JTL-Fics

WIP Wednesday - 10/18/23 (Open) | Dealer's Choice: Pretty Boy

"Sit down Junkie." he says and gives a look to the EMTs, "He won't go anywhere a hospital without me." he raises an eyebrow.

The two EMTs looked at one another and an unspoken conversation happened between the two of them. Finally the EMT who had told Andrew to leave rolled his eyes and heads out the back, "I'm not as delicate as you think I am." he says to his partner.

"Of course not." His partner smiles as the doors to the ambulance shut and Neil settled back down.

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WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (OPEN) | Dealer's Choice: Pretty Boy

Andrew sighs, "We're going to the hospital Neil. You need stitches." he says and before Neil can argue, "You're too drunk and concussed to do them yourself." he says.

Neil pouts.

Andrew tosses Nicky his keys as his cousin is the 2nd most sober person in the group. "I'll text you when and where to pick us up." he says before guiding Neil into the Ambulance and climbing in after him.

An EMT tries to tell him to leave but Neil's stubbornness shifts from going to the hospital to Andrew being in the Ambulance with him. "If Andrew can't come then 'm not going." he says rising up from where he had been laying down.

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WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"No! N-not entirely just-"

"Just all the allegations against your son might have driven him to an early grave?" Neil asks wiping his face still. "What, do you want Andrew to talk about how Drake was a wonderful big brother who never did any of what the 13 other kids are saying he did to them?" Neil asks.

The table is silent again.

"Why do you know about that?" Cass asks voice tight.

"I like to keep up on current events. Quite the scandal for the Foster System in California." Neil says. "There's a reason I think if your husband joined your son then he must be in hell." he huffs.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"I think it's pretty clear that you're not here to make up with me in any way shape or form. You wanted me to bring Andrew to that initial meet-up you proposed. Was she why?" he asks pointing at Cass.

"He has a right to know that he had family that died Nicholas." Luther says.

"Then just shoot him a text message or write him a letter. You had to meet in person?" Aaron asks standing next to Nicky with a hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"You seriously just came here to tell me that Richard died?" Andrew can't help but question Cass as he offered his napkin to Neil who took it and pressed it to his eyes. The wine had seemingly splashed right in them.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"Out." Abby's voice is firm as she points to the door.

"You heard her you insolent rude welp of a boy. Get out of here." Luther says looking as if he wanted to strike Neil as well for what he'd said to Cass.

"Not Neil. You three." Abby grits out. "You've been nothing but rude since you brought an uninvited guest. I draw the line at that uninvited guest striking one of our players." Abby says.

"You can't be serious." Luther says indignant rising to his feet in an obvious attempt to tower over Abby.

"Oh she is." Wymack ways and he is not the only one to rise to his feet at the table.

"Nicky?" Maria questions.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

The table went silent at Neil's remark.

Andrew is turning to look at Neil surprised by the comment about a man that he had never known. He's even more shocked that it's so accurate but before he can turn he catches something in the corner of his eye. Andrew turns back and sees something he never thought he'd get to see.

He gets to see what Cass looks like when she's angry.

Her hand rears back and hits Neil's cheek with a loud crack and then she's throwing her wine in his face. "How dare you." she hisses in fury with tears threatening to run down her face.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"He wanted me to stay for dinner didn't he?" She asks kind smile not fading and Andrew remembers that he'd been impressed with how she could just take anything he had thrown at her when he first came to the Spears' house. "Andrew, earlier, you asked me where Richard was?" she reminds.

"To be clear, I said I didn't care if you stayed." Andrew says wanting to get the record straight, "and yes I did ask that." he adds.

"Well...he..." Cass says voice growing tight as she looks upward, "...he's joined Drake." she says wiping at her eyes as she looked heavenward.

"Weird way to say your husband went to hell." Neil says.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

Any time that Cass started to try and engage in a conversation Neil would engage in it instead and draw the other Foxes in on his mayhem. Andrew focused on his meal and tried not to be irritated that Neil's attention was elsewhere at the moment.

It all came to a head when Cass rose up from herself and came over with a glass of wine. "It was hard to talk to you across the table Andrew." she says with a smile and Andrew can feel Neil growing tenser and tenser at his side.

"Maybe you could have taken the hint that he wasn't interested in talking to you?" Neil asks with a raised eyebrow.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

Andrew pointedly took a seat as far from Luther, Maria, and Cass as possible and Neil sat on the side that put him just one seat closer as if to act as a shield.

It was painful watching Nicky attempt to speak with his parents throughout the meal. It was becoming more and more apparent that Luther and Maria had zero intentions on apologizing to their son for ostracizing him and casting him out. It was also obvious that no one on the team had any interest in Cass getting to have that private word with Andrew.

Especially Neil.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"I brought some and also have pie in the car." she says.

Cass made a very solid pie. It had been the best thing that he could say about her and he suspected that in a way she knew that.

"I don't care if she stays." He says answering Abby's unasked question but he almost regrets it when he sees Neil tense further but it's too late as Abby takes Cass' hand and shakes it firmly before releasing it.

"I'm sure I can squeeze in another chair at the table." she says with a smile that's all forced politeness.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | Math Nerd AU

"Dinner's ready!" Abby's voice called out from the kitchen snapping the tension between them all as she walked out into her living room and immediately caught on to the new guest.

"Oh, I didn't know you were bringing someone else." Abby says and somehow the way she says it has both Maria and Luther looking a bit more chagrined.

"I'm Cass Spears. I was one of Andrew's foster mothers." Cass steps forward and offers her hand to Abby, "I apologize for coming unannounced but I wanted to speak with Andrew about a few things and this was the only way I could think of." she says.

Abby looked at the outstreched hand and then to Andrew.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

They all sat at their work stations as Paul and Prue made their way back into the tent.

"We saw the fire crew come in is everything alright?" Paul asks with a wry smile.

"Oh nothing major, just a spot of arson. Pretty tame for the first Technical Bake if you ask me." Sandi says waving off the concern.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

Andrew makes a gesture that does not make it onto polite public access television but does set the measuring cup down after pouring the contents into a clean mixing bowl and starting to drink from there instead.

After a few establishing shots it was up to the Bakers to set their creations down in front of their own picture so that the judges could come back and judge what had been made in their absence. Andrew set his down in front of his own apathetic face while Neil put his two glasses down in front of his own face.

"Got anymore glasses?" Andrew asks idly.

"I didn't think to grab anymore." Neil answers with a shrug.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

"Alright Bakers step away from your stations in 3."

One Baker is throwing Cherries onto her cake with tears streaming down her face.

"2."

Another Baker is trying to finish piping an overly elaborate design that has rendered half of his cake unfrosted.

"1."

The Camera cuts to Andrew sipping some Cherry liquor from a liquid measuring cup.

"That is it bakers step away from your stations. Andrew, put down the measuring cup." Noel calls into the tent.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

"Alright bakers you have 1 minute left!" Noel Fielding calls out into the tent which ignites a flurry of activity within the tent for most of the baking stations.

Andrew had finished his cake and was sitting idly with his cheek in his hand watching as Neil Josten went to go grab two glasses.

"This time at least I can serve something." Neil says with a shrug as he pours to glasses of the cherry liquor out.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

The camera cuts away to more of the contestants all working to complete their cakes. Some realizing that they were meant to save the cherries to be served on top of the cake and to put them in between the layers. Others realizing that they had over baked their cake unable to smell it over the scent of Neil's burning.

It cuts back to Andrew Minyard as Neil sits at his station watching him decorate the cake and eating his own cherries. "Do you want me to help you with anything?" Neil asks with a tilt of his head.

"Follow your spleen." Andrew says as he smoothes out the frosting.

WIP Wednesday - 10/11/23 (Closed) | A Foxhole Bake AU

"This week's showstopper is a bit of a new one for the tent. We have asked the bakers to make a complete and immaculately decorated sheet bake. We do wish to see 3D visuals on these sheet bakes." Prue reminds the bakers, "It cannot be a flat frosting drawn image on your sheet bakes." she says.

"With that reminder to exist in the 3rd dimension now thoroughly implanted in your heads you have 4 hours for your Show Stopper challenge this week." Noel Fielding says. "So on your mark." Noel starts.

"Get Set," Sandi continues.

"Bake!" All four yell the same time.

"This week Andrew is bringing Halloween to his sheet bake since he will be making a fudge brownie graveyard." The announcer explains over a drawn picture of the brownie graveyard with a tombstone that read RIKO with a small dead raven on it.