Title: Something Like A Second Chance
Fandom: Justified
Characters: Raylan, Boyd (PG)
Summary: The story of Raylan and Boyd is far from over.
Author's Note: A Yuletide Madness treat for pampermousse. Also for writers_choice (this is "fresh").

x-x-x-x-x

The way Raylan saw it, they were supposed to be enemies. Hadn't he been sent to Harlan solely for Boyd, tasked with bringing him in when other agents had failed?

Raylan couldn’t entirely blame those agents, because he knew how it was. You might have some notion of what Boyd was up to, but try to catch him red- handed and he'd just slip through your fingers. You could never pin anything on him. Hell, Raylan knew Boyd better than most, and he was having as much trouble as anyone.

Boyd's daddy was brutal and belligerent, but Boyd's wiliness was almost worse. You could set trap after trap for Boyd, and somehow, he still escaped. That dinner at Ava's should have been the end of Raylan's whole "Hillbilly Whisperer" mission, with Boyd drawing his gun and Raylan firing off the first and only shot. That shooting was self-defense, fully justified—at least on paper. The truth was, he should have tried to talk Boyd out of turning things into a standoff, though he'd hoped Boyd was just joking—right up until Boyd slipped through Ava's door, loaded for bear.

Afterward, Boyd had seemed almost betrayed by Raylan shooting him, and Raylan had found himself half-regretting the showdown he'd let Boyd provoke. Neither of those reactions was what he'd expected.

Boyd survived that gunshot. Was it a second chance or just more of Boyd's unbelievable luck? In the prison hospital, Boyd had thanked Raylan for sparking off some newfound epiphany. Raylan didn't believe in such things, but maybe Boyd did. Boyd had seemed sincere enough.

That was probably the strangest part of all.

Weeks later, Raylan was thinking that Boyd's newfound religion could either be real or just be a clever ploy for more of the same Boyd bullshit as ever. There was no way of telling, though Raylan had his suspicions as to which was true.

The one thing he was sure of was that he had a lot more time now to figure all of that out. Truth be damned—as onetime friends and not-quite-enemies, this could be a chance for the two of them to take a step back and start things over again.

For the first time in his life, Raylan was happy he'd failed at something—or failed enough, at least, that he happened to aim just a few inches to the left of deadly.


--/--

Title: Against All Better Judgment
Fandom: Justified
Characters: Raylan/Boyd (PG-13)
Summary: This not what smart looks like...
Author's Note: My Yuletide story for karaokegal.

x-x-x-x-x

This goes against Raylan's better judgment, but when it comes to sex, Raylan's judgment often flies out the window before he even knows it's missing.

This is Raylan and Boyd on a motel bed, hands up each other's shirts and yanking on each other's belts while Raylan moans and Boyd bites Raylan's jaw and sucks the hollow of his neck. Raylan knows that whatever Boyd might or might not have done these last few months, there are years' worth of things he did do, bad things, and that a U.S. Marshal ought not to be getting friendly with the likes of Boyd Crowder. And yet, here he is, shaking under Boyd's touch, heart pounding while his dick strains inside the rough fabric of his jeans.

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Title: Emerson Cod's Entirely Acceptable Christmas
Fandom: Pushing Daisies
Characters: Emerson, Ned, Chuck, Olive (Gen)
Rating: PG
Summary: The knitting detective is a rib-stitch man in a cable-knit world, and yet the trials of friendship are less of a burden than he believes.

~~~~~~~ extra treats ~~~~~~~

Title: A Feast Fit For A Crane
Fandom: Sleepy Hollow
Characters: Ichabod, Abbie (Gen)
Rating: G
Summary: The definition of 'food' may have changed over the centuries while Ichabod slept.

..........

Title: Café du Monde
Fandom: Cities (Anthropomorphic)
Rating: PG
Summary: It's a small world after all.

..........

Title: Running From Thunder
Fandom: Justified
Characters: Raylan, Boyd (Gen)
Rating: PG
Summary (Pre-Series): Raylan and Boyd started out more similar than not.

Of all of these, I actually like the Justified one the least. The "Cities" story was a fun surprise! I didn't know I had 1600+ words of that waiting to be told...

Title: Running From Thunder
Fandom: Justified
Author: HalfshellVenus
Characters: Raylan, Boyd (Gen)
Rating: PG
Summary (Pre-Series): Raylan and Boyd started out more similar than not.
Author's Notes: A Yuletide Madness treat for trainwreckdress.

x-x-x-x-x

When Raylan was a boy, he used to run—out to the fields, or the woods, or anyplace else he could hide. His Daddy always said he'd beat Raylan harder if he ran, but Raylan knew that later was never as dangerous as now, not when his Daddy was angry and drunk and hell-bent on making somebody else pay for both.

Sometimes, Raylan came across Boyd Crowder out in those woods or under a tree at the far corner of a meadow. Boyd would be sitting there, staring off into space or reading a book, looking as if he had nowhere else to be that day. There never was such boy for reading as Boyd. He'd spend hours—even days—caught up in some book like it had his heart locked away inside it.

It wasn't until years later that Raylan learned Boyd had an angry Daddy too. Boyd was running, just like Raylan was, but Boyd tried to be gone before the trouble even started.

Boyd Crowder planned ahead.

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Title: Café du Monde
Fandom: Cities (Anthropomorphic)
Author: HalfshellVenus
Rating: PG
Summary: It's a small world after all.
Author's Notes: A Yuletide Madness treat for TriffidsandCuckoos.

x-x-x-x-x

Paris, London, and San Francisco were already seated when Chicago arrived at the Café du Monde.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. "The El really takes it out of me during morning rush hour. Gives me heartburn like you wouldn't believe."

"Too true," London said. "The Piccadilly line to Heathrow goes straight up my nose, all day long!" He sneezed miserably. Paris squirmed, but said nothing. After a moment, all three cities looked at San Francisco, who was idly scratching her arm.

"What?"

London shook his head and turned back toward Chicago. "So, how've you been managing lately?"

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Title: A Feast Fit For A Crane
Fandom: Sleepy Hollow
Author: HalfshellVenus
Characters: Ichabod, Abbie (Gen)
Rating: G
Summary: The definition of 'food' may have changed over the centuries while Ichabod slept.
Author's Notes: A Yuletide Madness treat for i_am_girlfriday.

x-x-x-x-x.

"That," Ichabod proclaimed, "cannot possibly be edible."

Abbie Mills had gotten used to Ichabod's amazement at the bounty offered by a simple neighborhood grocery store. Ichabod, however, did not fully grasp the mechanics of modern packaging. "You pull the plastic covering off first, then dip the cracker sticks in the cheese," she said.

"Cheese?" Ichabod regarded the receptacle's rubbery orange contents with horror. "That is nothing like the cheese with which I am familiar."

Abbie bit the orange-covered end off of one of the sticks. "I don't recall saying you had to eat any of it."

"No," Ichabod admitted. "Not precisely."

"You're welcome to my apple, if you like. I'm sure it's a food you recognize."

"Not in this particular color, although I'm certain the general principal is the same." Ichabod took a bite out of the apple, his brow furrowing. He took another. "It is strangely tasteless. Are all apples thus, nowadays? The one you purchased from the roadside Market of Mornings and Evenings—"

"AM/PM," Abbie interjected.

"—was very much like this. Flat and rather dull."

Abbie gave him a look.

"Still, I suppose it will do well enough." Ichabod took another half-hearted bite.

"You're welcome," Abbie said.

"Ah. Yes," Ichabod, said, "I have quite forgotten my manners. Of course. Thank you, Miss Mills."

"Any time."

Abbie read through crime reports while Ichabod paced the room. He finally stopped. "Perhaps I should venture out toward the shops, and purchase a meal."

"And how were you planning to pay for it?" Abbie asked. "Dubloons? If you're still hungry, I can give you some quarters for the vending machine."

"That infernal contraption in the cellar?"

Abbie put down the file she was reviewing. "Honestly, Ichabod. Why do you get so worked up about these things?"

"I believe that monstrosity could devour your desk. And very well might."

"So, no quarters, then?"

"Well," Ichabod said, looking somewhat sheepish. "Perhaps a few. Just this once."

"Uh-huh," Abbie said, suppressing a smile. "That's what I thought."


----- fin -----

Title: Emerson Cod's Entirely Acceptable Christmas
Fandom: Pushing Daisies
Author: HalfshellVenus
Characters: Emerson, Ned, Chuck, Olive (Gen)
Rating: PG
Summary: The knitting detective is a rib-stitch man in a cable-knit world, and yet the trials of friendship are less of a burden than he believes.
Author's Notes: My yuletide offering for sonneta, with all good wishes.

x-x-x-x-x

Emerson Cod, the knitting detective, waited outside the morgue for The Pie Maker to arrive. A man had died the previous day in an unfortunate encounter with a train. It was the family's opinion (as well as Detective Cod's) that Johnny Wirkle might have been pushed.

With the help of The Pie Maker, the detective hoped to find the truth.

"Sorry, last-minute rush." The Pie Maker was late, but mercifully, alone. Although the detective had come to like Charlotte Charles (whom he felt should have been returned to death), her presence made him uneasy. Perhaps, like the Pie Maker, he feared the risk of her accidentally dying again. Most probably, it was that if such a thing were to happen, Detective Cod felt that the ideal timing for it would be when he was somewhere else.

"Dead Girl in the car?" the detective asked.

"Chuck is helping Olive with the backlog of holiday orders. It's our busiest season."

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I thought of something I should have asked for as a birthday gift from f-listies: a new banner for my "Other Fanfiction" page. I keep putting the request up for Fandom Stocking and such, but no one ever does it.

Basically, the wonderful banner I have is outdated. I'd like one that more accurately reflects what's on that page: Die Hard 4 John/Matt stories, Iron Man Tony/Rhodey stories, White Collar and Burn Notice stories, and possibly Chuck and Justified. Please and thank you, if you are so inclined!

So, I'm already getting emails from the Yuletide pinch-hit list. What is that all about? Signups just closed a week ago, how are people defaulting already? Or are some of those notifications for requests that didn't match any offers?

I got my own Yuletide assignment, and now remember what the fifth fandom was that I threw in at the end... because that's the one I got matched on. Oy. I'll have to see what the requester actually wanted there (hey, maybe that Yuletide Madness fic I started two years ago and never finished might fit!) One of the other requests is for Pushing Daisies, which I might do instead (though I remember from my one story in that fandom that capturing the narrator's voice is a lot of work)!

Other news: I'm so sleepy in the evenings, and then struggle to get out of bed in the mornings. How does the change of season always cause this, even when there's still plenty of daylight?

I signed up for Yuletide late last night, which is always an experience of its own. I never seem to get the hang of nominating fandoms OR suggesting tags, so as a result... Reaper isn't on the list this year, and Live Free Or Die Hard is somehow missing John McLane as a specifically-requestable character. If I'd been remotely on the ball, I'd at least have fixed that last part. That forced me to change one of my requests and one of my offerings. Also, the "must offer" minimum is five now instead of four, which kind of threw me. Let's hope I don't regret the fandom I offered at the last minute!

In other news, my birthday is coming up in less than a week... and I have no ideas for gift suggestions to give my husband. :( This is worse than usual, because this will be my 50th (God, HOW?). Given that it's a milestone birthday, my husband wants to give me something momentous, but I don't really want or need anything. Christmas is like this, too. For better or worse, what I want are intangible things (family health, weight loss, an absence of sudden surprises that eat into our bank account). I typically acquire songs (once in awhile), not albums. I borrow books unless I really want to re-read them often. If we buy DVDs, they're usually TV series now and not movies.

It's like something gekizetsu was saying last week: I'm generally content with the material things we have, and don't want or need more except to replace things that break. I'm not a big jewelry wearer, I'm not a spa-and-manicure type of person, and I have the bike I need. All of that is really good as a long-term thing, but for occasions involving presents, it's kind of troublesome.

Thoughts?