The WIP Meme
Shameless stolen from brandywine421. And a bunch of others are doing it, too, but she was the first I saw... lol
When you see this, post a little weensy excerpt from as many random works-in-progress as you can find lying around. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
As you shall see, I have plenty of IDEAS, the problem is the stuff in between where the stories are now and where the ideas are... lol... and funny that Alex keeps popping up in these... lol...
Heavily Broken - The 'Ryan never called Sandy and ended up a hustler until a john raped him and didn't use a condom' story.
Ryan was nervous as he stepped into the meeting room and saw the group of people gathered in the circle of chairs, and for a moment he thought about turning and walking back out. No one knew he'd decided to come, so it wouldn't matter if he didn't actually stay, but then someone spotted him and soon the entire circle had turned to look at him.
"Come sit down and we'll start," one of the men said.
Ryan took a deep breath and moved to slide into a chair between two women, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his knees and his head was down as one by one they were saying their names. Finally, it was his turn and he looked up. "Ryan," he said in a low voice.
"We're all regulars, but we'd like to hear your story, Ryan, if you don't mind," the man who'd spoken before said. "How long you've known, how you were infected..."
"I've known for sure a couple weeks, but I've been living in fear of my next test since February," Ryan said. "I... uh... I was homeless for a while, my mother kicked me because I was with my brother when he committed a crime. I had no money, none of my so-called friends were willing to take me in... I ended up hustling, prostituting myself, just so I could afford food and a crappy apartment. I didn't want to die in an alley because I was too proud. One night, a john refused to wear a condom, and I tried to walk away... I tried to lie and say it was for his protection, that I had HIV... it didn't work because he was HIV positive so he didn't care. He raped me, even though a lot of the cops in Chino say it's impossible to rape a hooker... I said no and he forced it. Almost killed me. But I got these foster parents, who are amazing, they've been trying so hard to help me feel safe, and they got me a female shrink, and a female doctor, so that I'd be okay with being alone with them. A bout three months ago, I had a run in with an ex-john, not the one who raped me, but... it was still enough to make me sick to my stomach. Went to the doctor the next day, she ran tests, including blood tests, and... there was backlog at the lab or something, because it was almost a week and a half before she called and said she needed me to come in as soon as possible. I knew the second I found out that she wanted me to come in immediately... I knew I was positive."
"Are you on the cocktail now?" one of the women asked.
"Yeah," Ryan said. "Makes me feel pretty sick sometimes, but their trying to find the mix that won't do that." He sighed and shrugged. "I know it's not a death sentence, I know that with modern medicine I could still live to be an old man, but... I always... I'm scared to play soccer with my friends because what if I get hurt and bleed on them? I have issues with sex anyway, but now I gotta think that if I'm ever ready to have sex with a girl, I could infect her... I just... I don't even know why I came here. I got in a fight with my foster parents, and I walked out of the house, and now... I'm here."
"Maybe you just needed to talk to people who actually really do understand, at least part of it, anyway," the man who'd spoken earlier.
~~~
When the meeting took a break, Ryan got up to get a cup of what he expected to be weak and disgusting coffee. Instead, he found it was pretty good, and refilled his cup after downing half of it in two quick gulps.
"We take turns bringing the good stuff," a girl about Ryan's age said as she got her own cup. "And we never tell the newbies until they've come to a couple meetings, so they usually avoid the coffee."
"Well, I think if I'd brought a beer in here it might have been frowned on, so I need my coffee fix to get through this," Ryan replied.
"You should try the cookies," the girl said, grabbing one for herself. "The muffins are stale and like rocks, but the cookies are good."
Ryan grabbed one and took a bite, nodding. "Pretty good," he replied.
"Thanks, I bought them at the store myself."
Ryan laughed. "Well, you're very talented at that," he joked.
She smiled. "You said you're Ryan, right?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, nodding. "I wasn't really paying attention during the introduction thing..."
"Alex," she said, holding out her hand.
"Nice to meet you," Ryan said, shaking her hand. "Can I ask..."
"I kinda slept around a lot, with boys and girls," Alex said. "My parents didn't approve of the girls, and when I was 16 they told me to either be straight or get out. So... I got out. I ended up living with this girl in LA, that's where I'm from originally, and we partied a lot, and then one day she told me that she had HIV, and I got tested, and so did I, except I hadn't messed around with anyone but her in months, and before her, I'd always used protection and been safe."
"Did she admit to it?"
"Yeah, even introduced me to the guy, a real nice guy," Alex said sarcastically. "So, I took off, left LA, got a job here in Newport managing a club..."
"Yeah?"
"I'm an emancipated minor," Alex said with a grin. "You should come by the club sometime, if you give me your last name I can put you on the 'don't charge them the cover' list. Even a fake last name, just so I can put something on there."
"Ryan Atwood," Ryan replied.
"Alex Kelly."
"Nice to meet you," Ryan said.
"Come on, they're about to start back up, and Josh is hilarious when he's doing good, and judging by his constant grin tonight, he's doing good."
~~~
"So, do you need a ride?" Alex asked as she and Ryan left the community center.
Ryan hesitated, part of him wanting the long walk home as a chance to process, and part of him not wanting to go home at all. "I don't know..."
"You wanna crash somewhere?" Alex asked, seemingly reading his mind. "I've only got one bed, but it's big enough for two people to share platonically."
"You sure?" Ryan asked. "Inviting a guy you only just met, who has admitted to being an ex-hooker, to crash at your place?"
"I could take you in a fight," Alex said.
Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, you probably could," he agreed. "Yeah, I think I would like somewhere to crash."
"Come on, it's just a couple blocks from here."
End Possible Excerpt
Friends And Other Strangers - The OC/OTH/GG crossover where 'Ryan Atwood and Jess Mariano are friends and roommates and Summer is coming to visit and Ryan meets Brooke and Taylor is stalking Ryan' story.
"He has a girlfriend, you know."
Brooke turned to see a girl with light brown hair and preppy clothes standing behind her, lips pursed in annoyance. "Excuse me?"
"Ryan Atwood, he has a girlfriend," Taylor said.
"And you know this how?"
"Because I'm her."
"That's funny, because Ryan never mentioned a girlfriend."
"He does that sometimes, leads poor naive girls on..."
~~~
"Shit," Jess said, staring over Ryan and Summer's shoulders. "Stalker girl is talking to Brooke."
"What?!" Ryan asked, turning around. "Shit!" he said, taking off at a jog, followed closely by his friends. "What the hell, Taylor?"
"I was just talking to this very sweet girl..."
"Let me guess, saying you're my girlfriend?" Ryan said before turning to Brooke. "I broke up with her a year ago, when I caught her in bed with my brother. I don't have a girlfriend, Brooke, partly because every time I try to go out, Taylor scares them off."
"She's practically stalking him," Jess said. "I keep telling him to listen to his dad and get that restraining order, but does he listen to us..."
"Yes, I do," Ryan said, looking over at Taylor again. "I didn't want to take it this far, Taylor, but I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of looking out my window to see what the weather's like and seeing you across the street, I'm tired of coming out of class and finding you sitting in my jeep, and I'm really tired of you scaring off really nice girls that I really like. I'm gonna go fill out the paperwork tomorrow, I want you to stay away from me, Taylor. I don't want to have to call the cops on you."
"You don't mean that..."
"Yes, he does," Jess said. "I'm going with him tomorrow, make sure it gets done. And if you show up, then I'll call the cops even if he doesn't. Because this is bullshit, Taylor, leave him alone, stop screwing with his life."
"Ryan, I keep trying to tell you, that he is a bad friend for you!" Taylor said. "Doesn't that prove it? He's making you do this..."
"No one is making me do anything, except you, Taylor," Ryan said. "If you'd just stopped when I told you that I couldn't forgive you, I wouldn't be doing this. If you'd never gone further than sitting across the street, I might not be doing this. If you'd stopped when I caught you in my jeep and told you to leave me alone, I wouldn't be doing this! But you just keep going, keep getting more extreme, and I'm tired of it, Taylor."
"You just need to try harder to forgive me..." Taylor began.
"I can't even forgive my brother, Taylor, why would I forgive you?" Ryan asked. "I barely speak to Sandy and Kirsten, and when I do it's tense, because they defend Seth. The only relationships of any kind that I have right now that you haven't completely messed up are my friendships with Jess and Summer. So why, why, would I just decide to take your side of my best friend's?" Ryan asked, gesturing at Jess. "Explain that to me? Or better yet, don't. Just leave me alone."
End Of Excerpt
The 'Broken' Universe - The 'Oliver killed Sandy and Ryan has basically become traumatically mute but Brooke Davis is starting to bring him out of it' story.
Ryan and Brooke lay side by side on their stomachs, stretched across Ryan's bed, browsing an online catalog on Ryan's never before sued laptop because Brooke felt that Ryan needed to actually bring some life to his room inside the house, instead of it being almost bare except for clothes, desk, and the aforementioned laptop. "You're pathetic," Brooke said with a sigh. "Don't you like anything?"
Ryan shrugged. "I'm a guy, Brooke," he said softly, like he always did when he spoke. "Decorating isn't my thing."
"Good thing you have me then, right?"
Ryan smiled slightly, then jumped in surprise when his bedroom door opened, revealing Caleb, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of Brooke. Ryan took a deep breath before he spoke. "Hi, Mr. Nichols," he said.
Caleb froze, stunned, and stared at Ryan. "Did you just...?"
"Yeah, I did," Ryan said.
"You want me to go?" Brooke asked Ryan.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ryan replied, nodding.
Brooke sat up and kissed his cheek. "Call me if you need me. Or just come over. Maria likes you, she'll let you in." She smiled at Caleb. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Nichols," she said before leaving.
"Who was that?" Caleb asked slowly.
"Brooke, she lives next door," Ryan said, sitting up the rest of the way and closing the computer.
"I'm glad you're finally using that," Caleb said. "Is that young lady the reason you're talking?"
"She doesn't ask questions I can't answer," Ryan replied, his voice almost pleading with Caleb not to ask the question that everyone wanted to know.
Caleb nodded. "Well, regardless, I'm glad you are talking, I've been worried."
"You hate me," Ryan said, shaking his head.
"No, I don't," Caleb said. "A lesser person would have taken off and left Kiki all alone... like my other grandson did. But you stayed, even though I know this place is painful for you. I hope that someday you can tell us what happened and who did it, but in the meantime, you are my grandson, and anything you need, you come to me and I'll make sure you get it."
Ryan hesitated, then took a deep breath. "A credit card?" he asked quietly. "Brooke keeps bothering me about my room looking like one in an institution, and that I need to buy some stuff for it..."
"I've kept paying the premium on the one you had before," Caleb said. "So you can use it anytime you want."
"Thanks."
"She seems like a nice girl."
"She lives next door," Ryan said. "She's... she's been a good friend."
"I'm glad," Caleb said. "I... I hope you'll keep talking. Call me if there's anything you need, or..."
"I will," Ryan promised.
~~~
Ryan knocked on Brooke's bedroom door before entering. "Hey."
"Hey," Brooke replied. "How'd it go?"
"Turns out I have a credit card," Ryan said. "So maybe we could go out? I'll buy you lunch?"
"Sounds good," Brooke replied.
"I wanna introduce you to one of my friends... one of the few who actually put up with my silent treatment and kept coming."
"Okay," Brooke replied. "Let's go."
~~~
"Hey, he walks in the daylight," Alex said as she looked up and spotted Ryan, going to hug him.
"Hey, Alex," Ryan replied, enjoying the stunned look on her face that was immediately followed by an even more enthusiastic hug.
"When did this happen?" Alex asked.
"A couple days ago," Ryan said. "I'm still... getting used to it, the talking thing, and there's some subjects I just... can't... but..."
"Like I give a damn," Alex said, hugging him again.
"This is Brooke, she moved in next door to me... she's kinda..."
"You got him to talk?" Alex asked.
"Totally by accident," Brooke replied.
"Then you earned yourself a free a drink," Alex said.
"I like her," Brooke said to Ryan as they followed Alex back to the bar.
End Of Excerpt
It Only Hurts - The 'Ryan went into foster care, was abused in a group home, and is now having lots of sex with Julie' story.
"I knew it," Kaitlin said as she sat on a stool, watching Julie pace the living room and Ryan sit in a chair looking embarassed. "I knew you two were sleeping together."
"Kaitlin," Julie said warningly.
"Please, don't tell anyone," Ryan said. "The Cohens would flip out about it, and make accusations which just aren't true..."
"You really like my mom?" Kaitlin asked.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Ryan said.
"And you really like him?" Kaitlin asked Julie.
"Of course!"
"Then go mom, hooking a hot younger guy," Kaitlin said. "My lips are sealed. But I will never call him daddy Ryan."
"Please don't," Ryan replied. "Too disturbing."
"But you know this can't stay secret forever," Kaitlin continued. "Sooner or later, people are going to find out."
"Not if you keep quiet about it," Julie said.
"Mom, I'll bet I can pinpoint it to two years ago, when you went from miserable to happy. And hello, I figured it out before because Ryan, your eyes light up when Mom's around."
"They do?" Julie asked.
Ryan blushed again. "Your point, Kaitlin?"
"Anyone with any sense will figure it out if they see you two in the same room," Kaitlin said. "So Seth probably wouldn't, but I think Sandy and Kirsten will eventually." She paused to look at them. "Especially since Mom and I were invited to the Chrismukkah Festivities and I'm willing to bet so was Ryan."
"Oh crap," Ryan said. "She's right. Kirsten basically said that either I go to their house for Chrismukkah dinner or she'll come and drag me over there."
"We can pretend to just be vague acquaintances for a night," Julie said.
"Sure you can," Kaitlin said, snorting.
~~~
They last about 45 minutes in the same house before they both slipped away into the poolhouse. "She's trying to set me up with her sister," Ryan said through gritted teeth. "And I can't exactly tell her, 'Sorry, Kirsten, but I'm in love with Julie, so I don't think I should date your half sister'!"
"Did you just say you're in love with me?" Julie asked with a smirk.
"Oh man," Ryan said, running a hand over his face before looking at her. "Yeah, I did," he said. "And I am."
Julie smiled and pulled him into a kiss. "I can't wait to get home," she whispered in his ear.
Ryan laughed and moved his mouth to kiss her throat. "Neither can I," he replied. "We could lock the..."
He was cut off by the door suddenly flying open and the startled gasp and stammering that came from Seth and his girlfriend, Anna. "What the...?" Seth asked, his mouth hanging open.
Ryan and Julie were both frozen the passion of their embrace obvious, when Sandy and Kirsten, followed by Caleb, Lindsay, and Kaitlin, came to the doorway and saw them. "Uh..." Ryan began, slowly pulling away from Julie.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sandy asked, his gaze fixed on Julie. "He's only 20!"
"Yeah, I'm 20, that means I'm an adult and have been for Julie and I's entire relationship!" Ryan replied.
"Relationship?" Caleb said, scoffing. "Do you actually have this poor child thinking you're in a relationship?" he asked Julie before turning back to Ryan. "The second she can sink her claws into a rich man, you'll at most be the boy she sleeps with on the side."
"Stop it," Ryan said. "It's not like that between us..."
"You don't know her..." Kirsten began.
"I think Kaitlin and I are going to be going," Julie said.
"I'm leaving, too," Ryan said. "I'm not gonna stay here and listen to this."
"Ryan..." Sandy began.
"You didn't care enough to help me when I was 15 and needed help, Sandy. Or when I was 16 and being beaten with a belt almost every day in the group home. I needed help then. I don't need it now, I know what I'm doing. I know how I feel about Julie. You can accept it or not. I'll be as fine without you now as I was for the past 5 years."
End Of Excerpt
Defining Love - The 'Ryan and Alex totally hooked up for wild sex after Marissa died, and they have a baby girl together but Ryan has custody and Alex just visits and she's totally good with that arrangement' story.
"Hey."
Ryan looked up, catching Alex's gaze and trying to smile only to fail and look back down at his hands. "I accused her of faking sick this morning," he whispered. "I thought she was faking because she didn't study for a math test she's been complaining about," he said, his voice cracking.
Alex sank down into the chair beside him and reached out to take one of his hands, threading her fingers through his. "Hey, she's our girl, that means shes tough and she's gonna be okay."
"I can't loose her, Alex," Ryan said. "She's my world, you know? I don't think I could handle losing her."
"You won't," Alex said, lifting her other hand to pull him against her, holding him as he cried. "She's too strong for anything to go wrong, she's going to be fine, I promise."
"Can I blame you if she's not," Ryan said, clearly not meaning it.
"Yeah, totally my fault," Alex replied, stroking his hair.
"You're okay to be here? I mean your club..."
"The joy of being the boss is that no one can fire me for taking time off to be where I need to be," Alex replied. "Where I want to be," she added after a moment. "I'm here for you, Ryan, as long as you need me, I'm here for you and our girl."
~~~
They didn't really mean for it to happen, but once Lily had woken up and said she was fine and insisted that Ryan go home to get some sleep, Alex drove him to he and Lily's apartment and they wound up in bed, hands gliding over the still familiar lines of eachother's bodies. They both knew it didn't mean anything, there wasn't as long lasting relationship in their future, but they needed the connection, the touch, of someone who understood. And as much as they'd always argued and bickered, they had also always had a lot of fun in bed or wherever else they had sex.
"I haven't had good sex in a while," Alex admitted afterwards, as they lay in bed.
"I haven't had good sex since the last time we slept together," Ryan admitted with a snort. "A little busy with the whole single dad thing. Women think it's sexy in theory, but the first time I had a girl over for the night and left in the middle of making out because Lily had a bad dream? She kinda stopped seeing it as sexy and stormed out."
"My boy sex deprived boy," Alex said, laughing.
"You know I love you, right Alex? Not 'in love' kind of love, but..."
"I know, Ryan," Alex replied, looking at him and running her fingers through his hair. "I feel the same way about you. I am always gonna give a damn, I'm always gonna come if you need me. I'm not just in Newport for Lily, I'm here because you needed me here."
Ryan smiled softly. "I know we could never work out, but I'm glad I still have you in my life some, Alex. You know when to give me a swift kick in the ass and when to... when to have really hot aftermath of being scared out of my mind sex."
Alex snorted. "Yeah, well, I always know that if I need help with anything from remodelling the club to getting rid of a guy who won't take 'not if you were the last man on earth, there were no more women either, the batteries had all gone dead and my hand shad been cut off' for an answer."
Ryan couldn't help it, he burst out laughing at that description. "Oh my god..."
"There have been a few that have prompted that response," Alex replied, laughing with him. She rolled over and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Well, next time there's a woman being a little to insistent, can I call you to come scare them off?"
"Absolutely," Alex replied with a smile.
End Of Excerpt
Missing Persons Sequel - The sequel to the 'Ryan and Brooke got kidnapped by psycho organ stealing doctors and the Criminal Minds team helped find them' story.
"Have I told you how happy I am that you went with us to the classic?" Brooke asked as Ryan walked her to her door after they got back to Tree Hill. "Not to mention that you came to Tree Hill to begin with?"
"You may have mentioned it a few times," Ryan said, nodding as he leaned in to kiss her. "Although getting tackled into the pool last night by your friends wasn't so much fun... I didn't think I was ever gonna get dry or warm."
"Admit it, you love it that my friend like you," Brooke said.
Ryan shrugged. "It is nice that they think I'm good for you."
"You are," Brooke said, nodding. "I feel safe when I'm with you."
"I feel safe being away from California. I haven't even gone back near the Newport Group since it happened."
"We'll get past all this crap, and we'll be okay," Brooke said, kissing him again. "Now you better go home because I just saw Haley look out the window and tap her watch like she's telling me that if I don't get in there, she's calling Nate and I'll be kicked out of the bedroom and have to listen to them."
"You love it that they're getting back together," Ryan said, kissing her one more time.
"Yeah, I kinda do," Brooke said. "See you tomorrow after school."
"I'll be there when it lets out," Ryan promised.
~~~
"Ryan!" Brooke yelled as she banged on the door to his apartment the next afternoon. He'd never shown up at school that afternoon, and she was starting to get scared. "Ryan! Open the door! You're scaring me!"
"Here," Haley said as she and Nathan came over with the extra set of Ryan's keys that he had given them in case of emergency.
Nathan moved Brooke aside to unlock the three dead bolts, then edged the door open, listening for a second before stepping inside. "Stay here," he told the girls. "Ryan? You okay, man?" he called, not getting a response at first, then hearing movement in the kitchen and moving around the counter. 'Shit," he said, dropping down to the floor when he saw Ryan laying there in just sweats and a wifebeater, sweat glistening on his exposed skin, which felt cool and clammy. "Call an ambulance!" Nathan yelled to the girls. "Ryan? wake up, man, are you okay?"
"Oh my God," Brooke said as she and Haley came around the counter, Haley's cell out and pressed to her ear.
~~~
"This is all my fault," Brooke said as she paced the hospital waiting room. "I never should have asked him to go with us, and then the pool thing... I should have let him go back to his room and change into dry clothes when he wanted to instead of dragging him outside..."
"You had no way of knowing this was going to happen," Haley said, rubbing Brooke's back.
"It was me and the guys who threw him in the pool," Nathan said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's ours, not yours."
"His parents are never going to forgive me," Brooke said.
"Who's here for Ryan Atwood?"
"We are," Nathan said as they all stood. "Is he okay?"
"Are you relatives?" the doctor asked.
"I'm his girlfriend," Brooke said. "His family's in California."
"Okay, why don't you sit down?" Once they had all sat down and the Doctor sat across from them, he began. "Ryan seems to have a rather severe kidney infection..."
"I knew it, it's my fault," Brooke said.
"Could it have been caused by him getting really wet, like completely soaked, with cold water and then not changing right away?" Nathan asked.
"We were all at this thing in Charlotte night before last, and some of the guys were goofing around and Ryan was shoved in the pool," Haley explained. "He didn't go change into dry clothes right away, he hung out for a couple hours, went outside in the wet clothes..."
"It may have made him visibly ill sooner, but he would have already had the infection by then," the doctor said. "He probably got it sometime between a week and a month ago. It's no one's fault. Although I do need to ask about his other kidney... the scar was..."
"You watch the news last year, during the whole 'Newport Beach Butcher' thing?" Brooke asked. "Me and Ryan are the only known survivors. And those sons of bitches cut one his kidneys out and sold it to some old guy in LA. The incision got infected then, but they flushed him with antibiotics and he got better."
"Well, you need to try to get ahold of his family so they can come and bring his medical records..."
"He has a copy of his records at his apartment," Brooke said. "I can go get those... I need to go and get his parents number anyway..."
"No, Brooke, you stay here, I've still got the keys, I'll go back, get the records and call his parents, then I'll come back here," Nathan said. "Haley, stay with her, okay?"
"You know I will," Haley replied.
End Of Excerpt
Lost Boys Universe - The Supernatural/The OC crossover where 'Cohens are all dead thanks to the demon, and Sam is dead, too, so Ryan and Dean are partnered up to hunt down the demon and other badness in the world.' story.
Dean hadn't really thought Ryan would be that much good on a hunt, but it turned out he was a quick learner, he was comfortable with a gun, and he was more than willing to study the journal and memorize reference points so he could find things quicker. As much as Dean hated to admit it, hunting was easier with Ryan in tow than it had been with Sam.
It didn't stop him from giving Ryan a hard time about listening to Journey, though.
"Seriously man, Journey?" Dean said as he pulled the Impala up in front of the Roadhouse.
"It's been 3 months, Dean, give it a rest," Ryan said, rolling his eyes as he got out. "I could make a few comments about your penchant for music that has been associated with devil worship in the past."
"Yeah, Ellen and Jo are gonna love you, man. They love anyone who annoys me," Dean said, leaning against the top of the car.
"Well it's fun to annoy you," Ryan replied, echoing Dean's pose.
"Oh, that's frightening."
"Nice to see you, too, Ellen," Dean said straightening and going to hug her. They'd met after Sam had died and John had disappeared, and Ellen had let Dean hang around for a couple weeks, get his head together before he went back into the hunting game. The past couple months had kept him away as he trained Ryan, not wanting to toss the kid into the lion's den with seasoned hunters, but he'd finally decided it was time for Ryan to meet Ellen, Jo, and Ash, along with whatever hunters might be around. "And what's frightening?"
"The way he was copying you," Ellen said. "One Dean Winchester is enough."
Ryan snorted. "I was not copying him. it's left over from the days when I actually idolized my now convict biological father, who used to that. Funny how Dean does the same thing."
"You're a real comedian," Dean said. "I kinda miss when you didn't say anything that wasn't hunt related."
"You're own fault for always trying to draw me into conversation," Ryan replied with a smirk.
"I like this kid," Ellen said, gesturing. "Come on, get inside you two."
End Of Excerpt
Ahem... and that's just the ones that I had sudden inspiration to write a snippet of... all events are subject to change when/if I ever write more of the fic they're connected with, but... lol...
When you see this, post a little weensy excerpt from as many random works-in-progress as you can find lying around. Who knows? Maybe inspiration will burst forth and do something, um, inspiration-y.
As you shall see, I have plenty of IDEAS, the problem is the stuff in between where the stories are now and where the ideas are... lol... and funny that Alex keeps popping up in these... lol...
Heavily Broken - The 'Ryan never called Sandy and ended up a hustler until a john raped him and didn't use a condom' story.
Ryan was nervous as he stepped into the meeting room and saw the group of people gathered in the circle of chairs, and for a moment he thought about turning and walking back out. No one knew he'd decided to come, so it wouldn't matter if he didn't actually stay, but then someone spotted him and soon the entire circle had turned to look at him.
"Come sit down and we'll start," one of the men said.
Ryan took a deep breath and moved to slide into a chair between two women, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his knees and his head was down as one by one they were saying their names. Finally, it was his turn and he looked up. "Ryan," he said in a low voice.
"We're all regulars, but we'd like to hear your story, Ryan, if you don't mind," the man who'd spoken before said. "How long you've known, how you were infected..."
"I've known for sure a couple weeks, but I've been living in fear of my next test since February," Ryan said. "I... uh... I was homeless for a while, my mother kicked me because I was with my brother when he committed a crime. I had no money, none of my so-called friends were willing to take me in... I ended up hustling, prostituting myself, just so I could afford food and a crappy apartment. I didn't want to die in an alley because I was too proud. One night, a john refused to wear a condom, and I tried to walk away... I tried to lie and say it was for his protection, that I had HIV... it didn't work because he was HIV positive so he didn't care. He raped me, even though a lot of the cops in Chino say it's impossible to rape a hooker... I said no and he forced it. Almost killed me. But I got these foster parents, who are amazing, they've been trying so hard to help me feel safe, and they got me a female shrink, and a female doctor, so that I'd be okay with being alone with them. A bout three months ago, I had a run in with an ex-john, not the one who raped me, but... it was still enough to make me sick to my stomach. Went to the doctor the next day, she ran tests, including blood tests, and... there was backlog at the lab or something, because it was almost a week and a half before she called and said she needed me to come in as soon as possible. I knew the second I found out that she wanted me to come in immediately... I knew I was positive."
"Are you on the cocktail now?" one of the women asked.
"Yeah," Ryan said. "Makes me feel pretty sick sometimes, but their trying to find the mix that won't do that." He sighed and shrugged. "I know it's not a death sentence, I know that with modern medicine I could still live to be an old man, but... I always... I'm scared to play soccer with my friends because what if I get hurt and bleed on them? I have issues with sex anyway, but now I gotta think that if I'm ever ready to have sex with a girl, I could infect her... I just... I don't even know why I came here. I got in a fight with my foster parents, and I walked out of the house, and now... I'm here."
"Maybe you just needed to talk to people who actually really do understand, at least part of it, anyway," the man who'd spoken earlier.
~~~
When the meeting took a break, Ryan got up to get a cup of what he expected to be weak and disgusting coffee. Instead, he found it was pretty good, and refilled his cup after downing half of it in two quick gulps.
"We take turns bringing the good stuff," a girl about Ryan's age said as she got her own cup. "And we never tell the newbies until they've come to a couple meetings, so they usually avoid the coffee."
"Well, I think if I'd brought a beer in here it might have been frowned on, so I need my coffee fix to get through this," Ryan replied.
"You should try the cookies," the girl said, grabbing one for herself. "The muffins are stale and like rocks, but the cookies are good."
Ryan grabbed one and took a bite, nodding. "Pretty good," he replied.
"Thanks, I bought them at the store myself."
Ryan laughed. "Well, you're very talented at that," he joked.
She smiled. "You said you're Ryan, right?"
"Yeah," Ryan said, nodding. "I wasn't really paying attention during the introduction thing..."
"Alex," she said, holding out her hand.
"Nice to meet you," Ryan said, shaking her hand. "Can I ask..."
"I kinda slept around a lot, with boys and girls," Alex said. "My parents didn't approve of the girls, and when I was 16 they told me to either be straight or get out. So... I got out. I ended up living with this girl in LA, that's where I'm from originally, and we partied a lot, and then one day she told me that she had HIV, and I got tested, and so did I, except I hadn't messed around with anyone but her in months, and before her, I'd always used protection and been safe."
"Did she admit to it?"
"Yeah, even introduced me to the guy, a real nice guy," Alex said sarcastically. "So, I took off, left LA, got a job here in Newport managing a club..."
"Yeah?"
"I'm an emancipated minor," Alex said with a grin. "You should come by the club sometime, if you give me your last name I can put you on the 'don't charge them the cover' list. Even a fake last name, just so I can put something on there."
"Ryan Atwood," Ryan replied.
"Alex Kelly."
"Nice to meet you," Ryan said.
"Come on, they're about to start back up, and Josh is hilarious when he's doing good, and judging by his constant grin tonight, he's doing good."
~~~
"So, do you need a ride?" Alex asked as she and Ryan left the community center.
Ryan hesitated, part of him wanting the long walk home as a chance to process, and part of him not wanting to go home at all. "I don't know..."
"You wanna crash somewhere?" Alex asked, seemingly reading his mind. "I've only got one bed, but it's big enough for two people to share platonically."
"You sure?" Ryan asked. "Inviting a guy you only just met, who has admitted to being an ex-hooker, to crash at your place?"
"I could take you in a fight," Alex said.
Ryan chuckled. "Yeah, you probably could," he agreed. "Yeah, I think I would like somewhere to crash."
"Come on, it's just a couple blocks from here."
End Possible Excerpt
Friends And Other Strangers - The OC/OTH/GG crossover where 'Ryan Atwood and Jess Mariano are friends and roommates and Summer is coming to visit and Ryan meets Brooke and Taylor is stalking Ryan' story.
"He has a girlfriend, you know."
Brooke turned to see a girl with light brown hair and preppy clothes standing behind her, lips pursed in annoyance. "Excuse me?"
"Ryan Atwood, he has a girlfriend," Taylor said.
"And you know this how?"
"Because I'm her."
"That's funny, because Ryan never mentioned a girlfriend."
"He does that sometimes, leads poor naive girls on..."
~~~
"Shit," Jess said, staring over Ryan and Summer's shoulders. "Stalker girl is talking to Brooke."
"What?!" Ryan asked, turning around. "Shit!" he said, taking off at a jog, followed closely by his friends. "What the hell, Taylor?"
"I was just talking to this very sweet girl..."
"Let me guess, saying you're my girlfriend?" Ryan said before turning to Brooke. "I broke up with her a year ago, when I caught her in bed with my brother. I don't have a girlfriend, Brooke, partly because every time I try to go out, Taylor scares them off."
"She's practically stalking him," Jess said. "I keep telling him to listen to his dad and get that restraining order, but does he listen to us..."
"Yes, I do," Ryan said, looking over at Taylor again. "I didn't want to take it this far, Taylor, but I'm tired of this shit. I'm tired of looking out my window to see what the weather's like and seeing you across the street, I'm tired of coming out of class and finding you sitting in my jeep, and I'm really tired of you scaring off really nice girls that I really like. I'm gonna go fill out the paperwork tomorrow, I want you to stay away from me, Taylor. I don't want to have to call the cops on you."
"You don't mean that..."
"Yes, he does," Jess said. "I'm going with him tomorrow, make sure it gets done. And if you show up, then I'll call the cops even if he doesn't. Because this is bullshit, Taylor, leave him alone, stop screwing with his life."
"Ryan, I keep trying to tell you, that he is a bad friend for you!" Taylor said. "Doesn't that prove it? He's making you do this..."
"No one is making me do anything, except you, Taylor," Ryan said. "If you'd just stopped when I told you that I couldn't forgive you, I wouldn't be doing this. If you'd never gone further than sitting across the street, I might not be doing this. If you'd stopped when I caught you in my jeep and told you to leave me alone, I wouldn't be doing this! But you just keep going, keep getting more extreme, and I'm tired of it, Taylor."
"You just need to try harder to forgive me..." Taylor began.
"I can't even forgive my brother, Taylor, why would I forgive you?" Ryan asked. "I barely speak to Sandy and Kirsten, and when I do it's tense, because they defend Seth. The only relationships of any kind that I have right now that you haven't completely messed up are my friendships with Jess and Summer. So why, why, would I just decide to take your side of my best friend's?" Ryan asked, gesturing at Jess. "Explain that to me? Or better yet, don't. Just leave me alone."
End Of Excerpt
The 'Broken' Universe - The 'Oliver killed Sandy and Ryan has basically become traumatically mute but Brooke Davis is starting to bring him out of it' story.
Ryan and Brooke lay side by side on their stomachs, stretched across Ryan's bed, browsing an online catalog on Ryan's never before sued laptop because Brooke felt that Ryan needed to actually bring some life to his room inside the house, instead of it being almost bare except for clothes, desk, and the aforementioned laptop. "You're pathetic," Brooke said with a sigh. "Don't you like anything?"
Ryan shrugged. "I'm a guy, Brooke," he said softly, like he always did when he spoke. "Decorating isn't my thing."
"Good thing you have me then, right?"
Ryan smiled slightly, then jumped in surprise when his bedroom door opened, revealing Caleb, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of Brooke. Ryan took a deep breath before he spoke. "Hi, Mr. Nichols," he said.
Caleb froze, stunned, and stared at Ryan. "Did you just...?"
"Yeah, I did," Ryan said.
"You want me to go?" Brooke asked Ryan.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ryan replied, nodding.
Brooke sat up and kissed his cheek. "Call me if you need me. Or just come over. Maria likes you, she'll let you in." She smiled at Caleb. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Nichols," she said before leaving.
"Who was that?" Caleb asked slowly.
"Brooke, she lives next door," Ryan said, sitting up the rest of the way and closing the computer.
"I'm glad you're finally using that," Caleb said. "Is that young lady the reason you're talking?"
"She doesn't ask questions I can't answer," Ryan replied, his voice almost pleading with Caleb not to ask the question that everyone wanted to know.
Caleb nodded. "Well, regardless, I'm glad you are talking, I've been worried."
"You hate me," Ryan said, shaking his head.
"No, I don't," Caleb said. "A lesser person would have taken off and left Kiki all alone... like my other grandson did. But you stayed, even though I know this place is painful for you. I hope that someday you can tell us what happened and who did it, but in the meantime, you are my grandson, and anything you need, you come to me and I'll make sure you get it."
Ryan hesitated, then took a deep breath. "A credit card?" he asked quietly. "Brooke keeps bothering me about my room looking like one in an institution, and that I need to buy some stuff for it..."
"I've kept paying the premium on the one you had before," Caleb said. "So you can use it anytime you want."
"Thanks."
"She seems like a nice girl."
"She lives next door," Ryan said. "She's... she's been a good friend."
"I'm glad," Caleb said. "I... I hope you'll keep talking. Call me if there's anything you need, or..."
"I will," Ryan promised.
~~~
Ryan knocked on Brooke's bedroom door before entering. "Hey."
"Hey," Brooke replied. "How'd it go?"
"Turns out I have a credit card," Ryan said. "So maybe we could go out? I'll buy you lunch?"
"Sounds good," Brooke replied.
"I wanna introduce you to one of my friends... one of the few who actually put up with my silent treatment and kept coming."
"Okay," Brooke replied. "Let's go."
~~~
"Hey, he walks in the daylight," Alex said as she looked up and spotted Ryan, going to hug him.
"Hey, Alex," Ryan replied, enjoying the stunned look on her face that was immediately followed by an even more enthusiastic hug.
"When did this happen?" Alex asked.
"A couple days ago," Ryan said. "I'm still... getting used to it, the talking thing, and there's some subjects I just... can't... but..."
"Like I give a damn," Alex said, hugging him again.
"This is Brooke, she moved in next door to me... she's kinda..."
"You got him to talk?" Alex asked.
"Totally by accident," Brooke replied.
"Then you earned yourself a free a drink," Alex said.
"I like her," Brooke said to Ryan as they followed Alex back to the bar.
End Of Excerpt
It Only Hurts - The 'Ryan went into foster care, was abused in a group home, and is now having lots of sex with Julie' story.
"I knew it," Kaitlin said as she sat on a stool, watching Julie pace the living room and Ryan sit in a chair looking embarassed. "I knew you two were sleeping together."
"Kaitlin," Julie said warningly.
"Please, don't tell anyone," Ryan said. "The Cohens would flip out about it, and make accusations which just aren't true..."
"You really like my mom?" Kaitlin asked.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Ryan said.
"And you really like him?" Kaitlin asked Julie.
"Of course!"
"Then go mom, hooking a hot younger guy," Kaitlin said. "My lips are sealed. But I will never call him daddy Ryan."
"Please don't," Ryan replied. "Too disturbing."
"But you know this can't stay secret forever," Kaitlin continued. "Sooner or later, people are going to find out."
"Not if you keep quiet about it," Julie said.
"Mom, I'll bet I can pinpoint it to two years ago, when you went from miserable to happy. And hello, I figured it out before because Ryan, your eyes light up when Mom's around."
"They do?" Julie asked.
Ryan blushed again. "Your point, Kaitlin?"
"Anyone with any sense will figure it out if they see you two in the same room," Kaitlin said. "So Seth probably wouldn't, but I think Sandy and Kirsten will eventually." She paused to look at them. "Especially since Mom and I were invited to the Chrismukkah Festivities and I'm willing to bet so was Ryan."
"Oh crap," Ryan said. "She's right. Kirsten basically said that either I go to their house for Chrismukkah dinner or she'll come and drag me over there."
"We can pretend to just be vague acquaintances for a night," Julie said.
"Sure you can," Kaitlin said, snorting.
~~~
They last about 45 minutes in the same house before they both slipped away into the poolhouse. "She's trying to set me up with her sister," Ryan said through gritted teeth. "And I can't exactly tell her, 'Sorry, Kirsten, but I'm in love with Julie, so I don't think I should date your half sister'!"
"Did you just say you're in love with me?" Julie asked with a smirk.
"Oh man," Ryan said, running a hand over his face before looking at her. "Yeah, I did," he said. "And I am."
Julie smiled and pulled him into a kiss. "I can't wait to get home," she whispered in his ear.
Ryan laughed and moved his mouth to kiss her throat. "Neither can I," he replied. "We could lock the..."
He was cut off by the door suddenly flying open and the startled gasp and stammering that came from Seth and his girlfriend, Anna. "What the...?" Seth asked, his mouth hanging open.
Ryan and Julie were both frozen the passion of their embrace obvious, when Sandy and Kirsten, followed by Caleb, Lindsay, and Kaitlin, came to the doorway and saw them. "Uh..." Ryan began, slowly pulling away from Julie.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sandy asked, his gaze fixed on Julie. "He's only 20!"
"Yeah, I'm 20, that means I'm an adult and have been for Julie and I's entire relationship!" Ryan replied.
"Relationship?" Caleb said, scoffing. "Do you actually have this poor child thinking you're in a relationship?" he asked Julie before turning back to Ryan. "The second she can sink her claws into a rich man, you'll at most be the boy she sleeps with on the side."
"Stop it," Ryan said. "It's not like that between us..."
"You don't know her..." Kirsten began.
"I think Kaitlin and I are going to be going," Julie said.
"I'm leaving, too," Ryan said. "I'm not gonna stay here and listen to this."
"Ryan..." Sandy began.
"You didn't care enough to help me when I was 15 and needed help, Sandy. Or when I was 16 and being beaten with a belt almost every day in the group home. I needed help then. I don't need it now, I know what I'm doing. I know how I feel about Julie. You can accept it or not. I'll be as fine without you now as I was for the past 5 years."
End Of Excerpt
Defining Love - The 'Ryan and Alex totally hooked up for wild sex after Marissa died, and they have a baby girl together but Ryan has custody and Alex just visits and she's totally good with that arrangement' story.
"Hey."
Ryan looked up, catching Alex's gaze and trying to smile only to fail and look back down at his hands. "I accused her of faking sick this morning," he whispered. "I thought she was faking because she didn't study for a math test she's been complaining about," he said, his voice cracking.
Alex sank down into the chair beside him and reached out to take one of his hands, threading her fingers through his. "Hey, she's our girl, that means shes tough and she's gonna be okay."
"I can't loose her, Alex," Ryan said. "She's my world, you know? I don't think I could handle losing her."
"You won't," Alex said, lifting her other hand to pull him against her, holding him as he cried. "She's too strong for anything to go wrong, she's going to be fine, I promise."
"Can I blame you if she's not," Ryan said, clearly not meaning it.
"Yeah, totally my fault," Alex replied, stroking his hair.
"You're okay to be here? I mean your club..."
"The joy of being the boss is that no one can fire me for taking time off to be where I need to be," Alex replied. "Where I want to be," she added after a moment. "I'm here for you, Ryan, as long as you need me, I'm here for you and our girl."
~~~
They didn't really mean for it to happen, but once Lily had woken up and said she was fine and insisted that Ryan go home to get some sleep, Alex drove him to he and Lily's apartment and they wound up in bed, hands gliding over the still familiar lines of eachother's bodies. They both knew it didn't mean anything, there wasn't as long lasting relationship in their future, but they needed the connection, the touch, of someone who understood. And as much as they'd always argued and bickered, they had also always had a lot of fun in bed or wherever else they had sex.
"I haven't had good sex in a while," Alex admitted afterwards, as they lay in bed.
"I haven't had good sex since the last time we slept together," Ryan admitted with a snort. "A little busy with the whole single dad thing. Women think it's sexy in theory, but the first time I had a girl over for the night and left in the middle of making out because Lily had a bad dream? She kinda stopped seeing it as sexy and stormed out."
"My boy sex deprived boy," Alex said, laughing.
"You know I love you, right Alex? Not 'in love' kind of love, but..."
"I know, Ryan," Alex replied, looking at him and running her fingers through his hair. "I feel the same way about you. I am always gonna give a damn, I'm always gonna come if you need me. I'm not just in Newport for Lily, I'm here because you needed me here."
Ryan smiled softly. "I know we could never work out, but I'm glad I still have you in my life some, Alex. You know when to give me a swift kick in the ass and when to... when to have really hot aftermath of being scared out of my mind sex."
Alex snorted. "Yeah, well, I always know that if I need help with anything from remodelling the club to getting rid of a guy who won't take 'not if you were the last man on earth, there were no more women either, the batteries had all gone dead and my hand shad been cut off' for an answer."
Ryan couldn't help it, he burst out laughing at that description. "Oh my god..."
"There have been a few that have prompted that response," Alex replied, laughing with him. She rolled over and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Well, next time there's a woman being a little to insistent, can I call you to come scare them off?"
"Absolutely," Alex replied with a smile.
End Of Excerpt
Missing Persons Sequel - The sequel to the 'Ryan and Brooke got kidnapped by psycho organ stealing doctors and the Criminal Minds team helped find them' story.
"Have I told you how happy I am that you went with us to the classic?" Brooke asked as Ryan walked her to her door after they got back to Tree Hill. "Not to mention that you came to Tree Hill to begin with?"
"You may have mentioned it a few times," Ryan said, nodding as he leaned in to kiss her. "Although getting tackled into the pool last night by your friends wasn't so much fun... I didn't think I was ever gonna get dry or warm."
"Admit it, you love it that my friend like you," Brooke said.
Ryan shrugged. "It is nice that they think I'm good for you."
"You are," Brooke said, nodding. "I feel safe when I'm with you."
"I feel safe being away from California. I haven't even gone back near the Newport Group since it happened."
"We'll get past all this crap, and we'll be okay," Brooke said, kissing him again. "Now you better go home because I just saw Haley look out the window and tap her watch like she's telling me that if I don't get in there, she's calling Nate and I'll be kicked out of the bedroom and have to listen to them."
"You love it that they're getting back together," Ryan said, kissing her one more time.
"Yeah, I kinda do," Brooke said. "See you tomorrow after school."
"I'll be there when it lets out," Ryan promised.
~~~
"Ryan!" Brooke yelled as she banged on the door to his apartment the next afternoon. He'd never shown up at school that afternoon, and she was starting to get scared. "Ryan! Open the door! You're scaring me!"
"Here," Haley said as she and Nathan came over with the extra set of Ryan's keys that he had given them in case of emergency.
Nathan moved Brooke aside to unlock the three dead bolts, then edged the door open, listening for a second before stepping inside. "Stay here," he told the girls. "Ryan? You okay, man?" he called, not getting a response at first, then hearing movement in the kitchen and moving around the counter. 'Shit," he said, dropping down to the floor when he saw Ryan laying there in just sweats and a wifebeater, sweat glistening on his exposed skin, which felt cool and clammy. "Call an ambulance!" Nathan yelled to the girls. "Ryan? wake up, man, are you okay?"
"Oh my God," Brooke said as she and Haley came around the counter, Haley's cell out and pressed to her ear.
~~~
"This is all my fault," Brooke said as she paced the hospital waiting room. "I never should have asked him to go with us, and then the pool thing... I should have let him go back to his room and change into dry clothes when he wanted to instead of dragging him outside..."
"You had no way of knowing this was going to happen," Haley said, rubbing Brooke's back.
"It was me and the guys who threw him in the pool," Nathan said. "If it's anyone's fault, it's ours, not yours."
"His parents are never going to forgive me," Brooke said.
"Who's here for Ryan Atwood?"
"We are," Nathan said as they all stood. "Is he okay?"
"Are you relatives?" the doctor asked.
"I'm his girlfriend," Brooke said. "His family's in California."
"Okay, why don't you sit down?" Once they had all sat down and the Doctor sat across from them, he began. "Ryan seems to have a rather severe kidney infection..."
"I knew it, it's my fault," Brooke said.
"Could it have been caused by him getting really wet, like completely soaked, with cold water and then not changing right away?" Nathan asked.
"We were all at this thing in Charlotte night before last, and some of the guys were goofing around and Ryan was shoved in the pool," Haley explained. "He didn't go change into dry clothes right away, he hung out for a couple hours, went outside in the wet clothes..."
"It may have made him visibly ill sooner, but he would have already had the infection by then," the doctor said. "He probably got it sometime between a week and a month ago. It's no one's fault. Although I do need to ask about his other kidney... the scar was..."
"You watch the news last year, during the whole 'Newport Beach Butcher' thing?" Brooke asked. "Me and Ryan are the only known survivors. And those sons of bitches cut one his kidneys out and sold it to some old guy in LA. The incision got infected then, but they flushed him with antibiotics and he got better."
"Well, you need to try to get ahold of his family so they can come and bring his medical records..."
"He has a copy of his records at his apartment," Brooke said. "I can go get those... I need to go and get his parents number anyway..."
"No, Brooke, you stay here, I've still got the keys, I'll go back, get the records and call his parents, then I'll come back here," Nathan said. "Haley, stay with her, okay?"
"You know I will," Haley replied.
End Of Excerpt
Lost Boys Universe - The Supernatural/The OC crossover where 'Cohens are all dead thanks to the demon, and Sam is dead, too, so Ryan and Dean are partnered up to hunt down the demon and other badness in the world.' story.
Dean hadn't really thought Ryan would be that much good on a hunt, but it turned out he was a quick learner, he was comfortable with a gun, and he was more than willing to study the journal and memorize reference points so he could find things quicker. As much as Dean hated to admit it, hunting was easier with Ryan in tow than it had been with Sam.
It didn't stop him from giving Ryan a hard time about listening to Journey, though.
"Seriously man, Journey?" Dean said as he pulled the Impala up in front of the Roadhouse.
"It's been 3 months, Dean, give it a rest," Ryan said, rolling his eyes as he got out. "I could make a few comments about your penchant for music that has been associated with devil worship in the past."
"Yeah, Ellen and Jo are gonna love you, man. They love anyone who annoys me," Dean said, leaning against the top of the car.
"Well it's fun to annoy you," Ryan replied, echoing Dean's pose.
"Oh, that's frightening."
"Nice to see you, too, Ellen," Dean said straightening and going to hug her. They'd met after Sam had died and John had disappeared, and Ellen had let Dean hang around for a couple weeks, get his head together before he went back into the hunting game. The past couple months had kept him away as he trained Ryan, not wanting to toss the kid into the lion's den with seasoned hunters, but he'd finally decided it was time for Ryan to meet Ellen, Jo, and Ash, along with whatever hunters might be around. "And what's frightening?"
"The way he was copying you," Ellen said. "One Dean Winchester is enough."
Ryan snorted. "I was not copying him. it's left over from the days when I actually idolized my now convict biological father, who used to that. Funny how Dean does the same thing."
"You're a real comedian," Dean said. "I kinda miss when you didn't say anything that wasn't hunt related."
"You're own fault for always trying to draw me into conversation," Ryan replied with a smirk.
"I like this kid," Ellen said, gesturing. "Come on, get inside you two."
End Of Excerpt
Ahem... and that's just the ones that I had sudden inspiration to write a snippet of... all events are subject to change when/if I ever write more of the fic they're connected with, but... lol...