My friends call me Mal and my family calls me Lia (I respond to both). I write romance and relationship-focused stories. I believe in soulmates, happy endings and finding 'the one'.
I always dreamed of becoming a writer but knew early on that I wasn't meant to be a starving artist in a garret. So, I built a career I'm proud of and wrote whenever time allowed (which was almost never for the longest time).
During the pandemic, I realized that I was tired of waiting for the stars to align to pursue my writing. So, I created this account to initially share my original novel, Happy Ever After. And then I started writing fanfiction for Open Heart, and the rest is history.
Aside from fics and edits, I post positivity quotes and coffee memes, swoon over Hallmark movies and share random musings.
I enjoy answering questions, so don't be shy. I also take fic requests -- anons are open!
Cassieâs like, WTF. All I did was ask what youâre doing here.
And then he just keeps going. Meanwhile, Cassie doesnât see anything wrong with any of it.
Inwardly, sheâs thinking: đ
No, Ethan. Sheâs not surprised at all. No one is. đ
And this time Cassie just says it like it is. đ€
My second ever fanfic, Delaying the Inevitable, was a rewrite of this scene. I was still building out Cassieâs character then (along with the Valentines), but the bones were there.
Now, I might do a rewrite of her fellowship decision.
I know my fic Mystery Admirer covered a similar topic, but can you imagine these topics trending on Edenbrook and Mass Kenmoreâs water cooler chat rooms? Cassie and Bryce would be on them fanning the fire and creating absolute chaos đ€Ł
Premise: The rescue mission for Dolores results in new reflections. Missing scene 1x4
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 1,110
A/N: I'm just not ready to let go all the possibilities in Book 1, Chapter 4. Enjoy another missing scene.
I'm using Prompt 977 from @creativepromptsforwriting. Tagging for reblog to @creativepromptfills
Ethan Ramsey gripped Cassie Valentineâs hand, holding her steady, as she fished around in the storm drain for a stuffed toy and wondered how this was his life.
A few hours ago, heâd been blissfully enjoying his day, ignoring the fact that Harper Emery was pushing him into a fellowship competition he didnât want or that Valentine had caught him in moments of weakness, not once but twice.
First, when Harper had patronizingly overruled his objections. Then during his daily walk with Teresa Martinez, one of the handful of people he let his guard down with.
Actually, scratch that. It was three times in less than 12 hours. Just an hour ago, Valentine had asked one of his oldest friends if heâd always been handsome and expressed shock (somewhat mockingly) that he actually had friends.
Well, heâd tried to shut both avenues down with a warning and a glare. Cassie had ignored him as cheerfully as a barker at a circus, impervious to the crowdâs disinterest.
Dolores hadnât helped matters by indulging his internâs curiosity. Nor had she been of any use when she rejected his offer of taking the squish balls in his office as a perfectly acceptable replacement for the lost stuffed toy frog she had bought for her unborn son.
And somehow, heâd been commandeered for a search-and-rescue mission to locate a stuffed toy on the side streets as fire crews battled the blaze in Doloresâs office building.
This is not how heâd imagined spending the last few hours of his thirty-sixth birthday. Trying not to breathe in the acrid smoke blowing their way and wishing he was at Donahueâs sipping a celebratory scotch in peace.
On top of that, heâd just spent an awkward half hour on the drive over fielding Cassieâs seemingly endless curiosity about his life: âIf you have one, that is,â she had added archly at his sharp look.
Most interns withered after one glare from him. Just look at that curly-haired intern who was always hanging around Valentine like a puppy dog.
She appeared to be made of sterner stuff.
Ethan supposed that if heâd had one-on-one, interrupted time with an attending in his first month of residency, heâd have been mining them for information too. But heâd have stuck to medicine and not pumped them for hospital gossip.
He paused in reflection. On the other hand, he had appreciated her restraint at not spreading rumors about what sheâd witnessed between him and Naveen a few days ago. Her curiosity today was only natural.
âGot it!â
At her excited exclamation, Ethan pulled Cassie back out of the storm drain, lifted her to her feet, andâbefore he could question the wisdom of itâdusted off the dirt and soot sticking to her scrubs as best as he could.
There was a moment, just one, almost like a whisper, when he thought she went still beneath his touch. But when he stole a glance, she was looking at the toy in her hand, not him.
He noticed a smudge of grease on her cheek. A few strands of her blonde hair were also sticking out at the ends. He almost reached out to wipe it off and smooth down the hair, but stopped himself just in time.
âMission accomplished,â Cassie said with a smile full of delight as she held out the stuffed frog.
He stared at it thoughtfully. He reasoned, underneath all the muck, it was a cute little thing and very much something Dolores would buy.
âExcellent work,â he said neutrally, reverting to his role as her attending. âYou can give Dolores the good news when we get back.â
Of course, the frog would have to be cleaned up first, he thought absently, turning towards where heâd parked his car.
âAfter we sterilize this, of course,â she said, walking beside him. âWe wouldn't want it anywhere near a pregnant woman, otherwise.â
âMy thoughts precisely,â he said, smiling in approval.
They climbed into the car, buckling themselves in before Ethan started the engine.
Just before he pulled out into the street, she turned her head, throwing him a soft smile, likely of gratitude for indulging her and Dolores.
Based on their conversation on the drive over, she had clearly assumed he was a robot, incapable of feelings because she couldnât imagine him wanting to rescue a toy.
What had she called him? Ah, yes. Dr. Terminator.
Under the glow of the streetlights, he once again noticed the grease stain and made a decision.
âYou have somethingâŠ.â He pointed to her cheek.
Cassie flipped the visor down to check the mirror, turning her face sideways.
Ethan reached for the box of tissues he kept in the glovebox and handed it to her.
âThanks.â
Ethan waited for a break in traffic, banged a uey, and headed back to Edenbrook. To prevent a repeat of the question-answer period, he turned up the volume on his car stereo, and let Puccini fill the air.
A short while later, he turned into the driveway leading to the hospitalâs main entrance instead of the parking lot.
The journey back had been even more awkward than the one before because the silence had stretched, as if waiting. After that, he needed some distance from her before he headed back inside.
âIâll drop you off here,â he said, pulling up outside the atrium doors. âPage me when you get Doloresâs labs back.â
âYes, Dr. Ramsey,â Cassie replied, waiting for locks to disengage before opening the door.
She was halfway through closing the car door when she paused, leaning back inside to peer at him.
âYouâre actually not that bad when you want to be.â
Ethan smirked, secretly pleased to have surprised her for once. âDonât let anyone know that or people will expect this from me.â
âYour secretâs safe with me⊠Dr. Softie,â she added the moniker boldly, her green eyes twinkling under the overhead lights.
Before Ethan could respond, Cassie shut the door and ran up the steps, disappearing through the sliding glass doors.
He wasnât sure how long he sat there staring after her, but the sight of Bobby the security guard waving at him shook Ethan out of his reverie.
He waved back, changed gears, and drove off towards the parking lot, shaking his head at the audacity of this particular intern.
No, he mused again. This is not how heâd planned his day to go, and certainly not how he had imagined he would feel about Cassie Valentine when heâd evaluated her residency application all those months ago.
She already intrigued him, but he suspected the biggest revelations about her were yet to come.
Premise: The rescue mission for Dolores results in new reflections. Missing scene 1x4
Fandom: Open Heart
Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine)
Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff.
Words: 1,110
A/N: I'm just not ready to let go all the possibilities in Book 1, Chapter 4. Enjoy another missing scene.
I'm using Prompt 977 from @creativepromptsforwriting. Tagging for reblog to @creativepromptfills
Ethan Ramsey gripped Cassie Valentineâs hand, holding her steady, as she fished around in the storm drain for a stuffed toy and wondered how this was his life.
A few hours ago, heâd been blissfully enjoying his day, ignoring the fact that Harper Emery was pushing him into a fellowship competition he didnât want or that Valentine had caught him in moments of weakness, not once but twice.
First, when Harper had patronizingly overruled his objections. Then during his daily walk with Teresa Martinez, one of the handful of people he let his guard down with.
Actually, scratch that. It was three times in less than 12 hours. Just an hour ago, Valentine had asked one of his oldest friends if heâd always been handsome and expressed shock (somewhat mockingly) that he actually had friends.
Well, heâd tried to shut both avenues down with a warning and a glare. Cassie had ignored him as cheerfully as a barker at a circus, impervious to the crowdâs disinterest.
Dolores hadnât helped matters by indulging his internâs curiosity. Nor had she been of any use when she rejected his offer of taking the squish balls in his office as a perfectly acceptable replacement for the lost stuffed toy frog she had bought for her unborn son.
And somehow, heâd been commandeered for a search-and-rescue mission to locate a stuffed toy on the side streets as fire crews battled the blaze in Doloresâs office building.
This is not how heâd imagined spending the last few hours of his thirty-sixth birthday. Trying not to breathe in the acrid smoke blowing their way and wishing he was at Donahueâs sipping a celebratory scotch in peace.
On top of that, heâd just spent an awkward half hour on the drive over fielding Cassieâs seemingly endless curiosity about his life: âIf you have one, that is,â she had added archly at his sharp look.
Most interns withered after one glare from him. Just look at that curly-haired intern who was always hanging around Valentine like a puppy dog.
She appeared to be made of sterner stuff.
Ethan supposed that if heâd had one-on-one, interrupted time with an attending in his first month of residency, heâd have been mining them for information too. But heâd have stuck to medicine and not pumped them for hospital gossip.
He paused in reflection. On the other hand, he had appreciated her restraint at not spreading rumors about what sheâd witnessed between him and Naveen a few days ago. Her curiosity today was only natural.
âGot it!â
At her excited exclamation, Ethan pulled Cassie back out of the storm drain, lifted her to her feet, andâbefore he could question the wisdom of itâdusted off the dirt and soot sticking to her scrubs as best as he could.
There was a moment, just one, almost like a whisper, when he thought she went still beneath his touch. But when he stole a glance, she was looking at the toy in her hand, not him.
He noticed a smudge of grease on her cheek. A few strands of her blonde hair were also sticking out at the ends. He almost reached out to wipe it off and smooth down the hair, but stopped himself just in time.
âMission accomplished,â Cassie said with a smile full of delight as she held out the stuffed frog.
He stared at it thoughtfully. He reasoned, underneath all the muck, it was a cute little thing and very much something Dolores would buy.
âExcellent work,â he said neutrally, reverting to his role as her attending. âYou can give Dolores the good news when we get back.â
Of course, the frog would have to be cleaned up first, he thought absently, turning towards where heâd parked his car.
âAfter we sterilize this, of course,â she said, walking beside him. âWe wouldn't want it anywhere near a pregnant woman, otherwise.â
âMy thoughts precisely,â he said, smiling in approval.
They climbed into the car, buckling themselves in before Ethan started the engine.
Just before he pulled out into the street, she turned her head, throwing him a soft smile, likely of gratitude for indulging her and Dolores.
Based on their conversation on the drive over, she had clearly assumed he was a robot, incapable of feelings because she couldnât imagine him wanting to rescue a toy.
What had she called him? Ah, yes. Dr. Terminator.
Under the glow of the streetlights, he once again noticed the grease stain and made a decision.
âYou have somethingâŠ.â He pointed to her cheek.
Cassie flipped the visor down to check the mirror, turning her face sideways.
Ethan reached for the box of tissues he kept in the glovebox and handed it to her.
âThanks.â
Ethan waited for a break in traffic, banged a uey, and headed back to Edenbrook. To prevent a repeat of the question-answer period, he turned up the volume on his car stereo, and let Puccini fill the air.
A short while later, he turned into the driveway leading to the hospitalâs main entrance instead of the parking lot.
The journey back had been even more awkward than the one before because the silence had stretched, as if waiting. After that, he needed some distance from her before he headed back inside.
âIâll drop you off here,â he said, pulling up outside the atrium doors. âPage me when you get Doloresâs labs back.â
âYes, Dr. Ramsey,â Cassie replied, waiting for locks to disengage before opening the door.
She was halfway through closing the car door when she paused, leaning back inside to peer at him.
âYouâre actually not that bad when you want to be.â
Ethan smirked, secretly pleased to have surprised her for once. âDonât let anyone know that or people will expect this from me.â
âYour secretâs safe with me⊠Dr. Softie,â she added the moniker boldly, her green eyes twinkling under the overhead lights.
Before Ethan could respond, Cassie shut the door and ran up the steps, disappearing through the sliding glass doors.
He wasnât sure how long he sat there staring after her, but the sight of Bobby the security guard waving at him shook Ethan out of his reverie.
He waved back, changed gears, and drove off towards the parking lot, shaking his head at the audacity of this particular intern.
No, he mused again. This is not how heâd planned his day to go, and certainly not how he had imagined he would feel about Cassie Valentine when heâd evaluated her residency application all those months ago.
She already intrigued him, but he suspected the biggest revelations about her were yet to come.
Trying to figure out what to write next. A canon missing scene or something from my future canon. Or even something from my Valentineverse. Iâd love to tell Tonyâs story.
A/N: I've been thinking about writing this missing scene from 1x4 for years now because I often wondered what was happening after the rescue mission and before the diagnosis. But I never quite knew what to do with it... until now.
âHere you go. Heâs all clean and sanitized, ready to be part of your familyâs lore.â
âThank you, Dr. Valentine.â
Dolores Hudson smiled gratefully at the young doctor, gently hugging the adorable stuffed frog sheâd fallen in love with at first sight. She just knew her little tadpole would love it just as much.
âIt was my pleasure, Dolores. And please, call me Cassie.â
âI hope Ethan didnât give you a hard time about this,â Dolores said, slightly worried now that she was thinking more clearly about having imposed on the two doctors.
âNot at all,â Cassie assured her, hand-waving away her concerns. âHe was great. I couldnât have rescued this little guy without Dr. Ramseyâs help.â
Dolores brushed her hands down the soft fur of the plushie, a half-smile turning up the corner of her lips.
âIâm not surprised,â she breathed against the fur, her voice whisper-soft, bemused by the contradictions inherent in one of her oldest friends.
But Cassieâs curious expression and stillness told her the words hadnât been quiet enough, or else her doctor had excellent hearing.
âIâll come to check in on you once your labs are back.â
Dolores nodded goodbye, staring at the space long after the door closed behind Cassie, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully at everything she had observed this evening..
A short while later, she was lying on her back, one hand cradling her belly, the other holding the stuffed frog against her chest.
âKnock, knock,â Ethan said, breezing into her room and dragging the visitorâs chair next to her hospital bed.
âWhoâs there?â Dolores teased as he sprawled on the chair, stretching his long legs.
âDoctor.â
âDoctor Who?â she said, egging him on.
âRamsey,â he smirked.
Dolores stared at him, and then she groaned. âThatâs not how the joke goes. As a Doctor Who fan, Iâm offended.â
Ethanâs mouth twitched. âYou asked who the doctor was. And I am one.â
âYouâre such an ass,â Dolores pouted.
âI know,â he said, unrepentant.
His eyes fell on the stuffed frog, and his expression softened. âI see Valentine dropped him off, none the worse for wear.â
âYes, she did,â Dolores said, smiling gently to show her gratitude.
She knew Ethan well enough to know he wouldnât want the words that made what he did seem like a big deal. He wouldâve seen the task as his duty as a doctor first, friend second.
âSheâs lovely, by the way,â she commented when the silence stretched.
He didnât say anything beyond an inarticulate hmm.
Unbothered, Dolores continued. âFriendly, compassionate. She reminded me of you as an intern, but without the arrogance.â
Ethan quirked one brow.
âYour expression when she called you handsome?â She laughed, remembering the earlier exchange. âI wish Iâd had the presence of mind to take a picture so I could tease you with it later.â
âYouâre teasing me without it just fine now,â Ethan shot back testily but not really annoyed.
Dolores knew when he was seriously miffed. It was all in the clipped tone of his voice and the glacial look in his blue eyes.
âWell, I know that she finds you cute, has seen your mean side, and thinks youâre a bit of a recluse without any friends. And yet, she clearly isnât intimidated by any of it judging by how she voluntold you into a rescue mission.â
âHandsome.â
âWhat?â she asked with a perplexed look.
âShe asked if Iâd always been handsome. Not cute,â Ethan corrected.
Dolores hid a smile, but Ethan had always been too observant for most peopleâs peace of mind.
He sighed. âIâm just being accurate.â
She inwardly rolled her eyes and thought, Sure, Jan.
Seeing his discomfort, and because she was a good friend, she decided to change the subject.
âDid you get in touch with my sisters?â
âYeah. I spoke to Alma. Sheâs going to try to fly down tomorrow or the day after. She needs to make arrangements to be away from work.â
âThanks, Ethan. I know my sisters worry about me doing thisââshe nodded toward her bellyââalone, but Iâm okay. And so is my tadpole.â
Ethan thought back to the preliminary exam and the elevated blood pressureâthe one detail in her admission chart that had given him pause.
âThe lab should be back shortly with your results. We can discuss more then,â he said, tamping down his worry at what he suspected theyâd find.
Dolores must have sensed something amiss as she continued to stare at him. But she didnât push, and he was grateful.
âDo you have patients or can you stay a while?â she asked, a bit anxious now.
Ethan checked his wristwatch, mentally reviewed the work waiting for him, and made a quick decision.
âIâve got time.â
Doloresâs relieved sigh told him it was the right answer.
âGrab the remote, will you?â she said, adjusting her position. âIâm in the mood for fun.â
Ethan powered up the TV on the wall and pulled up the channel guide.
âLucky for us, Edenbrookâs channel selections include reruns of every show imaginable, whether we want to watch them or not.â
Dolores grinned. âSee if you can find a Doctor Who marathon.â
âStill determined to make a believer out of me?â Ethan said.
âWeâre called Whovians,â Dolores retorted. âBeing a believer is something an X-Files fan would care about.â
Ethan glanced at her. âWeâre called X-Philes, Dolores. With a p-h. Now Iâm the one offended.â
Dolores laughed out loud, and soon Ethan joined her.
âYouâre impossible.â
âSo, Iâve been told,â Ethan remarked easily.
âNow, thatâs something I can believe,â Dolores said, shaking her head in amusement.
Ethan simply winked, the grin on his lips reminding her that beneath the reputation, the intellect, and the intimidating glare was a lovable scoundrel who got away with far more than he should.
The man was a walking contradiction. Nothing would ever convince her otherwise.
