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A Jericho Fan Fiction Archive
A very good chapter! I was happy to see Heather evaluating her feelings about what Emily had done to her and later questioning why Jake and Emily are together when Jake has asserted that he was not going to marry Emily. I think she is on the right track regarding her thoughts on why they are together. I also like how she finally admitted to herself that her life is better with Jake in it and that she has a connection to him that can't be explained away. I also liked how Jake questioning why he is with Emily echoes Heather thoughts on why Jake and Emily are together.
I think you revealed a lot about Jake in this chapter regarding just what Heather is becoming to mean to him, his thoughts on his father and his parent's relationship and his ties to the ranch. I just loved how Jake told Heather that the Green home was her home now and that Gail wasn't going to let her go that easily. I also like his reasoning as to why having Heather at the Green house is good for his mother. I especially loved how Jake opened up and talked to Heather about his father's death and the relationship his parents shared.
I particularly liked the reference to the 'Wizard of Oz' in this line:
With urgency that would've made the Wicked Witch of the West proud, the two exited the truck and made their way back to the house.
A very enjoyable chapter chapter and I'm looking forward to seeing how their evening progresses.
This chapter was wonderful, Sandra! I loved your descriptions of everything that made up this afternoon for Jake and Heather: the horseback riding, the rain, the time capsule of Jake's bedroom, the crackling fire. You really painted a picture of everything that was going on so I could see it in my mind.
You created an atmosphere, too, I think. I like the way you bring the reader along as Heather's mind wanders through the complicated questions of her life at this moment. Her conflict over Emily, her confusion over her clear, yet potentially problematic feelings for Jake, and her struggle to come to terms with all the loss she's endured were all handled so well. There is a sadness, but also a lot of humour in the way Heather copes. I laughed at this exchange:
Jake tore more pages from the catalog and tucked them under the wood in the fireplace. “You afraid I’ll see your underwear?” The corners of his mouth began to turn up.
Heather’s face grew warm. “I’m not… afraid,” she began to rationalize. “I just…wow! Check out those pants,” Heather said pointing at the catalog he held in his hand. “He is really styling in that plaid.”
Jake glanced down. “He looks ridiculous. And you are changing the subject. C’mon, I’m going to see your underwear sometime.” Her mouth fell agape. “Because we live in the same house,” he added. “I do help with laundry from time to time.”
I really like the information we get about Jake in this chapter as well. His reactions to Heather, his reflections about his own desires and his need to help the town, and the ways in which we see how tied he is to the ranch, this piece of his history, all contribute to this interesting, more private side of Jake you've captured here. I really liked this dialogue:
“Looks like rain,” Jake commented.
“Who needs The Weather Channel when I’ve got Jake Green with me?” she teased him.
“That obvious?” he grinned back.
“So what are our chances?” Heather asked.
Jake looked up at the sky. “Fifty percent chance of rain.”
“How do you figure that?”
“It’s either gonna happen, or it’s not.”
I like the balance you always create, of both serious, reflective moments, active moments and humour. I think this may have been my favourite line:
With urgency that would’ve made the Wicked Witch of the West proud, the two exited the truck and made their way back to the house.
I love any allusion to the Wizard of Oz, but this one was particularly good.
And then, of course, this line:
From the corner of her eye, she could see what Jake was hanging, and she had her answer to the age old question she’d teased him about earlier.
I wonder if we'll ever find out the answer. I guess it's good to 'leave the audience wanting more' though. I definitely look forward to the next part!
Thank you so much for your comments, Penny.
One of the things that I found lacking in the second season of Jericho was character development. While I enjoy a good action sequence as much as the next person, those quiet moments of reflection that shine light into the composition of characters are what I find most appealing. When I was a child, I had a Care Bears suitcase with a caption: "Getting there is half the fun." That's my philosophy on writing fanfiction. Story does move forward, but I'm all about getting there through an examination of character motivations.
There is a sadness, but also a lot of humour in the way Heather copes. I laughed at this exchange:
I tend to think (though this may be a preconceived notion on my part) that many people use humor as a way to cope with situations that are either uncomfortable, embarrassing, or painful. Just look at the people who poke fun at themselves (my blonde-haired sister will make dumb blonde jokes when she does something silly; I'll laugh at my own clumsiness and reference my too-small feet). Then you get people who've been through the wringer, like Heather, who basically feel they have one of two choices: either laugh about it or cry about it. Heather (as you'll see particularly in part C) is not a fan of crying, though I suspect that a good cry would do her some good, so her way to cope is to laugh about the things that frustrate, bewilder, or hurt her.
Jake has been such an enigma to me, largely because I feel like we got about four different Jake Greens on the show, so I'm delighted that you enjoyed my take on him here. I think he's far more complex than he even views himself. At the very least, he has himself in a vastly complex situation: being sucked into a mission he didn't choose for himself, dealing with the aftermath of his father's death, and trying to wade through the vestiges of a relationship with Emily and feeling an unexpected connection with Heather.
Glad you liked The Wizard of Oz reference. I mean, they're in Kansas. Who can resist a good Oz reference here and there? LOL. And as for the age old question, that will be answered in due course, though not in this particular chapter. ;)
Thank you again, Penny!
Sandra,
This was a delightful installment, one that almost felt like a downshift, a pause to collect thoughts and breaths. Definitely the start of a quiet evening after a busy and lovely day. And, Jake and Heather get to spend it alone at the ranch house. :-D
I am glad to see Heather analyzing her feelings and realizing that something's wrong with how Emily's acting, and more importantly that she is crazy about Jake. I think Heather's onto something with her analysis regarding the Jake and Emily relationship, too. I'm also VERY glad Jake's starting to realize that he cares for Heather and that he can't be with Emily and be mooning over Heather. I'm assuming he will make the right choice eventually!
Loved Jake's willingness to share some of his feelings about his father, and about his parents' relationship. I think Jake is absolutely right that Gail's not going to let Heather leave easily, either.
I'm intrigued by both Heather's worry that the tensions between New Bern and Jericho would keep her from teaching, as well as the mention of something happening in New Bern. I'm going to have to go back and re-read for Clues. (Such a chore! ;-) )
Lastly, I just loved this, probably because I share this view of Jake:
Jake was inextricably tied to this place, almost as much so as E.J. Green. Maybe someday when things settled down, when they were back on their feet again, he would make the ranch house his home.
Is it snarky to add, "and I just can't see Emily living on a ranch"?
Thanks for sharing, Sandra. Can't wait for Part C, especially if our favorite duo are still hanging out by the fire at the ranch!
Thank you for your comments, Marzee. I appreciate them! You're right in that this was definitely a downshift for what is to come in the next portion of the chapter. It's still Jake and Heather at the ranch house, but we also find out more of what's happening outside of the Green Ranch and it's not all rosy.
Jake and Heather are in a tough spot where Emily is concerned. While Emily is not physically at the ranch with them (on a side note, like you, I can't see Emily living on a ranch, either), she is with them on some level, whether it's the reminder through the photos Heather spotted or disappointment over the way Emily was trying to steer Heather clear from Jake with her hurtful comments.
To me, Jake seems like the type of character who internalizes many of his thoughts and feelings but doesn't share them with just anyone. I always thought that given the proper circumstances, he would place his trust in Heather in that regard. And you're right, Gail isn't going to let Heather go. You'll especially see why in the next part of the story. Hmmm....that sounds far more ominous than I intended. LOL.
Still speaking of Jake, I think he's an interesting dichotomy. He's so tied to Jericho; yet he is a wanderer. I wonder how much of his wandering is wanderlust and how much of it is circumstance. Based on the show, I get the sense that as a young man, he couldn't wait to leave, to escape the spectre of his father's expectations, to set the world on fire. Yet he came back after college because of Emily, only to leave after the whole incident with Chris. Yet Gail has commented on his natural riding ability, and we saw in later episodes just how close Jake and his grandfather were. Jake seemed at home at on the ranch to me, that it was one of the few places where the outside world wasn't affecting his life (at least until that pesky incident with Mitch stealing the horses). Okay, I'm rambling, but I guess what I'm getting at is that like you, I see the ranch as Jake foundation. It's the only place he can be where there aren't the expectations that he'll be SuperJake. He can just be Jake Green.
Thank you again, Marzee!