![\"1000008114.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/ic.pics.livejournal.com\/flowersforchuck\/12002653\/19445\/19445_300.jpg\" "\\"1000008114.jpg\\"")
Look how grey his beard is! It's good to see him again. \ud83e\udd70<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2931777.html?view=comments#comments","category":["general squeeing","eric sheffer stevens"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2930726.html","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Oct 2024 01:35:39 GMT","title":"Van on \"The Locher Room\" on 10\/16\/24","author":"tldreamer2","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2930726.html","description":"
Trying again.....it's been a long time since I've posted here, and I obviously have forgotten what to do.<\/p>\n
Van will be on YouTube's \"The Locher Room\" on 10\/16\/24 at 3 p.m. ET. He'll be discussing his new role on GH, but I'm sure his time in Oakdale will be brought up. <\/p>\n
If you can't watch live, you can always catch it later.<\/p>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2930726.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2929426.html","pubDate":"Wed, 12 Jul 2023 00:14:07 GMT","title":"Luke thinks Reid is dead; Reid is alive and being held captive","author":"amydambly","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2929426.html","description":"
Hi whoever is still coming here. Looking for a fic in which Luke thinks Reid is dead. He's living alone by a lake and drinking. Damian comes to help and Luke tells him he's been getting calls from Reid. Turns out, Reid is being held in a lab and they've experimented on him. Damian and Luke rescue him.<\/p>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2929426.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2929313.html","pubDate":"Sat, 17 Dec 2022 18:43:11 GMT","title":"Fic: A Krampus Kiss","author":"flowersforchuck","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2929313.html","description":"Title: A Krampus Kiss Hi LuRe people, I stil miss our Couple! He's back in (what I would guess is a a guest spot) on this new show. Anyone catch it?<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.laughingplace.com\/w\/articles\/2022\/02\/07\/tv-recap-promised-land-episode-3-la-lucha-the-struggle\/<\/a><\/p>\n Title<\/span><\/b>: Waking Up<\/span> Luke arrived in Boston the day before his scheduled meeting with the Taylor family. His initial phone call to the parents of Gretchen’s fiancé had been met with rather brusque dismissal, but he wasn’t deterred. He’d called a second time, and though he’d been sent straight to voicemail, he’d turned on his full Luke Snyder charm to leave a message assuring them he wasn’t a journalist and that he only wished to speak to them about honoring their son’s memory. <\/span><\/p> Just thought I'd pop in and say 'hey!' since it had been a while! I hope you are all safe and well where you are, and that life is good for you all. I can't believe it's been TEN YEARS since we fell in love with these two boys, and I love that there are still people here who are sharing the love, who would've thought we'd still be here, huh?
Author: flowersforchuck
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don\u2019t own Oakdale or its inhabitants.
Summary: Reid\u2019s 2024 Krampus party.
A\/N: I woke up today and chose violence. Happy Holidays, ya filthy animals!
Click to Reid<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2929313.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: flowersforchuck","luke\/reid","rating: pg","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2928964.html","pubDate":"Sun, 13 Nov 2022 14:29:22 GMT","title":"Fic Search","author":"lure007","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2928964.html","description":"Hi folks! Hope everyone is doing well.
I am trying to locate a multi-chapter fic where Reid is presumed dead, but is actually forced into hiding (by the FBI, I think) due to some Damian-related matter. Luke finds out - I believe Reid insists on telling him - and they both go into hiding together.
They move away from Oakdale but remain in the US. The family stays in touch with Luke but doesn\u2019t know that Reid is alive and that Luke is with him. Some time passes. Casey sees them on on TV in the crowd during a baseball(?) game.
They eventually return to Oakdale and Casey helps set up a secret (wedding) party and everyone is shocked when Reid makes his entrance.
Thanks in advance for the help. :)","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2928964.html?view=comments#comments","category":"fic search"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2928315.html","pubDate":"Mon, 18 Jul 2022 15:49:52 GMT","title":"Ms. Guidance","author":"parishs","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2928315.html","description":"
Has anyone seen the series Van Made called Ms. Guidance?<\/p>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2928315.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927884.html","pubDate":"Sat, 16 Jul 2022 05:51:38 GMT","title":"[Fic] Piano Man: Don't Stop Me Now Part 3a","author":"flowersforchuck","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927884.html","description":"Title: Piano Man: Don't Stop Me Now Part 3a
Author: flowersforchuck
Rating: NC-17\/M
Disclaimer: I don\u2019t own Oakdale or its inhabitants.
Summary: LuRe F@CK...until Lily breaks their flow.
A\/N: No beta. All mistakes are mine. Damn, it's been over two years?! I have been stalled for months, so I\u2019m going to post the first 20ish pages so I can show SOME progress. Enjoy.
Click to read.<\/a>
Tag link <\/a>to the previous parts of this story.","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927884.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: flowersforchuck","luke\/reid","rating: nc-17","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927810.html","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 20:43:59 GMT","title":"Fic Search","author":"lure007","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927810.html","description":"Hello! Hope everyone is keeping well.
I'm trying to locate a one-shot where Reid meets Morgan Freeman, a.k.a. God, in heaven\/limbo, and is given the opportunity to challenge Death to a game of chess and return back to earth and Luke.
Is this ringing any bells?
Thanks so much in advance!","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927810.html?view=comments#comments","category":"fic search"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927594.html","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 06:55:18 GMT","title":"Looking for fanfic ","author":"lov3anonymous","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927594.html","description":"Hey y\u2019all. Does anyone have the following fic series saved to send me?
Rhiannonhero- Five Times Luke & Reid Have Sex In Risky Places
Hoping my horny friends here can help me out lol","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2927594.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926998.html","pubDate":"Sun, 20 Feb 2022 14:12:31 GMT","title":"fic search","author":"halestorm01","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926998.html","description":"Hey guys,
Im reliving the whole LuRe storline right now...can't get enough of these two and reread every fic I can find and remember.
But I can't seem to remember the names of two specific fics...
1. Luke is a high school student and Reid is his Biology teacher (it's not educating Mr. Snyder)
2. Luke has a kid with Noah and meets Reid through an accident, they get to know each other and of course love each other ;).
I'd appreciate your help \ud83d\ude0d\ud83e\udd29!!
Cheers from Austria","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926998.html?view=comments#comments","category":"fic search"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926809.html","pubDate":"Wed, 09 Feb 2022 12:46:18 GMT","title":"ESS in ABC's \"Promised Land\"","author":"tldreamer2","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926809.html","description":"
<\/p>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926809.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926501.html","pubDate":"Sun, 02 Jan 2022 05:37:59 GMT","title":"Fic: Conflicting Characters","author":"flowersforchuck","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926501.html","description":"Title: Conflicting Characters
Author: flowersforchuck
Rating: R-ish
Characters: Luke\/Reid
Summary: Pons and Medulla 'verse. A week after Conversations with Katz. While bumpy at first, the guys share some much-needed couple time.
Disclaimer: I don\u2019t own Oakdale or its inhabitants.
A\/N: No beta. I was working on Piano Man and found myself stumped and needed a distraction. Enjoy.
Click to Reid :p<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2926501.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: flowersforchuck","luke\/reid","rating: r","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925908.html","pubDate":"Fri, 18 Jun 2021 06:53:45 GMT","title":"ROMANCE UNDER THE BIG TOP (LuRe REVERSE BIGBANG) CHAPTER THREE","author":"tldreamer","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925908.html","description":"![\"RUTB](\"https:\/\/ic.pics.livejournal.com\/tldreamer\/36394262\/211531\/211531_300.jpg\" "\\"RUTB")
Beta: <\/b> Thanks to ![](\"https:\/\/l-stat.livejournal.net\/img\/userinfo_v8.png?v=17080&v=916.1\")
<\/a>teddybear9298<\/b><\/a><\/span> for her help with this story! As usual, I went in later and made changes, so all mistakes are mine.
Premise<\/b>: LuRe AU. Set in a travelling circus that roams around the MidWest during the 1890s. Several Oakdalers will pop up here and there throughout the story.
Rating:<\/b> Chapter Three is PG-13, but later chapters may get steamier
Genre:<\/b> Angst, romance, some hurt\/comfort....in other words, soapy. You've been warned. Over time this story has taken on a life of its own; expect to find just about everything, including the kitchen sink, in it. However, if a kitchen sink does appear, that is your signal that the end of the story is near.
A\/Ns: <\/b> Once upon a time long, long ago, I signed up for the LuRe Reverse Big Bang and selected this title, based on the fantastic artwork supplied by <\/a>luresoromantic<\/b><\/a><\/span>. I can't thank her enough for the beautiful banner! And a terribly belated thank you to <\/a>traciamc<\/b><\/a><\/span> for organizing the Reverse BB. Thanks also goes to <\/a>flowersforchuck<\/b><\/a><\/span>, who initiated a discussion in the LuRe community about Reid having a profession other than being a doctor.....it has spurred me on to wrestle this story into shape!
This story is dedicated to <\/a>zzzfreckles<\/b><\/a><\/span>, who has encouraged me over the years to continue writing this story and has been sooooooooo patient. Thank you.
I haven't posted here in so long that I've forgotten how to. If you want to catch up on the previous chapters or just want to start with this new one, here you go:
Prologue<\/a><\/b>
Chapter One<\/a><\/b>
Chapter Two<\/a><\/b>
Chapter Three<\/a><\/b>
I am determined to finish this story, which has been living in my head for years. Time to let it go!!!","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925908.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: tldreamer","luke\/reid","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925789.html","pubDate":"Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:12:11 GMT","title":"Romeo & Juliet, LOUISVILLE 2020, with ESS, Update","author":"kruidje","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925789.html","description":"They are now streaming Romeo and Juliet
You can order here your tickets
https:\/\/www.actorstheatre.org\/shows\/2020-2021\/romeo-juliet-louisville-2020\/<\/a>
And here is more ESS info with photo ...
https:\/\/www.actorstheatre.org\/bios\/eric-sheffer-stevens<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925789.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925476.html","pubDate":"Sun, 14 Mar 2021 03:35:52 GMT","title":"FIC: Conversations With Katz","author":"flowersforchuck","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925476.html","description":"Title: Conversations with Katz 4\/4
Author: flowersforchuck
Rating: PG-13\/T-NC-17\/M
Disclaimer: Don't own Oakdale or its inhabitants.
Summary: The six weeks after Yours, Mine, and Ours ends.
A\/N: Part one started off as a continuation to YM&O, but I realized that it's actually its own story. No beta. Enjoy!
Part 1<\/a>\/ Part 2<\/a>\/ Part 3<\/a>\/ Part 4<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925476.html?view=comments#comments","category":["rating: pg-13","!author|artist: flowersforchuck","luke\/reid","rating: nc-17","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925126.html","pubDate":"Sat, 13 Feb 2021 08:46:35 GMT","title":"Archived Work at AO3!","author":"amelialourdes","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925126.html","description":"Hi, all! Just wanted to share that I've archived my Luke and Reid fic over at AO3 if anyone's interested. Link below!
https:\/\/archiveofourown.org\/users\/amelialourdes<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2925126.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924975.html","pubDate":"Thu, 17 Dec 2020 21:53:12 GMT","title":"FIC: A Sap Story","author":"flowersforchuck","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924975.html","description":"Title: A Sap Story
Author: flowersforchuck
Rating: PG
Characters: LuRe
Summary: LuRe\u2019s first Christmas. Kind of.
A\/N: No beta. All mistakes are mine. Short, a little over 2k words. Written because I love Hulu\u2019s Seasonal Scenics, except for The Gathering. That shit makes my teeth grind. Enjoy.
Click to read.<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924975.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: flowersforchuck","luke\/reid","rating: pg","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924632.html","pubDate":"Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:34:05 GMT","title":"All Fic on A03","author":"mech_bull","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924632.html","description":"Hi all! I don't know who is around still, but I thought I'd share that I have copied all my fic over to AO3. You can find them here:
https:\/\/archiveofourown.org\/users\/MechBull\/works?fandom_id=18886<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924632.html?view=comments#comments","category":"fan fiction"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924380.html","pubDate":"Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:15:12 GMT","title":"ATWT Reunion on October 28th ","author":"kruidje","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924380.html","description":"https:\/\/www.katonahclassicstage.com\/atwt-reunion?fbclid=IwAR0W1nWBNDRQMZvuwVO8rt4b8Fmbm94jjkw85UkoVvG3BObM3llLCnUCZbQ<\/a>
Keep an eye on this page for updates
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TrentDawsonFanClub<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924380.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924184.html","pubDate":"Wed, 16 Sep 2020 14:57:41 GMT","title":"ESS in Romeo and Juliet: Louisville 2020","author":"kruidje","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924184.html","description":"ESS news, found this with Google
https:\/\/www.actorstheatre.org\/shows\/2020-2021\/romeo-and-juliet\/credits\/?fbclid=IwAR0d3ZCfEXRtgfpfQ66iXm3eqWzXNertbMHDkeXTE9jl1H-UIGsP7a7HVtE<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2924184.html?view=comments#comments"},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923969.html","pubDate":"Sat, 12 Sep 2020 07:27:55 GMT","title":"DATE NIGHT (Pandemic Edition) -- 9\/7\/2020","author":"tldreamer","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923969.html","description":"Beta:<\/b> Thanks goes to teddybear9298! As always, I made a few changes just before posting, so all mistakes are mine.
Premise:<\/b> LuRe AU (What train?) Originally a blurb (that got out of hand) about what the boys are up to these days.
Rating:<\/b> PG-13
Genre:<\/b> Slice of life
A\/N:<\/b> Can you believe it's been 10 years? I tried to get this posted by 9\/7\/2020, but real life had other plans.
Go here<\/a><\/b>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923969.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: tldreamer","luke\/reid","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923620.html","pubDate":"Fri, 14 Aug 2020 00:26:49 GMT","title":"Yours, Mine, & Ours Pt. 11","author":"flowersforchuck","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923620.html","description":"Title: Yours, Mine, & Ours pt 11
Author: flowersforchcuk
Rating: eh...PG-13\/T
Disclaimer: I don\u2019t own Oakdale or any of its inhabitants...except the kids.
Summary: Reid\u2019s POV and covers the six weeks after the last chapter. Things are still not that great in the land of LuRe.
A\/N: So, hey, not an epilogue. {facepalm} This is only about half of what I wanted to write, but I decided to post anyway to get that little rush of accomplishment, lol. No beta. Enjoy.
Click to read pt 11.<\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923620.html?view=comments#comments","category":["rating: pg-13","!author|artist: flowersforchuck","luke\/reid","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923362.html","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Aug 2020 19:46:36 GMT","title":"fic: waking up - [part nine].","author":"lyrical12","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923362.html","description":"
Author<\/span><\/b>: Lyrical12<\/span>
Pairing<\/span><\/b>: Luke and Reid<\/span>
Rating<\/span><\/b>: PG-13, may change<\/span>
Disclaimer<\/span><\/b>: Not Mine<\/span>
Warnings<\/span><\/b>: Angst, violence\/injuries\/medical descriptions<\/span>
Summary<\/span><\/b>: Canon complaint fix-it fic. A man wakes up in London with no memory. Who is he? How did he get there? He knows only one thing - He doesn't kill people. He saves them.<\/span>
A\/N: <\/span>And thus they go to Boston! I'm sorry for the delay, and I hope you enjoy the update.<\/span>
[nine.]<\/span><\/p>
It must have worked, because while they hadn’t called him back, they also hadn’t hung up when he called a third time, and had begrudgingly agreed to a meeting. <\/span>
The whole thing had reminded Luke just a little bit of how he and Reid had come to know each other, how his badgering and persistence had eventually overcome the man’s initial resistance. He knew Reid would be making fun of him if he were here, but would secretly be proud. It was a pleasant thought to drift off to, and Luke slept soundly that night in his hotel in Boston, eager to meet with Joe and Linda Taylor in the morning. <\/span>
*<\/span>
It was too late to call Stillman by the time he landed in Boston – too late to do much of anything – but Jason checked into a hotel and promptly headed to the computer lounge. A search for “Lance Taylor” yielded several news articles. <\/span>
“Promising Young Doctor Killed in Deadly Home Invasion,” proclaimed the <\/span>Boston Globe<\/span>. It had been published in April 2010. Jason selected it and began to read. There was only a brief mention of a fiancé, and not by name. She’d told police that she’d been home alone when a burglar entered their home. When Lance had returned, coming back from a late shift at the hospital, the robber had panicked and shot him, then fled. The rest of the article featured quotes from his parents, who apparently lived in Cambridge.<\/span>
Another search secured him their phone number. He was eager to call in the morning. <\/span>Lancelot – that is the key.<\/span>
*<\/span>
Luke arrived at the quaint Cambridge home precisely at the appointed time, bearing a tray of coffee from the café he’d passed on his way here. He balanced it carefully as he shook Joe and Linda’s hands, then offered them drinks as they sat down in the living room together. <\/span>
Joe was a tall, thin man with very little hair and a gray mustache that hung over a pinched frown. Linda was tiny, brunette, and bore an even less welcoming expression than her husband. Luke glanced around the room, his gaze settling on a framed portrait of a young man. Though he could see the facial resemblance to both his parents, there was something warmer in the man’s eyes, a depth that, oddly enough, reminded him of Reid.<\/span>
Or maybe he just wanted to see a connection to Reid, here in the city he was from. “Is this your son?” he asked, smiling gently, hoping to soften the Taylors’ countenances. <\/span>
“Yes, that’s Lance,” Linda said tightly. “Mr. Snyder, you’ll have to explain to us why you’re here. You said your foundation is interested in honoring our son’s memory? What’s this about?” <\/span>
Just then, the phone rang from the kitchen. Linda jumped up to get it, but Joe waved her to sit back down. “Let the machine get it,” he said, sounding irritated. “If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or call back.” <\/span>
*<\/span>
The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up at the other end. Jason tried to plan what he would say to the answering machine, but didn’t get the opportunity – apparently, the mailbox was full. <\/span>
He’d have to call back later, then. In the meantime, he had lots to tell Stillman – might as well take this time to fill him in.<\/span>
*<\/span>
Luke spoke gently, detailing the work of his foundation and the new wing that he was funding in honor of another young surgeon whose life was cut tragically short. As he spoke of Reid – his brilliance, the patients he would have saved, his quirks – Mr. Taylor, at least, grew less rigid. <\/span>
“Lance would have been brilliant too,” he murmured, glancing towards the photograph. “Top of his residency class. He wasn’t always easy to get along with – Linda and I always wished he’d had more friends, more of a life outside of his studies and his work – but he had more dedication in his little finger than most have in their whole bodies. Medicine was his calling.”<\/span>
“Until he met that <\/span>woman<\/span>,” Linda hissed, and Luke could tell from her tone that ‘woman’ would preferably have been a slur. <\/span>
“I’m sorry,” he said politely, deciding that playing dumb was his best course of action. “I hate to pry. But the articles I read about Lance did mention a fiancé. Was she a nurse at the hospital?” <\/span>
Linda scoffed. Joe shifted uncomfortably at his wife’s ire, but answered. “She was a PhD student there, actually. Biochemistry.”<\/span>
Luke stifled a small smile, remembering Reid’s frustration at Gretchen’s incompetence. If she hadn’t actually been a nurse, well, they were lucky her mistakes hadn’t been worse. “What’s her name, if you don’t mind me asking?” <\/span>
“Amanda Jensen,” Joe told him. Linda shook her head in anger at the mention of the name, but Luke pressed on.<\/span>
“Would you be able to put me in touch with her?” He asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. “It would be helpful to talk to more of Lance’s loved ones as we work on funding a scholarship in his name.” <\/span>
There was silence for a moment. Joe looked uncomfortable, but started to answer. “We don’t- we don’t have any contact information, I’m sorry.”<\/span>
“Oh.” Luke said awkwardly. “Well, is she still in Boston? Can you point me in the right direction?” <\/span>
Linda leapt off the couch and hissed, “<\/span>Amanda <\/span>is not in Boston anymore. Amanda fled town the moment the police finished questioning her. She didn’t even stay for the funeral. She hasn’t been in touch.” <\/span>
She strode over to the front door and threw it open. “<\/span>That <\/span>bitch <\/span>never loved my son. We’re done talking to you, Mr. Snyder. We don’t need your money to honor Lance’s memory. Get out.” <\/span>
Luke hesitated for a moment, bewildered at the woman’s anger, but he knew a lost cause when he saw one. He picked up his coffee and headed for the door. “Thank you for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor,” he said. “I won’t bother you again.” <\/span>
The door slammed shut in his wake.<\/span>
Twenty paces down the street, Luke paused to collect his thoughts. Okay, Gretchen. Amanda. Whoever. Clearly the woman had a lot of secrets, and had been leading at least a double life. But he hadn’t learned much to explain what she’d been doing posing as a nurse in Oakdale, or why she was estranged from her fiancé’s parents. <\/span>
“Luke!” he heard a shout from the direction he’d come. He turned around. Joe Taylor was striding towards him.<\/span>
“I’m sorry about Linda,” he said once he reached him. “She took Amanda’s departure very badly. I think she blames her for Lance’s death – it’s easier for her to blame someone, than to accept that he was lost to random violence.” Luke nodded. That made sense. <\/span>
Joe continued, “To be honest, I’m worried about Amanda. I think Lance’s loss destroyed her. She didn’t have much of a support structure – she never talked about her family; Lance told us she was fully cut off from them. She abandoned her studies, her research… I don’t know where she went, but wherever she is, I do hope she’s okay.”<\/span>
Luke hesitated, thinking of the sad, scared woman back at Oakdale Memorial. He heard Reid’s voice – “<\/span>She leaks, the tears!” <\/span>and made a decision. <\/span>
“Joe, I think I might have met Amanda at the hospital in my hometown. She was going by the name Gretchen – Gretchen Taylor, I would assume in honor of you son. Do you know if she had any connections to Illinois? <\/span>
Joe frowned at this, brow pinched. “Illinois? I don’t think so. Lance told me she grew up in Texas. Dallas, I think. But I really don’t know anything more about her past.” <\/span>
“That’s quite alright. Thank you again for your time, and I’m very sorry to have brought up old wounds.” <\/span>
Joe shook his hand. “If you do see this Gretchen back at home – please tell her we’d like to hear from her.”<\/span>
“I will,” Luke told him, deciding it wasn’t worth it to explain. He waved in farewell as he headed back down the street. <\/span>
Dallas<\/span>. Another clue – and another connection, another reminder of Reid.<\/span>
*<\/span>
Jason tried the Taylors twice more before an annoyed female voice picked up. “Yes?”<\/span>
“Hello, Ms. Taylor? My name is Jason. I was wondering if I could talk to you about your son and his fiancé, Amand-”<\/span>
He was cut off. “You have some nerve, trying to call back like this. Do not call us again. Do not try to contact us. I don’t ever want to hear that name again.”<\/span>
The phone slammed back down onto the receiver. Jason sat frozen, staring at the ended call on his screen. He let out a breath slowly. The woman’s cold anger had been crystal clear, even over the phone. There was no use in trying again. It was a dead end. <\/span>
He slumped down in his chair, deflated. More internet research hadn’t yielded much information on Amanda Jensen – some accounts of her research with Dr. Garcia, and very little else. After a galvanizing 24 hours, he now felt aimless, with nothing left to go on.<\/span>
Stillman had been shocked, intrigued, and enthusiastic about all that Jason had learned so far on his trip, but had also been realistic about the likelihood of him tracking down information on a dead woman who’d been living some kind of double life. He’d also been sobered by the revelation that Jason’s amnesia was likely drug-induced. Given that mechanism and Garcia’s information, it was unlikely that staying in Boston longer would be helpful. Jason could very well wander around the neighborhood he’d grown up in, and still not be able to break through the block that prevented him from accessing his personal memories.<\/span>
He headed back down to the hotel’s computer lounge, and booked himself a return flight to London for the following evening. As he considered what he could do with the intervening time, something occurred to him – not a recollection, exactly, but a casual certainty: were he to go to Harvard Square, he would find people playing chess there. <\/span>
It wouldn’t be a bad way to spend the afternoon. He grabbed his jacket, and headed to the nearest T station. <\/span>
*<\/span>
Luke strolled slowly from the Taylor’s residential street back to the bustle of Cambridge. His path took him along the Charles - it was late morning on a Saturday, and the college rowing teams were out in force, their eight-oared shells gliding powerfully over the water. He sat down on a bench to watch the activity on the river. <\/span>
A women’s crew rowed by. From the shore, the boat looked almost peaceful, but if he looked more closely he could see the sweat on the athletes’ skin and the effort in their faces.<\/span>
He wondered about Amanda Jensen. Estranged from her family, studying for her doctorate in biochemistry. Engaged, only to suddenly and horribly lose her fiancé. Somehow ending up in Oakdale with a fake name and a fake story, only to disappear again after a suspicious hit-and-run. There was certainly evidence to indicate that she was a criminal – but he couldn’t help but think that maybe this woman had been trying to make a new life for herself, fleeing the demons from her past. <\/span>
He called his Grimaldi contact again, and filled him in on scant new information he’d learned. His contact seemed confident he could dig up more, particularly with the Dallas tip. Luke thanked him and hung up, gazing out at the river once again. But his mind was far from the single scullers now passing by. It was drifting back to an April now long gone, to a kiss that had left him confused and conflicted and exhilarated all at once, and to a man that had left him with so much still to learn. <\/span>
Dallas, Boston – both of Reid’s cities, before the universe had conspired to bring him into Luke’s life in Oakdale. <\/span>
Luke left his bench and started walking again, heading along the river back towards the T station in Harvard Square. He smiled as he remembered Reid telling him of how he’d learned to play chess there, from seventy-year-old Ukrainian men after school. <\/span>
Sure enough, the plaza was dotted with stone tables, each with a built-in chessboard atop its surface. Many of the tables were occupied by players, with plenty of observers crowded around to watch. Luke lingered for a little while, imagining a young Reid honing his skills here in the afternoons. He wondered if any of the men here had been around long enough to remember the undoubtedly precocious young redhead. <\/span>
Eventually, a glance at his watch told him it was time to move on – he had another meeting on Foundation business that afternoon, before his flight back to Oakdale. He joined the crush of people descending the stairs back onto the subway platform, and was halfway down when a glimpse of a face on riding up the escalator to his left made him halt in his tracks.<\/span>
A man slammed into his back, swearing at him, but he hardly noticed. <\/span>Reid? <\/span>Bewildered, he tried to stare after the figure, but all he could see were the backs of heads. Whoever he’d seen was long gone, carried up towards exit.<\/span>
Shaken, he continued down the stairs. <\/span>What the hell? <\/span>He could have sworn he’d seen a man with Reid’s face, but only for a split second. As he waited on the train platform, he ached at the trick his imagination had played on him. He’d been thinking of Reid nonstop since he’d been here; it wasn’t terribly surprising that his subconscious would have projected his lover’s face onto someone who bore him a vague resemblance. But it was a cruel illusion, and he didn’t want to spend all his time dwelling on ghosts. <\/span>
He thumbed to one of the few photos he had of Reid on his phone - the headshot they’d used on the brochures for the neuro wing. He took solace for a moment in the real thing, then slipped his phone back into his pocket, turning his thoughts back towards his upcoming meeting.<\/span>
* <\/span>
Jason hated riding public transportation as much as he’d disliked the plane, and was eager to emerge into the fresh air as he rode the escalator up out of the Harvard T station. Hands in his pockets, he gazed absently at the people hurrying down the staircase to his left, until one suddenly caught his attention. <\/span>
Golden hair atop an angelic face – why did the man seem so familiar? He craned his neck to look back down the stairs, but the escalator had nearly reached the top, and it was too difficult to see. He held the glimpse he’d gotten in his mind: there was faint recognition, like a barely remembered dream- <\/span>Oh. <\/span>His dream. The man had resembled the blond man he’d dreamt about the night before he’d left London.<\/span>
He half-wanted to go after the man, to see if he could find him on the platform, but he shook his head at the foolishness of it. What would he say? “Hi, I think I’ve seen you in my dreams. Any chance you know who I am?” It would sound like a pickup line from a crazy person. He continued on towards the plaza instead.<\/span>
Harvard Square was familiar the same way Piccadilly had been – instantly recognizable, but with no personal memory attached to the recognition. He couldn’t be certain that he’d ever been there, but it seemed likely – especially when the chess tables were precisely where he’d expected them to be. <\/span>
He only had to wait for a few minutes for a spot to open up. The older man sitting at the table had quickly defeated his opponent, and smiled beckoningly when he saw Jason watching. <\/span>
They exchanged few words – just enough to establish how much time to allow on the clock, and that they wouldn’t be playing for money – then began. <\/span>
Jason settled easily into the familiar rhythm, mapping out possibilities as he observed the board and the moves his partner was making. He was a jovial player, with an impressive walrus mustache that tickled his upper lip when he laughed at particularly daring moves from Jason. Both players were having fun with the game, and they soon drew a small spectator crowd. Murmurs from the watchers told Jason that his opponent rarely took this long to defeat an unknown. <\/span>
At last, they were both down to a few remaining pieces, and Jason saw an opening. He positioned his knight, then, “Checkmate.”<\/span>
The crowd gasped and clapped, and Jason’s partner extended a hand with a roar of delighted laughter. “I am Vlad,” he said as they shook. <\/span>
“Jason.”<\/span>
“Jason, you are a very good player. I have not played someone with your style in many years. It reminds me of a little boy who used to play here when I was a younger man.” He eyed Jason appraisingly. “You look a little like him too. It is your hair, perhaps.” <\/span>
Jason gulped. “Do you remember his name?” <\/span>
Vlad’s mustache quivered as he frowned in thought. “It was not Jason. Hey, Peter,” he called to the man at the next table over. “Do you remember the name of the red-haired boy who used to play here with us? Ivan’s protégé?” <\/span>
Peter shrugged. “Ryan, maybe? No, that’s not it.”<\/span>
Vlad turned back to him apologetically. “Ivan would remember, but he died a few years back. It was a pleasure to play with you, Jason. Do come again – next time I will be ready.”<\/span>
Jason promised to return the following morning, then left to wander around the Cambridge streets. Could he have been the boy the chess players remembered? Had he spent his childhood here? It seemed possible, but it was frustratingly difficult to put the pieces together. <\/span>
He found directions for the Cambridge Public Library, and strolled through Harvard’s campus to reach it. Now that there was a hint that he may in fact have grown up in this area, perhaps he might have some luck searching through local newspapers. <\/span>
The library staff were happy to help him access the online archive, and he quickly searched for the terms “chess” plus “Harvard Square.” Hundreds of results turned up. He narrowed the search to an appropriate range of years, then filtered for photo captions. <\/span>
The desktop was slow, but he methodically clicked through the photos. Most were of no interest, and by the time his hour of computer use was almost up, he was ready to write off the whole diversion as a waste of time. He glanced through the last few, then a caption caught his attention – “Training the next generation: whiz kid impresses the chess masters of Harvard Square.”<\/span>
The photo showed an unsmiling kid seated at a chess table opposite a man identified as Ivan Pavlenko. It wasn’t easy to make out facial details in the scan, but there was enough of a resemblance that Jason thought it possible that he was looking at a photo of his younger self. Heart racing, he opened the associated article.<\/span>
It was mostly about Ivan, profiling his longstanding reign as the best chess player in the Square. There was only a paragraph towards the end detailing his mentorship of young players, and no name was given for the boy in the photograph. <\/span>
Frustration flooded Jason for what felt like the hundredth time. He printed the photo, then spent the last few minutes of his allotted time searching the internet for youth chess competition results from that era. There were lots of names, none of them familiar. He gave up. <\/span>
As he made his way back to his hotel, he halfheartedly considered making posters of his face to put up around the city. <\/span>Do you know this man? <\/span>But it seemed as futile an idea as this whole trip had been. He’d pieced together seven months of his previous life – nearly double what his conscious memory contained – but that was all. He would return to London tomorrow, knowing barely more about himself than when he had left.<\/span><\/p><\/a>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923362.html?view=comments#comments","category":["!author|artist: lyrical12","fan fiction"]},{"guid":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923078.html","pubDate":"Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:28:26 GMT","title":"Hello there! \ud83e\udd70","author":"bhumimak","link":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923078.html","description":"
Even though I haven't been posting fics on LJ, I have been posting on AO3 from time to time over the past couple of years. Thanks to lockdown however, I managed to miraculously post two new fics this year for a canon divergent series that follows Luke and Reid's life from when the show ended, and they lived happily ever after! \ud83d\ude09
My AO3 can be found HERE<\/strong><\/a>, if you are so inclined to check it out!!
Take care & stay safe! \u2764\ufe0f<\/p>","comments":"https:\/\/lure-atwt.livejournal.com\/2923078.html?view=comments#comments","category":["oh you guys","!author|artist: bhumimak"]}]}}