#+ maybe a little extra time dedicated to writing future chapters so ideally there would never be like GIANT hiatuses between chapters

[fandumbass]

ok actually yeah

[youre-fired-s-seaborn]

So you guys are never going to guess what I just did.

I might possibly be writing a tww fic (FOR REAL THIS TIME I PROMISE) and I just finished the first little snippet so I thought I’d share that with y’all!

It’s going to be several chapters, each one from the POV of a different senior staff member, basically just a random collection of scenes where everyone Works Out their Issues. Official summary= The senior staff + Donna think about the past, how far they’ve come, heartbreak, hard times, sleep deprivation, and what family means to them over a ginormous bowl of popcorn.

(Part backstory headcanons, part character study, part found family, part random other shit?? I have no clue where this came from tbh. Anyway enjoy this rambly dumpster fire) (the popcorn is figurative)

Part one is Sam, and I’m sure none of you are surprised 😋 Enjoy!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Samuel Norman Seaborn was a kid, ‘I want to be a lawyer when I grow up’ was one thought that didn’t cross his mind, not even once. Which is saying something, because little Sam had a lot of thoughts. He had opinions about everything, even things he didn’t understand (especially those) and he had ideas, big ideas that everyone said were going to change the world one day, and he had an imagination the size of the Chrysler building and not enough room in his head for all the stories he wanted to tell. Everyone liked Sam. He was easy to like. At least, until he got a little older and suddenly his imagination was distracting instead of endearing and his ideas were silly instead of helpful and the big books he liked to read were taking time away from more important things. It didn’t make sense to him, because he had always thought they were the most important things in the world, but one day when one too many teachers had commented on it and one too many other children had teased him for it, he sat himself down at his desk and told himself he wouldn’t be like that anymore. Sam decided he wouldn’t be the dreamy one with his head in the clouds anymore. He would be focused, and dedicated, the model student and son.

So somewhere in middle school, Sam Seaborn changed from the cheerful, somewhat dazed and forgetful child he had been into the most intensely focused little academic his teachers had ever seen. Focusing was usually...hard, for Sam. At least, focusing on the right thing. His mind wanted to go in so many different directions and think about so many different things, and none of them were what he should have been focusing on. But he found that if he worked really hard and forced himself to think about one specific thing, then he could usually achieve it. Homework and such wasn’t exactly what he was passionate about, but it was what his parents wanted, and what everyone else around him seemed to want, so he did his best.

He worked hard through high school and when he graduated, he got accepted to Princeton. Sam loved Princeton. He loved everything about it. He started working hard because he liked it, and not because he thought other people wanted him to. He worked towards his law degree, and he got it.

(He never did stop writing, though. It was like a disease. No matter where he was or what he should have been doing, he could never make himself not write.)

There was a bit of a gray area after that, and more than one bad decision, but then he got the job at Gage-Whitney. And Gage-Whitney was...well. He was good at it. It paid well. He kept working his way up the ladder until he made partner, and wasn’t that everyone’s dream? Shouldn’t he love his job? Maybe he should have. He didn’t.

Then there was Lisa, and he couldn’t decide if she had been a mistake or not. He had liked her an awful lot; even loved her. She had been quite fond of him too. It had been real. Once. He remembered nice dinners and radiant smiles and the joy of having a partner who was as smart as you.

God, what happened to us? He’d think sometimes, but it was stupid, because he knew exactly what had happened to them. Sam had quit his job and gone running off to New Hampshire with Joshua Lyman. He’d tried to build a presidential campaign from scratch, then actually managed to accomplish it, which was somehow even worse for their relationship because then he was zipping all over the country without a minute to spare and he told himself he called whenever he could but it wasn’t enough and he knew it. Whenever they did get to see each other, there was a...distance, that there never had been before. Eventually Lisa would say something passive aggressive about how apparently Josh Lyman meant more to him than she did, and Sam would get defensive and mutter something about how he never complained when she always went off to fancy bars with her fancy friends every other night, and she would bark out an incredulous laugh because of course he would find a way to insult her friends when he was the one who had left her in the dust, because wasn’t that just the kind of person he was!

It hurt even more because they cared, they both cared. A lot. But in the end, it didn’t matter, because Sam chose the campaign and she chose to stay and there was nothing they could say to change each other’s minds. Her eyes had gotten big and wet and angry, and he had been numb, staring out at nothing. That was the night she gave him back the ring.

But he tried not to think about it too much now. It was a sure-fire way to ruin his day. Or week, more likely.

“Did you know that supposedly the shortest telegram correspondence in history was between Victor Hugo and his literary agent?” he asked. He was sitting at one of the desks in the bullpen, hunched over some files that he really didn’t want to read. It was one of those days, where there was a lot to do but a lot of time to do it, so you ended up doing anything but what you were supposed to do. One of those days that felt lazy and slow when it shouldn’t have been.

Josh was leaning against an office door frame across from him. “Really.”

“Yeah.” he flipped through some of the papers absently. “To ask how the book sales were doing he just sent a question mark. The guy sent back an exclamation point. And all I’m saying is if Victor Hugo himself could restrain his verbosity like that, then just maybe the guys writing these files could-” he paused as Josh wandered over, resting his forehead against the back of Sam’s head and wrapping an arm around him from behind. “What?” Sam asked.

“Nothing.” Josh chuckled. “You’re just a huge dork.”

“Oh.” He rolled his eyes. “Just part of my charm, I guess.”

“In that case, you are extremely charming.”

“Ha ha.” Sam looked over as Josh slid into the desk chair next to him. “Hey, did CJ say how the briefing went? I was on the Hill all morning.”

Josh shrugged. “It was fine. They were all just asking about whether Jancowitz was going to sink the healthcare bill with his insistence on antagonizing what’s-his-name at the DOD.”

“Ah. Should we send someone to smooth that over?”

“Yeah, you can put Ainsley on it. I’m not too worried.” A problem for another day, then. Josh leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk in front of him. “It’s supposed to keep snowing all night.”

“They said that the last two times it snowed.”

“I think they’re right this time!” Josh protested, tapping the side of his head. “It’s my flawless intuition as an outdoorsman.”

Sam laughed. “At this rate, we could put you on the Weather Channel. You’d be just as accurate as all of those guys.”

“Mmm. With their track record, I could be their boss by next Tuesday.” He squinted at something for a minute before hopping up. “Well, I should probably go work on my thing before Leo has an aneurysm. I’ll come see you later about the environment?”

“Yeah, see you.” He sighed, staring down at the papers while Josh went back to his office. After a minute, he just shook his head and stood up, gathering them in his hands and retreating into his own office. Sam unceremoniously dumped the files onto a shelf, settling into his desk chair. They could be read another day.

Straightening his glasses, he popped open his laptop on the desk in front of him. He tried typing out some remarks for the President’s conference next week, but didn’t get very far. He wandered over to his email, and replied to a few people who had asked him questions.

I should write my dad, he thought absently. It had been a while since his last email. The thing was, thinking about his father in any capacity was Sure-fire Way To Ruin His Week Number Two.

It was...complicated. Sam had never had the best relationship with either of his parents to begin with. They had always been busy, and now he was always busy, and he supposed that it was possible he had lost far too many important things in his life due to people being busy. It didn’t even sound like a good excuse.

His mother was a brilliant, industrious woman who had grown up poor and worked so hard to get their little family off the ground that there was little else left of her now. At least, that was how he’d always felt. She’d always been so caught up in working to secure his future, and seemed to not have time for him in the meantime. Oh, she had tried, but she was always on a phone call or an extra shift and so it had usually just been him and his dad at the house when he was little.

It made his blood boil to think about it too long. Sam had never been close with his mother, but she had worked so hard and given up so much to keep them afloat. And this was how his father had repaid her? By...by...he couldn’t even put it into words. Learning about his father’s mistress had shook him to his core, and hadn’t stopped shaking it since.

Family had never been a very comforting concept to Sam, and after that particular revelation, even the romanticized ideal of it had come crumbling down around him. Family wasn’t supposed to be built on lies and absence and forced smiles. It was supposed to be solid and warm and loving, not shaky and volatile and brimming with hurt.

He could feel his heart clenching with anger and bitterness and grief over what-could-have-beens, and Sam hated being that person. Instead, he stared at the blank white void of the email draft in front of him, forcing himself to breathe deep. What are the others doing right now? he asked himself, his mind latching onto a distraction. Josh was probably working himself up over the environment issue- that, or getting lovingly screamed at by Leo. CJ had just finished a briefing, and was probably high-fiving Carol or bickering with Danny. Toby was most likely scribbling notes for the energy conference, half of which would be crumpled up in the wastebasket by now. Or on fire. Sam smiled to himself, rubbing at the back of his neck.

“Hey,” came a cheery voice, and Sam looked up to find Donna in the doorway with a file tucked under her arm. “Any important government business going on in here?”

“Absolutely not,” he assured her, leaning back in his chair. “You need me for something?”

“Nothing pressing,” she replied with a shrug, brushing forward and hopping on top of his desk like she always did. “Toby and Josh are in CJ’s office watching the game if you want to join. ”

“Don’t they have work to do?” he mumbled petulantly.

“I really wouldn’t know,” Donna said with exaggerated innocence. She smirked at him. “But you look so sad and lonely in here, the least I could do was extend the invitation.”

“Hush, you,” Sam lamented, stretching absently. He looked down at his laptop and tapped his fingers on the desk. “I really should be working.”

“So should everyone else,” Donna pointed out. She slid off the desk and crossed her arms, giving him a look. “Sam? Hey, are you feeling okay? You look a little…”

Sam frowned, looking down at himself. “Disheveled?” he suggested, noting his wrinkled shirt and crooked tie.

“Ah,” she said with a nod. “That’s the word I was looking for. But, hey, are you really alright?” She leaned down to rub his shoulder. “You seem gloomy.”

“Yeah,” he replied, sighing. “Just a long day, I guess.”

Donna raised her eyebrows. “And do you know what the perfect antidote for a long day is?”

“Watching the game with Josh and Toby and CJ?” he guessed.

“Exactly!” Donna smiled, bonking him on the head with her file. “See you in five?”

Sam looked back at his email, thinking. If he mustered up the sheer willpower to write to his dad, he would have no idea what to say. And it wasn’t like his relatives in California were truly family, anyway. Not if all he associated with them were pain and disappointment. Maybe he could leave this email for later. Maybe he could watch football with his friends and chuckle at Toby and Josh shouting at the TV and rib CJ when she didn’t understand anything that was happening and forget about all of it, for a little while.

“Yeah,” Sam said, closing the lid to his computer. “Yeah, I’m coming.”

[natsunoomoi]

Diving Further In

So just going deeper into this SVSSS rabbit hole. Still in earlier chapters because I work, but just poking around online again because again I really just like looking at Shen Qingqiu’s face and also Liu Qingge’s look isn’t so bad either.

But like I came across some stuff that’s spoilers for me and it said that they are a popular ship together? But like also a lot of people question if Qingge is straight which the author said and I found curious that a lot of people seem to dispute that? So then I looked more and it seems people are citing an extra story where the two of them go to fight some succubi in a cave. I read the story, and I don’t really see it myself? Like I can see how some people could read that it implies that he is actually interested in Shen Qingqiu and maybe a little jealous, but also I can also see how it doesn’t necessarily and also aligns with the author saying that he is straight. This isn’t to say that I want to kill anyone’s ship or anything, but just want to point out how what MXTX is saying isn’t exactly crazy either.

I’m not really sure, but I think it might be because I’m asexual myself so even my own experience going through life there’s a lot of things that maybe other people who aren’t ace interpret as more romantic that I don’t think so at all and it’s gotten me in trouble sometimes where I feel like I’m just having pleasant conversation with people but people think I’m flirting? I’m just being nice and talking? I don’t understand?

But just the same like even for me if someone says something that could possibly suggest that I’m involved in something or that I like someone even if I don’t, I still get flustered and blush because people are talking about my private life even if I don’t actually like the person. And then they become convinced that that’s the person I like because I’m blushing as we are having a conversation about if I like someone.

Like truthfully, in the 4th grade I had an interaction with a classmate that I had that I thought I had an amicable friendship with. During the first week or so of school a bee came into the classroom and landed on my desk and my classmate killed it for me and I was scared and eternally grateful, so at a later date later I gave him like a small gift or something as a thank you. My classmates thought it meant I liked him or something and I was VERY CONFUSED. I was literally just grateful for the help with the bee and he’s always been kind and helpful to me in class so I didn’t really think anything of it, and just simply you do nice things for people who are nice to you right? It’s a very simple and pure thought, but I learned from that experience and misunderstanding that normally people don’t do that for people who are just your friends. I think they also thought I did because apparently I was staring at him a lot when we were on a field trip, but like during the field trip he was also goofing around and jumping on the bus and stuff. How do you not look at someone making a ruckus?

So basically, in reading the succubus story, I kind of thought about something like that for Qingge. Like if I were him, I would be a little surprised also that the description sounded a bit like me and like I’m sure just as Shen Qingqiu is going through all the women he knows, Qingge is also running through all the people who knows that Qingqiu hangs out with and realizes that he is with him an awful lot. I’m somewhat serious as well, and even though I’m focused on getting the job done, it’s not like I’m not trying to look out for my friends and their interests so I’d want to still listen too to learn more about them as a friend and even to find out how I can be a better friend to them or like encourage them in the future. Plus like nothing else was happening in the cave, so you just get bored and listen to what's happening. Same as me on the field trip. Space out staring out the window or turn in the direction of the commotion on the bus.

I also think that part of Qingge’s alarm is that the succubus mentions that the person is his junior, and I think most people would normally exclude anyone who was a student or disciple of theirs. He probably didn’t even consider someone who was from a younger generation as he was running through the list of people in his mind, and the description does sound like him and to me it reads like because he is straight and doesn’t think of his friend in that way exactly, he’s having a kind of panic attack and questioning himself internally trying to discern if it is him and his own feelings. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to say any more or explain himself because its not like he wants to be mean to his friend either. 

Like I’ve had times like that too where people apparently maybe liked me, but I just didn’t like them that way or I was emotionally unavailable because I liked someone else. And then when you’re in grade school you do those fortune telling games where you write the names of different boys in your class and stuff and it’s not serious, but sometimes you don’t want to be mean if like the fortune tells you it matched you to one person or another. Like even if you’re friends and it’s just that you don’t feel them that way, if you played that game and got matched with them and then shouted, “Eww! Gross!” Isn’t that awful? So like, I think he thought that the succubus was talking about him, so he said it was inaccurate, but also just like got really flustered because it’s a private topic like I would, but at the same time tried to keep his eye on the ball and complete the mission while also balancing trying to not to be a dick to his friend. Like even asking the other questions to me sounds like panicking and trying to find out more info to check if it is him, because he isn’t aware of Binghe’s future either. It’s kind of a mess of emotions and trying to balance everything he’s taking in his actual personal feelings and trying not to offend his friend. All that together I think would make me embarrassed and give me a stormy look too.

So I dunno, I kind of feel like if I was in his place I would react much the same even if I didn’t have feelings for Qingqiu. The idea of Qingge being straight sounds totally reasonable to me, and Qingge is like the traditionally virtuous macho guy of Chinese lit. Incredible martial skill and stoic and very work-oriented. Like I like looking at Qingqiu’s face a lot, but when I was young a stoic and work-oriented guy like Qingge was my ideal man because I thought they would never cheat on me because they would have the self-control to keep it in their pants. As I got older I started to realize that such a person was not actually realistic and I became disappointed as I came into middle school and realized my ideal was most likely a Buddhist monk who could not get married to my utter disappointment. A lot of other characters I like in my fandom often have the same trait where they canonically don’t seem to show any kind of attraction to almost anyone really because of my fear. Guys who chase skirts all the time are the least appealing to me.

But like also, Qingge being the stereotypical manly man kind of character leads me to remember other stuff about Chinese culture as well that maybe blur the lines that perhaps other readers don’t pick up on because it’s not part of their culture? Like Chinese culture is very heavily influenced by Confucianism and even more classic lit that has a history that actually pre-dates Confucianism is written to have a Confucianism bent because it was a popular thing by the time it was actually written down to paper. It was already so pervasive in society by that time so there’s a lot of stories where we don’t know their “original form” but the Confucian ideas in it are highly influential and if that story is particularly notable or influential in itself, it trickles and affects the thoughts and ideas of the entire culture and all of our stories. Like Journey to the West is probably one of the most influential of the classics in all of East Asia, and while it’s mostly a Buddhist allegory, it does have bits and pieces of Confucianism in it and upholds the cardinal relationships. All this is to say, that this philosophy is pervasive and needs to be taken into consideration if we’re looking at how people behave in a Chinese story. Sometimes character actions can be affected by it, and sometimes they’re not. Binghe being a stallion novel protagonist with a traumatic past that involves demons is probably way beyond the scope of Confucius’ ideas, but Qingge being the traditional man’s man so to speak, absolutely falls within it. He is that kind of character because he follows those ideals and mannerisms.

That is important because Confucianism highlights very strongly loyalty. It comes in the form of filial piety and so on and so forth, but being loyal to your community, your ruler/boss, your family, and so on was really important. Spousal loyalty you can throw a side eye at and question because it’s mostly only one way if we wanna be real, but even though it was one way there was a prescribed way to behave still. So then some people kind of criticized Qingge’s sexuality because he dedicated himself for so long to doing something for Qingqiu. But that like doesn’t necessarily mean anything either because of loyalty to help your friends or someone who specifically helped you or even to your clan/sect/family especially which Qingqiu falls into. You do that for people you have obligations to. Bear in mind, I also gave an actual gift to a boy who just saved me from a bee landing on my desk and had all of my classmates completely misunderstand that, so Qingge’s meta situation is a mood for me.

The other thing is, what is considered to be acceptable male behavior is probably a lot wider traditionally in Chinese society also because of Confucianism. Specifically because Confucius was very, VERY, misogynistic. There’s a lot of merit to think about into the things he thought about for some bases of the cardinal relationships, but any time he delved into anything regarding gender relations he was pretty much full of shit. Like in principle, a ruler is the head and the ministers under the ruler are like the body making the ideas from the head happen. That sounds like a pretty sound metaphor to how to run a country or a company even. Like maybe if you’re the CEO as the head of the company you don’t do something that benefits your head only and spites your workers equivalent to like cutting off your own feet (like making them work if they have coronavirus). That sounds like a horrible way to keep your company going, right? How would a "body" last and succeed without feet? (It should be noted that this metaphor also works for why Binghe's punishment of the original Qingqiu via human stick was super appropriate for his mistreatment because disciple Binghe was a subordinate and should have been treated better according to the rights). So Confucius’ ideas in things like that seemed pretty reasonable. His ideas on women, however, were not.

As a base, we should probably start with Taoism which is the source of all the cultivation lore in this book anyway. But the very simplest and most well-known symbol from Taoism is the yin-yang symbol. Yang is a positive male energy and yin is a negative female energy. Positive and negative are not actually good vs evil in terms of contrast, but are more like photons and electrons. Just two kinds of energies that coexist in the world and create a balance and cannot fully stand on their own without the other, and there’s a little bit of each in each one. Black is not pure black, but has a little white. White is not pure white, but has a bit of white, so basically nothing is perfect. This alone could be misogynistic too, but not necessarily. Depends on how much a person runs with that.

Confucius really ran with it though. He really thought and it was popularized that women were “inherently evil” because of their genitalia. Absolutely full of shit, but I think he was trying to point out how a lot of men act the fool over trying to chase skirts and get laid. It’s really shitty that he blames women for just inherently being temptresses just because they have that genitalia and it spreads to their overall oppression and lack of rights, but at the same time he does to an extent tell men to be accountable for falling into the temptation. Dalliance with women was only necessary to continue the family line and otherwise was thought should be avoided because our ladies are just too tempting and distracting. He warns men to stay away and control themselves, but unhappily for the wrong reasons. With that backdrop, he even went as far as to say that sex between men was better than with a woman because well, you’re not messing with that “evil”. In that respect, he heavily, HEAVILY encouraged relationships with other men and boys clubs including ones where people get drunk and make paintings and poetry with each other. So some level of intimate closeness between even straight men was normal too, so you have to kind of alter your perspective to look at this and find "signals".

These kinds of teachings were thought of to an extent in China, but didn’t really affect the LGBT scene of ancient China because the filial piety part of ensuring the next generation was top priority. Homosexuality as a word even didn’t exist in the Chinese language until more modern times as an import from Japan because the above teachings we just discussed *really* took off in Japan where I guess filial piety was less important. A huge amount of pre-modern same-sex lit came out of Japan including lover suicide themes because damn, I love you so much but we can’t be together because one of us isn’t a woman and we have obligations. Let’s drown ourselves in the river and hope in the next life we can be reincarnated together as a couple that can actually consummate our love. This was a thing in Japan. Onnagata in Kabuki were also to an extent another level and extension of this. In China, it wasn’t like same-sex relationships didn’t happen, but it wasn’t openly discussed because of filial piety. Generally everyone just got married and basically had a cover family and after you had a child to pass on the family legacy, people could not care less what you did privately. If you can imagine it, there were likely some shady dealings here and there with how to deal with this problem too because I can’t imagine that everyone was really down with forcing themselves to be intimate with someone no matter how much they wanted to get their parents off their back, but that kind of family secret was probably deeply buried. It’s also not like people didn’t talk at all about relations with the same sex because people looked at temples with a bunch of men together all practicing Buddhism and thought surely something must be happening, but obviously none of that would be officially recorded or openly discussed. The whole scene was just under the surface and not talked about because it was important to keep appearances and the appearance was that you had an actual family and fulfilled your filial duty. It’s only been recently where the idea of homosexuality as an orientation and  being talked about openly as something beyond a secret you do after fulfilling your family obligations, and that’s why the word had to be imported in in modern times.

So with all that in mind, actual bromances that aren’t even actually romantic at all between straight men totally seems normal in the context of this culture. Relationships with other men were very highly valued, and if Qingge is a basically traditionally perfect Chinese man he would basically follow this ideal and would likely have some behavioral traits that seem questionable to a modern audience.

I would also think Confucius would have a problem with romantic relationships between a master and disciple. It's thought to usually be similar to a surrogate parent-child situation, so awkward. But original Qingqiu had some designs on Yingying and while that's kind of a violation-ish too, Yingying is also female and you're expected to obey your father, husband, and son so eh.... not that weird because they aren't actually family. The specifics of two men though is a different matter not commonly discussed obviously. Generally you sought a master to better yourself and grow virtue, but if you start a romantic relationship with them it equalizes your dynamic and they become more of a peer than someone you learn from, so in Qingge's mind because he is traditionally virtuous Binghe was likely not on the radar at all because why would anyone mess with that mentor-student relationship? It has to be from among the other leaders in their sect that the succubus is talking about to his mind.

This is probably circular, but I’ve been writing this up for over an hour late at night. XD

Sources: life, heritage, reading classic lit books, and at least 3 courses discussing gender representation in East Asia at UCI (arguably almost all my coursework covered these ideas to a degree)

[seriouslyhooked]

Lost Souls and Reveries (Part 21)

22 part AU written for @cssns​. 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, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20. Story available on AO3 Here and FF Here. Banner created by the amazingly talented @shipsxahoy​!!

Killian Jones is a wolf shifter without roots, without plans, and without a pack. He’s a rogue, someone humans should avoid and shifters should be wary of given his lineage. But one night years back set him on a path he didn’t realize he was taking, a path leading to a future he is destined for. That future is tied up in one woman – a human named Emma Nolan. Together Emma and Killian will find not only answers, but a love that’s truly fated. But will love be enough to set them free, or will past demons win out in the end? (Answer: love always wins – I am writing this so despite some tiny pockets of angst it’s basically a fluff-filled insta-love fest). Rated M.

A/N: So as promised, I am back with the next chapter, and I swear that even if I don’t answer every question, you will all breathe a lot easier this time. I really appreciate all of you for sticking with me, and also you should know that there are going to be a few extra chapters of the story now because I just keep finding more and more I need to cover in order to make the story complete. With that being said, hope you enjoy and thanks so much for reading!

Get back to her. She needs you. She needs us.

The thoughts of Killian’s wolf in this moment were pronounced in ways his animal usually avoided. Normally, his wolf sent him feelings or abstract sensation, but now his animal was clear – it did not want to be far from Emma and it did not like the current state of unrest in the slightest. Killian felt the same way, and his human self-viewed all of this with just as much distaste, but David had asked him to come and so he came. Emma’s father was adamant, and Killian respected the man’s deep need to not only save his son from any undue harm, but also to spare the women who mattered most to him.

It was to that shard of rationality that Killian was clinging to. He told himself over and over again that it wasn’t safe. If David’s Uncle was really back and planning something things could get very ugly. A hunter of his skill would be formidable to say the least, and between him, his brother, and Graham it was still an unknown fight. He didn’t want Emma anywhere near that, not when she was still so new to being a shifter and when she carried their pup right now, safeguarding a miracle Killian would never dare to risk.

“How much longer until we get there?” Liam asked, his irritation at being separated from Elsa even more obvious than Killian’s own displeasure. He didn’t mean to be rude, but it came out that way. Still Emma’s father took it all in stride.

“Thirty minutes if Graham’s speed holds up.”

David spared a glance to Graham who was driving the Sherriff department’s SUV after discerning it would be better to use an official vehicle. It was highly irregular, and likely breaking ten types of protocol, but Graham had sent an alert telling all the officers in this tristate area that he was in pursuit of a time sensitive case. So far no one had interfered, and they’d been flying on the highway at almost 100 MPH, lights going the whole way.

“It’ll hold. A lot of important people owe me favors.”

That was all the explanation he offered, and Killian didn’t pry. It didn’t matter anyway. Ultimately this was the best that human police officers could do for any of them. There was no protection from many of the dangers that seemed to be just at the horizon today, and so they had to take each advantage, however small, where they could.

“Enough people that the return trip will be just as swift?” Liam countered and Graham nodded.

“What of Neal? Won’t it frighten him to be privy to all this?”

Killian asked the question with genuine concern, for though he had never met Emma’s little brother, he knew how much the boy meant to her. Family was the most important thing to Emma, and her brother was as dear to her as any brother could be despite the difference in their ages. Killian looked to David for his thoughts and for the first time since hearing of all of this, Killian saw a small smile cross Emma’s father’s face.

“On any other day being in Graham’s car going this speed would be a certifiable thrill for my son. Today is different, but he’s resilient and believe me, he’ll be just as eager to get home as we are. The sooner we get to his mother and sister the better.”

“So the protective gene is a given in your family?” Killian asked and David nodded, looking thoughtful at the assessment.

“Yes. Better prepare yourself – your son or daughter will be just as defensive of the people and things that they love.”

Killian felt pride in his chest at the mention of his child and their would-be dedication to family. He wanted nothing more than a house full of little ones who were disposed as such. God knew he’d give anything for them and their mother, and none of them were even here yet. The anticipation was so much to behold, but Killian knew without so much as looking at his and Emma’s child that they would be perfect. Any being who came from the love shared by him and his mate was the product of the truest love, and they would, by definition, be the picture of goodness and light.

“How do you handle the bad moments? The ones you can’t control.” Killian asked and David scoffed.

“You call this handling it? I’m two seconds from… God, I don’t even know.” The older man trailed off, looking haunted by the chance that this recovery wouldn’t go exactly as smoothly as they all wanted. He must feel so powerless right now, and it was that terrible sensation that Killian feared worst. What if a time came when he couldn’t protect his child? What if, in the end, his undying love just wasn’t enough? “The thing is, you can’t control any of the moments, good or bad. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows are all kind of just a roll of the dice. That’s the crazy thing about being a parent. There’s good and bad, but you handle it all for them. You can’t do anything else. You give them everything and in return you get the whole damn world.”

“Sounds pretty nice,” Liam said after they’d all been quiet a moment, contemplating David’s deep response. Again David laughed and shook his head.

“’Pretty nice’ is an understatement,” he said, but then his smile started to falter. He must have remembered again that right now the whole happy balance of his life was threatened. There was just no telling what was about to happen, and though they were getting closer and closer there was still a chance that something could go wrong in the meantime.

A knowing silence settled between them all again, and the time still crawled though they never stopped rushing towards their rescue. Eventually they spoke of particulars, like what they might face if George were really there. They had as much of a plan as they could create without knowing what exactly they were getting into, but it turned out to not be needed. For finally they reached the campus and found Neal himself, waiting and ready to go home with all his things beside him and two adults ready for the handoff.

The next few moments were a flurry of emotion, and after he’d provided some identification and signed some forms, David rushed his son into the car. Knowing that he would want to sit with Neal, Liam moved to the front, and when the door opened Neal looked shocked at there being more people.

“Go on son, they’re all friends,” David assured him. “This is Killian and his brother Liam.”

“You’re Killian?” Neal asked, immediately sizing him up, taking on the expression of a person much older and more familiar with the world.

“Aye. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Neal, even if the situation is less than ideal.”

Killian extended his hand and Neal stared at it before looking back to Killian. “If you ever hurt my sister, I’ll make you wish you were never born.”

Killian grinned at that, despite the honest threat. “I solemnly swear that I will never do anything to hurt Emma. I love her, and I’ll do anything to see her happy and cared for.”

After another moment, Neal accepted this and shook his hand before offering him a smile. Just like that the boy had warmed to him, and Killian couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but Neal was just what he should have assumed. He was exactly like Emma and their parents in that he was fiercely loyal, direct, and steadfast.

“Maybe don’t tell my Mom I said that. I mean I meant it, but she won’t like it.”

“My lips are sealed,” Killian promised before looking to David as Neal did the same. He too was smiling and then he shrugged.

“Nothing for me to tell really, seeing as if you ever had to make good on your promise, I’d be right there with you.”

“Well isn’t that a lovely welcome to the family,” Graham joked from the front.

“It’s all good. Killian gets it. If Emma chose him that means he’s already one of us.”

Killian loved the sound of that so much that he didn’t register at first when the phone rang. David answered it and seeing it was his wife he immediately told her that he had Neal and that he was safe. Things had gone by strangely easily, and though they were keeping an eye out still it seemed they were in the clear. But then Killian heard Mary Margaret’s voice as loud as if she’d been on speaker and he knew the same couldn’t be said back home.

“David, we’re in trouble!”

The fragments he heard thereafter were all snippets in a tapestry of fear. He heard little more than monster, woods, and danger. And then he heard the one piece that terrified him most.

“Emma and Ruby are out there!”

Oh God, no! ………………….

I just want him to come back. I want them all safe. I hate the waiting. I want to help!

Emma wasn’t sure if it was her own conscious thought or that of her wolf that was speaking to her like this, but she suspected that both parts of her being were very much in agreement. The human and the wolf did not like the way that things were going right now. It felt wrong to be separated from Killian in this time of uncertainty, and she’d stayed outside far longer than the others even when the car was out of sight and then out of town. She was rooted to the spot outside, the place where she’d said goodbye, and she couldn’t help but feel like this was all moving too quickly. It felt like they were missing something, but Emma simply couldn’t see it, and there was no option to wait. Neal was in trouble right now, and that was something that had to be figured out immediately.

“I wish I could make this go away for you, Emma,” Elsa said, her voice flowing over through the breeze that cut through the warm summer sun. Emma closed her eyes, wishing that Elsa could do that too, but wishing wouldn’t do them any good right now.

“I know you do, Elsa, just like I know that as much as I’m hurting, you’re hurting just the same.”

Elsa’s eyes misted over and she gave a jerky nod. Wordlessly she came over and took Emma’s hand in hers and the two of them stood there quietly. Emma let out a shaky breath and then lay her head against Elsa’s shoulder. Even though this was terrible it was nice not to go it alone. Yet again she had her best friend by her side, seeing her through when the going got rough.

“How do you think they do it?” Emma asked, and Elsa raised a questioning brow until Emma motioned back to the house where everyone else was diligently scouring some unknown books through the window. They were all hard at work, totally committed to trying to piece together that which they did not know, but Emma just couldn’t stomach it.

“I think they all are just as scared as you and me, but people are different. They’re looking for answers to help them feel useful,” Elsa said softly, though her eyes cast back to the road.

“But you don’t think they’ll find them,” Emma countered, her tone offering no question, only acceptance of Elsa’s state of mind.

“I think that the answers we all want aren’t out in the open. Whatever and whoever we’re dealing with, there’s been a lot of thought and effort put into this, and I don’t think they’ve left us many bread crumbs. This is one of those things we have to see to understand.”

Emma agreed with that instinctively. She knew that their best tools right now were Elsa or Ruby’s sight and not the stories of the past, and when everyone was together again that should be where all of their focus lay. But she felt compelled to ask the questions that no one had dared to say aloud yet that were plaguing her whole being with an aching sense of stress.

“What are the chances that my Uncle would surface at the same time that you’re having these nightmares about the red eyed shifters? And what does Gold have to do with all of it? How can they not be related, but at the same time how can they possibly be connected?”

“I think the chances of anything being coincidental in all of this are nil. Maybe one of them is taking advantage of the timing of the other? Striking at the weakest point, so to speak.”

“But the question is why? I mean obviously my Uncle is crazy, and my Dad’s leaving would have probably driven him to revenge of some kind. But what else was he getting at? Neal being sick – me making a choice – it’s convoluted in a way I just don’t understand.”

“Well, both have to do with your being hybrids,” Elsa offered and Emma realized she was right. “Neal’s sickness was brought about by his need to meld his souls and your choices this summer, first in mating with a shifter and then in embracing who you are…”

“But how would he possibly know that? I mean we barely know that.”

“Maybe, but -,”

Whatever words Elsa was planning to say died on her lips as Emma heard a low growl in the distance. She stopped Elsa, silencing her with a forceful gesture and sharpened her hearing. There was quiet to a point that she thought she’d imagined it, but then she heard it again, still low but slightly louder than the last time.

“We need to get inside,” Emma said immediately, pulling Elsa in and slamming the door behind them. The sound grabbed hold of everyone’s attention, and then Emma watched as both Ruby and Granny went on the same kind of alert.

“What is it, Emma?” Anna asked and Emma shook her head.

“It’s a shifter, but I don’t know what kind.”

“Tink?” her mother asked, though Emma could tell that panic was seeping through. There was no way in hell Tink would scare Emma like that. Emma didn’t even think her lynx was capable of making such a sound.

“No, but you should radio her now, Mom. We’ve got a situation and we are going to need her help.”

“I don’t understand,” her grandmother said, looking at Ruby, and though her eyes were glazed over like she was receiving a vision, she soon returned to herself angry and distressed.

“Damn it! I can’t see anything. We’re totally blind right now.”

“How many were there, Emma?” Granny asked.

“I didn’t stick around to listen and I only heard one for sure.”

“Tink! Tink this is Mary Margaret, do you read me?”

The radio crackled for a moment, but there was no response. Her mother started to try again and then a whispered yell came through.

“Shit, Mary Margaret, you almost got me caught! I forgot I had my radio on. I’m tracking a rogue shifter right now, but it just bypassed the clinic so it can’t be here for David. The scent picks up at the edge of town, but it’s moving towards your neck of the woods.”

“What kind is it?”

“Footprints are bear, but the smell’s all wrong. I don’t know what protocol is right now. Graham is gone and David’s with him – that’s two-thirds of the shifter dissuasion force out the window.”

“Tink, this is a bit different than a random rogue shifter…” Emma’s mother said and Emma signaled to her that she wanted to speak.

“Tink, it’s Emma. The bear smells funny because it’s sick. Really sick. We’ve got no real time to explain, just think what we thought Liam would be but worse.”

“Oh great. So extra strong, extra aggressive, and extra dangerous?”

“Yes.”

“Fantastic. Well much as I like to talk myself up, I’m gonna need some back up out here.”

At that moment they all heard the still somewhat distant sound of a bear’s roar. It sent a shiver down her spine, but it also pushed her wolf. This was a challenge, and though Emma didn’t understand everything about being a shifter, she had a deeply seeded need to defend and protect this town and this family.

“Well what are we waiting for?” Granny asked, looking to Ruby. “We’ve got a fight on our hands. Let’s get moving.”

“It’s not enough. The three of you against one of these animals… the fight’s nowhere near fair,” Elsa said firmly and Emma nodded.

“So we stave off fighting as long as we can. It’s not the greatest odds, but four to one isn’t so terrible.”

“Four? Emma, you’re not serious -,” her mother said and Emma disregarded her Mom’s concern.

“Mom, how soon could Aunt Gwen and Uncle Lance be here?” Emma asked and her mother shook her head.

“I don’t know. They’re fast, but not that fast.”

“But they’d be here sooner than Dad and Killian right?” her mother nodded. “Well call them and tell them to get here now, and in the meantime we’ll try to hold it off. I think we should lure it near the cabin. It’s secluded out there, and if we send out an alert to tell everyone to get inside, it should keep everyone protected and still in the dark about the real threat we’re facing.”

“It’s a good plan,” Granny said, rolling up her sleeves and taking off her glasses in a signal she meant business. “You tell Tink to keep her link open. It ain’t going to be easy to heard this bear.”

Emma watched her grandmother take the walkie talkie to tell Tink that news as her mother grabbed her other device and called her Aunt. She didn’t have time to listen to their conversation though, as she needed to touch base with Anna and Elsa.

“We can help too, Emma,” Anna said determinedly. “Let us come, our magic -,”

“Is a little too unpredictable to be out running around with you guys,” Elsa filled in and Emma exhaled a sigh of relief. Of course Elsa, understood. “But we can do our part. If you get him to the cabin, we can try for a containment spell. I don’t know if it will work, my magic isn’t all it could be now that I’m tied to Liam, and it might be for nothing, but it can’t hurt right?”

“I don’t know, Elsa. It seems a little risky -,” Another roar went out, this time even closer and Emma changed her attitude. “On second thought, yeah we’ll do that. You guys keep clear of us though. Take the long way around and if at any point it looks dodgy you run, okay? Promise me.”

Her friends both nodded and that was good enough for Emma. She hugged them both and got ready to head out, but her mother grasped her hand, pulling her in one last time.

“Emma, please think about this,” her mother begged her. “I know you want to help, but you’re not ready for a fight like this. You’re still such a new shifter, and there’s so much more to protect right now. It’s not just you, it’s the baby too you have to think about.”

“I am, Mom,” Emma assured her. “But if we do nothing that bear is still going to come for us. I know Dad said he prepared the house, but I don’t think it will hold, and if it does that bear isn’t just going to go away. There are people in this town, people we love and care about, who can’t defend themselves because they don’t even know what we’re up against. We have to protect them and us, and we need every able person to fight, not just the seasoned or experienced. It’s the only way we can maybe get out of this mess.”

“I love you, Emma,” her mother said, pulling her in for a huge hug and making Emma wonder if she’d ever let her go. She caught her grandmother’s look of pride mixed with trepidation, and Ruth nodded at her in a silent show of support. Finally her mother let go and it was both too soon and not soon enough for Emma’s liking. “You be careful, but you also kick his ass, you hear me?”

“I hear you, Mom.”

Sneaking out the side door with Ruby and Granny, Emma was surprised at how easy it was to suppress her fear and instead access her inner animal. The mental link between the four of them was open even before she shifted, but it was more than that. Emma’s senses were alert and keen to all surrounding elements and her wolf was poised and ready for this fight. Any doubts of the human were controlled for by the steadfast belief of her animal.

You can do this, Emma. Just be smart and trust in yourself.

With a harnessed control and ease that made it seem like she’d been doing this forever, Emma phased into her wolf form, knowing her size was formidable even if it would be much smaller than this bear. The softness of the earth beneath her paws was something she drew power from. She smelled the air, noticing the hints of familiar Storybrooke wilds. The woods and the nearby sea were fresh and clear, but then the wind shifted and she sensed the incoming threat.

God that’s awful. How does he live with himself? Granny joked and Emma looked to her right, seeing Granny’s wolf form for the first time. Her black coat was peppered with grey, but she looked just as spry and able as the rest of them.

Who cares? Let’s just hope he’s alone, Ruby countered, her wolf pacing a bit and eyeing the tree line.

He is, Tink quipped. No other scents in town, and the perimeter alerts are triggered. If anyone comes or goes across the town line we’ll know.

It felt like maybe this was a moment when someone should say something. Perhaps there should be an inspiring speech or heartfelt words. But Emma knew they didn’t have the time or the energy to spare, so she just went with her gut.

All right everyone. Whatever you do, don’t get killed.

The others agreed and then all moved into hunting mode, closing the distance between the incoming bear and Emma’s family home. If they could, they wanted to completely eliminate the possibility of the bear finding her Mom and Grandma, or some unlucky and unsuspecting neighbors, and the only way to do that was through a direct confrontation.

How serious do we need to be about human detection? Ruby asked Tink. Emma was thinking the same thing since there were still a number of streets separating them with the bear. There were patches of forest, to be sure, but trying to pursue their aggressor while also avoiding roadways would be tough.

Everyone has gotten the emergency lockdown update. In our test shots this means roughly 95% coverage within five minutes. It tells them to stay away from windows until the lockdown is cleared, but we’ve still got driving civilians in play. That being said, we need to do this fast. If they see you, they see you, just keep the bear away from them.

With that go ahead, they all continued on, moving fast and thankfully seeing no one outside on their way. Soon the stench in the air was so pungent it made Emma want to gag, and that’s when she knew they’d found him. Only her imagination couldn’t do this animal justice.

Oh fuck me, he’s massive! There’s no way that’s all natural, grizzly or not, Ruby exclaimed.

Bigger means slower. Use his size to your advantage, Red, Granny chided her and Ruby nodded as Emma continued staring at the massive thing before them.

Big, brown, and angry were the three first words that came to mind. The kid in her was intrigued to be honest – she’d always heard of these giant bears as kings of the forests – but that level of awe was easily squashed by the adrenaline that such an unfair fight naturally brings. This bear really was the size of four other shifters, and that look in its eyes told Emma that this fight would go just as the one Killian waged before: the bear would not surrender so they had to totally defeat him.

The idea of killing even such a manic being made Emma’s stomach sink like a stone, but she rallied as she watched Ruby leave the tree line. She moved with grace and purpose, though Emma could sense her trepidation through their mental link, and right at the moment she wanted him to, the bear snapped his gaze to meet Ruby head on. It gnashed its teeth and stood on two legs in a primal warning, stomping its front paws back on the ground hard and shaking the earth beneath all of them, but surprisingly it didn’t immediately attack. It continued to sniff the air and then moved towards Emma’s family home once more.

Seriously?! Ruby asked, her mental tone annoyed, like it was insulting to her that this massive monster didn’t want to drop everything to destroy her.

Let me try, Tink offered, probably betting on the fact that lynx shifters were rare enough to deserve more interest from this hulking figure. She pounced into the same area as Ruby, but the bear didn’t even engage beyond a brusque snorting sound. This was a big problem. They all assumed they could lure the bear somewhere, but maybe that wouldn’t work. If so they’d have to fight him right here and that was absolutely not ideal.

Let’s try this a different way. Emma, present yourself, but get ready, you might need to start running, Granny instructed.

Good thinking, Ruby said. He was heading for the Nolans. If he senses one maybe he’ll pursue.

If Emma were still in human form her hands would be shaking, her brow sweating, and her mouth suddenly dry. The sharp edge of anxiety spiked at her spine. She was chilled, but in a truly bizarre way, also excited. Her wolf flexed her paws, scratching at the earth, muscles tightening and loosening as a means of preparing to sprint. She loved the thought of running, and knew she could outpace the bear. Well, probably.

We’ll have your back, Emma. He won’t get close to you.

Taking one last steadying breath, Emma gave into the fact that this was happening. She stepped into the sunlight and without waiting for the wind to shift she howled. The bear immediately whipped its head in her direction and surged towards her. Jackpot! With only a split second to gather her bearings, Emma fled back into the trees, dodging low hanging branches and old tree stumps as she flew through the forest. The movement was amazing, and pushing herself to the limits of all she could do was exhilarating. She forgot herself for a moment, soaking in the newness of all of this, but then she gathered her thoughts and started to think strategically. She knew these woods better than anyone, except for maybe Tink, and she could use it all to her advantage against this bear. She began to, winding through too narrow paths for the animal, and she heard the brute force of the bear smashing through wood and bramble. She didn’t dare to look back, and relied on her friends for intel on whether this was working.

Damn this thing is on steroids. He’s taking hit after hit and still going strong, Ruby said in anguish.

Got any bigger hits hidden somewhere? Granny asked and Emma knew she did.

The ravine, Emma pushed, knowing Tink would be aware of it.

That’s dangerous terrain, Emma. You sure you can handle it?

Hell yes, Emma pushed back, bolting in a new direction while she told Ruby and Granny to head towards the cabin. Splitting up was dangerous, but she was about to have a new ally on her side – gravity.

Knowing that any lessening of speed would put her at risk, Emma continued to run at a full sprint, but Tink was right. The edge of this ravine was all about timing and footing. As a kid she’d climbed it a few times, slipping in the mud and gravel every time, but she actually knew a path that one could run down if they got it just right. One step off the path and it was goodbye even footing, and since this bear was giant, there was no way he could stay the path.

When she reached the edge of the precipice she turned around to see where the bear was, and as expected she had about ten seconds before be got to her and… she shivered to think what he’d do, but she waited, knowing she had to have surprise on her side to get this right. There was still some tree coverage here, but if he got close enough and wasn’t focused tight on her he’d likely stop. She waited with each second banging like a gong in her ears in the same frenzied pattern of her beating heart. When it was nearly there, the bear roared in assumed victory, and then Emma dove off the edge without hesitation or fear. She was airborne for a moment, but she came to land on a firm patch of ground still twenty-five feet above the water line. The bear, meanwhile, had dived after her but hadn’t had the same length of jump and it did exactly what she wanted – crashed into a shoddy section before tumbling headfirst down the long stony gorge.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sounds of the bear’s huge body hitting each point on the hillside at full force filled the world around them. Gone was the quiet symphony of the natural world, until the bear finally splashed down into the river bed. This portion of the river, however, was deceptively shallow and while the splash of water covered the sound, Emma knew it would be one of the hardest hits the bear had taken. She wondered if he’d even get back up. No one she knew would be able to, shifter or not, and it seemed this bear was no different. It was still in the water, its huge limbs tossed in terrible directions that signaled broken bones.  

You think he’s, you know, dead? Tink asked and Emma didn’t respond. She kept her eyes trained on the bear, and then he moved, slowly at first but with increasing mobility. It shook itself off, disregarding the blood that ran in the water from its injuries. Then it looked back up at Emma and let out a deafening howl. Emma didn’t know bears could even make a sound like that, but she’d clearly enraged this beast to levels outside of any norm. The bear jumped to the sides of the ravine, slipping back but gaining some purchase, and Emma saw in the deep depths of those sickening red eyes an undiluted determination.

Shit! Tink yelled. But it did work. He’s hurt for sure.

Hurt, but even more unstable. What do they say about wounded animals?

Nothing quite as deadly, Tink replied. All right let’s go. We’ve got some time and he’s got your scent. He’ll follow, and we might as well use what little advantage we’ve got.

Emma agreed, moving to the top of the ravine, but her foot slipped and she yelped. Fear immediately overwhelmed her and she was certain she was going down when the ground stabilized again. Oh thank God! That was too close. Way, way too close.

Once she was back in the woods again, Tink was waiting and though Emma wasn’t totally fluent in animal expressions yet, she could tell the deputy was impressed. If we survive all this, remind me to tell you how awesome that was.

Emma’s wolf let out a happy wine, her animal equivalent of a laugh, it seemed, and she agreed to let Tink do just that. Then they ran through the rest of the woods, with Emma taking care to leave her scent against multiple trees so as to leave a healthy trail for the bear. They were far enough away from her parents’ house that it should be fine either way, but she hated to take chances when it came to the people she loved.

Speaking of, the closer she got to her and Killian’s home, the more apparent it became that Elsa and Anna were already here. Their scent was strong here and when she arrived at the cabin both her friends were waiting on the steps with Granny and Ruby guarding them. How they got here so soon she didn’t even want to know.

“We broke a lot of speed limits, if that’s what you’re wondering, which you probably are because you and Elsa both drive like old ladies who never met a speed too slow” Anna offered and Emma yipped back in response. She wanted to shift into human form, but she knew phasing might take some energy and she needed to save everything she had.

They find a barrier spell? Emma asked Ruby.

Yes, and you’ll love this part, it involves their family crystals, which means a hell of a lot less magic needed from Elsa and Anna directly.

Good, Emma said, moving towards Elsa and allowing her friend to pet her head affectionately.

“I know I’ve already seen your wolf, Ems, but honestly it’s still so cool. You’re huge and strong and beautiful. Your coat’s the most amazing shade. White and gold rolled into one. It shouldn’t work, but it’s just… well it’s better than any of the words I know. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“I’m telling Liam you think Emma’s wolf is more beautiful than his,” Anna teased and Elsa rolled her eyes.

“It’s not a competition,” Elsa said.

And if it were Emma would win by a landslide, Ruby joked so only Emma could hear. This made Emma want to laugh again, but then the sounds of the bear barreling through the woods could be heard once more. She barked to Elsa and Anna, an instruction to get inside.

“We know, we know. Lock the door. You all stay safe, and get him inside the circle,” Elsa said, nodding towards the area in the grass surrounded by light blue crystals. “Once he steps inside he’ll be trapped. There’s no telling how long, but it should at least be long enough for the guys to get back.”

Just thinking of that made Emma’s heart hurt. She needed Killian right now, but before that, she had a job to do. If they could contain this bear it might not even come to a fight. They could find another way and keep everyone safe. Of course there were quite possibly an army of these things coming. Honestly there was no way to know, but Emma shook away the thought, knowing that she had to focus on the here and now if she was going to get through this.

As if she’d summoned him just from thinking of the impending fight, the bear appeared again before them, this time even more angry than he was at first seeing her. The rage and aggression was tangible, clinging to the air, projected in a way that weighed heavily on them all. That feeling alone would be enough to paralyze anyone, but having all of that aimed at her made Emma keenly aware that she was in the most danger. As his primary target, she was the one who would draw so much of the fire, or so she thought. But just as they’d promised, Tink, Ruby and Granny all had her back, never letting the bear get truly close to her at least to start.

The chaos of the fighting was hard for Emma to track. It was constant and demanding, and she couldn’t take a step away or even really breathe. The four of them synched up in an instinctual assault, going after the bear where they thought it was weak. Ruby would take a shot for the ankles, Tink the knees, and so on and so forth, but so few of those shots hit, and the bear was nothing if not relentless. All of them were taking hits, swipes of its paw, the check of its body. It was terrible and scary, and there was no escaping it. Emma was running and dodging, defending and defying, and all the wile trying to lure the bear towards the crystals, but it was so much harder than one would think. For their own safety, none of them could enter the spell-cast circle, and it was difficult to get the bear at the right angle towards this particular patch.

This isn’t working! Tink pushed out, her lynx standing strong, though Emma knew the smaller cat had taken more than its fair share of hits. We need back up.

In case you missed the memo, we don’t have back up, Granny replied, her wolf flying out and taking a good chunk out of the bears shoulder. The bear snarled angrily then stood up only to fall back down, whipping Granny’s wolf away and hurtling her towards a tree.

Granny! Ruby cried out through their link, but she was immediately greeted by the older wolf stumbling up again.

I’m all right, I’m okay. Stay focused!

The three of them did as she instructed, but Emma felt the gap in their defenses. They were out numbered before in terms of brute strength, but now that was even more apparent. Then she heard the sound of running in the woods, another big animal. No scratch that, at least two.

Oh God please be help, please be help, Tink said and when Emma heard the voice in her head and recognized it she nearly cried, wolf form or not.

Emma! Oh thank god you’re all still here. We got here as soon as we could, her Aunt Gwen said, bounding to Emma’s side, a glorious and stealthy mountain lion. At the same moment another big cat, who was twice the size and had to be her uncle put himself between them and the bear, circling and hissing a final warning.

You know I love you, Aunt Gwen, but I think it’s safe to say I’ve never been so happy to see you, Emma said.

Hey what am I, chopped liver? Uncle Lance joked, but the bear took that moment to swipe at him, charging full speed and almost getting a piece of the big cat’s side.

You could be if you don’t pay attention! Granny snapped. Now all of you, focus! Go for the back legs. You take that out, you take out half his strength or more. And when he’s down, if you get a shot, you don’t hesitate. Forget the circle. Take him out.

The words sent a shiver down Emma’s spine, but she didn’t get a chance to linger with that as she watched her Uncle and the bear continue to fight. It was blow and blow, hit after hit, and she could see he was growing fatigued. They all did their best to help, but her Aunt Gwen was adamant. Emma had to stay back. Don’t get too close – don’t give him the chance. Unfortunately a moment came when she couldn’t stand back anymore, and she watched in horror as her Aunt unknowingly went towards the circle herself.

No, don’t! She yelled, but there was no time. She had to act, and she did so by rushing her aunt and pushing her out of the way. Only one problem, now the bear was close and there was no one there to stop him.

Emma! a voice sounded out in her head and her heart leapt.

Killian! She replied.

I’m coming, Emma, hold on!

She wanted to, god did she want to, but there was just no guarantee. The bear swiped at her and she barely dodged it, then it moved to bite her and she got out of the way at the last second, but the evasive move caused her to catch her leg on a upright root, she stumbled and the bear took advantage, slamming into her so her wolf was pinned under him, her eyes staring into the eyes of the monster that had only one hope – to kill her and the people she loved.

The thought that those sickening red eyes would be the last thing she ever saw destroyed her, but she was trapped. She was seconds from death and certain of it, but then she noticed the red of the bears eyes sharpen and glow and at the same time the collar around its neck did the same. She hadn’t even really noticed it before, but it was magical, at least it seemed that way. Suddenly it dawned on her that the collar could be a key to this. She wanted to bite it off, but there was no clear shot. The bear was now being attacked by the others, all trying to save her, but it held firm, creating a granite-like barrier between her and freedom.

You know what to do Emma, her wolf counseled her, breaking through the sound of all the fighting around her. And the truth was that she did. It was insane and a huge risk, but she had an idea and she had to at least try.

Emma! Killian cried out again, and she knew now that he was here. That he could see her. She did everything she could not to cry, and though she had faith this might work she still had to tell him one last time just in case.

I love you, Killian. Forever and always.

No, Emma, don’t!

…………

I love you, Killian, Forever and always.

No Emma, don’t!

But it was too late, and Killian watched in agony as across the clearing Emma shifted from wolf to human. He was hysterical in the sight of it. She must be injured – she’d just surrendered and made herself so vulnerable – and that beast was going to kill her with an opening like that. He sprinted full force at the bear, but he had no hope of making it in time and then he skidded to a stop as he watched the bear stumble back on its back legs. Emma remained alive and well on the ground, and Killian noticed that she held something in her grasp. He didn’t look too hard though, immediately resuming his charge, with only one goal: kill the bear that had nearly killed his love.

“Killian, wait,” Emma said, her voice really only a whisper but snagging his attention immediately. He heeded her words, but not until his wolf had pulled her out of the way of the still disoriented bear. The big beast shook its head and let out a harsh discharge of air, something Killian read as threatening, but when it looked back at them, Killian saw a flash of natural color in the bears irises.

What’s happening? Killian asked mentally, knowing that as his mate could still absolutely hear him.

“I don’t know, but this was making him worse,” she said, tossing the collar to the ground where it throbbed with a mist of the same color as the bear’s angry eyes. Killian could smell the stench of magic on the object and his wolf rejected it, snuffing out in disgust.

“Emma?!” Anna’s voice said as she flung the door open and ran outside, but seeing that the bear was still outside and not actually in containment she froze. “Uh oh.”

“Anna get back inside!” Emma yelled, but it was drowned out by the loud roar of the bear, and then the beast was in motion bounding towards Anna. Killian felt trapped at the sight of Emma’s friend being attacked, but neither he nor Emma had the angle to help her. All she had was her own magic to rely on, but from the look of shock on her face it was clear that hadn’t yet occurred to Anna. Surprisingly though, the bear jolted back violently, breaking the offensive.

Who hit him? Killian asked, but everyone said it wasn’t them. He looked to Anna again, but her hands weren’t raised, and she was just as surprised as the others.

Mine! An unfamiliar voice sounded out, almost hurting Killian’s head with the ferocity of it.

“Is that the bear?” Emma asked, shocked. “Is he talking about Anna?!”

Killian didn’t even know how to respond, and Anna, who usually always had some words to spare stood there speechless, her gaze totally focused on the bear though without any real fear etched in her features. It seemed that the bear and Emma’s friend had somehow managed to connect, but how was that possible? Sick as it was this bear should not have the ability to realize that, but then something arguably even more miraculous happened – the bear looked to the circle of stones Killian had gathered were a trap and it willingly moved inside, successfully encasing itself in a magical shield away from them all.

“Holy shit! What the hell was that?!” Ruby yelled as she shifted back to human form, Graham holding onto her as he did the same.

“Emma what did you do to him?” Tink asked.

“Nothing. I just took that off,” Emma said pointing at the collar that Anna was moving towards with purpose. Emma looked liable to follow her, but Killian kept her firmly in place, his hands unwilling to stray from her hips. He’d come too close to losing her, and there was no way she was leaving his grasp for a very long time.

“I wouldn’t touch it, Anna. It’s cursed. Gold’s handiwork for sure.”

“Emma touched it,” Anna countered.

“Yeah and Emma’s family likely has immunity from his curses. Do you have that?” Ruby rebutted, her annoyance flaring up at Anna’s continued stubbornness. Anna looked liable to throw back a smart reply, but then the door to their house slammed open and out came Elsa, madder than a bee trapped in a bonnet.

“Anna, what the heck were you thinking?! I told you not to leave! I told you it wasn’t safe! You could have been killed – you could have -,”

“He never would kill me,” Anna said defiantly and Killian was shocked the outburst between the sisters. He had never seen Elsa angry before, and Anna was contradicting her sister with such fire when she was obviously correct. That bear couldn’t be trusted, and though he suspected what Anna was about to reveal, it didn’t really mean anything, not while the bear’s eyes still glowed an unholy red. “He’s my mate.”

“Your mate?!” Elsa screamed, her brain wrapping around the words later than her mouth screeched them out. When she internalized the actual facts, she looked shell-shocked, but quickly moved back to anger. “Well that’s no excuse! He’s clearly sick right now, Anna, and very far from stable. The only reason he’s even close is because Emma here went rogue and almost got herself killed!”

Elsa whipped her gaze back to Emma, and it was so disapproving and incised that Killian wagered a physical blow would have hurt his love less. He stiffened at the action, but in reality he didn’t think Elsa was far off. Emma had gone with instinct, and it had paid off, but she’d put herself at risk. The only reason he wasn’t losing it was because he’d seen enough of the exchange to know that Emma had been had. She would have died as a wolf if she hadn’t used her cunning to get out of that mess. Still, he didn’t like that she’d been in such a scrape at all.

“You going to defend my honor here, mate?” Emma whispered and despite the continued frenzy of the moment, Killian grinned. He shook his head at his other half and she swallowed harshly before looking back at Elsa to face the music. “I know it was reckless Elsa but -,”

“You can say that again! Jesus, Emma! I thought you were dying! I thought I’d never see you again and then I thought Anna was going to join you. I thought…”

Elsa’s emotions bubbled over and tears appeared at her eyes, streaming down her face. Instinctively Anna and Emma moved to hug her, and Killian hated to let Emma go, but he knew they all needed this. The three of them were family too, and they’d all had love for each other their whole lives long.

“Is it killing you as much as it is me?” Liam asked, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere at Killian’s side.

His brother didn’t have to clarify. Killian knew he meant being apart from Emma, and it did hurt. It was physically painful after the last hour he’d had of terror. He nodded to Liam, agreeing that he didn’t like the separation even if he could see she was safe and sound. But the remedy to that discomfort was the relief he saw on his love’s face. She embraced her friends warmly, and then after some softly spoken words and promises not to do anything like that again, Emma turned back to him and practically ran into his arms again.

“I’m so sorry, Killian. I know I scared you too. I scared myself. I just had to try.”

“I know, Emma. I hate it, but I know you had no choice, and in the end it’s worked. You’re safe, as are we all.”

“Yeah for now, but who knows what might still be coming,” Emma said, laughing out a sound of defeat that hurt him down to his very core. He wished to take that burden from her, but he didn’t have the means to do so. Still, he knew had to try.

“You all good here for now?” Killian asked the others, looking to Liam and Graham, who he knew had been just as determined to get back here and protect the women they loved.

“We’re set for the moment. No other shifters that Tink can sense, but the Nolans are headed this way. They should all be here soon.”

“We’ll be back,” Killian said, now turning his attention to Elsa. Emma’s friend shared a smile that spoke to her understanding. She knew that Killian wanted to grant Emma just a small bit of reprieve. She needed time, even if it was just a fleeting glimpse, to come to terms with all of this.

“Where are we going?” Emma asked as they walked hand in hand through the back woods moving further and further away from the sound of all the action they’d just left.

“Does it really matter?” Killian countered and Emma looked curiously at him before breaking into a small smile and shaking her head.

“No, not really. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy,” she admitted, her thumb running over his hand where they were still connected. “I was so worried. For a moment there I thought it was really over, that I may have lost all the beauty that we’ve found.”

“I’ve never been so scared, Emma, and I pray to God I never feel that way again, but my heart still knew what my head could not – we are meant for forever, love. This love between us is timeless and infinite. Love like this wouldn’t find us just to fall away. We have a purpose and a path, and I know in my very soul it’ll be a long, if not always leisurely one.”

Emma sighed happily at his pronouncement, leaning further into him as they came upon a lush, green meadow filled with wild grass and wild flowers that he’d never seen before. They must have just popped up in the past few days, a fitting symbol of hope, though their world seemed anything but hopeful. Carefully he plucked one up, a vibrant, golden buttercup, offering it to his mate, and he took real satisfaction in the softening of her features and the warm sense of love that glowed in her jade eyes.

“What would you say to a little bit of pretending?” He asked, pulling her towards him so her body came flush against him. “For the next five minutes the rest of the world can fade away. It’s just you and me.”

“Just an ordinary boy and an ordinary girl?” Emma quipped, though her smile radiated a happiness at his proposed game.

“Oh no, love, the girl is anything but ordinary. She’s amazing, a marvel, a miracle.”

“And so is he,” she murmured, pressing her lips against his and teasing him with a kiss that both riled him and brought him tremendous relief. “And someday they have a great big house, 2.5 kids -,”

“I was thinking more like five,” Killian interjected and Emma’s eyes grew wide.

“Five?! Try three.”

“Let’s say four – for compromise’s sake.” Emma’s eyes remained narrowed, but her moving to a new subject signaled her acceptance.

“Fine, four kids and a beautiful house with a white picket fence and a porch swing out front. They have a dog and a cat, because the kids love both too much to choose, and they treasure every single moment, even the craziest ones.”

“Sounds like a dream,” Killian murmured, stealing another kiss and feeling the moment Emma swayed in his arms, her knees going weak from the pull between them. “And yet it’s all so familiar. Where have I heard that story before?”

“Hmmm, I guess there’s just no telling,” Emma teased, but her playing coy prompted him to growl and steal another kiss, demanding of her with a heated embrace what he wanted most to hear. “Okay, fine, it sounds like exactly what we’re going to have. Someday.”

“Aye, love, someday. Someday sooner than you think.”

So with that, the two of them soaked up the rest of those gloriously peaceful minutes before the storm came crashing down again. And though it was hard to keep going when the going got so rough, they had this perfect dream and their love for each other to always see them through.

Post-Note: I cannot even tell you how much I have put into these last two chapters. I have been completely neglecting my other life responsibilities, but I wanted to make sure I got you all to a better place before I take another hiatus. I know, I know – this is the story that will never end – but in order to do it justice, I really feel I have to take my time with it. That being said I appreciate all of your patience and continuing support. Every comment and reblog and all of that means the world to me, and I love to hear what you’re all thinking and where you believe the story might go next. So with that, I wish you all the best rest of your week, and I hope that you’ve enjoyed!

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