#copley cries a little inside over this

[in-tua-deep]

I sent an ask like this before but I think tumblr ate it so I guess I’m sending it again. I love your tog/tua crossover! It was the post that made me watch the old guard and I’m v happy abt that. I was thinking about Booker ‘I have trauma about my kids growing old and dying’ Le Livre and I can’t help but think he’d go full dad mode on Five at all times. Five gets the father he deserves and Booker gets an undying child. Everyone wins.

oof yeah it would be... complicated to say the LEAST

I’m not sure Booker would be ready in any sense of the word to be a father again, and having an immortal child would be,, really painful honestly, especially when he had to watch his children grow old and die and now there’s this child who gets to live and it’s not fair

and Booker is... a normal father, for lack of a better word. He loved his children. He told them stories and swung them into his arms and pressed kisses against their rosy little cheeks, he held them when they cried and joined in with the laughter, and he loved them

and so he looks at this - this child, because Five is thirteen and he doesn’t deserve this

but Five is not familiar with the idea of a normal father. His father was cruel, was very forthright in the fact that he did not care about the children as human beings. It’s laughable to think that Reginald Hargreeves would ever tell them stories, would ever hold them or kiss their cheeks or laugh with them. Reginald Hargreeves avoided even touching them. A father to Five is monumentally different than what a father is to Booker

they bright side is that if Booker ever acts fatherly, Five doesn’t clock it as fatherly. He might accuse Booker of mothering him? But honestly Booker probably is like “we can’t let Five do X dangerous thing, he’s baby” which,, Grace helped the kids get ready for their missions, she never tried to protect them from their ‘work’

and some of the things are so far outside of Five’s frame of reference that he just assumes they’re an Old Guard thing or something, like when Five gets a smear of dirt on his cheek and Booker automatically grabs a handkerchief to scrub it off

(I can claim this because Five has such non reactions to the same thing in the s2 gifs I have seen that I can only say he’s just like ??? the whole time and just chooses not to address it, especially bc it happens both with a family member AND an enemy and he doesn’t react either time)

To be fair, they all baby Five to an extent, but it looks different for each of them

Andy doesn’t know what to do with a child? She hasn’t really,, been around children for extended periods of time honestly, she’s used to saving kids and is honestly pretty good at awkwardly talking Five through panic attacks. But she’s kind of tough love, and would probably cheer Five up by giving him weapons and letting him blow stuff up tbh

Nicky and Joe are kind of like fun uncles? they tease Five a lot, and he can’t even argue with them because they’re both like 900 years older than him but also they are very emotional and touchy and they like to ruffle his hair and lean on him and give him hugs that pick him up and swing him around. It’s weird and he isn’t sure if he likes it, but it’s kind of nice to be included?? They never had kids so they’re kind of indulgent with him tbh, kids like taking down horrific time based organizations as a pass time right?

Booker is awkward because he is a father and so he does things like ruffle Five’s hair on autopilot or pile more food on Five’s plate or anything, and he freezes because - it’s something he did with his own kids, and,,,,, he might get more than a little emotional about it. which weirds Five out. Booker is definitely one of the more protective of them though and dislikes putting Five in the line of fire

Nile has Big Sister energy, despite being younger than literally anyone else in this au technically considering that the umbrella academy are 3 years older than her. She has what is vastly lacking: emotional maturity. She sort of adopts Five as a kid brother, which makes her nostalgic for her own brother but also Five is so different it’s not a big issue, but Nile used to babysit for money as well and knows how to handle difficult kids and just applies that to Five

(and it actually works more often than not, five is not immune to Nile’s impeccable logic - mainly because Nile doesn’t order Five she lays out her reasoning in a way that he can’t even argue with)

booker has issues, he has a LOT of issues especially regarding kids and stepping into a fatherly role that I’m not sure he would comfortable with for a long time... but he has a lot of time to wrestle with those issues and eventually step into a more parental role since they have... literally hundreds of years together in the future lmao

five has to learn to actually be a child and not just a child soldier, which isn’t exactly easy considering he’s now going to part of the immortal ‘army’ 

honestly i think a good healing part of this au is just... the og squad learning that surviving isn’t the same as living, and even though they still have to be careful about their footprints even with Copley erasing them... I think they have a lot to learn about living

and having normal human ‘sponsors’ to help out... well I mean - the Hargreeves are super wealthy now that their dad kicked the bucket and are probably very willing to go on camping trips or go to Disney World or drag the squad paintballing. When was the last time the og squad just had fun? no worrying about missions and saving people or saving each other, just pure silly nonsense fun

and the Hargreeves are learning to have fun for the first time as well, even if it means Klaus aggressively putting Mickey Mouse ears on everyone and Diego cheating at paintball and Nile teaming up with Allison to get everyone to go to various plays and musicals

the Hargreeves aren’t immortal but they also aren’t helpless either, and I could see them tagging along on any cool missions for a while. Especially Diego, tbh, with his discount batman schtick he has going on

(honestly if anyone would remind Booker of his kids, it would... probably be Klaus? His children were adults when they died, and he saw them dying, and Klaus is skinny as a rail and sickly looking and probably has health issues thanks to the extended drug use and withdrawal going on

so consider: Booker telling Klaus to sit down and let him cook, get some soup in that boy he’s way too skinny, booker is FRENCH he WILL cook for this beanpole. His mama’s stew could knock the plague right out of a person, probably. 

Booker: that is far too heavy for you let me take it

Klaus: oh! no dude it’s fine - 

Booker: sit down !! you look like a strong breeze could knock you over. I will bring you some soup.

Klaus: I’m fine !! Don’t worry about me - 

Diego: don’t listen to him!! he absolutely needs minding 24/7 or he WILL find a way to get hurt

Booker: !! are you hurting right now? Sit down! Honestly -devolves into muttered french curses as he bustles off to the kitchen-)

but yes there you go the og squad and umbella academy combine into the ULTIMATE FAMILY due to shared custody of Five for the duration of the academy’s lives

[fireinmoonshot]

6.  “You and me, together. We’re unbeatable. We can go against all odds and come out on top.” With booker please?😊

A/N: I had several people asking for a Part 2 to THIS fic, and so here it is! I genuinely nearly cried writing this, so that was fun. And I love this prompt very much so thank you for sending it in! Enjoy! This ended up being nearly 2000 words long, somehow... so... yay!

Ever since you’d arrived at Merrick’s lab, you’d refused to talk to Booker. You’d even been quiet when Nicky or Joe had spoken to you. They’d had more important things to worry about, anyway. Like the fact that Andy wasn’t healing like she should have been.

That thought echoed through your mind just as much as Booker’s betrayal did. You still felt as though the air had been knocked out of you, and every time Booker, strapped to the chair beside you, tried to talk to you, it felt as if you were drowning more and more in that betrayal. Of all the people you’d ever expected to betray you, you’d never expected it to be him. Never expected it to be the person you’d fallen in love with.

And now you were going to lay here and he was going to have to watch you get tortured for hundreds, possibly even thousands of years. The thought wasn’t as nice a thought in terms of revenge as you wanted it to be.

You felt empty. Despite the fact that you were in a more dangerous place than you’d ever been before, you were less scared than ever. Funnily enough, Booker seemed more scared than you were considering the amount of times he tried to get your attention, to apologise. You’d allowed Joe to yell at him as much as he wanted. Hearing Joe ask him how on earth he could do this to you of all people, just made you feel more numb. Booker couldn’t answer. You weren’t sure if you wanted him to. What could he say now that would fix anything?

Then you’d heard it. Gunfire, somewhere in the distance. What was happening? Nile was gone, you’d seen her driving away. So what could be going on?

You looked over at Andy and it was clear she’d heard it, too. She met your eyes and you both looked back at the door, but the gunfire had stopped. Moments passed and your hope began to diminish, just as the door pushed open and Nile stumbled through it.

“Nile?” Booker spoke, confused. “Behind you!”

A guard had snuck up on her and fired a shot. She returned with a shot of her own and then slammed the door shut. She took out the woman who’d been employed to torture you with ease and went straight for Andy.

“There’s four shooters at the door and more coming,” she explained, beginning to free Andy from her chair. She pulled out a spare gun and held it towards her. You were surprised to see Andy turn away from it. “Andy.” Nile grabbed Andy’s hand and placed the gun into it. “Immortal or not, you made a promise. Whatever it takes. I’ve seen it, Andy. I know all the good you’ve done.”

You flinched as the door slammed open again, but you needn’t have. Andy and Nile took out all four of the shooters within a second of their entrance.

Andy moved to free herself, and then moved to unclip Nicky and Joe. Nile stepped towards Booker, and you were unable to stop yourself from scoffing as Booker stopped her by asking her to leave him.

“You should listen to him Nile,” you muttered as Andy reached you and unclipped your restraints. You sat up in your chair and swung your legs over.

Nile clearly disagreed. “No man left behind.”

“There’s always a first time. He’s nothing but a traitor. That’s–” Joe, from across the room, was just as mad as you were. Andy stopped him, but you met his eyes and gave him a grateful smile as you stepped off the bed for the first time in hours.

“Stop! This is not the time for it,” Andy started, “We don’t get a say in when it ends. We never have. But we can control how we live. And to be honest, Book, you and I, we’ve been doing a shit job of it. Now, get up. Let’s go.” She looked over at you. “I know you wanna leave him here, and I get it. But we need all hands on deck right now. We stop Merrick here and now or he never stops coming after us, and we can only do that if we work together. Betrayal or not, we work better as a team. And you two work better with each other than you do alone.”

With a sigh, Booker reached over and undid the restraints that Nile hadn’t gotten to. He stood up from his chair and walked over to join the rest of you.

“I’ve got your back,” Booker said softly, directly to you.

You looked up at him with narrowed eyes. You hadn’t wanted to see it before, but the regret in them was clear. And if Andy could forgive him – Andy, who had been shot and nearly killed by him – you could at least consider it. “Slightly regretfully, I’ve got yours.”

His lips quirked up into a small smile as Andy walked through the group of you with a “Let’s get this motherfucker.”

It meant something now that Booker had decided to fight alongside you instead of fighting against you. The team worked better when he was there. You all had your places. You all knew what to do and when to do it, and you hated to admit it but without Booker there, you had a feeling that things would have gone much worse. You felt safer with him by your side, somehow.

You were a team first and foremost. You all had each others backs. You all took down Merrick’s men with bullets, with punches, with kicks and with each other.

Booker had your back, and you had his. He’d take a bullet for you, and you would take one for him. That was the answer to your question back in Copley’s house. You’d asked him if he still loved you, and you’d cut him off before he could answer. But when he stepped in front of you to block you from a bullet that he knew wouldn’t hurt you, when he took the kill shot in your place, you knew.

Booker had never stopped loving you.

You were still by his side when he woke up, and it was you that helped him stand again. It was you that suddenly didn’t want to let go of his hand, despite how much he’d hurt you. Because you’d never stopped loving him either.

Andy, Nicky, Joe and Nile all sat inside the pub discussing what to do with Booker after his betrayal. You’d sat alongside them for several minutes before your eyes kept being drawn to Booker, stood outside and looking out over the water, drink in hand.

Wordlessly, you’d excused yourself from the table and gone out to join him. Things weren’t looking good inside, and part of you didn’t want to hear the answer.

Booker looked up as you leant on the railing beside him.   It had been the first time you’d been alone with him since his betrayal. He fixed you with a tight lipped smile and then took a drink. “Come to tell me the bad news?”

“No,” you shook your head. “They haven’t made a decision yet. I don’t– I don’t want to be there when they do.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I would have thought you’d be the first one to kick me out.”

“I thought so, too,” you chuckled a little. “Guess not.”

Silence fell between you. A breeze ran over the balcony, cool from the water. You both had no idea what to say to him, and too many things to say to him.

He beat you to it.

“I should have told you,” he said quietly, staring out over the water. “I should have told you about everything.”

“You shouldn’t have betrayed us in the first place.”

“I know. I knew that the second I decided to do it. I knew that the second I saw the way you looked at me in Copley’s house. I’ve– I’ve only ever seen love in your eyes. And that look?” Booker shook his head. “That was the moment I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life. That look in your eyes. I– that look was what broke me.”

You knew, then, why he was refusing to look at you. He worried he’d see that same look in your eyes now.

“Why’d you do it, Book? I know what you said in Copley’s house but… why? Was I not enough for you?”

Booker immediately shook his head. “Were you– no, God, no. You were more than enough. You are. I just… haven’t you ever just wanted to live? To just exist for the time you’re meant to exist for. To have your allotted time on earth and not go any further?”

“Of course I have, Book. But–”

“I wanted – I want – to live with you. To have a normal life with you without worrying about the next thousand years. To not have to worry about you dying out of the blue on me. To have that the time we’d have left together confirmed by age or life or illness. That was why I did it. Because I didn’t want to lose you. But I did that anyway. By doing all of this, I lost you anyway. And I’ll come to terms with that eventually.” He shrugged a shoulder and then took another drink. “I will come to terms with the fact that you hate me.”

Tears had sprung to your eyes while he spoke, and you tried to frantically blink them away. He had no reason to think that you didn’t hate him. And you wanted to hate him. God… you wanted to hate him. But every time you thought about him now all you could see was how he’d thrown himself in front of you in Merrick’s lab. How he’d taken that bullet for you. How he’d died so you wouldn’t.

You sniffed, and Booker looked at you.

“You– shit, I’m sorry–” He winced upon seeing your tears. “I don’t– I don’t have a tissue. Let me go and get–”

You reached out an arm and stopped him. Confusion was clear in his eyes as he looked down at you, but you knew it wasn’t hate he saw in your eyes. He had no reason to be fearful of that.

“I don’t hate you, Booker,” you said softly. “I wish I hated you. That would make things so much easier. But somehow I still love you. I mean – how could I ever hate someone who’d die to save me? That’d– that’d be bizarre.”

“You… still love me?” His voice was quiet.

“Whatever they decide in there,” you nodded towards the window where the other four were sat. “I’m with you.  Whether they decide to send you away, whether they just forgive and forget. I’m with you. You and me, together. We’re unbeatable. We always have been. We can go against all odds and come out on top. I truly believe that.”

Booker looked as though he was on the edge of tears.

Before you lost your nerve, you wrapped your arms around him and pulled him into a hug. He hugged you back without hesitation, holding you close to his chest. His lips pressed against the top of your head.

“I never meant to hurt you. You need to know that.”

“I know, Book. I know.”

“And I still love you. I think you know that. But I want you to hear me say that I love you. I never want you to doubt it again,” he spoke. “Like you said… this is the hand that life’s dealt me. And I don’t want to take it for granted. Not for one more second.”

[even-after-a-millennia]

my home from long ago

I finally wrote a fic with Lykon in it!  Well, sort of.  (Trigger warning for nonconsensual drug use)

Summary: When The Old Guard tries to apprehend a group who stole hallucinogens, Andy and Quynh are exposed and see part of their family who has been long lost to them.

The fic is below or over on my ao3 here.

“I want it put down for the record what a bad idea I think it is that you guys take this job,” Copley Two said the moment that the video call started.  His real name was Callum, but as he had taken over for Copley after his retirement, he bore the nickname with grace.

“Noted,” Andy said drily.  “What are the details?”

Callum sighed, but began reading his notes.  “According to a friend of mine over at MI6, there is a scientist that is working on an interactive, virtual reality experience that allows the user to interact with people they have lost, in order to be able to start the healing process and move on.  It pairs VR with a cocktail of aerosol hallucinogens to allow the user to be truly immersed.”  He looked up at the screen for a moment.  “Anyone else wondering how the hell they even got cleared to do this?”

“We can focus on that later.  C’mon, CT, where do we come in?” Nile asked.

“Right.  Well, last Thursday, the lab was broken into and most of the hallucinogens were stolen.  The scientist is worried that the people who stole it are planning to use it as a torture device, manipulating the hallucinogenic effects to induce mental torture.  We need you to retrieve the hallucinogens and destroy any replications that have been created.  If you can capture rather than kill those responsible, it would be appreciated.”

He paused and set down his notebook.  “Given your backgrounds, I feel the need to caution you before you agree to take this job.  Should you get into a situation where the hallucinogens are released and you are caught up in the simulation, you all have more than enough trauma between you to devastate your minds.  Please think carefully before making your decision.”

Andy reached out and took Quynh’s hand.  They exchanged a look, then nodded.

“We can do it.”

Nicky and Joe nodded.

They turned to Booker and Nile, the only two that hadn’t spoken up.

“I would be lying if I didn’t say I really don’t want to be exposed to that gas,” Nile said.  She was still reeling from the death of her mother, only three years prior.

“Myself as well,” Booker said.  “I feel it could trigger old wounds.”

“However,” Nile said, straightening her shoulders, “there are other people out there who have also been who hell, who need to be saved from being exposed to that.  So.  I’m in.”

Booker sighed, then nodded.

Andy turned to Copley Two.  “Where do we need to go?”

____________________________________

Once Callum found where the thieves were hiding, it was easy to come up with a plan.  Nicky would be at the ready with his rifle, Joe as his spotter.  Nile, Booker, Andy, and Quynh would infiltrate the building and destroy any samples they came across.  If possible, they would go with nonlethal options for capture, unless that was no longer an option.

“Any signs of life from your end, Nicky?” Nile asked as they made their way through the warehouse.  Her voice was muffled behind the gas mask Callum had forced them all to wear.  He wasn’t sure if it would do anything against the hallucinogen, given that they knew very little about it, but it “helped calm his heart, which you all put through too much already,” according to him.

“There’s activity on the west side of the building, third floor,” came the response through their comms.

“Alright, Quynh with me to the third floor.  Booker, Nile, scan the bottom floors for any sign of the hallucinogen or a lab.  Nicky, Joe, watch our backs,” Andy ordered.

They split up.

Andy kept scanning their surroundings as they ascended, but there was no sign that people were in the building.  They kept going, Quynh a step behind her, her favorite handgun at the ready.  She was proficient with a gun as she was with a bow and arrow.  Andy gave her a small smile during her next scan, one that Quynh quickly returned.

They walked down the walkway towards the room Nicky had seen movement.  They each took a side of the closed door.  Quynh nodded, and Andy took a step back, then kicked the door in.  They rushed inside.

Only to see four people clearly out of their minds on the hallucinogens.  It was thick in the air and blurred Andy’s vision through her protective goggles.  Again, Copley Two’s idea.

“Arianna!  You’re here!” one of the people said, looking at Andy.

She raised an eyebrow.  Given she hadn’t ever been called Arianna, even throughout the course of her very long life, it was safe to assume that whoever the man was seeing wasn’t actually Andy.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, coming closer.

Andy went on alert, especially as another person turned to them.

“Adam, oh my god, it’s you!” the woman sobbed.  She ran up to Quynh and threw her arms around her.

She looked at Andy, who shrugged.

“We’ve got four people, all high as fuck.  Shouldn’t be too difficult to-”

“I’ve missed you so much,” the man said, and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against Andy’s.  He pulled back, and for a moment, Andy saw his eyes clear.  Then they narrowed and, before Andy could stop him, reached up and pulled on the gas mask.  It didn’t move much, but the break in the seal let the gas in.

It sat heavily on Andy’s tongue.

“Motherfu-” Andy managed before she felt the tug on her subconscious.  She elbowed the guy in the nose, knocking him unconscious.  She turned, ready to push Quynh out of the door.  It might be too late for Andy to not feel the effects, but Quynh hadn’t been exposed yet, she hadn’t-

Shit.

The woman in front of Quynh had gone in to kiss her, pulling her head in with grasping hands.  Her head hit against the mask as she pulled Quynh in and the combination of gestures broke the seal on Quynh’s mask too.

Andy knocked the woman back and grabbed Quynh’s arm, trying to ignore the things she was starting to see out of the corner of her eyes.

“C’mon we’ve gotta go, Quynh, come on!”

But Quynh wasn’t looking at Andy.  She was staring at something in front of her, someone who made her look full of joy and loss all at once.

Andy knew, before she even turned to look, who would be standing there.  But she couldn’t resist.

“Lykon…” Quynh said, rushing forward and jumping into the arms of her old friend.

“Hello, my beautiful sister,” Lykon said, hugging her back.  Quynh was sobbing into his shoulder as he looked up and gave Andromache the brilliant smile that she hadn’t seen in over a thousand years.

“Andromache.  I’ve missed you.”

“Andy, Quynh, come in!  Can you hear me?”

“Lykon,” Andy said, her voice choked.  “I am so sorry.  I didn’t have your back.”

“Andromache.”  The look he gave her was gentle but chiding.  “How could you have known?  You, the oldest of us, had no idea our immortality was finite.”

“But why you?!” she burst out.  It was the question that had haunted her since she had tried to hold Lykon’s stomach together as he bled out.  “You said, I am the oldest, I should have been the one to die, not you, Lykon.  Never you!”

Lykon whispered something into Quynh’s ear and she nodded, easing her hold on him.  She wiped her tears and held an arm open to her wife as Lykon did the same.

“Come, Andromache.  It has been far too long since I’ve held you,” Lykon said.

“I can’t,” Andy cried.  

“Why?”

Andy let out a shuddering breath.  “Because I don’t deserve it.”

“Andy! Quynh!  Nile, you have to get up there, I think-”

“Deserve what, Andromache?”

Andy couldn’t look at him as she said.  “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Lykon.  I don’t forgive myself.”

Quynh turned to Lykon.  “Much has happened since we lost you.  But we never forgot you.”

“I know.  Of course I know.”

Quynh swallowed.  “I would be lying if the loss of you didn’t feel like an unhealing wound.”

“I understand.  But I don’t want you to mistake grief with guilt.  They do not have to both exist.  Not in this,” Lykon said.  “It was my time.  The only grief I felt in that was to be parted from you.”

“I lost it,” Andy said suddenly, not looking at Lykon.  “My immortality.  And suddenly, all I wanted was to live.  I had my family, and we just added Nile, and then we got Quynh back.  But I also felt relief.  That finally, the universe was correcting the wrong.  Letting me be with you.  And then it came back.  And now I am more lost from you than ever.”

Lykon kissed Quynh’s forehead then let her go.  He walked up to Andy.  “Do I look lost to you?”

Andy finally let herself fully look at him.  He glowed with vitality and love and joy, all the things he exemplified in life, pouring out of him.  

“You look perfect.”

Lykon held out his arms.  “Please, Andromache?”

She let out a sob, then made her feet move forward.

Andromache the Scythian had had many homes throughout the years.  So many places, all blurred together.  It was only after she met Quynh that she let her home be found in people.  In Quynh.  In Lykon.  She hadn’t known how dangerous that was, until Lykon’s death.

Stepping into Lykon’s arms, Andy felt like she had come back to a long lost home for the first time in a millennium.

But there was something missing.

“Quynh,” she called.  “We need you.”

Her wife squeezed into the space between Andy’s right arm and Lykon’s left and they all pressed together, holding each other so tightly that it hurt.

And something that had been piercing Andy’s heart for so long that she hardly noticed it anymore unsheathed itself.

She felt relief.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Andy took a breath and her head cleared a bit.  Another and she realized she was only holding Quynh in her arms.  Another and she pulled her wife closer as she started to sob.

“Andy?  Quynh?  Do you copy?” Nile’s voice rang through the comms.

“Copy,” Andy said, her voice hoarse.  “Quynh’s a bit overwhelmed.  Nicky shot out the windows?”

“He did.  You alright, boss?” Joe asked.

“Give it a few minutes to clear, then come in with the restraints.  I think they wanted to use the hallucinogen for its intended purpose, not maliciously, but we still need to bring them in.  They hotboxed the room and are still pretty out of it.  I think we were only influenced a little,” Andy said, not answering the question.

“Will do.”

Andy turned back to her wife.

“We’re going to be alright, trái tim của em,” Andy whispered, running a hand gently up and down her back.  

Quynh nodded into her shoulder, then finally raised her head and wiped her eyes.  “It was just so nice to see him again,” she said tearfully.

Andy looked around the room and the people who were still in the midst of their hallucinations.  She saw all the different emotions possible, from devastation to happiness.  Then she buried her face into Quynh’s hair.

“I miss him, Quynh,” she admitted quietly.

“Of course you do, Andromache.  But missing him doesn’t have to be contingent on staying guilty.  He wouldn’t want that,” Quynh said.

“Yeah,” Andy said, remembering that relief she felt.  “I’m starting to get that.”

She leaned back, kissing Quynh on the forehead just like Lykon had done.  “Are you alright?”

She shrugged.  “I will be.  It was a beautiful dream, and now I must wake.”

For now, that would have to be enough.  Later, Andy would take care of Quynh, help her through the emotional upheaval of seeing their long dead brother in arms.  Later, Andy would tell Nile and the others stories of Lykon, his kindness, his light, his talent for storytelling.  Later, she might even forgive herself.

But for now, Andy held Quynh until the air had cleared and their family came for them.

Translations: trái tim của em - my heart

[andrebearakovsky]

This Week in Caps: Week 13

Welcome to This Week in Caps, a weekly newsletter where I recap everything important that’s been going on in the world of the Washington Capitals this past week.

This Week’s Games

12/27/18 vs Carolina Hurricanes, W 3-1

The Caps came back for their first game after the holiday break with a divisional home matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Tyler Lewington was officially recalled from his paper transaction (and would sit the bench), and everyone else was back from vacation and ready to get back into hockey.

The game got off to a rather slow start, and as a result it was a rather boring first period. The Caps got a power play 1:50 into the game, and the Canes had a total of three power plays in the period, but no goals came of it, and nothing happened in the first.

The action really got started in the second. About three minutes into the front, the Canes lost control of the puck right in front of their own net and it slid right to Chandler Stephenson, who fired it home for a 1-0 Caps lead. A few minutes later, the Canes got themselves into a sticky situation. Rookie Andrei Svechnikov took a penalty, which the Canes killed off, but as he was exiting the box the puck went right past his feet and he played the puck from inside the penalty box, which is a no-no, and he went right back to the box for another penalty. Nothing came of either power play, but an oddity that’s not seen too often. However, the Canes got themselves in trouble with just a few minutes left in the period when they took another penalty, and that time it hurt them. John Carlson’s power play shot deflected off the stick of T.J. Oshie, who scored to give the Caps a 2-0 lead with less than two minutes left in the second.

Scary moment about halfway through the third period — Matt Niskanen got into a collision with Justin Williams and Clark Bishop, and they slid into the boards and Niskanen hit his head/neck/chest area and was down, and it did not look good. However, he was eventually able to get up and leave under his own power. He did not return for the rest of the game.

The Canes did get themselves back in the game — just a few minutes after the injury, Micheal Ferland got loose on a breakaway, which Braden Holtby saved, but Sebastian Aho buried the rebound to make it 3-1. The Canes came furiously for the rest of the period, even getting a late power play, but they did not score, and Carlson scored a late empty-netter to seal the 3-1 win for the Caps. The Caps had the shots advantage 33-29 and the faceoff advantage at 55.0%. The Caps converted on 1/4 of their power play chances, and the Hurricanes converted on 0/4 of theirs. Holtby saved 28/29 shots.

Both teams looked a little sleepy coming off their holiday breaks, but the Caps did good to outshoot the team with the most shots per game in the league. Hopefully Niskanen will have a speedy recovery, and the Caps defense will need to step up in his absence.

12/29/18 @ Ottawa Senators, W 3-2

The Caps returned to Ottawa for the second time in a week to take on the Senators yet again. There was a shuffling of defense to account for the absence of an injured Matt Niskanen — Madison Bowey was bumped up to the second pairing with Dmitry Orlov, and Tyler Lewington was slotted into the lineup paired with Jonas Siegenthaler, playing his second NHL game in the same building he made his NHL debut. Pheonix Copley would again get the start in the same building he recorded his first NHL shutout.

Seven minutes into the first period, Evgeny Kuznetsov drove into the zone and passed the puck to Tom Wilson in front, who tapped it in for a 1-0 Caps lead. Lewington got the secondary assist on the play, giving him his first NHL point. Later in the period, he followed it up with something better. Nicklas Backstrom gave him a drop pass and he cut up the middle and fired it into the back of the net, scoring his first NHL goal and making it 2-0 Caps.

The night of firsts would continue early in the second period. Just a minute into the frame, Bowey fired the puck from the point and finally, finally scored his first NHL goal. 3-0 Caps. Then things started to go off the rails just a tiny bit for the Caps. Three minutes later, Colin White stuffed the puck under Copley’s pads to get Ottawa on the board, 3-1. Seconds later, Bowey got into a scrap with Brady Tkachuk, and they both went off with a multitude of penalty minutes and no power play on either side. Then with just four minutes left in the period, Lewington and Zack Smith dropped the gloves and got into a hefty tussle, giving Lewington a Gordie Howe hat trick in his second NHL game.

The Senators controlled most of the third period play, and they cashed in for another goal late in the frame, with Mark Stone on the quick trigger in the slot, making it 3-2. But the Caps held strong and didn’t let anything else pass, and they would win by that score.

The Caps were outshot 33-24 and had the faceoff disadvantage at 42.9%. They did not have any power play chances, and the Senators went 0/1 on their one chance. Copley saved 31/33 shots.

In a night the defense had to step up, they went above and beyond with a night full of firsts. They had a Gordie Howe hat trick, which hasn’t been done by a Cap since 2011, and not by a Caps defenseman since 1991. In fact, there was actually a chance for three different Caps to get the Gordie Howe. Bowey was an assist shy, and Wilson was a fight shy.

Current record: 24-10-3

What’s Going on in the World of the Caps

Ovi Named Metropolitan Division Captain

On December 27 it was announced that Alex Ovechkin had won the fan vote and was named Captain of the Metropolitan Division for the 2019 All-Star Game in San Jose. This is Ovechkin’s 10th all-star nomination (and 8th appearance), and his second consecutive year captaining the division. The remaining divisions will be captained by Auston Matthews (Atlantic), Nathan MacKinnon (Central), and Connor McDavid (Pacific); Ovechkin is at least ten years older than every single one of them, making him the old horse of the group. Ovechkin was humbled by the honor. (x)

Niskanen’s Scary Injury

During the third period on December 27 against the Hurricanes, Matt Niskanen was involved in a collision with Justin Williams and Clark Bishop, and he ended up crashing face-first into the boards. It was a scary collision, though he was eventually able to get up and leave under his own power. He did not return to the game, and was afterward declared day-to-day. He traveled with the team to Ottawa, but did not play in the next game. He is still day-to-day at this point, and will likely not play on Monday. (x)

Caps Prospects at World Juniors

There are three Capitals prospects participating in this year’s World Junior Championship, which started December 26 and will run until January 5. Alexander Alexeyev, for Russia, Martin Fehervary, for Slovakia, and Tobias Geisser, for Switzerland. All are defensemen, and Fehervary is captain of his respective team. (x)

First NHL Goals

It was a night of firsts in Ottawa — both Madison Bowey and Tyler Lewington scored their first career NHL goals in the same game. For Lewington, it was only his second career game. For Bowey, it has been a long, long time coming, and it was evident in the ensuing goal hug.This marked the first time in Caps franchise history and the 19th time in NHL history that two defensemen from same team score their first NHL goals in same game. Alex Ovechkin made sure to grab the puck for Lewington, Kuzy grabbed Bowey’s puck, and Tom Wilson made sure to properly prank the both of them. (x, x)

Other Miscellaneous Happenings

The Twelve Days of Capsmas

Orlov’s dancing at the Russian Christmas party

The Caps wishing you happy holidays — Vrana, Holtby, Bowey

Nicklas Backstrom and fiancee Liza tried to get each other the same gift

Fan cries after Ovi tosses her the puck

DSP’s inspiration

Vrana on the road trip (1, 2)

The Caps’ celebrity twins

Player of the Week

It took 78 games, 74 shots, and 441 days, but after all that waiting, Madison Bowey finally scored his first NHL goal on December 29 in Ottawa.. But I didn’t pick him just because I’m proud of him, he has been playing very well. He also scrapped in a fight that game, getting two-thirds of the way to a Gordie Howe hat trick, doing it all while being newly promoted to the second pairing. Bowey has looked very good recently, and he’s stepped up excellently in the absence of Brooks Orpik and Christian Djoos (and recently Matt Niskanen).

Social Media Post of the Week

[Video link here]

Tom Wilson resumed his role as prankster and gave the customary stuff-to-the-face after scoring a first NHL goal — in this video, he delivers both a shake to the hat of Madison Bowey, and shaving scream to the face of Tyler Lewington.

Stars of the Night Season Leaderboard

Over the course of the season, I will be keeping track of the Caps stars of the night, translating them into points, and organizing them into a leaderboard.

1st star = 5 pts, 2nd star = 3 pts, 3rd star = 1 pt

1. Ovechkin — 38 2. Holtby — 37 3. Backstrom — 19 4. Kuznetsov — 17 5. Carlson — 16 6. Wilson — 13 T-7. Burakovsky — 11 T-7. Copley — 11 T-9. Connolly — 6 T-9. Kempny — 6 T-11. Lewington — 5 T-11. Orlov — 5 13. Oshie — 4 T-14. Niskanen — 3 T-14. Smith-Pelly — 3 T-16. Boyd — 2 T-16. Eller — 2 T-16. Vrana — 2 19. Stephenson — 1

Achieved and Upcoming Milestones

Tyler Lewington recorded his first NHL point (assist), goal, and fight, tallying a Gordie Howe hat trick in his second NHL game on 12/29/18 at the Ottawa Senators

Madison Bowey recorded his first NHL goal on 12/19/18 at the Ottawa Senators

Nicklas Backstrom is 1 power play goal away from taking sole possession of 5th in Caps history in power play goals

John Carlson is 2 power play goals away from being tied for 7th in Caps history in power play goals among defensemen (25)

Evgeny Kuznetsov is 2 points away from 300 career NHL points

T.J. Oshie is 2 goals away from 200 career NHL goals

Jonas Siegenthaler is searching for his first NHL goal

Next Week’s Upcoming Games

12/31/18 vs Nashville Predators (12:30 PM) 01/03/19 @ St. Louis Blues (8 PM) 01/04/19 @ Dallas Stars (8 PM) 01/06/19 @ Detroit Red Wings (5 PM)