{"id":49645,"date":"2024-10-14T14:52:41","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T18:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=49645"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:37:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:37:15","slug":"my-only-guiding-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=49645","title":{"rendered":"My Only Guiding Light (by HarpistforHim)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Summary: <\/strong>Joe let himself smile for half a second before sobering and shaking his head. \u201cI\u2019ve known you a long time and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen you like this. Maybe you got this way when I was too young to notice or wasn\u2019t around to remember, but\u2026 I don\u2019t know, seeing you down here tonight all alone, I sort of got worried.\u201d Or, after Laura Dayton&#8217;s departure, Joe finds his oldest brother in need of some consolation. A WHN for the &#8220;Triangle.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Word Count: 2,316\u00a0 \u00a0Rating: PG<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Author&#8217;s Note: This is a What Happened Next for the &#8220;Triangle&#8221; and is rated for excessive alcohol use. The title comes from Mumford &amp; Sons&#8217; song &#8220;Guiding Light.&#8221; Enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He\u2019d never seen his brother drunk before.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sure, the three of them had overindulged a handful of times when they were younger. But to be fair, Joe had been too wasted himself to remember seeing Adam have anything but half-hidden signs of a hangover the morning after.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It had already been a restless night and Joe was half-awake when he heard a crash echo downstairs. The sleepy part of his brain told him that Adam would get it, Pa and Hoss being out of town on business. The other part of him jolted upright, now wide awake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He expected to see a broken window and maybe have to do some shooting at whoever had decided to trespass at such an hour\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead, he rounded the stairwell to find Adam sitting at the dining room table, all alone save for a half-full bottle of whiskey and another empty bottle lying precariously close to the edge of the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All was quiet, as it usually was when Adam sat alone. Normally, he sat with a book and maybe a glass of wine. But, then again, Joe supposed not much had been <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">normal<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> since Will had run off with Adam\u2019s bride.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe took a quick survey of the room. The shattered glass on the floor against the far wall was the only giveaway that emotions were running high that night. He\u2019d never get any sort of sign like that from his brother\u2019s face, which sat as stoic as ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam\u2019s low voice filtered through the air. \u201cEverything\u2019s fine, Joe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blaming that oldest child sixth sense\u2014because how had Adam even <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seen<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> him\u2014Joe fumbled with his words. \u201cBut, I thought I heard\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was nothing,\u201d Adam cut him off. \u201cGo back t\u2019bed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And maybe he would\u2019ve, under different circumstances. Sleep sounded a heck of a lot better than sitting with Adam at two in the morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was the heavy slur clouding his brother\u2019s words that made him stay. If he went back to bed, he would just keep dwelling on it until it drove him insane. The only solution was to pull up a chair.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No, Joe had never seen his oldest brother well and truly drunk before. Not like this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;That doesn&#8217;t look like your bed,&#8221; was Adam&#8217;s next comment as he refilled his glass for what Joe imagined was the umpteenth time that evening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Good observation,&#8221; Joe countered, trying for humor. &#8220;You should do detective work for a living.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever levity he had been attempting to bring to the situation fell incredibly flat when Adam&#8217;s expression twisted into a scowl.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Some detective <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would be,&#8221; he mumbled in between a long sip of whiskey. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t even see what was right in front of my nose. Not until it was too late&#8230;&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the first time that night, Joe realized exactly what he had walked into.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you really surprised, though?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It hadn&#8217;t been more than a week yet since Adam ditched the wheelchair. Joe could&#8217;ve kicked himself for thinking that would be the end of it. That getting out of the chair would be the final chapter in the book.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He&#8217;d almost forgotten that most books have epilogues&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opening his mouth again didn&#8217;t seem right. After all, Adam had decided to drink in the middle of the night for a reason. He didn&#8217;t <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">want<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> company. He wanted&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe furrowed his brows. What <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">did<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> his brother want?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The truth hit him like a bullet to the chest. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Probably the same thing you did when Melinda went away.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For her to come <\/span><\/i><b><i>back.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It took another refill for Adam to speak once more, but in that moment of quiet, Joe found within himself a rare strand of patience. If necessary, he was prepared to sit there in silence all night.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If that&#8217;s what his brother needed, then so be it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Who does that&#8230;?&#8221; Adam asked, his voice so soft that even from across the table, Joe had to strain to hear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Does what?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam didn&#8217;t reply at first, taking another long drink.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, Joe waited, trying not to let his mind wander. If it did, he would start to wonder how many glasses of whiskey had once been in that empty bottle, and for his own peace of mind, that was a question best left unanswered.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;We have bad luck with love,&#8221; Adam went on at last. &#8220;I know that. Take one look at Pa and you can&#8217;t help but <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">know that.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But\u2026 Well, what kind of cousin runs off with your woman?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A bitter laugh cut through the tense quiet as Adam shook his head. That wasn&#8217;t a move Joe would have taken in that state, if the wince on his brother&#8217;s face was anything to go by.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;And what kind of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">woman<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lets herself get stolen by your cousin\u2026&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last one, Joe noted, wasn&#8217;t as much of a question as it was a cruel statement of fact. A fact they had all come to realize in those last days before Laura Dayton left.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of them except Adam.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe just couldn&#8217;t figure it out, to be brutally honest. His brother had always been one of the best judges of character he knew. Adam could tell you who you were up against before you were even sure of it yourself. And yet, he\u2019d let this woman take him for a ride and leave him in the dust.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Isn&#8217;t\u2026&#8221; Joe cleared his throat, keeping his tone soft. &#8220;Isn&#8217;t there some sort of poem or saying that you&#8217;ve quoted before about love blinding you?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because maybe that&#8217;s what happened. It was the only explanation Joe could conjure up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam laughed again, this one no less bitter than the first, though not as biting. More weary. Like he was just waiting for the alcohol to do its work and take him out for the night.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;There&#8217;re a lot of poems about that, Joe,&#8221; Adam whispered. &#8220;Maybe the problem is that I just didn&#8217;t quote them <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">enough.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With that, he poured himself another drink, causing Joe to wonder if they were both just doomed to watch that bottle drain to nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they were both just passively waiting for the inevitable to happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He knew that&#8217;s why his <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">brother <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was there, no doubt about it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, why are <\/span><\/i><b><i>you<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> here?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe didn&#8217;t have an answer beyond <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I heard a crash in the night.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> But when he came down the stairs, he&#8217;d been ready to fight an entirely different kind of battle\u2014the kind that involved guns and fists, not words and sympathy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe Adam didn&#8217;t even <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">want<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> words and sympathy. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He came down here to be alone, so just leave him<\/span><\/i><b><i> alone.<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What&#8217;s so hard about that?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would be easier, wouldn\u2019t it? To go back to bed like his brother had told him to. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what then?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With only a small fraction of an idea, Joe got up. Adam didn&#8217;t even blink until he sat back down, glass in hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;What?&#8221; Joe asked at the sight of his brother&#8217;s stare. &#8220;As long as I&#8217;m up, I might as well have a drink, too. Misery loves company, right?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam snorted at this but poured Joe a drink nonetheless. His hand shook, trembling ever-so-slightly and making the whiskey slosh against the sides of the glass. Finished with Joe&#8217;s, he poured himself another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And Joe couldn&#8217;t keep the grimace off his face.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I saw that, you know.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe refused to startle, glancing up mid-sip and setting his features.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Things might be getting a little blurry around the edges, but I saw that face,&#8221; Adam went on. &#8220;I don&#8217;t need you down here feeling sorry for me. I can do that well enough on my own.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not here to feel sorry for you,&#8221; Joe countered. &#8220;I&#8217;m here to drink with you.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Adam was already shaking his head as a knowing expression settled on his features. &#8220;If that was your aim, you would&#8217;ve come down earlier. No, you&#8217;re here because you heard something go <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thump<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the night and now you feel like you can&#8217;t leave. Well, I don&#8217;t need the pity, Joe. I don&#8217;t <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">need it.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;No,&#8221; Joe whispered, not even sure he was on board yet with where his brain was telling him to go. &#8220;No, you don&#8217;t. But maybe you could use some empathy.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam&#8217;s only response was to drain the last of the bottle, his glass all but forgotten and now completely unnecessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Do you\u2026&#8221; Joe swallowed, a vain attempt to clear his throat of any rebellious emotions. &#8220;Do you remember what you said to me when Laura\u2026 Laura <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">White\u2026 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, when she left?&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam only knit his brows, clearly trying to recall\u2014and failing miserably.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking a deep breath, Joe continued, &#8220;You said something like, everyone you meet and every life that touches you will always hold a special place in your heart\u2014even when you know you\u2019ll never see them again.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;But Laura died,&#8221; came the blunt response that Joe forced himself to blame on the alcohol, not on Adam. &#8220;She didn&#8217;t leave you.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;No, but Melinda did\u2026&#8221; Joe said, unable to get his voice to rise above a whisper. He swallowed again, waiting for his brother to say something. Nothing came but a stinging silence. &#8220;Melinda Banning,\u201d he clarified when Adam\u2019s expression clouded in confusion. \u201cI loved her, Adam, I\u2026 I\u2026&#8221; He sucked in a breath and shook his head. &#8220;I guess she didn\u2019t return the sentiment, even after you were out of the picture. And I don&#8217;t know why certain people chose to leave, I just don&#8217;t. I don&#8217;t pretend to either. But I\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What else was there to say?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finding his mouth suddenly dry, Joe took another sip of his drink. This was far from how he thought the night was going to play out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah,\u201d Adam agreed with a slow nod, letting his chin settle onto his propped-up hand. \u201cCan&#8217;t choose who stays and who goes. That\u2019s just life, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe could only shrug and blink away the teary memory of Melinda, of Laura\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNow that it\u2019s over,\u201d Adam began again a few moments later, \u201cI can\u2019t tell if I really loved Laura\u2014if I really <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wanted<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> her like I should have\u2014or if I was only thinking of Peggy. Damn it, Joe, I loved that little girl\u2026 It hadn\u2019t even been that long and she already felt like my own. We all say we want love, to find the perfect soulmate, but maybe all a man truly wants is to be a father. Did you ever think of that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMaybe\u2026 that\u2019s not so bad.\u201d Joe gave another small shrug. \u201cJust look at Pa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah\u2026\u201d Reaching for the bottle had become second nature by now, but when the whiskey came up empty, Adam tossed it to the side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe caught it before it could roll off the table.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy\u2019d you come down here, Joe?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question caught him by surprise and he felt his expression crunch. \u201cI already told you, to share a drink.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI might\u2019ve just gone through two bottles of Pa\u2019s best whiskey, but I\u2019m smarter than that. You came down here because you heard that crash.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c\u2026 Maybe. So what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adam studied him for a moment, head barely staying upright atop his hand. \u201cAll right. Why\u2019d you stay, then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was the real question, one Joe wasn\u2019t sure he knew how to answer. Not at first\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not until he took another long look at his brother and blew out a sigh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he said at last. \u201cI guess\u2026 Well, look, I\u2019ve known you a long time, Adam,\u201d he went on, pausing as his brother let out a chuckle. Joe even let himself smile for half a second before sobering and shaking his head. \u201cI\u2019ve known you a long time and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ever<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> seen you like this. Maybe you got this way when I was too young to notice or wasn\u2019t around to remember, but\u2026 I don\u2019t know, seeing you down here tonight all alone, I sort of got worried.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Letting his eyes flutter shut, Adam massaged the bridge of his nose. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about me, Joe. I\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnd if I told you that had the roles been reversed, would you have agreed and gone back upstairs?\u201d The lack of reply was all the confirmation Joe needed. \u201cI thought so. You\u2019re not the only caretaker in this family, older brother. And you\u2019re not the only one who <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cares.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Joe couldn\u2019t tell if Adam was nodding in understanding or about to face-plant on the table, he decided the time for sitting in the quiet had ended.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAll right, come on.\u201d Before Adam could protest, Joe got up and slung his brother\u2019s arm across his shoulders, guiding him to lie down on the settee.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the most part, Adam made no protests about it, and that was perhaps what concerned Joe the most.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou know,\u201d he said, trying to bring a bit of levity to the situation, \u201cI <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">know<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you\u2019re not gonna remember this tomorrow\u2026\u201d Grabbing a blanket, he carefully spread it atop Adam. \u201cI <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">really <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">should take advantage of this and tell you some deep, weird secret of mine, then mention I told you about it tomorrow and watch your face when you can\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Adam settled against the pillow, eyes barely managing to stay open, he grinned. \u201cSounds like something you\u2019d do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah,\u201d Joe agreed, sitting opposite his brother on the edge of the coffee table. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think you\u2019d be able to stay awake long enough to hear it all. So, I\u2019ll just tell you to get some sleep. And that you\u2019re going to be okay. Did you hear that, Adam?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His brother\u2019s eyes had fully closed now and Joe honestly couldn\u2019t tell if he was still listening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That didn\u2019t matter, Joe decided as he leaned forward and tugged the blanket higher over Adam\u2019s shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYou\u2019re gonna be okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>The End<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Tags:\u00a0 ESA, Grief, JAM<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_49645\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"49645\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif?resize=16%2C16&#038;ssl=1\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joe let himself smile for half a second before sobering and shaking his head. \u201cI\u2019ve known you a long time and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen you like this. Maybe you got this way when I was too young to notice or wasn\u2019t around to remember, but\u2026 I don\u2019t know, seeing you down here tonight all alone, I sort of got worried.\u201d Or, after Laura Dayton&#8217;s departure, Joe finds his oldest brother in need of some consolation. A WHN for the &#8220;Triangle.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Word Count: 2,316\u00a0 \u00a0Rating: PG<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11949,"featured_media":49651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1091,41,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adam-joe","category-hurtcomfort","category-whn","wpcat-1091-id","wpcat-41-id","wpcat-13-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1031,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/IMG_4476.jpeg?fit=720%2C529&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8288,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=8288","url_meta":{"origin":49645,"position":0},"title":"Another Side of the Triangle #2 &#8211; the Epilogue (by BluewindFarm)","author":"BluewindFarm","date":"June 2, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Missing scenes and WHN for the episode, The Triangle. 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Rating:\u00a0 PG\u00a0\u00a0 Word count:\u00a0 1,680","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam \/ Joe&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1091"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/The-Horsebreaker.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/The-Horsebreaker.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/The-Horsebreaker.jpg?fit=600%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63580,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=63580","url_meta":{"origin":49645,"position":5},"title":"Paying the Price (by JoanS.)","author":"JoanS","date":"March 16, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Joe has money troubles and Adam tries to teach him a lesson. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a05,690 words","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Adam \/ Joe&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Adam \/ Joe","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=1091"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/11949"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/49651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}