The Greens of Jericho

Ah, Penny!  This was a lovely conclusion to this story.  And such a nice, long read. :-)

To start, I must say that I really enjoyed Stanley's trip down memory lane.  It was strangely soothing to read about Christmas past with the orphaned Bonnie and Stanley, and how they both worked so hard to play Santa for one another.  Like Gail, I'm quite proud of Stanley for wearing the hat.  Mimi doing chores was a pretty nice Christmas present, too!  I'm rather struck by the change in her, here, more than usual.  It really expresses how much she loves Stanley that she would get up early AND go feed chicken and milk cows so he could keep sleeping.

I get the feeling that this particular Christmas is a "between" Christmas for them; they'll never have another like it.  They've lost Bonnie and they haven't started their family...yet.  But they're thinking about it, if I'm reading the allusions right. :-) 

Quote:
"You know, Mimi," he said as they broke apart. She raised her eyebrows. "You're right, we will have other mornings."

She nodded.

"But they might not be as quiet as this one. I don't think I'll get away with forgetting Santa."

She smiled. She shifted, swinging a leg over his lap and putting her hands around his neck as she leaned her face towards his. "Better enjoy this one while we can, then."

 I'm reading that as a hope for Richmond-lings, and sooner rather than later!


Next, I just have to say, go Dale and Skylar!  I love the description of their snow people, and I'm glad Dale was willing to make snow angels with her.  It's great to read about Dale/Skylar as a currently existent couple rather than as having (somehow) crash and burned.  Don't take that as a slam - it's totally not meant to be - but having read The Carol and Once Removed most recently, it's a nice change to have them together, and stronger for it.  I love the way you write them throughout this story and the party at Bailey's.  They work together, and it's good to see that.   I'm glad, too, that they were able to give Russell a little relief as he watched Hailey be excited by something - anything - for once.


I loved Heather's entrance with this line.

Quote:
"I was right, they had them in the church! Thank God for over-stocked Sunday schools!" she said excitedly. "A lot of them are stubs, and there are a lot of yellow ones for some reason, but they'll still be good for colouring."

It's so true!  Sunday School crayon bins are always full of stubs and there's always extra yellow (and orange).  And all the crayons are naked.  I'm glad that they found some crayons for those water safety coloring books, though, and the kids will get to be kids for a bit at the party at least.


I was intrigued by the more serious Sean Henthorn who was on guard duty in Chapter 1, and what you've written about him here in Chapter 2 gives him a depth I never imagined he could have.  But, he was still Sean of "the internet will save us" mindset.  His interaction with Mimi was so sweet, but still Sean.  I love that he ordered the other guy to give up his seat for her.  Their loss is the same person, but not the same; still, there are only the 3 of them (Stanley, Mimi and Sean) who feel Bonnie's loss so keenly.  It's good to see that they worry about one another.

Going into the president's radio message from there was interesting.  The contact with the outside world is so spotty, and the president in Columbus - technically - is not their president.  It must be like being in German-occupied France and getting a broadcast from the Allied Forces urging the population to keep heart.  The speech was well-written, and I think really spoke to the times as I imagine them.  I thought this part perfectly illustrated those times.

Quote:
"Some of you listening to this are living in occupied territories. Some of you are living under the threat of attack from Cheyenne's army. Some of you are on your own entirely. It is a cold winter, an unfriendly sky, and a dark night."
              
"I ask you today, my friends, to fear not. Though it is dark and cold, fear not. This is the darkest time of year, and yet it is the time for hope. Hope, because even when everything seems lost, the smallest things can start great change. Because when it seems we're almost at the end of our strength, we find parts of ourselves that we never knew existed. The smallest light in the darkness can spark a fire."

 I'm so glad you put it in, and I hope that the people of Jericho did find some solace in the words of encouragement.


I enjoyed the method you used here, moving from head to head around the room and people interacted with one another.  That's a great way to write a party scene!  This peek into Bill's head was so interesting, and expressed so well.  We don't usually see Bill as much of a thinker, but I'm glad you gave him his moment of depth (though, I'm sure I will keep abusing him).

Quote:
Bill folded his arms. It was the same as always, really. Life since the bombs at least. It always seemed to follow a pattern. Low times, high times, and a lot of monotonous worry in between. And the simplest thing could bring on any of the three. One gun, one snowfall, one speech.

Quote:
"Want a square?" she asked.

"What? No, that's yours," answered Mary.

Mimi shrugged, popping the square into her mouth. "I know where he got it," she said, her mouth full of chocolate. Both friends looked over to the Santa in the corner.

Mary smiled, not looking directly at Mimi. She hadn't been sure if Santa was even a good idea, until she'd seen him with the kids. Though he had nothing to offer them besides colouring books, the little guests at the party had seemed happy to play games with him, and even take turns sitting on his lap, though what they were whispering to him was anyone's guess.

"Nice work," continued Mimi. "And, since it's for a good cause and he seems to be having fun, I won't even hold the bribery against you."

Mary raised her eyebrows at Mimi. "Bribery?"

Mimi held up her chocolate bar. "Sure you don't want a piece? If you don't speak now I'll eat it all myself. I've been having this horrible chocolate craving all week, ever since I started thinking about those truffles my mom used to make -"

Mary shook her head as she interrupted. "Mimi, he didn't do it for the chocolate. I gave it to him anyway."

"What?" asked Mimi, another square of chocolate half raised to her mouth.

"I gave him the chocolate, and said he didn't have to play Santa, and he said he'd do it."

A softer look came over Mimi's face. "Really?"

Mary nodded silently and they both watched Stanley, in the red suit and fake beard, finish talking to Laura and Jamie Carmichael as their parents got them ready to go out in the cold.

"I didn't want to ask him, I didn't know if it was a good idea. But he said he wanted to. And the kids seemed to love him," whispered Mary.

Okay, I realize it's a giant quote, but I couldn't figure out anything to cut.  This part left my heart pounding, but in a good way.  I LOVE how your Mimi and Stanley worry about one another and care for one another.  And, I love that Mary takes the time to explain everything to Mimi.  She needed to hear it, as I think it gives her desperately needed hope that they will, eventually, heal well enough to continue their lives in happiness, though of course Bonnie will always be missed and mourned.  But the wound can scab over at least. 

Also - since I didn't mention it earlier - I enjoyed your Gail and Mary moment.  They have a lot of "stuff" between them, but I'm glad that they're both trying to reach some kind of accord.


Finally, I loved the end.  Heather joining her former students in pelting Dale and Skylar with snowballs was just too funny.  I'm intrigued by her involvement in Jake's and Hawkins' activities, and I hope that we eventually learn more about this particular aspect of your universe.  Plus, did I see a glimmer of Jake/Heather re-starting here? ;-)  I always enjoy a good Jake/Heather moment, so I for one thank you for ending with one that is full of such potential.

Penny,

As you know (since I had a sneak peek at this one) that I am happily fascinated by this story.  It's one I've read over and over just because, like the Heather and Dale whom you describe, happy with one another, this story gives me a contented feeling.  This was a definite surprise.  I threw the pairing out almost as a joke, but you ran with it -- in directions I could never have imagined -- and convinced me that this could happen. 

I also enjoy the hints at the wider world you give us.  The Romance of the Absurd universe in some ways is a sadder place than the canon Jericho universe, but if events had taken that small turn for the worse, I can see how this chain of events could occur.  Our intrepid trading party was unable to run fast enough, and they were caught.  Two escaped.  Survived. Rebuilt.  And they're happy. :-)

As always, thank you for sharing!

Nice job, Penny!  I know that this was a tough one for you (but remember -- Emily/Mimi would have been the hardest E/M pairing to write).  You did an absolutely lovely job.  This is a great friendship fic, excellently executed. 

I can totally see Mimi wondering what the heck it is about Eric that attracts Mary.  She definitely didn't expect that relationship to ever work out and seemed to enjoy badmouthing Eric during those first few days in Jericho.  It's good that she now sees at least some of his skills (crowd control, anti-smoking crusader, attorney) as useful.  I'm glad that they both came out of their experience with a better understanding of one another.

This was my favorite exchange.  It's both funny and really rings true.  I can see Mimi and Eric (even though he grew up in Jericho) as the city-fied fishes out of water a lot of the time.

Quote:

"We can...we know paperwork, systems," she said. "We know out lattes from our cappuccinos." She raised her eyebrows at him.

He nodded, smiling. "We can use chopsticks. That's a skill to take to the bank."

Mimi giggled. "You can use them? I thought I was the only one who ate sushi in this place."

He shook his head. "Picked up a thing or two at the place near campus. But you're right, the Chinese food place in Fielding has forks."

She laughed again. "That must be the place Stanley tells me he used to get 'Moo Goo Guy in a pan.'"

Eric nodded. "Must be the one."

"I don't think he can use chopsticks, but he'd say why would you need them, if you have a fork anyway," Mimi continued. "Can Mary use them?"

"Mary thinks she can use chopsticks," shrugged Eric. At Mimi's questioning look, he shrugged again. "She drops half of what she picks up."

"Stanley's never seen a mango."

"Mary's never been on a subway." They both chuckled.

Nice job!  Thanks for taking this challenge and doing such interesting, wonderful (and I must admit, unexpected) things with it. :-)

Author's Response:

Thanks Marzee!

You're very right, though I found this one hard to write, it actually turned out to be a very interesting pairing, and a much better dynamic then might develop between other absurd pairings of E's and M's.

Definitely Mimi has a change in perspective about Eric in this one, and he also views her in another light. As you know, this story underwent a lot of development and change, and was really my biggest challenge yet, but in the end, I really enjoyed getting into these characters and their experiences trapped in the tunnel, so I will thank you for this suggestion.

Thanks for reading and commenting!

Ah, Penny, you have no idea how glad I am that I suggested this pairing.  Of course it seems a little odd at first glance  (and I really only did it because it's an alternate D/S) but you have given us such a lovely, hopeful and bittersweet friendship between Stanley and Darcy. 

I positively ache for them and just want to shout at Darcy to take the chance.  I really think they would be good for one another.... and then she could look after little Mimi and Stanley could have man-to-man talks with Sam, and they could all ressurect some goodness in this little world you have created.

I have hope for Darcy and Stanley though.  They both seem to have a steady, quiet longing in them, and they have a very real, very deep friendship.  It just jumps off the page.  I think Darcy might just get daring enough to jump at some point.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed anyway.

Nicely done!

Well, these characters sure are all in a muddle, aren't they?  No one seems to know quite how they got to this point, but still they're digging deeper and deeper into their opposing positions and you just know that no one is going to come out a winner in this one. 

I think that's what they were always trying to tell us on the show, that things were building inexorably to a head, to a confrontation that would leave no one unscarred.  I also think you've done a better job showing this.  It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion, and you're doing a good job building up that tension.

I'm not coming around to liking Beck any better, and I still think he's insane, power hungry and dead wrong, but at least I grit my teeth a little less over him here.  That may not sound like much, but I'm amazed that you were able to wring that much out of me. 

The disinegration of Heather's and Emily's friendship is painful to watch, but fascinating too.  The crazy thing about it is, I really believe that Emily is doing it all to herself.  Or actually, she's fighting the wrong person.  Heather has conceded Jake to Emily, and it's Jake who is questioning if Emily is what he really wants, or if it's Heather.  It's just interesting to see this all come about through some weird self-fulfilling prophecy of doom on Emily's part.  The more she goes after Heather for trying to steal Jake, the more likely she is to make it actually happen, somehow. 

Can't wait to see what happens next!

A letter from Johnston to Jake was an ingenious way to answer this challenge.  I can "hear" Johnston's voice as he lets Jake know how he sees things.  I always thought Johnston gave great advice and this bit of it is no exception.  Great job!

This beginning really does suck me in and makes me take a new look at a canon scene that I admittedly haven't paid much attention to previously.   The connection Johnston establishes with Mary is nice, and makes the disagreement (missed connection) he has with Gail right after a little bit poignant for me, especially as you so ably point out, there isn't time to fully recover from their conflict before Johnston is killed. 

And, as a fellow Pushing Daisies fan, I loved the homage!  :-)

Poor Eric.  Truly haunted by one heck of a 'ghost' but disbelieved by everyone.  And what a set up for what's to come!

Ah, Penny!  This is exactly the sort of chapter that I was hoping for when I first added the Holiday category to the site. 

I love the discussion of favorite candy and other treats along with everyone's differing reactions, and I love all the Halloween costumes past.  Teenage Mutant Niga Turtles, scuba divers, pirates, pumpkins, Indian Princesses (and the glimpse at how Gail and Johnston met that that memory gave us. :-) ), lightbulbs with their filaments and of course lobsters -- great stuff.

Then there's the build-up of the spooky part of this story, perfectly executed!  Gail's timely discovery of a certain clue, the sudden loss of electricity, the slow disappearance of all the party guests leaving Eric alone...perfect Halloween story stuff!

Nice job with this one, it had me on the edge of my seat. :-) 

Author's Response:

Thanks Marzee~

And everything is once again right with the Jericho world.  :-)  You did a very nice job bringing all the threads of this story together, and I'm especialy glad we got to see a glimpse of the vibrant afterlife those who have departed Jericho get to go to.

I really liked the ballad you told for Rusty and Annaliese.  Theirs was quite the tragic romance, but at least they can now enjoy April and Tracy in heaven.  And, I'm betting they feel better about Sunday now that she's got her brother looking after her.

I was a little sad for poor Heather, the only one who seemed to end up with less as the night ended.  Yes, she has friends but I wouldn't want to give up my last family member for Sunday -- and she actually grew on me!  (Well, maybe.  I'm glad Johnston punched out her adoptive father... and also glad he told her to stay away from April.)

Lastly, I think Eric and Mary summed this story up just right....

Quote:

“Your dad ever tell you a story as weird as our lives?” asked Eric incredulously.
 
Mary smirked, but her eyes were serious. “You know, he used to say Halloween was a night to remember our dead. The power they have in our lives. And how they still walk among us.”

Nicely done!

Oh, if only!  What sweet, funny, wonderful stuff, perfect for Christmas time. :-)

Sorry to take so long to review (where did December go??) but I didn't want another day to go by without telling you that I truly enjoyed reading this story.  You have such a way with words, Sandra, and I especially like how you captured Heather's inner dialogue here.  Nicely done!

Interesting stuff, Sandra.

A week or two ago, I was asked which 2 Jericho characters I most/least/"middle of the road" identified with, and I picked Jonah as a least.  I really don't get him, and I don't have much interest in understanding him. 

While this story doesn't change my feelings, you at least gave me something to think about, along with some intereseting possible tidbits of explanation.   One that really got me was Jonah causing trouble in school to hide problems with his eyesight (or a learning disability like dyslexia?).

Disclaimer aside, I must now admit that I have been contemplating the meaning of Jonah's actions for the last few days.  He said it was personal, and I believe that, but I don't know that I believe that it was as much about avenging Emily as it was about him.  Maybe Jonah was -- as he thinks more than once -- running scared, and Emily's murder was a good excuse to go out in a blaze of glory.  'Suicide by cop.'  Just my theory.

Like I said, interesting stuff.

Author's Response:

Thanks, Marzee.  I'm glad I was able to pique your imagination a bit where Jonah is concerned. He's certainly not the character I relate to the most, but I do find him strangely compelling.  I think from my perspective, a bit reason he's compelling is that he is so unapologetically flawed.  There is also quite a bit of backstory that we never got on him from the show, so the part of me that likes to fill in the blanks had a field day with this one.

Yeah, it was fluffy, but it was the lovely kind of fluffy.  Like cotton candy or really good, really creamy chocolate mousse. :-D

I really enjoyed this, and am very glad I stayed up to read it last night (despite the fact that I was so tired my eyes were watering the whole time).  I went to sleep smiling happily, I assure you.

As always, I just love the dialogue you give our favorite couple.  It's witty, fun, exactly the kind of conversations you want to have with the love of your life.  Wonderful stuff, and since I haven't seen The Office proposal, I laughed out loud when I read Jake's version thereof.  (I like The Office, I just don't watch regularly.  That's going to have to change!)

By the way, is this a sequel to A Tradition?  That was a Halloween story, and you mentined a pivotal Thanksgiving Day.... I can only hope that Thanksgiving makes its way out of your imagination and onto our screens sometime in the future.

Thanks for the perfect Valentine's story.