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topguncortez · 1 month ago

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Pink Skies - J. Seresin x Shy!Wifey

whumptober masterlist || previous day

Prompt: "Leave No Trace Behind, Like You don't Even Exist"

synopsis: The Seresin kids have all come home, but not for the reason they wish it was for. Jake has to face his hardest challenge yet, saying goodbye to the love of his life. Based on the song "Pink Skies" By Zach Bryan

warnings: MAJOR character death, implied suicide, dying of a broken heart, mentions of miscarriage, mentions of postmortem body tampering (does not happen, but it is a concern that is brought up), mentions of parental death, grieving process.

word count: 4.3k

“The kids are in town for a funeral. So pack the car and dry your eyes.”

Alex let out a deep sigh as he parked his car in front of the one place he had been dreading coming back to. Ever since getting that call, he had waited until the last possible moment to make the trip down from Lemoore. He would’ve put it off longer, showing up the day of, but a tearful call from his sister told him he needed to be back sooner.��

The house felt cold as he turned the knob, the only sign of life was the misplaced shoes by the front door and his dad’s truck in the driveway. He had been back a few weeks prior, helping do some odd end things while his dad attended to his mother, and even then, the house still felt warm and lived in. Now, this house felt anything like the childhood home he had been raised in.

“Elle!?” Alex shouted, hearing voices and clattering from the kitchen.

“In here!” His sister called out. Her blonde hair looked like a halo around her head as she turned to greet her brother, “Hey,” Her smile was bright, well as bright as it could be as she pulled him for a tight hug, “How are ya stranger?”

“Been good,” Alex nodded stiffly, pulling back from his sister, “Where’s everyone else?”

Ella sighed, stuffing her hands in the back pocket of her jeans, “Eli and Stella are at Val and Javy’s. I sent the twins to go grocery shopping and Dad is um. . . at the funeral home with grandpa and grandma.”

Alex nodded again, watching as his sister got back to work cooking whatever meal she managed to scrounge up. Even though she had the looks and personality of their father, Ella Seresin was her mother to a t. She was the one who spent hours in the kitchen helping make meals and bake. Alex sat down at the kitchen table, glancing briefly at the various hospital bills and sympathy cards that had gathered there. Flowers had also started to gather around the kitchen, and he guessed that Ella also took care of all those.

“Where’s Piper?” Ella spoke up from stirring something on the stove, “I swear Dad must have been photosynthesizing these past two weeks. I barely had the basic ingredients for spaghetti.”

“She’ll come down tomorrow with Billie.”

“God, I miss that girl.”

Alex did too even though it had only been a day since he had seen his little girl. Her big blue eyes, soft blonde curls and big smile could make anyone in this situation feel better. All he wanted to do was curl up with his girls by his side.

The two eldest Seresin kids sat in silence as Ella continued to work on dinner. Alex missed the days of being so near his siblings. Him and Ella had always been two peas in a pod, though their personalities varied greatly, they always leaned on each other when they needed one another. Alex could remember those late nights, sneaking back through the backdoor after being at a party they shouldn’t have been at. Their mom, somehow, always knowing that they had left, would leave a plate of cookies, water, and tylenol on the kitchen counter with a note:

“Cookies gone, means you are home. Wake me if you need - love, mom”

How Alex wished he could turn back time and get a plate of her homemade chocolate chip cookies again.

The silence was broken with the sound of the garage door opening, followed by the rambunctious sound of the youngest Seresin boys. Jasper and Maxwell Seresin stumbled through the door, grocery bags lined on their arms. Jasper’s blonde hair was long, hitting past his shoulders while Maxwell kept his cut short in a fade. Their eyes both widened seeing their older brother sitting at the table.

“Do I have to like, salute you or some shit?” Maxwell asked, and Alex chuckled.

“No you shit head,” Alex smiled, standing up and walking to his younger brother. The boy set the groceries down, embracing Alex in a hug. Alex fought back the sting of tears as he hugged him. Being almost 10 years apart had its positives and negatives. Alex got to watch them grow up with a whole new perspective, but he also missed out on those vital years when he went to the academy. While Maxwell decided he too, was going to join the military, getting into West Point (something that surprised the whole family when he applied), Jasper was going to NYU to major in music (also something that surprised the whole family).

“Missed you bro,” Maxwell nodded, pulling away from him.

“Missed you too,” Alex said, “And you,” He looked at Jasper, “Looking like fucking Fabio.”

Jasper chuckled, running a hand through his hair, “Someone had to live the California lifestyle.”

“Get over here,” Alex chuckled, pulling him into a hug too, “How are you guys? Doing. . . okay?”

The twins looked at each other, it was a loaded question with about ten different answers they could give. The easy answer was to say “yes, we’re fine,” but they knew that would be a lie. Instead, they both just shrugged, grabbing plastic bags from the ground and beginning to put them away. Alex shot his sister a look, who also just shrugged. She knew them better than he did, having stayed in San Diego for college, completing ROTC before going to flight school and becoming a pilot herself. As much as Alex envied his sister for living the dream that he wanted, he was mighty proud of her. Only a handful of women were pilots in the Navy, and an even smaller number were TopGun pilots.

“I’m making spaghetti,” Ella said, trying to cut the tension in the kitchen, “Should be ready soon. Anyone heard from Dad? Eli?”

“Eli said he’s staying at Aunt Val’s for dinner, but will be home for dessert,” Jasper chimed in, “You did make dessert, didn’t you?”

“The fuck I look like?” Ella sassed, “Betty Crocker?”

“Mom would’ve made dessert,” Maxwell said.

And just like that, the tension filled the kitchen once again. Ella looked around, trying to fight back the burning sensation of tears in her eyes. She was yet to cry, and she told herself she wasn’t going to start crying over a comment about dessert. She sniffled, blinking back tears as she looked up at the ceiling, seeing that there was still a crack in the foundation that her dad was supposed to fix years ago.

“You’re right,” Ella nodded, “And she would’ve let us take turns having a spoon of batter.” Ella clapped her hands, “Alright, pretty sure I wrote down the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. Help me get them started?” She looked at her three brothers, who all nodded and helped her find the items.

— — —

“I know they’ve got plenty of young blood left in them”

It was dark by the time Jake had returned back to the house. This day had been more exhausting than the past three had been. Who knew there were so many details to decide on for a funeral? Jake was thankful that he had sat down and gone through all that so many, many years ago, putting it all in a manila envelope he kept in the bottom drawer of his desk. He was slightly pissed that she had never thought of doing that, but then again, no one expected to one day just die before their life was truly over.

Jake was surprised when he opened his front door to be met with the sound of laughter and soft music in the background. His house had been quiet for so many days that he had somewhat started to get used to it. He tossed his keys in the bowl by the front door and toed off his shoes, before making his way to the kitchen where he was met with the sight of his five children, all sitting around the table, all laughing.

“Oh my god,” Eli shook his head, tears in his eyes, “I don’t remember that at all.”

“Oh I do,” Alex said, “I thought Mom was going to ground my ass for days. I did everything I could to glue Bucky’s urn back together.”

The whole table burst back out into laughter, not a single one of them paying attention to their dad in the doorway. It felt like old times, and for the first time in a week, Jake felt like his heart was beating in his chest again. There was warmth in the house that he once considered his home.

“Hey dad,” Ella said, tipping her wine glass to him, “Alex was just telling us about how he and Eli decided to play football in the house and broke Bucky’s urn.”

“It wasn’t me! It was Maxwell!” Alex pleaded, “I was just supposed to be babysitting.”

Jake chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. Y/N had been in near tears when she came home to her eldest son sweeping up the ashes of their beloved family pet. Jake couldn’t believe what he was hearing over the phone as she tried to explain.

“Surprisingly, that’s not the worst phone call I got while at work,” Jake sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting next to his daughter.

“Oh yeah?” Eli challenged, “What was the worst?”

“Rooster Bradshaw telling me that my wife had my son on our bedroom floor.”

— — —

“So clean the house, clear the drawers, mop the floors, stand tall”

Jake hated packing.

Over the course of his military career, he had packed up and moved with a moment's notice. Before he had met Y/N, all his personal belongings had been what the Navy had issued him, plus a handful of civilian clothes and things to go out in. It was easier that way, to shove all his stuff into those navy blue duffle bags and leave for his next assignment. But Y/N had changed all that the moment she came into his life.

He had never felt like he could settle down, that he could actually put things on his walls, and buy furniture and have an actual house that was a home, and not the standard issued living quarters the Navy had. When he had asked Y/N to move in with him, the first thing she showed up with was a welcome mat to place in front of the door. Jake could remember smiling so big, his cheeks hurt, before handing her his credit card and telling her, “make this place your home.”

Now, Jake sat in their bedroom, a cardboard box at his feet as he wondered where to start cleaning. He had decided last night that he was going to sell the house. It didn’t feel the same knowing that his wife wasn’t going to walk through the door anymore or spend hours upon hours in the backyard building the garden of her dreams. Their children were all scattered across the country, Ella and Alex in Northern California, Eli in the midwest, and the Twins on the East Coast. Sure, the kids were upset when Jake had told them that he was selling their family home, but they knew it was for the best. Alex had immediately opened his doors for his dad to come live with him.

Jake sighed, shaking his head and standing up from the bed. The bedroom was going to be a job for another day.

Jake walked downstairs, where his kids were busy making piles of things to keep and things to give away. He smiled as he watched them reminisce about different items they found; pictures of them as kids, old sports trophies, art projects that hung on the fridge.

“Hey, who is gonna get the door?” Jasper asked, as he was wearing an old baseball team hat.

“Oh shit yeah,” Maxwell nodded, “What are we going to do with the door?”

Alex shrugged, “It's part of the house.”

“Yeah but, it’s the door,” Jasper whispered, “We all got measured on the door. Hell, even Bucky and Steve got measured on the door.”

A pang of sadness hit Jake as he looked toward the front closet door. Jake could remember holding a very small, toddler Alex against the door as Y/N marked his height on his first birthday. It had been a tradition ever since then, each Seresin child (both human and furbaby) got measured on their birthday against the door. Jake didn’t say anything as he walked into the garage, grabbing his tool kit. His kids all stared at him as he walked in, opening the closet door and began taking it off the hinges.

“Dad. . .” Ella called out to him, but the look on his face told them he was determined to get this door off the hinges. Alex stood up from his spot on the floor, going to Jake and helping him. Once the door was off, Alex leaned it against the wall, tears in his eyes.

“So,” Jake huffed a breath, looking over at his kids, “Ella, there was no way you were four-one on your eighth birthday.”

Ella ended up taking the door home.

— — —

“If you could see ‘em now, you’d be proud.”

Ella couldn’t remember the last time she had dug her dress blues out of her closet. It had to have been for her Uncle Mav’s funeral years ago. She wasn’t shocked to see them outdated, with her old rank and ribbons still on them. She hated wearing her dress blues. Nothing good ever came from wearing dress blues.

It wasn’t very often that civilian funerals got honored this way. But when your aunt is the commander of the Pacific Fleet, some calls get made. The moment Grace “Dragon” Bradshaw got the call about Y/N Seresin, she was pulling out all the stops she could. Dragon had called Jake, telling him that she was sending a unit to stand by Y/N’s body, until she could be moved to the funeral home. It was the least she could do, given all Y/N has done over the years. Sure, being a naval aviator was hard work; flying missions at top speed, spending months at a time in the middle of the ocean, working your body to its physical and mental limits, wondering if you are going to make it home alive. But being the one at home, having to take care of the kids and the house and the animals and everything else, was also hard.

How Y/N did it, was beyond Dragon’s knowledge. Raising five kids while Jake was gone for extended periods of time. Dragon could remember the first time she had to deploy, leaving behind her husband and son, Cash, she thought she wasn’t going to make it through. Dragon had called Bradley in tears, totally ignoring the time difference, begging to see her son. It was even harder for Dragon after the birth of her daughter, Noa.

Jake sat on his bed, his hat in his hands. His thumb rubbed along the worn edge, trying to find the strength to put it on and go down stairs. He was thankful that Dragon had gotten this honor for his wife, knowing the sacrifices she had made during his time in the Navy. He never imagined that there would come a day, him still in the Navy and Y/N not here. Every plan that they ever had, the things they had dreamed about doing once the ink dried on his retirement papers.

“I want to get one of those pull-behind campers,” Y/N said as they looked up at the stars one night, “My parents did about a month-long camping trip when dad retired. I want to do that.”

“Sweets, we can do anything you want,” Jake said, looking at her like she had hung the moon. It took a strong woman to stand next to a military man, and an even stronger woman to have a family with him. If a month-long camping trip to the middle of nowhere was what she wanted, then that’s what she was going to get, “I’ve never been up to Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon.”

“You’ve never been to the Grand Canyon!” Y/N gasped, looking over at him.

“No,” Jake shook his head, “We were going to go but we got called out.”

Y/N sighed, looking down at her hands. There were a lot of trips that they never got to go on because of Jake’s job. She hated it, but would never admit it outloud, how many things Jake had missed over the years because of the Navy. The births, the birthdays, the first steps, the first days of school, the vacations, the first dances, the first breakups, the college acceptance letters. Jake knew that she had a small resentment for what he did, it was normal, but she never held it over his head.

“Well, it’s not that cool,” Y/N said, trying to play off her sadness, “It’s like a giant red hole in the earth. And the kids really didn’t like it. Eli cried the whole time and Ella scraped her knee falling in the parking lot. Totally skippable.”

Jake gave her a small smile, reaching over and grabbing her hand, “Totally.”

Standing up from the bed, Jake ran his fingers through his graying blonde hair. He remembers joking with Y/N, shortly before her death, that he was happy he was going gray and not losing his hair. But he wouldn’t be surprised if he was going to lose it now, after the past couple of weeks he’s gone through. Jake walked down the stairs, pausing at the sight of his five kids, all of them in various different military dress uniforms, Alex and Ella both in their Navy dress blues, Eli in his Army pinks and greens, and then the twins in their very best black suits with lavender ties (Y/N’s favorite colors).

“Oh Sweets,” Jake whispered, “You would be so proud of them.”

And Y/N was beyond proud of her kids. She had jokingly gotten those car decals that say “Proud Military Mom” and “My Daughter is in the Navy!”, putting each of them in the fridge. The kids hated them, blushing in embarrassment every time someone would point them out, but Y/N was so proud of them. She even managed to find a “My Son is going to NYU!” sticker for Jasper.

“Dad, are you ready?” Maxwell asked, looking up at his father. Out of all the kids, Maxwell turned out looking the most like his mother.

Jake just nodded, walking the rest of the way down the steps and towards the garage. The kids all looked at each other, before following him out. Jake decided to ride to the funeral with Ella and Maxwell. Piper Trace, Natasha and Luke’s daughter, and Alex’s wife, had come down yesterday with their daughter, Billie, the other day. Though Jake loved his grandchild, he just couldn’t muster up the energy to keep up with her. Eli and Stella rode in another car with Jasper.

“Your funeral was beautiful. I bet God heard you coming.”

The funeral was exactly how Jake had planned it, or slightly planned it. He doesn’t remember much about sitting in the funeral director’s office, trying to make decisions on things like what color casket and flower arrangements and songs to play. But everything was perfect, from the flower arrangements to the eulogies the kids gave. When it was Jake’s turn to speak, he removed his hat, placing it gently on the head of the casket.

“I’m not sure if I can find the right words to say,” Jake started, looking at the large portrait of his wife, “There’s no right words to explain what it feels like to lose the love of your life. Though we’ve been together for half the time we’ve been alive. . . it still feels like we didn’t get enough time. And some days, I’m not sure if I can live without her.”

It felt like a constant battle for Jake. Getting up every morning and looking over, finding her spot on the bed still made. Seeing her clothes still hung up and put away. Sitting on the couch, waiting for her to walk in with her hands full of either flowers or floral magazines having to get things ready at the shop, or hustling in to grab a quick bite of dinner before dashing off to whatever child’s event she had to go to. There were days, where Jake felt like he was so in the dark, that he would never see the light. That was, until his kids came around.

Jake’s eyes shifted to his kids, who all sat in the front row, their partners and children sitting behind them, “Your mother was perfect. In every single thing she did. She was perfect. She would lie and say ‘I’m not perfect’, but she was. There will never, ever, be another person like her. And I’m so lucky that she took a chance on me. Even when I messed it all up, she still took a chance on me. There’s going to be a hole in my heart, for the rest of my life.”

When the funeral was over, the family had a small, private burial. Jake picked a plot that was near Nick Bradshaw, Maverick and Iceman’s plots. Y/N only knew two of the three men, but it still felt right burying her near there. It felt like family, it felt familiar, it felt like the right pieces to the puzzle, putting her there. Each of the five seresin kids sprinkled a bit of dirt on the dark mahogany casket, as it was lowered into the ground. Ella had tried to get her dad to leave, but Jake wanted to stay until the very last moment.

“Dad,” Ella said softly, placing her hand on his bicep as the groundskeeper started to lower the vault lid, “Come on, Aunt Bea and Uncle Bob are hosting the luncheon.”

Jake shook his head, “I can’t leave her here like this.” Jake hated thinking about it, but he wanted to make sure that Y/N’s body was left alone, that she was buried and entered in peace, not having been tampered with. Ella frowned at her dad, leaving his side and getting into her car, her feet aching in her dress shoes. Once the dirt had been packed on top of the grave, Jake turned and got into his daughter’s car.

He was thankful that Bob and Bea decided to host the after funeral meal at their house and not his own. Jake had stayed for a little bit, catching up with old coworkers and friends. He didn’t really have much to say to them, other than he was thankful that they came to the funeral. Jake never realized the amount of people that Y/N had met over the years or had created some impact on. People from Lemoore, Pensacola, Hawai’i, and even from overseas had flown in when they heard what had happened.

“I’m going to go home,” Jake said to Alex, whose arm was wrapped around his heavily pregnant wife. It was like deja vu, watching Alex and Piper interact.

“Okay,” Alex nodded, “Do you need me to drive you?”

“No,” Jake shook his head, looking around at the people at the table. It was truly like a blast from the past. All at the table sat a kid from every dagger squad member; Alex Seresin, Stella Machado, Cash Bradshaw, Piper Trace, Josephine Floyd, Mickey Jr Garcia, and Jordan Fitch. It filled Jake’s heart with joy, knowing that the next generation was as close as he is to his friends.

“Ella said I can take her car,” Jake said, “Stay here with them. You guys don’t see each other enough anymore.”

Alex nodded, looking back at the group of kids he grew up with, “Yeah. We’ll be home soon to put Billie to bed.”

“Take your time,” Jake said, patting his son’s shoulder, before leaving.

It was only three weeks later that Alex found himself pulling up to his parents house. The same familiar feeling of dread filling his body as he put his car in park and grabbed his duffle bag out of the back. Ella, of course, was already there, trying to make the best of a sad situation. Just as before, the house felt cold and unwelcoming as Alex kicked his shoes off, by his sister’s misplaced ones.

“Ella?” Alex called out.

“In here!” She called back from the kitchen. Alex stopped in the doorway, giving his sister a sad smile, “Didn’t think we’d all be back so soon.”

“Neither did I,” Alex sighed and wrapped his sister up in a tight hug.

It was a lie, Alex knew the last time he saw his dad, that it wasn’t going to be a long time until they were all called back here. Alex felt a tad guilty, the morning that he left, with a box full of stuff from the house, his wife and child in tow, watching his dad’s retreating figure out the rearview window. He wished he would have stayed. He wished that he would have convinced Jake to come up to Lemoore with him. To get some time away from the house, away from the memory of the love he had lost. Jake was stubborn, giving his son the promise to visit soon for the birth of his next grandbaby. But instead, Alex got another tearful call from his sister, begging him to come back home.

“He said he couldn't live without her.”

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tessa-liam · 20 days ago

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Royal Adventures

All Hallow's Eve

Chapter 1

Book: Choices, The Royal Romance Series Finale

A Smoke & Mirrors Series Alternate Universe

Pairing:

King Liam Rys x F!MC Queen Riley Brooks-Rys

Series Inspiration: Royal Misadventures Smoke & Mirrors series 1-shot

Series Premise: 12-year-old Crown Princess Eleanor Rys of Cordonia has officially started her Royal education. Tutors that had been personally selected by His Majesty King Liam Rys and Queen Riley Rys were set to begin her royal lessons, and her days were packed full. The young princess was a natural leader, and the King and Queen could not be prouder.

Rating: M, not Beta'd-please excuse all errors

Category: On-going series, fluff

Warnings: swearing, drinking

Most Characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

Chapter Summary: Ellie enlists help from her uncles, Leo and Maxwell to pull off a Halloween prank on her uncle Drake...with two unexpected situations that may spoil her fun...maybe.

Words: 2.0 k

Royal Adventures

All Hallow’s Eve, chapter 1

Cordonian Royal Palace

"Ellie, you're so funny," William howled in laughter.

"It'll be great," Eleanor insisted, her eyes lighting up with excitement. After describing her plans to her brothers, she was determined to make her idea happen.

"Drake will never see it coming," Stefan agreed, giggling.

"Okay, now I need Uncle Leo and Uncle Maxwell." Puling out her phone, Ellie tapped -

Ramsford Country Club - Golf course, 11th hole

"Nice swing, Your Majesty," Drake smirked slyly.

Liam chuckled, "I can't believe it took us so long to do this."

"Yeah, well, ruling a country takes a lot of time," Drake laughed.

Handing his club to his caddy, Liam sighed, "So, what do you think of the club?

"I have to admit, it's pretty awesome."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." Liam took a swig of water.

"I could get used to this," Drake replied, sipping on a cold beer.

"We should do this more often."

"That would be great, Li"

Liam's phone vibrated, and he pulled it out to answer a call from his daughter...

'Hi, Daddy, can you give Uncle Drake a message?'

'What is it, Princess?'

'Tell him - Gotcha.'

Chuckling, Liam replied ...

'Okay, sweetheart. I will.'

He put his phone away, with a puzzled look, and decided not to question her.

"Ellie ... wanted me to tell you ... 'Gotcha'."

Noticing Liam's expression --"What is it?" Drake asked with hesitation.

"I'm not entirely sure, Drake. Give her a call later. Riley is planning a surprise party tonight for the kids."

Drake looked puzzled. "What the hell does that mean?"

Grabbing another club from the caddy, Liam shook his head. "Yeah, well ... she has a costume waiting for me to wear."

"Really? ...they are going to enjoy an American tradition...New York style." Drake chortled, "Knowing Riley, she will pull out all the stops."

Snickering, Drake added, "I want to hear all about it."

Liam raised an eyebrow, "That's a hard NO! Now, let's finish up our round."

"Sure, Your Majesty." Drake continued to snicker.

Meanwhile, in the clearing behind Drake's cabin.

"Okay, Ellie, you're the mastermind, what do you need us to do?" asked Leo.

"We're gonna need a ton of fake spiders, some black cloth, and lots of fake cobwebs."

"On it!" Maxwell cheered. I had all the supplies dropped off after he left for the golf course.

"And the fog machine!" Ellie looked pleased, as Maxwell uncovered a cage beside it.

"That's diabolical!" Leo sneered as he opened a box of plastic bats and spiders.

"...and ... la meillure partie." (the best part)...

"Perfect," she giggled.

"What else, Ellie?"

"Hmmm. I know, we can add sound effects for the bats, and the fan will swirl and make the spiders come alive."

"How'd you get these ideas anyway, Ell?"

"From the best horror movie ever made," she replied proudly.

"Which one is that?" asked Leo.

"Nightwing."

"That's an old movie, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," she replied, "but it's the best."

"I'm surprised the nanny let you watch that," said Maxwell.

"She didn't. Mom did, though."

"Oh, man, your mother's gonna kill me," Leo groaned.

"Don't worry, Uncle Leo, this will be so worth it," Ellie giggled.

"I'm still not sure about this, kid. You really want to pull this prank on Uncle Drake?"

"Trust me, Uncle Max, I promise I won't tell anyone," She insisted.

"If you say so, kid."

"All right, Ellie, we're ready," Leo called out.

"Awesome, let's get started."

They placed the fake spiders all around the cabin and draped the black cloth over the furniture.

"What's next?"

"We need to put the real bats in the rafters."

"The real bats? How did you find those?" Maxwell gasped. "That is so cool!"

"I ...may have asked one of the menagerie guards in Valtoria." she replied proudly.

"Damn, Ellie," Leo cackled. "I am so proud of you!"

"Thanks, Uncle Leo. Now, let's get started."

After their plan was set in motion, they hid behind the bushes and waited outside of Drake's log cabin.

As the fog machine began to create a thick haze around the cabin, the lights inside flickered on and off, and the sounds of bats echoed throughout all the rooms inside.

"Holy crap," exclaimed Leo.

"It looks like the set of a horror movie."

"It's perfect," Ellie beamed.

"Wait until he comes back."

"What do we do then?" asked Leo.

"Hide, of course. I'll tell you when to jump out."

"Sounds good to me."

***

Drake was exhausted after his round of golf with Liam. He couldn't wait to relax by the fire with a cold beer and some good music. Not paying particular attention to the fog outside.

However, when he walked into the cabin, his entire body went rigid.

He was met by a sea of cobwebs and fake, moving spiders.

The lights flickered, and the sound of bats echoed through the air.

"What the fuck?!"

Trying the light switch, Drake felt something flutter on his head.

"This is not fucking funny!"

He searched the cabin but found no one.

"Come out, now!"

Suddenly, the front door slammed shut, and Drake was trapped inside in the dark.

"This isn't funny anymore!"

"Whoever did this is going to be grounded until their kids have kids!"

"I'm serious, now!"

Drake's blood was boiling, and he was fuming.

"I don't have time for this bullshit!"

Suddenly, the music began to blare, and the fog machine created a thick haze.

The sound of bats echoed throughout the area, and the lights flickered on and off.

Drake was furious, and he stomped over to the stereo, slamming his fist on the button.

The music stopped, and the cabin fell silent.

But the real bats kept flying, and the sounds of bat chirps were all around him. He grabbed a broom and began to knock them down.

"Fucking bats!" he screamed.

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea?"

"It's not fucking funny, Ellie! If you're watching this, it's not fucking funny! Your dad is going to hear about this!"

Drake was so angry that he didn't notice the front door open, and he was oblivious to the footsteps approaching.

"Drake?" Liam called out.

"Fuck!" Drake jumped at the sound of Liam's voice, and his heart nearly stopped.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you. I heard your yells when I dropped off your clubs on the porch. You forgot them in the SUV."

"I'm fine," he grumbled.

"Why is it so dark in here?"

"It was like this when I came in."

"I see. So, you're hiding from the spiders."

"Fuck no! I'm not afraid of fucking spiders!"

"Okay, then let's turn on the lights and get rid of these."

"Fine." Drake exhaled loudly.

Liam flipped the switch, and the cabin was bathed in light.

"Better?"

"Yes, much better."

"Good. Now, why don't we have a seat and relax."

"Fine."

They sat on the couch, and Drake poured himself a drink.

"So, do you have any idea who could've done this?"

"Not entirely sure," Drake sighed, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Well, it was a clever prank."

"A clever prank? It's not funny, Li."

"Of course not. But, come on, Drake. You have to admit, it was creative."

"It was not fucking funny. Someone needs to ground her."

"Who?

"Eleanor."

"My Ellie? She did this?"

"That's it?"

"I think she had some help from Leo and Maxwell. She sent that message 'gotcha' to me, and I'm sure they helped her pull this off."

"Yeah, that's it. And I know for a fact that this was her."

"How?"

"Because she's the only one who can get away with shit like this."

"Drake, come on, she's just a little girl."

"She's twelve, Liam, and she's too smart for her own good. She is just like her mother."

"Hey, I resent that."

"It's the truth. Your wife is always coming up with some scheme or another, and now, Eleanor is doing the same thing."

"Look, Drake, I understand you're upset, but I'm sure she didn't mean any harm."

"You're not the one that was almost scared to death by bats."

"It could've been worse."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't. It was just a stupid prank."

"Look, Drake, I'll talk to her. But, come on, it's Halloween, and she's only twelve. Cut her some slack."

Drake breathed out loudly, hanging his head.

"I'll make sure she apologizes to you, too."

"Well, I can't argue with that."

"That's all I ask... now, I need a fucking drink."

As the two friends relaxed by the fire, Drake decided to let his guard down and enjoy the moment.

He couldn't believe Eleanor was able to pull off a prank like that. She had to have had help. He knew she had a mischievous side, but he never expected her to be so bold.

"Well, I'm glad you find this amusing," Drake grumbled looking at Liam.

Liam, on the other hand, was amused by the whole situation. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought of his daughter scaring Drake.

"Drake, come on, the princess just wanted to have a little fun. And, let's face it, you can be a bit of a grouch sometimes."

"Gee, thanks."

"It's the truth. And you know it."

"Fine, I may have been a bit grumpy. But that doesn't excuse the fact that she scared the shit out of me."

"Again, she's only twelve, and you were in no danger. I'll talk to her."

"Good, thank you."

As the two friends relaxed by the fire, Drake couldn't help but wonder what else the princess would get up to in the future.

"Here's to Eleanor Rys and her sense of humor," Liam said proudly, raising his glass.

"May she always find joy in life, even if it's at the expense of others."

"And here's to you, Liam, for putting up with me," Drake chuckled.

"Cheers."

They clinked their glasses together and drank deeply, enjoying each other's company.

They had no idea that their princess had already hatched a new scheme in her head, and she was determined to get the upper hand on her uncle Leo.

It was going to be a long Halloween season.

As Drake and Liam enjoyed their drinks, the princess and her uncles were having a celebration of their own outside the cabin.

"Did you see his face?" Leo chuckled.

"That was epic," Maxwell added.

"You were brilliant, Ellie," said Leo.

"Thanks, Uncle Leo," Ellie giggled and hugged her uncles.

"Happy Halloween."

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