#Car crash claim Dublin

[personalinjurysolicitorie]

Navigating Dublin Car Crash Claims: Expert Advice Inside

Car accidents can be disorienting and stressful, especially when it comes to handling the aftermath. If you find yourself involved in a car crash in Dublin, understanding how to navigate the claims process is crucial for securing the compensation you deserve. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you through the process, ensuring you make informed decisions every step of the way.

1. Prioritize Safety and Health

The immediate aftermath of a car crash is crucial. First and foremost, ensure everyone's safety. If possible, move vehicles out of traffic to prevent further accidents. Check for injuries and call emergency services if necessary. Even if injuries seem minor, seek medical attention, as some injuries may not be immediately apparent. Documenting all injuries, both visible and hidden, is essential for your claim.

2. Gather Evidence at the Scene

Collecting evidence at the scene of the accident is vital for building a strong case. Use your phone or a camera to take photographs of the accident scene, including all vehicles involved, road conditions, and any visible damage. Photographing license plates, skid marks, and traffic signs can also provide valuable information. Additionally, exchange contact and insurance details with the other driver(s) involved.

3. Report the Accident to Authorities

In Dublin, you are legally required to report an accident to the local police if there are injuries or significant property damage & Car Accident Solicitor Dublin. Obtain a copy of the police report or the incident number, as this document can be crucial for your claim. If the police do not attend the scene, you must report the accident to the Gardaí at your local station.

4. Notify Your Insurance Company

Inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. Provide them with all the necessary details, including the police report, photographs, and witness statements if available. Be honest and thorough in your account of the accident. Failing to report the accident promptly or providing inaccurate information can jeopardize your claim.

5. Understand the Claims Process

Once you’ve reported the accident, your insurance company will guide you through the claims process. They will assess the damages, evaluate liability, and determine compensation. It’s important to keep track of all correspondence and documentation related to your claim. If you’re dissatisfied with the insurance company’s handling of your claim, you have the right to appeal their decision or seek independent advice.

6. Seek Legal Advice if Necessary

In some cases, especially when dealing with severe injuries or disputes over liability, seeking legal advice can be beneficial. A legal professional experienced in car crash claims can provide valuable guidance, negotiate with insurance companies, and ensure that your rights are protected. They can help you understand your options and navigate complex legal matters.

7. Keep Records of All Expenses

Maintaining detailed records of all expenses related to the accident is crucial. This includes medical bills, repair costs, rental car fees, and any other expenses incurred as a result of the crash. Keeping receipts and invoices will help support your claim for compensation.

8. Be Patient and Persistent

The claims process can sometimes be lengthy and complex. It’s important to remain patient and persistent throughout the process. Regularly follow up with your insurance company or legal representative to stay informed about the progress of your claim. If you encounter any issues or delays, address them promptly to avoid unnecessary setbacks.

9. Know Your Rights

Familiarize yourself with your rights as an accident victim. In Dublin, you are entitled to compensation for damages and injuries caused by the accident. This includes compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage. Understanding your rights ensures that you can advocate effectively for yourself throughout the claims process.

Conclusion

Navigating a Car crash claim Dublin requires careful attention to detail and a thorough understanding of the claims process. By prioritizing safety, gathering evidence, reporting the accident, and keeping accurate records, you can effectively manage your claim and secure the compensation you deserve. If needed, seek legal advice to guide you through complex situations and protect your interests. With the right approach and persistence, you can navigate the aftermath of a car crash with confidence and achieve a satisfactory resolution.

Read Also: Road Accident Solicitor in Ireland

[alpha-mag-media]

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver | In Trend Today

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[ur-mag]

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver | In Trend Today

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[erius-vidi]

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver Read Full Text

[bloomfieldgarage]

Get the best Crash Repair Services at Dublin

We at Bloomfield Garage, deal with several crash repairs. With our skills and experience, we can restore your car to like-new condition. Come to us, and we'll assist you in filing insurance claims so that you can fix your car. Contact us to get the services of Crash repair in Dublin. Your car's bodywork scratches are an unwelcome inconvenience. The value of your car when you sell it can be significantly reduced. All scratches can be skillfully and precisely removed by our scratch repair experts. 

[miss-kittys-magical-library]

The Ides Of March

(A Darren Treacy x Jeanie Turner mini-series)

Prologue - Bad Romance

Word Count: 1815

Warnings: language, violence, murder, mention of sexual assault, angst

A/N: On Saint Patrick's Day, Darren and Jeanie start receiving ominous, cryptic text messages claiming to be from the future. Play the game; save Darren. Jeanie's rules are simple enough: If Dazz can catch her out in Dublin, he can have her any way and anywhere he wants. So how did a night of wild sex and whiskey lead to murder? *Spoilers for Love/Hate series 3*

Sequel to “The Sinner’s Prayer” Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

There are tiny moments that contain millions of choices we all make. It's not a choose your own adventure; there's not always time to think cohesively. Add in copious amounts of liquor and sex and a person may become impulsive. As Jeanie cocked the gun pointed in Nidge’s direction, she found herself in the middle of one of those flip-of-the-coin situations.

She followed every hint, every cryptic text from a burner phone that was meant to prevent this exact instant. But the vile leader of an IRA faction lay slowly dying from internal injuries at her feet. Siobhan, softly sobbing hid her face in Tommy’s shoulder. Darren, behind her, still held the keg by the handle. Nidge was the only one who could square up. He was pacing like a trapped animal, enraged and seething. Jeanie never faltered in her aim.

“We're done here, Delaney,” the words came out distorted. “Right now. This was a nice night. I saw a great concert. I drank loads of fucking liquor. I have had more sex in the last few hours than I have in the last few years. I literally got eaten out in a pub loo. I'm getting divorced, and if Trish was smart she'd get a divorce too.”

“Red-” Darren tried.

Jeanie spun on him, the gun pointed too close for either’s comfort. Darren’s eyes like a deer in headlights. “I'm not losing you. I'm not letting this life eat anymore of you. Siobhan already paid the price.”

“Just put the gun down please. I'm only trying t’put him out, love. Look at the bastard.”

“It's a butterfly effect, Dazz. You're already too much for them.” Tears threatened Jeanie’s eyes.

Darren put his hand on the muzzle of the gun cautiously and pointed it down to the floor. “What the fuck are ye talking about? Jeanie, you've been barking all night. Not that I don't appreciate the craic,” he smirked, “Or the shaggin’. The panic attack when we walked through the door earlier. How did ye know about Git?”

Jeanie fished in her cleavage for her mobile and tossed it to Darren. He opened it up and used his own for comparison. He studied the texts on both screens with confusion in his eyes.

“You've been getting them too, right?”

“But how?”

Only Darren and Jeanie existed right now. And the soft gurgling of Git as he drowned in his own blood. The choked crying of a young woman who had been assaulted. They were alone, but aware. So deeply aware of their situation.

“Oh please, can ye even fire a fucking gun?” Nidge’s voice broke through.

Jeanie whirled again, her arm around the side of Darren's friend. It was all fluid. Her arms moved with resistance like underwater. The gun aimed somewhere towards the back of the basement or front. No one was sure. It was just where she pointed the gun and pulled the trigger.

One by one dominos topped in a new pattern. Siobhan screamed, but the sound was deafening so her panic was muted. The gun kicked back causing Jeanie’s elbow to vibrate. Almost like someone checked her reflexes with a small hammer. A burst of concrete where the bullet hit a wall, and Darren dropped the keg with an even louder crash.

In Nidge’s terror, he went to flee from Jeanie's bullet . His entire weight landed on Git’s face. Nidge’s trainer came down with a sickening crunch like a knife in butter. Git’s face was the butter. The gurgle ceased.

The last domino fell. Jeanie dropped the weapon to her side and staggered backwards into Darren’s arms. He tried to take the gun but she jerked it away.

Instead he switched gears and mumbled nonsensical words of comfort. “I've got yous.” and “Jeanie, it'll be ok” She stared up at him as a tremble rolled through her. Darren put his hand on her face and sort of started fixing her hair. Then, with a turn of her head, Jeanie vomited absolutely everywhere.

“Lovely. Just fucking lovely,” Nidge said. “Typical Americans.”

Darren held Jeanie by the arms and bent to look her in the eye. “Alright, sweetheart? Nidge and Tommy and I have t’ take care of this. Why don't ye call Laura or Ewan, and have them come get the pair of ye. Siobhan too? Get her cleaned up and get some sleep. Crash at my gaff, ok?”

Jeanie was numb. Catatonic almost as Darren and Tommy formed a circle. Their heads literally together as they attempted a plan.

Jeanie straightened her back and made her way to Siobhan who held herself tightly. Like she was trying to fade into the background. She put her arms around the young woman who started with a jump but relaxed into Jeanie. The gun finally out of her hands and on the desk beside them.

“Here's what we're gonna do, ok? Do you want me to call Trish or Mary? You aren't gonna clean yourself or even pee. We're gonna take you to hospital. They'll clean you up and take samples. Then we can get you some tea and a warm shower and a nice bed. Dazz has a nice bed. Then I'll get Layton, and bring him to you. That sound good?”

Siobhan nodded softly in agreement, but her uncle wasn't having it. He shoved Darren and Tommy aside to bellow at the two women huddled in the corner together. His finger pointed in Jeanie’s face.

“She’s not gonna do a goddamn thing you say. You're gonna sit right here while Uncle Nidge and the boys clean up this bitch’s mess.”

There was not a single thought that went through Jeanie's head. Was this how Darren's brain was wired to live this lifestyle? Just react and pay for it later while you're trying to live until the next job.

But she was done, she knew that much. Done being left behind. Treated like she was the good little obedient housewife. Having men tell her what she can and can't do. Shut up, sit still and be a good girl. But open your legs. It was being done that caused her to hold the gun up again and point the barrel to Nidge's forehead.

“Darren doesn't work for you anymore, Nigel. Tommy, you can stay here or you can take care of your wife. No one owes him any loyalty.”

“Come on, I didn't mean bitch. We just have to fix it. Then you and Treacy can do whatever.”

Jeanie cocked the gun again until it clicked, “No. You can call Elmo or Fran. Can't call Aido can you? Seeing as you got him shot. Dazz gave you a lung, the love of his life, his sister and his fucking mind. He's not giving you or this bullshit anything else.”

“Red-”

Jeanie swung the gun on Darren without thinking. He flinched and ducked, But she kept her wits about her. She aimed the gun at Nidge once more.

“Dazz, take your shoes off,” she instructed.

“What?”

“You're standing in this cunt’s blood. Take your trainers off and leave them. Socks too, and stand behind me. Then text Ewan and tell him to meet us here with a car. We're going to your flat, then my hotel to pack our bags after we shower and set these clothes on fire. Then we are getting all of our money, our passports and our IDs. Say goodbye to Mary and the girls, and we are going away. Tibet. Phuket. Bali. I don't give a fuck, but we’re flying first class.”

Darren complied. Jeanie couldn't believe it. They shared a look. She couldn't tell if it was relief or the devil in his blazing green eyes, but she was emboldened by it as she bent to take off her own boots. Her focus on Nidge never faltered.

“Ewan said he'll be here in ten or so. Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

“I'm not above shooting this bastard in the head for you, Dazz. I'm not saying we are settling down and having babies and happily ever after or some shit. I'm saying I don't want you to die. If we have to run half way around the world to make that happen..” Jeanie's body started to quiver. The adrenaline was running out. “First I need a Bloody Mary and some French Toast.”

-------

Jeanie exhaled for the first time in nearly 24 hours. The exhaustion finally set in as she laid back in the ridiculous bed chair thing from“upper class.” She and Darren were beyond first class, they were elite now. Even if it was only for the twelve hours it took to get to Thailand.

She could see his far too short hair sticking out on the other side of the wall. She knew at one point he would sneak in to be with her if only for a little while. Jeanie made him look a bit nicer than his typical trainers and hoodies and denim. She was in a sundress herself. They both knew dressing up was not fitting in. Neither felt they fit in here.

“You good, Dazz?”

“I t’ink so. Still trying t’figure out how we went from shagging in coat rooms and back rooms and toilets to watching an IRA boss,” Darren raised his eyes, “to being on this plane. We have forty.. Enough money to live, maybe years where we're going.”

“You couldn't keep living that life, Darren. Nidge was off his fucking rocker, and everyone around him is gonna pay for it.”

“Rosie would've never done this, you know that right?” He looked plaintively over at Jeanie as she climbed up onto her knees.

“Her loss is my gain though. I know you love me, but I'm not sure about my own feelings. I do care about you alot. I'm probably a danger junkie, so we could end up bored of each other without the fear of being caught or you not having any jobs. Or you could wear colors and learn to meditate, and I'll get a pet monkey and cut all my hair off.”

“Don't ye dare!” Darren laughed. “I'll become a Buddhist, just don't cut that hair.” He twisted his fingers up in it before reaching up to kiss her sweetly. Just a hint of his tongue.

“Fine,” Jeanie rolled her eyes. “But I still want a monkey. We should get some sleep.”

They kissed one last time before she laid back down and closed her eyes. Jeanie knew Darren would be on his side when he would begin to dream. His hand tucked under his cheek and head, mouth slightly agape. She pictured it in her head as she drifted off herself.

“How DID we get here?” she thought before dreaming herself of a game that started in sex but ended in murder.

Tag list: @sean-falco @robertsheehanownsmyass @nightmonsters @super-unpredictable98 @elliethesuperfruitlover @slutforrobbiebro @frogs--are--bitches @forenschik @bisexualnathanyoung @sugdenyoung

[shelvedsaints]

ABOUT LAURIE || Do you miss the rogue?

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: Lawrence “Laurie” Kearney

AGE: Thirty-Two

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cismale, He/Him

FACE CLAIM: Scott Eastwood

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: Brown

HEIGHT: 5′11″

DATE OF BIRTH: June 25th, 1988

ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Bachelors of English

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Irish Catholic

OCCUPATION: Unemployed, Published Romance Novelist

HOMETOWN: South Dublin, Ireland

NEIGHBORHOOD: Newtown

CHARACTER HISTORY

The Kearney Family comes from old money, their fortune tinged green from weather and the moss from where they are buried deep in the ground for safe keeping. Their collaborative profession has swayed since, but there’s no denying that the Kearneys have a way with words. There’s always been a buzzing in their heads, and like a hive, their thoughts have always come out in a swarm. Most of the family have been proficient in political positions of power, with a few living happily in their fortune voicing their opinion to those willing to hear.

Lawrence reigned in as one of the louder lazy members of the family. While he was taught to take be mindful of the advantages life had given him, he spent more time basking in its glory and offering himself as the stepping stool to his lads rather than climbing the ladder himself.

He wasn’t the golden boy, but that didn’t mean he didn’t shine. In comparison to his brothers and cousins, he was rusting brass but everything looked shiny behind the flashes of cameras. He had a brief career as a hurling athlete, but ultimately enjoyed the softer word behind books and what lied between pen and paper. He left his sports team early on to pursue a career in literature which caused some strife between him and his family as they felt he was doing nothing with his potential.

The once vivacious and loud Laurie they knew had become so much more refined when he sought out the world he could control, where he was the one building latters and stepping stools as oppose to lifting the weight of it on his back. He got to decide with ease who deserved to reach the top shelf and offer the tools for it. To some extent, he could play god. He wrote women and men who only existed in dreams, dragged them through the dirt, and then polished them off with ease.

This god complex needed a new plane, though. There was only so much he could do behind closed doors to pretend he was above it all. He craved more, as he always had, and returned to the bachelor scene to take back his crown. As a heart breaker, he sought out the stories he came up with in his head and played them out in real life. However, the last thing Laurie expected was for there to be consequences that he couldn’t cross out with a single stroke of his pen.

PRESENT DAY [TW: CAR ACCIDENT, BRAIN INJURY]

Laurie reunited with one of his first loves and spent the weekend with them in the Irish Highlands where he saw the chance to meet the end of how all his stories and published romance novels should end.

That was until it was revealed that she was getting married and moving to America. This had simply been her chance to come clean following a troubled past where she was just a speck of dirt in the trials of Lawrence Kearney. The darker parts of her life were far worse than his and she was simply making amends. However, she was so quick to indulge herself and gave into his loving arms almost immediately.

The loss of what could have been was troubling, and Laurie went down a darker path himself. He returned to his days as a charmer, but it seemed like the true role he played was a snake at the bottom of a barrel whose tune to come out and play was no more than the sweet symphony of top shelf liquor on rocks.

It took some time, but his downfall came hard. Laurie took his seat behind the wheel after a heavy night of drinking with his best friend in the passenger seat. The accident had been fatal to his friend, and Laurie would never be the same.

Found two days later and nearly dead, Laurie suffered significant brain damage that accelerated in those moments of purgatory. A combination of a blow to his temporal lobes and the whiplash from the crash caused damage to his thalamus that resulted in retrograde amnesia. He had forgotten a magnitude of his memories, including the night of the crash as a whole. He also suffered damage to part of his temporal lobe, known as the Brocca’s area, responsible for the expression of language in writing and speaking. There was also a blow to his head that damaged his cerebral cortex and more specifically, Wernicke’s area, that affected the understanding of certain parts of speech.

Living with a mild form of both expressive and receptive aphasia, he’s lost the ability to do what he loves most which is write and its even more haunting since he can’t use it to process the mistakes he doesn’t remember making.

Laurie doesn’t remember his best friend at all, and struggles to understand the magnitude of his own loss. Money was thrown at the family of his best friend, but it only made up for so much. The Kearney family bound him to the small town just off the edge of where he had crashed for recovery, hoping to conceal him and his mistakes from the world. They found the best doctor in Key West, Florida where they vanquished him until they could right his wrongs and figure out how to make him useful again.

Laurie spends his days trying to understand what he lost, and bettering himself. He’s returned to his own work and been at a complete loss, only being able to understand that there was a part of him that desperate and longing for something he’s certain he never really knew about.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Family

Roommates

Medical Team

Mother of his child

Friends from Dublin

Family of his friend who passed away

First love

Hook ups

[deadtime-stories]

AoB Process Update

Every now and then I take a break from the story to go back and edit, so I know what has to change/be included going forward. I don’t yet know how these will affect the story from a Tidbits Of Knowledge standpoint, even though I know they streamline and help he story itself, so I’m putting them here for reference.

- Most important: Initially, Nox’s birth name was Rowan because it did have something to do with the story. That has long since been changed, so it’s been adjusted and Rowan Shane Caldwell is the legal name he took in transition. His birthname has not and shall never be used because it’s not his name.

- Chapter 2: removing Nox’s inspection of the rock slide boulders, because Kate’s claim that Dante threw one is enough to establish something Weird going on without him needing to see it for himself. 

- Chapters 3 and 4 have been combined and edited down. Nox’s morning thought process didn’t need to be so long, and both his run-in in the woods and his conversation with Lux and Beth were able to be shortened enough to make all three scenes one chapter.

- No changes so far to chapter 5, only an edit.

- Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 have been combined and are in the process of being edited down to just 5,000 words (meaning 20k words are being cut). While this is great for the overall story, some things will necessarily be lost: No short stay at the Duchesne house or run in with Serafino and Dante after nearly being killed in the car crash; no family dinner at The Dubliner; a much shorter conversation for Curtis to tell Nox about fae.

Alas, although I thought it was funny, also no Curtis poking around and finding Nox’s vibrator, which means no replacements being found in the condo for his friends to make fun of him for.

- Chapters 10, 11, and 12 will be combined and edited, for another 20k word cut. Nox’s tarot reading can be shortened, and Curtis himself will give them a condo tour and take them out for drinks. He’ll already be there when other fae start to show up, and will take Nox home when he realizes he’s ill. Curtis and Dana testing Nox’s blood will be cut; it makes more sense that Curtis would already know it’s toxic since he was bred to hunt the Hidden Court.

- Chapters 13 and 14 will be combined and edited, for another 13k word cut. Most of chapter 13 will be cut, removing Nox’s conversation with Anthony and leaving Anthony still believing Curtis and Nox are dating. The morning will be a very small section, and the chapter will have neatened versions of Nox meeting Drew in the morning and confronting Curtis at hockey practice that evening.

- Chapters 15 and 16 will be combined and edited, for an 11k word cut. Nothing is really being lost, there’s just a lot of rambling to cut through. It will have a morning visit to Garrett’s to steal the books, and his heart-to-heart with Drew in the evening.

- No changes so far to 17 and beyond, only length/grammar/spelling edits.

- The early story interactions will be adjusted so the fact that Curtis specifically searched out Nox makes sense; this was still a fuzzy concept when I first started but is now solidified.

- What these changes do: allow the story to focus on Nox’s relationships with Drew and Curtis (which are the main subjects of the romance plot) and on Nox’s growing issues with the fae (the book’s main plot).

Estimated final product: 22 chapters, between 90k and 100k words. 9 more chapters to finish and post first drafts of.

[downessolicitor]

Why Do You Need To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer After An Accident?

Following a severe injury, you'll need to make several important decisions. Choosing an attorney is the most important of these decisions. The majority of individuals believe that hiring an attorney is unnecessary.

A skilled personal injury attorney, on the other hand, can help you maximize the value of your case. When an accident results in severe health and financial consequences, people who have been harmed may need to file a lawsuit to get a fair settlement from an insurance company or the responsible party.

Personal Injury Laws Expertise

It's tough to learn about personal injury legislation for a variety of reasons: For one thing, they may vary from one state to the next, from one county to the next, and from one municipality to the next. Second, the legal criteria for initiating a Car crash claims Ireland differs based on the type of damage. Because the statute of limitations in fraud cases is longer than in product liability claims, establishing carelessness in a dog bite claim is not the same as finding fault in a vehicle accident. To put it another way, various types of damage cases exist in different countries.

Most importantly, skilled attorneys will determine which laws apply to your circumstance and how much compensation you are entitled to. You may certainly look up the policy in your state that relates to your specific accident. Still, only a personal injury attorney would be able to translate these laws into criteria that apply to your situation.

Getting Your Claim Processed Quickly

The personal injury appeal procedure might take many months in some situations due to insurance, government rules, legal papers, witnesses, and other obstacles. However, when you're focused on your therapy, you don't have the option of time months for a Car accident solicitor Dublin.

When you engage a personal injury attorney, you get someone on your side who will stay on top of your issue and help you settle it as fast as possible. By working with insurance companies on your behalf and negotiating with the plaintiff's attorneys, a medical negligence attorney can help you receive coverage swiftly.

Knowing the Time limit:

Statutes of limitation govern the amount of time you have between the time you are injured and the time you may begin the legal process to file a case. You will not be able to claim any compensation for your losses if you miss this deadline. A qualified and competent lawyer will be aware of these deadlines and will endeavor to ensure that you do not lose out on the opportunity to collect damages recompense.

[carelessgraces]

thinking about astoria in her modern verses, both magical and mundane, and her relationship with her godparents. since i’ve made a few adjustments to her godparents, i figure it’s worth getting into here —

     evander (1968-2009) and elyssa (1970-2009) vetri are astoria’s first cousins, once removed, the niece and nephew of her paternal grandmother. evander and elyssa were both born within a year of astoria’s father, gaspare; though the three didn’t see each other as often as they’d have liked, they were close nevertheless, and when they were together, they were inseparable. when it came time to name godparents for his youngest daughter, gaspare insisted on his cousins, fully believing that they would love her as much as he did, and care for her to the best of their ability if anything happened to him and his wife. but evander and elyssa’s lives took them to london, and gaspare moved to dublin to be with seraphina, and they saw each other less and less; astoria always knew of them, but didn’t know them particularly well.

     when astoria was thirteen, during the summer holiday, evander and elyssa moved to dublin, claiming that they hoped to reconnect with the family. gaspare was ecstatic, and encouraged them to spend time with their goddaughter especially, and astoria was thrilled to get to know them better. elyssa’s influence began early: she laid the groundwork to subtly undermine astoria whenever she had the chance, calling into question her perception of reality whenever she had the opportunity, and making a point of diminishing all of astoria’s successes and skills as often as she could. 

     by the time that the evander and elyssa recommended withdrawing astoria from hargrove academy, her school in dublin, following the easter holiday, astoria had begun to beg for the same thing: of course her godparents could provide for her. of course they could teach her. they would take her to venice, and would bring her throughout europe; she would learn by experiencing and doing, would have the best tutors money could buy. her sense of self had been damaged to the point that, despite their skepticism, gaspare and seraphina agreed to the suggestion. thirteen was a hard age. lots of little girls started to hate themselves. maybe what astoria needed was more hands-on attention, where she was the only child being looked after. 

     they hadn’t realized that, for months, the vetris had been using astoria to transport weapons and stolen goods throughout dublin, often without her knowledge that she was carrying anything at all. ( who would suspect astoria — small for thirteen, pretty, bright? ) they had become donors at hargrove, which granted them access to her and freed them of suspicion when they were present on-campus, “visiting.” when she was withdrawn from hargrove and brought to london, she had already been an unknowing accomplice in a number of crimes, and at this point, things only got worse. if she struggled with her education, or questioned her guardians, or tried to get help, she was severely disciplined; she quickly learned how to hide the marks. while elyssa made her believe things weren’t as bad as they seemed, and that perhaps they were only disciplining her because it was the only way to get through to her, evander had become physically abusive. 

     she sent letters to her parents throughout their travels — london was their home base, but they moved frequently — and called regularly, and after the first time she tried to tell her parents to come get her, she didn’t try again. at fifteen, astoria was used as bait to kidnap one of the vetri’s rivals, left ( apparently ) alone and injured along a roadside. when the man they were targeting got out of his car to help her, the vetris stole the car, and took him with them. she was present for his murder, shortly after, and at this point, astoria realized that the only way she was getting away from them was if they were dead. 

     here’s the major divergence. in astoria’s modern witch verse, she waits until they attempt to steal a grimoire held in a catacomb in paris, heavily guarded. astoria catches a lucky glance at some notes, learning of some of the spells in place to protect the grimoire, and when they arrive, she begins to goad evander, knowing that he’ll lose his temper first. when, in his anger, he moves to strike her, she’s able to trigger one of the protective spells, which kills evander and traps elyssa with astoria — and when elyssa lunges at astoria, she does it again. she’s found two days later, dehydrated and weak, by the grimoire’s owners, and she explains that she was brought there against her will, that she didn’t know what was happening, begs for help, and appears entirely as a traumatized child. the grimoire’s owner takes pity on her, contacts her parents, and keeps her safe until their arrival; when her father heals her injuries with magic, he discovers several healed breaks, and she tells him, and her mother, the truth about the vetris and their abuse. she does not tell them about her participation, unwilling as it was, in their crimes, only that she observed them. she also doesn’t tell them that she killed evander and elyssa.

     in astoria’s modern verse, she goads evander again, shortly after the murder, and he leaves her with a broken arm and clavicle. the following day, he and elyssa leave to take her to a hospital only after astoria ( very deliberately ) lets “slip” how much pain she’s in around a neighbor, who expresses concern. ( they explain it away as a fall, and astoria never complaining much, and that they had hoped it wasn’t a serious injury. the neighbor is a bit skeptical, but ultimately accepts this. ) while driving to the hospital, astoria goads evander again, over and over and over again, until he starts to lose his focus on the road — and a hard kick to his seat has him turning around to hit her again, and elyssa scrambling to keep them from veering off the road. elyssa isn’t able to help much. it’s a rainy day, and the roads aren’t great — just as astoria had expected — and they crash into a tree near the road. evander is killed on impact. astoria remains in the car, watching elyssa struggle, until she’s certain that elyssa won’t survive — then she drags herself out of the car and tries to flag down help. 

     when help arrives, she seems shocked, too traumatized to fully understand what’s happened. her parents come to her in the hospital, where a doctor quietly explains that her injuries are more extensive than what the accident caused, and that the healed fractures in her x-rays suggest abuse. she admits that she’s been abused, and that the vetris forced her to witness their crimes — not to participate, only to observe — but not her part in their deaths. 

     her one slip-up is that she gets her license within a month of turning sixteen, while in boston. she drives well, and she drives fast. her teachers and parents think it odd, but chalk it up to a desire to control something traumatizing for her. it’s the start of a lifelong love affair with cars. 

     in both cases — astoria moves in with her aunt ( her mother’s sister ) in the following months, to complete her schooling in boston. that takes some convincing, and her parents stay with her on and off during the next two years, but they know that she needs space, and that she needs a fresh start. a few years later she tells her brother, damon, about the abuse and asks him to tell her sisters; it’s not a story she wants to tell more than she has to. she tells iain an abridged version about three years into their relationship, and she typically doesn’t tell another soul for years — she only shares this information, and only a very limited version of this, if she believes it necessary. the only people who get the full story are her aunt astoria, who she lives with in boston, and a priest in boston eventually, if she ends up in a permanent and committed relationship, she will tell whoever she’s with the full story, but it takes a long time to get there. 

[alpha-mag-media]

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver | In Trend Today

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Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver | In Trend Today

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[erius-vidi]

Hit-and-run car that claimed life of grandmother, 67, bought just days before Dublin crash as gardai hunt for driver

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[necroticblonde-a]

The Greta Rosenblum Case (Lore)

April 10, 1998

In April of 1996, Greta Rosenblum went missing from her father, Raphael Rosenblum's, San Diego apartment. On a Monday morning, the Rosenblum family's nanny, Dianna Cross, went into the girl's room to wake her for school but found the 8 year old girl was not in her bedroom. Upon further searching, it was realized that the girl was not anywhere to be found in the apartment. Ms.Cross proceeded to search throughout the building, asking other tenants if they had seen the girl to which all answered no. Though panicked, Ms.Cross contacted the police roughly an hour and a half after discovering that the girl was missing and contacted the girl's father shortly after. 

The police arrived at the apartment building but found no signs of forced entry anywhere in the apartment. As a matter of fact, the girl's room had been tidied up, with the bed made, toys placed in the toybox, and laundry done, folded and hung up. When asked about the day before Ms.Cross stated that the previous day she'd picked the girl up from school, helped her with homework, prepared and ate dinner with her, bathed her, and tucked her in by 8:30 PM. She stayed up until maybe 10 pm and went to check on the girl one last time before she went to bed herself. She claims that the girl was asleep when she went in and she heard no movement at all throughout the night. Mr. Rosenblum had been out the entire week on a business trip to New York and was not there on the night the girl went missing. 

Tenants in the building were asked about the girl but none claimed to have seen the girl past the suspected time she went missing, all apartments in the building were searched. The security footage from the hallways the building had been cut from the times 2:14 AM to 2:33 AM, whatever was left on record just jumps from 2:13 AM to 2:34 AM. All footage from between those times simply no longer exists. 

Ms.Cross was asked if there were any shady characters in the lives of the Rosenblum family to which she answered: "No. I'd say maybe one of Mr.Rosenblum's associates but he'd made it a point of not allowing any of his colleagues meet his daughter. I'm probably not supposed to tell you this but Greta was born out of wedlock. He didn’t want this to influence his career and reputation. Her existence has basically been kept under the table since her mother brought her to live with him. As far as I can tell, they aren’t even aware he has a kid at all."

Further search of the immediate area ensued. One would imagine that Greta Rosenblum would be difficult to miss as the girl had some form of albinism. She had white-blonde hair that was cut into a bob, round black eyes, and very pale skin. Presumably, she'd be walking around in the lavender colored nightgown she'd been tucked into bed in.  

When Mr.Rosenblum finally made it back home, he was swiftly questioned by police. He had a flat affect during his entire time talking to officers and detectives. He was unable to give any information as he wasn’t in town during the time of the girl’s disappearance. When questioned about the girl being born out of wedlock and the possibility of the girl’s mother abducting her, he stated: “There’s nothing that can be said about her mother. She’s not even in the country anymore. Besides, that woman knew she couldn’t handle a kid and I doubt someone like her would have a sudden change of mind 8 years later.” Further questioning about her mother and he admitted that he didn’t even know what the woman’s name was, that she never gave him a real name, and that she’d left the girl with him shortly after giving birth to her. 

The search continued for two days and expanded to cover Orange County and as time went on and eventually a statewide search ensued. During this time, Dianna Cross had become a primary suspect as she was the only other person in the apartment at the time and there being no signs of struggle. Ms.Cross had no criminal record and when her home was examined, there were no traces of Greta to be found. Several staff members at the girl’s school were also interviewed but none could be pinpointed as suspects. Though, some staff gave more insight about the girl’s emotional well-being. Greta’s then current teacher, David Matthew stated: “She was always moody and standoffish. Brilliant little thing but she had the habit of getting fuming mad and taking it out on her peers. She always seemed lonely and I knew her dad was a bit of a big shot. I assumed that he wasn’t giving her much attention. When kids aren’t getting the attention they need, they’ll try to get it in any way possible.” Ms.Cross also admitted that the girl’s behavioral issues ran deep and that she’d been bitten, scratched, and hit during these fits of rage.

This resulted in the theory that Greta had simply run away but how far can a child with a unique appearance get before they’re noticed, especially when their face is on dozens of fliers being handed out on street corners? Within the next few days, the search continued. A woman in Santa Clarita filed a report with police, claiming to have seen the girl walking hand-in-hand with a blond young woman, dressed in black, and a tall build. She was unable to get a good look at the pair since it was already dark out and they were walking under yellow streetlights. Police arrived to investigate the street the two were seen to be walking on but they were nowhere to be seen. This solidified theory of abduction for some but it’s debatable whether or not this was a legitimate sighting.

The next sighting was up close by an older couple, parked on the side of Gorman Post Rd, facing the highway. Maria Ruiz said she saw a young girl sitting on the side of the road as if she were waiting for somebody. When she approached, she saw that the girl was as Greta had been described on several news outlets. The girl was unaware of her presence until Mrs.Ruiz tried to coax the girl into coming closer to which the girl screamed and began running along the side of the highway. Alejandro Ruiz saw his wife chase the girl and began following in his vehicle. In the confusion, he crashed into a truck and had to stop his chase. His wife turned back to help him out of the vehicle and to the side of the road before calling police to report both the sighting and the car accident. Two police cars and two ambulances arrived at the scene, taking care of the accident before asking Mrs.Ruiz questions about her encounter with Greta and scanning the area. Greta was not found but a few passersby driving along the highway reported seeing her a few hours later with a blond woman carefully walking along Grapevine Canyon; a bit further on, security footage shows the girl shoplifting several snacks from a Grapevine gas station, the woman is not with her in this footage. 

A CHP officer, Alejandra Gomez, was patrolling on her motorcycle the day after when she spotted the girl walking about in broad daylight, which is new as all sightings of her took place at night. The girl was walking along the highway between Pixley and Tipton, holding the skirt of her nightgown up as to carry snacks and water. “I pulled over besides the girl and she looked at me with this look of bewilderment in her eyes. I could tell she wanted to run but she looked down at her little stash and I could tell she didn’t want to risk dropping them.” 

This next part is quite troubling: Officer Gomez said that she tried to converse with Greta but the girl wouldn’t speak to her. “‘You stay right here, honey. I’m going to call someone to pick you up’, I told her. I turned around and I saw a blond woman but something wasn’t right. No matter how hard I try, I can’t remember what the woman’s face looked like. When I look back on the memory, I can picture her hair, I can picture her shape and the clothes she was wearing but her face. . .comes up as a blank slate. As soon as I looked at her, I felt sick: I was stricken with this dizziness, I began sweating, and I remember vomiting and falling forward. She stood there, staring down at me for what felt like hours until she stepped out of my peripheral. By the time I was able to gather myself and stand up, there was no trace of her or Greta Rosenblum.”

The final confirmed sighting of Greta Rosenblum was at a BART Station in Dublin, California. A mud-covered Greta Rosenblum was spotted by a drunk passenger (who was unable to give a reliable description of the girl’s condition) and briefly by security footage, boarding the Daly City line. No staff at the station noticed the girl crawling underneath the barriers to get to the second floor of the station where she caught the train. Nobody can say for certain which stop she got off at as the security footage for all stations along that route cut off as soon as she stepped onto the train, throughout the entire night and early morning until 8 am. This was the final time she was seen. As far as we know, she could still be on the move with this woman somewhere in the Bay Area, assuming they’re still in California. Some theorize that they’re probably heading further and further north.

A few unconfirmed sightings of her around this time include her getting into a blue van in Modesto, her sleeping in the underbrush of Mt. Diablo, and her chasing rabbits around an empty field at Mountain House. There are doubts that Greta will ever be coming home and some even think she may no longer be with us. The more years that pass, the less likely she is to be found. It’s around the second anniversary of Greta’s disappearance and ever since the BART station, there has been no new trace of her. 

There are still many questions that are yet to be answered. Who is this woman? Did Greta willingly leave with her? What are this woman's intentions? How did she get into contact with Greta and how were they able to almost move entirely on foot without attracting police attention? Where are they going? Some suggest supernatural forces at work but in an age of reason and science, we shouldn’t entertain absurd theories about aliens and things of the like. This shouldn’t be a matter of proving some sort of point either. This is a matter of safely bringing a little girl back home to her family. 

[papapiusxiii]

50 Great Thrillers by Women, as recommended by 10 of the UK’s female crime writers

Sophie Hannah:

Summertime by Liz Rigbey. Follows a woman who loses her baby and whose father unexpectedly drowns. When her husband and sister close ranks against her, she begins to suspect they are lying to her.

The Spider’s House by Sarah Diamond. Also published as In the Spider’s House. When Anna Howell discovers that a 1960s child murderess was the previous resident of her old cottage, her marriage, sanity and life come under threat.

Hidden by Katy Gardner. When a young mother’s seven-year-old daughter disappears, she finds herself questioning everything in her life. Then a police officer starts asking about the murder of a woman 14 months earlier …

A Shred of Evidence by Jill McGown. DI Judy Hill and DCI Lloyd investigate the murder of a 15-year-old girl on a patch of open parkland in the centre of town.

Searching for Shona by Margaret Jean Anderson

The wealthy Marjorie Malcolm-Scott trades suitcases, destinations and identities with orphan Shona McInnes, as children are evacuated from Edinburgh at the start of the second world war.

Val McDermid:

The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey. A teenage war orphan accuses two women of kidnap and abuse, but something about her story doesn’t add up.

Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer. The Booker-longlisted author of Snap follows it up with the tale of a medical student with Asperger’s who attempts to solve a murder.

The Field of Blood by Denise Mina. The first in the Paddy Meehan series sees the reporter looking into the disappearance of a child from his Glasgow home, with evidence pointing the police towards two young boys.

A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine. Writing under her pen name, Ruth Rendell tells of the discovery of a woman and child in the animal cemetery at Wyvis Hall, 10 years after a group of young people spent the summer there.

When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson. In the third Jackson Brodie book, a man is released from prison 30 years after he butchered the mother and siblings of a six-year-old girl in the Devon countryside.

Ann Cleeves:

Little Deaths by Emma Flint. Inspired by the real case of Alice Crimmins, this tells of a woman whose two children go missing from her apartment in Queens.

The Dry by Jane Harper. During Australia’s worst drought in a century, three members of one family in a small country town are murdered, with the father believed to have killed his wife and son before committing suicide.

Devices and Desires by PD James. Adam Dalgliesh takes on a serial killer terrorising a remote Norfolk community.

The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina. Heavily pregnant DS Alex Morrow investigates the violent death of a wealthy woman in Glasgow.

Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky. The inimitable VI Warshawski takes over coaching duties of the girls’ basketball team at her former high school, and investigates the explosion of the flag manufacturing plant where one of the girl’s mothers works.

Sharon Bolton:

Gone by Mo Hayder. In Hayder’s fifth thriller featuring Bristol DI Jack Caffrey, he goes after a car-jacker who is taking vehicles with children in them.

Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris. A murderous revenge is being plotted against the boys’ grammar school in the north of England where eccentric Latin master Roy Straitley is contemplating retirement.

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. A time-travelling, murderous war veteran steps through the decades to murder extraordinary women – his “shining girls” – in Chicago, in this high-concept thriller.

The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood. Two women who were sentenced for murdering a six-year-old when they were children meet again as adults, when one discovers the body of a teenager.

Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty. Married scientist Yvonne, who is drawn into a passionate affair with a stranger, is on trial for murder.

Sarah Ward:

A Place of Execution by Val McDermid. Journalist Catherine Heathcote investigates the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl in the Peak District village of Scarsdale in 1963.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths. Forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway investigates the discovery of a child’s bones near the site of a prehistoric henge on the north Norfolk salt marshes.

The Ice House by Minette Walters. A decade after Phoebe Maybury’s husband inexplicably vanished, a corpse is found and the police become determined to charge her with murder.

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard. When a body is found in Dublin’s Grand Canal, police turn to the notorious Canal Killer for help. But the imprisoned murderer will only talk to the woman he was dating when he committed his crimes.

This Night’s Foul Work by Fred Vargas (translated by Sian Reynolds). Commissaire Adamsberg investigates whether there is a connection between the escape of a murderous 75-year-old nurse from prison, and the discovery of two men with their throats cut on the outskirts of Paris.

Elly Griffiths: 

R in the Month by Nancy Spain. Sadly out of print, this is an atmospheric story set in a down-at-heel hotel in a postwar seaside town. The period detail is perfect and jokes and murders abound. This is the fourth book featuring the fantastic Miriam Birdseye, actress and rather slapdash sleuth.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. A gripping crime novel in which the detective never gets out of bed and the murder happened over 500 years ago. Griffith says: “I read this book as a child and was hooked – on Tey, crime fiction and Richard the Third.”

The Detective’s Daughter by Lesley Thomson. Cleaner Stella Darnell finds herself tidying up her detective father’s final, unfinished case, after he dies. It is the first in a series featuring Stella and her sidekick Jack, an underground train driver who can sense murder.

A Place of Execution by Val McDermid. Griffiths says: “I could have chosen any of Val’s novels, but this book, about a journalist revisiting a shocking 1960s murder, is probably my favourite because of its wonderful sense of time and place. It’s also pitch perfect about journalism, police investigation and life in a small community.”

He Said, She Said by Erin Kelly. An account of a rape trial at which nothing is quite as it seems. Griffiths says: “The story centres around a lunar eclipse, which also works wonderfully as a metaphor and image.”

Dreda Say Mitchell: 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. The Gone Girl author’s debut follows journalist Camille’s investigation into the abduction and murder of two girls in her Missouri home town.

Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole. Cole’s first novel sees 17-year-old Maura Ryan taking on the men of London’s gangland.

The Mermaids Singing by Val McDermid. Clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill is asked to profile a serial killer when four men are found mutilated and tortured.

Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky. A client tells VI Warshawski he is a prominent banker looking for his son’s missing girlfriend. But VI soon discovers he’s lying, and that the real banker’s son is dead.

The St Cyr series by CS Harris. Mitchell has nominated the whole of this historical mystery series about Sebastian St Cyr, Viscount Devlin – master of disguises, heir to an earldom, and disillusioned army officer. It’s a bit of a cheat but we’ll let her have it.

Erin Kelly:

No Night Is Too Long by Barbara Vine. Tim Cornish thinks he has gotten away with killing his lover in Alaska. But then the letters start to arrive …

Broken Harbour by Tana French. The fourth in French’s sublime Dublin Murder Squad series, this takes place in a ghost estate outside Dublin, where a father and his two children have been found dead, with the mother on her way to intensive care.

Chosen by Lesley Glaister. When Dodie’s mother hangs herself, she has to leave her baby at home and go to bring her brother Jake back from the mysterious Soul Life Centre in New York.

A Savage Hunger by Claire McGowan. Forensic psychologist Paula Maguire investigates the disappearance of a girl, and a holy relic, from a remote religious shrine in the fictional Irish town of Ballyterrin.

The Cry by Helen Fitzgerald. Parents Joanna and Alistair start to turn against each other after their baby goes missing from a remote roadside in Australia.

Sarah Hilary:

The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin. A sleep-deprived young mother tries to stay sane while her fears grow about the family’s new lodger, in this 1950s lost classic.

Cruel Acts by Jane Casey. Leo Stone, sentenced to life in prison for the murder of two women, is now free and claims he is innocent. DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwen want to put him back in jail, but Maeve begins doubting his guilt – until another woman disappears.

Sex Crimes by Jenefer Shute. A lawyer’s New Year’s Eve pick-up spirals into an erotic obsession which leads to graphic cruelty.

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent. Nugent, whom Ian Rankin has compared to Patricia Highsmith, tells the story of a woman who has been passing herself off as an English socialite on the Riviera for 25 years – until the arrival of someone who knows her from her former life prompts an act of violence.

Cuckoo by Julia Crouch. Rose’s home and family start to fall apart when her best friend Polly comes to stay.

Louise Candlish:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. Christie’s classic – with a legendary twist. The best Hercule Poirot?

The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith. A conman on the run with his wife meets a young American who becomes drawn into the crime they commit.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. The author of The Handmaid’s Tale imagines the life of the real 19th-century Canadian killer Grace Marks.

Little Face by Sophie Hannah. Hannah’s thriller debut is about a young mother who becomes convinced that, after spending two hours away from her baby, the infant is not hers.

Alys, Always by Harriet Lane. Newspaper subeditor Frances is drawn into the lives of the Kyte family when she hears the last words of the victim of a car crash, Alys Kyte.

[noahreids]

Beauty in the Aftermath (CS FF) | 12/14

Summary: Confronted with the sudden appearance of her birth parents, Emma, in a moment of panic, runs. She flees the diner, Storybrooke, the country. She finds herself a day later in the Dublin, Ireland Airport terminal wondering what the hell she has gotten herself into. With some fear, a little determination and a considerable amount of faking it along the way, she sets off on a trip she never planned on taking but needed more than she ever knew. She finds herself, she finds a Brit adrift on his own journey and finds out what home really means.

Rated: M (Sexual content & some Irish whiskey along the way).

Also on: AO3 | FFN Tumblr: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 ] Art!: Cover | Ch.1 | Ch.3 | Ch.5 | Ch.7 | Ch.9 |

A/N: Thanks always, always, always. So many of you have taken time to leave me comments, kudos and likes and each and every one is noticed and appreciated. Thank you.  

Always, thanks to @shippingtheswann for the cheering and beta work (go read her wonderful story!), @imagnifika for finding the heart of the story with her art, @halobxist & @meanderingcaptainswanmusings for everything xo. And please keep supporting all the other CSBB authors and artists. The content everyone is bringing is truly amazing.

And now for a little bit of a wild ride... 

Chapter 12 Emma, slides lower in her Adirondack-style chair, lifting her socked feet to the railing and closing her eyes. The briny ocean air gently moves over her skin and she sighs at the sensation, her mind replaying the last few days.

Ever since leaving Galway, their days slip one into the another with an effortless ease. Some intangible thing settles in their relationship, an ease or a comfort, or maybe a deeper understanding of each other. Whatever it is, it feels good and so Emma doesn’t try to put it into words, she doesn’t need to, instead she chooses to bask in it.

It had also been easy to say goodbye to Anna and Kristoff and set off on their own once again. Of course, her and Anna had exchanged numbers and promises to see each other again, but Emma and Killian were more than ready to slip back into their own bubble.

And they did, taking a meandering tour of the West coast, no solid plan except for a map and Emma’s guidebook to lead them. Killian even got in on the fun of pulling out pamphlets from the front of restaurants and hostels, holding them up with excited eyes when he finds something particularly interesting.

One taps her right one the nose at that very moment as Killian settles in the chair beside her having refilled their pints.

Emma takes the flyer and pauses, beer midway to her mouth. She takes in the colorful surfboards pictured on the front of the flyer and then looks down to the beach, watching the waves crash onto the sand, chasing the gulls back and forth. She shivers.

“It’s going to be freezing.”

Her eyes cut to him and he shrugs.

“They have wetsuits”

She’s unconvinced.

“I promise to warm you up after.”

She looks a little more hopeful.

“And make you another one of those cinnamon hot chocolate things you like so much.”

She grins and taps her beer to his.

xo

They surf in Lahinch and Killian is terrible at it.

And while Emma is only slightly better, she cackles from her board every time he comes up, water sputtering from his mouth, hair plastered to his forehead.

Their teacher remains patient and by the end, they both finally manage to ride a few small waves, Emma making it all the way to the beach.

“I’m going to start competing! You’ll find me on the circuit!” she cries out before dropping to her butt on the sand. Killian eventually joins her, flopping onto his back.

“Everything hurts.”

She laughs again and he looks up at her with one eye, squinting against the sun.

“You’re a mean, mean woman.”

She shakes her head and stands, brushing the sand from her butt and holding out her hand.

“Alright, come on and let this mean woman take care of you then. Let’s go warm up and then I can show you my pamphlet for tomorrow.”

xo

Her pick, the Dingle Dolphin Tour.

She can barely stay still as she tells him about their upcoming trip, shaking the pamphlet from up high as she stands on their bed.

He wraps his towel around his neck as he approaches, shorts riding low on his hips, skin pink from the hot shower. He stops at the edge of the bed and looks up, eyebrow raised.  

“We aren’t paying some overpriced jackass to take us out to see a dolphin that probably doesn’t even exist.”

Emma isn’t dettered, holding out the pamphlet.

“He’s been seen almost every day since 1983!”

“Sure he has.”

“You’ll see.”

Killian takes the paper and flings it behind, hand and wrist finding her bare legs instead. His fingers tickle behind her knee before he wraps his arms around her thighs and sends her tumbling back to the bed. Her laugh follows quickly and so does Killian, crawling over her, hand tugging on the shirt she is wearing.

“Alright Swan, if you say so. Now onto more pressing matters. I was looking for this shirt.”

Emma wraps her legs around his hips, pulling him down, a small shrug.

“You want it back?”

She lifts her arms above her head, waiting. He grins and pulls it off the rest of the way, dropping it to the floor.

“Not really. It looks better on you anyway, but I think I enjoy this look even more.”

She watches as his eyes dip, taking in her naked form.

“You’re ridiculous,” she whispers, but arches as his mouth closes over a nipple, teasing it to a point.

“Am I though?” his words roll over her skin, eyes bright as he looks up at her.

“Come here.”

And who is he to deny her, lips closing over hers.

xo

“Killian, there he is!”

Emma points eagerly, while standing on her tiptoes, trying to look over the crowd that had rushed to the side when the captain announced there had been a sighting.

She pulls her hood tighter around her face as the wind picks up, it’s a cold, blustery day on the water but her smile can’t be contained. He shakes his head but can’t help his returning grin.

“What are you waiting for, get a closer look.”

He nudges her forward and she finds a spot, laughing and letting out a shout with the rest of the passengers when Fungie the dolphin delights them with a jump through the air.

Killian doesn't bother taking any photos of the dolphin, too busy capturing Emma to care.

“The show’s there,” she says, pointing to the water. He simply shakes his head and raises the lense again, capturing her, shyly looking away, smile just for him.

“Thanks love, but I’ve got a perfect view right here.”

xo

Over dinner that night in Cork he plops down more flyers, each one getting them closer to Dublin than the next. Each one reminding her of the end and she feels the panic slowly start to rise as he talks on.

“What do you want to do first? Kiss the Blarney Stone? See the ruins in Cashel or we can go right to Kilkenny and tour the Castle?”

He’s looking through her guidebook when she finds her voice.

“Or we could go to the Cliffs of Moher?” she suggests, unable to look him in the eye. Fingers following the scratches on the old wood table they sit at.

She feels his gaze and bites her lip.

“I thought we decided there would be too many people?”

“I know.”

She still doesn’t look up, heart hammering, worried if she does, he’ll see through her.

“We saw tour bus after tour bus head that way.”

“We did.”

His hand closes over hers, turning it over and playing with her fingers.

“It’s 3 hours north of here.”

“It is.”

She takes a deep breath through her nose and forces a smile, finally looking up.

“You’re right, sorry.”

He doesn’t look convinced but she hurries to wave him off and grab her guidebook back.

“I read somewhere that instead of going to the Rock of Cashel there’s a monastery across the way that’s even cooler to see. An old Abbey.”

She’s grateful he lets her change the subject because in all honesty, she doesn’t care. She doesn’t need to see the Cliffs or the Castles or anything at all. She just wants time to slow down because she knows in her heart, she needs to get home sooner than later. There is a life waiting for her there that she can’t put off forever, friends that care about her, bills and rent and the small matter of two people who claim to be her parents.

But of all the places Killian has mentioned, never once as he talked about going stateside. Of course he’s spoken of the places he’s already been that she should see and of counties he hopes to visit one day but she can’t help but worry about what he’s not saying.

Never mind what she’s not asking.

Her head snaps up when music starts up from the back of the bar.

“Why don’t you go check them out? I just need to run to the bathroom and I’ll find you,” Killian offers already, standing.

She nods distractedly and slowly walks to the back to find a spot. She allows herself to get swallowed up into the crowd, letting herself sway with the people and hum along to the familiar tunes, once again hoping time would stop.

Killian finds her during a particular crowd favorite, the collective voices nearly louder than the band. His arms wrap around her from behind, pulling her close. He sings the words softly into her ear and Emma closes her eyes, trying to not let her emotions overwhelm her.

“We can leave first thing in the morning. We’ll be there by noon.”

She spins in his arms.

“Yeah?”

“Of course. Let’s see some cliffs.”

She hugs him tight and tighter still when she feels her tears threaten.

“Thank you.”

xo

They go to the cliffs and they walk along the well worn path, slowly with the other tourists. They take pictures and Killian laughs when ten feet is too close to the edge for her. When the fog slowly lifts, and the cliffs jut out, dark and imposing over the blue waters of the Atlantic, it takes her breath away.

But even more so, when she looks out at the ocean -- she knows she is looking out towards home.

And yet she remains silent, lets the fear build up inside and lets him lead her back to the car, bringing them another step closer to Dublin.

xo

Eventually they make it to Blarney Castle and kiss the stone. Unfortunately the gift of gab isn’t magically bestowed upon her. She pictured kissing the stone and suddenly turning to him and demanding to know what his plan is for the next weeks, months, years. Do you think you could live in the United States, with me, who you’ve only known for a short while, while I figure out my life?  

No, she decides, that would be crazy and why would he? It’s probably why he’s never suggested it and why she is now on the verge of a panic attack as they pull into the Dublin city limits.

Meanwhile, Killian doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, for once not his perceptive self.

“Oh, I called the car hire this morning and we can just drop the car off right here in the city, no need to go to the airport. That way we won’t have to worry about parking, we won’t need to keep paying for car we don’t need.”

Emma is so thrown by the sudden change of plans, she’s at a loss for words, she simply nods and follows his instructions to where they need to drop the car off.

The whole ordeal goes by in a blur, her mind unable to stop racing to ask questions or really understand what any of it means.

She hands the keys over and signs whatever papers are placed in front of her and lets Killian fix her pack, pulling on her straps, so it sits higher, easier to carry.

“Don’t worry -- we won’t have to walk with these for long. As soon as we find a place that has room for the night we’ll drop them off,” he explains taking her hand and leading her out.

And again she follows.

It’s not like her to remain so silent, so complacent, but it’s taking all her energy to just keep her breathing under control, to not worry about her racing heart.

He pulls them towards a busy intersection, and she doesn’t even know how they got there. She’s cold, and her pack is heavy and he’s pulling out a map and she just wants to cry.

“Did you even try to call for a hostel this morning when you decided for us that we didn’t need a car or a place to stay or any plan at all?” her questions finally burst out, surprising them both.

He looks up, brows furrowing at her outburst.

“What’s going on?”  

“It’s like you don’t even care about where you’re going next. Like you don’t think of the future at all. Well, I fucking need to and I’m going to start with a place to sleep.”

He looks at her a little stunned and in her distressed state she takes it as an agreement of his not caring and stomps away, getting jostled and grumbled at by passerbyers, and just barely missing a car.

She doesn't care. She keeps her head down and walks.

It only takes a few minutes for her heavy breaths to come quicker, for the tears of embarrassment to threaten and for the realisation that she just needs to tell him, to be at the tip of her tongue but when she turns, he’s not there.

She spins, looking all around.

He’s not there, and she has no idea where she is and, and and --

“Oh, God.”

She clamps her hand over her mouth at the sound of her own panicked voice and she feels the first wet tear hit her hand. She breathes in through her nose but it doesn’t help. Another fat tear, tracks down her cheek.

She tries to retrace her steps but nothing seems familiar.

She tries different directions, all leading to more confusion and night is falling and she’s realising she has no idea where to even begin. She should have stayed in one place and -- she shouldn’t have gotten mad in the first place.

She should call him but--

The worst hits her -- she can’t. She can’t call him because she never had his number to begin with, there was never a reason to. She doesn’t even know if he has a phone.

Someone else bumps her, nearly sending her sprawling and she just manages to catch herself against a nearby bench.

What the hell is she going to do?

She’s lost him.

And so she does the only thing she can think of. She slowly lowers herself to the bench and cries.

-------

Don’t hate me too much...

Also -- there won’t be any updates for the next two weeks. So I wanted to take a second to wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season. I’m thinking of each and every one of you. Thank you for making 2018 an amazing one! 

I’ll be back with Chapter 13, January 8th, 2019! Woo. 

But... there will be a little Christmas fic around the 25th :)