a family themed writing community

Family Complex. Harumi, Akira. 11- Family Secrets

2008-09-05T12:43:24Z

Title: Papers
Fandom: Family Complex
Characters: Akira, Harumi
Prompt: 11. Family Secrets
Word Count: 454
Rating: PG
Warnings/Spoilers: None.
Summary: Akira finds out a family secret involving him.

("There is a reason why Akira is so different from the rest of the family.")

x-posted to family_15

New The District Fic: 10-42 End Tour of Duty

2008-08-15T04:29:56Z

Title: 10-42 End Tour of Duty
Fandom: The District
Crossover: AU NCIS (characters only mentioned)
Characters: Phil, Jack, and Ella Brander
Prompts:For family_15#15 "Other things may change us, but we start and end with family” (Anthony Brandt) and varietypack100 #73 Light
Word Count:
Rating: K+
Summary:
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.
Dedication: For georgiamagnolia. I was happy writing this series for myself, but her feedback and enjoyment made it 1000x's better. Love ya!

10-42 End Tour of Duty

New The District Fic: 10-33 Assist Police Officer (Emergency)

2008-08-14T14:49:51Z

Title: 10-33 Assist Police Officer (Emergency)
Fandom: The District
Characters: Phil Brander and Kevin Debreno
Prompts:For family_15#14 Weddings and Funerals and varietypack100 #79 When
Word Count: 880
Rating: K+
Summary: However, he had never felt as old as he did this week.
Warning: Character Death
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-33 Assist Police Officer (Emergency)

New The District Fic: 10-100 Camera

2008-08-13T04:45:24Z

Title: 10-100 Camera
Fandom: The District
Characters: Jack Mannion and Jack Brander
Prompts:For family_15#13 Family Portrait and varietypack100 #43 Squares
Word Count: 398
Rating: K+
Summary: When the elder Jack finally revealed the photo, his breath caught.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-100 Camera

New The District Fic: 10-63 Prepare To Make Written Copy

2008-08-12T16:22:12Z

Title: 10-63 Prepare To Make Written Copy
Fandom: The District
Characters: Phil and Nancy Brander
Prompts:For family_15#12 Family Tree and varietypack100 #41 Shapes Word Count: 986
Rating: K+
Summary: Not only is that beautiful, but that is a nearly perfect example of Ella’s family tree.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-63 Prepare To Make Written Copy

New The District Fic: 10-43 Additional Information

2008-08-12T00:57:03Z

Title: 10-43 Additional Information
Fandom: The District
Crossover: The Emily!Verse an AU NCIS series
Characters: Jack Brander (The District) Emily Gibbs (AU character NCIS)
Prompts:For family_15#11 Family Secrets and varietypack100 #75 Shade
Word Count: 776
Rating: K+
Summary: There were still some things that he never told her.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe (NCIS Emily!verse) that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-43 Additional Information

New The District Fic: 10-44 Meal

2008-08-10T04:39:48Z

Title: 10-44 Meal
Fandom: The District
Crossover: The Emily!Verse an AU NCIS series
Characters: Phil, Nancy, Jack and Ella Brander (The District) Leroy Jethro and Emily Gibbs, Abby Scuito, Tony DiNozzo, Maddie Tyler, Tobias Fornell, Estacia and Annie Diaz-Fornell.
Prompts:For family_15#10 Dinner and varietypack100 #26 Teammates
Word Count: 929
Rating: K+
Summary: Even though dinner, the first that his family had ever had with his girlfriend’s family, had gone really well until this point, Jack felt a nervous tickle across the back of his neck.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-44 Meal

New The District Fic: 10-2 Signals Good

2008-08-10T04:24:01Z

Title: 10-2 Signals Good
Fandom: The District
Characters: Phil, Nancy, Jack and Ella Brander
Prompts:For family_15#9 Family Night and varietypack100 #40 Sight
Word Count: 478
Rating: K+
Summary: This was one night a week were the family would communicate solely through sign; no talking.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-2 Signals Good

Family Complex. Natsuru, Akira. 06- Marriages

2008-08-09T10:02:32Z

Title: Conversations
Fandom: Family Complex
Characters: Akira, Natsuru
Prompt: 06. Marriage
Word Count: 1067
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: Mentions of gay relationships.
Summary: Akira tries to convince Natsuru to come home for his wedding.

("You're getting married, huh?")

New The District Fic: 10-13 Weather Conditions

2008-08-08T23:13:03Z

Title: 10-13 Weather Conditions
Fandom: The District
Characters: Phil, Nancy, Jack and Ella Brander
Prompts:For family_15#8 “Blood is thicker than water” and varietypack100 #68 Lightening
Word Count: 920
Rating: K+
Summary: Although Jack was well aware that he was adopted, he was six at the time after all, and could remember Ella’s adoption when he was ten; they never really focused on the differences between biological and adoptive families.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-13 Weather Conditions

New The District Fic: 10-7 Out of Service

2008-08-08T02:37:11Z

Title: 10-7 Out of Service
Fandom: The District
Characters: Phil, Nancy, Jack and Ella Brander and Evelyn Parras
Prompts:For family_15#7 “Families are like fudge- mostly sweet but with a few nuts” (Author Unknown) and varietypack100 #93 Thanksgiving
Word Count: 1394
Rating: K+
Summary: “They’re gone now,” he whispered as he kissed the spot just below Nancy’s ear.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-7 Out of Service

New The District Fic: 10-36 Correct Time

2008-08-07T00:35:56Z

Title: 10-36 Correct Time
Fandom: The District
Characters: Phil and Nancy Brander
Prompts:For family_15#6 Marriage and varietypack100 #60 Drink
Word Count: 540
Rating: K+
Summary: “I know we said we’d celebrate this weekend, but I didn’t want today to go by without doing something.”
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-36 Correct Time

Two New The District Stories

2008-08-05T16:33:16Z

(A migraine laid me low yesterday, so there are two new ones today.)

Title: 10-60 Injury/Illness
Fandom: The District
Characters: Temple Page, Kevin Debreno, Nancy, Phil, and Jack Brander (OMC), OFC
Prompts:For family_15#4 Illness and varietypack100 #81 How?
Word Count: 1097
Rating: K+
Summary: “She was left at University Hospital a few weeks back. Part of the Safe Haven Project.”
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. So, this story take place in about 2001, which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-60 Injury/Illness

Title: 10-5 Transport
Fandom: The District
Characters: Jack Mannion and Jack Brander(OMC) with a touch of Phil Brander
Prompts:For family_15#5 Uprooted and varietypack100 #95 New Year
Word Count: 837
Rating: K+
Summary: “I liked our apartment. I liked my room. I don’t know why we had to move.”
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. Which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-5 Transport

New The District Fic: 10-61 Juvenille Action

2008-08-03T21:55:32Z

Title: 10-61 Juvenile Action
Fandom: The District
Characters: Nancy/Phil, OMC, Ray Cutter, 2 OFC
Prompts:For family_15#3 Children and varietypack100 #100 Writer’s Choice Judge
Word Count: 1000 – was going to add more, but how perfect!
Rating: K+
Summary:“The judge would like to talk to you now.”
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. So, this story take place in about 1997, which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed. The judge’s name is the name of the judge that Lynn Thigpen played on Law and Order and the Lawyer is Lynne (obvious) Metayer (means Farmer in French).

10-61 Juvenille Action"

Family Complex. The Sakamotos, Yuujiro, Tooru. 04- Illness.

2008-08-03T05:43:51Z

Title: Chicken Soup
Fandom: Family Complex
Characters: The Sakamotos, Yuujiro, Tooru
Prompt: 04. Illness
Word Count: 1067
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: Crossover with Princess Princess
Summary: Akira is sick at home. How does his family take care of him? Meanwhile, Yuujiro and Tooru decide to visit.

(Akira sniffed pitifully, burying himself in his blankets as he tried to keep warm.)

x-posted to puri_puri and green_leaflet

family_15 @ 2008-08-02T11:11:00

2008-08-02T15:14:17Z

Title: 10-23 Arrived at Scene
Fandom: The District
Characters: Nancy/Phil, OMC
Prompts:For family_15#2 Happy Addition and varietypack100 #78 Where?
Word Count: 1034
Rating: K+
Summary: The room was ready and now the final approval had come through so that Johnny could enjoy it.
Author's Notes: This is an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. So, this story take place in about 1997, which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-23 Arrived at Scene

New The District Fic: 10-41 Beginning Tour of Duty

2008-08-02T00:13:40Z

Title: 10-41 Beginning Tour of Duty
Fandom: The District
Characters: Nancy/Phil, Jack Mannion, Kevin Debreno, and OMC
Prompts:For family_15#1 Honeymoon and varietypack100 #89 Work
Word Count: 2562
Rating: K+
Summary: “Yes, sir. And I love him, very much.”
Author's Notes: This is the start of an AU story that is so far off on timeline and storyline that it is only a “The District” fanfic because it is borrowing those characters. In order for this universe to work with another universe that I crossed these characters over into, the show needs to have taken place in the early/mid ‘90’s. So, this story take place in about 1997, which means for this universe Nancy found out about her Huntington’s disease in 1995 and Ella Farmer died about the same time. Also, Nancy never took the promotion to Detective in this series, but she does work closely with Debreno and Temple as needed.

10-41 Beginning Tour of Duty

The Next Step, The Marianos/Gilmores, 06. Marriage

2008-05-28T19:01:31Z

Title: The Next Step
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Characters: Jess Mariano and Rory Gilmore
Prompt: 06. Marriage
Word Count: 2,560
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Spoilers: Mild spoilers for Episode 2.19
Summary: Jess has something very important to discuss with Lorelai
Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine, I'm just a Jess/Rory fan who's playing in somebody else's sandbox. Not for profit, just for fun. Please don't sue.

Jess raked his fingers through his hair and licked his lips, staring hesitantly at the front porch of the Gilmore-Danes house. He'd been out there on the front lawn for nearly fifteen minutes and he was pretty sure that Lorelai and Luke had noticed him out there by now. He was also pretty sure that they were wondering what the hell he was doing, standing out there in their front yard in forty degree weather. He had to ask himself the same thing, but he knew why he hadn't gone in yet. He had a very important matter to discuss with Lorelai and he was terrified of her saying no. He didn't think he could handle her rejection on this particular matter.

Then again, there was the possibility that she could be completely gung ho about the idea that he was planning to propose to her. He could tell her his idea and she would be thrilled and excited and give him her blessing. Of course, he'd never know if there was the case unless he walked up those few steps onto the porch and actually knocked on the front door.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then squared his shoulders and marched up the steps of the porch. He hesitated for a millisecond and then rapped his knuckles against the door three times before taking a step back and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. He heard the sound of footsteps moving toward the door and then it was suddenly opening to reveal Lorelai, shooting him a curious look.

"Jess." she said. "Finally decided to come in? What, was it getting too cold out there for you?"

Jess cleared his throat, giving her a sheepish look. "So you did see me out there."

"Uh, yeah." she said, nodding. "Luke thought you were a prowler at first and was getting ready to get out his baseball bat, but I convinced him that it was just you." She stepped back, opening the door wider, and motioned him into the house. "Come in, it really is freezing out there."

"Thanks." he said as he stepped into the house and shivered a little at the change of temperature. He glanced around and smiled softly, giving his uncle a wave as he saw the man sitting on the couch. "Hey, Luke."

"Jess." Luke said, raising his hand in a slight wave. "Take off your coat, have a seat."

Jess nodded a little. "Yeah, okay, sure. I mean, I have something I want to discuss with you, Lorelai, and I'd like to remain standing, if that's okay." He did slip off his coat though, hanging it from a peg on the wall near the door.

Lorelai, who had just shut down and was now moving over to the couch, arched an eyebrow upward and glanced at Jess as she sat down next to Luke, who draped his arm around her shoulders. "Sure, Jess, what's up?"

Jess licked his lips and then moved around to the front of the couch so that he could look at them both. "Okay. Lorelai, I know that I'm not your most favorite person in the world." He held his hand as it looked like Lorelai was going to say something. "Please, Lorelai, let me finish."

Lorelai looked surprised and shot a glance at Luke, who shrugged. He was just as clueless as her as to what Jess was up to, and he tilted his head to one side, giving his nephew a curious look. Lorelai shook her head a little and returned her attention to Jess. "Okay, Jess, continue."

Jess nodded his thanks and then sighed. "Like I said, I'm not your most favorite person in the world. I've hurt Rory so many times in the past but one thing has remained constant through all of these years -- I love her. I'm not the same guy that I used to be; I have grown up. I have changed and I'm through running. Rory and I are dating again and have been for the last seven months, and I am the happiest that I have ever been in my life. I know I'm probably pretty far down on the list of men you'd like to see your daughter with, but I want to be with her. That's why I'm here now. That's why I wanted to talk to you." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, bracing himself for rejection. "Lorelai Gilmore, I've come here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Lorelai gasped, looking stunned, and she glanced at Luke, who looked just as surprised. "Wow." she said, turning her gaze back to Jess. "Jess, marriage is a very big step."

Jess swallowed nervously, having expected that sort of reaction. "I know but I love Rory. I meant it when I said it all those years ago and I mean it now, only this time, I'm not hopping into my car and driving away because I'm scared. I am sticking it through because I want to be with her. I want to grow old with her. I'm not exactly rich but I'm financially stable and I'm a hard worker. I will put a roof over her and clothes on her back and food in her stomach. I will take care of her and provide for her and yeah, I even want to have kids with her. Obviously, I'm not looking to have kids with her right now but one day, when we're both ready."

"And you're one hundred percent serious about this?" Lorelai asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jess nodded. "One hundred percent. A hundred and ten percent, if it makes you feel better. I am deeply committed to this. I've even bought a ring and everything."

Lorelai shot Luke a surprised glance, both of her eyebrows lifting upward. "Did you know anything about this?"

Luke shook his head, looking rather incredulous. "Not a clue. This is news to me too, Lorelai."

Jess was trying his hardest not to fidget, but it was difficult as he glanced between Lorelai and Luke. He was trying to gauge from their facial expressions whether or not they thought it was a good idea for him to marry Rory and so far, he wasn't getting any kind of clue. Both of them just looked really shocked and the longer they remained quiet, the antsier he got.

He finally coughed and cleared his throat, shooting them both an expectant look. "So. . ."

Lorelai shot a helpless glance at Luke, who shrugged. "She's your daughter and he came to you asking permission to marry her." he said.

"Well, what do you think about it?" she asked.

Luke arched an eyebrow upward and glanced at her. "Are you actually going to consider my opinion?"

"Of course." she said with a roll of her eyes. "I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

Luke nodded and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then leaned forward a little, resting his elbows on his arms. "Okay, Jess, I think you're right. You have changed a lot. You've grown up, you've matured and you've got a great, thriving business going with Truncheon Books. You may not be rolling in the dough, but you're young and you've got a good head on your shoulders. It's obvious to me that you love Rory, so I say go for it." He glanced at Lorelai. "That is, of course, just my opinion."

"Hmmm, you do make valid points though." Lorelai said with a nod as she cast a glance in Jess' direction. "You really, truly love her?"

Jess nodded, a little afraid to hope that this question was a good sign. "Yes, I really, truly love her. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for her."

Lorelai was quiet for a moment and then nodded, smiling softly at him. "Alright. Then yes, Jess, you have my permission to marry my daughter."

Jess looked surprised for a moment and he blinked, and then laughed, grinning brightly. "Thank you, Lorelai." he said. "Really."

Lorelai's smile widened a little and she nodded. "Just make her happy, Jess, and I'll be happy."

Jess nodded. "I will, I promise." He gave her another grin and then headed toward the door, his steps seeming to be a little lighter. He was certainly standing taller, not looking quite as insecure and uncertain as he had when he first entered the house.

******

An hour later, he was back in Hartford, letting himself into the hotel room that Rory and he were sharing while they were in town. His heart was hammering against his chest and he was almost certain that she could hear it from across the room. "Hey, Rory, are you feeling hungry?" he asked.

She glanced up from where she was seated on the bed, a book propped open across her lap. "Jess, hey! I didn't even hear you come back!" She picked up a bookmark off the bedspread and stuck it between the pages of her book, and then closed it and got up, setting the book down on the nightstand. She went over to Jess, her arms sliding around his shoulders, and she kissed him in greeting.

He sighed against her lips, his own arms moving to wrap around her waist. He drew her close to him, simply enjoying the feel of their lips pressed against each other, and then he finally sighed and reluctantly pulled away. "You didn't answer my question." he said, smiling gently.

She laughed and shrugged a little. "I'm a Gilmore, we're always hungry."

His smile grew a tiny bit and he nuzzled his nose against her cheek. "What do you think about going to Luke's?" he asked quietly.

She blinked, looking a bit surprised. "Luke's? Jess, that's kind of far away to go for dinner, isn't it? There're tons of restaurants in Hartford."

"I know, but I. . .I don't know, I'm feeling nostalgic." Jess said. That wasn't the real reason why he wanted to go to Luke's but he didn't want to ruin the surprise.

Rory arched an eyebrow upward, shooting a curious glance at Jess. "Nostalgic? You? Really?"

Jess shifted a little, letting out a nervous laugh. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Rory narrowed her eyes slightly and then shrugged. "I guess not. . .okay. If you want to go to Luke's, then that is where we shall go." She gave him another kiss and then went over to the bed, grabbing her purse off the chair near the bed and then slipping on her shoes.

Jess' face lit up and when she moved over to him, indicating that she was ready to go, he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I love you." he whispered as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

She felt a warm glow wash over her and she smiled at him, giving his hand a squeeze in return. "I love you too, Jess." she said.

Together, they walked out of the room, hand in hand, and Jess pulled the door shut behind them. The ride to Stars Hollow was quiet, but it was comfortable silence; neither felt obligated to talk to fill the void. Rory was composing her next article in her head and Jess, well; he was turning words over and over in his head, piecing them together and stringing them into the perfect proposal. Nothing seemed good enough though, nothing seemed right. He wanted his proposal to be perfect, to speak volumes and to just completely wow her.

It wasn't until they arrived at the diner and Jess watched Luke wipe down the counter with a blue rag that it finally hit him. He grinned crookedly, his face lighting up; he knew exactly how he was going to propose.

He waited patiently through the meal, making small talk with Luke whenever he passed back, discussing politics and the latest best sellers with Rory. They laughed and joked and he grinned conspiratorially when she rubbed her foot against his ankle. They finished eating and Luke cleared off their plates, and then went to get Rory some more coffee.

Jess knew that the time had come and he cleared his throat, pushing his chair away from the table and standing up. He caught Rory's curious gaze and gave her a soft smile, walking past her and over to the counter, where Luke had discarded the blue rag. He picked it up, his back to Rory. He could feel his heart beating wildly against his chest again and he licked his lips before he turned around.

Rory had turned around in her seat to watch him, wondering what the heck he was up to, and he kept his face blank, unfurling the cloth and grasping it by two of its corners. He shook it out and displayed it to her and then let go of one of the corners, showing her his empty left hand.

She arched an eyebrow upward and then laughed a little as he covered his left hand with the cloth. "Magic right now? Seriously, Jess?"

He gave her a look, arching one eyebrow upward, but didn't speak. She took that as a sign that she was supposed to be quiet as well, and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth in an attempt to stifle a giggle at how serious he looked. All urges to giggle quickly disappeared and were replaced by shock and awe when he jerked the cloth away to reveal the ring he now held in his hand. It wasn't what Rory had expected; it was a simple gold band with a six prong setting that was empty. She glanced up at him curiously and he cleared his throat, his cheeks flushing a little.

"I know it's not much," he said quietly, "but I promise you, Rory, as soon as I can afford it, I am going to put the diamond in the setting. I almost have enough, I just. . .I couldn't wait. I had to know for certain before I go and get the diamond, only to have you say no."

Rory let out a little laugh and shook her head. "Jess, you crazy dork, you should know that I wouldn't say no! I made that mistake once and I'm not doing that again. Not now, not ever." She grinned and stood up, moving to cup his face in her hands. She pulled him close, kissing him deeply, mumbling "Yes" against his lips.

He grinned brightly and then hugged her tightly, kissing her back eagerly as cheers erupted throughout the diner. He flushed again, realizing that probably a third of Stars Hollow's population had witnessed his proposal and he guaranteed that the other two-thirds would know about it by the next day. He didn't care though; all he could think about was that she'd said yes!

They finally parted, having to break the kiss before the need for oxygen became an issue; Jess took the opportunity to take Rory's left hand in his right, slipping the ring onto her ring finger. She grinned brightly and looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "We're engaged." she whispered.

He grinned and nodded, looking the happiest that she'd ever seen him. "Yeah, we're engaged." he whispered back, leaning in to touch his forehead against hers.

Medium: Prompt # 3 : Children

2008-05-07T17:23:04Z

Here is a little Medium story for everyone to enjoy!

TITLE: A perfect picture
FANDOM: Medium
CHARACTERS: Allison, Joe, Ariel, Bridgette and Marie.
SUMMARY: It looks like a dream but is it one?
PROMPT #3: Children
WORD COUNT: 521
RATING: G
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's the beauty of Medium, you can read, understand and hopefully appreciate the story even if you're not familiar with the show. Enjoy!

A Perfect Picture

A Living Hell, 08, LaGuards

2008-04-21T02:43:40Z

Title: A Living Hell
Fandom: Original
Characters: Tyler, Aaron
Prompt: 8. Blood is thicker than water
Word Count: 1,044
Rating: T
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Summary: Tyler has commited the ultimate crime -- and only his father can save him.

( Aaron is busy muttering curses under his breath as he heads to the lowest levels of the dungeons. )

tags post

2008-04-13T13:49:52Z

Comment here with your claim(s) and I'll assign a tag to you. This is for all current claims as of April 13, 2008, all future claims will get tags at the claim post.

I ask that everyone tag their own posts, because it's a lot of work for me to go back and tag everyone's posts. I'm not gonna force anyone to use tags, so if you don't want them you don't need to use them.

Traveling Like Vagabonds, The Marianos/Gilmores, 05. Uprooted

2008-04-08T03:13:44Z

Title: Traveling Like Vagabonds
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Characters: Jess Mariano and Rory Gilmore
Prompt: 05. Uprooted
Word Count:
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Spoilers: Mild spoilers for what Rory does as a career after the end of the final season
Summary: Rory and Jess reconnect
Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine, I'm just a Jess/Rory fan who's playing in somebody else's sandbox. Not for profit, just for fun. Please don't due.

After much discussion and some heated arguing about the pros and cons of long-distance dating and the failure rate of such relationships, Jess and Rory came to the conclusion that they were going to have to come up with a mutually satisfactory solution. Jess refused to let her give up the assignment of traveling around the country following Obama on his campaign trail.

“That’s a serious job, Rory. You can’t just abandon that over something so stupid as reconnecting with an old boyfriend.” he’d argued with a firm shake of his head as he’d crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, why don’t I come with you? I mean, the other guys can take care of running the print shop and I’ve been working on my newest novel. It’s completely portable.” He smiled softly at her. “C’mon, Rory, you know that makes the most sense. If you give up this assignment for something like this, it’ll look bad on your resumé.”

Rory thought about it for a moment and then nodded. That did make a lot of sense, actually, and he was right about her resumé. It would also give her somebody to talk to when she got back to her hotel room every night so that she didn’t have to call back to Star’s Hollow all the time and use up her cell phone minutes? She blushed at that thought as she realized that she was just assuming that they would be sharing a room.

Jess caught the blush and raised an eyebrow. “What” he asked. “Why’re you blushing?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about your idea.” Rory said as she brought her hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “It’s a very good one. I say we go for it.”

Jess grinned and nodded. “Okay, cool. So what part of that thought made you blush?” he asked curiously, his eyebrow arching upward again.

She blushed, knowing that he wasn’t going to let it go until she answered his question. “The part where I automatically assumed that we’d be sharing a hotel room.”

Jess blushed a little at that as well and shrugged his shoulder slightly. “Well, it makes sense and it would be cheaper.”

Rory smiled and nodded. “And you’d be okay with just packing up your stuff and leaving Philadelphia? Traveling around the country, living out of your suitcase, watching me play journalist?”

Jess licked his lips and grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist. “As long as I get to spend time with you, yeah, I think I can handle it, Rory.” he said before leaning in to kiss her gently.

Rory couldn’t help the warm feeling that washed over her as his lips touched hers and she sighed happily into the kiss.

And so Jess packed his duffle bag with all of his things -- which weren’t, admittedly, that many -- and let his friends know his plans. They didn’t try to talk him out of things, which he was grateful for, and he accompanied Rory back to her hotel room. They spent the next few days catching up and falling back into the rhythm of coupledom. They went on dates -- the movies and dinner, the zoo (although Jess had seemed a little uneasy by the swans that were roaming around, which confused Rory, but he hadn’t offered any sort of explanation), a few museums; Rory have even insisted that they do the Rocky run up the steps of the art museum, to which Jess had been powerless to say no once she gave him her patented puppy dog pout -- whenever Rory was finished with her work and on their final night of being in Philadelphia (and after five successful, fun dates), they made love for the first time. Jess didn’t think it possible, but he was pretty sure that he might’ve fallen just a little bit more in love with Rory as they’d cuddled together in the afterglow.

A week later, they found themselves in Boston and it was a Saturday, which meant that Rory had the day off and they got some time to themselves to relax a little bit. They were lounging on the hotel bed, Rory typing away on her laptop and Jess writing in an old leather-bound notebook. He would pause every once in a while and chew thoughtfully on the cap of his ballpoint pen, and then resume writing in the notebook.

A few minutes into his latest surge of inspiration, he dimly realized that he didn’t hear the tappidity tap of Rory’s fingers moving across the laptop’s keyboard. After he’d finished writing his sentence, he glanced up to find her staring at him with a curious expression on her face. He arched an eyebrow upward and asked, “What?”

“Why do you write in that notebook?” she asked. “I mean, you’re just going to end up typing it on that old typewriter you lug around anyway.”

“Hey, don’t knock the Royal Arrow.” he warned, only half-serious as he pointed a finger at her. “That’s the same typewriter that Hemingway used. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.”

She giggled a little and shrugged. “I’m just saying, don’t you have to turn it into an electronic format so that it can be published anyway? It would be one less step if you just typed it up on a laptop.”

“Ah yes, but then I’d miss my chances for revisions.” he said, grinning. “See, what gets written here,” he held up the notebook, jiggling it a little, “is the rough draft. When I type it up on Jack, it gets revised and then-” He cut off, blinking in surprise as she gave a snorting laugh. He frowned and looked at her. “What?”

“You named your typewriter?” she said, giving him an incredulous look. “I’ve heard of people naming their cars and their...you know...” her voice trailed off and she blushed brightly, “but never a typewriter.”

He pressed his lips together in a thin line as his face turned bright red. It was obvious that he hadn’t intended to let the typewriter name slip, but it was too late to take it back now. “So? Like you said, guys name their cars and their...ahem...” He made a vague gesture through his groin and then shrugged his shoulder. “Why can’t I name my typewriter?”

Rory thought about it for a moment and then shrugged, grinning. “No reason, I guess. It’s kinda cute.”

Jess wrinkled his nose at that and then shook his head. “Do you know why I chose Jack?”

She tilted her head to one side and chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully for a moment, and then grinned at him. “Jack Kerouac?”

Jess grinned and nodded, looking pleased. “Yeah, exactly. Very good.”

She shrugged her shoulders, holding her hands up with her palms facing toward the ceiling. “What can I say, I’m good.”

He laughed and then laid his pen against the spine of the book, closing the cover and setting it aside. “Yeah, you are.” he said as he reached out to her. She grinned and moved into his arms, settling against his chest. Sighing contentedly, he pressed his nose to her neck and nuzzled her a little.

She smiled, giggling a little because that tickled, then she moved her hand down to rest over his. “I’m really glad that you came with me, Jess.” she said quietly.

Jess grinned and nodded. “Me too.” he said with a happy sigh. “This is the best uprooting I’ve had to go through. I love you, Rory.”

“Love you too, Jess.” she said, snuggling down into his embrace and resting her head on his shoulder. They lay there for a few moments, content to just cuddle, and eventually fell asleep.

A Hasty Moment, The Marianos/Gilmores, 10. Dinnertime

2008-04-01T05:45:15Z

Title: A Hasty Moment
Fandom: Gilmore Girls
Characters: Jess Mariano and Rory Gilmore
Prompt: 10. Dinnertime
Word Count: 2,730
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Spoilers: Mild spoilers for what Rory does as a career after the end of the final season
Summary: Rory has something she has to tell Jess and it's best said face-to-face
Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine, I'm just a Jess/Rory fan who's playing in somebody else's sandbox. Not for profit, just for fun. Please don't due.

I know you better than anyone. This isn't you, Rory.

They hadn't been the last words that Jess Mariano had ever spoken to Rory Gilmore but they were the ones that had stuck with her the most because they hadn't been a far stretch from the truth. She'd denied it at the time, of course. She'd refused to believe that he could have such great insight into her heart, insight that even she herself didn't possess. It would take her almost two years to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe Jess Mariano knew a little something about her that she didn't.

Logan Huntzberger’s proposal still rang through her mind, as did her subsequent refusal to marry him. He’d had his heart set on moving to San Francisco and he’d given her the ultimatum of marrying him or ending things. Feeling that there was too much in life to pursue, she’d given him the ring back, which had upset him and led to him breaking things off with her.

That had been just fine with her. She’d needed the time away to think about things. So she’d gone to work for an online magazine, following Barack Obama on the campaign trail for President. She tried to focus on her job, she really did, and she succeeded for the majority of time. Whenever she was by herself though, at night, lying in her hotel bed, she would let her mind wander, thinking about her loved ones and what they were doing at that particular moment. She thought about her mother and Luke, her grandparents, of course, and Lane, but thoughts of them were random and came and went as they pleased. One person that never seemed to stray too far from her thoughts at any given time was Jess Mariano.

She hadn’t seen or talked to the man in over a year, so why she should be plagued with thoughts of him now while she was alone on the trail of a Presidential hopeful, she didn’t have a clue. She wouldn’t really say that she was plagued by thoughts of him either; most of the thoughts she had about him were rather pleasant. There were the occasional instances where she remembered the pain and hurt she’d felt after he’d left so suddenly without even so much as a goodbye, but mostly she thought about how much she missed him and wondered whether his publishing venture with his friends was succeeding. She wondered if he’d written any more books and she made a mental note to check the nearest independent bookstore she could find. Even if he’d only written the one book, she was still proud of him.

She was halfway tempted to call him, but she didn’t know what she’d say. She didn’t have a number for him, but she was pretty sure that she could find a listing for his publishing house in the Philadelphia directory. There were several times that she picked up the phone with the intent of calling the operator and asking if there was a listing for a Jess Mariano, but she chickened out the moment she heard the dial tone. What was she thinking, contemplating calling him up out of the blue? She didn’t even know what she’d say to him. “Hi, how are you?” just didn’t seem to cut it. She couldn’t tell him that she’d been thinking about him either; that just didn’t seem to work either. There was lots that she wanted to say to him, but none of it seemed right to tell him over the phone. Most of it was all things that were off said straight to his face and that didn’t seem to be an option at that moment.

Sighing, she hung up the phone once more, leaving it undialed. Maybe tomorrow would lend her a better perspective and she could work out in her head what to say.

******

The next day did bring a better perspective and, as luck would have it, a surprising and unexpected destination on the campaign trail -- Philadelphia. Rory blinked, startled, and stared at the itinerary as if expecting it to have been a misprint. How had she missed that on the schedule when she’d looked over the sheet of paper nearly a thousand times before? If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear it was almost fate.

She was nervous the entire trip to the city. Finding Jess’s workplace wouldn’t be too difficult; she’d been there before and was confident that she could easily find it again. With a stab of worry and panic, she realized that she didn’t really know for sure he was still there. After all, it had been over a year since she’d been there; he could’ve easily packed all of his stuff up and headed back to New York.

The moment that she got settled into her hotel, she quickly left, hailing a cab and directing him to the address that she remembered belonged to Jess’ printing shop. She realized with a start that she would be arriving there at dinnertime, and she only hoped that he would be there. Then she remembered that his friends and he were living in the print shop or above it or something along those lines. She just hoped that he didn’t have a girlfriend or had gotten married. That would certainly make things awkward.

That thought made her heart clench and she almost bailed out of the idea of visiting him except for the fact that the cab was pulling up to the curb outside the shop. She got out of the cab and paid the driver his fare with shaky hands. Smoothing her hands down her skirt, she turned from the cab and surveyed the building.

“Okay, Rory, it’s now or never.” she muttered as she squared her shoulders and moved toward the shop. She could see lights on inside, so she knew that somebody was there. Taking a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves, she moved around to the side door and knocked.

A few minutes went back with no answer and she licked her lips, knocking again, putting more oomph in it and making the knock louder. There was still no answer and then she saw a little doorbell. Biting her lip, she stared at the little white button for a moment and then sighed, depressing it once, twice, three times. If they didn’t get the idea that she was desperate to talk to somebody, well, she just didn’t know what she was going to do.

Luckily, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, followed by an irritated voice calling out “Yeah yeah yeah, hold your horses, sheesh!” She froze a little as she recognized that voice and then there was the sound of a lock unlatching and the door opening.

Jess Mariano wasn’t sure who he’d been expecting at the door but it certainly wasn’t Rory Gilmore. He stood and stared at her, blinking in surprise, for a good two minutes and then he let out a startled “Rory?!”

Rory coughed a little and gave him a sheepish grin. She hadn’t expected him to be so casually dressed in a pair of jeans and a rumpled t-shirt with a Texaco logo on the left breast, although she supposed that she should’ve, being that he was at home and considering the hour. She felt a little overdressed in her pinstripe skirt and button-down white shirt, her hair pulled back into a neat bun. “Jess, hi.” she said quietly.

He blinked at her again and shook his head a little. “What are you doing here?” He licked his lips and shrugged his shoulder a little, one hand clutching a Chinese takeout carton, two chopsticks sticking out of whatever was inside the carton. “I mean, not that it’s not great to see you and all, but you kinda...I mean, it’s been almost two years.”

“I know.” she said, licking her lips. “Trust me, Jess, I know, this is completely sudden and probably totally crazy, but I happened to be in the area and I couldn’t not come and see you. I’ve wanted to call you so many times, Jess. You have no idea how many times I’ve picked up the phone with every intention of calling the operator here in Philadelphia and asking if there was a listing for a Jess Mariano but I always chickened out at the last possible minute because I decided that what I needed to say to you would sound better if it came from me while I was-”

Jess scowled a little and raised a hand, interrupting her in mid-speech. “Rory, jeez, take a breath, okay?” he said. His scowl didn’t last long; he shook his head and looked amused, smiling softly.

She cleared her throat and felt her face grow warm. “Sorry.” she said sheepishly. “I just...you know us Gilmores and rambling.”

He nodded a little and continued to smile softly, staring at her for a moment. Then he blinked, seeming to realize that they were standing in his doorway, she actually still out in the alleyway. “You, uh, you want to come in?” he asked. “The guys ordered Chinese. We probably have enough for you too, if you’re hungry.”

Rory smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that, and Chinese sounds great. I didn’t really stop for dinner before I came here. I just kind of chucked my stuff into my hotel room and hailed a cab.”

Jess looked genuinely surprised as he stepped back and motioned her into the shop. “Exactly how long have you been in town, Rory?” he asked curiously once she’d stepped inside and he shut the door.

She shrugged, glancing around the shop. “Um, I don’t know, an hour? Two at the most?”

Jess’s eyebrows lifted and he continued to look at her with a startled expression on his face. “And coming to see me was the first thing that you absolutely had to do?” he said, a tone of disbelief in his voice.

Rory nodded sheepishly. “Like I said, or tried to say before you cut me off, I have things to tell you that are better heard when we’re standing face-to-face.”

Jess nodded and led her into the kitchen, making half-hearted introductions to his friends sitting in the dining room as they passed by the entranceway. “I see.” he said as he motioned to some unopened containers of Chinese food. “We just got the food, like, ten minutes ago, so it should still be warm.”

“Thanks.” Rory said as she picked up a container and opened it to inspect it. Seeing that it was beef and broccoli, she grabbed a set of chopsticks and started eating.

Jess watched her, leaning back against the counter, then started picking at his food, sighing a little. After a few moments, he spoke softly, “I know you didn’t come here just to eat Chinese food with me, Rory.”

She blushed, swallowing the mouthful of food, and then licked her lips. “No, I didn’t. I honestly didn’t even think about it being dinnertime until I was already on my way over here.” she said, looking at him intently for a moment. “Jess, you were right.”

He arched one eyebrow upward, and then set his carton aside and leaned both hands back against the counter. “Yeah? About what exactly?”

“That whole thing with Logan and living with my grandmother in Hartford not being me.” she said. “It took a long time to realize it but I finally did. Logan, when I graduated and he proposed to me, I just...I couldn’t tell him yes. He wanted me to, I know he did and I’m sure that my mom would’ve been happy with it too. My head was telling me that it made sense, but my heart...well, my heart was a different story entirely. I didn’t realize it at the time. I just thought that I wasn’t ready, but then I went off on this assignment fo the online magazine, following Obama on the campaign trail and I’ve had a lot of time to think, you know? Time to myself to think about what I want in my life and what’s missing and all of it comes down to one thing, Jess -- you. I want you. I love you and I can’t believe that it’s taken me this long to figure it out. I didn’t want to cheat on Logan but I wanted to be with you, I was just too stubborn to realize it, and I can’t lose you, Jess, not again. So...so let’s get married, Jess.” Her eyes widened a little as the words flew out of her mouth; she hadn’t meant to say that, wasn’t even sure where the notion had come from, but the more that she thought about it, the more that it just made sense. “Yeah, yeah, that’s what we should do. We should elope. Tonight. Right now.”

Jess blinked in surprise, staring at her with wide eyes. It was a good thing that he hadn’t been eating anything at that point because he more than likely would’ve choked. “W-what?”

She felt her face growing warm and for a moment, she wondered if she’d made a big mistake. “I said that we should get married.” she said. “If you’ll have me, Jess Mariano, I want to be yours. Forever.”

Jess continued to stare at her in stunned silence and finally, he shook his head, scrubbing his hand down his face. “I...Rory, I don’t even know what to say to that.” he said.

She looked crestfallen and dropped her chopsticks into the carton. “Oh.” she said softly as she lowered the carton to the counter, releasing it and setting it down heavily. “I see.” She backed away from the counter, letting her hands fall at her sides, looking everywhere but at him.

He sighed and scowled a little, shaking his head. “Look, it’s just...you can’t come in here after almost two years of not having anything to do with me and just propose, Rory.” he said. “No matter how much I might want to accept your incredibly crazy but exceptionally heartfelt proposal, I just...I can’t.”

“Why?” she asked, biting her lip. “Is there somebody else? I mean, I was afraid of that. God, I shouldn’t have come. I’ve made a complete idiot out of myself!” She swallowed heavily, somehow managing to control herself and she held her head up proudly. “I’m sorry, Jess, to have wasted your time. I’ll show myself out.”

Jess let out an irritated sigh as she walked out of the kitchen and he shook his head, hesitating for a single heartbeat. Then he groaned a little and chased after her. “Rory!” he called out, catching her just as she was about to place a hand on the doorknob to leave. “Wait!”

She froze, her hand hovering over the doorknob and she turned her head back toward him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “What?” she asked in a strained voice.

He stared at her for a long heartbeat and then closed the distance between them, one arm sliding around her waist as his other hand came up to cup the back of her head. In one quick motion, he pulled her against him, crushing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss that left her breathless and wanting more.

They were both panting heavily by the time the kiss ended and he gave her a crooked grin, his fingers combing through her hair. “There’s never been anybody but you, Rory.” he whispered, his voice raspy from emotion.

“Then why did you say you couldn’t accept my proposal?” she asked, looking confused.

He laughed softly and shook his head. “Call me old-fashioned, but there’s a few things I’ve got to take care of first.” he whispered, giving her another kiss, albeit one that was far more gentle than their previous. “We’ve got a lot to catch up on anyway. Don’t worry, Rory. You’re mine forever and I’m yours, I promise. It’s just not something we need to rush into; we’ve got plenty of time, there’s no need to be hasty.”

Rory smiled and leaned into him, her arms locking around his shoulders. “I think I can handle that.”

Brothers & Sisters : Prompt # 4

2008-03-26T18:37:49Z

Hey! Me again!

TITLE: A Close Shave.
FANDOM: Brothers & Sisters
PROMPT: # 4 Illness
CHARACTERS: Robert & Jason McCallister
WORD COUNT: 1,230
RATING: PG 13
SUMMARY: Jason has an accident; Robert is called to the hospital.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I did my best to respect canon but if you notice some inconsistencies, please leave me a comment.

A Close Shave

Medium - Prompt #2

2008-03-25T18:34:35Z

TITLE: Baby number three.
FANDOM: Medium
PROMPT #2: Happy Additions
CHARACTERS: Allison & Joe
WORD COUNT: 1, 137
RATING: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own the show I’m just writing about it. This is a story based upon the fictional Dubois family.

Baby Number Three