#Tanner Gunn

[the-real-tc]

Bad Business: A Heartland Murder Mystery EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

One Month Later

A Certain Private Fishing Cabin

The fire over which they had cooked the fish Jack caught was mellowing. A cool breeze drifted through the valley from the mountains and the river waters babbled softly in the hush of the advancing evening.

Jack and Lisa sat together on the porch, enjoying the surrounding scenery while they sipped some French wine sent by Aunt Evelyn.

This getaway had been a long time coming, and both were simply happy to be in each other's presence without any distractions or worries.

"What a beautiful evening," Lisa said, leaning her head against Jack's shoulder. "I'm so glad we came out here together."

"Me, too," Jack said. Neither wanted to rehash what happened the last time he ventured out to the cabin alone.

"When you brought me out here that first time, I thought I'd found a piece of heaven," Lisa remarked.

"I remember," Jack said with a smile. "And here we are again, all these years later."

"And it's still a piece of heaven," she said. "I don't think we could get any closer if we tried. My happiness is complete."

"Well, now that you mention complete happiness..." Jack said enigmatically. "There's something I want to show you."

Lisa raised her head from his shoulder. Jack reached into his jeans pocket to pull something from it. A memory stirred in Lisa's mind from the winter evening when a similar motion took place. Back then, Jack had withdrawn a padded pink velvet-covered box to reveal an antique ring that once belonged to his grandmother. Lisa looked now to see a small, square leather pouch resting in his palm.

"What is it?" she asked when he did not utter anything further.

Instead of answering verbally, Jack fished inside the pouch to reveal a shiny, solid gold band—too big for her to wear, she knew right away from its size.

"Take it," Jack said simply.

Gingerly, Lisa reached for it, however puzzled she was, and asked: "What's this for?" He certainly could not be making another marriage proposal; that would be redundant at this point.

Jack stretched out his left hand towards her, splaying his calloused fingers. "Lis, I know you were disappointed when we got married that I didn't want to wear a wedding ring..."

Instant tears sprang to her eyes in understanding of what this meant. "Jack..." A tiny sniffle escaped and a large smile broke out onto her face as she slipped the band onto his ring finger.

"I love you, and I love being married to you," Jack said. "I'm sorry I was too stuck in my ways to add this little piece to our life together."

"And I have something for you, too," Lisa said, brushing aside a tear that had escaped.

"Oh, do you?" Jack asked. "Would this have anything to do with your visit with your legal counsel a little while ago?"

Lisa's lips twitched into a smile. "Why yes, it would, Mr. Bartlett," she answered. "I spoke with my lawyer about some very important things during that visit, which included updating my will and business affairs, but that's another topic for another time."

"Hmm..." Jack hummed, knowing Dan's involvement in her business life was now a thing of the past, thank goodness.

"Jack, I've proudly carried the Stillman name my whole life. I love my name and my family heritage. But you are my family, Jack. You, Lou, Amy, Tim, Ty, Peter, Georgie, Katie and Lyndy—all of you have welcomed me into your home and into your hearts. I don't want to be 'Lisa Stillman' anymore, so I've made a little change."

"You have?" Jack said, elation bubbling up within, sensing, but not quite believing what Lisa was hinting at.

"I wanted to save this surprise for a little later in our vacation, but now is as good a time as any. I want to announce I am now officially 'Lisa Bartlett'," she said, reaching into her shoulder bag to pull out a manila business envelope. She withdrew a document declaring that legal change. "How does that sound to you?"

"I think... I think it sounds like the best thing I have heard in a very, very long time," a beaming Jack replied, looking at the document. "Mrs. Bartlett."

He gathered her into his arms and their lips met in a deep, perfect kiss.

"I love you, Mrs. Bartlett," he whispered when they at last parted.

"I love you more, Mr. Bartlett," she whispered back with her customary response, leaning in for another kiss.

Jack did not argue the point, as he was fairly certain their love for each other burned with equal intensities, and would for the rest of their lives together as husband and wife.

Addendum:

It would come out during Chief Parker's team's investigation that the tiny Raven MP-25 Jesse fired at Lisa, recovered in the barn after Jesse tried to shoot Ty, had been registered to Val Stanton. It was a weapon she had purchased following the death of her husband for the purpose of personal protection while at Briar Ridge.

Thanks to the eyewitness account of "the man in Cabin Two" burning something in the firepit the night of the second attempt on Lisa's life, the forensics team found traces of fabric among the ashes and debris which matched the cotton-polyester blend commonly used in some hospital scrubs.

Prior to re-opening the Dude Ranch for business, Lou permitted the Chief's team to conduct a final sweep of the area, as one piece of the puzzle remained elusive. It took nearly four hours of searching, but the investigators finally found what they were seeking: the motorcycle Earl McCann fled on when eluding capture at the hospital. After his failed attempt at killing Lisa, the cops surmised McCann rode back to the vicinity of the Dude Ranch, secreted the bike in some bushes, and walked on foot to the firepit by the pier. There, he immediately disrobed and burned the disguise he had used to blend in among the medical staff. While he had indeed been hired to bring about Lisa's death by any means necessary, McCann's own death was mere hours away, as his foolhardy pursuit of the wandering bear would seal his fate.

Heartland neighbour and dairy farmer Gerrit Van der Heyden would eventually sight the roving bear on his property a few weeks later. It was confirmed to be the one that attacked Herring and killed Earl McCann. Fish and Wildlife authorities euthanized it, though some would be sad about its fate, given what was known of the beast's role in discovering the culprits responsible for a few unsolved murders and the attempts on Lisa's life.

All Herring's wounds physical, psychological, and emotional, fully healed thanks to the teamwork of Ty, Amy and a recovered Remi.

Adam Parker continued to write his blog and would report on the court proceedings involving Jesse Stanton, Theresa Haywood, Stanley Belmont, and Tanner Gunn. The cases are still being tried at this time, though with the overwhelming evidence against the accused, guilty verdicts are expected.

#Heartland #heartland fanfiction #my fanfiction #Jack Bartlett #Lisa Stillman #Bad Business #A Heartland Murder Mystery #EPILOGUE #Chief Jim Parker #Jesse Stanton #Tanner Gunn #fishing cabin

[heartlandians]

Heartland - 8x11 - The Silent Partner

#heartland #season 8 #8x11 #tanner gunn #patrick gallagher #amy fleming #amber marshall #amy x tanner #cowboy hat

[heartlandtfln]

“Tanner: So we decided to bring in the one woman who's an expert on horses. Amy: An expert on horses? Do I know her? ... Oh! Right! That's me, yes.“

#heartland #amy fleming #amy fleming borden #amber marshall #tanner gunn #patrick gallagher #amy/tanner #source: doctor who

[butterflykale1doscope]

It’s a need

#jason todd #red hood #dc comics #dc universe #dc fancast #tanner buchanan #james gunn please #please #it would be great #bro can fight he’s in cobra kai #xolo’s also in dc he plays blue beetle

[evaundertale]

<><><>Master Post<><><

Rules post for my blog

It's in the post here

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

••••Fandoms I'm in••••

DC

Undertale (sometimes)

Deltarune

H20 just add water

Kingdom Hearts

Alot of cartoon shows

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I got a couple of post that's gonna link for those who just come by in passing.

■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

Ship kid post of age names (at least undertale wise).

■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□■□

《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》

Aus I've created.

Undertale and Deltarune

Underway (Wayfinder from au)

Delta-soul (six soul au)

Witchtale

Soulstale (another six soul au but based more off what if Frisk saw all the dead children throughout finding there items till the end.)

H20

Reunited (years later the group meet again)

Shift in events (my personal take on how season 3 could have gone)

I'm a mermaid? (So this based off an idea I had of like a what if years later Kim got turned and finding stuff bout her sis like maybe her senior or junior year of high school struggling but more so think it'd be a nice thing to see her grow character wise)

Bree Tanner

A third chance?

Imprinted on a vampire? (Listen I always just thought what would happen if like Seth, Leah, Jacob imprinted on Bree before well she became a vampire but it still was there)

Reborn again? (It's mentioned "moon children" exist and I know they don't mention actually werewolfs and how they work but might as well right?)

Survived?

DC (some are crossovers sorry-)

Robin with powers? (Basically a what if Bruce took in Billy)

Superlords (or at least my take on it)

Weird crossover

Cartoons

Timmy Effect (so you know how Timmy wished to never age this is a what if the magic effected other universe like Jimmy's cause they had a crossover. and might reference the game crossovers to)

Worlds collide (crossovers just in general)

Before he woke (avatar story of before anng woke)

Kingdom Hearts

Quincy Project (kh oc au)

You'll heal in time (roxiri au fight me)

Princess tutu au (fight me- roxiri au)

A shift in time (Kairi, Riku honestly everyone but a twist on events)

A waking past. (This is of a story of Kairi abusing the power of waking due to her blaming herself for Sora's death doesn't help the nightmares of Xehannort still echo in her head. That's all you get it's probably gonna be a fanfic)

Princess tutu

A new beginning (my take on a story of aftermath of the series)

A chance as human again (same with this one but mainly for wholesome content of Fakiru)

#master post #this will get updated as time goes on #im in alot of fanbases so you'll see alot of random stuff at somepoint #whether its aus or ship art its gonna be fun ^^ #h20 just add water #deltarune #undertale #kingdom hearts #princess tutu #bree tanner #bree tanner deserved better

[confessions-heartland]

“I find it annoying when clients want Amy to train their horse but they get angry when she uses a different method. Isn’t that why they brought the horse there in the first place?“

#heartland #amy fleming #amy fleming borden #amber marshall #tanner gunn #patrick gallagher #confessions #heartland confessions

[worldbyelly]

Heartland: 8x11 - The Silent Partner

#heartland #season 8 #811 #amy fleming #amber marshall #ty borden #graham wardle #tanner gunn #patrick gallagher #lou fleming #michelle morgaqn #peter morris #gabriel hogan #horse #edit #edits #episodes

[elegantvamp]

Some shit that I've been seeing that I'm getting really sick of regarding Jenna Marbles' situation because I am just so fucking pissed.

- "She's a grown ass woman/33 year old lady" AND? Do you all really think that adults don't have feelings or can suffer from bullying and harassment once they reach a certain age?

- "Lol why are you feeling sorry for this rich YouTube millionaire" Newsflash: rich people can have mental health issues too and you know, have feelings.

- "ShE wAsnT fOrcEd oFf hEr cHaNNeL sHe mAdE tHe dEciSiOn hErSeLf" Do you HONESTLY think she would have "mAdE tHe dEciSiOn" herself at the moment if she wasn't constantly harassed by a bunch of pissbabies who like to dig up old shit that JENNA HERSELF does not like and is not proud of??

Y'all threw a fit when Disney fired James Gunn for a Tweet he made like a decade ago but drive Jenna off her channel because you were harassing her and love to constantly cancel people for stupid shit that they made years and years ago, and unfortunately, Jenna Mourey has been caught in the crossfire.

Jenna is NOT okay with nor is she proud of the videos she made almost 10 years ago. I hate to use the "it was a different time" reasoning but it WAS a different time on YouTube when that ONE lyric from "Bounce That Dick" and her Nicki Minaj video was created (during the era where she constantly wore fake tanner and went to tanning salons a lot).

People on this site LOVE to preach about how "people are allowed to change and grow and heal from past mistakes, don't let your regrets define you because you are a soft, beautiful moon fairy goddess" or "please don't judge me by my mistakes I'm soft and trying to improve myself every day uwu" or whatever stupid, infantilizing platitudes you come up, with but clearly that is not the case when it comes to Youtubers, or actors, or musicians, or writers, only Tumblr users. (And I also find it interesting that many of the male YouTubers and male actors/musicians/celebrities get a pass but not the female ones).

You hypocrites like to preach about mental health and cyberbullying, doxxing, and ganging up on people when they fuck up. Like That One Argument I never fail to see whenever someone talks about how the entire Steven Universe fandom is tOxiC because like three people drove a fan artist off Tumblr and another instance where something similar happened to a staff writer. The writer was also a grown ass woman, so why does she get a pass but Jenna doesn't?

Jenna has privatized the videos that she has made and is not proud of. She was trying to improve herself, her image, and bring positivity to her audience every Wednesday/Thursday as best as she could. And you know this quarantine must have been affecting her mental health as well. Remember that shooting that happened near her area a few years ago? People were shaken by it, especially Julian, but she decided to make a video that week because she needed to laugh and she wanted to make US laugh too and take some of the stress away. There were so many videos where she opened them with "I think we all just need to laugh" or "The world's kind of serious right now so let's do something fun".

Changing and becoming a better person does not work like a light switch. You don't suddenly become a Good Person™️ or an Unproblematic Person™️ one day. You are constantly changing amd constantly growing every day of your life. Jenna Mourey seemed like a person who was very introspective and very thoughtful of the content she put out. Yes, she has fucked up a few times in the past DECADE but who hasn't!? Don't tell me that y'all have NEVER stayed up at night second-guessing yourselves over mistakes you've made or something cringey you've done because I've seen dozens of posts about that. But no, it's different for you because you're all delicate introvert bloggers who have no money or fucking whatever.

Jenna is holding herself accountable by privatizing and/or deleting old videos or refusing to talk about them. She is taking responsibility. It might not be the Woke™️ way, but it is at least SOMETHING. She has even made full on apology videos addressing mistakes she has made. But how can she move on from the past if y'all will never let her forget about it??

I am so glad each and every one of you were born as morally pure unicorns with the power of hindsight and have Unproblematic Irish Spring rainbows shooting out your clenched assholes that let you be able to enjoy the smell of your own farts, so that obviously gives you the moral high ground to judge and cancel Jenna Marbles and drive her off her platform.

Fuck you, and fuck the moral superiority Trojan horse that you all rode in on. You preach and promise to let people grow and heal from mistakes they've made in the past but once you're inside, the ugliness of Cancel Culture comes spewing out and destroys everything. I'm surprised you can even SEE your keyboards considering how far your heads are stuck up your own asses.

#Jenna Marbles #Jenna Mourey #YouTube

[ambermarshalldaily]

every episode of heartland ever [ amber marshall as amy fleming ]  || 8.11 - the silent partner (first aired: January 18, 2015)

Ever since I got back from Pike River, everything’s been great. I finally have my priorities straight. And your priorities don’t include working for Tanner Gunn? Lou, there are plenty of other horse trainers out there, and he can afford to hire any one of them. I wanna work with horses that actually *need* my help.

#heartland #season 8 #8x11 the silent partner #all the eps #amber marshall #amy fleming #graham wardle #ty borden #amy x ty #tamy #amber marshall gifs

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Films watched in 2019.

Top 20 Best Movies Watched for the First Time in 2019.

1. Tôkyô Story (Yasujirô Ozu, 1953) 2. Dans la ville blanche (Alain Tanner, 1983) 3. On the Silver Globe (Andrzej Zulawski, 1987) 4. Le diable probablement (Robert Bresson, 1977) 5. La maman et la putain (Jean Eustache, 1973) 6. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972) 7. The Red Shoes (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1948) 8. Absences répétées (Guy Gilles, 1972) 9. Le Pont des Arts (Eugène Green, 2004) 10. Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1952) 11. Le Mépris (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963) 12. Sayat Nova (a.k.a. The Color of Pomegranates) (Sergei Parajanov, 1969) 13. Ganja & Hess (Bill Gunn, 1973) 14. Fuego en Castilla (Tactilvisión del páramo del espanto) (a.k.a. Fire in Castilla (Tactilvision from the Moor of the Fright) (José Val del Omar, 1961) 15. Les parapluies de Cherbourg (a.k.a. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) (Jacques Demy, 1964) 16. Blissfully Yours (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2002) 17. Fin août, début septembre (Olivier Assayas, 1998) 18. Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (Jonas Mekas, 1972) 19. 4 aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle (Éric Rohmer 1987) 20. Desert Hearts (Donna Deitch, 1985)

(My list in Letterboxd -click here-)

#tokyo story #dans la ville blanche #on the silver globe #le diable probablement #la maman et la putain #The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant #the red shoes #Absences répétées #le pont des arts #singin' in the rain #le mépris #sayat nova #ganja & hess #fuego en castilla #les parapluies de cherbourg #blissfully yours #Fin août début septembre #reminiscences of a journey to lithuania #4 aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle #desert hearts #top 10 #top 20 #films watched in 2019

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions August 2021

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies that will be hitting your local cinemas (and streaming services) this month:

August 6th

The Suicide Squad - While writer/director James Gunn was ultimately rehired by Marvel Studios to make the third installment of his Guardians of the Galaxy series (coming in 2023), in the short time between his firing in 2018 and rehiring in 2019, Gunn signed on to direct a new Suicide Squad film for DC Films. Now the sequel/reboot he made is finally here. Check out the carnage and mayhem of Suicide Squad in theaters and on HBO Max this month.

August 13th

The Kissing Booth 3 (August 11th) - Apparently Netflix made two The Kissing Booth movies, well here comes a third.

Free Guy - Ryan Reynolds is the titular Free Guy in this movie about video games which isn't based on a video game. Jodie Comer, who you will be hearing a lot about this fall when The Last Duel hits theaters in October, also stars in the film alongside Lil Rel Howrey and Taika Waititi. Early reviews of Free Guy have been surprisingly positive.

Respect - Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson stars as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, in this upcoming biopic. Forest Whitaker and Marlon Wayans co-star.

Don’t Breathe 2 - What happens when you take the villain of an action horror film and make him the hero in a sequel? Well, you get Don’t Breathe 2.

CODA - After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year, CODA, which stands for “children of deaf adults” was met with rave reviews and was purchased by Apple for a festival-record $25 million. Now CODA is coming AppleTV+ for the rest of us non-festivals goers to enjoy.

August 20th

Reminiscence - Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy makes her directorial debut with this science fiction film starring Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, and Thandiwe Newton. I am so excited for Reminiscence that if every movie coming in August was released on the same day, The Suicide Squad included, I would go see Reminiscence first. Check it out in theaters and on HBO Max.

PAW Patrol: The Movie - Cool, a Paw Patrol movie. Thankfully for parents everywhere, it will be released on Paramount+ in addition to in theaters. Turn it on and leave the room.

The Protégé - Director Martin Campbell brings us a new action thriller starring Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Patrick. That pedigree alone is a recipe for success. Will the final product be any good? Who knows.

August 27th

Candyman - Nia DaCosta’s Candyman, a legacy sequel to the 1992 film of the same name, stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris and is all set to scare audiences who say his name this month.

Vacation Friends - Coming to Hulu is a new comedy starring John Cena and Lil Rel Howery. Fun.

He’s All That - Netflix presents a gender-swapped remake of the iconic 1999 teen romantic comedy. This version stars Corba Kai’s Tanner Buchanan and TikTok “star” Addison Rae. No word yet if any Sixpence None the Richer is on the soundtrack.

Now for a quick look ahead to September, my top picks for next month are Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

-MB-

[the-real-tc]

Bad Business Ch. 5: Moving Target

Author's Note: Not much to say here, except, "Please don't hurt me" and another massive "Thank you" for all the likes so far. Your support for this story so far is much appreciated.

***

To the childless wife he gives a home, and gladdens her heart with children.

- Ps. 113

***

Chapter 5

Moving Target

The Hudson Hawk: Your Eye on Hudson

A BLOG

Is It Foul Play in Briar Ridge Owner's Death?

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Anyone who knows anything about Hudson has heard about Briar Ridge and the late Val Stanton. She was a well-respected pillar of the community who supported various causes and elevated the sport of showjumping. Her death comes as a shock, especially due to the unpleasant circumstances surrounding it.

Authorities have been slow to finger any suspects, nor have they publicly speculated about possible motives. It would seem they would rather chalk this one up to an unfortunate hunting accident than entertain the notion it could be willful homicide.

This blogger finds it hard to believe her death was accidental. There have been recent reports of bears in the Hudson area, but only a visually impaired hunter mistakes a woman on a horse for a bear. A woman on a horse also cannot be confused for cougars, wolves, coyotes or any other type of prey animal a concerned rancher or farmer might have cause to take down.

I mean, sure, an errant bullet is a possibility, but if so, Stanton would have to have been especially unlucky to be struck by a round so far off the mark. Furthermore, Hudson police have been unable to find any proof of active hunters in the general vicinity of the fatal incident.

The question, then, is who would want Stanton dead?

Facts so far, as reported by the press:

1) Stanton went for a ride on a horse by herself on the morning of her death.

2) Stanton did not return by the expected time.

3) Family members reported her missing, citing the particular urgency of Stanton's health as a reason for concern.*

4) Stanton's body found early the next morning at Lookout Point by a Hudson resident out for a ride.

5) Coroner determines cause of death to be a single gunshot wound; Stanton fell from her mount, causing further trauma, but the injuries sustained in the fall did not ultimately contribute to her demise.

*I've been unable to find out exactly what "health" issue might have been troubling Stanton, but sources close to this blogger say she had fought two bouts of cancer in the past decade. It should also be noted that one need not wait a specific time frame in order to file a missing-persons report in the province of Alberta (i.e., 24 or 48 hours).

Comments? Theories? Let me know in the comments below.

I've got my eye on you, Hudson.

- Hudson Hawk

Sign in to leave a comment or comment as a Guest.

Comment: The Hudson Times said the horse Stanton was riding was attacked by a bear. Do you know anything more about this, Hawk?

-Animal_LuvR

Reply: I can confirm the story the horse was attacked by a bear. I'm told it is in a safe place now and being treated, but I cannot reveal my source.

- Hawk

Reply: Okay, thanks. Is the horse going to be alright?

-Animal_LuvR

Reply: My source tells me he is in expert care and will most likely make a full recovery.

- Hawk

Reply: Good. Thanks!

-Animal_LuvR

Comment: No theories, but just want to say it's crazy what happened. I hope the cops get to the bottom of this. This used to be such a safe place to live.

- A Hudson Rez.

Reply: Hey "A Hudson Rez". I noticed your handle. You're not the "Hudson resident" they talked about in the papers who found the body, are you?

- Guest

Reply: No, totally not. Why?

- A Hudson rez

Reply: OK, thanks. Just curious.

- Guest

***

"Okay, I'm heading off to my investors meeting in Calgary," Lisa said as she flew through the kitchen towards the mud room, pausing as Jack turned from the sink to catch up with her. He planted a kiss on her cheek and bid her a safe drive. "Good luck talking with those detectives today while I'm away."

"Thanks, I think I'll be okay," Jack said, noting the hint of warning in her voice. He had heard all about how uncomfortable the investigators had made her feel the week before during her own interview. "What time do you expect to be back?"

"In time for a late afternoon glass of wine with you," she said, eyes dancing merrily. "I'll text if I'm delayed."

Jack gave the phone at his hip a pat. "I'll make sure it's on," he said.

"Yes, you've got a lot better at that, Mr. Bartlett, haven't you?"

"What are you insinuating?" he retorted with mock indignation.

Lisa's mouth twisted into a playful smile as she swallowed a chuckle. "Oh, nothing."

"All right, all right, I know my track record has been the pits when it comes to these things," Jack said, raising his hands in submission. "But it is on, and I will be paying attention."

"Good. And on that note, I'm off."

"Love you," Jack said.

"Love you more," Lisa responded sweetly, then was out the door.

***

Traffic on the Range Road was seldom busy, and today was no exception. Lisa counted maybe two other vehicles that passed her along the way; none from the opposite direction. She knew she could expect to hit heavier volumes once she reached Calgary, which was one reason she left Heartland with enough of a buffer to ensure she was not late for the meeting.

The nature of the meeting would be more serious in nature than others in the past. It would be the first time the group of investors would be meeting since Val died, meaning there was an empty spot Tanner Gunn would be looking to fill. Fortunately, someone was willing to do just that: Jesse Stanton.

Val's death sure has brought about a real change in Jesse, Lisa thought. She admittedly never had dealings with the heir to Briar Ridge, but with his mother gone, Jesse seemed to be willing to step up to the plate and continue as an investor with Tanner Gunn's group. Lisa had heard stories of how miserable Jesse had tried to make life for Ty once upon a time; that immature, vindictive phase was clearly behind him.

He would be in attendance today; one major item on the agenda would be the rather perfunctory business of naming Jesse as Val's replacement in their group. Other items included the possibility of raising the reward money amount for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Lanny and Paige's murders.

It's so terrible the police have nothing after all this time, Lisa mused sadly. And now Val... Thinking of the seeming lack of progress in Chief Parker's investigation, she wondered if Tessa Haywood, Jesse's girlfriend, was simply blowing smoke when she bragged Jesse was planning to hire a private investigator to look into his mother's death.

Maybe it's something Paige's parents ought to be doing, Lisa thought, knowing the case had gone cold in Calgary. Maybe I should suggest it at the meeting. Maybe we could offer to put up money to hire a P.I., instead of raising the reward.

From some distant point behind her, the obnoxious roar of a motorcycle reached Lisa's ears. A quick glance in the rear view mirror confirmed it: a lone rider approaching at a clip. Lisa kept glancing at her mirrors to keep tabs on this motorcyclist's movements. A few moments later, she watched as he pulled out into the oncoming traffic lane, then pulled back in behind her.

Is he trying to pass? Lisa wondered. She purposely let up on the accelerator so the rider could safely go by. When he didn't, she lowered her window and stuck out her arm, waving to encourage him; nothing was approaching them at this time from the opposite direction.

"It's clear," Lisa muttered more to herself, since she knew he could not possibly hear her over the roar of the bike's engine. Again, the motorcyclist swerved out, only to inexplicably pull back in behind.

What is he doing? she thought in borderline annoyance. She had already reduced her speed; maybe letting up some more would embolden him. Once more, Lisa released the pressure on the gas pedal; beckoned through the window more insistently now.

"I'm fifteen under the limit, buddy," she spoke out loud, voice heavy with exasperation, "if you're going to go—"

No sooner had she said this did the motorcyclist put on a burst of speed. He pulled abreast of her, keeping pace with the Porsche. Lisa glanced to her left, taking in the rider's dark leather jacket, mirrored helmet, and the pricey-looking bike. His head turned in her direction, but he still did not overtake. Lisa gave a slight shrug before returning her attention to the road ahead. If he did not want to go past, that was his business. He would only be risking a head-on collision if someone did happen to come up ahead on the road.

Lisa glanced at him yet again, still puzzled and now growing annoyed at his unusual actions. Is he trying to play "chicken"? she thought. An incline was in the distance, and she wondered if he would ever pass, as it would be dangerous to attempt on a hill. His right hand now clutched a pistol, which was pointed at her. Lisa's breath caught in her throat, instant fright replacing her annoyance. Instinctively, Lisa twisted the steering wheel to the right in a desperate attempt to veer away from the threat.

Two shots rang out.

The Porsche careened off the road into the ditch, its engine racing for several seconds before finally cutting off.

The would-be assassin continued down the road towards the incline without stopping as he shoved the weapon back inside his breast pocket. He instantly regretted the action, having misjudged how hot the piece had become after firing it, nearly yelping in pain when the metal radiated scorching heat through his jacket and shirt.

He chanced a final glance behind him at the wreck; the thought crossing his mind that he should perhaps turn back to see if he had been successful in carrying out his deadly objective. As he reached the hill's summit, he cursed himself when a horn blared. What seemed to be an inevitable collision with a pickup truck was avoided by mere inches as he finally pulled back into his proper lane.

In a flash, he realised he recognized that pickup before it vanished from sight behind the hill: it belonged to the Hudson veterinarian, Dr. Scott Cardinal. One side of his twisted brain urged him to turn back and kill Cardinal, too, but the more rational side prevailed. There were too many risks and unknowns at play now. What if someone else happened upon them? It was not worth it. So he rode on, anxious to put as much distance between himself and this job. In any case, Cardinal wouldn't be able to identify him. He was safe. But if the veterinarian did somehow become a threat, he would not be difficult to find…

***

"Scott, watch out!" Ty shouted in warning as they crested the hill.

Scott's heart skipped a beat when the guy on the motorbike narrowly avoided being splattered all over his windshield.

"Idiot," Scott spat in disgust, watching in the rear-view mirror as the retreating rider slipped from view behind the hill. His heart nearly skipped another beat when he saw a familiar silver-grey SUV sunk in the ditch just up ahead on the left.

Ty saw it, too. "Wait, I think that's Lisa's," he said, cold dread drenching him.

Scott eased up on the gas and pressed the brakes, bringing his truck to a complete stop while activating his emergency flashers. It could only be Lisa's; it had to be. No one else in Hudson drove that exact make and model in that colour. Even if it was not Lisa, the pair would certainly have halted to assist any accident victims.

"Ty, call for help!"

In seconds, Scott had snatched some gloves from his vet kit and hopped from the cab of the truck. He pulled on the gloves as he sprinted across the road towards the SUV. There was no discernible motion from within. Scott reached the driver's side window, which was still rolled down.

"Lisa?!" he called.

What he saw caused him to reach in to unlock and yank open the driver's side door in one frantic pull, willing himself not to panic or lose his focus. Lisa was slumped over the steering wheel, face partially obscured by the folds of the deflated airbag. The upper portion of the left sleeve of her dark grey blazer was saturated with blood.

"Lisa! Can you hear me?"

No response. He reached over to feel along the carotid artery; listened closely to determine if she was breathing. Her breath seemed shallow and laboured. Pulse? There it was: rapid, but barely perceptible beneath his gloved fingers. His attention quickly returned to the perfectly round wound to Lisa's upper arm, the first obvious source of the blood. Scott immediately squeezed his hands around her arm just above the site, applying as much pressure as he could manage, hoping to stop the flow.

"Ty!" he barked over his shoulder. "Grab our kits and get over here!"

He realised they would need to apply a tourniquet as soon as possible. At first, Scott could not figure how such an injury could have occurred in a car accident, since there was no evidence of shrapnel or anything of the sort. For a second, he flashed back to the thigh injury he sustained in the plane crash from several years ago. Nothing like that appeared to be the reason behind Lisa's trauma. It began to dawn on Scott there was already far too much blood soaking Lisa's blazer to have been caused by a single entry site. With the utmost care, he shifted her arm for a closer examination. What he saw caused his spirits to sink further: another perfectly round hole in Lisa's side that matched the ones perforating her left bicep.

"Scott, is she okay?"

Ty stood next to his mentor now, trying not to crowd him; his own hands currently wearing protective gloves as he lugged the kits over and set them down. He unclipped his cell and activated the speaker function, waiting for the 911 operator to answer.

Scott's face was grim. "Ty, I think Lisa's been shot."

"Shot?!" Ty echoed in dismay, angling for a closer look into the SUV. "What—are you sure?"

"It went through her arm and into her side," Scott said, throat constricting as he tried to swallow; his mouth bone dry. "It's pretty bad."

"911, what is your emergency?"

Ty shook himself after seeing the streaks of blood on Scott's own gloved hands which were still clenched firmly around Lisa's arm.

"Yes, I'm at the site of an automobile accident on Range Road 292 heading south towards Hudson," he answered the dispatcher. "Uh, a woman has been badly hurt."

"Okay, sir. What is your name, and can you confirm how many people are involved in the accident?"

"I'm Ty Borden—I'm a vet; I'm with Dr. Scott Cardinal," he stated. "The woman is Lisa Stillman. She's the only one hurt. We just found her. She's not conscious but she's bleeding pretty badly from, uh, from what looks like a gunshot wound."

If the 911 operator was fazed by what Ty described, her voice did not betray it.

"Thank you, Dr. Borden. We're dispatching police and ambulance services to your location right now. Did you say Dr. Scott Cardinal is with you?"

"Yes," Ty confirmed. "He can hear you; I've got you on speaker."

"Scott, it's Heather LaPlante," announced the dispatcher. "You're my vet. I know you guys are animal doctors, but your medical training will still be extremely useful here."

There came a series of additional questions and instructions from Heather, clarifying the extent of Lisa's injuries, and what more the two veterinarians could do to keep her alive.

"Don't move her unless it's absolutely necessary," Heather cautioned, once she had verified from Scott that Lisa was still breathing and a pulse was present. "Is the bullet wound a puncture or perforation?"

"Both," Scott advised. "The bullet perforated her left arm through the bicep and punctured her side—the ribcage. No discernible exit wound."

"Then the bullet is still inside her somewhere," Heather remarked in a matter-of-fact manner, but both men heard an edge of anxiety colouring her words. "You said her breath sounds are labored and the pulse is rapid, so you could be dealing with a pneumothorax. If you haven't already done so, you and Dr. Borden need to apply a tourniquet immediately to her arm, and you've got to deal with that side chest wound until more help arrives."

"Scott," Ty interjected with urgency, "the air bag. Look."

Scott took a moment to follow his protégé's gaze. His stomach flipped. A red stain bloomed ominously on the white material of the air bag below Lisa's face. "Ty, you gotta check her for a head or face injury," he said. "I don't want to let go of her arm until we can get the tourniquet."

"What's happening?" asked Heather, having heard the exchange.

"The air bag deployed when she crashed," Scott explained to the dispatcher, "but we're seeing bloodstains. It looks like she sustained a head injury on impact, or…" His voice trailed off, not wanting to voice the alternative. He knew they were all thinking the same thing, anyway.

There was barely room for Ty to maneuver. He clipped the phone back to the holder on his belt so as to have both hands free for this next action. The way the Porsche was angled in the ditch meant it would be impossible to gain access through the passenger-side door, so Ty popped the lock on the backseat door. Once inside, he squeezed himself over the console between the front seats to get closer to Lisa.

Life over limb, Ty thought grimly, as he cautiously supported the neck of the still-unconscious woman while raising her head for Scott to get a closer look.

"What do you see, Scott?" he asked, straining to keep proper support from his awkward position.

A bloody welt, gory and deep red in colour, showed plainly on Lisa's pale skin, just below the hairline, an inch above her left eye. Blood was now streaming down, darkening her left eyebrow, lid, and eyelashes. A single rivulet crept its way down her cheek; droplets stained the collar of her light blue blouse.

Scott sighed, his apprehension ramping up even higher. "She's been shot in the head, too, Ty. That ambulance had better get here fast."

Ty blinked hard. "Heather, I'm going to lean her back so her face isn't pressed into the steering wheel."

"Okay, do it gently as possible, always supporting her neck."

"Right."

Once this action was complete, he dashed out of the SUV and snapped open the vet kits. After withdrawing the necessary items, he and Scott applied a neat tourniquet to Lisa's left arm. Knowing they might need to shift Lisa to address the wound to her side, Ty reached in to unbuckle the seatbelt and carefully snaked it back to its original position.

"Make sure you keep paying close attention to her breathing and pulse, Scott," Heather warned. "Let me know right away if anything changes. If her chest cavity fills up with too much air, her lungs could collapse… and she could die right there before the paramedics can get to her. Here's what you have to do immediately to buy her some time..."

***

"All right, everybody's here except Lisa Stillman," Tanner Gunn said, calling the investors' group meeting to order.

"Yeah, that's Lisa—always on her own timetable, never mind what everyone else is doing," Dan Hartfield said disparagingly.

"Really?" Tanner remarked, turning to look at the other man. "I hadn't ever noticed that about your ex-wife, Dan. As I recall, she's normally early for these meetings."

"I'll send her a text," Dan grumbled, having been caught in his lie.

"Car trouble, maybe?" Fred Garland posited with a frown.

"That Porsche of hers is over ten years old," muttered Dan, still tapping on his phone, "but it's in excellent condition. I'll see if she responds to my message."

"I say we just start the meeting and get her up to speed when she arrives," Stanley Belmont, owner and operator of the Hudson Funeral Home said impatiently.

Emma Fitzroy nodded. "I agree. We have quorum in any case, and since we're not deciding on any new investment opportunities this meeting, we don't need any unanimous votes."

"Any objections from anyone, then?" Tanner asked, looking around the room. The members, plus newcomer Jesse Stanton, were all shaking their heads in the negative. "No objections. Good. Let's get a recap of the last meeting's minutes to start. Hopefully that gives Lisa enough time to get here before we move onto the first item of business on the agenda, which is namely you, Jesse..."

***

Jack heard the unexpected approach of a car. This was unusual, since he knew Lisa could not possibly be back at this time, and it was early still for his appointment with the detectives. He peeked out the kitchen window, mildly surprised to see it was indeed a police cruiser. It pulled to a stop and parked in the spot normally occupied by Lisa's Porsche. Are they here already? Jack thought. He was further surprised to see both Jim Parker and Ty exiting the vehicle. A strange disquiet stirred in the pit of his stomach. Some instinct told him this was not going to be a social call from the Hudson chief of police. He did not wait for the knock and instead opened the door right away for the two men.

Ty let the senior officer go ahead of him, unable to meet Jack's eyes. He was thankful Chief Parker was there and would do all the talking.

"Jim, it's good to see you," Jack said heartily, offering a firm handshake.

"Jack," Jim replied cordially, though his manner was reserved as he tried for some professional detachment.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" asked Jack uneasily, his eyes wandering momentarily to Ty, who continued to avert his gaze. The younger man hung back, unsure now if he ought to be present for this. But no, he thought, Jack needed his support. Better to stay.

"Let's sit down first, please?" Jim implored, nodding towards the kitchen table. "Ty, you can join us, too."

Jack offered the chief something to drink while he pulled out a chair for him to sit down. Jim politely declined. The old cowboy rounded the table to take the place opposite. Ty mutely took up a third spot at the table to Jack's oblique left.

The Bartlett patriarch sensed something must be terribly amiss but could not quite make any sense of both Ty and Chief Parker's presence. He tamped down the rising tide of foreboding. "All right; what's this about?"

"I'm here because your wife—Lisa has been in an accident," Jim said plainly.

The words slammed into Jack like a gale-force wind, knocking the breath from his lungs. "Wha-? An accident?" His eyes flew once again to Ty for an explanation or some kind of confirmation of the chief's news. "Is she all right?"

"She's still alive, but her condition is critical. They've taken her to the South Calgary Health Campus," Jim replied evenly. "But, Jack, there's more."

Ty sucked in a sharp breath, knowing full well what "more" Chief Parker was referring to.

All kinds of dark memories engulfed a dumbstruck Jack; images and emotions from the night a similar conversation occurred between him and another officer about Marion and Amy.

"It wasn't merely an 'accident'," Jim continued, monitoring the other man's features carefully. "Someone shot your wife."

The words were so incongruous, Jack needed Jim to repeat them. "Excuse me, but did you just say someone shot my wife?" he exclaimed, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Ty covered his own mouth with his hand, remembering the sight of an unconscious, injured Lisa in the seat of her SUV.

"That's correct," Jim acknowledged.

"But—who? W-why?" Jack sputtered, rising from his chair, staring at the chief as his heart clenched painfully within. Rage soon replaced the disbelief as he imagined tearing to pieces the person who had dared harm his wife in this way.

"We don't have any suspects right now," Jim said calmly, noting how Jack's face had deeply reddened and how his hands were gripping the back of the chair. "I was actually hoping you might be able to help with that."

"How could I possibly 'help'?!" Jack snapped. Someone had shot his wife. She was in critical condition in the hospital, and Chief Parker was keeping him here, insinuating he might know who did it.

"Can you think of anybody who might want to hurt her? Does Lisa have any enemies?"

"'Enemies'? Lisa?!" echoed Jack, his voice rising from its usual gravelly timbre to a higher, incredulous pitch. The idea was absurd. "No!"

"Forgive me for having to ask," Parker said soothingly. "I know she is in the high-stakes racehorse breeding business. Have there been any disgruntled clients or staff? Jealous rivals? Think carefully, now."

Jack lowered himself into his chair once more. He attempted to focus; he forced his voice to speak something coherent. "Jim, you've met my wife. She's one of the kindest, most generous people I've known my whole life. She would rather sell her vacation home in France than let go her staff when she was going through a rough financial patch. That's the kind of person she is. Of course she has no enemies!"

If Parker was disappointed with this response, he did not let on. However, he did not give voice to what he was thinking: Very seldom in his experience did he encounter a person who went through life without upsetting someone else. The question, then, was if Lisa Stillman had ever upset someone else enough to want to end her life.

"Um… There was this jockey…" Ty murmured.

Jim turned to look at him expectantly. Jack glanced over in surprise, having nearly forgotten Ty was there.

"Go on, Ty," Jim encouraged.

"His name's Liam," Ty said, clearing his throat. "Liam Comox. He once jockeyed for Lisa. Amy and I—we suspected him of using an illegal shock device on one of the horses that was acting up. Lisa found a bunch of buzzers among his possessions and fired him. She also reported him to the Steward's Office. He was barred from racing."

"When was this?" asked the chief eagerly, seizing on this potential lead.

Ty considered. "Uh, maybe eight or nine years ago?"

A dubious expression replaced the hopeful one on Jim's face. "Hmm. Do you think he's still hanging around and holds a grudge against Lisa after all this time?"

Ty expelled a breath. "I don't know," he said with an honest shrug. "That is a pretty long time to be nursing a grudge. As for where he is now, I have no idea."

"Thank you, Ty. This is definitely something we'll be looking into," Parker said, scribbling down the details provided.

He turned now to Jack. "Thanks for answering my questions. If anything else occurs to you that you think might be important, I want you to call me right away, okay, Jack? No matter how insignificant you may think it is."

"I will," Jack said, rising as Jim stood up to leave.

"The same goes for you, Ty," Parker added, placing his card on the table. "I know you gave us a statement at the accident site, but if you think of anything else—something you remember that you didn't tell us—you call us."

"Okay," Ty replied with a nod.

"I'm sorry we had to meet again like this, Jack," Parker said with sincerity. "I don't like it when things like this happen under my jurisdiction, especially so soon after what happened to Valerie Stanton. You have my word my team and I will be nose to the grindstone to bring the responsible party to justice."

Jack was almost too numb to speak but managed a feeble "Thank you."

"I'll be in touch, Jack. There's bound to be more questions at a later time. You have my best wishes for a speedy recovery for your wife. Now, I'll see myself out," the chief said as he made his way over to the mud room.

Once the door shut behind the Hudson chief of police, Jack turned his attention to Ty. The numbness receded as his mind begged for more details. "Ty, what the hell is going on?" he hissed. "What is this about your giving a statement at the 'accident site'? How come you were with Chief Parker?"

"Because Scott and I were the ones who found Lisa," Ty answered, eyes downcast. "Her Porsche went off the road."

"And?" Jack prodded, his heart again screaming in pain while his mind conjured up horrific images of his wife trapped inside a mangled vehicle. "Don't you dare B.S. me, either, Ty. You tell me everything you know."

"It's—It's bad, Jack," Ty admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "We must have got there almost right after it happened. She, uh, wasn't conscious when Scott got to her. We could see one bullet wound to her left arm. That one did the most damage. It actually went through the arm into her side. No exit wound, so…"

"What else?" Jack demanded, steeling himself for what he feared he might hear next.

"There was another bullet wound to her forehead," Ty replied slowly, pointing out the approximate location on his own head. "I know that doesn't sound good, but when the paramedics arrived and got her out of the SUV, I think they were optimistic the bullet didn't actually penetrate her skull."

"Jeez," Jack breathed out, unable to articulate anything further.

"Scott and I applied a tourniquet to her arm. Sealed up the chest wound with gauze and… it's possible she could have a collapsed or punctured lung," Ty added reluctantly. "But she was still breathing when the paramedics and police got there, then Chief Parker arrived."

"I need to get to her right now," Jack stated resolutely, already moving to exit the house.

"I'll take you," Ty rushed to say. "You're in no state of mind to drive, Jack. Don't argue with me on this one, please."

Jack gave a swift nod without pausing in his tracks. "Fine," he grunted, tossing his keys to Ty. "Let's go!"

***

The drive out to the hospital was filled with a stifling tension. Ty dared not say a word while Jack sat in stony silence next to him. By the set of his jaw, Ty knew Jack was seething in mental torment and emotional anguish. Only once did Jack say something when they reached Calgary city limits and were minutes from the South Calgary Health Campus: "If she dies, I will kill the bastard responsible."

Ty sent a cautious glance over at the man who had become like a father to him. He saw a deadly resolve in the older man's lined face; his words clearly not an idle threat. Ty felt a chill pass through him at the thought Jack might actually resort to murder to avenge Lisa. He wanted to say something to get Jack off that destructive thought pattern but held his tongue for the time being. Had Ty not almost beaten Wade to death for his abusive actions towards Lily? He understood well that blinding rage and irrepressible need to exact justice for wrongs committed against innocent loved ones. The irrational emotion gripping Jack would eventually run its course—or at least Ty hoped it would—and there was still the chance Lisa would pull through.

***

Chapter 6: Fragile

#heartland #heartland fanfiction #JISA #JISA fanfiction #Lisa Stillman #Jack Bartlett #Ty Borden #Scott Cardinal #Val Stanton #Jesse Stanton #Tanner Gunn #Emma Fitzroy #Fred Garland #Chief James Parker #Bad Business #my fics #my fanfiction #A Heartland Murder Mystery #Dan Hartfield

[heartlandians]

Patrick Gallagher as Tanner Gunn in Heartland - 8x11 - Silent Partner

#heartland #gifs #season 8 #8x11 #tanner gunn #patrick gallagher

[goalhofer]

2020 NHL Draft Results

1st overall, New York Rangers: Alex Lafreniere, Rimouski Oceanic (Saint-Eustache, Quebec)

2nd overall, Los Angeles: Quinton Byfield, Sudbury Wolves (Newmarket, Ontario)

3rd overall, Ottawa: Tim Stützle, Adler Mannheim (Viersen, Germany)

4th overall, Detroit: Lukas Raymond, Frölunda H.C. (Göteborg, Sweden)

5th overall, Ottawa: Jake Sanderson, USNTDP (Whitefish, Montana)

6th overall, Anaheim: Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters (Toronto, Ontario)

7th overall, New Jersey: Alexander Holtz, Djugårdens I.F. Ishockeyförening (Stockholm, Sweden)

8th overall, Buffalo: Jack Quinn, Ottawa 67's (Cobden, Ontario)

9th overall, Minnesota: Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67's (Zurich, Switzerland)

10th overall, Winnipeg: Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (Whitby, Ontario)

11th overall, Nashville: Yaroslav Askarov, K.K. S.K.A.-Neva (Omsk, Russia)

12th overall, Florida: Anton Lundell, H.I.F.K. (Espoo, Finland)

13th overall, Carolina: Seth Jarvis, Portland Winterhawks (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

14th overall, Edmonton: Dylan Holloway, University Of Wisconsin Badgers (Cochrane, Alberta)

15th overall, Toronto: Rodion Amirov, K.K. Salavat Yulaev (Salavat, Russia)

16th overall, Montreal: Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert Raiders (Sherwood Park, Alberta)

17th overall, Chicago: Lukas Reichel, Eisbären Berlin (Nürnberg, Germany)

18th overall, New Jersey: Dawson Mercer, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (Bay Roberts, Newfoundland)

19th overall, New York Rangers: Braden Schneider, Brandon Wheat Kings (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan)

20th overall, New Jersey: Shakir Mukhamadullin, K.K. Salavat Yulaev (Ufa, Russia)

21st overall, Columbus: Yegor Chinakhov, K.K. Avangard (Omsk, Russia)

22nd overall, Washington: Hendrix Lapierre, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (Gatineau, Quebec)

23rd overall, Philadelphia: Tyson Foerster, Barrie Colts (Alliston, Ontario)

24th overall, Calgary: Connor Zary, Kamloops Blazers (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

25th overall, Colorado: Justin Barron, Halifax Mooseheads (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

26th overall, St. Louis: Jake Neighbours, Edmonton Oil Kings (Airdrie, Alberta)

27th overall, Anaheim: Jacob Perreault, Sarnia Sting (Montreal, Quebec)

28th overall, Ottawa: Ridly Greig, Brandon Wheat Kings (Lethbridge, Alberta)

29th overall, Vegas: Brendan Brisson, Chicago Steel (Manhattan Beach, California)

30th overall, Dallas: Mavrick Bourque, Shawinigan Cataractes (Plessisville, Quebec)

31st overall, San Jose: Ozzy Weisblatt, Prince Albert Raiders (Calgary, Alberta)

32nd overall, Detroit: William Wallinder, Modo Hockey J20 (Sollefteå, Sweden)

33rd overall, Ottawa: Roby Järventie, K.O.O.V.E.E. (Tampere, Finland)

34th overall, Buffalo: John-Jason Peterka, Eishockeylub Red Bull München (Munich, Germany)

35th overall, Los Angeles: Helge Grans, Malmö Rödhökar (Ljungby, Sweden)

36th overall, Anaheim: Sam Colangelo, Chicago Steel (Stoneham, Massachusetts)

37th overall, Minnesota: Marat Khusnutdinov, K.K. S.K.A.-1946 St. Petersburg (Moscow, Russia)

38th overall, San Jose: Thomas Bordeleau, USNTDP (Montreal, Quebec)

39th overall, Minnesota: Ryan O'Rourke, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Pickering, Ontario)

40th overall, Winnipeg: Daniel Torgersson, Frölunda H.C. J20 (Hönö, Sweden)

41st overall, Carolina: Noel Gunler, Luleå Hockeyförening (Luleå, Sweden)

42nd overall, Nashville: Luke Evangelista, London Knights (Oakville, Ontario)

43rd overall, Florida: Emil Heineman, Leksands Idrottsförening (Leksand, Sweden)

44th overall, Ottawa: Tyler Kleven, USNTDP (Fargo, North Dakota)

45th overall, Los Angeles: Brock Faber, USNTDP (Maple Grove, Minnesota)

46th overall, Chicago: Drew Commesso, USNTDP (Needham, Massachusetts)

47th overall, Montreal: Luke Tuch, USNTDP (Baldwinsville, New York)

48th overall, Montreal: Jan Mysák, Hamilton Bulldogs (Litvínov, Czech Republic)

49th overall, Arizona: Forfeited

50th overall, Calgary: Yan Kuznetsov, University Of Connecticut Huskies (Murmansk, Russia)

51st overall, Detroit: Theodor Niederbach, Frölunda H.C. J20 (Bjästa, Sweden)

52nd overall, Pittsburgh: Joel Blomqvist, Oulun Kärpät U20 (Nykarlby, Finland)

53rd overall, Carolina: Vasily Ponomarev, Shawinigan Cataractes (Zelenograd, Russia)

54th overall, Philadelphia: Emil Andrae, HV71 J20 (Västervik, Sweden)

55th overall, Detroit: Cross Hanas, Portland Winterhawks (Highland Village, Texas)

56th overall, San Jose: Tristen Robins, Saskatoon Blades (Brandon, Manitoba)

57th overall, Tampa Bay: Jack Finley, Spokane Chiefs (Kelowna, British Columbia)

58th overall, Boston: Mason Lohrei, Green Bay Gamblers (Verona, Wisconsin)

59th overall, Toronto: Roni Hirvonen, Porin Ässät (Espoo, Finland)

60th overall, New York Rangers: Will Cuylle, Windsor Spitfires (Toronto, Ontario)

61st overall, Ottawa: Egor Sokolov, Cape Breton Eagles (Yekaterinburg, Russia)

62nd overall, Tampa Bay: Gage Goncalves, Everett Silvertips (Mission, British Columbia)

63rd overall, Detroit: Donovan Sebrango, Kitchener Rangers (Kitchener, Ontario)

64th overall, Toronto: Topi Niemela, Oulun Kärpät (Oulu, Finland)

65th overall, Minnesota: Daemon Hunt, Moose Jaw Warriors (Brandon, Manitoba)

66th overall, Los Angeles: Kasper Simontaival, Tappara (Tampere, Finland)

67th overall, Anaheim: Ian Moore, St. Mark's School Winged Lions (Concord, Massachusetts)

68th overall, Vegas: Lucas Cormier, Charlottetown Islanders (Ste.-Marie-De-Kent, New Brunswick)

69th overall, Carolina: Alexander Nikishin, K.K. Spartak Moscow (Oryol, Russia)

70th overall, Detroit: Eemil Viro, Turun Palloseura (Vantaa, Finland)

71st overall, Ottawa: Leevi Meriläinen, Oulun Kärpät U20 (Oulu, Finland)

72nd overall, Calgary: Jérémy Poirier, Saint John Sea Dogs (Salaberry-De-Valleyfield, Quebec)

73rd overall, Nashville: Luke Prokop, Calgary Hitmen (Edmonton, Alberta)

74th overall, Florida: Ty Smilanic, USNTDP (Elizabeth, Colorado)

75th overall, Colorado: Jean-Luc Foudy, Windsor Spitfires (Scarborough, Ontario)

76th overall, San Jose: Danil Gushchin, Niagara IceDogs (Yekaterinburg, Russia)

77th overall, Pittsburgh: Calle Klang, Kristianstads I.K. (Olofström, Sweden)

78th overall, Columbus: Samuel Kňažko, Turun Palloseura U20 (Trencin, Slovakia)

79th overall, Chicago: Landon Slaggert, USNTDP (Chicago, Illinois)

80th overall, Calgary: Jake Boltmann, Edina High School Hornets (Edina, Minnesota)

81st overall, Chicago: Wyatt Kaiser, Andover High School Huskies (Andover, Minnesota)

82nd overall, Vancouver: Joni Jurmo, J.Y.P. (Espoo, Finland)

83rd overall, Los Angeles: Alex Laferriere, Harvard University Crimson (Chatham, New Jersey)

84th overall, New Jersey: Nico Daws, Guelph Storm (Burlington, Ontario)

85th overall, Tampa Bay: Maxim Groshev, K.K. Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (Agryz, Russia)

86th overall, St. Louis: Dylan Peterson, Boston University Terriers (Ottawa, Ontario)

87th overall, Florida: Justin Sourdif, Vancouver Giants (Surrey, British Columbia)

88th overall, St. Louis: Leo Lööf, Färjestad Bollklubb Jr. (Karlstad, Sweden)

89th overall, Boston: Trevor Kuntar, Boston College Eagles (Williamsville, New York)

90th overall, New York Islanders: Alexander Ljungkrantz, Brynäs I.F. (Gävle, Sweden)

91st overall, Vegas: Jackson Hallum, St. Thomas Academy Cadets (Eagan, Minnesota)

92nd overall, New York Rangers: Oliver Tärnström, A.I.I. Jr. (Stockholm, Sweden)

93rd overall, Tampa Bay: Jack Thompson, Sudbury Wolves (Courtice, Ontario)

94th overall, Philadelphia: Zayde Wisdom, Kingston Frontenacs (Toronto, Ontario)

95th overall, Florida: Mike Benning, Sherwood Park Crusaders (St. Albert, Alberta)

96th overall, Calgary: Daniil Chechelev, Russkie Vityazi Chekhov (Khabarovsk, Russia)

97th overall, Detroit: Sam Strange, Sioux Falls Stampede (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)

98th overall, San Jose: Brandon Coe, North Bay Battalion (Toronto, Ontario)

99th overall, New Jersey: Jaromir Pytlik, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Dacice, Czech Republic)

100th overall, Edmonton: Carter Savoie, University Of Denver Pioneers (St. Albert, Alberta)

101st overall, Nashville: Adam Wilsby, Skellefteå A.I.K. (Stockholm, Sweden)

102nd overall, Montreal: Jack Smith, Sioux Falls Stampede (St. Cloud, Minnesota)

103rd overall, New York Rangers: Dylan Garand, Kamloops Blazers (Victoria, British Columbia)

104th overall, Anaheim: Thimo Nickl, Rögle Bollklubb J20 (Klagenfurt, Austria)

105th overall, Florida: Zach Uens, Merrimack College Warriors (Belleville, Ontario)

106th overall, Toronto: Artur Akhtiamov, Irbis Kazan (Kazan, Russia)

107th overall, Detroit: Jan Bednár, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic)

108th overall, Pittsburgh: Lukáš Švejkovský, Medicine Hat Tigers (Point Roberts, Washington)

109th overall, Montreal: Blake Biondi, Hermantown High School Hawks (Hermantown, Minnesota)

110th overall, Chicago: Michael Krutil, H.K. Sparta Praha Jr. (Prague, Czech Republic)

111th overall, Arizona: Mitch Miller, Tri-City Storm (Sylvania, Ohio)

112th overall, Los Angeles: Juho Markkanen, Imatran Ketterä (Laapeenranta, Finland)

113th overall, Vancouver: Jackson Kunz, Green Bay Gamblers (Grand Forks, North Dakota)

114th overall, Columbus: Mikael Pyyhtiä, Turun Pallo U20 (Turku, Finland)

115th overall, Carolina: Zion Nybeck, HV71 J20 (Alvesta, Sweden)

116th overall, Tampa Bay: Eamon Powell, Boston College Eagles (Marcellus, New York)

117th overall, Washington: Bogdan Trineev, M.K.K. Dynamo Moscow (Voronezh, Russia)

118th overall, Colorado: Colby Ambrosio, Boston College Eagles (Welland, Ontario)

119th overall, St. Louis: Tanner Dickinson, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Perrysburg, Ohio)

120th overall, New Jersey: Ethan Edwards, Sioux City Musketeers (Grand Prairie, Alberta)

121st overall, New York Islanders: Alex Jefferies, The Frederick Gunn School (Lunenburg, Massachusetts)

122nd overall, Toronto: William Villeneuve, Saint John Sea Dogs (Sherbrooke, Quebec)

123rd overall, Dallas: Antonio Stranges, London Knights (Plymouth, Michigan)

124th overall, Montreal: Sean Farrell, Harvard University Crimson (Hopkinton, Massachusetts)

125th overall, Vegas: Jesper Vikman, Allmänna Idrottsklubben J20 (Stockholm, Sweden)

126th overall, Edmonton: Ty Tullio, Oshawa Generals (Lakeshore, Ontario)

127th overall, New York Rangers: Evan Vierling, Barrie Colts (Aurora, Ontario)

128th overall, Los Angeles: Martin Chromiak, Kingston Frontenacs (Ilava, Slovakia)

129th overall, Anaheim: Artyom Galimov, K.K. Ak Bars (Samara, Russia)

130th overall, New Jersey: Artyom Shlain, University Of Connecticut Huskies (Moscow, Russia)

131st overall, Buffalo: Matteo Costantini, Penticton Vees (St. Catherines, Ontario)

132nd overall, Detroit: Alex Cotton, Lethbridge Hurricanes (Langley, British Columbia)

133rd overall, Winnipeg: Anton Johannesson, HV71 J20 (Gnosjö, Sweden)

134th overall, New York Rangers: Brett Berard, Providence College Friars (East Greenwich, Rhode Island)

135th overall, Philadelphia: Elliot Desnoyers, Halifax Mooseheads (St-Hyacinthe, Quebec)

136th overall, Montreal: Jakub Dobeš, Omaha Lancers (Havirov, Czech Republic)

137th overall, Toronto: Dmitri Ovchinnikov, K.K. Sibersky Snaypery (Chita, Russia)

138th overall, Edmonton: Maxim Beryozkin, K.K. Lokomotiv 2 (Chita, Russia)

139th overall, Colorado: Ryder Rolston, University Of Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Birmingham, Michigan)

140th overall, Los Angeles: Ben Meehan, University Of Massachusetts, Lowell River Hawks (Walpole, Massachusetts)

141st overall, Chicago: Isaac Phillips, Sudbury Wolves (Barrie, Ontario)

142nd overall, Arizona: Carson Bantle, Michigan Technological University Huskies (Onalaska, Wisconsin)

143rd overall, Calgary: Ryan Francis, Cape Breton Eagles (Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia)

144th overall, Vancouver: Jacob Truscott, USNTDP (Ft. Gratiot, Michigan)

145th overall, Columbus: Ole Bjørgvik-Holm, Manglerud Stjerne Ishockey (Oslo, Norway)

146th overall, Minnesota: Pavel Novák; Jr., H.K. Stadion Litomerice (Tabor, Czech Republic)

147th overall, Tampa Bay: Jaydon Dureau, Portland Winterhawks (White City, Saskatchewan)

148th overall, Washington: Cassius Hughes, Spokane Chiefs (Post Falls, Idaho)

149th overall, Pittsburgh: Raivis Ansons, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (Riga, Latvia)

150th overall, St. Louis: Matt Kessel, University Of Massachusetts, Amherst Minutemen (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)

151st overall, Boston: Mason Langenbrunner, Eden Prairie High School Eagles (Eden Prairie, Minnesota)

152nd overall, New York Islanders: William Dufour, Drummondville Voltigeurs (Quebec City, Quebec)

153rd overall, Florida: Kasper Puutio, Oulun Kärpät (Vaasa, Finland)

154th overall, Dallas: Daniel Pettersson-Ljungman, Linköping Hockeyklubb J20 (Uppsala, Sweden)

155th overall, Ottawa: Eric Engstrand, Malmö Rödhökar (Varberg, Sweden)

156th overall, Detroit: Kyle Aucoin, Tri-City Storm (Gloucester, Ontario)

157th overall, Tampa Bay: Nick Capone, University Of Connecticut Huskies (East Haven, Connecticut)

158th overall, Ottawa: Philippe Daoust, Moncton Wildcats (Barrie, Ontario)

159th overall, Carolina: Lucas Mercuri, Des Moines Buccaneers (LaSalle, Quebec)

160th overall, Anaheim: Albin Sundsvik, Skellefteå A.I.K. (Stockholm, Sweden)

161st overall, New Jersey: Benjamin Baumgartner, H.C. Davos (Zell Am See, Austria)

162nd overall, Dallas: Evgeni Oxentyuk, C.K. Yunost-Minsk (Brest, Belarus)

163rd overall, St. Louis: Will Cranley, Ottawa 67's (Peterborough, Ontario)

164th overall, Winnipeg: Tyrel Bauer, Seattle Thunderbirds (Cochrane, Alberta)

165th overall, New York Rangers: Matt Rempe, Seattle Thunderbirds (Calgary, Alberta)

166th overall, Nashville: Luke Reid, University Of New Hampshire Wildcats (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

167th overall, Colorado: Nils Åman, Leksands Idrottsförening (Avesta, Sweden)

168th overall, Toronto: Veeti Mietinen, St. Cloud State University Huskies (Espoo, Finland)

169th overall, Edmonton: Filip Engarås, University Of New Hampshire Wildcats (Stockholm, Sweden)

170th overall, Pittsburgh: Chase Yoder, Providence College Friars (Fairview, Texas)

171st overall, Montreal: Alexander Gordin, S.K.A.-1946 St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg, Russia)

172nd overall, Chicago: Chad Yetman, Erie Otters (Whitby, Ontario)

173rd overall, Arizona: Filip Barklund, Örebro H.K. Jr. (Stockholm, Sweden)

174th overall, Calgary: Rory Kerihs, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Bolton, Ontario)

175th overall, Vancouver: Dmitri Zlodeyev, M.H.K. Dynamo Moscow (Voronezh, Russia)

176th overall, Columbus: Samuel Johannesson, Rögle Bandyklubb (Halmstad, Sweden)

177th overall, Toronto: Axel Rindell, Mikkelin Jukurit (Espoo, Finland)

178th overall, Philadelphia: Connor McClennon, Winnipeg Ice (Wainwright, Alberta)

179th overall, Washington: Garin Bjorklund, Medicine Hat Tigers (Grand Prairie, Alberta)

180th overall, Toronto: Joe Miller, Chicago Steel (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

181st overall, Ottawa: Cole Reinhardt, Brandon Wheat Kings (Irracana, Alberta)

182nd overall, Boston: Riley Duran, Youngstown Phantoms (Woburn, Massachusetts)

183rd overall, New York Islanders: Matias Rajaniemi, Lahti Pelikaanis (Lahti, Finland)

184th overall, Vegas: Noah Ellis, Des Moines Buccaneers (Urbandale, Iowa)

185th overall, Dallas: Rémi Poirier, Gatineau Olympiques (Farnham, Quebec)

186th overall, Tampa Bay: Amir Miftakhov, K.K. Ak Bars (Kazan, Russia)

187th overall, Detroit: Kienan Draper, Chilliwack Chiefs (Detroit, Michigan)

188th overall, Chicago: Louis Crevier, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (Quebec City, Quebec)

189th overall, Toronto: John Fusco, Harvard University Crimson (Westwood, Massachusetts)

190th overall, Los Angeles: Aatu Jämsen, Lahti Pelikaanis U20 (Lahti, Finland)

191st overall, Vancouver: Viktor Persson, Brynäs I.F. J20 (Valbo, Sweden)

192nd overall, Arizona: Elliot Ekefjärd, Malmå Rödhökar (Waxholm, Sweden)

193rd overall, Buffalo: Albert Lyckåsen, Hockeyklubb Vita Hästen (Bålsta, Sweden)

194th overall, St. Louis: Noah Beck, Clarkson University Golden Knights (Richmond Hill, Ontario)

195th overall, Toronto: Wyatt Schingoethe, Waterloo Black Hawks (Algonquin, Illinois)

196th overall, San Jose: Alex Young, Colgate University Raiders (Calgary, Alberta)

197th overall, New York Rangers: Hugo Ollas, Linköping Hockeyklubb J20 (Linköping, Sweden)

198th overall, Florida: Elliot Ekmark, Linköping Hockeyklubb J20 (Linköping, Sweden)

199th overall, Carolina: Alexander Pashin, M.K.K. Tolpar Ufa (Pryutovo, Russia)

200th overall, Edmonton: Jeremias Lindewall, Modo Hockey J20 (Sollefteå, Sweden)

201st overall, San Jose: Adam Raška, C.K. Ocelari Trinec (Koprivnice, Czech Republic)

202nd overall, Nashville: Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Northeastern University Huskies (East Greenwich, Rhode Island)

203rd overall, Detroit: Chase Bradley, Sioux City Musketeers (St. Louis, Missouri)

204th overall, Arizona: Ben McCartney, Brandon Wheat Kings (Macdonald, Manitoba)

205th overall, Calgary: Ilya Sokolyov, C.K. Dynamo Minsk (Minsk, Belarus)

206th overall, San Jose: Linus Öberg, Örebro H.K. (Vänersborg, Sweden)

207th overall, Anaheim: Ethan Bowen, Chilliwack Chiefs (Chilliwack, British Columbia)

208th overall, Carolina: Ronan Seeley, Everett Silvertips (Olds, Alberta)

209th overall, Nashville: Chase McLane, Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions (Trenton, Michigan)

210th overall, San Jose: Timofey Spitserov, Culver Military Academy Eagles (St. Petersburg, Russia)

211th overall, Washington: Oskar Magnusson, Malmö Rödhöks (Trelleborg, Sweden)

212th overall, Florida: Devon Levi, Northeastern University Huskies (Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec)

213th overall, Toronto: Ryan Tverberg, Toronto Jr. Canadiens (Richmond Hill, Ontario)

214th overall, New York Islanders: Henrik Tikkanen, I.P.K. (Lohja, Finland)

215th overall, Vegas: Maxim Marushev, Bars Kazan (Saratov, Russia)

216th overall, Buffalo: Jakub Konečný, C.K. Sparta Praha U20 (Brno, Czech Republic)

217th overall, Tampa Bay: Declan McDonnell, Kitchener Rangers (Lake View, New York)

#Celebrities #Sports #Hockey #NHL #Canada #Quebec #Los Angeles Kings #Ontario #Germany #Sweden #National Teams #U.S.A. #U.S. #Michigan #Montana #Anaheim Ducks #Pennsylvania #Buffalo Sabres #Switzerland #Russia #Finland #Oregon #Manitoba #Wisconsin #Alberta #Saskatchewan #Newfoundland #Colorado Avalanche #Nova Scotia #St. Louis Blues

[rahirah]

via Barb's Place OK, guys, normally I try not to publish things which are this rough, but fuck it, it has been YEARS and I feel like I owe the six of you who are still hoping to read the rest of POM someday something. So here is the crappy first draft of Ch. 14, scene 1. (If you feel like leaving critical comments, please do. It needs savaging.) As Tara collapsed into Willow's arms, the silver cross, still straining at the end of its chain towards the stone, collapsed with her. Only a necklace again, and not the needle of Angel's moral compass. Buffy snatched it and held it tight, till her palms ached where the metal dug into the flesh. She could almost imagine the cross burning her hand, as if she were the vampire. Angel wouldn't, couldn't be doing the things Spike had described if he still had a soul. He might be infuriatingly high-handed sometimes, but he wasn't some kind of undead Don Corleone. Okay, fine, he'd basically put out a hit on Spike last year, and there'd been that whole episode with Resurrected Darla – she was certain she didn't know all the details there, and was even more certain she didn't want to – and that thing with the submarine, though Spike wasn't the world's most reliable narrator where Angel was concerned, and that had been forever ago and Angel had been really depressed back then and it shouldn't count, should it? And anyway, he'd said he'd had an epiphany, hadn't he? Buffy forced herself to take a breath and relax. Or to take a breath, at least. Damn Angel anyway. There was a corner of her heart that would always be his, just as she suspected that a corner of Spike's heart would always belong to Drusilla, so why couldn't they both just stay in their respective corners, safely cocooned in nostalgia? It would make life so much simpler. Everyone else was still arguing. Giles, bless him, had intercepted Kennedy and the Finns, but Dawn pounced on Spike with the speed and ferocity of Miss Kitty hunting the wily laser pointer. "Come on, spill! What plan?" "Doesn't bloody matter what plan, because it's bugfuck insane, and we're not having it." He really wasn't at a hundred percent yet. Insane plans were the last thing that was likely to put Dawn off. Her sister folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that this is the twenty-first century, and I can just, like, phone Cordy and ask her what it is?" Spike's jaw worked, and he glanced up at the ceiling and then over at her, as if imploring the heavens and the Slayer in order of importance. Buffy sighed. "We kinda used her for First Evil bait last year, Spike. The protect-poor-innocent-Dawnie ship has sailed, lost radio contact, and disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle." "I miss the days when a bloke could cut a sodding phone line," Spike muttered. "All bloody right, here's the gist. Chase had the idea this Burkle chit can use Dawn to pop into another dimension, where we'll conveniently run into no slavering monsters whatsoever, traipse across the landscape without falling into any inconvenient pits of molten lava, and pop back into this world in the Hyperion's safe. Then she fancies we can drag this Gunn bloke back the in same manner as whence we came, no doubt scattering sodding rose petals in our wake. I told her — " "But I can do that!" Dawn exclaimed, whirling on Buffy. "You know I can. I got us to Pylea and back last summer! We could drive close to the Hyperion as we can, cross over into the other dimension, hike to the spot where the Hyperion would be, cross back into our world, rescue the prisoners, and cross back to the World of No Slavering Monsters to get back to the car, and then cross back into our world again." At Spike's dubious expression, her own grew obstinate. "Seriously, how is this worse than you sneaking in and out of Angel's hotel through the sewers, which are definitely full of slavering monsters?" You had to admit Spike was giving it the old college try. "And supposing we miss the safe? Pop out in the middle of the lobby? Or the middle of a wall?" "You said Mr. Tanner's with them, right?" Dawn replied, smug. "He's a geomancer, remember? He specializes in topographic magic. I'll bet he can come up with something to get us to the right spot. I'm not dumb. I know this is going to be dangerous, but you need me. It's not like I'm going on some solo mission here. I'll be with you and Buffy, and Faith might even get here by then. All I'm going to do is stand around and exude Key vibes while you guys make with the punchy-kicky." She looked Spike in the eye. "I did fine in Pylea, didn't I? If this was some random nest of vampires..." "But it's not." Buffy hated the brittleness in her voice. "If Angel's really... it took everything I had to beat him last time." More. "You have a lot more now than you had then," Dawn said, her voice softening. "You're only alone if you want to be, Buffy. Let me help. Please." She'd had help last time, too. How could she explain to Dawn that the memory which haunted her nightmares even now was the result of that help: the look of stunned betrayal on Angel's face as she plunged the sword into his heart? If Willow had called his soul back five minutes later, or half an hour sooner... Dawn had never known that particular flavor of heartbreak. She took her sister's hand. "Thanks, Dawnie. But – " "No buts. I get it," Dawn said with the certainty of someone who didn't. "You have all this romantic baggage, and Spike has all these weird-ass vampire daddy issues – " "Oi!" "Well, you do! But you guys have fought demons, and wizards, and gods. I'm not saying Angel isn't a badass, but repeat after me: He's only a vampire." Spike's lips twitched in a rueful smile. "Bit might have a point, love." Rats. She did. Buffy grimaced. "You're not supposed to be the insightful sister." "I've always been the insightful sister." Dawn let her go and bounced back with a grin. "So I'm coming with you, right?" "You're coming." Buffy straightened. "OK, people. Spike and I leave for L.A. tomorrow morning. Kennedy, Willow, Tara, Giles, you're all with us – we'll take two cars if we have to. Riley, do whatever you need to to get your people there, and let me know when you'll arrive. And make sure they know not to randomly stake anything with fangs. Spike's called in some favors from the local vamps, and while I'm not gonna cry bitter tears if some of them come home in a Dust Buster, I don't want to waste troops. We won't know how many of them will keep their word till they actually show up in L.A., so Xander, can you and Anya stay here and coordinate things with David, and let us know how many are coming and when they'll meet up with us?" Xander nodded; if he was disappointed not to be tagged for combat duty, he didn't show it. "Anya and I can pack up the weapons and supplies tonight, if you want to get some rest, Buff." Buffy shot him a grateful look. "That would be great. We'll talk to Cordy in the morning about someplace to stash any allied vamps. Riley?" Riley exchanged a look with Sam. "We've got some fast talking to do with Headquarters. I'll keep you updated." Team Finn rose in tandem and headed for the door. Giles, having assessed the population of Casa Summers and deemed it excessive, was phoning a hotel. Willow was fussing around with Tara, and – "What are we going to do with Grandpa when we get there, Slayer?" And Spike was looking at her like he expected her to have an answer for that. Maybe she did. "After we catch him? We can enroll him in Riley's chiphead program if we have to. At least until we find out what's going on." Spike frowned. "You think a chip in the head's gonna be enough? For Angel?" How was this even a question? "It was enough for you. And it's only temporary." "It was an excuse to hang about in your general vicinity. Not that I'd have admitted as much at the time." His tone was serious; Spike wasn't even trying to pick a fight, damn him, and she really wanted to punch something in the nose right now. "Angel, he won't put up with it, not for the pleasure of anyone's company." Buffy choked back a bitter sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. "'A more permanent solution,' huh? Maybe everyone's right. It took me... so long, last time. To... do what I had to. And people died for it. I can't let that happen again. But I can't..." The words dried up in her throat, too painful to force out. "All of you want me to kill him, don't you?" She was shaking. "So easy for all of you to say, because he's not your friend or your lover. Well, you know what? Screw that! Drusilla's up there with him, and I haven't once questioned that you'll be able to handle her!" Spike's eyes flashed yellow for a second, but he didn't rise to the bait. Maybe his L.A. adventure had really knocked some restraint into him after all. "Yeah, well, maybe you should. I promised you Dru's ashes once, if ever you gave me a crumb. P'raps you've noticed that she's not actually a big pile of dust yet, for all I've gotten the whole sodding cake by now." His shoulders drooped. "Fuck it all, pet, I don't want you to kill him. I hate his sodding guts, but he's family. It's just... you keep talking as if you can fix him. What if there's nothing to fix? What if he really has just stopped trying?" "Then we convince him to start trying again. We didn't give up on Willow when the First had her, did we?" Spike stood silent for a moment, his bright head bowed. Then he sighed. "Fair do's," he said. Whatever that meant. "You know I'll back you, Slayer. I've got no doubts you'll do as you have to. Whatever that turns out to be. Just needed to have my say first." The unshakable confidence in his voice was... not cheering, exactly, but something. She laid her forehead against his shoulder, saying with touch what couldn't be said with words. After a moment his arm snaked around her shoulders, and she felt the uneven rise and fall of his chest gradually match the rhythm of her own breathing. She wondered if he even realized that he did that. "I've got to get some sleep. You coming up?" He glanced across the room. "Up in a mo.' Want a word with Tara. Bird's had a rough night of it," Join the club. "OK. See you in a bit." It occurred to her, as she climbed the stairs, that if the worst ever happened between the two of them, Spike would see that final stroke from her hands as an affirmation rather than a betrayal: a little gesture to show that she cared. Which was weird and sick and vampirey, and also... strangely comforting. No wonder Angel was convinced she'd come back from heaven wrong. TBD comments

#IFTTT #Barb's Place

[bongaboi]

Stanford: 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball National Champions

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tara VanDerveer hugged each of her Stanford players as they climbed the ladder to cut down a piece of the net.

It took 29 years, but VanDerveer and the Cardinal are NCAA women's basketball champions again.

Haley Jones scored 17 points and Stanford beat Arizona 54-53, giving the Cardinal and its Hall of Fame coach their first national championship since 1992 on Sunday night.

"Getting through all the things we got through, we're excited to win the COVID championship," VanDerveer said. "The other one was not quite as close, the last one. But we're really excited. No one knows the score, no one knows who scored, it's a national championship and I'm really excited to represent Stanford. It's a great team. We did not play a great game today, however. But if we can win, not playing as well as we need to, I'm excited."

It wasn't a masterpiece by any stretch with both teams struggling to score and missing easy layups and shots, but Stanford did just enough to pull off the win.

Stanford (31-2) built a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter before Arizona (21-6) cut it to 51-50 on star guard Aari McDonald's 3-pointer.

After a timeout, Jones answered with a three-point play with 2:24 left. That would be Stanford's last basket of the game. McDonald got the Wildcats within 54-53 with 36.6 seconds left converting three of four free throws.

"I just owe it all to my teammates, they have confidence in me when I don't have confidence in myself," said Jones, who was honored as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "I saw they needed me to come up big and I did."

The Cardinal, after another timeout couldn't even get a shot off, giving Arizona one last chance with 6.1 seconds left, but McDonald's contested shot from the top of the key at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

"I got denied hard. I tried to turn the corner, they sent three at me. I took a tough, contested shot and it didn't fall," said McDonald, who fell near midcourt, slumped in disbelief while the Cardinal celebrated.

It's been quite a journey for VanDerveer and the Cardinal this season. The team was forced on the road for nearly 10 weeks because of the coronavirus, spending 86 days in hotels during this nomadic season.

The team didn't complain and went about their business and now have another NCAA championship. Along the way, the Hall of Fame coach earned her 1,099th career victory to pass Pat Summitt for the most all time in women's basketball history.

Now the 67-year-old coach has a third national title to go along with the ones she won in 1990 and 1992. That moved her into a tie with Baylor's Kim Mulkey for third most all time behind Geno Auriemma and Summitt.

VanDerveer had many great teams between titles, including the ones led by Candice Wiggins and the Ogwumike sisters — Nneka and Chiney, but the Cardinal just couldn't end its season with that elusive win in the title game until Sunday night.

It was the first women's basketball championship for the Pac-12 since VanDerveer and Stanford won the title in 1992. The last time a team from the conference was in the title game was 2010 when the Cardinal lost to UConn. That game was also played in the Alamodome — the site of every game in this tournament from the Sweet 16 through Sunday's championship game.

The entire NCAA Tournament was played in the San Antonio area because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NOTES:

Stanford is the nation's all-time leader in NCAA team championships (127), totaling eight more than second-place UCLA (119).

Stanford has won at least one NCAA team championship during each of the last 45 seasons, dating back to the 1976-77 campaign.

Of Stanford's 127 NCAA championships, 67 have come from men's programs and 60 from women's programs.

Of Stanford's 127 NCAA championships, 35 have been won in the fall, 29 in the winter and 63 in the spring.

Stanford has won 51 NCAA championships since 2000.

Stanford won its third NCAA championship in school history. The Cardinal also captured NCAA titles in 1990 and 1992. Head coach Tara VanDerveer has guided Stanford to all three NCAA crowns.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer becomes Stanford's first female head coach to win an NCAA championship since Lele Forood (women's tennis) in 2019.

Head coach Tara VanDerveer is one of seven active Stanford head coaches to have won at least three NCAA championships, joining Lele Forood (women's tennis - 10), John Tanner (women's water polo - 7), Thom Glielmi (men's gymnastics - 3), Jeremy Gunn (men's soccer - 3), Greg Meehan (women's swimming and diving - 3) and Paul Ratcliffe (women's soccer - 3).

#2021 #ncaa #national championship #women's college basketball #stanford cardinal