on Krakoa.

He sure as fuck wasn't happy during X-Force, unless you count grinning insanity and obvious derangement as happiness, which I don't. The only way his character arc makes sense is as his mind just simply snapping into pieces under psychological stress, maybe even before Krakoa, and it just taking a little while before it manifests.

So, no. Not a happy time at all for him. That's partly why I hope that clone-Beast gets his memories back, so he can look back on Krakoa, which he currently sees as this gleaming paradise that he didn't get to experience, and realise, oh, this was all paid for using blood money. This all existed through moral compromise and war crimes and awful deeds. This was all a dystopian nightmare, actually.

But, we'll see.

Oh, and while I've got you - I do have a fanfic that explores this grey area a little bit, set during House of X #6. It's called Fast Car, and explores what it means to be the unpopular, screw up X-Men, seen mostly through the eyes of Alex Summers, aka Havok.

It's a little shippy, but mostly I wanted just to explore what it's like for X-Men who aren't perfect soldiers, who snap under the stress, who have disappointed the people around them and can't quite seem to make it up to people with impossibly high standards. That's a theme I find pretty interesting, and there's some significant crossover between Beast and Havok in that theme, hence why they're the viewpoint figures for it.

[bibones]

no one look at me or my star trek daemon au:

mccoy's is a hare - she has the big, wide eyes, the grouchy face, a deceptively vulnerable appearance

spock's daemon is a peacock - he's proud, reticent, but completely conspicuous and flamboyant

kirk's is a dingo - she looks like a domestic dog, but she has a wild, untamable nature

[440mxs-wife]

Mail Order Bride, Part 8: Arrivals and Departures

Pairing: Sheriff!McCoy x Paige Stone (OFC). Other characters: Nyota Uhura, Deputy Jim Kirk, Eleanora McCoy, Donna McCoy. Evan, Lyla, Jacob, Tyler (Stone family OCs), Doc Anderson

Word Count: 8540

General warnings:  As the title implies, mail-order bride arrangement, parent’s illness, outlaws, overprotective sister, Wild West-level violence but some fluff as well. Each chapter will have individual warnings as needed.

Chapter warning: Talk of pregnancy, probably still more medical inaccuracy, confrontation with ex, reunion with family, Leonard being just the best husband ever, parental death

A/N: This is set around the 1930′s in the Western U.S. I will endeavor to remain as true to the historical timeline as I can. There may be some....bending of history to fit the narrative, but hopefully nothing major. This is, after all, a work of fiction. :) Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future chapters!

A/N 2: This is longer than my other chapters, I know. I thought about splitting into two, but the title wouldn't have worked if I did. It's one of the most personal things I've ever written. In this chapter, my art is imitating my life, and I'm sure you'll understand what I mean when you read it. As always, thank you for reading, and on with the show. ❤

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Tears of joy brimmed in Lyla's eyes at seeing her firstborn after such a long absence. "My darling girl," she replied softly, and held her arms out to beckon her daughter to her side. With Leonard's help, Paige carefully lowered herself to sit on the edge of the mattress. She leaned forward as far as her stomach would allow, but she was still within her mother's reach. "Oh, my sweet girl, I can't believe you're here," she sobbed, then gasped as she looked closer. "And you're pregnant?!"

Paige nodded and felt the waves of emotion crashing over her all at once, from being back in her childhood home and seeing her family again. Mother and daughter embraced another few moments and then pulled back. Paige felt Leonard's hand on her knee as he crouched beside her, his thumb caressing the area. She covered his other hand with her own and gave him a watery smile.

Lyla turned to Evan and insisted that she wanted to join the others on the main floor of the house. He tried to discourage the idea, stating that she needed to rest, but Lyla wouldn't hear of it. She was tired of being cooped up in bed, and she was eager to hear more about the handsome man who accompanied her daughter on such a long journey. Evan finally relented and helped his wife walk out of their room, while Leonard assisted Paige.

By the time the four of them arrived in the living room, everyone was occupied with some sort of activity. Two were reading, while the rest were locked into either playing or watching an intense game of chess. Evan helped to get Lyla situated in her chair, as Leonard did for Paige but on the sofa. Jacob brought each of them a glass of lemonade, then took his perch on the arm of the sofa and flashed an expectant look to his sister.

She rolled her eyes at Jacob before clearing her throat for her announcement. "Everyone, I would like you to meet my husband, Leonard McCoy. Len, this is my family." When she called each sibling's name, Leonard acknowledged them with a wave or a nod. Her younger sisters were shy and giggly, as she expected they would be. In contrast, her brothers tried to appear as her "protectors", puffing out their chests to appear stern and tough. She secretly smiled, but also rolled her eyes at their antics.

"Mama, Papa, I know the contract said I would be marrying a man named Matthews," she started, her father nodding in agreement. Paige explained what kind of man Jed Matthews was, and how he met an unfortunate end after getting caught cheating at cards. She mentioned how she didn't know about any of Jed's shortcomings until she was saved by the sheriff, Leonard, at the train station.

After the shock wore off, Leonard quickly assured his in-laws that it wasn't their fault Jed had lied in his advertisement. He told them he admired Paige for what she was doing and her reasons for it. It made him want to do what was right for her and her family by taking over the contract. "I didn't expect to fall for her," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "However, she had my heart almost from the get-go. And it sure didn't hurt that she was the prettiest and kindest woman I'd ever met," he winked at Paige, causing her to blush.

Evan and Lyla could see how much in love their daughter was with her husband, reminding them a bit about their own courtship. It might not have been the most traditional of beginnings, but they knew Paige had a good man by her side. Because she trusted him, they silently agreed to do the same and officially welcomed Leonard into the family.

***

After a dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread, Tyler and the younger kids took care of the dishes. Once that chore was finished, Paige was roped into a friendly game of Monopoly with her siblings. Leonard chose instead to watch, so he could keep close to his wife and make sure she was comfortable. Between turns, Paige's and sometimes Leonard's hands roamed over her stomach as if to soothe the baby growing inside.

Throughout the game, Evan and Lyla sat their respective chairs, soaking up the atmosphere. Even though there were a few heated moments, the jabs traded between siblings were all in the spirit of the game. At one point, Evan glanced at his wife, who had a contented smile on her face as she watched her children laugh amongst themselves.

He couldn't help the grin that spread across his own face as he turned towards Lyla. "You are so beautiful when you smile, my darling," he noted.

Lyla chuckled softly. "Thank you, my love. I am....so happy right now. All of my children, together, under one roof, enjoying each others' company. Our eldest daughter is married to a good, strong, kind man, and she's having his child. My heart is full, Evan. This is one of the most perfect moments I could ever hope for, and I don't want to miss a second of it." She reached over and held out her hand, palm up, which he took in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

***

A few days later, Paige and Leonard volunteered to do the grocery shopping for the family. Her sisters, Charlotte, Holly, and Molly, along with her youngest brother, Eddie, asked to accompany them. The girls insisted that they knew best what was needed at the house, while Paige wanted to make sure that Eddie was included.

When the kids asked if they could tag along, Leonard shrugged and quipped, "the more, the merrier," as he held the door open for his wife. They borrowed Evan's 1932 Chevrolet Confederate BA, since it was big enough to fit them all. He gave Paige a wink and a smile before closing her door and settling into the driver's seat.

Once inside the store, Leonard decided they should split the grocery duties. "Us men will handle the butcher's counter, while you ladies get started on the rest. That sound good to you, little man?" he asked Eddie. The young man's eyes grew wide as he gravely nodded and gave Leonard the thumbs-up. Leonard patted him on the shoulder, then gave Paige a long kiss on the cheek. "See you soon, darlin'," he grinned.

"Well, girls, looks like we have our work cut out for us," Paige told her sisters, smiling as the "men" walked away. Her eyes followed the pair and watched as her brother grabbed Leonard's hand, causing him to look down at Eddie. Before they disappeared around a corner, her husband shot her a mischievous wink and a small wave. She felt the tears forming in her eyes, knowing that, without a doubt, Leonard was going to be an amazing father.

"Sissy?" Charlotte piped up. Paige hummed in response, finally tearing her eyes away to focus her attention on her sister. "Are you having a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"Oh, Charlie, I won't know until the baby is born," she explained.

"What if you're having twins, like us?" Holly gasped excitedly.

"I am NOT having twins, Holls," she chuckled. "Twins would be wonderful, but it won't be this time around. I'm sure Doc Anderson would've told us by now if there were two babies instead of only one." Paige marked off a few more items on the list and massaged her lower back. She was about to head for the next aisle when she heard someone call for her from behind.

"Oh, my goodness, Paige? Paige Stone is that you?" the voice exclaimed. It was one that Paige would recognize anywhere, especially after all of the nasty remarks that had ever been thrown in her direction.

Paige cringed as she stopped in her tracks, her hands tightly curled around the shopping cart handle. She took a few deep breaths as she tried to keep her stress to a minimum for the baby's sake. "Hello, Abigail," she finally managed.

Abigail gave Paige the once-over from head to toe, her eyes finally landing on Paige's midsection. "Hmm, I see congratulations are in order! You do know who the father is, don't you?" she snickered.

Before Paige's outrage could take hold, a man approached Abigail's cart squinting at a piece of paper in his hand. "Darling, I found the list you were looking for. We should start with--" Thomas abruptly ended his statement and replaced it with a question. "Paige? Paige Stone? What on earth are you doing back in Columbus?"

By this time, Paige's patience had reached its end. "First of all, it's Paige McCoy, if you don't mind," she snapped. "I left here and got married almost a year ago. I live happily in Boulder, Colorado with my husband, and he happens to be the sheriff," she retorted. "Second, I only came back for a visit and to introduce him to my family. Not that it should matter at all to either of you."

"Is that a fact? Well, I had heard that you left town, but no one knew exactly why. I mean, there were so many rumors, it's hard to know what the truth really is. So, tell us, Mrs. McCoy, where is this husband of yours?" Abigail sneered, then leaned in close to Paige. "You know, I don't think there is a Mr. 'Sheriff-of-Boulder' McCoy husband. I think you made him up. You're wearing a fake wedding ring and only telling people you're married to avoid the disgrace of being an unwed mother out in public," she hissed.

"Excuse me?" a deep voice from behind them demanded. Everyone turned to see that Leonard and Eddie had returned from the butcher counter. He stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest, eyes narrowed at Thomas. "Is there some sort of problem here?"

"What business is it of yours? Who in the world are you anyway?" Thomas scoffed.

Leonard's face darkened at the other man's attitude. "I'm her husband, Sheriff Leonard McCoy, if you don't mind," he replied evenly.

Thomas audibly gulped. "W-well, you see, Paige and I are old friends who happened to run into each other after a long time," he stammered.

"You know, in my experience, 'old friends' usually don't make baseless accusations about a fake marriage. I don't take kindly to people who think it's okay to harass my wife. No one--and I mean, no one--has the right to speak to my wife like that." He snaked a protective arm around Paige's waist and tucked her into his side as he glared at Thomas and Abigail.

Paige glanced up and locked eyes with him and mouthed the words, "thank you" to her husband. Then he kissed the side of her head and mumbled "I love you" against her skin.

"W-well, we have a lot to do today, but perhaps we can chat some other time. Come on, Abigail, let's get our shopping done," Thomas insisted, gently tugging his wife's elbow. "Congratulations, Paige. On your marriage, and um....everything," he hastily added, then steered his wife away from the scene.

Leonard hooked a finger under Paige's chin and tilted it up to catch a glimpse of her warm hazel eyes behind her wire-rimmed spectacles. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Of course I am, my love," she replied. After a peck on the lips from her husband, she returned her attention to the task at hand. "Okay, now that they're gone, what's next on our list?"

***

That night as they lay snuggled together in bed, their talk turned to the events at the grocery store. Leonard laughed at Holly's question about having twins, and how Charlotte wanted to know whether it was a boy or girl. "Son or daughter, makes no difference to me, only that he or she is healthy and so are you," he remarked.

Paige smiled and patted his chest. "That's exactly the way I feel as well," she murmured. "I saw Eddie take your hand on the way to the butcher's counter. I thought that was so sweet, Len," she whispered. "He's always been kind of quiet, being the youngest of eight, but I've never seen him take so easily to someone he just met. Means he trusts you, and that's one of the ways I know you're going to be an incredible father."

Leonard's heart swelled at hearing his wife's praise. He admired how easily she interacted with her brothers and sisters, with understanding, kindness and love. It reinforced what he already knew, which was that she would make an outstanding mother. "Say, who was that woman who was giving you so much trouble in the grocery store?"

She snorted with disgust at remembering the earlier incident. "Ugh. Her? That was Abigail Forrester, now Abigail Morgan, Thomas' wife. He decided to end the relationship with me in favor of one with her," she muttered.

"He let you go? Then I suppose I should send him a fruit basket, or thank you card, or something, because he really did me a huge favor," he affirmed with a laugh. When he saw the shocked and annoyed look on Paige's face, he quickly moved to clarify his thoughts. "I-I mean, he broke your heart, which I should punch him for, but if he hadn't ended things with you, we might never have met."

"Hmm, I suppose you have a point," she replied grudgingly. "I can't even imagine my life without you in it, and I don't want to, either."

"Darlin', a world without you is one I don't want to live in. The only place I want to be is where you are mine and I am most definitely yours." He curled his arm around his wife to pull her closer for a kiss that quickly turned passionate. "I love you, Paige."

"I love you, Leonard. Sweet dreams, my love." She reached behind her to turn off the light and closed her eyes.

***

Soon it was time for the McCoys to begin their return trip back to Boulder, Colorado. The entire Stone family insisted on seeing them off at the depot, including Lyla. Accepting her decision was not without some difficulty on Evan's and Paige's part, each encouraging her to stay home and rest. However, Lyla maintained that she felt well enough, and would therefore accompany them to the station.

With the luggage situated on top of the car, everyone piled in as best as possible, and they journeyed to the train station. Paige and Leonard were on the receiving end of many hugs that day, from siblings and parents. She could tell that her husband was still a bit overwhelmed with all the attention from her large family as compared to his smaller one. Nevertheless, she happily noted that he had relaxed a bit as compared to when they first arrived. 

Finally, it was Evan's and Lyla's turn to say their last goodbyes before it was time to board the train. Leonard stuck his hand out to Paige's father, who grasped it and pulled him into a fierce hug. "You're a good man, Leonard McCoy," Evan remarked, his voice gruff with emotion. "I know I don't need to tell you to take care of my daughter. But, as her father, I'm required to remind you," he chuckled.

"I understand, and thank you, sir. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to take care of Paige. You and Lyla did a great job of raising her, and she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I hope you and some or all of the family can visit after the baby is born," Leonard suggested.

"We'll do our best, though a lot of that depends on Lyla and her health. She's a strong woman, God love her, and she's battling this with all she's got. I know she'll keep fighting so she can meet her grandbaby at some point," Evan remarked.

A few feet away, mother and daughter were exchanging their goodbyes. "I'm so proud of you, Paige. You found yourself a wonderful man who loves you, and now you're going to be a mama, too," she gave her a watery smile.

"I'm scared, Mama," Paige whispered. "I mean, what if I can't do this? What if I'm not fit to be a mother?"

Lyla cradled her daughter's face in her hands and locked eyes with her. "Darling, listen. You've had plenty of practice with your brothers and sisters, and they love you. I have faith that you can do this, that you will be an amazing mother. Trust yourself and trust that husband of yours, and you'll be all right, sweetheart," she whispered, a few wayward tears sliding down her face.

Paige nodded and covered her mother's hands with her own. "I love you, Mama," she choked out.

"I love you too, my sweet girl," Lyla answered, touching her forehead to Paige's and took a deep breath. By this time, the men had joined them. Sensing the heavy exchange of emotions, Evan and Leonard put their arms around their wives in a kind of group hug.

When the conductor bellowed out the last call, Leonard and Paige broke away and reluctantly boarded the train. They found their seats, which had a window that faced the platform. As the train pulled away, everyone waved frantically until they were out of sight. Evan gathered his family and shuffled back to the car to go home. Although the house felt a little empty without Paige and Leonard, the family took solace in the new memories made from the visit.

***

In the weeks since the McCoys returned home, Leonard was kept busy training his two new deputies, Carter Davis and Pavel Chekov. At the same time, Paige was occupied with setting up the nursery. Leonard and Jim had placed the crib against the wall, with a changing table at one end and a chest of drawers next to it. Little by little, Paige had been washing the baby clothes and blankets she had received thus far and placing them in the drawers.

Nyota and Christine were only too happy to help their dear friend as they fawned over the tiny clothes and shoes of various sizes being added to the drawers. Sometimes Donna and Eleanora would visit as well, often leading to Leonard coming home to a house full of giggling women. He didn't mind at all, because he knew Paige needed the distraction and companionship while he was at work.

Fortunately, his deputies were doing well enough in their training that he was able to leave the office a bit early one day. He was looking forward to seeing his wife after some of the long hours he'd been working. Before leaving town, he stopped at the florist for a bouquet of assorted blooms that he hoped would brighten her day.

However, when Leonard walked in the door, he was met with silence rather than the usual group of chattering women. Since this was unusual, he called out for Paige. He didn't hear anything at first, so he called her name again, straining his ears as he walked further into the house. That was when he heard a soft, "in here" from his wife. A strangled sob escaped with it, accompanied by a sniffle coming from the direction of the kitchen.

Paige was sitting at the table, her hands rubbing absently over her ever-growing stomach. She was brokenly humming what he surmised was a lullaby, tears streaming down her cheeks. He watched as her hands stopped and she dropped her head into her hands. Her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs and Leonard could stand it no longer.

He lightly knocked on the doorframe because he wanted to make her aware of his presence without startling her. Paige gasped in surprise, her fingertips hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "Uh, L-Len, you're home early. Is everything okay?" she asked, flustered.

Leonard moved further into the kitchen and placed the bouquet on the table. He knelt between Paige's legs, one hand resting on her thigh and reached up with the other to cradle her face. "I believe I should be asking you that, darlin'," he remarked. Then he held out his arms and Paige wasted no time in throwing her arms around his neck. She clung to him as closely as she could at this stage in her pregnancy.

His hand stroked the back of her head as her sobs shook her body. "Oh, sweetheart, what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" he murmured.

After a few minutes, her cries had subsided to mostly sniffles. Paige drew back so she could wipe her cheeks and face her husband. "I....I was thinking about Mama today. Been doing that a lot since we've been back, trying to prepare myself. Because sooner or later, this illness of hers is going to run its course."

"Baby, I know you're probably still a little shaken up after seeing her. Maybe because you haven't been there to know the extent of how her illness has affected her. She's still here, though, and fightin' so hard to stay here," he affirmed.

"But, I have to face the fact that someday, she's not going to be here. And it's not fair, Len! There's so much she'll miss, like birthdays, anniversaries, and seeing my brothers and sisters grow up. I....and what about our child? Will she even be here to meet him or her?" she cried.

"Darlin', I wish to God I knew the answer to that question. And you're right, it isn't fair. Not to you, or your mama, or anyone. I can only imagine how hard this is for you and your family to be experiencing, and I wish you didn't have to," he responded.

"I know, I wish it wasn't this way as well. I can't even fathom what my father's going through, watching the love of his life battling for every breath. Knowing that one day, she won't be there across the table or on the other side of the bed from him," she added softly.

Leonard pulled her even closer, flush with his chest and his chin resting on top of her head. "It would leave a terrible achin' in my heart if for some reason you were gone from my life," he shared. "I don't know if that's somethin' I'd ever get over."

"I feel the same, Len. You're in my heart and my soul, and a hurt like that would take a long time to get over, not that I ever could. I just wish there was something more I could do for her, for them. I'm the oldest, I feel like I need to step up and take charge and help out. Only, we have our life here as well," Paige noted.

"Sugar, the time will come when your help will be needed, though maybe not in the most obvious ways," he offered. He felt her head nod against his chest in response.

Paige noticed the bouquet on the table and caught Leonard's gaze, flashing him a shy smile. "Are those for me?" she wondered.

Without breaking eye contact, he nodded and grazed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Though no flower in the world could ever match your beauty, my love," he murmured.

"You sure are a smooth talker, Leonard McCoy," she replied with a wry grin. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, sugar," he returned as he caught her in his embrace once again.

***

The next couple of months pass without much incident, with Paige's body continuing to grow as she drew ever nearer to her due date. During that time, she made sure that the house was spotless, as if preparing for a royal visit. If she wasn't scrubbing or sweeping something, she was rearranging the nursery, anything to keep herself busy.

Leonard tried to convince her that everything was perfect, and that she was only going to make herself more tired. Fortunately, his mother explained that Paige was "nesting", which was completely normal and part of getting ready for the baby. She stated that the best he could do would be to support her and keep her from becoming completely exhausted during this phase. There would be time for that later, while bringing his son or daughter into the world.

As she neared her approximate due date, Paige began to experience some of the symptoms of the first stages of labor that Dr. Anderson described. It started slowly, with some tightening around her midsection that lasted for a moment or two, then subsided, only to return some time later. She alternated between wanting to sit down and relax to feeling restless and going for a walk around the house. Then there were the endless trips to the bathroom at all hours. She was almost to the point where she considered sleeping in the bathtub, if only to be nearer to the toilet.

On one of these nights, Paige felt the urge, so she carefully eased out of bed so as not to wake her husband. As soon as she stood, she experienced a gush of fluid from between her legs. This was followed by a sharp stab in her abdomen, causing her to cry out in pain. At her outburst, Leonard jolted out of bed and rushed to her side. He helped her to the chair in their room while he regained his bearings and focused on the next steps.

"It's all right, sweetheart, you're going to be okay," he soothed. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to get something to clean you up," he winked then ran off to the bathroom. He returned with a warm wet washcloth and helped her into a change of clothes. "Let's get you back in bed and as comfy as possible, then I'll call Doc Anderson."

With Leonard's assistance, Paige got back into bed, with several pillows stacked behind her to keep her sitting upright. It wasn't long before there was another sharp pain to her midsection. She gripped the sheets, attempting to ride out the wave of extreme discomfort she was feeling. Her breaths were coming out in short bursts as a way to manage the contraction until it eventually subsided.

Once he was sure Paige was stable, Leonard kissed her forehead and ran downstairs to the phone to call Doc Anderson. The physician relayed some instructions and promised he and his nurse would be at their house as soon as possible.

Leonard then called Jim to put him in charge of the sheriff's office, after he relayed a few instructions concerning Carter and Pavel. Jim assured him that everything would be fine, that all would be taken care of in his absence. He reminded Leonard that he needed to stay focused on Paige and the baby and sent his best wishes for a smooth delivery.

After he replaced the phone receiver, he walked over and unlocked the door. As soon as he turned the latch, he heard the start of another contraction and rushed up the stairs. "How far apart are they, darlin'?" he asked, grasping her hand.

He watched as she scrunched her eyes shut and tried to breathe through the pain. "Ab-about....e-every f-four m-m-minutes," she answered between bursts of air.

"Okay, sweetheart, I've got you. Doc Anderson is on his way--" he paused when he heard movement downstairs, then smiled. "In fact, he just got here. We're up here, Doc!" he called.

Soon Dr. Anderson and Nurse Kelley reached the top of the stairs and they strode in with kind smiles to assess the situation. "Looks like Baby McCoy is intent on making an appearance," he commented. "Let's see where we are in the process and how your labor is progressing, shall we?" He moved to the end of the bed and began his examination.

Leonard moved to sit behind his wife, her back against his chest. The friendly but efficient physician took note of how quickly the contractions were occurring to determine the stage of labor. Dr. Anderson concluded that Paige was fully dilated and would soon feel the urge to push, and encouraged her to do so. Leonard was her support, both physically and emotionally, mumbling a stream of reassuring words in her ear.

A few but exhausting hours later, a new life was welcomed into the world and into the McCoy family. A healthy baby girl, Layla Ann McCoy, was born and it was love at first sight for her parents. After she was cleaned up and checked over, Dr. Anderson placed the newborn on her mother's chest, her father looking on in wonder.

"Congratulations, Sheriff and Mrs. McCoy," Nurse Kelley remarked, with Dr. Anderson echoing the sentiment. "She's beautiful."

"Gets that from her mother," Leonard replied softly, then kissed Paige's temple. With their eyes still locked on their daughter, they thanked the doctor and his nurse for their assistance. Dr. Anderson stuck around long enough to make sure the baby got started with her first feeding. Then he and Nurse Kelley bid the new parents goodbye and quietly exited the house.

***

News of Layla's birth spread like wildfire among their friends and Leonard's family. Donna and Eleanora barely waited all of twenty-four hours before they stopped by to see the new addition. As expected, Auntie Donna and Grandma Eleanora were immediately smitten with the baby. They also brought a few prepared meals to keep in the refrigerator. This would prove useful for the new parents while they adjusted to a new schedule or if they didn't feel like cooking.

Other visitors soon followed, with Leonard's protective side making an appearance when Paige or Layla showed signs of needing sleep. His girls were of the utmost importance to him, and he wasn't afraid to escort visitors out of the house if he thought they'd stayed a bit too long.

Leonard also made sure to send the birth announcement in a telegram back to Paige's family back in Columbus, Ohio. A few days later, Evan sent a return message that stated they would be arriving in Boulder within two weeks' time, and Leonard was hopeful that the visit would include Lyla. With her inclusion, it would mean doctors deemed her well enough to travel that far from home, as long as she was with the family.

He wanted their visit to be a surprise, yet was well aware that Paige would want everything to be perfect, including a spotless house. However, he was also learning the challenges of adapting to a newborn and how it can wreak havoc on a new parent's sleep cycle. For this reason, he called for reinforcements, namely Nyota, Christine, Eleanora, and Donna. The ladies all pitched in to keep things neat and orderly, as well as to provide a bit of respite for Paige.

On the day of the family's arrival, Leonard got ready for work as if it were any other day. Even though he knew it was going to be anything but an ordinary day. He couldn't wait to see the look on his wife's face when she saw her family standing on their doorstep. The thought curved his lips into a smile which was still present when he went downstairs for breakfast.

Paige had completed Layla's morning feeding, then placed her in the bassinet that sat at one end of the table while she fixed breakfast. She had just finished sliding some scrambled eggs onto Leonard's plate when he waltzed into the kitchen. He paused at the table to bid his daughter good morning and kiss the top of her head, cooing at her to try and coax a smile out of her.

He soon abandoned his efforts of a smile from Layla and turned his attention to Paige. "Mmm, good morning, sweetheart. This breakfast looks amazing, thank you," he beamed before leaning down and pulling her closer for a kiss. He plucked the plates from her hands and turned to set them on the table before he pulled out her chair for her.

"Thank you, my love," she replied brightly. They each dug into their meal, with sounds of approval coming from Leonard after nearly every bite. When he was with Jocelyn, he was responsible for most of the cooking, which was mediocre at best. Though his ex-wife's mother taught her the basics, Jocelyn's culinary knowledge didn't develop much beyond those fundamentals.

Luckily, Paige was more than qualified in this area, which saved his palate but threatened to expand his waistline. She was especially gifted with her baked goods, from cookies and cakes, to muffins and pies. Prior to having Layla, her sweet treats were frequently for sale in Nyota's café. No birthday in Leonard's office passed without a birthday cake from Mrs. McCoy, in whatever flavor the birthday person desired.

When Leonard was finished with breakfast, he placed their plates in the sink to be washed later, then returned to the table. He leaned down to kiss the top of Paige's head, but first hooked a finger under her chin to catch sight of her warm, hazel eyes he adored. "Sure wish I didn't have to work today. I'd much rather stay home with you," he grinned.

"Hmm, I'd much rather you stayed home with me too," she agreed. "But you still have those two new deputies to boss around, and that's probably more fun than I'll be having around here."

If you only knew, he thought. "I suppose I should get going. Lots of 'bossing around' to do," he smirked. "I love you, sweetheart," he remarked as his lips met the crown of her head.

He drew back to see her beaming smile directed towards him. "I love you too, Len. Have a good day at work, and please be safe," she added. 

"I will darlin', I promise," he responded. He pulled his watch out of his pocket and checked the time. Only another hour before the Stone family would be arriving on the train, and he couldn't wait to reveal the surprise to his wife.

He leaned over Layla's bassinet and noticed she was asleep. His finger gently traced her delicate cheek, being careful not to wake her. "Be good for Mama, babygirl," he whispered before heading for the door. He paused at the threshold, shot a wink at Paige over his shoulder, then closed the door behind him.

***

After Leonard departed, Paige moved into the kitchen and began to tidy up from breakfast, humming to herself as she worked. Our first anniversary is next week, she suddenly realized. A smile crept up on her face when she thought of the events of the past year and how much her life had changed. From leaving home and arriving in Boulder, to the friends she's made, and of course, in her marriage to Leonard. And now, I'm a mama, she noted as she leaned down to kiss her sleeping daughter's forehead.

First anniversary is said to be paper, which lead her to the idea of a book as a gift for Leonard. He devoured crime novels, which some may think unusual for a sheriff surrounded by it every day. Not Leonard, though, as one of his favorite authors was Agatha Christie. Paige made a note to herself to check the bookstore in town for Miss Christie's latest novel when she's there for her weekly visit with Nyota.

Three hours later and satisfied with her progress, Paige was enjoying a glass of cold water when she heard a knock at the door. Puzzled, she set down her drink on the table and made her way to the door. "Who is it?" she called. "Len, is that you?" she asked, thinking he may have decided to come home for lunch but had perhaps forgotten his key.

"It's me, sugar, but I can't reach my keys out of my pocket. My hands are full, can you please open the door for me?" he explained through the door.

Paige unlocked the door and the sight before her was enough to knock her over with a feather. Her parents and all of her siblings were standing on the front porch, having traveled all the way from Columbus, Ohio. "SURPRISE!!" her family whisper-yelled.

Her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes as she scanned everyone's face until finally landing on her husband. "Sorry, darlin', for fibbin' to you, but I very much wanted this to be a surprise."

"Oh, it is, it absolutely is, Len," she affirmed. "This is wonderful! I'm guessing this why you're not at work today?" she wondered.

Leonard nodded. "Jim's mindin' the office for the next few days, so I can be here with you and your family. Can ya forgive me?" he asked.

Paige hesitated, but only for a moment before her face broke out into a huge smile. "Of course I can, but there's nothing to forgive, Len. This is the best surprise ever!" she gushed. "Goodness, where are my manners? Come in, come in, everyone!"

Leonard helped usher the family into the house, where hugs were exchanged all around. Evan and Lyla remarked how lovely their home was, while the kids talked about their first train ride. Everyone was trying to keep quiet because the baby was still sleeping, but it wasn't long before the first cry was heard.

Paige rose from her seat at the table and reached inside the bassinet to calm the awakening child. "Shh, sweetheart, it's okay, Mama's here. Mama's here," she crooned. Leonard was at her side, his hand stroking his daughter's hair as she worked through the process of waking up. He pressed a kiss to the top of Layla's head and offered to change her diaper. Paige carefully transferred the baby to her husband's waiting arms and gazed fondly at him as he walked upstairs.

"We named her Layla Ann McCoy. She'll have to meet her Nana, Papa, and all of her aunties and uncles after she comes back downstairs from a diaper change," Paige giggled. "While we wait, would anyone like anything to drink?"

A few minutes later, Paige was pulling the glasses out of the cupboard when she was startled by the arms sneaking around her waist from behind. A small shriek of surprise escaped her, while she felt the rumble of laughter in Leonard's chest as he pulled her close to his body. "Relax, darlin', it's just me. I left our little one in the very capable hands of her grandmother so I could help you," he explained.

The couple returned to the group with the refreshments and distributed them around the room. In the meantime, Layla had since left her grandmother's arms and had been passed to her grandfather. Evan's eyes shone with unshed tears as he gazed at his granddaughter, her hand clasped tightly around his index finger. "She's beautiful, Paige. Most perfect thing I've ever seen," he whispered.

Lyla reached out her hand, beckoning her daughter to her side. "She's amazing, just like her mother," she affirmed.

"Thank you, Mama and Papa. She's really a good baby, not too fussy. Of course, as soon as I say this, she'll start crying and prove me wrong," Paige giggled and everyone else joined in. "Where is everyone staying while you're here? I'd love for you to stay here, but we don't have enough rooms," she mentioned.

Leonard gently placed a hand on her shoulder and her attention swung to his soft gaze. "Ma and Donna offered up the empty rooms in their house, which isn't too far away from here. Just up the road," he confirmed.

Paige slumped into his side as he curled his arm around her and held her close. "You really did think of everything, didn't you, my love," she murmured. "Thank you so much, Len."

"Anything to see a smile on your lovely face, sugar," he replied as they watched everyone interact with their daughter.

***

The next few days included socializing with and getting better acquainted with Eleanora and Donna. Leonard drove Paige and the baby to the house on his way to work so she could be with the family. Once he got her settled in, he grabbed himself a muffin and a coffee, kissed his wife and daughter goodbye, and left for the office.

When they all headed to town for the weekly grocery run, they stopped by Nyota's café for lunch. Not only was she happy to see her best friend and Layla, but to meet Paige's family as well. Warm hugs were exchanged, and there were free hot fudge sundaes all around, much to the delight of Paige's siblings.

Before the last night of the family's visit, Paige decided to have an early Thanksgiving dinner, since everyone was together. Leonard's mother and sister were invited, as were the sheriff's deputies and their partners. The seating arrangements had to be creative, as the table wasn't large enough to accommodate everyone, but no one cared. Being together was the most important, and as long as they were, that's all that mattered.

Since Paige did most of the cooking, she was shooed out of her own kitchen when it was time for clean-up duty, albeit under protest. Evan and Leonard assumed dish duty, while Jacob and Tyler hung around in case there was any "man talk" going on. Paige and the younger siblings joined their mother and the others in the living room, where Layla was being fed, courtesy of her Nana.

Paige watched as her mother guided Layla through the feeding process, burping her every so often. After eight children, Lyla was definitely an expert, though each child was different for her. "I remember when you were this small," she remarked softly, her eyes never leaving the baby's face. "After you were done feeding, you'd snuggle right into the crook of my arm and go straight to sleep."

"Layla does pretty much the same thing, whether it's me or Len that's feeding her," Paige replied. "How're you doin', Mama?" she wondered.

Lyla sighed. "I'm doin' the best I can, sweetheart. I take it one day at a time, try to get the most joy possible out of every day. Your father, bless his soul, has been with me every step of the way, no matter what, in good days and not-so-good days. He's definitely taking the 'in sickness and in health' portion of our vows very seriously," she added with a watery chuckle.

Oh Mama, she thought as she fought back the tears gathering at her lash line.

By this time, the kitchen was all clean and those on duty for it returned to the living room. Seeing that Layla was asleep, Leonard gently scooped her up and took her upstairs and tucked her into her crib. She fussed a little at the loss of contact with him, but soon relaxed and settled back into sleep mode.

When he returned to the living room, Evan was in the middle of a story about something that happened at his workplace. Jacob chimed in afterwards with news from his job, and the others talked about what they were learning in school. One by one, Paige's brothers and sisters were showing signs of sleepiness, thus it was agreed for everyone to return to Eleanora's for the evening.

The next morning, Leonard and Jim drove the family and their luggage to the train station for the trip back to Columbus. Paige and Layla rode with Leonard, while Donna and Eleanora tagged along with Jim. Many tearful goodbyes were exchanged, along with lingering hugs and wishes for a safe trip home. Paige took Jacob and Tyler aside and implored them to look out for their parents in her absence, not that they needed to be reminded.

When the conductor hollered the final call for ticketed passengers, the Stone family reluctantly peeled themselves away and boarded the train. As luck would have it, they managed to secure window seats for one last look before they were pulled away from the station. Paige balanced Layla against her hip and waved her little hand to the family as the train departed.

***

The day of Layla's six-month appointment was a bright, sunny day, with only a few wispy clouds in the sky. Dr. Anderson was pleased with her development and how she'd reached every milestone for her age. Leonard and Paige ended the day with lunch at Nyota's café and visited Donna and Eleanora before finally heading home.

Since Layla had fallen asleep in her car seat, Leonard carried her upstairs to her crib to continue her afternoon nap. He fully intended to sneak in some quality snuggle time with his wife while his daughter slept. With Layla occupying so much of their time, it was important to him that he keep that physical connection with Paige. He wanted to show how much he loved her, not only as a wife and mother, but also as a woman.

Paige sat down on the couch and started to arrange the pillows in the corner, leaving room for Leonard to join her. She liked to sit and rest her back to his chest, his arms holding her close to his body. She was reaching for a blanket to drape over them when the phone rang, which caused her to freeze in her movements.

She rose from her seat to answer the phone, each step filling her with trepidation. Most anyone she knew preferred to communicate in person, rather than use the telephone. As she approached the ringing phone, her fears grew that this would be the call she'd been dreading for many months. "Hello?"

"Hey, Paige," the voice on the other end answered shakily. It was Jacob and it sounded like he'd been crying but was trying to hold it together. "I have some news for you about Mama."

Paige took a sharp intake of breath at his response. She didn't notice that Leonard had returned to the living room and immediately knew something had happened. He rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "What is it, Jacob? What's happened, is Mama okay?" she asked urgently.

Jacob explained that about a week ago, Mama had fallen in the kitchen. When she stuck her hand out to brace herself for the fall, she ended up with a deep cut on her thumb. "Papa took her to the hospital to get stitched up. When they took her vital signs, the results with her heart and lungs caused the doctor to be concerned, so she was admitted."

"Wait a second, so she's in the hospital?" she wondered. By Jacob's hesitation to answer, she knew there was more to the story, so she asked him to continue.

"They hooked her up to one of those machines to give her breathing treatments, only it wasn't really helping much. Over the past few days, she kept getting weaker until....I'm so sorry, Paige, but Mama's gone," he choked out.

The receiver dropped from Paige's hand and her knees buckled under her; however, Leonard fortunately caught her in time. He guided her back to sit on the sofa, then went back to the phone. He could hear Jacob calling out for his sister, so Leonard assured him that he would take care of her. He offered what he hoped were some comforting words, then ended the call.

Paige was still in a state of shock, not knowing what to think or what to do. All she knew was that her mama, the person she turned to for guidance and share her joys, was now gone. And she didn't get the chance to say goodbye. That thought alone opened the floodgates and she broke down as if her heart had shattered into a million pieces.

Leonard returned to her side instantly, gathering her in his arms to comfort her. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I know how much your ma meant to you," he murmured. Although he'd only met his in-laws twice, he felt as if he'd known them since the day he and Paige met. They welcomed him into their family, without question, despite their non-traditional courtship.

As he held and comforted his distraught wife, his thoughts drifted to when he lost his father, David, all those years ago. An incurable illness had taken his life as well, which left a teenaged Leonard as the man of the house to look after his mother and sister. Perhaps that was why he became a sheriff, so he could protect those who couldn't do so for themselves.

After some time, Paige's sobs gave way to quiet whimpers and sniffles, though Leonard continued to hold her. His hand rubbed up and down her back to soothe her while he whispered words of comfort in her ears. When she placed her palms on his chest and pushed a little, he loosened his hold a bit. He brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Then he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb and kissed her forehead.

It wasn't much longer before they heard Layla's cries, signaling she was done with her nap and wanted out of her crib. Paige started to rise from her seat, but Leonard nudged her as he insisted he would attend to their daughter. He hooked a finger under her chin to tilt her face up to meet his, then leaned in and kissed her lips. "I'll be right back, my love," he promised.

While she waited for Leonard to return with Layla, she could hear him up in the room, chattering away with her. It brought a small smile to her face, hearing how sweet he was in his one-sided conversation. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice right away that he had returned to the living room, Layla on his hip. "See there, sweet pea? There's your beautiful mommy," he cooed. "She's kind of sad right now, and I think she needs some lovin's from you," he winked.

Paige gave Leonard a tired smile and held out her arms. "Come see Mama, sweetheart," she replied softly. He obliged, and watched as she embraced their child, eyes closed and gently swaying her side to side. He decided that some tea may help his wife relax, so he quietly excused himself from the room.

Once he had left, Paige positioned Layla lengthwise on her thighs, with her head resting on her mother's knees, and her feet pointed at her stomach. Layla's hands tightly grasped Paige's thumbs, while her remaining fingers curled around her daughter's tiny fists. "Someday, my little love, I'm gonna tell you allll about your grandmother. She only met you that one time, but I know she loved you sooo much. We even named you after her. Well, sort of, anyway," she gave a watery chuckle.

Leonard stood silently in the doorway, watching, as Paige continued. "I remember everything she ever told me, everything she taught me, and I can't wait to share it all with you." She brushed away a teardrop that had landed on her daughter's forehead before picking her up and placing her on her shoulder. "I love you so much, Layla," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Her eyes then landed on Leonard, tears streaming from them in earnest now.

He quickly crossed the room and sat down beside her, pulling mother and baby close to his side. "Shh, it's all right, sweetheart. I've got you," he soothed. They stayed curled up together for some time, until Leonard felt Paige's breathing had evened out because she'd fallen asleep.

Leonard gently plucked Layla from her mother's arms and rose from his seat. After placing his daughter in the bassinet, he nudged his wife until she was laying down on the sofa. He draped a blanket over her sleeping form and returned to pick up his daughter. "Let's get you somethin' to eat, hmm?" he suggested as they headed to the kitchen together.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags:

@marvelouslytrekking​ @writercole​ @spacedancer1701​ @anna-phora @hlabounty96 @darkestfireee​​  @rooweighton​​  @phoenixisred @avnging-221b @differentbluebirdfury @missvelvetsstuff @evangeliamerryll

[shadowphoenixrider]

Summer Dreams

(This fic is set before Sins of the Past, because of course I write a fic that precedes it...after I post it. XD This is from Shadow's 1st person POV, and it's mostly fluff and some banter. Hope you enjoy!)

"Shadow, outside on a summer's day?" I rolled my eyes at the familiar Cajun drawl coming up beside me. "Never thought Gambit'd see de day."

I gave the dark-eyed mutant a Look, although I was unable to hold it against his wide, playful grin.

"I've been outside plenty of times, Cajun." I replied, folding my arms. "I'm just not as athletically gifted as you or the others - I prefer my outdoor time be savouring it, not being reminded of PE at school."

"That why ya prefer de Danger Room?" Gambit asked, shoving a hand into the pocket of his ripped jeans.

"Yeah. Less baggage, more fun." I half-chuckled. "Even when I get my ass kicked by everyone. I do feel like I'm getting better at it though, slowly but surely."

"Reckon so. Next guy dat tangles wit ya ain't gonna know what hit him!" Gambit chuckled.

My smile faltered, and I looked away. Ah, yes. I was only here for as long as my admin leave lasted, and the need to keep me hidden from the Friends of Humanity. Luckily the latter seemed no longer an issue, yet...

When I was younger, I had dreamed of being spirited away to a place like Xavier's school, a place where I belonged and could escape to. A place I could be me, could be more. Those dreams had lingered, despite growing up, buried under adult responsibilities.

Now they had been all but laid in my lap, all for the taking, yet I was no longer the bright-eyed energetic teenager like Jubilee. And it was clear I could never measure up to the other X-Men; their powers were stronger, their fighting prowess leagues ahead, and I had the body of a nerd whose crowning achievement was climbing a hill in the Scottish Highlands.

Xavier had assured me numerous times I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted, even beyond the agreement. Even Wolverine was fairly convinced that I was not threat to the team, mostly through me being a wet noodle in sparring matches, though the time had helped.

And yet...

A cool wind gusted by us, stirring the long grasses over the grounds like a beautiful green ocean, rippling like the surface of the lake. It would be cut short soon, as pleasant as it would be to see the wild flowers bloom within - a reputation had to be upheld.

"Beautiful day, eh, petite?" Gambit said softly. His gaze had followed mine, looking out over the rolling grasses, the breeze playing with the long curls of his red-brown hair. I found my eyes tracing the line of his stubbled jaw, chiselled like marble, lingering long enough that his eyes flicked back to me, catching me staring.

I blushed, quickly looking away.

"Y-Yeah, it is. It's why I came out. Wanted to enjoy it."

I saw something flash across Gambit's face from corner of my eye.

"Hope I ain't disturbin' you, then." Something in that statement made me frown slightly, an undercurrent of negativity.

"No, not all." I shook my head, looking back to him. "I don't mind company." I considered a moment, rewording myself. "I like your company."

His eyebrows lifted for a moment, an enigmatic smile tugging at his lips.

"Merci, petite," he said. "Glad ya feel that way."

I held his gaze for a long moment; his black and red eyes had always captivated me from the first moment we met, and they did so once again. It seemed that I'd also gotten under Gambit's skin, both literally and metaphorically, as he'd appeared to have taken it upon himself to be my unofficial guardian whilst staying the mansion. According to Jubilee, he'd done similar for her, so it wasn't exactly a surprise.

However, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Cajun with kinetic mastery had taken a particular shine to me. When I took time to myself, he often would check up on me just once to make sure I was alright, always asking about the latest errand I was running for Doctor McCoy, and even reading over my shoulder when he thought I hadn't noticed him.

Not to mention how willing he was to goad me into verbal sparring matches...

Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched twittering noise, rising and falling into a wheezy warble. Whipping my head to the side, I caught sight of a quick flash of blue across the grass, joined by another sweeping low with scythe shaped wings.

"Look! Swallows!" I gasped.

The swallows skimmed the grasses like fish through water, so impossibly fast that my eyes could barely keep up. Diving and twisting, their forked tail streamers flared whenever they changed direction in instants of a second, white bellies flashing in the sun. Bold or reckless, the swallows shot by us as streaks of blue, their bubbling song lifting up and around us.

"Ki-yar!" Gambit exclaimed as one wheeled inches from us, close enough to show the white spots under its tail. "Those birds can really move! Didn't know dey came out dis way."

"Neither did I!" I replied, giddy in my excitement as I watched them dance in the midday sun. "I was more expecting to see swifts!"

"Dere's a difference?" Gambit asked, cocking his head to the side curiously.

"Yes - same family, different species. Look, watch this one!" I pointed to a swallow gliding low, just before it banked sharply, its tail streamers spread wide. "See how long its tail is? Swifts' tails are much shorter and stubbier. That and swifts are all black, look like miniature crescents when they're in the air. Swallows like these are blue and white, with a little red face."

The look on his face was one of intrigued wonder, almost like he was seeing me for the first time again.

"They both hunt similarly, though I've more often seen swallows hunt like this - snatching insects hovering above the long grass." I continued. "Swifts tend to fly high, so high you can barely see them circling above. But you definitely hear them - it's a sound you've probably heard before, though didn't know what it was. It's a high-pitched scream, very eerie." I chuckled. "There's tales that they used to be known as the Devil's Screamers because of it."

"That so?" Gambit raised an eyebrow. A smile pulled across his lips. "Sounds like dese birds mean a lot to you."

"Birds in general do." I lifted a shoulder. "I just...I just like them. Always a little annoyed my mutant powers never let me fly or become one, honestly."

Gambit chuckled richly.

"Ain't that the truth. Bein' able to fly would make things quite a bit easier. Don't mind being picked up by de ladies on missions, but it'd be nice not to have to rely on them, you know?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. You don't want to be seen as a burden all the time. Especially when you can't see how you could be an asset to them."

Gambit glanced at me, expression unreadable.

"The Professor says there always be somethin' you can give back. Even if ya don't see it yet," he said.

"Hah." I let my gaze drift back to the swallows. "I don't know what I can give aside from my powers, and they don't even work on two of you."

"Gambit can think of many things a beautiful woman like yourself can bring to de team, mon amie." Gambit said, one thick eyebrow arched. "Far beyond ya company an' excellent conversation."

"If you make a comment about my ass, I'm punching you." I shot back, annoyance prickling along my skin. Really?!

"Non, Gambit not gonna play with you like that," he said, his tone becoming contrite. "If ya did want to stay with us, you would be givin' back. Even if ya powers can't heal Rogue an' only sorta work on Wolverine, he don't need it. An' dat still leaves everyone else dat would appreciate ya healing touch after a bad day at de office."

"As for not bein' as fit as de rest of us - it come wit time, petite. Gambit had a bit of a headstart, but he had to get in shape too. Jubilee'll do de same when she gets old enough. An' maybe ya don't ever get to de same level as us." He shrugged. "Den dat's fine. Beast be more den happy to have someone wit him in de lab, or lookin' up things when we be out in de field. 'Nother fighter be useful, but that don't mean ya useless. Far from it."

A pair of swallows twisted and tumbled together, twittering excitedly. They seemed so free, unchained from worries and guilt and doubt. One arched away from its mate, barrelling towards us as it sang its reedy, warbling song, so close it stirred the hair covering my ear.

For a second, I wasn't on the grounds of the X-Mansion; I was back at school, young, feeling completely alone. Yet the swallows hurtled across the playing fields like blue bullets, whipping past my ears and filling the air with song. They lifted my heart, dancing around me without a care in the world, as free as the wind they soared through. How I longed to follow them, to escape the fear and the hurt and the-

"Shadow?" Gambit's voice snapped me from my memories. He was frowning slightly. "Doin' ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just...thinking."

"Anythin' you wanna share with Gambit?" He asked kindly.

"I..." I shut my mouth. Thought for a second. "I always liked birds, but swallows have always had a close place in my heart." I explained, Gambit watching me intently. "I remember always being so excited to see them arrive when I was little, seeing their little chicks all squashed into the nest. They're beautiful birds, both in how they look and how they fly. And they...they've always been a good sign, for me."

"How so?"

"I...When I went through a rough patch, growing up, I didn't see them as often. When I did, it would be an event to me. A good day, something I could cling to when everything was shit." I smiled. "They became my good luck charm."

The Cajun slowly turned his head to the swallows.

"Den it certainly be a good day for you," he said gently.

"Yes. Definitely." I nodded. That was it. My mind was made up.

Swallows made their own destinies, flying hundreds upon thousands of miles over fathomless oceans and burning deserts to where they'd been born to raise their own chicks. It was time I made my own.

"Hey Gambit?" I asked, stepping closer to him.

"Hmm?" He hummed pleasantly, turning his head to me.

"Think the Danger Room's free right now?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Bored of de outside already, petite?" He teased.

"Well, I wanted to do some practice with you, but now I think I want to kick your ass!" I grinned, folding my arms and straightening my back to my full height.

"Dem's fightin' words, mon amie! Gambit don't know if ya can deliver, though." He grinned back, tucking a finger under his chin. "Maybe if Gambit tie his hand behind his back?"

I shoved him playfully, making him laugh.

"You are such a twat!" I turned away from him, folding my arms again. "Maybe I'll ask Storm instead, if you're gonna be mean to me!"

"Ah come now petite, Gambit only razzin' ya!" His grin gentled into a smile, and I let him slide his arm around my shoulders. "Gambit always happy to practice wit ya. Got any other ideas if it be taken, though?"

"Not really, hadn't thought that far ahead." I admitted, looking up at him. "You got anything that doesn't involve a card game?"

"Pshht, not everythin' 'bout Gambit involves cards, petite."

"Only most things." I smirked, raising an eyebrow.

It was his turn to give me a side-eyed Look.

"Ok, now you be de mean one, mon amie."

"Hey look, you were the one who started this!" I replied, spreading my hands.

"Maybe Gambit should jus' go away den if ya gonna hurt his feelin's!" He declared dramatically, pulling an upset expression two degrees away from needing a fainting couch.

"Nooo, don't go." I giggled, grabbing his wrist as he tried to unwind his arm from me. "Where else am I going to find a handsome Cajun to keep me company?"

The switch in his demeanour was immediate and amusing, Gambit leering at me with an eyebrow quirked and a suggestive grin.

"Oh, you think Gambit's handsome, do you?" His voice sunk into a lower register that made my lower back shiver.

"You're not bad on the eyes, no." I said, trying to ignore the heat rising into my face. "Anyway, I was asking you about what other ideas you might have if the Danger Room's busy."

Gambit seemed to debate with himself for a second or two, before he blinked, softening his expression.

"It do be a bit of a shame to head to de Danger Room an' waste this beautiful day, petite," he said. "How about we take a walk down to de lake? Might not be as intense as de simulations, but ya might enjoy stretchin' ya legs a little more dis way."

I frowned thoughtfully.

"Gambit be happy to let ya walk alone though, if ya prefer." He added, slightly hurriedly. "Dere be a path ya can follow dat takes ya back to de mansion-"

"I enjoy your company, Gambit." I reminded him, smiling. "And you're right. We should enjoy this day whilst we've got it." I nodded towards the forest. "Shall we?"

For a moment, Gambit's smile was wide and genuine, almost...giddy? And then he stepped up next to me, and we began our stroll, the swallow-song following in our wake.

[pers-books]

Children of the Circus

Friday, 3 November 2023 - Reported by Marcus

A new audio musical drama, Children of the Circus, is reuniting the cast of the seventh Doctor story, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy for a unique special.

The limited edition CD set will be released on December 14th, 2023, exactly 35 years to the day that the first episode of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy was broadcast on BBC One.

Once upon a time, there was a circus. A Psychic Circus, to be precise. A glorious haven for the misfits of the universe. But then, as is so often the way, it was hijacked by a trio of malevolent Gods. Things grew unpleasant.   Now, years later, the Gods are gone, but the scars of those who survived the Circus remain. After all, you can't change the past.   Unless you're the Children of the Circus... and you're willing to sing.

Based on the Season 25 story by Stephen Wyatt, Children of the Circus is a brand-new, original, musical play on audio from AUK Studios; written by Kenton Hall (with songs by Christopher Guard) and based on an idea by Barnaby Eaton-Jones.

The special features the return of Sylvester McCoy (the Seventh Doctor) and Sophie Aldred (who played the Doctor’s traveling companion, Ace). But not as you’d expect. McCoy plays the High Poet; all befuddled charm and with a whisper of duplicity and danger. Aldred gives two magnificently different characters in the form of Captain Gren (the gruff owner of a Time Ship) and AJ (a sentient piece of rust, who navigates the Time Ship).

McCoy himself sums it up 

To return to the worlds of Stephen Wyatt's imagination, but as a wholly new character called the High Poet, means I get to be involved with the Psychic Circus rather than fighting against it! As a lover of the circus myself, juggling this new role was a joy (though I'm sad I didn't get to play the spoons). What fun to be reunited with all the wonderful cast from 'The Greatest Show in the Galaxy' again, 35 years later, and I hope you'll all enjoy this time-sliding, sidestepping sequel from Barnaby Eaton-Jones and his bunch of clowns!

Joining the cast in a major role is 1980’s icon (singer/actress/songwriter), Toyah Willcox. It’s long been known she was a fan of Doctor Who, as she appeared in Kevin Jon Davies’ acclaimed documentary 30 Years in the TARDIS, but to get her to create a multi-voiced role as The Band of Infinite Harmony (and get her own solo song, which can heard in full after the end credits as a bonus extra track) was something she clearly relished…

At last, I get to play all four members of the band and still have the last say…. love it. Seriously it was wonderful to play THE BAND and equally wonderful to hear this rather fab story unfold, a rock and roll odyssey of comic proportions.

Ever since producer/director Barnaby Eaton-Jones saw the original broadcast of The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, he was fascinated by the world that Stephen Wyatt had created…

There was such a wild mix of horror, science fiction, music, and fantasy, that it blew my adolescent mind; with images and characters forever stuck in my head. I wanted to revisit some of the characters and introduce new ones. With the permission of Stephen Wyatt (who came up with the title for this new production), and the help of writer Kenton Hall and actor/musician Christopher Guard, we were able to create something rather unique in the audio medium.

Kenton Hall himself says:

Like most swinging, modern people, I receive a daily deluge of emails that begin with the fateful words “would you be interested in…” As a result, I have developed a tendency to give them, at best, a brief, withering glare. In this case, however, it read “would I be interested in playing in the sandbox of Stephen Wyatt’s marvellous ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’?”  Does the lesser spotted gumblejack smell faintly of cinnamon? Spoiler: the answer to both questions is yes.

Songwriter, Christopher Guard, who played Bellboy in the original TV serial, added…

As with all the best things in life, I don't remember quite how or when it began. I think I'd sent some of my songs - recent and ancient - to Barnaby just as he was dreaming up a sequel to ‘The Greatest Show in the Galaxy’. It was more a shooting star than a light bulb moment. Irresistible synchronicity had struck, and ‘Children of the Circus’ was a THING! It was just a question of time. Or timelessness. Stephen Wyatt blessed us, Kenton Hall seized his cosmic pen, and the rest is mystery. Unravelled. With music. How amazing to act and sing with so many of the original cast, to slip into Bellboy's loons once more, and to travel seamlessly beyond our wildest dreams.”

Starring Christopher Guard as Bellboy, Dee Sadler as Flowerchild and Ella, Sophie Aldred as Captain Gren and AJ, Toyah Willcox as The Band of Infinite Harmony, Ian Reddington as Delios and the Chief Clown, and Sylvester McCoy as the High Poet.

With Daisy Dunlop, Verity White, Kim Jones, Kenton Hall, Barnaby Eaton-Jones and Ian Kubiak.

Special guest appearances by Ricco Ross as The Ringmaster, Jessica Martin as Mags, Chris Jury as Deadbeat, Deborah Manship as Morgana, Gian Sammarco as Whizz Kid, Daniel Peacock as Nord, and Dean Hollingsworth as the Bus Conductor and Station Announcer.

Produced and directed by Barnaby Eaton-Jones, for AUK Studios.

A preview can be heard here

Limited Edition CD available to pre-order now

[hummingbird-of-light]

Eighteenth story for @badthingshappenbingo ~

Title: The Mark

Fandom: Star Trek (AOS)

Character(s): Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Original Alien Character(s), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (mentioned)

Relationship(s): Montgomery "Scotty" Scott/Leonard "Bones" McCoy (mentioned)

Rating: M

Words: 1,040

Prompt: Branding

Warnings: Graphic Depiction Of Violence, Branding, Humans as Products, False Hope, Ambiguous/Open Ending

(You can also find this story on AO3)

A/N: This is a sequel to the prompt "Locked Up and Left Behind"

~ The Mark ~

His body was trembling as they led him over to what looked like a limousine. He was hungry and thirsty and cold.

These strange alien people. They had saved Montgomery Scott after he had been abandoned by the pirates who had kidnapped him. The shuttle had crashed and they had left the engineer behind to die.

But he had been found. His heart was still beating out of his chest from all the relief that he felt.

These purple-skinned people would surely help him contact his ship and then he'd get back to the Enterprise. Back to Leonard.

A soft smile formed on his lips as he thought of the doctor. He would get to see him again. Despite how hopeless it all had seemed, there were still miracles happening in this universe.

"Come on. Let's get you someplace safe, shall we?"

The white-haired woman who had led the group of inhabitants was smiling at Scotty as she opened one of the limousine's doors and motioned for him to get in.

The Scotsman gave her a grateful nod and then climbed into the vehicle. He took a seat and sighed. Gosh, how he had longed for a soft place to sit like this one!

The alien woman sat down across from him and tilted her head to the side, eyeing Scotty from head to toe.

"You are a human, aren't you?"

The engineer gave her a nod.

"A-aye," he croaked. His throat was aching. And the woman seemed to notice quite quickly what he needed.

She opened a small fridge, got out a bottle of what looked like water and handed it over to him.

"Oh, thank ye, ma'am! Thank ye so much!"

Greedily, he reached for the drink and swallowed down three or four big gulps. He moaned. The water tasted as sweet as ever.

His counterpart only smiled at him.

"Oh please, don't thank me. I love to help poor souls in need. Would you like some food too?"

She turned back to the fridge and got out what looked like a chocolate bar.

Scotty didn't mean to be impolite, but he literally tore the bar from her hands and devoured it as fast as he could. The hunger was just too big for him to think of his manners.

The alien woman didn't seem to care though. She only chuckled.

"My, my. You really must have been starving," she said and offered the Scotsman another bar.

He nodded vigorously and only when his mouth was quite full did he notice that he was behaving like a wild animal.

With a blush on his cheeks, he swallowed down what he had in his mouth.

"I- I'm sorry. I... forgot my manners, ma'am."

He eyed his surroundings once more. This woman appeared to be quite wealthy and elegant. He should behave like a sophisticated person.

"Oh, don't worry, dear. It's fine. After all, you are a very special guest. I've never had human before."

Scotty tried his best not to frown. What... had the woman said just now? He chuckled insecurely. It must have been a mistake. The universal translator must have made an error. For sure she had meant to say that she had never had a human as a guest before! Aye, that had to be it.

"You might want to drink and eat some more though before we reach our destination. After all, my customers prefer their meat tender and juicy."

Scotty blinked a few times. Surely he was mishearing things. The way this woman talked about him... Almost like he was an animal to slaughter.

"M-Ma'am?"

The Scotsman watched nervously as the alien woman reached beneath her seat and got out a suitcase.

She placed it next to her and opened it slowly.

"Go on, eat a few more bars. They help your body get stronger in no time," she said with a smile, not looking at the engineer though.

Scotty felt his heart drop and he shifted in his seat. He had to get out of here! This woman... was freaking him out!

However, as soon as he tried to get up, belts were activated and he was stripped to his seat. No matter how hard he pulled at them, he couldn't break free.

"I-I-I, p-please, l-let me go!"

However, the woman just smiled at him, pulling what she had worked on out of the suitcase.

A red glowing piece of iron.

"Unfortunately, people are waiting for me at a charity event and I can't bring you to my restaurant right away. Neither can my men for they will join and protect me."

The woman grinned, revealing her sharp teeth, while she leaned over.

"I honestly doubt that you will find a way out of this vehicle, but in case you do... let's make sure everybody knows who you belong to."

Scotty shook his head, tears in his eyes, as his counterpart moved the iron closer and closer to his face. When it eventually touched his cheek and started to burn him, he couldn't help but scream in agony.

Branding. The woman was branding him like he was an animal for her to own.

Then again... he was. To this creature he was nothing else but a product.

Scotty was shaking and wincing when the woman ran a hand across the mark she had created.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, no one will get to see you like this. After all, we'll chop off your head soon enough."

He tried to say something, but no word left his mouth. All he could do was stare at the gorgeous lady in horror.

"Like I said, feel free to drink and eat some more. We'll be gone for an hour or two. And once we get back, we'll head straight to the restaurant. After all, there's a menu to change."

With that, the woman left the limousine that had stopped without Scotty noticing.

"Good evening, Miss Farie."

"Hello, Miss Farie."

"How are you, Miss Farie?"

Scotty heard it. He heard the name of the woman several times before the door of the car closed again.

And he knew that Miss Farie would be the death of him. She and her kind hadn't been his saviors, but his doom.

[indeedcaptain]

Spirktober 2023, day 14: Double Kirk

What if transporter malfunctions... were sexy?

Also posted on AO3 here!

☆☆☆

Engineer Scott’s voice crackled over the comm. “Mr. Spock, we’ve got him, but ye might want to come down here for a moment.” 

Ice trickled down Spock’s spine. He did not hold the same fear of transporters that the good doctor did, but McCoy’s insistence upon bringing up the statistics surrounding transporter malfunctions had been unfortunately trapped in his memory. 

“Mr. Sulu, you have the conn,” Spock said, and departed the bridge with as much stoicism as he could muster. 

☆☆☆

Spock arrived in the transporter room, bracing himself to administer immediate medical attention to his Jim or support to McCoy. He was not prepared to find two Jims and a Mr. Scott talking casually by the transporter controls. Spock halted and straightened. 

“Captain,” he said to the nearest one. Then he turned to the other. “Captain.” The further one laughed. 

“Mr. Scott, I thought you fixed this issue twenty-three months ago.” 

“Aye, Mr. Spock. But something must have come unjiggered in the refit, and, well…” He gestured to the captains. “Obviously it will need to be fixed again. It will take less time than before, since I know what to do, but it’ll still be a good hour or so.” 

“I see.” Spock considered. “The appearance of two captains disturbed the crew the first time. I do not believe it wise to repeat the experience.” 

“I would agree, Mr. Spock,” one of the Jims said. “Would you mind escorting me to my quarters?” 

“Certainly, captain,” Spock said, and turned to Mr. Scott. “Thank you, commander. Will you inform us when the transporter is ready for returning Captain Kirk to his standard form?”

“Aye, Mr. Spock,” Mr. Scott said. “Apologies, captain.” 

“None necessary, Scotty,” the two captains said. Mr. Scott shuddered. Spock ushered them out into the transporter before he could unsettle the engineer to distraction. 

☆☆☆

Spock sat across from the Jims in his preferred armchair, a chess set mostly ignored between them. “I am intrigued, captain. The last time this occurred, the personality difference between the two yourselves was quite stark. Yet both of you seem reasonably aligned with your standard person.” 

One of the Jims grinned, and the flash of his teeth in the semi-darkness reminded Spock of a wild animal. The other Jim said, “The difference, I think, is not one that most besides you would recognize.” 

“What difference is that?” 

The Jims looked at each other, and Spock realized that the number of schemes that Jim could percolate on his own had increased exponentially. Two of himself, in alignment, without the cognitive dissonance and unhappiness that had marked the first separation, seemed like a dangerous equation. The tension in the room shifted, and Spock felt an involuntary pilomotor reflex raise bumps over his skin. 

One of the Jims reached across the table, fingers extended, and Spock met them with his own. The other said, “Spock, you know that you are my only love.” 

Spock could not prevent himself from quipping, “Aside from the Enterprise, captain.” One Jim outright laughed, and the other smirked. 

“Sure,” Jim agreed. “But I mean that our relationship is monogamous.” 

“This is true,” Spock said. His predictions for where this conversation had been going were now all incorrect. He and Jim were monogamous, yes, but he was unsure what that had to do with the two Jims in front of him. 

“And I was your first,” Jim said. Spock inclined his head. “So you’ve never been with more than one person at once.” 

“You know this also to be true, Jim,” Spock said quietly. His lack of experience did not come up frequently, and after almost a year of being together he was unsure why it was relevant now.

“Would you be interested in learning what that felt like?” 

Spock blinked. The concept of group sex had not factored into his predictions whatsoever. He was aware of the idea, but the sexual aspect had not appealed to him before Jim and the group aspect had become unappealing after Jim. “I am uninterested in intimacy with anyone but you,” he said. 

“I know,” said Jim. His smile was sweet and loving. “You wouldn’t have to be with anyone but me.” Spock’s eyes widened. One Jim stood up and walked behind him, and he felt Jim trail his fingertips up his arm, over his shoulder, and trace the pointed line of his ear. The other Jim approached Spock, pushing the coffee table out of the way. That Jim knelt at Spock’s feet, resting his hands on his knees, as the other wrapped a hand around his throat from behind. 

“You’re the only person that knows both of us right now,” the kneeling Jim said, voice warm and quiet. 

“The difference between us,” the other Jim said, applying gentle pressure to Spock’s throat, “is that one of us wants to be dominated, and the other wants to dominate you.” Through the contact of both of their hands, Spock felt the different headspaces that he had come to love from Jim. There were times when Jim needed Spock to be in control; needed someone to take control from him so that he could shed the weight of responsibility, be cared for and controlled, so that he no longer had to be the captain. Then there were times when Jim needed to control Spock, needed to have unfettered access to every inch of him and utter control over contact and arousal and orgasm, to have the physical proof of Spock’s faith and trust in him in his hands. 

“I…” Spock said, and he trailed off. Jim (both Jims) consented. He was asking what Spock wanted. Spock was not opposed to threesomes, as a rule: merely to sharing Jim with others. As a scientist, he had not made a habit of saying no to new experiences.

A threesome with two Jims would mean that he could experience group sex without having to allow others into his relationship. It would also mean twice as much Jim: more hands, more tongues, and more opportunities to make Jim climax while screaming Spock’s name. In the end, it was only logical to agree.

The kneeling Jim pushed his legs apart and he let his thighs spread as Jim nuzzled at him through his pants. Standing Jim pushed harder on his throat, pulling him backwards against him, making Spock arch up off the chair. 

“God, you’re so pretty with your mouth open,” the dominant Jim said, staring down at him. “Get undressed. I don’t want us to run out of time.” 

☆☆☆

Spock was on his back with his hands tied down, head resting on one Jim’s thighs as the other meticulously removed every layer of his control with his fingers and mouth against his cock. The seated Jim ran fingernails over Spock’s palms and down his fingers, sliding his own fingers into Spock’s mouth. 

He was on his knees in front of one of them. 

He was fucking into one while the other watched. 

He was on his back, being fucked, while the other watched. 

He was sliding between them, lips against his back, lips against his, Jim’s thigh sliding between his. He was grinding between them both as they teased his hands, stroked his hair, touched him, loved him, until he couldn’t tell where one ended and another began.

☆☆☆

The psychic and physical overstimulation had driven everything but Spock’s desire to feel Jim against him far from his mind, and when he heard the comm in Jim’s wall buzz he snarled at it. Jim laughed at him, and one of them rolled out of bed, out of his grasp, to answer the message. 

“Kirk here.” 

“Aye, captain. Sorry for the delay, but the transporter’s all fine now. Should be able to get you fixed up in a jiffy if you head down.” 

“Thank you, Scotty. We’ll be down in a moment. Kirk out.” He looked over his shoulder to where the other Jim and Spock still lay tangled in Jim’s sheets. 

“Well, Mr. Spock? Any commentary on the situation?” 

“I am unwilling to see it to end, captain,” Spock said, and he reached out from the edge to grab the other Jim and tug him back to bed. Jim acquiesced, and for another moment he lay between them, feeling their heartbeats against his skin on either side. As his critical thinking skills returned from wherever Jim had convinced them to hibernate, he breathed in the smell of his Jim and sat up. He brushed a hand over one’s cheek, then the other’s hair, before sliding out of the bed to put his clothes back on. “No matter the number of bodies you find yourself split into, captain, all of you is mine.” The Jims slid back into uniforms, smoothing their hair down and tugging boots on, before coming up to Spock and wrapping their arms around him. He put one arm on each of their shoulders and held them tightly to him before letting them go. 

As they stepped into the hallway, he said, “What was the memory transference like last time? Do you maintain everything?” 

“I do, Mr. Spock,” one of the Jim’s said, and the other winked. They arrived at the transporter room and the Jims stepped onto the pad. 

“See you in a moment, gentlemen,” one said, and the other smiled. Mr. Scott sent the Jims away, and when he brought them back, there was only the one. 

But he was still Jim, and when Mr. Scott left to attend other matters Jim kissed him and within him Spock felt multitudes.

[brw]

Hank McCoy, 6, 8, 30

AND

Simon Williams, 15, 26, 28!

6) My least favourite ship of them

Difficult one to answer, because I rarely see big Hank McCoy ships out in the wild and much less ones that I don't see / don't like. I guess I don't particularly care for the XMCU ships like Hank/Mystique and Hank/Havok if I absolutely must answer, but that's probably because I'm not particularly charmed by Nicholas Hoult's Beast in general.

8) Your favourite outfit of them

Love to see him in a patterned shirt.

Honourable mention to the absolute serve he was giving at Charles' funeral

Yellow checkered bowtie with the blue pinstripe waistcoat? Alright king.

30) Funniest scene they had

Okay there's a lot of good options out there (singing Karaoke with Absorbing Man, arguing so much with Dr Strange he makes the poor SHIELD agent homophobic, the absolute terror of when he reconnects with Vera, coming out as gay), but there's also a lot of unintentionally funny scenes (trying to take out X Force with a sniper??? blowing himself up with a nuke after panicking after seeing the guy he's in love with, going to talk to Wolverine after Simon dropped a full anti mutant slur because he's just that much of a wet carpet, Vision getting annoyed with him over being a bit of a slut in the 70s, etc) so it's difficult to choose just the one.

Gonna go with this one, not because it's the very funniest but I just like his face and little hat. And how fond of the whole thing Steve looks.

15) Worst Storyline they ever had

Wonder Man v3 by Peter David, my fair superhero. Not going into it because it pisses me off that much but it is such a bizarre comic with such an ugly art style, I truly don't know how or why it was made because it's very clear Peter does not know nor particularly care about Simon very well. Bizarre book.

26) When do you think they were being "themselves" the most?

Like Hank, Simon is someone who finds himself playing roles more often than not, with a similar backstory for this too. The man not be a fantastic actor, but he's still an actor, and certainly acts his way through day to day life too. Anyway, I'd say Vision and the Scarlet Witch #3 feels like one of the most genuine Simons, even though we don't see him for very long because the focus is on Vision, but it just feels very Simon in a very right way. Other than that, post-Remender pacifist Simon in general comes across very genuine for the most part and doesn't seem to be trying to play his role nearly as much as when he was in the 80s and 90s, for example.

28) Most unnecessary thing they ever did?

I mean, withholding Vision's brainwaves because he had a crush on Wanda. Like on what fucking universe does condemning your twin to a fate worse than death endear you to their wife you want to fuck. Probably the entirety of Byrne Simon can appear under here, tbh.

[lboogie1906]

Tichina Rolanda Arnold (born June 28, 1969) is an actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in Little Shop of Horrors and How I Got into College before being cast as Pamela “Pam” James on Martin. She played the family matriarch Rochelle on Everybody Hates Chris, and portrayed Judi Mann in Happily Divorced. She played the lead role of Cassie Calloway on Survivor’s Remorse. She plays Tina Butler in The Neighborhood. She played the role of Paulette in Lockdown.

She was born in Queens. She was raised in the Church of God in Christ. She attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts.

She scored her first big break on television, with a permanent role on Ryan’s Hope. Her role, as young heroine Zena Brown, landed her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. She was cast as Sharla Valentine in All My Children.

She played the recurring role of Nicole Barnes on One on One. She was reunited with Martin Lawrence in Big Momma’s House. She again reunited with Lawrence in Wild Hogs. She appeared in Civil Brand. In a departure from her known comedic roles, she played the title rolbench”. She appeared on stage in The Wiz revival at the New York City Center in the part of Evillene, The Wicked Witch of the West. She guest-starred in the one-hour episode premiere of the Disney XD Original Series Pair of Kings as Aunt Nancy.

In 1998, she started her company of designer headgear called “China Moon Rags”. The headbands were Swarovski crystal-embroidered bandanas. Celebrities such as her good friends Michel’le, Tisha Campbell, Janet Jackson, Vivica A. Fox, Regina King, Christina Aguilera, and LisaRaye McCoy have modeled and been seen wearing her designs. When her daughter was born, she stopped production.

In 2013, she and her sister created the We Win Foundation, a foundation for people with lupus; her sister, Zenay, has the disease. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

John Coltrane Quartet - The Jazz Gallery, New York City, June 27, 1960

Since we just checked out a 1960 audience tape of Miles and Coltrane, let's hang out back there for a little while longer. Another audience tape! A pretty listenable one, all things considered. Thank a taper, for heaven's sake. By June, Coltrane had left the Miles Davis group for good and quickly set about forming his own unit. This isn't quite the classic quartet yet — McCoy Tyner is firmly in place on piano, but drummer Pete LaRoca is behind the kit instead of the soon-to-join Elvin Jones. And then there's the somewhat shadowy bassist Steve Davis, who would play on some of Coltrane's classic Atlantic LPs and then more or less vanish, only appearing on a handful of other sessions. Mysterious ...

Anyway! This Jazz Gallery performance is, as far as I know, our first glimpse of Coltrane live and on his own in the 1960s. He sounds ready to go, kicking things off with a long, wild "Liberia" before sliding smoothly into a gorgeous "Every Time We Say Goodbye." The band, especially Tyner, follows their new leader fearlessly. Interestingly, if the date of this tape is right, Coltrane would go into the studio the next day — but not with this band. Instead, he'd be playing with Ornette Coleman's group: Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell. The results wouldn't be released until 1966.

Coltrane says: I’ve got to keep experimenting. I feel that I’m just beginning. I have part of what I’m looking for in my grasp but not all. I’m very happy devoting all my time to music, and I’m glad to be one of the many who are striving for fuller development as musicians. Considering the great heritage in music that we have, the work of giants of the past, the present, and the promise of those who are to come, I feel that we have every reason to face the future optimistically.

[incandescent-creativity]

Episode Thirteen

Previous: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | 

Next: N/A

Word Count: 4,000

—

Captain’s Log. Copy of Report Filed to Dr. Barbara Agau.

To: agau@sfacad.edu

From: agau@spark.uss

Subject: Requesting Investigation

I must question the quality of the maintenance crew that was assigned to my ship. Directly after they completed their inspections and disembarked, our warp engines overheated.

Upon inspection, our assessment points to sabotage. Attached are photographic captures of the damage. As you can see, the transparent aluminum is worn away, leaving the cooling lines exposed. Without the necessary pressure, the liquid nitrogen is unable to flow, and our engines overheated.

After consulting with expert members of my crew, we reached the consensus that this kind of damage may appear as wild scrapes, but the precision necessary to scrape away outer layers without damaging the actual lines suggests control and premeditation. Furthermore, it implies a saboteur who knew what they were doing.

The markings (Fig. 4, with unusual traits labeled for your convenience) are inconsistent with any known tool, but our team has narrowed it down to something made of tough, durable metals, such as duranium or tritanium. While it is not feasible to search every individual aboard for such a tool, or even to hold an internal scan for such materials (given the prominence of such metals in starship construction), it may assist you with your investigation.

Finally, I may arrive at the point. Logic points to the maintenance crew as the most likely source of our difficulties. Their timing was far too suspect, as is their access to our engines. I trust you have their names and records in your own files, so I do not see a need to specify here, but I can vouch for Michael’s immunity.

When his crew disembarked, he handed the captain’s position to another, and requested to stay aboard and fulfill his desire to experience space travel. Due to his professionalism and exemplary service in finding temporarily misplaced storage, I acquiesced. Furthermore, his diligence in emptying out the engine hold of tribbles [see attached profile] and repairing our engines has assured me of his steadfast service to this ship.

I say this not to commend him, but to save you unnecessary time spent investigating his background with the same thoroughness that you will employ for the others.

Yours, Captain Beth Agau, USS Spark

-

Attached: Profile on Tribbles

Author: Chief Medical Officer Hallie, Android Designation 0110010101111000.42

Title: Findings on Unique Polygeminus Subspecies

For the basic understanding of the Polygeminus grex, the author would direct you towards Dr. McCoy’s findings. This entry will document the discovery of the subspecies Polygeminus grex charybdentis. Hereafter, the entry will refer to the creatures as their colloquial term, “tribbles.” It may be assumed that we are discussing subsp. charybdentis, unless otherwise specified.

A single individual was brought aboard our starship under the impression that it was not a creature, but a decorative item. After the initial tribble reproduced overnight, they quickly spread throughout the ship, similarly to the incident covered by Dr. McCoy.

Unlike Dr. McCoy’s subsp. grex tribbles, ours had some marked differences.

1. The biggest difference is the presence of a hidden mouth on the underside of the ovular creature.

While the tribble is resting, close-mouthed, it is functionally invisible underneath the fur. McCoy’s report wonders how the creature attaches to vertical surfaces; concerning subsp. charybdentis, the answer becomes obvious. Their rows of teeth are sharp enough to puncture skin and draw blood, which they consume, and delicate enough to usually not be felt.

2. Another difference may be noted here: subsp. grex tribbles dislike Klingons on account of their [the tribbles’] heightened sense of smell. This new subspecies does not appear to have a sense of smell; if they do, they have forgone their grudge against the Klingons, given that they were found in a symbiotic relationship with local Klingon communities on Kiran IV.

2.5. Author’s note: While only a hypothesis, it may be that the Klingon’s anatomical differences (specifically their third lung) allow them to compensate for the loss of blood. Perhaps those Kiran Klingons adapted them as a food source, as pets, or both.

3. The tribbles also possess a shocking amount of genetic variation. The offspring are not necessarily the same color as their parent (note the singular). In fact, the colors seem to be picked not according to logical genetics, or what would be most advantageous in their environment, but seem completely random.

At first, it would seem a logical hypothesis that these bright colors serve as a warning to potential predators, that these animals were poisonous. But internal scans and external palpation revealed no poison glands, and no excretion. The teeth appear to fall out as shark teeth do, and those retained as samples reveal no hollow venom cavities.

Perhaps they mimic the natural flora of Kiran IV. If a return trip is ever planned, both this line of thought and the tribbles’ current relationship to the Klingon colonies is worth exploring.

—

Beth rereads her email and reviews her attachments three times before sending.

Once, to proofread for grammar and accuracy. Second, out loud to herself to identify any awkward phrasing. And thirdly, with a different font and size to assist her with any lingering mistakes.

Yet it still feels as though something will go wrong. It is a terrible feeling, as all of them are, but unlike most of the others, Beth’s anxiety is not one she can choose not to feel. The tension seems to elude her Vulcan nature, and sink directly into her muscles. Even when she controls her breathing, and paces to get the energy out, it is still present, stinging at the back of her mind.

Finally, she forces herself to hit the Send button.

Once it’s done, she can ping Hans. He must be actively in the captain’s chair, because he doesn’t reply with a written message—but a call.

“Hey, what’s up?” Hans’s bright voice asks, completely disregarding the expected formality between officer and captain.

Fighting her halfway closed throat, Beth forces herself to speak.

“You didn’t read your messages,” she understands. Her mind feels slow, and dull with irrational panic.

“Nah,” Hans has no trouble admitting. “I just heard your message pattern and called back. Seemed easier that way.”

Something about this restores a fraction of her mental faculties. “You have a unique tone set for me?”

“Of course!”

It is only logical, she supposes. She is the captain. If this is how Hans prefers to set his priority messages, rather than ascribing to the customary numerical system, then she should not trouble herself about it. As long as it works, then…

Except it doesn’t work. He didn’t read her message. He doesn’t know what the subject of this call is about, and he should. It would certainly make things easier. But even if he didn’t read it, he did respond. He heard her tone, and called her.

One could argue that the response is not an expected one, but it does fulfill the function of an alternative notification.

Why can’t he just follow protocol?

“Captain? You there?”

Clearing her throat, Beth refocuses.

“Our estimated arrival, Commander.”

“Oh, sure! We’re almost there.”

This is not what she asked. But, similar to his communicator conduct, it still manages to suffice.

She closes the line without comment. Beth got her answer, and she will see him soon enough at the bridge.

Hans does not appear to begrudge her the abrupt end. He still wears that over-wide smile, and dusts off the captain’s chair for her in an exaggerated display of faux chivalry. Hans even performs a small bow as he steps off to the side and allows her to take her seat.

The crest of the planet fills most of the display screen. It appears to be your standard habitable M-Class: blue oceans, green landmasses, a thriving weather system full of white clouds. Fighting off overwhelmed feelings from sending such demanding emails, Beth gestures for Hans.

Her first officer never actually took his seat. He takes a step closer, and bends at the waist to hear her.

“Why are we here?”

“Is this a test?”

It wasn’t, but it is now. Hans appears to feel no shame at failing miserably.

“In the future, Commander, answer questions before questioning for answers.”

“Oh, that’s a good one. You should write fortune cookies.”

Captain Agau is forced to take her eyes off the planet growing larger and larger. She turns in her chair to glare at Hans.

“Right, sorry. We’re here to deliver crates of supplies, as the mission Dr. Agau assigned us specified.”

That’s right. In all the chaos of the past… day? How long has it been? Without a star orbit to regulate any circadian cycles, and with how little she sleeps anyway, things tend to blur together. There was the insulting assignment of an intrusive maintenance crew, and then the tribbles, and, most recently, engine failure…

Somewhere in the middle of it all, somebody has not lost track of the original mission. Beth will have to discover who, and thank them personally.

It might very well be Hans, but he has been far too forward lately. It won’t do to recognize his efforts and encourage him at this juncture. He already feels far too comfortable with their relationship. It should be professional, and distant, and productive.

Thus refusing to give this charade any response, Beth pulls up the arrival time herself. Her beautiful ship’s calculations have put their arrival at 57 minutes from now.

“Ensign,” she says. Matt’s head perks up from whatever book he was reading. “Are you familiar with approach protocol?”

“Only in theory,” he says nervously. “I’ve never actually executed them before.”

His honesty serves him well. As a result, he has earned a walkthrough of procedure from the best on the ship. Perhaps he will be nervous about the captain standing behind him, watching over his shoulder, but her intervention will ensure that at least one of her command crew knows what she expects of him.

After she oversees the breach into planetary airspace, coaches him on what phrases to use to alert the facility to the delivery, locates the landing pad, and teaches him how to engage the autodock, Beth can retire to her chair again.

Seconds after she settles, Hallie comes up.

“Petition to be included in whatever away team you assemble to watch over the delivery, Captain.”

Her lack of preamble is refreshing. Hans would have spent agonizing minutes beating around a bush that wouldn’t be of much importance in the end, anyway. Or, far worse, attempting to engage her in small talk.

“Reason being?”

Honestly, Beth is prepared to grant her request. Hallie has been perhaps the most steadfast member of her crew.

But curiosity is one of the only emotions Beth enjoys feeling. She is more likely to indulge curiosity more than anything else.

“The conservation facility we deliver to is likely to have rare antivenoms and treatment methods that would be helpful to my role on your ship.”

“Approved,” Beth says without hesitation.

And then, just because Hallie is in high standing lately, she adds, “Anybody else you desire to be on this team?”

Hallie doesn’t even have to consider. “Perhaps Michael would appreciate the opportunity to come with. That is why he is still here, correct? To see more of the universe?”

That’s accurate as far as Beth knows, so she nods as she pulls up the arrangements on her personal screen.

“And as long as we are fostering sightseeing,” Hallie adds, “what about Matt?”

“What?” the ensign in question calls out, having heard his name.

“Do you wish to accompany Commander Hallie down to the surface to ensure the delivery goes smoothly, and learn what you can?”

“I’ll go anywhere you tell me to, Captain.”

Pleased with the perfect response, Beth puts the officer codes in. Michael doesn’t have one, of course, but there is a slot for any civilian accompaniment.

And that may not even be true for long. Romulan though he may be, Beth could see a viable future in Star Fleet for Michael.

Based upon Hallie’s report and assessment, of course.

—

Hallie doesn’t trust Michael.

Too many of the unconnected dots connect back to him in some way. The inventory discrepancy, solved by him. The engine sabotage, also solved by a bypass that he engineered. The captain had been impressed, even mentioning that she would praise him highly in her report.

But Michael has seemed so central to too many of the crises on this ship for Hallie’s liking. No other citizens show up so regularly. And hardly any of them would make bold requests of the captain while they had an audience with her—if they were so lucky to treat with her in the first place.

And yet, he was nowhere to be seen during the tribble infestation.

This oddity does not sooth Hallie’s troubled mind. If anything, Michael’s absence makes her question what he was up to during that time.

There is no way for her to find out. Half the security cameras were shrouded by tribbles that crawled up the walls, and she was too busy tending to those who had too much blood sucked out of them by the vampiric little fuzzballs.

She will not let him remain unwatched on the ship if she can help it, though. She wants him right where she can keep an eye on him.

Namely, the delivery port of Lactra VII.

Over time, the zoo that made them so famous has expanded to cover the entire planet. As a result, they only have the acreage necessary for a spaceport in certain locations. And as a result of that, the delivery team finds themselves on high-speed rail.

Matt is glued to the window. Hallie doesn’t understand what he sees. She knows her android eyes are processing the images outside as quickly as they pass, but surely his human vision only allows him to see a blur of color. Michael certainly isn’t attempting to sightsee.

Instead, he is sitting with military precision. His back his ramrod straight. His hands are neatly folded in his lap. His head sweeps from one end of the train car to the other every thirty seconds or so.

It makes her nervous.

“So, Michael. How many different planets have you visited?” Hallie asks, attempting to fill the silence.

“This will be my second,” Michael responds, “if we aren’t counting our home planets.”

His voice is neutrally friendly. It isn’t an inappropriate tone, which frustrates Hallie, too. She just needs to catch him slipping up…

“I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the record a Starfleet officer has,” he continues.

“I’ll say,” Matt comments, his voice bouncing off the reinforced glass. “I’ve only been around a couple months, and I’ve been on… five or six by now?”

“It isn’t a competition,” Hallie says.

“You brought it up.”

“As small talk.”

“I didn’t take offense,” Michael reassures her, as if she is worried about offending him. “I’m grateful to start expanding my horizons beyond the final frontier.”

“I wish we had time to tour the zoo,” Matt laments, finally looking away from the window. “That’s the real horizon-expander.”

“We keep to Captain Agau’s timetable,” Hallie says, pruning the idea of a trip before it can grow.

As if reminded, Michael brings up the timetable on his personal screen. After a moment of skimming it, he whistles.

“She really has you down to the minute, huh?”

“She is extremely thorough,” Hallie agrees, her voice as sharp as a knife’s edge. “She memorizes names, and figures, and pays attention to the closest details. Nothing escapes her notice for long.”

Hallie intends this as a warning, and she suspects Michael understands. His jaw clenches, and he tightens his fingers together from loosely clasped to tensely held.

Matt notices, too. He glances over in Hallie’s direction after noting the same displeasure, but she is careful not to reveal anything. She may be warning Michael that she is on to him, but she cannot let him know what she has figured out. Perhaps, if he thinks she is close to discovering something, he will make a move.

A pleasant chime intrudes upon the tension.

Now arriving: Storage Hold Three.

Michael is quick to stand up. Hallie is on her feet only a second later. He might be the one to motivate the men to grab what boxes they can, and prepare to disembark, but she is going to follow him as closely as a shadow. Matt brings up the rear.

As the senior officer, she is the one to treat with the zoo personnel. The human in charge of these operations is named Winnie: a senior woman with her grey hair tied back into a tight braid and a brace on her knee.

“Welcome, delegates of the Spark!” she greets them with a loud, enthusiastic voice. “Right on time.”

“Our captain’s timetables are usually perfect,” Hallie comments. Another jab at Michael, although he doesn’t appear to notice.

“Starfleet’s operations have a reputation that I rarely find is disappointed,” Winnie confirms.

“Will thirteen crates be enough for the entire planet’s operation?” Hallie asks, mostly so the zoo officer does not think her watching Michael direct men carrying crates means she is ignoring her.

“Thirteen? It says twelve on the manifest.”

If Hallie had neurons, she would swear they all fire at once. As it is, the information hits her hardware like a lightning bolt.

“It does?”

Of course, the Spark’s manifests had said twelve, too. Hallie had been forced to assume the discrepancy was on their end. She had never told the captain, and everybody had moved on.

“You can see right here,” Winnie offers, turning sideways so Hallie can read her screen.

Sure enough, there it is, in plain font.

“We’d better keep the extra, then,” Hallie decides.

The two women compare serial numbers, working through the entire delivery. Michael is holding the crate that isn’t on Winnie’s list. Because of course he is.

“This one stays on board,” she commands.

“Ma’am?”

“The zoo has limited storage, and ordered exactly as much as they need,” Hallie says.

This is true, but she doesn’t know what is in the extra crate. If it is some sort of explosive device, she would much rather it blow a whole in the Spark’s storage than harm innocent civilians on this planet.

“Besides, it won’t be any good to learn how they synthesize their antivenom if I don’t have any supplies to work with. If we don’t discover any misplacement with another order, we can see the overflow as a happy coincidence.”

Unlike Hallie, Michael must believe in coincidences, because he accepts this explanation.

“I’ll go back and deliver this to Medical, then,” Michael says. “We’re almost finished here, anyway.”

Damn it. So much for not letting him out of her sight.

“Take the ensign back with you,” Hallie orders, feeling as though she is only barely hiding her desperation.

“If you can find him before the train leaves, I will.”

Before she can convey her distaste of Michael’s challenge, he turns his back on her and starts lugging the crate back to the rail station.

Her android nature means she can run without tiring, and Hallie does. She finds Matt on a balcony overlooking wide fields of purple grass, and white-furred apes moving through it on their way to a grove of trees.

“Ensign,” she interrupts whatever peaceful moment he might be having. “You need to accompany Michael back to the ship.”

“You don’t trust him, do you?” Matt says as he turns.

His tone is relaxed enough, but Hallie still recoils. “Sorry?”

“Don’t be,” he says. “I don’t, either. He feels too slick, like he’s too confident all the time.”

Quickly understanding that he is on the same page as she is, Hallie says, “Make sure the poisons get delivered to Medical, and are not interfered with. And hurry, before the train comes and takes him away.”

Matt doesn’t even give a “Yes, ma’am,” before jogging off.

—

Michael has never been thankful for timely transportation before.

There’s a first time for everything. This isn’t his first mission; far from it. She wouldn’t have hired him if he wasn’t as experienced as he is. But it is the first one that has hinged on a train leaving according to schedule.

For all of Hallie’s irritating attention to detail, she failed to memorize the train’s itinerary. A solid getaway is the key to any success.

And this is a success. Maybe his objective hasn’t been carried out yet, but the android isn’t as smart as someone with a computer for a brain should be. For crying out loud, she ordered him take the entire crate back on board.

Leaving it in Medical won’t be a problem. His nanite work is so precise that the crate won’t appear to be opened. Each microscopic robot inside the crate is lifting minute layers of the product up into their little bodies, toiling inside the crate as it sits on his lap.

Even if that short little ensign had managed to get on the train with him, he wouldn’t see anything Michael is doing. His hands are resting gently on the crate, at the seam where the lid meets the body. The seam is where his nanites snuck in, directed by Michael’s psychic link with them. He is careful not to let their bodies touch the product; the nanites live on his skin.

But they each have miniscule storage spaces. It has come in handy only once before, during a job that needed a DNA sample from a rich heiress. Michael had infiltrated her ball, taken her hand in his, and kissed it. Between the nanites coating his hand and the ones on his mouth, he had gotten enough information for his client.

His current client, though… She’s on a different level. Michael has never met someone who commanded a room so instantly. Her daughter is a pale imitation, a bad copy. Michael is surprised she is able to captain a ship at all.

By the time the train delivers him to the warp pad, each of his thousands of nanites are full to bursting.

It’s an uncomfortable feeling. His mind feels heavy, and moving each bot takes more intention than his usual instinctive control over them. Michael can’t lose even a single one if he wants to deliver.

Luckily, they all make it through the warp with him. Nobody’s sensors are delicate enough to pick them up. They don’t have a technological presence that would show up on most instruments; if they had a signature at all, it would be a biological one, thanks to the link with his brain.

In a very real sense, Michael’s power over the nanite swarm resting on the surface of his skin is an extension of who he is as a person. They are the only truly consistent thing about him. He has taken different names, different personas, different jobs, on different planets, scattered throughout space.

Right now, for example, he is a mechanic and amateur tourist delivering a crate full of toxin to the medical bay.

He places it front and center in front of Hallie’s office door. There is no trivial attempt at hiding by placing it in a corner she will not notice. Nothing that could be construed as suspicious. When she opens it, the packages will show no scrapes or missing product. He has been careful to take an imperceptible amount from each one.

Michael knows it is this care that has protected him thus far. Hallie clearly suspects him of something. There is no reason for her to request a civilian to accompany a Starfleet delivery operation, even if that civilian had fixed their ship. And no reason for her to send Matt his way, either.

The only and clear answer to these moves is that she wants to keep an eye on him.

But even her android eyes can’t detect his robots. If they could, she would have alerted her captain the moment he stepped on as a mechanic.

Instead, Michael has secured himself a spot on the ship, the captain’s favor, and everything he needs to carry out his assignment.

—

[denimbex1986]

'There were rumors suggesting that Doctor Who would feature a bi-regeneration in the months leading up to "The Giggle," but it was admittedly hard to believe it would actually happen. Then I tuned into the final 60th-anniversary special with my Disney+ subscription and saw it with my own eyes. It's wild how Russell T. Davies pulled that off with Ncuti Gatwa and David Tennant. As surreal as that was on its own, however, Davies recently revealed another major detail that shook me to my core, and it could mean big things for the future of the franchise.

In a commentary track for "The Giggle," which is unfortunately not officially available to fans in the United States, Russell T. Davies dropped a pretty substantial reveal about the bi-regeneration (via @WilliamWhoDW on X). Read what Davies said to David Tennant and executive producer Phil Collinson when they watched the latest regeneration scene:

So the whole timeline bi-generated then. Sylvester McCoy…woke up in a morgue, and Jon Pertwee woke up on the floor of the laboratory. They all did. Most of those, the modern Doctors, just end up in their own TARDIS. They probably woke up in the TARDIS.

There is some dispute amongst fans regarding whether Russell T. Davies was delivering actual information with this comment or just theorizing. It if is indeed the former, then this is a major development. Assuming that every Doctor bi-regenerated into their next incarnation but continued to live, then it's feasible that every single Doctor is still alive and somewhere out there in the universe. I'm absolutely shaken by what that could mean, assuming again, he's genuine about this piece of information.

If every former Doctor is still alive, this presents yet another new and inventive way for a former protagonist to have adventures in the Whoniverse. More importantly, it would allow the franchise to bring back actor like Jon Pertwee or Sylvester McCoy to play The Doctor without explaining why they don't look like their past selves. Assuming they all lived for this long, they had to have aged!

I had already theorized that Doctor Who did the bi-regeneration to open the door for potential standalone adventures with David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor without having to address him looking different from how he did as the Tenth Doctor. Assuming Russell T. Davies has canonized the return of every previous bearer of that title, it would appear his plans for the Whoniverse are much grander than that. The franchise now has the ability to bring back Matt Smith and others who left the show for their own new live-action adventures or even entirely different series.

This is great for someone like Peter Capaldi, who went on the record as not liking multi-Doctor adventures. Granted, he's someone who openly stated he doesn't want to return to Doctor Who, so there's no telling how receptive he'd actually be to reprising his role.

There are also additional hurdles with a star like Christopher Eccleston, who returned for other adventures but had issues with Russell T. Davies during his initial run and may not want to return to live-action. All this to say that while it's now easier than ever to get past Doctors into stories, it remains to be seen how successful the franchise would theoretically be at doing that. But again, we still have to keep in mind that these thoughts came solely from Davies, and we'll have to wait and see if this logic is officially established within the series itself. In the meantime, fans will be plenty occupied with Ncuti Gatwa's upcoming episodes, which will hopefully be as great as these specials were.'