#& when she's like 13 or so during investigations too

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Wheels up [S. R]

word count: 4k

summary: Spencer has just been released from prison and things seem to get complicated when Mr. Scratch attacks again. You want to know what's going on with your boyfriend, but when you confront him, you don't expect him to yell at you like he does.

contents: spoilers for season 12-13, directly based on the episode of the same name, established relationship, hurt/comfort, spencer being mean for a moment, mentions of migraines and schizophrenia, apologies, crying and I think that's it.

To say that you were worried was an understatement, because to cut all the tension around the team you would no longer even need a knife but a sword.

You had just gotten over the bitter pill of the fact that your boyfriend had been unjustifiably imprisoned when now Scratch had done this: the ambush, Walker's death, Emily's kidnapping… he just couldn't seem to get enough of this sick game.

“We also never stopped to ask why Scratch was in Honduras in the first place,” Simmons murmured next to you.

García, he and you were trying to review as best as possible the existing research on Peter Lewis that you found in your deceased friend's office to see if you could discover any other details, even if it were the slightest thing that could reveal the whereabouts of your unit leader. 

“Reid'll figure this out. “He's really amazing at this kind of thing.”

Garcia had barely finished saying this when a roar made her jump in her place and look back. Spencer Reid had just furiously thrown a book against the glass windows. You exchanged a worried look with your friend and the three of you silently agreed to go to the meeting room to investigate what was happening.

When the doctor arrived, he began to rant about what he had managed to discover. He talked about hallucinogenic plants found in Honduras and how this was related to Scratch, but you honestly couldn't pay attention to anything he was saying. You could only focus on the purple spots around his eyes, his messy hair jumping every time he said something, the sweat that glistened on his forehead, the erratic and rushed tone of his words and how he constantly rubbed his face or neck. 

Spencer wasn't well. 

You had seen him like this when he had feared he was developing an outbreak of schizophrenia and you had hated every second you had accompanied him to get tested, every second of uncertainty, every time you knew his vision was blurring. And now this was a thousand times worse, because you didn't even know how to help him. Shit, you didn't even know if he wanted your help.

While he was in prison he had refused to see you many times and it had broken your heart every time. He claimed that he didn’t want other prisoners to see you talking to him because they would try to use you to threaten him or that he didn’t want you to see the state he was in because he feared that after seeing the bruises and wounds you would no longer love him.

You respected him, but at the same time you felt that he was building a barrier between you so that in case he couldn't get out of there you wouldn't be tied to a prisoner and could live your life normally. That was why when Emily managed to build a solid case to prove his innocence you felt like you were going to die of joy, and when you saw him leave the prison the first thing you did was run into his arms to make sure he was safe.

But Spencer wasn't, because you knew he had only left there so he could help look for his mother: Diana Reid. During the course of everything you had barely seen him, you two were too busy with your own affairs to have a moment as a couple, but even so when you solved everything you let him go with her; after all they deserved it and you were happy that he had a quiet moment.

But Peter Lewis seemed to have other plans.

“What?” Spencer asked, noticing the way Penelope was looking at him. She looked like she was about to cry behind her blue glasses and you felt sorry for her.

“You threw a book at a window. It was jarring”

“Took me 60 minutes to deduce what should have taken me 60 seconds,” he muttered, clearly sounding furious with himself, “and if Emily dies because I was too slow, I'll be throwing a lot more than books.”

“Spencer” you tried to stop him, but he had already started on his way to the exit.

You always wanted to believe that you were his weak point, he had told you that on more than one occasion. When the team couldn't reason with him, they sent you instead.

Reid will do anything you tell him, Morgan used to say, whether it's convincing him about something silly between friends or something more serious. 

And so it was, because every time he was upset all it took was for you to make flirtatious eyes at him and steal a kiss for him to forget about it.

One day you're going to be my downfall, did you know that? he used to laugh. You're going to ask me to bring the stars down from the sky and I'll have to figure out a way to do it because I don't know how to say you no.

However, this time he didn't seem to understand any reason. He was just walking towards the exit and you were stumbling after him to catch up with his quick pace.

“Spencer,” you insisted, reaching out to grab his arm in an attempt to stop him. You didn't expect him to stop abruptly to the point where you collided with his chest, in the middle of the desolate hallway you had arrived at.

“What?”

The sharp tone and angry look he gave you unnerved you slightly, but you managed to clear your throat in search of your voice.

“Honey, it's obvious that you're not fine. You need to rest"

"Rest?" he spat, incredulous. “Do you think I can think of resting when we have a situation like this?”

“That's not what I meant. I'm just saying that no one expects you to be here after what happened, you can at least take a break” 

The sigh he let out was enough for you to know that whatever was coming was surely not good.

“Huh yeah? And what is that break I'm going to take going to cost us? Emily’s life?”

“You know I'm as worried as you are.”

“I'm not worried, I'm sick. I'm sick of this damn case, I'm sick of one thing after another happening to us and I'm sick of failing." 

"I know but…"

“No,” he interrupted you, leaning back when you tried to lay a hand on him. “There's no but. Today I don't need you to tell me what I have to do” 

“I'm not telling you what to do, I'm asking you to take care of yourself. How much sleep have you even had? When was the last time you ate?"

Your tone of voice had come out more recriminating than you intended and if you were already tense, this exchange was not helping at all.

Hearing no response, you continued.

“If you're not going to rest, at least let me help you.”

You wanted him to have the confidence to tell you anything, to be able to explain why he was acting so strange or to at least take two minutes to admit that things weren't right. But Spencer had changed a lot in that prison, because if before it was difficult for him to talk about his feelings, now it seemed practically impossible. You were the only one he dared to do it with and you didn't even think you were that exception to the rule anymore.

If you had known what was to come you would have preferred to stay for the moment he took to take a deep breath.

“Do you know how you can help me? Stepping aside”

“Spencer”

“I'm sick of this too! I'm tired of everyone coming and offering me their faces of compassion and their words of encouragement as if they really understood me. They don't do it, nobody does it, not even you. This is... it is a huge and heavy accumulation that has accumulated for years and years and when I think that it can't be worse, life surprises me by saying that yes, it can be worse. So just shut up, let me do my job, let me catch Scratch and for the love of God stop treating me like I'm a child because on top of all the stress of the case I have to deal with that too and honestly it's killing me” 

Your boyfriend turned around without waiting for a response and a part of you was grateful that was the case, or else he would have seen the tears that had already gathered in your eyes.

You were shocked and felt your face burning with shame, with a hole in your stomach that wouldn't be easy to fill. You were no longer even worried about the man, nor sad, but you felt very different; it was as if Reid had infected you with his anger.

Still with wet cheeks you hurried to walk in the opposite direction, finding yourself at the end of the hallway to meet a very worried Penelope García. Without letting her tell you anything, you asked her to continue with the investigation and the entire time you swallowed your pain.

You knew that Peter Lewis' desperate face when he was hanging from that building and the way you and Luke left him to die would haunt you for a lifetime, but you didn't feel even the slightest bit sorry for it. Even a part of you wished that man had died a slower and perhaps even painful death. Whatever the case, he was gone and you could feel a second of peace at night.

Spencer was right, the most important thing now was to save Emily. Later there would be time to attend to marital discussions.

When you got home you were sweaty, tired, and had a headache that you knew a shower could probably solve, adding a glass of good wine just to be safe. However, clinging to that peace of mind that solving the case had provided you was only a mechanism to postpone confronting the problem that was still latent. You hadn't spoken to Spencer for the rest of the day since your fight in the hallway and although your heart ached you knew this was the prudent thing to do.

Fighting had never had a place in your relationship because both of you were too rational to be carried away by impulse. You had disagreements and arguments, but you had tried to resolve them like adults or you had let the matter rest until you were cool-headed enough to speak calmly. You suspected that right now you were doing the latter, but you knew for a fact that you wouldn't be the one who would look for your boyfriend to talk to.

You were hurt by the way he had reacted to your advice, but a part of you also understood that Spencer had been going through too much and that, in some ways, he had some right to want his own space. Or maybe both of you were partly to blame; you for demanding something that didn't belong to you and him for not having said things tactfully enough.

But you couldn't help but miss him. You had spent so many months away from him that you longed to be in his arms, shower him with kisses and hear the soft beat of his heart just to make sure he was real.

Still lost in your thoughts you searched the living room for your briefcase to grab your cell phone, hoping to find something to distract yourself, and upon unlocking it you discovered that you had several missed calls from Spencer. It wasn't like you were ignoring him on purpose, rather it had been an oversight on your part, but when you were about to dial his number a new call was announced on the screen. It was him.

"Hello?"

“There you are,” he murmured, sounding tremendously relieved “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, I just left the phone in my briefcase and that's why I didn't hear your calls. I'm sorry"

There was silence for an awkward moment and then he spoke again.

“You went home early.”

"I was tired. I told Emily.”

“Yes, she… he told me, but… Do you think I can see you? I would like to talk to you about something and I don't think it is appropriate to do so on the phone.”

You evaluated your options, looking at everything around you. Spencer was welcome whenever he wanted in your house and you knew a mess wouldn't matter to him, but you were more worried about him noticing the emotional mess, not the physical one.

“Y/N?”

“Yes,” you responded when you heard your name, without thinking too much. “You can come”

Spencer responded with a monosyllable and then he hung up. You were about to get up from the couch to look for something more decent than colorful pajamas when a knock on the door startled you. When there was no response, the person knocked again and when you tiptoed until you reached the peephole, you met a familiar silhouette who was visibly nervous. Apparently the look of confusion on your face when you opened it was enough to express a silent question to Spencer.

“I was in the hallway,” he explained to you. “I didn't want to take long if you said yes.”

You knew you shouldn't give in so easily, but it was hard when Spencer said things like that and he came to your house looking completely disoriented, sad, and regretful.

"Can I come in?" he asked. Although your silences were not with that intention, the truth was that you were making him even more nervous.

"Yeah, you can”

You turned around only when you heard the click of the door closing and leaned against it, waiting for him to say something. You took a moment to observe him and noticed that his clothes were slightly disarrayed, while his hands played with the leather strap that was still across his chest. When he noticed that you were looking at his hands he interpreted it as a sign to get rid of the garment, and so he did.

“Wine?”

“Rossi gave it to me,” you responded, following his gaze to the bottle on the coffee table along with the crystal glass.

Spencer opened his mouth slightly in understanding and then there was silence again.

“I think it's obvious why I'm here, right?” he murmured in a low, cautious voice. You looked at him with sealed lips. “I want to apologize.”

“Yeah?”

"Yes. I know I shouldn't have talked to you like that in the office”

“No, you shouldn't have done it,” you responded sternly “And I accept if you don't want me around, but…”

“No,” he interrupted you, lunging forward to take your hands. You didn't refuse. “It's not that. I want you close, I don't want you to go away”

“I want you close too, Spencer. And I care about you. That's why I tell you things, not because I want to bother you."

“I know not. I was wrong, okay? I was wrong and I had no right to yell at you just because I was upset. And I wasn't upset with you, I was upset about the case and… it was just too much. This is all too much” by this point Spencer’s voice had already broken and your arms were already open for him.

It didn't take much for your boyfriend to start sobbing.

"I'm sorry"

“I know, Spencer.”

"I was an idiot"

“Yes, you certainly were,” you responded, speaking barely above a whisper. You couldn't stop feeling empathy for your boyfriend, but you couldn't ignore your own pain either. “You made me feel so hurt.”

“Forgive me, you know that was not my intention.”

“I just want to see you well. I want you to be safe and help you, but you won't let me do it. And it's okay if you don't want my help, but you can't deny that you need help. We need help. Do you think I wasn't stressed too? Do you think I could care less about finding Emily?”

“I know not. I know…” he sobbed.

“And I understand that we were both going through a hard time but you had no right to treat me like that.”

"You hate me?"

“Of course I don't hate you. I love you very much and I always will, but when something bad happens we don't yell at each other. And I'm not hating you for this, did you hate me that time in Georgia when I went into negotiating in that hostage situation without consulting anyone?

"No. I was very angry and worried about you, but I would never have hated you.”

"You see it? It's the same” you said softly.

You weren't going to torture him with this and you didn't want him to kneel and ask for forgiveness, the message you wanted to give him was already more than clear. And you knew that the simple act of accepting his mistake was something that showed you that he cared about you.

“It won't happen again, I promise.”

“Oh, it may happen again. We are both dumb sometimes and the older we get the grumpier we become” you tried to joke. Although you didn't hear him laugh, you knew that it had lightened the atmosphere. “But talking about it makes him feel better, right? Just like now”

He nodded at your question and then your hand went up to his head to stroke his hair. The contact seemed to melt him against you, as if with this you had also given free rein to his crying. You knew he probably wasn't going to tell you about the horrors he'd experienced in prison yet, but maybe this moment could be a start; you were being honest with each other and after all that was what was important.

Spencer calmed down after a long while and when you separated you made sure to get him some napkins so he could wipe his tears and blow his nose.

“You're seriously not upset at me?”

“No,” you assured him, shaking your head at the same time. You approached him and raised your hands to his cheeks to hold him gently. “It's okay, Spencer. I would be upset if you hadn't apologized."

“I wanted to do it sooner, but I knew that maybe you needed time to… you know, not want to strangle me”

“You're always so smart,” you complimented him and this time he did laugh.

The man's hands were experimentally placed on your waist and upon noticing your approving smile he pulled you a little closer to him until you collided against his chest. The puffiness in his eyes didn't stop him from giving you a sweet look.

“I haven't kissed you since I came back,” he observed absently and after thinking about it for a second you realized it was true.

You hadn't even kissed him. You had gone three months without seeing him and you still hadn't had time to kiss him.

You opened your mouth slightly, but before you could say anything he had already leaned down to capture your lips in a kiss. With the help of your hand sliding to the back of his neck you deepened the contact and Spencer wasted no time, wrapping his thin arms around your torso.

Even if you didn't want to admit it, you had already forgotten how good it felt to kiss him and amid everything you thought that you wished you could capture that moment in a jar to turn to it when necessary. Because after everything that had happened that day you really needed that moment of peace with him.

His lips were slightly parted, but your gentle tongue took care of moistening them and when the air began to fail you just let him go for a second, kissing him again when you breathed enough. Your kisses were sweet and soft enough to dissipate the rest of the guilt that remained in your lover's body.

"Better?" you asked once you two were satisfied. It took him a moment to compose himself from the intoxication of your kiss to be able to answer you.

"Yes, I feel better"

“How is Diana, by the way?” you said quietly, leaning back a little to look him in the eyes.

“She is fine, I managed to admit her to a sanatorium before García called me. It will only be for tonight, tomorrow I will look for where she can stay permanently” he answered you, rubbing his tired face with a hand “I think it would be best for us to return to Las Vegas”

“You should go to her now” it hurt you to give him that advice, but you knew that he must have other priorities now. One of your hands kindly caressed his bicep, feeling how he had lost considerably in weight.

“You don't want me to stay here?”

“I don't want you to feel obligated. I know Diana needs you more than me."

“She'll be fine today,” he murmured. Apparently he wanted to be with you more than you thought. “I left my number and she'll be asleep right now. As much as he wants to deny it, I think… that she is better off with professionals”

“So you want to stay here?”

You had sounded more excited than you intended and just because of the sparkle in your eyes he felt the urge to steal another kiss from you.

"Of course I want to. I missed you so much, I just want to feel you close to me."

“I can stay only if you promise me two things.”

“What is it?”

“We’re going to try to sleep,” you asked him, passing the tip of your index fingers under his eyes. “I don't like that look at all and I think you could use some rest. I have a comfortable bed waiting just for you.”

“I'd love that,” he smiled weakly. “What's the second thing?”

“Tomorrow you will let me cook you something delicious before we go to your mother.”

The thought of you spoiling him so much made him smile.

"Done deal"

You carefully guided him to your room and once there you kissed him again. Spencer felt like he was going to cry again when he noticed that you still had the change of clothes that he had left in your closet over three months ago and the soft fabric along with the familiar scent filled his chest with joy.

You two snuggled under the warmth of the sheets and you made sure to kiss your lover's face countless times while your hands touched every piece of skin you had within reach, trying to show him that he didn't have to worry about anything; you wanted him to know that you loved him and that he was somewhere safe.

"Are you okay?"

You spoke in the middle of the darkness, while Spencer had his full weight on top of yours. His nose rubbed slightly against your bare skin and he found it necessary to leave another kiss there.

“I am now.”

And even if it only lasted for a brief moment, Spencer knew that nothing compared to the peace and tranquility of being with you.

taglist: @navs-bhat @reidwritings @tricia-shifting14 @spencerslove @instabull @rhiannonhippiegirl @r-3dlips @missabsey @olivia’s-25

[persevereforahappyending]

A Legacies Secret |2|

Pairing: Tara Carpenter x Reader

Summary: You just wanted a happy life with your girlfriend but then Ghostface attacks, revealing long thought to be buried family secrets.

Warnings: None?

Word Count: 2.9k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

You let out a sigh, finally clocking out for the night. It had been a busy night. To some it might seem weird for a bar to be so busy during the week but for some reason Woodsboro had a lot of alcoholics. You weren’t complaining though, they tipped pretty well and were the reason you could afford an apartment. If it weren’t for the tips, you would be living out of your car most likely, or more likely, unofficially, living with Tara when her mom wasn’t home, which was often.

After starting your car, you pulled out your phone, opening your messages with Tara. You hadn’t heard from her since your phone call earlier in the night. Tara knew you were at work, but she still had a habit of messaging you throughout your shift. You furrowed your brow, seeing all the messages you sent still showed that they had been delivered but hadn’t been read yet. You had an uneasy feeling, it wasn’t like Tara to not answer you, she always answered. You weren’t trying to panic though.

Y/N: Still good?

Y/N: Did you already fall asleep?

Y/N: Going to be a little later than expected

Y/N: On my way

You sent one last text, trying to calm your nerves. Everything was probably fine. Tara probably called over Amber or one of the others and they just got caught up watching movies. It wouldn’t be the first time you got to her place, and she was still up with one of her friends or all of them, watching movies. Sometimes you got to her place, and you shook your head at the sight of them all passed on the couch, popcorn bowl tipped over and mouths hung open as the movie continued to play.

Tara’s house wasn’t too far from your place of employment but when you turned down the street you were met with flashing lights and police cars lining the street. There were multiple cop cars parked outside of your girlfriend’s house. You slowly drove up, parking on the side of the street as you watched an officer pull out yellow police tape, taping off the front door.

As soon as you were parked you jumped out of the car, and ran across the yard, not caring about any of the police. You were under the first set of caution tape and halfway across the yard when strong arms wrapped around you, holding you back.

“You can’t be here,” a gruff voice said.

“No!” you screamed. “What happened?” you thrashed against the man, trying to get out of his hold.

“This is an active crime scene,” he said again when he finally put you down, on the other side of the yellow tape.

You stared up at the officer. He had his arms crossed, staring you down to make sure you didn’t try and rush past him again. You huffed, glaring at him. Despite knowing you’d fail you still lunged at the man, trying to get around the tape again. He was quick to grab you and keep you from passing.

“What part of active crime scene do you not understand?” he said, clearly irritated.

“What happened?” you asked again. You peered around the officer, your eyes darting all around the house, searching for any signs of Tara.

“Can’t say, it’s an active investigation.”

“Is Tara alright?”

“Kid, go home before I have you arrested.”

“This is my girlfriend’s house! I have to know if she’s alright. Is she okay?” Your breathing was becoming rapid. You weren’t sure if the fact that you couldn’t see Tara anywhere was a good sign or a bad one.

“Don’t make me arrest you.”

You were about to give the officer a piece of your mind when out of the corner of your eye you saw the sheriff. “Sheriff!” you yelled, directing your full attention to her. “Sheriff! Sheriff Hicks!”

“Kid, get out of here,” the officer got in your line of sight again.

“Sheriff!” You ducked under the police tape, avoiding the officers’ arms as he tried to grab you. “Sheriff!”

“Alright, that’s it.” The officer grabbed you, pushing you into the grass as he yanked your arms behind your back, handcuffing you.

“Sheriff Hicks!” you continued to yell as the officer hauled you to your feet and began to drag you to a cop car as you continued to fight against him. “Judy!” you let out in another desperate scream, finally gaining her attention.

Judy was holding a clipboard, talking to another officer when she finally looked up, looking around to see who was yelling her name until her eyes finally landed on you. You didn’t need to be close to know she had let out a deep sigh and if she didn’t roll her eyes, she was definitely holding one in. Judy made her way across the lawn towards you. The officer was trying to push you in a cop car when she finally got over to you.

“It’s okay deputy,” Judy said. “I got this one.”

“Are you sure?” the deputy questioned. “She’s a wild one sheriff.” He narrowed his eyes at you, and you just scoffed at him.

“Yes, go help the others.” Judy watched as the deputy walked off before facing you again. “Turn around.”

“What happened?” you asked as you did as she asked. “Where’s Tara?” You kept trying to turn around, trying to look at Judy as she took the cuffs off your wrists.

“Where have you been?” Judy asked, ignoring your question.

You quickly turned around when you felt the handcuffs leave your wrists. You started rubbing your wrists, though it had only been a moment the jerk of a deputy had put the cuffs on pretty tight. “Is Tara, okay?” you asked again, searching Judy’s face for any clues. Judy was clearly being kinder, but you could tell she was in full on cop mode, something bad definitely happened.

“Where were you earlier tonight?”

She wasn’t answering your questions, she was actively ignoring all your questions actually. “Is she-” your voice cracked, cutting yourself off by trying to contain a sob, your mind immediately going to the worst.

“She’s alive,” Judy said softly, resting a hand on your shoulder.

You relaxed for the first time since pulling up to the house, letting out a relieved sigh. “What happened? Where is she?”

“She was attacked.” Your breathing started to become rapid, your heartbeat was the only thing you could focus on. “Where were you tonight?”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” your eyes darted around the scene, seeing police tape, officers, red and blue flashing lights, the front door wide open. There was no ambulance but there was also no Tara.

“She’s at the hospital. Probably in surgery by now.” You brought a hand to your mouth, trying to contain your sob. Tara was attacked. Tara was attacked bad enough to be rushed to the hospital and in need of surgery. You couldn’t begin to imagine who would ever even want to attack Tara, if this was some sort of break in gone wrong. “I really need you to answer my questions.”

“Can we do it at the hospital?” you asked, needing to be near her even if you couldn’t see her. “Please? Please?” you begged. Judy looked at you and finally gave a sympathetic nod. “Thank you,” you whispered, before following her to her police cruiser.

The ride to the hospital was the longest of your life even though the hospital was only a few minutes away. When you got there, you trailed behind the sheriff, suddenly nervous, terrified of the news you might be walking into. Judy guided you to a seat in the waiting room while she went to the front desk. Your eyes never left the sheriff, watching as she whispered to the nurse. When Judy finished her conversation, she took the seat across from you.

“She’s still in surgery,” Judy whispered softly. You buried your head in your hands. You should have been there. You should have been there with her. You jumped when you felt a hand rest on your knee. “I need to ask you some questions.” Judy rubbed your knee for comfort. “Okay?”

You nodded, lifting your head from your hands. You wiped at your eyes, wiping away the tears before they could begin to fall. You cleared your throat, straightening your back as you prepared for her questions. You knew she had a job to do. You knew she had to ask you questions simply because you were Tara’s girlfriend and that automatically made you a suspect if anything happened. You decided to focus on helping in any way you could and would try not to be offended or defensive about the questions she may have.

“Where were you between 9pm and 10pm?” Judy asked. She leaned back in her chair, pulling out her notepad but never losing her warmth.

“Work,” you rasped out. “I got there at five and was there until I got to Tara’s.”

“Will others be able to confirm this?”

You nodded. “Yeah, in fact my boss yelled at me for talking to Tara. There were customers throughout the night and some that were there my entire shift.”

Judy nodded, writing everything down in her notepad. “You talked to Tara?” her pen froze mid whatever she was writing.

“Yeah.” You scrunched your eyebrows not sure how that was relevant. “She called.”

“What time was that?”

“We were just starting to get busy so…” you tried to think back to just a few hours ago. You hadn’t really looked at the time and now there were a lot more pressing matters on your mind. “Probably just before nine thirty.” Judy sucked in a breath before dropping her eyes back down to her notepad, quickly scribbling down the new information. “Why?”

“What did you talk about?”

You scrunched your eyebrows again. “She was bored, she wanted me to entertain her.” You smiled thinking back to your conversation, back to when everything was normal. “We discussed the future, and I said I would come over when I got off.”

“Nothing was off?”

“Of course not,” you frowned. “Why? What don’t I know?”

Judy cleared her throat, trying to hide any of the emotions she might be feeling. “It seems Tara was texting Amber.” You tilted your head, you might not have liked Amber, but they were best friends, it wasn’t surprising Tara would text her if you couldn’t come over. “Someone cloned Ambers number to make it seem like Tara was talking to her, but they were using it to distract her. At the same time Tara answered an unknown number on the landline.” You blinked a few times, trying to clear your mind, trying to figure out what Judy was saying. “Based on the timeline it was minutes after you got off the phone with her.”

“What?” you whispered, your heart shattering. When you had talked to Tara, she had been okay, she had been safe. Maybe if you had stayed on the phone with her nothing would have happened, maybe you could have helped.

“What are you saying?” you shot to your feet, beginning to pace back and forth. “You’re saying someone toyed with her? Someone planned this?” you gripped your head, trying to make it make sense. “Why would someone do that? Who would do that? Who would want to hurt Tara?” you looked to Judy for answers, tears already threatening to fall.

“Tara was still conscious when my deputies got there,” Judy said slowly, keeping her voice even. “As she was being loaded into the ambulance, she said the person who attacked her was wearing a Ghostface mask.”

Your face paled. You lived in Woodsboro, of course you knew the story of Ghostface. You believe you saw the first movie a long time ago, but they weren’t really your thing, you honestly only watched horror movies when Tara did, and she wasn’t into Stab. You had never read any of the books either, they didn’t appeal to you. You heard the basics of the attacks though; you remembered seeing the 2011 killings on the news, you had been in sixth grade, and it was pretty big gossip at the time.

Despite your lack of knowledge there were two things you knew about Ghostface, two things all of them had in common. The victims of Ghostface were always connected to whoever was Ghostface or connected to his true target. That’s where you were lost, Tara wasn’t connected to anyone from the previous killings. Tara wasn’t connected to Sidney Prescott in anyway and she wasn’t connected to any of the past killers. Tara was chosen as this Ghostface’s first victim though, there had to be a reason.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” you whispered, slumping back down in the chair.

“I’ve only ever been through this once,” Judy said, pocketing her notepad. “From my experience though, I can say that it rarely does. There’s no logic to people like this.”

Before anything else could be said you caught sight of a white lab coat out of the corner of your eye. You shot to your feet again, turning to face the doctor as he approached. Judy followed, standing behind you and giving a comforting rub to your back as you waited for what the doctor had to say.

“How is she?” Judy asked.

“She lost a lot of blood,” the doctor said. “She was stabbed seven times.” You brought a hand to your mouth, trying to hold back the sob. “Once through the hand.” Your tears finally fell. “She also has a broken leg.”

“Will she be, okay?” you managed to ask, trying to control your sobs.

“It’ll take some time. A lot of rehab. But she’ll live.”

You nodded, letting out a shaky breath. Tara was alive and that’s all that mattered. “Can I see her?”

“Are you family?”

You scoffed. “I’m her girlfriend.” You knew it was hospital policy or whatever, but you would lose it if he didn’t let you in to see Tara for yourself.

“I’m sorry, visiting hours are over and only family is allowed to stay the night.”

You opened your mouth to argue with the man but stopped when you felt Judy’s arm leave your back, she stepped forward, so she was almost between you and the doctor. “Her mother is out of town,” Judy said softly. “She’s the closest thing the girl has. Surely you can make an exception doc.” The doctor didn’t look convinced, he looked like he was about to deny Judy as well. “Look, doctor, I get it’s your policy,” she smiled brightly. “But if you don’t let her into that room, she will be sleeping in your waiting room and harassing the nurses until she can get in.”

The doctor narrowed his eyes at Judy, but she just smiled sweetly at him. The doctor glanced at you, and you could only shrug and nod your head. It was true, you wouldn’t leave the hospital and you wouldn’t sleep until you could see Tara, therefore you would spend time annoying the nurses who probably had better things to do than listening to you.

“Fine,” the doctor said begrudgingly. “I’ll show you to her room.”

“Thank you,” you whispered to Judy.

Judy smiled, giving a small nod in return. “I have a deputy on the way, they’ll be outside Tara’s room until this bastard is caught.” You nodded, knowing that the guy who attacked Tara was still out there and would most likely come back, most Ghostface’s didn’t like when their victims lived. “I know I probably don’t have to say this but, don’t leave town.”

“Don’t worry,” you said. “I don’t intend to leave Tara’s side.”

“I figured,” Judy smiled at you, before taking her a seat again. “I’ll be right here until the deputy arrives.”

You gave her one last nod before following the doctor to Tara’s room. You knew she was alive, and you knew of her injuries, but your leg bounced the entire elevator ride. The doctor didn’t say anything as he led you through the empty halls until he finally came to a stop. He gestured to the door, and you whispered a small thank you to him as you rested your hand on the handle. You took a deep breath before pushing down on the handle and entered the room, quietly closing the door behind you.

Your eyes instantly filled with tears again as you saw the state of Tara. She was asleep, lying in the hospital bed. Her right leg was in a large boot and her left hand was all wrapped up; she even had an oxygen tube in her nose. You slowly moved to her bedside, looking down at your girlfriend, noticing how small she looked in the hospital bed.

You rested a hand on top of her head, running your fingers through her hair as you bent down giving her forehead a kiss. “I’m sorry,” you whispered into her hair. “I’m so sorry.”

You quickly wiped away your tears, making your way around to the other side of her bed. You took a seat, moving it closer to her bedside. You were on the side with her injured hand, meaning as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t hold it as you waited for her to wake up, but this side was the only side that gave you a full visual of the door. Tara already got attacked once when you weren’t with her, you wouldn’t let that happen again.

[sylusjinwoon]

This is such a random question but have you ever written a story where the reader goes with jinwoo to the international guild conference(I think thats what its called)

Im not asking you to write it, you’ve already written so much. Its just that you have so many works I struggle to find a specific one

Byeeeeeee! Have a good day/sweet dreams

hey sweetheart! and no, i don’t believe i wrote a story where the reader attends a conference with jinwoo. however, i can help you find a specific jinwoo story that i have personally written to suit your needs! so i have made a summary of every single jinwoo story i have written under the cut with their links ♡ !

1. { sparkle } - first jinwoo story i have ever written told in jinwoo’s POV where he realizes he’s in love with reader

2. { 3RR0R } - where the system shows jinwoo that his soulmate is not cha hae-in

3. { pillowtalk } - reader speaks to jinwoo about her love for him while he sleeps.

4. { season’s call } - reader is constantly under protection from jinwoo’s shadow soldiers.

5. { hold me like a grudge } - investigator!jinwoo protects the reader while hiding a secret from her.

6. { surround you } - jinwoo is away on a business trip, leaving reader alone as she muses on how much she misses him.

7. { like you do } - reader is a young woman living in the real world who gets the chance to live out her dreams of being with jinwoo in his world.

8. { butterfly kisses } - reader comforts jinwoo during a bad day.

9. { love letter of flowers } - florist! reader and s-rank hunter! jinwoo fall in love 💐

10. { slow dancing in the dark } - reader sees jinwoo dancing with hae-in and feels envious.

11. { boyfriend headcanons } - general fluff headcanons

12. { arise } - reader is resurrected as one of jinwoo’s shadow soldiers due to a tragic event.

13. { rose-colored boy } - jinwoo takes care of a sick and feverish reader.

14. { sands of time } - academy arc; reader can’t stand jinwoo and lowkey hates him… or does she?

15. { light in the darkness } - antares!jinwoo basks in the reader’s softness.

16. { tiptoe } - reader is kept hostage as potential leverage, but it fails when jinwoo brutally attacks her captors to teach them a lesson.

17. { snooze } - reader loves to humble jinwoo by calling him dorky nicknames.

18. { enough is enough } - reader and jinwoo get into an argument.

19. { motherland } - jinwoo comforts reader after her failures.

20. { love me for me } - reader can’t stand being second best to her sister, hae-in.

21. { follow you } - reader becomes anxious at work due to a persistent co worker who can’t leave her alone…

22. { house of gold } - jinwoo fumbles his proposal LMAO

23. { headfirst for halos } - first yandere jinwoo fic.

24. { penpal } - academy arc; jinwoo wishes to get closer to his beloved reader.

25. { proud to be yours } - jinwoo makes a huge announcement during a press conference.

26. { the dark knight } - reader is a capable hunter who can’t stand it when jinwoo purposely prevents her from attending raids.

27. { musings for yandere jinwoo } - more yandere stuff

28. { moonlight } - jinwoo becomes captivated by reader when she calls him a strangely unique nickname.

29. { anomaly } - reader gets isekai’d into the world of solo leveling.

30. { of gifts and curses } - jinwoo muses how his strength and power are for the sake of protecting his beloved…

31. { reader inserts } - reader gets emotionally scarred after reading a painful reader insert.

32. { too sweet } - jinwoo falls in love with a reader who is the embodiment of sunshine.

33. { peaches } - a love story between jinwoo and the reader whom he has always loved.

34. { the only exception } - yandere jinwoo who falls head over heels for reader at first sight, willing to do anything to keep her by his side.

35. { selfish } - jinwoo being a jealous bby 🥰

36. { belong to you } - 100% jinwoo spice / thirst post

37. { touch starved } - jinwoo tries to woo (lmao) the reader and win her heart ♡

38. { cry for me } - another thirst post based on an ask ♡

39. { lover is a day } - comfort fic for jinwoo

40. { heartbreak feels so good } - reader is embarrassed with having a one night stand with jinwoo and wishes to forget. unfortunately for her, jinwoo wants nothing more than to remember and finally claim reader as his.

41. { marked by you } - more thirst posts for jinwoo

42. { the prince and the pauper } - historical romance / fairytale au with prince jinwoo sung and a commoner reader

43. { darling } - a yandere story with a twist. yandere jinwoo and yandere hae-in are deeply in love with the reader and would kill each other just to have you all to themselves…

44. { company } - lmaoo reader keeps friendzoning jinwoo, and he hates it.

45. { autobiography } - reader is an author that wants to write jinwoo's biography; what more can i say? 🥰

46. { perfect } - 18+ only, another thirst post for jinwoo

47. { saturn } - will jinwoo learn to love the reader’s true self hidden beneath a cheerful façade?

48. { slow it down } - boy next door jinwoo! what more can i say 🤭🥰

49. { that green gentleman (things have changed) } - single dad! jinwoo x daycare worker! reader

50. { god is a woman } - 18+ thirst post / drabble

51. { the admirer } - jinwoo loves to annoy the reader to capture her attention

52. { not a want but a need } - 18+ thirst drabble

53. { marry me } - the title says it all, really 🤭

54. { your heart belongs to me } - another 18+ thirst post

55. { the haunted one } - academy arc story where reader can see jinwoo’s shadow soldiers and becomes terrified of him.

56. { me + you } - another cute academy arc story where reader is struggling with math and jinwoo tutors her

57. { of painful auras and cute boys } - university au; reader has a migraine and needs to be saved;;; but by who ;3c

[raya-hunter01]

Not My Sister's Keeper Pt. 13 Final

Not My Sister’s Keeper

Jey Uso X OC (Kayla)

Roman X OC(Regina)

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; sex, fluff, couple arguing, Jealousy, infidelity, pregnancy

Roamn’s wife recently left medical school and returned home to save her marriage. Upon her return, she finds out things are not what they seem. Her sister is pregnant by her best friend Jey Uso, who is also Roman’s cousin, and her husband is acting suspiciously.

What happens when a conversation overhead on a baby monitor blows her world apart?

Five Months Later

Rebecca’s House

Rebecca’s POV

“Sweetie I’m just glad you agreed to come over to help me cook thanksgiving dinner.”

“I know you trying mama and I’m going to try to meet you halfway.” Kara said with a tired sigh rubbing her belly.

“Wait were you using the bathroom?” I asked seeing the shower in the background.

“Yes, the baby keeps sitting on my bladder and I’m peeing constantly,” Kara moaned washing her hands.

“I guess I didn’t help calling you at 7:00 a.m.,” I joked as Kara genuinely smiled.

“It’s no problem, I be up with the chickens these days trying to get comfortable.”

“It will end soon enough and then you’re going to be tired from lack of sleep.”

“I can’t wait either.”

My daughter was going to be an amazing mother. “Uh, is Josh still leaving later on today?”

“Yea, he’s gotta film some stuff but he will back tomorrow night in time for thanksgiving. Tani is going to drop me off at your house and come back and get me when I’m ready.”

“Well, that’s nice of her, I know how I ain’t on her list of people she likes.”

“Karbug, who on the phone?” I heard Jey asked as I chuckled seeing Kara turn the camera on him.

“Hey, Josh sorry to wake ya’ll up so early.”

“Nah, you good I got to get up soon anyway,” he said waving at me.

 “I know ya’ll want to spend a little more time together, so I’ll let you go. I love you, Kara and be safe coming out in this weather.”

“I love you too mama, and I will. See you a little later.”

“I felt joyful, I had my baby back and was about to become a grandma again. While fixing breakfast for Logan, our local news alert interrupted my favorite morning show. “What the hell goin’ on now in the middle of a fucking hurricane.”

Channel 10 news

“I am April, and this is Channel 10 news. Early this morning before daybreak we’ve been told three inmates escaped the Pensacola Women’s State Prison. A security breach occurred, and caused the prison to go into lockdown, but three prisoners managed to bypass the system and count of inmates.”

“Oh my god,” I gasped in shock…This isn’t happening…Not now.

“Through an emergency investigation it was discovered Taylor Green, a newly hired guard was having sexual encounters with the three women. In exchange for the sexual encounters, Green helped the inmates escape.”

“Lord, please don’t let it be her...Don’t let it be her.”

“As of 7:00 a.m. two of the women have been captured but Tia Morris is still at large and is armed and dangerous. Please be safe everyone and if you have any information, please call 911.”

“Tia…What are you doin’?”

Cutting the TV off, I rushed to check the doors to make sure everything was locked and secure.  The storm raged outside and within me as I rushed upstairs to check on Logan.

 I signed in relief seeing her still asleep. Gently kissing her forehead, I then went and checked the rest of the upstairs before going back downstairs.

“Calm down Rebecca, she probably on the road trying to get the hell outta town. Your safe and Logan is safe,” I whispered trying to calm down but deep down I felt something bad was going to happen.

--------

-Jey’s & Kara’s House

Jey’s POV

These last five months had been a dream, and it was getting harder and harder to leave Kara. She had been traveling with me some during her pregnancy, I even bought us a bus. I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible when she was with me.

She had been doing great up until these last two months though. Our son or daughter was determined to make his or her arrival early. We had been spending a lot of time at the hospital lately stopping her labor.

 Then the baby, won’t cooperate at all during the ultrasounds so we still don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl. We don’t care though as long as he or she is healthy.

“Jey, we will be fine, you’re coming back tomorrow night.”

“I don’t want to leave ya’ll though,” I said kissing Kara’s belly. The storm raging outside making even harder to leave. I wanted to stay home in this bed with my wife.

“Well daddy, you gotta go so you can film. Then you get to come home and be with us for the next nine weeks.”

Damn right I was, my mom was going to stay with us, but I wanted to be home to be with Kara and the baby. I was going into a feud with the new bloodline so we were going to film some stuff that would air over the next two months. Then when I come back, I will be rejoining Roman and Jimmy to reunite the original bloodline.

“Doody, you heard me?” Kara said running her fingers through my hair.

“Yea, I heard you baby. I know I gotta go, but I don’t like it.”

“We will be fine, I promise.”

 “Hey, I’mma need you to stay in mama’s belly while I’m gone kid. No hospital visits, please.”

“I know right, these hospital visits with these contractions ain’t been no joke but I haven’t had any for two weeks.”

 Feeling a strong kick, I smiled and kissed her stomach. “I will take that kick as you telling yo’ daddy you gon’ be good,” I chuckled getting up and grabbing my bag.

“Let me get up-” gently pushing her back against her pillow, I shook my head.

“Nope….. Stay there, Ma will be here soon.” Leaning over to kiss her I knew I had to leave now, or I wouldn’t. “Fine, I’ll sleep a little longer,” she whispered against my lips. “Thank you for your cooperation, Ma.”

I suddenly had a nagging feeling, but I don’t want to scare her. It probably was me just not wanting to leave her.

“Be safe, we love you, daddy.”

“I love ya’ll too, and I’ll be back soon.”

Walking out of our bedroom I looked back one last time at my family quickly taking my phone out and snapping a picture of Kara laying in bed her belly on full display.

“Bye, Josh.”

“Ok, I’m gone…Love ya’ll.”

“We love you too!”

I felt like I should have stayed but I tried to push down the feeling that I was making a big mistake leaving.

---

Two hours Later

Kara’s Parents House

Rebecca’s POV

Still no updates on Tia but the prison assured me they were looking everywhere but told me to stay put. I tried to call Kara but no answer, I even called their house phone. It was best if she just stayed home and didn’t come over. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her or the baby. “Come on Josh, pick up.”

“This is josh, you know what to do. Leave it at the beep..Yeet.”

“Josh, its Rebecca. I’ve tried to get Kara on the phone, but she isn’t picking up. Tia has escaped and they can’t find her, don’t leave the house or if you have go back!”  

CRASH

“Oh my god, No! Logan, sweetie, are you ok?!” I yelled running upstairs. Peeking in on her again I saw her still sound asleep. What the hell is going on?

Once again, I cautiously headed to check out my room.  As I opened the door, I heard a loud bang followed by a sharp pain shot through my stomach.

Tia’s POV

That was so easy, I didn’t think it would be this simple. “I told you that you’d be sorry.” I didn’t want to hurt my mother, all she had to do was listen and help me. She turned her back on me so as far as I’m concerned she’s collateral damage.

T-T-Tia, don’t h- hurt the baby,” my mother cried collapsing to the floor in pain. Not a care in the world about her own self.

“I would never ever hurt her; she’s coming with me.” I couldn’t leave without her; she was my ticket to getting what I needed out of Roman.

As my mother lay gasping for breath, I grabbed her cellphone as she tried to reach for it.

“Oh, you want help? Well, go find the phone,” I said throwing it out of the room as she sobbed in defeat. Just as I was about to go get Logan I heard the front door open.

“Ma, you ok? My phone is acting up and I saw I had some missed calls. Tani dropped me off and went to run a quick errand but will be back in a bit to take me to Verizon. I swear Jey will lose his mind if he can’t get in touch with me,” Kara rambled as she walked around downstairs looking for mama.  I couldn’t believe my luck right now.

“Oh, this is too good. I swear God loves me,” I chuckled as my mother lay gasping for breath pulling at my legs.” N- No, T- Tia.”

“Get off me,” I hissed kicking as I heard Kara coming up the stairs. “Ma, Logan, ya’ll ok?”  

I heard her go into Logan’s room down the hall. “Yea, come on in here next bitch, I got a surprise for you.” I could practically smell the worry on her from down the hall and I loved it.

All I had to do was wait for her to come down here to check on mama.

Kara’s POV

“Logan,” I whispered shaking her a little as she moaned opening her eyes. “Tee Tee, you here,” her tiny innocent voice said stretching her arms out wide.

“Yea, sweetie it’s me. I need you to get up ok, but don’t make a sound.” Making that statement alone in a mere whisper seemed to wake her up as she nodded, giving me a hug.

“Mommy here?” her tiny voice asked with worry as I nodded, holding her close. “Yea, I think so, and I need to get you out of here. Remember what we practiced?” I asked as she nodded.

“I run to Ms. Ruby house, her light on.” She whispered rubbing her tired eyes. “Yes, that’s right pretty girl, her outside porch light will be on and she will get some help for us.”

“I scared Tee Tee.” Logan cried, my heart breaking. Logan was an innocent child who didn’t deserve any of this mess.

“I know baby, but I got you and I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.” I felt helpless, that we had to teach a four-year-old how to run for help but thank God she was smart and understood.

Tia thought she was smart but the eerie silence when I came in and seeing mom’s phone laying in the hall. I knew something was up and I knew we needed help.

“I left the front door open, and when I go down the hall, I want you to tip toe down the steps, try not to make a noise. Once you get to the front door start runnin’ and don’t stop till you get to Ms. Ruby’s house, ok?”

“Tee Tee come wit me?”

“No baby I can’t run, I’d never make it. That’s why I need your help and no matter what, don’t look back or stop running until you get there. Tell her grandma is hurt and we need help.”

The fear in her tiny face broke my heart but I had to be remain calm on the the outside, inside I was losing it. After I put on her shoes and coat she once again wrapped her tiny arms around me. “I love you Tee Tee Kara.”

“I love you too baby, I want you to always remember that.”

Putting her hood on I took a breath, trying to dial 911 once again but to no avial.. we had no choice it was now or never. As I left her room, I signaled for her to go downstair. Seeing her follow my directions as she tip toed down the steps, I had a hard time controlling my tears.

“Logan, try to get dressed and I will look for grandma sweetie,” I said closing her door. Glancing over the rail, I saw she was finally at the front door. She quickly turned on the porch light and glanced back up at me.

Her tiny face filled with determination as she nodded at me and took off running as fast as her little legs would allow. “Thank God,” I whispered thankful she had escaped.

 Slowly going down the hall I could see Tia’s reflection in the huge hall mirror that was adjacent to my mother’s room. There she was standing in our mother’s room with a gun. I  felt my heart drop hearing my mother crying in pain.

“Run! Kara, get Logan and run!” My mother screamed as I took off back downstairs trying not to fall.

“Uh, not now ,” I cried feeling a sharp pain shot through my stomach. “Not yet please, just give mama a little time,” I pleaded looking for my dad’s gun.

“Looking for daddy’s gun Kara?” Tia’s cold voice sending chills down my spine. It was either me or her and in this moment and I will do anything to keep my child safe, even if it means killing my own sister.

Logan’s POV

I was tired but I couldn’t stop running. Ms. Ruby house was close, I just had to keep running.  “Ms. Ruby!” I cried finally seeing the blue house with the front porch light on. “Ms. Rubby help!” I cried knocking and kicking her door trying to make sure she heard me.

I ran into her arms the minute the door opened. “Ted, call 911 Tia’s at Rebecca’s!” she yelled as I continued to cry. “Please help my grammy and Tee Tee.”

“We’re getting help sweetie, you did so good our sweet girl,” Ms. Ruby whispered, holding me close as I cried.  

Ruby’s POV

“You ok, I got you, sweet girl,” I reassured Logan carrying her inside as my son called the police. “The lines are busy; the hurricane is messing with towers and phone lines.”

 “Keep trying Ted!” I screamed as he nodded once again trying to get help.

“Finally! Yes, we need the police and an ambulance at 1254 Greer Road. Tia Morris, an inmate that escape earlier this morning is there and is dangerous. She has two hostages.”

“I want my daddy,” Logan cried as I pulled out my cell and tried to dial Roman and after a couple of times my phone finally dialed through.

“Hey, Ms. Neslon-”

“Roman have ya’ll left yet?”

“Uh, no we are grounded at the airport until the weather slacks off, is everything ok?”

“Roman, Tia has escaped and is at Rebecca’s.”

“Logan-”

“Roman, she got out, but Kara and Rebecca are still in the house with Tia. Rebecca is hurt from what Logan is telling me.”

Putting the phone on speaker I continued to comfort Logan. “Logan, your daddy is on the phone.” Her tiny head perking up at the new information.

“Daddy, she hurt grammy,” she cried as I could hear the worry and relief in Roman’s voice.

“Daddy’s coming my baby, we are so proud of you.”

“Tee Tee help me runway,” she cried as I could hear Roman crying. “Grammy and Tee Tee Kara are going to be ok. I promise.”

Jimmy’s POV

“What you talkin’ bout Uce?” Jey asked hearing Kara’s name. “Daddy loves you and we are on the way to you.” Roman said in a panic hanging up the phone.

“Kevin, get the car back up here we need to get off this plane!” Roman yelled as I felt the room starting to spin.

“Stop and tell us what the fuck is going on!” Jey demanded as Roman wiped his tears. “Tia has Kara and Rebecca hostage. Logan ran to get help, and they have the ambulance and police on the way.”

“Kara…My Kara?” Jey asked in disbelief reaching for his phone as I placed my hand on my shoulder. “She’s gon’ be ok, they both are,” I tried to reassure him.

“Roman, call Regina and warn her,” I advised trying not to freak out as Jey kept redialing Kara’s phone, the color draining from his face each time he got a busy signal or no answer at all.

“Regina it’s me baby, I need you to listen to me carefully.”

Jey’s POV

“We gotta get there!” I yelled pulling away from Jimmy and grabbing my coat. I had to get to my wife, this isn’t happening right now.

“No, I want you to stay at the house and lock everything up. Logan is ok with Ms. Nelson. I don’t need you in any danger, Tia is insane.” “Jimmy, have you heard from Trin? I know she was supposed to help Kara and Rebecca with the food today.” I asked, the realization hitting him hard that Trin was once again in danger of being hurt because of Tia.

The silence as we all tried to call our loved ones frustrating us more and more by the second as each call was met with a busy signal or no answer.

“Pick up, pick up Trin,” he whispered dialing her number again.

“Come on baby, pick up please.” I pleaded. Damn it, where is the fucking car? I kept trying to call Kara but no luck.  I even took a chance calling Rebecca’s house phone.

 “Fuck!” I screamed getting a busy signal, but I kept calling as we made our way to the car.

“Please keep them safe.”

I knew I should have followed my first mind and not even left. The darkness, wind and rain were a blessing in disguise, and I was thankful we were still here when Ms. Nelson called.

“I knew one thing, I was going to Kill her…I was going to kill Tia if Trin didn’t beat me to it.

Rebecca’s house

Trin’s POV

Whoo, I made it. I had gone to the store to get a few more things to help make dinner for tomorrow. I even ran into Tani and told her I would take Kara later on to get her phone looked at and for her to just go home and get out of this weather.

 Hell, I really believe it’s just the weather messing with the towers. After the weather passes, I think we will be good.

“Why the hell is the front door open?” I muttered. “Kara where you at?  I saw Tani at the store and told her that she could go home,” I said walking in and placing the groceries on the counter in the kitchen.

“Trinity, we good, just leave and turn on the porch light. I’ll hit you up later.” I heard Kara yell causing me to pause.

Trinity?.....The porch light?…Why was Kara calling me by my first name, she always calls me Trin…The porch light is already on, what is sh-. ….Oh shit, Tia is here. She was giving me hints, to get the hell out and get help.

“Uh, yea sure, I’ll make sure to turn it on. I love you girly and I’ll holla at you later.” I said going back out to the car. Picking up my phone I tried to dial out and no luck.  

I then drove out the gate and parked my car out of sight a little way down the road and headed back up to the house. I had to think of a way to get back inside, I couldn’t leave Kara.

Kara’s POV

“Where is mama, Tia?” I asked rubbing my stomach as another pain jolted down my spine as she smiled. “Upstairs in her room, hopefully bleeding out or already dead,” she smiled as I gasped seeing Trin’s reflection in the patio window.

We had to get the drop on this crazy bitch, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I knew I was going into labor because the pain was different than the Braxton hicks I had experienced before.

“I got to get up Logan and pack her a few things. Go over there and have a seat. Looks like you’re in labor sis.”

She still didn’t know Logan was long gone and I had faith she made it to Ruby’s house by now and the police were on the way. I had to believe that. “You sure you ain’t gon’ shoot me in the back again?” I groaned trying to breathe through my current contraction.

“Nah, you safe this time, my niece or nephew is your only saving grace right now,” she whispered watching me closely as I steadied my breathing.

Suddenly another sharp pain it. “The contractions are too close,” I cried collapsing to the floor as I saw Trin looking at me with worry before taking off towards the side of the house.

“You betta hold it in, I ain’t delivering no baby. You on your own with that shit. Just let me get me kid and I’ll leave you to it.”

“I don’t want you touching me anyway, let alone passing your evil ass spirit onto my baby,” I snapped as she kicked me in the stomach. “Now watch yourself,” she hissed as I rolled into a ball.

“Ugh! Fuck you!” I cried cradling my stomach as I felt another kick, this time across my lower back.

“T-Tia stop,” I heard my mom cry as I refused to uncurl my body. I had one job and that was to protect my child.

 “Oh, mama so nice of you to join us. Look at you clawing your way down the stairs to help your baby girl,” Tia laughed as I heard the sound of glass shattering from the side of the house. Trin….Trin was back inside the house.

“What the hell?!” Tia shouted running towards the sound as I pulled myself towards my mother.  “Ma, are you ok?” I cried truly terrified seeing her covered in blood and holding her stomach.

“Yea, get Logan,” she coughed, fighting to keep her eyes open. “I did, she’s gone to get help, just hang on.”

“End it Kara….Keep Logan safe,” she moaned before she passed out from the pain. Feeling her chest rise and fall under my hand I gently kissed her forehead.

“Mama, just hang in there,” I cried. Suddenly, I heard another crash followed by a gunshot.

“Trin!” I screamed, willing myself to my feet in spite of another powerful contraction tearing through my body. I had to help her. “Come on baby, just hang in there for a little while longer,” I pleaded making my way down the hall. I saw the broken window but now sign of Trin or Tia.

“I told you bitch! I warned you didn’t I?” I heard Trin yell as I got closer. Thank God she was ok, they had apparently fought their way up to the second floor.

Grabbling the railing I slowly made my way up the back stairs to the spare bedroom.

Trin’s POV

This bitch really tried to shoot at me and then dodge up the back steps to hide. Nah, not today, you gon’ learn to head the warning.

“I told you I was gon’ show you crazy!” I yelled throwing Tia against the wall as she tried to protect herself. “I’ll kill you!” Tia screamed as I grabbed her by the throat choking her.

 “Not if I kill you first,” I hissed as Tia raked me in the eyes and punched me in the stomach. “You gon’ have to kill me!” Tia screamed, tackling me to the floor as I returned the favor by kneeing her in the stomach and elbowing her in the throat.

Her gasping for breath bringing me great joy. “I’ll be happy to make your wish come true bitch!” I yelled climbing on top of her wrapping my hands back around her throat as I slammed her head against the floor. “Ow,” she hissed grabbing the back of head as I kept on. “I told you not to touch my sister, you just don’t listen.”

“Trin, I can hear the cops” Kara said as I punched her again for good measure before getting up to check on Kara who was now bent over in pain.

“Are you ok?”

“What do we do Trin?” Kara cried as I hugged her closely. “I’mma whoop her ass till the cops get here, and they gon’ take her ass back to jail,” I said trying to calm her down as Tia writhed on the floor in pain.

“She could get out again Trin! We can’t keep doing this! What do we need to do?!” Kara cried as I felt helpless. I knew what we needed to do for us all to have some peace, I just hoped Kara felt the same way.

 Grasping her chin, I made her calm down and look at me. “I’ll tell you what we do. We end it, Kara, you hear me? We end this shit once and for all, that’s what we do,” I said making sure she understood what I was saying.

As we both looked down at the gun in her hands, we knew what we had to do. “Ya’ll ain’t got the balls, don’t worry though, I’ll find a way back out,” Tia gloated as Kara put down the gun.

Kara’s POV

“Kara, what you doing?” Trin asked as I stood up trying to gather myself. “It has to look like an accident,” I mumbled not believing the words coming out of my mouth. I said it so low; I didn’t even know if Trin heard me or not.

“Let’s do it,” she said without hesitation as I nodded as we looked at each other knowing if we wanted this to truly be over Tia had to go.

I wanted no room for error or a trial.  Suddenly Trin attacked Tia again as I wiped my fingerprints off the gun and put it in the center of the floor.

I knew Tia would go for it and put her prints back on the weapon. “Stupid bitch!” Tia yelled trying to grab Trin by her hair, coming up short as Trin gripped her by the neck and threw her onto the dresser shattering the glass. “Trin now!” I yelled as she looked at me taking a step back as Tia crawled towards the gun and grabbed it.

“Don’t move,” Tia gasped trying to point the gun at Trin but couldn’t focus. Trin had rocked her and she was unsure of her surroundings. I managed to sneak behind Tia as she stood up preparing to try to attack Trin with the gun. Quickly I grabbed her from behind extending her arms in the air as the gun went off again.

“Trin now!” I screamed as Trin ran towards us.

Jey’s POV

“Uce, there’s the cops,” Jimmy said pointing at the three cop cars surrounding Rebecca’s house. “Thank god!” Roman cried as we jumped out trying to get closer.

“Hey, we got a situation, now stay back,” a cop said as felt myself losing it. “My wife is in there and ya’ll need to get her out or I’ll do it my damn self!” None of us giving a damn about the storm at the moment as the rain seemed to be falling even harder than it had been all morning.

“No, no, no, Kara! Trin!” Roman yelled as I looked up to see Kara, Trin, and Tia tussling over a gun on the small balcony. One of the cops was trying to get a clear shot but Kara was in the way.

Tia suddenly lost her footing, going over the railing still holding on to Kara. “Kara, No!” I cried as Kara cried out.

“Pull Trin!” Kara yelled as Trin tried to pull them both up but this crazy bitch started laughed trying to pull Kara over the rail with her. “It’s over Kara!”

“Shoot her fuckin’ ass!” I screamed as Roman, and I tried to get past the cops.

“Let go, Tia!”  Kara screamed as Trin held on to her tight, trying to pull her back as the rain continued to bombard us all.

“I know ya’ll seeing this shit, she trying to kill’em both! Shoot her ass, what ya’ll waitin’ for?!” Jimmy pleaded as it seemed to be a tug of war with Trin having a tight grip on Kara, and Tia trying to pull her over the railing with her.

“I’m taking you with me bitch! You don’t get a happy ending!” Tia screamed. “Shoot her ass!” I yelled my eyes bouncing between Trin struggling to keep a grip on Kara and Tia’s joy at Kara’s pain.

Seeing Kara’s belly pressed up against the railing as she cried out in pain was all I could take. My wife and my child were hurting, and nobody was gon’ stop me from getting to them.

“Bite her ass Kara!..... Is ya’ll gon’ do something or not?! You know what? Move out the fuckin’ way!” I yelled, pushing through the cops and running inside as Roman blocked their path.

As I made my way in the house, past the EMT’s working on Rebecaa, I heard a blood curdling scream and a huge thud.

“Help us!” I heard Trin scream as I took the back steps two at a time trying to get to them busting in the room and seeing the wreckage. I knew a war had taken place in here and I knew Trin had held it down for Kara.

“I- I- Its….. It’s over,” Kara sobbed as I breathed a sigh of relief seeing my wife curled up in Trins arms as they held each other tight sobbing.

“It’s over, sis.” Running over to them I did the only thing I could and that was hold them both in my arms. It really was over…It was finally over.

“I am so sorry I left you, I should have followed my gut,” I cried as Kara shook her head. “You’re here now and you couldn’t have known baby.”

“I was so fuckin’ scared, Kara I had to get to you.”

“We’re ok.”

“Is Logan, ok?” Trin and Kara asked at the same time as I smiled at them. “Yea, she’s fine. She did everything ya’ll told her to do and got help.”

“I knew she would, is my mom, ok?”

 “Yea, the EMT’s are working on her,” I whispered as Kara nodded, wincing in pain.

“Are you good?” I asked rubbing her stomach as she groaned.

“Yea, I’m good but I’m in labor.” Kara hissed trying to breathe through an apparent contraction.

“Wait what!!”

Roman’s POV

She was dead, Tia was finally out of our lives and I felt bad at the relief that filled my body as they covered her up with a sheet. Logan was free of her, we all were free of her.

“Daddy!”  

Nothing ever sounded so sweet than to hear her voice. Smiling, I turned just in time to catch her in my arms. “Daddy you here!” She yelled as I cried, holding her close. “Daddy is here baby, and I’m so glad you ok Lo Lo.” I said walking down the driveway, and away from the crime scene. Last thing I wanted was for Logan to be traumatized seeing her mother’s dead body under a white sheet.

I know she didn’t know her well but that wasn’t something a four-year-old should have to see. Thankfully the rain had finally stopped for the moment.

“Tee Tee save me daddy.”

“I know baby, I know. ..Thank you, Ms. Nelson,” I said giving her a hug as she scoffed. “No need, this little one is everyone in this neighborhood’s grandbaby. You ain’t never gotta worry when she’s here.”

“I still can’t thank you enough.”

“Gram hurt daddy,” she said pointing as the EMT’s loaded Rebecca in the ambulance as we moved to the side of the road to let another ambulance in.

“Yes, she is but the EMT’s are taking care of her. I don’t want you to be scared,” I said as Jimmy embraced us both. Before running to meet Trin as she came out of the house.

“Jurdy!” she screamed jumping in his arms as he held her close. “Don’t ever do this to me again,” I faintly heard him say they cried together. Where was Kara?

A few seconds later I saw the other EMT wheel Kara out on a stretcher with Jey holding her hand coaching her through a contraction.

“No way,” I said as Trin smiled. “Yes way….Kara’s in labor,” she said giving Logan and I a hug.

“Tee Tee be a mommy?” Logan asked as Trin kissed her on the check. “Yea sweetie, your Tee Tee is about to be a mommy.”

---

Pensacola General Hospital

Jey’s POV

“Come on baby you got it, just bear down.”

 “I can’t, wait I can’t push!” Kara screamed laying back on the bed as I wiped her forehead.

"Kara, the baby’s head is almost out. On your next contraction I need you to take a deep breath, bear down and push with all you got," Dr. Rivers instructed. “No, I wanna take a nap. Tag you it, you take over, Jey,” I cried as Jey gently kissed me.

“If I could, I would baby, but only you can do this. I know you can do this, and I’m right here wit you.”

“I know and I love you.”

 I love you more, now let’s meet our baby. I bet he or she has your beautiful eyes.”

“And your nose,” Kara whimpered as I kissed her forehead and then her lips once again for good measure.  “Let’s go Mrs. Fatu,” I encouraged as she grunted through another contraction pushing with all her might. “Look Kara, it’s the baby. Come on baby, keep pushing.” I had never seen anything so amazing.

“Ahhh! Get it out! Get it out!” Kara screamed, and finally after ten hours of labor the most beautiful sound I have ever heard filled the room.

“Congratulations, it’s a boy!”

His tiny wails bringing forth my own tears without shame as they placed our son on Kara’s chest.

“He’s so beautiful, look at him Jey,” Kara cried as I fell in love all over again with her, and our son…. We have a son “I love you so much… I love ya’ll so much.” I cried just full and so happy as I kissed my wife and son.

“We love you too, daddy.” I don’t know how Kara knew, but I really needed to hear that. I had almost lost them both today and I just really needed to hear it.

“What are we gon’ name him?” I asked as Kara looked at me and smiled.

“How about after his dad?” she asked as I felt like my heart was about to explode. “Joshua? Like you really want to name him Joshua?” I asked as she nodded placing him in my arms.

“Yea, I can’t think of any better name…Can you?” She whispered reaching up and wiping my tears.

“Joshua, daddy loves you very much and I promise you and ya’ ma gon’ have the best of everything,” I promised as he opened his eyes and looked me.

“He’s looking at me Kara, and he looks just like me,” I said my voice breaking. “I know baby, I know.”

__

Roman’s POV

“Ms. Regina, can we go eat?” Logan asked as Regina scooped her up in her arms. “Of course, you deserve a hero’s dinner after what you did today, lil lady,” she said as Logan gave her a hug.

“Thank you for taking her,” I said as Regina gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. “You stay here and find out about Rebecca, I got Logan.”

I felt thankful, thankful that Rebecca and Kara had a plan in case Tia came back. Thankful for Regina coming into my life and loving Logan. These last five months just kind of hit me out of the blue. I wasn’t looking for anything or anyone and up pops Regina.

Very headstrong, has her own business and she puts my ass in my place when I need it. She met Logan last month and since then they have been joined at the hip. “You want to join them, Bill?” I asked as shook his head.

“Nah, I’m ok. I mean we’re on the outs, but I need to be here to make sure the old bat is ok,” Bill said as I chuckled to myself.

“Ok, I see your point.” I said spotting the doctor heading towards us.

“Oh, I know him…Tim how is she?” Bill asked shaking the doctor’s hand.

“She’s good, we got the bullet, and it didn’t hit any main arteries. She’s in recovery but will definitely have to take it easy for awhile.”

“Thank you so much, and we will make sure she does just that,” Bill said as I looked up and saw Jey coming from labor and delivery.

“How is Kara?” I asked as he smiled pulling out his phone. “She’s good and so is our son.” He said showing me a picture of Kara and the baby.

“A boy…How about that,” I said smiling. Kara looked so happy. “Tell her I’m happy for ya’ll.” Jey nodded, giving Bill his phone.

“There’s my boy,” Bill gushed as Jey beamed with pride. He was going to be a great dad and husband to Kara. That much I knew, and I wished them well.

“How is Rebecca?” Jey asked as Bill scoffed. “That old bat is tough as nails, she’ll be ok,” he said as Jey laughed. “Well, that’s good to hear, Kara was worried.”

“Tell her that her mama has eight lives left,” Bill said as I shook my head.” I will even though she gon’ wonder why in so many words you calling her mama a cat.”

“I prefer the term bitch in heat, but enough about that. What did the cops say?” Bill asked as Jey smiled. “No charges for Kara and Trin, it was self-defense.”

“Thank god, last thing we needed was another trial,” I said as Bill and Jey agreed. It was over…It really was finally all over.

Kara’s POV

Watching Trin with my son, I knew I couldn’t have asked for a better sister or aunt for my child. She took control and kept me grounded. Geez, I can still hear Tia’s body hitting the ground.

“Jey’s coming, I saw him push pass the cops. It’s now or never, let her ass go,” Trin whispered as I screamed for good measure making it seems as if Tia was slipping.

The look of shock on her face as I let her go was things instant karma is made of. She knew she was about to meet her end and the only thing she could do was scream.

Closing my eyes, I cringed hearing her body hit the ground bellow as Trin pulled me back in the room as we collapsed on the floor in an exhausted, thankful heap.

“Trin, thank you,” I cried as she shook her head engulfing me in a hug. “Don’t thank me….We did what we had to do.”

We walked away with some bumps and bruises, but the most important thing is that Tia is gone.  She’s gone and can’t hurt the people we love anymore.

“Trin-”

“Don’t say it Kara…It’s ok,” she whispered placing Joshua back in my arms.  

“But we-”

“Did nothing wrong, and the cops agree. That’s why there were no charges filed.”

“I know, I just hate I had to involve you in my mess.”

“I told you a long time ago you my sister, and I meant that.”

“Trin, I’m just-”

“Overthinking, when you should be enjoying my nephew,” she said as I smiled looking down at my son.

“To the grave,” I whispered extending my pinky out as she chuckled. “To the grave,” she said as we pinky promised to never talk about what happened again. After I fed Joshua and put him down I noticed Trin on her phone.

"What's got you smiling?" I asked climbing back in bed.

"Dear brother posted the baby, let me comment," Trin said full of excitement.

"Glad he didn't post me, I look a mess."

Girl, shut up, you look as beautiful as ever," she scolded giving me a hug.

 In the end, I guess I really was my sister’s keeper after all…And I didn’t mind it at all.

Trin was my sister in every way that mattered, and I would always have her back like she had mine.

-----

Four Years Later

Pensacola Pediatric and Internal medicine

Kara’s POV

“I want to thank you all for coming today as we get ready for our grand opening next week. I want you all to know that without you all there is no me. Thank you all for loving and supporting me.”

The happy faces of my family as I stood in front of my first practice is something I will never forget. Residency was hard but the completion and certification was well worth it.

“Hey lil man,” I whispered picking up Joshua as Jey put his arm around Logan making sure she was ok. “Mama, we eat now?” Joshua asked as I sighed. “In a few minutes we will eat lunch, ok?”

 His little pout as he laid his head on my shoulder making me smile. “Tee Tee, this is so neat,” Logan said giving me a hug. "Thank you sweetie."  Logan just turned eight a few weeks ago and growing up so fast and is already an amazing young lady.

 After Tia’s death, I felt responsible but every time I looked at this beautiful little girl, I knew. I knew we made the right decision for her, and I would always be there for her and so would Trin.

She also had Regina who has been a huge bright light in her life as well. She was good for Roman, and Logan. Hopefully one day he will take that step and try marriage again.

“Are you staying with us tonight, Logan?” I asked as Roman smiled at Regina. I knew he was loving the possibility of them having some alone time.  

“Yes, I wanted to spend the night if it was, ok? Is uncle Jey still grillin’?”

“Yea, I am, and you can stay whenever you want Lo,” Jey said hugging her as she smiled. “Thanks, uncle Jey.” Logan always relished in the attention and love that Jimmy and Jey showered upon her and I can’t say that I blame her. They loved her dearly and she loved them.

“Well, you can get Janiya too while you at it,” Trin said pointing at her three-month-old daughter, who currently had her father wrapped around her little finger speaking baby talk to her.

“Uh, no that baby is spoiled and gon’ holla for Jimmy all night. No ma’am, we pass until she gets a little older sis,” I said as Trin shrugged her shoulders. “It ain’t me, it’s him. See what you did Jimmy?”

“Aye, get off my back. It’s our first one,” Jimmy said smiling at his daughter.

“I guess you get a pass.. You look so cute being in Daddy mode,” Trin teased as my mother gave me hug. “I’m proud of you baby,” she whispered as I held her tight. “And I’m proud of you.”

“Ya’ll proud of me too, right?” my dad asked, jumping in our hug as we laughed. “Yes, we are very proud of you too, dad.”

My parents never got back together, but they are nice to each other and survive our family get togethers. That’s a plus for me.

“Ok, can I love on my wife now?” Jey asked, tapping my dad on the shoulder. My dad couldn’t get out of the way fast enough for me as I jumped into my husband’s arms.

“ I love you so much and I'm proud of you,” he whispered as I smiled truly happy that I had did everything I set out to do. Everything had been worth it, and a new journey was beginning for us.

"I love you more and like I told you, we did this together." I reassured him as my mother picked up Joshua.

"I was just about to pick him up Rebecca."

"Tani, you snooze, you lose. And how bout you finally admit that you don't hate me as much as you used too?"My mother asked as Tani rolled her eyes. Shaking my head I buried my head in Jey's neck.

"I can admit it, doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Please, you love sharing grammy duties with me."

"Them two a trip," Jey said shaking his head at their exchange. It's never boring, I can tell you that much.

"Think we should tell'em they're going to have another baby to spoil in a few months?" I asked as Jey smiled at me.

"Nah, they can wait a few more weeks. I ain't ready to share you just yet."

"Agreed, we need some peace and quiet for awhile."

"Damn, we really made it here,huh?" he asked still in somewhat shock, caressing my face. "Yea baby, we really made it."

The end.

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[ray4hotchner]

Reckless

❀ 𝕡𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘: aaron hotchner x reader

❀ 𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕪: Y/N, a team member of the BAU, faces her past during a challenging case. Struggling to cope, Y/N's impulsive actions strain her relationship with Hotch.

❀ 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥: 5.5k

❀ 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣’𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕖: Hi everyone, I finally caved in and wrote something on my own. This is my first fic, so let me know what you think

❀ 𝕞𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕒𝕔𝕔: @iyv-ray24

On Ao3

Normally, Y/N was one of the last people to board the jet after a case. Not this time though. She didn't wait for the team and drove straight from the sheriff's station to the airport once the case was wrapping up. It had been a couple of stressful days, and everyone was exhausted. However, Y/N was not only exhausted but also very, very pissed – pissed at the team, pissed at herself, but most importantly, at Hotch.

This case was not easy for any of them. Three girls between the ages of 9 and 13 were abducted, horribly abused, and killed before their bodies were dumped in different local parks in the city. The BAU was called in when the third child was missing, but unfortunately, they arrived way too late. Now, the fourth girl, Casandra Johnson, an 11-year-old, was missing.

Most of the times, Y/N wouldn't have problems with distancing herself emotionally from cases, but this one just hit too close to home. Her little baby sister was abducted from their front porch when she was 9. Y/N herself was only a teenager at that time, and she was the one babysitting her sister. Just a couple of minutes of distraction, and her baby sister was gone forever. They found her body a week later, and the man who killed her luckily got caught, but Y/N never forgave herself and lived every day with the guilt of letting her sister down.

Yep, the team knew all about this stuff. They were familiar with each other's messed-up pasts and traumas; they were like a close-knit family, after all. So, when Penelope started laying out all the details about the case, she could feel her teammates' eyes on her. Sure, it wasn't easy to stare at pictures of innocent little girls and remember what happened to her own sister, but that wasn't going to stop her from getting her job done. She was a pro at this, and as far as she was concerned, this was just another case.

She found herself in the tiny kitchenette of the jet, pouring a cup of coffee, when Hotch walked over.

"Hey, want some coffee?" she offered, but he just shook his head.

"You doing okay?" he asked, standing close because the kitchenette was so darn small.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she replied, knowing exactly why, but she wasn't about to show her feelings to him.

"You could sit this one out, you know.”

"Hotch, no way! Please don't even suggest that! These girls deserve justice, and I've got to see it through."

"I get it, but if things start getting too heavy and overwhelming, promise me you'll give me a heads-up," he said gently.

"You bet," she nodded.

They hung there for a few more seconds. Hotch's presence always had a calming effect on her, and she felt more grounded when he was around. He saw the tension on her face and he probably wanted to reach out and offer comfort, but he held back. So, he turned around and went back to his seat. She watched Hotch walk away and caught eyes with Emily, who gave her a knowing look. She was the only one on the team who knew how Y/N felt about Hotch. To this day, she regretted telling Emily, on a drunken night, that she had a crush on their boss. Emily had persistently encouraged her on more than a few occasions to confess her feelings, but she had consistently declined, fearing the potential embarrassment and awkwardness it could create between them. Emily smirked at her, but she only mouthed "Don't" before also returning to her seat.

The case was progressing as usual – examining the crime scene, talking to victims' relatives and potential eyewitnesses, and creating the unsub profile. Throughout the investigation, the team noticed Y/N becoming increasingly agitated. However, things took a sharp downward turn after Casandra was kidnapped. Y/N grew moody, neglected sleep and food, and immersed herself in reexamining the same files and evidence over and over again.

Y/N and Spencer found themselves back at the last crime scene, as Y/N insisted on revisiting it, when new information arose. Penelope added them to the group call and informed everyone that her research had led her to a man fitting the unsub's profile. She sent over his last registered address.

"We're nearby. It's not far from the last crime scene," Y/N informed the team.

"We'll meet you guys there," Derek said before they ended the call. Y/N and Spencer then drove to the address.

They parked in front of the house and awaited the team's arrival when Y/N spotted movement inside. She immediately called Hotch.

"Hotch, there's someone in the house. Maybe he's holding the girl in there. We need to go in. Now!"

"We'll be there shortly. You can't go in there without backup," Hotch cautioned.

"Spencer is here too."

"Agent Y/L/N, I said wait. That's an order!" Hotch's tone was stern.

"I'm sorry, I have to," Y/N replied, and with that, she exited the car and headed toward the front door of the house. Hotch heard Spencer shouting after Y/N before the call ended. Cursing under his breath, he instructed Derek to speed up.

In under 5 minutes, the team reached the unsub's address. The front door had been kicked open, and the team could hear Y/N yelling at someone.

"Where is he? Tell me! Where is your brother?" She was shouting, pinning a young man facedown on the carpet. Y/N's knee was pressed into his back, immobilizing him as she held his hands behind his back.

"Agent Y/L/N, that's enough!" Hotch's order rang out, and he turned to Emily, gesturing for her to take over. Emily walked over, cuffed the man's hands, and assisted him to his feet. The officers and the team exited the house. As they were leaving, Hotch turned to Y/N and said, "We will discuss this later."

Upon arriving at the station, Hotch instructed Derek and Rossi to interrogate the suspect's brother regarding the unsub's whereabouts. He told the team, except for Y/N, to leave the room the sheriff assigned to the BAU upon their arrival. Facing her, Hotch clenched his jaw, in order to stay calm.

"You are off the case," he stated in an unwavering voice.

"Hotch, no, I'm—"

"You. Are. Off. The case. Agent Y/L/N."

"That's not fair. We have the guy's brother."

"That's not fair? That's not fair? Are you really talking back right now?" Hotch's anger escalated.

"I said I'm sorry! But what if we would have lost our chance? That guy had his things packed; he was leaving!"

"I don't care if he was leaving or not! You can't act on your own in situations like this! You put yourself and Spencer in danger."

"We're fine!"

"Yeah, luckily! But you didn't know what awaited you behind that door. Both of you could have been injured or worse. Your actions were selfish and unprofessional. I don't want you anywhere near anything related to this case until we're back in Quantico. Do you understand?"

Y/N didn't even respond; she simply stormed out of the room. She headed straight to the bathroom, seeking some privacy to calm down. Splashing her face with ice-cold water, she leaned over the sink, taking deep breaths while still seething with anger. Just then, JJ entered the restroom. Like everyone else at the station, she had heard the heated exchange between Hotch and Y/N and came to check on her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm off the case."

"Maybe it's for the best, don't you think?"

"Not you too, JJ," Y/N replied, releasing a heavy sigh as she dried her hands and face. She walked past JJ and left the restroom, unwilling to argue with her as well. Although she was banned from anything related to the case, Hotch hadn't instructed her to leave the station entirely or return to the hotel, so she remained. In the breakroom, she sat, observing and straining to catch any updates. She watched as Derek and Rossi emerged from the interrogation room, but they refused to share information due to Hotch's orders. Naturally, Spencer and Emily also followed Hotch's directives, all for Y/N's own well-being.

Suddenly, there was movement as the team geared up, putting on their vests. Clearly, they had a new lead. Y/N swiftly rose, walking toward the team to grab her own vest, but Hotch halted her immediately.

"I told you that you're not allowed anything related to the case."

"Hotch, come on! Punish me with paperwork or anything else, but not like this, please!"

"No."

"Hotch, maybe you should—" Derek attempted to intervene.

"I said no!" Hotch's tone was firm as he locked eyes with Y/N. He could see the anger in her eyes and how she was holding back tears of frustration. With Hotch's final words, the team exited the station and drove away. Unable to hold back, Y/N retreated to the bathroom, shedding a few tears of anger. She knew she had made a mistake and was in the wrong, but the frustration and sense of being left behind lingered. Hotch should have been the first to understand the weight of guilt from not saving a loved one. Yet, he treated her as the issue, disregarding the missing child who might require the help of every agent for her rescue.

She let out a deep breath, a release that felt like she had been holding it in for days, as the team returned to the station with the little girl in Emily's arms. Y/N's gaze remained fixed on the heartwarming scene of the girl reuniting with her parents, embraces and kisses shared all around.

Mistiness gathered in Y/N's eyes once more, her mind drifting to how it might have felt to get her own little sister back all those years ago. Lifting her eyes from the heartwarming family reunion, her gaze locked with Hotch's, and it was as if he could read her thoughts. He took a step towards her, but she promptly spun around and walked away.

Hotch was not surprised by her reaction; he didn't even know why he had attempted to approach her. He did know, deep down, but he wasn't ready to admit it to himself, especially not at this moment. A few minutes later, he noticed Y/N storming out of the station, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"She said she'll be waiting by the jet," JJ informed Hotch as they both watched Y/N leave.

That was why she found herself being the first to arrive at the jet, a rarity. Normally, she'd take the seat in front of Hotch, and they'd dive into their paperwork during the flight back home. It was an opportunity to talk and maybe even steal glances at his handsome face. But now, she didn’t even want to hear his voice.

Instead, she settled onto the broad couch, the same one where Spencer often napped, and attempted to drift into sleep. Exhaustion from the past days quickly pulled her into slumber. She faintly registered the team entering the jet and briefly woke at takeoff, but she promptly turned away and slipped back into sleep, determined to avoid everyone, especially Hotch.

The jet's interior was dimly lit, and most of the team dozed off in their seats. Hotch occupied a couple of seats away from the couch where Y/N was deeply asleep, while Rossi sat directly in front of him. He observed her for a moment, noticing her curling up into a ball – she must be cold. The realization prompted Hotch to stand up promptly. He opened one of the jet's cupboards and retrieved a blanket. Quietly, he approached Y/N and draped the blanket over her, observing as she snuggled into the soft fabric. With the exception of Rossi, everyone else was already asleep, so his actions would likely go unquestioned by the team. Besides, he was merely helping a colleague, right? He lingered by her side for longer than necessary; her relaxed face was undeniably beautiful, and he wanted – no, needed – to savour it for just a little while longer. He was painfully aware that the only expression he'd encounter in her eyes when she woke would be resentment toward him. He would give anything to reach out and caress her cheek at this very moment. Eventually, he returned to his seat, and Rossi's gaze immediately landed on him.

"You're hopeless, Aaron," Rossi chuckled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hotch replied, his gaze shifting to the files before him.

"You know, she kind of has the right to be angry at you."

"You can't seriously think that what she did was right."

"No, I do not. It was actually really fucking dumb, but you're sort of being a hypocrite here."

"How so?"

"Well, yes, she made a mistake barging into that house on her own, and she acted impulsively. But so did you. Every one of us has made stupid mistakes at some point, and hers at least helped us locate the unsub. If it were any other agent, you would have let them join the rescue and handed them a pile of paperwork as punishment later. But because you have an emotional attachment to her and feelings for her, you were afraid she'd act recklessly again. You couldn't risk her getting hurt, like, say, jumping in front of a bullet – which we both know she would have. So, you left her behind. Not to mention, you understood why she acted the way she did. This case was deeply personal to her. Needless to say, you both acted like idiots."

Hotch leans back in his seat and lets out a sigh. He knows Rossi's right, though sometimes he hates working with profilers.

"We all want to protect the people we love, Aaron. But remember, she's still an agent, and this is her job," Rossi adds before returning to his files.

Hotch glances over at her and ponders Rossi's words. He realizes he definitely overreacted because it was you who put yourself in danger. He knows she's a great agent and can take care of herself in these dangerous situations, but just the thought of something happening to her makes his stomach drops.

It had been a couple of days since the team had returned to Quantico, and as Hotch expected, Y/N was avoiding him at all costs. She submitted her reports well before the deadlines, left the office earlier than usual – a rarity for her, as she was typically one of the last agents to leave. Hotch even noticed her falling silent whenever he entered the break room or the bullpen, and she seemed to find excuses to distance herself from him. This avoidance was starting to irritate him more and more. He missed the late nights spent doing paperwork together in his office after everyone else had gone home. He longed to hear her laughter and engage in conversations with her. He just missed her. While she appeared to be getting along fine with the rest of the team, her anger toward Hotch still lingered. He knew he needed to talk to her and explain his actions; he hoped that she might understand once he did.

So, as soon as he arrived at the office the following day, he made it a priority. Upon entering his office, he noticed Y/N's completed report on his desk, finished once again before deadline. He was aware that she was completing her work ahead of time to avoid any interaction with Hotch about the report. Without even glancing at the report, he stepped back out of his office.

"Agent Y/L/N, a word, please," he said, his tone possibly more agitated than he had intended. The rest of the team exchanged questioning looks as Y/N ascended the few stairs to his office. She knocked on the door, even though it was already open, and announced herself before entering.

"Close the door," Hotch ordered, his voice firm as he removed his jacket.

He had initially only wanted to apologize and explain his decision on the case, but seeing that finished report again ignited a kind of anger within him. Particularly because he knew how much she despised working on it in the first place. Now, she stood in front of him, alone for the first time in days, yet she didn't even glance at his face.

"You finished your work early again, Agent Y/L/N?"

"Yes, sir." Sir... she never called him 'sir.' He really wanted to hear his name from her. He tried to catch her eyes, but she purposely looked away. There was a brief silence before she finally spoke up, "Is there something wrong with it, sir?"

His emotions were getting the better of him due to her distant tone, possibly amplified by the frustration that had built up over the past few days. So, he responded with unnecessary sharpness.

"Yeah, there's something wrong with it. Do it again," he snapped, tossing the file onto the desk closer to her. For the first time in days, she met his eyes, her brows furrowed in irritation, though her voice remained calm.

"May I ask what was wrong with it, sir?" she inquired, striving to sound neutral.

"You may not, Agent! Get back to your work," he replied, his voice unintentionally louder than he intended.

Y/N stormed out of the room, doing her best to restrain herself from slamming the door behind her. She settled back at her desk, aware of her colleagues' watchful eyes on her, though no one said a word. In his office, Hotch couldn't help but curse under his breath. "Why did I do that?" he wondered. This kind of pettiness was uncharacteristic of him, yet there was something about her that could evoke such strong emotions from him, both positive and negative.

He struggled throughout the remaining day to focus on his work, his mind repeatedly drifting to thoughts of her. Glancing at the clock, he realized that the workday was drawing to a close. He had planned to talk to her today, and he was determined to do it before she left, especially since she tended to head out before the others. Stepping out of his office and peering down into the bullpen, he noticed Spencer packing up while Y/N and Emily waited. Derek and Penelope were already on their way to the elevator, and Rossi had left hours ago due to personal matters.

"Y/L/N, to my office, please," he called out in his strong voice from the top of the stairs before returning back into his office. Spencer and Emily exchanged glances, and while Y/N was clearly displeased, it was inevitable that she had to have a conversation with Hotch.

"You guys go ahead. Don't wait for me. I'll see you tomorrow," she said, placing her bag back on her desk before making her way up to Hotch's office.

"Sit down," Hotch says as she enters his office, gesturing to the free chair in front of his desk.

"For how much longer do you plan to keep this up?" Hotch asks in a plain tone.

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

Hotch rubs his face and lets out a sigh before continuing. "Cut it out! This whole 'sir' thing. You haven't spoken to me in days. It's affecting the work environment."

"I don't think it's affecting anything. I've been working efficiently, and my reports are always on time."

"I don't give a damn about your reports, Y/N!" Hotch exclaims, standing up and slamming his hands on the table as he leans toward her.

She stands abruptly. "Then there's no reason for me to be here if this isn't work-related," she nearly yells, matching Hotch's intensity. She starts to turn around, indicating her intention to leave.

"You're not leaving before we talk about what happened and clear this up!", he said and walked around his desk to now stand infront of her.

"There's nothing to clear up!"

"How is there nothing to clear up? You've been avoiding me since we got back from the case. You won't talk to me, you won't look at me—hell, you leave the room when I walk in."

Hotch's frustration was palpable as he stepped closer to her. "You think you can just avoid me and everything will be fine? You think you can act like nothing happened?"

Y/N's voice trembled with anger. "I'm doing my job, just like I always have."

"Your job? This is more than just about your damn job. We're a team, and that means communication and trust."

Y/N shot back, her voice rising. "Trust? Is that what you call it? You completely shut me out during the case. You made me feel like I can't make decisions, like I'm incapable."

Hotch's eyes blazed with frustration. "I made a decision to protect you, to keep you safe!"

"By treating me like a child? By belittling me in front of the team?" Y/N's cheeks were flushed, her anger evident.

"You were reckless, Y/N! You put yourself and Spencer in danger!"

"I had a lead, I had a chance to save that girl!"

"By charging into a potentially dangerous situation without backup? You're lucky nothing worse happened."

Y/N's fists clenched at her sides. "You don't understand. You never understand."

"Oh, I understand more than you realize," Hotch retorted, his voice dripping with frustration.

The room seemed to crackle with tension as their argument escalated. Each word was a jab, a release of the pent-up emotions they had been harboring. The distance between them had grown from physical to emotional, and they were both struggling to bridge the gap.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room, and JJ's head appeared in the doorway. "Oh, sorry for disturbing. I just wanted to say goodbye before I leave. Don't let me interrupt," she said, sensing the tension in the room, and then closed the door behind her. Throughout JJ's brief interaction, Y/N and Hotch's eyes remained locked on each other.

JJ's interruption seemed to inject a moment of calm into the charged atmosphere, allowing a slight easing of the tension in the room.

Hotch's voice broke the silence once again, this time with a calmer and more composed tone. "Believe me, I understand why this case held such significance for you. The entire team recognised that. However, that doesn't justify putting yourself in harm's way."

Y/N's voice softened, her frustration mingling with a touch of vulnerability. "I know it was reckless to charge in without waiting, and I've already apologized for that—I'm still sorry. But what you did was unfair. You left me behind. Aren't we supposed to be a team? How could you make that decision, Hotch?" Her eyes misted over, a mixture of hurt and confusion in her gaze.

Hotch's gaze softened as he heard the hurt in her voice. He took a step closer, closing the physical distance between them, and rested his hands on his hips. "Y/N, it's not about whether you apologized or not. It's about the fact that you charged into a dangerous situation without considering the consequences. In this line of work, we can't afford to act on emotions alone. We have to think logically, strategically. Acting solely on emotion can get people killed."

Y/N's eyes welled up with tears as his words sank in. She looked down at her hands, her voice choked with emotion. "I know that, Hotch. I do. But in that moment, all I could think about was finding that girl, saving her. It was like... I couldn't control myself."

Hotch took another step forward, his presence a comforting presence in front of her. He reached out and gently lifted her chin, guiding her gaze to meet his. His touch was tender, his thumb caressing her cheek. "Y/N, I get it. I do. But I was scared. Scared of losing you, of seeing you hurt. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you."

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. His touch was a lifeline, grounding her in this vulnerable moment. "I... I couldn't save my sister," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I was supposed to be watching her, and I let her down."

Hotch's grip on her chin tightened ever so slightly, his eyes locking onto hers. He leaned in closer, his voice tender. "Y/N, what happened to your sister wasn't your fault. You were just a child yourself. You couldn't have known."

A sob escaped Y/N's lips as she leaned into his touch, her tears falling freely now. Hotch gently wiped away her tears with his thumb, his touch soothing. "It's okay to feel the pain, Y/N. But you can't let it dictate your actions now. You have so much strength, so much potential. I just want to keep you safe."

She let out a shaky breath, her emotions raw and exposed. Hotch's presence and his words were a balm to her wounded heart. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice filled with remorse.

Hotch shook his head softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "There's no need to apologize. I should have handled things differently too. We both made mistakes."

They stood there for a moment, their gazes locked, and the air around them seemed to shift. Hotch took a step forward, his hand moving from her chin to her cheek, his touch gentle and caring.

"Y/N, we're a team. And I promise you, I'll always have your back. But I need you to promise me that you'll think before you act, that you'll prioritize your safety."

She nodded, her tears slowing as a small smile tugged at her lips. "I promise."

And in that moment, with their bodies close and their gazes intertwined, they found a connection that went beyond words—a connection forged in vulnerability, understanding, and the unspoken bond of a team that had weathered the storm together.

Y/N closes the distance between them and wraps her arms around Hotch in a tight embrace. Her face is buried in his chest, and he holds her close, his hand caressing her hair with utmost tenderness. In this vulnerable embrace, their walls begin to crumble, and the weight of unspoken emotions hangs heavily in the air.

Hotch's voice is barely above a whisper as he presses his lips to her ear, letting all the truths he had been holding back spill forth. "I was so scared, Y/N... scared to lose you. I can't bear the thought of ever losing you. Please, don't ever put yourself in that kind of danger again."

His words are a mixture of desperation and genuine concern, a heartfelt confession that had been weighing on him for far too long. He holds her tighter, his grip on her waist firm yet gentle. "I don't know what I would do without you. You've become such an important part of my life."

His voice quivers with emotion, each word carrying the weight of his feelings. "I missed talking to you, missed hearing your laugh. Even the complaints about paperwork, I missed those too. You mean so much to me, Y/N, more than you might realize."

Y/N's grip on him tightens, her tears soaking into his shirt as she listens to his heartfelt words. It's a moment of vulnerability, of raw honesty that they had both been avoiding. Hotch's whispers in her ear are like a soothing melody, erasing the tension that had been building between them.

Their embrace lingers, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken bond that ties them together. Hotch continues to caress her hair, his touch a silent reassurance of his feelings. In this moment, surrounded by their shared emotions and the warmth of their connection, they find solace in each other's arms.

Y/N pulls away slightly, creating enough space to look up at him, her eyes glistening with sincerity. She takes a deep breath before speaking, her voice a mix of vulnerability and determination. "Hotch, Aaron... I became so upset about this situation because it was you who was disappointed in me. You mean the world to me. Your opinion, your feelings, they matter more than I can even express. Not just as my boss, but as a friend and... and maybe, just maybe, even more."

Her cheeks flush with a soft hue of pink as she admits her feelings, her gaze dropping to the floor as if overwhelmed by the weight of her confession. She's both relieved and terrified to have finally voiced her emotions, unsure of how he'll react despite his previous words of comfort.

Hotch's breath catches in his throat as he absorbs her words. His heart races, and a mixture of surprise, hope, and affection blooms in his chest. He reaches out to gently lift her chin, his thumb brushing against her skin as he tilts her face up to meet his gaze. His expression is a mixture of tenderness and warmth, his eyes reflecting the depth of his feelings.

"Y/N..." Hotch's voice is soft, carrying a mix of emotions that mirror her own. He searches her eyes, his thumb tracing over her cheekbone, his touch both soothing and electrifying. "I've been struggling with my own feelings, with the fear of crossing a line. But I want you to know... you're important to me too. More than I can put into words."

A gentle smile tugs at the corners of his lips, his gaze locked onto hers. "I never wanted to push you away or make you feel like your actions don't matter. They do, because you matter. And I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise."

Y/N's heart swells with his words, and the warmth of his touch resonates deep within her. Her eyes well up with tears, but this time they're tears of relief and joy. Her lips tremble into a soft smile as she meets his gaze with renewed hope.

"I'm glad we talked," she whispers, her voice filled with sincerity. "I don't want to avoid you, Aaron. I want us to be honest with each other, no matter what happens."

Hotch's thumb continues to caress her cheek, his touch grounding her in this moment of emotional intimacy. "I feel the same way," he admits, his voice a mere breath against her lips. "And I promise, from now on, we'll face things together."

Their proximity becomes charged with a newfound understanding, their unspoken connection now verbalized. And as they stand there, gazing into each other's eyes, they both know that this conversation is just the beginning of a deeper and more meaningful journey ahead.

As the weight of their emotions lingers in the air, Y/N takes a small step closer, her heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and vulnerability. Hotch's gaze softens even further, and in that moment, they both feel the pull of an unspoken desire.

Without any more hesitation, Y/N tilts her head slightly, her lips brushing against his in a tentative yet gentle kiss. It's a kiss filled with the tenderness of their shared feelings, a silent promise of everything they've both been longing for.

Hotch's arms instinctively wrap around her, pulling her closer as he deepens the kiss with a mixture of longing and affection. His lips move against hers with a slow and deliberate rhythm, their connection intensifying as their bodies press against each other.

The air between them grows warmer, their shared emotions igniting a spark of passion. Y/N's fingers thread through his hair, holding him close as the kiss becomes more heated, a reflection of the desires they've kept hidden for so long.

Their breath mingles, the world around them fading as they lose themselves in the intoxicating sensation of their lips moving together. The kiss becomes a dance of emotions, each movement a declaration of their feelings.

Finally, they break apart, their lips still lingering just millimeters away. Their breaths come in ragged gasps, their eyes locked in a heated gaze filled with a mixture of surprise and bliss.

A soft, love-drunk smile tugs at Y/N's lips, and she brushes her thumb against his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her touch. Hotch's fingers continue to caress her back, his touch a silent affirmation of his feelings.

"Wow," Y/N breathes, her voice barely above a whisper, her heart still racing from the intensity of their kiss.

Hotch chuckles softly, his forehead resting against hers. "Yeah, wow," he replies, his voice filled with a mixture of wonder and contentment.

Their smiles mirror each other's, and in that moment, they both realize that this is just the beginning of their journey together. The walls that once kept their feelings hidden have crumbled, replaced by a newfound connection that's deeper and more meaningful.

As they stand there, breathless and gazing into each other's eyes, they know that they're embarking on a path of honesty, vulnerability, and love. And with their lips still tingling from their kiss, they share a quiet understanding that whatever challenges lie ahead, they'll face them together.

[just-aake]

Boundless Devotion - Part VII

Pairing: princess!Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: MedievalAU. Natasha is the eldest princess of the Romanov Kingdom. As the time of her coronation approaches, she is suddenly forced to make a decision – either find herself a partner or her parents will choose one for her.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Warnings: slight fluff

Words: 5310

In the days following that night, Natasha has been spending more time with you, just like before. The two of you work together and continue your search for a solution to break the mind control's hold on you.

Her mother had only been involved in the early stages of the original Black Widow operations, so she was unfamiliar with the specifics of the process that further developed this version of mind control.

She suggested to Natasha that the person who may be able to provide more information about the subject would be your father. 

When Natasha shared this with you, you fell silent for the rest of that day. Seeing how the suggestion upset you, she decided not to bring it up again.

As the date of the festival approached, Natasha found herself increasingly busy with overseeing most of the preparations, a task assigned to her by her mother. 

Consequently, this left her with little time to see you. 

The castle's staff quickly noticed how this affected their princess's mood.

On days when she couldn't see you at all, Natasha became upset and sullen, often sighing deeply throughout the day as she completed her tasks. 

For some unknown reason, on those days, Natasha felt like she missed you even more than during the past year when you had avoided her.

However, with the festival finally here, she was excited to spend time with you again.

In her personal study, Natasha is currently reviewing potential leads to discuss with you later when a knock on her door interrupts her. She invites the unexpected visitor in, and when she sees who it is, she raises a brow in surprise.

"Shouldn't you already be at the festival with your children?" she asks.

Clint chuckles and nods at her question.

"I was going to head over right after this."

His voice drops into a more serious tone.

"Do you have some time to talk for a bit?"

At that, Natasha places the documents down on her desk and gives him her full attention, gesturing for him to continue.

“There have been some cases of guards and soldiers disappearing within the kingdom,” Clint reveals.

“Why hasn’t anyone informed me about this?” Natasha asks, frowning in confusion that this is the first she’s hearing about such incidents.

Clint offers a shrug as he explains.

“Well, those missing typically reappear after a couple of days, so there hasn't been much cause for alarm. Most of the higher-ranking soldiers assume that they must have celebrated a bit too hard and got lost on their way back.”

Natasha frowns deepens hearing the careless handling of such a suspicious situation.

"But that's not the strange part," Clint continues with an unsure expression. "When they return, they have no recollection of what happened to them or where they've been."

Natasha crosses her arms in thought before glancing down at her notes on the Black Widow operations.

It’s a bit unnerving how this new information lines up with how the operations usually went in the past, that period marked by disappearances and memory loss from the victims.

Is it possible that it’s just a coincidence?

Clint clears his throat to regain her attention before continuing, "I've also found the information that you requested about the man involved in the attack at the cemetery."

With how intent the stranger was on hurting you, Natasha decided to investigate further about the man to figure out his motives and plans that day and prevent anything like that from happening to you again.

“So who is he?” 

“As Lady Y/N said, he used to be a soldier in Stark's army during the war and was the one responsible for the murder of Lord Dreykov's wife. Not only that, apparently he's guilty of other crimes as well — such as the slaughter of his entire squad on a mission and even the murder of his wife and children. He's been marked as a criminal and has been on the run ever since.” 

Natasha shakes her head, puzzled at the information.

“So why risk coming back and revealing himself now?” 

“Unfortunately, the guards at the dungeon say he’s refusing to answer any questions unless…” Clint trails off, hesitating to speak the next words.

“Unless what?” Natasha presses suspiciously with a furrowed brow, already sensing she won't like what he's about to say.

“...unless he gets to speak to Lady Y/n.”

"No," Natasha immediately objects, her tone unwavering.

She won't allow him anywhere near you again.

"Absolutely not," she adds, giving Clint a stern look, leaving no room for discussion.

"Understood," Clint acknowledges in understanding. "I'll see if they can find another way to get him to talk."

Natasha gives him a grateful nod before asking, "Was there anything else?"

"One last thing," Clint says with a small smirk. "The queen sent someone to tell you that you were supposed to meet with her at the festival already to discuss your responsibilities for the day."

Natasha curses softly under her breath, realizing she was so absorbed in her research that she had forgotten about her prior commitments with her mother.  

After a quick horse ride into town, Natasha finds herself at the entrance of the royal tent, her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently as her mother outlines her duties for the day.

“—then I'll need you to return here in a few hours to greet the nobles arriving from the other kingdoms. After that, there’s the jousting tournament…”

Glancing to the side, Natasha's attention drifts away from her mother’s voice when she spots you in her vision, strolling alongside Wanda and Pietro.

She can’t help but smile fondly as she sees you laughing at one of Pietro's failed attempts at a game booth.

“Then there’s the—,” Melina stops mid-sentence, realizing Natasha is no longer paying attention.

She follows her daughter's gaze and notices that it is you who has captured her focus.

With a knowing sigh, Melina dismisses her next words with a shake of her head.

“Never mind, I’ll just have your father handle most of this, but at least come and greet the members of the other kingdoms when they arrive.” 

When Natasha doesn’t respond, Melina waves her hand in front of her daughter’s face.

“Are you listening, Natasha?”

“Yeah, okay, meeting later, I’ll be there,” Natasha acknowledges her mother's words distractedly, her gaze still fixed on you. 

Melina sighs in exasperation and departs to find her husband, leaving Natasha alone, completely absorbed in watching you. 

You look good, she admits, your expression lighter and happier than before.

Natasha has always known you were beautiful, but with the sun shining, you seem to glow even more under its rays. 

A sudden shove against her side draws her attention away from you, and she turns to look at the culprit beside her. 

“You’re staring,” Yelena points out before casually tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

“What?” Natasha frowns at the accusation. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you were,” Yelena rolls her eyes at her sister’s denial, “I’ve been standing next to you for a couple of minutes already, and you didn’t even notice.”

Letting out a huff of disbelief, Natasha decides to change the subject.

“Was there something that you needed, Yelena?”

“Nope, but if all you're going to do is stand here the entire day, then I’ll just go over and hang out with Y/n instead.” 

Yelena moves towards you, but Natasha grabs the back of her collar and pulls her back, preventing her from going any further.

“Don’t you need to go find your other half?” Natasha remarks.

Yelena, still hanging by Natasha's grip, appears unbothered as she continues eating her snack. She shrugs in response to Natasha's question.

“Kate’s busy preparing for the archery competition.”

“Then maybe you should follow her example and prepare for your own competition,” Natasha lectures her.

Yelena groans, “God, you sound like mom.” 

Natasha quickly lets go of her grip at that statement and rolls her eyes before turning to look at you again. 

Beside her, Yelena adjusts her collar back into place and then glances between her sister and you in the distance curiously.

“So are the two of you still pretending to be a couple?” 

Natasha glances at her before nodding in response.

“Of course, mom’s been off my back ever since we started. Meanwhile, Y/n can have the time she needs to find a partner for herself without having Lord Rumlow breathing down her neck. Everybody wins.”

Yelena blinks at Natasha in disbelief for a moment before exclaiming, “Oh wow, you’re serious.”

“What?” Natasha asks, giving her a perplexed expression.

“Nothing, it's just...I guess I've underestimated how clueless you are when it comes to romance.”

Yelena rubs her chin, whispering to herself under her breath, “I really thought you would’ve realized by now.” 

“Realize what?” Natasha presses, slightly annoyed at her comments. 

With a teasing smirk, Yelena makes a zipping gesture across her lips.

“I can’t say. That would be cheating.”

Rolling her eyes at her antics, Natasha pushes her sister away in another direction.

“Go bother Kate.”

“All I’m saying is you should take some time to reexamine your relationship with Y/n before it's too late," Yelena urges before walking away with a nonchalant wave goodbye. 

Squinting at Yelena in confusion, Natasha shakes her head, dismissing her sister's warning.

There’s nothing wrong with her relationship with you, at least not anymore now that you and she have cleared things up.

Her friendship with you is still as strong as before. 

Turning around, Natasha is about to make her way over to you but is stopped by a lady she recognizes as the daughter of one of the other noble houses.

“Princess Natasha, would you like some company this afternoon?”

Natasha gives her a tight but polite smile at her offer before refusing.

“Oh, uh, no, thank you but—.“ 

Another lady appears, presenting a plate of baked treats at her, blocking her path.

“Would you like to try some of these pastries, princess? They’re freshly baked.”

“I’m good, thanks,” Natasha responds politely.

She attempts to maneuver around the ladies, but more and more people begin to notice her presence and gather around her.

Soon, she finds herself quickly encircled by a crowd of ladies, their voices merging into a cacophony of compliments and inquiries directed at her. 

Natasha tries to look in your direction, but to her frustration, she can't even see you anymore through the crowd that's formed around her.

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, over where you were at, Pietro groans in disappointment when the ball rolls out of the target, signaling his loss once more.

“Pietro, you’re going to lose all of your money at this rate,” Wanda remarks.

“Like you can do better,” he counters.

Wanda grins confidently at the challenge and hands a coin to the vendor for another round. She tosses the ball at the target, and it spins on the rim a couple of times.

Just as it was about to fall out, the ball suddenly tipped into the goal. 

The vendor claps in amazement and hands Wanda one of the prizes.

You pull her away quickly.

“Wanda!” you whisper with a chastising tone. “You shouldn’t be using your power like that.”

"What? I'm getting a lot better with them, and nobody even noticed," Wanda reassures you.

Pietro hums beside you in thought.

“Hey, do you think you can do the same to win any of the other games?”

“Pietro!” You turn your reprimanding tone toward the other twin.

He raises his hands defensively, exclaiming with a nervous chuckle, “I was kidding!”

He turns his head to the side, seeing another game booth before muttering under his breath in thought, “Sort of kidding.”

When he sees you are about to continue your reprimanding, he points at another booth. 

“Oh look, they are selling pies! I’ll go get us some slices!”

Pietro runs off quickly before you can stop him.

You shake your head at him, letting out an exasperated huff.

Loud chatter rises in the distance, catching your attention, and you hear faint chants of the princess' name.

You turn with an excited smile, expecting to see Natasha.

However, your smile drops slightly into a bittersweet line when you see the scene in front of you. 

A feeling of disappointment creeps into your heart.

You had hoped to spend some time with Natasha today at the festival, having grown accustomed to all of her attention and time spent with you recently that you forgot how public events like these usually went.

Natasha always ends up being surrounded by people who adore her.

Beside you, Wanda notices your sad expression, and when she looks at the cause of your shift in mood, she nods in understanding.

She pulls on your arm to get your attention.

“You know, you are technically her partner. You can go over there and be with her.”

You consider the option of taking advantage of your fake relationship with Natasha to be by her side before shaking your head lightly.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

Wanda frowns at your refusal before asking, “How are things going between you and the princess anyway?”

“Good, I guess,” you answer, tilting your head in thought. “Last time, we found some old notes on the initial trials of the operations. That might give us some new ideas.”

Wanda deflates when she realizes that you were only talking about the research you did together. She crosses her arms and sighs exasperatedly in disappointment.

“I could’ve sworn something more was going to happen between you two, especially since I found the both of you in bed together that morning.”

You quickly cover her mouth and look around to see if anyone had overheard her comment.

“Sleeping, Wanda,” you stress with a small blush on your face. ”We were just sleeping. Nothing happened.” 

You remember how you had woken up that following morning, surprised to find Natasha's sleeping face beside you. Her arm was wrapped around you protectively as she slept, securing you in place. Not wanting to wake her, you decided to go back to sleep.

Later, you were awakened again. This time by the sound of Wanda clearing her throat with a message from Queen Melina looking for Natasha for their usual morning meeting.

Natasha had rushed out after hearing that, with a quick goodbye and a promise to meet up later. 

You had given Wanda a sharp warning glare before she could make any teasing comment about the situation.

Thankfully, she didn’t bring it up again.

Until now.

Wanda places her hands on her hips, frowning at you.

“Do you like Princess Natasha?” she asks plainly.

You look away from her accusing stare and wave your hand casually.

“Of course, who doesn’t?”

Wanda pokes you in the shoulder, annoyed at your response.

“No, not as a friend or as the princess, I mean, do you like her?”

You feel your face heat up at the question, and your heart beats faster at the thought of being more than friends with Natasha.

“I—it’s not like that, Wanda. There’s nothing going on between Natasha and me.”

Undeterred by your denial, Wanda presses on with a meaningful tone, “But do you want there to be?”

At her question, you look at Natasha, and that warm feeling from before immediately fills your chest again.

Over the past couple of days, you’ve already realized what that feeling you’ve been having around the princess means, and your expression twists down dejectedly at the reminder.

“You know I can’t, Wanda,” you say sadly.

“Why not?” she presses.

“Because…” you pause, closing your eyes briefly in frustration. “Because we’re friends, and we just repaired that relationship. I'm not going to ruin it over some little feelings.”

Wanda furrows her brows at your response, “That’s not fair. You never go after what you want.”

She gestures to the crowd of people surrounding Natasha, all of them trying to get her attention.

“You have a better chance of actually being with her than any of those ladies,” Wanda points out confidently.

“That’s not true,” you say, shaking your head in disbelief. “Natasha can have anybody she wants. Everybody loves her. She’s kind, smart, brave—”

“I’m sure the same can be said about me, Lady Y/n,” a grating voice interrupts you.

You grimace, a silent sigh escaping your lips at the sound of the insufferable noble. Turning around, you give him a tight expression. 

“Lord Rumlow, what a surprise,” you say sarcastically.

Next to you, Wanda doesn’t bother hiding her disgust at the presence of the noble, already familiar with his persistent advances toward you. 

Deciding to try and get this conversation over with quickly, you ask, “Was there something you needed?”

His eyes roam over you shamelessly in a way that makes you feel thoroughly repulsed before finally speaking with a smug smirk.

“Well, seeing how Princess Natasha won’t be participating in the tournament later, I thought I'd let you know that I would be honored to receive a token of your support for me,” he says, his tone filled with false humility.

Before you can respond, Wanda scoff beside you, muttering in disbelief, "Unbelievable."

Rumlow's eyes narrow as he focuses his attention on her.

“What did you just say?” he asks with a warning in his voice.

Unbothered, Wanda meets his gaze defiantly and continues, “You've got some nerve, requesting a favor from a lady who has already rejected you. Multiple times too.”

“Why you little…“

His face twists in anger as he raises his hand to strike her, but you swiftly step in front of Wanda, catching his wrist in a firm grip before you address him.

“Lord Rumlow,” you say, your voice is calm but with a clear, warning undertone, “she is someone very important to me. So, I strongly suggest you reconsider your next action before you do something that would greatly upset me."

He pulls his hand away from your grip and points towards Wanda with a sneer.

"That girl should know better than to address me that way."

“Then allow me to instead,” you interject firmly, silencing him.

“Wanda is right. You are truly unbelievable. For some reason, you can’t seem to comprehend that I have absolutely no interest in you whatsoever. And you are arrogant to think that I would give you any favor, given my relationship with Princess Natasha.”

He scoffs, his face reddening with anger and embarrassment as some people stop to listen and watch the interaction.

“The only reason you chose her over me is because of her status. If she weren’t the princess—”

“I would still choose her,” you state firmly. 

He sputters in disbelief, “But—”

You raise your hand in a silencing gesture, giving him a harsh glare.

“Understand this, Lord Rumlow, even if she wasn't the princess, even if she were just an ordinary person in the kingdom with no title, I would always choose her over you, every single time.”

Rumlow gapes at you, too stunned to respond.

Crossing your arms, you lean in slightly and lower your voice in a threatening manner.

“Now, I believe you should find somewhere else to enjoy the festival and leave me and those I care about alone, unless you want me to continue to humiliate you further.”

Rumlow’s eyes dart around at the now small crowd of onlookers, who are blatantly watching the confrontation with interest.

With a disgruntled sneer, he turns and stomps away, but he only manages to go a short distance before stumbling.

Right into a plate of pie.

In front of him, Pietro gasps exaggeratedly, in a way that is too dramatic to be real, when the pastries that he was holding are smeared all over the lord.

He quickly apologizes to Lord Rumlow before hurrying over to you and Wanda, barely concealing his smirk as he discreetly high-fives his sister.

Rumlow curses loudly in anger at the mess on him before scurrying away from the laughter of the nearby people.

You're almost certain you saw the familiar red mist disappearing from his shoe when he stumbled. 

Turning your attention to Wanda and Pietro, you shoot them a suspicious look.

However, they both maintain innocent expressions while also avoiding your gaze.

You attempt to maintain your reprimanding demeanor, but even you can't stifle the laughter bubbling up within you, and soon, the three of you are sharing a hearty laugh at the absurd situation.

After a moment, Pietro lets out a contented sigh.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

You nod in agreement. It was the kind of story that you know Natasha would enjoy hearing about.

However, when you look back at her, your smile fades, replaced by disappointment at the reminder of how she is still surrounded by her admirers.

Pietro notices your expression and leans in to whisper to his sister, “What's up with her?”

Wanda responds with an exasperated sigh.

“Y/n wants to spend time with the princess and is upset that she’s surrounded by other women.”

“Wanda!”

Unbothered by your exclamation, Wanda shrugs.

“It's true.”

Pietro glances over at the crowd and then back to his sister with a mischievous smirk.

“Hmm, Wanda, are you thinking what I'm thinking?”

Wanda matches his expression with a sneaky look of her own.

“I'll handle the distraction,” she announces.

“Then I'll run in and grab the princess,” Pietro declares.

The twins nod at each other in agreement.

When you realize what they mean to do, you try to stop them.

“Wait, you two, don't—”

But it's too late.

They have already left your side, heading toward the crowd.

Natasha gives a tight smile as yet another person tries to engage her in conversation. She's been trying to excuse herself for a while now, but the amount of people around her just keeps growing.

Suddenly, dozens of kites seamlessly drift through the crowd, capturing everyone's attention.

They then shoot up high into the sky causing the onlookers to look up in awe, entranced by the spectacle of colorful kites twirling in the sky.

Natasha, however, observes the kites with suspicion.

Something about their movements seems unnatural, especially since there's barely a gust of wind in the air.

Before she can contemplate it further, a hand grabs her wrist and swiftly pulls her through the crowd.

Unable to see who’s holding her, she's about to break free when she's thrown forward out of the crowd and into someone’s arms.

You catch her in surprise, providing support as the princess regains her balance.

When Natasha pulls back and sees you, a charming smile appears on her face.

“Hey, you,” she breathes out in greeting.

You bite your lip to contain your smile.

“Hi,” you reply, and for a moment, the two of you simply gaze at each other.

The sound of a high-five grabs your attention, and you turn to see the twins returning to your side, both wearing satisfied expressions. 

“I think that went well,” Pietro comments, fixing his slightly disheveled hair from the hurried run.

In response to his words, Natasha looks at you curiously in realization.

“I guess I should be thanking the three of you for the rescue then.”

You laugh lightly in amusement as you raise a disbelieving brow at her.

“Oh, so being surrounded by women fawning over you now qualifies as a situation that requires saving?”

“Careful, Y/n, that almost sounded like you were jealous,” Natasha teases with a smirk.

Rolling your eyes, you huff in disbelief before gently pushing her away from your arms, allowing her to stand on her own. 

“Please, if I got jealous every time someone wanted your affection, I'd be jealous my entire life,” you counter.

“Well, thank you anyway,” Natasha chuckles before giving you a soft look. “So it looks like my schedule cleared up. Is it okay if I join you three around the festival?”

“That’s fine—“ you start.

“Actually,” Pietro raises his hand to interrupt. ”I have a date, so I have to go.” 

You give him a suspicious look, but he just winks at you before dashing off.

Wanda starts to back away as well.

“And I think I’ll check out the fortune teller. Have my future read and all that.”

You catch Wanda’s hand before she can escape, whispering to her accusingly, already aware of her intentions.

“You don’t even believe in that stuff.”

“Well, I do now,” Wanda whispers back, slipping her hand from your grip before looking pointedly at the princess, who is waiting patiently a short distance away. “Maybe they’ll tell me when you’ll finally decide to act on your feelings.” 

She turns and leaves quickly with a wave goodbye, exclaiming. “Have fun, you two!”

Your mouth hangs open in disbelief as Natasha steps up next to you.

“So, I guess it’s just you and me,” she says before adding, “This could be like our second date in public.”

Recovering your composure, you cross your arms and look away from her as if considering her offer, humming teasingly, “I don’t know, I wouldn't want to deprive you of the chance to be with all of your admirers.”

Natasha bumps your shoulders playfully before a small smirk appears on her lips.

“You know, jealousy looks cute on you,” she comments, before taking your hand and bringing it up to her lips for a soft kiss. “But, to be honest, I’d rather spend my time with you.”

Your heart quickens slightly at her flirty statement, and you feel your words catch in your throat, too stunned to respond.

Sounds of coos and awes surround the two of you, snapping you out of your flustered state and reminding you of your supposed relationship with the princess in the eyes of the people of the kingdom.

Even though you know Natasha is doing all of this to keep up appearances, you still can’t help but blush in response.

You just hope Natasha doesn’t realize how real your reaction is to her actions and words.

Looking back at her, Natasha gives you a fond smirk before tilting her head in question.

“So what do you say, Lady Y/n, would you like to join me on another date?”

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Natasha watches you with a soft smile as you admire the performers on stage, completely entranced by the show.

She had initially focused on the performance as well, but when she glanced over to see your reaction, she found herself distracted and unable to return her attention to the stage, becoming more interested in watching you.

Natasha finally tears her gaze away when the performance ends, and she joins you and the crowd in clapping.

As she finishes, her hand naturally finds yours, and she intertwines them again.

It's strange — she's never noticed before how perfectly your hand fits in hers.

As the crowd disperses around you, you turn to look at her in question.

“Your turn, what do you want to do next?”

At your question, Natasha surveys the surrounding festivities before nodding toward a game booth where participants are throwing darts to pop the balloon targets. 

“How about a friendly competition? Whoever gets more points wins,” she suggests.

You glance at the game she's referring to and nod in agreement before pulling her toward the booth.

“Sure, it’s been a while since the last time I beat you at a game,” you tease her.

Natasha follows behind you and lets out a laugh of disbelief.

“That last time was a tie, and you know it.”

You glance over your shoulder at her with a small smirk.

“Whatever you say, princess.”

Arriving at the booth, Natasha hands the vendor some coins for a round for each of you, and he places ten darts on the tabletop, five for each person. 

Natasha picks up the first dart and smoothly throws it at the targets, popping a balloon. She gives you a confident smirk before stepping back with a dramatic gesture for your turn.

You roll your eyes fondly and take your position, aiming carefully before throwing your dart and popping a balloon.

The two of you continue with each of you popping a balloon during your respective turns until only one dart remains for each.

“How about a little wager?” Natasha suggests before you take your final shot.

“So much for just a friendly competition,” you say, laughing lightly. “Alright, what are you proposing?”

“If I win,” Natasha pauses with an amused smirk, “You let me teach you how to fight with a sword one day next week.”

You laugh lightly in amusement at the reminder of your promise and nod in agreement.

“And if I win?”

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

“That’s not really something a soon-to-be ruler should be promising,” you tease her as you line up your shot.

With a careful throw, your dart hits the center of a balloon, giving you a perfect score.

You raise a brow challengingly at her while Natasha nods approvingly at your shot, unworried.

When Natasha picks up her dart, you speak up in question.

“What about if we tie?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Natasha says, smiling confidently and turning away from the targets to look at you. 

She holds your stare even as she throws the dart.

Neither of you look at where it lands, but the unmistakable popping sound of two balloons signals the winner.

You accept your loss with a small teasing smile.

“You could have just invited me. I would’ve agreed to come anyway.”

“Yeah, but this way was more fun.” 

You hum in agreement as you absently trace a pattern against the wooden booth.

Wanting to make sure everything is okay, Natasha takes your hand, stopping your movement as her thumb softly caresses the back of your hand.

She tilts her head at you in question, “We don’t have to train if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to,” you say reassuringly, giving her a small smile. “Besides, you've been stuck with me in the library the last few times we were together. It's only fair if we do something you would enjoy.”

Frowning at your dismissal of the joys of being in your presence, Natasha pulls you closer, holding both of your hands in hers to ensure you focus on her words.

“Hey, I enjoy doing anything with you,” she insists.

When a smile appears on your face at her words, Natasha feels her heart warm with that strange feeling again at the sight.

She's not sure if it's because it's been a couple of days since she last saw you, but to her, you look really stunning with that happy expression.

Without thinking, she feels herself unconsciously lean in closer to you.

"Y/n!" a familiar voice calls out, bursting the peaceful bubble between you two.

You both turn to the source of the shout.

Before Natasha can react, you are swept away from her in a twirling hug, lifting you slightly off the ground as you let out a surprised yelp.

The blonde-haired newcomer smiles widely as she steadies you back on your feet in front of her.

"I was hoping to see you soon!" she exclaims.

You laugh lightly, regaining your balance and leaning slightly on her arms for support as you return the friendly greeting. 

"It's so good to see you too. I haven't seen you in a couple of years with all your traveling."

The person finally turns to Natasha with a casual smirk and nods in greeting.

"It has been a while since we were all together, hasn't it, Natasha?"

Natasha hides her displeased feelings at how you were taken away from her side and responds politely.

"Yeah, it has."

She eyes the hands still clasping yours, her teeth clenching slightly.

"How have you been, Princess Carol?"

~~~~~~~ ⧗ ~~~~~~~

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Series Masterlist : Boundless Devotion

a/n: Thank you for reading!

Taglist: @lightwhoranoutoflight, @taliiiaasteria, @romanoffprentiss, @canvascoloredin,  @silentwolfsstuff, @blacklightsposts, @arcturusseer, @presser24, @dvrkhcld, @jujuu23, @screechcat, @vivs46, @cd-4848, @youneversawmehereooooooo, @pancakefan7529, @confusedspaceotter, @natbelovasblog, @izzy-b09, @iamheartless, @mrsrushman 

[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 5/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 24, PART 25, PART 26

Notes below!

-----------------------------------------------

Ever since his redemption (a perplexing event he still couldn't fathom), Sir Pentious had never left Emily's side at all. Well, more like he wasn't allowed to leave the young Seraph's side at all. That tall lady, Sera, proved to be stricter than dear Vagatha.

Confined to a single floor among Heaven's bright buildings, he shared quarters with the Seraphs. Sera had instructed him to remain there until she could resolve the issue at hand.

He has no idea what the other means by that. Wasn't his redemption already the resolution they needed?

The snake demon- nope, angel now- felt an urge to consult Emily about it, as she reminded him greatly of Charlie. Yet, he never got the opportunity, when one day he was abruptly awoken and whisked away before he could even really wake up.

Sir Pentious: Emily, dear, where exactly are we going?

Emily: Last time, Sera said she had a meeting with the Heavenly Virtues, so I told her to tell them about you being a redeemed soul from Hell.

Sir Pentious: And who, pray tell, are thesssssse.. Virtuesssssss?

Emily: The Archangels of Heaven. They're the highest authority here just under the Lord.

Sir Pentious: Miss Charlie didn't mention any Archangels during her trial.

Emily: They weren't there. They put all their trust in Sera to handle those kinds of matters but... After the last extermination, there was no hiding Sera can do anymore. And when she was called for that meeting, I begged her to tell them about you.

Sir Pentious: I will guess that she hasssssn't?

Emily: She didn't! I can't believe her. She came back and she's refusing to see me or even go back to tell them! So, I'm making an executive decision to tell them myself.

Sir Pentious: Do I really have to be there?

Emily: Of course! You're living- uhh- dead? proof that a soul can be redeemed! Now come on!

Sir Pentious: Are you ssssssure we're allowed here, dear?

Emily had been noticeably fidgety—a trait Sir Pentious recognized all too well. From past experience, he understood that such behavior either means discomfort, fear, or guilt. He isn't sure what she's thinking right now.

Emily: Um- yep!

Sir Pentious: Then why are we sneaking in?

The angel's expression confirmed his suspicions. Right on the money.

Emily: Well- I- just follow me!

Emily continued to open random doors while dragging Sir Pentious along, seemingly determined to find a specific room among them. Despite their covert mission, they managed to evade any detection so far. Yet, the newly redeemed soul couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone in the building.

Emily: One of these rooms has to belong to one of them.

As Emily expressed her determination, a fleeting glimpse of familiar red and white caught Sir Pentious' attention.

He instinctively turned his head towards the direction, only to find the hallway empty. There's a nagging sensation compelling him to investigate further.

Emily intervened, grabbing his arm before he could even move away.

Emily: Sir Pentious! What are you doing?

Sir Pentious: I think I sssssaw ssssssomething, deary.

Emily's sudden burst of excitement propelled them both towards the direction where Sir Pentious claimed to have seen the figure vanished.

Emily: Do you think it's an Archangel? I hope so. We might get in trouble if it's anyone other than them. Then again, I've never been in this building before and I'm not really allowed but I'm technically acting Seraphim right now so-

Her words trailed off into rambling, but Sir Pentious paid her no mind, his focus is entirely on tracking the elusive figure. However, they couldn't catch up as they lost it amidst the labyrinth of corridors.

Sir Pentious: Hmmm. Perhaps it was no one-

The building suddenly shook so hard causing them to fall on the floor. It stopped just as quickly as it happened.

Emily: What was that?!

Sir Pentious: Emily, doesssss Heaven get earthquakessssss?

Emily: I don't even know what those are!

As Sir Pentious and Emily cautiously approached the door from which the sound of bickering emanated, they exchanged a knowing glance. With silent agreement, they inched closer, their curiosity piqued by the faint golden glow seeping through a suspiciously well-placed crack on the door just perfect for their eyes.

Sir Pentious chose to say nothing about it.

Peeking through the cracks, they find themselves shocked at who was at the other side of the door.

Michael: You don't understand! I- it was such a hard decision! It was the best option! I'm Heaven's protector and- Lucifer: You were my protector too!

Emily: Archangel Michael?! / Sir Pentious: His Majesty?!

Emily: His- wait. What do you mean?

Sir Pentious: That'ssssss His Majessssty, Lucifer!

Gasping a little too loudly, Emily's hands flew to cover her mouth.

A part of her wants to go back to the Archangel's words. Where did she hear that before?

Emily: Charlie's dad?? As in the King of-

Michael: -on their knees in front of people other than our Lord. It took so many meetings for them to relent. That's why you and Lilith spent a long time held in the Garden. Lucifer: Shut up. Michael: So, I'm really sorry that we let you down. Lucifer: Shut up, Michael! Michael: But if I had the chance to go back, I would do it all over again.

As Emily listened to the heated exchange between the Archangels, a pang of empathy tugged at her heart. She couldn't help but wonder if someone could truly utter such hurtful words even in the midst of apologies. She doesn't blame Charlie's dad one bit if she were in his shoes. If Sera hurt her like that...

Ah. But Sera did hurt her. She lied to her.

Amidst the confusing emotions swirling within her, Emily's acute senses picked up something else from within the room—voices that didn't belong to the two arguing Archangels. The threads are-

Lucifer: You should've killed me when you had the chance. And now you think you can beat me at my own game?

Wait a second. Where had she heard about golden thread before? What did Sera say? That every soul's destiny, human or not, was already determined by the-

Emily: Oh no. No no no no! Sir Pentious we have to get out here before they see us!

Sir Pentious: Young miss, the Archangel you need is beyond that door plus His Majesty! We can relay the news faster to Charlie this way!

There's manic laughter now but Emily is far too panicked think of it.

Lucifer: Divine move? Divine move? You think you have any moves at all?!

She's pulling him with all her might but the winner is stubborn.

Emily: This room- We aren't allowed here! We're not even allowed to see it! Sera said this is the room of The F-

Lucifer: Maybe then, Heaven could've killed that weak, naive angel. But me? ME?! Ì̶̢̤̉'̵͙͕͑M̷̱͋̀ ̵̬͌T̴̥͠͝H̸̫́̑E̶̳̠̐̎ ̴̠̣̎̐D̷̼̕E̵̢̳͆V̶̳̩̉̋Ì̶̬L̴̥̗̾ ̴̮͝F̸̝̓̀Ų̸̠͗̑C̵͚͗K̷̺̚̚I̵̠̋̕Ň̸͎͈G̵̘̔ ̵̤͛I̸̩͐N̷̥̰̋C̸͓̒̍A̴̙̓R̵͍͛N̴̤͎͠A̵͇̟̓Ṯ̴̯͊Ḙ̴͑̇,̴̰͆̑ ̵̤́ͅÝ̴̙̫̈́O̵͚͐͒U̵̙͂ ̷̱̆͜͝Ċ̸͍̌Á̷̰́N̸͉̈'̶͇̎͂T̵̠̒ ̶͖́K̶̛̲̮̆I̸͎̘͐̃L̴̟̙̔̿L̴̜̾͊ ̶̱̥̌M̵̳̕E̵͈̯͋́!

For the 2nd time that day, they fell as the ground shook with the screams inside.

They scrambled to their feet just in time to witness a terrifying sight—the manifestation of Lucifer's wrath in all its terrifying glory.

Emily's blood ran cold as she saw the scene unfolding before her, mind struggling to comprehend the Devil. The air crackled with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine, and her heart pounded with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

Michael: Lucifer—what? Why do you look like that? What did you-

She refuses to believe this is Charlie's dad.

Emily: T-t-that's the K-king of Hell?

She doesn't know why she expected Sir Pentious to be smug or even be proud that this scary being was his former King. But he wasn't. In fact, he looks just as afraid as she is.

Sir Pentious: No. It isssss not.

Lucifer: Don't worry, Mika. I won't die that easily because I'll be there to watch Heaven fall.

----------------------

Even after the King of Hell departed and the Archangel Michael fell silent, Sir Pentious and Emily remained rooted to the spot, hesitant to leave yet also unwilling to enter the room. The lingering tension in the air held them in its grip.

It was the former sinner who spoke up first.

Sir Pentious: Thissss isss our chance, Emily.

Emily: Sir Pentious, maybe we should find another person we could talk to.

Sir Pentious: Come now, little missy. We've already missed His Majesty, and we barely could find a single soul in this building! An Archangel is right there and we must seize this opportunity!

Emily: Shhhhhh! If Sir Michael hears us even near this room, I don't know how I'll tell this to Sera.

Sir Pentious: Do not shush me, young lady! I'll have you know I-

The sudden swing of the door startled both Sir Pentious and Emily, freezing them in place like deer caught in headlights. Before them stood the champion of Heaven, the head of the Archangels, the protector of her home, wearing an expression that Emily could only describe as surprised—though she was on the verge of a full-blown meltdown to really be sure.

Emily: Archangel Michael! We-uh- we can explain!

Sir Pentious: Your Heavenly Grace!

----------------------------------

short my ass, aldjlakla the day had been busy so sorry for the late upload!

I had help from chatgpt again to avoid any redundant words cos I am no English native haha

[randomfoggytiger]

Scully's Abduction, Emily Sim, and the Lost Scully Baby

SOLVING SCULLY'S ABDUCTION DATES

The answer to the question of when Scully was returned differs here and there. Sometime after 11/2/94 and on or before 11/11/94 seems to be the consensus: themareks posits November 2nd, xfilestimeline.net guesses in-between the 2nd and 11th, and epguides stands by the 11th as both One Breath's airdate and Scully's reappearance.

But how long was Scully gone?

Mulder states in Emily: "She [Scully] was missing for four weeks. That's documented in the file."

And to further back up that abduction timeline, Mulder later finds a medical paperwork in the nursing home containing Scully's full name next to a possible abduction date: 13/10/94. At the very least, October 13 was when the government tagged her in their system, meaning Scully was likely abducted on the 12th or 13th and returned not on the 2nd but on the 11th.

WAS SCULLY IMPREGNATED DURING HER ABDUCTION?

Mulder's filed report contains another tidbit he never shared with his partner: it states (as read aloud by the official overseeing Emily's custody case) that Scully was "subjected to a series of experiments where... they extracted her ova."

The episode divulges the 'how's a few scenes later: abductees or unwitting volunteers were put into "beauty sleep" by the Syndicate doctors before being injected with a series of enhanced drugs to stimulate ovulation for extraction. Essentially, the women were put through a process similar to the early stages of IVF treatments, for far more nefarious purposes.

After the extracted ova were combined with suitable sperm or cloned with alien DNA, they were not returned to the womb but were instead grown separately in metal and glass containers filled with a green-not-gray alien liquid.

NURSING HOME MOTHERS

As is the end result of man playing God, the Syndicate pushed the bounds of their "science" by dabbling with the unconscionable: they darkened the doors of nursing homes, developing an extra preceding step that involved "awakening" and growing the ova of older women to maturation before subjecting them to the "beauty sleep." These women were the perfect targets, either too confused or too forgetful to intelligently articulate what was happening to them; and Dr. Calderon and his cohorts banked on repeating their experimental process for unlimited ova until death claimed their patients in natural or unnatural ways. (Unfortunately for Dr. Calderon, his aspirations were cut short when Mulder threatened exposure.)

So, to recap: the women were violated, not impregnated.

THE ROANOKE SCULLY

What's even worse?

While investigating the nursing home, Mulder not only finds the aforementioned paperwork listing Scully's full name and possible abduction date but also a corresponding fetus, alive and kicking, in its own little container of green fluid.

This, too, was Scully's child; and it, too, was likely killed or discarded as medical waste during the Consortium's coverup.

"NATURAL", CLONE, OR HYBRID?

Though not entirely explained in Emily (or after), the fetuses grew at unimaginably rapid rates from conception to "birth" in a month's time; but the cost of accelerated growth sacrificed their health, causing the babies born to be dependent on consistent injections of their mysterious gestation fluid in order to survive.

What were those babies, then? Clones? Hybrids? Fully human?

My personal theory? Emily was a hybrid. Not only would this fit the injections and extractions and underhanded IVF machinations in Season 8 (quality of its writing aside), but it would also correlate the mirroring aims of Emily's Dr. Calderon and Per Manum's Dr. Parenti. Parenti stuffed his batch of alien-human hybrid babies into identical containers of fluid, too (albeit for darker purposes.)

The episodes she appears in provides evidence of its own. Even though clones created from alien DNA bleed green and Emily bled red, her blood still released toxic fumes for self-defense, which means Emily's DNA couldn't have been fully human even if both ova and sperm were tampered with before insemination (a feat the Syndicate couldn't accomplish despite their many, many horrific attempts.)

CONCLUSIONS

Not only was Scully never pregnant but she was also never abducted more than once, making her an anomaly even amongst the other MUFON women. This leads me to believe the first round of experimentation inflicted on her was so severe that the Syndicate deemed Scully too great a risk for future harvesting... which was also likely why she was left to die (even if CSM "returned her to you" for a merciful death surrounded by the ones she loved.) Serving no further purpose to the Project, she had been considered waste and was, therefore, disposable.

Emily, too, was ultimately doomed to die after the Consortium or Dr. Calderon tired of his experiments; and if it hadn't been for Melissa Scully's ghostly interference, Emily Sim would have been torn from her parents the minute they stopped towing the line and raised elsewhere as a lab rat-- unloved and, again, tossed aside when deemed no longer necessary.

Finally, there's still one Scully child unaccounted for.

Existence begun and ended in obscurity, it was likely squirreled away or destroyed along with any remaining evidence of Dr. Calderon's work-- a loose end from a man no longer needed by his overlords.

However, the thought that Mulder was the only person other than its merciless creators to behold this tiny fetus is one best pondered on a dark, lonely night when one is in the mood for either melancholy or heart failure.

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[marislittleworld]

Soooo glad that you’re back!!!💕💕

I was thinking teen!reader gets bullied at school, fights back and then chris and jill are called into the school?

ohoho !! I did a lot of roleplays of this with Character.ai Chris and Jill and their reactions were so funny LMAO. Here it is, dear anonymous

Class fight

WARNINGS: OC!daughter, bullying (but Ana fights back), Father!Chris Redfield and Mother!Jill Valentine, Ana is 13 years old, the principal doesn't like Ana :(

It all started when the school's principal called Jill's phone. As soon as she heard the principal mention Ana, she became worried and angry. After thanking the principal for the information, she hung up and made her way to Chris's office.

Walking through the corridors, Jill stopped right at Chris's office door and knocked. Chris, noticing the angry expression on her face, let her in immediately.

"What's wrong, Jill?" Chris asked, concerned.

"I got a call," Jill answered in an angry tone, "from Ana's school. She got into a fight with a boy in her class."

Chris was shocked and cleared his throat. He'd never imagined that his little girl would get into a fight, though he hoped there was a good reason. He sighed and told Jill they needed to go to Ana's school right away.

When the couple arrived, they headed straight to the principal's office. They saw Ana sitting in a chair in front of the principal's desk, her face bruised. Jill's anger grew at the sight. Wasn't there a school nurse? Why hadn't they taken Ana to the nursery to treat her wounds, and those of the other student?

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Redfield, I'm glad you came," the principal said, gesturing for the couple to sit next to Ana.

"What happened, Mr. Anderson? Why did Ana get into a fight?" Jill asked, worriedly holding her daughter's face carefully.

"No reason apparently. Your daughter has been showing some bad behavior these days. Some... delinquency," the principal said in a mocking tone.

"He's lying!" Ana tried to interject, but her father silenced her with a look.

"Shh," Chris shushed her gently.

Jill sighed and asked, "Why do you think it's Ana's fault? I mean, there could be a reason for this fight—"

"Reason?! Why would there be a reason? It's already clear that your daughter is a delinquent. My son would never do that!" the boy's mother protested loudly.

Chris scoffed as he heard the accusation. “Delinquent? Well, you can be sure we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Jill turned to Ana, her eyes filled with both concern and determination. “Ana, tell us what happened. We want to hear your side.”

Ana took a deep breath, her eyes welling with tears. “I was with Iara during recess when this boy started mocking me, calling me names and pushing me around. I tried to ignore him at first, but he wouldn’t stop. He even started saying things about you and Dad.”

Chris’s eyes darkened, and he clenched his fists. “What kind of things?”

“Just nasty stuff, Dad. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I stood up to him. But he pushed me first. I only fought back because I had to.”

Jill looked at the principal, her voice steady but cold. “Did you see any of this, Mr. Anderson? Or are you just taking the word of one student over another without any real evidence?”

The principal shifted uncomfortably. “Well, we have witnesses who—”

“Witnesses? Or just friends of that boy who would say anything to keep him out of trouble?” Chris interjected, his anger barely contained.

The boy’s mother stood up, pointing a finger at Ana. “Your daughter is lying! My son is a good boy!”

Jill stood up too, meeting the woman's gaze fiercely. “And my daughter is a good girl. She doesn’t lie, and she certainly doesn’t start fights for no reason. We will not sit here and let you accuse her without proof.”

Mr. Anderson cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. “Enough! We will have a thorough investigation. Until then, Ana is suspended from school.”

“Suspended? Without a fair investigation? Absolutely not,” Chris said firmly. “We’ll be contacting the school board about this. Come on, Ana. We’re leaving.”

As they walked out of the principal's office, Jill held Ana close, whispering to her. “We believe you, Ana. We’ll get this sorted out. You did the right thing standing up for yourself.”

Ana nodded, her tears finally spilling over. She holds her dad's hand as they leave the school.

[steddieas-shegoes]

Chapter 15

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8 / Chapter 9 / Chapter 10 / Chapter 11 / Chapter 12 / Chapter 13 / Chapter 14

-----------------------------------------------------

Steve felt the exhaustion creep in as Eddie held him close, neither of them speaking after Steve agreed to Eddie’s suggestion.

He let himself rest, but couldn’t fall asleep, something tugging at his brain in a way that still made him hesitant to relax completely.

He was safe, Eddie was keeping him safe, but he couldn’t drift off to sleep.

It took Eddie humming a song he vaguely recognized to catch the thought and put it into words.

“How do you know that song?” Steve sat back, staring at Eddie with wide eyes.

“My favorite local band plays it as their encore during shows. Why?”

“Um. Your favorite local band doesn’t happen to be High and Dry, does it?”

Steve felt his heartbeat quicken, getting louder as he thought about what this meant.

“It…is? How do you know them?” Eddie seemed genuinely shocked by the fact that Steve knew them, which was fair, considering they were a punk metal band that only played local venues once in a while.

Steve knew why they did though. Because he knew them. Because he knew the lead singer very well.

“The lead singer is Jonathan. Jonathan Byers.”

Eddie was still not getting it, which was fine, because Steve was now standing up and pacing, his hands moving to explain as much as possible.

“He’s Will’s older brother!” Steve threw his hands up, a huge smile taking over his face, the first one in too long.

“Wait. Jonathan is Will’s brother?”

“Yes!”

“Okay. Um. That’s a nice coincidence, sweetheart. I’m not sure why you’re so excited about it, but maybe we can go to their next show?”

Eddie was looking at him like he’d grown two heads, which was fair, Steve knew he wasn’t making much sense.

“No, you don’t get it!”

“No, I don’t,” Eddie agreed.

Steve placed his hands on Eddie’s cheeks, kissing his nose before he pulled away again. The erratic behavior was probably a bit too much, but he couldn’t contain it.

“So you have a connection to the Byers outside of me!”

It took a moment, but Eddie’s eyes widened and then he stood up, started pacing, too.

“I’ve done some of Jonathan’s tattoos recently. We aren’t like, close, but we talk sometimes. He gave me VIP tickets to a festival they performed at in exchange for a part of his sleeve a few months ago.” Eddie was practically doing laps around Steve now, who was watching with a fond smile as Eddie took what Steve thought of and ran with it. “He’s actually scheduled for next week to get something small done. I could call him and explain everything, maybe he could work with Joyce and Will and the school board to end the investigation early. We could just say I did it as a favor because I know the family!”

Steve nodded, his brain going faster than it ever has.

“I know Joyce and Will will be on my side through everything, especially when they find out I’ve been suspended over this. But if we can take the financial help out of the equation for me, that will most likely let me keep my job.”

Eddie wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and lifted him, spinning him around in a circle as he laughed. It felt so good to laugh, to feel just a bit of the anxiety and stress fall off his shoulders.

To feel like he had a chance in not losing everything he’d worked so hard for.

—---------------------------

He called Robin a bit later while Eddie was making them lunch. He sat on the counter, watching as Eddie tossed a salad together, frying up some chicken in a pan and mixing together some homemade dressing.

“Steve! Hi! Are you okay?” Robin answered on the first ring, like she’d been holding the phone waiting for his call.

She probably had been, actually.

“Robs, I’m okay. Thanks for taking care of me.”

“What happened? Are you still with Eddie? Do you need me to come over? I can call into my shift, Chrissy already said she’d cover.”

“I’m still with Eddie. He’s making us some lunch. I um, something bad happened at work, something that kinda came out of nowhere, and I just didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry, Robs.”

He hated that she had to see him like that at all, but was grateful she was there. He hated to think what would have happened if he’d been alone at the apartment.

“Did you get fired?”

“Not quite,” Steve gave a brief explanation of what happened, only stopping when Robin started ranting angrily about the system being so broken they couldn’t even provide assistance to a student who needed it. She wasn’t entirely wrong, and he couldn’t help the fond smile on his face as she kept interrupting his story to complain about the principal being a bitch (she wasn’t), and the art teacher knowing he could get in trouble if he brought it up (they may not have known), and “your parents are literally lawyers, sue them,” (which would be his absolute last resort, but still an option).

By the end, Eddie was smirking as he ate his salad next to Steve, just as endeared by Robin’s antics as Steve was.

“So where does this leave you?”

Steve gulped. The hard part of this conversation would be telling Robin about taking Eddie’s offer.

She was fiercely independent, had to be because her parents weren’t made of money. They provided her basic needs as she grew up, but she wanted more, wanted better, and decided the best way to have that was to work her ass off to get there. She worked two jobs through most of college, up until her final semester that she was in now, having to use any free time not at Starbucks on her internship at a museum. The moment Steve explained that Eddie was paying for all of his stuff for the month, she would lose at least a little respect for Steve.

“Wait, you’re suspended without pay for a month?”

Here goes.

“Yes, but I figured out rent and stuff, you don’t have to worry about it. Eddie’s helping.”

Robin was silent for a moment, then two.

“Helping how?”

“I’m gonna move in with him for at least the month, he’s gonna put me to work at his shop, and he’s gonna pay the bills I need covered while I’m out.”

That didn’t sound so bad. Like it was him working for the money, not just getting his bills paid like some kind of sugar baby.

Although, he kind of did feel like one.

And he kind of liked it.

He’d never admit that to Robin though.

“Do you have all this in writing somewhere?”

Eddie was watching Steve’s reaction, not interrupting, giving him the space to have this conversation with his best friend, one that needed to be had even with the discomfort it brought both of them.

“No. I trust him, and I know you won’t, but I’m just asking for you to trust me.”

“Why do you think I won’t trust him?”

Steve glanced between the phone and Eddie, like he didn’t really want to say it in front of Eddie, like it would hurt him.

Eddie just shrugged, silently telling him that he would be fine and understood this was a private conversation that he was already being given special permission to even be listening to.

“Because you’re hesitant about people, especially people I get close to. And this has been kind of a whirlwind. I’m struggling to even grasp what’s happening sometimes, and you know rushing into something like this isn’t like me. It’s terrifying, I’m terrified. But you remember when Nancy and I broke up and you told me that someday someone would show me that I’m worth the future I dreamed about? Eddie is that person. And I think I just have to accept that as unconventional as everything with us has been, it’s what works for us.”

He looked over at Eddie, who was frozen in his chair and staring at him like he wanted to kiss him, undress him, take him apart, right here at the table.

Steve wanted to let him.

Not while Robin was on the phone, though. Maybe not today at all. He still wasn’t feeling quite himself and he knew Eddie wouldn’t actually act on anything as long as he was in this state of limbo.

“You’re sure about this?” She asked, but she already knew he was.

“I’ve never been so sure of anything.”

“Then I’m sure, too.”

“Really?”

“Listen, you’re almost as cautious with people as I am. And Chrissy wouldn’t keep him around if he wasn’t reliable and amazing. And the way he was with you earlier…” Robin sighed. “He’s good for you. You’re good together. At this point, if something happens to you two, I’ll lose any hope that love is real.”

Steve smiled at the phone and then at Eddie, who was smiling back, reaching a hand over the table to cover Steve’s. He squeezed gently, acknowledging that Steve and Robin were both trusting him more than they’d trusted anyone to take care of Steve.

He wouldn’t, couldn’t let them down.

—-------------------------

Steve fell asleep at the table, barely able to finish half his salad before his eyes were drooping. Eddie had been cleaning up in the kitchen, so when he walked back to the dining table to see Steve’s head on the table, eyes closed, he couldn’t help the fond smile on his face.

He leaned down to kiss Steve’s head, then picked him up, holding him carefulling in his arms so that he could carry him to bed.

Steve’s eyes didn’t open, but he nuzzled his face into Eddie’s neck, curled his hand in Eddie’s shirt against his chest.

Eddie smiled to himself as he made his way to their bedroom.

Theirs.

He bit his lip to not cry.

He didn’t say it out loud to anyone, and barely even admitted it to himself, but his entire life had been spent wondering if he’d ever find anything this meaningful. Anything he’d ever had was hookups that barely even lasted a night or shitty relationships based on dynamics that truly didn’t mean anything if you didn’t care about each other.

He never felt like he wanted, needed, to care for someone like this. Not in this way.

He would do anything to keep Steve safe and happy.

He tucked Steve into bed, not worried about any of his clothes right now, more worried that waking him up would upset him, and kissed his forehead.

It was easy to love Steve, even through the hard things.

He thought about what Wayne told him years ago when he had his first bad breakup: “Someday, you’ll find someone who is easy to love, even when things are hard. Someday, you’ll love someone so much, that even the shittiest days of your lives will be better just because they’re there to love you through it.”

He knew Steve was that someone for him, and he just wanted to be that person Steve.

—---------------------------------------

The next week was chaotic. Eddie had to work, and Steve had to pack some more stuff to live with Eddie.

Steve had a scheduled interview with one of the school board officials put in charge of the investigation for the next day, so he needed his best suit and hair products.

Robin was coming by for dinner that night so Steve could unwind with his two favorite people, so Eddie wanted to make sure he had her favorite dinner prepared, despite Steve insisting she didn’t care about things like that.

Eddie managed to get in touch with Jonathan and didn’t even have to explain everything; Will had already called him crying the day before about his favorite guidance counselor. He told Eddie that Will had already met with the principal and someone from the school board explaining his side of things, and Joyce had a meeting that day to do the same. He offered to do whatever was needed to make sure Steve kept his job.

“Man, I will owe you an entire body’s worth of tattoos if you can help us in any way.”

“Nah, you guys did something amazing for Will. I help when I can, but the shows we do don’t pay much by the time we split it, and my job barely covers the bills as it is. The fact you were willing to pay for his application fee means so much to us, dude.”

“It’s nothin’ man, seriously. I saw what he’s capable of. And his art is what brought me and Steve together, so it seems kind of like fate.”

“Yeah, man, maybe. Can you bring Steve to our session? I’d love to meet him, make sure he’s doing okay so Will can calm down a little.”

He agreed, and texted Steve to let him know the plans.

Everything was happening fast, but that seemed to be the usual for them, and Eddie was learning that life in the fast lane might be okay.

—------------------------------

Steve was extra cuddly when he was at home, but they never went further than soft kisses and gentle touches as they curled into each other on the couch or in bed.

Eddie knew neither of them were in the right mindset for more, not until things calmed down for them.

But the evening that Steve came with Eddie to the shop for Jonathan’s session, they both felt a lot of tension. Steve because this was his favorite student’s protective brother, who definitely held a lot more power over the situation than he realized. Eddie because even with Jonathan completely on their side, it may not mean anything.

Steve was charming, though, when he wanted to be. It wasn’t fake, he genuinely cared about Will and the way this all played out, and wanted Jonathan to know he wanted to keep being the best counselor he could be for him.

“Will talks about you all the time. I’d hate to see where he’d be without you, man. Seriously, thank you for everything you’ve done for him.”

Steve wasn’t going to successfully hold back the tears, not without immense effort, so he didn’t. He let them pool, then fall, and smiled at Jonathan to let him know that he was okay, just had a lot of emotions about everything.

Jonathan hugged him hard, patting his back a few times and smiling at Eddie over his shoulder.

“You did the right thing, Steve. No matter what they say, you did what was right, okay? You did good.”

Eddie raised his brows, but Jonathan just shook his head once.

“Sometimes, Will just needs to hear that. I think you and Will are really similar and I don’t want you to worry. He’s applied and they can’t take that away from him. Everyone’s fighting for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Steve sniffed against Jonathan’s shoulder.

When he pulled away, Eddie opened his arms to comfort him for a moment, just long enough for Steve to take some deep breaths and stop shaking.

“Alright! Enough of me crying. You came for a tattoo. I’ll go grab you some water from the fridge, how’s the temperature in here? You want a blanket?”

Eddie couldn’t help but look at him fondly, at his natural caregiver attitude that came out when he felt most comfortable.

“Water would be great, but no blanket. I’m just getting something small today.”

“Oh, can I see?”

Jonathan smiled and held out his phone, showing him a picture of a sketch.

“Will drew that.”

“He did. It’s a memory he had of us when we were little, but instead of doing it in detail, he stuck to line art. Wanted to use it for a school project, but when I said I wanted it tattooed, he kept it at home.”

“It’s amazing. I can tell it’s you guys even with just outlines.”

“He’s just good at capturing feeling in anything he does.”

Steve nodded.

Eddie looked it over and nodded, too.

“You know, if the art thing doesn’t work out, he’s always got a chair here if he wants to be licensed. I could use someone like him in the shop.”

“I’ll let him know,” Jonathan smiled.

The tattoo went quickly, the conversation between them flowing easily about all kinds of things: Will, Jonathan’s band, Joyce, his job.

By the end, Steve had Jonathan’s number, though he reminded him it might be best not to use it until after the investigation, just to be safe.

“Can you just tell Will that I’m proud of him and that no matter what happens, I don’t regret anything? Neither does Eddie. I’ll still support him however I can.”

“Of course, man. You take it easy though. He’d be upset to know how stressed you are,” Jonathan patted his shoulder, then shook Eddie’s hand before he waved and left.

“I don’t know what I’ll do if I get fired,” Steve’s voice shook as he turned to Eddie, who had started cleaning up his area.

“Sweetheart, come here,” Eddie said, setting down the tattoo gun and removing his gloves.

Steve listened.

“Can you do something for me?” Eddie asked softly.

“Yeah, anything.”

“Can you kneel right here? Just for a couple of minutes.” Eddie gestured between his now opened legs at the floor.

The floor was probably cleaner than most people’s kitchen counters with how much he swept, mopped, and sanitized it, but a small part of Steve was still worried about being on the floor.

“What’s your color, sweet boy?”

“Yellow.”

“Sit in my lap and let’s talk about it,” Eddie moved his legs a little closer together and patted his knee. “You’re okay, sweet boy. I want you to be comfortable, always. Why is it yellow?”

“Um. I don’t know.”

“You’ve been on the floor here before on your knees, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Is it just the stress of everything?”

Steve thought about it. He knew that was a small part of it, no matter how much he knew he would probably feel better after. And the floor being dirty was a small part of it, too, but that didn’t bother him before.

“I think it’s something else. I don’t know what, though.”

“That’s okay. We can give it a try anyway if you want, or I can just finish cleaning up and we can go home if you still don’t want to.”

He didn’t want to go home, he wanted to be good. He wanted to try.

“No. I want to. Green. Please.”

His voice was a little shaky, probably not very convincing that he actually did want to try, but Eddie only took a moment to look him over and make a decision.

“On your knees, then, baby girl.”

Steve shivered at the name, never realizing how much being called one thing could send him so close to the edge.

He dropped to his knees, probably a bit too hard going off the vibrations he felt along his knees and shins. But it was a good pain, a reminder that he was gonna be safe with Eddie.

Eddie touched his cheek, leaned in to kiss him softly, before pulling away completely.

“So good for me.”

And then he turned back to his station and continued working.

Steve didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but being ignored wasn’t on the list. Maybe just being touched gently for a few minutes while he calmed down, or being praised until he started to believe the words Eddie said so wholeheartedly. Maybe even being told to rub off on Eddie’s leg.

He whimpered, but Eddie ignored it.

“Sir?” Steve asked, his voice breaking slightly.

“I’m gonna finish up my stuff, sunshine. You can be good.”

But could he? Like this?

The expectation was silently set that he would just sit quietly at Eddie’s feet while he worked, like a dog waiting for its master.

Maybe any other time, he’d be okay with that. But right now, with how low he was feeling, he didn’t like knowing he was below Eddie.

Eddie didn’t seem to catch on, though, too busy trying to clean up his station.

Steve felt tears spring in his eyes, not the kind he liked, not the ones that meant he was going to fly over the edge. More like the ones that meant he was being pushed over the edge with no one to catch him at the bottom.

“Red.”

Eddie immediately dropped what he was doing, his hands pulling Steve off the floor and into his lap, pushing his face into his neck so he was as close to him as possible.

“It’s okay, sweet boy. You did good for me. I’m so proud of you for using your word when you needed to. I love you so much,” Eddie spoke slowly, softly, rubbing his back and arms, touching every inch he could reach without moving him away from his body.

Steve cried silently, a part of him feeling stupid for his reaction, for even having to use his word for something as simple as kneeling.

He was trying to listen to Eddie, soak in the praise despite his failure to be good this time, allow himself to know that deep down, he was still Eddie’s good girl.

“Let’s get you some water and some of the chocolate bar I have in my desk,” Eddie whispered against the side of his head.

“No, don’t go,” Steve wrapped his arms around his neck, his legs around his waist. “No.”

“I’m taking you with me, sweetheart. I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever.”

The promise was made so easily, like Eddie didn’t even have to consider how much he wanted and needed to stay. Steve let the words wrap around him, warmth spreading through his chest and stomach, down his legs and through his arms, tingles in his head running down his spine.

Words held power. Eddie held power. Steve held power.

“Not leaving you either.”

It felt like nothing when he said it, too quiet, too nervous. But Eddie shivered like he was giving him the secret to life.

“In it forever with you, sweetheart.”

“Want forever with you.”

Eddie pulled his head up so he could kiss him, his tongue licking along his bottom lip and silently asking for entrance that Steve would always, always give.

It was still soft, careful, like Eddie knew if he pushed too much, Steve would collapse.

Eddie was good at this. He was good at reading Steve, good at understanding what he needed more than even Steve did.

Eddie stood up, holding onto Steve with very little effort, and walked them to his office where his mini fridge sat full of water, soda, and Gatorade.

“Water or something else?”

“Can I have orange soda?”

“Of course, sweet thing.”

Eddie leaned over to grab the soda from the fridge and then sat Steve down on his desk to open it for him. As Steve took a few sips, Eddie found his emergency chocolate bar in his desk drawer.

“Twix okay?”

“My favorite,” Steve smiled.

He was starting to feel better, at the same level as Eddie again, and not close to falling anymore.

Eddie opened the Twix and fed him a bite, smiling as he watched him chew and swallow.

“Wanna tell me what was going on in your head, sweetheart?”

Steve took another bite, then a sip of his soda, and kissed Eddie’s chin.

“I think I just felt too low. Like you were better than me and you didn’t even wanna look at me. I know it’s not true, but you just weren’t paying attention to me and with everything going on, I felt like…I dunno. Useless I guess,” Steve shrugged, tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal.

Eddie’s face fell, but he quickly schooled his features back to a soft smile, kissing Steve’s lips softly.

“I’m so sorry I made you feel that way, sunshine. You mean everything to me and I certainly don’t think you’re useless. I would never think that.” Eddie ran his hands through Steve’s hair slowly, keeping him calm as he spoke. “I should have thought about how you’d feel. You know I love you more than anything, right?”

Steve nodded.

“Do you need to talk about anything?”

Steve knew he did, but he wanted to be in the comfort of their bed, Eddie’s arms keeping him safe and warm.

Before he could answer, his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

With everything going on, he was hesitant to ignore any phone calls, never knowing when someone from the school board would call. He quickly pulled his phone out, relaxing a bit when he saw it was Robin.

“Hey, Robs.”

“Steve.”

Her voice was quiet, like she was trying not to be overheard. She was home alone, though, a rare day off being used to relax and ignore the world.

“What’s wrong?” Steve pushed Eddie away gently so he could stand up, already trying to focus so he could find his keys. He’d driven them to the shop today in case he had to leave for any reason, and he’d never been so appreciative of his past self as he was now.

“Your mother is here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that your mother is standing in our living room, complaining about the fort of blankets I was living in on the couch, and asking for you.”

Steve felt his body go cold, his legs only keeping him upright because Eddie was standing right next to him supporting his weight.

When did he get there?

“Is that Steven on the phone?” His mom asked in the background. “Why is his stuff gone from his room? It looks like he doesn’t even live here.”

“Put her on, Robs,” Steve said, voice lacking any enthusiasm over having to talk with his mom suddenly, without preparation.

There was a small sound of the phone shifting between hands, then his mom clearing her throat.

“Steven, will you be home soon? Robin seems to be unwell. She’s living on the couch,” his mother was more tolerable than his father, but her snooty tone wasn’t really welcome at this point, especially not when the judgment was being aimed mostly at Robin.

“Why are you at the apartment?”

“I heard about your job. Your father told me that I should leave it alone since you clearly didn’t want our help with anything, but he’s quite an asshole, and I’m not.”

Steve smirked, though he’d never admit it to her. He knew she didn’t actually like his dad, it was just too much of a hassle to go through a lengthy divorce and divide assets. He was almost certain they both saw other people at this point, yet they were still miserable.

“There’s not much to do about it. The investigation has to happen first.”

“Which is probably unlawful at this point.”

He could hear the eyeroll in her voice. Eddie’s eyes were watching him as he responded.

“What do you mean unlawful?”

“Well, the Byers boy, Will, gave permission for Eddie to be there. It’s not your money that was used. Interviews were already conducted with multiple parties confirming that story. They’re withholding pay from you that was earned before your suspension started, which is its own lawsuit, really. In fact, I’m certain one phone call to the school board would have you back in your office by tomorrow morning,” she stated seriously, though he could almost hear the start of a smile in her voice.

“But I did technically break confidentiality.”

“Which would be damn near impossible to prove without camera footage of the entire interaction, which isn’t possible, especially since all parties involved have the same story about having permission to do so.”

“But he’s a minor, he can’t give verbal permission.”

“Steven, do you really think I have earned millions of dollars as a lawyer by being an idiot?”

Steve sighed.

His parents were smart, much smarter than he would ever be, and that’s why he always felt so inferior to them and their expectations of him. They had successful careers, wealth, and good looks, even with their older age. They hadn’t been good parents, neglectful was the term his first therapist used, manipulative and downright abusive was thrown around by his second therapist. But they did show up when he needed them most, or at least, his mom did.

She was showing up now.

Maybe he just had to let her do it. Maybe she needed this distraction after her diagnosis.

Maybe this could provide some healing for Steve.

“What can you do?”

“I need to know where you’ve up and moved to.”

“I’m living with Eddie for the month, maybe longer.”

“Eddie?”

“My boyfriend.”

Eddie was smiling at him, running his thumb along his hip to keep him relaxed.

“When did this happen?”

“Uh.”

“Oh, good Lord, Steven. I’m not going to bite his head off.”

“Last week.”

“You moved in last week?”

“Uh. No. He became my boyfriend last week?”

He was met with silence. It wasn’t often he shocked his mom into silence; She’d always been able to come up with some kind of response.

“Text me his address. We have a lot to discuss.”

The call ended, and Steve looked at Eddie.

“How do you feel about meeting my mom?”

Chapter 16

TAG LIST: @invisibleflame812 @inmoonywetrust @captain-daryn @carlyv @lillemilly @spectrum-spectre @raisedbylibrarians @estrellami-1 @gregre369 @mightbeasleep @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @bornonthesavage @loguine-linguine @bejeweledbaby @bisexualdisastersworld @eddiemunsonswife @sadcanadianwinter @messrs-weasley @i-write-stories-not-sins-bitch @maya-custodios-dionach @sleepyboosstuff @novelnovella @f1ct1onwh0re @croatoan-like-its-hot @shrimply-a-menace @crazyhatlady86 @izzy2210 @phirex22 @crypticcorvidinacottage @yourebuckingkiddingme @sydthekid2004 @lovelylilbadone @abydell921 @wildflower-faun @lydi-cyan @lololol-1234 @221b-fandom @carlajim98 @azure-and-gold @space-invading-pigeon @crying-trashcan @hellomynameismoo @mrsjellymunson

[getvalentined]

Hey, long time lurker with a brand new account here! i was just reading an earlier ask you answered about why Vincent didn’t stop Hojo and Lucrecia and (of course) Sephiroth, but there’s also something that bugs me that I’m not sure has been addressed in canon or fanon. I like Vin and Veld as work besties in the 1970s and they’re also a ship of mine. Yet I’m not quite sure how to factor in how Vincent gets shot during his time at the Nibelheim Manor, is presumed dead, and Veld doesn’t even go to investigate until Before Crisis, when he finds Vincent in the coffin and tells him he’ll come back another time. I guess an answer I could come up with for myself was that someone higher up than Veld forbade him from looking into Nibelheim for all those years but I’m curious what your thoughts would be? :)

My take on this is actually very specific and headcanon heavy, since there isn't a lot of information on that whole time period—much less information specific to Veld—but I'll give as comprehensive a breakdown as I can!

Things we know specific to Vincent and Veld's situation:

Veld was Vincent's partner in the Turks

Veld did not know Vincent was dead

Detailed explanations on the certainty of both of these are under the cut, but they go into linguistics and translation disputes and context cues that will absolutely get us both lost in the weeds if I go into them here.

Other things that are moderately relevant to this explanation:

All victims of the Kalm fire were taken to Nibelheim for processing by R&D, including both Veld and Felicia (source: BC chapter 13)

In spite of being processed in the same location and even being utilized in the same experiment as Felicia, Veld didn't know that she survived, so it's very possible to hide people in there (source: BC chapter 13)

Veld did not know that Hojo had anything to do with Vincent's disappearance (source: BC chapter 19)

At the time that Vincent disappeared, Gast was still in control of R&D (source: OG FF7)

The Turks know absolutely nothing about the contents of the room in which Vincent is sealed (source: BC chapter 19)

Veld has multiple lines in BC that make it clear he's intimately familiar with the Manor, talking about how it still has a dark atmosphere and how unpleasant the place is. He also seems genuinely concerned when the Player Turk reveals that they were in there getting rid of old research materials on Tseng's order, although I think that's more because he didn't want his newer Turks finding out about what had happened to him if at all avoidable. (It was not avoidable.)

That familiarity with the facility, on its face, makes it really weird that Veld didn't know anything about what happened to Vincent. The only obvious way to reconcile this with him never finding Vincent (aside from the cop-out of "it's just bad writing") is that Veld chose not to look for him, he chose not to question his disappearance, he chose to forget him and let him fade into obscurity. This sounds really bad!

My take actually plays into this concept, and it while it could still be slightly damning for Veld, it's really just as much of a tragedy as anything else in that whole situation: Veld did look, but he started looking way too late.

In my headcanon universe, Vincent and Veld were together prior to the mission in Nibelheim. They broke up not long before Vincent left (the assignment itself is partially to blame for this, but that's long headcanon rambling I will save for another time), and the assignment was long-term enough that Vincent's reports were expected weekly for the first month, then monthly for the proceeding three months, and then quarterly after that. The assignment was slated to last roughly a year and a half, but could have gone up to three years according to Gast's estimations based on his previous efforts and the term of Project G.

But Veld had literally broken up with Vincent right before he left for this assignment, so he wasn't surprised when Vincent only sent two weekly reports, one monthly report, and then dropped into quarterlies from there. The reports themselves were still comprehensive, although Veld got the distinct feeling that Vincent was getting a little emotionally involved in the assignment—not that Veld could blame him, Vincent was requested for this assignment because Gast knew Grimoire, so Vincent was probably having a rough time being in close quarters with people who were so fond of his dead father. Still, the distance would be good for him. Let him get his head on straight.

In mid-1977, Vincent's report schedule faltered again. Veld had received one in April, a bit late—because Lucrecia was pregnant and she broke up with Vincent and married Hojo and he didn't know what to do, he didn't have anyone to talk to, but he didn't want Veld to know. One in September, at the very end of the month—because things were getting so bad, Lucrecia was so sick, Hojo was so aggressive, Gast literally didn't care—and in this report, Vincent said that there may be complications with the project that would require company attention, but he would let Veld know in his next report.

That report never arrived, because Hojo shot Vincent on October 24th, 1977.

Veld waited, because there was a schedule, and Vincent had been a bit lax anyway. No big deal.

At the end of December he received a missive from Gast stating that he would require escorted transport back to Midgar for himself and an infant, by no later than the end of January. Nothing from Vincent, but Gast didn't mention anything, so Veld thought nothing of it.

In mid-January, two Turks arrived in Nibelheim to help transport Gast and his team back to Midgar, and Vincent wasn't there. To hear anyone tell it, he hadn't been there for months. While phone lines were shaky so far out, they eventually made it through to Veld, notifying him that Vincent was missing.

They questioned the rest of the team, but their search of the facility was limited without clearance from higher-ups with that kind of sway. Veld could do a full search, he had the security clearance for it, but two lower-ranking Turks could not.

Lucrecia said that she didn't want to talk about it—she felt bad enough already. Hojo said the last time he'd seen Vincent was mid-October, and he'd just thought the boy finally ran off back to his kennel.

Veld questioned Gast when he arrived back in Midgar, finding that he was the most forthcoming and the least useful. Gast stated that he was under the impression that Vincent had returned to Midgar in early November; he'd been out of town for the last two weeks of October for a board meeting back in Midgar, discussing assignments for Project 0, and Vincent was gone when he returned.

All of them were lying.

By the time Veld made it out to Nibelheim to search himself, it was mid-February, and Hojo had moved Vincent into cold storage for the time being. Things were being shuffled around with the onset of Project 0 anyway, samples and subjects and materials being moved in and out, Lucrecia finally being sent back to Midgar for a much-needed postpartum recovery period, Hojo being given temporary control over the facility.

At this point in time, the Turks only had so much power. R&D was swiftly making itself the most indispensable department in the company, and Veld's search of the premises was always one step behind Hojo's relocation of materials. There was almost certainly one point where Vincent was held in a steel containment tank being relocated from the lower lab to the upper or vice-versa, and wheeled right past Veld without him knowing.

Veld, who knew how emotional Vincent could be and had now gotten the whole story of the regrettable whirlwind love affair from Hojo and Lucrecia, came to the conclusion that Vincent had gone AWOL. Could Veld blame him? He had been treating Vincent like crap since their own breakup—he hadn't been communicating, and even though he'd been able to tell that something was wrong, he never even tried to call and ask him about it. He'd been pissed off too, and left Vincent to his own devices...for over a year. On a separate continent. Of course he tried it with Lucrecia. Of course he left when that relationship fell through.

And Vincent was a good Turk, the best in the entire department, so he'd definitely know how to disappear. How to cover his tracks. Specifically how to hide from the current head of the department, who just happened to be his partner.

If Vincent chose to disappear, Veld would never be able to find him; since he never found any evidence of what transpired to lead to his disappearance, Veld could only assume that was what happened.

Almost thirty years later, he was horrified to finally get into that sealed room—the one Hojo said they used to store old furniture and facility staffers' more valuable personal belongings, way back in 1978—and discover that he'd been completely, utterly, devastatingly wrong.

But, once again, Veld had just waited too long to do anything about it.

—

Game content and dialogue sources:

Grimoire Valentine's BC playthrough

Flash PINK's BC script

Evidence that Veld and Vincent were partners:

The Grimoire Valentine BC playthrough translates Veld's line when explaining Vincent's identity as "We were partners a long time ago." I've seen this translation disputed, because the actual word Veld uses is 同僚 (dōryō), which is best translated as "colleague."

To my knowledge (based on obsessive linguistics research because I have a problem, I do not speak Japanese but I will spend hours researching exactly what specific terms mean within the context of a given culture), this implies equal standing within the company in question. Of course, this is in real-world situations, so we can't assume it applies 100% to FF7 canon—luckily, this word is used at one other point in the game, giving us important context on its usage within the department: in chapter 14, when Tseng thinks the Player Turk has been killed in Wutai, Yuffie asks how they know each other and Tseng replies "They're a [colleague]."

Tseng is vice director, meaning they're definitely not equals, so this could imply that this word is used more loosely among the Turks, thereby disproving the partnership between Vincent and Veld. However, since Veld uses the word 部下 (buka, "subordinate") to describe the other Turks in this same chapter, I personally feel that Tseng uses this term very intentionally at this point, and it's meant as an indication of his character. When Tseng thinks the Player Turk is dead, he refers to them as an equal. This is further implied by the fact that in the proceeding scene, when the Player Turk is proven to have survived, they continue to refer to him as Tseng-san, using the standard honorific, while Tseng doesn't use one in return to refer to them. Veld likewise doesn't use an honorific when referring to Tseng, but the other Turks do.

Back to Vincent and Veld's little reunion, though, I feel like Vincent's dialogue completely clarifies the intent: Vincent doesn't use an honorific or a title when referring to Veld. Every other Turk in the game refers to Veld as 主任 (shunin), with or without his name, which translates to "director." Meanwhile, Vincent refers to Veld by his name and his name only, and Veld doesn't refer to Vincent with an honorific either.

In their department, it's clear this isn't something you would do with someone who wasn't on your level. Subordinates get no honorific, sure, but anyone even remotely superior gets one—a practice that holds true well after Veld is gone, as Elena refers to Reno and Rude as "senpai" from her recruitment in 0007 all the way up to her appearance in Advent Children.

If either Vincent or Veld were ranked differently to the other, the lower-ranking one would use an honorific—but they don't. Names only. Add in the fact that they instantly recognized each other after almost thirty years, and the level of familiarity is undeniable.

Those men were partners, a long time ago.

Evidence that Veld didn't know Vincent was dead:

Upon finding Vincent in 2006, he isn't shocked to find him alive—instead, he refers to Vincent having "disappeared," specifically using the phrase 姿を消し (sugata o keshi), to describe what he knows to have happened. To my knowledge, this is an entirely neutral phrase with no implication of death or malfeasance, particularly within the context of Veld's dialogue, which makes it explicitly clear that whatever happened to Vincent, Veld did not believe it killed him.

His next line is something along the lines of "Did Hojo do this to you?" which I find equally important; he very quickly adjusts his assumptions based on the situation and what Vincent looks like, moving immediately away from the concept of a mysterious disappearance to something much more sinister, but he doesn't seem to have thought of that possibility prior to this point.

[science-lings]

PLEASE elaborate on the phoenix and franziska shenanigans during the 7yg you have NO idea how much i like them

I am someone who loved the investigative portion of Bridge to the Turnabout where Franziska had to babysit Phoenix when he wasn't allowed to follow Miles and Iris. I think when he's not her rival defense attorney and is looking particularly pathetic, she is actually pretty chill around him. She is not exempt from his aura that gets young women to imprint on him and follow him around.

She is genuinely offended on his behalf when he gets disbarred because he beat Miles and Manfred and even her! why the hell would he cheat in a case against a teenager! She does not think for a second that he forged that diary page because she knows firsthand how he throws himself into things and cannot prepare an entire evil plan for shit. However, she does not know how to convey this to him so she bullies Miles into flying him and Trucy around because Miles is almost too good at being resigned to pine sadly from a distance.

It's also important to know that she sees Phoenix being a caring father to Trucy and as someone who never really had a valid father, decided that maybe (ex) defense attorneys have rights... Even if Miles didn't get his shit together to put a ring on That Man's finger, Franziska would find herself in Phoenix's found family, it's only a matter of time.

For some reason Phoenix doesn't go to court with Edgeworth, maybe he can't stand being there while not being a lawyer, maybe he forgot he wasn't an attorney once and got kicked out for yelling out an objection, it doesn't matter, Trucy gets to be Edgeworths weirdgirl assistant and Phoenix is stuck investigating with Franziska and they are the worst people to keep each other out of trouble. We're talking about 'guy who ran across a burning bridge' and 'woman who got shot in the shoulder and still managed to get to court eventually' they are an unstoppable duo when they find something they can both get behind.

If anyone can slowly get Franziska to loosen up and learn to embrace the childhood that she lost, it would be Phoenix. I mean, this girl passed the bar at like 13 there was no way she had time to binge she-ra and check out books on drawing horses from the library. He would convince her to get a cat who hangs out in a window backpack that she can carry around during her travels because it turns out that her life is kinda lonely and she totally seems like the cat lesbian type. She is also allergic to cats so she has to get a sphinx or a devon rex or just the most gargoyle/ golbin looking creature to walk on this earth. That just seems like her vibe.

[stellarwaffles]

Ooooo you wanna talk about your ocs you wanna talk about them so bad ooooooo

Sorry for taking 381 days to answer ummmmm hi I want to talk about Ari

I don't think I've really posted about Ari on tumblr so I'll include basic info

Ari uses she/it/him pronoun and is a lesbian. She is a lion lava monster + is 6ft tall

Ari Sunfall is the oldest of the Sunfall siblings (Ari, Ziva, Leo, Daniel, Cherry*, Talya, Dasi)

When Ari was 13 her parents had to go be at war they weren't allowed to stay at home + raise their kids anymore so as the oldest Ari had to take care of her siblings

If you've ever heard Surface Pressure from Encanto that's the only song on my Ari playlist

Anyway um when Ari was 16 she got a girlfriend yaaaaaaay they were t4t :3

they dated for an amount of months before Ari's gf broke up w her bc taking care of 5 siblings was clearly stressful for Ari + gf was worried dealing w that and also a relationship was too much for Ari. Ummm she had good intentions but this made Ari put more effort into hiding when she's stressed

When Ari was 18 she had to be in the army </3 fuck Monstrox we all hate that guy

Ari got to see his parents for the first time in 5 years so that was nice

Ari also got a girlfriend while in the army! When Ari was 20 she dated Kirsten. They dated for an amount of months

:3

Kirsten broke up w Ari </3

:3

so um ye when the lava monsters got trapped in the Book of Monsters Ari was also trapped. Bc she's a lava monster

S1 nexo knight Ari is one of the background lava monsters

At some point in s1 the lava monsters attack a town called Kneadton + during the attack Ari gets distracted by the smell of freshly baked bread and goes into the bakery where Feather works

Feather is Rather Frightened and as a panic response. Acts friendly + normal as if Ari was a regular customer instead of part of the army attacking the town

Ari is thown off by Feather acting friendly + instead of stealing or destroying anything like she's supposed to he politely pays for a box of cookies

Feather + Ari are friends now. You can't escape being friends with Feather

At the end of s2! When Monstrox is trying to possess Clay or whatever + the knights save him + there's like an explosion or smth + they think Monstrox is dead fr fr. The explosion throws Ari into the rocky wall + she gets a bad injury

But um hey good news the lava monsters all want nothing to do with Monstrox + go build a town so they can chill + just live their lives

Ari takes a while to recover from his injury + has to get used to sometimes relying on others instead of always being the one people can rely on

Ari also has a back brace now. I haven't done enough research to say much about this

Once Ari is doing well enough to get a job she starts working at a bar in Burningham. He works a late shift + so she sleeps in late in the morning

This is around s3 btw + also Ari is 23

At some point Eva is adventuring around, as one does, and accidentally finds Burningham. She wanders around town perceiving + goes into the bar + this is how she meets Ari!! Yay!!

Eva is big gay for Ari. Eva + Ari become friends yay yay friendship

Ari starts getting feelings for Eva but she's in denial about it. They're just friends! Ari totally doesn't wanna kiss Eva or anything!

Teehee time for s5 (Ari is 24/25 now. I'm less sure on the ages here bc s5 + s6 were never made)

So um there's the apocalypse going on. Fun! (It's not fun)

I haven't brained much abt what exactly happens around Burningham during the apocalypse I'll be honest so some of this might change idk. I've mostly just rotated the angst in my mind

Burningham got swarmed by cyberbugs + people had to either try and fight them off or run away

The Sunfalls have safely escaped a bunch of cyberbugs + are in the woods. They're worried about Talya bc none of them have been able to contact it at all, but the rest of them are all safe and accounted for at least

Ari faintly hears something deeper in the woods + goes to investigate. A smart decision, surely. You should always go alone to investigate voices you hear in the woods

Ari finds Eva sitting by a tree calling for help. Eva says she was injured while running from cyberbugs + she needs help just come closer walk forward come just a bit closer please

Something seems off to Ari, and rightfully so bc this is a trap. Eva is infected

A bunch of cyberbugs were hiding around the nearby trees. Eva + the cyberbugs attack Ari and Eva tries to convince Ari to be evil being infected is great actually she's totally not being forced to say this

Ari doesn't want to fight Eva so she's trying to fight defensively. At one point in the fight Ari takes Eva's scythe from her hands and without thinking impales Eva, killing her

Ari stares at Eva's body for a moment, realizing what she just did, before running away (the cyberbugs are still there. They chase after her)

So you know how I mentioned Ari likes Eva but is in denial. Yeah so sometimes you realize things at very inconvenient times. Sometimes you're processing that you just killed the person you're in love with and wait a minute in love? Oh fuck

Ari doesn't really have time to focus on that or on grief bc she's gotta focus on making sure him + its family survive the apocalypse

Daniel gets separated from the rest of the family for a bit which has all of them worried but this isn't about him so don't worry about it

After the apocalypse ends the Sunfalls go back to Burningham + Ziva is sent to pick up Talya from school. Ari finally has time to process the everything + breaks down crying

*shoutout to anyone that remembered I put an asterisk next to Cherry's name! She was not part of the family before this point

Ziva returns w Talya + Cherry, Talya says Cherry is part of their family now. Everyone immediately assumes that means Cherry's parents are dead. Everyone also immediately accepts Cherry into the family. New sibling!

After idk a few days Ari goes back into the woods to get Eva + take her to a mechanic. Ari is worried sick that she did irreparable damage, but is hoping Eva will be fine

Ari is not very good w tech + things of the sort, she doesn't understand all this new tech that's been invented in the past 100 years. Squirebots weren't a thing back when he was growing up, so she doesn't know anything about squirebot anatomy. Ari has no clue if she killed Eva permanently or if Eva can be repaired

Eva is repaired yay yippee yay she doesn't have any permanent damage, her brain's all fine, etc etc

After checking approximately 1 million times that Eva is in fact alright + no longer injured, Ari apologies for killing her + Eva assures Ari it's ok she doesn't even remember it honestly so truely it's chill dw. Everything from when she was infected is kinda foggy, actually. She doesn't remember much of being infected

Anyway moving on Ari also confesses to being in love w Eva yay yippee yay they can kiss now I love when girlfriends

A few weeks after the apocalypse has ended!! Ok so remember Kirsten? There's something I didn't mention. Before she broke up w Ari she got pregnant, but neither of them knew

So as I said a few weeks after the apocalypse ended- Kirsten + her girlfriend (she has a girlfriend btw) go on a date at a bar. Which just so happens to be where Ari works. Wait I forgot to say Kirsten's girlfriend is Ari's first ex

Ye so Kirsten tells Ari she's got something important to tell her but like if it can wait til later that'd be nice bc she's on a date rn. So she gets Ari's phone number + address

Kirsten shows up to the Sunfall house the next day w her + Ari's daughter, Sunny

Ari didn't know what to expect when Kirsten said she had something important to tell her, but she certainly had not been expecting a kid

Sunny is 4 btw Ari was 21 when Sunny was born

Kirsten wants Ari to take full custody of Sunny she didn't want to be a mom she wanted Ari to take care of Sunny from the start, she just didn't know how to contact Ari. Phones were invented after they broke up

Umm I made up Sunny recently so I'm still working on this lore but at some point Eva calls Ari a milf

Misc info!! Yay!!

Ari is a nickname for Arson, the name Arson has been passed down in the family for generations Ari is Arson V (Arson the fifth) (Sunny is also a nickname for Arson, Sunny is Arson VI)

I mentioned this when Eva died but Ari isn't good w phones or tech or anything like that she's kinda a boomer L L L skill issue

Ari spent so much of his life focusing on taking care of her family and being personally responsible for everyone's safety that she never. Got any hobbies (on this topic Ari + Talya have parallels. Talya stole the bad mentality and the lack of hobbies + some other stuff)

At some point Eva gets Ari into hiking! This idea brought to you by the bestie Milkisvibin803

At some point when they're dating, Eva finds out Ari wants to be more feminine but doesn't know what exactly to do about that. So Eva takes her dress shopping to see if maybe that'll help (it does) :)

[serialadoptersbracket]

Round 4, Match 13: Dalinar Kholin vs. Jawbone O’Shaugnessey

Submitted kids:

Dalinar Kholin: Kaladin, Lift, Jasnah, Elhokar, possibly Szeth. Also sort of adopted his nephew's son (said nephew died and he took it upon himself to raise the kid)

Jawbone O’Shaughnessey: Tracker O'Shaughnessey, Adaine Abernant, Fig Faeth, Kristen Applebees

Propaganda under the cut!

Dalinar Kholin:

“He's constantly pulling evey magic user in the world under his wing except his daughter in law which he doesn't like. It's funny

Adopted Kaladin despite Kaladin having living, loving parents

Adopted Jasnah despite Jasnah being a queen and 30-something

Adopted Lift as much as anyone could adopt Lift

Didn't adopt Szeth but Szeth adopted him.

Canonically have a great ass.”

Jawbone O’Shaugnessey:

1. “A lot of the main characters of this story have shit parents, and Jawbone, formerly a drug dealer and bouncer turned high school counselor happily opened his home to all of them.”

2. “He's a former druggie that the intrepid heroes met at a club during an investigation. Instead of fighting him, they offered him a job as guidance counselor at their school. He took the job and, after a bit, began dating fig's mom. Kristen was dating his niece, who lived with him at the time. During the final battle with Kalvaxus, he helped Adaine work through a panic attack and gave her anxiety meds. Those meds have a mechanical advantage too, as she would roll for panic attacks. As mentioned in the notes for this post, he makes a pretty incredible speech. Anyways, Adaine's parents abandon her soon after and jawbone offers her a place to stay, along with Kristen (who moved in with tracker), Fig (who moved in with her mom), and the Barkrocks (who they're sharing the house with). Zayn Darkshadow also lives in the cemetery at Mordred Manor, and they took in Aelwyn before she got herself an apartment. So he does a lot.”

3. “Jawbone O'Shaunessy is the single best parental figure in those kids lives.

They rescued him from a bad spot, and time and time again he proved that he was willing to be the stable figure when nobody else was there for them.

Adaine, his officially adopted daughter, has panic attacks throughout the whole first season. During the big final battle, when she's inflicted with the dnd "fear" condition, causing a panic attack, he arrives just in time to help save her from running away fully. When Adaine's parents abandoned her and never gave her treatment for her condition, he's the one who really sees her. He says his famous line "You are not a coward- you have a goddamn medical condition, okay?" He's the first person to give her meds to help, and she's able to get back in the fight because of him. (If somebody else has the whole clip please reblog with it, it definately needs to be part of the propoganda).

He also says "You're easy to love, and anybody who couldn't figure it out is a real bozo." to Adaine in a different conversation”

[daitranscripts]

Skyhold Conversation

Morrigan

Skyhold Masterpost

The PC speaks with Morrigan in the gardens.

Morrigan: My [lord/lady] Inquisitor. Morrigan: Wandering the gardens, I see. Morrigan: Greetings, Inquisitor.

1 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: Tell me more about you. [2]

Investigate: Thoughts on the Inquisition? [3]

Investigate: What are you working on? [4]

Investigate (after the Temple of Mythal): You know about elven lore? [5]

Investigate (after meeting Flemeth): Did Flemeth tell the truth? [6]

Investigate (after the Final Piece): What will you do now? [7]

General: Goodbye. [8]

2 - Investigate: Tell me more about you. PC: I'd like to know more about you.

Morrigan: Ah, yes. Whence comes the mystery woman, slinking her way into the Inquisition’s ranks? Once, I was an apostate, living well away from the banal influence of the Chantry in the Korcari Wilds. Then came the Fifth Blight with its darkspawn, and I left Ferelden for the empress’s court. ‘Tis certain the nobles of Orlais breathe a collective sigh of relief that I am now here.

Morrigan (if asked before): If you have questions, then ask.

9 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: You were in the Fifth Blight? [10]

Investigate: You’re an apostate. [11]

Investigate: Why the Orlesian court? [12]

Investigate (if Morrigan had Kieran): Tell me about Kieran. [13]

10 - Investigate: You were in the Fifth Blight? PC: You were in Ferelden during the Blight? Morrigan: The Blight began in the Korcari Wilds, so yes—I experienced it firsthand. Indeed, I fought at the Hero of Ferelden’s side for a time. [They are] the reason the Blight was defeated. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ Morrigan (HoF went through eluvian with Morrigan): We… became close, closer than I ever thought possible. When I left, he perused me. Morrigan (HoF romanced, did not go through eluvian): We were… very close. It was difficult to leave him. Morrigan (not romanced, did ritual with HoF): In the end, what he did for me… I will always be grateful. Morrigan (did ritual with Alistair/Loghain): I wish things had gone differently in the end. It had to be, yet… Morrigan (not romanced, did not do ritual): We did not part on good terms. I regret a great deal, but that most of all. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ Morrigan: And after that, I can to Orlais. The last place one would look for me, or such was my hope. [back to 9] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 11 - Investigate: You’re an apostate. PC: It’s odd that an apostate can live so… openly. Morrigan: (Chuckles.) It confuses those who expect apostates to cower and hide. I stand boldly before them and demand to know why I need some Chantry mage to teach me to control my power. They would put me on a leash so they can feel safer at night? I am uninterested in their comfort. Naturally, it helps to have friends in high places. [back to 9] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 12 - Investigate: Why the Orlesian court? PC: The Orlesian court seems like an odd place to find someone like you. Morrigan: That was the point, originally. I knew the empress was intrigued by the arcane, and that I could answer question no Chantry mage could. Thus we fit together nicely. I became her advisor and she my benefactor and source of refuge. Morrigan (Celene died): The moment Celene perished, my time in court was done. I do not miss it overmuch. [back to 9] Morrigan (Celene lived): Truth be told, our arrangement would not have lasted much longer. Too many wagging tongues, even for Celene. [back to 9] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 13 - Investigate: Tell me about Kieran. PC: Tell me more about your son. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ Morrigan (Old God Kieran): He is very special young man. PC: Special in what way? Morrigan: In every way. At first, Kieran was a means to an end but as he grew… I never thought of myself, Inquisitor, I had no good example to follow. I find myself becoming something I can barely recognize. [back to 9] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ Morrigan (Human Kieran): I had him before I came to Orlais. He… is a delight, truly. PC: You sounds surprised by that. Morrigan: More than you can know. Kieran changed me. I will protect him to my last breath, if I must. [back to 9]

3 - Investigate: Thoughts on the Inquisition? PC: Now that you’ve seen the Inquisition up close, what are your impressions?

Morrigan: ‘Tis remarkable, what you have built. I will give you that.

Morrigan (secrets perks highest): Leliana has built a network of spies beyond anything Thedas has seen. Morrigan (forces perks highest): Soldiers are camped outside Skyhold in numbers that would give any nation pause. Morrigan (connections perks highest): A web of favors has wrapped every noble family in southern Thedas around your fingers. Morrigan (all perks equal/Inquisition perks highest): You have an army, a web of agents, and political favors owed you from every major played.

Morrigan: All this in precious little time, conjured from thin air through the power of fervor alone. I wonder if Corypheus suspects what he was enabling, just as I wonder what will become of all this once he is defeated.

Dialogue options:

General: First we must defeat him. [14]

General: I’m not sure what’s next. [15]

General: The Inquisition will continue. [16]

14 - General: First we must defeat him. PC: We have to defeat him first. Then I’ll worry about what’s next. Morrigan: Should that happen, the world will lie at your feet… more or less. [17] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 15 - General: I’m not sure what’s next. PC: I have no idea what will happen once all this is over. Morrigan: Do you not? No doubt there will be countless men and women with suggestions. [17] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 16 - General: The Inquisition will continue. PC: Whatever happens, the Inquisition will survive. Morrigan: That alone is worthy of wonder. A new player on the stage, a figure of might and marvel. [17] ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ 17 - Scene continues. ㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤ Morrigan: Beware the heights you reach, Inquisitor. When this is done, many will be eager to knock you back down. [back to 1]

4 - Investigate: What are you working on? What have you been doing to help us?

Morrigan: Currently, my efforts are focused on determining what Corypheus is and where his power comes from. The elven orb he carries is what draws my attention. I wonder if the power he used to tear open the Fade in fact came from the orb. Perhaps it is even the source of your Anchor. If I learn of its origin, I may also learn what Corypheus now intends—as well as his weaknesses.

18 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: Would you fight alongside me? [19]

Investigate: What about his dragon? [20]

Investigate: Could he become a god? [21]

General: I appreciate your efforts. [22]

General: We have little information. [23]

General: I need more from you. [24]

19 - Investigate: Would you fight alongside me? PC: I could use your company for my excursions outside Skyhold. Morrigan: I have spent my share of time wandering the wilderness in the company of others, Inquisitor. Thank you for the invitation, but for now, I will restrict my efforts to researching the arcane. [back to 18]

20 - Investigate: What about his dragon? PC: Do you know anything about his dragon? Morrigan: It has the appearance of an Archdemon. Of that I am certain. A true Archdemon, however, is supposedly the corrupted form of an Old God. Has Corypheus actually dug up one of the ancient prisons? If so, why has a new Blight not begun? His dragon is something else, something connected to his blighted nature as well as his magic. Beyond that, I cannot say. [back to 18]

21 - Investigate: Could he become a god? PC: Is it even possible that Corypheus could succeed? Morrigan: The Black City exists. Wherever one goes into the Fade, it is visible in the sky. The last time Corypheus and his cohorts stormed its doors, the unleashed the Blight upon the world. This time? Perhaps he might indeed gain untold power, becoming something unto a god. It is also possible he could unleash something far worse than the Blights. So yea, Corypheus could succeed in his goal. If not, his attempt alone could destroy the world.

Dialogue options:

Investigate: He thinks I’m his rival. [24]

[Back to 18]

24 - Investigate: He thinks I’m his rival. PC: Corypheus says I’m a rival. Does that mean… Morrigan: Could you become a god? That depends: are you prepared to use your Anchor to enter the Black City? Dialogue options:

General: Definitely not. [25]

General: I don’t know how. [26]

General: Yes, if I could. [27]

25 - General: Definitely not. PC: No. Never. Morrigan: Tell Corypheus that and see if he believes you. [back to 18] 26 - General: I don’t know how. PC: I… wouldn’t know how, if that’s even possible. Morrigan: Perhaps Corypheus fears the moment you learn. [back to 18] 27 - General: Yes, if I could. PC: If the Anchor would let me do that? Absolutely. Morrigan: Then Corypheus is correct. You are a rival. [back to 18]

22 - General: I appreciate your efforts. PC: However you can help, it’s appreciated. Morrigan: I am doing what I can. In time, we shall see what more I can offer you. [back to 1]

23 - General: We have little information. PC: We know so little about Corypheus. Morrigan: Continue prodding at Corypheus, Inquisitor. Elicit a reactions, and we may yet learn from it. [back to 1]

24 - General: I need more from you. PC: Someone of your skills could do more. Morrigan: I am doing what I can. In time, we shall see what more I can offer you. [back to 1]

5 - Investigate: You know about elven lore? PC: You seem to know a great deal about elven lore. Morrigan: The Dalish are not the only ones interested in the distant past, Inquisitor. Indeed, my skills allow me access to places the Dalish dare not even dream of. The ancient elves hold secrets they have not yet given up, secrets about the foundation of Thedas itself. Thus, they are my focus. Corypheus clearly feels the same. [back to 1]

6 - Investigate: Did Flemeth tell the truth? PC: Do you trust what Flemeth told us? Morrigan: About what she is? I… am uncertain. I knew there was more to her than I realized, that she was not truly human—but this? I once found her grimoire, and that was where I learned her immortality was gained by stealing the bodies of her daughters. Flemeth claims I misunderstood: “It is not forced on the unwilling.” Meaning I might agree to such a thing? Impossible, yet there seemed an undeniable sense of truth to the things she told us. All my years spent hunting for arcane mysteries, and the greatest was the one I left behind. [back to 1]

7 - Investigate: What will you do now? PC: So what do you intend to do now?

Morrigan (Morrigan drank, had Kieran): Once Corypheus is defeated, I will take Kieran and leave. Morrigan (Morrigan drank, no Kieran): Once Corypheus is defeated, I will undoubtedly move on. Morrigan (PC drank, Morrigan had Kieran): Now? I will take Kieran and leave. Morrigan (PC drank, no Kieran): Now? I will move on. You have what you need to face Corypheus.

Morrigan (Morrigan drank): Where I will go is is uncertain. I must consider the fact that Flemeth may have plans for me. I am, after all, her servant. Such a delight. Yet we must now consider the coming battle. I hope all I learned from the well proves worthwhile. [back to 1]

Morrigan (PC drank): You are her servant, but I am her daughter. I doubt she will let me slip completely from her clutches. Whatever happens, I wish you well in the coming battle, Inquisitor. [back to 1]

8 - General: Goodbye. PC: I’ll leave you to the garden. Morrigan: As you like. Morrigan: Until next time, then. Morrigan: Of course.

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Girls Group 3 Round 4 Match 2

SUBMISSION PROPAGANDA:

Franziska -

"Prodigy in her field, forced to be an adult whilst she was very much still a child. Franziska canonically became a prosecutor at the age 13 so that she was able to start prosecuting the same year as her "little" brother (Just what she calls him - he's seven years older than her), and consequently has to act like she is a mature adult desire being a young teenager. She has really bad emotional regulation (her in-game running gag is whipping people, because her whip is a comfort item to her, and she's been using that motion whenever she gets annoyed since she was really young.), but acts quite haughty, cool and unapproachable so that it doesn't show.

She gets to break down and start crying in the post-credits scene to her debut game because her brother's chased her down to return her whip and show her genuine affection (in his own weird way) and it is SO satisfying.

She calls everyone by their full name nearly exclusively, even her brother. She gets flustered when people do this back to her.

She is obsessed with running investigations in her own "perfect" way in accordance with her family creed, and likes to take charge to make sure this occurs. (Gets visibly distressed when she gets credited for a surprise search on a building that she did not order) At one point, she is SHOT by an ASSASSIN outside the courthouse and STILL tries to go in to prosecute anyway because this is her case and she has it all planned out, and is very upset when her brother forces her to go to hospital instead.

She also repeats a lot of motions that she's picked up from people around her, notably clutching the fabric of her sleeve on her right shoulder like her father does, and smugly wiggling her finger at people like her father and brother do.

I think she's often overlooked for being autistic because her brother is quite clearly too, and he is a more important character, and at various points, a POV character, but I think she absolutely deserves a spot here!"

Richeh -

"her life's purpose is to live her life according to her own rules, regardless of society's rules that don't make sense to her. and she does that by wholeheartedly embracing her special interests of making delicate magic of crystally stuff and shiny ribbons! she's also prone to making lil puns with her name and the names of the other witches in her atelier, and nobody really gets them aside from the people in her found family <3

also (CONTAINS SPOILERS) her brother once told her that he loved her magic just as it was and that he hoped she never stopped making it and being herself (paraphrased cuz i don't remember the actual quote!) and she took that literally to mean that she shouldn't make magic that wasn't the kind of magic that was hers- i.e. shiny, small, ornate, and detailed magic. Being forced to change how she made her magic in order to "do things the proper way" during her original apprenticeship caused her intense distress, and she'd often refuse to do so and would instead think up her own magic to solve problems instead of doing things by the book. Doing that subjected her to harassment and abuse from her original professor, leading to her eventually needing to leave her 'traditional' witch apprenticeship and get her apprenticeship done at Qifrey's atelier, a place far removed from the main witch cities that accommodates her and allows her to grow the way she wants to."