#Charlie Coe

[fancycolours]

PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS. (Circa 1968.)

[tuttle-did-it]

‘Murder in Milan’ Murder, She Wrote

Cesar Romero returns (The Golden Girls, The Love Boat, Magnum PI, Fantasy Island, Charlie’s Angels, Hart to Hart, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Ironside, Night Gallery, Bewitched, Here’s Lucy, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, etc)

George Coe returns George Coe (Kramer vs Kramer, Bones, Archer, Star Wars animated shows, Supernatural Curb Your Enthusiasm, Grey’s Anatomy, The West Wing, Smallville, Becker, The Nanny, L.A. Law, St:TNG, Night Court, Murphy Brown, so much more!)

Paul Gleason returns (The Wonder Years, Adam012, Columbo, Cagney & Lacey, Magnum PI, Dallas, Kate & Allie, Diehard, Father Dowling Investigates, Seinfeld, Lost on Earth, The Drew Carey Show, Diagnosis Murder, etc)

S9E1 20 Sept 1992

[postercollector1975]

Take This Job And Shove It 22x28 Movie Poster (1981)

Avco Embassy Pictures

[bellaxgiornata]

10 Characters • 10 Fandoms • 10 Tags

Thank you so much for the tag @fettuccin-e!! This one was a lot of fun to do and a welcome distraction before an appointment I am nervous to go to soon. I attempted to not make these all Charlie Cox characters (you already know I love Henry and Owen even though I had to include my main loves) and I included a couple of my gaming loves!

This is long (and quickly became a thirst post 😅) so gifs and answers below the cut!

Matt Murdock - Daredevil (Y'all saw this coming. He's my comfort character and the fictional man I'm forever in love with who happens to control my brain.)

Frank Castle - Punisher (I have tumblr to thank for having me fall for Frank. But LOOK AT HIM. I just want to see that man smile.)

Joel Miller - The Last of Us (yes, hello, surprise. I love him, too. Haven't played the games though but I'm tempted.)

Michael Kinsella - Kin (I'd marry him in a heartbeat. I don't care if he's killed people; let me just take care of you and drag you away from your family, Mikey)

Geralt of Rivia - Witcher games, books, & Netflix series (fell in love with him in the games and books and then even more seeing Henry Cavill's amazing portrayl of him despite my qualms with the Netflix show)

Daryl Dixon - The Walking Dead (been in love with him for years now and I can't stop wanting him 😫)

Sam Coe - Starfield (my current love: the DILF space cowboy who I love and will marry every iteration of in every universe in every playthrough. I cannot resist his voice and his jokes.)

Sam Winchester - Supernatural (my first hyperfixation and who I got into writing fanfic for years ago. Love you Dean but I will always love Sam more sorry not sorry.)

Jax Teller - Sons of Anarchy (badass biker with a good heart and that face and body and tattoos. Need I say more?)

Eivor - Assassin's Creed Valhalla (my favorite of the games personally and I just love him and had to include him, okay?)

No pressure tags: @loveroftoomanyfandoms @theradioactivespidergwen @mattmurdocksscars @souliebird @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @yarrystyleeza @1988-fiend @mattmurdocksstarlight @sunflowersandsapphires @pastafossa @shouldbestudying41 @shiorimakibawrites @theetherealbloom @mattkinsella @hollandorks & anyone else who wants to join because these are fun to see (so I tagged a ton of y'all)

[fictional-at-heart]

I’ll Bleed Out For You

Fandom: Billy the Kid (2022)

Characters: Billy/William H. Bonney, Charlie Bowdre, George Coe, Susan McSween, Dulcinea Del Toboso

Tags: Whump, mentions of blood, infection, fever, hurt/comfort

Summary: Billy gets shot in an ambush by the Seven Rivers Gang (I’m not good at summaries, sorryyyy)

(Well. I did it. I fell down the rabbit hole further. It’s too late for me! But if I’m being honest, this wasn’t intended to be this long🤣 It just kept COMING! And as always, you can thank my bestie for the medical accuracy😘)

——————————————————————————

The last thing Billy and the Regulators had expected on their hunt was an ambush. Yet here they were, in the middle of a field on a bright autumn afternoon, fighting Jesse Evans and the Seven Rivers gang. It was supposed to be an easy hunt for fresh meat; things had been quiet between the Regulators and Murphy’s men for the past few weeks. So it was just Billy’s luck that Jesse and his gang had stumbled across Billy and his men as they were riding across the field.

Billy shouted orders to his men from behind the rock he had taken cover behind, trying to think of a way to get them to the nearby trees, where they could escape safely. He was the farthest away from the woods, so he figured he could lay cover fire for his men as they ran for the trees; assuming Charlie and George would agree to his plan.

(More on AO3)

Billy glanced at the trees and smiled slightly. All of the other horses had run home, but it appeared Steel had stayed. He looked to Charlie, who was closest to him, firing his gun before ducking back behind a log.

“Charlie!” Billy called, grabbing Charlie’s attention. “I want you and George to tell the others to run for those trees as soon as I tell them to. I’m gonna cover you guys as you go.”

“What about you?” Charlie asked, getting ready to fire his gun again. Billy shot up to fire two shots, one hitting one of the men in the leg. He began reloading his guns.

“Don’t worry about me. Just run for the woods and don’t look back. Got it?”

Charlie looked to George. He looked uncertain about the plan, but nodded hesitantly.

“Alright,” Charlie conceded as George relayed the plan to the other men nearby. Billy looked to Charlie and George and nodded once.

“Run!” he yelled, firing from behind the boulder to protect his men. As the others ran for the woods, Billy quickly moved to behind the log Charlie had been hiding behind, peeking around as he reloaded his gun. Several of the men were down, and Jesse appeared to be having a heated conversation with one of his men. As Billy looked to the trees, he saw that his men had made it to the woods. With Jesse arguing, now was his best chance. He grabbed his guns and sprinted for the trees. Apparently someone had noticed him running, because soon he heard gunshots as he ran. He turned around to fire quickly, then turned back and continued his sprint to the woods, feeling a pain in his side. He ran up to Steel and scrambled onto his back, grabbing the reins and spurring him into a gallop. He glanced behind him as he rode on, but Jesse didn’t seem to be following him. He slowed Steel down once he was certain he was far enough away and pulled his jacket to the side, glancing down at his torso. He grimaced at the small blood stain starting there, but it was probably just a graze; nothing he hadn’t dealt with before. As he continued on, he saw that his men had reached the end of the woods and had found their horses. They looked visibly relieved as Billy exited the trees.

“You had us a little worried for a minute,” George said, walking up to Billy as he came to a stop. Billy leaned an arm on the horn of his saddle.

“Come on, you guys musta known I wouldn’t have trouble gettin’ out of there,” he said with a smirk. George chuckled and patted Billy’s knee.

“Any gray hairs I got are from you, kid,” he said, shaking his head and heading over to his horse. Billy glanced at the others.

“Is everyone okay?”

“Worst we got is some grazes, no direct hits,” Charlie replied. “What about you?”

Billy shrugged. “Pretty much the same. I’m good.”

“You better be,” Charlie said, getting up on his horse. “I don’t know if that was brave or stupid.”

Billy smirked, turning his head to the side before looking at Charlie again.

“Got you guys out, didn’t it?”

“Can’t argue with that, Charlie!” one of the other men shouted. Charlie smiled and shrugged.

“Well, thanks Billy.”

Billy smiled and nodded. The others started heading for their camp, with Billy following behind. He straightened in his saddle and grimaced at the twinge it caused in his left side. His graze was starting to hurt as the adrenaline from the gunfight wore off, and the horse’s gait was only aggravating it more. He glanced down at it again, realizing that perhaps it wasn’t actually a graze. There wasn’t anything he could do for it now though, so he continued at a canter behind the others.

They reached the camp and dismounted their horses, heading into the stables. Billy stopped Steel at the barn door and slid off, grunting as the contact from his feet hitting the ground sent a jolt to his wound. He exhaled slowly, grabbing Steel’s reins and walking him into the barn. He led him to his stall, where he began unbuckling his saddle. The others were talking as they did the same, not noticing the change in Billy’s behavior. He lifted the saddle off of Steel with a grunt, hauling it over to its place. He set it down rather loudly, almost dropping it onto the stand. The others looked over at the sound, seeing Billy leaning against the barn wall.

“You okay, Billy?” Charlie asked, walking a little bit closer. Billy nodded, but didn’t say anything. Charlie came up to him and put a hand on Billy’s shoulder. He looked a little pale, and he was breathing heavily.

“Don’t tell me your saddle weighs that much,” George joked. Charlie looked concerned as Billy leaned his head against the wall. He pulled the side of his jacket back to reveal the bottom left of his shirt, which was darkening with blood.

“Thought it was just a graze, but…” he trailed off, closing his eyes tightly and grimacing.

“Crap, Billy!” Charlie exclaimed, looking at the wound.

“It’s probably not that bad,” Billy replied, wrapping his hand around his stomach.

“I’m gettin’ the doctor,” George said, putting his saddle back onto his horse. Billy tried to take a step forward.

“No you won’t,” he said, putting as much authority into his tone as he could muster. “It’s too dangerous; what if Jesse and the gang see you?”

“They won’t,” George replied, mounting his horse. “And anyway, Billy the Kid ain’t dyin’ on our watch. I hear the doc and his wife are partial to the Regulators.”

Billy leaned a hand against the wall, pressing his other hand against his wound.

“You don’t know that for sure,” he replied breathlessly, raising an eyebrow.

“No, but we’re pretty sure,” Charlie replied. He looked up to George. “Get going. I’m gonna get him into the house; he’s not looking good.”

Billy glared at them both, but said nothing. George left the barn, while the others went inside to get things ready. Charlie leaned under Billy’s arm to help him, but Billy pushed him away.

“I can manage,” he protested, going to take a step forward. He managed a few wobbly steps before Charlie came under his arm anyway, holding onto Billy’s non injured side to support him.

“I’m sure you can,” Charlie said as they walked out of the barn. “I’m also sure you’d’ve managed a stumble onto the barn floor as well.”

Billy huffed at his response, his head dropping forward as they came to the porch and went inside.

“We weren’t sure where you wanted ‘im,” Fred said, gesturing to the table. “We cleared that off, and the bed is all set too.”

“I ain’t… layin’ on a table,” Billy grumbled. “It’s… it’s not… that bad.”

Fred frowned at his sudden struggle to talk, glancing at the blood that was now seeping through his jacket.

“We’ll get him to the bed for now,” Charlie said, helping Billy to his bedroom. “If the doc needs him on the table, we can always knock him out.”

Billy chuckled quietly.

“You’d try, anyway,” he replied weakly, his head hanging down. Billy dropped onto the bed, closing his eyes and holding his wound with his hand.

“Let me take a look so I can see what you’re dealing with,” Charlie said, gesturing to Billy.

“Fine,” he replied, pulling his shirt up so Charlie could look at the wound.

“It’s bleeding pretty bad,” Charlie said, grabbing a cloth from the nearby desk and pressing it to the wound. Billy gritted his teeth and groaned.

“Couldn’t tell,” Billy responded sarcastically, shifting uncomfortably.

“I hope George comes back with the doctor soon,” Charlie muttered, looking uncomfortably at the cloth that was getting soaked far too quickly.

A little while later, George came through the door, followed by Dr. Johnson and Susan McSween. Charlie stood up, tossing a cloth in a bucket.

“It doesn’t look good,” he said as the doctor set his bag down. Susan walked up to Billy and knelt down, putting a hand gently on his head. His skin felt clammy and he was breathing heavily. She turned to Dr. Johnson.

“It looks like he’s lost a lot of blood,” she said as Billy shivered. “I’d like to help you, if that’s alright.”

“I don’t think… it’s that bad,” Billy muttered, opening his eyes. Charlie rolled his eyes and the doctor frowned as he glanced at the blood soaked cloths inside the bucket.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said, opening his bag. “Susan, I’ll need a bucket of clean water. The rest of you will have to get out of the room for now.”

Billy tried to sit up as the others left, but collapsed back onto the pillows with a groan.

“Don’t sit up,” Dr. Johnson warned, pulling a chair over and sitting down. “Just stay down while I take a look.” He unbuttoned Billy’s shirt to take a better look at the wound.

“Is the bullet still inside?”

Billy nodded, shivering. “No exit.”

Dr. Johnson frowned as Susan came in, setting the bucket down and closing the door.

“We’re going to have to do surgery,” the doctor told Susan as she came closer to the bed. Billy bit his lip to keep from whimpering as Dr. Johnson felt around the wound. Susan stroked his head, trying to soothe him. She hated to see this happen to such a young man, and hated Murphy and his men even more so for doing this to him.

“The bullet is still inside, and I’d rather not leave it there.”

Billy groaned, turning his head to the side. Susan’s hand moved to his shoulder.

“It’s alright, Billy,” she said gently, as Dr. Johnson got out his necessary equipment. “You won’t feel a thing, and I’m sure Dr. Johnson has done this many times.”

Billy nodded weakly, his eyes closed and breathing heavily. The doctor took out a jar and cloth, doused the cloth, and then handed it to Susan. He felt her smooth his hair back as she gently pressed the cloth over his mouth and nose. The slightly sweet scent of chloroform was the last thing he remembered before the voices of Susan and the doctor drifted away.

Billy woke up to hushed voices around him as he slowly opened his eyes. The room was dark, except for the light from the lamps near him. Susan was sitting in the chair next to him, talking with her husband Alexander and Charlie.

“You awake, Billy?” Charlie asked quietly.

“Guess so,” he mumbled weakly.

“How are you doing?” Susan asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Are you thirsty?”

Billy nodded, and she held a cup up to his lips. He drank a few sips before she pulled it away, setting it on the nightstand next to him.

“You have to take it easy for a while,” Susan told him. “You lost a lot of blood, both from the wound and the surgery. The doctor had a difficult time getting the bullet out.”

“We almost weren’t sure you were going to make it,” Alexander added, standing beside his wife with his hand on her shoulder. “But if anyone can nurse you back to health, it’s my Sue.”

She blushed as he kissed the top of her head.

“Now, dear, it’s nothing Manuela couldn’t do either.”

Charlie smiled at the mention of his wife, then turned his attention to Billy.

“We’re gonna lay low for a while with you here,” he said. “As far as we know, Murphy’s men don’t know where we are, so it should be safe.”

Billy nodded, not feeling like arguing otherwise. Besides, he felt about as bad as they said it was, so his argument wouldn’t be compelling anyway. He pulled up an arm and rubbed at his eyes, eliciting a small groan at the pain from his wound. He felt tired and cold, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Susan placed another blanket on top of him, smoothing it out before rubbing his shoulder.

“Why don’t you get some rest now,” she said softly. “I know you’re tired, and it’ll only help you heal faster.”

Billy nodded, pulling the blanket up to his neck. He drifted off, listening to the murmur of the hushed voices in the room.

———————

The next morning when he woke up, he definitely felt worse; his wound hurt more than last time, and he was cold and achy.

“Billy?”

He turned to the direction of the voice, a smile breaking out despite how bad he felt. He opened his eyes to see Dulcinea sitting next to him, holding a book. She set it on the nightstand and leaned forward slightly.

“Dulcinea.” He tried to sit up, but she put a hand on his arm.

“You don’t need to sit up for me, Billy,” she said, lightly stroking his arm with her thumb absentmindedly.

“What’re you doin’ here?” he asked. He wanted to reach out for her hand, but he didn’t want to assume anything and make her uncomfortable.

“George came and told me what had happened,” she said, moving her hand down to his own. “He told me that they weren’t sure you were going to make it, but that you were fine now.”

“You didn’t have to come,” Billy started. Dulcinea stopped him, looking slightly hurt.

“You do not want me here?” she asked, pulling her hand away. Billy reached for her hand again.

“No, no… I didn’t mean that,” he replied, squeezing her hand lightly. “I just… after what you said before, I wasn’t sure you’d wanna be here.”

She smiled. “Of course I do. We can still be friends, no? Are you feeling any better?”

Billy shrugged with a grimace. Dulcinea frowned and put the hand he wasn’t holding on his forehead.

“You don’t look so good,” she said as she felt his forehead. “And you feel warm.”

Billy chuckled, though regretted it when his side flared with pain.

“Aren’t I s’posed to be warm?” he joked, trying to hide the fact that he was in pain. “I’m alive, after all.”

“That’s not what I mean,” she said, standing up and heading for the door. “I’m going to get Susan.”

She called for her by the door, then came back to Billy, followed by Susan.

“He feels warm,” she told her. Susan put the back of her hand against his head.

“Does your wound hurt more than it did yesterday?” Susan asked. Billy glanced to Dulcinea, then back at Susan and nodded.

“I’d like to check it, if that’s okay.”

Billy nodded again, pulling back the blankets with a shiver.

“Does anything else feel wrong?” Susan asked as she cut at the bandages.

“I guess I’m kinda… achy. Cold, too.”

Susan furrowed her brow as she peeled the last of the bandages away to look at his wound.

“What is it?” Dulcinea asked as she glanced at Susan’s expression.

“It looks like it’s a little infected,” she said. Dulcinea covered her mouth with her hand.

“Badly?” she asked. Billy closed his eyes and grimaced as Susan gently felt around the wound.

“It’s minor, but it’s still a concern. I’m going to see the doctor,” Susan said as she grabbed clean bandages. She replaced the old bandages and left, promising to return as quickly as possible.

Billy reached for the blankets, but Dulcinea stopped him as he groaned at the effort.

“All you have to do is ask,” she said, setting the blankets on top of him. “I don’t think you should be moving much.”

“She didn’t mention that,” he said weakly. Minor infection or not, he definitely felt terrible.

“Well, I think it’s a good idea,” she said, sitting down in the chair. “Can you sleep?”

“Probably.”

She hummed in response, then stood up. She carefully got into the bed next to him, sitting against the headboard. She patted her lap, gesturing for him to put his head there. He gave her a half smile, following her instructions and biting back a groan as he shifted his position. He closed his eyes as she started stroking his head, gently pushing his hair back. He continued shivering, so she pulled the blankets up closer and shifted closer to him.

“It’ll be alright,” Billy mumbled, snuggling into her slightly. Dulcinea forced a smile, even though he couldn’t see it.

“I know,” she replied. “But I think you’re a little delirious right now.”

He drew his eyebrows together, confused, but kept his eyes closed.

“No I’m not. Jus’ tryin’ to make you feel better.”

Dulcinea laughed lightly. “Shouldn’t I be the one trying to make you feel better?” she asked. He smirked a little.

“Not necessarily.”

“Why don’t you sleep now?” Dulcinea asked, running her fingers through his hair. “You need to rest more than you need to talk.”

He briefly nodded his head, already half asleep by the time she finished speaking.

————————————————

“It doesn’t look too bad, but if he doesn’t improve before tomorrow night…”

“Is there anything we can do?”

“Put some iodine on it again tomorrow, keep it clean. Make sure the bandages stay clean. That’s about all we can do.”

Billy barely registered the voices in the room, keeping the blankets as close as he possibly could to his cold body. On top of the intensified pain in his side, it seemed he couldn’t get warm no matter how hard he tried. As he felt movement next to him, he realized someone was holding him close and stroking his head.

“It’s alright, Billy. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

He turned his head to the voice, burying his face into the soft warmth of whoever was next to him. He opened his eyes, looking up to see Dulcinea next to him; she had one arm behind his shoulders, her fingers toying with the hair on his forehead.

“Hi, Billy,” she said, smiling and looking down at him.

“Hi,” he mumbled back, leaning his head back down on her shoulder.

“The doctor just left; he said your wound is a little infected.”

“Mm.”

“It’s not too bad.” She paused, then lightened her tone a little. “The doctor said you should improve by tomorrow night.”

“Kinda heard what he said, I think,” Billy replied with a sigh.

“Oh.”

They were quiet for a moment, the only sound being Billy’s breathing.

“Does it hurt really bad?” Dulcinea asked after a moment. “Sorry, that’s probably a stupid question.”

“‘S not a stupid question,” he responded. He tilted his head back slightly, the top of his head resting against Dulcinea’s cheek. “But yeah. It does.”

He turned his head to look at her when she didn’t respond.

“Ya look worried,” he said. He brought a hand up weakly and stroked her chin with his thumb. “Don’t need ta worry ‘bout me, darlin’. I’ll be fine.”

Dulcinea smiled a bit sadly. “Why is it you keep trying to comfort me when you’re the one who’s sick and injured?”

He tilted his head, snuggling his face closer to her neck and closing his eyes.

“‘Cause I don’t like seein’ you upset,” he said tiredly. Dulcinea stroked his cheek with her thumb.

“I think maybe this is the fever talking,” she whispered, leaning her cheek against his forehead. She pulled the blanket back up over his shoulder as he shivered again. “Do you need another blanket?”

He shook his head slightly, taking a deep breath and grimacing. Dulcinea moved her other arm to his shoulders, hugging him gently.

“I’m sorry…” she told him, planting a light kiss on his head.

“Hm? What for?” he asked sleepily.

“For leaving you,” she responded, sliding her hand up to cup his cheek. “I should’ve tried harder to understand.”

“Don’t need to apologize,” he mumbled back with a shiver. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” she replied, pushing a strand of hair off of his face as he fell back asleep. “Me too.”

——

Dulcinea watched as Susan checked the bandages a few hours later. She touched them gently and studied them for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.

“I think they’re good for now,” she told Dulcinea, still by Billy’s side. He seemed to be sleeping soundly and she didn’t want to disturb him. “Tomorrow morning I’ll have to put iodine on it, but the bandages should be fine until then.”

She glanced at Billy. His face was flushed and his breathing was still heavier than it should be, but he was sleeping at least; his face was turned towards Dulcinea’s neck as she kept her arm around his shoulders.

“He’s still shivering,” Dulcinea stated, concern etched on her face. Susan sat down with a slight sigh.

“Probably a combination of blood loss and feverish chills,” she said, leaning her cheek on her hand. She watched Billy as he stirred slightly, but didn’t wake.

“It just makes me so angry,” she said after a moment. Dulcinea looked to her as she stroked Billy’s forehead absentmindedly. “Murphy’s men getting away with all of this, making our men out to be the bad guys! And now this. He’s so young…” she trailed off, closing her eyes and rubbing at her forehead.

“I’m trying to be hopeful, Dulcinea,” she continued. “And I don’t want to scare you, but… I’m just so worried he won’t improve.”

“I know,” Dulcinea replied, running her finger down the bridge of his nose. “But he’s a fighter.”

Susan laughed a little and stood up. “That he is. I’m going to start on dinner. You should get up and move around some, dear.”

Dulcinea nodded. “Next time he wakes up. I don’t want to disturb him.”

Susan nodded. She gave Dulcinea a smile and left the room, shutting the door. Billy stirred at the sound of the door shutting, his face moving away from her neck.

“Dulcinea?” he asked, opening his eyes sleepily.

“I’m right here, Billy,” she responded, rubbing his shoulder. “Is everything alright?”

“Fine,” he replied with an exhale. “You been here all day?”

“Yes.”

He turned his head to look at her, moving his eyes up to meet hers.

“You should move around a bit,” he told her, pulling a hand up to meet hers on his shoulder. He grabbed it and gave it a weak squeeze.

“I just don’t want to leave you alone,” she replied, moving her thumb along his knuckles. He gave her a small smile, trying to blink away the sleep from his eyes.

“Don’t think I’ll be goin’ anywhere, darlin’,” he responded, closing his eyes. Dulcinea smiled.

“I love it when you call me that.”

He opened an eye to peer at her. “What? Darlin’?”

“Yes,” she replied, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. “You still look half asleep, Billy.”

He mumbled something in response, giving her hand another squeeze again. She gently removed her arm from behind his shoulders and sat up.

“I’ll be back in a little while,” she said, grabbing his hand and placing a light kiss on his knuckles. He smiled, his eyes still closed as she smoothed the blankets back over him. “I’m gonna help Susan with dinner, and then I’ll bring some to you, alright?”

“Mhm,” he replied with a slight nod of his head.

“Just call out if you need us, especially if you’re in more pain.”

He nodded again, and she gracefully stepped off of the bed, walking over to the door. She glanced back at him and frowned. He looked so sick and weak on the bed covered in blankets, with his frequent shivering and his flushed face. She turned away and closed the door, leaving it open just enough to hear if he called. Billy the Kid was a fighter, and she hoped that he had enough in him to fight off his infection.

—————

Billy opened his eyes, hearing someone set something down next to him. Dulcinea sat down next to him, grabbing a bowl of stew off of the nightstand.

“Hi,” she said, giving him a smile. “Hungry?”

Billy nodded. He wasn’t sure that he really was hungry, but if it made her feel better, he’d definitely try to eat. He slowly pulled himself up with a groan, gritting his teeth through the pain. He managed to get into a sitting position and leaned against the headboard, his eyes screwed shut, breathing through the pain. He heard Dulcinea set the bowl down, and then a moment later her hands were on his shoulders, placing a blanket over them.

“Thank you,” he said, opening his eyes and accepting the bowl she offered. As he took a bite of the warm stew, she felt his forehead with her hand and frowned.

“I’m fine,” he told her after he had swallowed the food. She forced a smile.

“How’s the food?” she asked.

“Good,” he lied. He didn’t want to tell her the pain was making him a little nauseous, so while he was sure the food really did taste good, it wasn’t settling well for him. After a few more bites, he set the bowl aside. Dulcinea looked at the amount left, then back to him.

“You don’t want more?”

Billy shook his head. “Not right now.”

Dulcinea nodded, taking the bowl and setting it on the nightstand. She took a glass of water instead and handed it to him. When he had finished and gave it back to her, Charlie and Susan came into the room.

“Did you eat?” Susan asked, coming up to his side.

“Some,” he replied, pulling the blanket around his shoulders closer. “Hope it’s not an insult to your cookin’,” he added with a small smile. Susan smiled and waved her hand slightly.

“Billy, you’re injured and fighting infection. I won’t take offense to you not eating your whole plate.”

“That certainly tells us how sick you are,” Charlie added with a smile. “Usually you have at least two helpings. I’m surprised you don’t lick your plate clean, honestly.”

Billy chuckled in response. “Real funny, Charlie.”

“Do you feel any worse?” Susan inquired. Billy shrugged.

“Not worse, but not better either. Still hurts like-“ he stopped, glancing at Susan and Dulcinea. “Still hurts a lot.”

“Well, hopefully you’ll sleep well tonight,” she told him, putting her hand on his shoulder. “We’ll see if you feel any better in the morning.”

She rubbed his shoulder slightly before turning to walk away.

“I’m staying with him,” Dulcinea said, grabbing the bowl of food to take to the kitchen. “If anything happens, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you, Dulcinea,” Susan said with a smile. “It’s nice having your help.”

The two women walked out of the room, leaving Charlie alone with Billy. Charlie stood in the room awkwardly for a moment before sitting down. Billy had his eyes closed again, leaning his head against the headboard.

“Is it worse than you’re lettin’ on?” Charlie asked after a moment.

“Hm?”

“You’re not makin’ it seem better than it is? To ease their minds?”

“No,” Billy said with a sigh. “Wouldn’t do me much good to do that, would it? Not if I wanna live, anyway.”

Charlie shrugged. “Just checking. You didn’t tell us you got shot at first, so…”

Billy opened his eyes and looked at Charlie, who clearly looked concerned. “I told you I got a graze. Wasn’t till we started ridin’ away that I realized it wasn’t a graze. Only reason I didn’t say anything was ‘cause there was nothin’ we could do at the moment; figured it’d be better to just get home.”

Charlie was quiet for a moment, then nodded his head. “Yeah. Alright, that makes sense. Sorry I assumed otherwise.”

Billy smiled and closed his eyes again. “‘S’alright, I get it. You’d be lost without me.”

Charlie laughed as he stood up. “Yeah, okay. Just don’t die on us, got it?”

“I ain’t plannin’ on dyin’ yet, Charlie,” Billy mumbled back with a smirk. Charlie shook his head with a smile.

“I think Dulcinea’s right; your fever is making you delirious.”

“Is not.”

“I’m not arguing with you,” Charlie said, heading for the door. “See you in the morning.”

“Say hi to Manuela for me.”

“Who says I’m going home?” Charlie asked, his hand on the door. Billy shrugged.

“Jus’ figured.”

Charlie laughed quietly. “Fine. I’ll mention that to her. Now get better already, alright?”

Billy lifted a hand in response as Charlie left the room. It was quiet for a few moments before Billy heard soft footsteps come in and the door close. He heard a lantern being lit, then felt the mattress dip beside him as Dulcinea settled onto the bed again, getting underneath the covers.

“Hi again,” Billy murmured, opening his eyes halfway to glance at her. Her hair was down as she sat against the bed, holding a book.

“Hi,” she responded, giving him a smile. “Is this okay?”

Billy frowned in confusion. “Is what okay?”

Dulcinea gestured to the bed. “Me staying with you.”

“Oh. Didn’t think of that.” He turned his face so he was facing her. “If it ain’t proper for you to be here, don’t feel like you have-“

“I didn’t think about that, but let’s not worry about it,” she said, cutting him off with a decisive nod. “If it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother me. It’s not like you’re in the shape to do anything.”

Billy shifted down so he was lying down on his back, biting back a groan as the movement made the pain flare.

“True,” he conceded, placing his hand over his wound and grimacing. Dulcinea scooted closer to him, putting her hand on his shoulder opposite of her and grabbing her book with the other. He rested his feverish cheek against her side with an exhale and closed his eyes.

“You’d better fight this, Billy,” Dulcinea said quietly after a while. He reached his warm hand up to her hand on his shoulder and held it.

“That’s just what I plan on doin’, darlin’,” he said sleepily.

——————

The next morning brought some definite changes. Dulcinea opened her eyes and was startled at first to see Billy’s sleeping form next to her. The previous day’s events came back to her quickly though, and she reached a hand over to his face, sliding her hand down his cheek. He smiled in his sleep at the contact, and she was surprised to find his cheek didn’t feel hot. She moved her hand up to his forehead, pushing the dark curls back and pressing her hand against it. She smiled; he no longer felt feverishly hot, but the pleasant warmth she was used to. She lightly dragged her finger down the bridge of his nose, then placed a kiss on his forehead. He stirred, his hand finding hers and holding it.

“Mornin’,” he whispered, opening his eyes halfway and smiling. Under different circumstances, she could get used to this; waking up next to him and looking into his beautiful blue eyes that still held sleep in them.

“Good morning,” she replied, giving his hand a squeeze. “It feels like you don’t have a fever anymore. How do you feel?”

He thought for a moment. “Not quite achy anymore. Still cold, but more of a… dull cold rather than chills.” He took a deep breath. “That make sense?”

Dulcinea nodded. “I’d say the fever’s absence is helping. I’ll see if Susan is up and we can check your wound.”

He grabbed her hand as she started to get up. She glanced back down at him.

“What is it?”

He almost looked shy as he looked in her eyes, then moved his line of vision down slightly to her lips. She held back a giggle as she leaned forward and brought her lips to Billy’s, bringing a slight smile from him.

“Better?” she asked, pulling away slightly. He smiled and nodded, bringing a slight giggle from Dulcinea. “I can definitely see someone is feeling better.”

She gave him one more quick kiss before getting out of the bed and walking to the door. Billy watched her go, rubbing at his face. His side still hurt, but he was glad he didn’t feel achy and feverish anymore. Dulcinea came back a moment later with Susan, who was holding a bottle and cloth.

“Good morning, Billy,” she said, coming up beside him. “Dulcinea told me your fever is gone. You don’t feel any worse?”

“No,” Billy replied. Susan touched his forehead, then smiled.

“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” she said, sitting down. “I do still need to put iodine on it though, alright?”

Billy nodded, pulling the blankets back so Susan could access his wound. She moved his shirt up, then peeled the bandages away and studied it.

“It still looks a little bad, but it definitely has improved since yesterday.” She took the top off of the bottle and glanced at Billy. “This… isn’t going to feel good,” she warned him with an apologetic look.

He sucked in a breath as she poured the iodine onto his wound, tensing up and groaning at the sting it caused.

“Sorry,” Susan said, noticing Billy gripping the blankets with one hand, his eyes screwed shut.

“‘S’fine,” he muttered through gritted teeth. Dulcinea came beside him, rubbing his shoulder to comfort him.

“On the bright side,” Susan said as she rewrapped the wound, “as long as it keeps showing improvement, I won’t have to keep putting iodine on it.”

“That would be great,” he replied, the sting finally going away. “M’I outta the woods yet, nurse?”

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at his nickname with a smile. “I think so, William. You still have to take it easy for a while; you still have the blood loss to deal with.”

As she stood up to leave, Billy stopped her.

“Thank you, Mrs. McSween,” he said, putting his hand on hers. “You’ve done so much for me… I can’t thank you enough.”

She smiled and patted his hand.

“You’ve done so much for Lincoln County, on top of keeping our boys as safe as you can since Tunstall’s murder,” she told him. “It’s the very least my husband and I could do for you. You’re no outlaw to me, Billy.”

Billy smiled in response, touched by her words and motherly way.

“Will you thank your husband for me too?” he asked. She nodded.

“Of course. I’m glad you’re doing better, Billy.” She smiled and headed for the door, nodding to Dulcinea. After she left the room, Dulcinea laid down on the bed, resting her head on Billy’s chest. He placed his arm around her shoulders, tracing circles on her arm with his finger.

“You had me scared for a little bit, Billy,” she told him quietly, toying with one of the buttons on his shirt. He moved his hand up to her hair.

“Told ya I wasn’t plannin’ on dyin’,” he replied, stroking the side of her head. She lifted her head, resting on her elbow to look at his face.

“You don’t need to come so close to death trying to prove your point,” she said, poking at his nose. He smirked, his hand moving to her back.

“Don’t plan on doin’ it again, darlin’,” he replied as she brought her face closer to his. She nuzzled his nose, then pressed her lips against his, her free hand cupping his cheek as he deepened the kiss. She pulled away after a moment, smiling at the almost disappointed expression on his face.

“You promise?” she asked, tracing a line down his nose with her finger.

“I can’t promise that, but I promise to try,” he replied, looking into her eyes and rubbing her back. She smiled, laying her head down on his chest again.

“That’s enough for me.”

[hb-writes]

Ch. 7 - The Judge

Why don't you let me be the judge of that?

When Harvey had informed his eleven-year-old sister that he would be sending her to a private school, a place with uniforms and high expectations and a whole bunch of kids she didn't know, she had basically said no thank you and continued on with her day, dismissing the whole idea as nonsense.

Charlie had known she would have to go to a new school. She had realized it a few days after they'd moved her stuff into Harvey's guest room, her room, but Charlie thought she would be going to public school. She thought she would be with the normal kids, like she had been in Riverside, where there had only been one school to choose from, anyway. The same school Harvey and Marcus had gone to. They'd even had the same 3rd grade teacher, all three of them.

Mrs. Coe hadn't been startled to see yet another Specter on her roster by the time she met Charlie, having a good enough memory that she'd been weary after Harvey and Marcus.

And Charlie had gotten very used to the idea of not being in school. She had gotten used to spending time with Harvey and Marcus, who had taken to visiting more regularly as she got settled. She had gotten used to being indulged and coddled. She had gotten used to trips to museums and zoos and parks and theatres. She had gotten used to wandering around the Pearson-Hardman offices like she owned the place. She had gotten used to spending time snuggled up next to Harvey, watching movies on the couch on the days when he worked from home.

It hadn't really occurred to Harvey back then that his sister was nervous to start a new school. Meet new people. She had charmed everyone at the office. If she went missing after a trip to the bathroom or the kitchen, he wasn't surprised to find her in the bullpen entertaining the associates, asking them questions about law school and what it was like to have a job. What it was like to live on their own. To have a boyfriend. To drink alcohol. To drive a car.

The girl had even completely charmed Jessica, something that Harvey still struggled to do on some days.

So, he hadn't really understood why she was being so strange about it, so bad about it, but it was the first time Harvey had really had to put his foot down with her. Because in the build up to her first day, it had been tantrum after tantrum. It had been two weeks straight of her pushing buttons Harvey didn't even know he had. Had it not been for Donna finally convincing her that uniforms could be cool—a certain magical wizard wore them, after all—he didn't know what he would've done.

And on her first day, Charlie clung to her brother as they stood in the headmaster's office—his old roommate's office. He had thought that fact alone would help things. It certainly helped him, knowing that Oliver would keep an eye on her. Knowing that someone she already knew—and liked—was there just in case.

But Charlie had barely said hello to Oliver, had barely bothered to lift her head to meet his eye as she gripped Harvey's hand with both of hers, leaning into his side as if she could fuse herself to him. As if she might avoid being left behind if she did just that.

Harvey tried not to make a thing of it, talking with Oliver as if his sister wasn't acting out of the ordinary. Her hands were slick with a clammy sweat, but Harvey held on, giving her a squeeze whenever Oliver's attempts to engage her in the conversation went unanswered.

"Oh, you must be the new student!"

Charlie jumped at the interruption, turning her head just enough to see two students staring back at her.

"Louisa and Noah, good morning," Oliver said, nodding to the two students.

"Good morning, Dr. James," Louisa answered. "I told you we'd be late, Noah," she offered over her shoulder. The girl stepped into the room and Noah trailed a step or two behind her, a subtle smirk on his face.

Charlie shifted even closer to her brother as the kids approached, trying to use him as a barrier, but Harvey put his free arm around his sister, shifting them both so they faced these two kids.

Harvey could feel Charlie's heartbeat racing as she settled under his arm, still refusing to loosen her grip on his hand, even in the face of her two new classmates. She didn't care what she looked like. She didn't care what they thought about her clinging to him.

"So is this our new student?" Louisa said, smiling at Charlie, as Noah stood behind her, his eyes rolling slightly with amusement before he, too, smiled, but Charlie didn't return the smile, didn't shift away from him, not even a little.

Harvey couldn't deny that a little bit of worry had crept into him at that. Worry and confusion and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness because he didn't know what to do here. These kids seemed nice enough. A bit forward, maybe, but nothing for Charlie to be cowering about. And she knew Oliver. She liked Oliver. Charlie loved school and books and learning. She'd read through everything she could get her hands on during the time he'd kept her home. He'd given her time to adjust. Time to settle into their new life. This should have been fine. He'd expected her to be a little nervous, but part of Harvey was wondering if she'd even stay. If she'd even last through the school day if he left her.

"Yes, Louisa," Oliver started. "This is our new student, Charlotte Specter. We refer to people by their names here at Hudson School."

Charlie didn't even correct him. Didn't even say to call her Charlie, another thing that worried Harvey. Another thing that confused him.

Donna had offered to come with them, to help with the transition. Harvey wished he'd brought her with them now. The woman had been a lifeline for him the last couple of weeks, offering insights he never would have come to on his own, offering advice.

Harvey had spent a lot of time asking Donna, and google, for advice, but his research hadn't covered whatever was happening now.

"Of course, Dr. James," Louisa offered. "I apologize."

The girl turned to Charlotte. She was wearing low-heeled shoes and a flowered headband to keep her long chocolate brown hair out of her face. Charlie and Harvey both could sense this kid was popular. Powerful. And from the safe haven of her brother's hold, Charlie looked the girl up and down in the very same manner Louisa was assessing her.

It had taken some convincing for Harvey to get his sister to agree to the uniform. It had ultimately been Donna's mention of a certain wizard that had made the idea of a school uniform cool. Or tolerable, at least. Harvey didn't have the first idea about Harry Potter, but he knew that it wasn't a compliment when his sister proceeded to call him a muggle.

Apparently complete with her assessment, Louisa took a step forward.

"Hello, Charlotte. I'm Louisa Sorenson, grade six class president." She glanced over her shoulder. "That's Noah. He's my vice president. Mrs. Henderson sent us both down to meet you and give you a tour."

Charlie just stared at the girl.

"I am so excited to have a new student here. Mrs. H said you're from a small town? That's exciting, you—"

"What's exciting…" Noah drawled as he stepped forward, standing next to Louisa, "is that you get my seat now so I don't have to sit next to Louisa anymore. Been waiting for seven long years for someone to transfer in with a last name that falls in between Sorenson and Tabor. You, my dear, are a saving grace and it's an absolute pleasure to meet you, Charlotte Specter."

Noah held out a hand toward Charlie and kept it there despite the fact that the girl still just stared at him. Harvey gave her hand a squeeze, half-surprised when he felt her grip loosen. He moved to tuck his hand in a pocket, watching as Charlie wiped her hand down on her school skirt before taking the outstretched hand.

Harvey stifled the urge to laugh. These kids were certainly something. Harvey didn't remember sixth graders being this eloquent in his day. The boys certainly weren't calling the girls 'my dear.'

Charlie pulled her hand back, still leaning into Harvey's side. "You can call me Charlie."

"Well, Charlie, it's nice to meet you." Noah bowed his head a short measure, placing a kiss to Charlie's hand before looking up, a smirk on his face. "I am forever in your debt. Anything you need, you name it."

"Alright," Harvey interrupted, "that's enough, Romeo."

Oliver cleared his throat, offering Noah's name as a warning. Noah held up both hands in surrender.

"Don't mind him, Charlie," Louisa said. "He's a bit much, but you and I can be friends. Rest assured, you'll be well taken care of."

Charlie glanced at Harvey as Louisa paused.

Louisa followed Charlie's gaze to the well-dressed man in front of her. She wasn't certain that he was Charlotte's father, young and handsome as he was.

"And this must be your…"

"My big brother. Harvey," Charlie offered while Louisa assessed Harvey with the same fervor she'd looked Charlie over with moments before. "He's a lawyer," she added, somehow sensing that it mattered.

It wasn't the most important part of who her brother was, not from Charlie's perspective. There were probably a hundred things she liked about him that were higher up on her list, but Harvey still felt an indescribable surge of pride at Charlie's meager words. My brother, the lawyer.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Specter," Louisa said, offering her hand. "Your sister is in good hands."

Harvey shook the kid's hand, again stifling the urge to laugh, though he couldn't deny the girl had a certain spunk he admired. Both kids did, really. Maybe Charlie would be fine.

"Wait, you're a lawyer?" Noah nudged Louisa off to the side. "Where did you go to school?"

Harvey was about to answer, but Charlie beat him to it, offering up his alma mater as Noah gave an approving nod.

"I'll be Harvard Law, Class of 2020," Noah offered with a smile. "I've been cross-examining since age three."

"You might be out of a job in a few years, Harvey," Oliver snorted, clapping Harvey on the shoulder. "Noah talked himself out of a detention just last week."

"Captain of the debate team," Noah echoed.

"Co-captain," Louisa amended, giving Noah a forced smile.

Charlie glanced at her brother, a question in her eyes. They didn't have a debate team at Pulaski Street School. Maybe at high school.

"Do you like to debate?" Louisa asked, continuing on without waiting for Charlie's answer as if despite the girl's silence, she knew Charlie would fit right in. "You should join us. We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays after school."

The school debate team still met on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Charlie, Noah, and Louisa all honing their debate skills twice a week, competing at city and state championships. Harvey wasn't going to be out of a job any time soon—they weren't that good yet—but he still braced himself as he clocked Louisa's pink peacoat through the window at morning drop off.

Ray hadn't even rolled to a stop yet, but Charlie was already shifting toward the door as Louisa approached them. The girl had clearly been waiting for them to arrive, lingering outside the entrance, and that usually meant that whatever she had to say required Harvey's ear and not Charlie's.

Harvey briefly scanned the small crowd for Noah. He was the more down-to-earth of Charlie's friends, calmer and a little less severe. Some part of the kid was still impressed by Harvey, a little wary of him, maybe, but Harvey thought that was a good thing. Harvey sensed that there was very little Louisa feared.

It wasn't a bad thing. Harvey thought Charlie had chosen her friends well, or rather, they'd chosen her and Charlie had decided to stick with them.

Louisa was intelligent and confident, unyielding—all qualities which Harvey respected. At twelve, the kid had somehow possessed an intricate understanding of, and flawless ability to navigate, their upper-class Manhattan world better than most adults. For years, Harvey had watched the girl try to teach her tricks to his stubborn sister with little success. Charlie had no interest in dominating Manhattan's elite, in playing those sorts of games, but Harvey was almost certain that she was resistant just for the sake of being resistant.

And because of that, Charlie found a little solace in Noah. Because he was a little more laid back, a little more of a listener, the type to sit back and read the room before pushing into a battle. His parents weren't from the city. They had both grown up in small towns—one of them upstate, the real upstate, not Westchester and the other one on the other side of the globe. He knew the city—and their posh little school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, specifically—was a bubble. And beyond that, the kid generally didn't seem to give two shits about what other people thought of him.

But it was only Louisa who greeted the Specters at the curb, opening the door before Charlie could do so herself.

"Good morning, Mr. Specter." Louisa leaned in the open car door, preventing Charlie from slipping out even though she had already gathered her bag and put one foot out the door. "Very nice to see you as always." She locked eyes with Harvey without even sparing a glance towards Charlie—a charming, perfect smile, revealing the deep dimples in Louisa's cheeks. "That's a lovely tie," she added, dipping her gaze toward the blue silk.

Charlie leaned back in the seat, gripping her bag tighter to her chest as she closed her eyes and took a breath. She didn't know what Louisa was after, but she recognized her friend's smile. Charlie recognized the charming, sprightly tone. All of it intricately employed to get Louisa whatever she wanted.

Charlie had seen it all play out before—with teachers and Louisa's father. With random people she encountered throughout her day. It seemed to Charlie that Louisa might be capable of bringing entire countries to their knees should she wish to do it. And she'd do it with minimal effort. A smile here. A well-made observation there. A subtle compliment to seal the deal. That, or a threat. Louisa made it look simple, but Charlie had never been able to master it. She wasn't certain she wanted to.

Harvey glanced at his watch before looking back to Louisa. He had a few minutes to spare, but not much.

"Good morning, Louisa."

Harvey's gaze slid to his sister, her eyes directed at the headrest in front of her as she hugged her bag to her chest, like she was wishing she could be anywhere other than here. Louisa smiled before following Harvey's gaze. Charlie tried to sink further into the cushions.

"You look exhausted," Louisa said as she studied Charlie's face, her clothes, her keen eyes raking up and down Charlie's appearance.

Harvey knew enough about the two girls to know that was a relatively nice way of saying 'you look like shit'. It still displayed a bit of care, but not much. Harvey took in his sister's appearance then, really looking at her for the first time since leaving the apartment.

Maybe Charlie did look a little tired. 'Frumpy' and 'punk' were two words that also came to Harvey's mind. He didn't know where Charlie got her sense of style from or how she got away with skirting the school dress code like she did, but he never heard a complaint from the school. Not about her outfits, at least.

Today though, the only pieces of clothing that seemed up to code were the maroon school cardigan and tie settled loosely around her neck. The white oxford shirt she was wearing was loose-fitting and long enough that it might have come from Harvey's closet and she was wearing black leggings underneath with a pair of well-worn combat boots. Her hair was mostly hidden underneath a black knit hat. She wore no coat, and wasn't carrying one either, despite the morning's chill.

Harvey hadn't noticed any of it until now. Caught up with his emails, he hadn't noticed what she was wearing. He hadn't noticed how quiet they had been for the duration of the ride. How quiet she still was now.

The kids routinely jabbed at each other, usually no worse than the snarky banter passed between him and Charlie could be, but it wasn't the type of comment Charlie would typically let go without retort.

But Charlie had ignored Louisa's comment. She just mumbled a quiet goodbye, not meeting Harvey's eye as she scooted towards the door, gently shoving at Louisa to clear the way.

"I've got a few meetings this afternoon," Harvey answered.

Charlie's head barely dipped in a nod as a bit of relief crested over her. If her brother was tied up in meetings for the afternoon, she'd have the office to herself. Maybe she wouldn't even have to see him until they went home. Maybe she wouldn't have to speak with anyone.

Charlie made to get out of the car, but Louisa perched herself on the edge of the back seat, forcing Charlie to scoot back in, losing any ground she'd gained at escaping Harvey's presence.

"Speaking of afternoons…" Louisa mused.

Charlie turned toward her friend, gritting her teeth. "Isa, we need to go to class."

Louisa dismissed her with a wave. "We have plenty of time."

They did. Charlie knew they were still a bit early for class, but that wasn't nearly the point.

"Well, I'm sure Harvey needs to get to work and Ray probably has places to be, too," Charlie said, shooing Louisa toward the door. "Let's go."

Louisa leaned around Charlie, a question in her suddenly sanguine gaze as she looked to Harvey. It was more intrigue than anything that had Harvey nodding his head.

"Make it quick, Louisa."

Louisa's resulting smile was tinged with victory. "Ok, I was just wondering if maybe you would consider allowing Charlie to come over to my place on Saturday?" Louisa asked. "It's been ages."

Charlie smacked her hand against her forehead and once again tried to shrink into the seat cushions. Louisa could read people well, but Harvey was good at neutralizing his reactions. And she hadn't sensed Harvey tense at the words. She hadn't sensed the chuckle rumble deep in his chest, not like Charlie sensed those things.

Harvey had to laugh at the incredulousness of it, at the gall. "It's been ages because she's grounded."

Charlie recognized her brother's tone, the way the words held an edge of annoyance, a slight thinning of his patience. Charlie had already told Louisa it wasn't going to happen. She'd missed out on two weeks of hanging out with her friends and she was due to miss out on a little more, but Charlie was close to freedom now. So close.

"Isa, get out of the car." Charlie tried to push Louisa through the open door, but she wasn't budging.

Louisa shifted to look beyond Charlie once again. "But Charlie needs to come over Saturday afternoon, Mr. Specter."

Harvey couldn't deny that his sister's friend had a certain boldness that he esteemed, but he cut through it all the same.

"The only place Charlie needs to be on Saturday is wherever I decide she's to be," he answered.

"I know, I know. Of course, you're right," Louisa offered, a smidgen of deference. "And I know she has plans with Donna. But that's at night. This is for the afternoon, but actually…if Donna has other things she'd rather be doing Saturday night, Charlie is more than welcome to stay over."

Harvey tilted his head as he looked at the girls. He could nearly feel the tendrils of a headache beginning to slither through his brain, but Louisa wasn't done.

"You know, Mr. Specter, and I mean no disrespect here, but I don't think that grounding is even the recommended consequence anymore. Socialization with our peers is just too important at our age to limit," Louisa shook her head, before shrugging. "I myself have never even been grounded and anyway, I think she's more than learned her lesson, right Charlie?"

Charlie didn't dare to answer, not that she had time to.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

Charlie tensed at her brother's tone. Harvey had snapped harder than he meant to, but he didn't need parenting advice from a teenager. He exhaled, reaching for some scrap of patience before he shifted.

"Give me and Charlie a minute," Harvey said, his tone a touch more gentle even though his words were far from a request.

Harvey's eyes didn't stray from his sister as he spoke, or as Louisa shifted out of the car and stepped away. Harvey reached across the back seat to pull the door shut and Charlie scooted away, putting some distance between them.

It wasn't entirely out of Charlie's nature to have someone else do her dirty work. Maybe that explained why she had been so quiet the whole morning. Why she was still so quiet now.

"Did you really think that was going to work?"

Charlie could feel Harvey's eyes drilling into the side of her face, loaded as the accusatory words that accompanied them.

"She did that all on her own," Charlie said, her arms pulled tight across her chest. "I don't think you needed to snap at her like that, though."

"And what was that bullshit about you being the only kid to ever get grounded?" Harvey asked, skating over Charlie's reprimand. "Did she come up with that all on her own too? I think you know better."

Charlie shrugged. "Pretty sure I'm still allowed to bitch to my friends even if I'm grounded. I mean, unless you want to forbid that, too. I won't talk to you or Donna or Mike or Ray either if that would please you," she said, her eyes darting to the front seat of the car to where Ray was respectfully ignoring them. "You might as well hold my mail. No contact with anyone at all. I'll just—"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harvey asked, his head tilted in confusion at his sister's sudden tirade. 

"Nothing." Charlie took a deep breath, her hand on the door handle. "It's nothing. Can I go?"

Harvey ignored the question. She knew well enough that they weren't finished. "Why is she so eager to have you over?"

"How should I know?" A lie, but Charlie didn't want to get into it. Harvey trusted Charlie with Louisa and Noah and she wasn't going to make her brother question the worthiness of her friends over something she wasn't even going to be a part of. And there was no way Harvey would guess, seeing as Louisa had asked for Charlotte's afternoon even though she really wanted her presence for the evening. "I don't even want to go so it doesn't matter."

"Really?" Harvey raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to go."

Charlie shook her head. "And it's not like you're going to let me even if I did want to go," she answered, turning her gaze out the window. Louisa had already gone inside. Charlie wasn't sure if she was annoyed or grateful that she hadn't waited.

"You're right. I'm not," Harvey said, annoyance surging as Charlie continued gazing out the window as if she wasn't listening. "Like I told Louisa, I'm the one who gets to judge when you've learned your lesson and right now you don't seem to have learned a damn thing."

Harvey's tone pulled Charlie's gaze to him, his words catching even if he thought she wasn't listening. She wouldn't say she had learned nothing. In fact, in the span of a few short minutes, she had learned what it was to want to punch her brother right in his smug stupid face, a feeling that was oddly foreign to her.

Charlie knew it wasn't that odd for a sister to want to punch her brother, even if it felt that way to her. Most siblings fought. They punched and hit and kicked, but Charlie had never really had any physical altercations with either Harvey or with Marcus. Her brothers were older—thoroughly grown by the time she had come around and even though she had seen Marcus and Harvey go at one another from time to time, neither of her brothers had ever laid more than a playful hand on her. There were other ways of fighting that felt familiar to Charlie though, ways of wielding carefully chosen words in order to make them into weapons.

"Judge, jury, and executioner," Charlie scoffed, knowing that the mumbled comment would bother her brother, would spark in him just a bit of the certain fury she felt surging through her veins. Maybe it would spark some of the same hurt and confusion, too. 

"Keep it up and you'll be—"

"Grounded until I get a PhD?" she mocked. "Whatever, Harvey. I don't care. Can I go to class now?"

Harvey's eyes slid toward Ray's in the rearview mirror. Ray's expression told Harvey that they needed to leave now unless they wanted to be stuck in traffic. Unless he wanted to be late. Harvey turned to his sister anyway. "You really think that attitude is going to help your case any?"

Charlie met Harvey's eye, offering him nothing more than a quiet scoff as she reached for the door handle and slid out.

"Have a nice day, Ray," she offered before letting the door shut behind her.

LTLB Masterlist (Everything)

LTLB Masterlist (Chapters)

Chapter 8

[giallifilm]

🐆

new multi-muse ask meme! send me a   “ 🐆 ”   and i’ll randomize our muse lists and suggest a few random pairings for us to try out. @storyofwhoiam

tegan lark & allie novak

annie coe & ash reardon

sibella danger & river song

silas gorecki & graham becke

aubrey moore & charli norris

karolina turner & lea jacobs

torment jr. & barbara handler

helecyne swiftguard & catia lucas

[scotianostra]

Glen Coe God rays 1 by Charlie Parker

[tfc2211]

Play ▶ Born On The Boogie

Rise And Fall Of Jimmy Stokes - Link Wray Memphis And Arkansas Bridge - Charlie Rich Three Hundred Pounds Of Hongry - Donnie Fritts One Of A Kind - P.F. Sloan A Mile High In Denver - Jimmy Buffett Living On The Run - David Allan Coe Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You - Bob Dylan All That Keeps Ya Going - Hoover Through A Window - Euphoria Tulsa Turnaround - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition Which Witch Is Which - Love Hound Dog - James Burton Clean Up Your Own Backyard - Elvis Presley Don't Let Me Down - Dillard & Clark Nobody - Larry Williams & Johnny Watson feat. The Kaleidoscope In a Moment of Weakness - Johnny Adams Talk To My Childrens Mama - O.B. McClinton Fairy Tale - Pointer Sisters Bad News - Clarence Carter A Lion In The Jungle - Carl Perkins Best I Can - Albert Lee She Likes Warm Summer Days - Henson Cargill Isn't That So - Jesse Winchester All Because Of A Woman - Mordicai Jones That's The Bag I'm In - Fred Neil Prison Son - Vernon Wray

[breezingby]

You Never Even Called Me By My Name ~ David Allan Coe

Well, it was all That I could do to keep from crying' Sometimes it seemed so useless to remain But you don't have to call me darlin', darlin' You never even call me by my name

You don't have to call me Waylon Jennings And you don't have to call me Charlie pride And you don't have to call me Merle Haggard anymore Even though you're on my fighting' side

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me And I never minded standing' in the rain But you don't have to call me darlin', darlin' You never even called me by my name

Well, I've heard my name A few times in your phone book (hello, hello) And I've seen it on signs where I've played But the only time I know I'll hear "David Allan Coe" Is when Jesus has his final judgment day

So I'll hang around as long as you will let me And I never minded standing' in the rain But you don't have to call me darlin', darlin' You never even called me by my name

~ ♫♪♫♪ ~

Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song And he told me it was the perfect country & western song I wrote him back a letter and I told him it was Not the perfect country & western song because he hadn't said anything at all about mama, Or trains, Or trucks, Or prison, Or getting' drunk Well he sat down and wrote another verse to the song And he sent it to me, And after reading it, I realized that my friend had written the perfect Country & western song And I felt obliged to include it on this album The last verse goes like this here:

Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison And I went to pick her up in the rain But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck She got run ned over by a damned old train

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me And I never minded standing' in the rain But you don't have to call me darlin', darlin' You never even called me I wonder why you don't call me WHY don't you Ever Call me by my name?!!!

[alexgodin]

Botis Seva - Santo from Freddie Leyden on Vimeo.

THROUGHLINES. Ongoing stories in art history with Christie’s Directed by Freddie Leyden Botis Seva, award-winning choreographer, explores the power of storytelling through images and motion.The film is a collaboration between Botis Seva and film director Freddie Leyden. The result, Santo, is an intimate expression of faith inspired by ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and religious scenes in medieval books of hours.

DIRECTED BY: Freddie Leyden PRODUCERS: Sophie Ede & Harri Kamalanathan LINE PRODUCER: Jens Klit Nielsen DOP: David Bird VFX ARTISTS: Paraic McGloughlin & Kevin McGloughlin PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Maddy Corner 1ST AD: Rosie Owen 2ND AD: Rowan Hutchings STEADICAM: Jess Doxey FOCUS PULLER: Dan Henderson LOADER: Charlotte Hayde GAFFER: James Duffy SPARKS: Sam Crook SOUND MIXER: Glen Gooden DIT: Euan Coe RUNNERS: Oliver Dunk, Iona Rae & Grace Mimi COVID TESTING: Verity Stacey CAMERA: Focus 24 Hire COLOURIST: Alex Gregory EXECUTIVE COLOUR PRODUCER: Charlie Morris MUSIC: Mr Wize

CHRISTIES - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: MARKETING LEAD - Pascale Zaidel

CHRISTIES CREATIVE TEAM: Patricia Lam Geoff Lam Caroline King

[worboysanna]

Day 10 Glasgow to Avimore

Banks of Loch Lomond via wild Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, Fort William, beneath Ben Nevis and Fort Augustus. Then to Loch Ness on the way to Culloden Moor where Jacobite rising, with Bonnie Prince Charlie at its helm came to a tragic end at hands of the Hanoverians. Overnight at Avimore.

[a-moment-captured]

Wait, because I agree with you. I also feel like music is missing something. But I’m not sure if it can be pinpointed to one thing but more like a combination of things. Sometimes people use the excuse of people being older and that’s why they have a problem with some of today’s music but I’m GenZ and even I notice something is missing. I actually find myself listening to alot of older music and watching old performances now. If you have any music recommendations I’d love to hear them. Any genre

Oh anon, you are sending me down my favorite road!

I like the music today but it’s not about being older and just not liking something. I’m not old by any means! Being 30 is not old Or mean you don’t get todays music

Most of the songs that become viral, that people love on TikTok, a top 10 song for a few weeks, or just the “it” person of the moment, they don’t have the longevity factor. They just don’t!

20 years from now, no one will be talking about a good 75% of the music today. They will talk about Chris Stapleton, Adele, Taylor Swift, and maybe Harry Styles and maybe Jack Harlow:

The substance I’m talking about is definitely found in a few of their songs. Especially with Adele. Taylor is just up and down for me and a lot is repetitive 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Chris Stapleton is the singer they will talk about in 20 years. He had the longevity. He has the voice. He writes songs that reach your soul no matter what they are about. That’s what this generation needs. Not the next TikTok viral song.

I make it a point to turn older songs on in the car with my son, niece, and nephew. I want them to know about The Eagles, Al Green, Journey, Prince, Salt n Peppa, tupac, NSYNC, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Nelly, Brandy, boys II men, nas, usher, Reba mcentire, brooks and Dunn, faith hill, George strait, George jones, Johnny cash, frank sinatra, the temptations, Aretha Franklin, And the list goes on! I want to give them a variety!

I will tell you that my all time favorite video and favorite performances across the board is BB King with Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, and Jimmie Vaughan playing The Thrill is Gone. Hands down the best performance there ever was.

While mentioning Chris Stapleton, go watch his Grammy performance and CMA Awards performance of Cold. Omg will it blow you away! Watching reaction videos of Chris Stapleton is one of my favorite things to do on YouTube lol.

I’ve been on a Journey kick as of late. So from them:

Faithfully

Who’s Cryin Now

Don’t stop believing

Open arms

Lights

Eagles (my favorite band of all time)

hotel California

Desperado

Take it easy

Witchy woman

Lyon’ eyes

Take it to the limit

Country songs to listen to:

Stand by your man — Tammy Wynette(watch the show on showtime and George jones and Tammy Wynette)

Carrying your love with me — George strait

You never even called me by my name — David Allan coe (the version with Merle haggard, Waylon Jennings, and Charlie pride) you will love this song! I’ve lost count the number of times I sung this while out in a bar!

Fancy — Reba McEntire

Breathe — Faith Hill

Whiskey Lullaby — Brad Paisley

Some more random ones:

Tracy Chapman!!! Please!!! Especially “Give me one reason” and “Fast Cars”.

Al Green: the man has one of the best voices of ALL TIME! My son has to listen to “Love and Happiness” on the way to school every morning! But also “Let’s stay together” and “how can you men a broken heart”

Lynard Skynard’s “Simple Man” is truly just a great song. The meaning behind it and just the entire song is just so great.

Anything by Eric Clapton! Wonderful tonight, Cocaine, Layla (the mtv unplugged is my favorite version)

A few more:

unchained melody— righteous brothers

Anything ACDC(check out the live performance of Hells Bells in River Plate)

Living on a prayer — Bon Jovi

Early Mariah Carey—just the entire Butterfly album or DayDream album

Eminem

To understand Eminem, you have to start at the beginning. I watched his progression from the beginning and it is amazing what he was able to do. The man is one of the greats when it comes to rappers. No one will ever break the records he set. The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show are two of the greatest of all time!

[ulkaralakbarova]

After reckless young lawyer Gordon Bombay gets arrested for drunk driving, he must coach a kids hockey team for his community service. Gordon has experience on the ice, but isn’t eager to return to hockey, a point hit home by his tense dealings with his own former coach, Jack Reilly. The reluctant Gordon eventually grows to appreciate his team, which includes promising young Charlie Conway, and leads them to take on Reilly’s tough players. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Gordon Bombay: Emilio Estevez Hans: Joss Ackland Jack Reilly: Lane Smith Casey Conway: Heidi Kling Mr. Ducksworth: Josef Sommer Charlie Conway: Joshua Jackson Greg Goldberg: Shaun Weiss Adam Banks: Vincent Larusso Fulton Reed: Elden Henson Tommy Duncan: Danny Tamberelli Connie Moreau: Marguerite Moreau Jesse Hall: Brandon Quintin Adams Terry Hall: Jussie Smollett Les Averman: Matt Doherty Guy Germaine: Garette Ratliff Henson Philip Banks: Hal Fort Atkinson Frank Huddy: Steven Brill Judge Weathers: George Coe Mighty Ducks Fan Scenes: Ryan J. Gilmer Principal: Claudia Wilkens Gordon at 10 Years Old: Brock Pierce Gordon’s Father: Robert Pall Lewis: M.C. Gainey Peter: J.D. Daniels Dave Karp: Aaron Schwartz Tammy: Jane Plank McGill: Michael Ooms Larson: Casey Garven Science Teacher: Mark Bradley Paramedic: Peter Syvertsen Film Crew: Screenplay: Steven Brill Director of Photography: Thomas Del Ruth Editor: Larry Bock Producer: Jordan Kerner Producer: Jon Avnet Original Music Composer: David Newman Editor: John F. Link Director: Stephen Herek Costume Design: Grania Preston Co-Producer: Lynn M. Morgan Set Decoration: Julie Kaye Fanton Casting: Renee Rousselot Production Design: Randy Ser Key Hair Stylist: Angela Nogaro Key Makeup Artist: Jeanne Van Phue Art Direction: Tony Fanning Co-Producer: Martin Huberty Stunts: Jeannie Epper Stunt Coordinator: Ronnie Rondell Jr. Stunt Coordinator: Manny Perry Second Unit Director: Michael D. Moore First Assistant Director: Douglas E. Wise Set Designer: Jack Ballance Second Assistant Director: Randy Suhr Stunts: Danny Weselis Stunt Double: Kim Robert Koscki Stunts: Catherine Petra Villalobos Chief Lighting Technician: Danny Buck Chief Lighting Technician: Michael Katz Camera Operator: Buzz Feitshans IV Movie Reviews: r96sk: Very good. ‘The Mighty Ducks’ is a film that I’ve heard about for a long, long time but this was my first time watching. I enjoyed it, in short. Satisfying sports story, a solid message, decent humour and a serviceable cast. Emilio Estevez is fine in the role of Gordon, he’s definitely the best actor on display here. The numerous child actors are all alright, Shaun Weiss (Goldberg) is the one who stands out in my memory most. A nice little film about a local, youth ice hockey team, one for the family.

[carrieowens]

I think I have daddy issues or something.

Now, I know that’s a weird think to start this off with but I just realized something. A lot of the male characters I have been finding attractive lately are all single dads. Either with nonexistent or bitchy ex-wives.

To explain, the first one is Joel Miller from The Last of Us. Preferably the game version. (I have absolutely nothing against Pedro Pascal, I just like the games better). When I first realized I was crushing Joel, I brushed it off as I like his accent (Counrty accents make my knees weak).

Then, Starfield by Bethesda came out and when I was playing it I realized I liked the one companion, Sam Coe. And he didn’t have that much of a country accent (at least, not that I can hear anyway), so I thought maybe it was the beard cause I’ve always found guys with a bit of scruff attractive.

Then, just very recently I’ve started watch a new show. It’s called Hazbin Hotel. I started it last week and just finished it last night. It was a short yet utterly amazing show. I love it. And I for most of it, I didn’t think there was going to be a male character I found attractive cause the males that there was so far weren’t my type whatsoever. Then I met the one character. He’s Lucifer, like a dorky version of most versions of Lucifer. And I didn’t question it at first then I realized…. The main character, Charlie, is his daughter. That’s when it hit me.

I mean, maybe I don’t have daddy issues per se, cause I don’t have a horrible relationship with my dad. Maybe I’m just that girl who is constantly attracted to much older men. I don’t know other than I will never ever tell my family about the fact that I am watching Hazbin Hotel and that my favorite character is literally Lucifer. That definitely will not go over well at all.

Buh bye!👋🏻

[idahobob]

Botis Seva - Santo from Freddie Leyden on Vimeo.

THROUGHLINES. Ongoing stories in art history with Christie’s Directed by Freddie Leyden Botis Seva, award-winning choreographer, explores the power of storytelling through images and motion.The film is a collaboration between Botis Seva and film director Freddie Leyden. The result, Santo, is an intimate expression of faith inspired by ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and religious scenes in medieval books of hours.

DIRECTED BY: Freddie Leyden PRODUCERS: Sophie Ede & Harri Kamalanathan LINE PRODUCER: Jens Klit Nielsen DOP: David Bird VFX ARTISTS: Paraic McGloughlin & Kevin McGloughlin PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Maddy Corner 1ST AD: Rosie Owen 2ND AD: Rowan Hutchings STEADICAM: Jess Doxey FOCUS PULLER: Dan Henderson LOADER: Charlotte Hayde GAFFER: James Duffy SPARKS: Sam Crook SOUND MIXER: Glen Gooden DIT: Euan Coe RUNNERS: Oliver Dunk, Iona Rae & Grace Mimi COVID TESTING: Verity Stacey CAMERA: Focus 24 Hire COLOURIST: Alex Gregory EXECUTIVE COLOUR PRODUCER: Charlie Morris MUSIC: Mr Wize

CHRISTIES - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: MARKETING LEAD - Pascale Zaidel

CHRISTIES CREATIVE TEAM: Patricia Lam Geoff Lam Caroline King