âhow to recognize AI in fanficâ â hey so this is another not-gentle reminder that AI stole from us. itâs using OUR words and OUR sentences and OUR styles.
writing âlongâ paragraphs is not a sign of AI â itâs a common narrative choice many writers make both in fanfiction and in traditionally published novels, and AI stole it from us.
using an em dash is not a sign of AI. itâs a stylistic sentence choice thatâs been an option in place of commas and semicolons for a very long time, and AI stole it from us.
long sentence structures are not a sign of AI, but are yet another stylistic choice writers often make to create a cadence and tone that mimics the flow of poetry, and AI stole it from us.
âYA narrative breaksâ? i donât even know what the fuck this means, but i can guarantee that AI stole it from us.
italics are once again a stylistic choice that many writers love to use to create emphasis, and itâs a more stylistically acceptable and traditional form of emphasis than bold or underline text. oh, and just to be extra clear: AI STOLE IT FROM US.
stop creating fandom witch hunts over AI when you know fuck all about what it means to sit and write a story, and to spend hours fiddling with sentence structure and dialogue to get the exact right tone. writers will stop writing out of fear that their work âsounds like AIâ â IT DOESNT! AI STOLE FROM US! AI SOUNDS LIKE US! â and after a while, all that will be available on AO3 is shitty AI-generated fanfiction.
because yeah, people are going to continue to use AI to write fanfiction whether you âcall them outâ or not. but making a laughable thread on X that uses asinine criteria is not going to fix that problem. it will just push the real writers out because people will accuse them of using AI when they havenât, and they will (rightfully) stop writing for spaces that attack them.
# my favourite part about this post # is that nowhere does it say to reblog this # but weâre all reblogging it # because if we have to suffer # so do other writers
Characters: Jay Halstead, Will Halstead, Ellie Halstead, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Connor Rhodes
Summary: Ellie gets a nasty migraine, causing her to end up at Med.
A/N: Based on a prompt sent to me by @chrisevansdaughter. Not exactly what you asked for but I hope you like it just as well.
Warnings: Vomiting (not graphic), symptoms of migraine
Ellie sighed as she looked out the window of her private jet and watched her hometown come into view. It was something she was grateful for as the stiffness in her neck was starting to intensify and she just wanted to get off the plane and back into her own apartment.
It had been several weeks, months even, for this last chunk of her tour and now the whole crew were headed home for a two month break between tour locations. Though Ellie loved her fans and the tour experience they were all having, she couldnât wait to be home with her family and friends for a while.
She looked up as the pilot put the seatbelts sign on for their landing and closed her eyes. Once she got home, sheâd feel better.
âŠ
The blonde groaned as she laid on the couch listening to her texts come through. Her neck had not gotten better when she got home. In fact, it had worsened into what she now knew was a gradually forming migraine.
She hated being sick, especially at times like this. Though she knew she was on break and could manage a few days of illness, there was something else entirely she couldnât handle. Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone rang, making her groan again.
âWhat?â
âSo thatâs how you answer the phone now?â
She rolled her eyes at Jayâs response, but winced as it shot tendrils of pain through her skull. âSorry, tired.â
He was silent for a second. âYou okay?â
Ellie sighed. This was why she couldnât afford to get sick. She had two overbearing older brothers breathing down her painfully stiff neck.
Before she could answer, however, the phone was pulled from her hands and she was lowered into a horizontal position. âDude, sheâs got a migraine, leave her be.â
Ellie smiled as her husband pulled the throw blanket up over her shoulders and kissed her forehead, all while hanging up on her brother. He knew she loved them, but also knew she hated how badly overprotective they were. She had pointed out on numerous occasions that he was the same way, but he simply shushed her by pointing out that he was her husband and it was his job.
âŠ
A few hours later, Ellie blinked and realized she had fallen asleep. Then she realized something was wrong. She squeezed her eyes shut again and breathed deeply, trying to stave off the nausea that had come on very suddenly.
She felt the couch dip and a hand run itself through her messy tendrils of hair before landing on her forehead. âNo.â
Mouse sighed. âBabeâŠâ
Without warning, Ellie jumped from the couch. Mouse immediately stood to steady her and then she was running for the bathroom. He winced as she threw up for several minutes then crouched as she leaned back against him.
âYou do not tell them about this.â
Here he winced again, an apologetic look in his eyes. âTheyâre already on their way over.â
Her eyes looked beyond betrayed. âWhat?â
He nodded. âWill called Jay to ask why we werenât answering and Jay told him about your migraine. They know how bad those can get for you and he wants to check on you.â
She groaned. âNoâŠâ
âHey, they havenât seen you in months. Theyâre worried. You canât blame them for that.â
Sighing, the blonde nodded. âI suppose. Take me back to the couch? I think I can take more medicine now.â
âAt least then maybe Iâll sleep through their visit.â She thought to herself.
âŠ
Ellie whimpered as she listened to the quiet voices at her front door. She adjusted the ice pack that was behind her neck and understood that sheâd have to be awake for Willâs medical check of her and her head, which had gotten increasingly worse since she woke up. Her medicine wasnât working, the lights were piercing her skull as if they were an icepick, and the ice, which was usually her saving grace, was making everything worse.
She knew what the boys would say but had no intention of listening.
She was an international superstar, after all. There was no way she could be seen in the hospital. The media, and her well-meaning fans, would go insane and that was the last thing she or her crew needed.
The minute he laid his eyes on her, Will sighed. âEllieâŠâ
âNo.â
He crouched and ran his hand over her forehead. âYouâre burning up.â
âItâs just a migraine. I need sleep and then Iâll be fine.â
Jay snorted. âHave you seen yourself? Iâm surprised youâre even stringing words together at this point.â
She tried to glare at Jay out of sibling instinct, but immediately cried out at the pain that and pressure that rushed her brain. Because of this, she missed the look that went between the three most important men in her life. She also missed Will moving out of the way and Jay picking up his phone as Mouse grabbed a blanket to drape over her.
âSorry, babe.â Mouse whispered as he lifted her up. âChoice is out of your hands now.â
âButâŠâ
âJayâs got security downstairs and heâs got Hailey calling Tree to get ahead of the media. Just breathe and focus on pushing that pain away.â Will said softly as they hurried out the door.
âI guess Iâm headed to Med anyway.â Ellie sighed and let her eyes slip shut.
âŠ
The next time she opened her eyes, she was aware that the lights her dimmed and a beeping noise was coming from her left. Realizing she had probably passed out from the pain, she squeezed Mouseâs hand, which was tightly held in her own, and sighed.
âWell, this sucks.â
A laugh came from next to her and she glared up at Connor. âHey. Youâre not supposed to laugh at your patients.â
He nodded. âFor you, Iâll make an exception. Welcome back.â
âDonât you ever scare me like that again.â Mouse told her.
Ellie nodded. âIâm sorry. Whatâs the verdict?â
âA migraine.â
Ellie blinked at her friend. âThatâs it? I could have told you that!â
âSee how youâre feeling better? Thatâs thanks to us. You needed heavier meds than your regular stuff this time. Itâs a good thing they brought you in when they did, or youâd have probably had to come by ambulance.â
Ellie shuddered at the thought. âDefinitely not how I want to make an entrance.â
âNo, Iâm guessing that would be by janitorâs cart.â Connor quipped.
âWill you be quiet? No one knows about that for sure.â She hissed.
This time, Jay laughed from the corner. âEl, everyone knows about that.â
She winced again, though this time it was from being caught. âYeah, I guess youâre probably right about that.â
Though she hated to admit it, she was lucky. Between her husband, her brothers, and her friend, she was able to get the help she needed and though she was sure it was all over the internet by now, all she cared about was that the pounding in her skull was gone. If it hadnât been for their hounding and overprotectiveness, it could have been worse and she was grateful it hadnât gotten that far.
âThanks, Connor.â
She watched as he left and then turned to the other three men. âSo, when can we go home?â
Rolling his eyes, Will smiled. âDo you guys really hate the hospital that much?â
âYes.â She and Jay answered together.
âFine, fine. Iâll get you those discharge papers from Connor or Maggie.â As he walked out he ducked back inside the room. âAnd maybe a janitorâs cart to get you out of here as well.â
âShut up!â She laughed and shook her head.
Even when she was sick, she could count on her brothers to make fun of her. That, at least, made her feel normal for the first time since being home.
Characters: Jay Halstead, Hailey Upton, Will Halstead, Ellie Halstead, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Charlie Gerwitz
Summary: One dinner invitation causes Jay to worry that something is wrong with Ellie. His sister has other ideas.
A/N: I don't think there are any trigger warnings needed for this story, but if you guys find any, PLEASE let me know immediately.
âYou seriously need to calm down.â
âDid you just quote my sister?â
Hailey rolled her eyes as she and Jay approached Ellieâs home for their planned dinner. Sheâd asked Will and the two of them to come over for dinner, and Jay had been suspicious ever since.
âIâm just saying, every time she asks us to come over for dinner while sheâs doing the cooking, sheâs either asking for help, asking us to watch Charlie, or announcing something.â He rang the bell, and his eyes went wide. âOh God, you donât think sheâs pregnant again? Or what if she and Mouse are separating?â
âNeither.â Ellie shook her head as she pulled the door open and ushered them in quickly as a cameraâs flash could be seen across the street. âAnnoying ass paparazziâŠâ
Jay, to his credit, winced slightly. âSorry, I just know something is up, and you arenât telling us something.â
The youngest Halstead chuckled. âAll in due time, brother. All in due time. Now, come on! Willâs already in the kitchen with Mouse and Charlie.â
She led them into the room and poured them drinks as everyone greeted each other. Then she picked up her wine and smiled as she watched her brothers interact with their niece.
She was stirring the onions and garlic in a pan when she felt two arms go around her waist, and her smile grew bigger. âTo what do I owe this pleasure?â
Mouse shrugged. âI just think youâre amazing.â
âIn what aspect?â
âIn every aspect.â
Turning to face her husband, Ellie kissed him. âGood answer.â
âŠ
Voices carried around the table as the group ate their dinnerâor, in Charlieâs case, squished it in her handsâand caught up on life. Between Willâs long shifts at Med, Ellieâs recent uptick in meetings, and everyone else having tough cases at the district, it had been a while since theyâd gotten a chance to get together.
âOkay, I have to ask since someone asked me at the hospital the other day.â Will cleared his throat. âYouâve put out five different albums since the pandemic started.â
Ellie blinked. âThatâs not a question.â
âWhat I think he means is, what are you planning on doing for them?â Hailey asked. âItâs been a while since your last concert, and I, for one, would love another.â
Glancing at Mouse, Ellie lifted her wine glass and smirked. âWell, it just so happens you may be in luck.â
âWait, what?â Will asked. âFor which album?â
âHeâs got a point, El.â Jay shrugged as Hailey hit his arm gently. âAll Iâm saying is that you have five albums to cover. What, are you going to do one big show for all your albums and have it be like three hours long?â
Swallowing the sip of wine she took, Ellie nodded. âYep. Itâs going to be called âThe Eras Tour,â and Iâm hoping Iâll see all of you there.â
All three mouths opened wide for a moment before Hailey recovered.
âHolyâŠshit.â
âShit!â
The adults laughed at Charlieâs contribution to the conversation but kept their eyes on Ellie.
âHow would that even work?â Will wondered.
His sister sighed and sat back in her chair. âIâm going to perform select songs from each of my quote-unquote âeras.â So basically, a few songs from each one of my albums.â
âBut just the five youâve put out recently, right?â
The blonde shook her head. âNope. All of them.â
âLike I saidâŠisnât she incredible?â Mouse grinned and kissed her hand.
âI knew you were up to something!â
âI always am.â Ellie shot him a grin. âYou know my brainâŠit never stops.â
âNeither does your mouthâŠâ Jay mumbled.
âWhat was that?â His sister questioned, though both knew she had heard him perfectly.
âNothing!â He gave her a sarcastic smile, and Hailey shook her head at the siblings.
âŠ
After dinner, Mouse brought dessert as Ellie put Charlie to bed. Once she rejoined them, everyone sat around the living room, asking questions about the tour and any surprises she was ready to share with them.
She wasnât budging on those just yet, so Hailey changed the subject.
âSee, babe? I told you nothing bad was going to happen.â
Will furrowed his brow. âYou thought something bad was going to happen?â
Ellie nodded and grabbed Mouseâs hand. âYeah, he thought Mouse and I might be splitting up.â
The soldier choked on the drink heâd just taken a sip of and looked at his best friend. âWhat? You really think that of us?â
Jayâs neck turned pink in embarrassment. âNo, of course not! I justâŠI meanâŠâ
Hailey, taking pity on her husband, put a hand on his arm to shut him up. âWhat he means is that he loves you both and doesnât ever want anything to happen to you guys because youâre perfect together.â
Ellieâs smile softened at the statement. âI knowâŠI just love teasing him.â
âItâs unfair, is what it is,â Will told her. âWeâre older than you.â
âUnfair, is it? How about âpaybackâ.â
âPayback? When have we ever made fun of you?â The redhead feigned surprise.
Ellie rolled her eyes. âOh sure, play the confusion card. Maybe we should go to Med and get you checked for amnesia?â
âFunny, El. Really, funny.â
She shrugged. âItâs who I am.â
âNo, who you are is a global superstar with no idea how to just relax and take a break.â Jay reminded her.
âOh, please. I am very capable of relaxing. Itâs not like this tour is going to last forever.â
âŠ
Two years later, during her last bow of The Eras Tour, Ellie shook her head and sighed. It had been such a wild ride, one she would never forget, but she was exhausted and ready to settle down with her family for a while.
She waited as the lift in the stage brought her down to the floor below before running to her husband and toddler to engulf them in a big hug.
âYou were amazing, baby,â Mouse told her with a wide grin.
âThis was amazing, and Iâll miss every second of it.â She told him honestly.
âBut?â When she looked up at him, he clarified. âYou look like you have a âbutâ coming in that statement.â
She smiled. âYou know me too well. I was going to say that this was amazing, and Iâll miss every second of itâŠbut maybe Jay was right. Itâs time to take a break and relax a little.â
Mouse gave her a small smile as they walked to her dressing room. He knew she intended on taking a break after the tour, but he also knew his wife and her personality. She still had a few albums to rerelease and definitely had more music sheâd written both on paper and in her head.
âThatâs great, babe. Iâm looking forward to it.â
Wow. Itâs been a minute, huh? Life has beenâŠnot easy over the last few many months and Iâve strayed from my writing.
But thanks to that oneshot I wrote recently I feel the pull to get back to it!
Now, I do have some bachelorette parties and my sisterâs wedding out of the country coming up so I donât know how often Iâll be able to post, but Iâm hoping to be more active in the coming months.
Things Iâm hoping to do soon:
âąat least one more Ellie oneshot
âąmore Ellie Instagram posts
âąupdate my Supergirl/One Chicago story and my Supergirl/Umbrella Academy story on AO3
âąfinish writing both story 1 of my Supergirl/One Chicago series and story 11 of my Supergirl/MCU series
Anyway, I hope this finds you all well and I promise to get back to everything soon. My mental health has been shit but also needs this to keep going so Iâm hoping I can get going soon.
synopsis: You wipe out while doing Girls on Fire, Kidd makes Kelly call your brother.
The first time you were introduced to Firehouse 51 was when Jay took you to a game and Kidd and Severiade were there. It was almost like Jay and Severiade were copies of each other, with the same sense of humour and attitude. Kidd had taken you under her wing, explaining what was happening at the game while Jay and Severiade cheered. When the game ended Stella encouraged you to drop by the Firehouse sometime to meet everyone else, seeming that everyone at Med and the district were all close.
You took Stella up on that, stopping by when they were on shift with baking. Normally you would take it to Jay or Will at work but they were both too busy today to stop and talk. When you wandered through the doors into the break room, immediately Stella jumped up to greet you.
In her Milwaukee accent, she declared, "This is Y/N Halstead! She's welcome here whenever." She said the last bit to you, grinning. She quickly went around the room rattling off the names of everyone.
You smiled, holding up your container, "I bought brownies."
Cruz got up from the table and mockingly raising his hands like he was thanking the lord, "You're a saint."
It became some kind of routine, often you would bake something a week, dropping it to the district and to the firehouse. They were always excited to see you; soon it became exactly how intelligence treated you. Like you had gotten a bunch of aunt and uncles overnight, who all cared about you.
Eventually, Stella convinced you to join Girls on Fire, roping Kylie into convincing you it was a fun program. Kylie told you about how Stella annoyed her until she committed to staying in Girls on Fire and now she was helping run it. When you joined, you loved it. It was nice to be around other girls who were like you and also be training in a fun way.
When Jay would pick you up after, he was always amused by how excited you were to tell him about what happened. Will was also impressed with the first aid they were teaching. He teased you about how he had tried to teach you and you didn't care, but now when it was someone else you were interested.
"That's because you suck at teaching," You replied.
Girls on fire was normally cancelled when it snowed, but today it had been on and off so Stella said she'd find something to do on the apparatus floor. Boden allowed Stella to park the squad and truck rigs on the driveway so you could use the floor. After a while of running around in turnout gear, you all started to complain about being overheated. Kylie had said something smart about getting used to the feeling if you wanted to actually fight a fire. Kidd had agreed, but opened one of the doors anyway so that there was some airflow.
There was a little snow here and there, but mostly clear. Jay had said that morning it was typical spring, somewhere in the middle of everything. The group was doing hose drills when your partner lost control of the spiralled hose. It slipped out of her hands and down the driveway. You all laughed and you went to grab it. Your partner had mixed up the couplings, meaning you could easily do a shoulder roll as you gathered up the hose. Kidd cheered on your technique, explaining what you were doing as you went. You held one arm around the hose and jogged back towards the group. As you headed back, you hit black ice. You felt yourself falling face first and threw your unoccupied arm out to stop your fall. When your palm hit the ground, your wrist buckled and you could almost feel the break.
You dropped the hose, immediately snatching your wrist to your chest and letting out a string of hushed curses.
Kidd came jogging over, "You good?"
You groaned, "Peachy," you gave her a thumbs up with your good hand.
Kidd chuckled, she offered you a hand up. You let her pull you up, groaning with the jolt in your wrist.
"Let me take a look," Kidd offered, she gently rolled up the sleeve on the turnout coak and looked at your wrist. It had swollen up to twice its size and turned bruised.
You screwed up your face, "Just my luck."
"I think you broke it," Kidd chuckled, amused by how irritated you looked. "Might have to get you to med,"
She walked you back towards the Firehouse, now more careful of the ground. When you got inside, Brett and Violet were waiting with Boden and Kelly. Boden gave permission for Violet and Brett to take you to Med, seeming it was easier than calling your brother. Violet and Kidd helped you out of the turnout gear then jumped into the back of the ambulance with you.
As you were pulling out onto the street, Kidd asked if you had your phone.
"Crap," you cursed, patting your pockets, "I left it in my bag at the station."
Violet laughed, "Worrying about breaking your phone but not your wrist?"
Kidd laughed, "I'll call kelly."
Jay answered his phone on the second ring, "Halstead."
"Hey Jay," Kelly spoke from the other end, "Kidd asked me to call you-"
"Is everything okay?" Jay interupted.
"Uh-" Kelly hesitated, the silence allowed Jay to hear the blearing of the dispatch bells through the phone, "Kidd, Sylvie and Violet took Y/N to Med- look, I gotta go, I'm sorry. Kidd will meet you at med." Kelly rushed through his words, hanging up so that he could respond to the call.
Jay slowly put down his phone, a frown. If you were hurt you would have called him, but why would Kidd be taking you to Med if you weren't hurt?
"Who was that?" Kevin asked as he walked past Jay's desk.
"Kelly Severiade," Jay responded, "He said Y/N's been taken to med."
"What?" Hailey quickly walked over, "Why?"
"He didn't say," Jay came to his senses, grabbing his keys and phone, "Just that Kidd was taking her to Med with Sylvie and Violet."
Voight caught the tail end of the conversation, urging the team to pack up so they could all go to Med for support. He could tell from the look on everyone's faces how they were all quietly worried.
Jay had to hold back the urge to flick on the lights and sirens. and speed across town to Med.
Will could hardly control his laugh when he watched you walk into Med, cradling your arm.
"Laugh it up, William," You scolded, letting him help you onto the bed in an exam room.
"I will," He chuckled, gesturing for you to give him your arm so he could look at it.
You pouted, "Can't I have a decent doctor?"
Will rolled his eyes dramatically.
"I doubt you'll find one here," Maggie said as she walked in, coming to stand at your good side with a hand on her hip, "What have you done to yourself?"
You grinned sheepishly, unable to find the words.
Kidd came to your rescue from the doorway, explaining how you managed to wipe out and land on your wrist. And then going on to explain how you left your phone in your bag so you couldn't call Will or Jay before.
"Let's get an X-ray for that wrist then," Will said, watching Maggie type it into her tablet, "It's probably broken so we'll put a call into ortho to get it casted."
Maggie nodded along, putting her tablet away and propping your wrist on a pillow and placing an ice pack over it.
"Ortho is backed up, it might be awhile before they get down here."
"You can use that time to think of what colour cast you want," Will said with a playful grin. He let you know that he would have to check on a few different patients but he would be back to see the X-rays and check on you later.
Kidd took a seat next to you, smiling and asking how you felt.
"Like an idiot," You replied, "You always warn us to be careful and I had to go breaking my arm."
Kidd laughed, "Hey, at least you got us out of the firehouse for a bit."
You smiled, watching Sylvie and Violet come over to the door after stocking up the ambo and making a hot coco trip.
Sylvie put a cup on the tray next to you, "Hot coco for you."
"Thanks," You replied, cradling it with your good hand.
Violet jokingly ruffled your hair, "Anything for our favourite patient."
You laughed, bidding your goodbyes after they said that they had to leave for the firehouse. Kidd asked you to keep her updated and even if you couldn't do girls on fire, you should still come along. You said you would, you could stand on the sidelines and cheer like her and Kylie.
You were left alone for a little while before Will finally returned with the X Ray tech.
Will showed you the Xray on the screen, "Well it's definitely broken."
"Oh thanks, doc," You scowled, "I couldn't tell."
Will laughed, taking a seat and leaning on the bed while you spoke with the Ortho resident. The resident offered you your pick of four colours and you had made Will choose because you couldn't. Will had immediately chosen Black and you scoffed, 'No way.'
You almost hit the roof when Jay came running into the room. He looked terrified and completely out of breath. He stood staring at you and Will for a moment, then the rest of Intelligence came barreling in after him.
"Hello," You said slowly, confused why they were all there.
"Kelly called," Jay said.
"I forgot my phone at the firehouse, Kidd didn't have your number," You said sheepishly.
Jay let out a sigh, "I thought you were seriously hurt."
Will was laughing quietly, "Why didn't you call me?"
Jay frowned, "I tried," He argued, "You didn't pick up."
Wills smile fell, "oh,"
You burst out laughing, "Wow, one job big brother."
Jay turned back to his team, telling them they could go seeming you clearly weren't about to die. He came around the bed and took a seat at the end.
He gestured to your arm which was now cast in bright yellow, "What happened?"
You waved your casted wrist around, "Broke my wrist."
Jay shook his head in disbelief, "How did you manage that?"
"I slipped on black ice," You shrugged.
Jay looked a little disappointed, "Of course you did."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Will smiled, "He only means you aren't always the most sure footed."
You faked being offended, "Are you calling me a clutz?"
"Yes," Both your brothers replied.
Will and Jay laughed as you crossed your arms and sunk into the bed with a pout, "Thanks a lot."
Characters: Jay Halstead, Will Halstead, Ellie Halstead, Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz, Connor Rhodes
Summary: Ellie gets a nasty migraine, causing her to end up at Med.
A/N: Based on a prompt sent to me by @chrisevansdaughter. Not exactly what you asked for but I hope you like it just as well.
Warnings: Vomiting (not graphic), symptoms of migraine
Ellie sighed as she looked out the window of her private jet and watched her hometown come into view. It was something she was grateful for as the stiffness in her neck was starting to intensify and she just wanted to get off the plane and back into her own apartment.
It had been several weeks, months even, for this last chunk of her tour and now the whole crew was headed home for a two month break between tour locations. Though Ellie loved her fans and the tour experience they were all having, she couldnât wait to be home with her family and friends for a while.
She looked up as the pilot put the seatbelts sign on for their landing and closed her eyes. Once she got home, sheâd feel better.
âŠ
The blonde groaned as she laid on the couch listening to her texts come through. Her neck had not gotten better when she got home. In fact, it had worsened into what she now knew was a gradually forming migraine.
She hated being sick, especially at times like this. Though she knew she was on break and could manage a few days of illness, there was something else entirely she couldnât handle. Just as the thought crossed her mind, her phone rang, making her groan again.
âWhat?â
âSo thatâs how you answer the phone now?â
She rolled her eyes at Jayâs response, but winced as it shot tendrils of pain through her skull. âSorry, tired.â
He was silent for a second. âYou okay?â
Ellie sighed. This was why she couldnât afford to get sick. She had two overbearing older brothers breathing down her painfully stiff neck.
Before she could answer, however, the phone was pulled from her hands and she was lowered into a horizontal position. âDude, sheâs got a migraine, leave her be.â
Ellie smiled as her husband pulled the throw blanket up over her shoulders and kissed her forehead, all while hanging up on her brother. He knew she loved them, but also knew she hated how badly overprotective they were. She had pointed out on numerous occasions that he was the same way, but he simply shushed her by pointing out that he was her husband and it was his job.
âŠ
A few hours later, Ellie blinked and realized she had fallen asleep. Then she realized something was wrong. She squeezed her eyes shut again and breathed deeply, trying to stave off the nausea that had come on very suddenly.
She felt the couch dip and a hand run itself through her messy tendrils of hair before landing on her forehead. âNo.â
Mouse sighed. âBabeâŠâ
Without warning, Ellie jumped from the couch. Mouse immediately stood to steady her and then she was running for the bathroom. He winced as she threw up for several minutes then crouched as she leaned back against him.
âYou do not tell them about this.â
Here he winced again, an apologetic look in his eyes. âTheyâre already on their way over.â
Her eyes looked beyond betrayed. âWhat?â
He nodded. âWill called Jay to ask why we werenât answering and Jay told him about your migraine. They know how bad those can get for you and he wants to check on you.â
She groaned. âNoâŠâ
âHey, they havenât seen you in months. Theyâre worried. You canât blame them for that.â
Sighing, the blonde nodded. âI suppose. Take me back to the couch? I think I can take more medicine now.â
âAt least then maybe Iâll sleep through their visit.â She thought to herself.
âŠ
Ellie whimpered as she listened to the quiet voices at her front door. She adjusted the ice pack that was behind her neck and understood that sheâd have to be awake for Willâs medical check of her and her head, which had gotten increasingly worse since she woke up. Her medicine wasnât working, the lights were piercing her skull as if they were an icepick, and the ice, which was usually her saving grace, was making everything worse.
She knew what the boys would say but had no intention of listening.
She was an international superstar, after all. There was no way she could be seen in the hospital. The media, and her well-meaning fans, would go insane and that was the last thing she or her crew needed.
The minute he laid his eyes on her, Will sighed. âEllieâŠâ
âNo.â
He crouched and ran his hand over her forehead. âYouâre burning up.â
âItâs just a migraine. I need sleep and then Iâll be fine.â
Jay snorted. âHave you seen yourself? Iâm surprised youâre even stringing words together at this point.â
She tried to glare at Jay out of sibling instinct, but immediately cried out at the pain that and pressure that rushed her brain. Because of this, she missed the look that went between the three most important men in her life. She also missed Will moving out of the way and Jay picking up his phone as Mouse grabbed a blanket to drape over her.
âSorry, babe.â Mouse whispered as he lifted her up. âChoice is out of your hands now.â
âButâŠâ
âJayâs got security downstairs and heâs got Hailey calling Tree to get ahead of the media. Just breathe and focus on pushing that pain away.â Will said softly as they hurried out the door.
âI guess Iâm headed to Med anyway.â Ellie sighed and let her eyes slip shut.
âŠ
The next time she opened her eyes, she was aware that the lights were dimmed and a beeping noise was coming from her left. Realizing she had probably passed out from the pain, she squeezed Mouseâs hand, which was tightly held in her own, and sighed.
âWell, this sucks.â
A laugh came from next to her and she glared up at Connor. âHey. Youâre not supposed to laugh at your patients.â
He nodded. âFor you, Iâll make an exception. Welcome back.â
âDonât you ever scare me like that again.â Mouse told her.
Ellie nodded. âIâm sorry. Whatâs the verdict?â
âA migraine.â
Ellie blinked at her friend. âThatâs it? I could have told you that!â
âSee how youâre feeling better? Thatâs thanks to us. You needed heavier meds than your regular stuff this time. Itâs a good thing they brought you in when they did, or youâd have probably had to come by ambulance.â
Ellie shuddered at the thought. âDefinitely not how I want to make an entrance.â
âNo, Iâm guessing that would be by janitorâs cart.â Connor quipped.
âWill you be quiet? No one knows about that for sure.â She hissed.
This time, Jay laughed from the corner. âEl, everyone knows about that.â
She winced again, though this time it was from being caught. âYeah, I guess youâre probably right about that.â
Though she hated to admit it, she was lucky. Between her husband, her brothers, and her friend, she was able to get the help she needed and though she was sure it was all over the internet by now, all she cared about was that the pounding in her skull was gone. If it hadnât been for their hounding and overprotectiveness, it could have been worse and she was grateful it hadnât gotten that far.
âThanks, Connor.â
She watched as he left and then turned to the other three men. âSo, when can we go home?â
Rolling his eyes, Will smiled. âDo you guys really hate the hospital that much?â
âYes.â She and Jay answered together.
âFine, fine. Iâll get you those discharge papers from Connor or Maggie.â As he walked out he ducked back inside the room. âAnd maybe a janitorâs cart to get you out of here as well.â
âShut up!â She laughed and shook her head.
Even when she was sick, she could count on her brothers to make fun of her. That, at least, made her feel normal for the first time since being home.
Hey hun hope youâre doing well, Iâm loving the Halstead sister fics!
I was wondering if it was possible you could do some jay and will fluff with Ellie where sheâs got a migraine and itâs setting off her sensory issues, but she doesnât want to tell her brothers because she doesnât want them to go all âdoctor modeâ and âbad copâ but it gets so bad she really canât drink or see because of the photophobia (the sensitivity to lights) so will ends having to go all doctor because her normal meds arenât working which normally make her sleepy so she can sleep it off. But they know her and know itâs in her best interest to go to med even though she hates it. So they get Connor to treat her because he knows how bad it can get so itâs brother and Connor fluff.
Hoping that makes sense thank you so much girl, have a good one đ«¶đ»
Thank you so much for the prompt. I love it. I will try to get to it as soon as I can. My sister gets married in early December so weâre in heavy wedding mode around here but I will definitely try and make time to write this.
Come into a fandom late. Leave early. Write 100 fics. Write 1. Write none. Read every single fic written in your fandom. Read only your OTP. Write only your OTP. Write every pairing under the sun. Make gifs just for your friends. Make gifs to share with everyone. Make art. Make nothing.
Cheerlead from afar and keep to yourself. Join a groupchat. Yell about headcanons with your friends. Leave kudos. Leave comments. Make fic recs. Bookmark everything. Read or watch and then forget it.
Treat canon like gospel. Treat canon like a dumpster fire. Only read/write/art coffeeshop AUs. Decide your corner will be all hurt no comfort. Decide your corner will be all fluff no angst.
Fandom isn't one size fits all, and there is no one right way to do it. So find what works for you, and don't worry about all of the outside noise. It doesn't matter how everyone else does fandom.
Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the âdirectorâs commentaryâ on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines.Â
Or, send in a âstarâ to have the author select a section theyâve been dying to talk about!
and think, "This'll be a fun little thing to read while I wait."
And then you read it and you're fundamentally changed as a person and you're left staring off into the middle distance as you contemplate life and love and connection and what it all means?