Ideas for Old West Fanfics

A Challenge By Co-List Moms, Leslie and Marla

Hi Darlins,

Your listmoms want to thank all the writers on this list for posting their wonderful stories! We thought that it might be a nice way to start the new year with some JD fic, so we're issuing this "challenge."

We're going to post a little scene that we want those who accept this challenge to incorporate into a fic, a snippet or a missing scene. We'd really like for the whole list to get involved (which means writers and lurkers ).

If you haven't ever written anything before, this is your chance and I know the whole list would LOVE to read whatever you write! If you're nervous about posting, you can always send it to me or Marla and we can post it under "an anonymous author." Also, if you would like some help with characterizations and/or betaing, send a message to the list, I'm sure you could find someone on the list to help OR if you want to remain anonymous, send a message to me or Marla and we'll ask for help on your behalf.

Here are the guidelines:

**** It can be OW, ATF or an AU

**** The scene can be anywhere in the snippet/missing scene/fic --- beginning, middle, etc.

**** It can be ANY length you want it to be - 2 pages, 5 pages, 10 or even an epic...whatever YOU want! (There is NO such thing as 'too short' )

We want this to be fun, so we'd like as many Darlins as possible to accept the challenge and write something.

Now, read the scene.

Bunny's Ideas

A M7/High Chapperal X-Over. The premise is that Blue-boy and JD are captured by *someone*. This could be renegade indians, an outlaw gang, someone out for revenge, *anyone you choose*... I prefer that only Blue (of course, LOL), Buck, and Manoliuto are present on the High Chapperal side, though.

Do a story to expand upon my fanfic, Epilogue: The Magnificent Leap. Write a story going along with my version of the Seven's fates.

A crossover with "The Big Valley." It should have Heath, Nick, Jarrod, and Audria. Victoria is on away on vacation or away for something else.

Jackie's Ideas

A crossover with the TV show "Bonanza." I could see JD making friends with all of the Cartwrights. No specifc ideas for this fic, just a crossover with "Bonanza" would be really neat. The only thing that I want to be in the fic would be JD getting hurt, possibly even tortured.

Kat's Ideas

Kat's Challenge

Kat has written a snippet which she challenges you to finish!

Lanna's Ideas

Anyway, this fic gives JD the chance to be the hero for once. He's been out of town doing something for the last couple days and, when he returns to FC, it's only to discover the others have all been kidnapped. The town will do nothing to help him other than to point him in the direction the gang headed with the other men. So, against the advice of most of the town people, he goes after his friends, using the tracking Skills Vin and maybe a couple of the others had taught him. of course, he ends up in trouble. *Big* trouble. However, seven men him out of it. Guess who. *G* Rapheal and the six amigos he had hoped to one day find. They help him out then, after listening to his story, agree to help him find the others.

Now, this can go several different ways. 1) The story can keep entirely with JD and his little rescue party as they search and eventually find the others, or 2) it can move around to include with the others are up to. Probably more fun if it moves around no? *G* So, why have the others been taken? One possibilty is that a bunch of nuts left over from the war have decided to capture as many men as they can who were involved in the war and had done something that contributed. We would have to assume that all six were invovled in the war and had done something very good. So they all end up in a hidden prison camp, paying for their good deeds. Ezra, of course, would be given the option of joining the nuts which he would probably end up taking (to get word to the outside for help of course). This could be why JD wasn't hunted down and taken as well. another possiblity is an enemy or two from everyone's past (except JD since he probably has none) have joined up, thus forming quite a large group. They have planned very carefully which was helpful in acutally managing to capture the boys. Now, here's where a lot of angst h/c comes in. (not that it can't come in with the prison camp but I digress) The enemy force can either keep the guys together in one place to torture them or can split them up, thus narrowing cunning escape plans. Can ya'll practically *Taste* the angst h/c here? Espeically if ya got the right boys being held together.

Sharon's Ideas

This idea has to do with JD's father and why he left his mother. I've been thinking about JD's dad and why he left JD and his mother. What if he already had a family? My challenge is to write a story where his son (I'll call him Junior - you can call him anything you want) finds JD in Four Corners (whether he knows who JD is at first or if they find out later, I'll leave up to the author), regales him with what a wonderful father he had and what a great upbringing he had because they had money (comfortable, not filthy rich), etc., etc. JD gets extremely jealous of Junior for having the life he and his mother should have had. He begins to wonder if it was his fault that his dad didn't stay with them. That there's something wrong with him, etc. There are a lot of holes and different directions that this could go in. Junior can be a good guy, he wants to be friends with JD because now they're both all alone in the world. Or he can be a bad guy. He needs to get rid of JD to get the inheritance. There are many angst causers you can get out of this story. Maybe even some H/C. For example, JD can get hurt from somehow saving Junior's life.

Sheela's Ideas

JD and Chris are coming back from Eagle Bend for some reason. JD talks the entire time, and Chris finally tells him to shut up. When he wakes up the next morning, he discovers that JD is gone. Thinking that JD is pouting and went home, he goes back home. When he gets there, he finds out that JD never left for home. Everyone mounts a search for JD who was kidnapped by someone (maybe because of something that he saw in Eagle Bend).

JD is alone while trailing on a stage couch (he is traveling back to Four Corners). The stage gets robbed, but the horses get spooked by the gunfire, and start running like mad. All of a sudden, the coach breaks off, and it tumbles down a cliff/hill. JD becomes trapped beneath the wagon. Meanwhile in Four Corners the rest of the Seven are beginning to worry about JD because he is 1-2 days late. The robbers come in and order drinks. The take out a watch (or something like that) that belongs to JD. Vin notices it, and question how that got it. The Seven then try to find the "crash" sight, and pray that they find JD in enough time.

JD is sitting on the boardwalk with some of the guys. He then spots a man and chases after him, but loses him. When the others ask JD why he did that, JD reveals his real reason for coming out West. It turns out that this man robbed the house that JD and his mother were living at, and killed his mother while trying to get away.

The Seven decide to go camping at a cabin that Josiah owns. However, JD and Buck get into some type of argument, and JD storms out (it can be with another member of the Seven). While riding he gets caught in an avalanche. Sometime later the Seven begin to worry about JD, but then a storms hits preventing a rescue.

One of the Seven is going to be hit by a bullet, but JD takes it for them.

JD is just returning from Eagle Bend for some reason, and on his way back he spots Ezra near a cave (while playing poker with someone he won a map that shows where gold is). Ezra never told anyone about this and went off to look for the gold himself. When JD spots him, Ezra tries to get him to leave but can't. Together they search the cave when an earthquake hits, trapping both inside (JD can get injured if anyone wants him to). While trapped inside waiting for the others they tell each other what being in Four Corners has meant to them. JD can also ask Ezra why he came to Four Corners. Then they get rescued.

JD and Vin go riding and Vin challenges JD to a horse race. While riding something spooks JD's horse and he is thrown from it. When he wakes up in Nathen's clinic, he realizes he can't feel his legs. Vin feels extreme remorse thinking he caused JD to become paralyzed. However, an event happens that forces JD to use his legs again (i.e. a fire, or one of the others is in danger of being shot).

An old friend of Buck's and Chris' comes into town (Maybe from the War. Of course he will have an ulterior motive). When JD voices his suspicions about him to them, they lash out at JD telling him that he doesn't know what he is talking about. JD tries to find proof that he is right, putting him in danger.

JD is bored, and no one wants to do anything with him. When he goes riding he spots a woman who needs help, and when he goes to see if she needs anything else, he finds out that it is Ella. She kidnaps him, and uses him as bait to get Chris back.

Someone come into town that looks exactly like JD (he also is very rich and is a total brat). His reason for coming to Four Corners is someone is trying to kidnap him. The people who are trying to do this follow him there but take JD instead, and the others have to rescue him before the kidnappers find out.

Someone brings Scarlet Fever into Four Corners, and JD somehow gets it (but he doesn't tell the others). When Chris goes to get JD to help take care of the people who do have it, JD won't let him into his room (he can tell him he is busy cleaning his gun or something like that). When Chris knocks the door down JD is upset telling him that he shouldn't have done that, and now Chris is going to get sick too before he collapses. The others rush to find an antidote (if there is one) before they lose JD to the epidemic.

The guys decide to play a trick on JD. They pretend to be bandits who have a vendetta against the Seven and "kidnap" JD. They take JD to a cabin just outside of town and say that they are "going to go after the rest of the Seven," and then leave. JD somehow manages to escape (only he still doesn't know it's a trick), he runs into the forest. He then finds himself facing the cold and cruel forest (cougars, rattle snakes, and rain)in a race to get back to the rest of the guys. Meanwhile, the rest of the Seven notice JD is gone and race to find him before something terrible happens to him. An alternate story might be someone who really does have a vendetta against the Seven finds JD in the forest and uses him to get back at the Seven. Only JD thinks it is the original kidnappers.

The Seven get word that the (insert your own name for it) River is going to overflow because of the heavy rains that they have had lately. While putting sand bags around the bank, JD some how loses his footing and slips in. He then gets swept away by the river. The others try to get to him, but cannot. The next day they try to search for JD believing that he some how survived, but can't find him. They eventually have to call off the search. Meanwhile, JD is found by an older couple who nurse him back to health. The only problem is that he has amnesia. They don't want to tell him what really happened since JD reminds them of a son that they lost. Can JD find his way back to his friends? This can also be done where JD is not found by the couple, and doesn't have amnesia. He is however hurt, and has to find his way back to the others. Who just miss finding him while they are looking for him.

JD somehow becomes involved in and joins a cult. This would have the usual brainwashing type things that occur in a cult. The rest of the Seven would have to convince JD that the cult is bad and rescue him from there. (Could also be ATF.)

This idea is for a sequel to "Common Ground." Karin, the author of "Common Ground," has given her permission for this idea to be used. If you would like to read "Common Ground," please go here.

Sweester finds out that the pardon Vin received was a fake and decides to go with his original plan and kdnaps JD to lure Vin. When Vin finds out what happens, he rushes to rescue JD before anything can happen to him, while still trying not to get captured. (However, it can be written that Vin is willing to risk his freedom to save JD.)

While JD is out riding he comes across someone that looks like he needs help. In realtiy, the person is a hunter who decides that JD would be the perfect prey. He takes JD to a forest near him and tells him that he will be given a twenty-four hour head start, and that he will only hunt him for one day. If JD can survive, he is free to go. While JD tries to survive/escape, the others rush to find him.

Quints' (from "Inmate 78") mother wants revenge on the Seven for killing her baby boy. She thinks that hurting JD is the perfect way to do it. She manages to get the others out of town. When they realize that it was a ploy to get them out of town, they try to get home as soon as possible. But it is too late, she already has JD, and if they don't want anything to happen to him, they will have to surrender themselves. For those who love JD to get hurt [Me! Me! (Webmaster's edit) *g*], you can have her lie and still hurt JD when they surrender.

SilverCat's Ideas

*******Note from SilverCat*******

Hi. I came up with this idea, well, plot really, awhile ago. I was planning on writing the thing myself, but I found that neither have the time or talent to. I don't want the thing to go to waste, so I'm glad that there is this page where I can share it with everyone. Now, I pretty much figured out how I was going to do the whole story, so I'm giving you all of it. I even have a title! If you want it, feel free to get my email from the guestbook and email me. If you use my idea, you don't have to use the entire thing. This is just how I was going to write it, so you can change anything you want about it. And just so everyone knows, even though the beginning may sound like "Achilles", I thought of this idea way before I knew of "Achilles." Just wanted to make that clear. Okay, on with the idea!

*******

JD accidently kills a nameless, innocent woman. But he also kills the 'bad guy.' Buck is very angry and tells JD that if it were anyone else, they'd be dead. He then storms away. JD is shocked, feels very guilt and distraught. He looks to the others for help, but they all look down and won't meet his eye. He then tumbles away, feeling lost.

(Doesn't have to be right after.) JD stays in his room alot. The Judge, for whatever reason (i.e., he could be angry, feels responsible, or thinks it's what JD wants), tells him he's relieved of his duties. JD then sees a small, young boy being picked on. This reminds him of himself when he was younger. Goes to the bank, takes out all his money. He gives the money, his horse, and saddle to the boy's family. Packs everything up ande leaves unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Buck is talking with Josiah. He tells him that it isn't JD he's angry with, but himself. For not being able to stop the woman from being shot and for not being there for JD. Josiah tells Buck he should talk to JD. Buck goes to JD's room and finds that JD isn't there and everything is gone. He goes looking for JD. He sees the boy with JD's horse. The mother tells Buck that JD gave her some money and the horse. She tells Buck that JD said he wouldn't be needing it where he was going. Buck feels awful, rounds eveybody up. Meanwhile, JD is out walking to the nearest train/stagecoach station.

I don't know what should be inbetween these two parts, I'll let you figure that out!

Somehow JD saves the day and redeems himself. Buck says he's sorry about what happened and tries to explin it all to JD. JD looks at him, his eyes dark, voice low. He tells him to "Get the h*ll away from me." Everyone looks at JD, Buck is shocked. JD tells him that a friend would never have abandoned him like that. He walks away, leaving Buck behind.

As for the rest, I don't know. You'll have to find a way for everyone to redeem themselves yourself!

Suzy's Ideas

*************This idea expands on Sharon's*************

What if for some reason or another JD and Junior were twins - maybe the father took the other baby, maybe his mother couldn't cope and gave the other one up. The idenitical looks could be why they realize that they are related. This could raise a lot of questions in each one's mind as to why they were chosen by the respective parent.

Tilly's Ideas

Write a snippet, long or short, with circumstances that lead up to the picture of JD held at knife point:

A beating should be included, due to the bruises and other facial injuries, and are those bruises on his belly? You be the judge. Why is he being held? Is this an old enemies of Chris'? The illustration is finished, now all you need to do is provide the story. Answer the challenge!

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