#I know she already has two brothers but I think Aiden would volunteer to be number three

[writerfae]

Hi! So, just a heads up: this ask is gonna be very different fom my usual.

I wanted to tell you a little about my story, because I wanted to know how you think Aiden would interact with my mc, Adél (because when I'm having a bad writing day, I like to imagine my charecters interacting with yours, but I put Adél and Aiden in a room and they just look everywhere, but at echother HELP IT'S SO AWKWARD)

A small summary:

The majestic country of Galla floats in the sky, put there by the doves themselves. Underneath it is the monster-filled Black swamp, the most terrifying place on earth.

When Adél's(15) little brother, Ákos(10) falls into the Black swamp she and her best friend Bendegúz(15) decide to go and rescue him. Or try anyways.

Meanwhile back home Adél's older brother, Endre(19) slowly figures out that their little brother never fell... he was pushed.

I should also mention that Adél's family is one of three royal families, who rule together. Bendegúz is the son of the capitan of the guards.

Adél is very kind and caring towards those she loves.

But the most important thing about her is that she's terrified of everything!

She is always nervous and scared, always thinking about how a situation could go wrong (it's not all she talks about, but the fear is always there under the surfece somewhere). She isn't afraid to show her emotions.

I also want to tell you a bit about her relationship with her little brother.

Their parents and her older brother had to go to meetings all the time, leaving them with a governor of some kind.

She adores Ákos. She usually loves taking care of him, aside frome the times that she's overwhelmed.

The sweetest thing is that one of the reasons she's so caring, is that she's scared that someone's having a bad day and she doesn't know, so she's extra careful to ask her friends if they're okay, if doing xyz is okay, and she always let's them know what she appreciates about them. Little Ákos saw her doing this, and started doing it too, and now he just does it for no reason!

And to Adél this is soo sweet, because she doesn't realize that he learned this from her, all she knows that she's being insecure about for example a painting of hers and Ákos points out what he likes about it.

Adél likes to paint, knit and sculpt.

I think that's all.

So how do you think she and Aiden would interact?

I hope this ask didn't make you feel uncomfortable. If so, feel free to ignore it!

Hello! You’re not making me uncomfortable with this at all! Quite contrary, it’s nice to hear something about your story! Feel free to tell me about it whenever you want ^^

First, let me say that I love the set up of the story, it sounds really interesting! And you know how much I love sibling relationships.

I like how you described her relationship to her younger brother, it’s really cute (though what happened to him is pretty sad, I hope she’ll succeed in rescuing him)

Adél sounds really sweet, I like characters like her. She reminds me a bit of my girl Maya. And I’m very sure Aiden would like her.

I can see why there’s only awkwardness when you sit them in a room together xD From what you told me Adél is a kinda anxious person (I can highly relate) and I gotta admit, Aiden is a bit awkward around strangers.

I think they’d need time to warm up to each other. At first it might be awkward silence and a few very short lived attempts of conversation, but I think they’d get along nicely once they had some time.

Admittedly, Aiden does not have the best social skills, but I could see him noticing Adél being a bit cautious, so he’d try his best not to scare her.

Maybe the two should have to do a task together to warm up to each other. I could see that working. I don’t know if you know, but Aiden actually likes to sketch and since you said Adél likes to paint, it might be a good start.

She could also try teaching Aiden how to knit, which I think wouldn’t be all too successful but surely very funny. It would give Adél something to laugh over for sure, cause though he’s usually pretty deft, he tends to be a bit clumsy sometimes.

But yeah I think once they got to know each other they could be very sibling like in their interaction. Since they’re both pretty meek they’d be the quiet type of friends, those that enjoy a good silence together.

They might also end up talking about their respective siblings a lot xD

[fandom-junkie2020]

You Weren’t Suppose to Know That

Carl Grimes x Reader

Summary- From the moment Carl showed up in Alexandria you’ve taken an interest in him. It took a mishap for you to express your feelings. 

I rode down on the streets of Alexandria on my skateboard looking for my best friend Ron. He was having trouble at home lately and he would  always tell me about what was happening. My mom knew about what was happening yet she didn't do anything. That pissed me off. She's always talking about making Alexandria a better place and making it a safe place for everyone yet she won't intervene in Ron's situation because 'they'll work it out'. I found Ron looking at the gates. They were opening them so Aaron must be back.

"Hey, Ron." I said as I hoped of my skateboard and looked towards a group that they where letting in. "Any idea who these people are?" I asked.

"No idea. Aaron must have brought them back but I don't see him yet." Ron replied. Before I could think about anything more Spencer, my oldest brother, waved me over.

"This should be fun." I laughed and got back on my skateboard and rode over. I stopped in front of Spencer. "What's up."

"You know mom's gonna be pissed if she figures out you're still riding that thing." He laughed and I pointed at him.

"Mom doesn't need to find out."

"Oh really? What are you gonna do to stop me from telling her?" He asked.

"I'm gonna prank you for the rest of your life. Aiden will help me too. He's on my side of this battle."

"Yeah yeah sure." He turned to the new group "Well everyone this is my little sister, Y/N, she will be taking you to see our mom, Deanna. Once you get there she's going to ask you a few questions." I looked at Spencer.

"I didn't volunteer. It's my day off." I said.

"Well to bad." He shoved my shoulder and I shoved him back.

"Asshole." I laughed and turned to the group "Hope you guys can keep up." I said happily then got back on my skateboard and started towards our house where we hold the interviews.

"How long has this place been here." A deep voice asked. I turned my head to see an older man with a beard then turned back.

"Since the beginning. Most of the people here haven't seen what's outside the walls. I've seen it but my mom doesn't need to know that either." I laughed.

"You shouldn't sneak outside these walls. You're safe here." Someone else said.

"Okay listen up. I know you all just got here and you think you know everything but you don't. I go out just in case. If anyone or anything get's inside these walls then we're all screwed. No one in here can fight and most of them can't shoot guns. I go out there and practice killing those things because no one in here knows anything." It was silent for a while after that until a younger voice spoke up.

"What's your name?" I turned to see two people that where around my age so I'm not sure which one said it.

"Y/N." We where getting close to my house so I hopped off my skate board and hid it in front of Ron's house. He always lets me hide it there and he only lives a couple of houses down from me. I turned to the group and motioned for them to fallow me towards my house. Once we got there I stopped on the first couple of steps and turned around.

"Before we go in what are you're guy's names?" I asked.

"I'm Rick. Over there is Glenn, Maggie, Carol, Daryl, Eugene, Tara, Noah, Carl, who's holding Judith, Rosita, and Abraham." The man, Rick, said. I nodded and walked up the steps then walked inside.

"Mom we have a new group!" I yelled. My mom entered from the kitchen with my dad close behind.

"Oh well you all can make your way to the living room where you'll wait with my husband, Redge, and I'll call you all up one at a time." My mom said sweetly. "Y/N why don't you stay with your father. There seems to be some kids your age." She paused and looked around. "Who is the leader of your group?" She asked and Rick spoke up.

"That'd be me." My mother nodded.

"Well then, fallow me." He did as asked and they both walked upstairs while my father led everyone to the living room.

"Hey, dad?" I called and he walked over to me. "Do I really have to stay. I had some plans to hang out with Ron and Mickey." He sighed.

"Your mother just wants you to make more friends." I scoffed.

"What does she expect? The worlds gone to shit and she's worried about how many friends I have." I said with anger wrapping around my words.

"Watch your language. Why don't you wait for- what are their names again?" I rolled my eyes.

"Carl and Noah."

"Oh yes. Well why don't you wait for their interviews to be over with. Then you can go visit Ron and Mickey." He suggested.

"Or I could just leave them alone and let them adjust to this place." He sighed again.

"Fine but if your mother gets mad at you I have nothing to do with it." Then he walked towards the other group. I looked over and saw Carl looking at me. I blushed and ran out as fast as I could without attracting to much attention.

Once I reached Ron's house I knocked on the door and Jessie opened it.

"Hey, Y/N, come right in." She smiled and let me in.

"Thanks, Jessie. Ron and Mickey are upstairs right?" I asked. She nodded and I almost walked away but then she said,

"Enid's up there too." I turned around and looked at Jessie. She looked at me sadly. "You okay hun?" She asked and I nodded.

"It's just," I paused "today was one of those friends only things. I want to be supportive of him but I don't remember the last time we really hung out without Enid around." I sighed "Don't know why I thought today would be different." Then I walked upstairs and into Ron's room. Ron and Enid were on the bed with him laying in between her legs while facing the TV and playing video games, she was reading a comic that she rested on his head. Mickey was sitting on the floor at the end of the bed. Ron looked over at me then back to the TV.

"Hey, Y/N." He said then Enid snapped her head up and glared at me but I ignored her.

"Hey." I said quietly and then quickly ran past the TV so I didn't mess up there game. Then I sat in the beanbag chair that Ron kept in the corner. I leaned back and listened to their video games. Sooner or later I fell asleep.

I was woken up my something soft hitting me. I didn't pay attention to it at first but then it hit me again and I groaned but didn't open my eyes.

"Come on Y/N wake up. Carl came over." I heard Ron say.

"Ron, if you hit me with that pillow one more time I swear to God I'll kill you myself." I said and I heard him laugh. "Plus we've already met. Spencer had me take em' to my mom."

"Well can you be like a human for once and become functional?" Ron said. I opened my eyes and saw Carl standing in the door awkwardly. Ron was standing in front of me, pillow in hand. Enid was sitting on the bed reading a comic like she had been when I first fell asleep. Mickey probably left because of his mom, he never allowed him to stay for long.

"Happy? I'm functional. I'm awake." I said sarcastically. Ron nodded.

"Why don't we go show Carl around?" Ron asked. I got up from the bean bag chair and smiled.

"Sure, beats staying inside all day." I said.

"I don't feel like it." Enid said and we all looked at her.

"Well, Miss Bitchey, if you don't want to come you don't have to." I glared at her and she looked up from her comic and glared back.

"Maybe you'd stop calling me a bitch then I'd actually want to go." She stood up and walking in front of Ron so that she was between us.

"Maybe if you weren't a bitch then I wouldn't have to call you one." I snapped back. Then Ron put a hand on Enid's shoulder and pushed her back.

"Can you guys not fight for five minuets. It gets old. I don't get why you both hate each other." Ron said calmly and my face softened.

"We don't fight that much." I said.

"More then you realize." Ron said sadly and then everyone was quiet for a few minuets.

"Alright lets just show Carl around." Then I walked out not even paying attention to weather or not they were fallowing me. It killed me that I had made Ron sad. He's been my best friend ever since the world went to shit. I've helped him through a lot and he as helped me just as much. I always tried to except Enid but she made it difficult. She never left Ron alone and if she did it was never for long. I just missed spending time with my best friend.

I walked down the steps and into the kitchen but didn't hear any footsteps fallowing me. I'm not sure if I want them to fallow me or not. It would be nice to have them fallow me and have some people to talk to but on the other hand I also want to be alone. I continued walking towards the door but Jessie stopped me.

"Y/N? Hey are you alright?" She asked. I looked at her, she was sitting on the couch with Sam. I just nodded and walked out and down the street not even paying attention to where I was going.

I walked downstairs when people started to really show up. A lot of the town was already inside. I hoped that Ron wouldn't show up. I hadn't talked to him since the whole incident with Enid. I was still upset that I hadn't realized Enid and me fought that much. Ron was already dealing with enough fighting in his house with him family, he didn't need to see it with him friends too.

I walked over to the couch that didn't have anybody on it. People normally stood up and talked to one another. I just sat there and twiddled my thumbs. People from the new group started to show up and some of them looked uncomfortable. I wouldn't blame them for a town that takes place in the apocalypse these people sure are preppy. I felt someone sit beside me and I looked up to see Maggie holding Judith.

"Are you okay?" She asked and I sighed.

"Honestly no. I've been ignoring my best friend." I looked back down.

"Why?" She asked.

"Well I don't exactly get along with his girlfriend and I guess I just didn't realize how much we fought. He's just upset and I don't really know what to do."

"Maybe you should just go talk to him. Figure it all out together." She suggested. I laughed.

"His girlfriend just hates it when I talk to him. How am I suppose to make everything between us okay if she hates me for just speaking to him?" I asked.

"Well, sounds to me like she isn't a very good girlfriend if she's pushing her boyfriends best friend away from him." She said and I nodded.

"I'm gonna go get some fresh air. Thanks, Maggie." I said, she nodded and I walked outside and sat on the front steps. I sat there for a while trying to figure out what I would say to Ron when I saw movement beside me. I looked up and saw Carl sitting down next to me.

"Hey, Carl." I said and looked down at my feet.

"Have you talked to Ron lately?" He asked. I shook my head no. "You should." He said.

"Why? It's not like I'll really be able to change anything." I sighed.

"You know it kills him to not talk to you right. He's always going on and on about what he should do to fix everything."

"He doesn't need to do anything. It's just between Enid and me." I said.

"Why do you guys hate each other so much?" He asked.

"She doesn't like me because she thinks that I'll take Ron from her. Which is ironic because she ended up taking him away from me." I said sadly.

"He's still there you know that right?" He asked and I looked up at him.

"You don't get it do you?" I asked. "Ron is and has always been my best friend ever since the world ended. Then all of a sudden this girl comes and he starts to like her and she starts to like him. One day you hang out with your best friend all day everyday. Then sooner or later you just start hanging out with him and his girlfriend who hates you. I never talked to him about Enid because I care about him. If she makes him happy then I'm happy for him. I didn't think that we fought that much but apparently we fight a lot more then I had hoped." Tears started to slowly fall down my face.

"You don't like Ron do you?" He asked softly and I laughed.

"No." I paused "He's just- he's always been there. There are just some things that I can't talk to my family about and he is just always there."

"Can you promise me something?" He asked and I nodded. "If you go and try to clear things up with Ron then I'll be there for you weather you clear them up or not. Then you'll have someone no matter what." I laughed and pulled him in for a hug that I don't think he was expecting but he hugged back.

"Thank you." I whispered in his ear.

One Month Later

I had cleared things up with Ron finally. We were both happy again and I had also became close friends with Carl which I was happy about. He also kept him promise. When Ron couldn't be there Carl was. He made me happy and I think I've developed a crush on him.

I was on my way to Ron’s house so that we could hang out. He had been really good at making time just for us. I reached the door and knocked just like I always did except no one answered. I knocked again but still no one answered. Then I heard glass brake from inside the house. I didn't waste any time on opening the door and rushing inside. Pete and Jessie where in the kitchen and there was broken glass on the kitchen floor. Ron came running downstairs and when he saw me his eyes widened. We both turned our attention back onto Pete and Jessie. Pete started punching Jessie so I ran over and tried to get her away from him but he pushed me back and I hit my head off the kitchen counter and when I landed my hands got cut on the glass that was scattered across the floor.

"Y/N!" I heard Ron yell. He rushed over to my side but it was difficult to focus on anything. I felt my forehead but instantly pulled my hand back because of the pain from touching it.

"Ron take Y/N upstairs!" Jessie yelled. I felt myself being picked up. I looked up and saw Ron looking at me, concern covered his face. He ran up the stairs but I wasn't sure which room he ran into until he said,

"Sam open the door." I heard Sam’s closet door open then Ron got into the closet, sat down so that I was in his lap, and had Sam close and lock the door. Ron held my head and upper body with one arm and the other rested on my side.

"Is she okay?" Sam asked, he sounded scared.

"I don't know." Ron cried. "Hey. Hey, Y/N, can you talk to me?" He asked.

"E-everything is s-spinning." I said weakly. Ron let out a breath of relief.

"O-okay. What else?" He asked.

"My h-head hurts like a-a bitch." He laughed.

"Okay, it's okay. We can leave soon." He said.

"R-on?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm tired." I breathed out and started to close and eyes.

"No, no you have to stay awake. Can you do that. Let my see your eyes." He pleaded. I nodded weakly. "How about you tell me about something you love? Yeah, tell me about something you love." He said. I tired thinking but it was getting more and more difficult.

"I-I don't k-know." I said.

"Oh come on. What about a person?" He asked. I nodded. "Can you tell me about them?" I nodded again.

"Y-you won't get ups-set?" I asked.

"I promise. I won't get mad just tell me about them." I didn't talk for a couple minuets so Ron spoke up again "Can I guess and you nod?" He asked and I nodded in response. "Okay, is it Mickey?" I smiled weakly and shook my head no. "Is it someone our age?" I nodded. He didn't talk for another couple minuets. "I-Is it Carl?" I shook my head yes and smiled a lot wider. "Okay, that's good. You're gonna stay awake so you can see him again. He seems like a great guy." I nodded again.

"Ron, she's gonna be okay right?" Sam asked.

"I hope so buddy. We just have to keep her thinking and communicating." Ron said. Then we all heard a lot of glass breaking from downstairs then Sam’s door swung open.

"Sam, Ron are you guys okay?" It was Jessie.

"Yeah mom we're okay but I don't think Y/N is." Ron said.

"Okay open the door." She said softly and Sam unlocked the door and opened it. Jessie was kneeling in front of the door and it looked like there where bruises all over her arms.

"Oh god. Okay bring her over to the bed." Jessie said with a worried tone then she rushed out of the room. Ron ran over to Sams bed and carefully placed me down. Before long we heard yelling from outside. Sam rushed to the window to look outside.

"It's Dad!" He yelled and then Ron rushed over to see as well.

"Oh god, Ricks beating the shit out of him." Ron said.

"Rick stop!" Multiple people yelled. "Put the gun down!" We heard someone yell then it all just stopped. People stopped screaming at Rick. Ron turned to me and sat beside me on the bed. I looked at him.

"We need to do something." Ron said. "We can't have Dad help you and I don't know who else could." Then Jessie ran back in with bandages. "Mom we need to do something about her head." Ron said.

"I know, I know." Jessie said. Then they started to clean up my hands and wrap them.

"What if we ask Deanna?" Sam suggested. Jessie looked up at him.

"Sam you're a genius. Ron you look after her and keep her awake. I'll go get Deanna and see if she knows anything about anyone." It seemed like forever until Mom walked in with someone behind her.

"Oh my god." She whispered and rushed over next to Ron. "Denise what should we do?" She asked.

"Umm we should get her to the infirmary but Pete never lets me in." The lady, Denise, said.

"I'll let you in. I have to get Redge." She whispered the last part.

"Okay umm what's your name?" Denise asked Ron.

"Ron. I'm her friend." He said.

"Okay, Ron, you need to help us get her the infirmary." He nodded.

"I'm tired." I whispered. Mom looked at me and held my hand gently.

"I know baby but you gotta stay awake." I noticed that she had tears streaming down her face.

"Okay we have to go now." Denise said. Ron picked me up just like he had done before and fallowed Denise down the street. All of us where running, well obviously not me.

"Y/N?" I heard someone yell. "What happened?" They yelled again.

"We'll tell you when we get there!" Ron yelled. We reached the infirmary and Denise started to order people around. I couldn't pay attention to anything. I was still in Ron’s arms but I passed out.

Carl’s P.O.V.

I was walking down the street shortly after my dad had beaten up Pete. Michonne had knocked him out so he didn't continue to do anything stupid. I looked up at the sky and watched the clouds pass the sun but then my attention was brought to the street when I heard multiple people running down the street. I saw Denise, Deanne, Jessie, Sam, and Ron running towards the infirmary. Ron was holding someone. Y/N? Oh god what happened?

"Y/N?" I yelled and they looked over at me but kept running. "What happened?" I yelled as I ran towards them.

"We'll tell you when we get there!" Ron yelled.

We reached the infirmary and luckily Pete wasn't there. Denise started to give orders out to people to get IV's and bandages. Y/N had passed out while Ron was still holding her.

"Don't just stand there get her on the bed!" Denise yelled. Ron rushed over and put her on the bed.

"Okay I need you kids to stay out on the porch. If we need help I'll come get you." Jessie assured and Sam, Ron, and I walked out on the porch and sat down on the steps.

"What happened?" I choked out. I looked over at Ron who was looking at his hands that had a small amount of blood on them. "What happened?" I asked again.

"My dad happened. She was early. She wasn't suppose to come over for another half hour. If I thought this was gonna happen I would have canceled. This is all my fault." He put his head in his hands.

"No, man, it's not your fault. Can you just- can you tell me what happened?" I asked again. He took his head out of his hands and nodded.

"My dad was fighting with my mom again. I had gotten Sam in the closet like I'm suppose to but then I heard glass break from downstairs. I went down to see what happened and there was glass all over the kitchen. Y/N was in the living room and we looked at each other but we didn't do anything. Then my dad started to punch my mom and Y/N tried to get in between. I didn't have time to stop her. I know what happens when you try and get in between. Agh if I had just been faster then this wouldn't be happening, but ahh anyways, my dad he pushed Y/N out of the way and she hit her head on the countertop. Hard too. When she landed she cut her hands on the glass. My mom yelled for me to take her upstairs with Sam. We all hid in the closet until it stopped. Sam and me kept her talking," he paused "nodding at least." We didn't talk for the next couple of minuets until I said,

"It's not your fault. If anything I think you helped her." He looked over at me.

"You know she likes you Carl. She doesn't talk about you a lot but that's probably because she thought I'd be upset." He said and I blushed.

"H-how— did she tell you that?" I asked and he laughed.

"I was trying to get her to talk about something she loved. She couldn't really strike up a conversation because of her head but ahh," he laughed "I asked her if we could talk about someone she loved. I started thinking about people besides her family because it would probably get her to think more. Then I asked if it was Mickey. She laughed and shook her head. Then I asked if it was someone our age you know just to see." We both laughed at that. "She nodded and it took me a couple minuets but then I guessed you. You should have seen her smile, man. Then I told her that she needed to stay awake so that she could see you again." I looked down at the ground and smiled so wide. She liked me. I couldn't believe it.

"I can't believe it." I whispered. Ron laughed.

"I'm guessing you like her back?" He asked.

"You could say that" I smiled.

"Just remember if you hurt her I'll kick your ass." He laughed and I laughed along.

"Yeah you'll have to deal with me too." Sam said. I had almost forgotten he was here.

"I don't think you guys have anything to worry about." I said and they both smiled at me. We all sat there for a while before Jessie walked back outside. We all stood up. Jessie laughed.

"She's gonna be fine. She's up now but really groggy." She moved away from the door and we all ran in. Ron and I were on either side of her and Sam was next to Ron.

"Hey, guys." Y/N whispered. She sounded like she was on drugs. I laughed and looked over to Denise.

"Is she on drugs?" I asked and Denise laughed.

"She's on strong painkillers. Really strong painkillers." I looked back at Y/N who was looking up at the ceiling in confusion.

"What are you even looking at?" Ron asked. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"I don't know." She said. We all started laughing.

"Oh yeah strong painkillers." I laughed. She looked over at me.

"Where am I?" She asked then looked over at Ron and Sam.

"You're in the infirmary." Ron said sadly then he scratched the back of his neck.

"Do you remember how you got here?" Denise asked from across the room. Y/N furrowed her eyebrows and looked as if she was thinking.

"I remember going over to Ron's house and then I went to get in between Pete and Jessie. Then I remember sitting in a closet with Ron and Sam." Y/N said.

"Do you remember anything else?" Ron asked. He looked over at me and smirked.

"Well- uh- you were trying to get me to keep talking." She replied. Ron nodded.

"Do you remember what we talked about?" He asked and smirked at both Y/N and me, his eyes shifting between us.

"Why are you asking me so many questions?" Y/N sighed out of frustration. Ron held his hands up and laughed.

"H-hey can I talk to Y/N alone?" I felt my cheeks heat up.

"Sure thing." Ron said "See you later Y/N. I'm sure Sam and I'll visit tomorrow."

"See ya Y/N!" Sam exclaimed and waved to her as him and Ron walked out the door.

"Make sure you don't keep her up to long okay, Carl?" Denise said. I laughed and nodded. She smiled then walked outside. Once she left Y/N started laughing and I looked at her confused.

"What?" I laughed. She continued to laugh before she said,

"Your face is red." Then she continued laughing. This only made my face heat up more.

"Y/N, can I tell you something?" I asked as she was still laughing. It took a while to get her to stop laughing but once I did I asked her again and she nodded. I noticed that she looked really tired.

"Ron told me about what you said while he was trying to keep you awake." She looked at me weird. I had forgotten that she couldn't remember what she had said. "Y-you basically- well sort of told him that you were in love with me." I looked at her, she seemed sad, and she looked down.

"No one was suppose to know about that." She whispered but I could hear here due to the quietness though out the room. Then I saw tears drip down her face and onto her lap. I quickly sat on the side of the bed and rested my hand on her knee.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You weren't suppose to find out and on top of that I'm all drugged up and tired and I just- I just-" she cut herself off with sobs. I quickly wrapped my arms around her surprisingly enough she didn't pull back, instead she wrapped her arms around me as well.

"It's fine. It's fine. I'm glad that I found out." I said. She pulled away and looked at me but she was still crying.

"Why?" She asked. I raised my hands and wiped the tears off her face even though more appeared anyways.

"B-because I uh- well" I paused and took a deep breath. "I love you too." She shook her head and I looked at her confused.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." She cried.

"If I was just saying that to make you feel better then would I do this?" Then I connected our lips. Thousands of fireworks went off the moment we touched. In the middle of the kiss she started to smile then eventually started to laugh causing me to do so as well. "What?" I asked laughing as we pulled apart.

"I'm just really happy. Also my mind is everywhere. I'm not sure what Denise gave me but it sure does work." She laughed. I looked at the clock that hung on the wall. It was about 8:00PM and I should probably get Y/N to sleep.

"You should probably get some sleep before Denise cuts my head off." I smiled. She nodded and laid down on the hospital bed. I leaned down and kissed her forehead before starting towards the door.

"Wait." Y/N said softly. I turned back around.

"Can you stay here?" She sounded a little embarrassed and her cheeks turned bright red. I laughed but nodded and walked over to her. She moved over so that I had room to lie down. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders while she snuggled into my side.

"I love you, Carl." She whispered.

"I love you too, Y/N." I whispered back then we both peacefully fell asleep.

[ncislaficexchange]

Postmortem

AN:  Post-ep for Unleashed (8x24).  Deeks and Kensi visit Sam and Kamran.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kensi rang the doorbell, the diamonds of her engagement ring sparkling in the midafternoon sun.  Sam knew they were coming, but Kensi would have been only mildly surprised if he didn’t answer.  According to Callen, his partner hadn’t taken up any of his numerous offers to visit.

It had been nearly three weeks since she and Deeks last saw Sam and the kids.  They’d hugged goodbye on the day of Michelle’s funeral and promised to be available anytime, for anything.  They’d meant it, but assumed that their teammate wouldn’t reach out to them.  

Taking matters into her own hands, Kensi left Sam a voice mail earlier in the week reminding him that she had experienced the loss of a parent in her adolescence and reiterating her offer to talk with Aiden and Kamran.  Sam texted back that he thought Kam could use her support, and they agreed on today.

“What if he doesn’t open the door?” Deeks asked, his thoughts obviously running along the same path as hers.

“Pick the lock?  When the alarm sounds, he’ll come out.”  She was only half-joking.  Deeks thought they should have waited a little longer before reaching out to the Hannas, but Kensi was adamant that too much time not pass.  

When the door finally opened, Kensi and Deeks both did their best to hide their shock at Sam’s appearance.  Whether they’d been successful they would never know, as Sam barely looked at them.  

The former Navy SEAL, one of the most squared away men Kensi knew, looked like hell.  His face and head were still clean shaven, but that was probably the only thing that reminded her of “their” Sam.

He’d lost weight, so his shirt was roomier than they were used to seeing.  His eyes were bloodshot and the bags beneath them could carry all of Kamran’s clothes to Keating next month. The skin of his face appeared dull, as if he’d recently been ill.  Sam’s normally military bearing was replaced by slightly slumped shoulders and eyes that dragged the floor rather than meeting theirs.  He looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up.  

“Sam,” Kensi said on an exhale, wanting nothing more than to wrap her arms around the man.  She fought the impulse because she thought it would make her cry, and she and Deeks were here to support the Hannas, not the other way around.

Sam was mute as he opened the door fully and stepped back to allow them entrance.  When Kensi and Deeks remained silent as well, preferring to take their lead from Sam, he finally spoke. “Thanks for coming.  Kam’s in her room, Kensi.  You remember where that is?”

“Yes.” It was clear Sam was not in the mood to talk.  Kensi felt bad for Deeks, about to be left here with their teammate, but figured if anyone could occupy both sides of a conversation, it was her fiancé.  Giving Deeks a reassuring look, she said, “I’ll head on up then.”

Watching her go, Deeks thought about a course of action.  He didn’t know what he expected to find today, but it wasn’t this.  Sam seemed so preoccupied Deeks wondered if he would just leave the room and forget someone else was even in the house.  “Mind if I get some water?”  Deeks asked, nodding in the direction of the kitchen.

“No, go ahead.  I’m going to the garage,” Sam said before he left.

Walking toward the kitchen, Deeks scanned the rooms he passed along the way.  He was relieved that place was as clean and organized as ever.  Pulling a couple of bottles of water from the fridge, Deeks made his way to the garage, unsure of his welcome.

Sam was at a workbench, cleaning a gun.  There was a collection of firearms displayed in a cabinet on the wall.  Deeks put a water on the table and used the other to point to the small armory, “Need a hand?”

Sam stopped what he was doing and looked briefly at Deeks, and the detective was almost sure his teammate was on the verge of asking where Deeks had come from.  Sam didn’t speak, but pulled a gun from the case and placed it in front of him.  He then pulled open a drawer and Deeks helped himself to the supplies he would need to clean the weapon.

They worked, the room quiet but for the sounds of them brushing and rubbing metal, for several minutes before Deeks settled on what he hoped was a safe topic of conversation.  “Aiden doing okay?  I mean, as okay as he can be?”

Sam didn’t answer for long enough that Deeks was about to give up hope he would respond at all.  When he did, his voice was low.  “Aiden would have been here; I wanted him to have the chance to talk to Kensi too, but he has to find volunteer work ASAP.”

“What is that for, some sort of honor society?” Deeks observed.

Sam shook his head.  “He had a summer internship lined up at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, but with Michelle’s death the commandant at Keating arranged for Aiden to intern part-time at LA AFB instead so he could be at home.  He needs to make up the rest of the time with community service hours.”  Deeks was glad to notice Sam’s voice becoming more powerful with use.

“How about at a soup kitchen?”

When Sam looked at him this time, his eyes were clearer and focused on him.  Deeks was relieved to see it.  “That could work.”

“Kensi and I volunteer at one downtown a couple of times a year, and usually at Christmas.  Earnestine Lewis runs it; she’s a great lady and I’m sure Aiden would be a big help.  She’ll have him doing everything from mashing potatoes to scrubbing pots to picking up donations.  When he’s impressed her with that, Earnestine will let him show off his manners on the food line.  They’ll love Aiden, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he loves it too and we end up seeing him there sometime during Christmas this year.  You want me to reach out to her?”  

At Sam’s nod, Deeks pulled out his phone and hit a few buttons.  “Hey Ernie, it’s Marty Deeks, how are you, sweetheart?”  He smiled as he listened to the woman on the other end.  “No, not right now, but I have someone better who can easily do what Kensi and I can get done.  His name is Aiden Hanna, and he attends military school during the year, but for the summer he’s looking to do some community service while he’s not interning at Los Angeles Air Force Base…Yeah, he’s a great kid, very responsible, smart, respectful, and able and willing to do anything you need…Does he have a driver’s license?”

Deeks looked at Sam, who nodded in the affirmative. “He sure does.  He’s actually out right now looking for a place to volunteer, so I’ll text him and see if he can meet you this afternoon.”  Deeks raised his eyebrows at Sam, who took his own phone out and began typing.  “So how’s Colton doing?”  Deeks walked away from the workbench as he listened to Earnestine catch him up on her husband’s welfare.  “Kensi’s great, thanks for asking.  All healed from her accident and back to work full time, so she’s happy as a clam at high tide.”  Deeks sneaked a peek at Sam before answering the woman’s next question carefully, “Uh, yeah.  Yeah, there might definitely be something there next time we see you.”

Sam said, “Aiden can be downtown in an hour.”

“Hey, great news, Aiden can be there in about an hour, ready to interview…Let me just send him the address and hopefully the two of you can work something out…You got it, Earnestine, same to Colton…I will, you too.  Bye.”  Deeks took Sam’s phone and typed in the soup kitchen’s location before handing it back to him.

“Thanks for that, man.  I really appreciate it.  Aiden does too,” Sam showed Deeks his phone, complete with his son’s message of thanks to the detective.

“No problem.  At least it’s something I can actually do.”  Deeks glanced quickly at his teammate and continued, “I wish there was some way we could help you though this, Sam.”

“Really nothing you can do,” Sam assured him.  

“That’s what Kensi said, some things you just can’t make better for someone else.  I’ll take her word for it since she’s had a loss like the kids.  But if there’s anything, even the smallest thing that you guys need, you’ll let one of us know?”

“Sure,” Sam said.

Deeks didn’t think he would, but he sounded more sincere than he had weeks ago at the luncheon.  “Is it okay if Kens or I reach out to you periodically, just in case you think of something but don’t want to ask?  I mean, hell, Kensi can come by and mess up the place a little – okay, who am I kidding, a lot – give you more cleaning to do, for when you’re done with the guns.”

Sam almost chuckled, “Doesn’t mean I’ll pick up the phone or answer the text, but yeah.  And if I forget later, will you make sure to thank Kensi for talking to Kam?  This has been so hard on her.  I really hope Kensi can give her a little perspective.”

Deeks agreed and the pair was quiet again as they returned to the care of the guns.  Deeks broke the silence a while later with a whispered question, “If you knew then how things would end, would you change the life you lived with Michelle?  Your careers, kids, any of it?”

His response was an immediate, “No.”  After a few seconds, Sam continued, “Knowing what I know now, I would have killed Tahir Khaled last year at Keating, or any time before that when I had the opportunity.”  His voice gained strength as he said, “I’m grateful for every second with Michelle and our children.”  Sam paused and looked at Deeks suspiciously, “Why?  Are you having second thoughts about proposing to Kensi?”

Deeks grinned, “That ship’s already sailed, brother.  She popped the question and I said yes.”

The smile on Sam’s face, while small, was the best gift Deeks could have received just then, and he welcomed the handshake and brief hug his friend offered.  “She got tired of waiting for your grand scheme to come together, huh?”

“Something like that,” Deeks hedged.

“Well I’m glad for you both, however it happened.  You guys deserve all the happiness you can grab, for as long as you’re fortunate to have it.  Don’t let what happened to Michelle scare you off marriage and kids.  Let it remind you to make the most of every day.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The door to Kamran’s room was closed, but Kensi could hear the beeps and chirps of what sounded like a video game.  When she knocked, the noises went silent and seconds later, Kamran said, “Come in.”

When Kensi did, she found Sam’s daughter sitting cross-legged on the floor, her back against the bed.  Her phone was face-down on the carpet beside her, and Kensi assumed that was what she’d been playing with.  

“Hey, Kam,” Kensi said.

“Hi Kensi.” Kamran’s voice was unsurprisingly sad.

“Can I sit?”  When she nodded, Kensi sat down next to her and mirrored her position.  Kensi said quietly, “I’m not going to ask you how you are, because it’s a stupid question.”  That got the girl’s attention. “But I will ask what kind of day you’re having.  An okay day, a bad one, even horrible?  It’s way too soon for a good day, so don’t even think about saying that.”

Kamran shrugged.  “A bad day, I guess.  Pretty much like all of them.”

“Yeah,” Kensi commiserated.  “Listen Kam, I just want to let you know that I get it.”  When the tween looked up questioningly, Kensi continued, “My dad died when I was fifteen.  He was murdered too.”

“I’m sorry,” Kamran said with sincerity for Kensi’s loss.  “But it’s not really the same thing.  This was my mom.”

“No, it’s not the same thing.  I don’t think any two people’s grief ever is.  But I was a real tom-boy when I was a kid, and I was much closer to my dad than my mom growing up.  He was my best friend.”

“What happened to the person who killed him?”

“It took me a very long time to find him.  But I did, and he’s dead now.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No, but I wanted to.”

“My dad said the same thing.  And that what’s important is that he can’t hurt us anymore.”

“But that’s not exactly true, is it?  He took your mom away from you, and that will hurt forever.”

“Does it ever get better?”

“It does, eventually.  For me, the first two years were the hardest, because everything reminded me of my dad, and sometimes just thinking about him was like a punch to the gut.   I can’t tell you how many times I thought, I have to remember to tell Dad that, only to have it hit me that he was gone.”

The tears started down Kamran’s cheeks, “I go to look for my mom or text her about ten times a day!  And I get so mad, because it’s like, how could I forget that she’s dead, you know?  But it’s not that I forget, it’s just not right in the front of my head for a second or two, and then when it comes back it hurts all over again.”

“I know, sweetie, and I’m so sorry,” Kensi pulled Kamran into her arms, and the girl came willingly.  She cried freely, while Kensi held her and rubbed her back.  

When Kamran’s tears started to ease, Kensi said, “One day it didn’t hurt as much to think about him.  I like talking about my dad now, sharing happy memories of him.  But to this day, almost twenty years later, sometimes I still miss him so much I want to cry.”

“Like when?” Kamran asked as she pulled out of Kensi’s embrace and wiped her eyes and nose on her sleeves.

“Mostly the big events in my life.  When I joined NCIS I desperately wanted to be able to tell him and see the look on his face, to know that he was proud of me.  My biggest regret right now is that he never got to meet Deeks.”  She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Your dad may or may not know this by now, but Deeks and I got engaged a little while ago.  That night in the shower, I blubbered like a baby because I couldn’t tell my father.  When we get married, I know it’ll be impossible to think of him and not cry.  When we have a baby of our own, I’ll be sad that he’s not there to meet his grandchild.”  Kensi’s eyes were watering now too.  “It gets easier, but I’m not sure it ever goes away.  And honestly, I wouldn’t want it to.”

Kamran nodded.  They sat quietly for a minute or two, each lost in her own thoughts.  Kensi finally asked, “What things do you admire most about your mother, Kam?”

The girl’s face lit up in a smile even as the tears began again, “She was the best mom, and she always helped me with my homework until she knew I could do it by myself.  She was beautiful.  And so smart and brave, and she gave the best hugs and cuddles.”

“Those are the things you’re going to remember forever, and they’ll always make you happy to think about.  I don’t know what kind of hugs and cuddle she gave, but I can believe that she was an incredible mother for those reasons and a million others.  And I agree, she was beautiful, smart, and brave.”  Kensi paused.  Looking at the sad young lady, she decided Kamran probably needed to hear this right now, more than much else Kensi could tell her.  “You take after her, you know.  You’re beautiful, smart, and brave too.”

Kamran looked down, embarrassed by the compliment, or perhaps surprised by the comparison to her mother.  “Mom always told me how smart I am, but I don’t know about beautiful, and I’m not brave at all!”

“Well I’m not going to try to convince you that you’re beautiful, since it won’t work anyway.  But I will tell you to think about your mother, father, and brother, objectively if you can.  They are some fine-looking people, and if you ever tell your dad I said that, he’ll never let me live it down,” Kensi chuckled.  “And then think about how unlikely it is that you’re not just as beautiful too.”

The shy smile on Kamran’s face was enough to convince Kensi she’d said the right thing, but would leave it at that.  “And as for brave, I know you are, and I know that because your mom told me.”

“Really?”  Kamran’s voice and face were full of wonder now.

“Remember that Christmas Deeks and I were here with our moms?  Your mom and I spent some time chatting, and she told me that you had just announced an interest in attending Keating.  She was so proud of you and awed by how much courage it took for a young girl to even think about leaving home to go to a military academy.”

“She said she was impressed with me,” Kamran whispered.

“She really was, honey.  I’m sure there are plenty of people who can tell you what your mom thought or felt about you, and anything else you want to know.”  Kensi tapped Kam’s hand with a finger. “That always made me feel good: hearing about my dad from other people who knew him.”  Kensi stopped again, debating if she should say what had just popped into her mind.  “Would you like me to tell you the story of how your mother saved my life?”

“She saved your life?  My dad says you can kick anyone’s ass –“  Kamran stopped abruptly, realizing she just cursed to an adult.

Kensi laughed lightly, “Don’t worry about it.  I won’t tell your dad about that lapse in language if you won’t tell him about mine.  Your mom kicked some serious ass herself.  And on that particular day, she saved her own life and mine…” Kensi shared a less dramatic version of how Michelle Hanna pulled herself up from dangling thirty floors above the ground and then took out the Barbie who was about to grab the gun she and Kensi were both scrambling for.  “Your mother was an amazing woman, Kam, and you should always remember and be proud of that.”

“I will,” Kamran said, still somewhat amazed by what she’d just heard.

“Good,” Kensi took the pre-teen’s hand in her own.  “I need to tell you one more thing and then I’ll leave you alone if you want.”

“Do you have to go?”

“Not if you don’t want me to, no.  We can keep talking about your mom, or about anything but your mom, or nothing at all, but I’ll give you the choice, okay?”

Kamran nodded and Kensi blew out a quick breath.  “You and I are members of a club no one wants to be in.  We know what it’s like to lose a parent at a young age.  But you were right before when you said that it was different because it was your mom.  Even though I was closer to my father than my mother, there’s still something about a mother-daughter relationship that’s special, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, Mom and I fangirled over some of the same cute actors.  Can’t do that with my father.  Or Aiden,” she wrinkled her nose at the thought.

“That would just be weird,” Kensi agreed.  “My parents divorced the year before I lost my father, and I chose to live with my dad.  But after he died I refused to live with my mother, even though she was all I had left.”

“Who did you stay with?”

“How about if we save that story for another time?” Kensi suggested.  “But let’s just say that when my father died, I basically lost both of my parents.  And even though I was a tomboy who idolized my father, by the time I was older and dating, or falling in love for the first time, and things like that, I really wished I had my mom around to talk to.”

“I was thinking about that the other day,” Kamran’s voice cracked as she held back tears.

“Your father, and I’m sure your brother, are willing to do anything and answer any question for you, and you may have to rely on them for some of the things that you would have done with your mom.  Like buying a dress for the winter formal or teaching you how to drive.”

Kamran rolled her eyes, “Dad had no patience teaching Aiden to drive.  I’ll probably ask Aiden or Uncle Callen.”

Kensi smiled, knowing Sam would never allow her to teach his daughter that particular skill.  “But there may be some things that they can’t do because you’re a twelve-year-old young woman and they’re guys who just don’t get it or really won’t know.  I know you have an aunt in San Francisco and your grandmothers, and I’m sure they’ve already offered this as well.  But I’m closer than they are when you’re at home, and if you need help with something that you’re not comfortable going to your dad with, and the women in your family are too far away, I want you to know that you can come to me, okay?”

Kamran was happily surprised.  “Thanks, Kensi.”

“I mean it, Kam.  Any time, day or night.  Deeks and I are used to being woken up at all sorts of crazy hours, so don’t ever worry about that.”

“Okay, I promise.”  This time it was Kamran who initiated the hug.  Kensi could feel the girl’s hold tighten just as Kamran blurted, “Wait a minute, did you say you and Deeks are engaged?”

At Kamran’s suggestion, they spent a while talking about the proposal – Kensi not mentioning exactly where and when she asked Deeks to marry her – and ideas for the wedding.  Hoping Sam wouldn’t mind, Kensi finished their conversation by asking Kamran to be her junior bridesmaid, a decision made on impulse, but one she guessed was right judging by the excitement on the pre-teen’s face.

“You can go if you need to,” Kamran offered soon after the wedding talk wound down.

“You’re sure?” Kensi asked.  There was plenty more she wanted to share with the girl.  Words of experience, if not wisdom, about it being okay to cry and not be embarrassed, or laugh and not feel guilty.  But they’d just spent an emotionally charged hour or so together, and Kensi didn’t want to overdo it.  She would just have to make sure to do this again a few more times over the summer if Kamran was open to it.

“Yeah.  I’ll text you if I need anything,” she said.

“Maybe we can make plans to grab ice cream some night next week, or lunch over the weekend if you want.  Do you like to bike or surf?  We can do that too if you’d rather.  We could talk about your mom and how things are going, or not.  Whichever you’re in the mood for.”

“I’d like that,” Kamran said.

Kensi smiled.  “Me too.  Is it okay if I check in with you a couple of times a week, ask what kind of day you’re having?”

“Okay, bad, or horrible?”

“Yeah.”

Kamran nodded in agreement then asked in a small, unsure voice, “When will they start to get good again, Kensi?”

Kensi let out a sad sigh, “I wish I knew, honey.  But that’s different for everybody.  What I can tell you is that you’ve got a lot of people who love you and want those good days for you.  They’ll help you get them back.  And I know your mom would want not only plenty of good days, but lots of great and incredible days for you too.”

“Dad says she’ll be watching over us, so maybe she’ll send some of those days our way.”

Kensi smiled, “I bet she will.”

~~~~~~~~~~

As they pulled away from the curb in front of the Hanna house, Kensi asked, “So how was it with Sam?”

“He wasn’t very talkative, and I didn’t push.  But we cleaned every gun in his arsenal.  And I hooked Aiden up with Earnestine, so now he’s got a place to do his required community service for the summer.”

“That’s a match made in heaven.”

“I thought so.  How’s Kam?”

“Hurting.  Missing her mom.  Pretty much what you’d expect.  But she seemed receptive to me, and I’ll be checking in on her periodically to see how she’s coming along.  I think I’ll try to take her out somewhere once a week if I can.  She was really excited about the wedding.  Oh, and she’s going to be our junior bridesmaid.”

“Great.  Except I didn’t know we were having one.”

“Well, we are now.”

Deeks took Kensi’s hand and kissed it.  “That’s awesome, then.  It sounds like you two really connected.  I wish I could say the same for me and Sam”

“Kids tend to be more open in general, I think.  And except with Callen, Sam’s never been a Chatty Cathy, so you had the tougher job of the two of us by far.  I was really worried about him when we first got there.”

“Me too.”

“Do we still have reason to be?”

Deeks let out a long sigh.  “I think so, yeah.  The only thing that got any real response from him was when I asked about the kids.  Honestly, I don’t know how he’s going to handle it once they’re both at Keating.”

“Coming back to work will be a good distraction after Aiden and Kam leave,” Kensi assured him.

“He’s plenty distracted now, Kens.  After today I’m wondering if he’ll even want to come back,” Deeks admitted.

Kensi shrugged, “Maybe he needs to find something else to do, then.  He left the SEALs to join NCIS.  He might decide he wants to be out of the field altogether, especially after Michelle.”  

Deeks looked at her, unconvinced.  “To do what, clean his weapon collection all day long?”

“He’s all Aiden and Kamran have left, Deeks.  Maybe Sam’s should focus on staying alive long enough to watch Aiden and Kamran get married and have kids of their own one day.  We’re planning to find another line of work when we have children, it’s really no different.”

“Except that we’ll be leaving to move onto another chapter in our lives.  I’m afraid that if Sam does it, he’d be closing the book entirely.  I don’t know if it’s because they’re more resilient or because they have each other and Sam to lean on, but the kids seem to be doing much better than their father right now, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon unless something’s done about it.”

“If that’s the case, I think you should tell Callen about today, let him know what’s going on.  If Sam will respond to anyone, it’ll be him.”

“I hope you’re right,” Deeks said.

“They’re partners.  And about as close as two people in our line of work can be without being married,” Kensi stated with confidence.

“Callen’s going to have his work cut out for him.  Maybe Nate can drop into the country for a visit.”

“That’s a good idea.  But it won’t just be Callen and Nate, babe.  You understand what Sam’s going through.  Maybe not to the same degree, but you’re the only other person on the team who’s experienced anything close to losing a wife.  Nate and Callen can’t say that.  I think in the end we’ll all have a role to play in Sam’s healing.”

Deeks nodded.  “You’re right.  We’re family.  This is what we do.”

by - @psyched1328

[euphxmia-pxtter-blog]

The True Epilogue (a Harry Potter fanfic)

*in which all my ships are true and things are great* Several pairs of curious eyes followed the family of five as they pushed through the crowd at Kings Cross Station toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Atop the packed trolleys that the parents pushed were two cages- one containing a beautiful snowy owl and the other a badger, which made grumpy noises every few seconds. "Hang in there, Comet," the black-haired boy said placatingly. "I know it's no fun, but you've got to behave." "I don't know why you had to bring the stupid thing anyway," his brother said, rolling his eyes. "It's not on the approved list." "Yes, but he's injured!" "All your pets are or were injured." "And he has separation anxiety!" "I bet they'll take it away from you." "James!" their father scolded as Matthew's bright blue eyes widened in fear. "Don't say things like that. Your dad and I wrote to Headmistress McGonagall in advance, and she said it was fine." Draco put a hand on Matthew's shoulder. "No one is going to take Comet away." "Hey," Harry said suddenly, "there's Ginny, Luna, and the girls." The youngest Potter shrieked and made to run toward the family friends, but Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Callisto Ariana Potter, what have we told you about running off?" he scolded. She smiled cheekily. "Not to do it, I think." "Well, you think right. Look, here they are now, anyway." The other family reached them, and there were cheerful greetings all around. "So, shall we cross over?" Luna asked, and Ginny nodded. Their oldest daughter, Nymphadora, took a step forward, but her sister exclaimed, "Wait!" Nym raised an eye brow. "What is it, Gillian?" The redhead bounced excitedly on her toes as she answered. "This is Matty and my first year going through as actual students, so we should get to go first!" Matt held up both hands to show that he was not a part of this. Nym was already squinting, though. "I say, whoever gets through first gets through first," she said challengingly. She and Gillian turned and raced for the barrier together, disappearing through it within a second of each other. Ginny sighed in exasperation, pushing a trolley forward to follow them. Luna only looked amused as she trailed after her wife. Callisto tugged on Draco's sleeve. "I thought you said no running," she told him, frowning. "Yes, but I can't control what they do. They're not my children." This argument lost its value, though, when James pushed ahead through the barrier as well. Harry groaned. "I promise I'll talk to him, Callie," he said to avoid the rising complaints. The rest of the family followed James. "Can I go this year, Daddy?" Callie asked. Harry shook his head with a chuckle. "Just one more year, sweetheart." She scowled and stamped the ground. "Dad?" Matt said as James boarded the train with Nym (though Gillian stayed behind to wait). "Do you know what House I'm gonna be in?" Harry smiled and shook his head. "No one knows for sure ahead of time," he said, "but I know you'll be great no matter what." "And luckily," Draco added, "you know kids in every House, so you'll always have someone to talk to." Callie tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I'm gonna be a Slytherin," she said confidently. A little bit of pride shone in Draco's eyes. "I don't doubt it." "Alright, Matt. Go on and take your stuff," Harry said gently. "You and Gillian should get on board. You don't want to get left behind. Matt nodded and moved toward the train, then swiveled and threw himself into his father's arms. "I'm gonna miss you," he said. Harry hugged him hard. "I'll miss you too, kiddo." Matt hugged Draco too, and then he and Gillian got their stuff and waded through the small crowd to the train door. "We'll write!" Draco called after him. "Every day, if you want!" Harry added. Matt gave them a slightly wavering grin before disappearing. __________ Matthew thought he was ready for the Sorting. He thought he'd either be in Gryffindor, like Harry, or Slytherin like Draco. He definitely was not expecting the Sorting Hat to yell out "HUFFLEPUFF!" the moment it touched his head. To ecstatic cheers from his new Housemates, he made his way dazedly toward the Hufflepuff table. He'd heard Hufflepuffs called 'duffers' and 'goody two-shoes' and even once 'the stoner House', none of which sounded very positive to Matt. Still, he put on a brave face. A cobalt-haired Teddy Lupin clapped him on the back as he sat down. "Glad to have you, Matt!" he enthused. That's right! Teddy's a Hufflepuff, and he's not so bad. This thought didn't erase his disappointment entirely, but it did help. What helped even more was hearing another shout of "HUFFLEPUFF!" immediately following a call of "Weasley, Gillian". Matt broke into a grin as his best friend sat beside him. "I can't believe I'm a Hufflepuff," he stage-whispered to her. Surprisingly, she rolled her eyes and laughed. "Oh, please. Like you could have been anything else." His eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" "Let's see. For starters, you're a vegetarian. You always get one of your dads to take you to random volunteer things. You never let anyone get away with saying mean things. You take in injured animals- you've literally got twenty different pets now, if you hadn't noticed- and your favorite just happens to be a badger, the symbol of Hufflepuff House. Honestly, if you'd been sorted anywhere else, I would have died of surprise." Matt laughed. "Well, when you put it like that." Any remaining worries he had about his Sorting vanished the moment they stepped foot in the common room. It was vastly wide and round, with honey-colored walls. The lighting was a mixture of natural light coming through the circular windows and and a warmer, golden light shining from within glass spheres on intricately carved stands. The room itself felt like mid-autumn and laughter. Best of all, there were animals. Matt suddenly understood why the Headmistress had given in to his parents' request to accept Comet so quickly. There were maybe two dozen creatures- some magical (like a pixie and a clutter of puffskeins), some nonmagical (like a hawk, a dog, a rabbit, and a beautiful peacock). Matt heard a loud noise and turned. "Comet!" The excited badger barreled across the room and into his legs. Matt crooned as he and Gillian bent down to pet it. A few of their new Housemates crowded around to coo at the addition to their strange zoo. "I think this little guy will be happy here," Teddy said. "As far as I know, we've never had a badger. Which is honestly ridiculous, given our symbol." Matt laughed. I think I'm gonna like it here. __________ James had never felt so ashamed and rejected. The words still echoed in his head. "Not the right fit," they had said. He, James Alexander Potter, wasn't the right fit for Gryffindor seeker. It was humiliating. After all, his own dad had supposedly been the best seeker Gryffindor ever had, and Draco had been his Slytherin counterpart. Yet James had failed. It wasn't that James was vain or inflexible- when they said he'd make a better chaser, he'd tried out with all his effort and scored the spot. It was a matter of belonging. James, the oldest, was the only one of the Potter children who wasn't the biological child of either parent. Matt was Harry's- as anyone could see by the untamable hair and the awkward knobby knees. Callie was Draco's- again apparent by the blonde hair and the confident ambition. James was alone with his plain brown hair and hazel eyes and his (apparent) lack of Seeking skills. To add insult to injury, this meant he was the only one with no blood ties to the Lovegood/Weasley family, which had been interwoven with the Potters' in the cases of Matt and Callie, as well as Nym and Gillian. In any case, he wasn't sure what to do now. He had no other way to prove himself worthy of being the son of the Chosen One. "You know it doesn't matter to them," Aiden Finnigan told him. "Your dads, I mean. You're their son, and they love you." They were in the Gryffindor common room that evening, and James gazed into the fire, only half-listening as he dwelled on his own shame. He sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just... man, you know I don't normally care what people think of me, but this is different. People look at Matt and they see Harry Potter. They don't even act much alike, but Matt's got the look and that's enough for everyone. Me, what have I got?" "Bravery, willingness, an open mind, a mischievous nature, and great taste in friends." James looked up from the fire for the first time in ten minutes, a ghost of a smile crossing his face, and gave his best friend a light push. "Hey, I'm serious," Aiden continued. "I mean, I'm not much like either of my dads. I mean, I've been told I look like a Finnigan, but I definitely don't act like one. And Dad #2 likes to joke that I got my extreme height from him, even though I don't carry any of his blood. I don't act much like him either. And that doesn't bother me. We're not meant to be pale echoes of our parents anyway; we're meant to find and shape our own identities." James nodded. "I suppose you're right." "As always." "Oh, shut it." A few days later, James's owl showed up at breakfast with a letter from Harry. Jamie- I heard you made the Quidditch team, and I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it if you wanted to- I've watched you fly, and you're fantastic. Make sure to keep your nerves in check before games, okay? Ron can vouch for the fact that anxiety is a Quidditch player's worst enemy. I'm not worried, though. Oh, I wish your Grandpa James could see you now. You know I never got to see him play, but he was a Chaser too in his day- don't know if I ever told you that. He was also a hell of a prankster, just like you. McGonagall won't tell you anything, because she can't be seen condoning troublemaking, but if you see Fred floating around, he'll tell you all the use he and George got out of the Marauders Map when they were students. Grandpa James is the one known as Prongs. I wish I could show you the map personally, but it went blank when Teddy's dad died- he was the last Marauder standing; they called him Moony. Sorry, I've gone off on a tangent. My point is, we're all proud of you, and your grandparents would be too. Lots of love, -Dad James was stunned. His grandfather, the one he had been named for, was a Gryffindor chaser? How had he not known? He re-read the note once, twice. It appeared that he was a bit of a Potter after all. He was curious about this Map thing too; he'd better find Fred. __________ Ben was tired. Okay, maybe that was an understatement. "Exhausted" might have worked better; "barely functioning" was near perfect. He was tired because it was midnight and he was sitting in the hallway outside his common room. He was physically capable of going inside and lying down in his nice warm bed to sleep, but he could never do that. Neither could the thirteen other Slytherins sitting out in the hallway with him, including Nym. A prefect had come out three times now to order them all to bed, but no one budged. "I'm not stepping foot in that place until they change the password," Ben had told her the third time she came out. She had thrown up her hands and not come back, which earned Ben a few pats on the back. The hallway was quiet enough that Ben could hear the footsteps long before anyone appeared down the far end. "Someone's coming," he whispered. Everyone tensed. Would they be punished for this? Ben hoped not, but he needn't have worried. He let out a breath of relief when he saw Teddy Lupin heading toward them. The Head Boy had probably been summoned to help mitigate the situation. "What's going on here, guys?" he asked. "The new password is offensive," a fifth year girl answered, "and we're not going in until they change it." Teddy Lupin frowned- not at those in the hallway, of course, but rather at the situation. "Oh? What's the password?" "Clean blood," Nym spat disgustedly. Teddy only sighed outwardly, but his hair turning scarlet was a clear sign of his true anger. "Alright, well we can't have you lot just sitting in the hallway, so you'll have to come stay with us for the night." There were hesitant nods all around, and the beginnings of smiles on a few faces. Staying with the Hufflepuffs... Before we go, I have to check who's coming. Your prefects gave me the list of absent students. Please say 'here' when I call your name. Jade Moorland?" "Here," said the fifth-year who'd spoken up earlier. "Nymphadora Weasley?" "Here," Nym said, and Teddy smiled. He'd always seemed fond of the younger girl, though maybe it was because she bore his mother's name. "Joshua Bingham?" "Here." Teddy went on down the list, ending with "Benjamin Wood?" "Here," Ben answered. "Alright, that's everyone. Come on, you all!" Ben liked the Hufflepuff common room. He liked how friendly everyone was. He liked the peacock, Heracles, who seemed to like him too. There were even more things he liked the next day: for instance, how a cluster of Ravenclaws took turns shooting charms at the Slytherin door, trying to change the password or else get it to open without one. Or how, when that failed, the Gryffindors- led by their prefect, who happened to be Ben's older sister, Elizabeth- attempted to forcibly remove the door entirely. This series of tries failed as well, but it stirred up enough commotion to draw in the Headmistress and she, upon understanding the problem, rectified it immediately, to great cheers from all parties. Ben hugged his sibling. "Thanks for the help, Lizzy," he said. "Any time, little brother. It's a good thing you guys did here today, pushing for change. Dads will be proud." "Think so?" "I know so. You'll probably make prefect next year too." Ben laughed. "Oh, D1 would love that." He imagined Percy's face when he learned that both of his children were now prefects like he had been, and Ben felt a warm rush in his stomach. I'd love that too, he thought to himself. Lizzy just grinned. __________ Daisy hadn't meant to start crying in the middle of Charms class; she just couldn't hold it back anymore. She'd been trying to control her distress since the letter had arrived that morning from her father, letting her know that Grandpa Vernon didn't want them coming over for Christmas that year or, it seemed, any year following. Of course, Dudley hadn't explicitly told his daughter why they were no longer welcome, but she wasn't dumb enough that she couldn't figure it out on her own: it was because she had magic. It was already her second year at Hogwarts, but at holiday time last year her grandparents hadn't known yet. Now they did, and Grandpa didn't want to see her anymore. She cried silently, with her head down, but her fellow Ravenclaws didn't miss her shaking shoulders, and the room got quiet. Anna Granger-Weasley, her closest friend and the only one who knew what had happened, put a comforting hand on Daisy's back. "I know it's not the same," she whispered, so as not to disturb the rest of the class, "but you guys are totally coming to our Holiday gathering instead." Daisy turned her head to look at Anna with teary eyes. "We are?" "Oh, absolutely. It's a huge get-together that we do every year in James and Matt's backyard. My Granny Molly makes twice as much food as we need, even though there's already thirty-three of us in total. Uncle Percy drinks too much mulled wine and then goes on a rant about something or other, except none of it makes sense. Aunt Ginny and Uncle Oliver fight over which of their Quidditch teams are better- Ginny plays Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and Oliver is Keeper for Puddlemere United. Uncle George tells us stories about Fred and him when they were students together. Aiden's little sister Mallory, Professor Longbottom's daughter Bex, and Callie sometimes decide to put on some silly show. It's all great fun." Daisy smiled weakly. "Sounds great. You sure there's room for me and my mum and dad?" Anna laughed softly. "There's always more room at a Weasley party, and the Potters' backyard is distinctly huge." "I suppose that's true." Daisy tried to grin after that, but Anna could probably tell she wasn't back at 100%, because at lunch she started up a game. "It's called the Story Game. We take turns adding a sentence to a story as we go along. The sentences have to make grammatical sense, but the plot can be as strange or random as you want." "Ooh, sounds fun. Can we join in?" Daisy and Anna looked up to see Matt, Gillian, and Nym sliding in beside them (The school had recently switched to an open-seating policy to maintain camaraderie between the Houses). "Yeah, sure," Daisy said, scooting to make more room. "Alright, I'll start," Anna said eagerly. She drummed her fingers in thought for a moment. "Okay. Once, there was an old, grumpy sorcerer who lived in a cave on a mountain." Gillian jumped in next. "The people at the base of the mountain believed that if you brought the sorcerer a gift that he liked, he would grant you a wish in exchange." "Every day," Matt added, "Someone took a gift up the mountain, but the sorcerer didn't like any of them." "Then a new woman moved to the town below," Daisy inserted nervously, hoping she was doing this right. "She heard about the man on the mountain, but nothing about his powers," Nym put in. Anna's eyes brightened as she saw where Nym was going with this. "The woman thought the man must be lonely and perhaps cold all by himself, so she took a warm blanket and a fresh batch of cookies and brought them to him," she said. "The man was touched by her genuine generosity," Gillian said, "and he offered her anything she wanted." "She thought for a long while, and finally she decided," Matt contributed. "And she asked, 'Can you put some brains in my son Tobias's head, because he hasn't got any." Anna snorted at the mention of her brother, and suddenly the whole group had dissolved into laughter. "You can n-never tell Toby about this," Daisy choked out between giggles. They all shook their heads in agreement, still fighting to contain the wave of mirth. "This is why you're my favorite," Anna informed Daisy gleefully, and Daisy grinned. These really are the people I want to spend my holidays with, she realized. __________ Aiden's heart started racing the second the blood red envelope landed in front of him at breakfast. He elbowed James, eyes wide with horror. "It's a Howler," he said with a voice full of dread. James gave a sympathetic smile. "It might not be so bad. Maybe it's some really good news, or maybe it's just a prank from someone. You haven't done anything wrong, have you?" Aiden shrugged. "I mean, we did turn all Professor Longbottom's gardening things pink and sparkly last week, but he didn't seem to mind. I think he even sent a set home to Bex, who I'm sure was thrilled. It was an innocent bit of fun." James smiled at the memory, but the smile dropped from his face almost immediately. "Dude, it's smoking at the edges." Aiden jolted in alarm. "Just open it, before it's too late," James counseled. Aiden took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and tore the envelope open. When he heard his ten-year-old sister Mallory's voice ring out, he thought he was safe. Just a prank after all. But then he heard her words. "AIDEN OH MY GOD, I JUST FINISHED THE NEW SEASON OF NEVATERIA AND YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED!!! STEVEN AND MABEL KISSED, AND THE SHIFTMEN KILLED CODY, AND JONATHAN TOLD CHRIS THAT HE COULDN'T SEE BEA ANYMORE. I'M DYING AND I HAD TO TELL YOU. OKAY, BYE!!!" For a moment, there was dead silence in the Great Hall, and then a hundred people started shouting at once. They were all muggleborns or half-bloods who watched Nevateria, the current most popular sci-fi show, and they were all furious at Aiden. "I'm sorry!" he yelled. "I didn't ask her to tell me!" James frowned. "What was all that about?" he asked. Oh. Aiden had forgotten that, even though James's dad was raised by Muggles, they didn't watch television very often. "It's a show," he tried to explain. "One of the best shows. And Mallory just spoiled it for everyone." "Ah." Aiden was shamed by his non-pureblood peers for the rest of the day. It might have continued on longer, except that Toby Granger-Weasley ran up to him in the hallway after his last class, out of breath, and exclaimed, "The Room of Requirement can generate wifi!" "What?!" "AND it can be a movie theater!" "You're joking." "I'm not! It's officially the weekend. Let's round everybody up and marathon Nevateria together, my guy! I've got Anna waiting in there so the room stays put. Whoever you pass, send them that way. We can get a few house elves to bring snacks. There's tons of space, so if they want to watch too, that's fine. Come on, let's go!" Toby, Aiden, and James took off down the hallway together. "Brilliant, you are!" Aiden exclaimed while they ran. "This is why you're a Ravenclaw!" The plan worked seamlessly. Everyone interested gathered in the Room of Requirement, sitting in movie theater seats, and they got the show to play. Several house elves carried around food and drink for those who wanted it, though a group of Hufflepuffs convinced two to sit down and watch for a while. It turned out Missy didn't like it much, but Pokey was absolutely entranced. He babbled nonstop about the brilliance of it to his unfortunate neighbor, who happened to be Matt. Matt was too pleased at seeing a house elf freely enthuse about an interest to care. They all had a great time, and all the animosity toward Aiden ended. It was definitely a good day. __________ There would certainly be more struggles ahead for the Potters, Granger-Weasleys, (Lovegood-)Weasleys, Finnigans, Woods, Longbottom, Lupin, and Dursley, but they didn't have to worry. They were one huge team, a family, and they could handle anything. Well, almost anything. It turned out there was still a limit on how many animals a single person could bring into the school, which was a problem for Matt, who found himself missing his other creatures. "You know, when they say don't do something," James said oh-so-helpfully, "they just mean don't get caught doing it." Matt shoved his brother, insisting that he wasn't like that, but in the end he snuck all his animals into the castle, with help from Callie. Family meant helping each other, even if it's helping them break school rules... didn't it?

[emetoandotherthings]

For all your characters, what has their worst experience with alcohol been?

Okay these answers practically turned into novels about each of these characters! Thanks for asking this, it really made me think!

Leyton is easy! I wrote a fic about it already! 😀

Mattie again is relatively easy, because he would regularly get paralytically drunk. Although the worst time was probably in his first year when he went on a five day bender during fresher’s week in which he ended up with alcohol poisoning and having his stomach pumped in A&E. He got a severe telling off by the doctors but that didn’t stop him going out and getting drunk the night that he got discharged. 

Jude is normally pretty careful and good when it comes to alcohol, but he does have a weakness - red wine. His worst ever experience (and I can feel him cringing as I type this) was when he was 18 and at a charity event for volunteers that he (and the rest of the Scouting gang) were invited to because they’d achieved their Chief Scout award and up until that point Jude had only ever had beer and spirits, but at this reception it was just wine. So Jude had taken some red wine just to be polite, but then he tried it - and liked it! Little did he know that he’d be giggly after 2 glasses and smashed after 4 - at which point Eden dragged him outside to get some fresh air to try and sober him up. It didn’t work though work though, and Jude ended up barfing red wine all over Eden’s white shirt, and Eden had to call for help to get him home. Even years later Jude cringes when he’s reminded of that incident - and he is very careful about having red wine!

Eppie has a bit of a thing with alcohol (by no means is she alcohol dependent or anything but she used to use it as a sort of anaesthetic especially before she was transitioning). So, unusually, Eppie’s worst experience actually came when she was still living as Edward but knew she didn’t want to be. She’d drunk almost a litre of vodka before hurting herself - attempting to rid herself of the genitalia that didn’t match. Her twin brother, Peter, found her covered in a pool of blood and vomit, and phoned an ambulance. It was one of the most traumatic experiences she’d ever had. 

Eden is blighted constantly because people seem to think he’s a lightweight when it comes to alcohol because he’s so thin, but surprisingly he can hold his liquor. His worst experience with alcohol was when he was in third year at uni and he went on a scientists pub crawl where they all had to mark off a list of things they need to get to win the challenge. A lot of it meant mixing drinks and by the fifth pub, the combinations hit Eden really hard and he was very sick in the stairway down to the pub toilets and he just couldn’t stop. Eppie had to keep him conscious and help him purge all the alcohol from his system, then called Jude to help her get him home. Eden had the worst ever hangover as a result of that. 

Alba is another one who is relatively experienced with alcohol, and her worst experience was when she was in Thailand for her gap year. It could have turned out much worse than it did! She had been out at a hostel party and she’d drunk a little too much (she also was pretty convinced that her drink had been spiked), and she started feeling really sick and dizzy. She was really quite scared because she was in a strange place and there were some guys that had noticed her, but then this saviour of a girl, who recognised her from the hostel they were both staying in, rescued her and took her back to the hostel. They actually became quite good friends after that! 

Lindsey hasn’t really had a worst experience! She likes to have a drink every now and then, but because she’s so motivated with her sports and keeping fit she doesn’t really want to jeopardise that in any way. Really her worst experience wasn’t herself as the drinker, but when she was looking after a really drunk Jack! 

Jack, well... nearly all of the time that Jack mixed drugs with alcohol he was just a wreck. There’s too many incidents to count, but actually one of the worst was when he’d been clean and sober for a few months and he made the decision (after discussing with Blake and Aiden) that he’d like help so he didn’t go to the extreme. So the first time they had a couple of drinks at home and they hit Jack so hard. He’d only had two drinks (and not strong ones) before his head was spinning and he ended up throwing up and he properly got a hangover, and that put him off drinking for another little while...

Blake is a musician, and part and parcel of that is having a drink with the bands before/during/after a gig. He was once hired as a pianist during the Edinburgh Fringe festival for an amateur acting group that used to go out for a drink after every performance. On the last performance of the week they were going out as a whole group including the musicians, and Blake was convinced into going out and was introduced to tequila at this night. By the time that Aiden turned up to collect him he was in a proper state and then had to face the potential of a drive home in which he was certain to puke during. Aiden ended up on a grass embankment holding Blake up while he sobbed and promised NEVER to drink tequila EVER again. 

Aiden grew up hating alcohol. He had memories of his first adoptive family, and alcohol was a large part of the issues while he was there. So he wasn’t the typical teenager who experimented with alcohol, he actively avoided it for the longest of times just because it made him feel a little uncomfortable. As he got to his twenties, however, and he began to feel more confident about himself and the direction that he was going to go in, he slowly became comfortable around alcohol and having a drink. His worst experience was actually on tour with the choir in East Asia and they were sampling some foreign drinks, and it hit Aiden harder than any of the rest of them (he actually wasn’t able to keep it down until they got outside and he was sick all down himself as he tried not to let it out). Remarkably, he was absolutely fine the next day and he was convinced it was because he’d puked it all out!