The Greens of Jericho

Oh, there are so many things I love about this story.  This chapter was no exception. I'm going to list a few of them.

(1) Poor Heather has been through so much!  Even though Constantino was evil incarnate, it must've been dreadful for him to die in her apartment.

(2) I love that Heather is no longer shrinking away from Jake's touch.  Those two are just wonderful together.

(3) I love the Hawkins family.  I'm so glad tha tyou've chosen to make them integral to this story.

(4) The Chavez/Jake/Heather conversation was funny! 

(5) Jake and Heather talking about their future children...sigh.  Just love that!

(6) The details that you've worked up for the conspiracy are just astounding.  I'm very worried for Heather because she's in such a dangerous situation and Valente is an absolute creep, but I know she's in your capable hands.

Oh, I love this story so much, Skyrose!  I'm always amazed at how you are able to juggle different storylines that complement each other and intersect.  There's so much going on in this portion of the chapter!

I loved the scene with Heather and Olga.  I thought it was telling that Olga could see that Heather is classy (what a contrast to Tara who uses her sexuality to advance her career!).  The interaction between them was very cute.  I enjoyed seeing Olga offer Heather encouragement. I think Jake is going to be in for a nice surprise! I can hardly wait for them to meet up again later in the day.

The scene with Chavez going to the farms really unnerved me.  The Cheyenne farms look to be slavery in disguise.  The fact that Jones is putting on a show for Chavez with this so-called perfect family in their perfect house with their perfect accessories and perfect children reminds me of the old adage that if something looks too good to be true, it usually is.  Collins certainly acknowledged the tour was a farce.  Through this all, I kept wondering how much Tomarchio knows of what is actually happening in his “country.”  Is Tomarchio an ineffectual figurehead being maneuvered like a marionette puppet?  Or is he aware of these less than honest (at the best) and evil (at the worst) things going on around him?

Grrrr at Gray.  It was good to see Eric take him to task.  It was good to see Gray squirm.  I just hate that others are going to suffer from his greed and incompetence.

Fantastic job, as always!

So happy to see this posted, Skyrose! 

What a nice morning Jake and Heather are having together. ;)  I would say it's sweet that they can't get enough of each other, but maybe sultry is more like it.   I thought the conversation they had about having children was really well written.  The way they're going, that is something that they may deal with sooner rather than later.  Heather strikes me as a fairly traditional kind of gal, so I'm sure she'd like to be settled into married life before that happens.  Yet when coupled with the fact that everything is more complicated since the bombs (just look at what happened to poor April), no wonder there was some trepidation.  I love the way they trust in their relationship with each other, though.  And with the way they're going, I wonder if Hawkins and Chavez will be waiting for a long time before Jake and Heather make it for the phone call Hawkins arranged...

I know I've said it before, but I like the friendship between Gail and Darcy.  It's good to see that they have each other for a support system.  And Sam, in all his eagerness, was absolutely cracking me up.

As always, I'm looking forward to more!

Hi Sherry! I read this story awhile back, but I'm revisiting it. 

First off, I love the idea of Jake with a child.  I'm just sooooo grateful that Jacob was not the product of Jake and Emily.  I think I would've had a difficult time stomaching that.  I'm not much of a Jake/Emily fan.

Secondly, I was just aghast that Becca would practically abandon Jacob the way she did.  I liked getting the backstory on how Jacob came to be with Jake, as well as seeing how this transformed Jake's life.  I liked that you didn't idealize the transition, that you made it clear that it was difficult.  But I've always thought that anything worth having is worth working for. 

Great job! 

Sigh. I just love this story, Maryann!  Let me just say that your version of Vox Populi is far better than the aired version. 

I loved how Jake and Heather interacted at the beginning of the chapter—the promise of so much more once Jake returned from Bailey’s (much to Heather’s disdain that he was going there to see Eric).  Johnston and Drake’s reactions were cracking me up. 

I loved that!

It figures that Emily’s fingernails would still be perfectly manicured.  So does she do with all her time, anyway?

And

I loved this.  I was so glad that Jake made it clear that his time with Emily was NOT the best time of his life.  She spends so much time dwelling over the past, I truly think she doesn’t know how to live in the here and now.  Additionally, I am so glad that Jake put Emily on notice about trying to use their past to hurt Heather.

I liked the Ewoks when I was a kid. I still do to an extent.  They are far superior to Jar Jar Binks and some of the yucky looking aliens featured in the Star Wars series.

Awww….even the people around them can see how wonderful Jake and Heather are together.

LOL.  Poor Heather.  It’s tough being the butt of the joke.

Heehee…there is so much sexual tension between the two of them.  I can just see it coming off of them in waves.  Too bad things are so crazy schedule-wise.

Something else—I’m glad Jake didn’t want their first time to be in a hotel room.

Oh, the argument—Well, I won’t quote it, but I had to comment on it. It cracked me up.  I mean, I felt bad for them.  I really did.  But goodness could I ever relate to it!  When I think of the arguments my husband and I have had, they’ve mostly been silly things like this rather than anything major.  Anyhow, the argument struck me as being very real.

I really feel for April having to step foot in the tavern.  What an uncomfortable situation that must’ve been!  I’m glad that through her body language, she made it clear to Mary how she felt about her.

Grrrrrrr at Eric.  I know that he’s told April about Mary, but I can’t help but feel that the way he carries on with Mary in public is incredibly insensitive.  It’s bad enough to cheat on his wife, but to now do it so blatantly is just crass.  That was one of my major issues with his character on the show—that decided lack on character.  I mean, in all other ways, Eric was such an upstanding guy, but I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I wanted to throw things at my t.v. when the Mary/Eric storyline was on. 

Other things I enjoyed: 

the dessert hockey game
the Jake/Drake name rhyme mention
getting the info about how exactly that group of refugees was able to walk into town through the checkpoints

Oh, Marzee, there are so many little touches in this story that I absolutely adore.  It's always a treat to read your writing.  Even those characters who aren't driving the action are so well written, and their personalities absolutely shine through (Gray, Roger, Mike, Jeff, etc.)

I loved your version of the meeting.  The cute affirmations "And it's not just because I'm married to you, either" were nice diversions from the gloom and doom that surrounded the morning's events.  What a devastation it must've been to find out that friends and neighbors perished overnight from the cold--and that it'll only be the beginning. 

Things certainly look grim in Jericho, but the story that the "boys" told Heather about the farmer and the newborn baby absolutely broke my heart.  You gave me fair warning at the beginning of the chapter, but I have to admit that it struck me so much, I dreamed about it.

I certainly don't blame Heather for wanting to help her town, but I'm with Jake on this one.  I don't think Heather should be making that trip to Black Jack. 

The scene with Emily trying to--well, I was about to say "comfort" Heather, but that doesn't seem like quite the right word--really gave me a nice insight into both of their characters.  I thought it was ironic that Heather considered that if she'd heeded Emily's warning five years ago, she would've been absolutely alone.  Sure, she might've had a friend in Emily, but she wouldn't have had Jake, their baby on the way, or the support of the Green family. 

I got the sense that Emily did want to help Heather but wasn't sure how to accomplish that.  There is so much unspoken between them that creeps into their conversation.  Thoroughly enjoyed the encounter between the two, by the way.

Ah, we have the birth of the "It Ain't Easy Being Green Club."  Loved the April/Heather interaction, and I thought it was a vivid contrast to the Emily/Heather interaction.  Gotta love April!  Seeing her there five years ago makes me feel a little bittersweet, though.  I'm still worried about what's going to happen to her in the present.

But going back to April and her machinations to get Heather out of her funk, I was absolutely cheering her on.  She's a smart cookie to call Gramps to let him know that Heather is on her way, and April provided just the push Heather needed.

Great installment, Marzee!

I was so excited to see a new installment of Different Circumstances was posted.  Yay!  Thanks so much for the treat, Marzee.

My mind is jumping all over the place, so you'll have to forgive me if I do not articulate my thoughts in quite the way I would prefer. 

As always, I loved the small touches that you include in this story.  The opening with Gail and Heather preparing to launder the sheets as a means to get their minds off what their husbands would be doing struck me as very real.  This is only one of many things that you do well.  You can take the mundane--chores--and make it multilayered and interesting.  Loved Gail's conversation with B.G. and the details of the stick figure drawings, accompanied by some very nifty, well-drawn drawings of planes. 

The five years ago scenes were a treat, as always.  Gramps and his vice and virtue squad crack me up.  I really enjoy the romantic tension between Jake and Heather, so I'm happy for Gramps to prolong these moments of discovery between them by cutting their makeout sessions short. Sounds contradictory, I know, but I'm just loving the buildup between them. The goodbye on the porch just made me want to sigh.  Loved it!

I gotta tell you that I was wondering how you would rewrite this episode without Heather going to Black Jack.  I didn't even see your twist coming--that the role of assumed hooker was being played by Mindy and that it was Mindy who has the New Bern ties.  With Heather being from Buffalo in DC, I thought this was very clever.  Also, since Mindy is a character that we've seen several times and her friendship with Jake is well-established, I can't help but smile and say "Kudos to you!"

Thanks for sharing your story with us.  I know I've said it before, but I like DC better than the actual show.

Oh, Marzee, I was so happy to see a new chapter posted!  I have so many thoughts going through my mind, but I need to organize them.  I'll be back tomorrow with a more detailed review. For now, though, just know that I really enjoyed your take on the events at Black Jack and seeing Heather take care of a sick Jake.

Penny,  I really enjoyed this story!  It was so interesting to see character who don't typically interact with one another play off each other. 

I'm torn over which part was my favorite.  I really enjoyed the Stanley/Hawkins interaction because they so rarely shared a scene on the show.  With two such vastly different characters with different life experiences, it was a rewarding scene.

The Mimi/Jake scene really tugged at my heartstrings though, as they've both lost people who are important to them. 

The portion with Sam and the other young trainees made me chuckle, in particular how the stories they were telling contrasting to what we know to be true of the characters of Gracie Leigh and Mr. Bintner. 

Then there was the scene with Emily, Mary, and Kenchy.  I have to admit that I have a love-hate relationship with the character of Emily, but you wrote that scene with such sensitivity and realism, I felt like I was a fly on the wall. 

I look forward to reading more of your work.  You really set the bar high for the rest of us. :)

Penny,  I absolutely am loving this story.  It makes me feel on edge with each new discovery that Jake makes as Freddie guides him on this new road.  I have so much more I want to say--and will be saying as soon as I organize my thoughts.  So for now, I want to thank you for sharing the story with us and add that I'll be back later to expound on this part.

Penny, I really enjoyed this chapter.  What amazes me is that even though the characters are in different situations with the removal of Jake Green from the equation, their basic qualities are still intact.  Gray, for instance, struggles to lead no matter what. 

The ending was quite chilling with Freddie making it clear that this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  I sense Jake's discoveries are about to get far more frightening.

Poor Heather!  When I think of her character, I think of someone who has a such a spark of life in her.  It was difficult to read about her in this way--Heather as someone who not only lacks friends and family but has also lost herself. 

This situation in which Jake finds himself just keeps getting stickier and stickier.  It's not in Jake's nature to be a mere observer, so I'm curious to see what he will find himself compelled to do--and if Freddie will allow it.

So if I had to guess where Jake is going next, I would say to the Richmond farm.  I'm looking forward to seeing if I'm right. :)

I had been curious about exactly what had happened to Emily, so it was good to see what she's been up to.  I can't say that I'm entirely surprised that she fell in with Jonah again, though I would love to have been a fly on the wall when all of that came about. I'm guessing that Jonah insinuated himself back into her life after she was shot.

One of the constants about Emily is that she is a survivor. 

The conversation between Jake and Emily was interesting to read.  Obviously, she doesn't know the man that Jake has become and views him through the goggles of the past.  What she said to Jake about Gail trying to help lost causes was quite true. Emily doesn't consider herself lost quite yet, but I can't help but feel that she has lost some of her humanity--as have many of the characters.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when Jake encounters Hawkins. :)