#'it's one of us!!!' Sophia cried excitedly

[fazcinatingblog]

Don't you hate it when your boss is like "do not send this out until I approve the invoice" and then 5-7 business days later, she says to increase the invoice by $5 and

[russellsppttemplates]

All the kids having huge meltdowns because they wanted to build homes for the bees with uncle Seb too!

Tw: mentions allergy to bee stings

How could uncle Seb not invite them to his activity? I mean, it involved painting and drawing and being around uncle Seb? Obviously, the kids had a meltdown, but luckily, their mothers know just how to save the day (after many cries and arguments with little ones, which can honestly be the trickiest ones one can face).

Gasly household

In the Gasly household, the kids were all getting ready to make their own bee homes, "Papa had hay in the video, mama! We need hay!", Alexandre called for you, making you write the word on the paper, "so, so far we have hay and wood rolls? What are wood rolls, darling?", you asked your oldest, recognising his scribble, "they had it in the video, mama, so I'm sure papa will let us know what to do with them", Louis simply stated, "do you think we should ask him though? He didn't ask us to go with him", Alexandre said, "it's only fair we do this alone", he stated.

"NO!", Élodie declared, "papa was there with uncle Seb, so he knows how to do it, we can do it with him", her protective side came out, willing to do anything as long as her father was with her, "Oh, we could also paint them all colourful!", Louis announced, that way even Celeste can help!", he pointed out, smiling at his brilliant idea.

"Figures your brother would be the one to have the idea where the four of you get covered in paint from head to toe", you tapped Celeste's nose, earning a giggle from the little girl attached to your hip.

Schumacher household

"I wanted to be there, too! I want to see the bees happy in their new homes! Can we go there and see them?", Sebastian asked, looking at the photos you were showing on the iPad, hopeful. Chuckling, you brushed his hair, "maybe now it's not the best idea, my love. You remember how the last time you got stung by one and your hand got really big?", you recalled, "yeah, because of my allergy?", he struggled the last word out, "yes, my love", you confirmed.

Russell household

"Still, mama! Just because my body gets angry when they bite me, it doesn't mean that they don't get a comfy house to live in and that I couldn't help", he reasoned with you, sitting on your lap, "I know, Seb. You're too pure for this world", you kissed his head, "maybe we can get papa and uncle seb to give us a tour if we go next year, or maybe he can build one somewhere else", you suggested, "mama, can I have your phone, please? I'm going to text uncle Seb to see if he wants to build another bee neighbourhood!", Aurora excitedly said.

Angie has an encounter with a bee

"I hope he invites us next time, but I understand that it was very far away", Olivia said as she looked at the shopping list, "Oh, mummy, daddy told me they put some boxes in there, like these ones. But his boxes had holes in them", she pouted, facing the first hurdle in building a home for the bees.

"We can make holes with the drill!", Arthur suggested, "I saw grandpa do it once, I can do it!", he said excitedly.

"I think it's best if we leave it do daddy when he comes back, okay? I can attempt at it, but none of your little hands are going near the drill, okay? It's bad enough you're trusting me to build this before daddy gets back", you looked around the shop, hoping to find rhe easiest way to this craft project.

"We need to show daddy we can do it on our own, so he won't think we didn't like that we were not invited", Olivia stated, grabbing some wood glue, "but you cried when you saw uncle Seb and daddy on the TV", Arthur pointed out, "daddy doesn't need to know that".

Ricciardo household

"Do you want to make one too, daddy?", Sophia asked, cuddling up to Daniel as they watched Natalie report about the event Sebastian had organised, seeing some familiar faces she recognised from the races, particularly Sebastian, Max, Lando, Yuki and Charles, and of course, Natalie herself, "That's a great idea, bug", he smiled, already planning their afternoon together.

"I know you're sad because you're not doing this with your friends and uncle Seb", Sophia said as she painted what looked like a rainbow on her side of the wooden material, "hey, Soph", he set his brush down and helped his daughter sit on his lap, "you're the best company I could ever have, besides, I think uncle Seb is the one who's losing here. I mean, look at this work of art", he pointed to their whole set up, "our bees while be really happy here, too", he kissed the top of her head.

"It's prettier than the one uncle Max made, that's for sure, but it's not like it's a difficult thing for it to be better than his", Sophia added, grabbing her brush again and dipping it in the purple paint Daniel mixed for her.

Leclerc household

"Why is Amélie inside and not here with us?", Thomas asked, not understanding why his sister preferred to stay inside sitting on the sofa while her brothers painted bees on the wooden material.

"She's upset still, I think", you explained, seeing Hervé swirl the brush around his cup of water to clean it, "you know, I don't think he didn't invite us because he didn't want us there. I mean, there would be a lot of people", your eldest offered, "I'm sure he didn't mean it to be a hurtful thing", he concluded, "I'm sure it wasn't, uncle Sebastian wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt you. You're right, imagine if everyone else was also there, uncle Pierre alone has four kids!", you exclaimed, hearing little footsteps approach you.

"I'm done!", Amélie announced, "You're done what, chérie?", you wondered, "I'm done being mad at uncle Sebastian, mama. I want to paint one too! And it's going to be really pretty and then we can send it to uncle Sebastian so he can use it too!", she smiled, her temper turning around from her meltdown just half an hour before, "so you're not going to tell uncle Seb that he can't do those things anymore?", Hervé joked at her earlier conversation, stating her "punishment" for whenever she first saw the German driver, "I will, but I will show him my painting so he knows I'm not too mad at him".

(Thank you for submitting an ask 🤍)

[ruzek-halstead]

midnight troubles

part one

pairing: luke patterson x julie molina

a fic all about luke and julie taking on their biggest challenge yet: parenting a baby simulator.

high school au

"we are not naming our daughter after those two doofuses."

part two || masterlist || ao3

"Time to hand out your new babies!"

Luke's face paled.

How did he manage to get himself into this situation? He deliberately missed a health credit, hoping his extracurricular activities such as sports (and singlehandedly putting together a legendary band at seventeen) would be enough. But clearly, he wasn't that lucky after being pulled into his guidance counsellor's office and being told his only other option was to take a health class specifically focused on parenting. At such late notice, it was the only class with an open spot that could count towards his requirements.

It was mostly fine.

Julie happened to be in that class and he was able to half-ass through it because his best friend (and incredible lead singer of his band) is ridiculously smart. She'd only huff when he inched over to peek at her notes but even she couldn't resist his cheeky grin.

However, this was an assignment where he couldn't use his excellent level of bullshit. It was the final project of the semester and worth 30% of their final grade. In pairs of two, they were to care for a fake baby, who in reality, acted just like a real baby. It recorded everything and if you took too long to respond to its crying, or held its neck the wrong way, it docked marks. 

Luckily for Luke, Julie agreed to be his partner, because he genuinely believed he would fail without her. Unfortunately, her genius brain alone was not enough to help them excel in this project. 

"Patterson, girl or boy?"

Oh, and the best part about this course? They had been short on teachers at the beginning of the school year, so somehow, Luke's lacrosse coach (who hates everything and everyone) was convinced to teach the course. 

Luke looked over at Julie in a panic, unsure of his answer. "Uh — I don't know?"

"That's not an answer, Patterson!" Coach Jacobs yelled before throwing a baby simulator, dressed in a light pink onesie, in Luke's direction. Luke fumbled a little but managed to catch it. Julie cringed when she saw his hands wrap around the baby's neck. The whole classes' eyes flickered back to Coach Jacobs. "That doesn't count," he muttered before continuing to hand out the babies in a more civilized manner. 

Assuming that the simulators hadn't been turned on yet due to the way it made no noise whatsoever after being chucked halfway across the room, Luke gently placed it back on his desk. "It's a girl," Julie said softly, staring at her in admiration from her desk beside Luke. 

Luke found himself staring at Julie, his heart fluttering. The way Julie was smiling at the baby, as if it was—and god forbid where his mind was dragging him, but as if it was theirs—was making his heart do all sort of weird things in his chest. Luke and Julie had always been friends, but ever since they started the band together and started senior year, he'd started to feel things.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, shooting her a nervous grin when her brown eyes moved up to his face. "What are we naming her?" Before Julie could chime in, he continued, "I promised the boys I'd consider their names as options."

"We are not naming our daughter after those two doofuses," she deadpanned with the utmost seriousness, but Luke was too busy avoiding an aneurysm at hearing 'our daughter' to focus on anything else.

"Regex?" He choked out, because when in doubt, always make a joke.

Julie shook her head. "Over my dead body."

"I've always liked the name Sophia," Luke shrugged, catching her eye to gauge her reaction.

She sent him a soft smile. "I really like that. Let's do it."

The sweet moment was cut short when Coach Jacobs clicked a few buttons on his computer with a smirk. "Alright suckers, get ready for the worst weekend of your lives!"

His statement was proven when half the babies in the room started screaming.

x

"Let me see it!" 

"Reggie, it's a her! And I'm the godfather, I get first look."

Julie flinched as the two boys crowded around her. She had just arrived in the cafeteria where she was meeting the boys for lunch, like she always did. Today, she had a new addition and the boys were beyond ecstatic.

"Oh my god, she's adorable," Alex cooed, his eyes sparkling. "I know she's fake but wow, my heart is bursting right now."

Julie laughed. "Her name is Sophia."

Reggie instantly smirked, elbowing Alex whose face was etched in a frown. "I have literally the most common unisex name ever and you didn't name her after me?"

"Trust me," Luke chimed in, appearing out of nowhere and wrapping his arm around Julie's shoulders. "We don't need two Alex's."

"I second that!" Reggie added excitedly. 

Alex rolled his eyes, angrily taking a bite from his apple. "Don't worry. I'll remember this; karma is a bitch."

"Dramatic," Reggie sang under his breath. He narrowly missed getting hit with Alex's apple. 

"How was she?" Luke asked with a smile, avoiding his friend's antics. Luke and Julie had opposite classes for the rest of the day and decided they would meet in between and alternate. 

Julie smiled proudly. "Not a peep. My girl knows Mr. Sanders is terrifyingly scary."

"Great," Luke groaned, "that just means I'm going to get all the action."

Julie patted his shoulder with a smirk. "I really hope so."

"Jules!" Luke whined. "You're not be a very supportive partner, you know."

The brunette rolled her eyes at his guilt tripping antics. "I'm too smart for your games, Patterson. Plus, I'm getting her for all of tonight, so this is the least you can do."

"I know," he grumbled in response, "it's just scary. She's like a tiny human. What if I break her?"

Before Julie could reply, Alex jumped back into the conversation (he had a sort of sixth sense for opportunities to tease and or make fun of Luke). "Well, in the real world, you'd probably get arrested for murder. But she's a tiny robot; I think you'll be just fine."

"Hey, why don't we leave the baby with Alex and go bowling or something?" Luke teased. 

Alex frowned. "What — no —" 

"Great idea, Luke!" Julie cut Alex off with a smirk. "You want to come, Reg? Alex is on baby duty!"

"I don't like this!" Alex whined. 

Reggie smiled excitedly. "We're going bowling? That's when you throw the ball down the side thingies, right?"

Alex paused, patting Reggie's back with a bright smile on his lips. "Never mind. All of that was worth it for this very moment."

x

It was somehow decided that Julie would take baby Sophia for the first night (because she's more likely to not completely destroy the simulator than Luke), then she would make her way over to Luke's house on Saturday.

That was the plan. However, plans always change.

The first few hours went great. The baby cried but was easily soothed with a diaper change or a quick bottle. Julie was able to get the baby to sleep around 9:30 and ended up falling asleep herself after watching a movie on Netflix.

She was woken up at two in the morning with soft cries, so she blearily picked up baby Sophia and chimed her with her bracelet. She tried giving her a bottle which didn't quiet her down and neither did a diaper change. She tried cuddling her and rocking her but to no avail; Julie pulled on her curls, wondering if the cries she was hearing were hers or the baby's. 

"Baby, please go back to sleep," Julie begged.

After another fifteen minutes of incessant crying, Julie decided to call in reinforcements. She shouldn't be the only one losing sleep and suffering. 

She quickly dialled Luke's number and prayed he wasn't in a deep sleep where he wouldn't hear his phone. If that was the case, she had half a mind to drive over and stick him with baby Sophia so she could finally sleep for a bit. Luckily, he picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Lucas Patterson!" Julie hissed over the phone, so sharply that he scrambled to sit upright in his bed and hold the phone tight to his ear. "You better get your ass over here before I murder you! I am dying here!"

Luke rubbed the sleep out of his eyes; he could hear the faint crying of Sophia and sighed. "My name isn't Lucas," he muttered, "and come on Jules, it can't be that bad."

He could picture the absolutely furious and incredulous expression on her face.

"Are you kidding me, Luke? How about I abandon you with this child, and then we'll see what isn't that bad?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, nearly dozing off again.

Julie knew him too well.

"Luke!" She snapped and he flinched awake again. "I better see your face in ten minutes or you're taking care of Sophia the rest of the weekend by yourself!"

"Shit, okay," he grumbled, grabbing a random sweatshirt and joggers. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"It's been over half an hour of this, you have ten!"

Luke groaned as he hung up the phone and rand a hair through his brown hair. By the tone of Julie's voice, he knew better than to make her wait any longer. Luke arrived at Julie's house with one minute to spare and grabbed the key lodged under a rock in the garden. As soon as he walked in the door, he could hear faint cries.

At this point, he wasn't sure if the cries were baby Sophia's or Julie's. 

He had barely gotten through the threshold of her bedroom before his baby was shoved into his arms. "Oh okay," he mumbled, stumbling on his feet. Julie's brown curls were tied back into a messy bun and her eyes were rimmed red.

"Thank god you're here," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. She was undoubtedly making them even more irritated. "She hasn't stopped crying, I've honestly done everything. I don't know what she—" Julie's words abruptly stopped because for the first time in over an hour, all she heard was silence. "What the hell?"

Luke looked just as confused as she did because it literally only took a few seconds before the baby quieted down once settled in his arms. Julie looked exasperated.

"You're never leaving," she replied quickly, staring at him in awe. "You can't leave me alone with her again. I think she hates me."

Luke leaned against her desk, shooting her a disgruntled look. "Relax, I'm sure that's not true. Plus, she's basically a robot. Do they even feel?"

"She definitely makes me feel," Julie huffed, sitting down on her bed. "You can probably put her back now. I think she's cried enough for the night." Luke slowly placed her back in her car seat. "Can you imagine having a baby at this age? God, I couldn't do it."

She could barely make it through an entire night with a fake baby, much less a real one.

Luke took a seat beside her, a generous amount of space between them. "I can't imagine having a baby, no. I think it's physically impossible, but I could be wrong."

Julie laughed, hitting his shoulder in response. Her action brought her a little closer to him. "Shut up. I'm still mad at you for abandoning me."

"Sorry," he smirked in response, even though this was technically the agreed upon deal. "I promise I'll spend the rest of this weekend attached at your hip. I think that's only fair after the night you've already had. 

Julie sighed happily. "You always know what to say, don't you, Patterson?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders and felt his cheeks heat up slightly. "I wouldn't say that."

Julie wasn't sure what was bringing it on, but she felt the sudden need to let him know just how much she appreciated him. He was always ready to help out, regardless of the obstacles. He always seemed to know just what to say to make her feel better, and even if it didn't, he would always be the one to tell her exactly what she needed to hear. He was her biggest fan when it came to her music, and she couldn't picture anyone else by her side on the piano bench.

Luke had the biggest heart of anyone she'd ever known (except Reggie, maybe) and he needed to know that.

"Hey, I'm serious," she said softly, ducking her head down to catch his hazel eyes. "I appreciate you."

Luke chuckled nervously and before he knew it, his fingers were ringing together because he didn't know what to do with his hands. His nervousness only got worse when Julie tangled her hand into his on his lap.

"I think you're more tired than you thought," Luke responses softly. His gaze focused on their hands. There had always been a connection between them; everyone else could see it, even Luke could see it, especially when they wrote music together.

Julie smiled. "Yeah, I think I am," she leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "We should probably get some sleep bef—"

Sophia's loud cries cut her off before she could finish and Julie groaned, burying her head into his shoulder.

"Don't worry Jules, I've got you."

x

this is a little something i had saved from another fandom & decided to give it a shot for jatp!!

originally written for teen wolf’s stiles and lydia. and the coach was based off coach finstock from teen wolf as well, quite arguably the best character of the show lmao (can yall tell i love teen wolf and am very salty it ended and stiles wasn't even in the last two seasons) 

shameless promotion - anyway go watch teen wolf & thanks for reading!!

stay safe everyone! x

[waywardwrestlewritingwaif]

The Guardian’s Oath, Part One

This is the first thing I’ve written in the “spirit of the season”. I've always been a huge Halloween geek, probably because it falls close to my birthday, so when I was little, it kind of felt like all this fun stuff was somehow related to me. 

I usually avoid writing for characters who are already popular in wrestling fan fiction because I figure that there’s already so many good things to read and I don’t have anything particularly new to offer, but this idea couldn’t have worked with anyone other than Finn Balor. I’m not claiming that this is incredibly original either because it absolutely is not. Anyone who’s read any classic gothic stories will recognize that this comes close to outright plagiarism in bits. Nevertheless, I started writing it to see where it went and this is what happened. Well, it’s the first part of what happened. This is about half of what I have written thus far and there is more coming. 

The setting is 19th century Ireland, about which I know precious little, so please forgive me any egregious errors. 

Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC 

Word count: 3,706

Content advisory: Nothing other than that it’s a slow burn so some people are going to find this section a little flat (more fiction than fan content here)

It was one of the first warm days of spring when I arrived at Wynn Cottage. I was practically trembling with nervousness, waiting to meet my new employer. Although the education I had received from the church was a good one, the offer of a position as governess for a priest in the hamlet of Bray came very quickly after I was ready to work. Indeed, the offer seemed to have come from nothing, from a chance meeting of a deacon at my church with a parishioner from Bray. I liked to think that it was fate, that the position had come to me at the exact moment I was ready because this was where God intended for me to be. While the arrangements for my transfer to Bray were conducted mostly by the two churches, I had been touched to receive a kind and welcoming letter from my new employer, Reverend Feargal Devitt. 

He explained in his letter that he was a widower and that because the tiny protestant population of the county was widespread, his work required him to spend a great deal of time travelling from village to village. He needed a governess who could care for and help to educate his two young children, a boy and a girl, one whose faith was in line with his own.

I alighted from the carriage and took my case with all my meagre belongings from the driver and stepped through the gate into my new life. 

As he had promised, Reverend Devitt was waiting for me with his children. There was a slightly older woman, clearly a servant of the house standing with them like an equal member of the family. They made a lovely picture, standing before their quaint cottage under the dappled sunlight that broke through the apple tree just next to it. 

"Miss Miles," he greeted me warmly, "welcome to Wynn. I hope your journey was easy."

"Quite easy, sir. It was my first time on a train, so it made for a rather nice adventure."

He beamed and placed his hands on his children's shoulders, gently pushing them a step towards me. "This is my son William and my daughter Sophia. Children, this is your new governess, Mis Miles."

The children were an odd pair. I knew that the boy was eight and the girl nine but they gave the impression of being quite a bit further removed in age. The boy figured his father with his large blue eyes. His sandy hair was lighter than the Reverend's but I could imagine it would darken to the point where their resemblance would be quite striking. He was a little small for his age, although his fresh complexion and proud stature showed all the signs of perfect health.

His sister, by contrast, was tall, almost to my shoulder, and dark. Her hair and eyes were the colour of coffee and her skin a warmer, like the shell of a walnut. As she tilted her heart-shaped face in my direction, I was struck by the keen intelligence in her eyes, mixed with a hint of apprehension. I could not fault her for that and I only hoped that I could win her over. 

"This is Kate, our cook. She's been with us since before the children were born. Any questions you have about the house or the town, she'll be able to answer."

The woman gave me a smile, her round, pink cheeks pressing her eyes nearly shut. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"Susan, one of the girls from the village, comes by to help with the cleaning and upkeep and Mr. Jones is the gardener but they don't live with us. You'll meet them later."

It was only then that my eyes came to rest on Reverend Devitt and truly take in his appearance and I felt my breath catch in my throat as I did.

His eyes were bluer and clearer than any sky I had ever seen, the highlight of his handsome face with its squared jaw and neat beard, shaved in such a way that his full lips were still visible. He flashed me another smile and I felt my heart quicken in response. I had never met any man, or any person, who inspired such a reaction in me and, as rash an idea as it was, I believe that I fell in love with him at that moment. 

"Please," he said softly, "come in."

I picked up my case and Kate immediately moved to help me."

"Your rooms are in the garrett," he explained with a hint of embarrassment. "It's not too large and the ceiling is a little low but it's warm and dry and there is a window that gives a nice light. On clear days, you can even see the ocean."

"I am certain it's more than enough for me, sir. I expect I shall be spending most of the day with the children anyway. And I should very much like to see the ocean. I've only ever had it described to me."

The Reverend looked shocked. "You've never seen the ocean? At all?"

"Never in my life sir." I caught a look that passed between the children and looked down, ashamed. My situation had never permitted me to travel any distance from the inland village where I was born. It was not until I uttered those words, however, that I realized what an ignorant peasant I must seem as a result.

If Reverend Devitt saw the look on his children's faces, he gave no sign of it. He only gave me another of his thrilling smiles and said, "Well it's settled then. We shall go for a walk while Kate prepares dinner."

I felt my cheeks color at his words. This hospitality was far beyond anything I had dared hope for and I wondered if he would have been so congenial with anyone, or if it was possible that it was something he did just for me.

Kate and I carried my trunk to my rooms and while the light was strangely mournful in the late afternoon, the accommodations were better than I had been led to expect for a woman in my position. 

"You don't want to see the view?" Kate asked, noticing that I avoided looking towards the window. 

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," I answered shyly.

She gave me a smile that was every bit as warm, although not as beautiful, as her master's. 

"I hope it's not too forward for me to say, but I believe you'll fit in well here."

*

I was a little surprised that the shore was so close and so easily accessible. I had always imagined the coast to be a series of tagged cliffs towering above the wild water but here the land gently rolled down to meet the water, a soft stretch of sand the bridge between them. 

Reverend Devitt took my hand to help me down the last few steps to the beach and I had to turn my face away so that he could not see the effect it had on me. He kept my hand in his until he was sure my feet were steady on the unfamiliar surface.

The children walked ahead of us. William rushed off and started gathering stones and shells. 

"He collects them," the Reverend informed me. "For what purpose I'm not sure but he's done it for years." 

Sophia strolled on her own. She ventured closer to the water, which struck me as a very good thing to do. Many of the stories I'd heard of the ocean involved people being swept away into it. From time to time, her brother would call her over but each time she returned to the water's edge, as if it were only there that she was happy.

"I'm too indulgent with them," Reverend Devitt sighed, noticing how my eyes followed Sophia with concern. "I try to keep discipline but I find it hard. They lost their mother young and their father is off helping the lord's flock rather than his own."

"Well I hope I can set your mind at ease on that score, at least a little," I offered. 

He turned to face me, his smile a little softer and sadder. With the light behind him, it was like he had a golden halo. I had been delivered to the home of this angel of a man and once again, my heart rushed at the feeling I already had for him.

I was so much in his thrall that I was startled when both the children rushed up, to their father and to me.

"Look what I've found!" William cried excitedly. He extended his hand to reveal a live crab, its legs grasping at the air while the boy dangled it by his shell.

"It's a big one," Sophia added, a mischievous little grin spreading across her face.

"Put your hand out, Miss Miles," William goaded. "He can hold him. He won't hurt you."

"William, hush," his father tutted. "Don't ever speak to her like that again."

Both children had their gleaming eyes fixed on me, as if their father were no longer there, waiting to see what I did next.

I disliked the crab, finding it like an armored spider, and I shivered at the movement of its spindly legs, but something in me hated the idea that I might fail an early test from my charges, strange though it might be.

"No," I quavered, holding my palm out flat. "He can put it in my hand. I don't mind."

Not one of our group could have believed that I didn't mind. My hand shook almost violently as I offered it. Nevertheless, I nodded to William to proceed. I hated the sensation of the legs of my hand, too light for the size of the creature. And despite William's assurance, I felt certain that it would happily snap one of my fingers with its grotesque claws.

What should we do with it, Miss Miles?" William cajoled me. He and his sister leaned in closer, their eyes bearing in on me with even greater intensity.

"You take it back and put it back exactly where you found it," his father ordered without waiting for me to reply. "Now."

The two of them scampered off and I saw William toss the crab back, none too gently, into the rocks where he had found it. From there, they walked together, Sophia taking his hand in hers and pulling him close as they spoke to each other with animated expressions. I knew instinctively that they were discussing me.

"So what do you think of the ocean?" Reverend Devitt asked after a long pause.

"It's very beautiful."

I paused and took a deep breath, my nostrils filling with the briny scent. At that very moment, looking out on its endless expanse, I wasn't sure if I liked the sea or not. 

"I feel like it's all around me, even here on land. The smell and the sound and the mist in the air.."

He looked at me with a tenderness I had never known. "You get used to it," he promised.

We headed back to the house as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of flame and rose and indigo. He took my arm and rested his hand on my back as he helped be back up the path away from the beach and I felt the echoes of his touch as we took our dinner together, as I watched him read from the bible and a book of fables to his children, and even after I retired for the evening.

I had hoped that the air I'd taken in on our walk would make me fall asleep quickly but it was not to be. I felt I could not get comfortable, either hot or cold and the sounds of the house were different than I was used to. The thing that made me the most anxious, however, was that I could hear the waves rolling in the distance. It left me unsettled, as foolish as I knew that to be.

The Reverend stayed at home most of the next day before he headed out to visit the adherents of the faith where they needed him. I learned that he was normally gone from Monday afternoon until Saturday night and I had to hide my disappointment that I would see so very little of him. 

I reminded myself that I was a servant in his house and my role was to tend to and educate the children, not to pine after him. Although it was late for lessons by the time their father had gone, I did have both the children practice on the small piano in the drawing room before dinner. They did so without any resistance and paid respectful attention when I corrected their mistakes. 

After we had taken dinner, I was about to send them to bed when I was startled by the sound of something creaking and banging loudly from outside. My nerves were already on edge as a storm and blown in as darkness fell, the coastal wind being much wilder than I was used to, so I gave a startled cry at the sound.

Kate rushed in and her face softened upon seeing me standing, hand on my chest, my gray eyes wide with fright.

"I'm sorry, miss, it's just the back gate's come loose again. The Lock's needed replacing for a while now but Mr. Jones keeps forgetting to do it."

"We'll get it," Sophia cried, grabbing her brother's hand and rushing past the two of us. 

By the time I'd recovered my wits, I heard the back door close. I don't know what I thought might befall the children but I tore after them, practically falling on the wet grass as I rushed to the gate. 

Sophia stared at me as if I were a crazy woman and William laughed a little.

"What on Earth are you doing?" I panted. "You mustn't run off like that, especially after dark."

I wiped away the rain that slashed at my cheek and motioned for both of them to get inside. There was a wooded area behind the gate and with the wind up and the leaves blowing, I felt myself unnerved by the shifting shadows within.

"Don't be silly," Sophia reassured me with excessive sweetness. "It's just the gate in our own yard. Besides, you don't know the trick to it. If you don't know the trick, it'll just blow open again."

"And then you'll have to wake us to do it for you," William chimed in.

Each of them took one of my hands and steered me back towards the house, as if they were the adults and I the child. It wasn't until we were back inside and I had sent them to get ready for bed that it occurred to me that I should have asked them to show me the trick.

I went upstairs with the Bible in hand to read to the children on my own for the first time. I had thought of a passage or two that I believed would be instructive at their age but I still felt nervous. 

It was a great relief when they sat in their beds, poised and quiet, listening attentively. 

"Do you have any questions?" I queried, closing the book on my lap. 

They exchanged a  glance and Sophia spoke for both of them.

"No ma'am."

"I know your father read you stories from another book. Would you like me to do that?"

"We've heard all those stories before," Sophia sighed. 

"When Kate or Susan put us to bed, they tell us fairy stories," William added excitedly. 

"Oh, is there a book of those you'd like me to read from? I don't mind."

"Oh they don't read," Sophia laughed. "They just tell us the stories they know."

"They tell us about the creatures here."

I bit my lip. "I'm afraid I don't know any fairy stories from this area."

"What monsters are there where you come from?" William asked a little too sharply.

"Well I'm not going to tell you stories about monsters when you're going to bed or you won't sleep."

Sophia laughed as if I'd said something foolish. "Oh we're not afraid."

"Do you have Bog Maeve where you come from?" William pressed, his excitement only growing. "She's the old lady who lives under the bogs and pulls travelers under."

I felt like I had somehow lost control of the conversation and yet I found myself wanting to impress the children, hoping to overcome the impression left by my cowardice in the face of the storm. 

"I believe we have stories of something like that, but the name is different."

"What about ghosts? We have the White Man. He walks around the edge of the graveyard and leans against the church wall, crying for his wife."

"You mustn't carry on like that, William," I chided. 

"Tell us about a spirit from where you grew up."

"Well there are woods all around, so we mostly have stories about wood elves and sprites that inhabit the trees. But those are just folk tales." I gave a proud little smile to show them I was unaffected by such things.

"You mean woods like the ones behind the back gate here?" Sophia asked coyly. William giggled.

"I suppose they're a little like them." I felt increasingly desperate, like I was being drawn into some sort of trap. 

"Do you have Finn Bálor where you come from?" William asked.

"I don't think so. Or at least I don't know that name. What is he supposed to do?"

The two of them exchanged a quick look and began reciting in unison:

Finn Bálor comes in the dark of night

With his seal black skin and his eyes of white

He comes for the children and takes their breath 

Or spirits them off to certain death;

But even worse for the maiden fair

Who he drags away to his watery lair

And though her screams are still heard through the wind and rain

His maiden will never be seen again.

Sophia furrowed her brow. "They wouldn't have Bálor where she comes from."

"Why not?" William responded, as if he were reciting the script to a play.

"It says Bálor's lair is watery. So he must live near the ocean."

William made a soft noise as if he was disappointed.

"That really isn't a story for good Christian children," I stammered, a little shocked at the ugliness of their rhyme.

"Everyone around here knows that story," Sophia answered. 

"Well, I think it's time to stop the stories for tonight and for you to get some sleep."

"Just a little longer," William pleaded.

We won't sleep for the storm," Sophia cooed.

I didn't want to think I'll of a child but I felt like she was mocking me over my own nervousness about the storm.

"You don't have to tell us any more stories like that," she continued. "You could just tell us about yourself."

A little hesitantly, I settled back in my seat. "Very well. What would you like to know?" 

"How did you end up working as a governess?" Sophia prompted.

"This is actually my first position. I had just finished my education through the church in Killfoyle and they found this post for me."

"Why did your parents not do that?" William asks, his eyes so innocent I could scarcely believe this was the same boy who had recited that ghastly rhyme just minutes before.

I lowered my head, wondering how much of my story I should tell. "My parents have been dead for some time."

Sophia slid to the end of her bed and rested her hand on mine. "You poor thing."

The maturity in her voice was a little unnerving, but I nonetheless gave her a little smile before motioning for her to lie back down.

"How did they die?"

"William!" His sister snapped. "Don't you ask such things!"

"But I was lucky and my church took me in and saw that I was educated. They made sure I had prospects for a good life."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" the girl asked gently.

"No." I paused, feeling uncomfortably like I was lying. "I had a younger brother but he died when he was small."

"Did he die with your parents?"

"William stop it right now!" Sophia's dark eyes were furious. "I'm sorry," she said to me, composing herself, "he's a baby and he doesn't know any better."

"I'm not a baby!"

"You hush this instant! You're upsetting her! How do you expect her to like us if you act like that?"

"Oh but of course I like you!" I insisted. "You're lovely children. He's just speaking rashly because he's tired."

Sophia's expression was skeptical. "He had no business speaking to you that way."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry. But now I really think you must sleep."

I stood up, wondering if I should give them a kiss but deciding against it.

"Miss Miles?" Sophia said primly. 

"Yes?"

"I hope that you will be much happier now that you're here."

"Thank you, Sophia. That's very kind of you to say."

I knew that the children hadn’t meant to hurt me, but my heart felt heavy as I retired to my room for the night. Thinking of my family was always harrowing for me. It reminded me how narrowly I had escaped a miserable fate. Although my heart soared being here, living under the roof of such a beautiful man and his precocious children, I knew there would always be a part of me that lived in fear that everything good could be taken away from me as it had been before. 

I spent another fitful night, unable to clear my head enough to sleep, my mind a turmoil of memories and uneasy thoughts of the sinister Balor and the chilling rhyme the children had shared, set to the sound of the crashing waves in the distance.

[reds-self-ships]

🔎 The Adventure of the Detection Club

Chapter 6: By The Book

Table of Contents & Trigger Warnings

Redford opened the rather well-worn looking ledger. “This is our current list of members, as up-to-date as yesterday morning, when I updated it ahead of Dexter being officially sworn in as a member. The check means that they’ve paid their dues for the month—which Harris Thomas unfortunately didn’t for several months in a row, as such he was expelled, and Dexter Collins was due to serve as his replacement.”

“I see,” said Ryunosuke. “So why did Dexter Collins get offered membership after Harris Thomas was expelled?”

“It’s a particular rule of our organisation; fully-paid membership is capped at seven members, per club constitution. Of course, we have honorary members, but they bear the name alone. Bit like an honorary degree. Just because you’re considered an honorary doctor doesn’t necessarily mean you can walk into a hospital grab a scalpel and set to work, you know?”

Redford quickly jotted down a list of the organisation’s members, and handed it over to Ryunosuke.

“Oh thank you. Let’s see here…”

Redford Ninate – President of the Detection Club

Christina Agatha – Vice President of the Detection Club

Arthur Conan Doyle

Dexter Collins – Most recent admission

Alan Edgar Doe

Raymond Chalmers

Hannah Sophia

Harris Thomas – Expelled, but now deceased.

“‘Arthur Conan Doyle’? Why does that name sound so familiar to me…” said Susato. “Wait a minute, isn’t that Iris’s agent?”

“Oh yes, I believe he may well be. Doyle represents quite a few authors nowadays, given that he’s now officially wound up his medical practice. Bit of an odd fellow at times though, but his medical knowledge is second-to-none.

“Christina’s a pharmacology student in the university, specialising in poisons. She’s rather well-known for her work. After a nursing student read one of her novels, she was able to accurately recognise the symptoms of cyanide poisoning in a toddler, so she was considered prime candidate for the vice presidency.

“Raymond Chalmers is…well…a bit of an odd fish if you catch my meaning.”

“Odd how?”

“Well his style of writing is a little…how could I put it…grittier than most. He’s an American exchange student, as is Doe. But Doe’s work is more psychological than Chalmers’s work.”

“And what about Hannah Sophia or Dexter Collins?”

“Hannah Sophia’s written plenty of psychological thrillers herself, but she’s getting more into the old-school kind of stuff nowadays. As for Dexter, his work’s impressive, if a little droll at times for my tastes. But, he met the requirements for admission so we quite literally couldn’t say ‘No thanks’ to him.”

“I see. All good to know. Did they all get along well with Harris?”

“To my knowledge, yes. But as I mentioned earlier, we crime fiction writers always value our secrets, so they could’ve been in a darn fight club or something with the man and I could’ve never been any the wiser. It might be an idea to investigate every lead possible before you end up ruling anybody out.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” said Ryunosuke, making a mental note. “But what, exactly, did you mean about the admission requirements?”

“You mean to become a member?”

“Er, yes please.”

“It’s a rather simple process, actually. First of all, there must be a vacancy. And a vacancy is either through a member being expelled for contravening the organisation’s constitution or bringing it into disrepute, being jailed for more than a month, failing to pay dues, or, naturally, if the member were to die.

“Second of all, you must be nominated by an already-existing Detection Club member, and submit a completed work of crime fiction to be brought forward for consideration by all other members of the club.

“Thirdly, the club members must vote for who, exactly, to admit. However, we rarely use this particular clause. All but the president of the club vote. That way we can ensure there’s always an odd number, preventing the need for any run-offs or tie-breakers.”

“I see. I should make a n—”

Redford handed a note over to the lawyer. “I’ve already made a note of that for you.”

“Er, thank you,” said Ryunosuke, putting the note into his pocket. By the time this particular investigation was finished, it was looking more and more likely than not that the court record was going to be about as thick as a crime novel itself.

“I’ve got all the contact details of club members located within this folder, and you can consider this my official permission to use all of the contact details within—as well as any resource of the Detection Club where necessary—for official use during the course of this investigation. Thankfully, club rules allow for that too.”

“These club rules all sound to be incredibly specific, Red,” said Ryunosuke.

“You wouldn’t believe how specific they are. I’m allowed to do that under Rule 1345, Section A1, Subsection B64, Paragraph 223.”

“H-How many?!”

“Rule 1345, Section A1, Subsection B64, Paragraph 223. It makes more sense than Rule 8262, Section Z26, Subsection G223/X, Paragraph 2: ‘The club’s hot cocoa supplies may only be obtained from Bradley Cocoa Inc.’—I’m more of a Neville Cocoa Co. fan myself. If you want to, some other day when I’m not under investigation for murder, I could bring you for some cocoa. My treat, of course.”

Ryunosuke’s cheeks seemed to be going redder and redder than his client’s namesake. “I—I’d like that a lot, th-thank you…” he stuttered out, before there came the noise of a typewriter clattering to the ground outside.

“G-Get off o’ me ya great bawbag!” cried a voice. “You there, Sholmes! What the hell d’ye thing ye’re doing?! Tell ‘em to lemme go!”

Ryunosuke exclaimed: “What—?!”

Redford exclaimed: “—the hell—?!”

Susato exclaimed: “—is this—?!”

They quickly stepped out from the office to find Mr. Sholmes, Athelney Jones, and several police constables wrestling a man to the ground, with Sholmes desperately trying his best to try and fit a pair of handcuffs onto him in order to try and keep him restrained.

“Get…offa…me!” cried the man, standing up like a giant that had been rudely awakened from his slumber.

The man was tall and well-built, sporting well-combed fair-brown coloured hair and a rather well-kept handlebar moustache. Compared to Redford or even to Mr. Sholmes, he looked to be a giant amongst everyone that was stood in the room that day.

But what really drew the gathered crowd’s attention was the fact that he seemed to be wearing an outfit that was much too small for him; an outfit in the form of a small silver tiara, a green sleeveless top, a pink tutu and ballet slippers, with what looked to be a pair of wings cut out from cardboard strapped to his back and a long wooden stick with a star attached to the end of it.

“Sholmes! What the hell d’ya think yer playin’ at?”

“Arthur?!” exclaimed Redford. “You know you can’t come in here right now, not whilst the police are still investigating!”

“Sorry…Did you just say Arthur?” asked Susato.

“Yes, this is Arthur Conan Doyle.”

“One of your lot then, eh?” asked Jones, folding his arms with a sneer on his face.

“Not only that, Detective Jones. But this man…” Sholmes spun into the centre of the room and pointed at Conan Doyle with a flick of his fringe. “…is the true criminal that you’ve been searching for all along!”

“It was Arthur All Along? Come off it.”

“If anything, he should be prosecuted for crimes against my eyesight,” said Ryunosuke out loud, not quite sure where to look, given that the outfit that the man was wearing was far too small for him and far too revealing for everybody else.

“I’m quite sure of it. After all, I have perfectly intact logic and reasoning that can explain all.”

“Such as?”

“Well then I’ll show you then. It’s officially time for…Herlock Sholmes’s Dance of Deduction!”

“Oh this’ll be something to look forward to!” cried Redford excitedly, taking out his notebook and already beginning to rapidly scribble notes.

“Trust me when I say it isn’t…” said Ryunosuke, slumping over and fixing the defence attorney band that had slipped slightly down his arm.

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

On Christmas morning, the Kaspbrak-Tozier children wake their parents up at 6:19am, all three of them overexcited and eager to go downstairs to see if Santa brought them any presents. Richie mutters a curse under his breath that only Eddie can hear, rolling over and groaning. Eddie yawns and struggles to sit up, brain still half-asleep and eyes drooping shut. It’s still dark outside, and both men have barely slept.

“Maybe...another half an hour?” Eddie suggests, knowing the answer before he finishes. Sophia shakes her head, Maya pouts and gives Richie a shove to wake him up, and Jack begins to chant, “no no no, it’s Christmas, it’s Christmas!!”, bouncing on his spot on the bed with eagerness. There’s really no room for argument - the kids are too excited to wait, and both of their fathers know it. Richie groans as his husband hits him over the head with a pillow, but he sits up too and pushes his glasses onto his face before grinning tiredly at his family, at his adorable kids, at his amazing husband.

The kids have just enough patience to wait for Eddie and Richie to make themselves some coffee (because they desperately need it), but only just. Both yawning, they finally open the door to the front room where the tree is and turn on a light so they can all see properly - and the kids all cry out with amazement.

“He came, he came!” Sophia cheers; her brother is already making his way over to the piles of presents, trying to find a good spot to start as he exclaims things like “oh my god oh my god” and “woah!”. Their sister tugs on Richie’s hand, pulling him along with surprising strength for a girl her size and age, and is practically bouncing.

“Alright, kids, slowly,” Eddie mutters, but he’s grinning at the sight of them so excited all the same. They all sit on the floor by the tree, just among the presents; Richie ends up sitting with little Maya in his lap because she refuses to let go of him, and because she needs help reading the labels to find her presents. “Here, look, this one,” He says cheerfully, picking up a wrapped box and checking the name on the tag, “Look, this has your name on it.”

Jack is already tearing open his first present, whooping when he sees that the box contains a brand new scooter. Sophia squeals as she pulls paper off her own gift and sees a book that she desperately wanted. Maya gasps and beams and cries out “thank you thank you!” as she clutches a stuffed toy based on a character from a Disney film she loves. They continue to open their presents, getting more and more excited with each one, and Richie and Eddie make a mental note to make sure the kids say thank you to their uncles and aunts from the Losers Club, who’ll bring dropping by later in the day for Christmas dinner (even the Urises, who aren’t celebrating Christmas but are still more than welcome to join the festivities). Richie and Eddie even have a few presents to open themselves, some from each other and a few from the other Losers; mostly small things, really, since they definitely spend more on making sure the kids get what they want first, but it’s still nice.

The family have a quick breakfast and then Richie helps the kids get dressed and ready for the day while Eddie starts on dinner; Eddie tries not to groan when he sees all three children wearing the most ridiculous and cheesey Christmas jumpers, ones that match Richie’s own Santa-patterned ones. “I’m not wearing a fucking jumper like that.”

“You got no choice, Eds,” Richie says triumphantly, kissing the side of his head and grinning when his husband swats at him. “Can’t be the only one left out, right?”

Eddie grumbles as he goes to get dressed himself - Richie smirks when he returns wearing a Christmas tree jumper that lights up. “I hate you, asshole.”

“Love you too, Eds!”

The rest of the Losers arrive just before dinner; first Stan, Patty and the kids, punctual as ever. The Kaspbrak-Tozier kids wish the Uris family a Happy Hanukkah before thanking Uncle Stan and Aunt Patty for their presents. Maya happily abandons Richie in favour of sitting on her Uncle Stan’s lap, chatting to him and Patty about her Christmas whilst her older siblings play with the Uris kids upstairs.

Next Bev and Ben turn up, and Sophia attaches herself to Aunt Bev’s side, squeezing her and happily showing off her outfit. Richie wolf whistles at Ben and winks, because “damn, Ben, you get hotter every time we see you!” and they’re all laughing. Eddie offers them both a drink, only to be slightly confused when Bev turns down a glass of wine; she merely shares a smile with her husband and says “later maybe”. Maya then moves from Uncle Stan to Uncle Ben, clearly making her rounds and wrapping every single person around her little finger (as if they aren’t already).

Almost immediately after, Bill and Mike arrive together; all three kids cheer at the sight of them, Sophia talking eagerly as she thanks them for the books they gave her, Jack going off a mile a minute as he high-fives the both of them and chatters excitedly about the remote control car they sent over. Once inside, Maya makes a point of smoothing down her dress and cuddling up to Bill on his lap - Bill loves kids, by the way, and he is head over heels for each of the kids of his friends frankly. Also Uncle Bill and Uncle Mikey tell the best stories, so all the kids happily sit with them and listen to them telling fun light hearted stories.

The dinner is delicious - “so Richie clearly hasn’t touched it” Stan says dryly, and his friend slyly gives him the middle finger in a good-natured sort of way - and they all eat more than they can really handle. Thank god for the dishwasher, Richie and Eddie think, because they really cannot be assed to stand over a sink cleaning the dishes, not whilst they’re all so full of food. They get everyone a drink (soda for all the kids, alcohol for the adults), but Beverly turns down wine once again and instead asks for soda too.

“Okay, something’s up,” Richie states, looking between Bev and Ben suspiciously. “You, turning down wine? What the fu- I mean, hell’s happened?”

Bev smiles again, and Ben puts his arm around her; they’re both so happy as they look at their friends, so fill of love and joy. “Well, we were going to wait until the New Year to say anything,” Ben says slowly, and his eyes are on his wife. “But since you asked... You wanna tell them, Bev?”

Beverly puts a hand on her stomach, and it’s obvious before she even says it. “We’re having a baby.”

And the Losers, frankly, lose their shit.

“Wait, what?!”

“BEV! Oh my god!”

“Congratulations!”

“Holy shit, congrats!”

“Finally scored, huh, Ben?”

Everyone is honestly so happy for Beverly and Ben, they can’t stop congratulating them and hugging them, and even all the kids are saying congratulations to them because while they don’t really get it, they can tell it’s good news and that Uncle Ben and Auntie Bev are thrilled. Everyone toasts to Ben and Beverly - “you assholes are gonna have the cutest kid ever,” Richie smirks, even as his husband rolls his eyes at him, “May your kid be fat and red-haired!” - and it’s such a beautiful supportive atmosphere.

The holidays are about family - and sometimes family can be a hypochondriac, a Trashmouth comedian, a writer who used to stutter, an ex-librarian, an extremely hot architect, a fashion designer, a Jewish couple who don’t celebrate Christmas but want to be with their friends, and some adorable kids. The Uris and Kaspbrak-Tozier children - and undoubtedly the Hanscom baby due in the following summer - are very loved and lucky indeed.

[jovialyouthmusic]

Top of the Tree

Bastien meets Sophia’s parents for the first time as they visit for Christmas

Word Count 3592

A/N All the ‘holiday’ (for Brits, read ‘Christmas’) stories got me wondering what Sophia and Bastiens’ first celebration would be like. Please note I have modelled Sophia’s parents on mine as a tribute to them. There are a few truths hidden in the story - see if you can spot them, or I’d be happy to tell when asked.

Warnings - brief mention of problems with fertility. Otherwise, all fluff xx

Bastien waited with Sophia in the tiny terminal of Cordonia’s airport. Her eyes shone and she fidgeted nervously. Her parents were arriving soon to spend the Christmas holidays with them and meet Bastien for the first time. He was restless, pulling at his tie, wishing he had a mirror to check that he was neatly presented. In order to make a good impression he had left his cane in the car, as he was able to do for short periods of time, though he knew he might regret it later.

‘They’ll be landing soon’ she exclaimed ‘It will be so good to see them – it’s been a long time’

‘I’m looking forward to meeting them’ Bastien smiled, though he felt a slight pang of nervousness.

‘They want to meet you too’ she replied ‘Having them here for Christmas will be lovely.’

‘Are you absolutely sure they’re okay with me being so much older?’ Bastien asked for the tenth time. He wasn’t really much for family gatherings, only having foster parents, and it was important to him that Sophia’s parents like him. She hugged his arm and leaned into him

‘It’s fine Bas, ten years isn’t that big a difference, and they know my tastes. My first proper boyfriend was six years older and Dad nearly had a fit, but he’s cool now. Don’t worry, Bas - Mum will just eat you up and Dad will want to hear all about your job. Staying at the Palace is a huge deal for Mum – she’s always following news of the British Royal Family. She’ll probably not know what to do with herself, but she’ll settle down’

The airport tannoy announced the arrival of the flight, and soon the passengers started to file through. Sophia grinned excitedly

‘Oh there they are!’ she bounced on the balls of her feet and waved as a middle aged couple – the man tall and dark haired, the woman a full head and a half shorter and also raven haired, detached themselves from the line and made their way toward them. As a child, she had amazed admirers – she was a cute toddler but a fair haired girl with dark haired parents drew many an odd stare, but it was natural and in later years she delighted in telling folk that it was quite possible, as both parents must hold a recessive gene for blonde hair. She was a cherished only child, her mother having had trouble conceiving, and in the back of her mind she had wondered whether it would be possible for her to have children at all. Her biological clock had not troubled her at all, and of course, Bastien had a vasectomy so unless he specifically had it reversed, fertility wasn’t a pressing issue.

She couldn’t contain herself any longer and rushed forward to throw her arms wide and hug her mother. Her father, a stern faced man who looked younger than his years, as did her mother to a greater degree, smiled warmly at the reunion and turned his gaze to Bastien as he made his way toward the family group. He felt his stomach lurch with apprehension – this was a unique situation as he’d never had a partner long enough for it to be considered important to meet relatives. He smiled nervously as Sophia let go of her mother and turned to her father to hug him warmly too.

‘Dad, I hope you had enough leg room, are you okay?’ she asked. Bastien was now under the full scrutiny of Edith, who looked him up and down appraisingly before speaking,

‘Is this your man, darling?’ she asked cautiously and Sophia turned back to him, taking his arm and pulling him closer, smiling happily

‘Mum, Dad, this is Bastien’ she replied ‘Bas, meet my parents’ He plastered a smile on his face and extended his hand to her father, who reached out and grasped it firmly, patting his elbow with the other.

‘A pleasure to meet you, Bastien’ he intoned gravely

‘Mr Turner – Mrs Turner’ he replied

‘Please, call me Bob – and this is Edith’ her father replied. Bastien badly wanted to loosen his collar and he felt himself sweating slightly. This had to be the second most terrifying moment of his life, worse than diving to shield Liam from the assassin’s bullet, only slightly less terrifying than the moment he realised Sophia had been kidnapped.  His heart hammered in his chest and his hands felt clammy. It was ridiculous that over his working life he had faced many a danger with cool aplomb, but this was seriously threatening his usually calm demeanour.

‘Of course Bob - Edith’ he answered. Edith was eyeing him up – literally, as he was two heads taller than her, and he swallowed hard.

‘My goodness, you’re tall’ she remarked ‘what’s the weather like up there?’

‘Mum – for goodness sake’ Sophia sighed ‘That has to be the oldest joke in the book.’ Bastien realised he was staring at the older woman, holding his breath. The others looked at him and he snapped out of it, smiling faintly

‘Joke – ah it was a joke – oh actually I’ve not heard that for a long time’ he blurted, affecting a laugh.

‘Probably not since your school days’ Bob remarked ‘Don’t worry son, everyone’s tall to her – she’s such a shortarse’ He patted her shoulder and Bastien blinked at the apparent abusive term, but Edith only rolled her eyes and sighed.

‘Oh Turner’ she said exasperatedly, and looked back to Bastien ‘Well for goodness sake, what does a woman have to do to get a hug?’ she cried, and threw her arms around Bastien. He hugged her back, bending over so that he didn’t pick her off the floor. She drew back and looked at him again.

‘He’s very handsome, dear, you chose wisely’ she said to Sophia, and at last she turned her attention back to her daughter. ‘So, when are we going to the Palace?’ she asked ‘Do we get to meet the King? How well does he know Queen Elizabeth?’ She dropped a curtsy at the name - Sophia laughed and Bastien breathed a sigh of relief that the spotlight was no longer on him.

‘Patience Mum, all in good time. Come on, let’s go to the car’ Bastien took the handle of Edith’s suitcase and lead the way outside to the SUV. Sophia had said that using a limo would be over the top – her mother was so excited about the Palace that it would just be too much for her.

‘Mind if I ride shotgun, son?’ Bob asked ‘The girls can catch up in the back’ Bastien swallowed and forced a smile. It was unnerving that the older man called him ‘son’ just as his former Captain, Jackson Walker had, and he had to make an effort to remind himself that he wasn’t his superior – at least, not in a formal way.

‘Of course, Mr Turner’ The older man frowned slightly

‘Bob please, no need to be so formal, son’ Bastien closed the back after loading the bags. Sophia was already in the back seat making Edith comfortable.

‘I’m sorry Sir – I mean Bob, force of habit with my job’ Bastien replied sheepishly

‘I can understand that, Lykel – or would you prefer your first name?’

‘That’s really up to you, Bob’ he said, forming his lips around the unfamiliar name. ‘Whatever you’re comfortable with.’ He went to open the passenger door and Bob got in with an odd look on his face – scepticism and wariness, Bastien decided. He got in and made sure everyone was belted in before checking the mirrors, indicating and pulling off smoothly. When they had left the airport and were cruising along the main road toward the Palace, Bob patted the dashboard in front of him. He had the impression the older man was watching the way he drove and for the moment he appeared to be comfortable with his proficiency. He felt more at ease driving as it gave him something else to focus on.

‘I’ve never driven one of these beasts’  Bob said ‘What kind of mileage does it do? It can’t be very economical – is it yours?’ Bastien blinked at the barrage of questions.

‘Economy isn’t the most important issue in my line of work’ he explained ‘This is one of the fleet assigned to the Royal Guard. It’s useful because it’s tough and versatile, used for all sorts of jobs including escort duty for the Royal Limousines. Those are specially built, bullet proof and with reinforced chassis to withstand bombs. Most of these vehicles are modified too’ Bob stuck out his bottom lip and nodded sagely.

‘My brother ran a limo business in London’ he said ‘He told me he acquired a car that was used to drive the Prime Minister around – he said it had reinforced steel plating in the chassis like you said.’ He looked off into the distance as they drove ‘I was never sure if he was telling the truth though, he was a bit of a dark horse’ Bastien looked sideways at him, and Bob turned to him again. ‘A vehicle like this isn’t that practical on the island where we live, but some folk have them anyway’ Bastien smiled, making a note to ask Sophia about her Uncle later.

‘I have a Goldwing bike’ he said ‘and King Liam bought me a car in gratitude for my service to the Crown, but I don’t get to drive it much’ Bob looked interested

‘Oh yes – what is it?’

‘Ford Mustang’ Bob’s eyes lit up

‘That’s impressive’ he said ‘Classic or new?’

‘New’ Bastien said ‘I’m sure we can go out for a spin if the weather’s kind to us’

‘Now that I’d enjoy more than staying in a fancy Palace’ he grinned ‘don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful and I know it’s where you live, but I like things plain and simple’ Bastien coughed, embarrassed.

‘I’d really like to move out when the job allows – I’ve brought it up with the King but for now it’s useful for me to be on site. I’ve lived there a long time so it’s a big decision. I can look after myself, but it’s convenient at the Palace – as staff I don’t have to cook or do laundry, and I could have our – uh my… suite cleaned if I wanted’ Despite Sophia being in her late twenties and himself ten years older, he felt self conscious talking about their living arrangements to her father, them not being married – or even engaged.

‘It’s okay son, I know you live together. My girl’s a grown woman and I trust her decisions’ Bob chuckled ‘You don’t have to pussy foot around the issue’

‘Thankyou Sir – I mean Bob…Our suite in the staff wing is quite modern, you won’t be staying in the State rooms, which are quite impressive and ornate. The King was kind enough to extend our living quarters recently, so we have a guest room all set up for you’ They had reached the outskirts of the capital now, and Bastien had to concentrate to negotiate the turns and roundabouts that lead through the middle of the town before they went to the Palace. Bob looked out of the window as the two women continued to chat in the back.

‘I thought you might like to drive through town’ Bastien explained ‘It’s very picturesque, and some time while you’re here we can come in late on to take a look at the Christmas lights’

‘I know Edith would love that’ he replied ‘Though you might have a hard time getting her away from the Palace. She’s hoping for a tour of the entire property if it’s allowed’

‘I’m sure king Liam would be delighted’ he replied ‘He’d most likely conduct it himself’ Edith spoke up from the back, obviously picking up on their conversation after a pause in her own dialogue with her daughter.

‘Did you hear that Sophia?’ she trilled ‘The King himself showing me around – what an honour!’

‘He’s very informal, Mum’ Sophia said ‘I’m sure he’d love to meet you both’

‘Oh well, if he’s not busy – you know, opening Christmas fairs and kissing babies’ Sophia laughed and Bastien couldn’t help but smile.

‘I don’t think the King’s schedule is particularly busy’ he replied. He slowed down ‘We’re almost there Edith, take a look out of your side of the car’ The railings that defined the boundaries of the Palace came into view, and Edith looked out, gasping in admiration at the parkland beyond.

‘How on earth do they keep the grass so tidy?’ she pondered aloud, and in the rear view mirror Bastien saw Sophia’s lips tighten a little.

‘There’s a whole team of gardeners who look after the grounds, Mum’ she said

‘That will be expensive’ Edith remarked ‘Has he thought of having a flock of sheep to graze it?’ He heard Sophia make a soft sound of exasperation, but thankfully Edith fell silent after that. It was a little while before they came to the gates and stopped at the security booth. Parker was on duty and looked in to check that Bastien was at the wheel. A second guard went around the back of the vehicle to open up and check the luggage.

‘Welcome back Sir. I take it this is Mr and Mrs Turner?’ Parker asked with a smile

‘Don’t take it for granted, Parker’ he replied sternly ‘I may be Captain, but you need to double check’

‘Of course Sir, I was about to ask for their ID’ Parker replied, colouring a little ‘If you think it’s necessary’

‘Of course I do, just putting you through your paces’ Edith looked flustered, but Bob reached into his jacket pocket and calmly handed over his and his wife’s passports for the guard to look at. He examined them carefully and handed them back.

‘All seems to be in order, you can go on in’

‘Better safe than sorry, son – you have an important job’ Bob remarked to the guard, and turned back to Bastien ‘I appreciate you not treating us any different from any other first time visitors, Lykel’ he said approvingly ‘I’ve had to deal with Royalty in my time, though not in such a major role as you’ The gates opened, and Bastien eased the car forward along the long sweeping drive toward the Palace.

‘Is that so, Bob?’ he asked, intrigued. Sophia hadn’t talked much about her parents though he knew they were close. It was probably a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’

‘That’s right, the Force has had to organise a few Royal visits over the years’ he replied ‘Edith and myself were invited aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia once – sadly the sea was too rough for the tenders to go out on the day, but it was an honour to be included’

‘Oh yes’ Edith piped up from the back ‘Bob was part of the security detail for the Prince of Wales once – we have a signed photograph of his Highness’ He saw her bob her head a little as she mentioned the British Prince.

‘That’s impressive’ Bastien agreed. He slowed down to give them a good view of the façade of the Palace before continuing around to the side, making for the service entrance and the garages. ‘We can go and take a tour through the main entrance tomorrow, Edith’ he said ‘You must be tired after your journey – we’ll have a little something to eat and you can settle in. We won’t have far to go to our suite from this entrance’ He brought the vehicle to a stop and went round to open the door for Edith. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Drake coming out to the car as Sophia’s mother got out.

‘Sophia!’ Drake called ‘welcome back – are these your parents?’ Edith looked at him, wide eyed and hissed at Sophia

Is this him – do I curtsy?

‘No Mum, this is my friend Drake Walker’ she said ‘I’m sure I’ve told you about him’

‘Oh’ Edith said, deflating slightly ‘Pleased to meet you, Drake’ He leaned in and embraced her briefly before turning to Bob, extending his hand

‘Mr Turner’ he said ‘I hope you enjoy your stay’

‘Thankyou son, it’s a privilege to stay here’ he narrowed his eyes at him ‘You’re not some sort of fancy Duke or Lord are you?’ Drake laughed

‘Lord no, I’m just plain old Drake Walker, just a mister’ he said

‘Drake’s father was head of the Guard before me’ Bastien explained ‘He died in service’ Bob turned back to the younger man

‘I’m sorry to hear that, Walker. Were you tempted to join the guard yourself?’

‘Uh – no Sir’ he said regretfully ‘But Bastien stepped in and helped me and my sister when we lost Dad. I train with him and the Guard, though I’ve never applied to join’ Bob slapped him on the back after an approving look in Bastien’s direction.

‘That’s okay son, it’s a hard thing to do. I’m sure your talents lie elsewhere’ Drake flushed scarlet

‘Um yes, heh – my talents lie elsewhere Sir’ he mumbled ‘Can I take your bags?’ Sophia hid a sly smirk and he winked at her. Edith narrowed her eyes at him, which made him twitch nervously as he reached over to open the back of the SUV for the luggage. He went ahead, and the others followed, Edith keeping up a monologue on everything she saw, admiring or deprecating it as she went. Bob rolled his eyes at Sophia, and Bastien picked up his cane to follow. He had reached his limit after going without it at the airport and he felt a dull ache in his thigh. Bob caught sight of it and raised his eyebrows.

‘Sophia told us you were hurt in an assassination attempt’ he observed as they went inside. Bastien nodded

‘Yes Sir – Bob, my leg troubles me but it’s improving. Sophia takes good care of me’ Bob smiled warmly.

‘From what she tells me it’s a mutual arrangement’ he said ‘I’m glad she’s found someone so protective’ Bastien nodded in answer and had to take up the rear of the group as they ascended the stairs, so it was Sophia who opened the door to let everyone in. Drake deposited the suitcases by the door and left.

Edith swept into the lounge, taking it all in. The table under the window, formerly Bastien’s dining table when it was just his living space, now sported a decorated Christmas tree and there were tasteful tinsel decorations all around the walls, a few Christmas cards displayed on the bookcase and hanging in strings on the wall. The two extra rooms that the remodelling of the suite had given them had been repurposed and the adjoining suite’s bathroom had been split into en suites for their rooms and for Theresa’s on the other side. Bastien’s treadmill and static bike had been put into storage from his makeshift gym in order to make a dining room for the four of them and any other guests they might have. The other room was already a bedroom, but a few pieces of furniture had been added to make things more comfortable for the guests. The lounge still sported a small kitchen area, and Sophia and Bastien’s bedroom and bathroom were accessed from the corridor within the suite, as was his study.

‘It’s a lovely room’ Edith declared ‘and you decorated for Christmas, how wonderful – oh that reminds me’ she rummaged in her bag just as Bastien arrived. Edith pulled a little package wrapped in fabric and ribbon, and handed it to Sophia. Eagerly she took it and opened it carefully. Bastien looked on as she stared at the worn and faded ornament that lay in her hand, her eyes welling up with tears.

‘Oh Mum’ she cried, and threw her arms around her. Bastien cast his eyes toward Bob, who leaned toward him and spoke quietly.

‘It’s the fairy that always goes on top of the tree’ he explained ‘Sophia chose it when she was five. It’s not in the best condition – but Christmas isn’t Christmas without it’ Sophia turned to her father

‘Dad’ she said, her voice catching a little ‘You should put it on top of the tree – just like the first time’ Bob smiled fondly

‘I’m not the man of this house’ he replied and turned to Bastien ‘You do it, son. I’ve only just met you, but Sophia’s obviously made her choice – you should take over the tradition’ Bastien rocked back on his heels and looked to his lover questioningly. She nodded, tears still glistening in her eyes.

‘Please, Bas’ she said quietly ‘Will you?’ He stepped forward and stood in front of her as she held the delicate scrap of wood and fabric and wire out to him. She looked up and he took it from her gently, cradling it gently in his hands and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. He was aware of Edith looking on with a smile, and Bob moved across the room to put his arm around his wife and squeeze her firmly. He felt a warmth that he had never felt before – of acceptance and affection and love radiating from Sophia and her parents. He swallowed and at last found his voice.

‘I’d be honoured’ he said softly. ‘Thankyou for asking me’

[oh-ranpo]

more than a pretty face. (8)

Pairing: Ben Hardy x OC AN: Obviously, this is pure fiction, and does not follow the actual timeline of how things went down at the SAG awards or anything like that. Just use your imagination. I rewrote this chapter three times, and this is the version I was the happiest with. There will be one, maybe two, more parts to this story and then we are finished! Let me know what you think!

“You look beautiful.”

Charlie smiled up at Joe as she walked out of the hotel bathroom, fixing her favorite bracelet to her wrist. She had just finished getting ready to attend the SAG Awards with Joe as her date, and she was feeling nervous. The only reason she had agreed to come was because she already had some time off, and Joe kept asking her every day for a week straight until she said yes.  

The dress she was wearing tonight was a scarlet red, and form-fitted to every one of her curves. It didn’t have the open-leg slit like the blue one had and this one looked way more elegant. With her dark hair and her bright lipstick, she looked like a starlet straight from the 1950s.  

“Thank you, Joe. You look handsome as well.”

Joe gave her a bright smile, as he held out his arm for her to take. It was already time for them to leave, and Charlie had just arrived at the hotel a few hours prior. She had been forced to fly out a little later due to a prior work engagement so she hadn’t had a chance to see any of the rest of her friends yet.  

“Tonight is going to be way more fun than the Golden Globes,” Joe said happily as the two of them made their way to the elevator to head towards the lobby. “No secondary location for us this time.”

Charlie laughed as she stepped inside the small elevator and they descended. She hadn’t let the anxiety of seeing Ben again get to her until the moment the doors opened and she could see the small group waiting for them near the lobby entrance doors. She felt Joe squeeze her arm gently in encouragement, and she lifted her gaze to give him a small smile.

“Charlie! You made it,” Lucy cried excitedly as she rushed over to pull her into a hug. Her excitement drew the attention of the rest of the group, and they soon gathered around to welcome her.

Almost immediately, Charlie and Ben’s eyes met and he gave her a small smile. Charlie’s heart leapt in her chest, but she quickly looked away. She had been determined that she would keep as much distance between her and Ben as she could. She was not going to let this be a repeat of what happened at the Golden Globes.

She followed a few steps behind most of the group, chatting with Gwilym about the things that had been going on since they had seen each other last. When they climbed into the limo, Charlie could feel Ben’s eyes on her, but she didn’t look in his direction. She knew that if she did, she would be taken with the way that he was looking at her, and everything she had been working so hard for over the last couple of weeks would come crumbling down.

“This is your first proper red carpet event. Are you excited?” Gwilym asked Charlie from the seat next to her. She felt nerves bubble in her stomach at the thought, but she nodded. She had spent a lot of time preparing herself and practicing her smile in the mirror. The fact that Joe was the one that she was going to be walking with helped calm her as well.

“She’s in good hands. In fact, I’m sure she’s going to make me look bad with how gorgeous she looks,” Joe teased, making her blush.  

“Don’t worry, Joe. We’ll be the hottest couple in Hollywood by this time tomorrow,” Charlie teased, making Joe laugh.

“I could only be so lucky,” he winked in response. It was well beyond obvious to anyone who actually knew Joe and Charlie that there were absolutely no romantic feelings there at all. However, that hadn’t stopped the media in the past linking them together as a couple, and attending the red carpet together was sure to fuel some new rumors.  

She saw the flashes of light before she saw anything else, but Charlie knew that they had arrived. There was a dull roar from the large crowd, and her heart rate spiked at the realization that the time was now here. She was going to have to spend the next hour or so posing for pictures and keeping the best smile on her face possible.  

As soon as the limo door swung open and Ben and Gwilym stepped out ahead of her, Charlie could hear the screams. Repeated flashes went off, and just as she stepped out behind them, she felt like she was being blinded by the barrage of cameras.  

“It’s going to be okay. Just keep smiling,” Joe whispered into her ear, as his hand rested on her lower back and guided her forward. The amount of comfort in the small, simple gesture brought the first smile to her face.

Joe stayed close to her the entire time, and when he had to go talk to a reporter, one of the others would take his place- mostly Gwilym. Ben kept his distance through the entire event, until they were inside the hall and Charlie realized that she was to be seated next to him.

It was going to be a long night.

x.x.x

Ben found it hard to keep his eyes off of her. When he had heard that Charlie was coming to the SAG awards, he had spent a couple of days mentally preparing what he was going to say to her. He hadn’t completely admitted to anyone, not even himself, that he truly missed her. He didn’t just miss her physically, but he missed her attitude. He missed the way she challenged him, and didn’t put up with any of his shit. She missed the way that she had smiled at him that night in Joe’s guest room, a glass of wine perched in her hands.  

“You’re drooling,” Joe teased, as he came up behind Ben after they entered the auditorium. Charlie was in the corner talking to Allen and his wife, while Ben stood near their table waiting for the others to arrive. He turned and gave his friend a glare, as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

“I am not,” he huffed, even though he knew that he had been staring a little too long.

“Look, man, I get it,” Joe sympathized as he patted his friend on the shoulder. “But if you want to make something work with her, I think it’s best you start with an apology.”

Ben felt his chest tighten as Joe turned and walked away to talk with some of the other people who had just arrived, just as Gwilym approached the table. Ben’s eyes turned back towards Charlie, and he felt his breath catch when he caught her looking back at him.  

“When are you two just going to get over yourselves and be together?” Gwilym asked exasperatedly, bringing Ben’s gaze back to the table.  

“It’s not like that, Gwil,” Ben tried to rationalize, but Gwilym scoffed. The reality of the situation was, Ben wished that they could. After seeing her here tonight, all he could think about was what it would like to be the one to have her on his arm as they walked down the red carpet. Sure, she had been his date to the Golden Globes, but he was still nursing his broken heart from Sophia at that time.  

“I’m just saying, if you aren’t going to admit your feelings for her, then you can’t get upset when someone else swoops in,” Gwilym replied, nodding in the direction that Charlie had been standing. Ben’s jaw dropped slightly when he saw another man striking up a conversation with her. She was wearing a polite smile, and her eyes were shining as she was completely engaged in whatever they were talking about. A chill ran through Ben’s body at the mere thought of Charlie leaving with someone else.

Ben took his seat at the table as Gwilym sat across from him, the two of them remaining quiet as Ben contemplated on what he was going to do. It was a delicate situation because he had no idea how Charlie actually felt about him. He had treated her so poorly the last time that he had seen her, he couldn’t really blame her for keeping her distance.

After a few more minutes, it was signaled that the show was about to start, and the rest of the group joined Ben and Gwilym at the table. The man that Charlie had been talking to had disappeared, and now she was walking with Rami and Lucy as she scooted around the table to take her seat between Ben and Joe. Ben could feel his heart rate increasing even more when the smell of her perfume wafted towards him as she sat down. She turned and gave him a tiny smile, which he apprehensively returned.

Charlie kept herself busy most of the evening talking amongst the others, and doing a good job of pretending Ben wasn’t there. Of course, he deserved it. He knew that he did. He had done the same to her, but under far worse circumstances.  

By the time the ceremony was over, and Rami had won his award, Ben was busting at the seams to talk to her. The one small smile she had given him at the very beginning was the only acknowledgement he had received, and she was one of the first ones to leave the table once it was over.

The group collectively made their way to the after-party, though Joe and Charlie split up to head to the bar. While it was tempting, Ben wasn’t sure that he wanted to indulge in any alcohol, because it would have made his situation even harder. Ben chose to continue in conversation with Rami while he waited for Joe and Charlie to return. 

“She’s grabbing us a table over there in the corner,” Ben heard Joe whisper into his ear as he rejoined the group. “We’ll give you a few minutes.”

Ben looked up at his friend and gave him a grateful nod. He turned in the direction that Joe had indicated and saw Charlie taking a seat at one of the larger round tables across the room. She was looking down at her phone so she didn’t see him approach. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that he was able to grab her attention.

“Oh, hello,” she murmured, setting her phone down on the table in front of her. She didn’t exactly look excited to see him standing there, and he shifted nervously on his feet.

“Hey, uh, I was wondering if we could talk?”

A confused look crossed Charlie’s face, but she nodded and motioned for him to sit down. He took the seat next to her, and he could feel his stomach lurch at the close proximity once again. His fingers fidgeted together anxiously, and everything that he had thought of to say was immediately gone from his mind. There was a long moment of silence as Ben tried to pull the words together.  

“If you came over here to apologize, it might help if you actually used some words. I can’t read your mind.”

Ben’s eyes met Charlie’s and she was wearing a small, satisfied smirk. Typical, Ben thought. Here she is, calling me out again.  

“Well, clearly you can since you knew I came over here to apologize,” he retorted.

“The only other thing you could possibly be coming to do is ask me to go back to your hotel room with you, and I know you can’t be that stupid.”

Ben felt another wave of guilt wash over him. He really didn’t like that that was what kind of person she viewed him as now.

“I really am sorry, Charlie.”

Charlie’s expression softened, but didn’t respond. The pair sat in silence for another few moments as Ben fought over what to say next. He felt a surge of emotions that he had been holding back since he arrived back in London start to resurface, and he couldn’t stop the words before the flew out of his mouth.

“And I missed you.”

Charlie’s eyes widened and she quickly looked away. Ben’s heart felt like it could beat right out of his chest as he waited for her to respond. It was the closest he had come to admitting his feelings out loud, and being met with pure silence was agonizing.  

Charlie didn’t look back at him for what felt like an eternity. She doesn’t feel the same way. He started to feel more and more awkward the more time that passed. Just as he contemplated excusing himself and disappearing for the rest of the night, she finally turned back towards him.

“You don’t miss me, Ben. You miss what I gave you, and I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen again.”

It was Ben’s turn to feel confused.  

“I didn’t say it just for the hell of it, Charlie. I really did miss you. I do miss you. That night in Joe’s guest room, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I left for London.”

Charlie shook her head, disbelieving, as her soft expression hardened back into a glare.

“You don’t mean it,” she huffed, her fingers tapping against the table.

“I do.” He tried to sound as sincere as he could, but the look on her face told him that Charlie still wasn’t buying it.

“You don’t. And I would appreciate if-”

“Go on a date with me.”

The words died on Charlie’s lips and her jaw dropped open slightly. It wasn’t the smooth transition that Ben had been hoping for, but he had to find a way to prove to her that he wasn’t messing around.  

“And why would I want to do that?” she asked quietly, the venom in her voice fading rapidly. A small smile tugged on the corner of his lips as he reached over, his fingers gently brushing across hers.

“Because I know that you missed me too.”

He didn’t. He had absolutely no idea how she really felt, he was just taking a stab in the dark. However, the way her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink, he knew that he had guessed correctly and his heart lifted.

“I think we’re well past the dating stage.” She didn’t say no.

“No, I think we just need to double-back and start over.”

It felt surreal, getting everything out in the open. Charlie’s eyes never left his, and he knew that she was searching for a tell—some indication that this was all a joke and that he didn’t mean any of it.  

“You’re serious?”

Ben didn’t miss the vulnerability in her voice. He knew that if he screwed this up, there was not going to be another chance.

“I’m serious.”

A giant smile spread across Charlie’s lips, and Ben knew that was her way of agreeing. She didn’t even have to say the words.  

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[dynowrites]

500 follower special

Big thank you to @giraffe-puppy for editing this for me. ❤️

Word count: 1,794

Amelia: 7 1/2

Dante: 3 3 /4

Lorenzo: 1

Sophia groaned as she looked at the time on the clock. She rarely ever woke up before her alarm, but today was different. She felt sort of sick, like she was coming down with something. She’s been like this the last few days but thought nothing of it until now. Thankfully she had the entire day off and could spend it at home taking care of herself.

Sophia finally got up to the subtle cries of Lorenzo from his room. She sighed as she crawled out of bed, out of Sonny’s grip and into the nursery. Ren was standing on his bed and reached his arms up to his mother once he saw her. Sophia smiled and carefully picked him up and gave him kisses all over his face.

“Doll?” Sonny called or tiredly. He was rubbing his eyes as he made his way into the bedroom.

“Sorry, Sonny. Did I wake you? I didn’t mean to.” Sophia frowned at her husband but he just placed a kiss on her temple.

“I heard Renny crying and came to check on him.” Sonny said. Lorenzo whined before reaching for Sonny.

“Dada! Dada!” Ren said as Sonny quickly scooped him into his arms.

“You should go put some clothes on, Sonny. Remember the last time Mia caught you in your boxers.” Sophia laughed some. Sonny rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“Dante used to run naked around the house but if daddy is seen in his boxers, it’s ‘so gross.’” Sonny quoted their almost 8 year old daughter. Sophia rolled her eyes as she pointed towards the door.

“I’m going to get breakfast started. You wanna wake the kids?” Sophia asked. Sonny nodded as he looked at Ren.

“Let’s go get some pants and a shirt for daddy before we wake your brother and sister, Renny!” Sonny said as he carried the boy to his and Sophia’s room to put on some pajamas before waking his two other kids.

Sophia quickly got to work on making breakfast for the family, waffles, eggs, bacon and even some sausage. Once Sophia began to cook the bacon, she began to feel nauseous. The last few days she’s been like this but never threw up which was probably just a sign she was hungry. But she knew she wasn’t going to be able to eat something before she had to run to the bathroom. The moment Sonny walked into her kitchen, she handed him the spatula for the food before rushing to the bathroom.

Once she finished up, she quickly flushed the toilet and brushed her teeth. Sophia didn’t like that she was dealing with a stomach bug, especially with three kids in the house. She quickly brushed her teeth before heading back to the kitchen where Sonny already had the kids eating breakfast.

“You alright, Soph?” Sonny asked. He was always worrying about his wife when she was was sick. She nodded her head with a smile.

“I promise I’m fine.” Sophia said as she sat down at the table. Sonny smiled as he placed a plate of food in front of her. Sophia thanked him quietly before she began to eat.

Amelia was talking all about school at the table while Dante was talking about playing some soccer at preschool. Ren was sitting in his high chair just eating his tiny pieces of waffle and fruit Sonny had given him. Sophia was only half paying attention to the conversations as she was thinking. She knows that she had just turned forty in February and that her body was changing, but there was still a chance she could get-

“Mommy? Did you hear me?” Amelia’s voice called out. Sophia turned to looked at Amelia with a raised brow.

“Sorry, sweetie. Mommy zoned out. What were you saying?” Sophia asked. Amelia smiled as she watched her mother.

“We has a spelling test last week and I got a hundred on it!” Amelia said excitedly. Sophia smiled at her daughter.

“Mia, I’m so proud of you! You’re such a smart girl!” Sophia said as she tried to eat more of her breakfast. She began to feel nauseous again and tried to ignore it but she couldn’t. She set her fork down and tried to concentrate. When she realize that she wasn’t going to be able to keep her breakfast down, she rushed to the bathroom once again.

“Daddy, is mommy okay?” Amelia asked. Sonny frowned as he looked at his daughter.

“I don’t know. Let me go check on her.” Sonny said as he stood up from the kitchen table to head to the bathroom. When he heard his wife inside, he gently knocked on the door.

“I’ll be out in a second.” Sophia’s voice called as the sound of the toilet followed. Sonny frowned and leaned against the door.

“You alright, Soph? I know you haven’t been feeling good the last few days. Do you need me to go to the store?” Sonny called through the door. Sophia stared at herself in the mirror and sighed.

“I’ll go. Find some medicine and stuff. Maybe bring home some candy for the kids.” Sophia said as she quickly washed her hands and brushed her teeth once more. As she opened the door, Sonny frowned down at her.

“Call me if you need me to come get you, Soph. Alright?” Sonny said, and kissed her forehead. She nodded as she went to the bedroom, quickly changed before sliding her shoes on and leaving the house.

Sophia kept thinking of the possibilities of why she was sick. One thought kept running through her mind and she couldn’t shake it, there was no way. It just had to be some kind of bug. Once she parked at the store, Sophia grabbed a basket and began to grab a few things. She grabbed some ginger ale, crackers, some candy for the kids and Sonny before making her way through the store for a few other things.

Once at the checkout, Sophia put all the stuff she bought on the belt. She waited her turn in line and the cashier began to ring Sophia up, but stopped for a moment before looking at a few items, to Sophia and back to the items a few times. Sophia didn’t know if she wanted to cry, tell the cashier to mind her own business or what, but she just wanted to get home. She paid for everything before heading to her car and going home.

The moment Sophia walked into the door, she noticed Sonny and the kids all on the couch just watching TV. Amelia was cuddled up to Sonny’s right side, Dante to his left while Lorenzo was sitting in his lap, sucking on his thumb. Sophia smiled before throwing the bag of candy in their direction. Amelia instantly pulled her bag of gummy bears out of the bag as Sonny grabbed the other bag for Dante and Lorenzo to share. Sophia placed the ginger ale in the fridge before placing the crackers on the counter. The rest of the stuff in the bag, she had taken to the bathroom.

Sophia sat there and pulled a box out for the bag and looked it over. She remember her doctor told her that any pregnancies after Lorenzo could be hard on her, especially with her job. Sophia slowly opened the box and let out a sigh. She’s taken pregnancy tests several times before and this time wasn’t going to be any different. She was just overreacting. Her body was changing and she probably just had a stomach bug. She wanted to just make sure.

Sonny had checked the time on his watch and he noticed Sophia had been gone for quite a bit. As he stood up to check on his wife, all the kids whined as he sat Lorenzo on the couch. “I'll be right back, I'm gonna check on Mama.”

As soon as he walked to the bathroom, he could hear his wife sniffling and crying some. “Sophia? Are you okay?” Sonny asked. She quickly dried her tears.

“Y-yeah! I’ll be out in a second!” She called as she hurried and cleaned everything up. Sonny frowned as he knocked on the door.

“Let me in, Soph. I want to make sure you’re alright.” He heard a click before the door opened up. “Baby, what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything.” Sonny said as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She slowly lifted her arm and pointed towards the sink.

“Go look for yourself…” She whispered. Sonny raised a brow as he pulled away from his wife and walked over to the sink counter. There sat two positive pregnancy tests.

“We’re… having another baby?” Sonny asked quietly. He turned to look at his wife and smiled widely. “Soph, we’re having another baby! That’s great!” Sonny said as he went over to kiss his wife. Instead of kissing back, Sophia burst into tears.

“Sonny, my doctor told me if we had any kids over forty, there are health risks. And I-I don’t know if I can’t deal with that! W-what if… you know what happens again. Like what happened before Dante.” Sophia never brings it up, but after that happened, she was afraid to have anymore children after Amelia.

“We can wait to tell everyone, baby. Just like the boys if you want. I just… don’t understand how this happened. When?” Sonny asked his wife as he held her close. Sophia stood there and thought about it before looking up at him.

“When we went to Boston for the Fourth of July. He took the kids to get ice cream with Helena.” Sophia explained. Sonny thought about that and then started laughing.

“You never told your brother that we fucked on the couch, did you?” Sonny laughed. Sophia pulled away and slapped his chest.

“I don’t plan on it. If Enzo knew, he’d kill you.” Sophia said. Sonny chuckled and kissed her softly.

“After three beers, you were so hot. I couldn’t keep my hands off you baby.” Sonny said as he looked at he wife. She smiled some as he dried her tears.

“I’m gonna try to schedule an appointment for Monday, alright? You think you can you can talk to Olivia and see if she can give you a half day?” Sophia said as she turned to clean up the mess. Sonny nodded as he helped.

“I’ll call her right now. I can’t wait, Sophia. Another little one running around. I'm so excited..” Sonny placed a kiss to her temple before walking to join the kids back on the living room. Sophia smiled some at the thought of another little Carisi in their family...

Tagged: @giraffe-puppy @obfuscateyummy

[three-drink-amy]

First Day Jitters

So I wrote this tiny fic a couple months back about Jake and Amy as single parents. And I couldn’t get it out of my head. So with encouragement from @startofamoment, it became a full fledged fic! 

Just FYI: it’s long...

Jake was fretting over the first day of school. He prided himself on being a good dad. He was a much better dad to John than Jake’s dad was to him. Still though, the panic of the first day of kindergarten was getting to him. John had asked him the night before why he had to go to school. It had taken everything in Jake not to put it off for another year. Instead, he talked up school and how fun it was and how many friends he’d make.

As Jake walked his son into school, he was pretty sure that he was more nervous than the child. He looked for the kindergarten classroom and directed his son there. They were nearing the door when Jake bumped into another parent. A mother taking her son into the same classroom. “Sorry,” he apologized profusely, still holding John’s hand. She waved him off silently. Jake was pretty sure he noted tears in her eyes. He gestured for her and her son to enter the room before him and John. She nodded gratefully.

Jake walked in and squatted down in front of his son. “Okay, John, this is your classroom. You met your teacher, Miss Miller last week. She is really nice. And there are plenty of kids here to be friends with. Just have a good time and try to learn all you can, okay?” John nodded stiffly. He stumbled forward, throwing his arms around Jake’s neck. Jake could feel tears in his eyes. He wrapped his arms tightly around his son. “You’re gonna have so much fun, Bud.”

“I’m gonna miss you today, Daddy,” John said through his sniffles.

Jake squeezed him before ending the hug and looking at his son. “I’ll miss you too. But in just a matter of hours, I’ll pick you up and we can go to the park and you can tell me all about your day. How does that sound?”

“That sounds fun!” John yelled.

“You just have to make it through the day,” Jake explained. Standing up, he motioned his son toward the rest of the kids. “Now go have fun!” John hugged his leg before running toward the other kids. Jake willed the tears in his eyes not to fall.

“I didn’t really think it would be this hard,” Jake heard someone say. He looked over and it was the mom he’d bumped into.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I’m a single dad. This is hitting me like a truck.”

She chuckled dryly. “I know what you mean. I’m a single mom. I cried all night last night. My eyes would barely open this morning when Sam was jumping on my bed because he was so excited for school.”

“Ahh the single parenthood,” Jake mused. “Glad I’m not alone.”

She smiled at him. “I’m Amy Santiago.”

“Jake Peralta,” he replied.

“I didn’t notice earlier, which one is yours?” she asked.

“Black Nets t-shirt with the Die Hard back pack,” he pointed out. She looked at him skeptically. “It was my back pack as a kid. He hasn’t seen it,” he assured her. “Well, not yet. He’ll see it someday because it’s the best movie ever.” Amy laughed. “Which one is yours?”

Amy pointed to the boy right next to John. “Sam’s the one in the red checked shirt and slacks giving yours a friendship sticker.” Jake looked over at her with an amused expression. “I may have given him some pointers on making friends. It mainly involved stickers.”

The teacher asked the parents to leave so they could start class. Jake bid goodbye to John as Amy did the same with Sam. Jake couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the two boys sitting down next to each other. Jake couldn’t wait to hear all about his son’s day.

As they walked out of the school, Jake dug out his keys, unsure of where he was going to go. “I took today off because I figured I’d be too much of a mess at work. Now I have no clue what I should do. I tend to think the secretary won’t want me hanging out in the office.”

Amy laughed and nodded. “I did the same thing. I took a sick day.”

“Listen, single parent to single parent,” Jake began nervously, “how would you feel about getting coffee and talking about how much we miss our kids?”

Amy smiled brightly. “I think that sounds great. Maybe some Irish coffee?”

“Ooh, I like that idea,” Jake agreed with a grin. “How early do you think bars open?”

“I’m game,” Amy replied with a laugh. “This could be fun.”

Jake nodded excitedly before he gestured toward the parking lot. “After you, m’lady!”

They found themselves at a small coffeehouse not far from the school. As they sat down, Jake realized that it almost had the feeling of a date. He shook his head, ignoring the crazy notion. They both took a sip of their drinks before either of them started talking. “Is it bad that I’m wondering what they’re doing now?” Jake asked. “Am I too obsessed with my kid?”

Amy laughed. “I don’t think that’s a thing. I mean at least between parents. Some of my friends probably think I’m too obsessed with Sam.”

Jake smirked. “Yeah, I remember when John was a baby and I was fawning all over him and my friend Gina made some comment about how he only smiled because he farted. I was horrified and offended.”

“Exactly,” Amy agreed. “I have some friends like that too.” She shook her head with a laugh as she took another drink. “So what do you do for a living?”

“I’m a detective.” Amy’s mouth dropped open. Jake leaned back slightly. “What’s wrong with that?”

Amy shook her head quickly. “Nothing at all. I’m just surprised. I’m also a detective.”

“What? No way! Which precinct?” Jake asked, very intrigued.

“The 99th. You?”

“The 78th.” They both stared at each other for a beat. “How bizarre,” Jake mused with a small shake of his head.

Amy smirked into her coffee mug. “Good to know I’m in good company.”

They chatted for a while about the job. Soon talk turned back to their children. Before they knew it, they’d been there for at least a couple hours, just chatting amiably.

Amy seemed to tense a little as she posed her next question. “Probably not my place to ask, but where’s John’s mom?”

A serious expression replaced the smile that had graced Jake’s face for most of the time they’d been together. “That’s a good question. I think somewhere here in New York. I’m not really sure though.” Amy started to nod. Jake could tell she wasn’t going to ask any more questions, so he volunteered the information. “We were dating, not super seriously, when she got pregnant. She was a defense attorney.” Amy’s mouth opened in horror. “Yeah I know,” Jake said with a laugh. “Big mistake. Anyway, she was more dedicated to her job than literally anything else. I told her that I would be willing to go along with whatever she wanted to do. I mean I was excited at the prospect of having a kid, but she wasn’t really one to try and force your opinion on. So anyway, I think she knew I was excited about it so she decided we’d keep it.”

Jake paused, reliving it all. “I can still remember the day that I thought something was off. She came home from her baby shower with all this amazing stuff. I was so excited about it all. I was looking through everything and freaking out over it like a total nerd. And she sat on the couch staring at it with an almost horrified look on her face. I thought she was just overwhelmed. I mean having a baby is a big deal. But no, she was dreading it. Apparently her lawyer friends had said all these things about how being a mom was going to be her new career. And she’d freaked out because her job was her real baby. Which I knew. And I’d always accepted that I came second to her job. I just didn’t figure she’d have gone through with the pregnancy if she was so scared of it affecting her career.”

“I remember that,” Amy interjected. “People telling me my career ambitions were now over because I was having a baby. It can be scary. But I actually wanted Sam. I’m guessing from your story, that’s not actually the case?”

Jake wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, not exactly. So she never said anything to me about not wanting the baby. I could tell that something was off, but I figured she was tired or overwhelmed being so far into her pregnancy plus work. She was really busy. I tried to be home every night in case she needed me. She never did. Then, ten days before her due date, she was in court and I got a call at work to go to the hospital. I was freaking out. So I drove to the hospital and I walk to find the nurse who called me and she takes me to the window of the nursery and points at a particular baby and tells me that’s my son.”

“Wait,” Amy stopped him, a disgusted look on her face. “You didn’t –”

“Yeah,” Jake confirmed. “I missed the birth of my child because she wouldn’t leave court and gave birth in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.” He nods at the sad look on Amy’s face. “So one of Sophia’s friends finds me in the hospital and tells me the baby’s mine. Sophia doesn’t want to see me or him. Her other friends were already getting her stuff from my apartment and I didn’t need to worry about that. So two days later I took my kid home and they’d done a good job of removing any aspect of Sophia from my home. I mean she didn’t even name him, I did. I haven’t seen her since the night before she gave birth. And John’s never seen his mother.”

“Wow.”

Jake shrugged. “I mean we’ve been okay. My Captain was amazing and gave me paternity leave and I got used to being a single dad. But you know, I can’t imagine my life without John. For all the drama of his arrival and how crazy my life became, I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Jake concluded with a smile.

Amy matched his smile. “Yeah I definitely get that.”

“So how did you end up a single mom?” He asked.

Amy shook her head and rolled her eyes as she geared up to tell her story. “It had been a month since I’d gotten engaged to my boyfriend of a year when I found out we were going to have a baby. I was really excited. In hindsight, I think he faked his excitement. Anyway, so we pushed back the wedding to focus on the baby and somehow along the way things started to fizzle. Teddy wasn’t as good at feigning his excitement as he thought he was. I, of course, didn’t think the way he was acting was about the baby, I thought it was about me. So I got a lot clingier and that didn’t help matters. We had very similar interests which was what drew us together, but it was then that I realized that at our cores we were very different people.”

“That’s a great time to find that out,” Jake joked.

Amy chuckled. “Yeah. So Sam came and it was about two months later that Teddy couldn’t take it anymore and moved out. I mean I was devastated, but I chose to focus on Sam and on being the best mom I could be. I mean we just fell apart. It certainly doesn’t hold a candle to your story,” Amy said with a laugh.

“I don’t think you’d really want it to,” Jake offered.

Amy shrugged. “That’s fair. But you’ll like this part. Teddy’s mom made him reach out for a custody agreement. She thought he needed to be a part of Sam’s life. I informed her that unless Teddy wanted to be a part of Sam’s life, he didn’t need to be. So Teddy gets Sam for a weekend every two weeks.”

“And you get no help in the meantime?”

“I’ve learned how to get by without it,” Amy said with a shrug. “I have friends who help me when I really need it. What about you?”

“Yeah, I have some good friends who help me out when I can’t get off work. And a really good babysitter,” Jake laughed. “Plus when Sophia left me with a baby to raise all alone, my mom moved into the city. She said it was to be there whenever I needed her, but I think she just wanted to be as close to her only grandson as she could.”

They both laughed before they sat in silence for a moment. “And now they’re in school…” Amy said in a small voice, trailing off.

“I can’t believe it.”

“I mean we got them this far right?” Amy wondered aloud.

Jake chuckled. “So you’re saying the hard part is over?”

Amy snorted. “If only. At least you have a son. I am already dreading having to raise a teenage boy on my own,” Amy joked, covering her face with her hands.

Jake laughed heartily. “I wish I could say it’s not that bad…”

Amy dropped her face from her hands. “Oh I grew up with seven brothers. I know precisely how terrible it is.”

Jake gaped at her. “You have seven brothers?” Amy nodded. “Damn.”

“Yeah, growing up was crazy. But it was helpful to have all that family when Teddy bailed.”

Jake nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I bet.”

“I gotta say it’s interesting meeting someone who was basically going through one of the hardest parts of their life at the same time you were going through yours,” Amy mused.

Jake’s eyebrows raised in thought. “Wow that’s a good point. If only there had been a support group five years ago before we got into the swing of things.”

“Nah,” Amy disagreed. “It’s probably better we figured it out on our own.” Jake nodded.

They sat there in a comfortable silence for a beat. They both checked their phones to see if there was anything important they’d missed in the time they’d been chatting.

Amy put her phone down. “You know, I think this is the closest thing to a date that I’ve been on in five years.” Jake nodded. “I mean I don’t have to tell you that dating as a single parent is hard.”

“That’s true,” Jake agreed. He looked at Amy. He’d really enjoyed the time they’d spent together. It was incredible to meet someone in the same position as him. Plus she was a cop too. He decided to risk it. “That being said though, how would you feel about doing this again sometime…?” he asked hesitantly.

Amy looked at him with a questioning expression. Suddenly a smile broke through the façade, her eyes shining. “I’d like that.”

**

Jake was swinging with his son as John told him all about his first day of school. “It was so fun, Daddy!” John cried. “We played outside and we had center time and we got to play with play dough!”

“That does sound like fun!” Jake agreed, smiling from ear to ear at the sight of his child so happy. “So do you like your classmates?”

“Yeah,” John informed him.

“Did you make any friends?”

“Yeah! Aaron was nice. He shared his crayons with me,” John explained.

“That was nice of him.”

“And Max picked me for his team when we played tag.”

“Wait, you’re already doing all that picking teams stuff?” Jake asked, feeling horrified that his young son was already subjected to that.

“And Sam gave me a sticker this morning and asked me to be his friend. So we’re best friends.”

Jake couldn’t help but smirk. Kids were so easy to win over.  “Well I’m glad. I met Sam’s mom today.”

“Is she pretty?” John asked.

Jake looked curiously over at his son on the swing next to him. “Why?” John just shrugged. They kept talking about his day at school, though now Jake wondered what his son could be thinking.

**

Amy was tucking Sam into bed when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out quickly to see Jake was calling her. She put her phone back in her pocket, noting that she would call him back.

“Mommy?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, Sweetie?” Amy replied, pushing his hair back from his forehead gently.

“Do I really have to go see him tomorrow?”

Amy sighed. She set aside the book she’d pulled out for them to read and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Sam, you know it’s your weekend with your dad. I’m sure he wants to hear all about how much you love school.”

“No he doesn’t,” Sam insisted. “He doesn’t like me.”

Amy wanted to cry. They’d had this conversation before and each time it still hurt. She didn’t know why Teddy couldn’t fake it more when he spent time with his child. She didn’t know why everything else in Teddy’s life had to come before Sam. “Yes, he does like you. I promise. He just has a different way of showing it.”

“Aaron’s dad coaches his soccer team,” Sam rattled off. “And John’s dad takes him to the park all the time. Why can’t my dad be like that?”

Amy sped past the accidental mention of Jake in order to try and comfort her son. “Sweetie, I know that you would rather spend time with me this weekend, but I’m just going to clean all weekend. Wouldn’t you rather see your dad than have me make you clean?”

“No, I like helping you clean,” Sam insisted. Amy laughed to herself. Of course that had rubbed off on her child.

“Look, how about this,” Amy negotiated, “If you go to your dad’s and you try to have fun with him, and I mean really try, we can go out for ice cream when I pick you up from school on Monday. How does that sound?”

Sam looked like he was thinking it over. “Okay.” He looked down at the book next to Amy’s hand. “Can we still read some?”

Amy smirked, kissing her son on the forehead. “I think we have time for one chapter.” She opened up to where they’d ended the night before and began to read to him. “Malfoy couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful,” Amy read aloud to her eager son. Amy hadn’t been able to resist passing on her love of Harry Potter to her child. Still, it had been a long week and Sam was asleep before the troll even left the dungeons. She pulled his blankets up tighter around him, kissed him one more time, and turned the lamp off next to his bed.

Amy strolled into her room and threw herself down on her bed. She always felt so guilty sending Sam to Teddy’s. She knew that Teddy only took Sam two weekends a month because he felt obligated. And she knew that Sam was always miserable when he was there. But that was the custody agreement they’d reached and she knew if she tried to change it now that Teddy’s parents would riot.

She was flipped over and laid on her back. That was when she felt her phone in her back pocket. Suddenly she remembered that Jake had called her. Quickly she pulled her phone out to call him back. She caught herself smiling as she tapped his number on the screen. Admittedly, she liked Jake. They hadn’t seen each other since their coffee outing other than picking up the boys at school. They always chatted a little bit until the boys dragged them off, ready to head home. Sometimes, especially recently, they’d text each other back and forth, discussing the life of a single parent/detective. Even just over text messaging, Jake made her laugh. And it had been a long time since a man had consistently made Amy laugh like that.

She fought the smile forming on her face as she heard the ringing on the other end. It rang twice before Jake picked up. “Hey!” He greeted cheerily.

“Hi! Sorry I missed your call earlier. It was bedtime and we were reading Harry Potter,” she explained.

“What?” Jake asked with a laugh. “You’re reading Harry Potter to your five year old?”

Amy felt defensive. “We’re only on the first one. We just read a little bit each night. What’s so bad about that?”

“I don’t know. I guess I would just think it was scary for a five year old,” Jake wondered. “I don’t know though because I’ve never read them.”

“What?” Amy cried. “You should! They’re so good!”

Jake laughed. “All right, I’ll take your word for it.”

“I mean it, you should read them,” Amy insisted. She could hear Jake still laughing on the other end. “Anyway, what’s up?” “Oh right, I called you first,” Jake remembered. “So my mom called me tonight insisting that she wants a weekend with just John. She said I look tired or something. Anyway, so she’s going to have him this weekend which made me wonder if you would want to get dinner or something.”

“Are you asking me out?” Amy joked.

“Yeah, I thought that was pretty obvious,” Jake retorted.

“Fair enough,” Amy chuckled.

“So…”

“Uh, yeah! Your timing is actually pretty good because Sam is spending the weekend with Teddy. So I’m free too,” Amy informed him.

“Wow, that is good timing. Imagine two single parents actually having free time on the same weekend. What are the odds of that?” Jake wondered aloud.

“Must be fate,” Amy mused with a laugh.

“I guess so,” Jake agreed. “So how does Saturday sound?”

“That sounds great!”

“Great!”

Amy expected Jake to hang up but he asked her about work and an hour later they were still talking. Amy couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as they spoke. She couldn’t really remember the last time she’d felt so light just talking to someone. Amy eyed her closet from where she laid on her bed, already trying to decide what she should wear on Saturday.

**

“I’m not saying you should be a crappy dad,” Amy argued, “I’m just saying my kid is jealous of your kid.”

Jake placed his hand over his heart. “I am truly so touched by that.”

Amy glared at him, smacking him on the arm. “Seriously?”

“Okay but think about it from my perspective,” Jake reasoned, “I have gotten ‘Billy has a dad and a mom, why don’t I?’ So hearing that one of my kid’s friends is jealous because I take him to the park after school sometimes makes me feel pretty great. Though I am obviously sorry that Sam feels jealous of John and that Sam has a crappy dad.”

Amy sighed and shook her head. “Okay, I guess I see your point.”

The hostess approached them. “You’re table is right this way.” They followed her, Jake placing his hand on Amy’s back for her to go ahead of him.

“So tell me about Sam,” Jake asked once they were seated and perusing the menus.

“He is five years old,” Amy joked.

Jake rolled his eyes at her. “I obviously knew that. I mean I hear about him from a kid’s perspective. But what’s he like?”

Amy smiled broadly. She was so touched Jake asked. There had been very few people who’d ever asked her about her son in that way. “Uh, he’s great! I mean, I’m pretty biased, but he really is. He likes to play “Kitchen.” I’m hoping that will form into an actual hobby of liking to cook from a young age because I’m a dreadful cook,” she said with a laugh. “But he’s smart. I swear he’s like this close to reading.”

“No!” Jake yelled, maybe a bit too loudly, but it made Amy laugh. “You can’t be that parent. Your kid’s already reading? Come on! Give the rest of us a break!”

Amy laughed heartily. “I can’t help it. I passed my nerdiness on to him. He has liked having me read him books since he was a baby. He used to just lay there and stare up at me as I read him stories. It was awesome.”

Jake smiled brightly. “It sounds awesome. Also, unrelated, but once John gets home from my mom’s tomorrow, I’m starting an intensive reading camp for him every single night. It will end when he can read proficiently.”

“Oh great,” Amy said with a laugh, “You’re doing both of us a favor. You’re gonna get John to read and Sam will stop being jealous of you because all John is going to do is complain about his daddy making him learn to read nonstop.”

Jake lifted his hands up dramatically. “See? I’m benefitting everyone.”

“So what’s John like?”

Jake smiled thoughtfully. “I would also have to say that he’s great. I don’t really know how with just having me, but he is. He’s funny. He constantly makes me laugh. He likes to make up jokes to make me laugh. For a five year old, I’d say he’s pretty witty.” Jake broke off at the sight of Amy staring at him with a smile on her face. “I don’t know, he just loves to have fun.  He loves being outside and running around. And he loves to wear me out. I swear, chasing him around is harder than chasing perps.”

Amy leaned her head back in laughter. “Yes! Why is chasing a five year old more exhausting than being a cop?”

“I don’t know, but it’s so true!”

They both laughed, smiling at each other in the silence that followed. “So why did you become a cop?” Jake asked.

As much as Amy loved talking about her son, she really appreciated Jake asking about her. She liked Jake and she wanted them to get to know each other more than just as the parents of their child’s friend. So Amy talked all about her dad being a cop and his dad being a cop. And Jake talked about watching Die Hard and wanting to become a cop. And before she knew it the conversation steered away from their mutual work as well. They were just talking about their lives and their interests. And Amy couldn’t help it, but she felt smitten.

Since Amy lived a few blocks from the restaurant, Jake volunteered to walk her home. It was a beautiful September evening and it just added to the way Amy was feeling. She doubted herself and wondered if she only liked Jake because he was one of the first people in over five years to show her actual interest. When he genuinely laughed at a joke she made, she couldn’t deny the butterflies in her stomach. When he grabbed her hand to shuffle around some people on the sidewalk, she couldn’t deny the warmth she felt just from holding his hand.

Soon enough, they were at her stoop. She wished the night didn’t have to end, but it was far too soon to invite him up. Given the way she felt around him, she didn’t trust herself. “Thanks for tonight,” she said kindly. “This was really nice.”

Jake smiled brightly. “I agree.”

“Maybe sometime soon we can find the time in our crazy lives to do so again?” Amy ventured.

Jake nodded. “I certainly hope so.” He stepped a bit closer to her. “I had a really good time tonight.”

Amy smiled. “Yeah, I did too.”

Slowly Jake raised his hand, cupping the side of Amy’s face. He only had to lean in part way before Amy met him for the kiss. He kissed her gently, bringing his other hand to her back. She wrapped both arms around him, eagerly returning the kiss. Too soon for her liking, Jake released her with a smile. “Goodnight, Amy.”

She leaned in for another quick kiss. “Goodnight, Jake.”

He stayed there as she walked up to the door of her building. With a wave, she disappeared inside the door. She stood, leaning against the door, a smile plastered across her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this intensely happy.

**

As time went on, the nightly calls to each other became more common. Texting each other throughout the day was pretty much a given. And dates somehow became slightly more regular. It was still hard to find a time when both of them didn’t feel like they were abandoning their kids. After a month and a half, they’d been on a handful of dates.

Jake felt like he knew Amy really well though. They may not see each other as much as they’d both like to, but they talked a lot and it helped form the closeness they shared. Jake couldn’t help but marvel at how perfectly it had come together. What were the odds that he’d meet such an amazing woman and she would be the mom of his son’s best friend? He wasn’t a gambler, but he’d bet that those odds were slim. And yet, he was so happy with Amy. She was the only other person he knew who he felt got it.

He was sitting at his desk in the middle of November when his desk phone rang. “Detective Peralta,” he answered.

“Jake! Hey, it’s Amy!”

“Hey!” he greeted. “What’s up? Why are you calling me on my work phone?”

“Because I’m supposed to be working and no one would be suspicious of me calling another precinct.”

Jake chuckled. “Good thinking.”

“Anyway, I have a huge favor to ask of you,” Amy informed him.

“Ask away.”

“Is your babysitter picking up John today?”

“No, I am.”

“Oh,” she said softly.

“Amy, what’s up?” Jake prodded.

Amy sighed over the phone. “I was supposed to pick up Sam today too but now I don’t know if I’ll be able to get away. Would it be way too much of me to ask if you could pick him up?”

“Not at all. Why would that be too much to ask?” Jake asked.

“I don’t know. We haven’t told the boys anything is going on. And it’s not like you’ve spent any time with Sam. I don’t want you to feel like I’m asking this ridiculous thing of you,” Amy rambled.

“Ames,” Jake said in a soothing voice. “For all they’ll think, I’m taking them to have a play date or whatever. They’ll just be excited to spend the afternoon together. It’ll be fine. I can absolutely pick up Sam.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Jake replied confidently. “I mean I’m gonna have to spend time with your son eventually, right?”

Amy chuckled through the phone. “I suppose so. I just imagined I’d be there.”

“Well, sure.”

“Thank you, Jake. I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Jake assured her.

“You’re the best,” she replied.

“I know,” Jake said with a laugh. “Now you should get back to work so you aren’t there all night.”

“Good idea. I’ll see you later!”

“I can’t wait!” Jake answered before hanging up the phone.

Charles walked over to Jake’s desk a bit later in the day. “So are you still good for me coming over tonight to consult you on what meal I should cook for Genevieve for the first time?”

Jake looked up at him curiously until he remembered what Charles was talking about. “Oh shoot. That was tonight?” Charles nodded. “I can’t, Buddy, I’m sorry. I promised Amy I’d pick up Sam and bring him home with me to hang out with John tonight.”

“Wait, so you’re spending time alone with Amy’s kid?”

Jake replied hesitantly. “Yes.”

“Oh my God, this is huge!”

Jake groaned. “No it’s not, Charles. Please don’t make this a big deal.”

“But it is!” Jake opened his mouth to negate him, but Charles continued. “Listen, Jake, you like this kid’s mother. A lot. You don’t think it’s a big deal that this kid likes you? You don’t think it’ll help if he goes home talking about how much fun he had with John’s dad? Because this is the last piece of the puzzle. You and Amy like each other. And your kids like each other. But what if Sam doesn’t like you? Or what if John doesn’t like Amy?”

“Please, John will love Amy,” Jake argued, too unsure to argue whether Sam would love him.

“Okay. I’m just saying, don’t play this off as nothing, Jake. You like Amy so you are bound to be nervous about whether her son likes you,” Charles maintained.

“Fine, I might be a little nervous. But I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I am now that you’ve gone on about it for ten minutes,” Jake retorted.

“Don’t worry, what’s not to love about you, Jakey?”

Jake rolled his eyes, trying to get back to his work. Not sensing this, Charles sat down in the chair next to Jake’s desk. “So things are getting pretty serious with Amy, huh?”

Jake looked over at him. “Why do you say that?”

“You’re nervous about meeting her kid. She’s letting you pick up her kid. She wouldn’t do that if things weren’t getting serious between you,” Charles insisted.

“I mean I guess maybe they are. It feels weird saying that though. We’ve only been on like six dates.”

“But don’t you talk like all the time?” Charles interrogated.

Jake nodded, secretly wishing Charles would leave him to evaluate his relationship on his own. “Yeah. We talk almost every night on the phone after the boys are in bed.”

Charles beamed at him. “That’s beautiful.”

Jake rolled his eyes and pointed back to Charles’s desk. “Okay, you can go now.”

“Okay, but I’ll be here if you need advice,” Charles nearly crooned. Jake shook his head and tried to get back to work. He tried not to spend the rest of the day thinking about what he’d do with the boys. Or better yet, the way things were progressing with Amy. He really did have strong feelings for her. And as much as he wanted Charles to be wrong, it did matter how it went with Sam.

**

“Daddy!” John called as he ran across the room to Jake. Jake squatted down and hugged his son.

“How was your day?”

“Good!” John exclaimed.

“How would you feel if your friend Sam got to come home and play with us?” Jake asked, already knowing the answer.

John gasped and Jake smiled. “Can he?” As if he knew they were talking about him, Sam ran over to John and Jake. “Sam, my dad said you can come home and play with me!”

“Really?” Sam asked excitedly. Jake marveled at how excited the boys were.

“Yeah, I talked to your mom earlier. You’re gonna come hang out with us for a while tonight. How does that sound?” Jake asked.

“Good!” Sam yelled. The boys started talking excitedly to each other.

Jake looked over at Miss Miller. “Did Amy call earlier about me taking Sam home?”

“Yep!” she replied, “And they’re free to go!”

“Thanks!” Jake said before turning back to the boys. “You boys ready to go?”

“Yeah!” they both yelled. Jake laughed and grabbed both of their hands, leading them out of the school and to his car.

They’d played at the park for a while, gotten ice cream on the way back to Jake’s apartment, and the boys were happily playing in John’s room as Jake prepared dinner for them. Even though he was down the hall, he could hear them laughing and yelling as they played. He smiled to himself, thinking on how the day actually went pretty well.

Jake set out bowls of his best macaroni and cheese on the table and called the boys down to eat. They thundered down the hall toward the kitchen. Both of them were about to sit down when Sam stopped. “Wait,” he said, holding out his hand to John, “we should wash our hands before we eat.”

Jake choked back a laugh. “Yes, you should,” he agreed. “Good idea, Sam!”

After they’d both washed their hands, and possibly made a huge mess in the bathroom, they came and sat down at the table with Jake. All it took was one bite of the mac and cheese for Sam to compliment Jake. “Wow, Mr. Peralta, this is really good!”

“Thank you, Sam.”

“My mom’s isn’t this good,” Sam said as he shoveled more in his mouth. Jake once again choked back a laugh, while noting that he should definitely rub it in Amy’s face later. He listened as the boys talked about school. Conversations with five year olds weren’t exactly the most scintillating, but Jake was thoroughly enjoying it. A knock at the door signaled Amy’s likely arrival.

“That’s probably your mom, Sam,” Jake informed them. “You two keep eating. I’ll get the door.” Jake walked down to the front door and opened it to see a haggard Amy standing there. “Hey,” he greeted.

“Hi,” she said miserably. “Thank you so much for getting Sam.”

Jake just shrugged and gestured for her to come in. “It was really no problem Amy.”

“Work just got so bungled. I had no way of leaving earlier than I did. I really appreciate it, Jake, whether it was no problem or not,” she said, leaning in and hugging him quickly.

“It was fun. We all had a pretty fun time today. We played at the park, given what you mentioned to me, and we had some ice cream. Don’t give me that look. And then we came back here. They played and now they’re eating. I’d say overall it was a large success,” Jake mused.

Amy shook her head with a grin. “Well I’m glad.”

“Mommy!” Sam yelled. Jake turned around to see him running from the kitchen towards Amy. She leaned down and hugged him tightly. “Mommy, we’re having mac and cheese!”

“You are?”

“Yeah. Mr. Peralta’s mac and cheese is better than yours!” Sam yelled, as he ran back to the kitchen.

Amy gave Jake a questioning glare. “I swear I didn’t put him up to that. He just volunteered that,” Jake promised. Amy shook her head. “Have you eaten? I have plenty.”

“I suppose I can eat some of your betrayal mac and cheese,” Amy sighed, walking toward the kitchen. Jake laughed as he walked behind her. Jake filled a bowl as she sat down in the empty seat next to John. “You must be John. I’ve heard a lot about you from Sam.”

John was experiencing his rare shyness and very quietly replied, “Yeah.” Amy just smiled and patted him on the back as Jake gave her the bowl of food. John’s shyness disappeared quickly. “Are you Sam’s mom?”

“I am,” Amy replied happily.

John looked over at Jake, “Dad, she is pretty.”

Amy burst out laughing and looked over at Jake whose face suddenly felt very warm. He just shook his head at his son amusedly. “I guess child betrayal is just the theme for tonight,” Jake mused.

Amy took a bite of her mac and cheese and groaned slightly. She looked at Jake with an expression of betrayal. “Crap, he’s right. This is better than mine. How terrible is this for me?”

Jake laughed heartily. “I don’t think it’s any worse than any other kind of mac and cheese.”

“Daddy, we’re done,” John informed Jake. “Can we go play?”

Jake looked over at Amy quickly and she shrugged. “Sure!” They both jumped up. “Ah, John, what should you do first?”

John turned back to the table and grabbed his plate, walking it over to the sink. Sam quickly followed his lead. “Thank you for dinner, Mr. Peralta,” Sam said as he walked out of the kitchen past Jake.

Jake looked over at Amy with a dopey grin on his face. “Amy, he is so precious.”

Amy smiled widely. “Thanks. I agree.”

They had cleaned up after dinner, despite Jake insisting Amy didn’t need to help and Amy helping anyway. “I hate to say it, but I’m kinda glad your work went crazy,” Jake said with a shy grin.

“Why’s that?” Amy asked, stepping closer to him.

“Because then I got to see you sooner than I thought I would,” Jake reasoned.

Amy smiled and leaned up to kiss him quickly. “Well I guess I’m glad for that reason too then.” She sighed. “I should probably take Sam home so he can get to bed.”

Jake nodded and they walked down the hall toward John’s room. Amy held out her hand to stop Jake using police signals. Jake almost laughed out loud. But she was trying to listen to something Sam was saying. Jake leaned closer to hear too.

“Do you like your mom?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know my mom,” John replied.  Jake felt his heart sink. He was waiting for the very statement he’d feared of hearing for five years. Amy turned around and looked at Jake sympathetically. “But it’s okay,” John said. “I like my dad. And he says that we’re just enough.” Amy smiled and grabbed Jake’s hand with a squeeze.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Sam asked. Amy looked at Jake with a concerned expression. “I don’t like my dad,” Sam said sadly. Jake squeezed Amy’s hand in his as he saw her face fall. “He doesn’t do anything fun with me like your dad does with you. We never go play at the park.”

“That’s okay,” John answered. “You can play with me and my dad.”

“Okay, I want to,” Sam replied cheerily.

Jake shook his head with a low chuckle. Amy smiled at him. “I guess today went pretty well.”

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

“Maybe sometime soon I can repay the favor and pick up the boys. Get to spend some time with John,” Amy offered.

Jake smiled. “I think he’d like that.”

They shook off the big moment between them and walked into John’s bedroom. “You ready to go, Sam?” Amy asked.

“No! Can’t I just stay?” Sam whined.

“Sorry, Sweetie, but your bed is at home,” Amy reminded him. “Besides, I think we’ve intruded enough for the night. And you’ll see John tomorrow at school.” Begrudgingly, Sam got up and said goodbye to John. John was walking to the front door with him. Jake and Amy were walking toward the door when Amy ducked in the kitchen. Confused, Jake followed her. “Hey, what do you think your chances would be of getting a babysitter this weekend?” Amy asked.

Jake shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably good. What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know, just that I’d like to see you,” Amy replied. “How would Friday work?”

“So soon,” Jake teased. “I think that sounds perfect.”

“Great!” Amy exclaimed. She leaned in, kissing him deeply. Jake wrapped his arms around her tightly, reciprocating the kiss. Amy started to run her fingers through his hair. Jake was getting lost in their kiss. It wasn’t until they heard a loud laugh from the hall that they broke apart, remembering the children waiting for them. They flashed each other guilty looks and walked back to the door.

“Well we had lots of fun today, Sam,” Jake said to the five year old. “You are welcome to come play with John anytime.”

Amy mouthed “thank you” to him as she saw the thrilled look on Sam’s face. “Really?” Sam asked excitedly.

“Of course, Buddy!”

“Thank you, Mr. Peralta!” Sam yelled, running over and giving Jake a hug around the legs. Jake bent down and returned the hug. He didn’t miss the look on Amy’s face as he stood back up. They all bid each other goodbye and after enough time, Amy and Sam left, leaving Jake to feel like the apartment was emptier somehow. He shook his head. It was much too early for thoughts like that.

Jake had tucked John into bed and was laying on his own bed watching some late night show when his phone started buzzing. He laughed when he looked at the screen and saw Amy was calling. “Hello?”

“Today was a mistake,” Amy replied without even saying hello.

Jake’s stomach sank. “Why?”

“Because if I have to hear one more time about how much Sam wants to go play at John’s or go to the park with John and his dad, I’m going to lose it!” She said a bit shrilly.

Jake felt relief as he laid his head back on the pillow, laughing. “Oh thank God. I thought you were gonna say something else.”

“No. He loved you. He had so much fun today,” Amy reassured. “Which I’m glad he did, but at the same time, I’d like to talk about something else.”

Jake was still laughing. “I’m sorry that your kid is so obsessed with me.”

“Mhmm…I’m sure you are.” Jake couldn’t see Amy, but he could picture the face she was making. After a brief pause, Amy said in a small voice, “I’m excited for Friday.”

**

Friday came and Jake had managed to find a babysitter. Charles agreed that he and Genevieve would watch John as “practice.” Jake didn’t care as long as they agreed to watch him. He trusted them with his son, so he felt comfortable leaving for the night.

They met at a bar of Amy’s choosing. They hadn’t been there too long before Amy spotted him. She stood up quickly and stormed over to the bar. She noticed Jake following quickly in her stride.

“Teddy?” She asked as she looked upon the face of her ex-fiancé.

“Amy, what are you doing here?” he asked.

Amy gaped at him. “I should ask you the same thing. Where is our son?”

Teddy shook his head. “Don’t worry, he’s with his babysitter.”

“Excuse me?”

“What? You think I’d just leave him at home alone?” Teddy asked with a scoff.

“My question is more, why are you here when it is your weekend with him?” Amy asked pointedly.

“A buddy was going through something so I said I’d be here. I forgot I was supposed to have the kid but I found a sitter. My old lady neighbor is great with kids.”

Amy was so close to blowing up on him. “You know, this is why he hates coming to stay with you. This is why he begs me to let him stay with me instead. You get two weekends a month with your son. Why don’t you actually spend time with him?”

Teddy glared at her. “Listen, I don’t tell you what to do with your time, hanging all over some guy in a bar like a –” Amy’s glare cut him off. “So don’t feel like you can tell me what to do with my time.”

Amy had a million retorts spinning around in her head. She’d seen this Teddy before though. A pilsner in hand, a glassy look in his eye, a scowl upon his face. This was not a Teddy that you could win against. Everything you did was wrong. And Amy wasn’t having it tonight. She’d been really excited to see Jake and spend time with him. She wasn’t about to let Teddy ruin that. She shook her head and turned around, walking away from Teddy. Jake followed her back to their table.

“What do you want to do?” Jake asked hesitantly. “Do you want to go somewhere else? Do you want to go home? Do you want to beat him up? I’ll help. Do you want to go get Sam?”

Amy looked up at Jake and smiled. He was so understanding. “Do I want to beat him up? Yes, definitely. But we’re both cops so I don’t see that ending well.”

“What about Sam?”

Amy shrugged. “As much as it pisses me off, I have to leave Sam with his babysitter and his crappy dad.”

“Why? I mean why even give him visitation? He clearly doesn’t value it,” Jake asked.

A sad looked crossed Amy’s face. “It’s his parents. They’d fight me if I didn’t give him time with Sam. And they’re the type of people who would get sway and win. And I’d lose my son to someone who doesn’t even want him.”

Jake gaped at her. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “So what do you want to do?”

Amy leaned her head into Jake’s hand. “We could go somewhere else.” Jake nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Once they were out of the bar, Amy turned to Jake on the sidewalk. “Okay, this may sound super lame. Tell me if it is. But we could always just grab takeout and go back to my place. I have beer.”

Jake smirked. “I think that sounds great. Way better than some noisy bar with annoying people.”

By the time they’d gotten back to Amy’s, they were getting close to being starving. Amy put on a movie as Jake got out takeout boxes and set them across her coffee table. “Wait,” Jake said, pointing at the TV and stopping her in her tracks, “is any of this animated?”

Amy grinned. “No.”

“Is it rated above G?”

Still grinning, Amy said, “Yes.”

Jake fist pumped the air. “Yes! What a change of pace!”

Amy laughed as she sat down next to him, reaching for her food. She cuddled up against him, eating her Chinese out of the container. Every now and then, they’d pick bits from each other’s containers. The movie played on in the background as they talked. It kept playing as Amy kissed Jake’s jaw and as that little kiss turned into them making out heavily on her couch. It played on as Jake worked at the buttons on Amy’s shirt and she undid the button of his jeans. They didn’t take the time to stop the movie as they tripped and stumbled while kissing on their way to Amy’s bedroom, their clothes leaving a trail behind them.

A bit later, Amy laid curled up against Jake’s body, leaving little kisses along his neck. “Holy crap,” she panted.

“Yeah,” Jake agreed breathily.

“I wish you didn’t have to go home,” Amy said regretfully.

Jake looked down at her. “I don’t have to be home for a while,” he reminded her with a sinful look on his face. He leaned back in, kissing her deeply. Amy responded equally, though both were too spent to do much more than kiss.

Eventually though, Jake did have to go home. He kissed her passionately against the door, blocking his exit. Pulling back, he laid his forehead against hers. “I had a really great time tonight.”

Amy smiled broadly. “You and me both.”

“Let’s do this again soon,” Jake said. His eyes went wide. “I mean this like a date, not this like –”

Amy laid her hand on his chest. “I knew what you meant. Although I’d be fine with both,” she added with a suggestive grin.

“Me too,” Jake smirked, leaning in to kiss her again. He broke the kiss quickly. “Okay, now I really have to go.” Amy stepped out of the way of the door. He gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Goodnight, Amy.”

“Goodnight,” she replied with a smile. He couldn’t resist kissing her one more time before he left.

**

It took a while for their next date to line up. Between the holidays approaching, and just the general craziness of work and single parenting, it wasn’t happening as fast as either of them would like. Talking on the phone started happening every night after the boys’ bedtimes. Sometimes it got a bit steamier than usual. Amy still felt as close to Jake as she had before, despite the weeks it had been since they’d spent time alone. They conveniently ran into each other when picking up their sons. They got little times here and there when they actually got to see each other and both of them admitted that they were grateful for it.

So safe to say, by the time the end of December rolled around and they’d actually found the time to schedule a date, Amy was pretty amped up for it. Her parents had blessedly requested all grandchildren stay at their house after Christmas for a few extra days. It was a nice little gift (to them and to her). That meant she could have some time to herself, but also some time with Jake.

The plan was a nice dinner and something else afterward that Jake wouldn’t tell her. She was to the point where she was giddy to be spending time alone with him. Amy was ready to go half an hour before he was set to pick her up. Seven o’clock came and Jake wasn’t there. She figured there could be traffic, so she didn’t freak yet. When seven thirty hit and she didn’t even have a text from him, she started to get skeptical. At eight o’clock, Amy just got mad. She threw her coat back on and stormed out the door. There had to be some reason why Jake just flaked on their date. Maybe he wasn’t as excited for it as she was, but still, she deserved an explanation.

Stomping up to his door, Amy didn’t even consider anything else that could be wrong. If anything was seriously wrong, he’d have let her know. She had no idea what this could be. Amy beat on his door, ready to figure out why he’d stood her up. Jake opened the door looking harried, a sleeping John curled around him like a reversed backpack. She saw his surprised expression fall as he took in her appearance. He held one finger over his lips, to let her know they should be quiet, but he stood back and gestured her to come in.

Amy walked in, seeing things strewn across the apartment. She had no idea what could have happened. She’d been to Jake’s place before, and though he said he could be messy, she’d never seen it like this. Jake was sitting down on the couch, trying not to wake his son. Amy sat down gently next to him.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I completely forgot. It’s been kind of insane around here today.”

Amy shrugged. For all the anger that had built up in her over the last hour or more, she deflated at the sight of Jake looking like a mess. “What happened?” Amy asked softly.

Jake rubbed his hand up and down John’s back. “Sophia came by today.”

Amy gaped at him. “What?” Had it not been for the sleeping child, she’d have had a much louder reaction.

“Yeah,” Jake confirmed. “She apparently wants some amount of custody now. And John didn’t even know who she was, but he heard some woman saying she was going to take him from me and he broke down. He finally cried himself to sleep on my shoulder about an hour and a half ago.” Amy stared at him in shock. “I’m really sorry. I should have at least texted you.”

Amy shook her head. “Jake, don’t be sorry. That sounds like a disaster. I’m the last thing you should be worrying about.”

Jake smiled at her. “I’m still sorry to have ruined our date. It’s been a month.”

Amy rubbed her hand up and down Jake’s arm. “I think we’ll be okay.” She leaned over and kissed his shoulder. He looked at her with a sad smile. “So what does Sophia want?”

“Custody,” Jake confirmed. “I don’t know how much or what. She just came by and said she’d thought a lot about it and she wanted to be a part of her son’s life and she was willing to fight me in court for custody.”

Amy shook her head. “Jake, I’m so sorry. That’s ridiculous.”

She could see tears building in Jake’s eyes. “I know it is. I’m just…what if she wins? What if she decides she wants full custody of him and she wins? I can’t lose him. He’s my son. I have been there for everything. He’s the most important thing in my life. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost him.” His tears spilled over his cheeks. Amy reached up to wipe them before they fell down onto John.

“Everything you just said is why you aren’t going to lose him, Jake,” Amy reassured. “You’re an amazing dad. Anyone who’s ever seen you with him can attest to that. We’ll get you a great lawyer who can battle anyone Sophia’s gonna hire. And we’ll make damn sure John doesn’t go anywhere.”

“We?” Jake asked hesitantly.

“You’d think I’d ditch you?” Amy asked, a pointed look on her face.

“No,” Jake stated. “But this is big.”

“Yeah, but so is the way I feel about you,” Amy admitted. “And your son.”

Jake’s face broke out in a small smile. “Thank you, Amy.” She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair comfortingly. She saw his eyes flutter a little. “I don’t really even know where to start,” Jake admitted. “I never thought this would happen.”

“Well why would you?” Amy asked. “She left.” Amy pinned Jake with a meaningful look. “We’ll find the best way to beat her, I promise Jake. John isn’t going anywhere.”

Jake looked at Amy with a grateful expression. “Amy, I…” he trailed off, his face contorting. Finally, he smiled at her. “I appreciate you. I don’t know what I’d do without you either.”

Amy smiled, running her fingers back through his hair. “Well you don’t have to worry about that either.”

**

“Oh my God,” Amy muttered a week later. “Jake! Jake, I found it!” Amy yelled across his apartment. She could hear the boys playing obliviously in the other room as Jake ran into the living room.

“What did you find?” Jake panted.

“You said you wanted to know why she suddenly wanted him back,” Amy reminded. “And I just found that reason. She’s running for mayor of New York City. It hasn’t even been announced yet. My guess is she wants all her ducks in a row before she announces and that’s why she wants John.” Jake threw himself down on the couch. “I’m guessing it will lose some people’s votes if it got out that she had a child and abandoned it. So now she’s trying to look like a present mother.”

Jake shook his head with a faraway glare on his face. “I can’t believe her,” he muttered to himself. He looked up at Amy. “We are not voting for her.”

Amy laughed, getting up and sitting next to him on the couch. “At least we have a good idea of why she’d do this.” Amy patted Jake’s leg comfortingly. “I mean, what messed up judge would take a kid from his amazing father and give him to the mother who only wants him so she can win an election. What is she going to do if she wins? Toss him back to you? Give him off to her arm candy husband?”

“Husband?” Jake asked, looking at Amy. She walked over and got her computer, showing the picture of them to Jake. “Oh my God,” Jake gasped. “She married him?”

“Who is it?”

“This slimeball she used to work with,” Jake explained. “We had a number of fights about him. I told her several times that he wanted to sleep with her. She always denied it. Well guess who was right?” Jake shook his head. “No, no way am I letting that dick anywhere near my son.”

“Have you heard back from your lawyer?” Amy asked.

“Yeah, we meet tomorrow afternoon,” Jake replied. “Speaking of which, can yo-”

“Yes, I can get the boys,” Amy assured him with a smile.

Jake let out a sigh. He leaned in and kissed the side of her head. “Thank you, Amy.”

“I’m just picking up my kid and getting one more, it’s not that big a deal,” Amy laughed.

“I didn’t mean just that,” Jake insisted. “I mean for everything. You’ve been my rock for the last week and I…I really don’t know what I’d do without you. You’ve been calming me down right and left. And I mean we aren’t even to court yet.”

Amy put her computer down and grabbed Jake’s hand in both of hers. “I know for a fact that if Teddy made some crazy play for Sam, you would do the exact same thing. You have nothing to thank me for. That little boy deserves to be here in his home. With his dad who he loves. And I can testify to that if need be.”

Jake just smiled and shook his head at her in awe.

**

Amy was making dinner for the boys at her home the next day when John wandered into the kitchen. She was sad that Jake was in the situation he was in, but she was secretly happy to get to spend more time with John. She’d seen the immediate effect Jake had had on Sam. She only hoped she could rub off on John that well.

“Miss Amy?” John asked, calling attention to his arrival in the room.

Amy spun around at her name. She’d told John he could call her that when he was confused that her last name wasn’t Wells like Sam. “Yes, John?” Amy asked, walking over towards him.

“Can I ask you something?”

Amy knelt down in front of him. “Honey, you can ask me anything.”

“Is my dad coming back?”

Amy felt her stomach sink. She reached out and placed her hands on John’s shoulders. “Of course he is, John. He’s just in a meeting. He asked if I could pick you up so you could play with Sam.”

He nodded slightly. “But what about the lady who wants to take me away?”

Amy sat down in one of her kitchen chairs and pulled John onto her lap. “Listen, no one is going to take you away from your dad. He’s fighting really hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, okay? Because your dad, he loves you more than anything. And he isn’t going to let anyone take you away from him.” John sniffled and nodded. “And you know what? Sam and I won’t let anyone take you away either. We love you too.”

John smiled and threw both his arms around Amy in a hug. She felt tears springing in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around John. John ended the hug and looked at Amy. “And you’ll make sure no one takes me away?”

Amy nodded sincerely. “I promise.”

“Thank you, Miss Amy,” he said, climbing down off her lap. Amy nodded at him in reply. He turned to go back to Sam’s room. Suddenly, he turned back. “I like you, Miss Amy.”

Amy smiled widely. “Thank you, John. I like you too.”

John smiled and ran off to play with Sam.

**

For almost two months, Jake and Amy had been doing everything they could to be prepared for a custody hearing. The date was still pending. Jake’s lawyer informed him that sometimes it can take a while to get a court date. So in the meantime, they found anything that would help prove that Sophia shouldn’t get custody and all the good reasons that Jake should keep John. Amy had been coming over to Jake’s apartment with Sam pretty much every day after work or school. The boys seemed content to play together and spend plenty of time hanging out. Jake sometimes couldn’t help but stare at Amy in awe. She’d thrown herself into this mess without a second thought. He’d said it before and he’d meant it; he didn’t know what he’d do without her. He loved her, but he had no idea how to tell her while his life was such a mess.

Amy was out with the boys picking up dinner for them all when Jake got a call from his lawyer. Apparently a court date had been set suddenly. They were meeting in a week. Jake threw his phone on the couch and paced up and down his living room. A knock at the door jolted Jake out of his fury. It couldn’t be Amy. She had a key.

He walked over and opened the door to see Sophia standing there. He glared at her. “Jake, hi,” she said casually. “So we have a court date set for a week from today.”

“Yes, I heard,” Jake replied in a low voice.

“Great,” Sophia responded sweetly, smiling at Jake. “However, you know we could just use a mediator and not have to go to court. I know a good mediator that would be willing to meet with us at our earliest convenience.”

Jake stared at her skeptically. “You really think I’m going to use one of your friends as a mediator? Where’s the objectivity in that?” Sophia rolled her eyes and strolled past Jake into the apartment. “Yeah, sure, come right on in,” he commented sarcastically.

“I don’t know why you won’t work with me?” Sophia yelled.

Jake laughed dryly. “Gee, I don’t know, because you abandoned him five years ago and showed zero remorse until you had a big election coming up that you wanted to look good in.”

Sophia looked shocked. “How do you know about that?”

“I’m a detective. Remember?”

Sophia shook her head. “Jake, I don’t get why you’re acting this way. I’m his mother.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like you’ve been his mother since you gave birth to him,” Jake retorted. Sophia rolled her eyes. “Sophia, you know nothing about him. You didn’t even know his name until you looked me up to find me again. I didn’t judge you for putting your career first. I always expected you to. That was why I was surprised when you wanted to go through with the pregnancy. I never judged you for trying to save your career since I knew how important it was to you. But I did judge you for how you did so. You just left him. And you didn’t even call me to tell me you were in labor. You just ghosted. We had solid plans for how we were going to raise our baby and then you left and I had to figure everything out by myself.”

Sophia’s face was blank. Jake had no indication of how his words were affecting her. “I don’t get why you’re so resistant to me being a part of my son’s life.”

“I’m resistant to you taking him.”

“God, it’s not like I’m kidnapping him, Jake,” Sophia argued. “I’m his mother. It is my right to be a part of his life.”

“It’s not a right. It is a privilege. And one you tossed away with him right after he was born,” Jake defended. “Sophia, you don’t even know him. You want to be a part of his life, start small. Don’t come running in again after five years waving custody papers. You really think he’s going to want to spend half his time with the woman who took him from his dad? Because that’s how he sees it. He doesn’t know who you are. And you’re going about this for you not for him. If you really cared about being his mother, you’d think about what was best for him and his well-being. And having you strut in and demand we all work with you so you can look like a mother and win your damn election is not what is in his best interest.”

Sophia stared at him with a furious look on her face. “I’m his mother,” she repeated.

“Biologically. But there are a lot of people who’ve been a better mother to him in the last five years. The years that he remembers,” Jake argued. “My mom, his teachers, Charles, his babysitters, my girlfriend,” Jake listed. He grimaced slightly. He hadn’t intended to ever mention Amy to Sophia. He knew she’d go after anyone she could.

Sophia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Well, all I’m saying is you could have done this the easy way.”

Jake shook his head at her. “Said like a true politician. And nothing like a mother.” Jake heard the key in the lock seconds before it opened.

“Hey, we’re home!” Amy called before she spotted Jake in a heated standoff with Sophia. Jake could tell when she processed what was happening. “Boys, go wash your hands. Now.”

The boys ran off to the bathroom chattering about something. Amy sat the food down delicately on the table by the door. She turned to the door before looking back at Jake. “Should I leave the door open? Should I close it…?”

“Oh you can leave it open,” Jake answered. “She’s leaving.”

“No I’m not,” Sophia argued. “My son is here. I’d like to spend some time with him. Isn’t that what you wanted me to do before the hearing?”

“I believe I said instead of a hearing,” Jake reminded her.

“Whatever, I want to see him.”

“Well I hope you’re prepared for head lice then,” Amy interrupted. Jake looked over at her but she was staring at Sophia.  

“Head lice?” Sophia asked, horror dripping from her tone.

“Yep, you get enough kids together and it’ll spread like wildfire. Both boys came home with it today,” Amy informed her.

“Well then I suppose I’ll see him soon enough,” Sophia replied, straightening her blazer. “And I’ll see you in court.”

“Can’t wait,” Jake said sarcastically. He shut the door heavily behind her. Turning to Amy, he looked at her skeptically. “Head lice? I picked up the boys today and Miss Miller didn’t say anything about it.”

Amy grinned deviously. “I know. But I figured with her nice looking suit and her expensive looking blowout, the last thing she’d want is some bugs jumping through her hair. I figured it would be enough to keep her away from John.”

Jake stared at her in awe. He brought her in for a hug. “You’re amazing. Did you know that?”

Amy pulled her head back and looked at him. “I’ve had an inkling.” Jake shook his head with a grin before he leaned in and kissed her quickly.

They were headed to the kitchen with dinner when Jake stopped Amy. “Oh by the way, the hearing is in one week.”

“How is it that fast?”

“I guess she knows people. And wants this to have died down by the time she announces her campaign,” Jake figured. Amy rolled her eyes and wrapped her arm around Jake’s waist, heading for the kitchen.

**

The custody hearing was a draining affair. It wasn’t until Jake and Amy met with Jake’s lawyer that morning that they found out that Sophia had changed her terms to full custody. Jake was near tears in anger. “I guess that’s what she meant by saying I could have done it the easy way.” Jake looked up at Amy and saw that she was seething.

“Jake, this is bullshit. There’s no way they’ll give him to her,” Amy insisted. “I mean yeah she has the mother title, but she gave him up. And you’re an amazing dad.”

Jake nodded solemnly, hoping against hope that Amy was right.

He appreciated all the people that had turned up to testify on Jake’s behalf. Charles gave a tearful testimony about how Jake struggled to adjust to being a single dad and then triumphed and became the best dad there was. Even his captain testified, saying that his upstanding work performance didn’t hold a candle to his parenting abilities. And while Jake was touched by all the other testimonies, Amy’s was the one that really hit him.

Jake’s lawyer started the questioning. “You’re Mr. Peralta’s girlfriend?” Amy nodded. “How long have you known Mr. Peralta?”

“I met Jake the day that our boys started kindergarten.”

“And how would you say that he is as a parent?”

Amy paused and looked at Jake. “I could tell from the moment that I met him that his child was his whole life. And after spending time with them together, it is obvious how easily the role of father fits him. He is patient with him and he does silly things just to make his son happy. He does more than just the feeding and clothing him and keeping a roof over his head that’s required of a parent. But Jake goes beyond that. He loves his son more than anything else. And it’s obvious. He is the only person who knows his son so well. Who knows his little eccentricities, who knows exactly how to hide vegetables in his food so he won’t know they’re there, who knows what’s wrong when he’s crying. You can say that Sophia is John’s mother. But for John’s whole life, Jake has been not only his dad, but also his mom. He’s done everything. And he loves it. He is such a good father to his son that my own son has expressed his jealousy over it. That’s what Jake is like as a parent.”

Jake could feel tears in his eyes as Amy made eye contact with him from the stand. Amy finished her testimony and walked down from the stand to sit back behind Jake. He felt her hand gently squeeze his shoulder. For a moment, he felt better.

And then he had to listen to Sophia’s side talk about how he was preventing her from being a mother and correcting a five year old mistake. He watched as they dragged out every dumb thing he’d ever done and cited it as him being capable of being a bad father. He had to hear them talk about how he told Sophia that she didn’t have to keep it, completely ignoring how he’d told her it was her legal right to choose. But apparently that didn’t matter when he was being smeared in court. As Sophia’s lawyers praised her, Jake became actually concerned that he might lose his child. Turning to his lawyer, he expressed an interest to be put on the stand.

They’d already heard Sophia’s tearful testimony about her mistakes and how she just wanted to be a mom. Jake had initially decided he didn’t want to testify on his own behalf. He was worried that he would get angry and say something he shouldn’t. But he couldn’t let them smear his name without sharing his side. Jake was the final person to testify before a decision would be reached.

“Mr. Peralta, why do you believe that you are the better parent for your son?”

“I’ll keep this short,” Jake began, “I’m the better parent for my son because I’m actually his parent. Parenting is more than DNA. It’s hard. It’s having your kid say that they hate you because you wouldn’t let them have ice cream after dinner. It’s holding them while they cry about something completely insignificant. It’s getting up in the middle of the night after you worked all day because your son had a nightmare and he’s inconsolable. It’s more than biology. I’m the better parent for my son because I want my son. I love my son and the reason that I want to keep custody of him is because I care for him and I have his best interest at heart. I’m not trying to gain custody because I have mayoral ambitions and having a full family will win me voters.”

He could see Sophia’s scandalized face out of the corner of his eye. But he kept going. “I am the only person my son knows as a parent. To take him from me would damage him emotionally. It is not in his best interest to go to his mother. And I certainly hope that’s what the court cares about here. About the child’s best interest.” So maybe he hadn’t kept it short, but based on his lawyer’s reaction to his testimony, Jake seemed to think he’d made a convincing argument.

The judge dismissed the court as a decision was being made. Jake waited on a bench just outside the door with Amy sitting next to him. Charles stood across from them, talking to their captain. Amy gripped Jake’s hand tightly in hers. He squeezed her hand, needing her support more than ever.  

He was all but shaking as they were called back in to the courtroom. He saw Sophia with her husband behind her. She had a confident look on her face. Jake nervously stood for the judge.

“I’ve heard a lot of compelling arguments here today as to why both of you should have custody of your child,” the judge began. “And since the paperwork now reflects full custody, that is what I have to grant. Keeping the child’s best interest in mind, I am granting custody rights to the father, Jacob Peralta.”

Jake felt tears of joy streaming down his face. He closed his eyes and smiled, his knees almost giving out beneath him. Before he opened his eyes, he felt another body slam into his and their arms wrap around him. He wrapped his arms around Amy tightly. She pulled back and looked at him, tears streaming down her face too. “I knew they couldn’t take him from you.” He kissed her quickly before he turned to shake hands with his lawyer.

Jake and Amy picked up the boys from his mom’s house. Amy took Sam outside so Jake could have a moment of privacy with John. He explained to his son that they were going home and that no one was ever going to take him away. John threw his arms around Jake’s neck and hugged him tightly. Jake stood up, clutching his son to him as fresh tears filled his eyes.

They’d spent the day with their kids, letting them play and have dinner at John’s favorite place to eat. Amy kept insisting that she and Sam could go home and let them celebrate just the two of them. Every time, Jake waved her off and told her she was crazy. That they were important too.

Jake and Amy were sitting on his couch later that night, John asleep on him, Sam asleep on Amy. They were still watching the end of Aladdin since they’d put it on for the boys. Jake smiled as John snuggled further into his arms. He’d spent the rest of the day more thankful than ever for his son.

And as he looked over at Amy, he also felt incredibly thankful for her. He figured he’d have been much more of a wreck during the whole process if it hadn’t been for Amy’s support. Finally it seemed like after a couple months, his life was back on track. He reached over and grabbed her hand where it lay on the couch. She looked up and smiled at him. Finally the words that he hadn’t been able to say felt right.

“Amy,” he said softly. She looked over at him. “I love you.”

She smiled broadly, squeezing his hand in hers. “I love you too.”

Jake and Amy both started to lean in a little until the boys started to shift. They laughed quietly and sat back in their original spots, not wanting to wake their sons. Jake raised their joined hands and kissed the back of hers as she giggled.

Looking down at the sleeping boys, Amy wondered aloud, “Do you think maybe it’s time we tell them?”

Jake chuckled at the thought of explaining dating to two five year olds. “Yeah, we probably should.”

**

It was three years since they’d met. It was two years and six months since the custody hearing. It was a year and eight months since Jake had proposed to Amy with John and Sam holding up a sign they’d helped him paint. It was four months since the wedding when John had walked Jake down the aisle and Sam had walked Amy. It was three months since they’d started adoption proceedings for Amy to officially adopt John and Jake to officially adopt Sam (Teddy had apparently signed over his parental rights pretty easily).

Jake was reading something on his phone when Amy walked out of the bathroom. “The nightmares all taken care of?”

Jake smirked, looking up at her as she climbed in bed next to him. “Yes, I got in there and John was already out of bed, telling Sam it was just a bad dream.”

Amy laughed. “See, it’s like I said. This whole brothers thing is going to really cut down on our responsibilities. They’ll just take care of each other.”

Jake laughed with her. “We still have to feed and clothe them. I don’t think they’re to that level yet. Although, Sam was helping John with his math homework tonight. So you may have a point.”

Jake put his phone down on his bedside table and slid further down into the bed. “Hey, I have a question for you,” Amy asked. He looked up at her, nodding for her to continue as his eyes grew heavy. “How do you think the boys would feel about a sibling?”

Jake’s eyes were closed as his head rested on his pillow. “I’m sure they’ll just take it and trash the house with it as usual.” Suddenly his eyes sprang open and he stared at Amy. Her eyes were wide and she was wearing a grin. “Wait, are you saying…?” he trailed off.

Amy nodded excitedly. “I think so. I just took a test and it was positive. I mean it could be false, but…”

Jake shot up, crawling closer to Amy. “We’re having a baby?” Amy nodded. Jake grabbed her and kissed her all over her face before finally kissing her lips. He held his hands on either side of her head, staring into her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re having a baby.”

Amy smiled at Jake, tears in her eyes. He laid his hand on her stomach and she laid a hand over his. “I guess our little family is growing.”

Jake looked back up at Amy, kissing her again. “I think the boys are going to be thrilled.”

Posted on AO3 as well! 

[newstfionline]

Venezuelan refugees find safe haven in Scotland, along with gray weather, weird food

By David Ovalle, Miami Herald, Aug. 2, 2018

ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND--This is an ancient city on the chilly North Sea coast of Scotland, known for its granite architecture, abundant pubs and parks, and friendly folk who speak in a lyrical, often inscrutable regional dialect.

So it’s not exactly the first place you’d expect to find a thriving Venezuelan outpost.

Yet, here they are. Aberdeen and other places in Scotland have quietly become a tiny oasis for refugees fleeing the social strife and economic collapse back home in Venezuela.

The influx started over a decade ago, the first refugees drawn by one thing the two very different countries have in common--the oil industry. Much of Aberdeen’s economy has been tied to oil and gas production in the nearby North Sea. So when Venezuela’s state-run oil industry began struggling, a number of workers took jobs here.

That was the seed of small but growing community. New refugees Carlos and Nathaly Hernandez, with their two young daughters and teenage son in tow, had hoped to escape the rising chaos and crime at home by moving to Miami, a city with a booming Venezuelan population. But fearing it would be hard to live legally long-term in the United States, they soon set their sights on Scotland instead.

The transition has not been easy--the food was bland, they didn’t speak English, let alone the local variant, and the weather was a shock after balmy Caracas.

“I saw it as too gray,” Nathaly Hernandez recalled of their arrival to Aberdeen. “At that moment, the girls cried. It’s a gray city. They didn’t like it.”

For Venezuelan exiles, the family’s experience will sound painfully familiar.

He was a well-to-do veterinarian and farmer, she an accountant who helped run a telecommunications company. They lived in a gated mountainside community outside Caracas, put their two young daughters and teenage son in private school and took vacations to Miami and Orlando.

Now, Carlos pedals his rusty used bicycle to his night shift washing dishes at a restaurant. Nathaly spends her days cleaning hotel rooms. They live in a cramped apartment next to an ancient Scottish cemetery.

But the young girls, 9-year-old Ana and 6-year-old Sophia, can do something they could not in crime-wracked Venezuela: Play outside without fear.

“The parks. The beach ... There’s no danger here, not like Venezuela, where I couldn’t even go outside and jump around,” Ana said in a mixture of Spanish and broken English.

Since the late President Hugo Chávez took power in 1999, anywhere from two to four million Venezuelans have fled the country, according to estimates, most to neighboring South American countries. After nearly two decades of socialist rule, hyperinflation and economic mismanagement have led to crushing shortages of food, power and water, a dramatic rise in violent crime and continuing refugee crisis.

Most of the spotlight has been on the exodus to the United States and neighboring Colombia--the U.S. Agency for International Development recently announced it was giving $6 million to help feed and aid the tens of thousands crossing the border to Colombia.

But many Venezuelans also have fled to Europe, where those seeking international protection there has increased by over 3,500-percent. In February alone, nearly 1,400 Venezuelans sought asylum, nearly all of them in Spain.

The United Kingdom has also proven a growing option. There were an estimated 22,000 Venezuelan-born people living in legally in the United Kingdom last year, according to national statistics--nearly triple the number from just five years earlier. The population in Scotland remains small. About 2,000 people of Venezuelan birth were recorded living legally in Scotland last year--but that’s double the number from a decade ago, the stats show.

The Hernandez family managed to weather Venezuela’s decline for longer than many others.

They and their three dogs--Jesus Alberto, Fucho and Princesa--lived at the Los Anaucos Country Club in a mountainside house offering a stunning view over Caracas.

Carlos Hernandez ran a farm raising and buying and selling pigs, cattle and chickens, which meant they never lacked for provisions even when food stocks began vanishing in the past few years. Even as strife engulfed the capital, supermarkets went bare and robberies skyrocketed, the family lived “isolated from the world,” Nathaly Hernandez said.

“We weren’t seeing the reality of what was going on,” she said. “Our reality was different.”

The illusion was shattered in July 2017 when eight teenage gunmen seeking money burst into Carlos Hernandez’s farm, and held him and his employees hostage for four hours. He was released after convincing them he was just the vet, not the owner.

“When I got home, I told my wife, ‘Pack our things. We’re leaving Venezuela,’” Carlos Hernandez said.

They crashed with Venezuelan friends in Miami, who implored them to stay and try to seek asylum in the United States. But the family knew their chances were unlikely. Not wanting to live in Miami illegally, Carlos and Nathaly initially moved to Spain, but the job prospects were dim. After speaking to a friend living in Scotland, the family decided to settle in Aberdeen.

The city of just under 200,000 people is situated on the Northeast coast of Scotland, often an afterthought to more prominent metro areas such as Edinburgh and Glasgow. But Aberdeen has been an important industrial hub since the 1970s, when world oil companies arrived to exploit the oil riches of the North Sea.

For Venezuelans seeking refuge in the United Kingdom, Scotland has also proven more affordable than larger cities such as London and Liverpool, he said.

In Edinburgh, new immigrants estimate there are now between 100 and 150 Venezuelans, most of them lucky enough to have European citizenship through parents who were born in Spain or Italy. They’ve created a small informal network, helping new arrivals find jobs, make down payments for apartment rentals, even understand the Scottish accent--most speak passing English, but honed the language on American-influenced lessons and Hollywood blockbusters.

“Now, in the summer, we have barbecues. The kids go to the beach. The beaches are cold, but they’re beaches,” said Maxi Leone, 44, an accountant who left his practice in Venezuela and now works with Sky TV.

Every Sunday, Leone and his Venezuelan friends get together for a game of soccer against employees from a Scottish supermarket. Later, they might also get together for arepas, the traditional Venezuelan cornmeal-and-cheese delicacy. A company called Orinoco Latin Food now sells them at open-air markets on weekends.

They say Scottish food leaves much to be desired, especially haggis, the traditional pudding made from the innards of sheep.

“I’ll eat it,” said Leone, pausing. “It’s not my favorite.”

Over 100 miles north in Aberdeen, families such as the Hernandezes are still trying to find their footing.

Nathaly Hernandez quickly landed a job cleaning rooms at the Park Inn Radisson, which last month buzzed with visitors in town for the British Open golf tournament.

Her English is limited to words like “shampoo,” “pillowcases” and “towels.” Mostly, she smiles broadly, laughs incessantly and nods during staff meetings. Even after three months, the back-breaking labor feels surreal but vital--they regularly send money to relatives in Venezuela.

“Back home, I didn’t even wash dishes in my own home,” Nathaly said. “I never thought I’d be doing such hard work.”

Their 18-year-old son, Gustavo Hernandez, secured a job as a waiter. Carlos Hernandez got a job too, although at the interview, he was puzzled by the title of someone who washes dishes. “I had no idea what a kitchen ‘porter’ was,” he said, laughing.

But daily inconveniences seem trivial when the girls come home smiling.

On a recent evening, the family welcomed a visitor with a platter of cheese and grapes. The girls watched videos on tablets., the tiny flat strewn with toys, DVDs and video games. Ana, who is 9, excitedly explained how there were no bullies at her Scottish school. “I’ve advanced a lot. I’ve made friends,” Ana said. “I’m learning more of the language.”

Sophia is more introverted. She sat on her dad’s lap, fidgeting with a tiny purse. “Entiendo un poquito,” she said, shyly. I understand a little English.

“What do you understand in English?” Carlos Hernandez said.

Sophia turned to him, blinked repeatedly and smiled sheepishly with no answer. Her mother roared with laughter.

“Your favorite food?” he asked.

That got an answer in English. She said with a firm nod: “Pizza!”

[waywardwrestlewritingwaif]

The Guardian’s Oath, Part Nine

See, I told you there was going to be another update coming soon! 

This really isn’t going to make any sense unless you get caught up on the previous chapters, all of which are linked in the Master List. 

Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC

Word count: 2,429

Content advisory: Explicit sexual content, including some dub-con elements

What followed was the happiest period of my life. It was happier than anything I had imagined because until that time, I had never understood what it meant to be truly happy. For months, I had allowed myself to dream of the possibility of a life as Mrs. Feargal Devitt, of being his wife and of being more like a mother than a governess to William and Sophia. But each new day seemed to reveal a wonder to me that I had not considered, a detail that made my reality so much sweeter than my fantasy. First, it was the radiant faces of the children when we told them that I was to be the Reverend’s new wife, their eyes shining like they had been dreaming of the same thing. Kate was moved to tears and whispered to me that she had long believed that the Reverend and I would be married one day. 

Then there was the novelty of the wedding dress. I was frightened of doing anything too ostentatious, given that I was a servant and that I was marrying above my station and to a widower with two children of his own. However, it was also obvious that I would need something finer than any of the clothes that I already owned not merely for my wedding but more importantly for me to appear at home in my new role as the wife of the town pastor. Miss Graham, the seamstress, helped me choose a modest pattern without embellishments in cream and gold silk moire that felt extravagant even though I knew I was spending less than my future husband had allocated. 

While the people of the town had always been kind to me, I could feel that my position had shifted. I was no longer a servant; I was a member of their society. They spoke to me as an equal and wanted to engage me in conversation. I was awkward at first but I realized soon that I would be given the time to grow into this new role.

Our wedding was small, neither of us having family aside from the children, but it was no less joyous for being so. There was a light fog in the air that cast a soft glow over everything and the chill of the late winter air brought healthy roses to all of our cheeks. My heart raced, scarcely able to comprehend what was happening to me and what my life had become. I found myself overwhelmed by the end of the afternoon and quietly shed a few tears of happiness as I took my first meal as a wife and mother. 

At the end of the evening, Fearagal led me up the stairs to the master bedroom for the first time. Whatever strength had pushed me through the earlier part of the day, I felt it draining from my body with each step. My body felt heavy and clumsy, like I was some sort of imposter in this new role. 

“You’re trembling,” he said gently, cupping his hands around my face. “Please don’t be afraid of me.”

“Of course not,” I whimpered. “I don’t know…”

“I promise I won’t hurt you. I’ll be gentle.”

I nodded, unable to meet his earnest gaze. Of course he thought that I was nervous about what we were about to do because I was some timid virgin. The truth was that I was frightened that when he saw me or when he touched me, there would be some sign that I had been spoiled by another. I had examined every inch of my flesh a hundred times in the weeks leading up to our marriage and I had never found any mark that betrayed my secret but I still wondered if there wasn’t something, something only a man could tell, or something he would feel. As good a man as my husband was, I couldn’t imagine him being able to love me if he knew that I had let myself be defiled. 

He helped me remove my dress, trailing his lips along my neck and over my shoulders as he pushed the fabric back. We continued in this way, easing ourselves from our clothes and allowing ourselves to kiss and taste each new portion of flesh as it was revealed, a sort of game that made the process feel less awkward. The touches and caresses also stimulated something in me, the sort of sensations I had only experienced with Balor, that dark excitement that made my crevice grow wet. As he removed the last of his clothing, he gave me a little smile and posed so that I could see him, all lean muscle and milky skin. He stroked his erect prick as he looked at me and then guided us both down onto the bed. 

I kissed him deeply, moaning a little as I felt his hand slide between my legs. I knew that enjoying his touch was no sin and yet I worried that I might seem to enjoy it too much, or that I might not seem to enjoy it enough and that he would feel insulted. Relief rolled through me as I felt him smile against my lips. 

“You want me don’t you,” he whispered, rubbing his fingers harder along the outside of my opening. 

“Of course.”

I could hear the slick sounds as his ministrations, punctuated by his heavy panting made me grow wetter still. He started to press the tips of his fingers just inside me, pushing a little deeper with each pass. Finally, he withdrew his hand, returning it to his member which he dragged slowly along my soaked flesh. 

“You want it so much,” he chuckled. “I love how excited you are for it.”

I bit my lip and squirmed beneath him, running my hand over his chest. “I love you,” I breathed at him, stopping short before I called him “sir”, as I had before. I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck as he settled between my legs. 

“Lift your knees a little, love,” he guided me. “That’s good.”

He kissed me lightly as he pressed himself inside me, coming to a halt when he was fully sheathed. My breath caught for a second, convinced that he could feel something was wrong with me. 

“So warm, so perfect,” he sighed. “It’s like God built you for me.”

He began to move slowly, much more slowly than I had experienced before, but his speed increased steadily, along with the volume of his moans. He continued to shower praise on me, to marvel at the beauty he saw in my body, at how well we fit together, and finally I was able to relax enough to fully enjoy this new, pleasurable sensation, the way his long prick stroked at the sensitive places inside me, the thrill that shot through me every time he spoke, revelling in the cry he muffled by burying his face in the pillow next to me. I had never felt so beautiful as I did when I felt his body spasming as he released his seed into me that first time, or in the moments that followed as he pressed his sweat-glazed brow against my cheek and repeated again and again that he loved me. 

I must have fallen asleep to the regular rhythm of his breath next to me, for while I still felt wide awake, the room around me had changed completely. I thought I heard my name and sat up in bed, staring around in the darkness to see who had summoned me. Although it was still the same place, the ceiling seemed to rise forever and I could not make out the windows that should have been just a few feet away. I could hear the wind churning outside and the wild crashing of the waves, as if we had somehow been transported underneath the ocean. The air was chilly and filled with that familiar scent of salt and seaweed and the bedding felt damp to the touch. 

I could hear something breathing a short distance away, a throaty growl emanating from it from time to time. Feargal was sound asleep next to me and I had a terrible apprehension of what was in there with us. As quietly as possible, I slid from the bed, shuddering at the sodden floorboards underneath my bare feet. I made my way forward, towards the sound of the other in the room, moving for a strangely long time before I saw him there, illuminated by a soft greenish light that highlighted the dark sheen of his skin. 

Balor was sprawled back on an organic-looking throne of driftwood and stone, his eyes more luminous and dangerous than ever as he observed me approaching him. His breathing quickened and the muscles in his thighs flexed excitedly, drawing my eyes to his engorged cock, already glistening at the tip. He did not need to tell me what I was to do. He had given me the life I wanted and now I had to pay him. How long I would continue to pay, I didn’t know. 

Straddling his lap, I lowered myself on top of him. giving a sharp little cry when he pushed my nightdress away so that he could watch where our bodies joined. His rough hand rubbed at the mound of my sex, massaging the whole area as he pumped inside me, gradually closing in on the aching nub at its center. The pressure and pleasure built in me with such intensity that I thought I might actually die from it and yet I mindlessly pursued the sensation, grinding into the Demon’s hand like there was nothing else in the world for me until I finally felt that incredible eruption, that thing that only this monster seemed to give me. He grabbed hold of me with such force that I cried out in pain, momentarily heedless that my husband was sleeping close by. Frantically, he slammed his hips up into mine, snarling and grunting until he reached his own release. 

Almost immediately, he pushed me off him, sending me onto my back on the floor. He crawled over me, however, laughing a little when he saw a few tears fall from my eyes and lapping them up with his hot tongue. 

His crooked hand cupped my sex once again, pressing the mixture of our juices back into my body as he hissed, “Hurry back to your marriage bed.”

The next thing I knew, Feargal’s hand was stroking my face. 

“You were having a nightmare, love,” he sighed, touching his lips to mine. 

“I was.” As I spoke, I coughed a little, and my throat tasted of blood and seawater. 

*

It felt strange to have Feargal leave to do his weekly visits again, as if nothing had changed between us. Of course, things were to be different, because he had advised the Church that he would be unable to continue traveling at the same schedule as before. He would still be on the road a few days a week but they had advised him that a new pastor would be assigned soon to cover some of the territory he had been serving. In the interim, the Church offered to send a new governess to help me with the children something I found quite funny, although I assured them I appreciated the offer. 

In fact, my relationship with the children was the thing that made the transition to my new role easiest. I had had some fears that they might resent the idea of a servant being elevated to the role of stepmother but they clearly did not. They treated me as they always had and the only discernible difference was that they seemed a little more at ease. It took me a few weeks to realize that after losing their mother at such a young age and then having a series of governesses come and go, their sense of ease was likely the result of relief that there appeared to be some level of stability in their lives. 

I left most of my belongings in the attic, figuring that it was as good a place to store them as any. The things I needed regularly, I brought downstairs. Before Feargal left on his first trip following the wedding, he sheepishly told me that there was plenty of room in the cedar chest in the bedroom. 

“I never finished sorting through my first wife’s belongings,” he explained guiltily. “I don’t mean for you to have to do so, and if you’d rather not, we could buy you a new chest.”

“Don’t be silly,” I chided him. “It’s a lovely piece and I don’t need much space.”

“Anything of value to the children, I moved to their room long ago and her clothes were all given to charity. I’m not even certain what’s still in there but you shouldn’t feel the need to keep any of it.”

He gave me the keys to the chest and once again apologized for making me go through his first wife’s belongings before taking his leave. Since the children were still asleep, I decided to see what was inside the chest, which felt very light when I moved it. 

The two largest items were a quilt in a style I hadn’t seen before and a great coat. I could tell from looking at it that the previous Mrs. Devitt had been a larger woman than I, which surprised me since I was a little taller than average. I did need a better coat and the fabric was in good condition but I was unsure that I felt comfortable with the idea of wearing my predecessor’s clothing around, and determined that I would either have the garment repurposed into something for the children or give it to charity. The quilt was more of a conundrum, in that it had the feel of something very personal. It felt like something that Sophia might like to have at some point but unless we could explain the significance of the colors and patterns, I wondered if giving it to her would be burdening her with one more mystery. 

There was a smaller box filled with shells and stones and beneath that, some carefully folded pieces of light fabric. I took them out to inspect them further and as I delicately spread them out before me, I felt my breath catch. The pieces were a blanket and a baby’s robe and both were embroidered with a single word: Colin. 

[oh-ranpo]

more than a pretty face. (3)

Pairing: Ben Hardy x OC AN: I almost have this story completely written, so it should get uploaded daily. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far, because I’m loving writing this one! I lost some of my asks from the last part, so you may have to re-request being added to the tag list. Tags list is open. Let me know what you think!

“No, no way. I won’t do it,” Charlie crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.  

“Oh, come on. Please? Ben already said that he was bringing a date, and this would be the perfect way to come with us!” Joe pleaded. Charlie rolled her eyes. 

The fact that Joe even had the audacity to ask her to attend the Golden Globes as Ben’s date was beyond unbelievable. Ever since her and Ben had accidentally stumbled upon Sophia cheating on him, their relationship had gotten even more hostile. It was like Ben had been blaming her for everything that happened, and Charlie wasn’t about to sugarcoat things for him.  

“Did Ben actually agree to this?” Charlie asked warily, and she watched as Joe’s expression changed to one of apprehension.

“Not exactly… he just said that he didn’t want to so much as look at another girl for a long time, but he doesn’t see you like that so he might be okay with it!”

Charlie tried not to feel too offended over the fact that Ben didn’t even see her as an actual girl, and continued glaring at her friend.

“Joe, you know that’s a terrible plan, right? Ben can’t stand me.”

His face softened, as he took a step closer and wrapped his hands gently around her forearms.

“I know he’s been a little grumpy lately, but he’s just embarrassed. It’s nothing against you at all.” Charlie scoffed at this. “At least consider it, please. For me. For Rami!”

She groaned as Joe resorted to using guilt as his tactic to get her to agree. She knew that Rami was nominated for a big award on his own, and Joe knew that she would want to be there for him. It was a low and dirty move, but it worked.

“Fine. But only if Ben agrees! I don’t want to spend the whole evening with someone so grouchy that it kills the mood.”

Joe fist pumped excitedly, and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. She knew that this decision was probably going to come back to bite her, but she wanted to be there for her friends. Even if that meant going with someone who she couldn’t stand to be within ten feet of.

“But wait,” Charlie started, pulling out of Joe’s embrace. “Isn’t the ceremony in like, a week?!” Another sheepish look crossed Joe’s face, and she knew that he had been trying not to draw attention to the fact that it was so last minute. “Joe, I have nothing to wear!”

“We can fix that. Lucy said that she would go shopping with you because she still needs to pick up a few things as well. Besides, you look good in anything.”

Charlie’s head started to spin over the fact that her arranged date with Ben had been talked about with the whole group. The whole group except for her and Ben, of course. Joe, noticing the panicked and aggravated look on Charlie’s face, grasped her hands in his and gave her his most earnest look.

“Seriously, try not to worry about it. I know you and Ben aren’t the best of friends, but we all want you there.” His words about her and Ben’s friendship was a complete understatement, but she appreciated the sentiment. “Besides, Roger Taylor and Brian May are going to be there, and I know you’ve been dying to meet them.”

His last-ditch effort- throwing out the names of the remaining members of Queen. It was too late to back out now. Joe was already so excited, and she didn’t have the heart to let him down.

“I’ll get ahold of Lucy then. But you have to get ahold of Ben.”

Joe nodded eagerly, and gave Charlie one last quick hug before rushing out of her house. There was so much to do now in the last few days they were to fly out to California. Charlie felt a little nauseous over the circumstances, but she also couldn’t deny that she was excited. It was the first awards show she would ever attend, and she was not going to let her less-than-ideal date ruin it for her.

x.x.x

The first time that Charlie saw Ben’s face after Joe had talked her into attending the Golden Globes with him, she could tell that he was not a fan of the idea at all. They had all gathered for dinner the Wednesday night before they were due to head across the country, and Ben had made sure to choose the seat farthest away from her. Every once in a while, she would catch his eyes on her, but he would quickly look away before she could react.  

“I’m so happy you’re going to be there with us, Charlie,” Rami said happily, leaning over his chair and wrapping an arm around her. Charlie gave him her warmest smile and wrapped an arm of her own around him to reciprocate the hug.  

“What can I say, Joe can be quite convincing,” Charlie replied, shooting Joe a sarcastic glare. He only smiled. Ben, who was sitting next to Joe, scoffed as he took a drink of his beer.

“If he was so good at convincing people, he should be bringing you as his date, not mine.”

The table fell silent at Ben’s words, and Charlie’s brown eyes fixed on Ben in a powerful glare. Rami and Lucy shifted uncomfortably beside her, and Joe’s attention turned towards the blond man. This wasn’t the first time that Ben had voiced a distaste for Charlie, but it was the first time he had done it so publicly. In a way, it was a relief to her because it proved that she wasn’t the only one who was holding negative feelings.

“Believe me, you wouldn’t have been my first choice,” Charlie shot back, and Ben glowered at her.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Can’t we all just appreciate being in each other’s company for a night? I know you two have some sort of… issue with one another, but this is going to be an important night! Let’s not forget that.”

Charlie turned her attention away from Ben and back to Joe, who was trying to initiate some peace. Even though Ben had been the one to instigate the negativity, Charlie decided that she wasn’t going to feed into it. She had a lot better things to worry about than whether or not Ben Hardy liked her.

“You’re right, Joseph,” Charlie agreed, reaching forward to pluck her wine glass off the table in front of her. “Here’s to Rami winning best lead actor and Bohemian Rhapsody winning best picture. You guys deserve it.” She raised her glass in front of her and patiently waited for the others to do the same. A wide smile spread across Joe, Rami, and Lucy’s faces as they clinked their glasses against Charlie’s. Ben hesitated, but after a few seconds, he also joined in.  

“Here, here!” Lucy cried excitedly, and pleasant conversation filled the table once again. The previous little outburst by Ben went forgotten by most of the table, but Charlie could still feel his eyes on her every once in a while.  

It was going to be difficult being Ben’s date if he was going to continue acting the way he was. Charlie could only hope that when the night came, he would be able to overlook their differences and act civil.

x.x.x

Lucy had done a great job helping Charlie pick out her dress for the evening. It was a dark blue, sequin-covered dress that was the perfect complement to Lucy’s gold one. The only difference was that Charlie’s didn’t have sleeves. It was similarly low-cut, and there was as slit that went all the way up her thigh. It was truly beautiful- much prettier than anything Charlie had ever worn in her life. However, with this being a red-carpet event, it was only fitting that she wear a red-carpet worthy dress.  

When the group had flown out to California, Charlie was told that her and Joe were to share a room, while Ben and Gwilym would share, and so would Rami and Lucy. The fact that she had been partnered up with Joe and not Ben had been a relief, especially considering Joe had been the one to get her into this mess in the first place.

“I can’t wait to see you in that dress,” Joe gushed, as Charlie hung it up on the back of the bathroom door so that it wouldn’t get wrinkled. “Ben is going to absolutely lose his mind.”

Charlie and Joe had just checked into their hotel room, so they were unpacking some of their more essential items. Ben hadn’t spoken to her the entire trip, not that she was complaining. She hadn’t even thought about what Ben might think of the dress, only knowing from what Lucy told her; that it was going to go well with his tux.

“Don’t taint this beautiful dress by mentioning his name,” Charlie teased, only half-kidding. Now that she was here, only a day away from the ceremony, she couldn’t help but feel elated that she had agreed to come. Ben was only her ticket in. After that, she could enjoy the night and do as she pleased.  

“Oh, come on, Charlie. He’s really not that bad.”

Charlie’s eyes found Joe’s as he sat on the end of his bed. He was still dressed in his comfort clothes from the flight, and his hair looked slightly rumpled. There was an exasperated look on his face, but Charlie only shrugged and looked away.

“I have yet to see a side of him that I like.”

Joe sighed, but didn’t say anything more about it. He knew that it would make for a very long and uncomfortable stay if he tried to push Charlie into talking about Ben or anything involving him. Charlie continued laying out her accessories and other hygiene essentials as Joe sat and watched her. He wasn’t going to be getting his suit until the next morning, so when it came to necessities, he had very little.

“Do you think you’d be up for dinner tonight? I think the rest of the group was planning on hitting up this nice little Italian place not too far from here.”

Charlie had just finished setting out all the things she needed, and she turned to face Joe once again.

“I actually think I’m just going to hang out here. It’s been a long day already, and I want a chance to rest up before the festivities tomorrow.”

The truth was that she wanted a quiet evening away from Ben and his attitude before she had to deal with it all day the next day. On the flight in, she had done her research on things to do near the hotel and there was a little museum that she had been hoping to check out on her own.  

“Are you sure? I can stay behind if you’d like. I don’t want to leave you here alone.”  

Charlie gave Joe a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she walked past him, and then crawled into her own bed. She grabbed the television remote from the bedside table and flipped it on.

“I’ll be fine, Joe. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”  

Joe eyed her warily, but then nodded. Her mind had been made up. Joe glanced at the clock and saw that it was already a little after five.

“Well, I guess I should get ready then. I think we’re heading out about six.”

Charlie made a small hum in agreement, but continued flicking through the channels. Joe gave her one last look before disappearing into the bathroom to change. Her eyes wandered to the closed bathroom door, and she smiled to herself. A whole evening to herself in a new city doing what she wanted. What could be better?

x.x.x

Charlie spent the evening browsing through a museum, wandering through a vintage record store, and then grabbing a bite to eat from a taco truck. She had returned to the hotel room a little after 11:00pm, getting hung up by some street performers a couple of blocks away. She wasn’t that surprised that Joe hadn’t returned yet, knowing that going out for dinner also usually involved going out for drinks as well.

It was almost 2:00am by the time Joe returned. Charlie had been just about to drift off to sleep when the door swung open and Joe stumbled in. She could tell that he was trying his hardest to be quiet, but he was failing miserably. It wasn’t until he was sitting on the edge of his bed and one of his shoes clattered to the floor as he loudly whispered ‘shhhh’ to it, that Charlie finally let him know she was still awake.  

“Did you have a nice night?”  

Joe’s head spun around at the sound of her voice, and he gave his friend a sheepish smile.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” he admitted, his cheeks going red in embarrassment. Or maybe they were already red from the alcohol. Charlie couldn’t tell.

“I wasn’t completely asleep yet. What kind of trouble did you guys get up to?”  

Joe’s smile grew as he slipped off his other shoe and pulled off his jacket. Charlie could tell that he really was feeling it, as he moved to crawl under the covers without changing out of his black pants and shirt.

“No trouble. We found a karaoke bar and tried to get Rami drunk enough to sing. I think the plan backfired though because Ben and I were the only drunk ones.”

Charlie rolled her eyes as Joe got comfortable. He rested his head on the pillow so that he was facing her, and folded his hands under his head.

“Why am I not surprised?” she teased, leaning over to turn off the lamp that she had left on for him.  

“He asked about you,” Joe murmured, a yawn covering up part of his words. Charlie froze, unsure if she had heard him correctly.  

“Who did?”

“Ben. He wanted to know why you didn’t come out with us.” Joe words were starting to slur even more now, and Charlie knew that he was only moments away from falling asleep. She chose not to reply as she laid on her back and stared at the ceiling above her. She would have figured that Ben would have been ecstatic that she wasn’t there. The mere thought of him wondering why she wasn’t there confused her.  

After several minutes of deep thought, Charlie brushed it off and decided that it was time to get some sleep. She had a long day ahead of her.

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