mercy-thompson-fanfiction

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Leah and Bran's conversation after the events of Wild Sign

A/N: I had this one already drafted and just never posted it because I literally hate how much I find Bran fascinating as a concept. Like, we all recognize that he did technically do this twice that we know of right? Anyways, he's devolving and I think we can all agree that's fine. ETA: link at bottom to AO3

“You love me.”  The words felt wrong on her tongue. It came out so much flatter and emotionless than she had meant for it to, but she was tired. 

The weight of two centuries being closed off and held at arms length was bone-crushing. Two centuries. Two hundred years she had felt nothing and now even something that should have felt normal—would have felt normal to any other mated werewolf—felt like a tsunami.

“You only want to apologize because I remember.” Everything in her wanted to turn away, but something was forcing her to stay with her feet planted firmly where they were. 

He was thinking too much if he wasn’t responding, gauging her reaction and trying to analyze the best possible outcome. That was what he did always, though usually he was quicker. 

“Unless you refuse to even give me that.”  

“Greatly wronged,” was what he had said, “I don’t want to lose you”.  Manipulation at its finest, he never would apologize. 

There was so much to unpack and Leah didn’t quite think she had the energy for it. She had remembered nothing until that split-second moment of death. Then she had known and it felt as if she’d never failed to know. Like her body had always remembered even if she had not always been able to recall it.  Confessing to her then would have given her power. Admitting he had done wrong would have been too kind. 

I love you.  The only one she could remember loving before these last few days. 

“I don’t forgive you.”  

It was ridiculous. It was against her character. The tears in her eyes clouding her vision betrayed her insecurities more than anything else did. The embrace he met her with wasn’t kind or loving, it wasn’t there for comfort. It was a restraint because she had punched him, half unaware of when she’d made the decision to even swing. 

“I deserved that.” His agreement wasn’t helping, it only made her feel undeniably insane. 

Even in his grip, she couldn’t stop. She shoved at him, only vaguely aware of her own voice. 

Screaming. She was screaming and most of it wasn’t actual language, just noise for the sake of an outlet. The other bits and pieces were senseless—thoughts crossing her mind too fast to process. She screamed because he had stolen her chance at peace, because his children hated her, because he had made her feel less than, because he had ruined her. She felt ruined. There was no way to leave, even if she did want to. He had manipulated her then and he was using her now, using her own emotions against her. Using his feelings which he had kept hidden under lock and key to make her happier. 

She wasn’t happier. 

He had been in the doorway, hadn’t passed into the room at all initially.  She had crossed into his space and hit him and he’d grabbed her and squeezed, catching her hands between them where she was still pushing even as he stepped into the room and slid down the wall until they were in a heap on the floor. 

The tears hadn’t stopped, traitorous fiends, and what few words were still tumbling out of her mouth didn’t even make sense to her. There was no attempt at hushing her, just acceptance or maybe resignation.  

Once, very early on, she remembered him telling her that there was no way he could hurt her. His wolf wouldn’t let him.  Bullshit, she bit him to stop herself because she was making a ruckus and embarrassing herself but neither his his nor the taste of his blood made her recoil. It did give her enough satisfaction, however, to draw a trembling breath before she fell limp altogether in his arms and rested her forehead on his now-bloodied shoulder.

“You hurt me.”

“I recognize that,” He was still agreeing with her and that alone was unnatural at best. “If you would like me to, I will do better.”

If she would like? She wasn’t very sure what she’d like, but that seemed an appropriate starting place. He should do better, should have been doing better this entire time if he thought she was worthy of his affection and appreciation. 

Because she’d said it was love, what she felt from him, but was it? Was it anything more than recognition that she was good at her job, at her role as his mate. 

“You have every reason to doubt me—“

She moved her hand from its place between their bodies to touch a finger to his lips and closed her eyes. Her body was still shaking, her head still on his shoulder. She should move, there wasn’t really a world where she wanted to wake up and actually have the conversation they needed to have. Right now, she needed to unpack it all. 

Alone.

“That is…understandable. I can give you a day to think about it.”

One day to unpack two centuries of abuses. 

How generous. 

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Could you write about Bran finding out Mercy was raped. And maybe a Bran/Mercy moment.

There isn’t a Mercy and Bran moment here, but:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/61498189

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

I know rationally why my fandom stuff and my original stuff aren’t the same caliber. It is, naturally, easier to write characters you created in a world of your own than write someone else’s.

But holy crud. Going through old things and works from the same time frame are so wildly different. My fanfictions read like I don’t even know the language. My original stuff—some of it being very early drafting of current projects—have me shocked that I was ever that capable at the same point in time.

Anyways. Still working on the Asil fic. Writing him is even more of a struggle than writing Charles somehow.

Happy holidays. Happy New Year and all that. As the famous Russian movie says “Enjoy Your Bath”. If anyone knows how to acquire a digital copy of that, inform me because I haven’t seen it in ages and it’s a favourite of mine. If you’re looking for a fun game to play with loved ones—try bulk purchasing kazoos and playing Christmas carols. Our whole family plays instruments but it still leaves our ears bleeding.

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

POV: this stupid social media trend is in your head and some of the videos are wildly unhinged and make you worry for people’s sanity

All: We listen and we don’t judge

Mercy: Sometimes, when you say something, I ignore you and do the exact opposite because it’s the right thing to do.

Bran: I am aware of that. It’s inte—

*video cut*

All: We listen and we don’t judge.

Adam: The parts car never bothered me. Sometimes I intentionally riled Mercy up just so she would have to think about me while she was doing whatever it was she decided to do to the car.

Mercy: Wait, what?

*video cuts*

All: We listen and we don’t judge.

Anna: I started casually reinstating music evenings so that my father-in-law could address his inappropriate feelings about Mercy.

Mercy: His what?

Bran: We listen and we don’t—

Anna: No, you can’t judge me, but we are all allowed to judge you for that one.

*video cuts*

Bran: I’m not doing this.

*video cuts*

All: We listen and we don’t judge.

Charles: I intentionally never let Leah be alone with Mercy and that’s why sometimes, during her childhood, I went missing.

Adam: I can’t think anyone would judge you for that.

*video cuts*

All: We listen and we don’t judge.

Bran: …I was not exceptionally confident that I wouldn’t kill Charles if the witch told me to. I didn’t want to panic Anna.

Anna: You can’t pick something that is easily judged. We are all going to judge you for that.

*video cuts*

All: We listen and we don’t judge.

Jesse: I pretend to be on phone calls so that people hear where I am and I don’t walk in on things I’d rather not.

All: We know.

Jesse: I’m just owning up to it.

*video cuts*

Anna: Remember. Something we can’t judge you for.

*video cuts*

All: We listen and we don’t judge.

Samuel: I—

Anna: Never mind I think we should end this here.

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Looking back on this and remembering that I stole #24 from a literal final exam question in college. I think it was “King Louis XVI. Thoughts?”

I am clearing out my hard drive and, in process, I’m going through all my old stuff here and transferring to AO3 so if I’m reblogging old nonsense, that’s why. It’s for the nostalgia while I’m actively avoiding my real personal project responsibilities 😅 That’s also why I’m actively working requests rn 😂

Mercyverse Asks

So every little Tumblr group seems to have one of these darling little question meme things and I don’t know that we do. I made a little one but certainly feel free to add to it as it/if it goes around.

Feel free to ask as well. I stole some and tried to take creative liberties with others.

1. Name one of your favourite characters 2. Name one of your favourite villains 3. Character you are most like 4. Character you are least like 5. Name 3 OTPs 6. Mercy Thompson or Alpha and Omega 7. Fav 8. Problematic fav 9. Describe (character) in three words 10. Favourite book 11. If you were a fictional character in Mercyverse what would you probably be doing and what life do you think you would have? 12. Who do you think is a misunderstood character 13. Which character do you wish you were a sibling of 14. Which character do you wish you were best friends with 15. Which character do you wish you were dating 16. What pack would you be/What would be your rank? 17. Least favourite character 18. NOTP 19. What’s one of your favourite quotes 20. Quick AU idea 21. Write a brief headcanon for one of your OTPs 22. Someone you want to see more of 23. 3 mini head canons for anyone 24. (For the punch line) Matt Smith? Thoughts?

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

I think outside of those four, I don’t really read into the names. Maybe Leah for the obvious, everyone uses Leah for bitter female characters.

Side note: Drives me insane that Leah a popular name again, but I named my actual living children “soldier” and another “woodcutter” so I don’t have a leg to stand on.

Now I’m like trying to make things fit. Bran and Blue Jay Woman for the corvid aspect, I guess. I don’t know that I feel strongly about them. Ravens are a symbol of death and whatever, plus the Morrigan. Sometimes a light bringer. Sometimes a trickster—I say this like I don’t have a Raven tattoo 😂 But even Samuel idk about. Ariana for the obvious as well but she is a plot point when she’s introduced so I feel like there’s not really a way around that. Warren is protective. Kyle in my understanding is “trust” and I guess we put a lot of trust in him in Moon Called. Auriele means golden. Darryl is a location based name in theory but I guess you could manipulate it and say he’s hers. Peter is rock like St. Peter the cornerstone. I mean like you can make anything work I guess, if I wanted to try. I just fine Mercy and Anna really interesting for the way the names are related to each other. And then the way Charles and Adam are just men. Very “he’s just Ken”.

For a very long time, I really want nothing more than for someone to write a good fanfic with Asil and Mercy as a couple. I couldn't find a single mention of it anywhere, but I can totally imagine it! Could you please look at it and do something about it?

Ok! I haven’t written it/finished it yet. But I will say that I grasp what you’re seeing.

Mercy is very literally named for what she is to everyone in the series. And when you get into it there’s a lot of interesting options for how you choose to understand what she is.

And Asil is funny because I don’t know that he wants mercy lowercase m so much but he sometimes seems to think he does. I think there’s a multiverse in which it could work.

Anyways.

I have a whole conundrum about Charles, too. His and Adam’s names both mean “man” to some extent which is hilarious. But Charles usually will come up as “free man” and it’s like…he sort of is. He was literally born free of the plagues of humanity. That said, less name related and more character related, he was never born innocent. He (not literally, I would never say this about a child) killed his mother. And again, he distinctly wasn’t born human.

Adam, man (technically it’s something ridiculous like human of earth or made of earth, it’s biblical), needs mercy. Charles, never human and so never gifted the grace of God, needs grace. Which, I mean my Hebrew is fairly non existent but I’m pretty sure Chana (Anna) means “grace”.

Idk I am a sucker for name meanings so I’ve always just assumed this was intentional.

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

For a very long time, I really want nothing more than for someone to write a good fanfic with Asil and Mercy as a couple. I couldn't find a single mention of it anywhere, but I can totally imagine it! Could you please look at it and do something about it?

Ok! I haven’t written it/finished it yet. But I will say that I grasp what you’re seeing.

Mercy is very literally named for what she is to everyone in the series. And when you get into it there’s a lot of interesting options for how you choose to understand what she is.

And Asil is funny because I don’t know that he wants mercy lowercase m so much but he sometimes seems to think he does. I think there’s a multiverse in which it could work.

Anyways.

I have a whole conundrum about Charles, too. His and Adam’s names both mean “man” to some extent which is hilarious. But Charles usually will come up as “free man” and it’s like…he sort of is. He was literally born free of the plagues of humanity. That said, less name related and more character related, he was never born innocent. He (not literally, I would never say this about a child) killed his mother. And again, he distinctly wasn’t born human.

Adam, man (technically it’s something ridiculous like human of earth or made of earth, it’s biblical), needs mercy. Charles, never human and so never gifted the grace of God, needs grace. Which, I mean my Hebrew is fairly non existent but I’m pretty sure Chana (Anna) means “grace”.

Idk I am a sucker for name meanings so I’ve always just assumed this was intentional.

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Throwback to this exchange

I forgot about Mary’s picture but I like how this basically played out canonically.

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Okay, seriously? How are we supposed to pick one or two promps up? I want them all with Mercy and Adam! Let's say, we start with the 53 :)

I was not organized enough to be a housewife and, to be completely fair, I wasn’t one. 

But I was baking—something I enjoyed doing—and I’d turned around to realize I really needed to clean the whole kitchen. Experienced though I was, I’d had a bit of an unfortunate run-in with the stand mixer. 

There was a reason I didn’t love electric mixers. 

And that led to batter in places batter didn’t need to be—like the stupid crevices of the custom-made cabinetry. I hadn’t ever felt the need to have little ribbons carved, probably by hand, into the face of my cabinets and drawers as well as the facades on the appliances and living with Adam had proven to me that I never wanted them. They were more things to get dirty.  Give me a flat panel any day at this point. I was going to need to take a tooth brush to the batter-coated woodwork now. 

I huffed, hands on my hips, just as Adam’s car pulled into the driveway. 

Best get to work, then, before he made some irritating comment about my baking ruining his Pottery Barn-curated kitchen. 

“Brownies?” He had only just opened the door when he asked, I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of him yet. 

There was no actual reason for him to ask. Maybe he thought it was more polite to pretend he couldn’t smell them baking. 

“Kitchen.” I called back, ignoring the question as I picked up the spatula. 

Adam caught my wrist just as I went to toss it into the sink. 

“E-coli.” I raised an eyebrow at him, looking over my shoulder to meet his eyes. 

And he licked it like I’d issued a challenge. 

Werewolves weren’t really susceptible to much, certainly not garden-variety E-coli at least. It wasn’t an actual concern and plenty of plain old humans licked the spoon and were fine. 

Still, he was being obnoxious. 

“Raw flour is—“

“Mercy,” The hand that wasn’t holding my wrist snaked around my hip. “I’m flirting.”

“I’m cleaning.”  I gestured to the barely-controlled chaos around me.

He feigned interest at least, looking around the room to entertain me. 

“You’re not doing a great job,” He smiled. “So clean later.”

I glanced sideways at the cook time on the oven. It had an automatic shut off, but the brownies would still bake if they were left in a hot oven. It’s not like ovens dropped from three-fifty to zero in the matter of a second. 

“You have twenty-three minutes.”

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

WRITING PROMPTS

WRITING PROMPTS FOR DAYS Feel free to request any of these for any character.

1. “Do you want me to leave?” 2. “I swear it won’t happen again.” 3. “I’m not jealous.” 4. “You can’t keep doing this.” 5. “I’m going to take care of you, okay?” 6. “You can’t die. Please don’t die.” 7. “You did what?!” 8. “Were you ever going to tell me?” 9. “Don’t ask me that.” 10. “I might have had a few shots.” 11. “What’s with the box?” 12. “Say it!” 13. “I could kiss you right now!” 14. “Are you done with that?” 15. “Are you still awake…?” 16. “Excuse you?” 17. “This is all your fault!” 18. “I shouldn’t be in love with you.” 19. “I could kill you right now!” 20. “Just admit I’m right.” 21. “That doesn’t even make sense.” 22. “That’s irrational.” 23. “Just pretend to be my date.” 24. “Are you really going to leave without asking me the question you’ve been dying to ask me?” 25. “When you love someone, you don’t just stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy… even then. Especially then!” 26. “I think I’ve been holding myself from falling in love with you all over again.” 27. “I’m not going to apologise for this. Not anymore.” 28. “That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.” 29. “It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.” 30. “Can I sit here? The other tables are full.” 31. “You weren’t supposed to laugh!” 32. “This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” 33. “I’m not going to stop poking you until you give me some attention.” 34. “These stars are nothing compared to the ones I’ve seen in your eyes.” 35. “Before I do this, I need you to know that I have always loved you.” 36. “Did I say that out loud?” 37. “Do you think they could have loved me?” 38. “Everyone keeps telling me you’re the bad guy.” 39. “How long have you been standing there?” 40. “Have I ever lied to you?” 41. “Have you lost your fucking mind?” 42. “His ego is so visible; I can almost watch it grow.” 43. “I am not losing you again!” 44. “I don’t know why I’m crying.” 45. “I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” 46. “I just need to be alone right now.” 47. “When I picture myself happy… It’s with you.” 48. “I made a mistake.” 49. “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot.” 50. “I need you to forgive me.” 51. “I see the way you look at me when you think I’m not looking.” 52. “I think I’m in love with you and that scares me half to death.” 53. “I’m flirting with you.” 54. “I’m not good enough for you.” 55. “I fell in love with my best friend.” 56. “I’m sorry, what? I keep getting lost in your eyes.” 57. “I’m up to the challenge.” 58. “I’ve been in love with you my entire life. Ever since the day I first met you.” 59. “I’m yours.” 60. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me.” 61. “If you go anywhere near them, you’ll have to deal with me!” 62. “It’s okay to cry…” 63. “What do you mean? It’s exciting!” 64. “Talk to me.” 65. “Look at me—just breathe, okay?” 66. “Look, I don’t have much time, but I wanted to say I love you.” 67. “Oh my god! You’re in love with them!” 68. “Well, this is where I live.” 69. “We finish it the same way we started—together.” 70. “What are you afraid of?” 71. “You are the single best thing that has ever happened to me.” 72. “You deserve so much better.” 73. “You don’t have to stay.” 74. “You don’t know you the way I do.” 75. “You fainted, straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go to such extremes.” 76. “You need to wake up because I can’t do this without you.” 77. “You shouldn’t have even been there!” 78. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.” 79. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.” 80. “Teach me?” 81. “We’re in the middle of a thunderstorm and you want to stop and feel the rain?” 82. “Looks like we’ll be stuck here for a while.” 83. “Just once.” 84. “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” 85. “It’s not what it looks like.” 86. “I got you a present.” 87. “Hey! I was gonna eat that!” 88. “See, now, what that so bad?”.” 89. “You’re the best part of me.” 90. “I don’t want to think about what I’d be like without you.” 91. “Can I hold your hand?” 92. “Let’s move in together.” 93. “It’s a real shame nobody asked for your opinion.” 94. “What time is it?” 95. “Just wait a second.” 96. “Here, let me.” 97. “You’re so cute when you pout like that.” 98. “Hold me back!’ 99. “I don’t care what they said, it doesn’t mean shit!” 100. “I adore you.”

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Well come back! I want/need more of your stories! ;)

💕

You can always find me on AO3 @ guysinmyhead

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Here’s a fun one I might’ve mentioned.

Anna has freckles, no? Which is sun damage.

Adam has calluses which are, to be fair, a way in which the body heals repetitive damage but like…surely he shouldn’t have them?

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Can you do or find a mercy x bran fic pretty please?

This is an old request and for that, I apologize.  I had a few of these in the asks but here’s my series that’s exploring what an attempt at that from the get-go might have resembled: Whiskey Neat which is now 5 very brief works long, the fifth of which is only on Chapter 1/3.

As for someone else’s writing, this might be your cup of tea. Unlikely Synchronicity by Josephides

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Do mechanics wear watches (that might get caught on things while they’re working so presumably not wearing them at all when they’re in working shape) on their dominant arm?

I give credit to people who have to wear a watch on their dominant arm. I was nursing a wrist injury from lifting my toddler like an idiot and had to wear it on my right. So awkward to check it while actively working and—in an age of digital watch faces—my digital lights up every single time I move even when set to dominant wrist in settings. I had to switch to my analog else I’d have lost my mind.

Anyways. Just thinking about this bc I did a reread a little while back and it has been haunting me ever since.

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Leah and Bran's conversation after the events of Wild Sign

A/N: I had this one already drafted and just never posted it because I literally hate how much I find Bran fascinating as a concept. Like, we all recognize that he did technically do this twice that we know of right? Anyways, he's devolving and I think we can all agree that's fine. ETA: link at bottom to AO3

“You love me.”  The words felt wrong on her tongue. It came out so much flatter and emotionless than she had meant for it to, but she was tired. 

The weight of two centuries being closed off and held at arms length was bone-crushing. Two centuries. Two hundred years she had felt nothing and now even something that should have felt normal—would have felt normal to any other mated werewolf—felt like a tsunami.

“You only want to apologize because I remember.” Everything in her wanted to turn away, but something was forcing her to stay with her feet planted firmly where they were. 

He was thinking too much if he wasn’t responding, gauging her reaction and trying to analyze the best possible outcome. That was what he did always, though usually he was quicker. 

“Unless you refuse to even give me that.”  

“Greatly wronged,” was what he had said, “I don’t want to lose you”.  Manipulation at its finest, he never would apologize. 

There was so much to unpack and Leah didn’t quite think she had the energy for it. She had remembered nothing until that split-second moment of death. Then she had known and it felt as if she’d never failed to know. Like her body had always remembered even if she had not always been able to recall it.  Confessing to her then would have given her power. Admitting he had done wrong would have been too kind. 

I love you.  The only one she could remember loving before these last few days. 

“I don’t forgive you.”  

It was ridiculous. It was against her character. The tears in her eyes clouding her vision betrayed her insecurities more than anything else did. The embrace he met her with wasn’t kind or loving, it wasn’t there for comfort. It was a restraint because she had punched him, half unaware of when she’d made the decision to even swing. 

“I deserved that.” His agreement wasn’t helping, it only made her feel undeniably insane. 

Even in his grip, she couldn’t stop. She shoved at him, only vaguely aware of her own voice. 

Screaming. She was screaming and most of it wasn’t actual language, just noise for the sake of an outlet. The other bits and pieces were senseless—thoughts crossing her mind too fast to process. She screamed because he had stolen her chance at peace, because his children hated her, because he had made her feel less than, because he had ruined her. She felt ruined. There was no way to leave, even if she did want to. He had manipulated her then and he was using her now, using her own emotions against her. Using his feelings which he had kept hidden under lock and key to make her happier. 

She wasn’t happier. 

He had been in the doorway, hadn’t passed into the room at all initially.  She had crossed into his space and hit him and he’d grabbed her and squeezed, catching her hands between them where she was still pushing even as he stepped into the room and slid down the wall until they were in a heap on the floor. 

The tears hadn’t stopped, traitorous fiends, and what few words were still tumbling out of her mouth didn’t even make sense to her. There was no attempt at hushing her, just acceptance or maybe resignation.  

Once, very early on, she remembered him telling her that there was no way he could hurt her. His wolf wouldn’t let him.  Bullshit, she bit him to stop herself because she was making a ruckus and embarrassing herself but neither his his nor the taste of his blood made her recoil. It did give her enough satisfaction, however, to draw a trembling breath before she fell limp altogether in his arms and rested her forehead on his now-bloodied shoulder.

“You hurt me.”

“I recognize that,” He was still agreeing with her and that alone was unnatural at best. “If you would like me to, I will do better.”

If she would like? She wasn’t very sure what she’d like, but that seemed an appropriate starting place. He should do better, should have been doing better this entire time if he thought she was worthy of his affection and appreciation. 

Because she’d said it was love, what she felt from him, but was it? Was it anything more than recognition that she was good at her job, at her role as his mate. 

“You have every reason to doubt me—“

She moved her hand from its place between their bodies to touch a finger to his lips and closed her eyes. Her body was still shaking, her head still on his shoulder. She should move, there wasn’t really a world where she wanted to wake up and actually have the conversation they needed to have. Right now, she needed to unpack it all. 

Alone.

“That is…understandable. I can give you a day to think about it.”

One day to unpack two centuries of abuses. 

How generous. 

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

Kings Pawn Game Ch. 30

“Mom told me growing up that you were the most honest person in Aspen Creek.” Tala crossed her arms, a little sour to the conversation. “You lied to me.”

Bran did nothing more than let out an amused-sounding breath of air. He wouldn’t be amused if he was being accused of lying and felt he had.

“I thought it would be convenient to know each other. I did not think you would wind up twice engaged to my grandson.” His casual shrug made her somehow more aggravated.

It didn’t matter if he didn’t think they’d be engaged. Nor, she felt, did it matter that the new light shed on the situation made Bran out to be even worse in her mind.

“I know you didn’t intend that, because it’s obvious you didn’t want that from the get go. You made it very clear the first time I came here that you didn’t like the idea of us dating.”

The first time, when she had finally ventured out of the house, Bran had aggravated her with his pretty apparent distaste for the circumstances. She had chewed him out publicly and in front of Cai before leaving.

“I’m upset because you knew there was a possibility he was dangerous.” It was hard to keep the accusatory tone from her voice when she was looking straight at him. “The convenience wasn’t us knowing each other. The convenience was me being possibly one of the only people who could shut him down. Are you certifiably mad? You sent two students into the world with no idea how to handle themselves completely alone and thought ‘it’s fine, they can probably just handle each other?’”

Of course he was mad. She knew that. There hadn’t been a time in her life when the Marrok had been stable. It was the worst kept secret in the circle of her mother, her father, and Cai’s family. Bran had been devolving for a while.

“We were children!” She snapped. “What if he went on a rampage through the school?”

“There was never an indication that would be a problem,” He sighed and then seemed to think again. “Until whatever happened in the library when you bumped into each other.”

Which was another problem. She hadn’t even known until then that they were attending the same university.

“There’s something different specifically about wolves that are born.” Was he seriously going to go on about the library now? “That shouldn’t have happened. I should have anticipated the possibility after Charles—“

“You’ve done it twice, haven’t you? Forced a mating bond on someone when you saw them. Maybe it’s more just genetic.” It was a poor choice and the wave of unadulterated rage that hit her made her fall to the floor without so much as a chance of fighting the instinct.

Tala bit her tongue and didn’t look up, but she wasn’t going to apologize either.

Asshole.

Cai hovered very suddenly at the back of her mind the way he did when he was trying to read, like he was standing in a doorway. He couldn’t do that, they’d learned, with others at a distance. It was hard to tell if she’d done something to clue him in or if she had managed to make Bran so angry that he’d reached further than just their immediate area.

Still alive.

Hopefully he heard that.

“I did not lie to you. At the end of the day, Cai’s options were always going to be here or with your father. You being more similar to your mother than maybe we initially realized was convenient. When it came on my radar indirectly from Europe, I thought it might give you both the chance to live outside of the parameters we had set for both of you.“

Because her father knew the barebones, she had always known that.

“Omission is lying.”

“Omission is failing to mention that your mate is listening in.” The way in which he dismissed it as if it were something so trivial irked her.

That he knew anything at all gave her pause. Tala and Cai had worked specifically so that she was in a place where she could be pretty certain her mind wasn’t being read without her knowledge, now knowing that was a possibility for certain. There were tells and it wasn’t hard to notice them, but to be constantly aware was a challenge.

She didn’t find any of them with Bran.

“I should have known it when you were younger.” The anger being directed inward was somehow more unsettling that it being directed at her. “I would have kept my brother here. You never should have come into that on your own and untrained.”

Not reading her mind, then. The Marrok just inherently recognized something and was now trusting she would manage to relay that in real time.

Cai wasn’t seeing through her eyes or anything—she’d managed to figure out how to not do that—so she felt a little offended that Bran was speaking to him directly.

“Stand up, Evelyn.”

“Don’t say it.” Cai’s voice warned.

Tala bit her cheek and silenced a remark about him suddenly having a preference for her given name. Bran had told her mother it was a silly choice, too easy for anyone to guess even if they hadn’t “foolishly” gone public with it by accident. Cai had heard the full story more recently and told her. It felt like a piece of her had been stolen in a sense, as if her identity had always been manipulated and molded.

Instead of speaking, Tala stood slowly, carefully and intentionally keeping her eyes trained on the ground. She would have anyways, but she was still angry.

“Yesterday, you told me that you were aware of what I had told your mother.” His voice held no hint of the anger mere moments before, but she wasn’t fooled. It was there. “It was not because I feared what you would be. Charles was managed. Cai had been born by the time I found out about you, and I was confident at the time we would manage him as well. My only opinion regarding you was in the interest of your mother’s health. That remains the only concern I have regarding you, even in light of recent discoveries.”

“Yes, sir.” She tried, and failed, to not make it sound as sarcastic as it did.

It had been a long time since she’d spoken like that with any inkling of respect. Twenty years, maybe, because she had been a child.

Bran huffed, probably thinking the same thing. But he stepped closer, making her vibrate more with the urge to disappear than anything else. When he rested his hand on top of her head, she tensed but still didn’t glance upward.

That he leaned his forehead on top of the hand was weird. If she thought back, maybe he’d done it before. She thought certainly her dad had once or twice when she was small.

“I have trusted you for a very long time, Evelyn Hauptman, and with some very important things even if you never realized. You were fourteen when you ran away. Recognize that it was not those surrounding you that I trusted, but you.” He sighed. “Your father would have dragged you back kicking and screaming. If I had ever thought you truly comparable to your mother, I would have let him.”

It was obvious he was trying to placate her and it put her more on edge, especially having his hand on her head.

“I am not going to hurt you.”

“I don’t think you will.” She told him, perfectly honestly. “You’ve killed enough people that I shouldn’t even feel it.”

The rumbling was definitely laughter. Too many emotions in the span on three minutes had her head spinning a little.

“Even if you do plan to kill me,” Because he might be laughing, but he hadn’t moved his hand. “I want you to answer a question.”

He hummed.

“Evie, we’re not even that far behind you. Just give me a second.”

Of course he would be following her at this point. They’d made it pretty far, all the way back to the cars before the Marrok had stopped her to speak privately again.

“You knew Cai was anchoring me. I always had problems, but I had never stopped healing before.” Because she wanted to set the record straight. “Did you suspect that would happen?”

“Yes.”

Interesting.

“But you didn’t intentionally set me up, even knowing that I would maybe be better tied to pack magic if I…”

“Setting someone up and thinking something might happen are two very different things, Evelyn.” Coyote was right, then, she had just misinterpreted it.

She would accept that and whatever fate she had coming for her given the circumstances.

“Coyote told me someone was betting on him.” She agreed, closing her eyes and taking a steadying breath.

“He also mentioned that the witch was one of mine. I didn’t remember survivors of our line behind Cai. I apologize that I let one slip.”

The Marrok didn’t apologize often. Tala thought back to the conversation, though.

Raven. Coyote had mentioned a raven, lowercase “r”, was related.

“Raven.” Cai had come, and the second set of footsteps would be Charles. “I should have put that together sooner.”

The Marrok didn’t move.

“Distant cousin, then? From my father, presumably, unless one of yours survived?”

Tala suspected the Marrok maybe didn’t remember. There were children of Samuel’s who didn’t survive the Change. She hadn’t ever heard if they’d reproduced before that.

She flicked her wrist hoping Cai caught the gesture now that he wasn’t depending on her mind for information. She didn’t want him too close, not while she still wasn’t sure what was happening.

There was a moment where she would swear the hand on her head moved, fingers tightening to grip her hair. Her head was pulled back, more gently than she would have expected. Cai growled but she managed not to react herself beyond squeezing her eyes shut. If she looked now, Tala was certain she would hold his gaze too long. She was still too on edge to think rationally.

“Neither of my sons has felt the draw to lead on their own,” He told her, almost thoughtfully. “That it was one of Adam’s always interested me a little. It might suggest that it’s more nurture than it is nature, as he raised two very strong daughters.”

It was intentional, the way she let him more gently tug her head to the side so he could whisper in a way that she would swear neither Cai nor Charles would have heard.

“You have never taken ten steps back.”

[mercy-thompson-fanfiction]

The Entire Properly AU in One Place

Summaries below

Properly:

“Does Mercy know anything about me?” Anna asked him before they cut the engine.

She didn’t sound nervous, but her pulse had quickened and the adrenaline kicked in giving away her fear.

“She knows you’re important to me.” Charles tried to veil his frustration with the way his own brother had introduced the concept of Anna without ever speaking of her as a person by name. “And, through no fault of my own, she believes us to be dating.”

Or married.

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Song 2:

“You didn’t happen to learn anything regarding mental health during your time in couple’s counseling?”

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Of Green-Eyed Monsters and Plastic Recorders:

“You certainly seem comfortable.” Mercy commented, trying to keep the disdain out of her voice at the slight of the entirely wrong red wolf lazily resting his head on Anna’s hip. Ben closed the eye he had cracked open upon her entry and huffed without otherwise moving.

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Have You Heard a Grandmother Describe How She Met Her Husband?:

“You said,” Charles had said, actually, “That you were sixteen when you were together?”

There wasn’t really a good way to spin that, not if Mercy was only in her thirties. If she was thirteen-hundred, maybe Anna could make an exception for her thinking it was ok.

“Sixteen when I was sent away from Aspen Creek.” Mercy agreed, but Anna wasn’t sure if she was intentionally avoiding a straight answer or if that was how Mercy thought of the situation.

“That’s creepy, Mercy.”

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Calm Before the Storm:

“A double date.” Mercy repeated the suggestion.

“So it’s like when two couples go out together—“

“I know what a double date is, Anna.”

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