#Amelia Hayes

[sapphoschoices]

Never Lonely

Book: The Unexpected Heiress

Characters: Amelia Hayes, Zelda Hayes (TUH MC)

Relationships: Amelia Hayes & TUH MC (platonic)

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 557

Summary: Amelia and Zelda have some discussion about love before Amelia leaves to search for her very own, leaving Zelda with her own severe lack of longing.

For @choicesficwriterscreations pride bingo (Identity)

“You're mad!” Zelda was sprawled out on her sister's bed, as the other finished packing her belongings away, ready for her trip across the Atlantic in a few days.

“You'll have to find someone someday too.” Amelia sat beside her younger sister, poking her arm to get her attention. “Do not resent me because this is how I am doing it.”

“I do not wish to find anyone!” Zelda shot up, folding her arms stubbornly over her chest. “I don't want to get married, and I don't want to perform any of those ‘marital duties’ with any man.” She tensed her shoulders and grimaced at her own implications.

Amelia narrowed her eyes at her sister for a moment, “Why are you looking at me like that?” Zelda squirmed under her sister's gaze. “Stop being odd.”

“I had a friend,” Amelia gave Zelda a serious look. “Who was also uninterested in men. Instead, her interests lay with women.” She whispered, cautious for wanderers through the walls. “Perhaps you and her are one and the same?”

Zelda took a moment to think over what her sister said, staring contemplatively at the wall. “Would I have to kiss her?”

It wasn't the question Amelia expected, but one she would still freely answer. “I suppose the same things would be expected in that relationship. You just wouldn't be public about it.” She shrugged and turned back to look at Zelda, who wore a somehow even more disgusted look on her face.

“I do not think that is for me, Amee.” Zelda shook her head before snatching a hairbrush from Amelia's bag. “And my hairbrushes are not for you! I hid this one from you!” She clutched it to her chest and scowled at her sister.

“But it is something for me to remember you by, sweetest sister.” Amelia stuck out her bottom lip in mock sorrow while attempting to pry the brush out of Zelda's iron-grip.

“Why don't you take something else to remember me? Like one of my back teeth, perhaps?” Zelda tilted her head up at her sister, who only rolled her eyes in return.

“Perhaps it is a good job you are uninterested in romance, I can't imagine anyone who would put up with you.” Amelia bumped her shoulder against Zelda's, who, in turn, dramatically flopped back onto the bed.

“You pushed me!” Zelda pointed accusingly with the hint of a cheeky smile on her face.

“I did no such thing, you little liar.” Amelia reached down to poke Zelda's cheek, but she dodged her face away in the nick of time.

“Do you truly think I will be lonely?” Zelda looked dead in her sister's eyes, earnestly looking to her sister for guidance for the first time in years. “I know I wouldn't enjoy marriage, but I don't wish to be alone.”

Amelia cupped Zelda's cheek in her hand. “I'm sure you will find someone to love. Whether that be as a romantic lover, or just a friend. I do not believe you could ever be lonely.”

“I will be lonely when you go away, Amee.” Zelda pouted, though she relaxed comfortably into her sister's hold on her.

“I will be home eventually,” She smiled softly, “and you shall visit me for my wedding!”

Zelda rolled her eyes, “Well I certainly shall not be catching your bouquet.”

[mixing-bowl-of-stories]

OMG I'm so excited to see the drawings of all the characters!!!! For a prompt for the group;

"Where the hell did you come from?"

The Crux (Pt. 2)

In which a group of odd individuals meets another group of odd individuals.

The group of seven had been traveling together for a few weeks now, and they had gotten to know each other, for better or worse.

Natasha and Nico had grown quite accustomed to the other four, however Nathaniel was not as open to becoming friends.

Nathaniel stops walking alongside the group, “Seriously?! Pandora, we can’t stop and help every single village we see!”

The others stop and look at Nathan. As much as he hated to admit agreeing with the prick, Noah agreed that he had a point. He puts a hand on Pandora’s shoulder.

“He’s right, Pan. We’re going to waste all of the energy we need if we keep doing this.”

She swats his hand off of her shoulder, looking over at the others with a stern and frustrated look.

“Fine, if you all don’t want to help me, then fine. But I am never going to turn my back on the people that need me.”

She continued walking without the others, Noah begins following her at first, and reaches out, but draws his hand back and stops.

“Dumbass.” Nathan mumbles.

Noah turns and gives him a look that could’ve killed.

“What? You know I’m right. She’s wasting her time.”

“She may not know how the world works, but she’s not stupid.”

“She is if she thinks that everyone is going to sing her praises.”

“You both are wrong.” Natasha intervenes.

Nathan scoffs “How?!”

“Because she doesn’t want people to sing her praises Nathan. If you had actually spent the time to get to know her, you would’ve known that she hates attention and shies away from it.”

He rolls his eyes.

“And Noah, she does know how the world works, you know that better than I do. Just because she has a good heart, good intentions, and the most compassion I’ve ever seen in a person, doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how things in the world work.”

“But she is naive.”

“I’m not arguing that she’s not! I’m arguing that you both are making her out to be someone she isn’t! Now then, are we all just going to sit here and let her kill herself or are we going to help?”

Ambrose and Constance look at each other before nodding, Nico also nods, Noah reluctantly agrees, and Nathaniel says no.

“Fine, suit yourself, but do us a favor and keep watch over the outer area of the town.”

“Fine. Just go.”

Several shots are heard by the civilians, as they see a young woman helping them to kill the monsters.

After some time, all of the monsters have long since died or fled the area.

Pandora hears some slow clapping from behind her. As she turns around, she sees an old woman, dressed in black cowboy attire, with bright yellow eyes peering back at her.

“You’re not too bad with your gun, toots.” The woman says.

“Oh… yeah I’m not nearly as good as my siblings though-“

“Honey.”

“Yes…?”

“Take the compliment.”

“Okay…”

“Anyways, with what you just said, I’m assuming guns are a family affair with y’all?”

“Well of course, my mother is the one who made them after all.” She smiles.

“Ohh, you’re Lady Diana’s daughter. I was wonderin’ why you looked so noblely. Well then, needless to say I’ve got a lot of respect for y’all up in Morgana.”

“Really? But you’re-“

“From the borderlands? Yes ma’am. But I’ve always had respect for y’all because Morganians are the originals. The borderlands wouldn’t have guns without y’all.”

“Oh, I guess that’s right.”

“That being said.” The woman approaches her and holds out her hand.

“Name’s Barbara Monroe, it’s a pleasure to meet you hon.”

Pandora shakes her hand.

“I’m Pandora, Pandora De La Dáinn.”

“Ah you’re the youngest. So tell me, what’s little miss noble gal doin’ all the way out here?” She jokes.

“Well, I’m not sure if you keep up with Morganian news, but I’m looking for my brother.”

“Oh damn, He’s still missing?”

Pandora nods solemnly.

“Well, maybe I… could see about helping you out. I know people all over the place. Besides, me and my partners are trying to find some purpose and that could maybe help.”

“Thank you very much Barbara, I think I’d appreciate that greatly. So… who are your partners?”

Barbara smiles, and then turns around and yells for someone. Two similarly dressed people to her step out from behind a house. One is also in typical cowboy attire while the other looks more like a southern belle.

“Lookit what I found Chance!”

“What? A noble?”

“No you dumbass, a purpose. This young lady is on an adventure of her own, and she’s okay with us traveling with her.”

“Honey are you sure? I mean these two argue till they’re blue in the face.” The southern belle mumbles to her.

“It’s okay. I already have a bit of that myself with two of my traveling companions…”

“Ah… I see, anyways, my name is Amelia Hayes (or Boone), you can just call me Amy.”

“A pleasure to meet you! I’m Pandora.”

Barbara elbows the man next to her, he sputters out an apology and introduces himself, “I’m Chance, Chance Boone.”

“Pandora!” A familiar voice yells. She looks behind her to see almost all of her group behind her.

“Ah… and that’s my group…”

“You don’t sound too thrilled about it.” Barbara mentions.

“We had an argument just before I got here, so…”

Constance runs up to Pandora, “Are you okay? I know you can handle yourself but that was a lot of monsters!”

“I’m okay Connie. Um… do you guys care if we add some more members to the group?” She smiles nervously.

After a brief explanation of who the three borderlands dwellers are and why they’re here, the group agrees with the acceptance of them into the group.

Natasha shifts uncomfortably, “Nathan probably won’t be happy…”

“Who cares what Nathan thinks, he’s a dick.”

“Noah.” Ambrose looks at him.

“What?!”

He sighs, “You haven’t exactly been non dickish either.”

He scoffs before looking away and crossing his arms.

Pandora leans over to Amy, “About that “I already have a bit of that in my own group” thing…”

“Definitely see what you mean…”

The group grabs a quick bite to eat at one of the local taverns, and then sets off to begin traveling once more.

And no.

Nathan was not happy.

[bowl-of-shortness]

Well, ig I’ll just do The Crux members in order then, give you guys something to work with? Idk, anyways here’s some descriptions of each of The Crux members:

Pandora De La Dáinn:

Pandora De La Dáinn, the youngest in the next generation of the noble family of Morgana, has lived in the post of her relatives’ massacre her entire life. But the tragedy doesn’t stop there.

At eight years old, her eldest brother, Victor, suddenly disappears into the depths of the night after saying goodnight to Pandora, and is never seen again.

At fourteen, she is stolen in the dead of night and murdered by the woman known as Alice Ripper. Alice working under a man named Lazarus’s orders. She awakens in the Neverwhere, a place full of souls of the deceased, and finds herself in front of the god of death himself. She pleads with the god, asking him to give her one more chance as she hasn’t done what she feels she must do. The god agrees, under one condition, she become the champion of death for him, and she will gain one more chance. She awakens in front of her family’s ancestral mansion, her hair white and her limbs a transparent navy blue, only her bones showing.

At eighteen, she finds one of Victor’s many journals and discovers where he went next. She then hastily writes a letter, telling her family what she expects from them when she gets back and why she’s leaving. Ending the letter in:

“If I return without Victor, it will be bad news, or, it means something more important than Victor has happened”

She sets off to find out what happened to her brother, and through these journals scattered around Selcouth, will learn why he left to begin with. All the while finding who she is outside of her family, who she will become as Champion of Death, and what she stands for as an individual.

Noah Ripper:

The finished project of two people’s genius, Noah is an android who was created to be nothing more than a weapon to the cruel and self absorbed Alice Ripper.

Running away at fourteen after seeing his mother murder a girl his age, he finds himself in the heart of the Agrona Branches, in the kingdom of Morgana. He takes in this new world after being hidden from it for so long, and eventually meets two tiefling kids whom he befriends.

The three travel together throughout the kingdom, until eventually, Alice finds him and attempts to dismantle him. Saved only by a girl his age with white hair and a knack for engineering and tinkering, he and his two friends promise to repay her for her kindness.

After the incident regarding his near dismantling, he vows to seek revenge on his mother and anyone involved in the horrible abuse he endured growing up. And finds his opportunity to do so when Pandora asks him, Ambrose, and Constance to travel with him.

They agree, and he sets out with a thirst for blood, a gun, and a handful of ideas on how to murder those who hurt him.

Ambrose & Constance Lockwood:

As two of the three children of the terrifying and dangerous Lockwood couple, Ambrose and Constance are born into a life of destruction and conquest. They are set to inherit their parents’ fortune and the countless kingdoms they ruled over as dictators. However, once the two were forced to take up a contract with two demons, they begin to question the righteousness of their family’s actions.

Seeing their eldest brother, Lazarus, fall further and further into torment, anger, pride, and violence, calls this into question even further.

After overhearing a plan to attack another noble family’s daughter and kill her, the two decide to run away that night. They quickly escape at fourteen and twelve years old without incident and make their way to the one kingdom they know Lazarus and their parents’ cult won’t want to touch, Morgana.

They meet an android boy their age, and quickly become friends due to their similar situations. But when the boy, named Noah, is attacked and nearly dismantled, they find a noble girl and beg for her help.

She fixes Noah up, and they learn her name is Pandora. They vow to her that they will find a way to repay her some day, and that day would come soon enough.

When Pandora asks for them to travel with her, the two plus Noah agree.

Ambrose and Constance make a promise to each other that they would do as much good in the world as possible, and that they will learn the details of what atrocities their family has committed and right those wrongs.

Little do they know what Lazarus is planning…

Nathaniel, Nico, and Natasha Woodwhisper:

Growing up the children of the Last Hunt Tribe’s chieftess, Dawn Woodwhisper, they lacked any knowledge of their father until age fifteen. Their mother begins telling them stories of their father, how he was a strong warrior and the Champion of Death.

Nathaniel despises him, seeing as he left their mother alone with triplets, and never once came to visit the family.

Natasha idolizes him, and does everything in her power to be just like him.

Nico is stuck in the middle, he understands Nathaniel’s position, but also understands Natasha’s. He is trying to balance his opinions.

One day, a group of strange people attack the tribe, setting the forest it’s in on fire and burning the entire forest to the ground. They are left without knowledge of where their mother is at or their tribe, the last words they heard from Dawn were:

“No matter what happens or how you feel about it, please go find your father, tell him what happened, please.”

And thus, the three set off with a group of four to find their dad, and figure out their familial mysteries.

Josiah & Lilith Mantlebar:

Josiah and Lilith Mantlebar are the children of a renowned cleric and bard. Lilith herself is a bard, playing the guitar, while Josiah is a paladin.

When Josiah was sixteen, he was chosen by the Thunder God Asterope to be their paladin and made an oath with them.

Lilith has had her dream since she was younger, that she would try to become the best bard there was out there.

One day, while the duo is out and about in a neighboring village, they return home to find their village in ruins. Their parents and neighbors nowhere to be found.

They stay in the ruined village for a few weeks, before they decide that in order to find their parents, they have to travel. And maybe they could achieve their goals along the way.

So the two set off, to find their parents, one to be the best bard in Selcouth, the other to learn his role as a paladin.

Karissa Jester:

Karissa grew up in a small village with her parents, she was a small tiefling girl and was happy for a long time, until her parents decided that the best option for her, was to give her up for adoption. She never knew the reason, but she knew it wasn’t a decision they wanted to make.

Going through dozens of different adoptive families and ultimately being put up for adoption every single time in the end, she decides to run away from the orphanage she was staying at and find somewhere she fit in at.

She’s finds that place eventually in Magnus Wanderlust, a traveling circus. She felt unconfident and afraid, but decided to try and see if she could join. The ringmaster, a lovely changeling woman, known for her changing in appearances, took Karissa in and decided that she would train her in the ways of the circus.

Karissa soon mastered her fire magic and proceeded to be a fan favorite by many, eventually becoming one of the highest paying acts the circus had.

But she wanted more, she’d seen some of the world, but only the small populated areas, never the unpopulated areas or the big kingdoms. And she wanted to learn who she was and where she came from. Lastly, she was ultimately lonely, she knew nobody her age who she was friends with, she didn’t mind being friends with all of the older members of the circus, but she wanted to experience true life as a young adult in Selcouth.

She brings this concerns to the ringmaster who nods and agrees that she has most likely outgrown the circus, and gives her some necessities and trinkets before she leaves.

And then, she’s off into the world, eventually meeting a pair of halfling siblings, one named Josiah, one named Lilith.

Lilith introduce Karissa into the world of music, and she never went back since, playing the guitar alongside her. Josiah taught her how to use her fire in a variety of different ways as well.

And thus the three became inseparable, traveling the world to find themselves and to explore.

Chance Boone:

Chance Boone was a famous cowboy out in The Restless Borderlands. He was known for his work with sheriffs, helping people out, and riding off into the sunset at the end of the day.

However, he was also known to be a violent man, destroying an entire town from his childhood who abandoned and ostracized him.

He loved the life he lived, but over time he became bored with the constant struggle of finding food or getting gold. And something kept gnawing at him.

He’d been kidnapped as a child and managed to escape, and his family had been murdered by these people. It was one night when he decided he would find the people who did that, and make sure they would be served justice.

And thus he hopped on his horse, and rode into the dawn, on a mission.

Barbara Monroe:

Barbara Monroe was known for being the outlaw of The Restless Borderlands. And her track record with Chance is certainly one to behold in the amount of times the two had met. She led her life, stealing, killing, and on the occasion finding a partner who’d inevitably stab her in the back and end up dead.

She always wondered what the rest of the world had in store. But knew she’d never leave The Restless Borderlands. That is, until her band of outlaws attempted to get rid of her under orders from a new outlaw king. Limping out into the desert with a gunshot wound in her side, she found the place Chance was staying at, and stumbled inside.

Chance was surprised to find his rival and nemesis asking for his help, he could’ve let her die, he should’ve let her die, but for whatever reason he chose to help.

The two talk for a while, until the topic of Chance’s family comes up, Barbara had a similar story about her family, and mentions the fact that she was put in the outlaw group to begin with because of that incident.

And with that, the two make a deal. They’d work together to get back at the outlaw group, and then they’d help each other with anything else.

For Chance that means exploring the world, for Barbara that means escaping her past.

Amelia Hayes:

Amelia was a noblewoman from the kingdom of Eudaemonia, she wasn’t from the noble family of Eudaemonia, but she was a noble nonetheless.

She would travel out to The Restless Borderlands in order to provide medicine and other sorts of technology to the people there, as they were behind on the times.

That is until she comes across a town that labels her a witch, and proceeds to try to burn her to death. Until, a pair of cowboys shows up and fights the ones attempting to kill her. One was a woman, the other a man.

They scare the rest of the townsfolk into leaving her alone, and then begin talking to her.

She explains her want to give medicine and other forms of technology and science to the world, and the two explain their wanting to explore the world.

And thus, after that, she began traveling with the two.

Owen Cogwright:

Owen, or, the second mind in the making of Noah, is a troubled man. Cursed with the heirloom curse given to his family by the god of souls, he is forced to work on the project for the god lest he be in an immense amount of pain.

He locked himself away like so many do, attempting to do the project on his own. That’s until Alice weasels her way into his life, and promises more than she can offer.

Owen works with her, creating the first 5 blueprints for Noah, ages 5-10 years old. However, Alice one night threatens Owen with his life if he didn’t leave the project with her and that he would have to deal with her taking credit.

Scared for his life, he unwillingly left, heartbroken for having to leave the one creation he saw as his own son behind.

Years and years passed and Owen never made another project, suffering with the pain and agony he endured from not working on it.

Until one day, he meets a group of people in the tavern he worked at, who he tells his story to. The short half elf girl with white hair asks him if he’d like to travel with them. And Owen, seeing as his time was running out in life due to the curse, decided to go with them. To see the world before he died.

[attiredpan]

Shouldn’t have listened to the trolls soundtrack I’m thinking about Nog, Jake, Hugh, and Alexander as a fucking boy band and Amy, Ziyal, and Lal as a girl group help

[jobrookekarev]

Not for the Faint of Heart 

Chapter: One of Three

Words: 3,042

Summary: When Jo is rushed into an emergency c-section Alex has a hard time seeing his wife in surgery and ends up on the OR floor. However, it's Jo’s life that’s at risk. 

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy.

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson. 

Characters:  Alex Karev, Jo Wilson, Meredith Grey, Cormac Hayes, Atticus Lincoln, Levi Schmitt, Carina DeLuca, and Amelia Shepherd.

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences.

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Alternate Canon, Firsts, Medical Procedures, C-Section, One Shot, Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Trauma.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

…………………………………………………………………

Jo stared up at the lights in the cold OR. She took a deep breath in and smiled. The OR had always been the place where she felt most comfortable. It was the place where she had learned and grown into the surgeon that she was. Where she fell in love with her husband. In her therapy sessions, it was her safe place, where she would go when things got too intense. The OR was the place where nothing bad could happen to her. Even now, as Carina prepped her for a crash C-section, Jo was calm. But then again, she had lost a lot of blood and was on a lot of drugs.

“Are you seriously smiling right now?” Alex asked as his hand cupped her face and his thumb rubbed across her cheek, careful not to move the nasal cannula tubes. 

Alex was sitting next to her and focused completely on her. While everyone else scurried around and focused on where Carina was cutting her open. 

Jo smiled up at him, he was wearing his familiar brown scrub cap. She loved that scrub cap. “Our baby’s going to be born in an OR, I think it's kind of fitting?”

“You're scaring the shit out of me, I hope you know that,” Alex said with a nervous laugh as his eyebrows knitted together in worry, but Jo just smiled.

“Everything is going to be fine,” Jo said as she looked over at him with a smile.

Her labor had started out normally. She had felt a few contractions earlier that morning, but hadn't registered that they were anything more than a few Braxton Hicks. So she hadn't bothered to count them. As she went on with her day though, Alex insisted on keeping an absurdly close eye on her. Although he had done this throughout her pregnancy. Still, she knew he suspected she was in labor before she did. Finally, around lunch, she admitted that she might be in labor. She allowed him to pull her over to the maternity ward as a patient rather than a doctor. 

Carina quickly set her up on the monitors and things were going smoothly. Jo was handling her labor well. The contractions were pretty far apart. She just hated that she was in a hospital gown and confined to the maternity ward. Alex had vetoed any suggestions she had made on what to do while she labored except walking the halls. So they walked around a little bit and it did help. 

After a few circles around the hospital, Jo had started to feel a little light-headed and before she knew it, she collapsed in Alex's arms. She awoke back in her hospital bed with the alarms going off and several nurses around her. She had begun to bleed internally and a few minutes later, when her water broke, it all came gushing out. Carina quickly ran in and Jo was then rushed to the OR with a trail of blood behind her. 

Jo knew that she was in danger. That she could lose her life. That if Schmitt didn't get back with the blood soon, there would be dire consequences. She also knew that Carina was the best and her baby's heart rate was still good. It was her life that was on the line and she was so tired. 

“Hey, stay with me Jo,” Alex pleaded with her as her heavy eyelids closed just for a moment. “You gotta stay awake and meet our baby.”

“Just a few more minutes then they’ll be in your arms,” Carina assured her, glancing over at her before looking back to where she was cutting her open.

“I'm trying, but I’m really tired. I just wanna close my eyes for a second,” Jo complained, her eyelids fluttering again. 

She was so tired, she felt like she'd drift off if she closed her eyes. Especially as Alex squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her cheek. It would be okay. She'd wake up with renewed strength and she'd get to meet her baby. 

“Have you two decided on the name yet?” Meredith asked, peeking over the divider from where she was assisting Carina.

“No,” they both replied as Jo opened her eyes to look up at Meredith.

“Didn't the two of you agree on the name Kaitlin, for Kate?” Hayes asked, his heavy accent changing the pronunciation as he looked down at her from where he was next to Meredith, ready to receive their baby. 

“I thought you said it was gonna be a boy?” Meredith asked, looking between the two of them with raised eyebrows.

“We don’t know for sure,” Alex clarified, looking over at Meredith for a second.

“It’s a boy, I know it,” Jo said, confidently as she smiled. 

“Yeah, only because you peeked at them, on the ultrasound,” Alex said, trying to be mad at her, but failing miserably. 

“I didn't, I just know,” Jo smirked as she looked up at him. 

She thought about how even now, he joked around and played with her. He refused to stay mad at her, even though he thought she had broken their rules and peaked at the baby's gender. But worry overtook his face and his eyes betrayed him as he looked down at her. She didn't want him to worry about her. She understood him worrying about the baby. She was worried too, but she didn't want him to worry about her. 

Jo would be all right. If she lived she would be fine and if she didn't well… She had lived long enough and she finally found happiness and that had been enough for her. If that's all she got in this life, it was enough.

“You're going to be… a, a good dad,” Jo whispered, the words coming out of her slowly as she used the last of her breath to speak and a few tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. 

“And you're going to be a good mom too,” Alex said, begging her to stay in his own way as he brushed the tears from her cheek with his thumb.

She thought about never watching him be a father to their child. To watch him hold them for the first time. To watch him play with them and goof around. To watch him teach them to ride a bike and help them do their homework. To watch him teach them to drive and send them off to college. To watch him give them advice as they found their way in the world. 

She didn't want to miss it, but she feared she would. She wanted to stay too. She wanted to watch her baby grow up and do all of that with them. She wanted to be a mom more than anything. She wanted to be there for them because her mom wasn't there for her. To love them because she wasn't loved. Jo loved her baby so much more than words could ever express. More than she ever thought she could love her child. 

Yet, she was so tired. She felt like if she could just close her eyes and get some rest, then everything would be okay. But she wasn't sure if she would wake up if she did. Jo fought her heavy eyelids with everything inside of her but it felt like a losing battle. She was just too tired.

“Please, please, Jo, stay with me. I need you here,” Alex said as he leaned closer as the desperation spilled over and his eyes filled with tears.

“I'm right here,” Jo whispered again, smiling up at him. She promised him she was there, taking in this moment with him. 

“Please stay,” Alex begged her, but she couldn't promise she'd stay and changed the subject.

“As soon as this is over, I'm going to take a nap for a week and you can take care of the baby,” Jo said with a smile as he chuckled. It helped relieve some of the tension and his eyes smiled as he looked down at her. 

“When we get out of here, you can nap for as long as you want and I'll take care of the baby and you, I promise,” Alex said, smiling as he looked down at her still brushing his thumb over her cheek and she knew he would keep his promise.

“I'm here, I'm here, I have the blood,” Schmitt said, running into the OR as Jo turned her head to see the blood bags. 

“Great, let's get them hung,” Meredith said immediately, moving to help Schmitt hang the bags of blood. There was a lot, but Jo knew she needed all of it. She could still feel the blood dripping between her legs and she knew she was soaking the table underneath her. 

“Dr. Karev,” Carina said, looking over at him. “Do you want to come over here and cut the cord, I’m almost ready to pull your baby out.

“Yes,” Alex said eagerly, but he looked back at Jo.

“Go watch our baby boy be born,” Jo said with a smile.

“Our baby boy or girl,” Alex reminded her with a chuckle.

“It's a boy,” Jo said for sure. 

Alex just leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead through his mask as Jo smiled. Then he stood up and looked over to where Carina was working inside of her. Jo smiled but she watched Alex freeze as he looked over the curtain to her open belly.

“Alex?” Jo asked, staring at him as his eyes glanced over at her. Then back to her belly, then back to her face and as the color drained from his cheeks. 

“Alex?” Meredith asked as well, looking over at him. 

“Alex!” Jo said again more insistently as he just stared at her.

But he gave them no warning before he fell to the floor.

“Alex!” Jo screamed again, picking up her head to look over at him, despite how dizzy it made her feel.

The nurses ran to him as Jo watched them swarm around where Alex had fallen, although she couldn't see him on the floor. Then Meredith appeared in front of her. “It's okay Jo, we’ve got him.”

“He's all right, he's just fainted,” one of the nurses said with a shake of her head. 

Jo sighed in relief as she laid her head back down. Alex was okay.

The next thing she knew, the cries of her child filled the room. It was a loud screaming cry, but it was the best sound Jo had ever heard. Her baby was here and they were alive and screaming. Jo looked up at Carina, but she couldn't see anything except her masked face as the curtain was too high. 

“Your baby boy is here,” Carina said, excitement filling her voice as she finally held up the baby for Jo to see. 

She looked up and saw her big baby boy. He was clenching his fists and his eyes were shut as he wailed with an open mouth. His lips were full like hers and he had her round cheeks, but he was his father's son. He was huge with a chubby stomach and chubby arms that he swung around. He also had a large Karev sized head.

“He's beautiful,” Jo said with a cry as the tears streamed out of the corners of her eyes in full force, but she smiled. 

She was so unbelievably happy and all she could focus on was her baby. She watched as Carina handed him over to Hayes, who took her baby boy over to the warmer. Jo felt a sting of sadness that Alex didn't get to cut the cord as she remembered her husband.

“Is Alex okay?” Jo asked, watching Hayes look over her baby in the warmer as his strong cry still filled the room.

“He's going to be fine, Jo,” Amelia said, although she couldn't see where they were.

The room was a buzz as nurses and doctors moved around her and Carina shouted orders for medications although Jo could barely hear them as she focused on her son. She watched Hayes wrap him up in a hospital blanket and look over at her.

“Do you want to meet your son, Jo?” Hayes asked, his eyes crinkling under his mask as he smiled.

Jo eagerly nodded as he brought the baby up to her, so they were cheek to cheek. She nearly cried in relief as she got to meet her son. Someone unstrapped one of her arms and Jo held her baby boy. 

“Hi my baby,” Jo said as she turned to kiss his cheek. 

The moment Hayes brought him over, his cry had softened and after she kissed him, he fell silent. Jo knew his eyes were closed, but she couldn't see his face. Her son, she had the baby boy she knew she would. And she loved him so much. He snuggled up next to her and she kissed him again. She couldn't wait to actually hold him in her arms and look down at his face.

“Is he okay,” Jo asked, looking up at Hayes, who nodded.

“He's absolutely perfect Jo,” Hayes said with a reassuring nod. “His APGAR scores are a perfect 10.” 

“That's good, that's good,” Jo said briefly, closing her eyes again as she felt like she could rest now. Hayes kept the baby on her cheek and she relished this moment. 

“Is that him?” Alex asked as Jo looked over to see that he was getting settled in a wheelchair, his eyes still a little foggy as he stared at them. 

“It is,” Jo said with a large beaming smile. 

“What happened?” Alex asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“You fainted,” Jo said of the little laugh. “What went wrong? I saw you staring at me and then at my belly and then you just passed out.” 

Alex just took his head, unable to take his eyes off their son. He looked down at their beautiful boy as Meredith wheeled him closer so they were both together. Alex reached out to run a finger across his cheek as well. As they both stared at the little miracle of their child.

“He's perfect,” Alex said, his eyes crinkling as he stared at their baby boy and she knew he was smiling under his mask. 

“Yeah, he's perfect,” Jo agreed, looking back at their son.

Jo closed her eyes as she felt her baby boy's hand against her cheek. She relished in this little moment together. She felt her vision going dark as sleep overtook her. But she was desperate to fight it and stay with her son. He needed her. Jo quickly opened her eyes again to see someone standing over her. 

“Stay with me, Jo,” Meredith said sternly as she looked at her.

“Where's my son?” Jo asked, turning her head to look for him. 

“He's right over there,” Meredith said, pointing to where Hayes had the newborn on the warmer again.

Jo didn't even remember him leaving her cheek. She must have slipped out of consciousness. Jo felt so tired, she just wanted to fall asleep as her eyes fluttered. Still, she mustered up the strength to glance up at Meredith again. 

“Meredith.” 

“Yeah, I'm right here Jo.” 

“Meredith,” Jo said, looking up at her again. “You have to promise me that Alex won't name our son Alex Jr. or some male version of Josephine like Joe or something.” 

“AJ is a good name, though,” Alex countered and Jo smiled, but she shook her head. 

Although it made her dizzy, she heard everybody shouting around her. She looked up to see that Schmidt was hanging more bags of blood and starting to squeeze them. She was still so tired and her legs felt very wet.

“What are you talking about, Jo? You're going to be here to pick out a name with him,” Meredith said, trying to sound lighthearted, but failing.

Jo closed her eyes before opening them again. They were so heavy and all she wanted to do was sleep. But she had to do this. “Promised me.” 

“Okay, I promise,” Meredith said with a nod.

“Where's Alex? I want Alex,” Jo demanded, she didn't want to be without him right now. 

“I'm right here, Jo,” Alex said as she looked over to see him sitting on a stool across the room, although he couldn't meet her eyes as Amelia was pointing a flashlight in them to check him.

“I want Alex,” Jo said again, losing the fight to keep her eyes open as they closed.

“Jo, Jo! Alex, get over here,” Meredith shouted, as she gripped Jo's hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“Jo, I'm here, I’m right here,” Alex said, his voice pleading with her as he held her cheek.

She managed to open her eyes and smile up at him. As Alex glanced down at her, his eyes filled with tears but still he put on a smile for her. 

“Can I hold our baby again?”

“Of course,” Alex said, glancing back at Hayes.

He had heard her request and was already bringing their baby back to her. He handed the baby to Alex who held him against her cheek. 

She smiled and looked over at Alex again. “I like the name, Leo, Leonard.”

“I like that one too,” Alex said with a smile as the tears spilled over onto his cheeks. “And for a middle name, we should do Michael or Wilson for you.”

“I like Wilson,” Jo said, glancing over at her baby as he snuggled against her cheek.

“Yeah, I like it. Leonard Wilson Karev,” Alex said, rubbing a finger against Leo's cheek.

“It's kind of a mouthful,” Jo chuckled as she looked up at him.

“Yeah, it is,” Alex agreed, but he smiled too.

“I love you and tell Luna and Leo that I love them, to the moon and… and…” Jo couldn’t finish her sentence as she was too sleepy and had to close her eyes. 

“No, Jo, please, please, don't go,” Alex begged her, but she had already closed her eyes and before she knew it she had drifted off into the darkness.

[citizenscreen]

Amelia Earhart with director Frank Borzage and star Helen Hayes on the Paramount set of A FAREWELL TO ARMS (1932)

[japrilsanatomy]

Grey’s Anatomy Poll: Day 22

[tinylittleshepherd]

Set five years after S18.

Cristina Yang returns to Seattle. And the pieces of the puzzle start to fall back into place.

A Merhayes endgame fic.

-Hi I’m back deep in MerHayes, we were robbed. Enjoy. 

[jolieeason]

March 2023 TBR

February has flown by for me (I don’t know about you guys). Indie Authors/Publishers From Author From Author From Author A Paroxysm of Fear by Chad Miller From Author NetGalley From Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books From St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin From St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books From St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books From St. Martin’s…

[christian-oc-tournament]

Round One Schedule

may 27 (group 1 left side)

Joy O'Connor vs A'den

Adelle vs Adrian Alyward

Ahleri vs Aithus

Aleksander Thunderblade vs Alice Liddell

Amelia vs Amaranth

Andre Caron vs Anwedd

Anise vs Lt. Strike

Aqua vs Ariella

may 28 (group 1 right side)

Adrian Mori vs Alexander

Andris Harkin vs Ashley Bethaz

Arkyn Thornburn vs Athaliah Taveet

Aris vs Atlas Fletcher

Arryn va Azarias

Barir Stelmer vs Beck Valentine

Bela Balogh vs Betani D'Agia

Billie Way vs Black

may 29 (group 2 left side)

Betty vs Bob Guppington the 1st

Blodeuwedd vs Brat

Burr vs Caldren

Cpt. Ambivalent vs Casey Dickenson

Caroline Schaeffer vs Cedric Blackwell

Cassidia Reynolds vs Christopher

Celeste vs Cluinn

Bobbert Guppington the 2nd vs Clair

may 30 (group 2 right side)

Bobby Guppington the 3rd vs Chris Carnovo

Conas vs Crispin

Copper vs Cusick

Connell vs Cymin

Dae vs Dallow

Daniel Grace vs Daven

DeathScreen vs Derik

Doc vs Domitius

may 31 (group 3 left side)

Dr. Victor P. Henly vs Dhrake

Dorothy Gale vs Dr. Elliott Sinclair

Eabennor vs Edith Wickham

Ellie vs Edlyn

Elysia vs Elwin

Emma Gardner vs Erin

Ephesia vs Eniss

Epic Palustre vs Eriol

june 1 (group 3 right side)

Dr. Riku Honda vs Edmund

Ethylene Petra vs Eva Blythe

Faraena vs Farold

Evelyn Vordur vs Felix Rodzic

Feire vs Gail Goffrey

Gerdie vs Ferir

Ghost Lad vs Gigi

Evangelinne vs grandma Maudie

june 2 (group 4 left side)

Haru vs Heather

Henry Pebbleton vs Hibiscus

Hiromi vs Hope Espy Chase

Hugo Mallory vs Ilumi

Ilias vs James Zauberen

Ilya Severin vs Impossible

Jacer vs Jack Archer

James (Loriair) vs Isidore Kavi

june 3 (group 4 right side)

James (Eyurenia) vs Isabel

Jarryd vs Jasper

Jett vs Joden

James Bracegirdle vs Julia Cook

Kabos vs Kate Riley

Kathryn vs Keres Blake

Keyto vs Kimera

Kodi Archer vs James Mulligan

june 4 (group 5 left side)

Korosa vs Kylin

Laughing Hare vs Leeli

Kurtis vs Kyra

Len vs Licia

Leo King vs Lt. Matthew

Lina Lane vs Loch

Logis vs Lucas Greydawn

Lt. Madeline vs Logolas

june 5 (group 5 right side)

Kyr vs Laurentiu

Maddox Darling vs Luria

Kestler vs Matthew Johnson

Marin of Yuneth vs Meridian

Mathilda Talbot vs Mina

Mihalis vs Max Way

Mip vs Milton

Misty Way vs Maristella

june 6 (group 6 left side)

Miranda Hayes vs Nikki Way

Mochrar vs Myra

Mr. Guardian vs Nabikio

Naru vs Ms Hallifax

Nimble vs Nevin Imre

Orchid Finch vs Prince Adar Griffith

Nokh vs Obsidious

Onne vs Peter Pensworth

june 7 (group 6 right side)

Mr. G vs Ourem

Pandora vs Owen

Oriana vs Peg

Peter Dragonsbane vs Percy

Pietro vs Princess Torva

Peter Bethaz vs Prince Adric

Princess Rovyna vs Prometheus

Protagonist vs Naphtali

june 8 (group 7 left side)

Puddles vs Queen Alyth of Avena

Quinn vs Ragunoe

Ramona vs Rannis

Relaner vs Rhyin

Ril'siya vs Ripple Fisher

Riema vs Riser Way

Rocoroi Markus Mikko vs Rosemarie

Ryphl vs Santeri

june 9 (group 7 right side)

Saskia vs Senaka

Sh'zkai vs Shleaema

Shiido vs Skylar

Sonrisa Firiel vs Syx

Sly Bastion vs Stelemi

Spike vs Sz'nami

Tad vs Tamaki

Teasel vs Tannufia

june 10 (group 8 left side)

Tehvlar vs Thaendric

the Enemy vs the Mailman

the Poppy Queen vs the Runaway Prince

Theo Gray vs Tiger

Thomas Hargrove vs Tiny

Thessaly vs Tsuname

TJ Valentine vs Toka

Trajeda vs Val (Keepers)

june 11 (group 8 right side)

Veelia vs Trevin

Verity vs Vokku

Vellatra vs Waizu

Valentina vs Wendy

Wryden vs Yasmin

Wisteria vs Zac O'Connor

Yuro vs Zaire

Zhahara vs Ziph

[lilyoffandoms]

Weekend Portraits

From top to bottom + left to right:

​Marguerite Thorne (Choices CoP)

Aiden Zhou (Choices HSS)

Luke Watanabe (Choices CoP)

Lancelot du Lac (Choices Guinevere)

Zoey Day (Choices MOTY)

Marcus Barnes (Choices Alpha)

Gabriel Rose (Choices CoP)

Vera Reimonenq (Choices Nightbound)

Trystan Thorne (Choices CoP)

Elam (Choices TCH)

Jospehine Vance (Choices ILB)

Sean Gayle (Choices ES)

Autumn Nightbloom (Choices Blades)

Christie Jane Hayes (Choices TUH)

Ava Cunningham (Choices ILWI)

Gabriel Adalhard (Choices ID)

Rams Erndheart (Choices TE)

Wind (Choices LOA)

Yael Greene (TWC)

Amelia Langford (TWC)

Jason Lin (TWC)

Aryan Langford (TWC)

Lucas Kingston (TWC)

Evan Batra (TWC)

Clem Hawthorne (Choices TPS)

Nolia Julivert (Choices TPS)

[mixing-bowl-of-stories]

I wanna learn about Barbra! How did she become an adventurer? 👀

The Tale of Ms. Monroe

Barbara was always an adventurer, being an outlaw had its own adventure to it.

But how she started her adventure outside of being an outlaw, is a bit of an interesting story.

After she had been shot several times by her former outlaw band, she limps her way over to the only person she can imagine would even remotely want to help her.

Chance.

She weakly knocked on the door. Chance, knowing people don’t knock at this hour, cautiously opens the door.

“Barbara. What do you want?”

“Well as you can see toots I’m kinda in a sticky situation.”

Chance is taken aback by this, but thinks about it for a second. He shouldn’t have let her in, he really shouldn’t have. But he was never one to turn down the opportunity to save a life.

Even if that life belongs to a woman who has done nothing good in that life.

He takes her in and his wife comes out and looks shocked. Without a second thought, she helps Barbara sit down and hurries off to her room to grab some of her potions.

She comes back out, her arms filled with first aid supplies and bottles. Gently setting them down, she shoos Chance out of the room before addressing her wounds.

Barbara is confused, but thankful nonetheless. She’d heard that Chance had gotten married at one point but she had never met the other woman.

Chance had probably talked about her to his wife, and yet she was helping her without any second thought.

“So, hon, why are you helping me? I’m sure Chance ain’t spoken anything good about me.”

“Why shouldn’t I? You’re injured, and it’s my job to care for the injured, no matter who they are. Even if I’m not fond of them. Besides, Chance may have his own issues with you, but I prefer to see people with my own eyes.”

The two stayed silent until Amelia, as she had learned, had finished up. Once she was finished, she handed an odd shaped bottle to Barbara and instructed her to drink it.

Barbara gave her a questioning look.

Amelia gave her one back.

“You’re already shot, if I wanted you dead then you would’ve been left outside to die.”

She had a point.

“What is it?”

“A simple healing potion.”

Barbara pops the cork out, it falling to the floor somewhere near the end of the couch she was on, and chugs the bottle.

When she’s done, she looks at the bottle before looking back and Amelia.

“Yeah yeah I know, not the tastiest thing in the world.”

“Don’t worry about it hon, I’ve had worse.”

“That’s… not a good response.”

“Why?”

“…Aren’t you tired of that? Of being worried about getting food and water constantly? I know Chance is, and you’re about double his age… I can’t imagine how long you’ve been living like this.”

Barbara thought for a second.

“I’ll be real, I am. But… I ain’t got nothing left if not this. I don’t have a family, all my partners have either beat or left me, and I clearly ain’t got any friends anymore…”

She looks down at her bandages.

“So yer fellow outlaws did this shit?”

The two women look over at the door to one of the bedrooms, Chance stands there with his arms crossed.

“Yeah. They did.”

“That’s why you came to us?”

“Yessir.”

Seeing Barbara like this, the outlaw queen herself, this vulnerable and pathetic, put things into perspective for the young sheriff.

She wasn’t as big and bad as she liked to make herself out to be, she was just a lonely old woman, who had nothing now.

But at the same time, so was Chance. He didn’t have anything either, besides Amy.

“Well, lemme offer you this.”

Barbara raises an eyebrow, “Yer offering me something?”

“Yep, I ain’t got nothing left here either. And Amy isn’t from here, so she ain’t got nothing either. We were planning on leaving The Borderlands, heading on out to find some people who have ruined my life and to find some purpose. Do you… wanna come with?”

“Where y’all headed first?”

“Probably Agrona.”

“Hm. Alright…”

She thought for a moment, was this a good idea?

But what else did she have to lose? It’s not like she had made many good decisions before now.

And… this felt like a good decision.

Nothing was left for her here. It was time to move on.

“Fine, I’ll travel with y’all. M’ not gonna promise I’m easy to travel with though.”

“It’s okay, Chance isn’t easy to travel with either.” Amy teases.

“Hey!”

Barbara laughs, “Cheers to that, hon.”

In the morning, they all grabbed their horses, saddled them, and headed off in the direction of Morgana. Who knows what they would find.

Who could’ve guessed they would’ve become part of the group that would make history? Certainly not them.

But for now, they ride off into a new sunrise.

[vitalphenomena]

TIMELINE: CROWNS AND SHIT.

think the great meets house of the dragon. maybe it also blends other shows with dragons and the like, but as i historically have been opposed to dragons and corsets, this is majorly uncharted territory for me

adaptable to asoiaf muses, other high fantasy muses, as well as other more realistic period muses. like, 13-19th century im thinking.

HOUSE HAYES.

King Richard Hayes leads an extremely powerful kingdom, Coeus with advanced weaponry, military tactics, and there are rumors of magic and alchemy. revered almost as highly as richard are the mystics/scientists/doctors (erik, max, etc.) who are in charge of research, development, and medicine.

Princess Juniper Hayes is to inherit. gasp!

Lady Spirit and Lord Burns are twins born of nobility who've either received or inherited dangerous abilities through bullshit means i havent figured out yet.

Harris is a knight incredibly protective of the princess.

Lila is (get ready for this) the daughter of the husband of the brother of the Queen. she's just a girl

HOUSE GLASS.

kieran is out in the backwoods (to be formally named - i dont think im just gonna call it glass) somewhere doing weird shit with a small selection of followers. mostly women who've fled their natural communities and bloodlines for whatever reason. some of them were lured by kieran for their looks, abilities, and status. has his own religion. extremely untrustworthy, but also extremely powerful due to his charisma and resources.

his son, cullen, is set to inherit his father's title. cullen wants nothing to do with it and can rarely be found in the backwoods.

cain is his Right Hand.

maddie and fernanda are here.

HOUSE KNIGHT.

Idris Knight is another powerful king devoted to a subset of the dominant religion of the universe.

Princess Mackenzie, Princes Elijah and Shipley ( @plebcourt owns shipley) are doing Succession-type antics to see who will inherit the kingdom, for its betterment, consistency, or detriment.

JM is a servant and Cass is a royal advisor; they are secretly involved in the small council planning Mackenzie's insurrection

Rose is a peasant girl extremely into Idris's religion.

OTHERS.

i want Amelia to be a princess somewhere but idk what her deal is

pyotr and petra are here somewhere

fuckfest is also here somewhere

[attiredpan]

So in figuring out height differences I am a little flabbergasted, ngl

[jobrookekarev]

Not for the Faint of Heart 

Chapter: One of Three

Words: 3,042

Summary: When Jo is rushed into an emergency c-section Alex has a hard time seeing his wife in surgery and ends up on the OR floor. However it's Jo’s life that’s at risk. 

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy.

Relationship: Alex Karev/Jo Wilson. 

Characters:  Alex Karev, Jo Wilson, Meredith Grey, Cormac Hayes, Atticus Lincoln, Levi Schmitt, Carina DeLuca, Amelia Shepherd, and Luna Wilson, 

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences.

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Alternate Canon, Firsts, Medical Procedures, C-Section, One Shot, Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending,  Domestic, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Trauma.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

…………………………………………………………………

Jo stared up at the lights in the cold OR. She took a deep breath in and smiled. The OR had always been the place where she felt most comfortable. It was the place where she had learned and grown into the surgeon that she was. Where she fell in love with her husband. In her therapy sessions, it was her safe place, where she would go when things got too intense. The OR was the place where nothing bad could happen to her. Even now, as Carina prepped her for a crash C-section, Jo was calm. But then again, she had lost a lot of blood and was on a lot of drugs.

“Are you seriously smiling right now?” Alex asked as his hand cupped her face and his thumb rubbed across her cheek, careful not to move the nasal cannula tubes. 

Alex was sitting next to her and focused completely on her. While everyone else scurried around and focused on where Carina was cutting her open. 

Jo smiled up at him, he was wearing his familiar brown scrub cap. She loved that scrub cap. “Our baby’s going to be born in an OR, I think it's kind of fitting?”

“You're scaring the shit out of me, I hope you know that,” Alex said with a nervous laugh as his eyebrows knitted together in worry, but Jo just smiled.

“Everything is going to be fine,” Jo said as she looked over at him with a smile.

Her labor had started out normally. She had felt a few contractions earlier that morning, but hadn't registered that they were anything more than a few Braxton Hicks. So she hadn't bothered to count them. As she went on with her day though, Alex insisted on keeping an absurdly close eye on her. Although he had done this throughout her pregnancy. Still, she knew he suspected she was in labor before she did. Finally, around lunch, she admitted that she might be in labor. She allowed him to pull her over to the maternity ward as a patient rather than a doctor. 

Carina quickly set her up on the monitors and things were going smoothly. Jo was handling her labor well. The contractions were pretty far apart. She just hated that she was in a hospital gown and confined to the maternity ward. Alex had vetoed any suggestions she had made on what to do while she labored except walking the halls. So they walked around a little bit and it did help. 

After a few circles around the hospital, Jo had started to feel a little light-headed and before she knew it, she collapsed in Alex's arms. She awoke back in her hospital bed with the alarms going off and several nurses around her. She had begun to bleed internally and a few minutes later, when her water broke, it all came gushing out. Carina quickly ran in and Jo was then rushed to the OR with a trail of blood behind her. 

Jo knew that she was in danger. That she could lose her life. That if Schmitt didn't get back with the blood soon, there would be dire consequences. She also knew that Carina was the best and her baby's heart rate was still good. It was her life that was on the line and she was so tired. 

“Hey, stay with me Jo,” Alex pleaded with her as her heavy eyelids closed just for a moment. “You gotta stay awake and meet our baby.”

“Just a few more minutes then they’ll be in your arms,” Carina assured her, glancing over at her before looking back to where she was cutting her open.

“I'm trying, but I’m really tired. I just wanna close my eyes for a second,” Jo complained, her eyelids fluttering again. 

She was so tired, she felt like she'd drift off if she closed her eyes. Especially as Alex squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her cheek. It would be okay. She'd wake up with renewed strength and she'd get to meet her baby. 

“Have you two decided on the name yet?” Meredith asked, peeking over the divider from where she was assisting Carina.

“No,” they both replied as Jo opened her eyes to look up at Meredith.

“Didn't the two of you agree on the name Kaitlin, for Kate?” Hayes asked, his heavy accent changing the pronunciation as he looked down at her from where he was next to Meredith, ready to receive their baby. 

“I thought you said it was gonna be a boy?” Meredith asked, looking between the two of them with raised eyebrows.

“We don’t know for sure,” Alex clarified, looking over at Meredith for a second.

“It’s a boy, I know it,” Jo said, confidently as she smiled. 

“Yeah, only because you peeked at them, on the ultrasound,” Alex said, trying to be mad at her, but failing miserably. 

“I didn't, I just know,” Jo smirked as she looked up at him. 

She thought about how even now, he joked around and played with her. He refused to stay mad at her, even though he thought she had broken their rules and peaked at the baby's gender. But worry overtook his face and his eyes betrayed him as he looked down at her. She didn't want him to worry about her. She understood him worrying about the baby. She was worried too, but she didn't want him to worry about her. 

Jo would be all right. If she lived she would be fine and if she didn't well… She had lived long enough and she finally found happiness and that had been enough for her. If that's all she got in this life, it was enough.

“You're going to be… a, a good dad,” Jo whispered, the words coming out of her slowly as she used the last of her breath to speak and a few tears escaped from the corners of her eyes. 

“And you're going to be a good mom too,” Alex said, begging her to stay in his own way as he brushed the tears from her cheek with his thumb.

She thought about never watching him be a father to their child. To watch him hold them for the first time. To watch him play with them and goof around. To watch him teach them to ride a bike and help them do their homework. To watch him teach them to drive and send them off to college. To watch him give them advice as they found their way in the world. 

She didn't want to miss it, but she feared she would. She wanted to stay too. She wanted to watch her baby grow up and do all of that with them. She wanted to be a mom more than anything. She wanted to be there for them because her mom wasn't there for her. To love them because she wasn't loved. Jo loved her baby so much more than words could ever express. More than she ever thought she could love her child. 

Yet, she was so tired. She felt like if she could just close her eyes and get some rest, then everything would be okay. But she wasn't sure if she would wake up if she did. Jo fought her heavy eyelids with everything inside of her but it felt like a losing battle. She was just too tired.

“Please, please, Jo, stay with me. I need you here,” Alex said as he leaned closer as the desperation spilled over and his eyes filled with tears.

“I'm right here,” Jo whispered again, smiling up at him. She promised him she was there, taking in this moment with him. 

“Please stay,” Alex begged her, but she couldn't promise she'd stay and changed the subject.

“As soon as this is over, I'm going to take a nap for a week and you can take care of the baby,” Jo said with a smile as he chuckled. It helped relieve some of the tension and his eyes smiled as he looked down at her. 

“When we get out of here, you can nap for as long as you want and I'll take care of the baby and you, I promise,” Alex said, smiling as he looked down at her still brushing his thumb over her cheek and she knew he would keep his promise.

“I'm here, I'm here, I have the blood,” Schmitt said, running into the OR as Jo turned her head to see the blood bags. 

“Great, let's get them hung,” Meredith said immediately, moving to help Schmitt hang the bags of blood. There was a lot, but Jo knew she needed all of it. She could still feel the blood dripping between her legs and she knew she was soaking the table underneath her. 

“Dr. Karev,” Carina said, looking over at him. “Do you want to come over here and cut the cord, I’m almost ready to pull your baby out.

“Yes,” Alex said eagerly, but he looked back at Jo.

“Go watch our baby boy be born,” Jo said with a smile.

“Our baby boy or girl,” Alex reminded her with a chuckle.

“It's a boy,” Jo said for sure. 

Alex just leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead through his mask as Jo smiled. Then he stood up and looked over to where Carina was working inside of her. Jo smiled but she watched Alex freeze as he looked over the curtain to her open belly.

“Alex?” Jo asked, staring at him as his eyes glanced over at her. Then back to her belly, then back to her face and as the color drained from his cheeks. 

“Alex?” Meredith asked as well, looking over at him. 

“Alex!” Jo said again more insistently as he just stared at her.

But he gave them no warning before he fell to the floor.

“Alex!” Jo screamed again, picking up her head to look over at him, despite how dizzy it made her feel.

The nurses ran to him as Jo watched them swarm around where Alex had fallen, although she couldn't see him on the floor. Then Meredith appeared in front of her. “It's okay Jo, we’ve got him.”

“He's all right, he's just fainted,” one of the nurses said with a shake of her head. 

Jo sighed in relief as she laid her head back down. Alex was okay.

The next thing she knew, the cries of her child filled the room. It was a loud screaming cry, but it was the best sound Jo had ever heard. Her baby was here and they were alive and screaming. Jo looked up at Carina, but she couldn't see anything except her masked face as the curtain was too high. 

“Your baby boy is here,” Carina said, excitement filling her voice as she finally held up the baby for Jo to see. 

She looked up and saw her big baby boy. He was clenching his fists and his eyes were shut as he wailed with an open mouth. His lips were full like hers and he had her round cheeks, but he was his father's son. He was huge with a chubby stomach and chubby arms that he swung around. He also had a large Karev sized head.

“He's beautiful,” Jo said with a cry as the tears streamed out of the corners of her eyes in full force, but she smiled. 

She was so unbelievably happy and all she could focus on was her baby. She watched as Carina handed him over to Hayes, who took her baby boy over to the warmer. Jo felt a sting of sadness that Alex didn't get to cut the cord as she remembered her husband.

“Is Alex okay?” Jo asked, watching Hayes look over her baby in the warmer as his strong cry still filled the room.

“He's going to be fine, Jo,” Amelia said, although she couldn't see where they were.

The room was a buzz as nurses and doctors moved around her and Carina shouted orders for medications although Jo could barely hear them as she focused on her son. She watched Hayes wrap him up in a hospital blanket and look over at her.

“Do you want to meet your son, Jo?” Hayes asked, his eyes crinkling under his mask as he smiled.

Jo eagerly nodded as he brought the baby up to her, so they were cheek to cheek. She nearly cried in relief as she got to meet her son. Someone unstrapped one of her arms and Jo held her baby boy. 

“Hi my baby,” Jo said as she turned to kiss his cheek. 

The moment Hayes brought him over, his cry had softened and after she kissed him, he fell silent. Jo knew his eyes were closed, but she couldn't see his face. Her son, she had the baby boy she knew she would. And she loved him so much. He snuggled up next to her and she kissed him again. She couldn't wait to actually hold him in her arms and look down at his face.

“Is he okay,” Jo asked, looking up at Hayes, who nodded.

“He's absolutely perfect Jo,” Hayes said with a reassuring nod. “His APGAR scores are a perfect 10.” 

“That's good, that's good,” Jo said briefly, closing her eyes again as she felt like she could rest now. Hayes kept the baby on her cheek and she relished this moment. 

“Is that him?” Alex asked as Jo looked over to see that he was getting settled in a wheelchair, his eyes still a little foggy as he stared at them. 

“It is,” Jo said with a large beaming smile. 

“What happened?” Alex asked, rubbing the back of his head.

“You fainted,” Jo said of the little laugh. “What went wrong? I saw you staring at me and then at my belly and then you just passed out.” 

Alex just took his head, unable to take his eyes off their son. He looked down at their beautiful boy as Meredith wheeled him closer so they were both together. Alex reached out to run a finger across his cheek as well. As they both stared at the little miracle of their child.

“He's perfect,” Alex said, his eyes crinkling as he stared at their baby boy and she knew he was smiling under his mask. 

“Yeah, he's perfect,” Jo agreed, looking back at their son.

Jo closed her eyes as she felt her baby boy's hand against her cheek. She relished in this little moment together. She felt her vision going dark as sleep overtook her. But she was desperate to fight it and stay with her son. He needed her. Jo quickly opened her eyes again to see someone standing over her. 

“Stay with me, Jo,” Meredith said sternly as she looked at her.

“Where's my son?” Jo asked, turning her head to look for him. 

“He's right over there,” Meredith said, pointing to where Hayes had the newborn on the warmer again.

Jo didn't even remember him leaving her cheek. She must have slipped out of consciousness. Jo felt so tired, she just wanted to fall asleep as her eyes fluttered. Still, she mustered up the strength to glance up at Meredith again. 

“Meredith.” 

“Yeah, I'm right here Jo.” 

“Meredith,” Jo said, looking up at her again. “You have to promise me that Alex won't name our son Alex Jr. or some male version of Josephine like Joe or something.” 

“AJ is a good name, though,” Alex countered and Jo smiled, but she shook her head. 

Although it made her dizzy, she heard everybody shouting around her. She looked up to see that Schmidt was hanging more bags of blood and starting to squeeze them. She was still so tired and her legs felt very wet.

“What are you talking about, Jo? You're going to be here to pick out a name with him,” Meredith said, trying to sound lighthearted, but failing.

Jo closed her eyes before opening them again. They were so heavy and all she wanted to do was sleep. But she had to do this. “Promised me.” 

“Okay, I promise,” Meredith said with a nod.

“Where's Alex? I want Alex,” Jo demanded, she didn't want to be without him right now. 

“I'm right here, Jo,” Alex said as she looked over to see him sitting on a stool across the room, although he couldn't meet her eyes as Amelia was pointing a flashlight in them to check him.

“I want Alex,” Jo said again, losing the fight to keep her eyes open as they closed.

“Jo, Jo! Alex, get over here,” Meredith shouted, as she gripped Jo's hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“Jo, I'm here, I’m right here,” Alex said, his voice pleading with her as he held her cheek.

She managed to open her eyes and smile up at him. As Alex glanced down at her, his eyes filled with tears but still he put on a smile for her. 

“Can I hold our baby again?”

“Of course,” Alex said, glancing back at Hayes.

He had heard her request and was already bringing their baby back to her. He handed the baby to Alex who held him against her cheek. 

She smiled and looked over at Alex again. “I like the name, Leo, Leonard.”

“I like that one too,” Alex said with a smile as the tears spilled over onto his cheeks. “And for a middle name, we should do Michael or Wilson for you.”

“I like Wilson,” Jo said, glancing over at her baby as he snuggled against her cheek.

“Yeah, I like it. Leonard Wilson Karev,” Alex said, rubbing a finger against Leo's cheek.

“It's kind of a mouthful,” Jo chuckled as she looked up at him.

“Yeah, it is,” Alex agreed, but he smiled too.

“I love you and tell Luna and Leo that I love them, to the moon and… and…” Jo couldn’t finish her sentence as she was too sleepy and had to close her eyes. 

“No, Jo, please, please, don't go,” Alex begged her, but she had already closed her eyes and before she knew it she had drifted off into the darkness.

…………………………………………………………………

AN:

Please do kill me yet, I promise there's a happy ending. 😬 Also I finally gave jolex a boy! I love the name Leo and it really fit for this baby.

[romancemedia]

I love Grey’s Anatomy, but they made a LOT of mistakes throughout it’s run and these are what I consider their biggest faults.

• Killing off Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey

• Introducing Sloan Riley, causing her to break up Mark and Lexie and put their relationship through a serious roller coaster that lasted until they died.

• Alex Karev’s exit, getting him back together with Izzie and ruining Jolex.

• Ruining Callie Torres character in season 12.

• Trying to make the fans like and understand Penny Blake, the doctor who KILLED Derek Shepherd.

• Amelia Shepherd’s romantic relationships (Don’t Get Your Hopes Up!)

• Ruining the shows main romances (Calzona, Japril, Slexie, Jolex etc)

• Season 13 and Eliza Minnick.

• Comrac Hayes exit.

• Derek Shepherd’s character in seasons 10-11.