And the nominees are:
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Author
and story
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Scene
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| "Boys,"
he stated and added "girl" as Lou looked up at him.
"I hope you all learned a lesson from all this." "All what?" Jimmy asked irritated, sensing another sermon approaching. "About the perils of blind devotion." "Excuse me?" Lou rebutted, "blind what?" "Blind devotion my dear," Teaspoon smiled, "you were all too wrapped up in your beliefs to see the truth behind it all." "What did you put in his coffee Rachel?" Jimmy let out in an irritated snarl. Noah had to hide behind his back while laughing silently. Cody peered at Noah from across the table and they both had to bow their heads, both holding their breaths to placate the threatening laughter. They sensed it somehow wouldn't be appropriate to burst into hysterical laughter right now. "Now listen up all, I'll start with you Jimmy. You had blind devotion in yourself. If you would have waited for Kid and Lou and not run off by yourself halfcocked you wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with. Am I right son?" Jimmy stared blankly at him. "I think you mean blind faith Teaspoon, not devotion." "Sometimes that can be just the same, son. Don't interrupt me now, I have a lot to say." Kid moaned theatrically. Teaspoon turned to him. "Oh I'll get to you in just a minute. Jimmy, when you need help you gotta ask for it and allow people to help you. You can't go off all on yourself and cause damage. Your devotion to do it all by yourself ended up in you almost getting killed. Enough said, son?" "Yes please!" Buck whined from the far end of the table. Teaspoon ignored him and turned to Cody. "Son, I admire the way you stood up for the pastor, but in doing that you closed your eyes to the truth. You got confused about who your real friends were, you were blinded by the dazzling grandeur and forgot the small tokens that constitutes real friendship. Think about that son!" "I'm trying Teaspoon, I'm really trying." A confused Cody nodded while casting desperate glances around the table to get some help in the interpretation of Teaspoon's sermon. "Same goes for you Lou," the Stationmanager added sternly. "Me? What did I do?" "Well let me see...you ran away from here to there, then you ran away from there to here. I'd say you were blinded by your devotion to finding trouble." Lou's eyes almost popped out. She leaned in to the Kid. "Jimmy's right, I think he's had one too many!" Kid chuckled, drawing Teaspoon's attention to him. "Uh Kid..." Kid tried to make himself invisible. "You were blinded by your devotion to righteousness. See sometimes what we think is right turns out to be wrong. Or the other way around." Kid peered at the stationmaster. "Teaspoon, I think your blinded by your devotion to lengthy speeches." "Sarcasm suits you about as well as that nose of yours son," Teaspoon remarked as the riders tried to hide their bubbling laughter. They were just about to die when Teaspoon rose to his feet and stretched his arms lazily. "I think I have made myself clear, now I'm gonna devote myself to some sleep." As the door closed behind him the riders burst out in a loud cackling laughter lead by Noah that had given in to the spasm and was shaking while leaning onto the table. Even Rachel had to sit down and laugh. Tears running down their faces they howled helplessly. "It's all my fault," Rachel laughed, "I told him to learn one new word a day. And I gave him this book..." With a squeal Rachel sank her head to the table and joined the others in their howling mirth. "Let's find it and free him of it," Noah whined breathlessly, "let's all blindly devote ourselves to that!"
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Dana
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| Jack stared at the
clean lines of Jimmy's profile, fixing him into her memory, every detail:
his cautious smile, his thin lips, the way his eyes tilted down at the corners,
his laughter, the comfort of his company, his loyalty. 'Oh, God, you'll
go on all day if you keep this up,' she thought reproachfully.
"What are you thinkin' about?" His voice was low, playful.
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Katta
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at Lady of an Era and on The FanFicList |
"Make
sure you save some for Buck, boys," Teaspoon said. >That means you Cody The boys all laughed as Cody reached for another biscuit. "A man's gotta eat," he protested. "'Sides, there's plenty for Buck." "Jimmy, take the plates to the stream and wash them," Teaspoon said. "I'm gonna get me a few minutes of shut eye until Buck comes back." He sat back against a tree, stretched his legs out in front of him, pulled his hat over his eyes, and was soon snoring loudly. Jimmy gathered up the plates, complaining loudly the whole time. "Its not enough that I do the cooking but I'm expected to clean up after these slobs too. And they don't even offer to help, the lazy-good-for-nothing..." "Hickok, you sound just like a woman." Cody threw a handful of dirt at him. "Quit your bellyachin' and get those dishes done." "Cody, I have half a mind to shoot you right now," Jimmy threatened. "Boys, keep it down. I'm tryin' to sleep over here," Teaspoon bellowed. "Jimmy, go get those dishes washed. As for you Cody, there are plenty of repairs that needs done around the station. I'll have Rachel put you to work soon as we get back." Jimmy laughed while Cody pouted, and Teaspoon just shook his head, pulled his hat back over his eyes, and resumed his snoring. |
Dana Beth |
| She laughed heartily at Kid's foul
face as he rose from the dusty ground, angrily eyeing the beast that had
placed him there. "You wanna a helpin' hand, Kid?" she teased him from her
elevated position as Teaspoon smiled at her. "I'm sure that can be arranged Lou! Why don't you get down here..." "She's not doin' anything," Kid replied with a glance over Lou's shoulder, "'cause here comes Rachel and she don't look happy..." Lou looked at him with a frightened look in her eyes and in her haste to get of the fence, she got caught and it ended with her sprawled on the ground fighting to get on her feet. Kid walked over and offered her a helping hand. Lou rose and looked bewildered around for a furious Rachel. "Got'cha," Kid murmured in her ear. |
Starbright |
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at Ponnyexpressen,
Saddles
'n' Spurs and on The
FanFicList |
All four of them turned to stare
at the object that Cody was approaching. It set just inside the bunk door
and none of them had seen anything like it. Cody tapped it with his foot,
then lifted it up to study it closer. It felt almost weightless and made
a crinkling sound as he squeezed it. "Just looks like a new tin can to me." Jimmy commented. "Probably from Tompkin's store." "This ain't like no tin I've ever seen. A shot would completely destroy it. Even Kid wouldn't get a second shot." Buck felt that shiver again as walked over and took the item from Cody. He turned it around in his hand, looking at all the words. "Co Ca Co La," he read slowly. "Sounds like an Indian word," Kid remarked, "anything you recognize Buck?" Buck shook his head and continued to study it. "It says Charlotte, North Carolina right here on it too. Ya'll know anyone from around there?" "Give me that." Jimmy snatched it from Buck. The can crushed even more in Jimmy's strong hands. He tossed it in the air and caught it. "Yep, it's light as a feather and it sure is shiny." "Look at you boys, " Lou snapped, "you're tearing it up, ruining it!" Cody, meanwhile, noticed something else on the floor next to where he found the can. He bent, studied it a moment, and picked it up. "Look at this, it's like paper, but you can see right through it! It's kinda sticky too." Cody looked irritated at having got it on his hands. He shoved the flimsy object at Buck. This time Lou moved over for a closer inspection. "What's that written on it?" Buck studied it carefully, "Twin Key? 'Cept they spelt it wrong." |
Kim
Roberts |
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By ten o'clock I could have cheerfully strangled her by her
tiny little neck. By ten after I was besottedly in love.
It started when she spotted the game of checkers on the
mantlepiece. "Let's play," she said. |
Lily
Shannon |
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Skyfire
At Ponnyexpressen, and at The Buck Stop |
When Kid walked into the house a half hour later, Lou was
asleep at the table in the kitchen, his head pillowed
on his arms atop the table. Kid tried to make as little
noise as possible as he dragged the metal tub into the
middle of the kitchen floor. Around the third bucket of
water, Lou stirred from his nap. He sat up slowly as Kid
poured the bucket in the tub, "Kid?" Kid nearly ran into Jimmy on his way out of Emma's. "Watch
it!" Lou took Katy's reins from Kid, "Welcome back Kid, good ride?"
The instant he was off Katy's back and staring into Lou's
eyes, Kid was back to worrying. "Huh? Oh, the ride...fine,
just fine." Kid looked between Buck and Ike, there was something missing
in the translation. "Her?" He asked softly. Jimmy threw
his hand over Kid's mouth as the doctor looked up. "Shut
up Kid, the doctor don't know." |
Joan |
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After a heated rock, paper, scissors tournament, Jimmy finally
admitted defeat and approached the wriggling baby with
a distrustful eye. He stepped carefully as if expecting
the infant to be on the offensive. As he neared, the baby
let loose a happy shriek that pierced both men's eardrums.
Jimmy winced and moved closer.
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Charla |
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Leaning against the wall, Teaspoon watched the young woman as she walked
over to Jimmy, who had been on his way over to the bunkhouse. |
Sid |
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| : "Not so hard, really. Just let me make
my own decisions, and you and I will get along just fine." Having said
that, Lou did not wait for Kid to open the door for her, but opened it herself
and unceremoniously hopped in, buckling herself in.
Kid's fingers rapped softly on the window. Reaching for the handle, Lou maneuvered the window to whisper softly down into place. "Yes?" He was grinning, an infectious, highly amused smirk that touched Lou's nerves just a bit. He cleared his throat. "Just thought I'd warn you -- the turn indicator's a bit dodgy; you might have a bit of bother with it." "I beg your pardon?" "The turn indicator." Kid pointed. "It's a tad unreliable.
Give it a good tug and you should be all right." Lou followed the direction of his extended finger, and for the first time noted the steering wheel directly in front of her. She stared at it for a moment, uncomprehending. "The turn indicator?" she murmured to herself. Kid's curly head ducked a little lower. They were eye to eye, and his were dancing, enjoying the little scenario unforgivably. "I reckon you shouldn't have any trouble with London traffic at this hour, but would you like directions?" Lou stared again at the steering wheel. It was there, on her side. The right side, the passenger side. She wondered bemusedly why Kid had bought a car with such a flaw. Suddenly hours of 'Masterpiece Theatre' and BBC news registered with Lou. She glared at Kid. "Shut up and let me out of the car." For a moment, her ears burned with mortification, and she couldn't look
at him, hear him laughing, without wanting to deck him. He was just so
damn smug about it! After a minute though, she began to see the humor in it, and a slow smile worked its way over her lips. She leaned back against the car and crossed her arms over her wrinkled blouse. "All right, all right," she relented. "Pretty funny, I know." Kid's laughter was fading, but not his grin. Obviously this was an anecdote he was going to remember and enjoy for a long, long time. "Your face...you were looking at that steering wheel like you were trying to work out what the hell it was doing there and how you could get it back on its proper side." "I was," Lou admitted, running her hands over her face and sighing deeply. "God knows I've seen enough television to know your steering wheels are on the opposite side, but for some reason it just didn't click." "Jet lag, Louise. It'll get you every time." "This doesn't mean I'm changing my mind about going to the station! I still have every intention of reporting for work today." Kid saluted her mockingly. "Aye-aye, Captain. Message received." |
Lisa
R I really think Sid's words are enough motivation, but this whole scene just had me chuckling. She gave a perfect set-up - modern Louise being just like Express Louise when it comes to Kid, trying to get her way and be a strong woman. She gave fantastic descriptive words - to the point where I could picture the car, picture Lou in it, hear Kid laughing and see her mortified face. I loved this whole scene and it will be one I remember for a long time. |
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| DCAmy I found it highly amusing when bad boy kidnapper Rafferty Nolan is making snow angels on his way out to the barn to feed his horse. And it was made even better by the fact that Lou,his hostage, sees him and is laughing her head off inside the house. Great comic scene in the midst of a not so great situation for Lou... |
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