#WHY did she keep having her black mc insult his mother and say his white gf was sooo pretty and natural

[llycaons]

FINISHED HORSE. a lot of it was really interesting from a biological and historical perspective but also the author's approach to race is so. idk. self-congratulatory? almost reductive? it's not that antiblack police murders and brutality are rare, and I did appreciate the realism of the aftermath, but it seems like she just decided to use the most visible and obvious example of racism as a big finale in order to make her story more easy to understand and consume for the average white reader. which I guess isn't too terrible if it does it's job but it's just less than I had hoped for and also if you literally watch the news at ALL you know antiblack police violence is a huge and common issue so. idk what did we even learn here I guess that someone receptive to education doesn't already know. also you're going to have an australian woman return to australia after the racist murder of her partner like 'it'll be easier there' and not even talk about the racism that Aboriginal people face there? jesus christ. the author is an australian woman too so she SHOULD know

[tazzytypes]

Apocalypse: Sanctuary - Chapter 2

Read on AO3

Just because your roommates are horrible doesn't mean you all can't have a good time now and again... just don't tell Venable.

Hey guys. this scene is pretty short in comparison with my other chapters thus far. It didn't blend well with the other things I have planned, but I thought it was important to show the good times at Outpost 3 as well as the bad. Consider it a palette cleanser for what is to come. Michael will be here by Chapter 4...

The excitement over the idea of salvation by the cooperative was a short-lived joy. After months of listening to “The Morning After” by McGovern over and over and over was enough to make the residents of Outpost 3 question their sanity as well as their conviction.

Em walked into the salon, her hands wrapped around a collection of pens she had been able to scavenge from her room. She pulled at the obnoxiously high collar of her white shirt. Whenever evening wear wasn’t an obligation, she liked to dress in as few layers as she could — Victorian underwear and a dress that made her look like some governess of orphaned children in a period drama. 

Swinging the door open, she stopped in her tracks. The room was usually devoid of life except for the 6 o’clock “cocktails.” Andre sat there on the couch, his back to her as he stared into the fire.

The brunette debated turning on her heels, but by the time she took a step back, it was too late. Andre’s head turned, hair raising on the back of his neck as he sensed her green eyes boring into his back. He wondered if she would go away if he ignored her long enough, but curiosity got the better of him His head turned ever slightly and Em pretended like she had meant to be seen by the man.

Heels clicked against the wood flooring, only a few steps before pausing at the edge of the large black coffee table between the two large dark sofas.

Two months after Stu’s death and his cheeks were still damp with tears. His red eyes burned her, anger unyielding. She was deserving of his hate... even more so than the others. Just as she couldn’t reassure him of Stu’s safety she could not tell him of her guilt. At least the others showed remorse and disgust at their own actions.

Em tried to speak with Andre on multiple occasions, but her words came out hollow. Anything she said was just to chase off her own guilt. At one point she had mistakenly reminded Andre that he had also eaten from the stew... it didn’t end well. 

Needless to say, these days, the only person he spoke to was Dinah.

There was so much anger and grief twisting inside him. He wanted to scream and throttle Venable damn the consequences. At least then he’d be reunited with the man he loves... loved. One meal and the bonds made in good faith and mutual tragedy were fractured with the crack of a whip. 

Em wished he would just verbally eviscerate her like he did Evie. His silence was suffocating. Instead, they stood in awkward silence. She really wasn’t good at this.

“So…” Em trailed, leaning back on her heels and biting her lips as she thought of what to say. Another apology would sound insincere and they both knew it would end them right back where they began. 

“So,” Andre mocked, scoffing as he turned back to the fire. 

Em rose a hand as if to reach out to him, mouth opened before closing it once more. Her hand reached out to him before drawing back, hand running through her hair then returning to her side. 

 “What’s it like having Dinah Stevens as a mother?”

Another scoff, followed by his gaze flickering up and down her with disdain.

She finally settled on the couch opposite him, “Sore subject… fair.”

“Also literally asked by every person I’ve ever met.”

Mc nodded, “basic.”

“Yup,” Andre said, popping the “p.”

Fiddling with the pens in her hand, Em racked her brain for something to say. It was a curse, anxiety. It made everything seem much worse than it was and was often accompanied by an overwhelming desire to be liked by everyone… well… almost everyone. Involuntary cannibalism would have been considered some of the worst, but it pales in comparison to nuclear winter. 

Her leg bounced up and down and her eyes flickered from the fire to the ceiling to Andre and back again. Usually, in these moments she’d take out her phone, pens could only distract one for so long.

“God, I wish we had alcohol,” She sighed.

“Amen to that.”

The door creaked open. Em jumped to her feet, holding back the urge to run towards Emily as she quietly closed the door behind her. It felt like an eternity before she turned around. A smile lit up Emily’s face and she waved a collection of paper she had been able to find.

“Ready?”

Relief rolled off Em, tension leaving her shoulders as they can to settle around the coffee table. There was plenty of room, but Em still found it more comfortable to sit on the floor, skirt billowing around her like a puddle of purple. She took a pen and piece of paper and leaned over the table.

“You start. Give me a band.”

Emily’s lips twisted and her nose scrunched as she thought, “… The Beatles.”

Em scribbled down the name and tore it from the rest of the paper, placing it in a small wooden box Emily had brought with her. She grabbed a paper and pen of her own and turned to Em. “Now you.”

“Panic at the Disco.”

“Why am I not surprised.”

Em couldn’t help the laugh that left her, “shut up. You said The Beetles.”

“What? It’s a classic.”

Andre’s attention turned from the fire to the pair sitting across from him. He would have left, but after months and months of doing nothing but waking up and waiting to sleep again he was dying for something different.

“Lady Gaga,” Em said.

“Madonna.” Emily countered.

“Justin Bieber.”

“Justin Timberlake.”

“What are you doing?” He finally asked after a few more rounds of them shooting random words back and forth. 

“Pictionary,” Emily answered him with a smile, cheeks flushed from laughing, “Em had the idea.”

“Pictionary?” Andre asked, slowly scooting closer, “Is that a game?”

“Yeah!” Em answered, “My siblings and I used to play it all the time. Right now we’re coming up with random things to go in a hat.”

She motioned to the box slowly gathering more and more strips of paper, “The game is to pick one of these and try to draw it while your teammates guess what it is.”

“So like art charades?”

“Pretty much!”

A small smile flickered to Andre’s lips as he stood up and came to sit beside Emily. 

“Okay. I have one: Dinah Stevens.”

“Oooh,” Em awed, pointing a pen at Emily and Andre, “that’s a good one. Should we do one for each resident?”

Emily shrugged, “I don’t see why not.”

“How angry do you think Coco would be if we put her in there?” Andre asked, grabbing a pen and paper of his own.

Em looked like the Cheshire Cat, smiling ear to ear, “Furious,”

“Let’s do it.”

As the hours passed, more and more residents joined. A few Greys even whispered ideas into Em’s ear as they passed and she would scribble them in and throw them in the box. Em finally took a seat on one of the couches, Timothy and Emily on her right and Coco to her left.

“Okay!Okay!” Em exclaimed as people yelled things at her all at once, “One at a time! Give me stuff. Movies, books, albums, famous people, sayings. Coco! Go!”

“Michel Jackson!”

Em scribbled down the name and tossed it into the pile of paper that threatened to spill from the small box, “Alright! Now… Emily!”

“To Kill a Mocking Bird!”

She nodded as she scribbled it down, “… and since I’m Emily squared I get to go next.”

Gallant groaned, “oh, c’mon!”

“Hey!” Em snipped, smiling as she swung a pen at the man who could only smile and laugh at her antics, “I’m the one with the pen. My pen, my rules!”

Coco leaned over Em, “What are you writing?”

“Stevie Nicks!”

Leaning back in his seat, Gallant draped an arm across the back of his chair, perplexed, “Isn’t that the woman that sings Jolene?”

“NO!” At least five people yelled in unison, quickly falling into a collection of giggles.

Em feigned insult, “how can you mistake Dolly Parton with Stevie Nicks.”

Gallant waved a dismissive hand, “We aren’t all from the countryside of Georgia.”

“I was raised near Atlanta, thank you very much,” Em jested, “I’m only a quarter country girl.”

“Do you have those shirts that say: ‘don’t talk to me until I’ve had my sweet tea?’” Coco asked, hands spreading out like she was hanging up a banner. 

Em couldn’t keep her smile down, “That was one time!”

“Uh-huh,” Gallant laughed, “Suuure it was.”

The brunette grabbed an extra pen and chucked it at the man. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d laughed like this. God knows none of them had even been in a room together without mandatory attendance.

Timothy sat at the edge of the group. He shuffled through the cards they had made, sorting them so they’d fit in the box. “I think we’ve filled out the last one.”

Coco looked around at everyone, “So… we get to play now?”

“Not today,” Emily declared, smiling at Timothy as he held out the box for her to place the top on it. Coco, Andre, and Gallant booed them.

“Look,” Em defended Emily, hands wringing at her wrists “I know y’all were just spitting out words, but I had to write them all down. My poor wrist needs a break.”

“Oh boo-hoo,” Coco said.

“Half the fun is not knowing what’s coming,” Timothy reminded, his eyes not leaving Emily. Em could tell he was smitten with her. Poor boy didn’t know how to hide anything.

“Well I don't know about y’all,” Andre spoke, mocking Em’s slight accent as he rose from the couch, “But I’m going to take a nap.”

“I agree, y’all,” Gallant jumped on, dodging another pen Em threw in his direction. 

“Words are an illusion created by humanity,” She jested, earning a dismissive wave from the hairdresser as he walked out the door, “It’s conventional!!”

Coco sighed and laid back on the couch, closing her eyes as she began to whine “I wouldn’t mind the constant hunger if it didn’t come with the constant tiredness.”

Em looked to Timothy and Emily. The latter rolled her eyes.

“I feel like I’m back in college,” Em said, leaning back on Emily, “Eating sleep for dinner.”

She could feel Emily’s shoulders shake as she laughed. Timothy took a seat on the other side of the coffee table, resting on the arm of the chair, “C’mon. It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“I spent finals week eating only spoonfuls of peanut butter. Then the next year I bought a Costco-sized thing of ramen noodles.”

Emily leaned back her head and groaned, “Don’t talk about food. Even ramen noodles make my mouth water.”

Somehow, Em had made her way from leaning on Emily’s shoulder to having her head in the other girl’s lap. Emily’s hands absentmindedly ran through the brunette’s short bob which was growing longer by the day. 

“Oh!” A memory struck Em like a lightning bolt, “my friend took me to an authentic ramen place before the bombs.”

She hummed at the mere thought of the food, “Best. Thing. Ever. They had special ramen eggs and topped it off with a slab of pork that just fell apart—”

Coco jumped from her seat with a huff, “You’re all sadistic!”

The three of them watched as the blonde stormed across the room, door slamming behind her with a loud bang which made their bones shake. Then they looked to each other, biting their lips but ultimately falling into laughter.

“If I knew it was that easy I would have done it months ago,” Emily laughed.

“C’mon,” Timothy tried to be the voice of reason, trying to keep a straight face but ultimately failing, “That’s just mean.”

“So is Coco,” Em scoffed, reaching for a glass of water, “it’s not like we threatened to kill her.”

“You did,” Emily reminded. 

The other girl paused in her movement and pointed up at her, “Mead said ‘murder’, not me. I said I’d come for her… I didn’t specify how.”

Timothy sighed and shook his head while Emily only looked at him with a smile. 

“At least we have each other,” Emily noted.

Em smiled at that, finally sitting up, “The Three Musketeers!”

“All for one and one for all,” Timothy said.

Emily sighed, “God knows Venable won’t do it.” 

[seduceme-lovestruck-thearcana]

HNNNN @megatraven

This is a weird AU to imagine, but it’s not a complete AU?? It ties in with my art MC AU thing. So like I said in my art MC AU thing, she goes to an abandoned building to paint during the Hera thing.

So I imagine her just painting one room completely black (idk she has a lot of pain it’s a small room??) and then she’s like “well...better get used to it.” Because at this point, she believes she’s going to die. She just believes there’s no point. She’s in despair. She remembers when Hera almost took over.

It was dark. Nothing to be seen, so this black room is just a memory to her. She believes this will be all she sees for a long time.

She suddenly begins to feel drowsy, so she sits down and actually falls asleep.

She wakes up not to the room, but actual darkness. She calls out but only hears her voice echo. Then, every insult the gods have ever spoken to her echoed out from the darkness.

Ares telling her she’s a “distraction”, Zeus calling her weak, and more voices echo out. It hurts her ears, she tries to lessen it by covering her ears with her hands, but it doesn’t quit. Because of the shouts, she gets angry, and gives a little shout as she falls on her knees and bangs her fists against the dark ground. She can see her fists in front of her and she breaks down.

She just can’t help it. She feels so weak and lost. The darkness surrounding her makes her mind mess up. She hears whispers saying, “you’re not good enough. You aren’t that important to anyone anyway.” After hearing them, she eventually starts to agree with them.

However, after her tears seemed to have stopped, she opens her eyes to see not the dark ground she saw before, it was a marble floor. A very familiar floor. She looks up and sees that she’s in Aphrodites estate. She gets up and looks around confused. “How?” Before she can really say anything, she hears the heel clicks of someone to find out it’s Aphrodite. She tried to speak, but behind herself she hears a child’s laugh. She turns around and low and behold, she sees her but also her mother. But it’s not her now, it’s her when she’s around 6.

Little MC lets out a gasp and runs towards Older MC. She is a little shocked and stands still, for Little MC to go through her and Old MC hears Aphrodite let out a laugh. MC turns around to see Little MC being swung around by Aphrodite. Old MC is in a little bit of shock. She wonders if she always did that. She then sees her mom walk towards Aphrodite and Little MC (she must’ve passed through Old MC too) smiling and laughing. Suddenly, the room around her turns back to darkness, to come back to the same room, but this time Aphrodite and Little MC are on the couch.

Aphrodite has Little MCs head resting on her thigh and she’s talking. Old MC has to walk a little closer to hear, but what she hears is very sweet.

“You know, youre very sweet for a kid.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, people aren’t always this kind and friendly. I’ve seen enough of it.” Aphrodites features turn to sadness.

“Alex is very honored to be your friend, and so am I.”

“You’ll let me be one of your friends?”

Aphrodite lets out a laugh and she looks a little sad at the idea of Little MC not knowing Aphrodite is a close friend of hers. “Of course I’m one of your friends and you’re one of mine. Not just your moms, silly.” Aphrodite moves hair from Little MCs forehead and leans down to kiss her head. Aphrodite continues to stroke Little MCs hair, as if she’s trying to get her to sleep.

Then it suddenly blackens and reappears in another room. It looks like Aphrodites personal room. Old MC looks around in awe at the sight of the jewels and how beautiful the room looks. She hears a little “wow” and sees Little MC doing the same thing. She also sees Aphrodite right beside her, smiling at her excitement.

“Can I try on that necklace, please?” Little MC is looking at Aphrodite with the biggest puppy eyes Old MC has ever seen. She didn’t even know she could do that good of puppy eyes to even a goddess. But she believes at the beginning of knowing Aphrodite, she didn’t even know she was a goddess. She just remembers her being her moms friend.

“Alright, come here and I’ll help you put it on.”

Old MC watches as Aphrodite pulls out a pearl necklace and puts it on Little MC. Old MC lets out a little laugh at how it is too big for a 6 year old, but also at how Little MC is so excited. Aphrodite laughs and so does Little MC. Old MC notices how happy they both seem.

But MC knows she’s close to Aphrodite, but now she knows it’s not just because of Alex. However, MCs spirit is still in despair. She knows one goddess’ opinion won’t hold back Zeus and the whole pantheon.

As if wherever she was knew that, it suddenly blackened again to only show her in Olympus’s hallway. She looks around to see Little MC (same age) and her mom walking towards her with excited faces. Once they get closer, she can finally hear them.

“Momma, are we seeing Ms. A and Alex today?”

“Sorry, sweetie. She’s a bit busy. But we can see another one of my friends! His name is Hades.”

Old MC puts a little smile on her face at the mention of Hades. She wonders if this is where she met Hades for the first time.

It blackens again, to show an office, with said god at the desk and Little MC giving him a big hug. Old MC can’t help but feel embarrassed at her younger self being so affectionate and not being professional. However, it blackens again to one of the rooms in Olympus surrounded by tables. In one of the tables, MCs mom, Aphrodite, and Hades are all there talking. She looks around a little confused as to why she’s there, but sees Little MC trying to “sneak up” on Hades. Old MC lets out a sigh as this embarrassing memory happens in front of her eyes.

Little MC runs her hands through Hades hair and Hades tells her, “I know you’re there.” She laughs as she sees Little MC run away to who knows where. As she’s laughing, it blackens once more, to show Hades holding Little MCs hand, and it looks like he’s giving her a tour.

MC has to walk so she can keep up with them but she hears Little MC ask Hades something.

“Do you think I’ll be a good agent here?”

Hades laughs and looks at her and he looks truly confident and proud. “Of course. I think you’ll be one of the best agents here.”

Little MC breaks out in a happy laugh and pulls Hades hand so he can reach down to give her a hug.

“Thanks, Mr. H!”

Old MC realizes that she must’ve started that and it’s why Josh whenever he sees Hades or Aphrodite, he says “Mr. H” or “Ms. A”.

Hades laughs and pats Little MCs head while he’s in the hug. However, Little MC pulls away with excitement and reaches into her little purse she has with her and pulls out a purple notebook. Another memory of her own hits MC. She remembers that when Hades asked her questions about Alex with their yearly review, he pulled out a purple notebook exactly like that one. “No way...” Old MC whispers out. She guessed maybe she did know Hades but didn’t remember it.

Hades thanks her and they continue to walk, but pass jokes with each other. Old MC laughs at some of them and watches as Hades guides Little MC through H.E.R.A.

It blackens once more, but nothing shows up again. MC begins to have a little bit of panic. She wants to wake up. However, a voice calls out to her.

“It’s okay, MC. You’re gonna wake up, but I had to remind you of things you forgot and give you a little bit of encouragement.”

Before she can ask anything, she opens her eyes to the black room. She stands up and goes back to her paints, knowing that this room isn’t gonna stay dark for long. She gets gold paint, white paint, silver paint, and blue paint.

She paints Alex’s gold pendant with her blue heart necklace they gave her. Both of the chains are wrapped around each other, symbolizing their lives matching together and how they will be together forever. Then, she paints the ring Alex gave her right below the two necklaces. Then, MC paints a white silhouetted family. She makes them look just like everyone she considers family. Hades, Aphrodite, Alex, May, Josh, and her mom.

She moves on and paints “Hope” in big, white letters, with flowers and tree branches and plants surrounding it.

She sighs as she stands back and looks at her work. She’s filled with determination and not the darkness doesn’t look as bad as it did before. She leaves with her carrying her paints home, but she’s also carrying determination and thanks that voice and what was shown to her.

Does this make sense?? No. But did I imagine it for a long time after getting those headcannons from you??? YES. I don’t think AUs have to 100% make sense but here. This is one way my AU of art MC goes. This wasn’t the original idea so the original idea is coming whenever I get it planned out bc irs also just as weird DJWNDBEB. But yeah take this and love you Meg. The headcannons of theirs that I used in this post can be found here. Go give it a like but that’s it for right now. The rest of the actual AU should be coming soon or something when I’m not so busy.

This old house is gonna be done on Monday thank God

[hopelessromantic1352]

Grief (Ethan Ramsey x MC)

Hey everyone! My first Ethan Ramsey fic is finally finished! I hope you all like it 😊 Word count is 2,361. I tried to make it as realistic as possible, and I really did try to make it a slow burn, but I failed miserably 😞

Tags: @perriewinklenerdie @cordoniansqueen @shelivesinthewoods @silversparrow02 @universallypizzataco @fangirlmum For some reason it didn’t let me tag everyone so I am sorry!!

The dull beep makes the rest of the noises in the E.R. fade out completely. Her hands shake as her stomach threatens to upend itself.

"Dr. Valentine?" A nurse's voice broke the monotone beep that flooded Casey's ears.

She backed away from the twenty seven year old man. Her bottom lip trembled, tears threatening to escape her eyes. Her hands balled into fists.

"Dr. Valentine?" A masculine voice came from behind her. "What happened?" His voice had an edge to it that she had become accustomed to.

She bit her lip, an attempt to keep from crying, and took a deep breath in before turning to face him.

"Dr. Ramsey, this is--was Ryan Fields, twenty seven, came in complaining of chest pain and shortness of breath." She looked him in the eyes, noticing for the first time, the exhaustion they held. "He went into full cardiac arrest in the lobby. I started compressions and the nurses wheeled him in here, but he flat lined. Even after using the defibrillator twice, he wouldn't come back."

She shakes her head and bites her lip even harder.

"T.O.D?" His expression is hard.

Casey takes a sharp breath in, "21:49."

The nurse covers the body with a sheet before she walks over to Dr. Valentine.

"His pregnant wife is in the waiting room." The older nurse gave Casey a sympathetic look before shuffling out of the room.

Her breath caught in her throat. She turned away from Dr. Ramsey to stare at the lifeless body. She hoped Ramsey would just leave, she didn't know how long she could hold the tears back.

"Casey."

That was it. The softness in his voice cracked her. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Her hands clenched into fists again and her head dropped.

She felt strong arms wrap around her.

He pulled her close to him. She smelled his cologne for the first time. It was welcoming and comforting.

She let her arms wrap around his waist.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I've lost two patients already and I'm not even done with my first year." She pulled the white material of his doctors coat into her hands.

"Shh." Dr. Ramsey hushed her as he stroked her hair comfortingly. "Unfortunately, this is part of the job."

She regains control of herself slightly, pulling back far enough to rest her forehead against his shoulder.

He doesn't loosen his grip. "I can give the news to his wife."

Casey shakes her head, "No, I need to."

She pulls her head up to look at him.

"Part of the job, right?" A few more tears escape her eyes.

He frowns at the sight, bringing his thumbs up to her cheeks, softly brushing away the fresh tears.

"Well, you don't have to do it alone. I'll go with you."

She looks into his steel blue eyes before nodding. "Thank you."

She starts to turn away, but is stopped short by his arms. He doesn't let her go.

"Shouldn't we go?"

He looks startled. "Right." He clears his throat and releases her. "Last name was Fields, correct?"

Casey nods, she grabs Ryan's chart, "Her name is Chelsea."

She looks back at the body hidden by the sheet.

"Hey," his finger finds her chin. "Look at me."

He pulls her chin gently towards him.

"You are stronger than this. You have to be strong for that woman out there."

She could hear the conviction in his voice. He was right, she had to be strong for the young woman in the waiting room.

She nodded, "You're right."

They walk out into the hallway, away from the lifeless body, towards the unknowing widow.

Her posture straightens, a bit of confidence coming back to her. She glances at him, pushing a strand of her red hair out of her face.

"There's the stubborn, pain in the ass, intern I know." He smirks.

He stops her right outside the waiting room.

"Remember, you care about your patients and the value of life. That's a good thing, it makes you a good doctor."

She nods, taking a deep breath to steel her nerves. He pushes the door open for her, both preparing to break the news to the young woman.

Four people sat in the waiting room, they all look up as the two doctors walk in.

Casey and Ethan spot the pregnant woman almost immediately. As they make their way over, her face loses any sign of hope when she sees the doctor's grim expressions.

"Mrs. Fields?" Casey stops a few feet in front of Chelsea.

She nods solemnly.

Dr. Ramsey sidles up to Casey. "I'm Dr. Ramsey, this is Dr. Valentine. Your husband went into full cardiac arrest on his way into the emergency room. We did all that we could to get him stable, but unfortunately he didn't pull through."

He pauses and she breaks down. Casey kneels in front of her resting a sympathetic hand on Chelsea's shoulder.

"I am so sorry Mrs. Fields." Casey's voice was barely a whisper.

The three other people in the room watch the exchange with misty eyes.

"Is there anyone you'd like us to call, Mrs. Fields?" Ethan's composure was impressive.

She shakes her head, "Both of our parents are on their way." She takes a few deep breaths, "It can't be--this can't be real."

She picks her head up and looks straight into Casey's eyes.

"I am so sorry." Casey's voice shakes.

"Chels? What happened?" Two older couples were behind Dr. Valentine. An older woman who was undeniably Chelsea's mother had spoken first.

Ethan places a hand on Casey's shoulder, she stands and moves to the side with him. His hand lingers on her shoulder before dropping down to the small of her back.

Chelsea fills in her family. Ryan's mom drops into a chair sobbing uncontrollably.  His father angrily strides over to the doctors.

"How dare you let this happen? Which one of you let him die?" His scowl scared Casey more than the deadly tone he was speaking in.

She swallowed, Ethan's hand dropped to his side, allowing her to step forward.

"It was me." She clenches her jaw and straightens her back.

He turns his icy eyes to her.

"Dr. Valentine did not let him die, Mr. Fields. She did all that was in her power to try and save him." Ethan stepped up again to stand by Casey.

The man steps forward, right into Casey's space and bumps her chest with his.

Ethan quickly pushes the father back, putting himself in front of Dr. Valentine.

"Why don't we take this to my office where we can discuss this like adults." Ramsey guides Casey gently towards the hallway to his office and follows, not looking back to see if the family was coming.

She takes a glance backwards, noticing the three women started following, but the two men hung back. Chelsea's father's hands rested on Mr. Fields' shoulders before both men nodded and began walking with the rest of the family.

Ethan opened the door to his office, holding it for everyone before striding behind his desk, signaling Casey to stand behind his desk with him.

"Now, Mr. Fields, I can only imagine what you and your family is going through, but no one is to blame in this situation. Dr. Valentine informed me of the case, and in my entire career I've seen this happen multiple times unfortunately. The chances are usually quite good, but there is always that slight chance of the patient not making it. As much as it pains me to say, this was one of those slight chances."

All three women start crying, comforting each other by slight pats on the back and squeezes of hands.

Mr. Fields glares up at Casey, a single tear streaks down his cheek before he speaks.

"Are you even a doctor?"

The question feels like a punch to the gut for her.

"Of course I am! What kind of question is that?" She was insulted and for some reason embarrassed at the same time.

"You look a little young to be dealing with life or death situations." His voice was full of hate.

"I will have you all know that Dr. Valentine graduated at the top of her class and she has shown nothing but exceptional work in her time at Edenbrook so far. We are lucky to have such a talented young doctor on our staff." Ethan straightened in his seat, intertwining his hands together as they rested on his desk.

"Hmph." The older man, stood and headed for the door. "I'm done listening to all of your excuses. Don't be surprised if you have a lawsuit to deal with in the very near future."

He tears open the door, so quickly and forcefully, Casey is surprised it's still on its hinges.

The women all look towards the two doctors. Chelsea's father keeps his gaze transfixed on an interesting spot on the carpet.

"I am so sorry. He's never acted this way, we know," Mrs. Fields, Ryan's mother, pauses to wipe her eyes and sniff, "We know you did everything in your power to try and save my baby boy. I appreciate your patience with us."

She stands, as do the rest of the family, and slowly walk out of Ethan's office. Casey feels like her knees are going to give out.

She walks around Ethan's desk to a chair. When she sits, she lets out a deep breath she didn't know that she was holding.

"You good?" He looks at her, slumped in one of his chairs.

She nods.

Ethan sighs, rubbing his hands over his face.

Casey looks at her watch, "My shift just ended. I think I'm going to Donahue's for a little while." She stands, "Thanks Dr. Ramsey, for everything tonight."

She gives him a pained smile and starts for his door.

"Rookie."

She stops and turns back to him.

"You want some company?" His eyes search hers, "Reggie won't make you a special if I'm not there."

She laughs lightly. "Sure. But, I think tonight I might want something stronger than one of those specials."

He smirks, "I can agree with that."

He shrugs out of his white coat and slips a simple jacket on. Pulling his car keys out of his pocket, he ushers Casey out of his office.

"I'm going to go change real quick."

He nods, "I'll wait out front. I drive a black Mercedes."

After Casey is in the locker room she rolls her eyes. Of course he drives a ridiculously expensive car.

Within five minutes, she's in Ethan's luxurious car headed for the local bar.

A tear rolls down Casey's cheek without her realizing it. It tickles her skin before she wipes it away. The action doesn't go unnoticed by Dr. Ramsey.

She fiddled with her hands, not able to hold them still. Her eyes wandered out the window. She watched people as they meandered down the sidewalk, some laughing, talking, others eyeing the closed storefronts.

A warm hand stole her left one, pulling it towards him. She looked at him, the streetlights shining through his windows cast dark shadows in the pools of his eyes. He kept his face and eyes trained on the road.

She could only guess what was going through his head right now. Was his heart beating as fast as hers? She imagined so. He wasn't one to be affectionate. Why was he being affectionate?

The remainder of the drive continued in silence. The only communication came from his thumb softly rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

Once he parked, they sat in a moment of silence before he quietly exited the car.  Before she could open her door, he had done so for her. She exited the car quickly and looked around the block. It was practically empty. The older buildings were slightly dilapidated, but this part of town felt more welcoming than the cold architecture that was found downtown.

She turned back to Ethan, to find him looking at her, his eyes filled with interest. She could practically see the gears turning in his mind.

"What?" She couldn't help the small grin that found it's way to her face.

He shakes his head. "You just look...happy. For the first time tonight."

She shrugs nonchalantly, "I guess I'd rather take the simple things," she motions around her, "Rather than feeling like impossible expectations are on my shoulders all the time."

He takes a step closer to her, nodding. "Too many people allow their absurd expectations to cloud the reality of this world."

He spoke so much truth in such a short statement.

"But, it's our job to try and reach those expectations to the best of our abilities. Even if they are impossible."

Casey nods, processing what he was telling her.

He takes a step closer, as she does, and they embrace each other. Her arms squeeze tightly around his waist again, his arms envelop her completely, making her feel safe. She buries her face in the crook of his neck. The stubble on his jaw tickle her ear and temple. For some reason, it seemed so easy for him to do this, to support her and comfort her.

She pulls back, placing a hand on his cheek, and reaches up. At first her lips seem to paralyze him and she wonders if she just crossed a line he wouldn't accept crossing. But, just as she starts to pull back, he responds. His arms tighten around her again and his lips fervently devour hers. She lets her hand slide into his hair. She loses her fingers in the silky strands of his dark brown hair.

One of his hands slides up her back to cup her cheek, pulling her impossibly closer.

When they break apart he's smiling. The sight sends a chill down her spine. She makes him smile.  The thought makes her heart flutter.

"That was...I mean," he takes a deep breath and shakes his head, unable to lose the smile. "You are a pain in the ass, you know that?"

She absentmindedly twirls some of his hair around her finger. Her arms are still around his neck.

"I think you've mentioned it before."