"This is Special Agent Isabel Owens. I'm not available right now so leave a name and number and I'll return the call as soon as possible."



[Leave any IC, or OOC message here depending on if you need the muse, or the mun]

[Super backdated to a day after THIS. Follows THIS and THIS]


The night before for Ali had been sobering. She and Andrew had gone for a drive to a quiet place just beyond the border, though it was evident, despite their earlier joking, that Andrew was quite subdued. They were rugged up in thick coats and got out to sit on a park bench together. At first, they just sat quietly watching the stars of the chilled night with Ali stroking her fingers affectionately through Andrew's hair. But they started talking, and Andrew admitted that since their wedding, he had been really missing his Dad. It just wasn't helping that it was getting close to teh anniversary of his death, and the whole thing was just making Andrew sad. He told Ali is was like a rollercoaster of emotions. On one hand, he was ecstatic about their wedding, and being married, and the prospect of them about to celebrate Jamie's first birthday. All that was the prominent feelings for him, but sometimes, when he just couldn't stop them, the saddness crept up on him and that's when he started feeling the urge to drink. Just like that night. Ali asked him what it felt like, and then told him of her decision to give up alcohol too. Andrew had been touched by her choice, but also tried to talk her out it. He didn't want her to go without just because of him. But Ali had always been characteristically stubborn. She made her choice, and that was it. If she couldn't at least do this for him, what could she do. Inevitably, though, Andrew eventually got upset thinking about his Dad, and they ended the evening with Ali just sitting and holding her husband while he cried quietly. The drive home was quiet when Andrew, drained from the emotions, fell asleep while Ali navigated her way back into New York. It gave her a lot of time to think, and she decided that even if it did hurt James didn't at least call her to tell her about his son's birth, life was just too fucking short... often shorter than anyone could anticipate.

( It was that which had Ali finally coming to the hospital to visit James, Harri and their new addition. )



Words: 6383

[Follows anything involving the birth of agentfraser and straight2point's son. Backdated.]

Cameron wouldn't lie. He wasn't happy about being here in New York at Mount Sinai hospital. The difficult part was, Pat's new godson was here and he wanted Cameron to meet him, of course. Cameron did understand that bit, especially with Pat's sensitivity about children of his own. He more than valued when his loved ones were able to have children of their own, even if it did sting a little. Pat was a strong guy, and could see over that to be happy for other people. He loved kids. That was why it was so difficult for Cameron to understand why Pat wouldn't just do anything to get one of his own. It wasn't on the menu anymore, though. Pat had to painfully tell Lachlan that he wasn't going to take their offer of Tara as a surrogate. It was the right thing to do; Lachlan had been so cut up with Tara's illness taking a serious dive, putting both her life and little RJ's at risk. They were just too precious to him, and Pat wouldn't be able to live with himself to put that on line for his own benefit. No one could argue that Tara's health could be precarious, and had especially been when she was pregnant with RJ. Pat wanted Lachlan to have that special experience of RJ's birth unique to him. Pat's heart always broke when someone's close to him was. But that didn't mean that Cameron didn't know how much Pat was still hurting with it, and Aiden too.

( So, with the arrival of Lachlan's parents from Scotland to help out in Princeton, Cameron and Pat were able to disappear for a little while to make the trek to New York to meet the new arrival. )


Words: 3345

Isabel lay on her side, watching James sleep. He had spent another night at her place. It was happening so often, that Iz just assumed he'd moved in. She didn't mention it, or bring it up, but now she was starting to wonder. She was also still considering the talk she'd had with Pat. Were her feelings for James just because they had such a deep connection? She didn't necessarily have to be in love with him to feel it. He was her best friend, and their bond was almost as strong as that of twins.

That thought made her scrunch her nose up. James was very not a blood relation thank god. That would have meant what they were doing was a whole new level of wrong. She rubbed her hand against her stomach, the bump starting to become bigger. Ali had lost her baby, and Iz was still heart broken. She thought she'd be able to be pregnant at the same time as her best friend, have their kids grow up simultaneously. Now Ali, who had really wanted a baby with Andrew, wasn't pregnant.

( And Iz, who didn't deserve to be pregnant, still was. )

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1.29. Being good isnt always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
He'd come and tell me everything is all right
He'd kiss and tell me everything is all right
Can I get away again tonight?
'Son of a Preacher Man' - Dusty Springfield

Co-written with [Bad username: cameronpreston"] | Follows THIS & THIS


Isabel hovered in the doorway to Pat's room. She remembered being here before, hovering just like she was now. Only there had been a very different feeling in her stomach. She still hated watching Cameron suffer while Pat was here. She pressed her lips together, and glanced at Aiden in the corner with Harri. Iz stepped back as she felt a surge of nausea, not sure if it was because of the pregnancy, or guilt. She'd just been fucking James while Harri was here taking care of her best friend.

She looked at Cameron again, and sucked in a breath as she walked into Pat's room. She placed her hand his shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. She couldn't do this with Harri here. Not right there so she would hear every word. It was up to James to talk to his girlfriend. Aiden seemed to want to stretch his legs though, and Izzy watched him and Harri leave before taking the empty chair next to Cameron. Pat was asleep, and Izzy watched him. How was she even supposed to have this conversation with Cameron's sick twin right there. It just didn't seem likely that Cameron would leave him.

Iz wet her lips and turned her attention to Cameron. "Have you eaten anything yet?"

( Cameron couldn't look at her at first. )


Words: 1754 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

1.16. "You will always be a child of two worlds, and fully capable of deciding your own destiny. The question you face is: which path will you choose?"
Star Trek (2009)

Co-written with agentfraser | Follows THIS


James lost track of how long he stood in the shower of Pat and Aiden’s guest bathroom, letting the hot, sharp spray beat down on his back. He tried to sort through everything in his mind, to let the water wash away the confusion, but it wasn’t helping. He had slept with Izzy, and everything beyond that was paling in comparison.

Closure? He doubted it.

( He shut the shower off roughly and stepped out of the cubicle. )


Words: 2271 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

Co-written with agentfraser
[Follows THIS, THIS and THIS]


There was only so much Izzy could do for Cameron right now. Her heart was breaking to watch him so distressed at his brother's condition. Isabel sat next to him for a little while, her hand resting loosely on the top of his. His eyes never left his brother when he came back from the MRI, and Izzy wasn't even sure if he realised she was there. She was starting to go stir crazy, and she couldn't even imagine how Cameron was coping with being stuck in hospital again. Even if he wasn't the patient.

Aiden looked terrible as well, Harri coming back to take the strain of him. Or at least try. Harri seemed to have a better way of managing Aiden, than Izzy did managing Cameron. Part of her was wondering if she would ever get knack. Lachlan and Riley just seemed to float between everyone and make sure they had what they needed, with Tara and RJ nearby. Isabel felt out of place, and she couldn't shake the feeling no matter how long she sat in the room.

( Maybe she just wasn't letting herself be a part of it, and she knew it had to do with a part of her mind staying on James. )


[Words: | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

Co-written with cameronpreston & pullmysteth
[Follows THIS, THIS, & THIS, but before THIS]


Isabel tried not to look too worried as she lay back on the exam bed in nothing but one of the flimsy hospital gowns. She'd never had a problem with her body, but she was about to get unequivocal proof that she was pregnant, and that scared her. It scared her more than it should. Things were still a muddle in her head even after talking to James. She still, on some level, wished he'd agreed to 'closure'. She was a bad, bad person. She had this fantastic footballer, and she still wanted to be with her ex.

Her green eyes were squeezed shut momentarily and she let out a slow breath. Didn't help matters that she was busting for a pee, and thinking incredibly wrong, and horny thoughts. Her hand found Cameron's, and she linked her fingers with his just to give her something real to hang onto. If she stayed lost in her thoughts for too long, she'd probably miss the whole thing. "Thanks for arranging this," she told him quietly.

( By this time, a distant feeling from Izzy was setting in a little. )


Words: 3067 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

Co-written with agentfraser
[Follows THIS]


Izzy sat outside PPTH as she waited for James. It had been a little over three hours, but given it was a hospital, she was giving him time to find a park. Hospitals were a bitch regardless of state. She was still replaying her conversation with Cameron through her mind, trying to work out what kind of sick woman it made her to actually love a guy more because he was giving her permisson to find 'closure' with her ex, and not call it cheating.

She looked down at her hand, her green eyes fixed on the gold band on her middle finger. It was her wedding ring, but she hadn't worn it on her ring finger in a long time. Truth was, if it was going to get down to cheating, it was Cameron who was the other guy considering she was married to James still. Iz wet her lips and wondered if Harri would be so accepting of this scenario, and willing to let James do this.

( Or if James would even say yes. Hell, Izzy wasn't even sure what she was actually going to ask him. )


Words: 5119 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

1.23. And then I'm in your arms I'll try to relax
Don't want to lie awake all night wondering where we're at
Oh this tossing and turning won't clear these blues away
When I am longing just to hear you say
'No Turning Back' - Sarah Blasko

Co-written with cameronpreston


Cameron realised that somewhere over the course of the morning, he'd hit a peak in his emotions. It happened every time Pat got sick and the hours continued to tick away that he didn't wake up or show signs of improvement. The adrenaline stopped pumping and being able to maintain the rollercoaster of emotions became impossible, falling flat and giving way to just an exhausted numbness. Aiden was practically out cold in the arm chair in the corner of Pat's room looking about as comfortable as a frog in a blender. He had a blanket tucked around him, courtesy of Mrs Brennan who had come to be on hand until Cameron and Pat's own parents arrived. So far, they had been having trouble getting on a flight and were waiting at Heathrow for a standby. Cameron knew Aiden wasn't well himself, and he was trying his best to help him out, but his own stamina was little to none. The only person he had told about his knee was Izzy, and he hadn't told anyone about the pregnancy. It was all sitting heavily in his heart, already on top of worrying about Pat, worrying if he was even going to be okay when he woke up. There was always the risk he wouldn't be.

He stood up stiffly from the plastic chair beside Pat's bed, trying to make sure he didn't make too much noise as he collected his crutches. He had to move a little, or his leg would pack it in totally. He hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten. Coke, coffee and medication were the only things getting into his system. He felt that if he even tried to eat, he was just going to throw up. He watched Aiden for a few moments, that anxiety nibbling away in his gut again, before he slowly made his way to the end of the bed to get some movement in his leg. It was killing him, and that was bothering him too. His doctors had mentioned a possible need for a second operation on on it to repair some tendons there. Cameron had tried to ignore that. It was just another thing he had to try and sort through.

( Izzy leaned against the edge of the doorway, watching Cameron quietly. )


Words: 4925 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

23.1.2 "Being a Dad is the new black." - Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
[Timed a week after THIS | Co-written with cameronpreston]


Cameron shouldn't be drinking with his painkillers, but he didn't care. He poured a generous splash of Scotch into a mug and downed it quickly, squeezing his eyes closed as it burned going down. He coughed a little and then rinsed the mug out, setting it in the dish rack. He had just had a case meeting with his doctors and physio about the progress of his knee. The new season was about to start in England and he had hoped he would be back in form for it. He wasn't. They had just laid down the facts to him in plain black and white that he was going to be out for this entire season. The injury in his knee wasn't healing quickly, although there had been some progress in the physio. Not enough to get him back on the field, though. In fact, he needed a year to recover and strengthen the wound or he would have permanent issues and even likely a permanent limp. He felt like he was up shit creek without a paddle. Indeed, if he even had a paddle, his leg probably wouldn't be strong enough for him to use it.

( He hadn't told anyone what the doctors had said. )

Words: 3330 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

[Set a week ago | Co-written with agentsullivan]

Ali exited the bathroom and pushed her messy hair out of her face. She dragged herself back into the living room with a hand rubbing at her gut through her pyjama top. She stuck her tongue out and pulled a face. "I deserve a medal for that. That was a very quiet spew, considering. And I didn't even wake him up. How is that for talent? I'm getting a real niche with this. There should be Morning Sickness Olympics or something." She stopped before she sat down again, her stomach turning over a little again. There was a few moments of hesitation before she decided whether she should run back to the toilet or sit back down, but she soon felt safe enough to drop back into her vacated seat beside Izzy on the sofa. She was still in her pyjamas, still in that period of the pregnancy where she couldn't be bothered with anything but the absolute vital of tasks, and sex. She was just lucky that this time around, she had a sexy hot-blooded and fit paramedic to cater to her needs.

( Andrew had a few days off, but Ali's hormones saw him through three rounds of sex that morning when they woke up. )


Words: 4261 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc

You Are Medium Maintenance

Like everyone else, you have some things you are particular about. You're not too annoying about it, and you're able to go with the flow most of the time. You've learned to stand your ground on what matters but also make compromises from time to time. You have good taste. Too bad not everyone shares it.

How... moderate.

Co-written with cameronpreston

Cameron had never been so relieved to get away from somewhere than he had being discharged from hospital. Sure, it was a better hospital in general than what was on offer in Liverpool, but it was still hospital. He was now firmly planted at Aiden and Pat's New York apartment, and what a fucking apartment. He had been discharged the morning before, but was exhausted from all the moving about, so he parked himself on the sprawling sofa in Aiden's home theatre room with the wall-sized TV and proceeded to watch all the cheesy shows from his childhood on the classics channel, including the A-Team, Knightrider, ALF, early Simpsons episodes, Transformers, and even caught the original Star Wars movie. It had been just what he needed.

( It was now the next day, and the apartment was nearly empty again. )


Words: 4178 | All muses referred to with permission and come from the princeton2nyc verse

Non-prompt RP log with cameronpreston | Backdated to after THIS


At least this hospital room wasn't white. The walls were a nice pale blue colour and the room more modern in general. Still a private room, which he was glad of. He didn't want to share with some stranger that snored or gawped at him when he was being checked by the doctors. It was actually a relief to have the change of scenery. The hospital room in Liverpool was driving him crazy, if only because every single staff member knew who he was and squeed over the game, wanting to talk to him about stats and scoreboards. It was the last thing Cameron had wanted to talk about. Here, he was mostly an unknown. Staff knew he was an English sport's star, but Liverpool FC mostly meant very little to them. It was a breath of fresh air for him.

He was alone at the moment. The flight had about done Pat in, so Aiden had taken Pat directly back to his apartment to rest while Mr and Mrs Preston went with the nurse that travelled with them to check in at Mount Sinai. It was an easy process and Cameron had slept once he was settled. He had only been awake a short time now, though a text message from Aiden told him Pat was still asleep. One thing you couldn't escape as a hospital patient, though, was boredom and he flicked halfheartedly through the magazine in his lap. The American ones weren't anymore interesting than the English ones.

( Izzy had waited for as long as she could, making sure there had been enough time for Cameron to get settled, and for Pat and Aiden to visit with him, or do whatever. )


Words: 3002

Non-prompt RP log with mrpublicity | Backdated to after THIS


Aiden pocketed his cell phone and then ran his thumb over his wedding ring distractedly. He gave a small nod to himself as he ran the phone conversation back over his head. He would be lying if he didn't say he was relieved, but also worried. He wasn't used to life being this up and down. Less than a year ago, all he did was live to work and that was what life was about. But now, it was so much more, and with it came so much more stress and worry. It was no longer just him and Harri, it was him, Harri and this whole bunch of amazing people that you just couldn't help but become invested in. He was married. Actually married. Harri was pregnant and in a relationship. He never expected things to change so dramatically in just months, but they had, and even though he still wanted a reason to hate Marcus Fraser... who had now bared heart and soul as James Campbell... he had run out of momentum. How could he truly hate a guy who had seemingly literally given up everything for the good of other people? If James Campbell was truly a fucking selfish bastard, he wouldn't be where he was right now. The full truth really couldn't come out until the guy woke up, and Aiden realised he didn't really want the whole truth. He just wanted assurance the guy was at least going to love and protect Harri.

( He picked up his half empty cup of coffee and made his way back to the ICU. )


Words: 2855