One Kiss For The Road • •

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

If it could have been avoided, Fallon wouldn’t have said a single thing about the woman who gave her up, but she couldn’t have secrets if she was expecting Gabe to tell her all of his. She should have made that list just a little bit longer but this was the only thing she was purposefully keeping from her boyfriend. So, she sucked up the pride, fear and hatred and told him in the quickest way possible about her mother and her past. It had always been the one thing she kept from everyone. Not because she was ashamed or anything, it was just useless to still be upset, annoyed or bothered by it. The woman didn’t put in any effort to try and get to know the daughter, why should the daughter try either? It was done and over with now, it wasn’t just her secret anymore; Gabe knew, too.

Trevor had tried his best to be a good father while still trying to be the amazing uncle. He had done a pretty good job of it when she was growing up. He played the part of father when he needed to, setting rules and making sure she lived by them. And the great uncle aspect of it all came so easily with surprise tickets to concerts with backstage passes, ice cream pints when she was having a bad day and only cherry Garcia could fix the problem. She didn’t know how he would react, seeing Gabe face-to-face since they’d taken that step from friends to more than. He’d been the cool uncle when he met Gabe and the guys, but now he would have to play father figure and ask all those awkward questions Fallon knew Trevor secretly enjoyed asking. “Why?” she asked, always confused when others apologized for something they had absolutely no control over. “It’s no one’s fault and I know that. Just like I know she missed out, but thank you,” she said, turning her head into Gabe’s fingers before she was taken by surprise with the soft kiss. She didn’t tell anyone about her mother because she didn’t want those pitying looks but she knew Gabe wouldn’t give her that, and he hadn’t. He’d said his piece, apologized for a woman he would never meet and helped her lift a weight from her shoulders.

In seven years, Fallon couldn’t remember ever seeing Gabe cry. She’d seen tears come to his eyes, but not once did she ever see any fall from those dark chocolate orbs. This alone caught her now. She didn’t care what happened, she just wanted to hold him close and tell him he didn’t need to go back to that place again; she was there to help him. Fallon hadn’t known exactly what to expect with Gabe’s confession. It could have been anything at all, so she’d steeled herself just in case what he did say was something she hadn’t considered. But what he’d said was something on the list she’d created and it broke her heart, unable to really grasp how much pain he had to have been in to need to those drugs to get him that far away from it all. She had no experience with this and she didn’t have a clue what she was supposed to say or do. But every thought went out the window when he crumpled to the ground like a broken doll. This was Gabe, her Gabe. As lanky and completely non-athletic as he was, he was still one of the strongest men she knew. Fallon didn’t know what she was supposed to do but she was going to make it up as she went along. She knelt down in front of him, wrapping her arms around him as the tears welled in her own eyes. Fallon pulled him against her, slipping her foot over his legs to bring him even closer while she said shh softly. “Hush, honey, the worst is over now right? The pain meds are gone, you don’t need them and you’ve gotten a handle on everything. You’ve an incredible family, friends and a super-hot girlfriend who will always be there for you and can kick your ass twelve ways to Sunday if you don’t treat her right,” she said in a light tone trying to bring some levity to the situation. Despite being from Hollywood, Fallon didn’t do drama well and she really couldn’t bear to see the man she loved with everything she had like this.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 750
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe didn’t take anything that he had with Fallon for granted. After seven years of wishing and wondering, he wanted to savour every moment that he did have with the beautiful blonde and he hoped that the rest of his life might be like the happier memories they had together. He loved waking up next to her in the morning and teasing her over silly things when they walked down the street with their finger entwined. If Trevor did want to talk to him “man-to-man” now then he would quite happily tell him everything he wished to know. Gabe had no intentions of hurting Fallon or playing with her heart and her fear of being with another closet gay was wasted, because the only time the scholar went near another man was on a drunken bet and it had never been anything more than a quick kiss that was usually something to laugh at.

He still didn’t feel like he deserved someone as amazing as Fallon, but pinching himself just led to a little more pain than he liked feeling every morning. He didn’t really feel sorry for Fallon for not having a mom, but for the woman who was supposed to have that title for missing out on so much in her life and giving it all to Trevor, who was really the person to thank for Gabe having this girl in his life. He had taught her to be the person that she was and had let her out into the world, thankfully, in the direction that eventually led to this relationship. “I love you.”

[/color] Was all he had to say now. Fallon didn’t let the situation with her own mom bother her, so there was nothing more he could really say on the matter. He knew about most of her life, so it wasn’t really like he had any questions about “what happened next?” to ask, since he had been there for some of it himself and heard tales from both Fallon and Trevor about the short years before that.

There was still so much to say, really, but Gabe had covered all of the basics. The problem he had hadn’t been severe enough for him to seek help and he had managed to move on from it on his own, though part of that had been thanks to his move out to California and the fresh escape from his daily life in Nebraska. By the time he had returned home again he had more to live for and there had been leaps and bounds in his mom’s progress in adjusting to her new life in the wheelchair. After a late night chat with her that winter, he had been able to accept everything, but he still had moments when reliving the crash was still as painful and the emotions still as raw as back then, when his life really had been a dark and dangerous place. His arms came up to hug her back as the tears continued to fall. It was like all those years of keeping it hidden and acting like that part of his life had never happened was making this worse now. His emotions were running wild and the sobs were a mixture of relief, shame, sorrow and everything else in between. It had been a lot harder back then, but Gabe didn’t like thinking of how he climbed out of that dark hole alone. It had just been something that he had to do and something he both wanted and needed to do. “Do you know where she is? I could really use her right now.”[/color] He said lamely, between the sniffles as he tried in vain to get the crying under control and remind himself that it wasn’t all that bad now. Those dark days were long behind him now and he hadn’t been tempted to ever go back to them.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 688
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Even though it didn’t bother her, it was a hard story to tell because it did bring back all those memories. And Fallon was hardly fond of remembering that tale. She didn’t like knowing there were people out there that could give up their children and liked it less knowing she was one of those kids. But she could see it really had been for the best, she’d gotten the best of everything because Trevor was trying to make up for it all when he really didn’t have to. He’d been a great guardian and she only gave him serious attitude trouble when she’d found the truth. She’d been a giant pain in the ass because she’d felt betrayed but like everything else, she’d gotten over; she’d seen past it and realized that he’d been doing the right thing all along. It was difficult being rebellious at twelve and being confined to sets but she made it work for her for the short time she’d been a terror.

But all of that made her who she was, and Trevor’s parenting was to thank for that. He’d let her get away with only so much. Their house had always been light on rules since for the most part Fall had been a good kid. She’d had a curfew to stick to but if she was going to be late, she only had to call. She had chores to do but they only applied when they were actually home and not on the road. And even then she only really had to keep her room clean since Margaret; their housekeeper wasn’t allowed into Fallon’s rooms. She sighed now that her issues were out in the open. “I love you, too,” she answered back and she did. She was annoyed with him, but she loved him and even that annoyance was slowly leaving her. She didn’t have the heart to really be mad at him anymore.

Fallon didn’t know what to say or do with the information Gabe was giving her. Her heart broke for that kid who was in the accident and had all those problems afterwards. But she was also so proud of the man he’d become, overcoming the pain meds and everything else. He was much stronger than she initially thought him to be, that was for sure. It took a lot out of him to tell Fallon all of this; she could see that in the way he just sort of deflated after saying his final piece. She wasn’t sure if this was everything or just the beginning but that didn’t really matter. What did was that he’d told her, or started to. “She said something about shoes,” Fallon said offhand, lifting Gabe’s head from her chest and wiped away the tears. “I’m pretty sure our roles are supposed to be reversed,” she teased lightly before kissing him tentatively.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 480
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe had never been some perfect child. He was forever breaking things when he was a kid and tripping over his own gangly legs. Sometimes he lost track of the time and ended up breaking curfew or running late for dinner, but he didn’t do anything to really cause his parents concern; that sort of thing had been left up to Morgan. He did the chores he had around the house, though most of the time his dad kept him out in the yard to spare them having to replace anymore cups and dishes that were carelessly dropped whenever Gabe was let near the kitchen. It was safer for everyone to keep Gabe away from the things easily breakable and the things that could easily break him.

He never claimed to be some great, perfect man either. He might know a lot and he might have been highly educated, but he still made more mistakes than he cared to count and Fallon was probably noticing that even more since their arrival at the family ranch. He hadn’t given her any hint or warning about his mom’s paralysis and he had never indicated that his past held anything so dark and secretive. She had no idea about his aversion now to pain meds, driving or the memories that he tried ridiculously hard to keep boxed away. Hearing those three little words only brought relief to the scholar who was almost wholly convinced that all of this would be enough for Fallon to call a day on their romantic relationship.

Gabe never saw his problem as an addiction. There were days when he didn’t feel like he had to take the pain meds for anything other than his actual knee. They had become more of a reliever than anything else and yet there were other days when he just wanted to take them and stay in his room, alone, scared of someone finding out how he relied on them to forget. It was a complicated relationship and one of the many reasons now why he just tried to battle through any physical pain, rather than reach for the bottle every time there was a niggle or a twinge or the first signs of a headache. He managed a harsh, dry chuckle and nodded his head. “Sounds about right for her.”

[/color] He joked quietly, still trying to get some control back over his emotions. He was calming down a bit now, but it wasn’t like he could shut everything off. It was the first time he had ever spoken about all of this in detail and there was still some mental processing to do before he could walk away unscathed. “I do this enough. It was time for a change.”[/color] He teased, pulling her closer, just needing to feel Fallon in his arms while his heart race calmed down and the final tears fell. His glasses would be a mess by the time this was all over. “I’m sorry.”[/color] He whispered, pulling Fallon into his lap just so he could be closer to her still now.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 551
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon hadn’t exactly been a trouble maker as a child. She’d done her fair share of things on sets and at home, but for the most part, she’d played nice. Besides, college was Fallon’s time to really let loose and have a little good natured fun; which she’d done. There was four years in her past dedicated to experiencing what she couldn’t travelling all the time, as well as getting a degree she could put to good use. She’d broken her first bone, met people who either didn’t know the name Trevor Flynn or just didn’t care he was her Uncle and she met the best group of guys she would ever know. Even knowing them though, Fallon would never have expected any of them to have had a past quite like Gabe’s really was like. And even knowing it all, Fallon loved Gabe.

It was a rough story to hear for Fallon, but Gabe had to tell it and she had to hear it. She wanted to know, had practically begged to hear it and she got exactly what she’d wanted. She hadn’t thought it was going to be something so… dark about his past. But of course, it really couldn’t have been anything else once she knew. It had to have been more traumatic than even Fallon could imagine for there to be even the thought that Gabe needed those pills for more than the pain. “Terrible girl couldn’t even be here for you. You should totally dump her ass and date me,” she said, grinning and running her hand down his back. It hurt her to see him like this. She wasn’t used to seeing people cry, especially guys and especially ones she loved. It was unnerving and it made her feel helpless, like there was nothing she could do to help them.

“I love you, but I like the old ways better. I like curling up in your lap,” she said, moving to make her point that she was mildly uncomfortable trying to hold him close at this angle. If felt like there was nothing that she could do but crack jokes and hug him close, however awkwardly her limbs bent. Being pulled into his lap felt better, she could actually hold him closer like she’d wanted to. She leaned back, shaking her head. “Don’t be,” she said, carefully lifting his glasses from their perch on his nose. She folded them up before tossing them up onto the bed and running her thumbs under eyes, drying them. Fallon kissed him again before setting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him. “How about you take a few minutes to catch your breath, maybe take a shower. I’ll put some of our things away and then you can show me around this place, hmm?” she asked into Gabe’s chest, tracing circles on his back.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 480
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Even during college Gabe had never gotten too out of control. Whilst his Fraternity brothers were doing the sorts of things that would have their parents disowning them if they ever found out, Gabe was usually the one keeping an eye on things and making sure that never did happen. Of course, he got into a few fights but it was usually when he was trying to prevent one or drag someone out of one and there were nights that he would now rather forget. Generally though, he never seemed to have it in him to be some wild child who broke all the rules and lived solely on impulse; not even when he had that freedom at UCLA.

Even when he was on the pain meds and stepping closer and closer to relying on them it never felt like he was being ‘wild’. He had taken them because he felt it necessary; not to get a fix of some kind. It was hard to talk about and even harder to explain since his head had long moved away from that dark place, but he knew that he probably owed Fallon more answers. Right now though, he didn’t feel like he could talk anymore about it and for now it seemed that Fallon was okay with that; at least that was what he was taking from the jokes she was making. He knew her and he knew that if she wanted to know everything right now then she would just ask whatever she was thinking. “I have been known to pick the girls who hurt me most. Alas, I love her too much to dump her ass.”

[/color] He smiled, sniffing softly and dropping his head to Fallon’s shoulder for just a second while he pulled himself together.

“This wasn’t exactly how I planned our first hour to go.”[/color] He pointed out quietly, wrapping his arms tighter around Fallon and pulling her towards his chest. Gabe just wanted to hold her right now and keep her there. Part of him couldn’t believe that she hadn’t gotten angry at him or stormed off already from everything that had been revealed to her since they arrived at the Fitzpatrick home. He blinked, his vision now completely fuzzy, as Fallon removed his glasses. He needed a second for his eyes to adjust, but even then he could only just make out her face; the rest of the room was a blur. “Sounds like a good idea to me, but I’ll, uh, need my glasses back to get to the bathroom.”[/color] It might have sounded ridiculous, but Gabe had walked into doorframes too many times to count when he didn’t have those frames perched on his nose.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 490
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon never had to worry about Trevor really punishing her for what she did; especially when everything came to light. She’d basically been given permission to be a terror and lash out from the news. She hadn’t done much aside from having a few temper tantrums, causing a scene on set and sneaking away from her guards whenever she was off set. She always got back to her hotel or the set, but not before she caused quite the scare. “She’s a very lucky girl then if you’re willing to put up with her crap,” she said, turning her head enough to speak against his temple. And there was a lot of crap to put up with. She was sarcastic, loud and didn’t care what anyone thought. She did what she wanted, when she wanted, even when it could get her into trouble. There were plenty of nights since she’d met Gabe that he’d had to play white knight to her damsel because she’d said the wrong thing to the wrong person and couldn’t get herself out of it.

Given everything that Gabe told her since arriving to his family home, Fallon was a little out of sorts. But she was quick on her feet and she really did love Gabe; enough and more to get over the news he’d shared with her. It was obviously going to take her a few minutes to herself to work it all out; which is exactly why she’d suggested the short time apart. Grinning, Fallon rolled her eyes before giving in and kissing Gabe again. “In a minute,” she whispered against his lips. She wanted him to know how much she loved him, how much what he’d said didn’t change how much she loved him. Sighing Fallon uncurled herself from Gabe’s lap reaching for his glasses once she was on her feet and spotted where they’d fallen. “You should learn echo location or something,” she teased, bending at the waist to kiss him again. “I love you,” she said again before straightening up and moving out of his way to their bags.

She started unpacking their bags, putting things away where he’d indicated before everything happened. But she had quick hands when she was thinking or frustrated, so she had all their things unpacked within a few minutes and was left with nothing to do. Fallon still heard the water running and contemplated slipping in with him, but she still had some things to work out, and jumping in with him wouldn’t give her the time she needed to get her thoughts in order. Instead, she dug her sunglasses from her bag, went back upstairs and found her way out of the house without running into anyone at all inside. Gabe had said something about a barn or barns being out back and she wanted to see the little critters they took care of. Curiosity getting the better of the petite blonde, she slipped inside the first one after hearing noises coming from inside. “Hello?” she called tentatively, in case Gabe’s father or grandfather didn’t want company or weren’t in there at all. She pulled her glasses from their perch almost as fast as she'd put them there once she was outside the house. “I don’t mean to intrude…” she added, walking further into the building.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 552
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

“She is.”

[/color] He teased lightly, almost managing a grin. He might have felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but there was still a small part of him wondering if blurting it all out while he was such an emotional mess had been the best thing. There may not have been any secrets left between him and Fallon now, but he hadn’t meant to bring any sort of drama along on this trip. He just hoped now that it wouldn’t overshadow the rest of their time in Nebraska.

He returned the kiss sweetly, pulling Fallon just a little bit closer before she unfolded herself from their position and gave him back the glasses he honestly couldn’t live without. “I don’t think echo location could stop me tripping over myself though.”[/color] He added as he pushed himself to his feet. More times than Gabe cared to count he had clipped one foot with the other and ended up performing quite the comical little stunt, sometimes saving himself before he crashed to the floor. “I love you, too.”[/color] He whispered, pulling her back for another quick kiss before slipping into the bathroom.

Letting the hot water wash away the previous frustrations and hurt, Gabe took this alone time not only to clean himself up, but to think everything over. He had never told a soul about that accident and what it had done to him and now he just hoped that it wouldn’t be something that played in the back of Fallon’s mind for years to come. It was all in his past and he didn’t want it to be a part of their future together. Gabe spent longer than he probably should have done under the torrent of water, but he felt like he needed it and he was sure if Fallon needed him for anything that she would just come and find him.


Edward Fitzpatrick might’ve been of retirement age, but he showed no signs of slowing down. While his son dealt with some of the critters over in the clinic across the yard, he was at work in one of the two barns. They treated a variety of animals and while sometimes the barns were barren there were also times when they were full and the noises from them sounded like Noah’s Ark. After checking on everything inside, he spent a bit of time brushing the mane of one of the horses currently in their care. A beautiful thoroughbred stallion that often found a home with the Fitzpatrick’s when his owners went away to visit relatives in Canada and Australia. Edward could never understand how someone could be so far from their family, but then he only had to look at his youngest grandson who had made the transition from coast to coast without a flicker of doubt. Maybe it was a generational thing and Edward’s old age, but he knew he could never do something like that. He was lost in this very thought when the young voice of a woman caught his attention. Slipping around from the stable enclosure, Edward pushed his thick rimmed glasses up his nose and smiled at the pretty blonde who was curiously looking around. “And you must mean that either my grandson is home or you’re looking for a pet.” He said as he walked closer. They didn’t sell animals, but sometimes a family would leave a litter of kittens, puppies or bunnies for the family to find homes for. Right now they had several kittens and some rabbits too, the latter of which were occupying another part of this large barn.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 643
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

“She knows it,” Fallon said, nodding her head. She knew just how lucky she was. And she wasn’t about to let this small declaration of Gabe’s past overshadow this vacation. Fallon wanted to have fun, see all the little places that were filled with memories from her boyfriend’s childhood. She’d never been to the state and all the stories Gabe told of his childhood, really made her want to see it all. Though right now, she didn’t really want to get up or leave the room. She was tired from the long car ride, even though she did have little catnaps. And all she really wanted was to snuggle up next to Gabe and just relax. But it would have to wait. “Honey, nothing is going to stop you from doing that,” she said with a grin. His klutziness was all part of his charm. Fallon grinned against Gabe’s lips with the quick, surprising kiss.

It was no wonder her hands were working faster than her mind at putting their things away. When it finally cleared and they returned to the room, Fallon wasn’t entirely sure if she’d find anything she was looking for. She would worry about that bridge when she came to it. With everything out of the way and her outside, she took the time to really let her mind wander through everything Gabe had told her. There wasn’t anything that would make her think any less of him, or stop loving him. It was a sort of setback in his life, and completely understandable with the trauma of the accident. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure how she would have handled it all if their roles were reversed. It didn’t matter what she would or wouldn’t do either way. It was in the past and she didn’t want it to be lingering over them in the shadows. And Fallon wasn’t about to let it cast a shadow over their future. It was done and over with, and Fallon couldn’t let it go if Gabe could and he obviously did.

Fallon didn’t want to be disturbing anyone in the barn if they were working. She just wanted to have a little look at the animals they had, maybe get her hands on a couple to cuddle while she was in there. She’d always loved animals but with the life she led growing up, pets weren’t possible. That was why she adopted her little Beez when she settled in New York. She didn’t travel as much so she was usually home to take care of the sweet little thing. She was even thinking about adopting a puppy as well, but she was still only thinking about it. Fallon hadn’t been paying attention when the older gentleman spoke up. She already had a smile spreading across her lips when her blue eyes landed on Gabe’s grandfather. “Well, I was thinking about adopting a puppy,” she said with a laugh. “Hi, I’m Fallon,” she said, stepping closer and holding her hand out as the manners Trevor taught her finally kicked in. “It’s really nice to finally meet you, Mr. Fitzpatrick.”

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 520
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Edward had seen all the mistakes made by his son first and then by his grandsons, but Gabriel’s antics seemed to really take things to the next level. In a modern age when chivalry and general niceties were glanced over like an ant in tall grass, he sometimes felt like his youngest heir was likely to get just as trampled on. Gabe might have been young, but Edward had seen the pain on heartbreak on his face more times than he cared to, and the last return trip home had left the old man slightly convinced that his dreams and beliefs had been tainted beyond repair. At seventy-six, Edward could admit to being wrong without too much of a fight; which was exactly what had happened this time.

Gabe was smart, just like his mom, and Edward knew that the kid had good sense, even if he was a little sentimental at times. The older man didn’t believe that he’d set himself up to get hurt all over again and with the way the scholar spoke about this girl – Fallon – it was clear to Edward that he really did love her. It made the retired gentleman curious to meet this Californian girl; he had met Myles a few years ago and had found a life in the young man that he could barely keep up with. If the people were important to Gabe then he thought them important to him, too.

He smiled across at the blonde girl. She seemed polite and definitely like the sort of girl Gabe would give his heart to; and that was just at first glance. “Well then, Gabriel certainly brought you to the right place for that, too.” He joked with a friendly twinkle in his light eyes. Edward had lost his Irish accent decades ago, but he still carried some of the mannerisms to this day and his joking nature was all part and parcel of that. He had done his best to pass it on to his grandsons, too, but it was Gabe who seemed to be the most interested in learning the old tricks and illusions that Edward’s father had taught him. “Please, it’s Edward, and the pleasure is all mine, Fallon.” Edward’s head turned in the direction of the rustling noise, but he knew it would just be some of the animals moving about; all the pens and runs were secure. “I suppose Gabe is already making himself at home and chewing someone’s ear off with talk of fantasy?” He didn’t quite understand the whole idea of Gabe’s education, but he knew there were myths and legends in there somewhere. Things got a little too technical for his liking at some point and he had to shut off before he got a headache, but he was still proud of his youngest grandson.

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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 510
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon had already made plenty mistakes in her twenty-five years. The most notable these days being screwing everything up with Gabe before fixing it and making everything better again. She still wasn’t sure how she’d been so blind to being so head over heels in love with the man. It was a little sad that all of her Pi Kappa Phi brothers could see it and she was clueless to it all. They’d spent too long just being friends, though she had to admit that she liked that about their relationship. There wasn’t anything new to test out or buttons to push to see how much they could get away with. They’d done all that as friends and knew nearly everything there was to know about each other. And after their conversation in his bedroom, there wasn’t anything left to really talk about. They would have to expand on that conversation on his past and on hers. She wouldn’t be satisfied only knowing what he’d told her just like she was well aware he wasn’t about to leave her confessions alone either.

In truth, Fallon was still nervous about meeting the rest of Gabe’s family. Sure, she’d gotten through the fumbled shock of meeting his mother and being annoyed at herself for staring but she wouldn’t make that mistake again and if she got the chance, she would apologise even if it didn’t matter to his mom. Trevor raised her better than that and it was weighing on her that she’d done it. She deserved the apology. It was Gabe’s grandfather Fallon had been most nervous about meeting. He spoke so often and so highly of his grandfather that to meet the man seemed more like a daunting task. But much like his grandson, Fallon adored him instantly. She could see from the few seconds she’d been in the older gentleman’s company that the pair were very similar and obviously close from the fond notes in Edward’s tone. “So I’ve heard. I slipped away to see for myself,” she said sound conspiratorial.

Fallon’s eyes also wandered towards the sounds coming from one of the numerous pens set up in the barn. She had always adored animals but couldn’t have any pets of her own that weren’t more work than a rock since she’d hardly been home through the early years of life. And airplane people, not to mention hotel people tend to frown upon goldfish or even sea monkeys. It was the reason she’d adopted Beez the moment she could. Fallon grinned turning back to Edward. “I’m sure that’s coming,” she said laughing, “But he opted for a shower first.” She figured saying that was safe since it was partially true. Gabe was in the shower, though that had come after quite the conversation. She knew his grandfather would know about everything, after all, he’d been there for it. But Fallon didn’t want to say anything or ask any questions because she felt like if she did that, the entire trip would revolve around one chapter of Gabe’s past. And she’d come to see where her boyfriend grew up, who surrounded him with love, affection and brotherly torment. Learning more about him was just a bonus piece she hadn’t been expecting but still appreciated knowing all the same.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 548
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe lost track of time while he was in the shower and by the time he emerged he didn’t know how many seconds had ticked by. He had been lost with his thoughts again and coming out of them had only happened when the bottle of shower gel slipped from the sudsy shelf. He hadn’t heard Fallon knocking and she hadn’t come into the steam filled bathroom either, so he could only assume that she had settled on the couch or the bed with a book or whatever she could find on the TV. What he didn’t expect was to find the empty bedroom and no sign of his girlfriend. After everything that had happened prior to his shower, his mind instantly went to the worst case scenarios and he tried to silence those worries as he dried off and changed into some fresh clothes. Maybe she was just upstairs eating lunch with his mom?

The deserted kitchen did nothing for his nerves and after calling her name out earned him no response, Gabe stepped out of the back door and into the vast yard. The problem with living on a farm like this was that if someone wandered off it could be some time before they were found; he had lost track of the amount of times he had done it with his brothers. The only good thing was that he could still spy his car parked up where he had left it; she hadn’t drove off somewhere to clear her head, or to leave him. He crossed the yard, the rough ground crunching underfoot as he glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of the familiar blonde he had fallen so hard for. It was the faint sound of laughter that caught his attention and his dark eyes came to rest on the barn closest to him, which he wasted no time in heading towards.

Sliding around the door and blinking until his eyes adjusted to the contrast in light, Gabe let out a sigh of relief when his eyes fell on Fallon. “I wondered where you’d gone.”

[/color] He gave her a small smile and felt his muscles relax again, now that she was found. His eyes drifted to the young rabbit in her arms and laughed, walking towards them and taking a moment to hug his Gramps. “Gramps, oh, I’ve missed you.”[/color] He said as he hugged the older man and adjusted his own glasses. “And you’ve grown, surely. I don’t remember you being so tall – and skinny. Does he eat?” Edward turned back to Fallon with a puzzled look on his aged features. Gabe received the same welcome each time from the Fitzpatrick patriarch, but he would never grow bored of it, or get annoyed by it. Thinking about the day when Edward Fitzpatrick wasn’t with them anymore was not something Gabe enjoyed doing and he usually left the room if late night conversations turned to the sombre topic of death and the future. The lanky scholar turned back to Fallon and smirked. “Are we adopting a bunny? You’ve been here less than half an hour.”[/color] He teased playfully, leaning against the low stone wall that kept the rest of the animals safe from harm.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 490
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon kept up an easy conversation with Gabe’s grandfather, enjoying her time with the older man. He was a sweetheart, made her laugh and made her feel welcome. Her pale eyes kept wandering over to the bunnies in the pen so much that Edward leaned over and plucked one out at random and held it out for Fallon to take. In all that time, she never thought for a second that Gabe would think she’d left the farm. Just because they talked some of their issues out, just because she was annoyed at him wasn’t any reason for her to just leave. She loved him too much to leave over a silly little thing; she was made of tougher stuff than that.

Edward had Fallon close to tears with laughter, recalling stories from the farm when Gabe was just a small boy, running around with his brothers. Fallon wasn’t facing the door of the barn but when she heard Gabe’s voice, her smile grew and she turned as her boyfriend walked closer. “Afraid I ran away?” she asked, teasing, though she could see that was exactly what he’d thought. He just seemed to relax when he saw her. She felt a little bad that she hadn’t popped her head into the bathroom to tell him where she was going, but she had wanted to give him some time alone, to clear his mind. Her heart swelled, watching Gabe hug his grandfather. The two were so close and now that they were together it was even more obvious. Fallon shrugged when Gabe’s grandfather asked her a question. “I cook, he hides,” she said sounding sad, like it couldn’t be helped. She chose to ignore the fact that she had burnt the crepes one time and the fact that she’d only forgotten the crepes because of this wonderful man’s grandson.

The petite professor was enthralled with the little animal in her arms. She loved them all so dearly that if it were possibly she would probably have a farm in her two floor apartment. But since that wasn’t possible, she was making due with Beez and continually contemplating adding a puppy into the mix. There had always been some animals on set, so she had made do with them. And now she wanted the furry little creature in her arms to add to that every growing list of animals she wanted for her very own. “I was thinking about it. Mufasa and the girls would adore him. And Beez is so lonely,” she reasoned lifting the small pet a little higher for Gabe to get a better look at that adorable furry little face. “He’s the picture of adorable perfection, aren’t you?” she asked, cuddling the bunny again.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 456
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3

[Gabriel Pearce Fitzpatrick]

Gabe had no doubt in his mind that Fallon wouldn’t get along with his family. His brothers might tease her, but she had probably heard worse during those college years on Greek Row. They were all excited to be meeting her, at last as Gabe’s mom kept reminding him. He wasn’t worried about her feeling like she was out of her depth or like she had to be careful around them; they were good, friendly people. He knew that Gramps would probably try to talk her ear off with silly stories and magic tricks, but all it would do would reveal to Fallon where Gabe had learnt it all from. They were a tight-knit family who were supportive of all choices and decisions made by the other, even if they turned out to be bad ones, like so many in the past had been. Gabe could never see Fallon as a bad decision though, and he knew his family would see it the same way that he did.

He dreaded to hear what tales Gramps would deem important enough to tell Fallon, but he was pretty certain that there would be a few in that collection that she would never let him live down. Like most children, Gabe had made quite the show of himself on numerous occasions and the older relatives just loved to remind him of them. “Something like that.”

[/color] He mumbled, dropping a soft kiss to Fallon’s head before his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist. Gabe liked having her close and it wasn’t like there was too much PDA in it. “You don’t cook, you cremate.”[/color] He teased, keeping up with his promise to never let her live down that awkward morning and her attempt at the breakfast. They could laugh about what idiots they had been now, but he still found it one of the funnier moments out of that whole awkward event.

Growing up around so many animals, it was really no surprise that he had Mufasa and the girls now. Myles complained about the amount of fur on his good shirts, but for Gabe life without pets was simply no way to live. He used to make up for it when he came home from college by volunteering for the early morning feeds and muck-outs, just because he missed the critters so much during his time at UCLA. Mufasa and the girls had been born out in the shelter, and Gabe had simply taken them with him when he moved to New York, ignoring his mom’s shake of her head as he did. “Mufasa might try to eat him…”[/color] Gabe mused, but thought that so long as neither were let loose in the same room, everything should be okay. The girls probably wouldn’t care, so long as nothing got disturbed; if someone moved their things, they got feisty. “I thought I was the picture of adorable affection.”[/color] Gabe said with a pout, ignoring the harsh, but amused, laughter from the lips of Gramps.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fall <3
WORDS! 539
OUTFIT! Nebraska Nerd!
LYRICS! Eighteen Inches - - - Lauren Alaina
NOTES! <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

She hadn’t seen much of the farm yet, having gone from the house to the barn but she already loved it. She’d had a soft spot for this place since she’d first met Gabe and he couldn’t stop talking about his home. She wasn’t worried about meeting his brothers either, though she probably should have been. But she’d seen around the frat house enough in those four years to be used to any boyish antics that could arise. And if she wasn’t prepared for whatever they might throw her way, then she deserved what she got. She adored his grandfather, with his sunny smile, wise eyes and wonderful stories. And despite her rude behaviour, she felt like she would get along with his mother and she was sure there would be an affectionate lecture in there about stupidity but that was the price for being an idiot and messing everything up so badly the first round.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” she said, looking up at him with a mischievous spark in her eye. “Besides, I couldn’t if I wanted to. I have no clue where we are.” Fallon huffed out a breathe that sounded like annoyance as she rolled her eyes and looked at Gabe’s grandpa for some support. “One time! I burn crepes one time and I’ll never be allowed to live it down,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. They laughed about it now, but at the time Fallon had been freaked out, and much too much into her own head to be paying attention to the food she’d had smoking on the stove.

“Who said I was talking about the bunny?” She asked giving Gabe a quick look before her attention went back to the tiny fur ball in her hands. “I was talking about Edward,” she said idly, petting the soft fur of the bunny’s ears. “Ah, better not,” she said returning the rabbit to its pen herself. She got far too attached to animals and wanted a dozen or so pets of her own eventually. But right now probably wasn’t the wisest time to be collecting animals when they had two weeks ahead of them. “So,” she said, going back to Gabe’s side and wrapping her arm around his waist. “Are you going to finish the tour or do I get to stay with Edward and hear all about your childhood?” she asked, grinning across to the older man.

Tag || Gabe!
Words || 407
Clothes || Annoyed little blonde
Music || Scream --Hedley
Notes || <3