#hermit-a-day march

[hermitadaymay]

Man, if I knew this was happening in May, I wouldn't have done my own version of this in March! Wishing you guys the best of luck, and enjoy the hermitting!!!

IT WAS YOU

I SAW YOU IN THE AO3 TAG AND I WAS SO PERPLEXED

LIKE “is somebody stealing my bit??? like it doesn’t matter but what???”

anyway hats off to you for doing it all, even if it was in the wrong month LOL

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[realnielsbohr]

im so excited for college im going to do fuck all

[waterfall-ambience]

please tell me if i’m totally wrong about this, but somehow i think i might’ve coined the term ‘hermitclone’?

[loud-whistling-yes]

All i know is the Season 9 of Hermitcraft, hc x dsmp crossover and Tilly do us apart. The rest you mention is foreign to me. So yeah and also I agreed that no person should see the entirety of dsmp history. Like damn... many things have occur in a short period of time?!

Glad you've asked! Here is a list of things part of mcyt history that has happened in the last 4 years:

Hermitcraft season 7 will be 4 years old in a month (February 2020)

The dsmp will be 4 too in a few months (April 2020)

Dream SMP War by Sadist, the video that caused one of the largest surges of popularity for the dsmp, turns 4 in August

Doomsday celebrated it's 3rd anniversary about a week ago (6th January 2021)

Yes. Almost ALL of the dsmp story up to that point happened within the span of about 5 months. From the VERY BEGINNING OF THE DISC SAGA TO THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF LMANBURG. It all took place from July to early January. What the fuck.

3rd life will be turning 3 in April (April 2021)

Penismp turns 3 in May. I cannot stress this enough. Remember the fake smp that predated goncharov BY A FUCKING YEAR AND A HALF and trended 3rd on Tumblr for 2 days straight??? That was almost 3 years ago now.

The surge of popularity for Passerine happens around May of 2021, following Sadist's animation Sunsprite's Eulogy

Empires season 1 will be 3 years old in June

Hermitcraft season 8 will also be 3 in June (exactly one week apart! Esmp started on 12th June while hcs8 started on the 19th)

Yes, you heard it right, the life series and empires predate season 8! Pearl and Gem became hermits roughly a week AFTER the cactus ring.

June 2021 is ALSO the month where MCC Pride 2021 took place. Y'know, the one with Wilbur's office on fire and technoblade getting nicknamed Tech by grian. THIS IS ALSO turning 3 this year. June 2021 was a wild month.

Techno's escape from prison will be 3 years old this year too. September fucking 2021. It's been 3 years since this happened.

The canary's curse has been a concept in the fandom for a little over 2 years now, following jimmy's final death in last life (early November 2021)

Moon Big also occurred around this time frame, which means it's turning 3 this year!

Mangoball becomes a dsmp fandom staple around early December 2021

The 2 year anniversary of @/chrisrin's curses last life animation is in 2 days! (16th January 2022)

Following the end of empires season 1, hermitcraft season 8 and the lore drought of the dsmp, this is where the big Content Drought of 2022 happens. This is where dreamempirescraft became a thing. This is also where that drawing came from.

Hermitcraft season 9 will also be 2 soon (March 2022). Longest season, everyone.

Double life is currently a year and a half old! (June 2022) Every mention of tilly, pearl being the devil, the scarlet pearl, something wicked this way comes, ALL of it, came from a year and a half ago

Yes, this means that season 9 saw the beginning and end of not one, not two, but THREE seasons of the life series. Longest season, everyone.

Speaking of longest season, anyone remember the esmp crossover? This will also turn 2 this year (November 2022)

Qsmp is about to turn a year old soon! This is less of a fact to make you feel old but a fact that makes you think "ALL THAT IN LESS THAN A YEAR?????", and you'd be right! What the fuck! How did this all happen in less than a year!

[theminecraftbee]

alright, so I’m gonna pass out and PROBABLY be asleep for when the vote rolls over unless I set an alarm. so, let me make one last propaganda post, this time of a different ilk!

hi, I have heard the campaigning or seen his posts and am curious. who’s joe hills and how do I watch him?

hi and welcome! whether you be an ally or an enemy or anything else, I hope you stick around after the voting is done! joe hills is a very cool guy and I hope you like watching him. he’s one of the hermitcraft creators, described as the “original new guy”, as he was the first new hermit added in season one. he’s been here for that decade since! joe was added to be a “wild card” and plays that role well, often having a reputation for doing weird things. when it comes to his in-game build style, he’s a big fan of scale models of things, as well as helping out on any and all community projects!

joe’s hermitcraft videos tend to be much lower-key than some of the others, normally with minimal-to-no music. they’re largely recorded on stream, though they’re edited in such a way that they don’t feel like stream clips, but more like “he uses his stream to film video clips”. he enjoys wordplay, intentionally taking storylines and ideas in unintended directions, and marching to the beat of his own drum. if you’re used to the pacing of people like grian (or, for that matter, a dsmp stream), joe’s style can take time to get used to, but if you miss the lower-key days of let’s plays, he’s a great option for exactly that!

this season, he’s making a giant model pinball machine for his megabase! it has pixel art of the jwst deep field on it, and will have scale recreations of pinball parts inside. he also participated in the king ren storyline, has built elvira’s house of horrors (and changed the landscaping to match the seasons twice), and participated in the crossover! give it a shot!

joe streams five nights a week, with his days off being tuesday and wednesday. his usual stream start time is 9:30 PM EST. however, he usually has an afternoon hhh bonus stream on mondays (around 2 EST), a morning crafting stream on wednesdays with cleo (around 9:30 AM EST), and recently, a thursday morning bonus stream with his sister, quinn hills, a musician (also around 9:30 AM EST). he also does other bonus streams depending on the day and his energy. as you may be able to see from this schedule, he’s streaming like, all the time, so feel free to stop in! he streams simultaneously on twitch and youtube, so choose whichever platform is easiest.

joe hills streams are of basically whatever he needs to do on hermitcraft; they can best be described as “hermitcraft behind the scenes”. they’re also weird but in a specific, ritualistic way. his face camera will get bigger and more transparent for every 20 dollars in tips. the first time this happens it can be disconcerting but you do adjust pretty quickly, and it’s part of the charm to me! additionally, he has specific songs he plays during his streams, from the album he and his sibling made! they’re often parody songs, but there are also several original ones, and they’re all original lyrics and recordings. you’ll hear “lay your head down and dream” specifically after the first two songs while he’s setting up; that’s effectively his nightly stream’s theme song. you’ll also hear the songs during hydration breaks.

if anything you’ve seen us say about joe intrigues you, I strongly recommend you give him a shot! I’d recommend either a nightly stream to get the sense of the “average joe hills content”, if you’re considering becoming a regular, or to check out his first episode from this season to get a good sense of what a joe hills episode looks like.

we’d love to have you around, whether you did the right thing and VOTE JOE HILLS or not! but, uh, still vote for him. for me, okay?

[the-s1lly-corner]

Eyeless Jack x Reader: wedding 🤍

Eyeless Jack x reader but its their wedding

Ooouuugh so sleepy I need to time my showers later kn the day since my body wash is lavender + the heat gets to me

Hey you, Readers! Do you want to possibly win a raffle for customized posts with your favorite characters and your ocs? You can enter through the link in my pinned before march 27th!

Honestly... Jack might not be a fan of marriage, for multiple reasons actually

The big one is that he already feels like you deserve better than him, how many people are willing to settle with some dude who has to eat flesh to live? Not to mention he's got a sour attitude

... dont answer that..

On top of that he just... never really got the hype around weddings. So what? they're a party and a relationship is now valid in the eyes of the law- which jack doesnt even abide by in the first place-

You dont need a ring or certificate to be committed, that's how jack sees it at least

But he might do something small to satisfy you if it means a lot to you

There likely wont be any attendees given the fact Jack is a hermit and you probably wont be able to get away with having your loved ones attend

Jeez... how would you even explain that one? "Oh hey I'm dating that one person who's currently wanted for slaughtering an entire group of college students! Oh by the way he eats human flesh and-" yeah no...

It's small, too.. but at least he tries to find you a ring.. and if he cant then... he tries to find a replacement- some other piece of jewelry or something that you can keep on you

If he had the means he'd definitely make a ring, I enjoy the headcanon that hes into crafting stuff

[earthtoharlow]

Teach Me

3) March

MASTERLIST

Ariel stood on her tippy toes to count all the kids in front of her. Today the first grade classes were going on their very first field trip to the aquarium. Looking down at her list she noticed there were a couple students who hadn't arrived yet, noticeably, Jayla Harlow.

Since Valentine’s Day, Jack and Ariel’s text conversations turned into long phone conversations after Jack would put Jayla to bed, she enjoyed hearing about how Jack struggled getting Jayla ready for bed, or how Jayla wouldn’t eat all her vegetables at dinner.

Ariel loved hearing these small details Jack tells her about his life. She always made mental notes about Jayla’s likes and dislikes, while being her teacher she knows Jayla well but it was different when hearing Jack talk about her. Jack’s life ended and began with Jayla, he talked about his daughter like she hung the moon.

Despite sharing all these small tibbetts about their home life, Jack never brought up Jayla’s mom. Jayla was a beautiful young girl, so she imagined her mother to be just as beautiful. Someone with kind brown eyes and a sweet smile, just like Jayla. Ariel could never quite bring herself to ask him.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard her name being called. Turning around she saw Nova Wyatt’s father holding Jayla’s hands as they walked towards her. When they got closer, Jayla immediately ran to give Ariel a hug.

Bending down so they were at the same height, Ariel wrapped her arms around Jayla giving her a tight squeeze. She could notice that Jayla wasn’t in a good mood. Letting go, she stood up to greet Mr. Wyatt

“Hello, Mr. Wyatt, it's nice to see you again.” holding out her hand for him to shake

“Call me Urban.” Urban said as he shook her hand.

Urban leaned in closer so he could whisper. “I just wanted to let you know that Jayla is kinda upset this morning because Jack couldn’t make it today to come on the field trip with her.”

Ariel nodded before glancing at Jayla who was talking to her other classmates. She knew how excited Jayla was when Jack signed up to come with her, this would mark the second time Jack hasn’t shown up for Jayla.

Ariel was still watching Jayla with a small frown when Urban spoke again. “I don’t know if he’s mentioned it to you, knowing him probably not, but Jack hasn’t been the same since Alyssa passed away a few years ago. He’s become such a hermit, I don’t think he realizes how much it’s affecting Jayla.”

She wanted to ask him more about Alyssa but knew now wasn’t the right time or place to ask. Besides, she would rather hear it from Jack himself. Taking her eyes off Jayla she turned back towards Urban.

“Thank you for letting me know, don’t worry. I’ll be with Jayla all day, making sure she’s okay.”

“Thanks, I’d really appreciate it…” Urban paused before speaking again “Jack would too” he said, giving Ariel a smirk. She could feel her face getting warm.

“Yeah, well it was nice seeing you again Urban. I have to finish checking in all the students.” Ariel said and quickly turned away.

Urban laughed under his breath before leaving.

***

Ariel stood up in her seat as the school bus came to a stop in front of the aquarium. The noise on the bus got louder as the kids got excited looking out the windows.

She raised one hand in the air and one finger to her lips.

“Chicka, Chicka!”

She watched as the kids immediately sat and quieted down.

“Boom, Boom!” They all yelled out.

“Great job! We’re going to exit the bus with no pushing and shoving. Once you get outside, we’re going to line up quietly next to Mrs. Swan’s class.”

She watched as the class nodded excitedly, not being able to keep still in their seats on the bus. One by one each student exited the bus and quietly lined up. Jayla being the last one to get off. After double checking to make sure the bus was empty, Ariel quickly pulled out her phone to message Jack.

“Not going to lie, I’m disappointed you didn’t show up today, but not as much as Jayla is.” She hesitated for a moment before pressing send. She knew Jack didn’t want to disappoint or upset Jayla but she sees the change in Jayla's mood when Jack doesn’t show up. Ariel cared about Jayla a lot and hated seeing her upset.

She sighed when she noticed that Jack immediately opened it and left her on read.

***

Ariel was sitting at a nearby table eating her packed lunch as the students ate their own when Jayla plopped down next to her.

Looking up, she greeted one of her favorite students. “Hi, Jayla! Have you finished eating?” She asked her

She watched as Jayla sighed and pushed the curls that were falling in front of her face back with her hand before replying.

“I guess so, I love my uncle Urby but he’s bad at packing lunches…” Jayla said with a pout.

Ariel tried to hold back her laughter before nodding her head before reaching into her bag and grabbing the half of her turkey sandwich she didn't eat.

“Well, I didn’t eat half of my sandwich, do you want it?”

Jayla immediately nodded her head and grabbed the sandwich, biting into it. “MHM, so much better than uncle urby’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!”

The two continued to eat while chatting about all the different animals they saw today.

“Miss Love! Did you see the fish that looked like Nemo?!” Jayla asked excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

“Sure did, and I even noticed one that looked like Dory!” Ariel watched as Jayla’s eyes widened in shock

“Woah, that’s so cool!”

Jayla paused for a beat before speaking again. “I wish Daddy was here to see it.”

Ariel could see Jayla was getting upset and pulled her into a hug. “I know, I bet he wishes he could be here even more. We’re going to see the seahorses next, so when you get home you can make dad super jealous!”

She could tell that Jayla was so upset after she pulled away from the hug. “C’mon, let’s throw away our trash.” Ariel said, grabbing Jayla’s hand.

“I heard that seahorses are your dads favorite!” Ariel said, trying to get Jayla excited.

Jayla covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled. “Yeah! Daddy said in the past he thinks he was a seahorse!!”

Ariel laughs along with her. “Oh how silly!”

***

Jack didn’t want to admit it but seeing Ariel message this morning about missing Jayla’s trip, hurt. The last thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint his daughter. After Alyssa's death, being around large groups of people gave him anxiety. Which was almost hard to believe when he used to perform in front of sold out shows.

He found himself at the Louisville Aquarium, Jack knew he looked ridiculous in his all black outfit but he didn’t care. He was quite proud of himself for making it out of the house.

Jack walked around the aquarium for a bit before finding Jayla’s class. He watched as the students listened to the guide tell them facts about all the seahorses in the water, but then he focused on his two favorite people. His blue eyes fixed on the way her jeans hugged her hips and the way her hair was pulled up in a perfect bun. Jayla stood not too far from her teacher.

Ariel and Jack had been talking ever since Valentine’s Day. He would call her after he put Jayla in bed for the night. The feelings he was starting to feel for Jayla’s teacher scared him. He went on a couple dates a year after Alyssa passed but always ended up leaving the date early, or finding excuses to reschedule the date and eventually the women just stopped calling.

For some reason, he didn’t feel the need to run with Ariel, and that scared him even more.

He continued to watch from afar waiting for the perfect time to make his presence known. He found the window when the guide motioned the kids to follow her to the next exhibit. Ariel was a few feet behind them still watching the seahorse. Jack walked up beside her, and started watching the seahorses as well. He could see Ariel side eye him before turning her attention back towards the glass.

Jack cleared his throat before speaking. “Did you know that male Seahorses are the ones who give birth and not the females?”

He wanted to laugh at the way Ariel snapped her head towards him.

“What?”

“The guy seahorse delivers the baby, that’s my whole vibe. I wish I could deliver my own kids.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s really…” she stopped talking when she got a good look at him. All Jack could do was smirk.

“Jack?!”

“Hey” Jack said with a charming grin

Ariel was shocked and then looked at him up and down, checking out his outfit.

“I’m really happy you’re here, but can I ask you a quick question?” Ariel asked him with her own grin spreading across her face.

Jack nodded for her to go ahead.

“What is that bonnet supposed to be protecting?”

Jack laughed, before bringing his hands up to touch the top of his bonnet.

“Hey! I have curly hair!”

“Ok fair, but it looks like a chef's hat on you.”

Ariel laughed at the pout on Jack’s face.

“But seriously, I’m really happy you’re here. Jayla will be too. She really wanted you here today.”

Jack nodded., frown spreading across his face “I’m really sorry about today, and the last few months honestly.”

Ariel shook her head at his apology. “You don’t have to say sorry to me or even explain yourself. Jayla deserves one more.” Nodding her head towards Jayla who was doing a scavenger hunt with the class.

He nodded in agreement before touching her arm, ignoring the small spark he felt and walked over to Jayla.

Ariel watched with a wide smile as Jack got Jayla’s attention. She squealed in excitement at the sight of her father, jumping onto his arms. When Jack picked her up, she reached out and grabbed his face with both hands trying to tell him about her day all in one breath.

She couldn't help but laugh when she saw Jayla tugging on his bonnet, trying to get it off.

Jayla then turned her attention to Ariel.

“Miss Love!” She yelled out waving her over.

Not wasting any time, Ariel walked over to join them. Happy to see the smile back on Jayla’s face.

***

AN: I love this chapter a lot! Please let me know your thoughts, and as always thank you for reading! 🫶

Tag List:

(message me if you’d like to be added or removed)

@heavyhitterheaux @hoodharlow @neon-lights-and-glitter @babiefries @toocriticalharlow@mace23477@jackmans-poison@dstark-0706@harlowsbby@itsyagirljaz@leftapricotprofessorlover@laylasbunbunny@blossomluvv@comehomeimissyou@minkookie95@harlowcomehome@jackharloww

[tiny-sketchbook-daily]

the hermit coffee co

day 9, march 24 2024

[franklyautistic]

WrongPlanet.net, the largest autism forum, is in the midst of a hostile takeover

tl;dr: WrongPlanet’s owner got hacked and there are now no mods. Please signal boost this so that autistic people know the site is likely to be unsafe from now on.

I heard that Alex Plank, the absentee admin of WrongPlanet, had returned with a big announcement. 

Here it is:

Hey there, fellow Wrong Planeters! I know it's been an eternity since I last graced this forum with my presence. I apologize for my absence, but I come bearing an astonishing tale of woe and wonder. Brace yourselves, for I suffer from the most peculiar affliction known to mankind: "Chronic Update Blockage Disorder (and forgetting to change my password)." Yes, you read that right. For a decade now, I have been plagued by a condition that has kept me from updating Wrong Planet, ensuring that it remains untouched, like a relic preserved for future generations to marvel at. Imagine the monumental impact this has had on the state of the internet. Don't worry; I'll give you a moment to gather your thoughts. Now, you may be wondering how such an unusual ailment came to be. Well, let me enlighten you. It all began when I was innocently tinkering with some HTML code, trying to add a dancing unicorn GIF to my signature. Little did I know that this innocent act of digital mischief would lead to my tragic downfall. In a bizarre twist of fate, my fingers slipped on the keyboard, causing a cataclysmic error in the space-time continuum. A rift opened up, and Wrong Planet was sucked into a parallel dimension—an alternate reality where updating websites is a crime punishable by being forced to listen to dial-up modem noises on repeat for eternity. It's a dimension where webmasters are trapped in a perpetual loop of server errors and broken links. Oh, the horror! Ever since that fateful day, I have been caught in a cosmic limbo, unable to break free from the clutches of my disorder. Every time I attempt to update the site, my hands freeze, my eyes glaze over, and my mind is overrun with visions of cascading style sheets and merciless pop-up ads. It's like a digital possession straight out of a techno-horror movie. But fear not! I refuse to let this affliction define me. In my isolation, I have become a webmaster hermit, a guru of outdated HTML and obsolete plugins. I have attained a level of enlightenment that transcends the mere mortal realm of web development. My website, frozen in time, stands as a testament to my indomitable spirit and steadfast refusal to give in to the relentless march of progress. So, as I sit here in my digital dungeon, surrounded by stacks of floppy disks and a shrine dedicated to the ancient Netscape Navigator, I implore you all to cherish your ability to update your websites. Take a moment to appreciate the mundane task of uploading a new blog post or tweaking your site's layout, for it is a privilege denied to the unfortunate few, like me. In conclusion, I hope my tale of woe has brought a smile to your face, despite the tragic consequences it has had on my own online presence. Remember, life is unpredictable, and so are the pitfalls of the digital world. Cherish your ability to hit that "Publish" button, for you never know when it might be taken away from you, leaving you stranded in the abyss of chronic update blockage and forgetting to change my password that's been used for over 10 years. Yours humorously, The Eternally Unresponsive Webmaster Alex i come in peace

Now this is a weird post, right?

Some early commenters mentioned that this was weird - one accused “Alex” of being high - but most of them seemed to think it was just Alex being a bit goofy.

Then on page two, we have a post from The_Walrus, a long-serving moderator. Well, former moderator:

There is a >95% probability that it isn't the real Alex, and instead his account has been compromised. Firstly, Alex doesn't write like that. It just isn't his style. It's far too poetic. Alex is usually very direct and blunt. It's also self-deprecating in a way I do not associate with Alex. Additionally:

Quote:

Take a moment to appreciate the mundane task of uploading a new blog post or tweaking your site's layout, for it is a privilege denied to the unfortunate few, like me.

In conclusion, I hope my tale of woe has brought a smile to your face, despite the tragic consequences it has had on my own online presence. Remember, life is unpredictable, and so are the pitfalls of the digital world. Cherish your ability to hit that "Publish" button, for you never know when it might be taken away from you, leaving you stranded in the abyss of chronic update blockage and forgetting to change my password that's been used for over 10 years.

This is pretty much spelling it out - this individual has gained access to Alex's account. Alex's email address has been involved in 30 data breaches, according to https://haveibeenpwned.com/. Having failed to update his site for a long time, the "hacker" (using that word loosely) feels that Alex has forfeited the right to it.

Additionally, all moderators and admins (apart from Alex himself) have been stripped of their permissions.

This is obviously a regular WrongPlanet user, and I can make an educated guess as to who, but almost certainly isn't the real Alex.

To this, “Alex” responded “educate my balls, Cartman”.

It seems WrongPlanet is probably permanently compromised. It has always been a site that has serious issues with spammers, scammers, and passing trolls, but those issues are only likely to get worse now.

If you are on WrongPlanet mailing lists, be very suspicious of any emails you receive. They are likely to be scams or otherwise misleading.

Please signal boost this post as much as possible... @autie-j @asdcats @chavisory I’d be grateful if you could help get the word out however you feel appropriate.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 39- Seeing the Light

Summary: Jo's anxiety takes it's toll on her as she and Lee converse over new upsetting information. EMERGENCY. A race against time takes place. Lee gets a clue. He also gets a huge wake up call and asks someone important a very serious question.

*Warnings* language, angst, anxiety, graphic depictions

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

Chapter characters: Lee, Josie, Orlando, Britt, Angel, Margaret

Salem, Massachusetts

March 15, 2023

The smell of maple sausage and pancakes filled every crevice of the haunted house while a morning thunderstorm rumbled on. Lee was cooking Jacob's favorite breakfast food in hopes that it would draw him out again and it was a good way to try, for they say spirits are attracted to things that they loved and are familiar with, such as the house itself. It was the only home Jacob had ever known and you knew that was the reason Lee wanted to spend some time here, hoping to see him again.

You both spent the past two days once again being hermits, wanting to spend as much time as you could with each other before Lee went back to work at the start of next week because then, you wouldn't see as much of him and it was going to drive you bat shit crazy. You were going to have to learn all over again to readjust to the long hours of a doctor's schedule. Although Lee was happy to have his career back in full swing, he wasn't much for celebrating it after the incident with Mr. Carpenter. He truly did feel sorry for the grieving man considering he knew what is what like to lose a child but he certainly didn't feel bad for socking the mourning monster straight in the jaw for his uncalled perverted comment to you. For the time being, you and Lee both thought it best to remain desolate for awhile with so many crazy people on the loose and this time you chose to do so at the home he shared with Jacob...even still.

Lee had kept his promise to you and made sure Ethan couldn't contact him via phone by changing his numbers entirely, both mobile and landline and only those he trusted were permitted to have it. You didn't know what good it would really do though since Elizabeth and Cyrus both worked at the hospital and could easily access that information....and now Lee would have to deal with both of them almost on a daily basis. He had even contemplated changing hospitals but you convinced him to not let them run him out of a place he had invested so many years in and so much time to. Was that the right thing to do? You weren't sure anymore. Everything always seemed to be one step forward and two steps back.

You had spoken to Gerry. Victor was not improving and he feared the worst for the Greek tycoon. What would Gerry and his brother do with that big old mansion all to themselves? For they knew they would inherit it and all the forestry of acres that a small town could be built upon. Gerry didn't even live in the main house. He resided solo in the guest house on the lake that was damn near a fortress all in itself. Anywhere there was water, one would find Gerry for he was an avid surfer and damn good at it.

They certainly would never sell the place since it was a Kiriakis legacy dating back as far as a century or more and Vic would surely haunt them from the grave if they tried, or most likely hell considering his mile long list of sins. You certainly believed in the afterlife now because of Lee's experiences but it actually all started when you met Dave.

Dave was someone you considered quite special in that area. He had a secret that only you knew because he didn't exactly enjoy it, nor was it something easily believed or accepted, but he trusted you, knowing how open you were. Ever since he was a child, he could see spirits and even talk to them and it wasn't always a pleasant experience. It could be down right terrifying as he sometimes would suffer with sleep paralysis in his adolescent years. Dave would be the first to tell you that monsters were real. He never knew why it was happening to him and the older he got, the visits lessened which led him to believe it was just the typical phase of imaginary friends, but when it didn't cease in his adulthood years, he then knew he had a gift of clairvoyance, one he didn't ask for, nor want and working in a hospital where people died all the time didn't help the problem. He would never leave there though. He was too much like Lee, so compassionate and loving of what he did for others. Now, if you could only get him to talk with Lee about it and vice versa, but...it wasn't your place to tell either of their secrets. Except about Liz...if Dave didn't tell Britt, you would. It was for his own safety and Dave could be pissed at you all he wanted.

You had told Britt you wanted to speak to her soon after the whole Cyrus surprise, but now you were sort of avoiding it because after your almost slip up with Dave of mentioning Jason in the present tense, you feared you wouldn't be able to keep it from her of all people, the woman Jason loves and she does him. The more you thought about it all, the more pissed you became at your brother. Britt deserved to know he was alive. She was hurting so bad and you couldn't even imagine such a pain, for if something ever happened to Lee, it would tear your soul straight from your body. Hence, your dream. You couldn't shake it, the feeling of despair in the pit of your stomach. Ethan, Liz, Johnny, Cyrus, even Mr. Carpenter...they all walked about freely to do as they pleased. Sure, you had Jason, wherever the hell he was, and Gerry or Luke, even Craig to handle them if it came down to it but you didn't feel much relief in that because it wasn't like they were standing guard at your door 24/7. All these thoughts raced through your mind while Lee sat to read the morning paper.

"Lee...maybe...maybe Landy wouldn't mind if we stayed with him for awhile since Luke will be there until he finds his own place?" you asked as you both sat at the kitchen table eating a breakfast appetizer, consisting of Lee's favorite cereal...grape nuts.

His crunching stopped as he gave you a befuddled look.

"Ok? baby...why would you want to stay there?"

"I..I don't know. For some...extra security I suppose? I mean...Luke...he has a gun and..."

"Jo...sweetheart. What's going on? Why do you feel we need protection? Besides, Landy only has two bedrooms and...you don't like guns."

"I..I know I don't and with good reason but...I like you being alive more."

"My girl...Jo Jo...is this about your dream again?" he asked as he reached across the table and laid his hand upon yours.

"Some yes...and just everything else...everyONE else. Ethan is going to lose his shit when he realizes, if he hasn't already, that he can't contact you and that means he's going to start coming around. He tried to run us off the road for christ's sake. In broad daylight, so I can only imagine what he'll do now."

"Baby, you wanted me to do something and I did. What else can I do? A civil protection order? It's a piece of paper with NO protection and there's no proof of anything he did except make a few unwanted phone calls to even get one granted. Ethan lives to break the law. It won't stop him but I'll do it if it makes you feel better."

"Damn it!!!" you shouted and grabbed your coat as you went out to the porch swing with Lee immediately following.

"Babe, hey, hey. We'll figure this out. He hasn't even been around lately. Maybe he really likes your sister and will move on. I know, I know, that's far from comforting but as we know, stranger things have happened. You gotta admit, they're a match made in Hea...Hell." he snickered as he sat beside you and smiled.

And of course, Lee made you smile. He always could even when you didn't want to.

"Yeah...I suppose you're right and...I kind of feel Mr. Carpenter is going to be more trouble than Ethan. Gerry texted me this morning. I guess he went to the police station raising hell about what happened but Gerry said no worries, that he handled it and it just looks like it was a revenge tactic over losing the negligence claim. Gerry also did some digging on him. He's been arrested multiple times for domestic violence with the mother and alcohol was always a factor. And get this...his daughter, Henrietta, that he is so upset over...she was a victim of it as well, but would never "tell" on him?. He has a son too who's always in trouble."

"Wow...it...it almost makes me think...."

Lee stopped and stared at you in thought for a moment.

"Lee? What is it?"

"Well...it's just that...Henrietta had meningioma. It's the most common type of primary brain tumor. Most cases are benign, which hers was, but it grew quite large and became life threatening....but the thing is....there's some studies that link head trauma with this type of tumor."

"Oh my god...do you think that her own father...could have caused that?"

"I don't know Jo. I suppose it don't even matter now."

"Oh yes it does because now we know what he's capable of Lee. He's a control freak and when people like that don't have it, bad things happen. I know the kind. And...how did he know so much about all of us? A lot of what he said wasn't exactly public information."

"Yeah, you're right. My guess would be he hired a really good P.I....or....Liz?"

"I really wish I knew where Jason is right now. He could literally make it all go away. I can't believe I'm even talking like this but Mr. Carpenter's angry, he's violent, and he drinks. If he knows all of that, he knows where you live. I don't like this Lee. God, when...when Lee, will it ever end???"

Lee watched as you angrily wiped your tears away and then his eyes fell. It was killing him inside to see you so distraught. Things were supposed to better now, not worse. You were supposed to feel safe with him, not afraid. You were afraid, yes...but not for yourself.

"I'm so sorry Jo." he softly and solemnly whispered. "I should have never attacked him. I just made everything worse, but...I..I couldn't help it. I'm not a confrontational person, you know that but when he began to say things like that about you....I..I just snapped."

You brought your hand to his face which coaxed his shameful eyes up to yours.

"Hey...I'm not angry with you. You did nothing wrong baby. I wanted to do the same thing for the way he talked shit about you. He is so incredibly wrong...and I...I tried to let it go because he's grieving but you know what? Knowing what we know now, I honestly don't think it's all about that. I truly think the man is deranged and I don't think he's going to just walk away, especially now that the police won't do anything. I think he wanted you to go after him, to try and show his unwarranted claims about you. But this is not your fault Lee. I mean, you certainly didn't know Gerry was going to do what he did. Hell, neither did I. Normally, he would have jumped at the chance to arrest you because he is definitely a law abiding citizen and cop."

"I appreciate what Gerry did. I really do but Jo...I still shouldn't have hit Mr. Carpenter. I let him pull me down to his level and I think it's exactly what he wanted, just as you said. I don't know Jo, who am I to judge him? I did some pretty fucked up shit when I lost Jacob and I just continued to do it all these years later. Look what I did to you?"

"The ONLY thing you will ever have in common with that man is the loss of a child. Your pain is genuine. His is like some kind of vendetta. I could see it in his eyes. There's something severely off with him and I'm usually spot on about gut feelings with people. Even Ethan. He completely rubbed me the wrong way when we met until you....I...I don't even want to talk about him anymore."

"Until I stupidly defended him? Telling you he was a good guy when I knew damn well what he was like and I kept all of that from you and I damn near lost you over it...."

"Lee, please stop punishing yourself... what he did to you...I understand it all now and...and......."

A familiar feeling rushed over you. Lightheadedness and warmth.

"Jo...baby??? Your nose..." Lee frantically said as his arm reached around you, securing you in place.

"What? Oh...oh gosh..."

You brought your fingers to your nose, in shock to feel and see the hot red liquid seeping out of it.

"Let me get you something, don't move."

"No, no Lee. I have a tissue in my pocket. It's fine. Really."

"No, it's not fine Jo. You said this happened at your mom's too. Baby, what's going on?" he direly asked as you dabbed away at the annoying and embarrassing leak.

"Tell me Jo. How long has this been happening?"

"Lee...it's just a nose bleed. You don't need to go all 'who's the doctor mode' on me."

"Don't. Don't do that. I WILL play the doctor card because that's what I am and I happen to love you as well."

You squished the kleenex against your nose and began to sob.

"I know" you squeaked. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't do that either. Don't be sorry. Come here sweet girl."

Lee pulled you into his arms, kissing your head as you continued to cry. "Here...lean your head back on my arm. I've got you."

You gazed up at him as he cradled you like a child and took over the tissue dabbing. His lips softly smiled as his shining sapphires danced inside your sunsets with such love and then he kissed the tip of your nose.

"Let me take you to the hospital. Just to be checked out."

"Lee, no. I am fine right here with you. It's stopping. I'll be fine. I'm just stressed, which is when it seems to happen."

He sighed and closed his eyes. "Here's the deal. If it happens again, I'm throwing you over my shoulder like a caveman and you're going."

You couldn't help but to burst out in laughter.

"Well you could just do that anyways and take me upstairs instead." you said with a seductive grin.

"Ohhhh....so damn tempting...but no. Babe, I think you need some rest. Come on. I'll make some hot sleepy time tea and we can snuggle on the couch with a movie and our cold pancakes and sausage, yes?"

You giggled. "Cold is better than burnt. But, yes. That sounds good. The microwave will work. You do that and I'll do the tea. I haven't managed to burn water yet."

"Is that even possible?" Lee asked with a hearty laugh as he followed you to the kitchen, pulling a hoodie on over his shirt from being chilled by the outside rain.

"We're about to find out."

Lee let out a sigh and made the sign of the cross and then flinched with a chuckle as you playfully smacked his arm.

As the water came to a boil, you thought about how much you loved these sweet little moments with him and wished it could be like that forever. No more worries, just lost in each other like high school sweethearts. You used to think challenges made you stronger but that couldn't have been further from the truth now.

You poured two cups of the piping hot herbal liquid and took them to the table as Lee finished up plating the food. During the process, you felt something trickle down your neck and heard a clinking noise on the wooden floor at your now bare feet. It was your silver chained "forever" glass seashell necklace that Lee had given you and it was just enough to set your superstitions and stress levels into high gear.

"Noooooooo...no..no..." you squealed as you knelt down to pick it up.

"Babe?? What is it??"

Lee quickly set the plates on the table and rushed to your side.

In a soft, child like whimper, your voice stuttered out as your eyes gaped with oncoming tears.

"Your...my...neck...necklace...it...it...it's...it broke...it just...fell..."

"No, no baby, it's alright. Let me see it."

Your trembling hand allowed Lee to remove it and look it over as you stood anxiously biting your bottom lip.

"My girl, it's just the clasp. I can fix it baby, don't worry." he assured you in the kindest voice and stroked your hair.

"It's not the clasp! It's the small chain links beside it. They must have snagged on my sweater. It's broken Lee! It's some fucking omen and don't tell me I'm crazy after everything."

"Jo Jo, sweetheart, please calm down. I promise you I can fix it and..."

"That's not the point! It's a symbol of forever and now it's a sign that it's broken!!" you cried, now chewing at your nails as you stared at the jinxed jewelry.

"Josie, baby! Look honey, the glass didn't break. Forever is sealed safe and sound inside. Sit down and sip your tea. I'll go fix it right now alright?"

"O...ok..." you replied in a frightened whisper and did as he told you.

Lee had only been gone a few minutes but it seemed like hours. You swore you could hear the grandfather clock ticking from clear in the other room. What the hell was happening? You couldn't relax. The sound of your heartbeat was now becoming the prominent sound, thumping through your head. You picked up your ceramic mug with unsteady hands and without thinking, you took a gulp of the boiling brew. The scold to your tongue sent you flying out of the chair and the mug shattering on the floor.

"JO!!" Lee shouted and came dashing up the stairs from the basement to find you shaking and clinging to the kitchen counter with broken shards of the mug at your bare feet.

"Baby don't move!!"

You couldn't if you wanted to. You felt paralyzed as the pressure in your head pulsed like storm waves crashing on the beach. Suddenly, Lee was hoisting you up and moving you to a dry, hazard free zone when your nose began to bleed again and you fell limp in his arms.

"Jo baby!! Baby what's wrong???!!"

When you didn't and couldn't answer him as you stared blankly into his petrified eyes, he scooped you up and rushed you out to his car, placing you into the front seat and tilting it back, then he sped off.

"Baby, can you hear me??" Lee pleaded multiple times as your eyes fluttered to stay open. His voice echoed as if it were inside of a seashell and your hand was numb to the touch of his. You heard the train horn again and saw the bright light coming towards you and then...you saw Jacob again, smiling with his big blue eyes beaming up at you as he took your hand. Then the light went dark.

"JO!! Fuck...baby wake up!!" Lee frantically shouted as his fingers raced to your neck to feel for a pulse. It was there but faint.

"That's it baby doll, stay with me!! Don't you fucking leave me. Forever baby...forever. Do you hear me?? Breathe Jo....breathe."

Lee was now fighting his sobs as he struggled to drive but he knew he had to focus to get you to the hospital safely. He freed his android from his pocket and used the voice command to call Orlando.

"Ok google, call Orlando!"

"Showing results for Orlando, Florida."

"Not fucking Florida you stupid piece of shit!" Lee shouted and then swerved as he heard the loud bellow of a semi horn and looked up to find himself in the oncoming traffic lane.

Lee whipped back into line, trying to catch his breath as he just missed the truck by only a few feet.

"Shit...focus Lee!" he scolded himself and then remembered that he didn't even have Orlando listed under his given name.

"Ok google, call LANDY!!"

"Calling Landy."

"Come on, pick up, pick up Landy!!"

"Hey what's up Lee Lee the Bee Gee."

"Lando! Man, where are you?? The hospital??"

"Yeah, Lee? What's going on?? You sound..."

"It's Jo man...I'm on my way there. She...she just collapsed."

"Oh my god what?? I'm on my way down to the ER now. Where are you?? Is she breathing??"

"Yeah..yes....thank god. I'm about ten minutes away and....no. Fuck."

"Lee??!!"

"I gotta go man, there's a fucking train coming and I have to beat it."

"Jesus, Lee. You need to calm down and....L..Lee???"

Lee dropped his phone and put the pedal to the metal on his classic Dodge Dart as the gates were starting to come down.

"Not today train. You can't have her too!!"

Over the tracks he sped, luckily with no cars in his way as the gates missed his car by merely inches. He caught sight of the train in the distance, the large headlight blinding his widened eyes as it blared it's deafening ominous horn.

"WOOHOOO! We made it baby!" Lee reeled as an adrenaline rush flooded his body. "We're going to make it. You are going to make it. I love you, do you hear me???"

The tires slid as he whipped into the emergency room parking lot and then he came to a screeching halt at the doors, quickly abandoning his car as he carried you inside.

"HELP!! Help!" Lee called out to whomever would listen as he searched for Orlando.

"Lee!!" Orlando shouted as he came running out from a room he had being prepared for you. "Bring her in here!"

Britt rushed in as well as Lee gently laid you upon the bed, scared as hell to let go of you.

"It's ok baby. I'm right here Jo Jo...you keep breathing, do you hear me?"

"Lee, tell me what happened?" Britt asked as Landy began tending to you with another nurse.

"I...I...don't know. She...she had a nose bleed. She said...she said she had one before, about a week ago. I got it to stop and she swore she was fine and she seemed fine and then she just collapsed in my arms and..."

Lee bent over to lean on his knees as he himself was trying to breathe.

"Alright. Anything else you can think of? Did she mention any other symptoms? Did she take any medications?"

"No Britt. Nothing. She's...she's stressed out, that much I know. We found more things out, disturbing things about Mr. Carpenter and that's when she got the first nose bleed today and then...I don't fucking know. Her necklace broke and she became all anxious about it and the next thing I knew, this happened. She...she just stared at me. She couldn't speak. Britt, what if she had a stroke??"

"Ok..ok. Let's not think the worst. I'm going to order labs, a CT and start an I.V. and we'll go from there. Dr. Bloom, how's her vitals?"

"Her blood pressure is high. 175/80. Oxygen is normal. Pulse rate high, pupils constricting."

"Ok. Let's get her blood work and get her on some fluids, then take her down for the CT. Lee, I need you to wait in the waiting room please, while the nurse..."

"What?? NO! I'm not leaving her Britt! Let me help. I'm a fucking doctor for christ sake."

"You're not her doctor nor are you on duty and you're in no state of mind to assist. You're too close to this Lee and you need to give the nurse room to work without you hovering. You know the rules and how this works. She's in good hands. I'm sorry but you need to let us do our jobs and go collect yourself. You're no good to her like this."

"Fuck your rules Britt. She needs to hear my voice and know I'm here! You're too close to this too, so is Landy!"

"Look...Lee. I know how much you love her, I really do, which is why you can't be objective. I love her too and I promise you she will be taken care of and we will come get you as soon as we get her situated and know what's going on. Now please...go try and calm down, maybe call her mom."

"Lee. man. I swear it. I'll take good care of her. You know I will." Orlando assured him and gave his best friend a hug, which caused Lee to break down.

"I'm scared man. I'm scared to leave her. I've never been so scared of anything in my life. I can't lose her. I can't....just...just let me talk to her for one minute. Please."

Orlando smiled and nodded as he patted Lee on the shoulder. By this time, the nurse had the I.V. line all taped up to your wrist and was drawing your blood as he went and tenderly held your other hand.

"My beautiful sweet girl. If you can hear me, I need you to know that I will just be right down the hall. I swear I will never leave you. You're my entire world so you can't leave me either ok? I love you Miss Massachusetts, in ways you've never been loved, for reasons you've never been told, for longer than you think you deserved and with more than you will ever know existed inside me. It's always been you. And I'd choose you in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you all over again."

You heard him. Every word but you couldn't open your eyes or speak, but you did manage, with everything inside of you, to lightly squeeze his hand.

Lee cried and kissed your cheek over and over and then he placed one small soft kiss upon your lips as he whispered "forever" over them. He then reluctantly let go of your hand and sobbed all the way to the empty waiting room that he was very thankful for.

He paced about the large room, stared out the window for awhile and then he was startled awake by someone's touch.

"Hey. Lee."

"Jo??...Oh....sorry. Is she..."

"She's fine, awake and has been admitted for observation." Nurse Angel, his neighbor, told him.

Lee closed his eyes and sighed loudly in relief. "Angel...what...do they know what happened? Can I see her now?"

"In just a few minutes, I'll take you down. They're just settling her into a room. I'll let them tell you what they found. I just got on duty and heard what happened, so I came looking for you at Dr. Bloom's request. He said to tell you he had your car parked and he has your keys and he will be back to see you both when he finishes rounds."

"Oh...yeah...I..I forgot all about my car. God, I don't even remember falling asleep. What time is it??"

"It's 11 am."

"Jesus, it's been two hours?? You..you said she's awake. Did you see her at all? How did she seem?"

"Well...she was sitting up and definitely asking for you, so I'm guessing she is alright, nothing too serious. Hey, I heard all about your hearing the other day. Congratulations and welcome back. We've missed you something awful. It has definitely not been the same without you here. Don't let Mr. Carpenter get to you. He's just sad. That poor man. I guess that his marriage is on the fritz. He told me a lot about Henrietta and how close they were. I couldn't imagine losing a child. Dash means everything to me. Oh god...I...I'm sorry Lee, that was so insensitive of me to say to you."

"No. It's fine. So uh....Mr. Carpenter spoke to you about her...and..his marriage??"

"Oh...I...umm. No, no. He talked a lot to all the nurses. Trust me. I just overheard things. You know, the gossip and stuff. I just wish he wasn't hell bent on making you suffer. It's such a good thing you have Jolene to help you through it all."

"It's Josie...remember? and yeah...I'm pretty much his scapegoat it seems."

"Oh gosh, that's right. I always get her name screwed up. So, what do you mean by scapegoat? I thought they ruled out any wrong doings from the autopsy and that no one caused it?"

Lee gazed at her for a moment and something began to click regarding the conversation you and he had earlier about someone leaking personal information....and Angel knew more than she should because of Liz.

"Nah, it's nothing. I don't even want to talk about this really. Can I go see Jo now?"

"Well, if you ever want to talk about anything at all, I just live right next door. I miss seeing you. So does Dash. So, yeah, come on. I'll take you to her."

Angel then led Lee out of the waiting room and down the hall, lightly rubbing his back as she did so.

The minute the door opened, Lee's anxious eyes and yours immediately connected as he paused his steps, then he bolted right to your reached out arms, both of you crying as you held each other so tight for the longest time.

"My god, my girl." Lee gasped in and kissed you all over your head and cheeks as he held your face. "Are you ok??? Please tell me nothing is wrong. I've been out of my mind. They, they wouldn't let me stay with you and....god I love you so much, I...I don't ever want to feel that way again." Lee sobbed, his tears freely flowing.

"Heyy, shhhh. I'm here. You're here. All is right again." you whispered with compassion as you also held his face and then kissed his tears.

"I'm so sorry I scared you like that. I swear Lee, I felt ok and then all of a sudden, I didn't. I don't know what happened."

"Where's Britt? Did she tell you anything? Jo, I was so scared that you had a stroke. You couldn't speak to me. and you passed out and I drove like I never did before to get you here and..."

"Baby, try to calm down. I know what you did for me. Landy told me...and...I could still hear you Lee. Your voice is what I focused on. Britt was here yes. Obviously, it's no stroke, thank god. I'm getting my fluids with added electrolytes. I was moderately dehydrated and my blood work also showed that I have an iron deficiency."

"You're anemic? Makes sense Jo. Your diet has not been the greatest lately and then there's the blood loss from the nose bleeds. Is that....all...it is?"

"Well, of course it's my anxiety and stress too. Hence my blood pressure spike, but it's normal now. Good old Britt saying I need to reduce my stress levels and take my meds. Easier said than fucking done when she don't know how much worse they make me feel, nor does she live in my world of psychotic people. And to top that off, my mom is on the way and I'm stuck here for at least another day."

"Sorry baby. I called her earlier and left a message. I...I didn't know what was going to happ..."

"Lee, it's ok. I love you so much for taking care of me and everything else. You know you saved my life."

"If I had been alone...god, I don't even want to think about it....OR the train you tried to beat."

"Yeaaah uh that...well, I DID beat it. I had to try Jo. The rails were still lowering and I could see the train and..."

"Ok, ok, enough about trains...please. I get it though...I would have done the same for you. Love makes us crazy huh?"

"Mmmm yes it does. Come here."

Lee gave you a series of soft and short deep kisses and then moved up to sit beside you, placing his arm around you and pulling you to his chest as he kissed the top of your head.

"Welp...if you're a prisoner here for another day, so am I. You're stuck with me so don't even try to make me go, for it would be futile."

You peered up in his worrisome blues with a most critical look.

"I like being stuck with you. I don't want you to go. Ever."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom."

"You giggled and kissed him. "I guess I can allow that....and maybe to go sneak me some sugar."

"Nope. It's all liver and spinach dinners for you."

"BLECKKKK!!! Lee Pace, that's not even funny. They already brought me a tray of turkey, peas, peaches, wheat bread and...wait for it...prune juice that I haven't touched. Like...I'm pretty sure I'm not constipated....now that part IS funny."

"It was just a little bit funny to see you frown that cute ass frown that I thought I'd never see again. You know? Kind of like a prune." he chuckled. "I promise, I will make you better dinners when we blow this popsicle stand, but babes, you need to eat...for me please. Especially the juice."

"I just want to go now and lay in bed with you and eat your food. I already feel better and I have my own personal doctor...you."

"Yeah well that's the fluids giving you that boost. I don't want you here anymore than you want to be here, but I really feel it is best. I can lay in bed with you here. I'll probably take up the entire bed but you can lay on top of me."

Lee's grin was deviously adorable but quickly fell flat as your mother came bursting in with her anxiety and scarlet hair a fray.

"Josephine Leeann! What in the world happened sweetheart?? I didn't see Lee's message until in the middle of my hair appointment and I had to leave looking like this!"

"Mom...mom....calm down. I'm fine as you can see."

"You're not fine! You're in a hospital bed AGAIN! How can I calm down after what happened to Jay??"

Your heart sank. Damn your brother for doing this to all of you. DID he even know you were here? You just wanted to blurt it out that he was alive, but then she would just think that you were delusional and high on meds....and it would break her heart too. You decided that Jason would have to be the one to do that....once again.

"I know Momma. But I swear...ask Lee...I'm ok."

Lee took a moment and sat with your distraught mom, filling her in on everything, in which she then seemed to relax some after his gentle way of words. She liked Lee a lot and trusted him, especially knowing your dad had once been Lee's colleague and Jacob's pediatrician. You could see the respect in her eyes and that meant the world to you....because if Margaret March didn't like someone, they would know it.

"Thank you Lee. I tell you, my kids are going to be the death of me." she said, rolling her eyes with a soft sigh.

"MOM, don't talk like that."

"Well, YOU don't have to live with Megan anymore for one thing. All that damn smoking in the house that she thinks I don't know about and in and out at all hours of the day and night like a freaking cat. The girl can't even pick up a broom to earn her keep."

"She can sure ride one though." you snarked, making Lee lower his head to hide his smirk.

"Hilarious Joey Lee. You know, nothing's the same anymore. You're gone, Jay's gone, your dad's gone. Bo's gone and Megs only cares for number one. At least one of my sisters still comes around. Livvie was asking about you the other day. Oh, and Gerry called me about Victor too. He's not doing well. I...really want to see him...but...well anyways, I'm pretty much alone anymore."

Margaret paused. You knew she would feel guilty, like she was betraying your father all over again.

"I know Mom...but you're not alone. Our family is bigger than the state of Texas even though most are scattered all around. Olivia will always be there. I'll always be there. I'm sorry I haven't been lately though. I've just had a lot going on. I was at the house last week but you weren't home."

"Yes, I know. I found your note and your half eaten sandwich that Marmaduke was about to devour when I walked in. He needs a bath, which he hates by the way and I can't handle that big oaf. Smells like a horse's ass. What's with your car in the garage anyways?"

"Its... just temporary until..."

"Until I get my garage cleaned out and then she can store it there." Lee cut in with a hidden wink at you to save you from trying to think of something other than the truth.

"I'm so glad the two of you met Lee and that you're always there for my little girl, especially today and getting her here so quickly. It's such a bonus that you're a doctor too. Maybe you can get her to take her medicine for once so this don't happen again. Oh! I saw Amy on my way in. She says she'll be in to see you and Em is coming too. I suppose Gerry is around here somewhere. I don't know if I should go see Victor or not. I told Megan but, well you know how that went."

"I don't want her here anyways. I need to be stress free, remember?? Every time I see her face, all I want to do is..."

"Ok Josephine...don't remind me how my only daughters despise each other."

"Sorry mom. You should go see Vic. Maybe it would help him if he knows you're there? It's ok mom, to do that. I know what he means to you."

"Do...you really think it might help him? I..I mean, I really would like to go."

"Go mom. Don't put these things off. I have Lee here with me and it seems it will soon be grand central station here as well cause Britt and Orlando will be here too, so I'll be ok."

"Welllll....I....I suppose I could...just for a little bit...but I'll be back Joey. I love you." she said and came to kiss your cheek.

"Love you too Ma. If Vic is awake, tell him I hope he feels better soon and please don't tell him about me being here. He don't need to be worrying about anything."

"Come on Margaret, I'll walk you out and point you in the right direction. Be right back sweetheart." Lee sweetly smiled, then mouthed 'I love you' as he led your mom out in the hall. It made you so happy to see the growing bond they had because you knew how much he missed his own mother.

"Margaret...can I...talk to you for a moment?" Lee quietly said after he closed the door.

"Sure Lee. Is everything alright? Is there something you didn't tell me about Joey?"

"Oh no, all seems to be ok now...but...I...hmmm...I umm..."

"Lee? What is it? You seem awful nervous?"

"Whew." he softly sighed, then began. "Well, I'm sure you already know what Jo means to me. But I just wanted you to hear it from me. I love her...so very deeply and I...I had one hell of a wake up call today and it put some things into perspective. Like Jo said...don't put things off. I...I can't imagine a world without her in it, without her in mine. I just don't want to waste anymore time. But I do...want to waste it with her if that makes any sense. I guess...umm....what I am trying to say is..."

Margaret interrupted with a gasp. "Oh my...why Lee...are you....are you...asking for my daughter's hand in marriage??"

Lee stared at her blankly for a moment and then a huge smile formed on his lightly trembling lips.

"I....yes....yes I am."

@redeemer46

[portraitsofsaints]

Saint Nicholas of Flüe

1417-1487

Feast Day: March 21 September 25 (Switzerland and Germany)

Patronage: Switzerland, Pontifical Swiss guard, councilmen, difficult marriages, large families, separated spouses

Saint Nicholas of Flüe, affectionately called “Bruder Klaus” (Brother Klaus), was a Swiss political figure, husband and father of 10, who became a hermit. He served in the military, was a magistrate and a councilor for the government. At 50, with the consent of his wife, he embraced the life of a hermit, living only on the Holy Eucharist for the rest of his life. Dignitaries and the common people visited him for advice and wisdom. He even prevented a civil war. He died of natural causes surrounded by his wife and children.

Prints, plaques & holy cards available for purchase here: (website)

[siriannatan]

“You’ve worn those clothes for the last week, you’ve got to change.” “You just want to see me naked, don’t you?” - Grisuma

I felt this urge to write some Grisuma so I did

As with the whole series, the prompt was found over on deity-prompts

AO3

Four seasons. Grian's been part of Hermitcraft for four whole seasons. And has never seen Xisuma's face. He's heard multiple hermits - Doc, Ren, Jevin, even Scar and Mumbo call their admin handsome but could never confirm it for himself. No amount of bugging, pestering and general mischief got X out of his dumb helmet. The only time, it'd seem, he changed was between seasons or bigger updates. Never when Grian was borderline stalking him out of boredom.

But, finally, in his fourth season, Grian came up with an excellent idea. He just needed to catch X asleep, which wasn't easy but Grian could be patient if he wanted to and after a whole week managed to catch X snoozing in his storage area and... Drew a funny face on his visor with a permanent marker. And barely managed to escape before X woke up and just went about his day as if there was nothing on his visor... Did he not use it to see?

Anyway, Grian followed the admin the whole day and no one. Absolutely no one pointed out the winking cat face on X's visor. No one. Doc did chuckle a bit but said nothing. Keralis was Keralis so it was unclear if his giggling was that or the drawing. Cleo just straight-out ignored it and didn't react at all.

By the evening time Grian was fed up and just marched into X's base. “You’ve worn those clothes for the last week, you’ve got to change. Staying in this thing all the time can't be good for you," he announced, marching in with all the confidence and annoyance he had in him.

X tilted his head and... reached up to his helmet as Grian tapped his foot on the ground. "You just want to see me naked, don’t you?" X chuckled and pulled his helmet off.

To say Grian was stunned would be an understatement. Long white hair tied into a messy bun with quite a bit of it just hanging around X's face. Dark, fluffy-feathery long and pointy ears twitched as X inspected his helmet's visor. But Grian was not really paying attention to that. What got him frozen were all the scars on X's face. He wanted to run his fingers along the dark marks he easily recognised as left by his own kind... Not that he was proud of being one or ever said anything. But that also helped him recognise what X was under his suit. A voidwalker. He thought they were gone long before the EVO disaster yet here was X...

"Grian? What happened to my visor?" X asked, levelling Grian with a stern glare of dark purple eyes.

"No idea," Grian lied with a wide grin. "But it looks cute... I should go..." he added and was about to leave before X grabbed his arm. "X?"

"It's late, I'm not letting you fly all the way to your boulder after all the trouble you went through to get my helmet off," X's voice was more and more amused. And made Grian want to curl up into a ball and hide in his wings.

"You knew?" he whined as X pulled him along to wherever his bed was hiding.

"All along, and I agree, the drawing is cute," X admitted with a grin that had Grian blushing.

Everyone was right, Xisuma was darn handsome under his helmet and maybe it was good he kept it on during their little exchange with Empires guys. And suspiciously cuddly in his sleep and damn hard to get away from.