#MEL AND VICTOR TELL ME YOURE OKAY

[sillyghostnerd]

ARCANE SEASON 2 IN ONE WEEK????!!!???? !!????????!???????

[ilovescaredysquirrel2]

So I watched Chicken Run 2 (is it knock off sequel?)

So yeah, Chicken Run 2 is technically a knock off since Sam Fell kind of stole the movie that wasn't his in the first place... but it was actually a decent movie? Dare I say it was, a GOOD MOVIE! Nothe first movie but it wasn't bad at all. I do think it got a little too dark, more than the first movie did. I mean, the first movie was dark but was dark because of the heavy topics like disability (Rocky's broken wing), racism (Fowler negativity towards Rocky for being American), and Mr and Mrs Tweedy keeping everyone trapped (could be symbolism for different things). I feel like this didn't have the same vibes as the first one but it wasn't a bad movie in general. Just like Barnyard and Back at the Barnyard, in which the knock off tv series was different from the movie but still funny and enjoyable. There is A LOT that didn't make sense from the first movie.

First off, WHERE WERE ALL THE LITTLE CHICKS FROM THE FIRST FILM? Molly was apparently the only chick and that doesn't make sense at all. Chickens usually lay more than one egg at once, and Rocky and Ginger probably had chicks at the end, along with Flower and other hens (one of them obviously being Bunty). Second, the art style looked slightly more Aardman when it came to the humans, the designs looked very different. Like, they looked like Victor Quartermaine wannabes. The biggest issue I had was Mrs Tweedy's new design and that I'm assuming Mr Tweedy went to jail so she married Dr Fry for money. Like, I know the studio had a fire and lost the models but did they have to make Mrs Tweedy look 20 years younger???? Like, they ruined her design! She was cool looking before, not "attractive" but just a plain normal looking woman. We don't have to make every female adult character be attractive, do we? Come on, Aardman! That was a bad move! Like, I liked that she looked like a plain ordinary farmer lady, even though she was the villain. They changed her design by making her body type look different and making her eyes bigger and more makeup. Third, I think if DreamWorks was doing their part like in the first one, it would be better but this wasn't bad. I'm mostly mad about the new voices though (especially Ginger and Fetcher's voice). Say what you want about Mel Gibson, but he does an amazing job playing Rocky! He's not the nicest person but he's not the worst either. Ginger sounds NOTHING like Ginger, Molly sounds more like Ginger than Ginger! Nick's new voice kind of worked but Fetcher was a big no! I think the new voice for Fowler did good, Nick was okay, Rocky was... meh but it wasn't as off as Ginger and Fetcher. I was so mad when I heard Ginger and Fetcher's new voices because they were so in character (especially my adorable mouse boi Fetch).

At least they didn't make Molly as bad as I thought she was going to be. I didn't think I was going to like her but I did! It's the girls-support-girls thing that really won me over and Molly helping Frizzle! I thought Molly was going a spoiled teen rebel but she wasn't! She was just an adventurous chick who was tricked by seeing a colorful van (I didn't care for that symbolism in the movie, it symbolised HT). I also wished more people from the first movie were working on it by understand not everyone could return.

The music was good, the art at the end credits made me laugh but it didn't feel like Chicken Run (they did Ginger so dirty tho). Anyway, that's my review on Chicken Run 2 sequel. Tell me what you think! This movie was still better than Wish! I still hope the new Wallace & Gromit movie makes more money though... If you want, feel free to write your own opinions in the comments

[popculturebuffet]

Wallace and Gromit Retrospective FINALE: Curse of the Were Rabbit: Hop of the Heap

Hello all you happy people and welcome to the FINALE of my Wallace and Gromit retrospective! It’s been a heck of a fun ride: We’ve seen cheesy trips to the moon, criminal pengys in thrilling model train chases, robot dogs who can somehow own a business and whose business model is “muder a bunch of sheep, murder some humans ????” profit and...

...... the kind of things an elder god pops into your head to drive you hoplessly insane. IT’s been a fun ride, all thanks to my creative partner and fincial backer @weirdkev27​. If you have cartoons you want me to cover, just hit up my inbox, and you can commission your own reviews.

But the ride ends here... as I mentioned last time I decided to end with this film rather than Matter of Loaf and Death as I felt it was a far more fitting climax for this: Wallace and Gromit is one of the most iconic bits of animation in both the UK and US, and it only made sense not to end with the whimper of an okay, traumatizing short.. but with the bang of their first and most likely only feature film: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. 

Curse was Aardman’s second feature film after Chicken Run, an utter classic that also proved to be a massive box office success, and as of this writing 21 years later is still the highest grossing stop motion animated film, with a Sequel coming to Netflix next year thankfully Mel Gibson free. 

So with that momentum and a four film deal with dreamworks, it was only natural they planned a Wallace and Gromit movie.. AFTER their next planned film, Tortoise and the Hare. You all remember that childhood classic right? 

So yeah let’s talk about that for a sec because i’d never heard of this failed project and i’ts honestly fascenating: Aardman, wanting to get another hit out as soon as possible, rushed the script for TAH into production, something their own spokesman admitted in. This went about as well as trying to ride a bear after taking a bath in a tub filled with salmon: The film was a mess and aardman was forced to halt production and lay off over a hundred staff members, something to their credit they deeply regretted and took full responsblity fore unlike most layoffs. Here they ddin’t have a choicec and fully intended to, and likely did, hire them back once they got started proper on Curse of the Were Rabbit. 

So with it’s comptetition having caught fire and jumped into an oil derrick to douse the flames, Wallace and Gromit was bumped up to their current feature.  So naturally things went better this time with more planning and what not.

There was still a massive problem though... and that problem was Dreamworks. See despite the simple facts that Chicken Run was one of their biggest hits, Wallace and Gromit being both a fincial cash cow and a critical success with two oscar wins and one nomination across the original trilogy, the fact said oscar loss was to Creature Comforts ANOTHER aardman short that made Katzenberg want to do buisness with them in the first place, DreamWorks having thought anything about Antz from trying to make what’s essentially a woody allen movie with antz into a childrens film, to the horrible art style, to having anything to do with known child molestor woody allen.... Dreamworks decided they knew better and wanted to make some changes to make the film more “marketable” in the US by americanizing it. They wanted a more bankable name to play Wallace, him to drive a cool big dicked sports car, and in general wanted it to be “less british”. Nick Parks reaction to this was swift and just:

And he and the rest of Aardman stood their ground: Sallis was irreplacable as Wallace and his car being a throughly british junker was part of the charm. They made a valid compromise though adding some bigger name british stars to the mix in side rolls with Helna Bohm Carter as Lady Tottingham and Ralph Finnes as the Villian, Lord Victor Quartermaine, both of which are terrific and i’ll get more into that soon enough. 

As far as I can tell Dreamworks didn’t succeed in “amercanizing it” and as an american I kinda scoff at the idea they did: the terms, structure of the small town, and general everything still feels quintesentially british as always. And it’d be the last time dreamworks made a horrible mistake...

THE LAST TIME

As you can probably guess the partnership here didn’t last much longer: They made one more film with Flushed Away and ended it early, a story I will also likely get to someday. For the present join me under the cut as I take a look at Wallace and Gromit’s Finest hour. 

Cleanin Up The Town: So we open with the classic theme, amped up slightly for theater and a lovely intro where we see our heroes over the ages including Puppy Gromit and 70′s rocker hair Wallace. There’s even a really creative bit that has the heroes getting into a tiff, ending up in seperate photos and making up, including the sweet detail that gromit was knitting a new sweatervest for wallace that’s purple that I honestly wished while watching he’d wear in more stuff.. only for it to show up later in the movie! It just goes to show if you ask something of 16 year old movie it’ll give you what you want. Maybe if I try that with Are We There Yet? it’ll cease to exist. Ya never know till you try. 

So our film proper opens as we pan over the town with everyone preparing for the annual tottingham hall big veg competittion, where the biggest veg, the very british term used here, earns it’s owner the coveted golden carrot. We’re introduced to many of the old folks including the Vicar who i’ll get to later because he is a treat. 

The important one here is Mr. Growbag an old man who finds something nibbling on one of his wife’s pumpkins

Thankfully he presses a button and calls our heroes who are now running the cleverly titlted pest control service Anti-Pesto. Another touch I like is that there are paintings all around the duo’s house, each with a picture of a customer whose eyes light up when baldy and pupper are called to save their produce. 

Our heroes get a neat sequence and easily capture the offending rabbit and throw him in their van. It’s a nice, short, but sweet sequence that shows our heroes new job, how valued they are in town, the automatic sensors they have set up to summon our heroes right away, all sorts of important exposition delivered almost entirely through actions. It’s a masterclass in storytelling honestly and something I only realized as I sat down to write this review. 

So the next morning our heroes get on with their day: After Gromit feeds the rabbits, who their keeping on site for now in lieu of killing but are running out of space for, Wallace gets served breakfast which tragically isn’t some cool contraption this time but just him serving Gromit some veggies. Turns out Wallace is putting on some pounds, can relate, and is on a diet. Yes that old chesnut. It’s shown up in just about every sitcom, most comic strips, and I think was even chissled on some rocks some where in caveman days. Though it DOES occasionally work...

It’s just to me personally most diet jokes boil down to “the food dosen’t taste good” or 

This being Wallace and Gromit though, they manage to make it work: It’s a minor element of the plot more there to set up that Wallace dosen’t like vegtables for plot reasons so it dosen’t take up too much time and we get two really cracking good gags out of it: Wallace having to be HAMMERD down the chute due to his weight, with Gromit looking at a jar labeled middle aged spread while he presses the button for it, and when Wallace tries to get some cheese while Gromit checks on his watermelon for the contest from his secret stash, he instead finds a mousetrap. 

Though what also helps is unlike mos tof these plots where either someone’s forced to diet because someone else is or there’s just a lot of nasty sniping in general Wallace dosen’t resent Gromit and vice versa: Wallace gets it’s for his health, itt’s just like most of us he also dosen’t have any impulse control. 

So Wallace decides to go with the most Wallace sollution imaginable: use a nifty invention to fuck with his own brain, the mind manipulation o-matic. Because as Psychonauts 2 showed absolutley nothing can go wrong when experiment iwth your own brain, certainly NOT mass murder, MPD or goat based cooking shows no sir. 

Before Wallace can make his own brains extra crispy our heroes get another job and we’re introduced to one of the best parts of the film and it’s arguable third lead, Lady Tottingham. I honsetly didn’t remember totty much from my memories of the film so I was shocked at just how good a character she is. Helena Bohm Carter just fits perfectly into the flow of Aardman’s throughly british humor, bringing a nice amount of innocent, perky energy you normlaly don’t see in her rolls. Totty is a kind, sensitive and energetic young animal lover and rich lady and you just can’t help but like her and out of Wallace’s three love intrests, she’s easily the best. Granted one’s a murderer, but still she gets the most time and fleshed out personality and is one of the better love interests i’ve seen in a kids film. 

Wallace is excited about the job because having a high profile, wealthy client like this could really improve their standing socially and economically and Gromit is.. well Gromit about it but nonetheless the two speed off. 

A potetial obstacle to our duo’s big break pops up at the door though, Lord Victor Quatermaine, played by Ralph Finnes who like Carter does a REALLY amazing job, having a perfect air of an egomanical jackass who thinks shooting animals compensates of his lack of caring, personality and junk that dosen’t spotantiously light on fire when he’s arroused. Victor has been “courting” her ladyship . And by that she’s been reluctantly dating him while he’s been pushy, trying to shove her into marriage, and ignores her opinon on anything, wanting to gun down her Rabbit Problem when she not only keeps telling him she already has professionals on teh way but wants this done humanely. 

Another thing I only noticed when I thought about the film for this review, and something I really like is it has a message: the film is clearly for no kill pest control, with our heroes running a no-kill service and it being very clear that while the people of namleless wallace and gromit town deserve not to have their hard raised crops eaten, these bunnies don’t deserve to die for it. Furthermore hunting, and hunters themselves are shown through victor which while not subtle, given rich white idiots like Victor love going to other countries to shoot precious wild life to replace the love their parents never gave hem with a big dead carcass, is something that really DOSEN’T need a subtle hand. It dosen’t whack you over the nose and GO this is bad.. it simply SHOWS why via victor, and shows an alternate method, if in a fantastical way: simply caputring the animals and finding somehwere else to put them. 

That’s what our heroes end up doing, arriving to find a whole yardfull of bunnies.. .and while their usual neck trap won’t work on THAT many, they have a vaccum for that. Granted I don’t know how humane grabbing rabbits by the neck or sucking them up via vaccum is... but compared to lord “shot them and use their dead carcasses to prove my love to you”, it’s still far less psycotic. They also suck up Victor’s hairpiece, to his annoyance. 

Her Ladyship though is throughly impressed.. and throughly turned on by wallace. And while as we’ve established the thought of Wallace climaxing...has an effect on me

I can see why he’d be attractive to someone given he’s kind, thoughtful and while a little attracted to her ladyship a through professional. She invites him to stop by any time. Lord Incel is not amused now that his girlfriend you know, has an option that cares about her and not trying to break his neck swimming aorund in a pile of coins because unlike Scrooge he has no upper body strength. Profiteering!  

There’s still the storage issue though. I mean i’d love pile upon pile of rabbits in my basement, but that’s on a conceptual level. Feeding them’s expensive, the waste situation would be too horrifying to comptemplate and my brother currently lives down there so I think he’d have a few objections to that. So Wallace goes for the simple solution: Brainwash the bunnies into not liking veg using the mind manipulation-o-matic!

But lucky for Wallace the ethics commity for small wallace and gromit town consists of a really stern poster of alan rickman that says DON’T under a picture of him that Wallace already lost, so tampering with the minds of innocent creatures it is! 

So Wallace hooks himself up to the Bun Vac which I gotta take a second to say is just a gorgeous effect, though one using CG. But it’s telling I honestly couldn’t tell watching it, and i’m perfectly okay with mixing cg into a stop motion animatied movie to do things you simply CAN’T do with clay or puppets. 

So shockingly Wallace trying to change a creatures basic nature with a giant fishbowl helmet hooked to a giant vacum on his head goes badly and a bunch of rabbits get jammed in the top of the vac an donce gets into Wallace’s helmet directly. The resulting explosion seemingly cures the Rabbit of liking Veg, Wallace considers it a success and the two go to bed.

Naturally given the film’s title and Wallace doing something that’s dumb even for him...

We get the titular were-rabbit that night that makes a mockery of Wallace’s own defenses, eats metric tons of Veg, and scares the shit out of the local Vicar, whose a parody of your standard doomsaying old man in a horror film.

So the next morning our heroes awake to ALL the alarms going off, and a pissed off town meeting ensues

Naturally our heroes are yelled at for not doing enough.. even though their traps were built for a regular rabbit and not the immortal hulk of hares. Though our heroes sleeping through it is on them.. and you know CREATING this problem in the first place. 

The Vicar naturally rambles for a bit about the beast in classic Hammer Horror fashion. What a pro. Crazy Ralph would be proud. To throw assholine on the fire, Victor comes in, says the poor old man is drunk, and then wants to shoot this monster in the head. 

Thankfully Totty stands up for our heroes and shoots down, pun not intended but welcomed, Victor’s “kill the thing we don’t understand plan. So our heroes now have the biggest job of their lives catching a beast they unknowingly created.  So Wallace naturally has a plan: Build a sexy lady giant killer rabbit to lure it out and have gromit show it off. 

SHOCKINGLY this only results in said puppet falling off the roof and Wallace going to repair it .. only to disappear. Suddenly the beast shows up, if only underground.. but making a giant hill as it goes. Gromit gives chase and we get an excellently crafted chase sequence... but despite having a lasso, Gromit looses the beast. 

The next day Wallace is mad because Gromit supposidly abadoned him.. which is the ONLY time in this entire retrospective he’s been rightfully mad over anything. Who knew?

But Gromit soon gets distracted when he notes a trail.. and finds it leads to their basement, seemingly confirming that one of the rabbits, Hutch, is the monster.  

So they go to their specalities: Gromit actually tries to solve the problem by building a trap and Wallace welll....

And don’t get me wrong he makes all the gadgets.. .but at the same time those gadgets have also caused problems in 4/5 of these works: Leaking oil, which pissed off the Moon Meter Robot Thing, allowing the plot of wrong trousers to happen, giving preseton the means to make sheep into meat and of course deciding to play god with a rabbits mind then being shocked that it went horribly horribly wrong. So it’s really hard to give him credit for his inventive mind when it screws him over as much as it helps him. 

So while Wallace goes to tell her ladyship the good news, and her ladyship invites him for a light super/date, Gromit finds more tracks after imprisoning hutch.. that go straight to wallace’s room.. which is caked in half eaten vegtables. Wallace is the Were-Rabbit... and the suns about to go down

And Then There’s The Other Guy....

So Gromit scrambles to go rescue Wallace from himself...

While Wallace has a good dinner with chemistry with her ladyship, even wearing the purple sweatervest.... while also showing signs he’s a  rabbit man now. It’s just a cute as hell scene. 

So Totty takes Wallace to her secret place.... which thankfully isn’t some slang term but her vegtable garden, which is worse for her than if she had actually taken him to bed but better for me and my sanity after last time. So anyway, we then get the two giggling together sensually offscreen just as Victor arrives for another half assed courting attemped and is naturally incredibly cross about this.

....

Okay putting my horror in a box and shoving it under my desk with all my other garbage, let’s talk about the fact Totty is semi-cheating on her boyfriend. She IS in a relationship with Victor, and shoudln’t be doing this and shoudl’ve just broken it off with him as it’s implied she was simply too polite to tell him she dosen’t want the kind of relationship he does. Just because your partner is an asshole it does not make it okay to cheat if you CAN break it off. She still retains some sympathy because Victor is a massive asshat and clearly dosen’t care about her, but it’s clear Aardman didn’t think the implications through on this bit. 

Victor stomps off while Gromit pulls up to stop the date and uses the sprinklers to do so. Wallace is ONCE AGAIN actually legit pissed at Gromit... granted he’s not asking WHY Gromit’s doing these things but at the same time Gromit isn’t TRYING to explain it. Though in this specific case, he dosen’t have a choice. He can LATER but right now he needs to get Wallace too. 

Unfortunately for our heroes they hit a few road blocks: a giant log in the road, without the proper hm to take care of it.. and Victor who shows up as Wallace is trying to remove the log and, in a shocking show of smarts, has his hunting dog keep Gromit inside as even someone with his head up his ass like Victor can see who the real threat is. Victor wants to beat Wallace up for “stealing” lady from him, which even if I don’t like the cheating thing... isn’t exactly how to solve this, and if she wants someone else beating the other guy up isn’t going to make her want YOU more. If you being a hypermasculine pile of orangutan cocks was something that was attractive to her in the first place why would she be going to someone like wallace?

Still the point is moot as there’s a bad moon on the rise... and thus we get our transformation sequence. And as you’d expect from Aardman, it, is, GLORIOUS. It’s horrifying, played completely straight and really would fit in a claymation horror movie, but also beautiful, easily topping some actual horror movies i’ve seen, with Wallace’s pain and slow growth hauntingly desplayed. victor is terrified as is his hound who wants in the truck with Gromit just.. giving him a slow motion head nod no in the best way possible. 

And thus we meet Were-Wallace.. and he’s naturally adorable as the real thing, and props to them for this puppet. It’s still a practical effect, though unlike the usual puppets due to it’s size parts of it are automated so they can control it remotely, something that really COUDLN’T be helped given it’s size. Still it looks fantastic. Wallace then throws the giant log.. but not at victor he just wanted to get home. Gromit speeds off, hitting his lordship on the way...

Though Victor.. has plans and goes to the Vicar to get himself prepared... to slay wallace. Yes he’s decided to MURDER the guy just for dating someone he was also dating.

The scene with him and the vicar is fucking amazing though including the classic line where the Vicar says what will take out the rabbit is...... is..... a bullet. Victor of all people has to get him to specify what kind.. which turns out to be gold. 

24 Carat to be percise. God I love that pun. 

Back at home wallace, despite having Rabbit ears now is in denial about being a rabbit monster, and Gromit is naturally annoyed with it and takes Wallace downstairs, showing that Hutch not only is still locked up.. but unleashing the HORROR that is his current form.... or rather the adorable as we get our animal sidekick for the picture. 

Turns out Hutch has become a mini wallace, wearing his sweatervest and saying pitched up old lines from past shorts and this very film. I love everything about this and have no notes. 

So Wallace finally accepts he’s become the very thing he’s been hunting and resolves to fix it, while in town at the festival turns out Wallace went on the rampage last night again, so the town wants to cancel things, which Totty is against because this is her family’s legacy. Victor offers a solution though: he’ll shoot the creature and everyone but Totty agrees.. with Totty forced to go along with it for her family name and promising the asshole to make it quick. My heart just breaks for this poor woman and given how Callous victor is about just.. ignoring how she’d feel about this and taking blatant advantage of her desperation, yeah I can’t blame her for cheating. Still don’t think it’s 100% right for personal reasons, but Victor is a monster through and through.

So that night Wallace TRIES to fix things.. but his brain is too rabbity and unfocused to access his usual genius, which makes the poor guy break down. Thankfully Hutch inherited his poppa’s genius and begins fixing the mind manipulation o matic, while Totty shows up with the bad news and her disappointment in Wallace for seemingly lying to her, when in fact he simply jumped the gun. He’s forced to shoo her off... and transforms again, once again looking amazing and with that we’ve reached our climax. 

Rabbit Rampage:

To avoid his master being shot, which for a refreshing change of pace feels earned in this film compared to “Wrong Trousers” and “Loaf and Death” as Wallace hasn’t actively done anything ot make the dog’s life worse this time and the worst he’s done, create this whole mess by turning himself into a were bun, is just as bad for him as it is for everyone else. 

So Gromit uses the rabbit puppet from earlier to fool Victor and lure wallace out.. who procedes to grab the rabbit puppet’s ass.

I.. I couldn’t end this retrospective with my brain in tact could I aardman? you just had to put in twice the horny Wallace. 

But naturally Victor tries shooting the puppet and while this allows Wallace to escape, it also leaves him amok, gives Victor free reign to toss Gromit in one of his own traps and then into his own greenhouse and then head after Wallace. 

At the fair everyone assumes Victor won and is happy about it... except Totty who understandably isn’t happy a sentient creature was snuffed out for something he coudln’t control. Things take a turn for the panic as Victor TRIES to tell the local constable the rabbit is still alive quitely.. and he procedes to shout it into a megaphone. 

So with that a panic insues as Victor tries to dispell the panic... by shooting into the air, leaving him with one bullet.  We also get a great scene with Mrs.Growbag, the customer from the begining, running off with her “baby”.. only to run into Wallace.. and then to bring Wallace right TO them. 

Thankfully Gromit arrives> While all this has been going on he’s been trying to escape only to give into despair.. only for Hutch to save him, since his voice pring also works as he has wallace’s voice just a bit squeaky, and the two team up, using Wallace’s prized melon to lure the hungry bun-man. It almost works.. until victor naturally screws things up again by shooting. He misses thankfully, but he proceeds to dig himself digger by trying to yank the golden carrot, the prize for the festival, as he’s out of golden bullets. 

He made one mistake though.. he made an ex green beret mad.. no wait no.. he made a giant hulk-like rabbit man made. That’s actually worse. Nick Park admitted he had fun with this scene as it was a reason for Wallace of all people to go on a rampage as Wallace as he attacks Victor and hurls him away

This of course looks to the crowd like he’s just hurling an innocent man protecting them aside and not a steaming bag of dicks given human form so a king kong homage insues. In order to catch up to him, wallace takes one of the coin operated plane rides at the contest, it also has alls orts of neat carnival stuff, and RIDES IT UP A BUILDING IN ORDER TO CHASE AFTER HIS MASTER. But wait, there’s more, then Victor’s hunting dog Phillip decides to give chase leading to a LITERAL DOG FIGHT IN CARNIVAL RIDE PLANES ATOP A SKYSCRAPER AND SOMETIMES IN THE ACTUAL AIR. 

It’s every bit as magical as it sounds and proves that Aardman CAN do a theatrical sized climax. We have Wallace pulling a king kong, Phillip chasing after him having stolen the carrot and put it in an elephant gun that’s on display for some reason, and Gromit trying to get to him while dog fighting ANOTHER dog. It might tie “Close Shave” for best climax in the series. 

We also get a great bit mid-dog fight where Phillip has gromit on the ropes via a bar, about to push him over when Gromit’s plane, which is coin operated runs out, so they have to stop to refill it, with Phillip even having a lovely flower pouch for his coins. It’s just.. beautiful. 

So while Gromit has the fight of his life, Wallace gets Totty alone, and eventually shows her who he is, by doing the little rabbit gesture he did at dinner I forgot to mention because this review has taken several days longer than it should've. 

So Victor comes in and tries to shoot him only for her to mentoin it’s wallace and you know, maybe don’t shoot a person.... only for Victor to let it slip he KNOWS that and wants to kill him anyway. Thankfully Totty finally comes to her senses, sprays the guy with Pansy Spray...

And dumps him.. which she shoudl’ve done earlier but hey. No time like the present. Victor isn’t deterred though and has a villianous breakdown chasing after Wallace into the fairground. 

Thankfully Gromit finishes his dogfight in time and takes the bullet, so to speak, for Wallace with his plane, saving him, winning the crowds respect for.. some reason.Wallace and Gromit fall into the cheese tent, while victor tries to gloat.. only for Lady to smack him with the reclaimed trophy.

So with all four now in the tent, Wallace seemingly dies only to be revivied by some Stinky Bishop cheese.. which is a real, actual factual brand of cheese. With that he’s saved, and they put Victor in the rabbit costume and let the mob chase him into the sunset. A fitting end for sunch an unfit wanker. 

So with that our heroes go back home and un-wallace hutch, Totty presents gromit with the award and says she can’t be with Wallace, and Wallace has a smaller portion of cheese. Huh a bit unsatisfying really, seems like it’s just a lesser version of the close shave ending.... and as the creators said Hutch was so much of a character at this point, it seemd a shame to basically kill him. Really weak stuff

Yup that was just the alternate ending to the film. The real ending has Totty give Gromit the carrot and it seem like her and Wallace are getting married.. only for it to be her and the constable them breaking up amicably and our heroes letting the buns loose on the Worchestcire border, a joke so british my yankee ass dosen’t get it. A little better.. but let’s try this one more time shall we?

Yeah as you could probably guess, this was ANOTHER unsused endings, both rejected for obvious reasons: the first not only basically killed Hutch, but was again a retread of Close Shave, intetionally so but clearly underwhelming> The second was a BIT better and they were going to pipe in audio, but they felt wasn’t nice to wallace.

So we get our real ending. We get the carrot, which Gromit damn well earned, and the wedding fake out.. but this time instead Totty has turned her manor into a bunny sanctuary. The buns are freed onto her lawn included hutch, giving them a new, safe home, Totty friends and Wallace and Totty a future at some point. I like to think the next flim happened, THEN they got together after as they were just friends during the course of that film. I mean their just cut together. 

So our heroes drive off into the sunset as we conclude this epic story.

Final Thoughts on the Film: 

This film is excellent and I hope it streams again someday so everyone can share in how awesome it is. Aardman has the rights so WHY it isn’t I have no idea. But regardless this is the finest work in their catalouge, an epic journey with great side characters, a wonderfully daft main concept in a were rab bit and using vegtables as the victims in a horror spoof and SOOOOO many jokes I couldnt’ cram them into this review without it getting tedious. If you can find this movie cheap on dvd, pick it up. It’s gorgeously animated, acted and scrpited and is Aardman’s finest work i’ve seen to date, and that’s high as praise as I can give any film. It has everything that makes the franchise work stuffed into a 90 minute magnum opus. 

Final Thoughts on the Franchise:  Well that does it for now. If it turns out I can play the game on my comptuer, or it ever comes to switch, i’ll review the telltale game at some point, and I might return someday to do the shorts and the world of invention series. But ofr now the sun has set on everyone’s faviorite british duo. 

So in rewatching the series what did I think of it? Simple.. it’s excellent. I had my issues here adn there but overall these films are STILL masterworks, some of the best short subjects ever spawned, and easily one of both Dreamworks and Aardman’s finest films with this one. The sheer mind boggling feats they can do with clay, the warm and loving humor and the utterly amazing climaxes make this series a true classic and worth revisiting if you haven’t in a while. I was happy as could be to revisit it over these past few weeks and would gladly do so again and again and again. 

So to close this out a quick ranking of the works just for funs sakes, though if you’ve been following these you can probably guess. From best to weakest...

Curse of the Were-Rabbit A Close Shave The Wrong Trousers A Grand Day Out A Matter of Loaf and Death

So with that I bid these boys a fond farewell. I do intend to return to Aardman at some point, though I can’t say for certain when as i’d have to grab most of their filmography first, but if nothing else this film made me want to grab the rest of the aardman catalouge and relive my life a bit. So look forward to that. 

As for what Kev, who made this whole thing possible’s got cookin for me next: this week I go back to the disney afternoon for the tailspin and chip n dale pilots, and then.... it’s time to face a god. After that.. it’s halloween... and I think things are going to get a bit...

Thanks for reading. 

[phoebehalliwell]

I wonder how Chris’ relationship with his fam would shift if he (and Bianca obvi because in the good charmed in my head she’d not dead 😂) stayed in the past? Like he’s “born” in the new timeline but it’s not him (plot twist it’s Mel and now this Chris is the youngest!). Like he’s a Halliwell but he’s not, he didn’t get to live up to that legacy. Not to mention he’s almost as old as his parents (sorta) and everyone is so different from what he knew?

Like I can see Piper offering to let him stay at the manor but Chris declines. So when he gets his own place she insists on coming over and cooking him home cooked meals (they bond over it) and he gets back some of that childhood he never had. Plus Bianca getting to learn how to have a proper family and being adopted into the Haliwells as Piper slowly breaks down her walls with her sheer force of will (and food) 😂

Idk Bianca was such a waisted character and you have made me fall in love with her character again! !! 💖💖

i feel like as far as his relationship to his technical siblings i think chris would basically be an uncle like he and bianca would be like uncle chris & aunt bianca to the next gen but at the same time i think he'd still call piper "mom" and anyone who hears it would just go hey um what oh wait hmm oh hmmm because like. idk about about y'all but To Me that situation really reads like teen pregnancy (even tho there's less than a ten year age delta between him n piper i think if you're not close enough to know exactly what happened you're not close enough to know Both of their ages and do the math). i also think the name chris would now be off the table for the next gen (and i think it would be wonderful if mellie was born next!! bonus if she had a feature like blonde hair or brown eyes something that really screams This Isn't Chris) so we get melinda penelope and then a third kid which will just like. Also be a daughter bc i can. and you know what the daughter can be names patricia christina just as like a lil shout hey hey thanks 4 saving the world.

in regards to Specifically legacy / relationship to the halliwells, i think chris would continue to go by perry and only occasionally call on the halliwell name when it would like. have a really big impact to do so. i also think chris is more likely to live with victor than he is to live in the manor because like quite frankly. i mean a) the manor's crowded a lot's going on there b) constant demon attacks but c) i don't think chris coming from the dark timeline has ever felt wanted by the manor i mean obviously it's a seat of power there's the nexus and it has to choose u right that's kinda how it works right so i think evil wyatt really wanted the manor as his bc that really cements his place and i really thing chris tried to hold onto it like whatever it takes like not let the house fall to dark magic but i think he failed so. i think he's not like. a huge fan of the manor. or he thinks the manor isn't a huge fan of him. and then i don't think he and bianca would live in the same place off the bat but i think once them become Officially engaged again they probably move in together (okay you know what could actually make a quirky sitcom? chris and bianca living in the giant montana manor with richard. actually i would love to see that. besties. i love richard.)

and then bianca. 💞💕 my love. for starters, i think the girls would be just straight up fascinated with her because they have so few other witch friends (friends being used loosely here) like really the only other witch they know is like richard who like. i say this with love in my heart. is like a fuck up that's a big part of his character is that he's a fuck up. as opposed to bianca who really is like a master. i think paige would really be interested from bianca from like a craft perspective, i think phoebe, esp after having lost her powers, would be interested from a combat perspective, and i think piper would be really interesting in a "tell me about your mother" sense. i don't think bianca'd be able to touch the book of shadows at first. mainly bc i want the drama and the big emotional moment when she finally can, but i'm justifying his by her being a neutral figure so theoretically she can but like the book can smell all the blood on her hands so to speak it knows how many lives she has willing taken and is protecting itself accordingly. and then for what it's worth i think bianca really reminds piper of prue because like. she is so hard on herself. she has to be the best. and when it comes to chris, like she sees how protective she is of him and like how she'll totally go behind his back if that means saving him it's just her fierce loyalty coupled with like. no self-forgiveness. piper's really seen it before. oh hell u know what. chris and bianca live in suburbia with derek and they help raise the manticore baby. anyways. i really just want a scene where chris is doing something he's really tightly would he's like arguing with phoebe and paige he's like you know what fuck this where's piper maybe Someone Here will be able to see reason and phoebe's like bet she's gonna side w me but u can try she's in the kitchen and chris goes in the kitchen and bianca's helping piper cook and it almost just stops him in his tracks because it's like. they won you know? they actually did it? they got what they were fighting for. and now here they are and piper's in the kitchen teaching bianca family recipes and it's just like wow. : ). and then phoebe rolls up and chris is like right okay here's [situation] and piper's like i agree with chris and phoebe's like what the fuck and bianca goes mm no i actually think phoebe's right and chris is like hey what the fuck???

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars XCII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: :)

Words: 4,243

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Liste to: Under The Last Falling Star -by Matthew Perryman Jones

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Milestone.

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" said Hermione indignantly.

"Keep your voice down! I just need to — sort of fine-tune it, all right?"

Mel snorted, sending a pillow directly to its target.

They were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm today — the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room — Professor Flitwick, for instance.

"Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry hissed as Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly past them, landing on top of a large cabinet. "I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody..."

This class was an ideal cover for a private conversation, as everyone was having far too much fun to pay them any attention. Harry had been recounting his adventures of the previous night in whispered installments for the last half hour.

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off). "What... d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," said Harry, waving his wand without paying much attention, so that his cushion did an odd sort of belly flop off the desk. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something..."

"What?" said Ron, his eyes widening, his next cushion spinning high into the air, ricocheting off the chandelier, and dropping heavily onto Flitwick's desk. "Harry... maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Oh Ron," said Hermione, shaking her head sceptically, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?"

"Whatever he did before, it must've been quite badly if it already made him lost his first chance, Dumbledore is usually quite forgiving..."

"I don't care what Moody says," Hermione continued. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit —"

"— evil," said Ron. "Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"Why has Mr Crouch been pretending to be ill? It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?"

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky."

"You just want to think Snape's up to something."

"I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one, like Mel said," said Harry. He did a quick movement and his cushion flew across the room and landed swiftly.

"Look at that!" Mel smiled. "You're finally catching up, Glasses!"

After her talk with Flint, she felt she was lucky to have something as unimportant as a crush as her major issue. Actually, she just thought she was lucky, period. To have the opportunity to fall in love with someone who cared for her -though maybe not as much as she did- someone who was her best friend, wasn't something to be sad about.

Harry told them the strange announcement the golden egg gave him, apparently, he'd have to face the merpeople while looking for something they were meant to take away from him. It was starting to be a problem and Mel wanted nothing more but to find a solution, she was glad that when Valentine's day arrived, they were too busy with their research for any of them to actually notice. She only knew it because it was her mother's birthday and she had to send her present first thing in the morning. Hermione however, found herself having quite a lovely -and secret- date with Victor Krum, while Mel made sure to keep Ron and Harry in the library for the whole day.

At nine o'clock Mel was in the common room next to Neville doing their potions homework, quietly going through their answers she tried not to think about the previous February and how even though she wasn't expecting anything, she couldn't help but feel disappointed over the fact that she and Harry would never spend one of those as a couple.

"Hi..."

Mel gave a start, looking up from her parchment she found Harry.

"Hello," Mel picked up her bag from the chair so he could sit. "Any luck?"

"Nothing," He sat down beside her with a heavy sigh. "I'm going to lose..."

"If I were a prat," She said, scribbling the last few sentences of her work. "I'd say I told you so because you should've done your research earlier... but I'm not a prat, so I'll say this: It's going to be okay. You're a fast learner, I bet you'll figure this out in no time."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed lightly before turning back to her paper and skim through it to look for any mistakes.

"I'll be going to bed now," Neville told her, putting his things away and standing up. "Happy Valentine's by the way, hope I didn't interrupt your plans or anything..."

She gave him a puzzled look, smiling. "What plans?"

"I don't know, Valentine's day..?" He shrugged, pointing vaguely to them.

Mel turned to see Harry, she realized they were still holding hands. Begging for the earth to swallow her, she retreated her hand and cleared her throat awkwardly. "We, uh- we aren't dating, Neville."

"Oh," Neville blushed. "I'm sorry... it's just– you went to the ball together and I... I'm sorry guys..."

"It's okay," Harry smiled tightly.

Neville left them in the middle of tense silence. Mel slowly put away each of her quills, parchment and ink, she felt like every movement had an echo of her friend's words. Funny how everyone always thought they were dating even if they hadn't kissed in public. Maybe the rest thought they just weren't fond of doing so.

Ironically, far from feeling ashamed, Mel felt the tiniest hope creeping up her chest, maybe Harry would warm up to the idea if everyone just kept insisting that they looked cute together, maybe he'd end up agreeing? Maybe she should listen to Hermione and flirt back to see where it'd take her..?

No! It was out of the question, their friendship was first.

Harry cleared his throat. "I know we don't... you know, together?"

"What?" Mel blinked, not knowing what he was trying to say.

"Do our friends ask you if we're dating as much as they ask me?" He asked quietly.

What was he up to?

What was he trying to do, asking questions like that?

"A few times," She tried to sound as collected as possible. "Parvati and Lavender... Angelina did it once, I think the twins pushed her to... it's silly, we're a little– er, cuddly," She cringed at the word, but kept going, "doesn't mean... you know..."

"Yes," Harry nodded, anxiously biting the tip of a quill. She was too distraught to let him now the quill was hers. "What d'you think?"

"About what they say? As I said, it's silly–"

"About dating," He then added in a hurry. "Not us! But... er– dating someone who's a friend, I mean... you think it'd be stupid?"

Mel looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since the year had started. The dark circles under his eyes from nights spent worrying, his hair a mess –but that was normal– and his gaze clouded with anxiety, yet, there was something else peering through...

'If you could see the way he looks at you...'

She wanted nothing more than to see this from an outsider's point of view. Someone older that knew how love looks like. No more wondering...

"Glasses," Her voice sounded like it could break at any moment. "I have no idea."

She had to admit that at that moment, something was whispering in her ear that eventually, they would find their answer.

"I don't reckon it can be done," said Ron's voice flatly from the other side of the table. "There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!"

"You guys are a headache," Mel growled, rubbing her temples.

"I know what I should have done," said Harry, facedown on an open book. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."

Mel snorted. "Oh, really? Why didn't we think of that?"

"You could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" said Ron.

"Or a frog," Harry replied tiredly.

"It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," said Hermione, clearly ignoring they weren't being serious. "Professor McGonagall told us, remember... you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office... what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it..."

"Hermione, I was joking. I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning..."

"As a side note, though, registering is optional," Mel added distractedly.

"No, it's not," Hermione scowled.

"It is if you got the nerve..."

"Oh this is no use," Hermione closed her book roughly. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," Fred Weasley walked out of a corner next to George. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Mel. And Hermione."

"Why?"

"Dunno... she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office."

The girls looked at Ron and Harry. "Perhaps it has to do with our last work for Transfiguration? Maybe she thinks we copied?"

"We have the same book! Of course, some things might be similar!" Hermione exclaimed in outrage.

"Perhaps she doesn't want you to help me anymore," Harry said. "Maybe she thinks it's unfair..."

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione assure them. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," said the boys.

"Don't lose hope," Mel said, glancing at him one last time before following the twins.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Mel said. "We're going to what?"

"The task is very clear, Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall repeated calmly. "The champions must rescue their loved ones from the lake, it's a simple spell and it'll break as soon as you touch the surface. Don't be alarmed, there's no way you could get hurt."

"But the..." Mel looked at Hermione. "Why us?"

"Well, it surprises me that you have to ask that," McGonagall looked at her over her glasses, "who else, if not you?"

"But we're..." She looked at Hermione again, still confused. "The two of us? How come we're Harry's loved ones?"

"Oh no," The woman replied like it was stupid to think they were. "Miss Granger is here for Krum if I'm correct?"

Hermione turned a deep scarlet shade. "I s'pose so," She said quietly.

Mel was having a hard time understanding what was about to happen, so she couldn't find it in herself to tease the girl.

"So if all doubts have been cleared, could you please come with me to the Headmaster's office?"

The girls followed her, Cho Chang and little blonde girl standing side by side looked as overwhelmed as them.

"Hi," Cho said.

"Oh, you're here," Dumbledore smiled at them. Madame Maxime, Bagman, Percy Weasley and Karkaroff were there as well. "Has Professor McGonagall explained everything?"

Mel and Hermione nodded quietly.

"Brilliant!" Bagman smiled widely. "So then Dumbledore, I think we should do it now..."

Mel turned to look at Hermione in panic. "I'm going to die."

"You're not."

"Harry has no idea of what's about to happen or how to fight back," Mel stated. "I'm a goner."

"D'you really think Dumbledore would let you die?"

That calmed her a bit, but she still felt awful for Harry. "I hope this doesn't make him more nervous than he already is..."

They watched as the little girl -who had to be related to Fleur- fell unconscious. McGonagall summoned a stretcher and they laid her there. Cho gave them a nervous smile.

"Bad time to be dating, huh?"

Hermione returned the smile, Mel felt a strange sense of pride mixed with embarrassment. Cho was dating Cedric, but not only that, she thought Mel and Harry were dating as well. She felt so guilty for disliking her before!

When Hermione finally laid next to Cho and the girl, Mel knew it was time to get a hold of herself and accept this was happening, look less afraid than how she was feeling. Dumbledore didn't need to say anything, with just a look she got all the information she needed. No matter what, things would turn out the way they had to. She needn't be afraid. One second she was staring into his kind blue eyes, and then...

She was pushed back into reality under the sunlight, her mouth opened and she gasped for air, blinking furiously to get rid of the droplets blurring her eyesight.

"Don't like this, don't like this," She felt her stomach drop at the realization that she was still in the water and her feet weren't the ground, every time she moved she would sink a little, spitting out water as she did.

Around her, the merpeople were swimming comfortably, and they were all wearing the same amused grin. Only then she was aware of the firm grip on her waist and the gasps of air coming from her left.

"Harry!" She held onto him, neither of them was good swimming. Her confusion increased when she saw the blonde girl with them as well. "What..?"

"C'mon," Harry breathed, "help me with her, I don't think she can swim very well."

Mel helped him without question until they reached the closest platform. Madam Pomfrey was there checking the champions and their companions, Erick -and Ron, who for some reason was there as well- helped Harry to pull the girls to the surface.

Ron helped the little girl and handed her a thick towel and a blanket, though he did it distractedly, looking at Harry with a frown.

"What did you bring her for?"

"Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her," Harry climbed up with difficulty.

"Harry, you prat," Ron rolled his eyes annoyingly, "you didn't take that song thing seriously, did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of them drown!"

Harry frowned. "The song said —"

"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit! I hope you didn't waste time down there acting the hero!" His best friend scolded. Mel had a feeling, that it was exactly what he'd done.

Erick unfolded a blanket and covered her shoulders with it, as he leaned he whispered, "I hope this cleared things out for you..."

"W-What'd you mean?" She stammered.

"You idiot," The boy replied with exasperation, "think a bit! The only champion that didn't save their partner was Fleur, the rest had to save their girlfriends, what does that say about Harry?"

Mel opened her mouth, but nothing came out of it, instead, she was distracted by Fleur's screams.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"

"She's fine," Harry sighed, he looked exhausted.

"It was ze grindylows... zey attacked me... oh Gabrielle, I thought... I thought..."

"Come here, you," said Madam Pomfrey. She seized both Harry and Mel and pulled them over to Hermione and the others forcing a measure of potion down their throats. Steam gushed out of their ears in no time.

"Harry, well done!" Hermione exclaimed. "You did it, you found out how all by yourself!"

"Well —" Harry looked at them, and then at Karkaroff, who was behind them, and gulped. "Yeah, that's right..."

'He's lying', Mel thought, but she was so happy to be back on solid ground that she didn't comment on it.

"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," Krum said dubiously.

Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry... Did it take you ages to find us?"

"No... I found you okay..." He seemed aggravated every time someone asked him about his journey. Mel was curious, but between her own adrenaline and what Erick insinuated, she couldn't find the right thing to say.

Dumbledore was calmy talking with the leader of the merpeople. She was screeching back and forth with the old man, it looked funny, but Mel figured that he had to be talking mermish. When he stood up, he said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."

"Harry," She said, finally starting to catch up with her surroundings, "what did you do?"

Harry gave her a grumpy look, but before he could reply, Fleur walked up to them.

"Look after Gabrielle," She told Madame Pomfrey sternly, then she looked back at the group. "You saved 'er," she said to Harry in shock. "Even though she was not your 'ostage."

"Yeah," Harry pouted.

Fleur kissed Harry twice on each cheek without hesitation. She then turned to Mel and Ron. "And you — you 'elped —"

"Yeah," said Ron, beaming at her, "yeah, a bit —"

Fleur kissed both of them just like she'd done with Harry. Mel felt a nice, pleasant tug at the base of her stomach, Hermione was fuming.

"Hey, what are you doing here anyway?" Mel asked Ron.

"Dumbledore picked me to be your replacement!" He smirked. "I'm a member of the committee."

"It's been a blast," Erick said with sarcasm. "Never had more fun in my life, Ron's a sight for sore eyes."

"Likewise, you prick," Ron retorted, but he was too happy about Fleur's kisses to actually care.

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed out with the results.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows... Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

"I deserved zero," said Fleur reproachfully.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Mel pouted, then hissed when Hermione pinched her arm.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We, therefore, award him forty-seven points." The crowd went mad, clapping happily at Cedric success, Mel did too, quite happy for him. This seemed to worsen Harry's mood, but she failed to notice.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points... Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect, he returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr Potter was first to reach the hostages and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Ron and Hermione both gave Harry frustrated expressions that didn't look completely surprised about this. Mel, on the other hand, looked at him beaming, if there was ever a moment when Mel felt extremely attracted to him, this was it.

"You stayed?" She asked. "To make sure they were safe?"

"Don't start," He grumbled, completely missing her admiration.

"Most of the judges," Bagman continued, "feel that this shows moral fibre and merits full marks. However... Mr Potter's score is forty-five points."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked back at his friends, who were all clapping excitedly.

"There you go, Harry!" Ron shouted. "You weren't being thick after all — you were showing moral fibre!"

Mel laughed openly, relief washing over her as she pulled Harry in for a kiss (on the cheek) to which he blushed madly. Everyone except Krum and Karkaroff celebrated.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

"It's done," Mel sighed.

"It's done," Harry nodded in a daze.

That night she couldn't bring herself to sleep, she tossed and turned in her bed and decided to go to the common room and read a bit, maybe that would calm her. As she walked into the room, she found Harry on his own.

"Hey," He looked up and smiled. "Can't sleep, my nerves haven't slowed down..."

"Yeah, me too," She slowly made her way to him and sat down, shoulder to shoulder.

Grey appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto Mel's lap. She chuckled quietly before scratching his ears. "So..." She started, "you must be very proud of your moral fibre..."

"Bugger off," He grinned. "I got lucky, that's all..."

"You did," She nodded. "Care to tell me what happened?"

Harry explained to her that Dobby woke him up in the library, handed him a bunch of jellyweed and told him the basics of the task.

"Hey, that reminds me!" She said. "You never showed me your socks! You know, the ones Dobby made for you..."

"I'll wear them tomorrow to honour him," He said happily, "How does that sound?"

"Lovely," Mel smiled.

They were once again silent, although it didn't mean they didn't want to speak. For the first time in a while, Harry dared to be forward.

"I got scared when Dobby told me you were taken," He was stroking Grey's back. "I know that makes me an idiot, but I really thought you were in danger..."

"I don't think you're an idiot," She said. "I think you're great."

"Everyone's right when they say I'm too young," He shook his head. "Bet the others didn't believe the song was real..."

"Fleur looked quite scared if you ask me."

He shook his head again. "I'm barely making it through, I won't win."

"You don't have to win, Glasses," She said softly. "You don't need to prove anything, as long as you're satisfied with your work."

"You're not mad that I lost?"

"Why?" She said in amusement. "Get mad because you waited for the others? That was such a selfless thing to do! It'd be really shitty to be mad at the person who saved my life... again."

Harry's smile shifted into a teasing smirk. "So you admit that I've saved your life multiple times?"

"Never said you hadn't..."

"You're grateful that I'm always there to help?"

"What do you want me to say?" She laughed.

He stared at her for a second too long, the playful glint vanished.

"I don't like Joseph," He blurted out, "I don't like Erick either, but not because of his house."

Harry leaned forward and Mel leaned back, not knowing what was going on.  

"I thought they liked you and that was annoying," He continued, "because I like you, and I have nothing."

Something in her dropped and expanded until every inch of her skin tingled with anticipation.

"That's not true," She said quietly, but Harry wasn't listening, he was ready to let every thought out.

"I'm not tall! Not tall at all! I wear glasses– Erick's hair is always nice, his cousin looks like he stepped out of your novels– And... and they speak French!"

"Harry–"

"–Fred and George are popular too, they make you laugh... I just get you in trouble and drive you mad–"

"Harry!"

"–You've almost died at least four times thanks to me, of course you wouldn't like me– not when all I do is get you hurt–"

"Glasses!"

Harry stopped and stared at her in distress.

"Are you done?"

"No. I could go for hours," He admitted.

"You don't have to."

"Why?"

"Because I fancy you too!" Mel exclaimed in exasperation.

"Okay!" He blinked, a small frown on his face. "Oh... sorry."

Mel let out an anxious laugh, Harry laughed too, then cupped her face and kissed her.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha​ @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere​ @t-rexs-world

[sincerelyasomebody]

All That Glitters || Jose "Sad Eyes" Guzman

(GIF Credit: @merakiaes)

A/N: Jose will be used in the form of Sad Eyes' name, as far as I know his actual name hasn't been revealed in the show. I tried my best to correct any mistakes I could find. I am not a native Spanish speaker, translations will be at the bottom. If there are any mistakes, please let me know. Thanks! 

Pairing(s): Sad Eyes x Reader ▪︎ OC x Reader (past relationship)

Summary: A family get-together turns into an emotional rollercoaster. 

Warnings: angsty, fluff, language, mentions of cheating, talks of death, unsupportive mother and stepfather

Word Count: 2419

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

Nana Helen and Papa Victor were absolutely adored by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Not only adored but highly respected.

Therefore introducing a significant other to them was a big deal. It was something only done if you saw yourself with that person in the long run. 

And (Y/N) saw a future with Jose. 

Sure, she had other relationships before he came along but they didn't reach this step. The furthest they ever got was her parents and siblings. So, when her relationship developed a connection she had never experienced, she knew it was only right to introduce him to the people who meant the world to her. 

From her spot in the kitchen, she looked into the living room and smiled as he sat with her nana on the couch. The old woman had pulled out the photo albums, pointing to each picture and telling the story behind it. Her papa in the armchair in the corner beside them.

Her nieces and nephews were spread across the floor in front of the t.v, immersed in the world that was Despicable Me. 

She could hear the laughter of her younger cousins upstairs. Not a doubt in her mind that they were doing Tik Tok videos. Her siblings were probably with them, she concluded, if the sound of a slap and a shout of her brother's name was anything to go by. 

The uncles and a few of her boy cousins were sitting in the backyard, sipping on beers and talking about Mike Tyson coming out of retirement. She was sure Jose would join them after talking with her grandparents. 

Which left her in the kitchen and dining room area with her mother, aunts and girl cousins. 

"You shouldn't have brought him." 

With a heavy sigh, she turned around and faced her mother, "not this again." She walked over to the sink to wash her hands before helping to chop up the vegetables for the salad. "He's my boyfriend."

Pauline looked at her daughter, "he's a gang member, (Y/N)."

She dumped the cut up vegetables into a salad bowl, "Ash, make yourself useful." She held out the bowl and large wooden fork and spoon. The girl in question stood up, with a huff pocketing her phone, and grabbed the outstretched items. 

When (Y/N) introduced Jose to her mother, Frank (she refused to call the man her mother married a month after the death of her father, dad), her brothers Samuel and Anthony, she didn't hide the fact he was a Santo. Although they lived a couple towns over, it wasn't hard to know the gang that ran (protected, she corrected) Freeridge. 

But, she didn't care. 

He was known as Sad Eyes, the feared right-hand man of the gang leader Spooky, in the streets. If there were issues he was sent to deal with them. He was also known as Jose, a momma's boy with a big heart and an appetite to match. He'd go to the ends of the Earth to make sure his family was taken care of. 

(Y/N) accepted both sides of him. 

But, most of all she loved both sides of him. 

Without another word, she walked into the living room and plopped herself next to her man. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

"Everything okay, mi alma?" 

She nodded, "yeah, don't worry about it." 

Helen beamed at the interaction, "oooh." She looked at her husband, "Vic look at our grandbaby." 

"I see her." He replied with a chuckle, "and she looks as happy as she was when she got that twenty dollars from the tooth fairy. Maybe even happier." 

(Y/N) buried her face into the crook of Jose's neck, causing a round of laughter from the three.

When the call for everybody to come to the dining room, (Y/N) and Jose got up off the couch. Jose helped Helen up, to which she patted his hand as a thank you. Victor waved him off when he tried to offer his hand, choosing to use his walking stick instead. They walked to where the food was, (Y/N) stayed behind to gather the little ones together.

"Lucas and Bryson," she called out to the eight year olds, they were the oldest of the bunch, "go upstairs and tell them it's time to eat." 

They nodded and sprinted to the staircase.

She picked up Melody, the three year old, who had fallen asleep on the ground, told the rest of the kids to get going and switched off the t.v. She followed them and handed Mel off to her dad, her cousin Micah. He thanked her and she walked over to Jose, taking his hand in hers. 

"Thank you all for coming." Helen looked at her family, all managing to squeeze into the dining room and kitchen, "Jose, thank you for being here." 

Jose smiled at her, "thank you for having me." 

(Y/N) couldn't help but grin at him, which got a few teasing words from the cousins. She laughed along with them, just happy that her grandma had accepted him. 

Victor spoke up, "yes, we're thankful for family," his eyes scanned over to Jose, "we're also thankful to have found someone who loves our (Y/N) very much. So, Jose, thank you… you don't know how much it truly means to see her happy." 

He responded with a nod, (Y/N) grinning wider if that was even possible. She was extremely elated, she just received the stamp of approval from her favourite people. 

"Te amo," she whispered. 

He bent down and pecked her lips, "Te amo." 

Victor led the family in prayer, before they dished out their meals. 

Loud chatter between the cousins occurred as they tried to decide what to grab, parents telling their children to get some salad and the grandparents making sure there was enough food for everyone. 

Before (Y/N) could grab herself and Jose a plate, the doorbell rang. 

Pauline rushed towards the front door. (Y/N), just like everybody else, was confused as the entire family had already been accounted for. That didn't stop them from wanting to see who it was though. 

When Pauline stepped back into the view of everyone with her ex boyfriend, Colby, by her side (Y/N) thought she might lose it. 

Thankfully, before she could say anything Samuel spoke up.

"What the fuck?" 

Pauline glared in his direction, "watch your mouth." 

Helen and Victor were confused with his behaviour, because Samuel knew better than to cuss in their home. 

"Samuel, listen to your mother." Helen reprimanded, "you know I don't like cussing." 

"Sorry, nana." He apologised, "but it's fucked up that mum would bring (Y/N)'s ex boyfriend to a family get-together while she's here with her current boyfriend." 

Anthony piped up, "straight up, disrespectful." 

Everyone looked back and forth between (Y/N) and the newcomer. 

(Y/N) glanced over at Jose, noticing his clenched jaw, she rubbed her thumb over his hand and stood on her toes to peck his cheek. 

He knew Pauline didn't like him, but he didn't think she'd pull something like this. Unfortunately for her, he and (Y/N) were solid. 

Colby held his hands up, "I didn't come here to cause any drama." His eyes focused on (Y/N), "I just want to talk to (Y/N)." 

She took a deep breath, "nana and papa, I'm sorry." She looked back at Colby, "fuck no," looking over at her mum, "fuck you," and then at Frank, "and fuck you, too 'cause I know you had something to do with it." tugging on Jose's hand, she moved through the kitchen, "we're leaving."

As they passed through the kitchen, living room and through the front door, (Y/N) ranting along the way.

"What the fuck was she thinking? That Colby would show up and I'd dump you to be with him," she threw her hands in the air, "no fucking way! As soon as I caught him cheating, it was a wrap."

They looked back over at the house, the (L/N) family plus one scrambling out of the door. They stayed on the porch except for Pauline, Frank, Colby, Helen and Victor who marched towards them. They both straightened up, waiting for what was to come. 

"(Y/N) (M/N) (L/N)!" screeched Pauline, "what's wrong with you." 

"Me? What's wrong with you? Why would you bring Colby here? What the fuck was going through your head to make you think that this was a good idea?" 

"He's better than -" 

She shook her head, "He's a fucking piece of shit "

"(Y/N), your mum was just -" 

"Shut up, Frank." She hissed, "nobody asked for your input." 

"Don't talk to him like that." 

"I can talk to him however the fuck I want." 

Pauline growled, "this is ridiculous," she turned to her parents, "he's in a gang! A c-criminal! You do know that right?" 

"Wow, (Y/N)... really?" Colby smirked.

(Y/N) glared at him, "why the fuck are you still here? Seriously, fuck off." 

"I want to -" 

"Yeah, I know what you want but you aren't getting anything from me." She cut him off, "so go away."

When he stepped towards her, Jose immediately jumped in front of her, blocking him from getting closer, "back up." 

Colby laughed, "what? You wanna fight?"

"Back up," he repeated, "last warning." 

Helen and Victor carefully watched the exchange, they already approved of Jose, even before Pauline exclaimed he was in a gang - they already knew. He told them himself and while it did make them uncomfortable, their opinion about him didn't change. If anything, they respected him for coming clean in the first place.

Out of all the grandchildren, (Y/N) spent the most time with them. 

They watched her grow from a curious child to a reserved teenager. She isolated herself when her father died and it worried them to no end. But they allowed her to grieve in whatever way she wanted. And as she grew into the woman she was today, their worries about her finding somebody worthy of her attention had vanished upon meeting Jose.

They couldn't have wished for a better person for their grandbaby to be with.

"Okay, boys that's enough." Victor spoke up, "Colton -"

"Colby." 

" - whatever your name is, move away from my granddaughter or else I'll have to deal with you," he exclaimed. 

Colby moved back to stand with Pauline and Frank, whereas Jose stood beside (Y/N). 

"(Y/N) and Jose, please come back inside." Helen gestured towards the house, "please?"

"It's fine, nana." (Y/N) replied. "We're just gonna head off, I… I'm, uh… I'm sorry for causing -"

She shook her head, "sweetpea, don't apologise." Her eyes wandered over to her daughter, "it's your mother who should be apologising." 

"Did you not hear me when I said she's with a criminal?" exclaimed Pauline. 

"As long as my grandbaby is happy, I'm happy." Helen replied, "well, I better get you both a to-go plate." 

Before (Y/N) could protest, she was walking away with Victor by her side. She laughed when her cousins scrambled over each other to move out of the way. Her laughter was cut short by Frank.

"Are you sure you want to be with Jose? Like, really sure? Have you met his family? Do you see yourself -" 

"Please, shut up." (Y/N) responded, "just shut up." 

"I'm not going to repeat myself, (Y/N)." Pauline threatened. 

She shrugged her shoulders, "then don't." Her eyes narrowed, "I'm sick of your bullshit. Get it through your head and accept that Jose and I are together." 

"Why? When I know you can do better."

(Y/N) scoffed, "really?"

"Yes! I'm your mother which -"

"Which means shit, absolute shit." She responded, "I'm done with you, Pauline. I-I can't keep going back and forth with you."

"What does that mean?" 

"I'm tired of feeling like I'm not good enough." 

"Okay, when have I ever -" 

"When I twisted my ankle in soccer, you told me it was because I wasn't made for it. When I joined the writing club in high school, you told me it was stupid. When I chose to become an elementary school teacher, you told me that I should've become a doctor or a nurse instead." She listed, her jaw clenched, "there's other shit you've done, but I'm too upset to think about them. The main theme of it all is this - nothing I've ever done and probably will do is good enough, in your eyes." 

During this time the grandparents had resurfaced onto the scene. Jose accepted the tupperware with thanks and placed it in the car. He stepped aside and watched the scene unfold. He knew (Y/N)'s relationship with her mother was rocky, so he knew that she needed to get some things off her chest.

Pauline scoffed, "quit being dramatic, (Y/N)." 

She took a deep breath, tears blurring her vision which she rubbed away. "See, that right there is another issue in itself. Whenever I express my feelings, you blow them off! A-and I'm tired of it. I'm tired of your bullshit, it ends now!" 

"Stop the theatrics." 

"I don't want anything to do with you," she affirmed.

(Y/N) walked around her to reach her grandparents but was stopped by Colby, "move of my way." 

"Please, just hear -" 

"My girl says move, you move." Jose asserted, eyes blazing. 

Colby, finally admitting defeat, moved aside.

She kissed both of their cheeks and pulled them into a hug, "thank you for accepting Jose, it means a lot."

"He loves our grandbaby." Helen exclaimed, "a done deal," 

Victor held out his hand to Jose, "you take care of her." 

"With my life," Jose replied, giving him a firm shake.

With a promise to come back and visit, the pair walked back over to the car. Jose held her door open, (Y/N) pecked his cheek and got in. When he reached the drivers' side they buckled up.

But of course, Pauline couldn't let them leave without saying something.

"You're choosing him over this family?" 

"I'm choosing to be happy," (Y/N) corrected, leaning her head out the window, "I love you crazies, I'll keep in touch." 

And with the shouts of goodbyes from her family, Jose pulled onto the open road. 

With a bright smile, Jose's hand in hers and the low hum of the radio, (Y/N) felt at peace.

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

Spanish Translation(s):

Mi alma - my soul

Te amo - I love you

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Someone You Loved (Part 2)

Summary: The reader is the daughter of a well known mafia boss in her city and is used to an easy going life. When her father is arrested along with his crew, the reader is forced into a different life full of lies and adversity. Worst of all, her boyfriend of the past year, Dean, is an undercover cop who put her father away. She’s perfectly content with never seeing Dean again but he has a habit of making his way back into her life…

Pairing: Cop!Dean x Mafia!reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 5,100ish

Warnings: language, angst, harassment

______

Two Weeks Later

“Hi dad,” you said. You got a big hug when you walked in the front door of his house, an officer saying a few things for you to call in with your handler on the schedule and so on. You nodded and he left, your dad still holding on tight.

“I am so-”

“Why couldn’t you have told me you were a good guy under the bad guy thing?” you said.

“Because it was easier to let you think one thing. Your mom and I agreed to that. We did commit a few crimes after all,” he said.

“Yeah but you never hurt anyone. The cops let you get away with it because you helped them out,” you said.

“I heard you helped them out yourself, got Dean into the organization,” he said.

“Dean,” you said, pulling away from him. “Speaking of liars.”

“I was scared and it was a way to help some more. I never expected you to fall in love with the boy,” he said.

“Yeah well...he’s never done anything but lie to me. I’m better off without him,” you said. “And I’m still pissed at you too.”

“Alright,” he said, giving you another hug. “How have things been? You take care of yourself these few months?”

“...Yeah. It was fine. Why don’t you show me around the new house?”

“Y/N,” said your dad a week later, knocking on the door to your room. You popped your head up from your textbook. “I know you’re studying but you have a visitor.”

“A visit…” you said, Dean appearing in the hallway. “I believe part of my deal was that you stay the hell away from me.”

“I think you two ought to talk,” said your dad, heading back down the hall. You sat up and Dean stepped inside, closing the door behind himself.

“The house is nice,” he said with a smile.

“It’s small but it’s just dad and me. It’s a lot better than what I had,” you said. “What are you doing here, Dean?”

“I already told your dad but we wrapped up the case. The organization is broken up. Steve and Devin turned over everything they knew to Sammy and me in exchange for deals. You guys really helped us out,” said Dean.

“Good for you,” you said.

“I sold my house,” he said. “Sort of...moved.”

“Do I need to get like a restraining order against you or something?” you said, crossing your arms.

“No. I’ll...I’ll stay away after today. I wanted you to know you’re safe now. You guys don’t have to be in witness protection anymore,” he said.

“Great.”

“Alright then,” he said with a nod. “Good luck with school.”

“Sure,” you said.

“Okay then.”

He pursed his lips, looking around before he turned his back to you.

“I quit that job,” he said. You blinked, Dean looking over his shoulder. “I’m a regular cop now next door in Hawthorne. You should see the crime rate there. It’s all parking tickets and drunk and disorderlies.”

“Gonna be able to handle a boring job like that?” you asked.

“I could use with some boring,” he said, heading for the door. “Y/N. I screwed up a lot. But don’t let somebody else pay for my fuck ups. Go find some college guy that’ll make you happy. Just...be happy.”

He left quickly, the house quiet for a moment, your dad poking his head in your room after a few minutes.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Where are you off to?” asked your dad with a smile, pausing his movie a few days later. “Going out?”

“Work,” you said. “Got a bartending job. I’m getting a little bored sitting around here just taking online classes.”

“Alright,” he said. “Just be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I will be.”

You got more training at Breacher’s than you ever did at the old place. It probably helped that it was also a restaurant and half the people at the bar were there to eat dinner too. It was a small town so the crowd was a bit nicer than you were used to.

“Chief,” you heard a customer say. You looked down the bar, Dean taking a seat. He still had his gun on his leg and badge on his hip but his face was a bit scruffier than normal. “Settling into town?”

“S’a nice place. Very quaint. I heard I should come here for dinner,” said Dean.

“Well we got this and the diner,” someone on his other side chuckled. “I hope you didn’t move here for the eatery.”

“No, just a change of scenery,” said Dean. You walked over and slid a menu in front of him, refilling a few glasses of water. “Should I go?”

“No. Whiskey on the rocks?” you asked. He nodded and you poured one for him, Dean ordering a strip steak when you returned with it.

“Can I get another martini?” asked the man on Dean’s left.

“Sure thing,” you said, taking away the empty glass, setting a new drink down in front of him. “There you go.”

“Thank you. I haven’t seen you around before. First day?” he asked. You nodded, Dean and the man on his other side listening in.

“Yup,” you said. “Just a little something to keep me busy.”

“Not to be nosey but you must be from Deer Creek. We know everybody that comes and goes here,” said the other man.

“I had ten casseroles on my front porch by the time I had my trunk open,” chuckled Dean.

“Like I said, we know when somebody new moves in,” said the second man.

“I’m in Deer Creek,” you said, wiping down the bartop and taking away the first one’s empty plate. “Any dessert this evening?”

“The strawberry cheesecake,” he said. “I’m Mel. You’ll figure out I order the same thing every single night.”

“Y/N and I too am a fan of strawberry cheesecake,” you said with a smile. “I’ll have that right out for you.”

You worked your end of the bar for a few more hours, the other man introducing himself as Victor, the guys eventually telling you they were brothers. They acted as a bit of welcoming committee to Dean from the sounds of it. Victor was the fire chief at the volunteer department and Mel owned the grocery store. They were part of the town board which by default Dean was too now. They caught him up on what was going on. It seemed like a pretty quiet place and you almost giggled when they started talking about the ‘fiend’ that had been going around the neighborhood and flipping everyone’s mailbox flags up.

“Alright, Mel. I’m switching you over to something non-alcoholic if you’re gonna be driving yourself home tonight,” you said, your corner of the bar going quiet. You looked around, a few different sets of eyes on you as you leaned back.

“My brother-in-law owns this bar,” he said.

“And I’d prefer not to deal with any DUI’s tonight. You driving or not?” asked Dean.

“My wife’s picking me up,” said Mel.

“Then just say that next time, okay? Remember, Y/N’s new around these parts too,” said Dean.

“Sorry. Not used to getting those kinds of questions,” said Mel. You nodded, returning to tending, grabbing a snack in the kitchen as some people started to head out. When you returned Dean was alone, nursing his second beer still.

“Chief,” you said, Dean’s lip twitching up as he scratched the back of his neck. “Getting kind of late.”

“Not sure I’m gonna be able to survive this whole small town thing. Where everybody knows everybody,” he said.

“It’s pretty hard to get your walls to come down,” you said.

“Yeah. You had to go and knock ‘em over, didn’t you,” he smirked, finishing off his drink. “Do you want me to stay away from here?”

“It is the only restaurant in town,” you said. “And you’re a horrible cook.”

“No I’m not,” he said.

“You’re not but you’re a lazy cook. You eat take out more nights than not and this place is your only option,” you said.

“You look better, healthier,” he said. “A little happier.”

“I’ve never really been happy, Dean,” you said.

“You were for a little while,” he said.

“Dean Smith isn’t real.”

“Dean Winchester is,” he said.

“I can’t, Dean. I...you have no idea how…” you trailed off.

“Have you even processed that part of it? The us part? I doubt you had the time. I know I haven’t,” he said.

“I told you I didn’t want you to get close to me. But I let you because I trusted you and then you destroyed it. Shit, Dean, there’s so much-”

“Stop shoving it down and feel it then,” said Dean.

“That’s great advice coming from you.”

“It’s the sort of thing you would have said to me,” he said.

“You could have done your job without the us part of it. But you didn’t want to, did you?” you asked.

“Aside from lying about who I was, did I ever hurt you?” he asked.

“Dean, that’s not-”

“Did I? Did I ever do a damn thing that made you not love me?” he asked.

“How many times do I have to say it? I don’t know who you are,” you said. Dean stood up and walked out the door. You sighed and grabbed his empty, putting it in the bin, lifting your head when the door opened again, Dean taking a seat back on his stool. “What-”

“Hi. I’m Dean Winchester. I’m the police chief of Hawthorne. I’m twenty nine, I love pie and I call my brother Moose and he calls me squirrel. I used to have a girlfriend we called chipmunk. I used to be someone she loved but I’m done lying to her. If I could go back, I would have told her who I was up front. But I can’t. But I can let her know who I am and let her decide if she wants to give me another chance. So I’m Dean Winchester and if she tells me to fuck off, I’ll stop. But if she doesn’t, I’ll take that as I’ve got the opportunity to show her who I am. I’m not a great guy. I’m screwed up obviously but I could really use one last chance.”

You grabbed a glass and wiped it out, cleaning another as Dean watched you silently.

“Dean,” you said after a minute.

“Yeah?”

“Bar closes at midnight,” you said, glancing at the clock, showing the hands almost crossed upwards.

“Okay,” he said, sliding off his seat, slowly walking to the door. “I’ll be back tomorrow then.”

“I’m not working tomorrow,” you said.

“Great. I know this little restaurant if you want to grab a bite,” he said.

“Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable doing this in private?” you asked.

“I don’t think we should be having dinner at my place yet. You don’t know me after all,” he said, a tiny smile on his face.

“You’re going to be a gentleman, aren’t you,” you said.

“Worked the first time around,” he said.

“Eight.”

“I’ll see you at eight then.”

“Want some dinner?” asked your dad the next night, holding up a slice of pizza from the couch as you walked out of the hall.

“No. I’m going out,” you said. He hummed and turned around.

“You always look so beautiful in that dress. You must have a date,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s a date or a therapy session to be honest,” you said. You took a seat on the couch, stealing a bite of his crust. “You waste like half the pizza dad.”

“Your mom used to eat my crust for me,” he said.

“I’m going out with Dean,” you said, taking a small bite.

“Honey,” he said, wiping off his hands. “Dean was exactly what I wanted for you. A best friend and kind and someone you can be weird around and a protector and they make you laugh and someone good. I always knew Dean was a police officer. If anything, you should be as angry with me as you are with him. But you’re not.”

“You’re my dad though,” you said.

“He was your partner,” he said. “He brought out something in you. You brought out something in him too.”

“How do I know that though? I don’t know him.”

“I suppose you have to rebuild that trust with him. The fact you’re going out tonight though tells me that deep down, you already know you’re willing to give him the chance,” he said.

“If he screws me over again, I’m gonna kill him,” you said.

“We can bury him in the backyard together,” he said, giving your temple a kiss. “Go on. Go have fun on your date. Try to forgive the boy. He is head over heels for you.”

“Alright. Don’t eat that whole pizza by yourself,” you said.

“I’ll save you the crust.”

“Hi,” said Dean when you spotted him in Breacher’s at one of the booths. You slid across from him, a drink already in front of you. “I got you their driest red.”

“Thanks,” you said, taking a sip. “So. You’re the police chief.”

“Mhm. There’s a few officers but it’s a pretty small crew. There’s definitely a relaxed vibe about this place,” you said.

“Deer Creek is like that too,” you said. “There’s more people there though.”

“It’s only a ten minute drive. Sort of nice if you want to get over to the mall or something,” he said, taking a long sip from his glass of water. “How’s your dad?”

“Okay. He orders take out every night and I’m pretty sure he’s watched everything on Netflix at this point,” you said.

“You guys got access to all your accounts again, right?” he said.

“Yeah. Dad’s not working anymore. He likes the little house actually, just the two of us. He wants to give most of the money to me,” you said.

“You never told him about where you were living those few months, did you,” said Dean.

“He doesn’t need to know,” you said.

“Mimi’s diner did have a mean bacon cheeseburger,” he said.

“Apparently this place does too,” you said.

“How’s school?” he asked.

“Okay. The classes aren’t really hard,” you said. “Mainly just need the degree.”

“Got any idea of what you want to do?”

“Nope.”

“What about that cupcake shop?” he said.

“Cupcake shop?” you asked.

“Yeah. You mentioned it one night, like you and your mom were going to open a cupcake shop. That was your plan when you were little. You do make a mean cupcake,” he said.

“That’s not a real job,” you said.

“Way to go and insult all the cupcake makers out there,” he said, a tiny smirk on his face.

“I don’t even remember telling you that,” you said.

“It was in the summer, the night the power went out,” he said.

“It was so hot that night,” you said with a smile.

“So no more cupcake shop?”

“I don’t think so,” you said. Your waitress came over and you put in your order, Dean fiddling with his hands in his lap after she left. “What kind of music do you like?”

“You know what kind of music I like,” he said.

“Maybe I should ask what parts of Dean Smith weren’t real then?” you asked.

“Well I’m obviously a cop...I’m a pretty good shot too. I was valedictorian of my class at the academy,” he said.

“Really?” you said with a smile, Dean staring at you. “That’s...you always talked so negatively about you and school.”

“I was a normal student. I was nothing special,” he said. “Sammy’s the smart one.”

“You’re both smart. You should be proud of yourself,” you said.

“It was nothing special,” he said, glancing away. “I guess that’s it, stuff you didn’t know about me I mean.”

“Why’d you want to be a cop?”

“To help people.”

“Did you help people with your case?” you asked.

“Yeah. A lot,” he said.

“Then you did what you wanted,” you said.

“Oh yeah. I got what I wanted. Clearly,” he said. You were both quiet as your food came out, mostly making chit chat about the bar as you ate.

“They make pie here,” you said after a beat. “If you want to get a slice or something.”

“I haven’t had pie in...shit probably three, four months.”

“Wow,” you said. “Here I thought the world would implode if Dean Winchester didn’t eat pie on a weekly basis.”

“There was half a pie in my fridge when I got home from the police station that day. You’d made it. All I saw was that look on your face you gave me. I haven’t touched pie since,” he said.

“I was humiliated, Dean,” you said, giving him a half smile. “I was not only an idiot but I gave you everything. I’d never let a person in like that before Dean. You ripped it all away. It hurt like a bitch and now I’d rather I not take another hit.”

“I wanted to tell you the truth so much. I argued with the chief about it, about telling you that day but he didn’t think you’d be able to sell the other story which was stupid in the first place,” he said.

“Is that why you went around orders and asked Sam to get me out of there?” you asked.

“I should have gone around orders the first time around,” he said.

“You said you helped a lot of people. It was a big risk to trust me like that,” you said.

“I always trusted you. It was other people, people with more experience with this sort of thing, and I let them convince me it was the best thing for you, to be in the dark,” he said. “I should have told the old fucks off.”

“S’funny. We broke up and it sounds like nobody wanted us to break up,” you said.

“I’m not asking to get back together. I know that I did worse than humiliate you in a station full of cops. I want to try to be friends. That’s all. I just…” he said, biting his bottom lip. “I want you to get your spark back is all.”

“This is kind of how I was when we met if you remember,” you said.

“You used to look me in the eye. You were a whole lot happier too,” he said.

“You were the cute boy who couldn’t hide his blush to save his life. Now...you got that look I see in the mirror. You got something broken too,” you said.

“It’s fine. There was plenty broken in there before. I did the breaking after all,” he said. You swallowed, regretting that choice of words.

“Do...do you want to take that pie to go? I’d like to go do something.”

“Warm enough?” asked Dean, sat on a blanket on the hood of Baby. You hummed and wrapped your cardigan around yourself, taking a plastic fork and stealing a piece of pie out of the container in his lap. “You always liked driving out to the middle of nowhere and looking at the stars.”

“I’ve said a lot of stuff to you the past few months. Mostly mean, nasty stuff,” you said. “It didn’t...it didn’t feel like you got hurt. But you did too. I know the worst thing for you to do is sit and stew in hurt, Dean.”

“It hurt worse than it seemed,” he said quietly, poking at the pie but not eating any. “Then I saw the jobs you worked, I saw your apartment. You were barely a step above being on the streets. My choices did that to someone a care for. That hurt even worse. Every time I saw you it hurt more and more. And then you made a deal so you could go be with your dad and get a degree. You didn’t even ask for money. You just wanted out. We could both see you were scared to ask for it. You were this scared sad skinny thing that looked like she was a ghost. That was the worst part-”

You cut him off when you pushed a forkful of pie into his mouth, Dean staring at you before he chewed and swallowed.

“S’good,” you said. “Right?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“You can shut up about feeling guilty too,” you said, taking a piece and holding it up to his mouth. He ate it on his own, still watching you carefully. “Okay? I’m not in that place anymore and I’m never going back.”

“Must be some good pie if you’re changing your mind on me all of a sudden,” he said.

“I’m...not. I don’t...I always hated to see you upset is all,” you said, playing with the fork in your hand. “Like when your grandpa died last year.”

“They said I shouldn’t tell you about a real family member,” said Dean.

“You obviously didn’t always listen to what they said.”

“You knew something was wrong,” he said. He took a small bite of the pie, licking his lips. “Most of it was good, wasn’t it?”

“Mhm.”

You fixed your cardigan again, tilting your head up. There was a light peck against your lips and you opened your mouth, a small bite of pie sliding inside.

“All gone,” he said after a moment. You lay back as he tossed the trash in a bag and into the back of Baby, joining you after a moment.

“Big dipper,” you said, pointing up at the sky.

“Little spoon,” he said, shifting against the hood. “What are we doing out here, Y/N?”

“I’m scared to trust you again,” you said.

“I know,” he said, brushing his hand against yours. “I already told you, I-”

“You want to be friends. That worked out great the first time around, huh?” you said, turning your head. He turned his, one of your fingers bumping the back of his hand. He didn’t say anything as he wrapped a few of his own around it. “Tell me something no one knows about you.”

“I knew I loved you a lot sooner than I said it to you,” he said.

“Why me?”

“Because you’re you. Only one there is,” he said.

“Do you still love me?”

“Yes. But it feels different,” he said.

“Different how.”

“Remember when we were wrestling that time and you accidentally got me in the nose?”

“I felt terrible,” you said.

“S’like that times a gajillion,” he said.

“But it was an accident and I knew you forgave me,” you said.

“Yeah,” he said.

“...how do you know I don’t forgive you?”

“Y/N,” said Dean, a soft smile appearing. “No one knows you like I do. You haven’t.”

“Convince me then,” you said.

“Part of me really wants you to hate me,” he said.

“I know. No one knows you like I do after all,” you said.

“What are we doing?” he asked again.

“This,” you said. You leaned over and almost kissed him, Dean meeting you the last inch. The angle was awkward, your shoulder hurt a bit and his nose was cold against your own as you kissed quickly.

You moved back enough to see his face and were met with a blank one.

“I thought I just said I want you to hate me,” he said quietly.

“You can’t always get what you want, Dean,” you said, feeling him wrap his hand around the rest of your hand.

“Why?”

“Because life’s cruel like that,” you said, his forehead pressing against yours.

“It can be a real bitch sometimes,” he said.

“Tell me about it,” you said.

“I don’t know if I want you to forgive me,” he said.

“You must be having a bad day then,” you said, inching closer to him.

“You always were such a dorky flirter,” he said, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“Can I take you out again?”

“I got work tomorrow night. I’ve got a break between classes for lunch though,” you said.

“I’ll swing by and pick you up?”

“Yeah,” you said, squeezing his hand. He was quiet as you lay there, spotting a few new lines on his face, his scruff starting to grow out.

“I should take you back to your car,” he said.

“In a few minutes.”

“Okay. A few more minutes.”

“How was the not-date date?” asked your dad, eating out of the ice cream carton when you got home.

“It was...nice,” you said, sitting down and stealing the container. “You should eat a piece of fruit every now and then you know. You can’t survive off of take out.”

“I can’t cook,” he said. “Your mother and the chef used to do that.”

“I can teach you. I worked in a restaurant. I learned a few things,” you said.

“I know about what happened the few months we’ve been apart,” he said. You glanced down, wrinkling your nose. “I’ve ben waiting for you to say something.”

“Not a lot to talk about,” you said with a shrug.

“I know you’re not afraid of hard work. I never thought-”

“Dad. I don’t want...I just had a big talk with Dean. I don’t want to have another one, alright?” you asked. He smiled and nodded, letting you take the ice cream and put it back in the freezer. “You should exercise too. Get off the couch if you’re going to eat all that junk.”

“I haven’t had anyone around lately to yell at me for that sort of thing,” he said.

“Get used to it,” you said, giving him a hug. “I’m gonna head to bed.”

“Okay, sweetie. Get some sleep,” he said.

“You too,” you said, heading down the hall. “Dad?”

“Mhm?”

“Thanks. For Dean. Making sure someone was around to protect me,” you said.

“I take it I’m going to be seeing Dean around here from now on?” he asked.

“I forgot how thick a skin he has, how you have to get under it to get to Dean,” you said.

“He told me he cared for you. A long time ago,” he said.

“What’d you say?”

“I told him I never in a million years thought you’d end up with a cop considering what I did. He kind of got this funny smile on his face. He just said someday he’d tell you the truth and you could decide for yourself if you wanted to be with one,” he said.

“I hated him,” you said, turning away from him. “I hated that there was this little part of me that wouldn’t let him go. And I was so tired and upset about everything I couldn’t see that I didn’t let go because he didn’t either. He got hurt too. I know there is so much he’s not saying about how he felt and it has to be eating him alive. I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You don’t want to fix people you hate, sweetie,” he said.

“I still love him,” you said. “I don’t know if it’s me being naive or if it’s real and it scares the shit out of me.”

“I know he was your first love,” he said. “This is the kind of thing I wish your mom had told me more about.”

“She taught you a lot dad,” you said with a laugh, turning around even if you were this close to crying. “Even stuff about boys.”

“Well she did say a few things about a first love but I think she’d agree that just because it’s not perfect, it doesn’t mean that’s not the person you’re supposed to be with,” he said.

“You think I’m supposed to be with Dean?” you said.

“I think you weren’t truly happy until he came into your life. That’s why it hurt so much when you thought he left. You’re...you put on a dress and did your hair all nice tonight, Y/N. You love him and it’s okay that you got a lot to work through. Love is scary. It fixes a lot of those hurt things too. You know that from experience,” he said.

“Wow. Take the mob boss out of the city and you turned into Mr. Rodgers,” you said.

“Y/N.”

“Goodnight, dad,” you said. “Mom totally told you all the right stuff to say you know.”

“I pulled that out of my ass,” he said.

“Yeah, well...mom did too,” you said. “Night.”

“Night, sweetie.”

____

A/N: Read Part 3 here!

[mvsicinthedvrk]

hw task 04: the one with the letter writing!! (from this post on the main 1 year ago)

i’m aware that this is so old, but as i didn’t join the rp until october, i missed out on this task before! so i’m doing it now, late. and to be fair, it DOES say there’s “no set time limit” 😂

not everyone would have taken the opportunity to do this, so my characters NOT writing letters and why: 

wei wuxian has no memories of anyone outside of D.C., so he wouldn’t write to anyone. same with kaz brekker. everyone patroclus knows is dead, so... he wouldn’t write a letter, either. pippin thinks it’s probably be better if he explains everything to his family in person whenever he gets back, and he’s got terrible handwriting anyway, so he’d skip out on the opportunity. peter pettigrew would rather not anyone know he was here in the first place, so no letter from him. and the only person yu ri cares about is rang, and he’s here, so no letter needed there. 

and then below are my other characters’ letters! i should have put these alphabetically but i started writing them in order of when i picked up the characters and it’s too much work to copy/paste everything around at this point.

martin blackwood: letter to jon sims (the only people left at the Institute martin could have talked to are: jon, basira, and daisy. he doesn’t much like daisy and between jon & basira he’s known jon for longer, so that’s why he’d choose him as letter-recipient.)

Jon, It’s Martin. It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, by now! Nearly a year. I hope you’re well. I promise I didn’t mean to abandon the Institute, and if I knew of a way to leave, I swear I would have told you so you could leave too. But-- I ended up here in America accidentally, severed from the Eye (as far as I can tell). I REALLY mean accidentally. I don’t even know how I got here, honestly. Anyway. Melanie’s here! And from a few years ago! (Yeah, time travel’s a thing.) The good news is that she’s got her eyes and everything, so that’s a definite benefit. She never even worked for the Institute, where she came from, still doing her YouTube thing. We don’t talk much, since she doesn’t remember me. I should tell you-- I was working with Peter Lukas on purpose, at the end there, before I ended up here. It’s too complicated to put in a letter but do know that I was trying to help, although I realize now that I approached it all wrong. We should have communicated better, all of us, especially after the thing with the Unknowing. Speaking of communicating, this might be the only time you hear from me. But rest assured, I’m okay! Not devoured by worms, or stalked by fears. I’ve got a normal desk job now, and I’m doing alright. I don’t think the Extinction’s much of an immediate threat, so I hope you’re not worried about that too much. I think about Sasha and Tim every so often, and you as well. Please be safe, and get out when you can, but not by doing anything drastic. You’re so clever, you always have been, and I know you’ll be alright. Don’t trust Peter. Sincerely, Martin Blackwood. 

holland vosijk: a letter to kell in red london (kell is the only other known Antari, and although holland has an antagonistic relationship with him and they’re from two parallel realities, he’s the only one he would trust with this information)

Kell-- I hope this letter finds you, though you know me better than to think I’d wish it finds you “well.” Regardless, I must admit that even your face would be a welcome one. I’ve found myself in the world below yours, the one sans-magic, a few hundred years in the future and on the other side of the sea. I am aware that sounds impossible, but I assure you that it’s true. My magic works as usual except for Travelling, which is what keeps me from returning. Should you find yourself once again in the world you always referred to as “Grey London,” do ask around about rumors of a capital city in America called Washington, D.C. I would appreciate any information you might find out regarding it’s magical status, though I’ve no idea if you’ll have a way to return this correspondence. I will also take the liberty of warning you that I have been here for months and the Danes are surely sore about my absence from their command. Should you find yourself in Makt, you would do well to avoid them, as they may be looking for a new pet by now. I tell you this not out of kindness or concern for your well-being but because I fear what they may do if they have control over a new Antari’s power in their disgruntled state. Do both of our worlds a favor and avoid travelling for the time being. Holland. 

yuri plisetsky: a letter to his coach (even if he’d want to write to his family, his skating comes first. this letter would be written in russian, but I don’t actually know russian, so.)

It’s Yuri. I have been trying to call you but my phone does not go through. I can’t leave this place in America. It’s partway your fault since you sent me here. Tell my sponsors I am NOT DEAD, only stuck in a weird magic town. Have you heard of a skater named Victor Nikiforov? He says he knows me but I do NOT remember him. He promised to choreograph a program for me. Don’t get mad, he’s very good. I will try to get out of this city by the next round of prelim competitions for the grand prix. I’m still practicing every day and I will definitely WIN!

orpheus: a letter to eurydice (he loves & misses her so much; his letter would be short but sweet and would include pressed flowers, just in case there aren’t flowers down there and she needs to remember what they look like)

Eurydice: I hope letters can travel to where you are. It’s me! The wind may have changed on us, but you’re still my sun and my north. I’m coming after you, it’s only that I got caught up on the way. I’ve never wanted anything more than to hold your hand and bring you back to the world above, and I swear that I'll be there as soon as I can. Wherever you go, I go. I love you now and forever. Your Orpheus~

melanie king: a letter to andy caine (her former youtube channel co-host; her parents are both gone or she’d write to them, so she figures-- why not at least let one person know where she is, even if they’d fought the last time they spoke in person)

Hey Andy, I know we’re not on the best of terms but I thought I’d let you know I’m in America for the foreseeable. I’ve been publishing videos on my channel-- though no idea if they show up anywhere other than here-- it’s a long story. I’m still alive, and if any of my extended relatives come looking for me just let them know I’m “abroad.” One of my cameras is still at your place. Don’t sell it-- I’ll be back for it at some point or you’ll owe me £800. -Mels

henry strauss: a letter to his parents (he packed up and left NYC without really telling anyone where he was going, so. time to rectify that poor decision)

Mom and Dad, I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye. I can’t face goodbyes without getting emotional, you both know that. (If it helps, I didn’t tell any of my friends goodbye either, so I hope you didn’t give them a hard time when you realized I’d gone.) I’ve had to keep secrets from you that I genuinely regret, but please know that I never wanted to hurt you. My whole life I always tried to be a good son, and I’m trying to the kind of person here that you always taught me to be. You might not hear from me again, and that’s alright. I hope you can accept that, and know that wherever I am, I love you. Henry

wen kexing: a letter to gu xiang (wen kexing has trust issues. he wouldn’t want any correspondence to get intercepted by the five lakes alliance or with reference to his status in ghost valley, so this isn’t technically a letter with any specific information: it’s a classical Du Fu poem about travelling. he’s super pretentious about quoting literature, so he would have picked something fancy like this to code his message in to prove that it’s actually him. and to code it, he’d have written certain characters in dark purple ink instead of black to send to a’xiang, his maid who’s essentially his younger sister/adopted daughter, to try and explain where he is. even if someone noticed the change in coloring, the message wouldn’t mean much to anyone but a’xiang. he’d also include a brief coda at the end in his own words. and each line would be written in a vertical column but that’s too annoying to format for tumblr)

寺忆曾游处 (purple last two characters for ”travel” and “place”) 桥伶再渡时 (purple last two characters for “crossing” and “time”) 江山如有待 (purple last character that means “stay”/“await” so she knows to wait for him to return) 花柳更无私 野润烟光薄 (purple second-to-last character for “light” to indicate he’s not in the ghosts’ world anymore; she’ll know what that means) 沙暄日色迟 客愁全为减 (purple last four characters of this line-- in the context of the poem, this phrase basically means “sorrow fades away” but read on their own it’s just, like, “don’t worry so much”) 舍此复何之

当好姑娘 (“be a good girl”)

給阿舒我的爱 (”give my love to A’Xu”)

哥 (just “ge” for brother)

noah czerny: a letter to gansey (gansey’s the leader, after all, so it makes sense to send him the letter.)

Dear Gansey: surprise! Blue & I are stuck in Washington D.C. She’s been here for much longer than I have, she said. Time’s weird here. I hope you & Adam & Ronan are alright. I don’t know if you will have noticed that I’m gone, but if you do, don’t worry: we’ll both come back when we can. Tell the others hello from me, keep looking for Glendower (good luck!) and don’t crash the Pig! :P -Noah

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Someone You Loved (Part 3)

Summary: The reader is the daughter of a well known mafia boss in her city and is used to an easy going life. When her father is arrested along with his crew, the reader is forced into a different life full of lies and adversity. Worst of all, her boyfriend of the past year, Dean, is an undercover cop who put her father away. She’s perfectly content with never seeing Dean again but he has a habit of making his way back into her life…

Pairing: Cop!Dean x Mafia!reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 5,600ish

Warnings: language, angst, harassment

_____

You’d just finished jotting down the last of your math notes when the doorbell rang the next day. You heard your dad answer as you hopped up from your desk and grabbed your purse, quickly out in the hall. Dean was wearing a loose open flannel, smiling at something your dad was saying to him.

“Ready?” asked Dean.

“Mhm,” you said, cocking your head at him in his plain clothes.

“Small department. We don’t have much of a dress code,” he said with a smile.

“Being the boss has its perks,” said your dad.

“It does indeed,” said Dean. “I figured we could grab a bite here in Deer Creek? So I can get you back in time for class.”

“Oh, she can take the classes whenever she wants. She’s already two weeks ahead of the curriculum,” said your dad.

“Dean does have work, dad,” you said. “Come on.”

Dean gave him a smile before you were both piling into Baby, Dean driving for a few minutes before finding the cafe on main street, the two of you seated quickly.

“Your dad looks different. Way less stressed out,” said Dean.

“Being a bum will do that to you,” you said. “I’m trying to figure out ways of getting him out of the house more to be honest.”

“He could get involved with town stuff. These small towns are full of those meetings and boards,” said Dean.

“Maybe. How’s the town council going?” you asked.

“It’s alright. I had a meeting this morning on it. There’s a lot of stupid stuff in my opinion on it but you know, these people don’t have much else to do,” he said.

“You’ve never been afraid of taking charge,” you said.

“I came here so I could get away from that sort of thing,” he said.

“You came to hide,” you said.

“I’m okay with a quiet little life,” he said.

“You really want to live in Hawthorne forever?”

“I wanted a slower pace job. I can do what I’m supposed to and that’s it. They had a spot open and I knew it was close to you,” he said, pursing his lips. “Someone needs to watch your back. You have a knack for finding trouble.”

“I find the trouble? Look who’s talking,” you laughed. He shrugged, thanking the waitress when she brought over your drinks.

“Deer Creek’s a nice place,” he said. “Near the woods and mountains. It’s pretty here.”

“Hawthorne is pretty too. It’s quieter is all,” you said. “It feels like the middle of nowhere.”

“I mean, there’s nothing on the other side of Hawthorne so it kind of is. I’ve heard there’s lots of good hiking and camping around. There’s a big outdoors store here I’ve been told,” he said.

“That sounds fun,” you said. “I should totally get my dad to go hiking.”

“That’s a great idea. He’s looking a little rounder than I remember,” he chuckled.

“He was like that after my mom died too,” you said.

“How’d you snap him out of it?”

“We started to hang out more. Dad was not the mafia boss anymore but just dad, you know? Now that I know what he was really up to, I know he’s a better person than I gave him credit for,” you said.

“He still was a money launderer,” said Dean with a smirk. “But there’s a reason they never tried to get him for anything. I think out of your family only your cousin Mark had like a public intoxication arrest on him and I mean, that was Mark so that’s not surprising.”

“Do you know what happened to all of them?” you asked.

“I think most of them stayed in their new towns where it was safe, started living normal lives. Your cousin Sarah is going to art school in Florida I think,” he said.

“Good for her,” you said.

“It’s probably a blessing in disguise you know. Your family all have normal jobs, no records. They got out before something bad happened,” he said.

“How’s Sam?” you asked. He shrugged. “He still undercover?”

“No. He...he’s actually transferring to the Deer Creek department. He got in a bit of trouble for telling you the truth. But he trusted you,” said Dean.

“I’d like to have a civil conversation with him for once,” you said. “Tell him Gary was a super dick.”

“He was, wasn’t he?” teased Dean. You bit your bottom lip, Dean giving you a smile. “What?”

“Why’d you blow up at the bar that night? I mean, you knew that was Sam playing Gary after all. Couldn’t you have blown your cover?” you asked.

“Yeah. I could only take so much though, even pretend,” he said. You nodded and were both quiet for a few minutes, your salad coming out and a tiny smile on your face as you caught Dean eating one of his own. “What?”

“I thought you didn’t eat rabbit food,” you said.

“I’m trying to,” he said, picking at the meat in his bowl first. “So. You go to school everyday?”

“It’s all online. Aside from a few timed tests on certain days, it’s more go at your own pace. I figure with summer classes, I’ll get a degree in three years instead of four,” you said.

“What about your college classes from high school? You would have gone in with credits,” he said.

“I...totally forgot about those actually,” you said.

“See if they’ll take ‘em. You’re just looking for a degree right? Maybe you can save yourself a semester,” he said.

“I told you about that like, once,” you said.

“I am very good at remembering,” he said, poking at the rest of his salad.

“Excuse me,” you said when your waitress went past. “Can we get a BLT wrap instead of the salad?”

“Sure thing,” she said, taking the bowl away.

“Thanks,” said Dean, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Baby steps,” you said.

“Baby steps,” he said.

His new food came out a few minutes later, Dean telling you about the local area as he ate. He’d been there about a week or so. He was staying in the previous police chief’s house on the edge of town. He was a bit miffed that there was no garage with it but he figured he could always add one later on.

He started to talk about Baby, a topic you knew he could on about for hours and hours if left to his own devices. You smiled as he spoke and ate his wrap, Dean loosening up and acting like his old self.

“What’s with the goofy look?” he asked with a chuckle. You shook your head.

“You sound like you again is all,” you said.

“You always did like listening to me talk about Baby,” he said.

“You don’t get between a boy and his first love,” you teased.

“No. You don’t,” he said, twitching his lip up. “You got a little…”

He wiped at the corner of his mouth, your tongue jutting out around yours.

“Still didn’t get it,” he said as he leaned over, wiping off a bit of dressing with a napkin. “Perfect.”

“Thanks,” you said.

“No problem,” he said.

“You shaved this morning,” you said. He ran his hand over his jaw, a little hair there but much more like you were used to. “It looks good.”

“I was due for one,” he said. “I got to head back to work but maybe I’ll see you at Breacher’s tonight?”

“Yeah. I’ll be working,” you said.

“Good. I’ll make sure to swing by then.”

Two Weeks Later

“Are you two sure you ain’t dating?” asked Mel. You smirked behind the bar top as you poured his refill, Dean hiding his smile as he bit into his burger.

“They flirt enough,” said Victor, Dean chuckling and wiping off his mouth. “What do you say chief?”

“It’s complicated,” said Dean.

“Extremely,” you said.

“Eh, it ain’t that complicated,” said Mel.

“Trust us,” you said, wiping down the bar, surprised when Victor stood up. “Just the one drink tonight?”

“Yeah. I ought to go spend some time with my wife,” he said. “Night.”

“Night Vic,” said Dean, Mel raising an eyebrow when he left. “There a story there?”

“They been fighting a lot lately. I keep telling the idiot to spend some time with her,” he said.

“Maybe he’s finally listening,” you said. Mel nodded and knocked back his drink.

“I should take that advice myself. I’ll see you kiddos around,” he said.

“Drive safe, Mel,” you said.

“Do I smell or something?” teased Dean.

“Oh yes. It’s quite horrifying,” you said, giving him a laugh after a moment. “Those two should be at home anyways. It’s getting late.”

“It’s nine,” said Dean.

“Late for them,” you said. You cleaned up their plates and glasses, exiting out of the kitchen area a minute later to see another man sitting next to Dean, a head of longer hair on him.

He gave you a friendly if not weary smile.

“Moose,” you said, tossing down a coaster.

“Chipmunk,” he said. “You look good.”

“I was wondering when I’d see you around. Looking like the fifth beatle there,” you teased. Dean snickered in his seat, Sam whacking him in the back of the head. “What’ll it be, Sammy?”

“Just a pepsi. I’m on duty,” said Sam. “Lunch break actually.”

“Want the kitchen to whip something up for ya?” you asked.

“Is there anything not covered in grease?”

“Pie. They make good pie here,” said Dean. “Can I order my pie now too?”

“Pie for Dean and I’ll get a garden salad for you Sam,” you said.

“Thanks,” he said as you jotted it down. His salad was out fast with the kitchen slowing down, Dean wolfing down his pie the second you had it out. “I guess you really are doing better.”

“Told ya so,” said Dean.

“So...you guys dating again?” asked Sam.

“It’s...a work in progress,” you said.

“We both agreed we should wait a little while, give us time to try and get our heads on straight,” said Dean.

“Is that why you smile at your phone like an idiot when she texts you?” asked Sam.

“Shut up,” said Dean.

“Hey, Y/N,” said Sam, turning to you. “About the Gary thing...I’m sorry for all that stuff.”

“You were just doing your job,” you said, setting his second soda down in front of him. “It’s alright, Moose.”

“Oh I see. I do all the groveling groundwork and Sam gets to reap the rewards,” teased Dean.

“Just a tad different, De,” you said.

“Yeah. De,” said Sam with a big smirk.

“At least I have a girlfriend,” mumbled Dean.

“I thought it was a work in progress. Plus I’m married you idiot,” said Sam.

“Didn’t I tell you he was an annoying little shit?” said Dean.

“He’s a little brother. Kind of in the handbook, Dean,” you said.

“I didn’t hear a correction in there,” said Sam.

“You really are a little shit, Sam,” you said.

“Told ya,” said Dean.

“Still,” said Sam. “You two…”

“Leave it alone, Sammy,” said Dean. He dropped it at that, making some small talk as he waited for another slice of pie to come out. You tended to the rest of the bar, the two of them talking about their days. It reminded you of when they’d talk when you were over Dean’s place. It was always kind of cute to you how they checked in everyday.

“Y/N?” asked Sam. You hummed, giving him a smile. “I asked if you were going hiking with us this weekend.”

“I didn’t know I was invited,” you said. Dean glared at Sam, opening his mouth slowly. “Hey. You two should have your brother time.”

“I was gonna ask later,” said Dean quietly. “You got midterms soon and-“

“And Y/N’s coming with,” said Sam. “Right?”

“I’ll think about it,” you said.

“Don’t bug her, Sammy,” said Dean.

“When are you gonna stop being depressed and tell-“

“Really?” said Dean. He stood up and put down some money, Sam looking to you for help. Dean was gone like that though and Sam closed his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” mumbled Sam.

“Probably not,” you said. “It’s why it’s a work in progress, Sam.”

“It’s kind of stupid in my opinion. You’re both still into each other. It wasn’t like you broke up because you stopped liking each other,” he said.

“No. What happened was much worse,” you said. “There’s a lot of hurt feelings there.”

“Then why don’t you hate me as much?” said Sam.

“I didn’t love Gary, Sam. Gary was a dick. One that scared me,” you said. “But you weren’t that much worse than a bad night tending bar or the walk home at three in the morning.”

“He never told you, did he,” said Sam.

“Told me what?”

“There were two regulars at your bar. Hank and a younger guy, Teddy. You never noticed that Teddy always came in just after Hank would head out?” asked Sam. You tilted your head back, Sam taking a sip of his drink. “Dean was concerned. He convinced the department to give you a protection detail in the event that you might be able to help with the organization.”

“So you’re telling me that every night I was creeped out walking home by myself, there was a cop nearby watching my back?”

“Pretty much,” said Sam.

“He didn’t tell me that,” you said. “He’s such an idiot sometimes, I swear.”

“There are worse idiots to wind up with,” said Sam.

“Carl, you mind watching the bar for a minute?” you asked, one of the waiters nodding as you skirted around the top and over to the front door. You poked your head outside, Dean leaning over Baby with his head down. “Winchester!”

He popped his head up and spun around as you headed over, Dean looking behind you, his hand on his gun.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“No. No. You gonna invite me to go hiking?” you asked.

“What’d Sammy say in there?” he asked, dropping his hand away.

“You’re sweet. Nothing I didn’t know already though,” you said. “So, hiking?”

“I’m not…” said Dean, gnawing on his bottom lip, shifting on his feet. You reached out and grabbed his hands, Dean staring down at them. “You know I shove stuff down. You have a way of dragging it up and making me deal with it and I don’t want to deal with...I want to be your boyfriend again. I do. I want it to be the way it used to be but I know it’s never going to be that way. You’ll never trust me like that again and I’ll never not feel guilty. I just need more time to deal with that, okay? Maybe we go hiking next weekend, just us. I need time to-“

“Don’t assume things about me Dean,” you said, dropping his hands.

“A month ago you hated my guts,” he said. “You’ve spent the past few months hating me.”

“Don’t push me away because you’re afraid of feeling something again, Dean,” you said. “Don’t put words in my mouth either.”

“You said-“

“I said a lot of things and most of it when I didn’t know the full picture,” you said, kicking at the ground. “There’s always more secrets, more I didn’t know, Dean.”

“I told you the truth,” he said.

“Then why am I still finding stuff out like I had a police tail on me every night?” you asked. He closed his eyes and sighed, leaning back against the car. “What else aren’t you telling me?”

“I didn’t tell you because it didn’t matter,” he said.

“Actually, it does. Now I knew I was safe back then. So what else are you hiding?”

“Nothing!”

“Dean.”

He wasn’t quick enough to make his face blank but maybe he wanted it that way, wanted you to know there was something he still wasn’t saying. He quickly turned his gaze hard though.

“You always gotta push, don’t you?” he said. “You push and push and push and push. You’re so fucking annoying sometimes. You can’t just let things be. You gotta dig and ask stupid questions and be the biggest pain in the ass I’ve ever met in my life. Why do you never, never, shut the fuck up? Please. Just shut up.”

“You know what? Don’t come back to the bar. Ever,” you said as you spun around. “I’m done. We’re done. Fuck you, Dean. Just stay the fuck away from me from now on.”

“How was work?” asked your dad when you came home an hour early. “Feeling alright?”

“I hate that fucking asshole!” you shouted, rubbing your hand over your face. “I should have never...fuck him. Don’t ever answer the door for him again.”

“Y/N-“

“I am done with Dean Winchester. Forever.”

“What the hell are you doing?” you said the next day, storming into Dean’s office as he ate some yogurt.

“Lunch?” he asked.

You slammed the parking ticket down on his desk, Dean raising an eyebrow.

“You pay that over at the front desk?” he asked again, looking you up and down. “Are you on something?”

“I am sick and tired of the police harassing me!” you shouted. Dean leaned forward in his chair and took the ticket, glancing at it.

“Nina. Can you come here a minute?” called Dean. You glared as a cop came in, looking at you wearily. “You write a parking ticket this morning?”

“She was double parked.”

“Double parked my ass,” you said.

“Miss. This is a police station,” she said.

“Oh, don’t go there with me honey,” you said.

“There,” said Dean, ripping it in half. “No ticket. Nina, try not to ticket people for being a little over the line.”

“Alright,” she said, staring at you.

“Back off,” you said. She put a hand on her hip and Dean stood up, grabbing your arm. “Hey!”

“I do not need a fist fight in my office,” he said, leading you out a side door and outside. You shrugged away from him, Dean taking a deep breath. “I didn’t put anyone up to it. Don’t go starting fights with cops.”

“I want you to leave me the fuck alone,” you said.

“Yet you’re the one…” he said, wrinkling his nose. “Go back in the station. Now.”

“No! I-“

“Get the fuck inside,” he said, grabbing your arm hard, practically shoving you back through the door. He locked it behind himself, barely giving you more than a quick glance.

But it was enough.

“You’re still protecting me, aren’t you,” you said.

“Yeah well, deal with it. I had a feeling shit would hit the fan and it’s hitting it,” he said, shoving you back towards the cell area. “Lock the door. It’s the only way in or out. Don’t open for anyone but me or Sammy. Call your dad and tell him Alpha Green two. He knows what it means.”

He left the room and you almost locked the door after him, his hand suddenly on it. He was holding something big and bulky out to you.

His thigh holster with the gun in it.

“Put it on. Point and shoot. Make sure the safety’s off. You got sixteen rounds. Don’t use it if you don’t gotta,” he said.

“Dean, what’s-” you got out before he was out the door. You locked it up after him and strapped the thing on your leg, shaking your head as you pulled out your phone.

“Hey, sweetie,” said your dad when he answered.

“Something weird is...I’m with Dean at the police station and he said to tell you Alpha Green two and I have no idea what is going on,” you said, the other end quiet. “Dad?”

“I’m not gonna see you for a long time, kiddo. I gotta go away for awhile. I want you to stick with Dean. He’ll keep you safe. I know you two got your issues but you’ll work them out,” he said.

“What is happening?” you asked.

“Alpha Green two means get out. Dean saw something he didn’t like so I gotta go,” he said.

“He gave me a gun,” you said.

“You’re gonna have to get out too then. They know if they grab you, then they get me,” he said.

“Dad-”

“Remember where I said I met your mom?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

“October first. You meet me there at noon if it’s safe. That’s how I’ll know it’s safe to come back,” he said.

“Dad-”

“Do what Dean tells you and for the love of God stay with him,” he said. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” you said quietly. “Who’s here? That organization?”

“Worse. His brother. I gotta go. I’ll be with Sam. I’ll see you in October, kiddo. Love you,” he said.

“Love you t-” you heard before he hung up. “Too. What the fuck?”

“Y/N,” you heard on the other side of the door, Dean knocking lightly. “Open up. It’s me.”

You carefully undid the door, a backpack tossed in your face along with a police jacket.

“What-”

“No one saw you on the street thankfully. Your dad getting out of here?” he asked. You nodded, Dean glancing around. “I got Baby packed. Sam’ll try to help your dad get out of here as best he can. We gotta get you out of here and now.”

“Am I ever going to know anything real about you?” you asked. He stared at you blankly, cupping your cheek and pressing his lips to yours.

“I kept lying about my job. Not about me,” he said. “I will explain everything later. For now-”

“Let’s get going then.”

“This jacket is nice and warm,” you said, curling up in the thing in Baby’s front seat, Dean humming as he rolled into hour nine of your impromptu road trip. “We gonna stop soon? I got to go to the bathroom.”

“Yeah. We’re almost there,” he said.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere,” you said.

“We’re almost there too,” he said. You closed your eyes and rested your head against the window again, trying not to think of what had happened to your dad or where he was. Dean was mum on everything until you were settled he said but you knew wherever it was you were going, you were going to have to lay low.

He pulled up to an old farm house near a field and nestled near some woods, driving down the dirt path for a moment before he put it in park.

“Where are we exactly?”

“Safest place I ever knew,” he said. He opened his door and got out. You followed his lead and stretched out, hearing some clanging going on in a nearby garage. It stopped quickly and a man walked out, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Sorry I didn’t call. Sort of last minute.”

“You must be Y/N,” he said, looking you up and down, giving you a smirk. “He gave you a gun?”

“Who is he?” you asked Dean.

“Y/N, this is my dad, John,” he said. You turned your head a little wide eyed as he stepped over and gave you a big hug.

“Nice to finally meet Dean’s girlfriend in the flesh,” he said.

“Dad, we’re not…” said Dean.

“Oh,” said John. “Was that...okay, now I’m confused.”

“Welcome to the club,” you mumbled.

“We were. We broke it off when you know, her dad and family went into hiding,” said Dean.

“Okay?” said John.

“I didn’t know he was a cop for starters,” you said. His dad raised an eyebrow. “Then there’s all the lying and secrets and sounds like you do that with everybody, hm?”

“I thought you had to go to the bathroom,” said Dean.

“Go up through the back door, past the kitchen, door on the left,” said John.

“Thanks,” you said. You wrapped your jacket around yourself as you jogged up the back steps into the quiet house. The kitchen was sparse and half of it was ripped up. Half the house looked under construction in your opinion.

The bathroom looked like new sheetrock had been put up and needed to be painted but otherwise it looked brand new. You were quick to relieve yourself, voices coming into the house by the time you were exiting.

“He’s an idiot,” said John as he walked past you, going to the kitchen cupboard and pulling out a bottle of liquor.

“Where’s mom?” asked Dean.

“She and Jess went to the movies. Apparently I annoyed them today,” said John, taking a sip.

“Maybe if you finished working on the house they’d be less pissed,” said Dean.

“They got hands. They can pick up a hammer and get to work,” he said.

“Dad.”

“I know. It’s hard to renovate a whole house by yourself is all,” he said.

“Maybe Y/N can help with demo. She’s pretty pissed off lately,” said Dean.

“I can see why,” he said.

“You’re taking her side?”

“Sammy told Jess.”

“Sam and Jess are married. It’s different. He had permission. She was different,” said Dean.

“You still could have told-“

“I fucked up. I don’t need everyone to keep reminding me,” said Dean, dropping a bag by the stairs and going out the front, slamming the door shut after him.

“He probably didn’t need that,” said John.

“Can I have a sip of that?” you asked.

“Knock yourself out.”

“He didn’t,” said John, cracking up beside you a few hours later.

“He sure did,” you said, giggling as you passed the bottle back to him.

“Oh, that kid doesn’t know the first thing about being in a city,” he laughed, taking the last sip. “Shit. I think we’ve been cut off, kiddo.”

“Well you’re both drunk so it’s probably for the best,” said Dean as he stepped out the back door. “Mom and Jess are back. I told them you weren’t up for meeting any more new people today.”

“I think he’s pissed,” you laughed.

“You should have seen his face when he was three and-“

“Alright,” said Dean, leaning down and taking the gun from your holster. “Before you two get into real trouble, inside. Y/N, we got the air mattress in the guest room so get your tush up there.”

“I’m enjoying myself here just fine,” you said.

“Yeah. What are you? The fun police?” joked his dad.

“I’m tired. Please, just go inside for the night and sleep this off,” said Dean. “Both of you.”

“Alright,” said John. “No harm in helping her calm down.”

“I’d rather it have been done sober,” said Dean.

“Yeah, well. You can work on that tomorrow,” said John. “Come on. Better do as told.”

You grumbled as you stood up and went inside, the house quiet. Dean showed you upstairs, his dad staying down and heading down the hall where you assumed the master bedroom was. You trudged past an open room, a girl probably around your age laying on a bed, reading a book.

“Hey,” said Dean, pointing a finger at you. She lifted her head up. “This is Y/N. You know, don’t shoot her if you see her around. Drunk girl, this is Jess. Don’t shoot her if you see her around.”

“Always a joy, Dean,” said Jess. “Y/N, nice to meet you.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a cop too,” you said.

“I’m a nursing student,” she said. “Or I was I should say.”

“Look. I brought you a friend so you can both hate me together,” said Dean.

“Shortie,” she mumbled, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Asshole,” he said, spinning you around. “Night Jess.”

“Night De,” she said.

“Sam says hey too,” said Dean.

“Just hey?” she asked.

“Yeah. Just hey,” said Dean, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out an envelope. He flicked it over to her, Jess smiling wide as she caught it. “Page three, whoo, Sammy. I thought the boy was innocent but boy was I wrong.”

“Goodnight Dean,” she said with a grin, tearing open the letter.

“Night Jess,” he said, pulling her door shut. “Okay. Let’s get you in bed.”

He showed you down the hall and into a room, nothing inside but two backpacks, a duffel and an air mattress with a blanket on top.

“Okay,” he said as you kicked off your shoes. You plopped down on the mattress, rolling to the left side. “Before you pass out completely on me, this backpack with the red tape on the strap? That’s your bag. If I ever tell you the furnace light is out, that means take the bag and get out of here. I don’t care how but you do it. If the furnace light is broken, that means ditch the bag and just go. You got that?”

“Talking about the furnace is bad. I got it,” you mumbled, tugging the blanket around yourself.

“You can change into something more comfortable,” he said.

“Like what,” you mumbled.

“Hold on,” he said. He went over to a closet and pulled out a box, digging through it a minute before pulling out a few things and tossing them to you. “It’s from when I was about your size. It should fit.”

You stared at him, Dean rolling his eyes.

“This is my grandparents house. It was in somebody else’s name and trust me, it’s safe,” he said.

“So this stuff is from when you were a teenager?”

“Yes. Bathroom is across the hall,” he said, leaving the room for a minute. You changed into the loose shorts and t shirt, smiling at the baseball camp shirt.

The door opened and he popped his head in, another bunch of blankets under his arm.

“Did you go to camp around here?” you asked.

“Yeah. For a summer. Sam and I stayed here. We’re both tired, we’ll talk in the morning,” he said. He took off his boots and jeans, shrugging out of his jacket and taking one of the blankets for himself, leaving the others on your side. He flicked off the light switch and lay down with a sigh, his back turning to you when you crawled under the blankets.

You stared at his stiff shoulders, Dean taking a few deep breaths.

“Thanks for the extra blankets,” you said quietly. He nodded, stilling after a moment.

You turned your own back to him, closing your eyes, already regretting the alcohol in your system.

“Is my dad dead?” you asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.

“Okay,” you whispered, a tiny shudder running through you.

“Y/N.”

“What?”

“I can sleep on the couch if you want,” he said.

“Okay,” you said.

“Do you want me to go?”

You didn’t say anything and for a moment, you thought he’d get up and leave. Then you felt him roll behind you, roll closer. You didn’t lift your head as you turned to face him, ducking your chin down and letting yourself bury your face in his chest.

“I know,” he said quietly, placing his arm over your back, holding you close. “I know.”

“I don’t know…” you mumbled, a shudder running through you.

“I got you. That’s all you need to worry about tonight, alright?” he said. “I got you.”

You nodded your head, fisting your hands in his shirt as you willed yourself to get some sleep.

_____

A/N: Read the Final Part here!