•I'll Make Every Second Count•

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

In some ways Lexi could be perceived as naïve. She had only ever known the Ryanne way of life and the luxury that New York city had to offer. She never deliberately made it difficult for someone to approach her or familiarise themselves with her, but then handing money out when others couldn’t afford her choice of bistro for dinner was something that was almost an instinct reaction when she was around friends. It was true that money and wealth made life simpler, but it didn’t make all problems vanish into thin air. All the therapy in the world that money could buy wouldn’t permanently ‘fix’ Lexi’s self esteem issues but her parents lived in hope. She was unaware of a lot of things around her but whilst a lot of people mistook it as plain ignorance, Lexi was genuinely innocent in overlooking certain things unless someone nudged her towards it. It wasn’t something she meant to do, but after eighteen years in upper-class Manhattan it became a case of if she hadn’t grown up around it then she didn’t notice it. A horrible trait of hers and one she wished she could fix with a flash of the old green paper.

Alas, life was not that easy and the closest Lexi had ever come to a Fairy Godmother was Denver helping her to her feet and chasing away the storm clouds that had been looming over her head prior to their meeting as strangers. However, that was something simple in comparison to the things that could really be deemed as troublesome. Lexi was not the kind of girl to whine and moan about every little thing and whilst she may have spent a lot of time in the ‘rich girl’ bubble, she had a sweet personality and knew better than to bestow her petty concerns on someone else who could have life a lot worse than she did. That was why she kind of felt a little bad about talking to Denver - a total stranger - about the ‘dramatic’ issues in the world of girls. Hence why, she kept it simple, avoided detail and just summed everything up as a bad day. She knew that life could be much worse than it was and Lexi was normally very thankful for the things she had.

She smiled at his explanation. It was nice to see a brother so caring for their sister. Most of her friends did nothing but complain about their siblings and the taunts and ‘abuse’ that came their way from them. Sure, she wanted to pull her sister’s hair out at times, but that was all part of family fun and she knew she could speak to them about anything…well, maybe most things. The downside to sisters was that they always felt the need to compete. If Lexi boasted something she was proud of to one of the older Ryanne girls than she could bet her trust fund that within a week, they would’ve done something better. On the other hand, if she was ashamed of something or had experienced that ‘coyote ugly’ feeling after a night with one too many tequila shots, then they’d be the first people to crinkle their noses and judge her; something Lexi had hated and endured her whole life without any real reason for it. “I think I would’ve like to have an older brother.”

[/color] She mused, twirling her hair around her finger thoughtfully. “It’s nice that you care for her so.”[/color] She peeked up at him with an honest twinkle in her eye. Family values were fading fast in this day and age and it was something Lexi would cling to until her dying day.

Another blush flooded her cheeks and once again she grew a little wary of how she looked. Damn socialite instincts. Lexi reached into her bag and found a pack of facial wipes at the bottom of the endless pit, pulling one free and wiping her face free of all make-up and tear stains. No make-up at all was better than looking like a clown in her opinion and she felt much fresher as she finished, tossing the colourfully stained cloth into the trash can nearest to the bench. “In other words; I’m allowed to be a total girl?[/color] She smirked playfully and a unusually comfortable wave washed over her and she relaxed in the company of the handsome doctor. “So, is that your professional opinion? That I’m not silly? ‘Cause I promise you, I can be very silly at times and my sisters can probably vouch for me on that.”[/color] She laughed, realising that she either sounded like a terrible comedian or a really bad flirt. Shaking her head, Lexi blushed again, but this time at her own, rare, relaxed nature.

“Ah, now it all makes sense.”[/color] She stated, nodding her head slightly. She figured he wasn’t a father, at least not yet, but the patience he had was something uncommon in the city and now she realised where the easy smile, the calming, reassuring voice and the friendly personality sprouted from. She was sure he was like that naturally, but knowing his profession was in paediatrics seemed to make it all that more believable; almost like he was fated for that career. However, she doubted he’d be able to peg her so easily…not that she’d done the same to him, though.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denver<3
WORDS! 934
OUTFIT! No Good
LYRICS! Ignorance- - - Paramore
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Growing up it was mostly just him and his baby sister, so they’re relationship was a lot stronger and closer than most. For some reason, it almost always had the same reaction from people; shock and amusement. Shock that there were siblings out in the world that could actually get along, and well, and amusement at the fact that they had that close of a relationship. It wasn’t as if their parents worked two or three jobs, well, his mom did for a while, but eventually quit them both before starting at a new company. It wasn’t as if the siblings had grown up in poverty; they hadn’t. They’d had a good home, good parents and they had each other, but with their parents working crazy hours for a lot of their lives, they had to work together really, around the house. And that, more than anything was why Denver worried about his sister being in Corner Brook without him. His mom only had the one job and Sarah’s dad was around more often now, but the house was still basically hers alone.

Denver shook his head, laughing. “We’ve ‘ad our moments. I’ve pulled ‘er ‘air, she’s trown some punches. I’m sure she’s wishes she never ‘ad a big brother, but all in all, we’re closer dan most,” he said, smiling at the memories of him trying to teach his baby sister how to snowboard before giving up and renting her a pair of skies and gotten her a lesson with an instructor who happened to be a good friend so didn’t charge him for the lesson. He’s probably spent more time worrying about Sarah than anything else since moving to New York. He wasn’t there for her sixteenth birthday, but he’d sent money to a buddy of his who picked up the concert tickets and back stage passes and gave them to her in his place. Carson was as close to a big brother as anything for Sarah while Denny was away; he could only be grateful for a friend like Car. “I tink you’d be da sister to give your poor brother a ‘eart attack, or grey ‘air before ‘is time,” he said laughing.

Denver sobered up his expression a little bit, trying to appear serious when he really couldn’t be. Absolutely, be a total girl, cry into your ice cream while you’re curled up on da couch in your pajama’s wit da trow wrapped around your knees watching some overly romantic movie,” he smirked at the image that created, but his smile turned into a frown at a memory he’d rather not remember of his sisters’ first real heartbreak. She’d called him and spilt everything to him. He wanted to buy her a plane ticket right then and there and tell her to visit for a short while. But his sister was made of stronger stuff and Denny had the impression that Lexi was, too. She’d get over what was bothering her soon enough and probably without the help of a date with her couch.

Denver shook his head, wanting to get out of his thoughts. He laughed, his eyes sparking with it. “Sisters lie, so I doubt I would take dare impressions seriously. Me own sister’s said some nasty tings about me to ex-girlfriends in da past. But I’ll believe you can be silly, as can I,” he said, flirtatiously. As far as flirting went, it was kind of on the bad side, for him anyway. It was too cheesy, kind of bold and he preferred being subtle, charming. It wasn’t new territory, but it sure as hell felt like it; absently Denver though that was odd, but pushed that thought to the back of his head almost as soon as it had popped to the forefront.

Denver nodded, seeing understanding dawn in her pretty dark eyes. The world made sense once again, he thought, taking a swig from his water bottle, the liquid diminishing quickly. ”In that way though, I’ve got seventeen kids, all ranging from about 2 years, poor things to thirteen for another 3 months, then it’s Miss Angelina’s birthday,” he didn’t mention they were hoping she made it that long; she was showing significant signs of recovery. The young girl he was treating wasn’t one of the terminal cases; there were cures for her illness and she was doing good, taking it day by day. It was often painful working with the terminal children, because you know they should have no much life to live; so much to look forward to in the future and at the moment the only things they could think about were getting through the next day and the next.

_{~Tag~ Lexi <3
~Words~ 782
~Location~ Central Park
~Clothes~ I wanna Dance with Somebody
~Lyrics~ I wanna dance with somebody by These Kids Wear Crowns
~Notes~ <3 <3 <3}[/size]

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi had never really been the kind of girl to be comfortable with her own company. She appreciated the relaxation of solitude at times, but there was always the silence that often accompanied it and in the silence, her doubts seemed to scream louder than ever at her. When she was alone, with only her thoughts to amuse her, Lexi found her mind thinking back on days gone by and whilst she would spend some time feeling proud about where she was and how life had been good for some time, there was always that one thought that would creep up on her and try to make her feel bad again. It was that little voice, the devil on her shoulder taunting her with harsh words; “You’re still not good enough,” “You’re still not pretty.” She was strong enough to fight them off, but it was still heartbreaking to think that after all the work she had done to get healthy again, there was still a part of her filled with the biased belief that she wasn’t good enough for anyone yet. Maybe her sisters did tease her about not being in a relationship yet and maybe they had a sibling game of trying to set her up with guys who were too desperate for belief, but that meant nothing. She wasn’t in a relationship because she hadn’t found anyone who really got her heart racing and kept her smiling. Out of everything in life, she wanted the fairytale.

She sipped her water and then nodded. “I have three sisters; I know all about the hair pulling.”

[/color] Luckily these days with her cropped locks of mocha, Lexi could avoid such feminine brutality herself, seeing as how it was harder for her sisters to grab a hold of it before she could get to theirs. However, there was a current truce amongst the girls, aside from what had happened today with Chelsea and their tantrums and cat fights were put behind them now.
Lexi laughed heartily, the sound erupting from her lips before she could comprehend it. She knew that part of her life would have a brother in hospital, aged before his time, but frankly she perceived herself as a pretty innocent girl considering the times they lived in and the amount of corruption in the city, not to mention this strange need to grow up so quickly. Her teenage years may not have been the best to remember, but she wouldn’t change them, not really; they had shaped her to the young woman she was today and Lexi liked her very much. “And what makes you think I’d do that? For all you know I could be the cream of the crop when it comes to the good girls.”[/color] She joked, meeting his pale eyes with her own, a deep twinkle residing in them as she smiled, flashing her white teeth that had been lucky enough to not need braces in her youth.

Lexi chuckled, rolling her eyes in a teasing manner. “Oh yeah, that’s me down to a ‘t’”[/color] It pretty much was, aside from the eating ice cream part; whilst her teeth were straight, they were ridiculously sensitive and the petite brunette much preferred a bar of white chocolate over ice cream any day. “I’d probably be doing that now if my sister wasn’t in such a nightmare of a mood.”[/color] Chelsea was the moodiest of the girls, that was for sure and Lexi knew better than to bother her, even now, after the roaring of her slightly older sister. It took at least twenty four hours for the girl to calm down and Lexi would be much safer sneaking back to the apartment once she was asleep.

She smirked, shifting her weight slightly to get comfier on the hard bench. “Ah, but that is the job of the younger sister. It only goes too far when they cause the break up with their lies and tales. Believe me, I’ve seen it first hand.”[/color] For the older Ryanne girls, the teenage years had been like one long episode of some corny TV soap in which everyone had to be involved in everyone else’s love life. Lexi was fairly certain that all three of them had dated the same guy at one point. “You? Silly? Now that I somehow don’t believe.”[/color] She teased lightly, raising the bottle to her lips again.

The young girl blinked and the shook her head in amazement. She didn’t realise he was so busy around the kids. “Wow, and suddenly that puts my textbooks, diamonds and museums into perspective.”[/color] She said quietly, suddenly feeling a little shadowed by Denver. It wasn’t like she’d ever be able to be a doctor, nor did she wish to be one, but still, it was a little shocking to hear how much he had to cope with when she simply drifted from class, to work, to home with a few extra stops in the middle. She had little responsibility, didn’t need to care for anyone else and had the time to do what she pleased, when she wanted to. Lexi was an empathic girl and suddenly, it was though the heartbreak that had brought her to the park had returned. “How do you do it all?”[/color] She whispered, turning to look at him with wide, sorrowful eyes.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denver<3
WORDS! 929
OUTFIT! No Good
LYRICS! Ignorance- - - Paramore
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denver chuckled. He’d never had long hair, like some guys liked to wear theirs, thankfully. He figured the shorter it was, the harder it would be for Sarah to use it against him. Plus, she was a big fan of hair, no matter how short. It was only after she was three that Denver even started growing his hair to where he kept it now. “I tink I would’ve died if I ‘ad more dan Sarah. She can be a ‘andful all on ‘er own,” he said, cringing at the thought of more little sisters running around his house. Chances were, if their parents had more kids, he wouldn’t have left Corner Brook. Fate worked in mysterious ways. He nodded, accepting her words but not necessarily agreeing with them. He was a big brother after all, and he knew if he was still at home, he’d be grey; if only at the temples. He looked at her with concern as fake as his sisters current hair colour. “Maybe you ‘it your ‘ead ‘arder dan I thought, if you’ve already forgotten I’m a big brother and you’d be a trouble maker for the poor guy,” he said, trying to suppress the laughter that was fighting to erupt.

He leaned closer, bumping his shoulder against hers as Duke brought his head down on her knee. He felt how upset she was and wanted to comfort her; just like his owner, he was. “Maybe, but den you wouldn’t ‘ave ended up at da park, wit a football to da ‘ead, sitting on a park bench wit a dog in your lap and a charming young doctor taking care of ya, I don’t know about you, but I tink I’d prefer this option better,” he said, flirting, yes but also wanting to make her smile. She seemed like she was just having a really bad day and needed someone to joke around with and have a little fun; if he could, he’d be that guy for her.

He shook his head, laughing at how true her statement was. Sarah had definitely brought a lot of headaches into his life with her lies, but she’d also brought so much more into his life. Any girlfriends he’d had in high school had to get Sarah’s stamp of approval before anything. They were so close and if someone didn’t like her, or she got an odd vibe from them, it was basically ‘see ya!’ He’d learned the hard to way to listen to his sisters instincts. That relationship, if you could really call it that, had ended disastrously. “I can ‘onestly say she’s never broken up a relationship dat wasn’t ‘eading dat way anyway,” he said, shaking his head of those thoughts. They were in the past for a reason, and although it shaped him as a person in a way, definitely opened his eyes, those memories were going to stay in the past. He nodded his head, laughing. “I’m probably one of da silliest doctors at da ‘ospital. I walk around with big, oversized clown sunglasses on, trying to brighten the kids’ day just a little bit while I’m in dare. I’ve danced down da ‘all wit a couple of my patients,” he said laughing. Those were good days at the hospital, when the kids were healthy enough to leave their rooms and some good music was playing on the radio at the nurse’s station.

He thought about that as he turned to look out over the park. It was a lot of work, but when you were at the hospital, it didn’t seem like all that much. Once you got outside and it was all put into perspective did it really show how much work he put in. And he was only an intern, the actual proper doctors had way more patients than he had, and some of them even had practices outside the hospital. Those were the men and women Denver could never be like, as much as he admired them. He was good with stress and all, but he would never have been able to juggle all those kids plus the ones in the hospital, plus extra shifts in the ER. He shook his head, returning his attention back to the cute brunette next to him. “It never really seems like a lot of work when you’re at da ‘ospital, I guess.” He shrugged, taking a sip of his dwindling water supply. “When I’m outside da ‘ospital and talking about it is when it really gets put into proper perspective and even I realize I do a lot. But when you’re wit dose kids, you don’t tink about da work you’re putting in to ‘elp them ‘eal. ‘elp them live another ‘alf dozen decades,” he said quietly, green eyes trying to read chocolate ones.

Denver so often forgot that what he did would seem chaotic and too much responsibility for a guy so young, but he really did love what he did. He wouldn’t have gone into children’s medicine if he didn’t think he could help a few kids become adults along the way. He’d never been sick as a child, seriously anyway, so it surprised people how much he wanted to help kids, but it was so in his nature that it was just the natural course of action for the tall dark haired man. If he hadn’t become a doctor, he’d probably be playing ball professionally. He could have helped kids that way, too, but only with his name and not his skills. He didn’t want to just be the face of an organization, or the face of some charity, he wanted to be the one behind the scenes, actually fixing the kids, not just forking out the cash for funding. God only knows what that said about him, but as long as kids were growing up to make more mistakes as adults, he was okay with it.

_{~Tag~ Lexi <3
~Words~ 987
~Location~ Central Park
~Clothes~ I wanna Dance with Somebody
~Lyrics~ I wanna dance with somebody by These Kids Wear Crowns
~Notes~ <3 <3 <3}[/size]

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi’s tolerance for anything was pretty high. She could handle fights without losing her temper (usually she would just cry), her patience when friends and sisters were pushing her was something off the scale and it took an awful lot to bore her. However, her judgemental group of friends were pushing her that way now. It wasn’t all of them; Lexi did have a few good friends who she trusted completely and who she knew would never really care about what she did so long as she was happy and safe. Some of them though - the shallower group - would be horrified at the very thought that Lexi was chatting to such a gorgeous young doctor when she had been crying and had only the tiniest remains of her make-up on now she had wiped the panda eyes away. To them, it would be shameful, embarrassing and totally “not cool” but to Lexi, it was nothing. Right now, Denver was the silver lining to her atrocious day and she hadn’t felt so relaxed and comfortable in some time. Her ‘friends’ didn’t really make her smile like this and she certainly didn’t laugh so genuinely whenever they made some joke that usually centred around whatever guy went home with whatever girl at some point in time. None of that was really Lexi’s sense of humour but she didn’t want to be outcasted again - not like high school.

“I repeat; that’s what little sisters are for.”

[/color] She teased, winking knowingly at him. Whilst she’d never really been one for taunting her older sisters, Lexi had always been the one who sneakily would switch their shampoo with that of the dogs whenever they had been mean to her. Revenge was another talent of the petite brunette although it took a lot to get her riled up enough to actually do something drastic enough to ruin a life. She chuckled again, shrugging her shoulders slightly as she feigned a thoughtful look, casting her eyes upwards and to the right a little. “I suppose…after all, good girls do have a tendency to misbehave at times.”[/color] There was a soft flirtatious ring to her tone and, like riding a bike, Lexi remembered the mechanisms and was flirting like it came oh-so-naturally to her.

It didn’t end there though; that playful spark still there in her dark eyes. There was no harm in any of this and it wasn’t like she was inviting him home with lustful eyes and an outfit that left nothing to the imagination; she was simply there, in an oversized hoodie, enjoying the company of a nice man who she just happened to meet and before she could finish thinking about it, he had said just that! “Who said anything about you being charming?”[/color] She teased, peeking up at him from behind her black lashes as she scratched Duke behind the ears. “And maybe next time, hold the football; I could do without a bump on my head.”[/color] She rubbed the tender spot where the ball and the concrete had greeted her skull and winced, more at the memory than the dull ache that hit it.

Lexi smiled, nodding her head in understanding. She had dealt with the eventual break-ups of her sister’s boyfriends too and not all of them were pretty. With Stacy, there had even been an intervention in which the dirty blonde had stormed off, threatening to elope with a guy who had, days earlier, tried to seduce Chelsea in the school gym after cheerleading practice. Yeah, she’d been there, done that and vanquished the demon that only targeted hormonal teenage girls who fell hard and fast for the first boy to look at them twice. Still, nothing ever eased the pain of the first heartbreak and Lexi’s still haunted her like the ghosts that visited Scrooge on that fateful winter’s night.
“Yeah, but you make them smile and that seems to be the kind of guy you are; you like to make people smile. Therefore, your silliness has a purpose whereas most people are silly for no real reason.”[/color] She pointed out, smiling sweetly across at him as she tucked her knees up to her chest, feeling the coolness of the air hit her.

She understood him completely. Whilst she was still a student with only a small part time job, Lexi had seen the amount of work the rest of her family put into their professions on a daily basis, only to then shrug it off as an ‘easy day’. It was overwhelming for her to comprehend and just another little thing to remind her that she still had a long way to go until she was as grown up as she wanted to be. Her family would always see her as the baby, but Lexi didn’t want to give them any other reason, other than being the youngest, for calling her so. She wanted to get the job, work to the top and then make them proud when she stood on her own two feet and made a real life for herself. In a few months time that dream would begin and she was petrified to say the least.

As he spoke, her mind wandered back to her own youth. She had been lucky and her bulimia had never caused permanent damage to her young body, but hearing him talk about the children that way only reminded her of the therapists, doctors and nurses who kept reminding her what could happen if she never reached out for help or allowed anyone in. It wasn’t the same as what Denver was saying at all, but it had sparked the memory and Lexi averted her eyes from his to her lap where she toyed with the long drawstring of her hoodie. She was growing self conscious again now. “I think it’s amazing. I just…I could never really do anything like that. I’m not strong enough for that sort of thing.”[/color] She would cry, non-stop if that was her career.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denver<3
WORDS! 1,039
OUTFIT! No Good
LYRICS! Ignorance- - - Paramore
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denny could honestly say he’d never been one with a ton of friends. He was what the kids at his high school called a drifter. He didn’t have a real ‘clique’ per se; he just knew a lot of different people from different groups. He had his small group of close friends, but they were all from different “groups” at school. And when they were on their dirt bikes, or on the mountain tearing up powder, no one cared who you hung out with at school. But he’d heard enough from his sister to know that girls were a hell of a lot different than guys. Girls in high school were catty, and vicious. They acted all sweet and innocent to your face and the moment you turn your back, they were shoving a knife in your spine. Denver could honestly say he was glad to be a guy. He didn’t have to deal with the gossip mongrels going after him for not wearing the latest trend. He felt for Sarah, he really did and every girl who had to put up with that. It was a ridiculous request.

Denny chuckled, shaking his head. He’d be the big brother, with the added touch of putting his nose into almost every little piece of business Sarah had. But he’d done it all to protect her if need be. And wasn’t he the one she ran to when she was having a problem? She didn’t run home to talk to their mother, or her father, instead she raced home and put in a long distance call to his cell phone; the most immediate way of getting in touch with him. Call his house or the hospital and chances were he wouldn’t be at either, but call his cell and she could always get a hold of him to talk out whatever was troubling her. “And big brothers are around to snoop into all of your business to keep you from harm, so really it’s a win-win deal,” he said, still chuckling, thinking about all the times he’d been caught trying to hack his sisters computer password. After a few weeks, she’d finally just given in and gave it to him, but she was pissed first.

Denver held a hand to his heart as though he were now heartbroken at finding out she didn’t think he was charming. He attempted a wounded look, but knew it had probably failed. Denver laughed softly, but he was a little concerned if she was rubbing her head. He wanted to take a proper look at it, but since she was up and around and seemed to be in good spirits who was he to say, “No, you’re going to the hospital!” He couldn’t, even if it would make him feel better. His brows furrowed thinking about his own father. The difference there was that he’d actually been complaining of a headache before he died. “Are you really okay, Lexi? No headaches, black dots on your vision?” He really wasn’t just being curious now; Denver had turned in Dr. Sawyer.

Denver smiled, nodding his head. “Touché,” he said with a laugh. He wasn’t a serious guy, in fact of his colleagues on the Pediatrics floor, he was a comedian. His mentors and older doctors were seldom in joking moods anymore, having seen too many young kids lose their lives over illnesses that shouldn’t have taken them. Den knew he never wanted to be that kind of doctor. At this point, they were basically not giving their patients any hope to survive; which was probably why they loved when Den came to visit them. They all had husbands and wives and kids at home, Denver didn’t have anyone but Duke. And as great a listener he was, Denver knew he’d need someone there who’d be able to actually speak to him. But they had the resources at home and yet still acted as though the world were going to end made no sense to Den. Yes, okay, they didn’t want to put the weight of their day and job on the shoulders of someone else, but if that someone loved you enough, wouldn’t they want to know how your day went? Give you a sympathetic ear, maybe a warm body to hug and hold tight; the support to keep going.

It was Denver’s day to day, and although there were times he wanted to run away and give up, he knew there were other kids in that hospital mourning the same loss he was. They were all young and quite the close knit group. There were no cliques there; there’s weren’t enough kids to develop cliques. He liked that, they were all friends, none of them said anything bad about the other, because, really, what was the point? They were all technically in the same boat. “I bet you’re strong enough to take on the world,” he said, nudging her gently. Den didn’t feel like his job was diagnostics or dictations, it was putting on a smile when he walked into those rooms and spoke with those kids and, sometimes their parents.

_{~Tag~ Lexi <3
~Words~ 854
~Location~ Central Park
~Clothes~ I wanna Dance with Somebody
~Lyrics~ I wanna dance with somebody by These Kids Wear Crowns
~Notes~ <3 <3 <3}[/size]

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Girls were catty and bitchy and were capable of throwing a hissy fit over the smallest of things. Lexi had seen her fair share of evidence to prove this and she would be lying if she said she had never had those moments herself. She liked to think that she was a little calmer, a little more fair compared to most girls but she had thrown a drama queen tantrum of her own numerous times, especially over her teenage years, even considering how quiet and shy the petite brunette really was. This, right now, was something that never happened in her life. Usually, she would have made an excuse to leave by now, her cheeks burning and her hands shaking. Despite her family's public profile, Lexi hated being in the limelight and anxiety usually got the better of her when confronted by a total stranger. After the day she had had though, and with Denver's charming personality, she didn't want to leave at all; not yet anyway. It was too nice to have someone to talk to, even if they weren't discussing anything important or gossiping about things they had in common. It made a pleasant change and brought a smile to her face after her day from hell.

Lexi liked her privacy. She wasn't the kind of girl to air her dirty laundry in the public eye. Keeping personal things personal was something she strongly believed in and at his words, she was a little glad that she didn't have the older male sibling to snoop through her diaries and journals, checking her day planner and looking through her drawers. Her sister's did that enough when they were looking for blackmail on their baby sister, but Lexi was wise and talked her dad into installing a lock on her bedroom door when she turned sixteen to keep their prying eyes at bay. However, having someone to look out for her safety did sound like a nice thing and for another moment she wondered how different it could have been to have a boy in the Ryanne mix. "Ah, now see, I could've done with one of them."

[/color] She mused aloud, staring up at the dull sky, the clouds slowly passing over their heads.

She laughed at his hurt expression. The guy could've been an actor in a pantomime with a look like that! "Aw, come on. How many other guys would've rescued a damsel in distress the way you did? Trusty steed and everything."[/color] She scratched Duke's ears again as she looked over at Denver through her dark lashes. It was a little fantasised, yes, but there was no harm in dreaming a little.
Again came the concerned tone that brought a small smile to her face. The way his accent spoke her name too was just adorable and Lexi knew that there was really no point in lying to him when he was a doctor; experience had taught her better than that already. However, a small smile wouldn't hurt to ease his worries "I think I'd have to be Supergirl to not have a headache. I'm okay Doctor Denver, it's just a little sore here."[/color] She gestured to the part of her head that had smashed to the ground, not wanting to touch it again in case more pain shot through her. Lexi didn't handle pain very well.

She flashed him another smile, glancing shyly down at her lap. Even when she was comfortable, there was always a part of Lexi that shied away, brought the blush to her cheeks and the whisper to her voice. "I'd like to hear more about what you do."[/color] She confessed quietly, not really sure how to say something like that without coming across as weird. She had only ever seen doctors when it had been her own illness that had placed her before them, but she still remained amazed at the work they did. Hell, they had saved her life once and showed her a world of people who felt the same as she did; something she thought impossible. To Lexi, doctors really were the heroes in this world, even if she did want to run from them at times because of what they symbolised to her; illness, problems, more hurt. Still, it would be nice to know more and maybe even see it sometime when she wasn't on the receiving end of their cold hands and terrifying needles.

She nudged him back automatically and Lexi wished so much that his words could even remotely be true. She lacked confidence though and preferred to hide in her little shell rather than confront the real issues she still had to fight off; like her self esteem. Shaking her head softly, she blinked away that one tear that threatened to fall at the thought that she'd never be anything as amazing as him, career wise, and if he knew what Lexi was really like and what she had been through, he'd agree with her. "You have no idea, but I'm really not. Hell, I can barely take on this damn park."[/color] She bit her lip hard, drawing blood on the inside of her mouth and averted her eyes from his, looking back at the sky.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denver<3
WORDS! 924
OUTFIT! No Good
LYRICS! Ignorance- - - Paramore
NOTES! O.o Lexi has a whirlwind of madness here! <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denver didn’t care either way who he really hung out with; as much drama as girls had, he’d much rather a pretty face over a drunken slur. Guys threw punches, got into all out brawls then spit up blood, maybe shook hands and just walked away to enjoy the rest of their beers. Girls could be petty and catty, but they sure were a hell of a lot prettier to look at. His mind had gone down memory lane at all the times he’d been at home in Corner Brook surrounded by groups of his friends as well as Sarah’s. Places his mind really shouldn’t have been because they brought on those difficult memories of his exes.

He shook his head, those memories weren’t exactly painful, but they were in the past for a reason and he’d much rather them stay there; especially since he was sitting with a beautiful brunette in Central Park with a dog that was quite taken with pretty girl. He smiled, coming back to the moment and pushing those thoughts and those people right to the back of his mind. He’d think about them later… Maybe, if he felt like it. Denny laughed. “Might have saved you some troubles with the nuisances attempting to win you over even after many “no’s’,” he said, thinking about all the times he’d intimidated those little boys who thought they were good enough for his baby sister. He wasn’t like her dad, saying there was no one out there good enough for her, but he would admit that the guy to win her heart would have to seriously prove it.

“Clearly only Prince Charming does that kind of thing,” he said, shaking his head. More people should really care about the people around them. There had to be some decent people in the world that would help someone in need. If there weren’t, people needed to be taught or something because it was ridiculous to think he was one of the only ones in the world that would willingly help a stranger. He was concerned; it was evident in his searching gaze. He didn’t want to ruin this good time and memory with Lexi with finding her in his hospital with head injuries; or worse the morgue. But he’d seen it all happen, and he knew she hadn’t hit her head that hard so that was just his mind replacing his father with her. That more than his cancer patients, his terminal patients scared him grey; afraid the people he cared about would all die the same way. “If you’re sure,” he said, clearly not liking the bump making itself home on her temple.

Of course, he also had a bit of ulterior motive to ask. If she was still feeling a bit off, but not wanting to get some medical attention, he could slip her his card, which he actually had stuff into his wallet for once in his long and illustrious career, and then she’d have his number. It was his work number and the extension to the portable he had to carry around and his cell phone number for those worrisome parents who needed a professional to talk to about their kids honestly. He wasn’t the type to beat around the bush when someone asked him to say it straight.

The kids were his life and he always wanted to share with people what he did. But he also knew not everyone wanted to hear about a particular little boy or girl and their shocking comments. He had a few patients that he shared with an older doctor, his “mentor” but for the most part, his patients are his. Those ones were a bit older, teenagers and had been in and out of the hospital since they were younger. A sin, that they had to deal with so much so young, but they were the ones who had healed, who were in remission. They only had to come into the hospital for regular checkups. It was always better to be safe rather than sorry. Denver leaned closer, brushed his shoulder against hers and smiled softly. “Ask anything you’d like, I’ll tell you,” he said honestly. Well, he would confess all he was allowed to as long as they weren’t naming names, he could say a lot.

Denver shook his head not believing that. There weren’t many people who would do what she did. She had a hell of a day for whatever reason and yet she was still out and about, living her life. And on top of all that, she took quite the hit to the head, and yet she didn’t run away in embarrassment. She stayed there in the park. Maybe that was because Denver hadn’t actually given her a chance or maybe because she was a lot braver than she gave herself credit for. Denny didn’t know, but he thought she was brave. “I don’t know how many girls would meet the ground and stick around for the aftermath,” he said, brushing a flyaway strand of hair back to mix with the rest.

_{~Tag~ Lexi <3
~Words~ 850
~Location~ Central Park
~Clothes~ I wanna Dance with Somebody
~Lyrics~ I wanna dance with somebody by These Kids Wear Crowns
~Notes~ <3 <3 <3}[/size]

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

When it came to exes, Lexi could count hers on one hand. When it came to serious exes, she didn’t even need her hand to count them on. As young as she was, she’d never really been involved with anyone who had really mattered but back in high school she had fallen into the trap of being the trophy girlfriend over social status. She hadn’t known it at the time of course, but it had hit her harder than a ton of bricks and the slender brunette honestly believed that it was the worst kind of heartbreak she could ever feel. As typical teenagers went, Lexi honestly saw it as the end of the world until her sisters and friends picked her up and helped her get revenge on the asshole who had used her like some toy he could throw to the side of the road.

Truth be told, she hadn’t even thought about those guys and the short lived relationships in the longest of times. They really meant nothing to her and Lexi tried to always think on the positive side of life and those guys were only dark clouds in her past. They were the pitfalls that were dangerous for her and her health; if they made her feel bad then they’d be the people who’d be responsible for Lexi’s self confidence crumbling and all the dangers that came with it. Hence why it was much better to forget all about them and carry on like they didn’t exist. “Oh no, nothing like that! I rarely got asked to even have the chance to say ‘no’.”

[/color] She chuckled softly, thinking that it still would’ve been nice to have a brother to at least warn her about the teenage boys she encountered back then. Or a brother to tell her about being charmed by handsome doctors who would catch her off guard in Central Park.

Lexi bit her lip and looked away to control herself. She was oh-so tempted to make a comment about how he must be Prince Charming, but a little voice piped up to stop it before it fell from her lips. Denver was still practically a stranger to her and making comments like that were sure to scare him away and she was enjoying this afternoon with him, as impromptu as it may have been. She turned back to him and nodded in agreement, unable to think of anything else to respond with. Then, she turned her gaze to meet his again and the concern was almost blinding. She hated doctors and hospitals usually, but she was the kind of girl who aimed to please those around her before herself, plus, Denver didn’t seem so bad, although her opinion may have been swayed by his captivating light eyes. She angled her body to face him better and then smiled softly. “I’m sure, but what do I know? Do you think I should get it examined?”[/color] She’d actually appreciate his opinion and it was slightly a reason for him to perhaps spend more time with the girl who had clearly interrupted his walk with Duke by getting attacked by a stray football.

Not that she was really complaining. The pain may have been worth it considering that she was now sitting on a bench conversing with a gorgeous doctor who had more charm and wit than most of the men she had spoken to in her twenty two years of breathing! She hoped she’d get the chance to see him again after they parted ways today, but next time, hopefully, she wouldn’t be making a fool of herself first and she’d be a little less of a mess to start with! She wanted Denver to know her when she was at her best and less vulnerable than she had been when he first ran over to her.

She smiled at how friendly he was being and her smile widened when he moved closer brushing his shoulder against her own. It was nice to relax like this, getting to know Denver even if she had only just met him. It didn’t take long for her to think of a question and she looked up at him with big brown curious eyes. “Why paediatrics?”[/color] She queried, wondering why such a young, happy guy would choose what could only really be deemed as one of the worst areas of medicine to intern in. Lexi wanted to know how he coped with everything he saw there without turning to a bottle or something worse. Plus, she’d never have guessed he was a doctor at all and even now she knew his profession, she still couldn’t picture him in it yet.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips and she quirked her eyebrow as she turned to look at him. “You didn’t really give me the chance to run away.”[/color] She pointed out, pulling a face as she tasted the metallic upon her lip from where she had bit it. She shook it away though and then nudged him softly with her elbow. “And I doubt I was really in any condition to run away at the time.”[/color] She added, remembering the pain that had shot through her when she first fell over.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denver<3
WORDS! 914
OUTFIT! No Good
LYRICS! Ignorance- - - Paramore
NOTES! I still adore these two <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denny had never been one to get in the middle of fights, or even really in relationships. He’d been in three relationships, and none of them were really worth remembering and one just solidified the fact that although they had plenty of drama, women were always going to win out in the end for him. Men could be equally dramatic and his relationship, if you could call the barely 7 weeks he’d been with Chris a relationship had been more dramatic than high school; which had been full to the ceiling of drama. Denver leaned back, away from Lexi for a second and faked a half decent shocked expression. “I don’t believe dat for a second! You are much too beautiful to not 'ave admirers,” he said, straightening up again.

It was almost the opening he had been unintentionally waiting for. He smiled, lifting his own hip to reach for his wallet. “If you’re sure, den I can’t make you do anyting,” he said flipping open his wallet and extracting a card. “But I can give you me card, so if you tink anyting is wrong, you can call me up. I do suggest seeing a doctor though, if the 'eadache doesn’t relent,” he said, holding the card out to her between his thumb and forefinger. It was as good as way as any to unassumingly give her his number. And now it was out there that if she wanted to see him again, all she had to do was call. The ball was in her court for that one.

“Why not pediatrics?” He questioned back with a smile. “The kids 'ave so much more life to live ahead of them, and I want them to be able to live it. To be able to make the mistakes my sister and I did. I want them to fall in love, to go to school and get a great education. And with the chances they’ve been given, you know they’ll turn out better in the end. Yeah, it seriously sucks when we lose a patient because of the fact that they really had so much life ahead of them and they’d 'ad to grow up way to fast. But for the ones that make it, we seem them for years after wards and they’re always telling us about 'ow school is going, 'ow they found a boyfriend or girlfriend, 'ow they look at everything in life with a different perspective, with a new outlook.” Denny shook his head, laughing, remembering. “We 'ad a young girl; she was seventeen when I first started my rounds at the 'ospital. I was still taking classes at the school as well, and she was one of the patients I 'elped take care of because back then, I wasn’t allowed my own. I’d only 'ad her and another patient, and young boy; 'e was twelve at the time. But this young girl 'ad beaten her cancer. I’d been 'elping since I started there, and every shift I 'ad, I would sit and talk wit' 'er about everyting and anyting she wanted. We were closer in age den 'er doctor so it made sense really dat she’d come to me wit' questions and tings like dat.” Denver leaned back and tilted his head up to the sky.

“We became close friends while she was there, and when she left, she gave a note to the nurse because I wasn’t on duty. It didn’t say much more than she promised to visit and keep in touch and she did. She’s twenty-one now and living in California, going to school at UCLA to become a doctor. She’s got 'erself a man and a sorority full of friends. Its patients like Stacey that makes this all worth it,” he said, looking back at Lexi. “Plus, they don’t complain as much as the adults do,” he said with a laugh. It wasn’t everyday he told that story. In fact, he didn’t usually tell people it at all, but Lexi made him feel as though that particular story would make more sense, or would be easier to explain his reasoning. There was nothing more behind it, like it was sick as a child or Sarah was. They had both been healthy. And if anyone knew about his father they’d think he would have wanted to go into neurology or something; but that subject was just too painful still.

He laughed playfully and shrugged. “No, I suppose I didn’t really give you the time to run off,” he admitted easily. “And you’re right about that. You really weren’t in any condition to be joining the running club at that moment.” He smiled and patted Duke’s neck. “Come on, we can’t sit 'ere all day. Before we know it Duke will be up and giving chase to a squirrel or something to get 'is exercise,” he said standing up and holding out his hand to Lexi. He was quite sure she was capable of standing on her own, but he didn’t want to take the chance she was still a bit on the dizzy side and falling back onto the bench. With his other hand, he twisted Duke’s leash once around his wrist to make sure he wouldn’t go running off without his owner; though Duke did appear to be inclined to wait for Lexi and make sure she was okay himself.

_{~Tag~ Lexi <3
~Words~ 898
~Location~ Central Park
~Clothes~ I wanna Dance with Somebody
~Lyrics~ I wanna dance with somebody by These Kids Wear Crowns
~Notes~ Look! I sort of remembered his accent this time! >.<}

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi was out of practice when it came to genuine friendliness and consideration. Not many people showed her it and the only guys who ever commented on her appearance were usually the drunk ones at the bar when she went to order herself another fruity cocktail. They were only ever after one thing from her too and whilst most of the time she walked away with a roll of her eyes and a teasing smirk, there were the odd nights when she would go home with one of them and then usually hate herself the next morning and panic about anything she couldn’t remember. She didn’t think that Denver was one of those guys though and so instead of the usual eye roll, she blushed and looked at the floor again. He may have been feigning shock, but she knew the truth of the matter. “It wasn’t like I was born looking like this.”

[/color] She whispered, remembering just how much she had put herself through just to get to this stage in her life. It was something she should have never had to do, but it was her past now and she had a healthy future ahead.

Lexi couldn’t hide the smile that spread across her face when he handed her the card. She would like to see him again, that was for sure, but up until now she had wondered how she would go about making that happen again. She looked at the number, biting her lip as she contemplated saying the flirtatious thought that was circling around her mind. She gave in, letting the words pass her lips with a friendly smirk accompanying them. “Can that Doctor be you?”[/color] She asked, thinking that a ‘yes’ would be as good an excuse as any to call him in a few days, even if she did feel better.

She listened, mesmerised as he spoke so passionately about his job. Never before had she met a doctor who seemed so enthralled by the changes he could make to someone’s life. Her own stint on paediatrics had been cut short by her money wielding father who insisted on placing her in a private rehab the second her diagnosis had been made and she had been forced to finally admit to her family the secret she had been hiding for quite some time. Even then, the doctors had been somewhat cold, impersonal and didn’t have the time to sit and talk to her. One nurse did, but whilst she would’ve been happy to chat to the sick teenager she had work to do and didn’t always have the time to answer Lexi’s questions or listen to the ramblings of a scared and confused girl.
The things he was saying made her just want to hug him, really for no other reason other than it was so admirable, the historian didn’t have the words to say. In fact, the only thing that slipped her lips was “wow.”[/color]

“She’s doing well for herself then.”[/color] Lexi said with a smile. When she thought about it, her stint in hospital and rehab hadn’t affected her dreams for the future and she began to worry; should it have? Should she be more concerned about other people in her situation? Should she be aiming to find a way to help them? She had just put her head down and got on with her life, enjoying the popularity that came with her changes and then she simply went and did what she wanted to at the university; history. What on earth would that ever help her with? Wow, was Lexi really such a selfish person like that? Did she really care so little about those around her?
She bit her lip hard, feeling the tears rising to her eyes again, the sting of the blush in her cheeks as she realised how upset she was getting again, and this time she couldn’t explain her tears. So she quickly wiped the solitary one to fall away and then busied herself putting the card in her purse. It had been an emotional days and she was feeling a little fragile when it came to her own opinion about herself now.

She shook her head and pulled a face. “Trust me, you don’t want to see me try to run. I always seem to tangle myself in my limbs and either fall flat on my face or run like a Barbie doll.”[/color] Lexi worked out, yes, but she avoided track like it was the bubonic plague itself. “I dread to imagine what I would have been like after a bump to the head.”[/color]
She smiled up at the handsome doctor and accepted his hand gratefully, squeezing it tightly as she stood on unsteady legs. Her head pounded a little at the movement, but soon eased up after a few seconds. She held onto Denver’s hand until she was confident that she wouldn’t crash to the ground again. “I’m sorry I distracted you from your walk.”[/color] Lexi said shyly, suddenly aware that he had come to the park with a purpose, unlike herself.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denver<3
WORDS! 912
OUTFIT! No Good
LYRICS! Ignorance- - - Paramore
NOTES! Meh. I don‘t like this one much and Lexi decided to throw another fit. Maybe Denver should prescribe her something for these moodswings of hers… <3 <3 <3