#Maddie would be happy to have another daughter

[tanglepelt]

Dpxdc 182

Danny had though long and hard about this. He was ready to tell his parents the truth. Danny needed help. He couldn’t just let Ellie fade. They were there only chance.

Ellie had destabilized again. She needed help. Asking vlad meant he’d have to agree to disown his dad. Danny loved his parents and would never be Vlads son. He had no options.

So he told them everything. About the fruitloop, the portal, the ghosts, and Ellie. They accepted him and immediately began to work out how to stabilize Ellie. They’d process it all later.

They knew they couldn’t take vlad down. He was mayor, he could bribe any citizen of Amity. So jack and Maddie report vlad as plasmius to the justice league hotline. Mentioning the cloning, the overshadowing of the town to become mayor, and about the hidden cameras sprinkled around town.

That’s all they could do while they stabilized their soon to be daughter.

[bluerosefox]

To Protect Them

Another DPxDC idea with twins Danny and Damian.

'He knows.'

That was only message Danny received before he felt like he had dropped in freezing cold Arctic waters naked and felt if he remembered to breathe at this moment he would see his own breath, even though he had an ice core and no longer felt actual cold anymore, and for a moment the world around him faded into nothing.

No sound, no touch, not even smell.

Nothing.

Then like a supernova, everything around him exploded.

Everything was too loud, to strong, his skin felt hot and cold at the same time somehow. The feeling of dread crawled up his body.

He needed to go.

Run.

This message was his only warning. The only thing his birth mother could send him in regards of help. He knows it, he knows she can't do anything else but this. He also knows she wants to do more but in order continue to be the eyes and ears inside of the hellhole he once called home, a place he both hated and feared yet somehow still loved if only for the memories of his mother and brother, she could not do anything more.

"Hey Dann-o! Anything good in the mail today!?" Came the loud voice of Jack Fenton, his adopted dad, from the doorway. The same man who took one look at a muddy, dirty, tense, untrusting, almost fully feral little six year old Danyal al Ghul who held onto his only daughter hand when she dragged him home after finding him behind the Nasty Burger looking for food, and decided point blank that he was now a Fenton. That Danny, Daniel was his son as if he always was.

Danny could feel his lip tremble when he realized if he ran, if he booked it out of Amity now, the people he loved, the people he would happily die for, would be targeted. It wouldn't matter if he faked his death, or just left with no warning and never contacted them ever, ever again.

They would be killed for just knowing him.

For their deaths would be his punishment.

Danny could feel the rest of the mail in his hands, the ones he had went outside to get before breakfast cause his mom asked him to, fall out of them, the only one staying was the message from his birth mother. He took in a shaky uneven breath and turned around.

His face no doubt was pale, paler than it normally was, and his body trembled, and Danny had no doubt that despite all the training he had learned when he was in the League that even if he brought it out and pretended he was fine, his dad would be able to tell something was wrong.

Because his dad's happy cheerful face shifted to a concerned worried frown, a frown Danny hadn't seen in a few years, a frown that was common when Danny would wake in the middle of the night screaming, begging, or cursing in his native language or when he would be spooked enough to reach for a knife. But even with those moments the man never ever found fault in Danny, instead he would lower his voice and speak softly to Danny, waiting until he calmed down before asking if it would be okay to touch or hug him. Then he would sit with Danny for hours, keeping his normally loud and booming voice soft as he talked about random things, like family fudge recipes and how they came to be.

"Danny?" Jack asked softly as he took a small step forward, one of his hands lifted up as if asking permission to reach out.

Danny wanted nothing more than to rush into his dad's arms and hide in his large frame. Hide from the world around him but Danny knows he didn't have time, none of them did.

He took in one more breath and could feel his body stop shaking, his mind no longer chaotic, and his nerves steeling up. For the first time in a long, long time, he wasn't Daniel 'Danny' Fenton anymore.

He was Danyal al Ghul again.

"Dad. Get mom and Jazz into the GAV. Now." Danny ordered, his eyes narrowing as he clutched the message in his hand tight.

His dad knew something big was going down.

And he trusted Danny enough to do so quickly.

Danny closed his eyes as his dad ran into the house, yelling for Maddie and Jazz to get into the GAV. Danny opened them when he could feel the message in his hands slowly being covered in ice and knew his eyes were now glowing green.

He didn't have a lot of time. He needed to get his family, Tucker, and Sam out of Amity.

He needed to get them someplace safe.

He needed backup. More than his family and his friends.

He needed-

Danny nearly jumped when he realized who he can call to help.

In a flash he took his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed a number he barely liked calling but needed to do so at this moment.

He waited, it felt like ages and it was agonizing, before the person on the other line finally picked up.

"What do you want-" came a somewhat same but rougher sounding of his voice but Danny cut him off.

"Dan, he knows." was the only thing Danny needed to say because he could hear the sharp intake of breath.

"Get them here now." was the order.

"Already on it. Is Ellie and Vlad with you?"

"Yes."

"Good. We'll be there shorty. Keep them safe."

"And then what?" Came the gruff question.

"Then... Then we'll prepare and call in Father and Damian. We need all the help we can get."

".....He won't be happy... About everything. Our... your fake death you know."

".... I know. But hopefully Father and the rest of his batclan will keep him from lashing out too much, especially with civilians and innocent lives on the line."

The two, Danny and Dan fell into a silence for a moment. Danny could hear his dad trying to hurry his mom and Jazz into the GAV despite their questions

".... Explaining all of this is going to be a shit show isn't it." Came Dan's voice after a couple of minutes.

Danny winced because yeah, not only explaining his actual past as Danyal al Ghul to the Fenton's, Tucker, Sam, and to Ellie, and Vlad but also having to explain his new life to his birth father and twin brother, a brother who thought he was dead, was going to be a hell in a handbasket.

"Yeah... it will be." Came his only response as he heard the GAV starting up and the garage door opening. Dan must of heard it over the speaker phone and said "Get Sam and Tucker and get here soon. No stops. We'll fortified Vlads dumb place in the meantime."

Dan didn't wait after that and instead just disconnected the call. Danny removed his phone from his ear and quickly pull up the group chat he had with his friends, sending them a quick message to meet him now. He used the code they had set up incase the Fenton's didn't take to him being Phantom well, he never had to use it since they took the news good, well as good as one could be after finding out their invention had half killed their son and that they had been hunting his ghost side down, but since this was important he needed them to be ready now.

He frowned as the Fenton GAV pulled up towards him and knew that what happens next would be...

Stressful.

[lizzieheartsfanclub]

The most effective thing about Ever After High is that every student has their own personal struggle that adds another element to just how life-ruining the destiny system is.

Apple is so terrified of what will happen to her if she doesn’t follow her destiny, that she is willing to compromise everyone else’s happiness to make sure it happens. This disregard for other people is only encouraged by the influential adults in her life.

Ashlynn has to be a servant to an abusive family and live knowing that the ultimate end to her supposedly happy ending is dying to set the stage for her daughters traumatic backstory, starting the whole cycle over again with no chance for any of them to escape.

Blondie feels so pressured to fit in to a deeply classist/monarchist society and ashamed of her parentage that she constantly presents a fake version of herself to everyone she knows, even her best friends.

Briar has to spend her whole life waiting for the moment her destiny comes and she falls asleep for a century. She knows that when she’s woken up, she will be forced to marry a boy dozens of years younger than her who she’s never met and live knowing that everyone she ever loved is dead and gone, the very things that she watched cause her mother’s emotional breakdown.

Cedar’s father was so afraid of watching her repeat his mistakes that he overcorrected, making it impossible for her to ever learn lessons for herself. She is also forced to share incredibly personal details with anyone who asks her questions, and can’t be trusted by her friends with any of their secrets, and it’s all because of her father’s past trauma.

Cerise has to hide who she truly is and never gets to see her family together and happy despite the fact that her parents have potentially the most healthy and mutually beneficial marriage in the whole franchise.

Daring was groomed from birth for a destiny that ends up not actually being his at all, leaving him aimless, feeling as though he has no purpose and has wasted his entire life.

Darling is forbidden by patriarchy and destiny to become a knight, the only thing she really wants, and at which she would be better than both of her brothers. She has to hide who she is and what she loves from everyone she knows

Dexter lived his whole life never knowing what his destiny would be but also knowing that whatever it was he’d have to commit to it forever the moment he discovered it at Legacy Day.

Duchess has spent her whole life knowing that the story she’s commited to living out ends in tragedy for her, and then had to watch the very people she’s been jealous of for years because of their seemingly happy endings give up those endings, while Duchess, loyal and rule following Duchess, is still stuck with her tragedy.

Faybelle tries so hard to commit to what she sees at her destiny that she’s never had a real friend in her life. Even still, no one recognizes her for all that effort and all she’s given up to be a suitable villain. Everyone is more afraid of Raven, who doesn’t even want to be evil.

Hunter has to constantly go against his moral compass to fulfill his destined role as a Huntsman and to try and make his father proud of him.

Kitty has been taught over and over again to value her Mother’s approval over all else, even at the expense of her friends. Her destiny is to create mischief, but how much more mischief can a dissolving world take before it’s too much?

Lizzie finds it almost impossible to express love or care for anyone else due to her mothers excessive conditioning that’s nearly akin to brainwashing. The saddest thing might be that her mother is actually, in her own way, trying her best to prepare Lizzie for a world that will only ever see her one way—as a villain. Now she lives in Ever After, princess to a kingdom that might not even exist for much longer, having given up everything for a destiny that may soon be impossible.

Maddie is a refugee forced from her home into a world she barely understands at a tender age. But she cannot express any angst or negative feelings about this circumstance, because to do so would go against her character. She lives in a world obsessed with destiny and stories while not even knowing if she’ll ever be able to return home and live out her story.

Raven is judged by almost everyone around her for her mothers crimes, many of which were required of her by destiny in the first place. She is nearly forced to commit to becoming a tyrannical megalomaniac (and almost falls into it herself, several times) who would be sentenced to lifelong punishment and torture for committing acts that weren’t even her idea in the first place, and the one punishing her would have been the very girl who begged so often for her to stop being so difficult and just follow her destiny.

[specialagentartemis]

I have a different post in the works about Maddie not having children in the "Masters of All Time" timeline - it makes the emotional dilemma about whether Maddie should help Danny repair and reset the timeline straightforward and clean, but the thing is, the premise that "Masters of All Time" gives us is a FASCINATING and potentially really anguishing emotional dilemma if the writers were allowed to acknowledge it.

Maddie isn't happy in the MoAT timeline. When Danny shows up in her timeline, frantically trying to explain to her that he's her son with Jack Fenton from a different timeline, she accepts and embraces this explanation pretty quickly. It feels like she wants to believe it - she wants to believe that if things had gone differently, she would have married Jack, had children, had a ghost-hunting career she could be open and proud about. Everything Danny offers to her is something she wants more than what she has - a husband who has been lying to her, who dislikes ghost stuff and disapproves of her ghost research, so she has to do it in secret and hide it from him.

Something that goes totally unaddressed: Danny, her son from a different timeline, is a ghost. He's dead.

Never once does anyone stop to wonder what it means that her teenage son is a ghost.

And I know it's because Hartman & co. refuse to let anyone acknowledge that ghosts are dead people... but imagine they did.

Maddie Masters is... happy enough, she guesses. She married her college friend, and he is her friend, and she's not opposed to this. He doesn't support her work, but, well. She deals. She has her basement ghost research lab, even if she has to keep it secret from Vlad. She lost touch with Jack decades ago, and still regrets that, but that happens, sometimes, and his grievances aren't unfounded. She doesn't have children.

And then a ghost boy claiming to be her son shows up, and tells her that in a different timeline, the timeline that should have happened, she married Jack Fenton, she has two children, she is is out and proud about her ghost research and ghost-hunting and Jack enthusiastically collaborates with her on it. He tells her she's happy.

He doesn't tell her how he died.

And Maddie has a heartbreaking choice to make. Does she help him make this reality happen, restore time to how it's "supposed" to go?She wants to believe him, to believe in this alternate history where things went differently and she got the life she wanted! She has a wacky house full of Ghost Contraptions, a husband who loves her and supports her and collaborates with her, and two children she loves.

... and one of those children is going to die when he's 14. That comes with this choice.

Can she live with that? Consciously make this timeline happen, knowing she's going to have this child and then see him die.

It puts me in mind of one of the major emotional through-lines of "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, the story of a linguist who makes contact with aliens and learns their language that allows her to see all of time at once, where it will go, what the outcomes of events will be. She sees her daughter dying. She knows from the moment she has this child that she will die in a rock-climbing accident in college. She sees it all at once, her whole life, and makes that choice to have a baby anyway.

I think MoAT!Maddie should have to consciously make a similar choice, and have similar feelings about it. Unlike the protagonist of "Story of Your Life," she doesn't know how it will all go. She only knows it as Danny tells her, and she herself won't really experience this, going forward. But she, another version of her, will. And Danny doesn't explain the halfa thing or the portal accident or anything, leaving Maddie to have to make her own hypotheses about what her alternate-life's future holds, about the grief that's going to come with the love, and make that choice to make it happen anyway.

[goinggoingghone]

dp x dc au but danny is bruce's biological kid and he knows it. his parents straight up told him as soon as he was old enough to know, and he loves his adopted parents all the same.

of course, it was a bit rocky with all that ghost business, but eventually Jack and Maddie came around to their halfa son and liminal daughter. Danny just thought it was funny they took longer to accept he was alive and dead than accepting he was in a relationship with Sam and Tucker.

So there's some ghost conference in Gotham being held by the GIW in order to get more occultists/people interested in ghosts to work for them. The Fentons go there, as published ghost scientists, to expose the GIW and prevent people from buying into their beliefs.

But while they're out, one of the Bats mistakes Danny for a younger Bruce. Of course there are some differences, but the Bat (I'm thinking Tim, who's running on like -16 hours of sleep and several cups of coffee) is convinced he's a clone or something. So he takes a DNA sample and the results come out: he's Bruce's kid.

Bruce is devastated that he couldn't be there for one of his kids, and so he tries to get more info in order to possibly get custody back. Tucker, who accidentally found the network the Batcomputer used three weeks ago while looking for the GIW's, is immediately aware they're looking into Danny.

The Fentons have a collective moment of "oh for fuck's sake" and try to come up with a plan to get Bruce Wayne, who definitely is Batman at this point, to get off their case.

While on a walk to get his thoughts in order, Danny runs into Red Hood in Crime Alley. Both of them are immediately aware of the other for vastly different reasons. Jason, for "Batman wants to adopt this kid who already has a family" and Danny, for "oh shit this guy has a fucked up core what the hell is wrong with this guy" they have a Spiderman meme moment and Red Hood, always on the lookout for an opportunity to spite Bruce, offers his help. Danny accepts, with the caveat that he takes Jason to the Realms to figure out what the fuck is up with him.

Jason is extraordinarily confused but for some reason the Pit is really quiet around this guy and he feels safe around some dumb teenager so he's like "okay?? Sure??"

Danny takes him back to the hotel the Fentons are staying in and explains the situation a bit. Jack and Maddie hook up their temporary portal (blowing the electricity of the hotel in the meantime) and get Jason to the ghost doctor, Frostbite.

He gets diagnosed with "bro your ectoplasm is fucked up" disease and his ectoplasm is cleaned. He's like a diet halfa, with a few ghost powers but no ghost form. A liminal on steroids.

Anyway, Bruce sends a Batkid to the Fentons hotel (because of course he found it) in civilian garb to explain the situation. The Fentons Are Not Having It.

So, of course, with parents Bruce believes are mad scientists, he takes it upon himself to get that child out of a home of mad ghost hunters. By kidnapping him.

Danny's just pissed off because he finally got Vlad off his case and now he's here dealing with ANOTHER billionaire with a bat-themed super persona wanting to forcefully adopt him. The irony would be funny if it weren't so infuriating.

The Batkids are so happy to have a "new brother" in the house, even if said brother really doesn't want to be there. Jason just has no fucks left to give anymore and re-kidnaps Danny.

This of course sparks a game of Who Can Kidnap Danny and it's getting to the point where Danny just hates the BatFamily more and more because he was SUPPOSED to have a date with Sam and Tucker today and now he's holed up in the Batcave getting fitted for a vigilante costume by Nightwing. Alfred and Jason are the only sane people in the mansion.

So Danny "Bad Decisions" Fenton just says "fuck it" and goes ghost in private, leaving the manor and flying back to Amity. The convention has ended by this point, so they're all back home.

Cue BatFamily freaking out.

Eventually Bruce serves the Fentons legal papers (once he finds their address). The Fentons show up to court and verbally and respectfully ream Bruce for trying to re-adopt their son who they love so much. As the evidence of Bruce being wrong adds up, he realizes what he's done and feels like shit. Jason gives him a hearty "I told you so" for his efforts.

The Fentons live happily ever after, and Danny gets a cool secondary family that he doesn't really like until they all apologize.

Heheh. Just wait until they meet Dani, he thinks.

[inkspiredwriting]

Snapshots of Love

Five Hargreeves x reader

A/N: Hey guys surprise surprise. I'm posting another one shot today because unfortunately I won't be able to do it tomorrow. Have a great day :)

Warnings: none

Five Hargreeves sighed as he walked into the cozy living room of their home, rubbing his eyes after a long day of work. As he stepped inside, he noticed a familiar scene that instantly brightened his mood: his wife Y/n sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by a scatter of old photo albums.

Y/n looked up from a particularly thick album and smiled warmly at Five. "Hey, I found something interesting in the attic today."

Five raised an eyebrow and walked over to her, intrigued. "Is that so? What did you find?"

She patted the spot next to her, and he sat down, leaning in to see the open pages filled with photographs. "I found this old photo album. It’s full of pictures from our life."

Five’s eyes softened as he gazed at the album, a flood of memories rushing back. "I remember that album. I didn’t think we still had it."

Y/n chuckled and flipped through the pages, revealing snapshots of their journey together. "Here, look at this one."

The photo showed a much younger Five and Y/n, standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, grinning from ear to ear. Five was holding a map upside down, looking completely lost, while Y/n was laughing hysterically.

“I remember that trip,” Five said, a smile tugging at his lips. “I insisted we didn’t need a guide, and we ended up lost for hours.”

Y/n laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Yeah, but we found that amazing little café because of it. The one with the best croissants we’ve ever had.”

Five nodded, his smile widening. “You’re right. That was worth getting lost for.”

As they continued to flip through the pages, each photograph told a story. There was a picture of them at a Halloween party, dressed in glamorous outfits. Another showed them at a garden party, looking completely out of place yet having the time of their lives.

Five paused at a picture of them in Rome, sitting on the steps of a temple at sunrise. “That sunrise was incredible,” he murmured, tracing the edges of the photograph with his finger.

Y/n’s eyes sparkled with nostalgia. “I remember. We stayed up all night just to see it. It felt like the whole world was still asleep, and it was just us.”

The photos transitioned to more recent memories: their wedding, their first house, and the birth of their children. Five lingered on a picture of them holding their newborn daughter, Maddie, both looking exhausted yet indescribably happy.

“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” Five said softly, his voice tinged with emotion.

Y/n nodded, her eyes misting over. “We have. And look at us now. We’ve built a beautiful life together, despite everything.”

They turned to a picture of their son, Milo, his mischievous grin eerily reminiscent of Five’s. Five chuckled, shaking his head. “He’s going to be a handful, isn’t he?”

Y/n laughed, squeezing Five’s hand. “Just like his dad.”

The last page of the album held a recent photo: the entire Hargreeves family, including five’s siblings, gathered around a Christmas tree, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Five said, his voice filled with gratitude. “But I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”

Y/n looked up at him, her eyes filled with love. “Neither would I. We’ve made some incredible memories, and I can’t wait to make even more with you.”

Five wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “Here’s to many more adventures, Y/n.”

They sat there in comfortable silence, the album open in front of them, reminiscing about the past and dreaming of the future. Five pressed a gentle kiss to Y/n’s temple, feeling a deep sense of contentment.

As they closed the album, Five looked at Y/n with a tender smile. “Thank you for finding this, Y/n. It’s a reminder of how strong we are together.”

Y/n leaned into him, her heart full. “Always, Five. No matter what the future holds, we’ll face it together.”

And in that moment, surrounded by the memories of their past, Five and Y/n felt more connected than ever, ready to take on whatever adventures life had in store for them next.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Farmer's Daughter 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Walter Marshall

Summary: You notice a peculiar change in a family friend. (short!reader, sorry size kink is out)

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

Your dad sits in the worn-out recliner, silent as the radio buzzes on an AM station. Your mother places a glass of water next to him but he doesn't acknowledge her. You've never seen him like this. Your dad's always been lively, often talking back to the radio. But now, he's like a shell, just staring.

"The rehab nurse will come tomorrow," your mom nears, "he just needs some rest for now."

You nod and back out of the room, a grim coldness in the air despite the warmth of spring flowing in from open windows. You enter the kitchen as your mother trails after you. Without a word, she flips on the burner beneath the blackened silver kettle. You lean on the square island and trace a finger around a ring in the wood.

"Do they know how it happened?" You ask.

"A clot. They say... things like that are hard to catch," she sniffs, "but it doesn't matter now. All that matters is he's home and alive and... he's going to get better."

"I'm sorry, ma," you frown.

You cup your chin and glance over at the door. When you looked in your father's eyes, it was as if he didn't know you. He just smiled weakly then went back to staring. What happened to man who used to jump down from his tractor to the dismay of his wife?

"We'll have to figure out what to do about the planting," your mother hums and chews her thumb. She pulls her hand away and stretches out her fingers, "Timothy's done a lot but... we'll never catch up at this pace."

"I can help," you offer, "ma, we'll make it work."

"No, I need you in here," she counters, "I'll be taking care of your dad. The hospital gave me all these pamphlets; exercises and all that..." she blows out a heavy breath and flattens her palm to her forehead, "how am I going to do all this?"

"Ma, we'll all help," you offer, "it's okay. We'll be okay. Dad will be okay."

You come around the counter and offer a hug. She latches onto you and rocks you in place. As she holds you, a rumble underlines the chatter on the radio humming from the front room.

You part and look over at the open archway to the hallway. You glance at your mother and give a nod. Visitors already.

You go down to the entry way, wondering where Timothy went. He was just out on the porch fiddling with some car part or another. You open the door and lean back on a heel as Walter greets you with a nod.

"Hey, hope I'm not... imposing."

"Um, dad just got home. He's..." you peek over at the front room, "resting."

"Of course, I figured, I just wanted to drop this off," he holds up the basket in his right hand, "had some extra stuff in my pantry."

"Oh, Mr. Marshall," you accept the basket, "thank you. You didn't have to--"

"Walt," he corrects.

"Walter," your mother's voice carries through the hall as she pads up softly, "oh, Walter, how kind."

She looks at the basket as you grasp the handle and Walter lets it go, the weight nearly bowling you over. You do your best to keep it above ground level.

"Heavy," he warns too late.

"Please, come in," your mother beckons.

"I wouldn't want to disturb him," Walter puts his head down, almost meekly. "Just wanted to bring some stuff."

"No, no, please, I just put the kettle on."

"Uh, alright," he accepts reticently. "Thanks, Maddie."

"Not at all," she assures and turns to sweep back down the hall.

He steps in and bends to untie his stained tan boots. He leaves them on the mat and faces you. You give an awkward smile and take stunted steps with the weighty basket.

"Here," he swipes it back as he catches up to you, "don't hurt yourself."

You let him have it. Your arm hurts. He follows you into the kitchen and places the basket on the island as you round to the other side.

"Black tea?" Your mother offers.

"Sure," he stands sternly, arms straight, stance wide.

She takes down three cups as you languish in radio's buzz. You never said much more than a few words to Walter. Walt. He never says too much either, he was always just a sounding board for your father's yammering.

"God!" The back door swings open and hits the wall, causing you and your mother to yelp as Walter merely looks over dully. Your brother clamours in and skids to a halt.

"Timmy, the floor," your mother reproaches.

"Dang it, sorry ma," he huffs, "I just... the tractor's smoking."

"What?" You and your mother stammer in unison.

"Yeah, black shit all out the exhaust."

"I'll have a look," Walter offers.

"Oh, hey, Walter," Timothy grins dumbly.

"You're so kind, Walter, but we can get Vol down here--"Don't bother with the bill," Walter shrugs off, "I'll get my boots."

Your mother sighs and you shake your head at Timothy. She might just be right. There's no way the three of you can get the spring planting done, especially if he's going to treat the tractor like one of his dinky cars he played with as a kid.

[uwupaige]

the nanny [paige bueckers] part four

the nanny master list!

chapter six: happy birthday, mom.

wiping away a new bead of sweat that formed on the side of her forehead, catherine didn't realize the smudge of pale, pastel purple paint she left there, continuing on with her activity like normal.

today was october 20th, paige's 23rd birthday. and one thing she wanted for her birthday was to finish making her spacious apartment a home for her daughter. obviously she had plans to go party later on that night, but finally having a day off, all she wanted to do was catch up on everything she had been promising the little girl for weeks now.

"ever thought about putting maddie in sports, too?" catherine spoke up from her side of madison's now purple room, breaking the silence. minutes ago, they discussed madison's lack of friends at school, her social skills improving, but limitedly. then catherine had the idea.

paige shrugged from her spot on the small, metal ladder, only needing the support of a couple steps to reach the edge where the wall and ceiling meet to finish her paint job. "i dunno.. she's never expressed any interest."

the brunette titled her head, thinking for a moment before speaking, covering up the random patches of white on the wall. "or maybe you just weren't there to see when she would."

paige nodded, though she knew catherine couldn't see, both of their backs turned from each other as they tried to finish this paint job. paige tried to offer the girl a day off, even stating she'd found a babysitter for the night so catherine didn't have to come in, but the girl insisted. especially when paige read her the list of things she wanted to get done that day, her body almost made her get up and head to their place immediately.

"that's true.. but she doesn't talk about anything she wants to do." the blonde kept talking towards the wall, "sports, dance, drama, art, singing—nothing, cat."

catherine fell silent again, her thoughts searching for another answer to paige's dilemma. a few moment pass before she chirps up again, "we should find her some sort of camp for her. they have all of those things..." she suggested, knowing madison would be able to find her niche in an environment like that. "or those little leagues that do every sport. thats how i got super into soccer."

now paige looked past her shoulder, eyeing catherine, noticing her once grey shorts now decorated in purple paint. "you played soccer?"

before the woman could answer, the familiar, little voice that belonged to madison filled their senses, interrupting their conversation. "can i help now paigey?"

turning away from her gaze on catherine momentarily, paige smiled down at the girl from her position on the small ladder. "yeah. wanna help me pull the blue tape off?" paige asked, gesturing towards the blue masking tape that outlined the white floorboards. madison's face lit up, nodding eagerly.

it had already been a long day spent in the girls room, and both of the women had kicked madison out several times so she wouldn't make a mess or possibly mess anything up. paige couldn't lie, she was so grateful that catherine offered to help, because she probably would've been doing this all night long.

madison's broken down furniture and toys sat still in the hallway, taking up a good chunk of space. catherine tried to not look over at it, wanting to deny the inevitable rebuilding of the furniture they would have to do once they finished, which wasn't far away. it already took them most of their morning to take it apart, so she could only imagine how the next couple of hours spent putting it together would go.

˚✧.*

"paige, it literally says that this piece goes right there." catherine explained, her voice soft but her tone frustrated. she plopped herself on the carpeted floor directly next to paige, who was focused on the furniture piece in front of her. their arms and legs touching with every movement she made, practically shoving the manual in the blondes face.

"bro, i've put her furniture together on my own before. i'm pretty sure i know what to do." paige sassed, keeping her eyes on the shelf in front of her, not bothering to look at catherine's directions.

the two had been bickering over the furniture for the past hour, going back and forth about what piece went where and so on. they were currently putting madison's short but long shelf dedicated to her toys together.

the brunette rolled her eyes, annoyed with how paige dismissed her help yet again. "ay, okay." she sighs, standing up from her position on the floor. walking to the door leading out of the small girls bedroom. opting to instead start on some food for everyone, she turns to paige reluctantly. "i'm gonna make maddie something to eat. want any?"

paige contemplated being petty and telling the girl she was fine, also a bit frustrated from catherine's overwhelming help. "i'm alright."

seeing right through her, catherine made her way down the hallway, a quick, "right." leaving her lips.

as paige tried to screwed the shelf in its place on the bookcase, she felt a bit bad about dismissing the girl so much. but it wasn't until the shelf began looking lopsided that she regretted her dismissal. looking around the ground beneath her, paige looked for the manual but to no avail. "shit." she whispers to herself.  "hey, cat?.. can i see the directions." paige called out, uncertainty laced her voice, knowing she'll never live this down.

"ha!" was all that could be heard in response.

˚✧.*

happy to find some food waiting for her after she finishes reassembling her daughters furniture, paige sat with the two girls in the spacious kitchen for a while, catherine making conversation with her.

"are they picking you up?" the brunette asks, grabbing paige's empty plate from in front of her on instinct to toss in the sink.

"thanks," the blonde spoke quickly to her kind gesture before answering her question, "uh, yeah. they say it's a surprise."

"where are you going, paigey?" madison chirped up from beside her mom, sat directly in the stool next to her as she worked in her drawing, one she kept telling everyone not to look at.

"i'm going to a birthday party, babe." paige answered casually, her voice sweet.

"can i come with?" madison asked innocently, not knowing it was different than the kid and family birthday parties she's attended.

"one day," paige answered hesitantly, "this birthday is only for big people.. but it's okay, you get to hang out with cat."

"i think i want to go to the big people party more." madison said truthfully, catherine's jaw dropping as paige snorted out a laugh.

"i'd rather hang out with you and cat, but my friends are making me go." paige says to her daughter, then turning to catherine, "you're sure you don't want to go?"

paige had spent most of their day together trying to convince catherine to hang out with them, saying she had someone to watch madison for the night and to take the night off.

laughing, catherine looks over at the blonde, "yeah, i'm sure. when're they getting you?"

"kk said to be ready at 8."

catherine looked past her shoulder at the time displayed on the black stove, lightly gasping when the time read 6:48. "yo, you gotta get ready."

looking past the girl, paige grimaced, hopping up from her seat, saying something about how catherine was right and rushing to her room.

"hey, cat?" madison spoke up from her almost finished drawing, one that would melt everyone's hearts, looking at catherine.

breaking her eyes away from her laptop screen which displayed her assignment due that night on it, still leaning against the dark granite counter, her exposed stomach lifting off of it as she straightened her posture, smiling at the girl. "what's up, mama?"

"do you think paigey will like this?" madison asked, turning her nearly finished drawing to the woman. it was a drawing of paige playing basketball. not the best drawing by any means, but a touching one nonetheless.

a hand coming up to her chest, catherine pouted, nodding, "aw.. your mom is gonna love it." catherine said genuinely, madison smiling at that.

a few moments passed, a curious face plastered on madison's before she spoke once again. "why do you call paigey my mom sometimes?"

catherine was honestly confused at her question, not exactly knowing how to answer her curiosity, "what do you mean?"

thinking a bit deeper, madison explained, "well, grandma always said paigey didn't try to be a mom, so i shouldn't call her mom. i don't really know what she means, though."

catherine's eyebrows jumped at the girls statement, appalled an adult would relay these words to such a young child. appalled it was paige's mom. "uh.."

now, the brunettes attention was solely on the little girl right across from her, pulling the screen of her laptop down, arms crossed in front of her tank top. "well.. i can tell you that paige is definitely trying. and that she really loves you." she says matter of factly, taking a small pause as she gathered the rest of her thoughts. "you might not see it now because you're so young, but you'll see it one day."

madison sat there, thinking about catherine's words to the best of her abilities.

catherine noticed the girls pondering look, questioning further. "do you want to call paigey 'mom'?"

madison looks up from her ponder, nodding with light in her eyes. "yeah! everyone at kindergarten calls their paigey's mom."

catherine giggled at the girl, leaning against the granite once more. "well, i'm sure she would like that."

"but grandma said i shouldn't."

shrugging, catherine lowers her voice mischievously, "grandma doesn't need to know." madison smiles at the girl, laughing. catherine wasn't sure how she felt about telling the girl it was okay to go against her grandma, but at the same time, she also didn't care a whole bunch. "okay, okay. go get ready for bed."

as if she knew she was the topic of conversation, paige came strolling down the hall, phone in her hand as she spoke to the device before ending the call. "relax, i'm heading down now, kk."

catherine looked up from her conversation with madison, taking in the woman now walking toward her. her blonde hair was styled down in small waves, light makeup accentuating her natural beauty, going well her cargos. she would've been stuck staring had paige not began to speak.

"alright, i'm leaving." she announced, looking around for her essentials. gathering everything she needed, her gaze fell on her daughter. "be good. i'll be here in the morning when you wake up.. i love you."

"i love you, too." madison spoke as she got off of the stool she'd be sitting on for at least an hour now, going to give her mom a hug. "happy birthday, mom."

to say paige was caught off gaurd was an understatement. she didn't realize in the moment, but her mouth was agape, looking down at the small girl hugging her leg, her face hidden by her messy hair. "t-thank you, babe."

soon, madison was running off to her room to get ready for bed like catherine asked of her, paige watching until she was out of eyesight.

turning her body completely, only to find catherine in a similar state of shock. she didn't expect madison to start saying it so soon after their conversation. "yo?" paige said to the girl beside her, confusion, excitement and shock spread across her face. catherine chuckled out her gasp, surprised as well. "she's never called me mom before." she stated, her voice softer than her original excitement moments prior. paige soon felt the stinging feeling of tears forming in her eyes, looking up momentarily as to not mess her small amount of makeup.

catherine's pout mixed with the inevitable smile she had, her head tilting to the side in infatuation with the situation before her, her hand finding the spot on her chest that hid her heart from the outside. "where did that come from?" paige asked out loud, not to anyone specific, looking up when catherine began to talk.

"maddie was just wondering.." catherine trailed off, not exactly knowing what to say either. "i didn't expect her to start saying it so quickly."

"you got her to talk about it?" paige asked, confused. catherine just nodded, noticing how her once touched mood shifted to a more neutral one. a smile began to form on paige's face, but before she could even get a response, her phone started to ring obnoxiously. sighing, she picked up the call. "i'm leaving now, kk."

something about paige attempting to question her conversation with madison made catherine nervous. maybe she shouldn't have said anything?

"i have to go." paige spoke to the girl, a look catherine can't quite place sitting upon her face. "you're sure you don't want to come with?"

"do i look like i'm ready?" catherine joked, "i'm sure. go, go... we'll catch up later." she encouraged the girl to leave.

paige stood still in her spot, deep down just wanting to stay and talk. it took a few seconds of them holding each others gaze comfortably before she could actually leave. "yeah, okay." she nodded, heading towards the door. "thank you. bye."

catherine smiled, waving the girl goodbye. "bye. have fun."

˚✧.*

loud laughs could be heard outside of paige's front door as the blonde fumbled with the doorknob.

"shh. i have neighbors." the girl laughed with her friends, thinking she was being quiet, completely unaware she was being just as loud.

finally opening the door, the woman took in the vibe of her nearly dark condo, realization setting in. walking in further, her friends not even a few feet behind her, she found a slumped catherine on her living room couch. her face resembled one of peace as she rested comfortably, illuminated by the small floor lamp beside her. she still had some paint on her from earlier. catherine's laptop sat still on the coffee table beside her, accompanied by a couple of loose sheets of paper. paige assumed she fell asleep doing homework.

"aye, p—"

kk was cut off by an obnoxious shushing from paige, gesturing to the girl who was sound asleep on her couch. "shut up." she whispered, for real time time. her eyes set on the sleeping girl, noticing how she began to stir. her eyes widened, quickly moving to push her friends out of her apartment, trying desperately to not wake catherine.

at this, catherine's eyes started to flutter open. it was blurry for a moment, her eyes adjusting to the dim area. she watched as paige closed the door on her friends, noticing her attempt to be quiet.

"they didn't have to leave," catherine spoke from her laid out position on the couch, sleepiness coating her words as paige turning around quickly at her sudden appearance.

"oh—uh, i just didn't wanna wake you."

catherine's hand came up to rub her eyes, mascara definitely smudging at least a little. "no worries, i was gonna leave when you got here, anyway." paige just nodded at this, her palms starting to sweat, sticking them in her pockets. "how was it? the party." catherine asked, sitting up and stretching.

"uh.." paige started, but her attention was caught by catherine's exposed stomach, tan and soft looking. and the way her head tilted side to side in relief, her neck out in the open. it was like paige had just realized she was definitely not sober, and needed to gain control of her thoughts. "it was good."

"yeah? where'd you guys go?" catherine inquired, pulling her locks out of its messy pony tail in attempt to fix it.

all that did was distract paige further, really liking how her thick, brown hair framed her face. "um.."

paige assumed she probably looked really dumb right now. but it was catherine's expecting yet confused look that made her realize just how dumb she looked. "nika got one of the football guys to lend us his place, it was huge. and they, uh, invited a bunch of people. so it was fun."

"love nika." catherine spoke gently, smiling at the good news. "well, i'm glad it was fun." she nodded, hands falling to her sides as she swung her legs over the couch, planting her feet on the floor and pushing herself up from her spot on the couch.

paige noticed how she began to collect her belongings, speaking before she could conclude her thoughts. "you can stay, y'know."

catherine dismisses her offer politely, closing her laptop that rested on the coffee table, "oh, no, that's okay."

"you shouldn't drive tired." paige informs. something in her was telling her to not let the girl leave. she was holding on to catherine's promise to catch up when paige returned home that night.

"i'll be fine. gotta get home to the cat." catherine smiles genuinely, playfulness in her tone. she tugged her black jacket on, zipping it over her small tank after she finished packing the rest of her things into her black purse, her laptop resting comfortably in her arms. "thank you though."

heading to the door, paige follows after catherine to see her out. "happy birthday, paige." catherine spoke softly. her hand came to rest on the girls arm for a moment, somehow deepening the sincerity of her words, before she turned away, making her way down the familiar hallway.

"thanks, cat." paige sees her off, having to force herself to keep her eyes anywhere but where they desperately tried to go. paige waited for catherine to disappear down the hall, turning the corner that would lead her to the exit.

paige closed the front door behind her, locking it swiftly before she made her way to the empty porch that connected itself to her living room. sliding the glass door open, paige stepped out into the chilly night, her hands immediately finding solace in the warm pockets of her pants. she waited a couple minutes until she could see catherine leaving the building, looking for and heading towards her deep red car.

as if she could feel paige's eyes on her, catherine looked up, hand ready on her car door as she smiled up at the girl, a small wave followed. paige waved by quickly, her hand finding her pocket once more when she saw catherine open her car door, climbing in and quickly starting her engine.

paige stayed in her spot until she saw the girl peel out of the parking spot and drive towards the main road. however, she didn't leave to go inside. instead, she leaned against the small wall that acted like a railing, breathing in the connecticut air. with catherine still fresh on her mind, paige sighed.

"damn."

chapter seven: the cheetah girls.

walking through the packed aisles of the spirit halloween store, madison ran up and down desperately and excitedly looking for the costume of her dreams. princess dresses, pirate hats, animal tails—you name it. the world was at her feet, but a lot of options weren't catching her attention. for some reason, the girl was being very picky when it came to her halloween costumes.

catherine could appreciate her indecisiveness. she was the same way with things like that—but, halloween was tomorrow, and they were running out of time. and if catherine hadn't mentioned taking madison trick or treating that morning before paige left for classes, paige would've completely forgotten about it.

"i like this one!" madison's small voice rang through the ears of her nanny, causing her to look down at what the girl was pointing at, excited she had finally found something to peek her interest.

"that one's so cute." the brunette smiles, agreeing with the girl. it was a cheetah costume. the headband and tail adorned in brown glitter to go with the brown cheetah print, it falling all over the floor and the womans hands the moment she grabbed it off the rack. "you could be like the cheetah girls!" catherine spoke excitedly, turning to hold the costume up to the small girl to envision it.

madison's head cocked to the side, confusion apparent on her face, wondering what in the world catherine was talking about. "what's the cheetah girls?"

the woman's eyes widened, unsure if she was shocked that the girl had never experienced the cheetah girls, or offended because that just aged her tremendously in her mind. catherine's hands dropped to her sides instantly, the costume following. "you've never seen cheetah girls?" madison shook her head, indicating she had no idea what catherine was talking about. "cheetah girls is life changing, maddie."

"what is it?" the girl questioned, now reaching up to grab the brunettes arm as catherine shuffled through the rack to find madison's size. catherine then went down a long, long rabbit hole about the lore that was the cheetah girls, doing her best to explain in simple words to the little girl before throwing her costume into the small shopping basket in her arms.

and that's how they made it back to the spacious condo sooner than they expected, chilling on the dark grey couch with several blankets and various snacks. catherine insisted they watched the trilogy together.

they were about almost done with the second movie, the pair now up from their respective spots on the couch and jumping around to the soulful, latin music playing. catherine undoubtedly knew every single word to every single song. she also knew every dance move, absolutely relishing in teaching madison the steps.

they continued their dance party in the living room, unaware of the sound of the front door opening. an amused paige walked through, her black backpack sitting comfortably on her muscular shoulders as she just watched the pair absolutely get down to the disney music, holding in her laughs as best as she could. arms crossed, she leaned her hip against the kitchen counter, feet away from the show in front of her.

madison was the one to notice her mom, catherine's back to the blonde completely. the small girls jumping stopped momentarily, "hi, mommy!" her words were loud and breathy, tired from the workout of a dance she was performing.

the brunette stopped her dancing almost immediately at the knowledge of paige being there. she turned to meet eyes with paige, hers widening slightly at the fact that paige was actually there. catherine too was out of breath as paige let out a much needed laugh, her cheeks growing a pretty shade of red. embarrassed, she stood up straight, smoothing her clothes down to her body as she reached for the remote to turn the volume down to a respective level. she could only imagine what paige's neighbors thought.

"okay, okay. hilarious, i know." catherine then holds up a hand, as if to try and shush the woman's over done laughs, tossing the remote onto the couch beside her. paige, however, kept on giggling, trying to get her words out.

"nice moves." she finally spoke, a few laughs to follow that statement. catherine scrunched her nose at her, then playfully rolling her eyes momentarily with a grin.

madison hopped down from where she was jumping on the dark couch, running towards her mom, greeting her  cheerfully with a tight hug to her hip. "hey, babe. how was your day?" paige smiled down at the curly headed girl, noticing the way catherine styled it today, somehow getting cuter by the day.

"good! cat took me costume shopping."

nodding, paige questioned her further, shrugging her backpack off. "yeah? find anything you like?"

madison smiled at the thought of her new costume, rambling further about her day, "mhm! i'm gonna be a cheetah, and now me and cat are watching cheetah girls because she said i needed to watch it."

the blonde chuckled at the excitement her daughter was exuding, trying her best to keep up with her. "did she?" paige chuckles, looking at catherine momentarily. catherine just gave the woman a shrug and a smile. she took their interaction as her sign to leave for the day, like so many times before.

gathering her belongings, catherine threw her phone and car keys into her dark brown purse, slinging it over her shoulder. however, she didn't make it far before paige stopped her. "hey, cat?"

looking up from her purse, she caught paige's eyes with a nod. "yeah?"

the blonde paused momentarily, directing madison back to the couch to finish her movie. her gaze fell on catherine once more, her crystal eyes intimidating at first. the woman opted to look elsewhere, but just found herself staring at other features on paige's face.

catherine had caught herself staring at paige more and more over the past week or so. since the night of paige's birthday, she somehow managed to catch catherine's attention. something a lot of people didn't do. she tried her best to shake her thoughts, the overwhelming guilt of being unprofessional taking over her as paige began to speak.

"do you think you could take maddie out of the house for a bit?" paige asked, almost hesitant, or nervous.

catherine raised a single eyebrow at the woman, just simply confused. "yeah.. why?" she asked, her voice soft as usual.

paige looked away, pausing in between her words. "i, uh, have a friend coming over."

catherine almost immediately knew what she meant by the tone of her voice, her brow dropping. "a friend?" the girl asked, unamused at the lie, a hand coming to her hip.

"yes, a friend," paige clarified, her too unamused at catherine's suggestive and accusatory attitude. "she's in my gerontology class. we're gonna study for midterms."

the brunettes eyebrows furrowed, her arms now crossing right below her chest, letting her question slip out. "the hell is gerontology?"

paige shook her head at the woman, preferring to not have to get into details the way she always did when people questioned what classes she was taking. "can you take her out for a bit? there's a park down the street."

catherine sighed, not about to argue with or question the woman further. she was technically her boss, though they had become more like friends as the days passed. nodding, looking down at her white socks, she reluctantly agreed. "yeah, i gotchu."

paige began to thank the girl profusely, hands clasping in front of her gratefully as catherine just gave her an unamused smile, head shaking with a slight chuckle. "hey, maddie?" catherine called out to the girl cuddled up on the dark grey couch.

˚✧.*

the cool, october afternoon breeze whistled through the trees. most of the tall saplings were decorated in brown and red leaves, some lacking leaves completely.

the pair were hanging out at the park paige had suggested they went to earlier. catherine took this as her chance to introduce madison to sports. but, specifically, to her favorite sport—soccer. she had explained it briefly and simply to the small girl. watching as she kicked the ball around, catherine grew comfortable in the bench she had been residing on ever since she picked up her ringing phone.

in fact, catherine's thoughts were consumed with the beauty that was autumn, she had almost forgotten the older woman on the line.

"catalina maria!" a loud voice rang through the girls phone to her ears, the sound of her first and middle name instantly startling her out of her daydreaming.

"sorry, mami, you cut out." the girl made up an excuse to avoid the lecture she'd receive from her mother on listening. a hand came up to her forehead, her thumb and pointer finger sliding across it to soothe her incoming headache. "but, um, i'm pretty busy with work. i'll come visit soon, though."

"never in my thirty eight years of life did i think my daughter would be too busy to come see me because she was working." the woman spoke, catherine immediately recognizing her tone as a playful one. "you always swore you'd be a house wife one day. it was like your dream when you were small, chiquita."

catherine shook her head at her mothers jokes, small laughs leaving her lips. looking up from her lap, the brunette watched as a small madison kicked around the black and white soccer ball excitedly. the small field looked huge to the girl, and catherine remembered feeling the same way.

catherine felt like it was an odd time to be at the park, noticing how the sun was to start set soon. however, all she could do was blame the odd timing on paige's study date. at least, that's what she called it.

catherine tried to avoid the thought. she tried even harder to avoid being annoyed about it. she wasn't sure if she was annoyed that they had been kicked out of the apartment, or the ladder. she was going with the first option though, not wanting to delve deep into those underlying thoughts anytime soon.

with almost perfect comedic timing, catherine noticed the tall blonde walking towards her, eyeing the bench she sat on. deciding now would be the right time to end her phone conversation with her mom, she spoke to the woman on the other end of the line. "alright, mami, i have to go."

the brunette hears her mother sigh on the other end, a slight huff leaving her lips. "promise to me you'll come visit soon."

catherine smiled at her mother, though she couldn't see her, her response simple. "hard ask. i love you."

"love you, mija."

catherine pulled the phone away from her ear, tapping the red button that would successfully end her call, still chuckling at their conversation moments later.

"who was that?" a curious paige asked as she walked up to the woman, taking the empty spot on the green, metal bench where catherine resided.

"my mom." catherine grinned, looking up to meet paige's eyes, less intimidating than they were a couple of hours ago.

paige had never heard catherine talk about her mom. or any family for that matter. all she could recall was her mentioning a woman named molly. the two were friends, but they'd never had the chance to ever really talk in depth about anything. "how'd that go?"

"eh." catherine shrugs, now turning her head to watch madison. the girl was still going at it with that ball. "who'd you have your study date with?"

"classmate named ally. and it wasn't a study date." paige informed and corrected, catherine just chuckling lightly at this.

"mhm. how'd that go?"

paige hit her with the same response she was given, a small shrug and an, "eh." the brunette then brings her attention back to the woman beside her, shooting her a grin as paige continued. "she just wanted to study."

catherine snorts at the statement, "what'd you expect?"

paige shoved the woman lightly, sucking at her teeth, "bro, shut up."

"seriously.." catherine fell off, not sure if she wanted to continue on with the definitely inappropriate and unprofessional question that had been on her mind since earlier that day. she questioned on anyway. "are you trying to seriously date?"

"not sure." paige responded normally, like she was having a normal conversation with a normal friend. however, her response through catherine off.

the woman's eyebrows furrowed, shaking her head at paige. "i wouldn't." she spoke, her voice softer than initially. catherine could read paige's face clearly, it asking her 'why?' looking away momentarily to make sure madison was still playing happily, she answered. "look, i believe in true love, fairy tales, soulmates—"

"of course you do." paige interrupted with a teasing smirk.

"but," cat talks over her loudly, already expecting to be made fun of. "in my experience, it's not wise when you're not ready. and already have so much on your plate." catherine explained, looking over at madison once again. "maddie needs you more."

paige nodded, understanding where catherine was speaking from, agreeing with her completely. "yeah... yeah, she does."

just the thought of her daughter lacking a mother in her life made paige want to tear up. having madison in her life the last couple of months has changed paige entirely. even having catherine as a new face in her life has changed her for the better. it's changed both paige and madison for the better. their dynamic, their relationship—it wouldn't be where it is without catherine there everyday. and paige knew it.

the blonde watches at an excited madison runs towards them both, too lost in thought to really fully register the interaction between the small girl and the woman beside her.

"cat i really like this game." madison confesses as she jogs, out of breath.

catherine smiles with a few nods, "isn't it so fun?" madison just nodding profusely in response, a huge smile on her face.

"mom, do you wanna play with us?" madison asks paige, turning to catch her mom looking at her in awe.

paige thankfully was paying attention enough to answer the girl, giving her an unsure look. "i don't know, mads. i'm not good at soccer."

"please." she pleaded, dragging out her words, her eyes big and hypnotic. how could paige say no?

"okay, okay, fine. but cat has to play with us."

catherine scoffs at paige throwing her under the bus, but doesn't complain since she knew she would have a great time anyway.

"yay! cat's on my team." madison cheered, now jogging back towards the field.

now it was paige's turn to scoff. she went to argue, but stopped once she saw how happily catherine jogged over to madison's side of the field, deciding to keep her disagreement to herself.

they kicked the ball around for serval minutes, catherine and madison racking up way more goals than paige could've ever had the chance to score. needless to say, the pair absolutely crushed paige. paige noticed how she she was way better than the average player—she was way better than paige thought.

falling to the ground dramatically, out of breath from all of the running, paige complimented the woman walking towards her. "you're really good."

catherine was wearing a confident grin holding out a hand for paige to grab on to. "i played for twelve years, i'd hope so."

the blonde took her helping hand, pulling herself off the dirty grass, a wondering look prominent on her face. "why'd you stop?"

catherine stopped at that, not sure if she wanted to delve that deep yet. she always felt like it made her look weak, or like she was attention seeking, when really she was just looking for a person to listen. talking about herself was something she was never the best at. "long story."

"what?" paige inquired, not taking her first rejection as a sign of her not wanting to talk about it.

still hand in hand, catherine could feel one of their palms becoming sweaty. taking her hand out of paige's, she wiped it against her black sweats. "just shit with my ex, he's.. it's complicated."

paige desperately wanted to know more, cringing momentarily at the mention of her ex being a man. not sure why that small piece of information bothered her so much, she decided to stop pushing. for both of their sakes.

paige noticed how she had went pretty quiet, noticing her now sad demeanor, one she had never seen from catherine before.

"hey, i know it's last minute, but we're having a halloween party tomorrow—me and the team. you should come." the blonde offered, though she was aware of catherine's persistent declining.

and as suspected, the brunette began waving her hand, attempting to decline her offer. paige didn't take that answer though.

"you have to."

catherine stumbled over her words momentarily, looking for any excuse to say no. honestly, she was just nervous to hang out with paige and her friends outside of 'work.' she wouldn't even know how to act, truly. "what about maddie? we have to take her trick or treating."

paige shooed her off, shaking her head at catherine's persistence. "we'll go after we take her trick or treating. it doesn't start until late anyway."

catherine sighs, an eye roll to follow as she crosses her arms righr below her chest. paige smiles a bit, almost sure she was getting through to her. "i'll think about it."

paige clapped once as she relished in her half success, "aye!"

the sun was setting soon after, each of the girls taking their spots on the dark, green grass. paige and catherine sat either side of madison as they all basked in the glow the sun left on the sky, relishing each others company before the sky became dark, and they made their way to their respective homes.

authors note!

i just want them to date so bad, i need more couples moments like now. but, spoiler no spoiler, this is a #slowburn🫣 also, paige lore drop?? mommy issues?? idk, we'll see. also, i'm absolutely adoring the ever growing relationship between all of them.

also—so so sorry for the wait, i've been working full time this summer before classes start and it is absolutely killing me haha. also, this was barely proofread oopsies

but i'm so excited for chapter eight, it will be out either tonight or tomorrow! it’s already up on my wattpad, and it’s a long one lol!

of course, if you want more frequent updates, check out my wattpad @/uwupaige !!

as always, let me know your thoughts!

thanks for reading 🩷

- mari 🫧

6.2k words.

[halfagone]

Before The Wayne Came A Kane

Martha Wayne née Kane came from a very prestigious family even before she married her husband, the illustrious M.D. Thomas Wayne. Sadly, her family never supported her union with Thomas, so she largely cut them out of her life once she married and that certainly had not changed when she had a son.

Her strained relationship with the rest of her family is particularly apparent when it's revealed, at the release of her and Thomas' respective wills after their unexpected, tragic deaths, that she would not give her brothers or sisters-in-law custody of Bruce. They may be the last of his living relatives, but even in death she would never allow them to touch her baby boy. Hence, his care is left to the head butler, one Alfred Pennyworth.

She did have two sister, though. Two baby sisters, one who had been disowned and disavowed from the family long before her, named Alicia. And one who was far too young to take in her son, even if Martha had allowed it. Her name is Madeline Kane. As the only other acknowledged daughter left from Roderick and Elizabeth Kane, she is left to carry the burden of her older sister's legacy. And what a burden it was, to be constantly compared to a dead woman her family seemed to adore and loathe in strides.

It's really no wonder that the moment she gets the chance, she leaves her family in Gotham to attend a university in Wisconsin. There, she meets Jack Fenton. He can be a little clumsy sometimes, but he has an eye for engineering and doesn't like her for her family's name or wealth. He calls her "Maddie" when she says so, and he doesn't ask about the change.

She falls in love and the two are wedded in the blink of an eye, Maddie pregnant with their first child only a few years after graduation. In her family's eyes, it just further proves that any Kane daughter is cursed and doomed to failure. (Beth understands this. Bette learns this. Kate knows this.)

And all too similarly to her elder sister, when her son is just fourteen years old, she is killed: yet another unexpected, tragic death. Her husband and her daughter perish along with her. Just like her older sister, the only one left is her baby boy.

Only, Maddie wasn't nearly as forthcoming with her will, and there is no guardian marked for custody in his papers. The Kanes, who proclaim they are his rightful family, are more than happy to take advantage of this.

Bruce isn't close to his family, beyond perhaps Kate. But if there is one thing that he knows it's that his parents didn't give his estranged relatives custody of him for a reason. Alfred is stingy with the details, but he can confirm that much.

Bruce is left to fight an uphill battle, helping a mourning boy heal from his loss and fighting his extended family's attempts for custody at every turn.

More ramblings under the cut:

See this guy right here?

This is Jacob Kane, Kate's father, Martha's brother, and Bruce's uncle. He's got the distinct red hair and do you know who else has red hair? Maddie. Jacob is a respected military officer and Maddie, in general, has always given me strong former U.S. agent vibes. But regardless, it makes sense that Maddie would know things or learned how to fight at an early age if her older brother left for military service.

Also, I just love showing Bruce's extended family and how twisted, complicated his family was long before he adopted so many children. And this also helps explain why Maddie is so cagey with her background. She only has Alicia left really, all the rest she keeps out and away for good reason.

But she can't protect Danny from them forever.

Plus, there's this really cool possibility for Danny to stay with the Kanes for a while and explore that avenue before he's ultimately brought into the Wayne fold. Danny gets to see what the upper crust Gotham elites look like with his own two eyes, beyond Sam's stories.

[saras-almanac]

911 Season 8 Rewrite - title tbd (nothing sounds or feels right but this if I'm honest...) I wrote these all this weekend and wanted to put them out before starting on the rest of the fic and the chapters. These are all little vignettes of where each character is sort of at and hopefully throwing a few of them forwards to know what we might be covering. Some things are going to just expanding on canon and some is just adding more stuff to it or stuff they could have (should have) explored more. Not sure how I'm going to organize each chapter cause they're likely going to be long, so it's either they're just written like fiction or I try to group things together to feel like an actual episode with calls and things. I'm not sure and I think that's something I'll have to figure out in the writing. Once I figure out a title, I'll post this to ao3. So for now, enjoy it on tumblr!

ATHENA

Athena stared at the computer screen in front of her, her mind both blank and whirling 100 miles an hour. She was technically off shift—had been for the last 48 minutes, but she didn’t want to go home. Mostly because it wasn’t home she was going back to. Not anymore.

The fire had burned nearly everything up. There were some things that survived, but most of those were so badly damaged they weren’t worth keeping. There were the stones from the patio littered around and some burnt wood pieces and Athena couldn’t bring herself to get rid of them because then it’d be really over, her home—the home she raised her children in, the only real home she’s had that felt hers—would really and truly be gone.

They were still waiting on their insurance money and the settlement to be paid out before they could start figuring out what they wanted to do, where they wanted to live. They’d spent a little time in a hotel room before taking Michael and David up on their offer of coming to stay with them for a bit in Florida. They had lasted only two weeks before they had to come back—both for testing that Bobby had to do for his heart (though David had been very focused on doing his own tests on Bobby) and because both Bobby and Athena wanted to get back to work. May was trying to convince them to stay with her for a couple weeks, but Athena hadn’t been able to take her up on it for more than a weekend. While it was sweet and gracious and Athena loved being able to be in the same place as her daughter, it hadn’t sit right with her. She was the mother—she was supposed to take care of her children, not the other way around.

Hen and Karen offered to house them for a bit while they figured out a rental or an apartment situation. But with everything going on with them and their fight to get Mara back, it was just a little too much, so they only stayed a few days. Now they’re staying with Chimney and Maddie and it’s nice, but it’s just not home. But Bobby seems to enjoy being around Chimney since they’re no longer working together, so Athena’s going to just suck it up and be happy to have a place to stay that’s not a sterile-but-not-sterile hotel room.

“Athena, you’re still here?” Ransone stopped by her desk.

“Uh, yeah,” she said. “Just packing up to head out. You need something?”

“Maybe,” he said. “I got a case and if you’ve got a minute, maybe I could run it by you, talk it over?”

Athena smiled at him. “I’ve got time. Let me grab a coffee and I’ll meet you in your office.” Sometimes staying late does pay off, but not in the ways you expected.

MADDIE

“And then Mara said the cutest thing to Jee last night when she didn’t want to go to bed,” Maddie said to Linda and Josh as they made their coffee in the breakroom. “She told Jee that the sooner she went to sleep, the sooner it’d be morning and they could have a tea party when she got back from school.”

“That is adorable,” Josh said.

“They’re both getting along?” Linda asked.

“Amazingly,” Maddie said. “I was a bit worried how Jee would take to having another kid at the house when she’s so used to be an only child, but she loves it.”

“And Mara’s settling in okay?” Linda asked. “I know it was tough on her to be taken away from the Wilsons.”

Maddie nodded. “I think she’s doing as best as can be expected. She misses her moms a lot, and Denny, but I think it’s weirdly helping her to have Jee to take care of? I know she had a younger brother so I think that protective part of her is giving her something else to focus on.”

Maddie sighed. “It’s just so hard because I don’t know how to assure her that she’s going to go back to her home because we all just don’t know when that’ll happen.”

“Or if,” Josh said. “I mean, they’re up against some big odds.”

“They’re been up against worse. I have to have hope that they’ll all be reunited because the alternative breaks my heart,” Maddie said.

“Have you and Chimney talked about what you might do if they can’t get Mara back?” Josh asked her.

Maddie hesitated. “No. Not really.”

Was that something they should have been talking about? Probably, but they were just so focused on making sure that Mara was safe and okay and that Hen and Karen and Denny knew that Mara was safe for the time being—the idea that Hen and Karen would never get Mara back never even crossed their minds.

“I’m sure it’ll all work out,” Linda said gently. “But having a conversation might be best, just to make sure you’re both on the same page on what the future holds.”

“No. Yeah,” Maddie said. “You’re right. I guess we just were so focused on the positive outcome we didn’t stop to consider anything else.”

“Does it change anything for you?” Josh asked.

“No, of course not. Mara’s welcome with us for as long as she wants,” Maddie said. “it’s more about what that might do to Hen and Karen that I’m worried about.”

“Hey,” Josh said, gently squeezing her arm. “I didn’t mean to bring anything down. It’s just, in our line of work, we know that we should be prepared for any potential or possibility.”

BOBBY

Bobby stepped out of the elevator and walked toward the receptionist. “Bobby Nash. Here for a meeting with Chief Simpson.”

The man clicked on his computer and then glanced up, gesturing to the seats. “If you want to have a seat, he should be ready for you shortly, Captain Nash.”

“Thanks.” Bobby sat in the chair, his heels clicking together as he straightened. He let out a long breath, trying to ease his nerves.

Bobby had been out on medical leave for the past few weeks—mostly due to an abundance of caution for Athena’s sake. He took it easy and didn’t press to be released from the hospital too quickly. When he’d woken up, seen everyone waiting around, he could tell that this hospital visit had been different, more intense.

It wasn’t until later that he convinced Chimney to tell him everything—that he’d been clinically dead for almost the entire drive to the hospital and that it was a long shot he’d even wake up again. And Athena had sat there, wondering if he’d wake up, the position he’d been in back in Minnesota. So he’d stayed at the hospital, listened to all the advice, and actually took days off to really focus on resting and healing up. He’d even let David and Micheal take them in for a week or two before Bobby had to get back to work.

Which is why he’s here now, waiting to talk to the Chief.

“Captain Nash,” Chief Simpson greeted, reaching out a hand to shake Bobby’s. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Bobby said as he got up to follow the Chief into his office.

“It’s amazing how often the advice of rest actually ends up helping,” the Chief said with a chuckle. “And yet, it’s so hard to follow.”

“It’s why I’m eager to get back to work,” Bobby said.

“I can imagine so.” The Chief sat down at his desk. “I’m glad you changed your mind about retirement. The department would be sad to lose a man as capable as you.”

“Thank you, sir.” Bobby felt his nerves amping up for some reason. “So… how is that all looking? I believe you got my medical clearance?”

“Yes,” Chief Simpson said.

“And…?”

The Chief sighed. “Medically, you have been cleared for restricted duty.”

Bobby frowned. “Right. So I just won’t be leading the charge for calls, but it’s nothing I haven’t done before.”

“Before you were awarded the Medal of Valor,” the Chief said.

“I… don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

“For better or worse, you’re well-known now. More than before,” the Chief said. “And I’m not interested in having more attention on you, or on me, than necessary. So we’re going to keep you on light duty for a little longer, until you’re fully cleared to return to full duty. Think of it as an abundance of caution.”

“Caution.”

“Look, Bobby, I’ll level with you.” Chief Simpson leaned forward, and folded his hands on his desk. “You know I’m tentatively interested in throwing my hat into the ring for Mayor, so I have to be very careful how I proceed here, not just with you, or the entire Fire Department, but also the other potential candidates. I don’t want to give them any ammo against me or against anyone who’s working under me.”

“I see,” Bobby said.

“The 118 has a bit of a magnifying glass on it right now, with the medals and media attention and I don’t want to cause people to dig even more there when they don’t need to,” the Chief said. “So until you are fully cleared to return to full duty, I can’t let you back as Captain.”

“I understand,” Bobby said, though he didn’t really. “So am I on fire marshal duty?”

“I think you’re a bit above that,” Chief Simpson said. “I had another idea in mind for you. There’s a show that’s shooting in LA that has requested an advisor of sorts. I think you’d be perfect for it.”

“To work on TV?”

“To work for a TV show,” the Chief corrected. “Look, I know it’s not what you want, but I also know that you’ll be able to handle this and not let it lose sight of coming back into the fold. And who knows whether that might be to resume your Captain position or perhaps a higher title.”

“Thank you, sir.” Bobby wiped his hands on his knees, pushing himself up. “I will report to duty as an advisor then. And will let you know when I’m medically cleared.”

“I appreciate your understanding,” Chief Simpson said, standing up and reaching out his hand to shake. “I’ll send you the information and contact for the position. We’ll be in touch.”

EDDIE

It’s quiet now, more than he’d ever noticed before. His house was silent, not even a creaking or groaning of settling. Even the firehouse felt silent in a way. It felt like everything was frozen, including himself.

He’d spent so many years now being a dad that he didn’t know what to do now, now that that option was taken away from him. Now that Chris has left. And not just for the summer or a break, but indefinitely.

There’s a list that sits on his night stand now of all the things he wants to get done around the house now that Chris isn’t here, updates and repairs, little things he’d been putting off for ages. Things he knows will keep him occupied at home for the next few weeks—Buck and Tommy had both offered to help him with those projects if he wanted.

The problem was Eddie didn’t know what he wanted, besides Chris coming home. Would working around his house make him feel better and show that he’s learning to keep a handle on things when Chris wasn’t there to sort of force him to? Or would it be more like he’s making changes to adapt for the rest of his life to be without Chris? Would Chris feel like he couldn’t come back if Eddie did some projects, like Eddie was making his life better without Chris? And if he didn’t do anything, would it look like he’s just throwing a tantrum because Chris left while he didn’t do a single thing to change or make things better?

Eddie didn’t know. He didn’t know the right answer or the right decision—if this was even a decision at all to make. And it’s not like Chris was talking to him. He was barely replying to Eddie’s messages and calling him didn’t help because he was getting one-word answers. It was clear that Chris was only accepting his calls because he felt he had to because Eddie’s his dad or because his parents were forcing Chris to answer. Eddie wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer to that.

“Bobby should be back today,” Buck said as him and Chimney came into the locker room.

“I’ll be sure to tell Hen that you didn’t enjoy her leadership,” Chimney said, slapping Buck on the back.

Eddie smiled at their antics because he was supposed to.

“That’s not what I meant!” Buck protested. “Eddie, you’ll back me up, right?”

Eddie held his hands up. “I am pleading the fifth.”

“Even your bestie knows you’re wrong,” Chimney said.

“Whatever,” Buck said. “You talk to Chris yesterday?”

“Depends on your definition of talking,” Eddie said, closing his locker. “I got him on the phone, but he barely said anything. I think I got “Hi,” “I’m fine,” and “I gotta go.” So not much to go on.”

“That’s rough,” Chimney said.

“You just gotta give him some time,” Buck said. “I’m sure he’ll come around once he calms down more.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Thankfully anything else they were about to say to cheer him up was interrupted by Hen coming in to gather them outside.

“We’re being called out for a meeting,” Hen said.

“A meeting?” Chimney asked. “Who called it?”

“The new Captain,” Hen said.

“New Captain?” Buck asked. “What about Bobby?”

Hen shrugged. “You know as much as I do.”

“Oh no,” Chimney said looking out passed Hen.

They all turned and saw Gerrard walking down the stairs, his uniform as crisp as his moustache.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Hen whispered.

“Are they really letting him take over for Bobby?” Buck asked.

“Gather up!” Gerrard shouted. “Time to inspect the way this station has been thrown to the wayside so we can course correct.”

“I guess so,” Eddie said, slamming his locker closed and walking out. As shitty as it was to not have Bobby back, having a new Captain might be just what Eddie needed to stay focused on his job and not have to think about his empty house all through his shift.

KAREN AND HEN

Hen slumped into the chair and leaned heavily onto the table.

“Denny all set for bed?” Karen asked, tidying up the papers in front of her.

“He’s not the only one,” Hen said.

“Long day?”

“Long year,” Hen said. “Gerrard back, Mara gone, it’s just… every day feels like a fight.”

Karen nodded. She felt the same and there wasn’t more they could really talk about regarding their feelings on it. It was bullshit and horrible and it broke her heart, but she was tired of talking about it without action. “How is it having Gerrard back. Like really?”

Hen sighed. “I don’t know. The same, but different? It’s hard to explain. It’s not like he’s suddenly become this beacon of humility and humanity but he’s also better? It’s hard to know if he’s better because I have so much else to worry about or if it’s because he’s not as overt in his sexism or maybe he’s chilled out and actually grown a bit in the last decade.”

“Well, I guess it could be any of those,” Karen said. “Or a combination.”

“Time will tell with him,” Hen said. “It’s not the worst I’ve experienced and not even the worst under him, so I’ll take whatever win I can get. What’s all this?”  

“I’ve been looking for a lawyer for us. One that will actually take our case and isn’t going to be scared away or disbelieving that we’re being targeting by a councilwoman,” Karen said. “So, I’ve been doing some research.”

“Of course you have, in between all your free time at the lab, I’m sure,” Hen said with a small laugh. “Job interviews without the interview?”

“There will be an interview,” Karen said. “Obviously we need to know how seriously they’ll take us but I need to know that they’re someone worth meeting with. It’s crazy to see how many attorney offices are linked with the politicians in this city. Just finding an office that didn’t have an overt connection to Ortiz or anyone connected to her was difficult.”

“People like that flock together,” Hen remarked. “Can I help with anything?”

“Well if you want to take a look at these people and give me your thoughts?” Karen suggested. “I want to see what your instincts say before I tell you what I’m thinking.”

“My instincts?” Hen said. “What if my instincts were to go run you a bath and get you to stop thinking about this and relax for at least an hour?”

Karen raised her eyebrows. “Only an hour?”

Hen laughed and got up, pulling Karen with her down the hall. “I guess I’ll have to show you more than hour.”

Karen smiled as she followed Hen down the hall, noticing that Hen grabbed the files as well.

CHIMNEY

Chimney slammed his locked closed, tightening his belt as he looked over at Hen lacing up her boots. “You ever think that maybe we’re in someone’s sick joke? Like someone’s own Truman Show?”

“You think we’re interesting enough for people to watch?” Hen scoffed. “I don’t think so.”

“Well that’s why they keep throwing stuff at us, keeping us interesting to the viewers.” Chimney turned to her. “Like Gerrard coming back to the 118 after all this time.”

“I’d rather be boring then,” Hen said. “Though him returning is the least of my worries right now.”

“How’s the lawyer process going?”

“Slow,” Hen said. “Karen’s been meticulously combing through every possible candidate. We’re just trying to make sure that whoever we hire will actually be on our side.”

“You’ll find someone,” Chimney said. “Especially if Karen’s on the research. I remember when she moved in across the hall—she came with a checklist for the property manager.”

“Sounds like my wife,” Hen said. The laughed quietly.

“You’ll get it sorted,” Chimney said. “I have faith in that. And until then, Mara’s safe and secure and just a short car ride away.”

“Yeah,” Hen said. “You’re right. Just have to focus on one step at a time.”

“Exactly!” Chimney came behind her to squeeze her shoulders as they walked out. “Like today and our bet of how many minutes into the shift before Buck starts complaining about Gerrard.”

Hen laughed, catching sight of Buck already in line up and waiting for their new Captain. “I’m gonna say he’s not even gonna make it through inspection today.”

“Five bucks says you’re wrong,” Chimney said.

“You’re on.”

BUCK

“He hates me,” Buck said. “No matter what I do, it’s wrong.”

“That’s just how he is,” Tommy soothed as he washed the dishes from their dinner. Buck was drying but it was hard to care about drying dishes when his boss was an asshole who seemed to have it out for him specifically.

“I don’t even know what I did wrong,” Buck said. “I’m trying to do everything the best way possible but he seems to only want things done his way, to hell with efficiency.”

“Hmm,” Tommy said, passing him a plate.

“And it’s not even like I’m jumping rank or anything on calls!” Buck angrily wiped at the plate. “Even when I’m trying to follow his order to the letter it’s still not enough for him. It’s like he lives to find fault in everything we do.”

“He just likes to be in charge and feels the best way to do that is to constantly correct everyone, even when there’s nothing to correct,” Tommy said. “Especially when there’s nothing to correct.”

“I don’t how everyone else is handling it,” Buck said. “

“Probably the same way you are,” Tommy said. “Anything to keep from boiling over on shift.”

“I have come so close to wanting to hit him so many times,” Buck admitted.

“Thank god you haven’t,” Tommy said.

“Because I’m above that,” Buck said. “Yeah, I know.”

“Because you’d look awful in that orange jumpsuit,” Tommy said. “You’re cute, but bright orange rarely works for anyone.”

“So you’re saying you’d dump me if I was arrested for hitting Gerrard?” Buck asked, setting the towel on the counter.

“Of course not,” Tommy said. “I’d cheer you on. It’s the orange jumpsuit that might make me call it quits.”

“I thought you said I was adorable,” Buck reminded him.

“You are,” Tommy said, smirking at him as he placed the sponge back on the holder in the sink. “But even your adorableness has its limits.”

Buck just grinned because how could he not? He had a partner, a boyfriend who seemed to genuinely like spending time with him in a way that Buck’s never had before. He didn’t feel like he had to try so hard—obviously he still did, but it was because he wanted to for Tommy, not to get him to stick around. After all, the man had seen him at his worst and most… dramatic and chose to kiss him and ask him out anyways.

“I guess we’ll have to do some experiments then,” Buck said, grabbing his phone off the counter and pulling up some shopping sites. “See how much bright orange I have to wear before you don’t want me anymore.”

[livelaughlou]

Family Meeting

@bucktommypositivityweek Day 3-Meeting the friends and family. I kind of twisted it a bit, but I still hope you guys like it. It's another addition to the girl dad's Buck and Tommy and their daughter Alex universe.

bucktommy - Words: 1,055 - Rating: General - Complete

Tommy stares down at the little person in his arms, runs a light finger down her cheek, and marvels at this little person they made with the help of their surrogate.

Evan comes into the room with a bottle and stops, blinking slowly.

“Hey,” Tommy prompts. “You okay?”

Evan shakes his head. “Yeah, I just…you two are so gorgeous,” he says softly. “I had a husband, which wow, okay? And now I have this daughter that I get to raise with said husband. It’s a little…”

“Crazy?” Tommy supplies with a grin and Evan smiles back.

“A little bit,” Evan admits. “But in a good way. If you told 26 year old me that I’d be 35, married and a parent, I would have you committed.”

Tommy laughs just as there’s a knock on the door.

“Oh, they’re here,” Evan says. He hands the bottle to Tommy. “It’s too bad she wouldn’t eat earlier. No one will be able to hold her until she’s finished.”

“It’s okay.” Tommy looks down at her little face sucking on the nipple of the bottle. “They’ll be happy to wait.”

Evan’s grin is soft as he watches them and there’s another knock on the door.

“Right! I’ll go let everyone in,” Evan says. He leans down and kisses Tommy gently, then Alex’s forehead.

They’d decided to wait until they got home with her before introducing her to everyone. The only people who have met her so far are Maddie and Eddie and though they’d felt bad making everyone else wait, they’d wanted to make sure their surrogate, Ashley, was comfortable and Alex was out of the hospital before introducing her to the rest of the 118 family, as well as Lucy Donato, who has been a fixture in helping Tommy feel better about the prospect of raising a girl when his nerves got to be too much.

The first one in the living room is Maddie, who holds her hands to her chest and coos. “Hi little niece,” she says and Tommy grins as she bends down to give the baby a kiss on the cheek. “It’s auntie Maddie. You’re just as gorgeous as you were a few days ago.”

“Isn’t she?” Evan says, trailing behind the rest of the group as they make their way into the living room. Like he always does when the whole group is together, Tommy is glad they bought a bigger house before they got married, if only to fit everyone inside it.

“She’s really beautiful,” Lucy says, coming and wrapping her arm around Tommy’s shoulders, squeezing him in a gentle side hug.

“My goodness,” Bobby says, holding Athena’s hand. “You guys are very lucky. I’m proud of you.”

Tommy looks at Evan, who looks like he might cry.

“Thank you, Bobby,” Evan says and glances at the bottle Alex is still working on. “She’s almost done eating. Does anyone want to burp her?”

“I will!” Hen and Karen both say at the same time. Everyone laughs and Hen and Karen do a quick round of rock, paper, scissors, with Hen winning.

“Yes!” she cheers and Karen nudges her with an elbow good-naturedly.

“Have you guys gotten much sleep?” Chimney asks knowingly and Tommy snorts.

“What do you think?”

Chimney grins. “Sounds right for a Buckley-Kinard baby.”

“I know right?” Evan says. They’d done a mix of both of their sperm for the surrogacy so they don’t know for sure who the biological father is, not that either of them cares. That was the whole point anyway, though Tommy can’t help but think he sees Evan in her, around the eyes. He wonders if Evan thinks the same.

Alex finishes her bottle and Tommy kisses her head and passes her off to Hen, giving her a little burp cloth to put over her shoulder.

“Oh hello, sweet girl,” Hen coos as she begins burping her. Karen runs her fingers over the sparse hair on Alex’s head and smiles when she lets out a little burp.

“Ah, burping should not be so cute,” she says with a laugh.

“Everything about her is cute,” Evan says dreamily.

“Even two am diaper changes?” Eddie asks, amused.

“Yes, even those,” Evan insists and Tommy grins at him. As Alex finishes her burping, she’s gently passed around their family, and Evan settles next to Tommy on the couch, a hand on Tommy’s thigh. They listen to everyone coo over her and Tommy looks at his husband, marvels at this man he’s still building a life with over and over again.

Evan notices him staring and looks at him, eyes glinting with amusement and affection. “What?”

“I just really love you, Evan Kinard. Thank you for doing this with me,” he answers. He cups his face and kisses him softly and no one notices the PDA because everyone is still enamored with Alex, as they should be honestly.

“I love you too,” Evan says. “Thank you. I still can’t believe it’s real.”

“Me neither,” Tommy admits. “Want to spend the rest of our lives staring at how real it is in the face?”

Evan’s grin is incandescent. “Oh yeah. Everything with you, you know that."

Tommy does know that. He's about to kiss his husband again when a familiar cry rings out and Evan gets up to take her from Lucy.

"I didn't do it!" Lucy says, a little panicked, and Tommy can't help but laugh at his normally calm, capable friend being afraid of a tiny baby.

"She's a newborn," Maddie says knowingly. "It happens."

Tommy watches Evan cradle their little girl in his arms, swaying back and forth and cooing at her.

Eddie plops down beside him on the couch. "Your face looks ridiculous right now."

Tommy snorts. "I'm sure it does. Can you blame me?"

"Not at all." Eddie looks toward Evan and Alex, the latter having calmed down to gentle baby noises.

"All right, Buck," Eddie says, standing up again. "My turn. Hand her over."

Evan does, and then he turns to the group. "Hey, Tommy and I want to thank you for everything. You guys have kept us sane during this whole process and we really appreciate it."

"Of course, Buck," Bobby says. "We're all here when you need us."

Evan smiles, walks over, and takes the hand Tommy's holding out for him. "We know."

[dannyphantom1234]

Reborn as Dan Phantom.

A fan of the show is reborn as Dan, the evil version of Danny just as he was created— but what no one knew was a fangirl had taken over the body and knew just what to do to help her family that would suffer what she just went through unless she did something to help. So— she creeped towards Clockwork, stole the time medallion, went to the timeline of the original, and immediately took over as big brother figure to help these poor children from suffering the future they would have to endure alone without adult supervision.

She— now he— didn’t care for gender, and just wanted to help and protect his new(ish) family from bad people. What he didn’t know was he was also thrown alongside the dc universe, which was an awesome discovery on his part later on.

Dan— or Dante— as he wished to be called, came to the group with sorrow in his heart as he explained what would happen in the future if Danny cheated on his test, not that it was anyone’s fault but fates. He explained how no one was at fault and it could all be avoided if he could help it.

He took over the ghost fights, and had a long talk with Clockwork about what would happen and his real purpose for being there.

His original timeline was obviously erased, and the only reason he survived was because of the medallion, so later he had to go through ghost magic and make himself his own person, gained a whole butt load of tattoos intertwined with ghost time magic and becomes the next king of the infinite realms after defeating the old guy easily after seeing him beat up his little bro.

Dante became king instead of Danny and took over all the overloaded paperwork along the way.

What he didn’t know, was that he would be summoned because of his status. He really thought the fan fictions were just exaggerating what would happen if he was ever given the position and power. Well, it was all true from what he read.

(I’m making this a Dante/King Phantom x Jason Todd/Red Hood).

He made an actual legal identity for himself with the help of Technus and Tucker, who became better pals after they set aside the fact that they attacked each other at some point or another.

Danny became a little brother to him, Jazz became his little sister who likes to treat him as if he were still Danny at times, and Danielle became his daughter.

Dante legally adopted Dani after they got his papers in order, and made her an identity as well. Elle was much younger than he remembered, but then again, she was deaged recently and just came back into contact with the group, who couldn’t take care of her because they were still children as well.

Vlad was still a little evil but leveled out after a huge diabolical involving Maddie, their so called mother.

Madeline Fenton had thought her son and daughter conspired with the ghosts and attacked them in their own home, Danny was greatly injured with multiple blast wounds and Jazz suffered a concussion while trying to push him out of the target zones.

Jack had football tackled Madeline and the rest was history.

Vlad had fallen out of love with her after seeing what she did to her own children, and instead got his head out of his butt and realized he was in love with Jack all along.

Jack divorced Madeline, took custody of his kids and decided they should move, all while Vlad made plans to take down GIW with Team Phantom.

Jack and Vlad met him and decided to emotionally adopt Dante as well in their messed up family.

Dante got a job as a mechanic and started his own business in Gotham. Very cliche from all the fanfics he read in his past life but he wanted to do something he knew and loved. He loved fixing things and his side job as the king of the infinite realms was basically being like a father to ghost children while scolding those who thought it was a good idea to attack innocent mortals.

He mainly spent his time raising Danielle. Giving her everything she deserves and making her happy now that his family was safe.

He was randomly summoned by the Justice League who were ready to full on attack him until they saw him reading to his child, not realizing he was summoned until someone cleared their throat. He was literally in his own little bubble, reading his two year old daughter a storybook while holding her against his chest as he floated above the ground, laid back in a relaxed position.

How it would go:

I looked up from the book after feeling a sudden shift in my surroundings, seeing multiple very brightly dressed people in front of me. I glared, shifting completely into my ghost king form while holding my daughter close to my chest. The storybook I was reading had disappeared into a pocket dimension for later, as I had to deal with this madness.

“Who in their right minds would summon the Ghost King? I literally burnt all those summoning books to ash.” I grumbled, and looked down to see Elle had slightly woken up at the sound of my deep voice.

“Dada?” She mumbled, rubbing her right eye as she sat up from my chest.

“It’s alright, Elle,” I rumbled, kissing her forehead as she plopped back down to take her nap again at my reassurance. “We can finish reading time later today.” I murmured to her as she went back to snoozing.

“What do you want, mortals?” I asked nonchalantly.

“Why does the ghost king have a child? And how in the hell are you not attacking us as the books state?” Zatanna asked, looking on at me in shock.

“You willingly want to be attacked after summoning me? That’s idiotic. “ I state, looking bored with their conversation. I still held Elle close, not answering their questions about my child just yet.

“No, a bloody idiot summoned you just as we defeated him as a last defense!” Constantine spat out, looking hysterical.

“Well, sorry to break the news, coward, but the last king was defeated by me after trying to take over the world, he is now locked away in forever sleep until we can find a way to get rid of him completely.” I explained to the coward looking at me in shock on the ground, bruises across his face and the usual weird looking villain costume on him.

I looked around for a quick second before stopping at the Batfam. Who were all here in a more relaxed formation seeing a child in my arms. My favorite fandom family in my last life.

I looked them over before spotting the Red Hood, my celebrity crush I had on him was no secret to my family, but they had no room to judge for themselves.

His aura admitted contaminated ectoplasm, and I knew I had to heal him sometime in the future.

“May I ask what your goals are? And who is this child?” Superman spoke up after a moment of digesting my information about my new position.

“I protect both living and the undead. I don’t have a world ending goal in mind, just to raise my daughter and give her the life she deserves.” I said, looking down at my daughter with a small smile that would be unnoticeable to most.

I looked back up to see the large group had softened at my words and I was about to ask a question about Red Hood, when my daughter suddenly decided this was taking too long and too much noise for her to take a nap.

“Dada! Where puppy?” She demanded answers, smacking the side of my face with her chubby hands, as I floated there, unmoving with an emotionless face towards the group.

“Cujo is with the twerp, remember? He will come by later for playtime.” I answered, which was slightly muffled as she squished my cheeks together and smiled at me happily.

“Dada! Fishh—“ she squealed out, looking happy with herself as she giggled at my face.

“You gremlin—“ I muttered out, tickling her sides as she squeaked, her flying out of my arms and turning into her young ghost form, looking ready to play.

“Playtime?” She asked, bouncing a little in the air, clapping her hands a little.

“Not yet, blob ghost. We need to head back home for snack time.” I explained, crossing my arms as she pouted, my arm muscles bulged a bit as I crossed them, and I still always forget the fact that I’m taller than most, alongside bigger. In my past life, I was a stick of a girl that had spaghetti arms, much different for sure.

Her pouting turned into the famous puppy eyes, and I turned back to the group to avoid them, only to see amused faces all around.

“Do you guys need anything before we head back? I’m sure you don’t want to deal with a Princess tantrum.” I rumbled out, looking on in disinterest as Elle decided to hug the side of my face like an octopus. She probably still had the puppy eyes on.

“You have an adorable daughter!” Princess Diana exclaimed soon after I was finished speaking. “How old is she?” She asked, looking at me curiously as I lowered myself to the ground, Elle now floating behind my head as she played with my low ponytail.

“She is now two years old.” I answered, swiftly nabbing Elle from behind me while reaching the back of my head. I lowered my arms to see I had her upside down now, her hanging like a sack of potatoes as she giggled.

“Dada!” Elle exclaimed, waving her arms around her in glee as she looked up at me.

“You don’t feel like a ghost completely… neither does she, what are you exactly?” Constantine asked, waving his hand at me in confusion.

“I don’t know if I can trust you with that information, Constantine.” I growled a little, glaring at him as he stepped forward while Elle hid behind me.

“Hey now! Let’s calm down, no one needs to start anything!” Nightwing stepped in front of the glaring Constantine who looked more and more like a bug the longer I looked at him.

“There isn’t anything to start, really. His soul is in shreds at the moment, not very powerful compared to my kind anyway.” I stated, crossing my arms once again as Elle peaked out from over my shoulder.

“Now, I need to speak with a Mr. Red Hood.” I said, looking on at the Batfam who tensed at my words.

“Why?” Batman growled out, stepping in front of the confused Red Hood.

“To heal him, of course.” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I heard sounds of confusion from everyone else.

“His ectoplasm is very corrupted. He has the ghost flu, in which case makes my kind very moody and in need of pure ectoplasm to filter it and his emotions.” I briefly explained, unpinching my nose as I looked up from the ground. Willing my headache away for now.

“So his pit madness is basically the ghost flu?” Red Robin murmurs out hysterically, almost giggling in disbelief.

“Yes, I have heard of his haunt, Crime Alley, that being under his protection, I have never stepped foot on his property because I didn’t want to seem like a threat to a sick person who can’t control themselves completely with such a sickness.” I explained myself a bit nervously, rubbing the back of my neck a little with my right hand as Elle now sat on my left shoulder, swinging her legs.

“Wow, the ghost king is a dork…” I heard Spoiler mutter to Orphan, who nodded in agreement.

I huffed, crossing my arms and floated once again. “I can come back another time. I just wished to help a little. My doctor can probably fix him quicker than I, but I know what to do as I have studied under him for more than over a year now.” I informed them.

“So the pit madness can go away…?” Red Hood asked, stepping from around Batman to speak to me clearly.

“I’m unsure of what this “Pit Madness” is, but yes, I can heal you and make sure you properly get the help you need from your emotional roller coaster sickness.” I said, looking down at him as he took a few more steps to me, his family following behind him.

“Well, when can you fix me?” He asked, his voice modifier cutting all emotions from his voice, but I can clearly feel his emotions bursting from his almost formed core. It seems this sickness had stopped him from forming his core completely and left him sick for many years.

I could feel his hope, his rage and especially his bursts of want for some reason.

“I can fix you right now, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted privacy or not. It’s very…. Intimate. I can take you somewhere private if you would like?” I rumbled out, the burst of want came out more clearly, and I could tell Red Hood was clearly not expecting that word choice.

“Take me anytime—“ I could clearly hear his muttered out answer behind his helmet with my enhanced hearing, but I don’t know if I was supposed to hear that.

“Nope! Little Wing— you are not going with the ghost king—“ Nightwing suddenly yelled out, the whites of his mask bigger as Spoiler, Red Robin, and Signal burst into loud laughter. Batman sighed loudly in disappointment. Robin just “Tt” and sighed alongside his father, looking like a mini bat. Orphan just smiled at me.

“By intimate, I mean having a look at your soul, I will essentially have to take a closer look at that and cure you.” I fixed my words, making it seem as if I didn’t hear anything and I could feel a little disappointment coming from Red Hood but he nodded at my explanation.

[leafs-lover]

Happy birthday!

I didn’t pick a prompt but had an idea for Auston with one of his daughters? I can use something cute/ fluffy and want to see him being a girl dad😍

Daddy's Girl - A Too Far Gone One-Shot

A/N: This is very delayed, and I'm sorry about that. This is a bonus chapter set in the future, after the timeline of TFG. It can be read as a stand-alone piece.

Warnings: None - just pure fluff, maybe some minor spoilers if you haven't been following the asks?

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 2,700

Auston loves coming home from road trips. He always has. Years ago, in the start of his career, leaving wasn’t so bad because there was nothing waiting in Toronto except a cold and empty condo. The most he missed was his own bed, some of the restaurants he’d grown to love.

Now he doesn’t care about the bed but who is waiting for him in it. It is not the food being served, but the smiling faces that surround the table. So, when the plane landed at 1pm and Auston knew the house was going to be empty for a few hours, he did what any logical person would do. He dropped his bag at the door, loaded Felix into the back of his car, and set out to spring his children from school.

Only, he couldn’t break all his kids out. Taylour had a math test and Tia would scold Auston if he made him miss that (even though Taylour would appreciate it), and this would be a real scolding not the fun kind he spent days missing. Maddie was having a class party, and even though she was a huge Daddy's girl there was a small possibility she would want to stay in class and Auston didn’t want to subject himself to that kind of disappointment. Even worse, if she said yes and left early, Auston knew she’d be disappointed come tomorrow when all her friends were talking about the party she missed. Benjamin was struggling to adjust to school and make friends, he had been all year. Auston knew that as much as he wanted to see his son, it was best for him to stay put. On top of that, he largely favours Tia, he often is reluctant to join in with Auston’s shenanigans, what if today was one of those days? That left Quinn, and even though she loved daycare, she was his partner in crime, always willing to do anything he suggested.

Auston put his car into park and left it running with the heat on low. He stepped out into the crisp Toronto air then muttered a curse word under his breath. He quickly shoved his hands into his pockets and tucked his ears into the collar of his coat.

He should have brought a beanie; Tia would have made him wear a beanie. 

The snow crunched under his feet as he walked through the parking lot. Before he even reached the door he could hear the room kids – excitedly screaming, laughing. For a moment Auston felt guilty, pulling her from the fun solely because he didn’t want to spend a few hours alone, but her face lit up brighter than a Christmas tree when he stepped into the room, and it reassured him it was the right decision. 

“Daddy!” She squealed. Excitedly, she jumped up and down a few times, her blue Cinderella dress (the one Tia spent three nights working on instead of sleeping because Quinn kept asking when it would be finished) sways side to side. The tiara atop her honey-blonde hair caught the light the moment she took off running for Auston. 

“Hi Quinnie Bear.” Auston welcomed her, immediately wrapping his arms around her small body, and placing a kiss on her temple.

“I mith you Daddy!” She kissed him back, with a wide toothy smile stretched across her face. 

“I missed you too.” Auston tossed her playfully into the air, electing a shriek, then brought her in for another tight hug. “I missed you so much Quinnie!”

“How much?” She probed. Her sweet innocent voice makes his heart flutter -she, like all his kids, has that effect on him. 

Keeping Quinn on his right hip, Auston stretched his left arm out as far as it can go. “This much,” he told her.

“That’s a lot.”

“Mhm.” Auston nodded and kissed her temple once again. “What are you up to?”

“Making Fwostee.”

“Making Frosty?! Can I see?”

“YES!” She immediately and enthusiastically agreed.

Auston set Quinn down and she quickly wrapped her tiny hand around two of his fingers, then tugged him toward one of the tables. They stopped at her workspace, and she released his fingers, then pointed to the chair. “Sit,” she demanded of him.

From the outside, Quinn looks nothing like her parents. Her hair is light and straight, where he and Tia have dark and curly, her eyes are hazel – sometimes looking more of a green – and again, theirs are both dark. He can look at any of her three siblings and immediately see himself or Tia in them, but when he looks to Quinn, he struggles to see any part of them. Then she puts her hand on her hip, has a sassy comment, orders him around with a sweet yet devious little grin, and Auston instantly knows that is Tia’s daughter. 

So, just like with her mom, Auston does what she says. Even if that means folding himself into a tiny plastic chair where his knees are taller than the table. Even if he is worried about the structural integrity of that tiny plastic chair as it creaks and sinks with his weight because it was made for three-year-olds and not the stature of a professional hockey player, he promptly sits in the chair without so much as a hesitation. 

Quinn reaches out to the desk, grabbed a mess of construction paper, then shoved it into his hand, and smiles.

“You didn’t make this.” 

“Yes, I did,” she is quick to protest.

“No way! This is the best snowman I’ve ever seen!” The snowballs are misshapen and boxy, the black blob on what Auston assumes is the head, looks nothing like a hat and the “buttons” are just a bunch of scribbles. There are three eyes glued and the nose that should be carrot shaped, is misshapen, but at least orange. “This was made by a professional.”

“No Daddy,” she giggled. The sound instantly made Auston smile. She brought her face closer, and pressed her forehead against his, staring directly into his eyes, she dropped her voice to try and sound serious. “I made it.”

“You made this?” Auston held the snowman up to get a better look at it. “You, Quinn Leigh Matthews made this?”

“Mhm.” Quinn proudly nodded. “Look at the eyes.”

“I see –“

“They move!” She squealed. Grabbing the snowman, she flipped it upside down, the black pupil of the googly eye moving with her.

“I see that. This is going on the fridge tonight.”

“Yay!” She jumped into his arms, the smile on her face somehow continued to get wider.

“Do you want to stay at daycare, or want to get some hot chocolate and take Felix to the park with me?”

“I want to go wif you daddy!” Her face scrunched as she gave him her signature grin, his signature grin. One of the few physical traits she took from him.

“Okay. You get your boots and I’ll talk to your teacher.”

The conversation with Quinn’s teacher was quick, they were accustomed to Auston sneaking her from daycare early. Like every time before, they reminded him that Tia specifically said Auston wasn’t to pull her from daycare early (she knew him far too well), and just like every time before, Auston rolled his eyes said he wasn’t going to listen to Tia (even though history had taught him otherwise). Quinn’s teacher just laughed, like she did every time Auston said that, then she wished them a good afternoon, and Auston went to gather her belongings.

Auston found Quinn sitting in front of her cubby with her purple butterfly boots on the wrong feet. He knelt down in front of her, set the snowman on the bench, then tugged at the Velcro to switch the boots around. As he reached for Quinn’s coat, he felt his watch vibrate - he knew who it was, didn’t take a genius to figure it out - but of course he flipped his wrist, saw Tia’s name and the beginnings of her lecture, and laughed. What was he supposed to do? Sit at home for three hours in an empty house?

He slipped his thick, muscular arm through the straps of Quinn’s sparkly pink unicorn backpack, fisted her jacket, then scooped Quinn up. When the door opened, he felt her nuzzle into his chest, and he tightened his grip. There was no point putting her jacket on to walk twelve feet to the car, only to take it off for the car seat, but he still hated the shiver that always erupted following the temperature change.

“Felix!” Quinn shrieked when she saw his head sticking out the window. The pup let out an excited whine. Over the low hum of the engine they could hear his tail eagerly smacking against the seat. “Daddy is taking us for tweats!” She told him through the window as she scratched behind his ears. 

**

It took a bit to get her in the car seat. Felix kept wanting to be close to her, which lead to him sitting in the car seat, licking her face, and lots of laughter. If Auston didn’t know better, he’d think Felix was the one who went eight days without seeing her.

The drive was short and Quinn had a million things to tell Auston, most of which she told him during their daily FaceTime or video updates Tia would send, but he didn’t mind. He loved listening to her excitedly ramble about everything that happened while he was gone, the highlights of her days. It was less than twenty minutes, but the only time Quinn wasn’t talking was when she was laughing because Felix had snuck in a kiss or two. Even in the drive-thru while Auston was ordering she didn’t let up for a second.

With the vehicle off, Auston opened the back door and squeezed himself in. He gently shut the door behind him to keep the heat trapped inside, then turned to Quinn. He softly brushed some hair behind her ear and let his thumb rest on her jaw while examining her face. He knows it isn’t possible, but every time he comes back from a road trip the kids look different, older somehow.

“Alright,” his voice cracks. 

Smiling through the pain of being gone, he unbuckled the car seat, gave Felix a few pets, then turned his attention back to Quinn. She had jumped out of the car seat, so Auston held her coat out for her to slide her arms into the sleeves. He zipped it up, wrapped a scarf around her neck, then rummaged around her unicorn backpack for the pink sparkly beanie shoved to the bottom. “You have to wear a hat sweetie; your ears will get cold.” 

“But my tiara.” A large pout formed, and her words were barely over a whisper. 

“You can put it back on when we leave.” Auston offered, but the faint quiver in her lower lip told him that wouldn’t be acceptable. “What if I wear it for you at the park, then you can have it back when we’re done.”

Quinn takes a second to think it over, her lips slowly curling in the process. She nodded, then reached up and got to work positioning it on his head. “You’re a pwetty pwincess,” she said.

“Not nearly as pretty as you.” Auston pulls the toque over her ears. “You’re the prettiest princess ever.” Quinn blushes and sways gently from side to side, then gives Auston a quick kiss. “You ready, Quinnie the Pooh?”

She laughed at the nickname, like she always does. “Can I hold his leash?”

“Of course.” Auston kissed the tip of her nose.

He helped Quinn out of the car and waited for Felix to jump out to shut the door. Stacking their hot chocolates, he held them in one hand and passed Quinn the leash. Like he is with all of the kids, Felix was gentle. He didn’t pull or yank even though he wants to sprint ahead, he stayed right beside Quinn, matching his pace to hers. Auston reached over the fence and popped the latch, he waited for the two of them to step in before letting it close. He bent down and unclipped Felix’s leash, looked at Quinn, then nodded. 

“Go pway Fewix!” She squealed. 

The energetic pup took off and ran to a tree, then the bench, and a garbage can, carefully sniffing everyone. Quinn reached up for Auston’s hand and the two of them moved to the bench. Auston sat down first and placed his hands under her armpits, helping her up beside him, then passed her Felix’s ball which immediately caught the pups attention. He scurried over, then jumped up and down, tail rapidly wagging from side to side. And when Quinn threw it a few feet he eagerly retrieved it and dropped it on the ground at their feet.

“Good boy.” Auston told him. This time he throws the ball quite a distance, working to burn off some of his energy. “Is that good?” He chuckled at the hot chocolate moustache on his daughter's upper lip.

“Mhm.” She beamed. “It’s the best hot chocowate ever.”

Auston bent down and once again retrieved the ball, then tossed it to the other end of the park. “Sure is, princess.” After a few of his tosses, trying to tire him out, he passed the ball to Quinn. She quickly accepts and throws it, smiling, even though it only went about six feet.

Felix bit down and a loud squeak erupted through the ball. His tail excitedly wagged, and he wandered back to them, dropping it at their feet once again. Auston hands the ball to Quinn, who had set her hot chocolate on the bench, and threw it again, shorter than the time before. After the fourth throw that barely had Felix moving, Auston took the slobbery ball and launched it to the other side. 

A loud, whistling wind enveloped the park, the branches creaking with every gust. A shiver erupted through Quinn’s tiny body, and she curled herself into her bright pink jacket. Auston scooped her up and tried to use his large body to shield the wind, sharing his body heat with his tiny daughter.

Felix dropped the ball at his feet and when Auston didn't immediately move to pick it up, Felix barked, then knelt his head down and rapidly wagged his tail from side to side, barking again.

“So impatient.”

Auston shook his head, smirking towards the youthful pup. He bent down and collected the ball and tossed it. “You want to go, Quinnie bear?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I like spending time wif you Daddy.”

Auston melts and tightened his grip, bringing her in as close as possible. “I like spending time with you too, Quinnie, but it’s a little cold out.” Auston said. Even though he is keeping one eye on Felix to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble, he can’t help but notice the rosiness in her cheeks and the tears clinging to the corner of her eyes. 

“No, Daddy, I not cold.” She promptly replied. But like her mother, she is a terrible liar.

“Daddy is getting cold.” Auston told her, knowing the only way to make her leave would be with a small fib.

“Oh, no. Daddy okay?” She asked, then brought her tiny little hands up and cupped his ears, attempting to shelter him from the wind. 

“Thanks Pumpkin.” Auston smiled sweetly at her. One of the things Auston had noticed of his youngest child was her selflessness. She was always checking in on her siblings when they were sick, and whenever he would huff or Tia would let out a frustrated sigh, she would immediately ask if they were okay. She picked up on their subtle cues, sometimes Auston thought she could sense things before they did.

“How about one more throw each, then we go home and watch a movie?”

“Tweee more.” She offered.

“Two.” Auston laughed when her entire face scrunched up before she emphatically shook her head no. She really is her mother’s daughter. “Fine,” he huffed. “Three more, but you can’t tell your mom I kept you outside in the cold.”

Her signature grin exploded on her face. “We get ice cream too.”

It’s Auston’s turn to showcase that signature grin. He can already hear Tia’s hushed whisper as she once again tells him all the reasons, he shouldn’t be pulling Quinn from daycare, does he really need to compound that by ruining her dinner? His move already has him “on thin ice” as Tia will undoubtedly tell him, one that has him dangerously close to not touching his wife that night, is it worth cementing that for a bowl of ice cream?

He glances down ready to deny his daughter's simple request, then he sees those wide hazel eyes practically glowing with hope, and sighs. There is no way he can say no to that face. 

“You won’t tell your mom?”

“No.” She shook her head, the devious grin on her lips says otherwise - Quinn cannot keep a secret. 

“You got yourself a deal, Quinnie-Bear.”

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[kiwi-but-the-bird-not-the-fruit]

Male! Apple white x fem! Pond siren Reader

Part 2 soon

Prompt- apple and the reader have a project together.

She/her pronouns

Using [Name] as substitute for (y/n)

Eyes will be gold to give contrast to her or whatever swampy ish look I'm describing.

Slow burn?/He fell first she feel harder

Nickname for reader- (eventually)

[A few of the characters stay female and some are genderbent]

(Could be ooc for Apple White but eh)

Art not mine found on pinterest

__________________________________________

________________________________________

Ever after high is seen in plain view, birds are chirping,the sun is set high and bright by the beautiful blue sky.

There is chatter amongst students and plain old fun as they get into the school for another day of learning.

One of these students that were going into the school was none other than [Name] Song,Daughter of the pond siren, known for her entrancing song and tragic story.

[Name] walks up the stairs, her deep navy blue heels clicking the tile floor, she sways with her dark green short off the shoulder dress, brown leg warmers dress her ankles and drape her heels. Her long (h/c) (h/t) hair is decorated with vines with small lotus flowers that go around her head as a crown.

Her face is stone cold, her golden eyes gave a glint of mischief to the royals parting the way for her, her face immediately soften when she enters and is greeted by her friends Madeline Hatter (or Maddy) and Raven king

"Hey Sugarcube!" Maddie yells waving her arms frantically up and down, Raven smiles waving at [Name] " Morning puddles"

She laughs as she reaches the two "always with the puddles never anything better huh?" She fold her arms over her chest and sigh dramatically

"Hey at least it's original" Raven defends himself elbowing Maddy at her arm; he then looks over to the clock "Let's get a move on guys" he walks down the hallway the girls following suit giggling

The trio walk to class, Raven and Maddy sit together because of a lucky arrangement and [Name] Sat with Kitty which was fine. Kitty is fun to talk to.

"Alright students, today we are going to be starting on a 3 day assignment of groups of two" the class erupted, some in excitement and others in disagreement.

"Settled down,all of you" then proceeds to call the groups of two, and after 15 minutes she called

"[Name] Song & Aspen white, alright now get with your partner"

[Name] looks around her seat and sees Aspen already going up to the seat next to her, an excited glint in his blue eyes as he gets closer, [Name] was surprised how fast he got there with eagerness.

Aspen takes a seat with a big bright smile, "Hello [Name] happy to properly meet you!" He offer his hand [Name] placed her's in his and without warning he bends down to her hand and kisses it softly, his lips were soft a dusty shade pink, they lingered for a second more than he should have he then seemed to snap back to reality his blue eyes looking up at her and gave her a charming smile.

[Name] felt a shiver go up her spine and a flutter on her stomach but pressed it down immediately.

"Meet me properly?" She tilts her head up and smirks locking back to character, Aspen's face turned a bright red and he quickly hides it with his hand "yeah I've heard of you from Raven, but I've never had the chance meet you since you're always on the move it seems haha" he looked to side, avoiding her eyes

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you as well" she said then turned to the teacher who handed out a paper with the project requirements

"Make sure to get everything correctly everyone" the students nodded their heads.

[Name] looked at Aspen who was already looking at her "so who's dorm are we using?"

____________________________________

~At the end of the school~

After class the two decided that it would be Aspen & Raven's dorm they would work their project in.

[Name] actually felt very out of bounds, pretending to not be interested in whatever the blond prince was saying as they walk through the boys dormitory.

" I think this will be great getting to know you!" He exclaimed making the girl look at him puzzled 'why does he want to get to know me? I'm not that interesting am i?', [Name] grinned mischievously hiding her true doubt "Ooh do you know?" She nudged his arm making him flustered "yeah haha..." he went quiet "I think I'd like to know you personally" he admitted looking at [Name] his blue eyes showed ernesty in his words

It confused her in how much he was willing to show to others just by his eyes unlike her, she'd seen it a few times towards situations revolving Raven with anger and guilt or his royal friends happy and honest but how could he show her that it's not like they've ever interacted until now.

I mean sure [Name] saw him around and talking to Raven a lot which of course made sense, [Name] did sometimes get intrigued so naturally she'd ask Raven about the blond and then he'd tease her about it afterwards..

It's not like she'd want to talk to him or anything she's just curious

"Sure but I won't make it easy, i'm not going to spill my whole story in one go" [Name] stops in her tracks and smirks at the blond "I wouldn't have imagined it" He smiles,[Name] rolls her eyes.

Aspen grabs his key as they get closer to his shared room, places the key to the door unlocking it, he hold the door and motions [Name] to go in first "what a gentleman" she pokes fun at him "of course" he states 'especially for you' he thinks to himself

The two ended up sitting on the ground next to Aspens bed, they used their computers in silence both looking into the information about the subject they were given.

The project they were given (all different for each group) was about wishing on shooting stars and the history of them

"Okay so," Aspen started looking at [Name] "i got the first person in story book records to ever wish upon a star it's categorized in wishing star records volume I" he turns back to his computer, [Name] shuffles to his side getting close shoulder to shoulder and leans towards the screen, the blonds face is turned hot red 'she so close and her perfume is DIVINE' he took a hesitant breath in, he had entirely forgotten to breath while the girl was sitting next to him how stupid of him he internally shaped himself

"Oh I see that's actually really interesting blondie" [Name] looked at him teasing him with the new nickname she gave him "are we gonna split this information between us two or do you want to do this one and I'll do the other one" Aspen thought for a moment "we can split it,it's a lot of work just for me and we'll do the same for what you've found" he tried his best not to sound shaky

"Alright sent me the file, one sec let me get my laptop it'll be easier if I see what your writing so I'm not repeating it" you then come back with your laptop and sit right down, criss-cross thighs in full view your skirt rolling up a bit, your (h/t) (h/) behind you styled to be out of your face for the time being 'she's so gorgeous' the prince thought looking at [Name] with a almost admiring eyes ``do you need something blondie" the girl looked at him back "No no! Sorry that was rude of me" he quickly started typing aggressively trying his best not to look back into her golden eyes

"Pfft- hahaha" [Name] started to laugh "oh my gosh blondie- hahaha" she held onto her stomach "i-i am really sorry I didn't mean to I promise" he started to move his hands defensively "no no *inhale* Phew no it's fine but wow the look on your face right then-""stupid?" She shook her head "Adorable blondie,not stupid" "what" Aspen sat there dumbfounded

"Don't get your ego up but you are adorable" she re adjusted her hair so she could see him better "oh..well if we're complimenting each other, I think you're gorgeous" he regained some confidence and admitted what he thought but in a more tame manner.

[Name] stared into his blue eyes and for a moment she felt a sense of warmth within her heart a spark ignited "thank you..Aspen" she smiled sincerely for the first time since talking to him and Aspen noticed "you're smile is the most beautiful feature of you yet" he confessed tilting his head to the side showing his own smile to her "that's a first,i just don't know why but I have a feeling I need to tell you everything about me,to open up"

The two fell into comfortable silence "I'd love to hear every detail" Aspen took her hand in his and she smiled

___________. ___________

Soon these two souls will fall for the other one who's already there and one who will learn this feeling for the first time in her life

____________________________________

You better let me cook!

I'm not giving ya'll the full meal yet though, this is just the start

This feels like it'll be like the nefero x reader series but more fluffy!

[kassandras-one-braincell]

Ranting into the void about Act 3 because I loved it, but episode 9 needed to be two episodes.

Ekko's arc and involvement in the finale was flawless. Phenomenal. Episode 7 was some of the best cinema I've ever had the pleasure of watching, and definitely the best execution of time travel I've ever seen. The 4 seconds limit was a lovely nod to the game.

I was not expecting Heimerdinger to die. Didn't think that was an option. Rip Donger :(

Jayce and Viktor's entire journey was fucking incredible. The whole Glorious Evolution trajectory was so good, but the war against the Evolved needed to span over two episodes. Going from plotting to conclusion in a single episode wasn't the right call. But beginning to end, Jayce has remained one of my favourites, and his conclusion felt right.

I'm overjoyed that Mel got a full arc, and there's no doubt that Riot's next show (if there will be one) will heavily involve Noxus. She's so beautiful. I'm gay. My only complaint is that the Black Rose's involvement felt a bit hasty, and I personally might have struggled to follow the end and Ambessa's death if I didn't have good knowledge of LoL lore and the Vision's intentions. Nonetheless, I'd be ecstatic if Mel made an appearance in any future developments.

Loved the Orianna cameo in the end, especially since she's the only living remnant of the Glorious Evolution. And honestly, I'm fine with Singed's war crimes having a lack of consequence. He played both sides with selfish intent, loyal to his daughter and nobody else.

Sevika being used quite heavily in the marketing of the final act, only to have about 20 seconds of screentime, was unfortunate. Especially since her character is a metaphor for Zaun. If the last act was a bit more fleshed-out, and if she rallied a few more people to beat up the Evolved (maybe with some of the chem barons' henchmen), her arc would have been more opaque. But hey, 4th arm's the charm. Her getting a seat on the council was necessary for a future of a joint city-state.

Maddie betraying Caitlyn wasn't much of a surprise, but it was satisfying to watch unfurl. I thought her proximity to Caitlyn beyond being sexual partners was a bit off. Mel deflecting her bullet was amazing.

Caitlyn was a consistently interesting character. Her leadership skills and flaws made her a joy to watch. The ending with her at the Kiramman computer-like thingy was lovely, because it hinted that Jinx never really died along with the outro shot of the blimp. I just wish the evolution of her relationship with Vi went a bit smoother. Them fucking in the middle of a prison cell after a suicidal Jinx disappeared in front of Vi felt like lazy writing/fan-service, honestly, and I say this as a lesbian. I would have loved a bit more humanity.

Don't have much to say about Vi. Really glad she finally, after how many years, got a short moment to grieve Vander and Powder. But another episode was needed. She got lost in the sauce, which is my only major grievance about the show, because everything began with her and Powder.

Jinx, comparatively, got a satisfying ending. Powder got something of a rebirth, and the hints that she slipped away into the ventilation system and escaped Piltover/Zaun on a blimp gave her justice. Ekko doing all he could to stop her from killing herself wouldn't have achieved much if her arc concluded with her death. Her cutting her hair to resemble Vi's weird mullet nearly made me throw up from joy and sadness. She was the perfect tragedy.

Overall, I'm happy with the conclusion, except for how Vi's character was handled. The show as a whole maintains its status as the best fucking thing I've ever watched. I really hope that if Riot does decide to expand their cinematic universe into another show, they learn from their pacing errors with the Arcane finale. Because Piltover and Zaun are tiny regions in a massive universe, and they got this masterpiece in their honour. Noxus has so much potential. I think the crow at the end and the Black Rose's intertwinement is hinting at this quite heavily. Fingers crossed.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️🌤️

⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🔼🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟🧟

⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️⚖️

Hell yeah let's do it.

84 for 🌤️:

---

“Uh, I’m sure they are…” Buck winces, unsure what decorations would be his, and in which bin they would be located. 

“Can you get them out?” Nico asks. Buck swears the kid’s eyes grow in size to better resemble a puppy. 

“Let’s look for them,” Buck agrees. He starts taking the lids off of bins and rummaging around. 

It soon becomes clear what he’s looking for. A collection of Christmas crafts and ornaments, just like the tree pinned to the fridge. Most of them are things an adult clearly did, with toddler marker scribbles on them. But then there are other things. Precious things. A photo frame ornament with a photo of Nico as a baby and Baby’s First Christmas in silver lettering. A holiday card with a picture of Nico and Chris. Nico is maybe two or three. Photos with Santa. 

Nico tucks himself up under Buck’s arm as Buck is sifting through all these preserved memories. He snuggles into him with utter familiarity and trust. Of course he does. Buck is his father. And Buck would hope he’s not been a shitty one. Of course he trusts him. Buck is rigid for a moment, uncertain what to do with this affection. 

“I like this one,” Nico says, pointing to the photo of himself and Chris. 

Buck smiles softly. “Yeah, so do I. Chris must be… I mean, Chris is a really good brother, right?”

“Mhm,” Nico nods. “The best ever.” 

Buck’s throat feels tight. 

“That’s amazing,” Buck says. “You know… I’m a little brother, too.”

“I know! Auntie Maddie!”

Of course he knows that. Auntie Maddie. He likes the sound of that. 

“Right, Auntie Maddie,” Buck replies. “Anyway, just… You’re really lucky you know? Having an amazing big brother or sister is the best thing in the world.”

“Yeah!” Nico agrees. 

“And Chris is lucky, too,” Buck says. “Because you… You’re a pretty special kid.”

Nico beams at him. Buck’s heart melts. He doesn’t know how he knows it, but he knows he’s right. Nico is special. The most special… He… He’s Buck’s. If only Buck actually knew him. 

🌤️

Christopher lives on the first floor of what is clearly a building full of student apartments. Eddie parks and walks to the door, trying to keep himself from trembling. This is insane. This is all so insane. His son is twenty. His teenager is an adult. And he’s in Los Angeles again. A twenty minute drive away. Near his college campus. Talking to Eddie regularly. Eddie doesn’t know what to expect.

When he knocks, Chris answers within thirty seconds. 

“Hey, Dad!” He greets Eddie warmly.

Eddie just about passes out. 

He’s taller. Eddie’s height. He’s… He’s a grown up. He’s a young man. He looks healthy and happy and… And perfect. He’s perfect. 

Eddie’s hand flies to his mouth, in utter shock. His eyes are burning, and before he can hold himself back, he’s fucking crying. 

“Dad?” Christopher inquires, alarmed. 

---

45 for ⚡:

---

“I think I should go now, Eddie. I need some time to process this.” 

Well, that’s fine. He doesn’t want to see her until Thanksgiving at the earliest, anyway. 

“Okay. Goodbye,” Eddie says. “I’ll keep you updated.”

“That would be good,” she says stiffly. “Goodbye.”

“Bye,” he replies, teeth gritted. 

She hangs up. Eddie takes a few moments to breathe, until he feels lighter. Until he knows he can move forward, without the weight of their dynamic impacting his relationship with yet another child. It feels like one of the first things he’s done to protect his daughter, beyond choosing to adopt her. It also feels like something he’s done to protect himself. And that feels good. 

When he’s ready, Eddie finds Buck and Chris in the living room, bickering playfully over a video game. He plunks himself down between them, sighing, and leans his head onto Buck’s shoulder. He’s almost certain this ruins Buck’s game, but he can’t quite bring himself to care. Neither does Buck, apparently. As Chris whoops in victory, Buck turns to kiss Eddie’s forehead. 

“All good?” He asks. 

Eddie nods. “Things are going to be different, uh… With you know…”

Buck kisses him again. “Proud of you.”

“Dad, you’re kind of ruining the game,” Chris chastizes. 

“Really?” Eddie asks. “Because I’m pretty sure I just secured your win.”

“That is true,” Chris admits.

“Oh? Teaming up on me? Unbelievable!” Buck complains. 

“Don’t worry,” Eddie says. “The baby can be on your team.”

Chris laughs. “What good will that do?”

“You guys are laughing, but I am going to train her up so good,” Buck scowls at them. “She’ll be my ultimate weapon.”

“Okay, sure, Buck,” Chris teases.

---

39 for 🔼:

---

Eddie coughs. “Okay, uh… Well, listen. We’re both learning right?”

Buck nods. “Right.”

“I don’t expect expertise,” Eddie says. “I hope you don’t, either?”

“No!” Buck insists. “No! I don’t. I promise I don’t. Sorry, I just… I want things to be good for you.”

“I think it will be,” Eddie says. “Because it’s you. And if not… Then, whatever. We’ll figure it out.”

Buck exhales, relieved. More relieved than he had expected. He didn’t even know he needed that assurance, really. The thing is, there’s a significant part of him that can’t really get past the notion that sex is what he brings to the table. For a long time, he knew it was all he brought to the table. Abby had sort of changed that. Until she hadn’t. And then… Even though he knows Ali really liked him for sincere reasons, there’s a small voice in his head that always reminds him she left when he wasn’t able to perform for a while. He knows her reasoning. Knows it wasn’t that. But they were pretty active? What if that was part of it? 

“You’re uh… You’re sure?” Buck asks Eddie. 

“Of course I’m sure,” Eddie replies. “It actually sort of makes me feel better that… That I’m not the only clueless one.”

---

36 for🧟:

---

“Mmm, and you won’t,” Athena says. “But you know what that tells me?”

“What?” Matthew asks.

“You cannot afford to keep fucking with us,” Athena says. There’s something completely certain about her words. Even though Buck knows they’re all afraid of exactly the opposite of what she’s said.

Matthew glares at her. 

“So, what’ll it be, Matt?” Athena asks. “Do I kill you now, and let your pals attempt to avenge you? Or do I send you home with that as the message? Up to you.”

As Taylor had anticipated, Matthew makes the right choice. 

Buck, and the rest of them, will just have to trust that these ass hats are smart enough to take a hint. And if not? Well, he thinks they’re sort of a force to be reckoned with. 

September 11th, 2018

The twenty-four hours following Matthew Sparks’ bloodied, frightened departure from Sunport are sort of marked by chaos. At least for Buck. Maybe nobody else sees it that way. 

There’s a lot of talking. Big discussions. About the future, the present… All the threats that potentially face them. The women from L.A. discuss an alliance. Two entities, settlements, looking out for each other. For innocent people who might need their help. Hen is so into the idea, it sort of makes it hard for anyone else to have a differing opinion. They talk about setting up a code for radio communication. 

“You’re welcome,” Buck mumbles at that discussion. Earning him an eye roll from Bobby. Albeit, a fond one. They’ve promised to have a conversation when things settle down a bit. Hopefully to ease some of the tension from when Buck left. So much has happened, he forgets even arguing, to be honest. 

---

You get the first words of chapter 2! 99 for ⚖️:

---

When Buck wakes from whatever vision Nemesis sent him, all his exhaustion has vanished. Instead, he feels a sort of bone deep pull. An instinct. Deeply rooted and starving for fulfillment. 

He despises it. 

He knows now what Nemesis wants. Correction. What she expects. He also knows what he has to lose by ignoring her. Everything. Something happening to Eddie or Bobby or anyone else he cares about? That would destroy him. So he has to do it. His new… Purpose. 

Nemesis said he would hunger for it, eventually. He just didn’t think that would be immediate. But maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s not the hunger for the job. Maybe it’s the fear of failure. He needs to get this done, to protect the people he loves. That’s all there is to it. 

There’s an easy route and a hard route. One will be quick. One will solve a bigger problem. Buck, feeling angry and full of trepidation, chooses the latter. He grabs a piece of mail, exits his apartment, walks down the hall, and knocks on Lawrence’s door. 

Lawrence answers after a few moments. His red aura is as strong and disconcerting as ever. Buck feels the familiar but excruciating tightening around his tattoo. Luckily, he’s hidden it under a sweater. 

“Oh,” Lawrence says, by way of greeting. “It’s you.” 

Yeah, okay. Buck might not regret this one. 

“Hi,” Buck forces a smile to his face. “I got this mail sent to my apartment, and I was wondering if it’s meant for you. Must’ve been a mistake.”

Buck lifts the flier. He hadn’t even glanced at it before grabbing it, so singular focused as he’d felt. 

Lawrence glances at it. 

“Dude, that’s a Hello Fresh coupon. They send those to everyone.”

Buck glances at it. 

Fuck. He could have chosen better. 

“Oh, really?” Buck asks. “You sure? You want to take a closer look at it? Make sure it’s not like a customer loyalty thing?”

“I’m not a customer,” Lawrence said. 

“Just check!” Buck insists. 

Lawrence huffs, irritated, then reaches forward to grab the fier from Buck. As he snatches it, Buck tilts his hand just enough so that their knuckles brush. Not a prolonged touch, but enough to be effective. The same thing as with the guy at the call happens. Buck is sent from his body to a mosaic of memories. Horrible and damning. He sees all the little pieces that have led to what Lawrence deserves. 

Buck sees it all. He sees three separate girlfriends; all stalked, to increasing degrees of severity. A restraining order. Online threats. Posting nude photos without consent - revenge porn. He sees threats of violence. He sees horrendous insults hurled at a woman who turned him down for a date.

He sees a predator.

All this time, living next to Buck. It’s horrifying. Nauseating. It makes Buck wonder who else he has coexisted with, never fucking knowing. 

But seeing Lawrence’s past and present is only one part of it. Only half the job. Nemesis had explained it. If he freaks out with revulsion at the past, if he can’t stand to see it, he won’t be able to determine which string of future possibilities plays out. And that, after all, is his main job now. 

So he holds fast. He watches it all. Swallows his disgust. 

And then, like a corkboard full of strings, when the memories come to an end - what feels like hours, but isn’t even a second, later - he sees them. His options. He doesn’t get to manufacture them. They aren’t his design. He simply gets to see what could be and pick which one Lawrence deserves. 

A future where he keeps getting away with it. Where no one ever catches him.

A future where he snaps. Kills. Goes to jail for life. 

A future where he’s caught in the act, arrested. Spends a long time in jail. The rest of his life on parole. 

A future where he’s caught in the act, arrested, but is killed in a car accident before his trial. 

Buck feels overwhelmed. It’s a lot of responsibility. Too much. It’s not a fucking gift. It’s a burden. 

How do I do this? Buck thinks, voiceless and formless. 

Just choose. He hears Nemesis like a fucking parasite in his mind. Choose and it will be so. 

Fuck. He hates this. Fine. 

Not the future where he gets away with it. Not the future where a woman is murdered. But… But Buck doesn’t want to be responsible for his death, either.