#*her honda civic. sorry mom

[holmsister]

WAIT (from here):

WHO

IS THAT MILSIRIL? the only other possibility I can think of is that it's Marcella? Rin lowkey hates all of the other elves? Either way. Big news for the lore of immediately after the resurgence of the golden kingdom:

Either kabrus mom was there with all of the hilarious drama this implies (can you imagine laios trying to impress her)

Or Rin/Marcella immediate BFFs by talking shit about their respective govt assigned idiots canon confirmed

[nativegirltapes]

trailerpark!mom!reader was just trying to go out to her favorite local bar when she met drew ........

warnings: i don’t think obx is actually filmed in outer banks but for this fic yes it is. this is basically just lots of dialogue but i’m just trying to fill in tp!mom!reader and drew’s lore. drew being tipsy + corniness & cliches

"we are getting fucked up tonight." your bestfriend shouted. it was thursday, which meant it was 'going out' night. your baby was safe with your sister, and you were in the passenger seat of your bestfriend's 2009 honda civic adjusting final touches to your makeup in the passenger seat mirror. "i fucking hope so. jason has been blowing up my phone all week, threatening to come steal baby." you applied another layer of lipgloss.

"are you fucking serious?" aubrey questioned, looking at you with loving eyes. even though you brought the topic up so casually, she knew it hurt you. "i love you." she branched her arms out over the car console, you accepted her embrace. "now let's get fucked up!" she gave you a kiss on your head. no one had ever made you feel as loved as she did.

ᡣ��˙⋆.˚

"sorry ladies," your usual bouncer stopped you and aubrey, "bars closed tonight. some cast rented it out."

"what?" you realized he wasn't joking. "what cast?" you furrowed your brows, wondering who the fuck would rent out a bar in the middle of nowhere, north carolina. "don't know, some show that's filmed here though."

"you can't just let us in?" you bestfriend proposed. "we know we're you're favorite. cmonnnn." the bouncer giggled, you guys definitely were his favorite, but unfortunately he wouldn't budge. "i wish there was something i could do. sorry girls."

"it's okay." you sighed, grabbing aubrey by her arm and dragging her to the side. she was one to cause a scene and you weren't in the mood to deal with that right now. "this is bullshit." she groaned. "i bet they're rich. rich people always ruining some shit for normal people like us." she circled around you. "can't even enjoy our thursday night anymore."

"it's okay, we can go somewhere else."

"you wanna get in?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted, before you could yank aubrey back to the car. both of you jolting your heads towards the voice. it was a tall pale man, a lit cigarette hung from his lips.

"yeah, can you get us in?" aubrey took no time taking up the offer, interrupting the prolonged eye contact you were sharing with this guy; he was cute and that was hard to find around here. "this way." he tossed his unfinished cigarette in the floor and stomped on it.

"thank you." you said as he held the door for you. as soon as you entered the bar you realized that maybe you really didn't belong there. thursday's usually had a solid crowd, and a familiar one at that. but there wasn't one familiar face aside from yours or your bestfriend's. "shit." you mumbled under your breath, the guy who let you in now long gone, entertaining a group of who you assumed were his friends.

finding a seat at the bar with aubrey, you asked the bartender what the deal was, "so, what's going on?" he poured you your usual. "some netflix cast rented out the bar for the night. outer banks or something?"

“oh, i’ve heard that show.” you replied, trying your best to discreetly look around, seeing if you seen any famous faces from tv, although you didn’t watch much tv. “i didn’t think they actually filmed that here?”

“me neither,” the bartender agreed, before leaving you and aubrey to tend to another person.

you watched as people danced, they all seemed well bonded, almost like family. you giggled at them, hoping one day you’d find a bond like that. you spotted the guy who had let you in, he danced pretty okay for a white guy. “should we dance?” you turned back to aubrey, practically shouting over the loud music.

“why are you even asking?” aubrey laughed, you knew her better than to ask if she wanted to dance, she was always down to dance.

you both danced together as ‘yeah!’ by usher played over the speakers, before you both had roaming hands all over you. you felt big hands wrap around lower stomach, “was hoping i’d come across you again.” a somewhat familiar voice whispered in your ear. you kept your back and ass to him, but turned your head to see his face, selfishly hoping it was the man who’d let you in, relief washed over you when you realized it was. “i was thinking the same thing.” you flirted.

“oh yeah?” he whispered in your ear again. the way he had lean down to reach your ear had your stomach doing flips. “why’s that?” you noticed his breath smelled of liquor and mint.

“i wanted to thank you again.” you answered, pushing your ass even closer to his crotch. flirting with men at the bar definitely was not foreign to you. “you don’t have to thank me. anyone would have let a pretty girl like you in.” he spun you around so you were facing him. “there’s that face.” he smiled, his bloodshot and droopy eyes staring down at you like you were the only girl to ever exist. this felt too intimate for your liking.

“so, why’re you here?” you grabbed his hands from your waist, just holding them with your own, you both still feeling the rhythm of the music playing. “you’re famous or something?”

“something like that i guess.” he shrugged, like he didn’t really want to talk about it. “why are you here?”

“i live here.” you said confused, wondering if he has expected a different answer. “i don’t want to sound like a creep, but you’re like, insanely beautiful.” his lips grazed your ear as he whispered to you. you weren’t sure if it was the alcohol talking or if he actually meant it, but nonetheless you were flattered. a sexy— famous guy saying you were insanely beautiful?

“thank you.” you blushed, pulling your jean skirt down. usually you were good at playing a man’s game but this time felt different. this time felt like something could actually come from this and you hated it.

after some more ramble jamble on the dance floor, the mysterious man asked if you wanted to go outside. “wanna step outside for a minute with me?” he extended his hand, you accepted.

you watched as he lit a cigarette. it seemed like every ounce of outgoingness left your body, you loved talking to and entertaining men, but he just made you flat out nervous. “so you’re from around here?” he offered you a swig of his cig, you declined.

“yeah, just down the street. me and my bestfriend come here every thursday.” you watched his lips as he took a swig, the way his eyebrows furrowed from the smoke was hot. you hated people who smoked but there you were getting turned on over it.

“sorry about that again. i seen the whole fiasco with the bouncer.” he looked down at you. “i mean it’s not your fault.” you reassured him.

“sorry i never asked. what’s your name?” his voice seemed so much deeper and clear now that you two were outside, almost like he was fully sober. it made you question how drunk he actually was, and how much of what you told you he actually meant. “y/n!”

“i’m drew.” he held his hand out, you shook it. his hands was so much bigger than yours. matter of fact, everything about him was so much bigger than you.

before you could question drew and his ‘famousness’ any further you heard his group yelling his name. they were all getting into a limo. how famous were these people? they needed a limo? but you couldn’t recognize literally any of their faces? “i guess that’s me.” drew again, flicked his unfinished cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. “what’s your number y/n?” he pulled out his phone and pulled up the keypad.

you swiftly put in your number and called yourself. you never gave your phone number away to the men you entertained, it was your own personal rule you set for yourself. but something about this one was different and you just couldn’t say no. “i’ll see you around y/n.”

[colorisbyshe]

what have been ur favorite concert experiences?

in no particular order:

i saw one direction five times (once during good morning america, twice during wwa, twice during otra, i think... now this sounds wrong to me but i don't think it is) and my favorite was seeing them at metlife during wwa. my feelings on him have... soured... but harry styles threw water on me and i have video of it and it did change my brain chemistry. sorry.

hawthorne heights in a tiny lil bar in new haven. i was in middle school, my mom defended me and my friend from a mosh pit, why were people moshing to ohio is for lovers?? iconic

tim fite and man man. never listened to either artist beforehand, went in blind. VERY theatrical and so stupid. there was a powerpoint led singalong and this dude carried ladders through the crowd and we got covered in feathers.

babymetal!!!!!! the audio at the venue SUCKED FUCKING DICK but the choreo was good and it was so fun and the energy was so high it was SO FUCKING GOOD and i need to see them again. got barricade :3

carly rae jepsen would be up here if the show wasn't canceled four songs in because we were on a rooftop during a lightning storm

SUNMI WHEN SHE WAS RIGHT THERE WAIT A SECOND I HAVEPICTURES I'M POSTING PICTURES AT THE END OF THIS POST OF GREAT CONCERT MOMENTS second row saved my LIFE

absolutely tinashe!!!! CHOREO! VOCALS! OUTFITS! STAGE CONSTRUCTION! CROWD PARTICIPATION!!!!!!! FRONT ROW BARRICADE BABY!!!!!!!!!

naya rivera showed up as a surprise guest at a darren criss show. so... her performance of valerie is ym favorite concert. the rest... well it was good but NAYA

KESHA AT A COUNTRY FAIR IN VERMONT!!!

i saw a group at projekt rev which has since been Canceled in My Heart because the lead singer is a piece of shit who should die in a fire but uh... the show was incredible. Got sprayed with a hose

you know what? the national put on a really good show

OH FUCK AGAINST ME ALSO PUT ON A REALL GOOD SHOW

honorable mentions: the national, two door cinema club, the first time i saw sunmi, honda civic tour, the academy is cause i got to meet william beckett

all of these are my pics and the two sunmi pics are from two different shows:

WOOO I LOVE CONCERTS WOOOOOOOOOO

[xetrasherpa]

(wanted to give it a try, don't think to much of it)

I did not think I had a father until I found a birthday card on my desk.

How long has it been there? It was for my 15th birthday. I am 15. I don’t have a dad, and I did not have a dad at my birthday. Obviously this is nothing more than a weird joke, but something feels off, too.

My mom raised me on her own, I never bothered to ask about the guy. We always did great. I don’t even know how she managed to work full time and still help me with my homework, take me to club events, but she did. She got me an ice cream cake for my birthday and later I went off to a party with friends. That’s how it went.

But now I have this card on my desk. It has a drawing of a robot and something about welcoming our overlords, which is a joke I have with my mom because I’m on that robotics club. Inside, birthday wishes and something about anyone dear to me being welcome anytime for coffee. It’s signed « your ol���Dad ». And I don’t have a dad. Do I?

Kept in it were two concert tickets. I do remember these and I did get them for my birthday. I went with Grant as, like, our second date, I haven’t been out to my family for very long at the time which could mean that the gift was meant specifically for Grant and me? Maybe? I don’t remember it coming from mom though. But it had to be a family thing since mom drove us in our Honda Civic.

Hang on, what am I saying- that is impossible because mom doesn’t drive, she’s epileptic. Who did, then? I remember the car. We had that car since I was, what, eleven? Why would we have a car no one can drive? Why is it striking me as strange only now?

And so it just doesn’t feel like a simple joke. I start searching the house for I really don’t know what and it keeps bringing more questions than answers. My childhood pictures where, when all put together, I’m forced to admit there’s the same unknown man an unsettling number of times. In mom’s room, the unused nightstand on the wrong side of the bed, filled with stuff I simply know is not hers, thick-rimmed reading glasses, some gardening magazines. A whole pantry of men clothes and shoes too big for her. In the kitchen, a grocery list in a messy handwriting that is neither mine nor hers, post-it notes about getting home late tonight but save me some chili, xoxo. I did leave chili leftovers when eating with mom, and it makes no sense but I now remember that I left it for a specific person.

What exactly do you do when you know for a fact, it goes without saying, that you don’t have a father and yet you house is packed with the ghost of one? And that is the point where the doorbell ringing finds me. The door opens on a harrowed man, with dirt spots all over his clothes and face – or, is that blood??- and an appaled look on his face, staring at me, shaking. He then opens his mouth to say : « I am so sorry. »

In a terrible accident, you kill someone in public. You frantically ask those around you for help but no one seems to even notice the body. You only then realize you have a horrible power. The people you kill are forgotten.

[graveyardpublishing]

Sunday the 8th

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" the teenage clerk asks me as he rings up my dinner rolls — the generic kind, because I can't afford the Sweet Hawaiian ones.

"Yeah, I did, thanks," I respond. I watch the little computer add up the tax and pray that the total isn't more than the change I have in my wallet.

$6.27

Reaching into my wallet, I pull out four, one-dollar bills and four quarters. I carefully set them on the counter so that the change doesn't roll away. Digging into my change pouch, I manage to find twelve dimes, a nickel, and two pennies. I hand over my money to the cashier, who begrudgingly sets out to count my change.

"Sorry, just, uh, trying to clean out the old change pouch," I lie. It's actually because this is all the money I have. He finishes counting my change, then hands me my rolls and receipt, blankly telling me to have a good night. Turning from the small register, I head into the darkened parking lot to my car. I toss the rolls into the passenger seat as I slide behind the steering wheel. Roughly jamming my key into the ignition, I send up a silent prayer that my car will start.

Old Betsy gives a few huffs of displeasure, but starts up nonetheless.

"Good girl," I tell her, giving the dash a small pat of approval. A moment later, I'm shifting her into gear and pulling out of the parking lot.

It's almost time for Sunday night dinner at my parents' house. Don't get me wrong, I adore my parents and sister, but it's hard to do this every week while pretending my life is fine. I love our weekly dinners — 6 p.m. on the dot — at my childhood home. Every week, Keshia and I bring a side dish or drinks, Mom makes all the fixings, and Dad barbecues. Good things always happen at Sunday night dinners. Keshia came out at one of these dinners, even bringing her girlfriend to meet the family. They didn't work out in the long run, and it was at another one of these dinners that I comforted my big sister. I told her that people will come into her life for a reason, but they're not always meant to stay.

It was at one of these dinners we found out that Dad's lung cancer was in full remission, and he would live to see many more weekly dinners. 

Unfortunately, I don't have anything to share at this weekly dinner. My car is on empty; it's barely running on fumes. My rent is due next Monday, and, since I could hardly buy bread, I don't think I'll have enough pennies to cover it. 

Truthfully, I could tell my parents. I could even ask my sister for money. But I just can't. I won't. I have pride, and all that. I wanted to move out. I wanted to make it on my own. I just wasn't counting on my main job cutting my hours. It's been nearly impossible to find another side gig to replace those lost hours. When I have found another part-time gig, they weren’t willing to work around my other side job’s schedule. I can’t give up one for another, that would still leave me with a loss.

I turn into the quiet neighborhood where Keshia and I used to ride our bikes up and down the street with the other kids. The only rule was that we couldn't leave the block, and we had to be inside by the time the streetlights came on.

My old, run-down Honda Civic limps her way to the curb, then promptly dies before I even turn the ignition off.

"At least we made it this far, right, girl?" I ask her, running my hand over the steering wheel lovingly.

"Rest up, we gotta make it back home," I whisper as I grab the rolls from the passenger seat, take a deep breath, and open my door.

"Dip!" I hear Keshia's voice call from the porch. I slap a smile on my lips before turning around to face her.

"Kes!" I yell as she bounds off the porch and across the front lawn.

I make my way around the back of my car just in time for her to throw her arms around my neck and nearly knock me to the ground. Keshia is the bubbly one; she's always smiling, always positive. It's rare that I'm the one to console her, but I do my best to take care of my sister when she needs me.

"Glad you could make it," she huffs as she pulls back from our embrace.

"Like Dad would let me miss it," I laugh.

"And Mom would hang you up by your toes if you tried," Keshia laughs and puts her arm around my shoulder.

"God, why do you still drive this clunker?" Keshia asks, giving Old Betsy a kick to her back bumper.

"Hey, leave her alone! She's a good car," I say and lovingly pat the back window. If Betsy hears this trash talk, she might decide not to start when I leave, and then I'll be in for it with the family. They’ll instantly jump into “fix it” mode: Mom will hand over the keys to her car and let me take it home and Dad would step in and take over to solve all my problems. They will spend both their time and hard-earned money to make my life easier. They do it lovingly, and with the best of intentions, but I can’t allow them to baby me forever.

They act like it's a crime that I want to make it on my own, judging by the way they push their help on me. I appreciate how wonderful they are; I have a lot more support than most people get. But my parents and sister don't have much extra — time, or money — to be throwing around to help me. They would go without to ensure that I don’t have to. 

Dad would take me to the used car lot and find something suitable for me to drive. Something that would start each time I get behind the wheel without prayers or crossed fingers. For the last two years, they've been saving up for their first solo vacation. I can't let them use that money to help me.

Keshia would offer me her extra room without missing a beat. She’d claim to charge me half the rent, but I bet she wouldn't tell me the real price, and I’d barely pay a quarter of it. If I questioned her, she’d shrug and say that she'd rather have my company than my money.

My family is the best of the best, but I just can't let them give away their hard-earned anything to pay my bills. I want to look back on these struggles and feel the accomplishment of doing it all on my own.

"Come on, Mom's waiting," Keshia says, pulling me along toward the front steps.

"Hey, whatever happened to that date from last week?" I ask as we clomp up the steps. The best way to not have to talk about me is to always ask questions about them. It's a great distraction technique I’ve perfected over the years.

"She was nice, and we had a good time. We went to a mini-golf course, then walked around the pier. There was just no spark, ya know?" she sighs. I nod.

"Yeah, I getcha."

"I really wanted to like her. Honestly, she was so great — perfect in every way, there just wasn't that thing."

"Maybe you just need to give it another shot. Not everything has to immediately click like a romance novel," I tease and bump my shoulder into Keshia's.

"I know that, Goober, I just want something more. We're going to get together for coffee next week, and we'll see. Maybe I'm putting too much pressure on the whole dating aspect thing. Maybe coffee will be more relaxing."

"If nothing else, you guys can be friends. There’s nothing wrong with making new friends," I suggest as we walk into the kitchen and I set my rolls down on the counter. I turn to switch on the oven broiler and pull out a cookie sheet to heat up the rolls.

"True. I think you’d like her too. Maybe we could arrange a dinner or coffee or something, and you guys can meet," Keshia suggests. I try not to cringe.

That is so not happening. I’d love to meet this girl. But I could barely afford discounted dinner rolls, let alone dinner, coffee, or "something."

"Yeah, totally," I lie. I turn my back to my sister and put the rolls under the broiler.

"There you are! Goodness, I was getting so worried!" Mom fusses as she steps into the kitchen.

"Mom, I'm ten minutes early. You don't need to worry," I tell her as she steps around the small center island and wraps me up in a hug.

"You’re so skinny. Are you eating okay?" Mom whispers. I fight not to roll my eyes.

"Yes, Mother," I reply, sarcastically.

"Don't you give me that sass, Serendipity Jinx. I am your mother; I’m entitled to worry about my baby," she huffs.

"There's my little girl!" Dad's booming voice carries in from the open back door as he steps inside with a plate of perfectly cooked T-Bone steaks. My mouth starts watering.

The truth is, I live off of thirty-five cent ramen noodles during the week. The best meals I get are Sunday dinners. If I work the dinner shift at the coffee shop, I can sometimes snag a sandwich to eat on break. And I go on dates for free food — yes, I know I'm a horrible person — a girl’s gotta eat, man. 

"Hey, Dad," I greet him with a grin. He sets the plate of meat down and wraps his large solid arms around me, lifting me up off the floor. He sets me back down with a kiss to my temple and a smile on his face.

"Who's hungry?" he asks.

Keshia and I shoot our hands up as if we were little kids and declare, "Me!"

#

We sit down to eat, passing around the plates of food: rolls, steaks, pasta, and salad. Mom tops off our glasses with white wine, and Dad sets down his trusty crystal tumbler of bourbon.

“Okay, who wants to go first?” Mom asks once we’re all settled with plenty to eat.

“I will,” Keshia says with a smile as she sets her fork down. “This week, I’m thankful for Dip,” she smiles at me. I smirk back. “You’ve always been my built-in best friend. I know I can call you no matter what, and you’ll always have my back. There are a lot of people in my life who have come and gone, but you’ve always been right by my side. So, I’m thankful for you, and for this family.”

“That was really lovely, Keshia.” Mom nods her approval.

“This week, I’m thankful for all my girls,” Dad says. It’s the same thing he says each and every week.

“And this damn good steak.” He punctuates this statement by shoving another bite into his mouth and chewing contentedly. Mom rolls her eyes, but I see the smile pulling at her lips.

I hope to be lucky enough one day to find someone who loves me the way my parents love each other — thirty-five years in and still going strong.

“Seren?” Mom asks, and all eyes turn to me.

“This week, I’m thankful for Old Betsy.” Keshia rolls her eyes, and Dad stifles a laugh.

“She might be old, and a little worn down, but she still gets me where I need to go each day. That’s a lot more than some people have.”

“That’s lovely, Seren. We should all learn to appreciate the little things when we can,” Mom says and gives me a smile.

“This week, I’m thankful that, after two years of hard work to save every penny, we were finally able to book ourselves a vacation,” Mom says, trying and failing to hide the slight squeal of excitement.

“That’s amazing, Mom!” I lean across the table to give her a hug. Keshia and Dad fist bump.

“Thanks, baby, we’re very excited.”

“When do you leave? Where are you going?” Keshia asks.

“We leave in four weeks, we’ll be gone for two, and we’re going to a resort in Bali!” Mom lets out a full-on a squeal, and I can’t help but smile.

I look over at Dad to check his level of enthusiasm. He has a small smile on his lips, and he’s looking at our Mom with pride and love. He isn’t a resort-in-Bali kind of guy; he’s more a hunting-cabin-in-the-woods kind of man. But that’s part of what love is for them: taking the vacation his wife wants because it makes her happy.

This is why I won’t mention that I’m struggling. I can’t be the reason Mom and Dad don’t get to take this trip, and I would be if I even start to let on that I need help. So, I’ll savor this steak, soak up this time with my family, and pray I can scrape up enough money to make my rent on Monday.

[i-writes-things]

Happy Halloween.

Natasha x Daughter!reader

Hurt/Comfort, Angst

Summary- Y/n? Yeah Y/n is at the Hospital. Where? the uh, Hospital.

Warnings- descriptive dead peoples, scary monster, horror typa vibe, and being injured 

I am pretty sure this is not the way medical procedures work(having a broken arm) so bear with me, thanks

Not my Gifs*

Natasha waited in silence, she could feel her heart pounding and her grip tightened on the phone she was holding close to her ear

"I'm at the hospital." You said quietly, waited for your mother to say something

" Y/n, are you okay? What happened? Is anyone else there? Are you hurt? Did you break something? When did this happen? I'm on my way, where are you?" You could hear her move away from the phone to do something and when she came back you heard "Where are you, bub?" In a softer voice this time

"Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.."

Natasha took a deep breath in "Ok, I will be there in just a few minutes, love you y/n"

"Love you mom"

You hung up the phone and looked around the room waiting for the doctor people to come back in to look at your broken bone.

----

Natasha quickly walked inside the hospital, feeling anxious, She asked a lady at the front desk about you, and she replied with something that made Natasha's heart drop right out of her chest

"I'm so sorry, but there is no Y/n Romanoff in our data base, when did she get here?" The lady was looking at her computer trying to find you and looked up to wait for Natasha's answer

She was gone, as her nerves and worries got the best of her she called you again

"He-" You groaned as they put your arm in a cast

"Y/n, whats wrong? And where the hell are you?" You scrunched your face up from the pain

"At- The place I told you-"

"No your not. Where are you?" Her voice became stern, as it seemed like you were lying to her, you never lied before though...

"I am at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, where else would I be..."

"Are you sure?" Your mom asked as she brought her fingers to the bridge of her nose, in frustration.

"Um, I don't know- I think New York? Right?"

"No because I'm in New York, god, just ask around please."

You put the phone down, not hanging up, and asked the nurse that had just arrived into your room where you were

"Oh honey, your in Canada, Toronto General."

"oh.." The nurse gives you a small smile and leaves again after finding a paper

Your breath quickens, and picks up the phone again

"Mom," "Yes-" "I'm not in America. I'm at, um, Toronto General Hospital. I don't eve-"

"It's okay, just breath, alright, I am taking the quinjet and will be there soon alright?"

"Oh- okay." You hung up and started to feel less and less safe as time went on

There was uneven check in's for you and it was always the same nurse which made you a bit paranoid, your arm wasn't helping the situation as it was hurting quite alot, you thought through made 5-6 different ways you could fight off that nurse and get out of the room, without hurting your arm further, if your silly suspiciousness were real

"It's okay. I'm okay. I'll be okay. i'm not okay. Where is Natasha, honestly it's the quinjet, not a Honda Civic.." You made yourself laugh at your own bad joke, but part of you wished that Natasha would just come and fix everything for you

----

You sat thinking about how you could be trick or treating with your friends right now, but no, no your sitting in a hospital, IN CANADA and still don't have any memory of how the heckimass you got there.

After a moment of thinking the same nurse came back in "So, how is your arm feeling kiddo?" She asked you kindly

"It still hurts.." The nurse nods "Is there anything I can take for the pain?"

She looked over at you, you could see a glimpse of panic in her eyes

"No. We need a parent or guardian here to do that, but yours is out of the country, so.." She said shrugging and left

You never told her where your parents were..

She had left earlier when you picked the phone back up...

What the hell.

You screamed. The lights had gone out.

Another nurse ran into your room and told you that the back-ups should be back on in minutes and that everything would be ok

----

That was 15 minutes ago, your phone was now dead and the you hadn't seen the nurse more than a few minutes ago...

You didn't like this, not at all.

It had gotten too quiet. You moved your broken arm slowly to pull your knees up to your chest, hugging them tightly, as your broken arm just resting at your side

You put your head on your knees and all of a sudden you were angry, angry that you had broken your arm, that it was hurting, angry that somehow you weren't in New York anymore, angry that all the lights were out, and angry that your mom wasn't there. You needed her and you had no idea where she was, you no idea where you were frankly..

A tear fell out of the eye leaning against your cold knee, you now, whole heartedly wanted Natasha to fix everything for you..

---

Your eyes split open wide.

Someone was screaming bloody murder down the hall...

It finally stopped after what felt like a life time

-----

The air around you had become dense and your breathing heavy

Your eyes darted around the hospital room but finally landed on the door that was left open earlier, the sound that finally breaks the silence haunts you for years to come

"y\n. . . . " a eerie voice says from your left

You snap your head in that direction, your heart beating right out of your chest

Nothing of the room has changed, you could tell that something very wrong was going on, something you would never forget, something shown to you by the cruel master of this horrific world

When the thought brought on by something that wasn't yourself, flashed by your eyes, a scream left your mouth..

The wrong move that was, a very, very wrong move

You heard creaky footsteps after you were done shouting

Your heart was as loud as ever and now whoever was walking outside your room stopped and thats when you heard a person scream just a door or two down from yours

Your senses flared and with adrenaline rushing through you, you pushed yourself off the Medical bed using both arms and ran out into the hall not even turning back, you knew what happened to the people that would stand in shock, they died. They always did in the movies.

Turning the dark corner you saw a sign marked 'EXIT'. Ramming straight into it, you found yourself on the outside of the eerie hospital...

Looking around you found snow on the ground, and the icy air finally hit your skin, you had to fight very hard to not just go back inside

After a half hour you could barely move and decided that inside was a good choice.

-----

The blue, greenish lights flickered against the blood that was splattered on most of them, bodies scattered the hallway floor with bloody faces, some ripped in half others with no skin and one with no eye balls

Someone else screamed right around the corner you had run around just half an hour ago. The sound of there limp body hitting the floor, made you flinch

Dense air filled your lungs, the smell of blood and vinegar mixed made you wanna faint. The small sounds of the monster sniffing for another meal, made you hold your breath and watch your surroundings with an extra carefulness that you had never used before

The second its silky head turned around the corner and its white human shaped eyes stared you down, its legs had no hands they were only pointy edges, It dragged its pointy legs towards you at a slow pace, its eyes never leaving you, slowly it dragged itself closer and closer.

Your eyes wide and your breathing was fast, everything you heard was dialed up to eleven, this was too much for you

You stood, unable to move as the monster opened its invisible mouth, showing almost 5 rows of bloody teeth, ready to obtain its 13th meal on this faint full Halloween night

It was inches away from you and as your legs all of a sudden carried you down the hall, jumping over skinless bodies and turned another corner, looking back to see the monster run after you, crawling over bodies and squashing some to get to you

Its deep white eyes followed you down the next hall, a very long hall, its pointy ends making a clicking noise with every step it took closer to you

The Adrenaline that you had had, was gone. Had been gone for some time now, but you just remembered your arm was broken and the fact that your a 4th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do

You stop in your tracks, instantly regretting that decision, you turned around and as you registered how close the monster was to you, your body instantaneously throws a hard punch at it, but it plows right through you.

You groan hitting the ground almost 10 feet away from where you threw the unsuccessful punch, getting to your feet quickly and looking for a weak spot on the monster

Not finding one, you dodge its pointy edges from making you a one man kebab

"y/n..." You heard the same errie voice again and as you turned away to look behind you, the monster took its chance and went for your head, but as you ducked it gave you a deep cut on your cheek and side of your head

The world around you, all of sudden seemed to glow and became blurry, you couldn't tell where the floor stopped and the growing monster began, from what you could tell it was growing, it was becoming bigger in your line of blurry vision..

bang bang

Not even one of your muscles flinched from the familiar sounds of a gun

Your head beginning to throb tremendously, as the bright light from above starts to burn into your eyes, you could only faintly hear the monster whining from afar

everything seemed so far away

But that's when someone called your name

"Y/N!" whoever shouted your name said it just in time, as you were on the verge of going to sleep..

------

The last thing you saw was the bright light over head in the hospital and that is what you woke up to

Sitting up with a start, the machines around you go berserk, beeping and making annoyingly loud noises

Natasha runs into the room with a mask of panic upon her face, her eyes find yours and she relaxes

A doctor comes in right behind her and reconnects the the wires that were detached from you when sitting up abruptly

"Y/n.." Your mother pulls you into a tight hug

"Oh y/n are you ok?" Your mind fixated on thinking about what had happened the night before

"probably not." You said in a quiet voice to your mom, eyes wide staring nowhere in particular

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry." Natasha kissed your head making sure to not touch the bandaged cut

"It's alright i guess..." You stared straight ahead still trying to wrap your mind about what had happened

-----

When you finally got to go home, first of all she bought you tons of your favorite candy, to make up for jot getting to trick or treat and then made it so whenever you went to the hospital the Avengers were alerted, so you couldn't be kidnapped or whatever had happened to you, couldn't anymore

Hoping that you never had to go the hospital again, you and your mom started watching Gilmore Girls during your recovery of your trauma and head injury

"Thanks mom, your the best..!" You smiled at her giving her a small hug

Natasha smiled back at you "Your welcome Y/n/n.." Your mother adored you, even if you had almost just died, she can't help but remember that she was your mom...

[archerincombat]

okay so many people asked for the ravi begins wip that i thought i’d just drop a snippet. ravi begins aka my sad(ish) ravi fic so sorry. dropping this during ravi week next month.

When Ravi is 7 years old, he goes to the hospital for the first time.

He doesn’t remember it, later. It’s not one of those memories that stick after all the in and out and up and down and do the hokey pokey or what-fucking-ever. The first time he goes to the hospital, it’s because he broke his leg racing down the school-yard with his friends. It’s not because he has cancer.

The second time, he’s 11. His primary care physician tells his mother that it’s just growing pains. He prescribes Ravi a heating pack for when his knee aches too much, and his mother buys one from Walgreens on the way home. It works for about two weeks until it doesn’t anymore.

The third time, he’s 12 years old and in so much pain he can’t even see straight. The third time, his younger sister watches him with wide, terrified eyes in the back of their Honda Civic and there’s no music playing. The third time, even though it feels like another bone break, the doctor gets his x-rays back, and then promptly books Ravi in for an MRI. 

“We want to run some more tests,” she says, frowning slightly. “So that we can make a conclusive diagnosis.”

Ravi’s mother’s grip tightens on his shoulder, and she keeps glancing at her phone, waiting for his father to call. Ananya, all of 8, sits on a chair and plays Pokémon on Ravi’s silver Nintendo DS Lite, which is only okay because she never remembers to save the game. The doctor’s office is white, sterile, and there aren’t even any fun posters on the wall, which is Ravi’s first sign that everything’s about to go to shit.

“Conclusive diagnosis,” he repeats carefully, pushing up his glasses. He’s farsighted. “Why—I mean, what are you guys looking for?”

“Ravi,” his mom shushes before the doctor can lie or something. She doesn’t say it through gritted teeth like she might if he was being bothersome at the local HEB, which is Ravi’s second sign. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

He blinks, and then Ananya tells him that she caught a Flareon—“In the wild?”—and the doctor leaves and his dad calls and comes over and gives them a dollar each for the vending machine and Ravi forgets he’s in the hospital at all until they leave and it’s dark outside and the ache in his leg flares up again. 

His dad, with his quiet face and hands in his pockets, doesn’t say anything that night when Ravi asks if they can turn the Air Conditioning down low so that he can sleep through the pain. “Amma gave me Advil,” he explains, at midnight, when his acchan catches him messing with the temperature. “But I still can’t sleep.”

“I’ll fix it,” his dad tells him. It’s late. Ravi doesn’t know why he’s still awake. “How much colder do you want it?”

“Cold,” he answers, rubbing at his face and praying that his dad can’t see the DS still flashing light underneath his pillow. 

He wakes up to it freezing—ache in his leg just a dull throb. His dad doesn’t complain about the electricity bill the next day.

(That’s his third sign.)

[uncle-cool]

Tags are @bandydear ‘s but

The hearse was absolutely the first car which Harrow and Gideon learned to drive on as teens. As adults harrow drives a late model Honda civic and when Gideon is not around to service it that fuckin dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. Tire pressure low, oil change needed, low on wiper fluid, etc.

I’m sorry to refute the F150 but I see Gideon with a dodge ram. It makes Jod so mad. Got it because it has room for all her friends and her stuff. (Gideon is just happy to finally have friends and stuff. Harrow is in the middle of the Venn Diagram of “Gideon’s friend” and “Gideon’s stuff”)

Camilla drives a very well maintained suburu forester. Either that or a 90’s Honda civic that’s been modded to hell just an absolute sleeper build. Pal has Camilla drive. His night vision is not great.

Ianthe uniroinically drives a Tesla and is all about That Life. Corona when given the opportunity zooms around in a late model Subaru WRX that she painstakingly maintains but pretends she doesn’t know anything about that stuff for the longest time.

Jody drives a Dodge Charger because every boot drives a fuckin dodge charger. Marta is the F150 owner

Abby has a mom van. Probably a Hyundai Ioniq which is fully electric. Good for her but their town has like, no electric car chargers. Magnus happily zips about town in his lil Chevy spark.

Isaac and JM saved up and share a Hyundai veloster (baby’s first hot hatch)

Dulcie has a Kia Soul with a bright funky paint job/wrap. Spacious, easy to get in and out of. Pro has a ford explorer.

Silas gets driven around by his nephew in a white Chrysler.

Babs has a lincoln.

Pash drives an el Camino she calls the shaggin wagon and it is death on wheels. Either that or an Isuzu D-Max. Either way it’s still called the shaggin wagon

Jod travels the country with his maladjusted polycule in a tricked out RV like a H3-45 Millennium Luxury Coach

Pre-Alecto tlt agenda 2024

Gideon Nav stockholm syndrome discourse

Socratic seminar on what kind of car each character would drive

200k Naberius Tern/Matthias Nonius enemies-to-lovers fic

Full Canaan crew ranked by how likely Ianthe would be to use them as the furnace of her lyctorhood (if Babs had eaten a bad clam and died)

The full audiobooks but every time Harrow or Gideon say something incriminatingly gay about each other it gets faster (20 minute video)

Art contest: design a dog bed for Noodle

Placing every lyctor on the butch-femme spectrum

Reblog chain of things we would do for a proper griddlehark kiss (be boiled alive in fat, etc)

[boldlyvoid]

Hypothetically | Chapter 21-24

Summary: Reader and Spencer were friends in kindergarten, she watched him grow up and explore the world while she was still trying to catch up to him. now that they work together, they fall in love incredibly fast. friends to lovers, case of the week style story.

Warnings 18+: Murderers, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Blood, Guns, mentions of autopsy, Fluff, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, bed-sharing, Riding, Unprotected Sex, Virgin Reader, Case of the Week, original crimes, Food mention, Smut, Oral Sex, Light BDSM, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Talk, obgyn appointments and info, Home Invasion, Past Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Emotional Manipulation, Grooming, Pedophilia mention, non-con oral (male receiving), Pregnant Sex, Daddy Kink, Breeding Kink, Homophobia, conversion therapy

A/N; thee case in c21 is personal to me, like fictional revenge.

word count so far: 70K (chapter 1-25)

chapter 21

Having Spencer all to herself for 3 weeks straight was an experience she’ll never forget. They had the whole month of January off together, painting and re-decorating their home till it was exactly how they wanted it. It felt like home, it was theirs for real now.

Painting the bedroom green was the best idea she’s ever had. When the sun finally woke them up every morning, it wasn’t as blinding. It was paradise. The golden beams of light cast a beautiful glow around the room, it was like she was in a magic forest at the start of every day.

Spencer was laying on his back, his hair scattered on the pillow. He looked so peaceful, sleeping with his mouth wide open. Y/N was leaning on her elbow, looking down at the beautiful man she had the pleasure of spending the rest of her life with.

She brushed the hair off his face, watching his nose scrunch up as he felt her fingertips on his cheek. The sun on his face made him glow, he looked like a gift from god laying before her.

“Good morning baby,” she whispered softly. Dragging her finger along his jaw and down his neck, “we get to go to work today.”

Spencer stretched as he woke up, slipping an arm under her and pulling her into his chest. She held on tight, kissing his neck as she settled in. “Morning,” he replied. Raspy as ever.

“Wanna go get breakfast?” She asked softly.

He laughed against her skin, “gotta feed the baby.”

“And the wiiiife,” she teased.

“Not for another 11 weeks and 2 days,” he corrected her. “But yes, we should go get breakfast,” he whispered after a moment.

“Come on get up,” she replied with a big smile. He patted her ass as she peeled out of his grasp. Sitting up and stretching, taking a look down at the basketball protruding from her stomach. “Damn.”

“What?” Spencer asked.

She stood up beside the bed and pulled her shirt up, showing Spencer how big her stomach was. Turning sideways so he really got a good look at it. Spencer leaned over and kissed her right on her belly button that was beginning to pop.

“I know your ears are on in there, I love you, Matthew,” Spencer whispered against her skin.

She couldn’t stop smiling, taking a moment to rub her hands over the bump in amazement. “Hi Mr. Matty MaGoo, mommy also loves you.”

“Mr. Matty MaGoo?” Spencer laughed, looking at her with the biggest smile.

“Yes,” She laughed. “It just came to me, and it's going to stick.”

“Derek’s been calling him Mini G,” Spencer added.

“We should tell him it's Matthew, then he can be little Matty G,” Y/N swooned. “Seriously let’s go I miss everyone.”

“Okay, okay go get ready then,” he insisted, getting out of bed and dragging her to the bathroom.

—

Spencer drove, giving her a chance to look over her work emails before the day started. She was still CC’d on a bunch of VICAP things, being able to snoop on what was coming in and inspecting it.

Sometimes Mindy would CC her in just for an opinion.

Subject: Found Something. From; Mindy Patel To; SSA Y/N Y/L/N, Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner, SSA-CL Jennifer Jareau

There’s been a child abduction in Arizona, I’ve pieced together some thing’s I’ve been working on in the background that might help the case if you are called in to assist. Even if you are not I believe you should take a look at this.

Mindy Patel, VICAP.

Attachment

Year: 1998 Victim 1: Emily Lawrence - 13. Kept till 16. Taken: August 3rd, 1998. Williams, AZ Found: June 10th, 2001. Camp Verde, AZ ME: decay has he placed at 48 hours postmortem when she was found - strangled, sexually assaulted long term, extensive throat damage. Never been pregnant. - COD: asphyxiation Info: good student, innocent shy girl. Followed the rules. Taken when walking home from school. Held for 3 years, assaulted and chained. Dumped without care.

Year: 2001 Victim 2: Olivia Tomms - 13. Kept till 16 Taken: August 3rd, 2001. Payson, AZ Found: June 23rd, 2004. Florence, AZ ME: decay has her at about 2 weeks postmortem. - strangled, sexually assaulted long term, extensive throat damage. Never been pregnant. - COD: asphyxiation Info: good student, innocent shy girl. Followed the rules. Taken when walking home from school. Held for 3 years, assaulted and chained. Dumped without care.

Year: 2004 Victim 3: Shelby Summers - 13. Kept till 16. Taken: August 3rd, 2004. Peach Springs, AZ Found: July 16th, 2007. Keams, AZ ME: decay has her at over a month postmortem. - strangled, sexually assaulted long term, extensive throat damage. Never been pregnant. - COD: asphyxiation Info: good student, innocent shy girl. Followed the rules. Taken when walking home from school. Held for 3 years, assaulted and chained. Dumped without care.

Year: 2007 Victim 4: Beth Green - 11. Kept till 13 Taken: August 3rd, 2007. Saint John, AZ Found: January 13th, 2010. @ flagstaff hospital. ME: COD complications from a miscarriage. Massive blood loss. - well taken care of. Throat damage. Signs of being detained long term. Info:good student, innocent shy girl. Followed the rules. Taken when walking home from school. Held for 3 years, assaulted and chained. Dumped with remorse like he didn’t want her to die, and he felt sorry because he loved her.

Newest abduction: Name: Sally Irvine - 12 Taken: February 3rd, 3pm. Middle School pick-up (missing 13 hours now) Witness Report: Italian/greek man. Early 30’s. Claimed to be her parents assistant. Sally was used to going home with random people from her parents' work. Handsome man, very charming and convincing. He wore a suit and drove a Silver Honda Civic. Rust at the back, partial plate HC8.

“Fuck,” Y/N cried silently as she scrolled through all the information, even in a compact form.

“What’s wrong?” Spencer asked, looking over at her with concern.

“Um,” she didn’t really know why she was reacting like this at first. Then it hit her. “Mindy sent me a case and it’s hitting a little too close to home.”

“Would you like to explain it yet? It’s okay if you want to process it alone,” Spencer comforted her easily like it was his second nature.

She let out a deep breath. “There’s a serial killer in Arizona that is kidnapping girls between 11 and 13, only keeping them 3 years. Every ME report says they have extensive internal throat damage, and 3 of the 4 found were never pregnant. This unsub is forcing them into oral for 3 years straight.”

“Fuck,” Spencer agreed. “I think we should take this one, if you can’t I would fully understand.”

“I think the unsub is my rapist.”

Spencer pulled over onto the side of the road. Putting the car in park and flashing the 4-ways. He turned to her softly and looked at her with a blank face.

“Walk me through it.”

“What?”

“If I’m going to go in there with you and tell Hotch that this is the same guy who hurt you, then you’re going to need to explain it to him and the team,” Spencer explained softly. “You’ve never even told me the full story, I don’t know anything about that summer other than the fact something happened. The first time you repeat this in front of me is going to be hard, and I don’t want you to have to do that in front of all of them.”

She couldn’t help herself from letting out a small sob, “okay.”

She took a few minutes to collect her thoughts, and calm down enough to get full words out of her mouth.

“When I was 12,” she started. “My mom went back to work, and she didn’t trust me to watch my brothers because they were rowdy and never listened to me. Like you said, they were more like my older brothers.

“My dad’s best friend, Jimmy, his wife had MS so she was home all the time. They had 3 older children and a few foster boys, she was used to lots of kids being there. And she had a pool to keep us occupied,” she bit her lip before she explained anymore.

“My mom’s birthday is June 8th. That’s when victim 1 was murdered,” was the first fact she explained that related to the case. She handed Spencer her phone so he could read and follow along.

“My dad is a Mason with the Masonic Lodge in Los Vegas, and he was becoming the master of his division on my mom's birthday that year, so we rented a hall and had a big party. Jimmy’s foster son was there, you remember Christopher Torsey? He was a freshman and I was in grade 6, about to enter grade 7, that was when the grooming started. He took me into the back room and asked if anyone had ever kissed me, I said no. He leaned in and kissed me in the dark and I was a giggly mess.

“My parents and his were really friends and he would come over all the time, our dads would drink in the backyard with our mothers till 1 in the morning most weekends. So I spent long periods of time with this boy for a few years, trusting him like a friend before he started anything. That summer he would always find a way to wander off with me, at first it was just kissing in different places where we could be alone together. Then he would touch my boobs, and he had me take my shirt off a few times.”

Spencer looked calm, but the redness in his face and the pulse in his neck told a different story. Her breathing got heavier as she had to recall it all, and she didn’t want him to be so upset.

“We worked at a local church camp together that July, we’d do crafts and sing songs and after all the kids left and we had to clean up, he’d find a way to take me to the room where they held the nativity scene out of season. He’d start kissing and touching me like normal, and then Kendra walked in once and saw and suddenly he went from obsessed with me, to disgusted, saying I came on to him and that it was all me. He was disgusted by me when we were in public, but he loved me apparently behind closed doors.”

“On August 3rd,” a tear slipped down her cheek. “The day the girls go missing. That was the first time he took me back to the shed and said ‘when two people are in love, they do things, and I love you. So you have to,’ He took his, you know, and I’d never seen one before. It was scary and I didn’t want to, I wanted to leave, but he pushed me against the wall and down to my knees.” She had to stop to take a breath, Spencer was crying silently as he watched her explain it all.

“He kept me trapped there while he did it,” she explained. “The worst part is that his parents were hosting a wedding that night, so no one could hear me basically screaming no over the music. He knew that. And so, when I complained about the sore throat the next day, my parents thought it was from all the singing.”

Spencer let out a shaky breath, he looked at her with so much love and sadness, she knew he loved her. She reached across the centre console and wiped the tears off his face, pecking his lips softly before sitting back to continue.

“The dates match up, he was Italian, they’re all 11-13 with throat damage,” she ran it down. “It’s him.”

Spencer licked his lips, wiping the tears off his face before taking a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go tell Hotch.”

Aaron stood up from his desk after Y/N explained the situation, walking up close to her with a sad smile on his face, “this was a very hard thing to come forward with. How would you like to participate in the investigation?” He was soft with her for the first time, it was surreal.

“Um, I’d like to come with you to Arizona,” she said softly. “when Garcia finds him, I’d like to be the one to interview him.”

“Do you think that is a wise idea?” He asked softly.

“When I was 16, years after everything happened. I went to Jimmy’s house for an event, and Christopher was there, and I went to his room. I was so desperate for the bullying to stop. For the lies, he had told about me to go away, that I went in there and apologized to him,” her voice almost disappeared as she got to the end of the sentence. Crying in disbelief. “2 years later he started abducting. I apologized to my rapist and he started kidnapping girls. I need to look him in the eyes and find out why he did it.”

“Okay, let’s tell the team.”

Y/N and Garcia spent an hour building the case files and compiling all the data they had on Christopher Torsey. Joining the team in the briefing room, where Spencer had already relayed the events to the team. Y/N didn’t need to describe it all 3 times in 2 hours.

She passed all the folders out, trying to avoid the looks the team gave her. They were sorry, they respected her, they wanted revenge for her. She knew it all came from a place of love, however, she hated being perceived by others.

It was a trauma thing. For so long people had the wrong idea about her, she was bullied and put down, and hated for no reason. She hates any form of attention, the glances and staring, the whispers of rumours being told as fact. It was stressful.

“Before we start,” she started softly. “Thank you in advance for your concerns, but I’ve been in therapy for 10 years. I’m very happy, this is gonna fuckin’ suck, but at the end of the day I’m coming home to a man who loves me, a baby on the way, and the best friends I can ask for. He’s going to prison. I win.”

Derek smiled at her, “that’s my girl. What did you find?”

“Christopher Torsey was born in November of 1979. His father was extremely abusive, he was in the ER a lot by the time he was 11. His mother killed herself in front of him when he was 12, he also watched his father rape his mother according to his child therapist,” Garcia started. Not knowing how to say the next part without Y/N crying.

“He uh, he said that his dad would tell his mom to be quiet. That-uh, I’m sorry, shouldn’t you say this?”

Y/N stepped in without a second thought. “He said that his father would hold the fact that he loved her over her head to force her into having sex with him. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“He’s our guy for sure. Do we have an address?” Prentiss asked.

“Yeah, he lives in a double-wide trailer in Cottonwood. Near the back with his own access to the main road,” Y/N explained. “I knew he moved to Arizona when Jimmy finally kicked him out. I haven’t heard from him in years.”

“Y/N is coming with us, wheels up in 20.”

—

Cottonwood PD waited for them to arrive before apprehending him. They were concerned that he would run, with his access to the woods and a four-wheeler in his possession, it was a matter of boxing him in quietly with a backup plan in place and men on the ground.

“Can I suggest something?” Y/N cut into the Police Chief and Hotch’s conversation.

“Sure.”

“Um, what if I walk up in our civilian clothes, and just pretend that we’re there to rub it in his face that I'm happy and in love,” Y/N suggested. “I can wear a wire, you can be in a surveillance van listening in. You’ll be right there if we see Sally or sense something’s up.”

“Are you sure you can do that?” Hotch asked her.

“I am,” she turned to Spencer, “if you can control your temper you can come. If not, I’ll show up with Derek and still rub it in his face that someone loves me now.”

Spencer sighed deeply as he contemplated it. “I’ll kill him,” he admitted. “Take Derek.”

“Let’s get suited up,” Derek patted Spencer’s shoulder. “I won’t let him hurt her again. Don’t worry.”

“I know.” Spencer looked disappointed.

Everyone left the room, leaving Spencer and Y/N alone. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug resting her face against his chest. He softly held her in return, rubbing his hands along her back with his cheek on her head.

“I love you, forever and always,” She reminded him. “And I know how much you love me, believe me. I wouldn’t have been able to do this if I didn’t truly believe Chris was wrong.”

She pulled back when she felt a tear on her head. She wiped it softly with her thumb as he leaned his cheek into her palm. “I am loveable, and you love me. I win.”

He laughed softly, “I won too.”

She pulled him into a soft kiss, “I’ll be back in your arms soon.”

“I’ll be in the van watching the whole time, I love you so much,” he added for good measure.

She smiled as she walked away, throwing a fist in the air like the end of the breakfast club. Knowing full well he’d never get the reference. JJ on the other hand, laughed as she followed with Spencer.

They changed into regular clothes, getting in a car from the impound lot and following the surveillance van. Morgan was quiet, Y/N knew he wanted to talk to her, to go over the plan, but he didn’t know how to. The wire wouldn’t be on till they walked out, giving Y/N and Derek their privacy if he ever chose to speak.

“Did you ever confront your guy?” Y/N asked.

He nodded, “Carl Buford. I got to show him who I am now, that I put men like him behind bars. That I’ll always win.”

“Is it a good feeling?”

Derek set his hand palm up on the centre console, looking at her softly as if to ask her to take it. She interlocked their fingers, he rubbed his thumb against her skin.

“You’re right, it fucking sucks. The original pain never goes away, but there is a content feeling knowing he won’t get to hurt another person, that he might get his ass kicked in prison,” he smiled that beautiful Derek smile. “I’ll always be here for when you need someone who gets it.”

“Thank you,” she smiled.

They pulled into the trailer park slowly, separating from the team as they approached Christopher’s trailer. “Just pretend you’re Spencer, treat me the way he would. I know Spencer tells you everything, go off of memory of what he’s said about me.”

“You know he tells me everything?” Derek asked softly, laughing a little to himself.

“Because he also tells me everything,” she smirked. “When he’s tired and he rambles, he tells me about his whole day and that includes when he asks you for advice.”

“You two are gross,” he smiled. “I hope I can replicate it.”

“Come on,” she laughed, getting out of the car and waiting for Derek at the hood.

She took his hand before walking up to the door, a hand on her belly to make it look bigger. Really wanting to show off that she was in a better place than he was.

She knocked, 3 times, stepping back so he could open the door. She didn’t feel scared, she felt anxious in excitement to watch Derek take him to the floor.

“Y/N?” She heard his voice for the first time in 13 years. “What are you doing here?”

“My therapist suggested that I come here and show you someone actually did end up loving me, regardless of what you said,” she explained.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he panicked, flashing his eyes back and forth between her and Derek.

“I can come in and explain it for you if you’d like?” Y/N smiled. “You’ve got nothing to hide I assume? I’m just wildly obsessed with you and a liar right? That’s what you told everyone so I wouldn’t be able to say you forced my head on your dick with the promise that you loved me.”

“I- I uh,” he stuttered. Starting to shake lightly.

“That’s what you do to all the girls, isn’t it, Chris?” Derek cut in, pulling the screen door open and watching as Christopher ran to the back of the house. “We got a runner!!” He announced to the wire.

Y/N didn’t run after him, she knew the team had him. She walked through the house to watch from the back door. Only to find Spencer stiff-arming him.

Christopher flipped over Spencer’s arm, hitting the ground before Spencer was on top of him. Spencer punched him in the face, once, twice, three times before he stopped. Sitting over the unconscious man as he caught his breath. Everyone just watched him. He rolled Christopher over, cuffed him and walked away into the woods.

Y/N carefully jogged into the yard, passing the bleeding and groaning asshole she used to know as she ran after Spencer. He was walking too fast, and he didn’t look like he was going to stop.

“Spencer Walter Reid!” She yelled at him as if she was his mother. “Stop.”

He stopped abruptly, huffing as he did so. He only turned around to face her when she finally caught up to him. “Don’t touch me yet,” he instructed her.

“Okay,” she stopped a foot in front of him. “Look at me, breathe. In and out.” She used her hands as she motioned a breath in, and a release out. She repeated it 4 times, watching him do the same.

“Can I hug you now?” She asked softly.

He nodded, stepping into her space and wrapping himself around her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“It was actually really appreciated,” she laughed. “I was debating if having a baby at 22 weeks was worth punching him in the face a few times.”

Spencer laughed softly into her shoulder. Squeezing her in his grasp as he breathed her in. “I love you.”

“I love you, more,” she smiled against his neck before pressing a soft kiss to his ever-beating pulse. “Let’s go see the team, come on.”

Y/N was adamant about searching the trailer with the team. Going to the surveillance van for a vest and gloves while Christopher was taken to the police station, and Spencer had his hand wrapped up.

It still smelled like him in there. The smell of his detergent mixed with smoke from the fireplace. It never changed. She noticed his PlayStation was on, he was still interested in games. He still slept with the brown comforter that was on his bed when she was 12. It was worn down, holes gathered at the bottom as it was almost see-through now.

She opened the closet to see a very large metal safe in its place. She took a deep breath, looking at the keypad to see what numbers had been worn down the most, guessing his password.

0803

It popped open, it made her feel sick to her stomach. As she opened it, she heard the muffled screams behind duck tape. Sally Irvine was tied up, hunched over in a tiny metal box while he played GTA.

She wanted to kill him.

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” she shushed the girl. “Sally, my name is Y/N. We’re here to take you home, you're safe now.”

Y/N took the tape off Sally’s mouth softly, the girl sobbed immediately. Not able to say a single thing as Y/N untied her and held Sally in her arms. Sally hugged her back as tight as she could, sobbing into her shirt as Y/N rocked her back and forth. Crying along with her.

“He did it to me when I was 12 too,” Y/N whispered.

Sally pulled back and looked at her with puffy eyes, “really?” She asked. Her voice low and scratchy.

“JJ can you get some water?” She called behind her. “Yes. I was his first.”

“Y/N,” the girl repeated. “That’s what he called me?”

She couldn’t stop the sick feeling in her gut, “let’s get you out of here.” She changed the topic, helping the little girl to her feet and to an ambulance.

Y/N smiled at her as she dropped her off with the EMTs, walking off into the woods as quickly as she could. She leaned over, holding her own hair back as she threw up on the ground.

She swatted away at the hand rubbing her back suddenly, continuing to hurl in the bushes as she heard them behind her, shushing her. She wiped her hand on her mouth before she calmed herself down.

She sighed and turned around to see Morgan. His arms were open for her to hug him, she buried her face in his chest as she cried. Not able to fully process all the information she just heard.

“Let’s get you home,” Derek whispered. Escorting her back to the car, she was done for the day.

chapter 22

Valentine’s day had come and gone by the time they finished their most recent case. Landing in Quantico very late on the 16th of February. Everyone departed the plane slowly, half asleep after the 3-hour flight.

“Did you guys miss any plans?” Y/N asked JJ and Emily as they walked together.

“Yeah,” Emily sighed, “I uh, I’ve been seeing someone.”

“Since when?” JJ asked, both her and Y/N suddenly not tired at all. They stopped on the tarmac and stared at her.

“Um, a few months now,” She blushed.

“Was this the sin to win weekend?” Y/N asked softly.

Emily nodded, “what’s sin to win?” JJ asked just as quietly.

“It’s a weekend for gay people in Atlantic City,” Emily replied. “It’s an easy way to mingle in a safe space.”

“Oh,” JJ was shocked. “Oh, so you’re, and you too?” She pointed at both of them as the information was processed.

Y/N and Emily smiled at her and laughed. “Bi? Yes,” Y/N replied.

“I’m still not sure,” Emily added. She sighed deeply, shaking her head as she tried to speak again. “I’ve never really enjoyed male company? It feels more like a performance than a relationship.”

“I mean good for you for noticing that now, if it wasn’t for Spencer I’d be in the same boat,” Y/N smirked at her. “He’s more than just a pretty face.”

“Wow,” JJ was shocked. “I would’ve never known.”

Emily placed her hand on JJ’s back, leading her towards the charter back to headquarters, “oh you poor, poor, heterosexual woman.”

“She has a cat, she cuts her bangs when she’s stressed and she bites her fingernails,” Y/N explained to JJ as they picked their seats. “She likes pussy, JJ.”

Emily smacked her arm lightly, all of them laughing hysterically. The boys walked onto the bus to their cackling, desperately wanting to know what was so funny.

“I was just telling them, I met someone and I’d like for you to all meet her soon,” Emily explained to the rest of the team. “I think you’ll really like her.”

“No way,” Derek smiled, high-fiving her. “Congrats dude, welcome to the dark side.”

“You too?” JJ was shocked. “Okay, put your hand up if you’re a straight person,” she stretched her arm into the air. Hotch and Rossi joined her.

“Really?” Spencer and Y/N looked at each other with excitement.

“What the fuck?” JJ was dumbfounded. “How did I not know this?”

“It just never came up before,” Derek shrugged. “Tell us more about this girlfriend of yours, Prentiss.”

“Or,” Y/N cut in. “you could bring her to Vegas in April.”

“Why?” Emily smirked at her.

“If you’re all free on April 23rd,” She teased them along. “Spencer and I would like you to come to our wedding at my parent’s house.”

“Oh!” JJ and Emily freaked, “holy shit!”

“So, you guys are in?” She laughed.

“Yeah!”

For 2 in the morning, the bus was the most excited they had ever been. And Penelope didn’t even join them on this trip. Normally it was her making this kind of excitement, Y/N basked in the happiness that filled the bus.

They discussed little details on the way to their cars, standing in the garage for a good 15 minutes as they planned the dates they’d need to arrange to have off. Hotch knew he could pull some strings to use everyone’s vacation time for a few days.

They exchanged hugs before breaking apart for the night. Planning to return around noon that same day. Giving them a sweet 9 hours of peace and quiet.

“We still need to invite Penelope,” Spencer whispered when they were halfway home. Interrupting the silence that Y/N was enjoying.

Y/N laughed softly, watching him drive with a smile on his face. “I only told the rest of them because Penelope somehow hacked into my calendar app, to plan a baby shower around my schedule, and saw the plans.”

“Of course,” he nodded along.

“So yeah,” she smiled. “She’s told me that she wants to throw me a baby shower/bachelorette party now.”

“That would be nice,” Spencer agreed, squeezing her thigh where his hand was always glued to her.

“If we even get more time off before the wedding, I’m crossing every appendage on my body in the hopes all the psychos take the day off!” She laughed, twisting her arms and legs in a demonstration.

He laughed, leaning against the wheel as he tried to keep his focus on the road. “I love you.”

“You better!” She teased him.

It went quiet again. She could hear the tires on the sandy slush. The grinding of pressure as the snow compressed into the tire tread. Small rocks being flicked up from the wheels, smacking the underbelly of the car as they approached their house.

She sighed as she saw the place, the beautiful green door illuminated by the porch light. Screaming ‘welcome home!’ As they pulled into the parking spot.

Sleep surprisingly came easier to her the more pregnant she got. She was used to laying on her left side now, she actually preferred it, because it means that every morning when she woke up, the sun came in just perfectly to make Spencer glow.

The alarm on Spencer’s table started to beep letting them know it was 10:30. She softly watched him roll over and smacked the machine before turning back to her and closing his eyes once more.

“No.”

She huffed in a silent laugh, getting closer to kiss the tip of his nose. “Time to wake up,” she whispered between kisses spread across his face.

He was trying his best not to smile as she peppered his skin with kisses. Pushing him onto his back so she had more skin to cover. It had been a while since they did anything together.

Between the cases and the baby, and everything Spencer learned about her past trauma. He’s been a little distant, and it was starting to make her worry. Dr. Korrapati promised that this sudden burst of anxiety was normal at this stage of pregnancy. It was what contributed the most to the nesting phase, but it still scared her.

She wanted to kiss him, to run her hand down his chest and palm over his boxers until she couldn’t take it anymore. So she did, just a little more seductively.

She moaned softly as she kissed the patch of skin under his ear and down his neck softly. She dragged her fingers over his skin, looping around his nipple as she sucked on his neck. She lifted her leg lightly over his, trying to get some friction between her legs as she kissed him.

“We should probably just go to work,” Spencer softly interjected.

She sighed, dropping her forehead against his shoulder and letting her shoulders slouch.

“I’m not broken!” She sat straight up as she yelled at him. “Can I please just fuck my boyfriend? I have been horny for Weeks,” she wasn’t sure where the sudden burst of emotion came from.

“Oh,” he sat up too, resting his hand on her back softly. “I didn’t realize you wanted to after everything, and the baby? You’ve had a rough few months.”

She laughed lightly, “Spence, of course I do?”

She looked at him softly, cupping his jaw in her hand. “I’ve had to process my trauma before. Yes, it’s still bothering me, and yes I have new trauma that I need to address with my therapist. But,” she emphasized. “I am a woman with needs, and one of those needs is getting railed before work by Doctor Reid.”

“You’re one hundred percent sure?” Spencer asked again.

She smiled and nodded, pushing him back down against the pillows. She resumed her last position, putting her leg between his so they could grind lightly and make out. “If it gets to be too much, I’ll ask you to stop.”

“Okay,” Spencer looked up at her, brushing her hair behind her ear as she hovered over him. “I love you.”

“Prove it,” she teased him, leaning in and kissing his neck again.

He reached behind her to grab her ass, she had noticed his hands gravitating there more as she gained pregnancy weight. She wasn’t complaining either, the way his hands felt on her skin was glorious.

He was putty in her hands, tilting his head to the side so she could kiss, lick and suck wherever she so pleased. She reached her free hand into his hair while he other kept her steady, in the perfect spot to grind against his boney hip.

He was all gasps and heavy breaths underneath her, she raised her leg lightly dragging it over his hardening erection before putting herself back in place. Just wanting to see how far along he was.

She rolled onto her back then, laying flat, waiting for him. He pushed his underwear to his ankles as he flipped on top of her. She was nothing but giggles as Her Spencer came out to play.

Opening her legs, she greeted him back into her grasp as he hovered over her. Both hands planted against the pillow as he looked down at her. His hair falling into his eyes, she pushed his hair back behind his ears.

“You might need a haircut soon,” she teased him, biting her lip softly.

“Shhh,” he whispered.

She took his right hand from beside her head, gripping him by the wrist and guiding him towards her mouth. Taking his middle and ring finger in, sucking on the digits softly. Making him release a sound she’s never heard before.

She looped her tongue around his fingers, spreading them lightly as she licked a stripe through them. Feeling his skin against her teeth, which only seemed to excite him more.

She pulled off with a pop, he looked mesmerized by the trail of spit that connected her bottom lip to his wet fingers. “Fuck,” he gasped as his breathing hitched.

“You know where to put them,” she whispered up at him, staring into his eyes as she bit her lip.

He kissed her quickly, pulling her forward so he could get the t-shirt she was still wearing off her body, throwing it off the bed as he kissed her neck, sucking a mark into the skin as he pushed his hand into her panties.

“Jesus,” he whispered against her neck as he felt how wet she was. “You weren’t kidding.”

Making her twitch slightly as he used the two fingers that were just in her mouth, to drag up and down on her clit. Rubbing it back and forth between the two knuckles.

“Fuck,” she breathed out as she gripped his hair. Palming his scalp while he kept kissing her neck.

She could feel him grinding against the bed as he kissed her, moaning against the space under her ear as he quickened his finger movements.

“I need you to fuck me, like yesterday,” she panted against his mouth, licking his bottom lip after.

He pulled away from her then, lifting her hips to drag her panties down. Keeping them on one of her ankles as he gripped the base of his cock and sat on his knees.

The sight between her legs was phenomenal. The glow of the sun on the lake through the windows as Spencer stroked himself in front of her.

Suddenly, he took both of her knees in his hands. Pushing them to her chest slightly before flipping her over. Extending her hips as he held her ass up. Kissing each cheek softly before straightening his posture.

“Ready?” He asked, she wasn’t expecting it.

Her face pressed into the pillow as she tried to find the best position to support herself. Pushing her hips back in a silent yes. He understood her body language, lining himself up with her and slowly pushing in.

She pushed back against him as well, moaning as she took all of him. “Finally,” she sighed, wiggling against his hips.

He gripped her hips, pushing her off abruptly before slamming back in. She was shocked, letting out a gasped moan as he fucked into her. Taking the instructions too literally, railing her.

She had never been that loud before in her life. Concerned Rossi would be able to hear them from across the lake, but it didn’t stop her. Only enticing him to keep it up.

She pressed her face into the pillow more as she attempted to reach her clit. She couldn’t, “fuck, Spence?”

“Yeah?” He slowed.

She took his hand off her hip, “can’t reach.” Her breath was erratic as she tried to explain.

“Aw poor bunny,” he teased her, slowing to a grind as his fingers ghosted over her clit. “Can’t get yourself off anymore?”

“Please daddy?” She let it slip, feeling his cock twitch inside of her as she did.

He leaned forward, kissing her shoulder softly. “Tell daddy what you want, use your big girl words.”

She pushed back against him, raising herself from the pillow to look over her shoulder at him. “I was going to say breed me, daddy.” She teased, watching his entire personality change. “But it looks like you already did.”

He licked his lips, pushing his hair out of his face as he shook his head at her. “You’re going to regret that.”

She pressed her face back into the pillow and perched her ass back more, ever the invitation. He ran his hand softly over her asscheek, slapping it before he started to fuck her again, reaching around to rub her clit, like she asked, ever so nicely.

They found their rhythm then, pushing against each other in just the right way. Between her deep breathing and the moans she released, the only other thing she could only hear was the sound of their skin slapping together as Spencer fucked her harder than ever before.

“Fuck, sweet Jesus I love your cock,” she praised him, punching into the pillow as she pushed herself back into him, on all 4’s now.

Using his free hand, he spread his fingers through her hair. Gripping her at the roots and pulling her head back as he slammed into her.

“Yes, daddy,” Y/N panted as she felt herself get closer to the edge. “Right there.”

“Cum for me bunny,” he instructed her, “let me fill your perfect little cunt.”

She came with a shout, pushing back against him as his words pushed her over the edge. Not being able to ever say no to that man, feeling his hips shake as he tried to fuck her through his own orgasm.

He pulled out, flipping her limp body back over so she could lay on her back, releasing the pressure on her stomach. Legs still spread as he observed his handiwork, scooping it up with his fingers and pushing it back inside of her. Making her clench up at the feeling.

“Spence-“

“Too much?” He smirked down at her.

She nodded, catching her breath as he just sat there. Still, on his knees, cock now soft and resting against his leg. She preached herself up on her forearms, shaking her head at him as she bit her lip.

“Where the fuck did that come from?” She asked him.

“I have no idea,” he laughed. “But hypothetically,” he bit his lip and raised his eyebrow. “I wouldn’t mind revisiting that on a later date.”

She laughed, dropping back against the sheets. “Me either.”

—

She waddled from the car to the elevator. A mixture of pregnancy and over-extending her hips, exercising with Spencer. Lamaze class more specifically, if anyone asked.

“I should really start calling you ducky,” Spencer whispered in the elevator.

“I hate you,” she bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

“Really?” He teased her, “because if I recall 27 minutes and 15 seconds ago when you were saying ‘fuck, sweet Jesus, I love your cock,’” he whispered into her ear.

The elevator doors opened as her jaw dropped, “notice how I specified which part, Doctor Reid?” She answered abruptly, walking out towards her coworkers.

“So that’s how it’s going to be?” He said as he followed her. Making everyone turn around to see them.

“What’s going on?” Morgan noticed it first.

“Nothing,” Y/N rolled her eyes. “Just correcting the genius.”

“On?” Prentiss pried.

“Well this morning she said and I quote-“

“I will cut your balls off and hang them from the mirror in my car,” she snapped, glaring at him as she pointed her finger in his direction.

“Mama’s got claws,” Morgan laughed at them. “Damn.”

Spencer wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek in front of everyone. She turned pink, pretending to be pissed while a smile crept onto her face.

“She loves me,” Spencer smiled, pressing their cheeks together.

“One part, it’s nice to me and doesn’t talk back,” she replied, making everyone laugh as Spencer shook his head.

“Okay, you win,” he put his hands up in surrender as he backed away. Opening the door to the bullpen and disappearing behind his desk.

chapter 23

St. Patrick’s Day was never a holiday that Y/N or Spencer really cared for. Yes, they wore green to work, but other than that they didn’t really see the hype. They were Halloween people.

Will and JJ, on the other hand, went all out.

It was something to do with Will’s love for beer and his frat-boy attitude. Explaining to them that morning in the bullpen that the best parties on his college campus were around St. Patrick’s day and Mardi Gras, making February and March party central in his life.

They walked in with little Henry, decked out in green from head to toe. Green beads around his neck, gold chocolate coins in a basket, and the cutest little shamrock light-up head bopper.

“Look at you!!” Y/N called out to Henry as she walked into the room. Opening her arms up and leaning down to pick him up as he ran into her arms.

“Any Y/N!” Henry called her, not being able to say his T’s yet.

She pressed his tiny cheek against her face as she picked him up and snuggled him against her chest. It was getting harder to pick him up now that she was pregnant but she wasn’t going to miss a Henry snuggle.

“Since when did the FBI consult with leprechauns?” She asked him, booping her nose against him.

“Nooo,” Henry leaned back in her arms, “I’m not a leopard-con,” he tried his best to say the word. Making the team all laugh.

“Well, either way, why’s my favourite little guy here today?”

“Hey?” Spencer complained.

She leaned her elbow into him, “hi unca Spence,” Henry smiled at him. Spencer ran his fingers through Henry’s hair, messing it up under the headband.

“He wanted his godparents to see his outfit before the party at daycare today!” JJ explained with excitement.

Y/N placed him back on his feet, “go on the, show it off!”

He walked around the room, doing a fake model strut as he shook his diapered butt, walking towards the stairs before running back. “Woooow!” Everyone clapped and cheered.

Y/N looked up from Henry’s gaze, seeing Emily in Hotch’s office with a blond woman she didn’t recognize, “what’s going on in there?” She pointed.

“They’ve been in there all morning,” Rossi explained. “I think that’s the girlfriend.”

“How so?” Spencer asked, moving across the room to get a better view through the blinds.

“The way Emily leans against her, hand on her arm like that as she speaks. That’s the same way you and lady boy-wonder act when you’re in there together,” Rossi raised an eyebrow at them.

“Ahh,” Y/N smirked. “I wonder what happened, no one talks to Hotch with the door closed unless they need us to look into something.”

“I’ve gotta go,” Will cut in, scooping Henry up from the carpet with a tight-lipped smile.

“Bye buddy,” Y/N scrunched her nose at him, getting in close to press their noses together. “Have a good day today.”

“Bye, love you,” JJ kissed both her boys and watched them leave the room.

“they’re the best,” Y/N said as she wrapped an arm around JJ.

“Anyone want to go sit and have coffee while we wait for them?” Derek asked prior to a long yawn.

Rossi patted Derek on the back, leading him up the stairs and towards the briefing room. The remaining team members following their lead, discovering fresh donuts and flowers waiting for them.

“A gift for helping in advance, -Noelle” Read the small card on the table.

“Emily’s girlfriend?” JJ pondered, holding the card up and waving it slightly.

“I like her already,” Derek said, kicking his feet back and taking a donut.

Hotch walked in with Emily and Mindy 45 minutes later. Following them was a beautiful blond woman, probably 6’1 even in her flat running shoes. She was wearing cuffed blue skinny jeans and a big Barbie Pink petticoat.

She smiled lightly as she walked in, glueing herself to Emily’s side. “This is Noelle, my partner, Noelle these are my co-workers.”

“Hi!” She waved, “let me guess. Chocolate thunder, Derek Morgan.” She pointed to the nearest person to her.

“Correct,” Derek nodded in her direction.

“You would have to be Penelope Garcia,” she guessed right once again. “Emily was right, your aura is very bright.”

“Oh,” Penelope blushed.

“Y/N and Spencer, she said you’d be basically sitting on top of each other,” making everyone on the team laugh. “JJ, she said you’re like wonder woman, you look more like you could be cast as Super Girl if you ask me.”

JJ blushed, “thank you, Henry would agree.”

“Rossi, I already knew you. I love your books,” she fangirled a little. Something Rossi was incredibly used to.

“Signing hours are from 6-8,” he teased her.

Noelle laughed, her smile wide and toothy. “It’s lovely to meet you all.”

“Noelle has come in today with concerns that local gay men in her circle of friends are going missing. Over the last few holidays, 3 of her friends have disappeared. Dropping all contact after a trip to the bar,” Hotch explained.

“I’m a firefighter,” Noelle explained. “I have a Facebook group of friends who are gay and in the forces in any capacity. Just to let each other know where they’re going, to be safe.”

“Smart system,” Rossi complimented. “But also incredibly easy for someone to pose as trustful to gain access and track them.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Emily’s pressed lip smile portraying just how uncomfortable she was with the situation. “I’ve met our supposed victim number 3. Officer Perry is a great man and we haven’t heard from him since Friday.”

“Where was he going?” Y/N asked.

“He was at the bar with us on Friday for a little, we got a few beers and then he said he was meeting with a guy he met online, he was never big into online dating or even dating in general. He didn’t know how to be an officer and gay at the same time,” Noelle explained the situation fully. “He is one of my best friends, I excused it Saturday when he didn’t call cause I guessed he was having a good time. But when he missed Sunday dinner I knew something was wrong. I begged Emily to let me pitch this to you.”

“I believe you,” Hotch added. “Which is why I’ve asked Mindy Patel from VICAP to join us today.”

Mindy waved, she dressed more like a techie than an agent. Beanie, headphones on her neck and a big black sweater.

“Strauss and I agreed it would be beneficial to have a member of the team solely responsible for going through VICAP coincidences and letting us know. We stumble across too many rare cases thanks to Y/N and Mindy,” Hotch explained. “Mindy Patel is now officially VICAP Liaison. Her office will be across from Garcia’s from now on, she’s going to be our eyes and ears in the missing person world for the time being.”

“I took into account the fact that your friends were all masc for masc, on the police force in some capacity and male obviously,” Mindy explained. “And I found the two men from Valentines Day and New Years, and then more going back every major holiday for the last 2 years as of this St. Patrick’s day.”

“We’ve compiled the data and sent it to Garcia, it’ll be on your tablets shortly,” Hotch confirmed. “I’d like everyone to split up into teams and take an apartment of the most recent 3 victims. Prentiss and Rossi, you get New Years’.”

“Yes sir,” Emily agreed. “Noelle can stay here with Penelope for insight.”

“Yes. Reid, Y/N and Morgan, you’ll take officer Perry’s apartment. It’s the freshest so I need the best eyes.”

“Absolutely,” they replied in unison.

“Myself and JJ are going to the Valentines Day abduction,” check in with Garcia when you need to, fill me in on everything. Good luck.”

—

“Yeah a cop lives here,” Y/N laughed as she searched through the carefully organized home. Combing the place over for the slightest abnormality.

“He definitely wasn’t taken,” Morgan agreed. “He went willingly and never made it home.”

Dust was starting to settle on his possessions. Photos on the wall looked blurry as the sun shined through the windows. It smelled stale, no one had opened the windows in a while and the man who lived here worked out.

His clothing was organized by category. His laundry had 3 separate baskets for darks, lights and colours. Inside his bedside drawers, all his condoms were lined up by type. He was definitely anal about something.

“Guys?” Spencer called from the office.

Morgan and Y/N followed the sound of his voice, seeing him hunched over an iMac. “I moved the mouse and it’s open and unlocked.”

“But you don’t know what to do?” She teased him.

“Yeah,” he blushed. Watching Y/N sit in the desk chair and start looking through his things.

“His Facebook is pretty basic, he checked in at the bar with a photo here of him with Emily and Noelle, and then he went offline. He doesn’t have Twitter or Tumblr logged in, so I’m guessing he doesn’t have that,” Y/N explains as she stalked his activity. “In his history, your male basics. Case research, pornhub, Facebook, Hotmail… hold on.”

She read through all the subjects, all looking pretty normal. “What would a gay man hiding his sex life from his co-workers disguise his emails as?”

“Work-out appointments,” Morgan answered almost too quickly.

‘Workout’ she typed into the search bar. Seeing 15 messages from another man named domworkouts@hotmail.com. “got him, call Garcia.”

“Hey baby girl,” Derek spoke softly as she answered. “We got Jensen Perry’s computer open, his email shows he’s been working out with a domworkouts@hotmail.com.”

“Already working my finger magic,” she teased him. Hanging up before he could say anything back.

“That woman will be the death of me,” he sighed.

“I don’t think we’ll find anything else here, our best bet is with Garcia,” Y/N admitted as she closed all the windows. “Wait,” she pulled up the search and typed in ‘find my iPhone,’ “if he has a Mac he has an iPhone, not many people blend their tech.”

Last ping: 2256 Sheerly Lane, Friday at 23:56.

“I’ll call Hotch while you drive,” Y/N said, pulling out her phone and following the men out the door.

Morgan followed the GPS 15 minutes down the street to an apartment complex. It was worn down and looked as if no one had taken care of it in the last 25 years. “I’m calling Garcia before you go in, I don’t feel good about this.”

“Hey doll,” Garcia’s cheery voice was a nice refresher.

“Hey, do you have any info on who owns and occupies 2256, Sheerly Lane?” Y/N asked softly. “Also send backup to this location, it’s where Perry’s iPhone is apparently and it looks sketchy as hell.”

She heard the clicking of the keys before she heard Garcia’s reply. “Yep, we have 1 occupant. Amy Romano, 46, left the building after her mother died. She’s been living there in room 333 for years, not renting any rooms out at all in the last 3 years.”

“A woman?” Morgan was shocked.

“Must be why we’ve never found the bodies, female serial killers are 90% less likely to ever be caught,” Reid added his fun fact, one she’s heard from him a handful of times before.

“Exactly,” Y/N agreed. “What do we know about her?”

“She’s an interesting one,” Garcia’s tone changed. “Her father was a minister, big bible freak. Her mother was the maid here at the hotel before being given the deed from the original owner’s family. She died in 1988.”

“How much of the religious upbringing rubbed off on her?”

“Enough to make her have multiple psychotic breaks, being diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 15,” Garcia gained more insight. “Claimed to have been visited by God, and was told sinners are punished by word of god. That one day she would be the one to follow his word for the righteous man.”

“What if she’s doing her own form of conversion therapy?” Y/N gasped. “She’s not killing them. She’s following god’s word and freeing them from their sins. This is the perfect place to keep them. Locking them in rooms away from each other, secluding them and only subjecting them to a female for long periods of time.”

“Garcia, we need back up right now,” Morgan stressed.

“they’re 4 minutes out, good luck in there my babies.”

“See you soon, baby girl.”

Being left out of raids was weird to her, watching Spencer put on a bullet-proof vest and load his gun without her cover made her anxious. Luckily, she got to stand with JJ outside. Watching the building as they listened over their radiofrequency.

“Clear,” Morgan spoke over the system.

“Clear here as well,” Hotch said. “Meet me at the stairwell.”

“I hate this,” Y/N whispered.

JJ ran her hand along Y/N’s back softly, “me too.”

“Floor 3, room 33,” Hotch explained. “I’ll kick in the door, Morgan, you enter first. Spencer and Prentiss, follow our lead.”

Not having a visual was the worst part. There was no way to know where they were or who was there. They worked on sounds, if and when the team decided to speak.

“1, 2, 3,” Morgan whispered before they heard the door smash in. “FBI!”

Then it was silent again, too quiet for anyone’s liking, staring up at the third floor trying to hear everything in the neighbourhood.

“Amy Romano put the gun down!”

“No!” They heard before 4 shots were fired.

Y/N’s heart was in her throat; she couldn’t hear anything going on inside. The officers asked over the radio for updates, hearing nothing in return. Y/N couldn’t stop herself from running towards the apartment buildings before anyone could catch her. Up 3 flights of stairs, drawing her gun and walking towards the room.

Morgan was shot in the arm, down. Prentiss, hiding behind a table with Morgan and Spencer as she tried to stop the bleeding. Hotch in the unsub’s grasp, fighting for a gun.

Hotch noticed Y/N in the doorway. Kicking the unsub down. Y/N wrapped her arm around the unsub’s neck, putting her in a headlock as Hotch attempted to cuff her. She struggled like a wet fish against them, slipping out of her grasp and falling to the floor.

“If God wants to tell me to stop, he’ll tell me himself!” She screamed.

Y/N presses her gun to her head, “he just did.”

“Amy Romano you’re under arrest for the kidnapping of 24 men, attempted murder of a federal agent and resisting arrest,” Hotch explained as he cuffed her.

“Y/N!” Spencer stood up, looking at her like she was the crazy person. “We agreed, 3rd trimester, no fieldwork.”

“You didn’t reply on the radio and suddenly I was here,” Y/N explained, “I’m sorry.”

“We need EMTs, Morgan’s been shot in the arm. The bleeding is under control, just hurry.” Prentiss ordered over the radio.

“Y/L/N is going to need to get checked as well,” Spencer added.

“Why?”

“You ran up three flights of stairs, wrestled an unsub and got elbowed in the side,” Spencer explained, taking her hand and leading her out of the room.

“I’m sorry, I get it now I really do,” Y/N stopped him in the hallway, holding him in her arms. “I don’t like when I can’t see that you’re safe.”

Spencer kissed the top of her head, “I love you.”

“The baby’s kicking,” she replied softly, “that’s good right? 4 movements in 30 minutes after activity is a good thing.”

Spencer laughed, pulling back to feel her belly. “I’m sure he’s all hopped up on adrenaline now, come on let’s get him looked at quickly.”

—

They found 16 of the 24 men alive and in critical condition inside the apartment building. SCSI was canvassing the scene with local cops, taping up the building and surrounding property while the city discussed demolishing the building altogether.

Y/N was able to witness Noelle running into Jensen Perry’s arms, hugging him as they cried in his hospital bed. Y/N could imagine the trauma he was going through, the terror and the fear of something you really don’t want, happening anyway.

“Why do people do terrible things in the name of God?” Y/N whispered towards Spencer, looking up at him with soft eyes. Truly curious.

“The religious system runs similarly to cults, they believe the words are to be followed and thus they will gain entrance to heaven. If there’s one thing humans are afraid of more than dying, it’s internal damnation. Holding the fact that they will suffer in death over their head is a way to get them to do anything.” Spencer explained softly. “With the right person, the wrong message can actually sound like a pretty good thing.”

Y/N let out a deep sigh, “how do you raise a good child in a fucked up world?”

“Matthew, 18; 1 through 5, At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Spencer repeated the bible verse softly. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.”

Y/N smiled, “I like that.”

“He was always supposed to be good, he has you as his mother.”

chapter 24

April rolled around out of nowhere. Suddenly the snow had all melted, the birds were returning, and the trees were starting to bud thanks to the week of thunderstorms.

Love was in the air, both in the wild and in Y/N’s life.

The wedding’s in 2 weeks and she’s growing daily. She wanted to wait till the last possible moment to get her dress. Wanting it to actually fit over her stomach on the big day without any struggle.

Being placed on office duty for the rest of her pregnancy made it easier, not being allowed to leave Mindy and Penelope's side, under direct order from Aaron Hotchner. She was starting to notice that the more pregnant she got, the more the men of the team wanted to protect her as well.

JJ said it was the same for her the first time, all the alpha personalities came out around the third trimester. It was like they didn’t quite register that a woman on the team was pregnant till it was abundantly clear.

The girls had all agreed to go to the dress store with Y/N when they had a free afternoon, but that didn’t seem to be happening any time soon. Y/N ended up going by herself between cases while Spencer was on a flight, trying on 6 different dresses before she found one that made her happy.

The sales associate was being extra nice to her, knowing she had both a big budget and no time. It was an easy sale, but this wasn’t an easy decision.

She tried a sleeveless, skin-tight number on first. Not being able to even move once she got in it, not even bothering to look in the mirror. It wasn’t right, that was for sure.

Eventually, by #5 they had an idea of what she wanted. Long sleeves to hide her stretch marks, it had to be flowy but still show off the bump. And she wanted lace, embroidery even. Something that made it different, something that was more like her. Always growing, changing, adapting.

She was wandering the racks when she saw it.

It was so long, the train had to be at least 6 feet. It was light, made with sheer fabric so it would twist and flow with whatever direction she ran or danced. She could imagine walking through the grass with the train flowing behind her with purpose.

The most wonderful aspect was the long sleeves and the neckline. Cupping her chest perfectly with a nice ribbon right above her bump. The entire dress reminded her of something, the floral embroidery sending her back to a dress she remembers from her childhood, not able to place it but knowing it in her heart.

She looked in the mirror at herself, she felt beautiful. She shook her head lightly as a tear fell down her cheek. “It’s perfect,” she whispered.

The sales associate shook a big bell then, causing everyone to look at her and cheer. “Are you saying yes?” She asked, as cheesy as it was, she loved it.

“Yes!” She cheered back, feeling the love from everyone in the store.

The dress was huge, she laid the bag against her passenger seat and stared at it for a while. It felt a little crazy that she was getting married in a few days, even crazier that she was having a baby in 2 months.

Her phone rang as she started to leave. “Hewwo?” She answered softly, knowing it was Spencer.

“I just got home, where are you?”

“Oh,” she smiled. “Penelope said you guys wouldn’t be back until 9, I went and picked out a dress.”

“Alone?” He sounded sad.

“It was better this way, I picked it for me and no one else,” she reassured him. “I’m on my way home now though baby, I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, drive safe. I love you,” Spencer replied, his voice nothing more than a whisper.

“Love you too,” she hung up.

She sighed, turning on the stereo and driving home to her favourite albums. Driving alone was different for her now, she used to love just escaping into the Virginia wilderness, picking a road and an album and just going somewhere.

Driving with Spencer meant silence, hand-holding, humming and ha-ing as he discovered new facts that intrigued him. She loved it, the ambiance of Doctor Spencer Reid was not something you could replicate, it was special and calming and wonderful.

She couldn’t wait to get home to him.

He was waiting on the front porch as she rolled into the driveway. Joining her at the car, wanting to help her carry her things inside. “Hi,” she smiled at him as she stepped out.

He pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek softly. “Want some help?”

“If you don’t mind carrying in my dress, I need to pee so bad!” She said, almost about to run inside when he stopped her.

“Like how bad?” He asked.

“Excuse me?”

“If you were to get surprised would you pee your pants?” He tried not to laugh as he asked.

“Spence?”

“Just go in,” he said softly.

She sighed, knowing what this meant. Walking up the stairs slowly, turning the doorknob just as slow. Not ready to have her eardrums blown out.

“Surprise!!”

Sure enough, there were balloons and flowers and her friends gathered all inside her front hall. “Oh my god?”

Penelope wrapped her in a hug first, “your first baby shower has to be special!”

“You guys really didn’t have to do this?” She was so shocked to be getting attention that she felt a little embarrassed.

“We wanted to,” JJ hugged her next, their bumps too big to hug normally, opting for more of a side snuggle. “I got you something to change into before we get started.”

Y/N took the small blue bag from her, kicking her shoes off before they went upstairs. Spencer joining with her wedding dress, hanging it in the closet and slipping back downstairs, unnoticed.

Y/N opened the gift bag on her bed, JJ looked around the room for the first time ever. Looking at the photos of their first day of kindergarten on the wall, the artwork they chose. How Spencer wrote notes to her on the mirror with whiteboard markers.

“You guys are really cute,” she smiled.

“Thanks,” she smiled.

Finally taking the dress out of the bag, it was just something simple. Blue with pink flowers. Something she’d definitely pick out on her own. “This is so beautiful!”

“I got it when I was pregnant with Henry and never had a chance to wear it,” She smiled, “thought that you’d like it more.”

Y/N hugged her, “seriously this is the best thing you guys could’ve done for me!”

“I’m also going to need a pink dress,” JJ said softly in her grasp.

“No?” Y/N was shocked. “Really a mini JJ?”

“Yeah,” she smiled softly. “Hurry up we have more surprises for you downstairs!”

—

It took her longer than she hoped to get changed. The baby was just big enough to make her winded all the time now. Having to stop and take a breather just from taking her pants off. Not to mention the struggle of standing up after peeing.

When she finally made it back down the stairs on her swollen feet, she heard a familiar giggle that she loved very much. “You didn’t?”

JJ smiled, “it was Rossi and Will, they flew them all in and got them here.”

Her parents, brothers and wives were all in the kitchen waiting for her. Then she saw Diana, who was pressed up close to Spencer having a conversation in their own little world.

She walked in and cried, hugging her parents for the first time in 5 months. Showing off her big baby bump and chunky face for the first time too.

“You look amazing!” Her mom complimented her, taking her hand and making her spin slowly.

“Thank you, I feel huge,” she smiled. “I can’t believe you guys are here, I’m literally coming home in 2 weeks!”

“When David Rossi calls you and says he has a jet picking us up, you don’t just say no,” her father laughed, wrapping his arm around Rossi. They were going to be something else together.

She gave Diana a big hug when she could, watching her rub her belly and talk to the baby through her stomach for a good 10 minutes. It was so cute, everyone in the room watched and swooned. Secretly always hoping Spencer’s family got a moment like this.

After dealing with the Riley Jenkins case, and Gideon leaving, they worried for him. They never expected him to just show up one day with a girl and start the rest of his life the way he did. But it just made sense. He sped through school and early adulthood well before Y/N, now they’re moving fast, just together.

They had pizza for dinner, spreading 6 different kinds across the counter and telling everyone to dig in. Y/N took a slice and walked around, mingling with everyone to ensure she thanked them for coming.

“Henry!” She finally found him with Chloe and Lizzie. He ran into her arms, giving her a big hug. “Did you meet my niece?”

“You’re my any?” He questioned her right back.

“Come here Clo,” she called her over, huddling them both in close to her. “You both get to call me aunty Y/N, isn’t that so cool? You’re new friends and you share an aunty!”

Chloe gave her a big hug, she was getting bigger and bigger every day, about to turn 4 in a few months. It felt a little crazy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“How are you?” She asked her softly.

“I’m good,” she whispered at her, smiling before hiding her face in her dress.

“Are you having fun here? Did you meet buddy yet?”

“No!” Chloe’s face lit up.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” She gasped at them both, getting back up to her feet and walking with them to where Buddy hid in the laundry room.

He was curled into a ball in a basket of towels, peaceful in the quietest room in the house.

Chloe and Henry took turns petting Buddy, kissing his head and playing with his tail, it was good for him to get a little used to grabby kid's hands. She was a little worried about how he’d handle a baby, but he was a chill cat he never really cared about attention as long as he was fed.

Eventually, JJ and Lizzie found them, peeling them away from the cat with the promise of cake while Y/N opened her gifts from everyone.

Everyone was watching her as she sat down in the living room, feeling a little anxious like she had to perform for them or something. Spencer finally joined her on the couch then, wrapping his arm around her in a soothing motion.

“So,” Garcia started. “I took it upon myself to organize the party but I didn’t just stop there, I also emailed everyone a link to a chart where they could pick the category of gift they got you so that we avoided repeats and got everything you would need.”

“This is all so much,” she turned bright pink. “You guys really didn’t have to I feel like I haven’t bought anything for myself since I met Spencer.”

“Nonsense!” Penelope hushed her. “Here, pick whatever one grabs your fancy.”

Y/N’s eyes raked over the pile of gifts, “um that big one over there, why not.”

It was a big blue bag, stuffed to the brim with tissue paper. The card on the handle was signed, she opened it to find 'from; Erin Strauss' on it. “Oh?”

“She couldn’t come but she passed that along on behalf of the section,” Hotch explained.

Y/N didn’t waste any time opening it. Finding brand named everything that she would need for breastfeeding, losing her mind at the never-ending bag.

Almost every gift was the same, all themed and absolutely filled. She was never going to have to buy anything for Matthew, she got it all today.

Hotch and Haley got her a babies bath essentials set. Her parents equipped her with every form of linen she would ever need for a baby, as well as a quilt made just for Matthew.

Penelope bought easily $400 in clothes for him over the past 7 months, with the promise of not stopping any time soon. Derek and Emily got together to buy them an all-terrain stroller, for the walks they expect them to take down the back roads. Emily’s girlfriend even brought a mom after-care set for her.

Diana’s gift made her cry the most, opening the box to find old copies of childhood books. “Those were all Spencers when he was a child,” she explained softly. “His love for the world started with those stories, I would like for Matthew to know them too.”

“Absolutely,” Y/N wiped the tears off her face, leaning over to hug her. “If Matty ends up being even half as wonderful as Spencer I’ll be grateful.”

“Spencer, did you get her anything?” Diana asked him softly as she was still mid embrace with Y/N.

“It’s in the garage,” Spencer smiled.

She looked at him with excitement, “you didn’t!”

“I might have,” he smiled.

“What?” Rossi asked, hating suspense more than anyone on the team.

“I was joking about wanting to get an SUV and become a soccer mom,” Y/N’s whole face lit up. “Did you get me a soccer mom mobile?”

He smiled back at her, “here.”

She held the key in her hand, her car was old as hell. She has had it since she moved to Virginia and even then it was a 2004 model. She had never had a new car, with the fresh car smell and clean everything!

“I am so overwhelmed,” she announced, bouncing a little in her seat as she shook her hands. Stimming just a small amount in front of everyone in all the excitement.

“We’re all done celebrating you now, I think we can start getting out of your hair, right guys?” JJ stood and pressured everyone that wasn’t relying on their house for the night, out the door.

Penelope helped Debbie and Diana clean everything up around the house. Peeling Henry and Chloe away from each other was the most difficult part of the night, becoming fast friends and wanting to look at books all night together in uncle Spencers library.

Rossi offered to let her brother Levi and his wife stay at his place while Diana and Y/N’s parents took the guest room in her home. Harrison and Faith driving back to Fort Meade to their own house.

—

Y/N and Spencer sat up in their bed, leaning against the headboard as they listened to the quiet of their house. Their co-workers were gone, their parents were settled in the guest rooms and most likely still awake from the time difference. The day had been so crazy that she barely had time to wrap her head around it.

“So…” Y/N cut the awkward silence. “Wanna make out?”

He laughed at her, shaking his head. “Remember the last time you asked me to do that?”

“Yeah, I lost my virginity,” she whispered back at him. A little scared that everyone could hear them talking.

“We can't,” Spencer looked at her with wide eyes. “It's bad enough my mother knows I’ve had sex once let alone possibly hearing us.”

He nudged him a little, crawling into his lap and sitting there softly. Her belly pressed against him, filling the space between them as she held his face in her hands.

“They’re on the other side of the house,” she pouted. “Just make out with me?”

He kissed her quickly once, “why are you so needy tonight?”

“All day I’ve had everyone's attention but yours,” she explained softly. “I missed you and I want my Spencer time.”

He couldn’t say no to that, because he felt the exact same way. He ran his hands up her thighs, over her hips and finally resting them on her back. She ran her thumbs over Spencer's cheeks, looking at him softly as she tilted her head to really admire him.

His lips were perfect, his nose was adorable. The way his stubble grew in and darkened his jaw was amazing. His bone structure, his eye colour, the way his hair just fell flawlessly into place with 0 effort. She sighed as she looked at him.

“I love you,” she whispered, biting back a smile as she waited for his response.

“I love you,” he giggled as he looked right back at her. It almost felt more intimate than sex, just staring into each other's eyes in a dimly lit bedroom, in the middle of the night.

She ran her hands up into his hair, combing her fingers through it. He tilted his head back every time, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling. She was about to smile when she got a sharp shooting pain in her hips.

“Oh, my, god,” she breathed out. “Ouch?” She scrunched her face with the pain as the sharpness dulled into the bone, just feeling uncomfortable as she tensed up in his lap. She didn’t even realize she was tugging on his hair in response to the pain.

“What?” Spencer asked, concerned as all hell.

“I think that was Braxton hicks? It was like everything down there just lit up in pain,” she explained with a horrified look on her face.

He ran his hands softly over her hips, soothing the skin in an attempt to help. “Are they bad?”

“It just feels like a pinched nerve at first and then a dull ache, it’s not the worst. I don’t enjoy it that's for sure,” she laughed a little louder. “God, I hope he’s kind to me on the way out.”

“I was doing research into the best drugs and techniques for birth for mothers that don’t want any drugs either because they’re sober or they don’t want to be removed from the moment,” Spencer explained softly. “There are a lot of options if you want to look into them with me this week?”

“Of course you did,” she smiled at him once again, feeling a bit better. “We also have to pack the baby’s go-bag.”

Spencer laughed at the way she phrased it. “Isn’t it just a hospital bag and a diaper bag?”

“No, it’s a mission to have a baby. It’s a go-bag.”

They kept giggling with each other over the dumbest things, staring at smiling as they laughed. Spencer’s hands roamed her back while she poked his face. Happily just talking in each other's space about the most random shit.

It was what she loved the most about him, that they could equally ramble about what they found interesting and the other felt just as excited about learning something new. They had mutual respect for each other's interests and feelings that ran deeper than most, truly loving every word that left their partner's mouth.

By the time they settled against the pillows and attempted to sleep it was half 1 in the morning. They turned all the lights out and still just stared at each other.

She booped his nose softly with her own, watching him scrunch his face as a result before giggling again.

“Do you have any idea what the case tomorrow will be?” She was only asking because she wanted more time with him, needing to find every topic to bring up so that the night never ended.

“Mindy’s pitching something to us tomorrow again,” he whispered. “You’ll be good at this one.”

“Oh I’m excited now okay, goodnight,” she closed her eyes and pretended to snore, making him snuggle in and wrap her arms around him, pulling her in close the way they liked it.

“I love you, bunny,” he said one last time for the night.

She sighed as she settled into him, “I love you more Spence.”

[bbyreigns]

Here For You.

jax teller x black!reader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of sex

My alarm rang loudly and I groaned at the idea of waking up and having such a long day ahead of me. It was a sunny day and the sunlight peeked through my blinds next to me. Reaching over, I turned my alarm off and sat up, stretching a bit. Looking to one side of the bed, I realized that once again, I was alone. It's been almost a year since my husband left me and our 1 year old daughter. I hadn't been the same since. I worked my ass off day and night to provide for my child. And I spent as much time with her as I could. I knew my husband bailing on me wasn't going to keep me from being a great mother. Rolling over to my nightstand, I saw my baby sleeping fast asleep on the monitor. 

Now's the time to take a shower while I can. I thought, climbing out of bed. Walking into my bathroom, I turned the shower knob on to hot, seeing the water flow steadily. Walking over to the mirror, I looked at myself, running my hands over my face in exhaustion. As I waited for the water to heat up, I grabbed my small speaker and turned my phone onto my favorite playlist. 

Allowing the water to touch my fingertips, I realized the shower was now hot enough and I stepped in. As I washed my body and let the warm water flow over my face, I thought about getting through yet another day. Quickly finishing up, I turned the water off and grabbed my towel, making my way back into my bedroom. Once I was dressed and lotioned and my teeth were brushed, I walked down the hall to my daughter's bedroom. Opening the door, my daughter smiled at me, her pacifier still in her mouth as she sat in her crib. 

"Good morning, baby," I cooed, as she reached her arms up for me to pick her up. I scooped her up, kissing her soft cheek. "Let's get dressed." I opened her closet, moving her closer to her clothes. 

"What would you like to wear today, munchkin?" I said, pulling a few dresses out of her closet. I let her reach out and choose one. Her little hand landed on a green dress with pink flowers. "Great choice, honey." 

After I changed her diaper and got her out of her PJs and dressed, we headed out of the house. I buckled her into her car seat and we were on our way. My mom normally takes her while I work. About five minutes into the ride, my low pressure light came on and I come feel my car leaning to one side. 

"Shit," I whispered, realizing I have a flat. "Looks like we're going to be late princess." 

I drove to the closest mechanic, Teller-Morrow, putting my car in park. I took my daughter out of her car seat, grabbed her diaper bag from the trunk and sat her on my hip. As I walked to the door, a few men came out. One was blond, crystal blue eyes, walked with a lean. Handsome. I thought. The other was blond too and seemed nervous and jittery. Looking at their jackets, I could tell they were on their way somewhere. I knew all about the Sons of Anarchy, but I also knew that what they do is what's necessary and best for Charming. 

"Hi, um I'm pretty sure I have a flat," I said, pointing to my slanted Honda Civic. 

"Looks like you've got more than that," the handsome one said. 

"Jesus, is it going to take a long time?" I asked. 

"You're going to have to leave it here for at least a day," he replied. I sighed before texting my supervisor that I wouldn't be in today. "I can take you and the little princess home." He smiled, poking my daughter's hand. She grinned shyly and put her head on my shoulder. I nodded and said thank you and leaned against my car. 

"I'm Jax, by the way," he stated. 

"Y/N. Nice to meet you," I replied with a smile. He told me he had a few things to tie up before he took me home so I waited by my car until he was finished. As I waited, I played with my daughter, throwing her up a little and catching her. She giggled, clutching me every time she came back down. 

"Can you give Mommy a kiss?" I cooed, holding her high again. As I brought her back down to eye level, she hummed, making that mmm sound with her lips.

"Mmwah," I said with her to meet her in the middle. "Ooohhh thank you baby. You are so sweet."

Little did I know, Jax had been watching some of our interaction. 

Second Person POV Jax had gone to let the other guys know where he was going. When he returned, he saw you making faces at your daughter as she giggled and throwing her in the air. 

"Who's the hot mom?" Opie asked and tapped him on the shoulder. Looking at you, Jax couldn't help but be attracted. 

"Not sure yet. She is hot though, right?" Jax replied. 

"For sure. You hittin' that?" Opie leaned over to ask. 

"Nah, don't know her all that well," Jax stated, glancing at Ope. 

"Hm. Shit, if you don't, I will," Ope chuckled. Jax smiled and nodded, making his way back to you. 

Your POV "Hey, you ready?" Jax asked. I nodded, grabbing my daughter's car seat out of my car. He walked me over to his truck and I buckled my daughter into her seat, before going to the passenger's side. Jax opened the door for me and I thanked him. As he drove, I told him my address and started to make small conversation. 

"I really appreciate you doing this," I said with a smile. 

"It's no problem. Have you lived in Charming a long time?" He questioned. 

"Almost two years. It's a nice town. Quiet. Crime kept at bay for the most part," I replied, glancing out of the window. 

"Yeah, Charming PD does a good job of that," he stated with hesitation. I chuckled at his statement. I knew Charming PD weren't the ones keeping the crime low. "What?"

"We both know it's not the cops handling the crime here. It's got everything to do with that jacket you have on," I said, looking at him. 

He nodded with a smile, saying "You think you know everything, huh?". 

I leaned over, putting my lips next to his ear. "Not everything, but I know enough about you, Jax Teller." We pulled up to my house and I glanced at my daughter who was fast asleep. 

"Pretty big house for just the two of you," Jax said. 

"Yeah, um I'm divorced. So it's just me and her now," I explained. He nodded and apologized. I grabbed my daughter from her car seat and walked her to the front door, unlocking it and turning to Jax. "Come in. I'm just gonna put her down in her room." 

I slowly walked her up to her room, giving her a kiss on the forehead, before shutting her door and grabbing the baby monitor on the way out. Jax stood by the front door waiting for me. 

"Thanks again for the ride home. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Something to drink?" I offered, leading him into the kitchen. 

"No thanks I'm alright. If you don't mind me asking, why'd you get divorced?" He inquired. 

"Um it's complicated. Everything was perfect l, especially when I found out I was pregnant. We'd been trying for a baby for a really long time. Rob was over the moon when we found out were having a girl. But I'm a laywer and I was working a big case. I wasn't home much right before we found out and in the beginning of my pregnancy. He thought I was cheating on him. Started being really aggressive and it only amplified when I gave birth," I started getting choked up as I spoke. "He didn't think she looked like him. Said that maybe I was sleeping around. Although really I was busting my ass on the biggest case in my career and about to bring in much more money than I'd ever had." 

Jax put his arm around me, pulling my head to his chest. "Anyway, he said he refused to take care of another man's baby. So he left us and left me with a 4 month old newborn baby," I cried softly. Looking up at Jax, I felt bad for crying. "Sorry, I just get a little emotional. I don't miss him or anything. I just wanted my little girl to have a father." 

"It's okay. Everything is going to be fine. You're a great mother and you're beautiful, darlin'. Any one would be lucky to have you," he glanced down at me, making eye contact. I stared into his icy blue eyes, my eyes switching from his eyes back to his lips over and over again. Lightly grabbing the back of my neck, he brought my lips to his, kissing me softly. I slightly pulled away and Jax wiped my tears away with his thumb, before connecting our lips again. We made out, slowly as our lips melted together. 

It had been a long time since I had sex and to be completely honest, I felt really needy. But for some reason, I trusted Jax. With his hand in mine, I led him to my bedroom, kicking my shoes off at the door. He assisted me in removing my pants and blazer, and lightly pushed me into the bed. The protective mother in me made me take a quick glance at the baby monitor, seeing my daughter still fast asleep. Jax kissed me again, beginning to kiss down my jawline and neck. He was extremely gentle with me, asking me if what he was doing was okay. Jax paid extra attention to making me feel good and that I finished. Multiple times. He made sure he didn't hurt me and I was grateful for that. I woke up two hours later with my head in Jax's chest. He was looking at me, kissing my forehead when I woke. 

"Hey," he said softly, kissing my lips. But for some reason, I was in pure panic. Looking at the baby monitor, I saw my daughter awake but playing with the rattles in her crib. I grabbed the sheet, wrapping it around my body quickly. "Everything alright?"

"I promise I don't normally do this. I'm sorry. I think you should go," I responded. I just had sex with someone I met today. I'm so not the hook up type. "If you're looking for a fuck buddy, I promise I'm not that."He looked at me confused, grabbing my arm and pulling me down to him. 

"That's not my intention, beautiful. I like you. I'd like to get to know you better," he said, running his fingers down my back. 

"Pretty sure we're past the getting to know each other part. Again, I think you should go, Jax," I said, trying to get up. 

"Alright," he responded, starting to get dressed. I washed my face in the bathroom, trying not to think about what I'd done. When he finished dressing, he walked behind me, placing his hands around my waist. He used his hand to gently free my neck as he placed light kisses on it, getting closer to my ear with each press of his lips. "But next time you’re lookin’ for some fun and preferably, wanna go out sometime, you know where to find me." 

I looked at him in the mirror as he smiled at me, biting his lip. Damn, that Teller charm. He left my bedroom on that note and I heard the front door close behind him. I sighed, pondering why I was so into this man I'd only met five hours ago. I put my robe on and checked the baby monitor once again, seeing her still playing. A little piece of green paper was next to it, with a number and a name on it. I rolled my eyes, thinking of that handsome biker who gave me butterflies. Making my way to my daughter's room, I picked her up, giving her a kiss on the forehead. But that Jax Teller never left my mind and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. 

[autumnleaves1991-blog]

In which you see them cry for the first time: Javi, Marcus Moreno, or Frankie?

A/N: Okay, anon, this turned into a little bit more than a headcanon. I hope you like it. I chose Marcus Moreno for this one. Thank you for reading, reblogging, commenting, and liking. 

Pairing: Marcus Moreno x Reader 

Warnings: Alien invasion, spoilers for the movie We Can Be Heroes, and just fluff honestly. 

My Masterlist 

We found love in a Diner

The wood beneath your fingertips scratched as you dug them into the table, your knuckles turning pale with the effort used. Before you at the diner, the TV showed the devastation of the nation’s heroes, the Heroics, as they fought and failed to bring down an alien invasion. And in the thick of it, attached to a hovering type fan, was Marcus Moreno. Gone was the awkward dad who came in with his daughter three days a week for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He no longer wore the t-shirt that hugged his skin and was soft to the touch or the glasses that made your heart quicken. Instead, he wore all black with a tactical vest and two katanas sheathed.

You stifle your scream as he drops from the sky and lands in a roll against an overturned car. Your manager Elaine, placing a tender hand on your shoulder, both of you watching in horror. He speaks into his watch, most likely calling Missy. At the same time, he unsheaths the katanas and jumps headfirst into the barrage of aliens. 

He’s sucked in, and in an instant, he’s gone. Dead or alive, you have no idea, and your brain kickstarts into overtime. You run into the back room and grab your phone, pulling up the number for both Marcus and Missy.

Over the past year, since they’d been coming to the diner, you’ve become close to the duo. Even seeing them outside of work for dinner or a movie as friends. Missy had taken a liking to you and would sometimes spend a few hours at the library or your house reading or talking about life. Marcus goes straight to voicemail, and you want to cry. “Marcus, if you get this, please, please call me back. I saw what happened. I need to know you’re alive,” you beg before hanging up and calling Missy.

“Hello?” you can hear the echo of sniffles and your heart clenches.

“Missy? Honey, it’s me, are you okay? Are you safe?”

“They, they took him!” she cries, and you bite down hard on your lip as the unshed tears pool in your eyes.

“I know, honey, I know. Are you safe?” you repeat, and she says yes, telling you she’s at HQ with the other Heroic children. “Okay, I need you to stay there; we will figure something out, okay? We are going to get your dad back, okay?” She agrees and hangs up.

You grab your purse and coat and throw it over your uniform before running out, throwing apologies out to the rest of the staff. You turn on your old honda civic and rush to the heroics headquarters. When you arrive, you’re unsurprised to find a massive crowd outside demanding answers, and you fight to try to get in when you notice a tram from inside the building racing toward the group. Suddenly the tram leaps off the tracks, and you watch it spin as agents try to get it back—everyone watching open-mouthed at the scene.

From inside the tram, you catch a familiar curl of brown hair and scream her name over the crowd, but she doesn’t hear, and you watch in horror as the tram shoots off into the clouds. The agents, trying to stop them turn to you, and seize you before you have a chance to run. Kicking and screaming, they bring you into the headquarters and to the director Ms. Granada.

“How do you know Missy Moreno?” she’s defensive from the start, and you quickly realize you don’t like this woman.

“I’m a friend of Missy and Marcus.”

“Are you his girlfriend?” Oh, how much you wished.

“No. No, I’m just a friend. I saw what happened to him on TV and thought I could help Missy or you all get him back.”

She sneers, “Oh, and what power do you have?”

That gives you pause; honestly, what could you have done. “I...I don’t. I’m just a waitress.” Shouts of terror ring out behind you, and you catch the scream in your throat as the aliens from the tv are alive and moving towards the control room. Watching as others are tossed like ragdolls out of the way as they charge them. You run towards the side door and take off down the hall, thinking of Marcus and how he would want you to help Missy. You couldn’t do that if you were dead.

The door to the outside slams open. You run as fast as your legs will carry you away from the headquarters and to your car. Hands shaking as you turn the key and peel out of the parking lot and onto the highway. Driving for hours around the city looking for any sign of Missy or the other kids and calling her phone. Each time going straight to voicemail and leaving another message more hysterical than the last. It’s night by the time you return to the diner and park resting your head in your hands against the steering wheel. The day finally catching up to you.

Your friend Joshua comes running out to your car, smiling, “Did you see the news?!”

“What?” you unlatch the door and stand on shaky legs. 

“They’re all alive! Sharkboy and Lava Girl, Miracle Guy! All of them! They were rescued by their own children,” you begin to tune out his voice as a familiar car slowly pulls into the dark parking lot. 

Dropping your bag, you walk and then full out run to the vehicle. Marcus parks and gets out, running the rest of the way over. Still dressed in his heroics uniform, eyes tired, but smiling, saying your name. 

“Marcus!” you shout and jump into his arms. He groans but doesn’t let go, only tightening his arms around you. The car still running and the door wide open behind him.

“I’m so sorry, I got your message. I would have called sooner, but I had to deal with work and then Missy, and then my mom showed up,” he rambles, and you put a hand to his lips, silencing him.

“It’s okay, you’re safe, that’s all I needed to know.” You can’t help the tears streaming down your cheeks, and he slowly lowers you to your feet but not out of his arms. He runs his fingers over your tears, and the rough fabric of his fingerless gloves grazes your cheek.

“I need to tell you something,” he whispers, and you see his own eyes brimming with tears. “I don’t like the food at the diner.”

You shake your head, giving him a nervous chuckle, “what?”

“I’ve eaten at that diner three times a week for the last year because, well, because I like you, baby. And after the way, you spent the day searching for Missy and me. The way you sounded on your message, I hope...no, I think you might like me too.” He sniffles, and you note how this is the first time you’ve seen him cry in the year you’ve known him.

Wiping away his tears and cupping his cheeks, you bring his lips down to yours in a warm kiss. Pouring your worry, fears, and love into him as he steps closer and deepens, running his hands through your hair and against your scalp. You pull away, and he smiles at you through the tears, “Oh Marcus Moreno, I am unequivocally in love with you.”

“Come home with me,” he whispers, kissing you again, “Missy is staying the night at her new friend’s house; let me show you how much I love you too.”

“You do?”

“Oh, baby, I really, really do.”

Taglist: @josepedropascal @mrschiltoncat @mrsparknuts @ghostwiththemostbitch @zannesmes @xjaywritesx @oldstuffnewstuff @yespolkadotkitty @heythere-mel @justanotherblonde23 @artsymaddie @anetteaneta @lunarthoughts @aellynera @lucifer- @houseofthirst @phoenixhalliwell @chicken-ona-stick

[crosseddestiny]

“Huh. Never heard of a writer working with police before. Unless it was a reporter, but I always thought cops hated them. And Nikki Heat sounds so familiar, I’m definitely sure my mom had a couple of those books. But that’s cool you guys work together. Did you have to put him through… uh… cop school or whatever, for him to work here?” This was so far off the topic and Holly grimaced sheepishly at her own rambling. She could ask this all at a later time.

Her gaze dropped down to the top of his desk, fingers squeezed tight around the heart locket. “I was headed out of town somewhere, going to see a concert, maybe? Or… meet up with friends… I cant remember, that part is fuzzy. The car I was driving was a beat up Honda Civic, grey. When my dad got a new car, he gave me his old one. She wasn’t much, but she got me everywhere I needed to be.” Except for this last time… “Ah, I didn’t give you my name. It’s Holly. Holly Quinn. My friends used to joke it sounded like Harley Quinn. Um, what’s your name Mister Cop… guy.” Instinctively she’d reached her hand out to shake, and without thinking it had slipped through a pen holder on his desk. Sheepishly she pulled it back, “Shit. Sorry. Sometimes I forget I cant exactly do half the stuff I used to do when I was alive.”

“Yeah, Richard Castle. He works with us, in fact Beckett is the inspiration for Nikki Heat.” That wasn’t what they were here to talk about. “Well now you have me, and I can’t promise to get all the answers but I will do what I can.” It was like when Espo and Beckett were on suspension, he managed to get by just fine on his own then. Besides he wasn’t running into the line of fire, for all he knew he was investigating a crash, which wasn’t his jurisdiction but wouldn’t be a problem as long as he didn’t get caught.

“Okay you were driving, that’s a good start. Do you know where? Or what kind of car?” It was after he asked that he realized he forgot the most important question. “Also I never got your name.”

[ex-furry]

i don't know. i can't explain what it feels like to have to leave your mom in a hospital room three hours away from home when she spent the last three weeks of her life telling everyone she could that she just wanted to go home. you've packed up everything your dad brought to the hospital when he drove your mom to the emergency room on the 30th and he looks at you and asks you if you're ready to leave and you look at your mom for the last time and you say no and he says i know. and then you leave. you walk out into the main part of the palliative care unit which forms a circle and the nurses who have helped your mom for the past 24 hours tell you how sorry they are and you don't respond. the man at the door handing out visitor passes tells your whole family to have a good day while you're lugging everything your mom asked for while she was panicking and in excruciating pain just three weeks ago back to your dad's car and you keep your head down. you get to the parking garage and you part ways with your brother and your sister-in-law and you get in your dad's car because you told him the night before that you wouldn't let him ride alone. you don't tell him that you didn't want to sit in the back of your sister-in-law's honda civic by yourself. your dad starts up the car and you're holding the vase of flowers his company sent to the palliative care room and he gets you both lost on your way out of nashville and you laugh about it together. he tells you that he's glad the three of you spent the night with him and your mom at the hospital and you say that you are too. he says that he's grateful she's not in pain anymore and wasn’t suffering when it happened and you tell him that you're grateful you at least knew it was coming and he agrees. you both cry when her favorite black crowes song comes on and he taps your leg three times and you tap his four times but your dad skips that one garth brooks song because he can't bear to listen to it right now. you both get a lengthy text from your aunt and say that you'll respond later. eventually you get home but you feel weird calling it that because it's so empty without her and you sit down on the couch and you look over at the spot where she always sat and you don't even have the energy to cry anymore. you eat dinner and watch shows that will force you to laugh and forget for at least a few minutes but you both go to bed at the same time and you say i love you in a way you never have before and you shut your door but he doesn't shut his. you lie awake for hours and you burst into tears every now and then until you finally fall asleep. the next day is even harder somehow

[johnbbutmakeitace]

for the song prompt, here's two: stay by gracie abrams and finally // beautiful stranger by halsey

two for the price of one! i like it!

stay

The day they broke apart, it was raining. 

Thunder began to rumble when they started to argue. They argued over what they always argued over-- the gold. JJ still wanted it, despite the fact that it had cost John B and Sarah their lives. It was the only way JJ could think of to honor them, as stupid as that sounds now. He couldn’t let Ward get away with it. If he let it go, then the kooks would get everything, and the pogues would get nothing. JJ couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t let his best friend’s sacrifice be for fucking nothing. 

It was a simple affair, really. JJ wanted to go after the gold. Pope didn’t. He had a rescheduled scholarship interview to think about, after all. 

Rain stung against his skin when Pope said that. Of course he knew Pope had another interview coming. Of course he was happy for Pope to have a second chance at freedom, a second chance at a happy, successful life. Of course he knew. He just thought-- well. 

He thought that-- after everything, everything they’d fought, laughed, and cried over-- after everything they’d been through together-- he thought that Pope would want to stay. 

Pope insisted that they needed to give up the treasure hunting nonsense and let the gold go. Bury it in the past, JJ thought bitterly, like the two empty coffins they’d put in the dirt not but a week ago. 

A small part of JJ knew that Pope was right. A big part of JJ was lost and grieving and fucking furious. 

Lightning danced over a raging ocean when JJ lost it. It was selfish of him, he knows. But JJ had always been a little bit stupid when it comes to the big picture. That scholarship meant everything to Pope, and he’d almost lost his chance once. Now that he had it again, he wasn’t going to let it slip past him. JJ knew that. 

Pope had a chance to get away, and he was taking it. And in that moment, JJ hated him for it. 

Cold water slid down JJ’s spine as Pope walked away for the last time. He hoped the rainwater would have extinguished the misplaced rage and grief in his heart. Hoped it would have cooled the fury burning in his chest, the stubbornness forcing his fingers into fists. Impossibly, JJ hoped the storm would have let him see reason.  

It didn’t. 

The day Pope left for DC, the sun was shining. He packed up all of his things into three suitcases, loaded them into the car, and left. Kiara rode with him to the airport to say goodbye. JJ spent the day surfing. 

He spent the night drinking alone. 

The day the bank takes the chateau, it drizzles. The day he burns the rest of John B’s things, it pours. The day Heyward offers him a job and a place to stay, it’s a cloudy, mute morning. The day Kiara tells him he should give Pope a call, it hails. 

She does that a lot. Insist that he should reach out. He never listens. Pride is an evil, spiteful thing, and it’s got its claws dug into his heart so deep JJ thinks it might be the only thing holding his heart together in the first place. 

He doesn’t tell Kie that, but JJ thinks she might know anyway. 

This goes on for months. Kie insists he should give Pope a call. JJ never does.

He wants to, though. 

It comes slow and small, this wanting. It starts in his chest, slips right between the bloody claws of pride and makes a home in the scar tissues on his heart. It begins to grow, and grow, and grow until there’s a little flower blooming there-- right in the remnants of the only friendship he didn’t want to shatter. And oh, this little flower hurts in it’s own right. It makes him ache in a new kind of way. A way that makes him want to reach out. A way that makes him want to mend, makes him want to heal. 

He thinks of reasons why he should. In the end, he comes up with only four. 

Because he’s selfish. Because he’s tired. Because he’s sorry. Because it’s raining. 

The day he calls Pope, the sun finally shines, and that flower blooms.

finally // beautiful stranger

The drive back to the outer banks is as eye opening as it is nostalgic. 

The sun is as yellow as Pope remembers, maybe a little less vibrant than it was in his youth, but still bright nonetheless. The drive makes his eyes tired, and the sunlight bouncing off the ocean in the distance catches in his rearview mirror on occasion, making him squint. He doesn’t mind, though. The waves are still just as beautiful as they were when he was a kid. 

The poverty of his hometown is clearer to him, now. Pope thinks it’s a little funny, how idyllic childhood makes the world seem. Money doesn’t matter so much when you're a kid, even when it should. But childhood is meant to be spent not worrying about the adult world. When you’re a kid, you’re supposed to worry about spaceships and dragons, not when your next meal would be. 

At least, for normal kids, anyway. 

The pogues weren’t like that. It seemed like worry and fear followed after them wherever they went. It was just a part of the life. They were so caught up running from beatings and kooks and security guards, they didn’t have much time for imagination. Sure, they still had dreams, but not about dragons. They dreamed of second chances. Second chances to start over and dump the shitty cards they’d been dealt. 

The pogues already knew that dragons didn’t exist because they had real monsters to worry about. 

Maybe that’s why they all latched onto the idea of the gold so hard, Pope thinks as he pulls into the parking lot of the wreck. Just for a chance to use their imaginations and act like normal kids, for once. 

Kiara is waiting for him in the lot. Leaned up against the side of her Honda Civic -- which has more bumper stickers plastered on it than it does actual bumper-- sucking on the straw of a pink looking drink she must’ve got on the ride down, because there’s no way in hell Pope’s mom wouldn’t have heard about a new Starbucks on the cut and told him immediately. 

“Heya, stranger,” Kie smiles wide when he steps out of the car, and Pope’s heart trips over itself a little at the sight. Fuck, he’s missed her. 

“Hey yourself,” he says before striding over and pulling her into a spinning hug that makes both of them laugh. The familiarity of the motion makes something warm settle in Pope’s chest, and he sets her back down with a smile. “How have you been?” 

“Good!” Kie says cheerfully, before posing against her bumper like she might for the cover of vogue. “Cali’s been good to me, can’t you tell?”

He can tell. The California sun has made her tan skin glow, and the many flowering tattoos she’s got on her forearms spill out of her shirt sleeves like they’ve always belonged there. Her curls are still as wild as they’ve always been, pulled up into a bun and held back by a multicolored bandana. She looks as beautiful as ever. 

“I can definitely see that.” Pope agrees, and Kiara beams. 

Despite his delight at seeing her again, Pope finds himself glancing about the parking lot, looking for a familiar hint of blond hair, the seemingly endless amount of light in blue eyes, the bright hint of a smile. 

The sad thing is, deep down, Pope knows he’s not going to see him, standing there between the cars. He still looks anyway. 

“Is he coming?” Pope asks, and something in Kie’s smile falters, a bit. 

“C’mon,” she says, and slips her arm into his. She leads him towards the restaurant. “I had my mom reserve us our usual table. You can tell me all about DC and your fancy forensic program while we get a drink, okay?” 

Pope takes her avoidance for what it is. He keeps his smile up, even if he doesn’t want to so much anymore. “Okay.” 

They spend the next few hours drinking and catching up. Kiara tells him all about California and working with GreenPeace and the sun, and Pope tells her about GWU and the forensic program and the snow. 

Pope will gladly admit that it feels nice to come back again. The wreck is a place of comfort for both of them, filled with memories of laughter that haven’t been tainted and ruined by the world. It’s a little bubble of safety they find themselves in, and Pope takes more solace in it than he probably should. 

Despite this, he still feels like there’s a piece of that safety and comfort missing. The empty chair beside him serves as a reminder, and Pope tries his best to fight off the disappointment that his best friend is not there to fill it. 

Well. Former best friend. Maybe. 

They haven’t talked since Pope left. At least, not really. The occasional phone call didn’t exactly clear the air like talking in person would. 

That fight had been so stupid in hindsight, but they had been pretty stupid as kids. It was part of their charm, Pope supposes, but. That still didn’t make him feel much better. 

The night was winding down when it happened. Both he and Kie were well and thoroughly on their way to being a little too drunk to drive, and were, admittedly, starting to turn a bit giggly. Kie saw him first. Pope saw the way her eyes widened, mouth stretching into a grin before Pope was whipping around to look, and there he was.

He stood, hands shoved into a pair of well worn jeans. His T-shirt showed a big logo for the mechanic’s place in town, meaning he’d probably just got off of work. A familiar shark tooth necklace still dangled around his neck. 

He looked tired, but healthy. A bit of stubble stood out against his cheeks, and his hair was longer than Pope remembered. There was a well worn looking hair tie wrapped around his wrist, probably for keeping his hair out of his face while he was at work. His eyes were just as blue as Pope remembered. 

“Hi,” JJ said. 

Kiara was up and out of her seat before Pope even had time to think. JJ’s face broke out into a smile as he embraced her tight. Pope stood quietly while Kie berated JJ for never calling her enough. JJ flushed, mumbling something about working full time and running errands for Heyward. Kie rolled her eyes at the excuse, but her smile was fond. 

Then Pope was standing in front of them, and he and JJ were face to face. 

“Hey,” Pope said with an honest smile. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah,” JJ huffed out a slight smile, but wouldn’t meet Pope’s eyes. Pope had never seen JJ look so nervous. “It’s been a while.” 

“I missed you.” Pope said. Because he didn’t know what else to say, and because it was the truth. 

There was an unbearable silence for a moment as they just stared at each other. Then-- 

“Look, Pope,” JJ started. “I’m sorry--,” and before he could say anything else Pope was pulling JJ into a hug that was maybe just a little too tight. JJ went still for a moment, then melted into Pope’s arms like he’d never wanted to be anywhere else. 

“Wanna have a drink?” Pope asked as they broke apart, gesturing back to their table.  

JJ’s smile was small, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Sure.”

The night went on, and JJ began to loosen. He smiled more, began to add his own witty commentary to the conversation, laughed at Pope’s bad jokes between sips of beer. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. 

And when JJ fully leaned into Pope’s side as they all burst into laughter, his smile so bright and his eyes so happy and blue, the only thing Pope could think was-- finally. 

[greatfay]

since ur answering asks and shit can u explain what u meant by generational differences in communication

Damn it’s like 2015 tumblr when my inbox used to be WET. So if you’re talking about the controversial opinions post, YES, like I totally understand where people are coming from when they say that generational divides aren’t real (because they aren’t, they’re arbitrary) and distract us from real problems and yes they paint past generations as collectively bigoted when Civil Rights protestors in the 60s (who are in their 70s and 80s now) are mirrors to BLM protestors today, who could be of any age, but the most vocal and famous (at least online, especially irt to the founders, like Patrisse Cullors who is 37.

But how we communicate is sooooo different. I really point to the Internet and Social Media as a major influence in how younger millennials (more Tom Hollands and less Seth Rogans—see even there, I feel like there are two different types of Millennials) and Gen Zrs/Zoomers and even Generation Alpha behave and communicate. We live in a world where we grew up either knowing right out the gate or discovering the hard way that what we say and do has permanence, the kind of permanence that prior generations have never experienced until today. The dumb things kids have been saying since forever can now follow them... forever. We have an inherent understanding of how online spaces work. Compare that to, idk, let’s say you posted on your Facebook (for the first time in 18 months) “All these big and bad grown ass Senators going after actual child Greta Gerwig lol ok, you’re so brave for attacking a CHILD over climate change” and then your aunt, who’s turning “forty-fifteen” in May replies to your post with “So happy to see my passionate niece! Much love from us, hope you’re doing well. Paul is doing great, waiting on his screening results. Tell your mom I said we miss her, we need to get together, we forgive her for last Christmas.”

Like... ok there’s a lot going on there, but your hypothetical aunt is oversharing on a publicly accessible post. And even with the most strict of privacy settings, she’s oversharing where your other Facebook friends (which may include classmates, coworkers, etc.) can see. But she’s saying things that would only be appropriate in a 1-on-1 conversation. This Aunt doesn’t have an understanding of such boundaries, she’s not as technologically literate and hasn’t grown up in a world of Virtual Space, she still gets most of her news from TV, she trusts what a reporter on Channel 4 will read off a script more than what actual video footage of an incident might reveal on Twitter, and she has no clue that she’s been sharing her location data with every post she makes.

There’s such a huge difference. I think it even affects how we experience and express stress and frustration. I think growing up partially in online spaces has made me more accustomed to conflict and consequence-free arguing than someone who never had to worry about that. I’ve been exposed so much to harassment and bullying, triangulating and echo chambers in forums and threads, and vastly opposing point of views at such an early age that it’s had an effect on how I see the world. Compare this to a customer I helped two weeks ago who was looking for a specific type of supplement for children. I found it for her, I handed her exactly what she was looking for, even though her description of the product actually matched several different products; to make sure I’d done my job thoroughly and that she leaves happy and satisfied and doesn’t bother me again, I then show her more products that match her description so that she knows she has options. And she proceeds to freak out, saying “NO, NO, I’M LOOKING FOR [X] AND IT HAS TO BE [XYZ]” and when I say freak out, she looked stressed and PANICKED. And being a retail employee wears you down bit by bit, and add COVID on top of it and little shit like this makes you snap, sometimes. So I have to cut her off like “Why are you screaming and freaking out, jfc you’re holding what you said you wanted. It’s in your hands. I gave you what you wanted, I’m just showing you more things.”

That customer is not an exception, she’s not a unique case. She’s representative of a frightening percentage of her generation, the kids who watched Grease and The Breakfast Club and Ghost in theaters when they were originally released. This is how they communicate and process information. She could not, for some reason, register that her need had been fulfilled, and defaulted to an extreme emotional response when given new and different information.

I’ve yet to deal with someone younger than 35 act the same way, the exceptions being the kids of very wealthy people at my new job who reek of privilege I gag when they walk in—but even they are like *shrugs* “ok whatever” and understanding when there’s something I can’t do for them.

Me: “sorry, we are totally out of that one in your size, but I can order it for you, it’s 2-3 day shipping at no cost to you and we ship it straight to your house”

A rich, white, attractive 22-year-old who’s had access to organic food, a rigorous dermatologist, and financial security since she was born: “mmm... sure, I’ll order it”

A 47-year-old of any socioeconomic background, of any race, in the same situation: “AHHHHHHHHHHH”

I just think it’s crazy how three generations of kids and young adults raised in a world where everything moves so much faster, where knowledge and entertainment and communication can be gathered so much faster, are often so much more polite and patient and understanding. Yesterday I told an older man (mid-50s) whose native tongue is the same as mine, as clearly and succinct as possible, that what he’s looking for is “in aisle 4.” He proceeded to repeat back, “Aisle 7?” four time before I dropped everything to show him what he needed in aisle 4, despite his insistence that he didn’t need me to walk him there. 4 and 7 sound nothing alike in English. There’s just something going on up there 🧠 that’s different.

Oh, other generational divides!!! We have different approaches to labor and working. Totally different! I’m a “young” millennial where I’m almost Gen Z, and I’ve noticed an awful trend among my demographic where people actually brag about working 90 hour work weeks. Or brag about how they skip breaks and live on-call to get the job done for “the hustle” like this “hustle, become a millionaire by 30″ culture that’s dominated these kids, idk where tf that came from. Like why are you proud of being a wage slave, getting taken advantage of by your millionaire/billionaire overlords. Compare this to my mother’s generation (she’s a borderline Genius X’er, she and her best friend were a year too young to watch Grease when it came out and had a random older woman buy tickets for her; she went to Prince concerts, took photos of him, then sold the photos on buttons at school, that’s her culture and teenage experience), where she’s insistent on her rights and entitlements as an employee, and these things she instilled me: “whatchu mean they didn’t schedule a break for you and you’re working 12 hrs today? oh no, you’re off, don’t answer your phone cuz you are NOT available!” There are Gen X’ers who entered the workforce at a time that America was drifting toward this corporate world, with more strictly defined regulations, roles, and understandings of labor rights (and also, let’s talk about how the 80s there was so much more attention on workplace harassment, misogyny and gender divides in wage gaps, etc. etc... not that much has changed, but at least it was talked about!). There are young people today who are taken advantage of because they aren’t as informed or don’t feel as secure and valuable enough to claim what belongs to them.

At the same time, those generations (Gen X and older) have a different viewpoint of hierarchies in the workplace and respect irt our direct supervisors. That’s how you get this blurring of boundaries between Work Life and one’s Personal Life that leads to common tropes in media written by their generations, where oh no! I’m having my boss over for dinner and the roast beef is still defrosting :O is such a “relatable thing” for them... meanwhile us younger generations are like I don’t even like that you know where I live, and if I see your 2017 Honda Civic pass my place one day, we’re going to have a problem. I think older generations have a different relationship with the word “Respect” than we do. Like, my grandma, who’s turning 87 (?) this year, and the other seniors in my area, they have a different concept of honor and an expectation of professional boundaries that I, and my mom and her generation, just don’t see (so then there’s something in common with Gen X’ers and the rest of us.) My dad grew up in a world where talking and acting like George Bailey and knocking on someone’s door with a big smile could get you a job, a job that could pay for college and rent no problem. My mom grew up in a world that demanded more prestige, where cover letters and references could get you into some cushy jobs if you’re persistent and ballsy enough. And I grew up in a world where potential employers literally don’t see your face when you apply unless they lurk on any social media profiles you have publicly available and they hold all the cards, and you need all those CVs and reference letters just to make minimum wage... so I feel like I am powerless in the face of such employers.

[schrijverr]

Get out of jail for free-card

Stanford-era Sam gets a call from Dean, who has been arrested and needs him to bust him out. Jess insits on coming with him and is in for a bit of a surprise with the revelations that come with meeting Dean.

On AO3.

Ships: Sam x Jess

Warnings: Their childhood. Tell me if I missed anything or if you want me to tag something!

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

It was Friday, which meant drinking and having fun for Sam and his friends. Jess was just asking what everyone wanted to drink when a phone rang. It took a few seconds before Sam realized it was his. He shot a confused look to his friends and picked up: “Uh, hello, this is Sam Winchester speaking?”

“Sammy, thank God.”, came Deans voice from the other side.

Shocked Sam said: “Dean?”

“Yeah, it's me, already forgotten the sound of my beautiful voice?” Sam practically heard the smirk in that statement.

He couldn't help the bitch face as he answered: “How could I ever forget that annoying sound. But why the fuck are you calling me?”

Tom raised his brows to Jess who gave him a confused look back, Sam wasn't known to swear and neither had ever heard of this Dean person. They were pulled back to the phone call when Sam exclaimed: “What do you mean you got arrested.”

The comment got Jess to give him A Look, so Sam told Dean: “Wait a sec, gotta move.”

Then he waved at them and said: “Sorry have to take this, you guys go and start the movie.”

Jess frowned, but Sam didn't notice as he was saying: “Yes, Dean, movie night, normal people do that sort of thing on Friday. And don't call me Samantha. Now why are you arrested again?”

“Grave desecration, not really a good excuse for that, you know.” Dean said.

Sam rubbed his forehead and asked: “And why is this my problem again?”

“Dad's in Ohio together with Bobby, a demon, he wouldn't take me, so I got an easy salt 'n burn in San Francisco, but I got busted.” Dean replied.

“Do you need bail money or do you need to be saved?” Sam asked with a tired voice.

“I'm no Disney Princess, dude.” Dean said, “Psh, getting saved. But no, no bail for me, just heard you're pre-law now.”

Sam sighed as he read between the lines, Dean needed Sam to bust him out of a holding cell. He said: “Tell them you called a lawyer and won't do anything until he's there. And what name are you going by right now?”

“Phil Rudd.” Dean said, of course it was a rock star name.

He sighed again and said: “I’ll be there in 50.”

“Thank you, Sammy.”

“It’s Sam.” Sam bitched back, then he hung up and snagged a tie out of his closet along with a dress shirt.

He walked back into the room, where no one had started the movie and everyone was ready to pounce him with questions. “Who’s Dean?” Jess asked.

“And why is he arrested.” Tom added.

Sam grimaced and awkwardly said: “He's my brother, so I'm gonna go pick him up at the police station.”

“And why is he arrested?” Jess asked with an intense look.

“Uhhh,” Sam looked away with an embarrassed flush and said: “Grave desecration.”

“He did what!” Jess exclaimed, “That's terrible! Why would he do that?”

“He has his reasons.” Sam said curtly, then he realized that that didn't help the situation, so he went on: “Look he's a good guy, honestly, just a shitty past that he didn't shake off as well as I did. If you'd meet him, you would know.”

“Then take me with you.” Jess demanded.

Their friends had been watching the discussion like it was a tennis match and in the tense silence that followed they kept their eyes on Sam. Sam, who was having a small crises. On one hand he didn't want to fuck up his relationship with Jessica because he didn't take her with him, but on the other hand he also didn't want to fuck it up because he was busting his brother out, illegally.

When the silence dragged on Jess said: “I’m not letting this go, Samuel, take me with you or this is over.”

And that made the decision for him, he said: “Okay, let’s go, I told him I'd be there as fast as I could.”

~

The ride was silent and tense for the first 15 minutes, then Jess said: “I don’t want to meet your brother with just a bad image, so what's your best memory?”

“Huh?” Sam asked dumbly.

“What's your best memory of you and Dean?”

Sam smiled softly and said: “Where do I start? God, he was always there for me for a start, according to him my first words were “Bean” in an attempt to say his name, he says he cried.”

He thought some more before saying: “I know it sounds weird, but with Dad almost always gone and mom dead, while constantly on the road, Dean was my everything. He was my brother, best friend and mom all rolled into one. We were SamnDean, no spaces between us.”

Jess shot him a look, but didn’t say anything and he didn’t either, he just looked at the road and thought back to the times were this sight was his daily view, just from the backseat, with two pairs of shoulders and two heads blocking his view.

~

When they arrived Sam turned to Jess and said: “I need you to stay in the car, please?”

Then he got out of his flannel and buttoned up the dress shirt and put on the tie. Jess frowned at that and asked: “Why? What's going on, Sam?”

“It’s kinda hard to explain, but you have to believe me when I say I hate this as much as you will. Just stay in the car. Me and Dean will be here in a few minutes.” He gave her his best puppy eyes and she relented with an “I don’t like this.”

He gave her a peck on the cheek and said: “I don’t either. See you in a bit.”

Then he was out the car and walking into the station.

Half of the scam was the confidence, so Sam strutted up to the front desk and said: “I’m John Singer, I'm here for Phil Rudd.”

The lady gave him a one over and raised a brow. He knew he was still wearing his shaggy shoes and jeans, plus he looked very young. So he kinds dropped the confidence a bit and said: “I’m just the intern, but my boss, Simon Wright, is out of town, so I’m taking the calls right now.”

A look or pity showed up on the ladies face as she said: “Didn’t expect a call this late, did ya?”

He nodded and said: “I haven’t done this before, sorry, could you point me in the right direction?”

She smiled and quickly walked him through what was expected of him. He thanked her profusely as he walked away.

~

Dean greeted him with a smirk and said: “Hey, man, what’s the plan?”

Sam gave him a bitch face and said: “I’m risking a lot by being here, so don’t try anything, okay? Jess is waiting in the car, so lets make this quick.”

“Wait a minute. Who’s Jess?” Dean said.

“My girlfriend, now pay attention we can talk later.” Sam said.

Dean whistled impressed, but stayed quiet while Sam explained: “They think I’m an intern, so a newbie. You are going to punch me and then use this time window of no surveillance you've created to escape and hide in the back of Jess’s car, okay? It’s the blue crappy Honda.”

Dean chuckled, but nodded. He got ready to punch but Sam held up his hand and quickly sent Jess a text: ‘Dean will join you in the car shortly, don't say anything to anyone. See you in a few.’

Then he allowed Dean to punch him. He waited until Dean was out the window before he yelled: “Help! He punched me and he's gone!”

Soon the whole room was filled with police. His statement was taken and he was checked over, but after 15 minutes they'd let him go while he gave them Bobby's number for if they wanted more info.

On his way out he texted Bobby about it with a side note not to tell Dad, while he ignored Jessica's messages about how this wasn’t funny.

He got into the car and was immediately slapped by an angry Jess. He looked to Dean who was lying on the back seat to stay out of sight, but he just shot him a ‘hey-don't-look-at-me-dude-this-is-your-problem’ look.

When he said nothing she said: “What took you so long?”

He told her the truth: “They still needed my statement.”

She looked even more angry and said: “Then why is he telling me you busted him out. Illegally!”

He whipped around to give Dean a look and said: “Because he is an idiot.”

“Hey! You brought her with you and told her about your plan. I thought she knew, don’t blame me!” Dean defended himself.

“Why would she know?” Sam said frustrated.

“I don’t know, maybe because she is here and you texted her your plan?”

“God, this is just like Seibert.” Sam gave him an angry look.

Dean got angry as well and loudly replied: “How is this anything like Seibert?”

“Your lack of filter almost fucked me over that’s how.” Sam had a full on bitch face now.

“I told you back then that a twelve-year-old isn’t as convincing as an crying ‘help me I’m lost kid’ than an eight-year-old.”

“And I told you that someone smaller was better for sneaking around, you’re lucky they caught me after I had given dad the keys.”

“I was trying to buy you time, which was my task in the plan.”

“And telling them I was there seemed smart when my task was to remain unseen?”

With every comment their voices got louder and angrier, but before the fight could escalate any further Jess cut in: “What are you even talking about?”

“1991, we were staying in Seibert, but Dad got arrested.” Dean began.

Sam interrupted: “Since when are you such a sharer?”

“Since I’m trying to save your relationship here dude. Look at her, she wants the truth lets give it to her.” Dean shot back.

Sam looked at Jess, who he saw was siding with Dean on the subject. He crossed his arms and muttered: “Like that isn’t gonna ruin everything.”

Then he started up the car and said: “I’m dropping you off at your car hopefully you haven’t lost that too.”

“No, baby is still at my motel, Civic Center Inn, you can drop me there.” Dean said, Jess marveled at how quickly the two calmed down, then Dean turned back to her and said: “So, 1991, Seibert Colorado. Dad had gotten arrested, this wasn’t the first time, so me and Sammy go and bust him out.”

“It’s Sam.”

“Yeah, whatever. So, my plan was that he goes in and acts like he’s lost, creating a diversion for me so that I can sneak dad the keys of his cell.” Dean explained, “Except Sam didn’t agree with that, said I had to play lost, because he was smaller and therefore would be able to sneak better.”

“Which is true.” Sam commented.

“No, it’s not, because it almost went wrong.” Dean jibed.

“And that was your fault.” Sam said.

“No, it’s wasn’t.” Dean started up the discussion again.

Jess just wanted to know what had happened, so she interrupted: “Let it go, both of you.”

“Sorry.” Sam said immediately.

Dean coughed, but Jess was certain she heard “Whipped”, Sam probably did too, because his lips tightened, but he didn’t say a thing.

Dean went on: “Anyway, I go in and start crying telling them I’m lost and it does create a diversion, but not long enough, so I also tell them I lost my younger brother while I was supposed to be watching him. That does work, a small child is lost, so everyone there starts looking and it the end they find him. He tells them he was looking for the bathroom and wondered away and we get dropped off at a random house, which we tell them is ours. Then we walk to the motel where our father joins us shortly after.”

“We skipped town that night.” Sam finished.

Jess sat quietly for a second as she takes everything in, finally she said: “I’m sorry, Sam, that sounds horrible.”

Sam just shrugged and said: “I’ve never known different, so I never missed it. I’ve been helping in illegal scams since I was three or something. That’s just life.”

“Not that he ever liked it.” Dean felt the need to insert himself into the conversation, “He and dad were always fighting.”

Sam rolled his eyes and said: “Yeah, he didn’t want me to go to college and get a normal life, sorry for wanting to be like everyone else.”

“That didn’t mean you had to fight with him about every little thing, Sam.” Dean said.

Jess sat there awkwardly, feeling that this was a whole other set of issues. She quietly asked: “Is that why you never talk about your family?”

Sam sighed sadly: “Yeah, the last words my dad said to me were: “If you go, don’t come back.” not really heartwarming, is it?”

Dean flopped backwards and said: “Our whole family is shit.”

Sam looked over his shoulder with a surprised look and said: “Didn’t think you would say that.”

Dean shrugged and said: “Doesn’t mean you’re not part of it, Sammy. Just call from time to time, okay? Oh, look there’s the turn.”

Sam turned onto the parking of the motel and Dean got out of the car. Before he slammed the door he said: “Jess, that’s your name right? Yeah, okay, Jess, don’t judge Sam for something he never wanted to be a part of. And Sammy? Sammy you don’t let her go, she’s cool. See you next time, nerd.”

Then he was gone.

Sam sat quietly for a minute then he drove off. They didn’t say anything until they were near San Mateo, then Jess carefully said: “Are you going to call him?”

Sam looked at her and said: “He knows we can’t call each other, he didn’t even give me his number to pretend. We’re never gonna talk again and that’s okay, life happens.”

Jess gave him a pained look, but she didn’t know what to say about it.

Sam asked: “Are we over?”

“No, Sam, we aren’t, just, just be more honest about your life to me, okay?” she said with a sigh.

“Are you gonna tell everyone I broke him out instead of paying a bail that didn’t exist.” Sam asked after a moment of silence.

Jess thought about it for a second. Then she shook her head and told him: “No that’s between you and your brother. I just waited in the car and we had a nice chat about you on the way to his motel, nothing peculiar happened.”

Sam grinned: “What would I do without you?”

Jess smirked back: “Crash and burn.”

~

When Dean broke in to Sams house two years later, he was glad to see that Sam had listened and hadn’t let Jess go.