Ellie's Stories

"I've been a fan of TYR since its original run and started writing fan fic in the fall of 2007. Most of my early stories were Kid/Lou stories, and I usually write about them but occasionally branch out into other TYR characters, especially Jimmy, Rachel, Teaspoon and Buck."

Swing Stations

With only time for a speedy switch of your horse, there’s just time for a short story.
Brothers in Arms Jimmy and Cody, on assignment at Rock Island Prison, recognize their Express "brother" among the prisoners. Can they convince him to choose his family over his patriotism?
And You Shall Know the Truth Lou, Kid, and Jimmy learn the truth about themselves and each other, and how to move on with that knowledge.
Memory of a Dream Kid disappears on a run, and is believed dead... though they have broken up, Lou worries about him... two of the riders find him while on a special run and realize he has no memory of his past other than vague memories of "dancing" with Lou at the pond... Lou goes to convince him to come home...
Somebody's Cryin' An answer fic to Shannon's "Look Away"
Written from Kid's point of view as his relationship with Lou falls apart.
Also inspired by the song "Somebody's Cryin'" by Chris Isaak
The Most Daring Robbery on Record While traveling with her son and Teaspoon, Lou encounters the infamous Jesse James.
If We Had Tried Inspired by Lisa L.'s "We Gave It a Try"
Lou wants to know if there is anything to explore between her and Jimmy, and works up the courage to ask him.
Billy Boy Cody's mother comes for a visit.
Cold Comfort Part Two: Picking Up the Pieces Sequel to "Cold Comfort"
After Lou refuses Kid's proposal, they and the rest of the Pony Express "family" have to pick up the pieces and move on.
What's in a Name? Lou's called in to her son's school about a certain matter of her husband's name.

Home Stations

Sit back on your bunk and get comfortable, you’ve got time for a long story.
Lost Chances Kid and Lou deal with tragedy and their shattered relationship, in the aftermath of their separate experiences with Samantha and Jimmy.
Episode Reference: where "Color Blind" leaves off
Justice For All Lou's old friend Bobby, now a successful lawyer, comes to town to prosecute a vicious gang of criminals, and takes a romantic interest in Lou, to Kid's dismay.
Hard Choices A/U An alternate ending for "Blood Money", in which Lou is faced with difficult choices after she fails to escape before Lambert's return to the hotel room.
Adult version at EXPRESSions.
Those Who Dance Must Pay the Piper Kid and Lou deal with her unplanned pregnancy when their relationship is at a low point.
Adult version at The Reading Room.
On the Run A/U Lou meets Jimmy and Kid before the Express starts when they go to work for her abusive husband.
I Only Want to Be with You Modern A/U Lou and Kid as troubled teenagers in today's world.
Two Out of Three *in progress* A/U Jimmy finds Lou shot outside the way station and learns her secret, falling in love with her in place of Kid.
Episode Reference: "The Kid"
Not My Tribe When Teaspoon's beautiful half-native-American niece moves to town, some friends of Buck's believe he's met his match; but the past proves an obstacle for their friendship.
Russell, Majors & Waddell, LLP Modern A/U Lou and Jimmy are first-year associates in the law firm Russell, Majors and Waddell.
Different Walks of Life
When the Pony Express comes to an end, Teaspoon, still believing Lou to be a woman, offers her the job as his replacement for Rock Creek Marshal. A new pastor named "Kid" comes to town, who further complicates her already complicated life
Can't Help What You Want *in progress* An authorized sequel to Catsimmie’s "Can't Help Who You Love", this is a story about Jimmy finding love after Lou chooses Kid … and the troubles Lou faces being a mother-in-law AND a stepmother to Kid’s daughter Helen … who is married to her son James Hickok Jr.
Watch Over Me Realizing she is losing her eyesight, a proud Lou turns away from those who love her and tries to go it alone.

Series

After Lou

A/U series
All That I Can Do Kid, fearing Lou has ridden into danger, searches for her with disastrous results.
For Lou Kid takes on a big responsibility for Lou.
In Their Names Two friends learn to move on and live after loss.
Others to Consider Rachel's foster daughter Daisy's reaction to Kid and Rachel's engagement.

Under Cover

Coauthored with Hanny
Modern A/U Series
Under Cover The riders depict members of the National Clandestine Service, the covert branch of the U.S. CIA.
Adult version at EXPRESSions.
Under Pressure Lou and Kid deal with the aftermath of an accident, and Jimmy's sister deals with the disintegration of her marriage and finding love with another rider.
Adult version at EXPRESSions.
Under Age Jimmy and Lou's daughter, now a teenager, finds forbidden romance while her parents face a threat from Kid's past. Meanwhile, Kid's son, now an agent as well, is in hot water with Noah's young daughter.

Road Not Taken
Three Ladies Rachel, Emma, and Grace collide in Sweetwater . . .
Pair of Knaves After Grace’s brothel is turned into a saloon by Rachel, Grace summons Wicks, an old business associate, to town to help her. How will Lou deal with her old nemesis working in Sweetwater?
Their Brother's Keepers Kid's brothers ... one a brother by blood and the other a "blood brother" ... reappear in his life with unforeseen results on his relationship with fiancee Lou.
Strange Fruit Doritha's past holds surprising secrets.
Not By Half A short story about a heart-to-heart talk between Buck and Curly.
Cupid's Arrow Lou the Matchmaker challenge

As You Like It

AU Series
Secret Hearts Lou and Kid manage to keep her secret until after they secretly marry, only to be discovered in a compromising position by the other riders. In this little story, the secret sweethearts celebrate Valentine's Day in the only way they can . . .
As You Like It Lou and Kid have two secrets - - that Lou is a girl and that the two of them are in love.

Around the World
Crossroads Written for the 2009 Blogathon
Lou's past comes back to haunt Kid and Lou; will they give in to despair?
Crossroads: Spain Coauthored with Mercy
After traveling around for a while, Kid and Lou find themselves in the south of Spain and in the middle of a complicated situation.
Crossroads: Italy Coauthored with Paola
Lou and Kid in the Eternal City at Carnevale time.
Crossroads: A Norwegian Christmas Coauthored with Nina
Lou's and Kid's international adventures lead them to Norway, where Cody and Buck are performing in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show on its European tour ... and Buck meets a special someone.

Title
Imitation of Life Lou and Samantha use different 'disguises' to try to survive. Can the men in their lives get past the defenses they have built up?
Inspired by the movie of the same name.
Samantha Based on the novel Rebecca
Lou is “the second Mrs. Kid”. . . much to Martha’s dismay.
One Christmas Morning Sequel to "Samantha" showing a special gift to a blended family one Christmas morning.

Innocence
Innocent Until Proven Guilty Summary
QF#75 prompt: Guilt
To Have and to Hold
 Written for February Volley Challenge word prompt: Hold

Coauthored
Paint *in progress* With Rain
Ike has trouble on his hands...
Reservations With Mollie
A modern day AU, this story takes Federal agents Hickok and McCloud to the Kiowa reservation to solve a murder mystery with the help of tribal police officer Buck Cross.

Topic 73: The First Day of the Rest of My Life
Topic 75: Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Topic 94: When It Works
Topic 95: Simple Comforts
Topic 96: Fifty Dollars

The Lost Quick Fics
Topic 1: Trapped
Topic 2: What's Cooking?
Topic 6: A Friend in Need
Topic 26: Hidden Treasures
Topic 63: Phantom Pain
Topic 88: The Good Neighbor

February
To Have and to Hold
 Word: Sarah Downs summons Jimmy to visit her in jail and to ask a last favor of him.

Blogathon

2009
Crossroads Around the World Series
Haunted Years after the Express ends, Kid is haunted by ghosts from his childhood.
Birthday Surprises This story fills the gap from Blood Moon when Kid and Lou argued about her taking her dress to Denver, only for Kid to find out from Rachel that Lou was planning a birthday surprise for him.

Challenges

Throw Downs
A Burden Shared By Ellie
I threw a challenge down to Tracy and Dede, in which we would all write a story starting from the same point in Good Night Sweet Charlotte where Travis McKay shoots Mr. Wicks ... with the twist that in each of our three stories, Travis would miss his target. Here's my version . . .

Head2Head
Like a Roulette Wheel 2009: "Better as a Memory" by Kenny Chesney
Based on the Kenny Chesney song, Better as a Memory, this Jimmy story was written for the 2009 Head 2 Head Challenge.

Little Riders
Answer Me Little Ike adjusts to losing his voice, and his mother searches for a way to reach him.

Teaspoon is...
This Time's the Charm ...Monogamous
Teaspoon is . . . monogamous . . . nobody could be married that many times if he didn't truly believe in marriage! A story about his seventh wedding morning . . .

Lou's Loves
First Crush
 Lou remembers her first crush.
Just This
 Lou finds love after loss with an unexpected person.
What Every Woman Wants
 Lou turns to Ike, the one man who always listens.

Before & After
Anticipation
 #1 - Pilot: 5 mins before Teaspoon's surface The riders wait for Teaspoon to come up for air, in response to catsimmie's challenge to show what happened in the 5 minutes before the horse trough scene in the pilot episode.

Fic Fest

TYR Fic Fest on Live Journal
Between Us
 Set I - Jimmy and Lou's feelings after their adventure together in "Color Blind".
Two Women in the Kitchen
 Set I - Emma comes visiting the riders and when the two station mothers first meet, things get complicated and bit strained.
Old Wounds
 Set I - Days before their wedding, an elderly lady turns up at the station claiming to be Boggs's mother. What is the lady up to? What consequences will this revelation have for the couple?
Cold Comfort
 Set II - Kid proposes to a reluctant Lou, in the part of the scene not shown in the episode “Daisy.”

Five Senses
True Vision
 Sight: Reveals how Lou got her glasses, with Lou wondering if she will see herself and others clearly before it is too late.
Echoes
 Sound: Emma's quiet house is a burden to her, until she gets a welcome surprise.
Taming Touch
 Touch: Ike uses touch to gentle a vicious horse.
The Smell of Danger
 Smell: Jimmy smells smoke and races to save Emma from a fire.
Bitter Medicine
 Taste: A cure for illness at Buck's orphanage has a bitter cost.

Five Senses

Coauthored with Shannon
These are a continuation of the 11 Part Harmony stories. You don't have to read those prior, just know that Kid was blinded in the Civil War the day after he was reunited with Lou.
Healing Hands
 Touch: While adjusting to Kid's blindness, Kid and Lou struggle to rebuild their marriage after years apart.
The Music of Life
 Sound: Kid awakes in the middle of the night to realize a very pregnant Lou is missing.
The Scent of Home
 Scent: Kid and Lou face unusual challenges raising their children.
My Father's Eyes
 Sight: Noah McCloud's growing understanding and admiration for his father.
Comfort Food
 Taste: Five year-old Mary Louise McCloud is in the kitchen trying to make a surprise for her parents.

Tent City
In the Cards
 The riders, Teaspoon and Rachel have their fortunes told by a Gypsy fortune teller.
Under the Big Top
 Jimmy meets and falls in love with a beautiful stranger under the big top.
Indians Need Not Apply
 Buck falls for a first-generation Irish American girl from Five Points, Manhattan who's moved into the tents with her parents, but will her family accept their romance?.
Wanted: A Father
 Kid's father reappears in his life, but Kid wonders if he still wants or needs a father.

General
Death Be Not Proud
 War Is Hell
What causes Kid to run to instead of away from death?
Cupid's Arrow
 Lou the Matchmaker
Lou's self-interest drives her to matchmake for her rival Samantha . . . but her efforts take an unexpected turn.
Past Perfect
 Rock Creek Real Estate: House #5 There's a new family in Rock Creek with connections to Buck, Teaspoon, and especially Rachel.
Granny Knows Best
 Home Remedies
The riders question whether old remedies are always best.
11 Part Harmony: Set I
 Board challenge by Cathy
11 stories, one for each character listed in the challenge from 33 song titles by The Statler Brothers.
11 Part Harmony: Set II
 The second set of 11 songs/stories for the challenge.
11 Part Harmony: Set III *in progress* The third set of 11 songs/stories for the challenge.


11 Part Harmony: Set I
My Past Is Looking Brighter All the Time from 11 Part Harmony: Set II
On the Run

The First Day of the Rest of My Life