#Moms Against White Baseball Pants T-Shirt

[swimmingruinsdream]

Moms Against White Baseball Pants T-Shirt

This t-shirt is perfect for any baseball mom who knows the struggle of keeping those white baseball pants clean. It's a fun and playful way to show support for your child's team while also making a statement. The shirt is made from high-quality materials and is designed to be comfortable and durable. Whether you're sitting in the stands or running errands, this t-shirt is a great addition to your wardrobe.

[reesemadeboutique]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Moms against white baseball pants.

[johnnydany]

Moms Against White Baseball Pants T-Shirt

Get yours now: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/40499951-moms-against-white-baseball-pants

[eeveedel]

As we'll have to wait until november to read your full rancher harry fic, do you maybe have a snippet/scene to share right now?

extra long preview for you all! this is after Louis and Harry's first yoga therapy session

--

“Well shit, Louis. I think you managed to wear me the fuck out,” Harry got out. He was still panting, sporting pink cheeks and sweat on his brow, but he was grinning, and that made Louis smile in return.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Louis said. “I know the first time can be challenging.”

“Honestly, at my age, I need a challenge every now and again. Keeps me from getting in a rut.”

Harry wandered back across the room, grabbing the wall as he went, and then grabbed his cane and gripped it hard as he straightened back up.

“You want something to drink?” Harry asked. “I have Diet Coke and sweet tea if you want something that’s not just water.”

“Some tea would be nice.”

“Alright, you got it.”

Harry gave him a smile and then hobbled back down the hall to the kitchen. Louis watched him go and then turned to the wall in front of him and took a moment to take in the photos that lined Harry’s front entryway.

There were plenty of photos of Harry. In all of them, he was younger, thinner, with more of a tan and less gray hair. But it was undeniably Harry.

There were only three pictures of him alone, and two of them were framed magazines. They weren’t magazines Louis recognized, they had titles like “Chasing Rodeo” and “PSN.” One of them featured Harry in the middle of doing some sort of trick; his horse sprinting, a small black calf running in front of them, Harry holding a lasso up high. In the other he was posing, dressed in a black shirt and pants that were accented with silver fringe and turquoise stones, along with a matching cowboy hat. He was grinning and holding the reins of a brown nose with a sharp white streak on her nose, his grinning face framed next to text that read: Harry Styles: Lone Star’s Finest.

Most of the pictures featured Harry with other people. There were a few of him with other men in cowboy hats or with an older couple Louis assumed were his parents. There was one tiny photo, nearly tucked into the corner, of a very young Harry in a baseball uniform, leaned against a battered-looking red Ford. He had a bat swung over one shoulder and his other arm around a girl dressed in a cheerleading uniform, her blonde hair in a bouncy ponytail and her hand on his chest.

But most of the pictures were of the same young boy, many times over, many different ages. There was one of the boy and a much younger Harry; Harry was in a cowboy hat and a white t-shirt, his face unshaven, one hand tightly gripping a cane. He had his arm around the boy, who couldn’t have been older than two and who was wearing only white underpants, a cowboy hat that was twice the size of his tiny head, and a pair of cowboy boots that went up to his thighs. There were pictures of the boy older, fishing in a lake, and then him in baseball, football, and soccer uniforms. The biggest picture was a school picture of him, dated from the last year. He had ash blonde hair that curled at the ends, big brown eyes, crooked teeth confined by braces. The picture must have been taken at the beginning of the school year, close to summer. The boy still had the whisper of freckles on his noses and cheeks and a fading tan.

He looked so much like Harry.

“Louis,” Harry’s voice came from the hallway, startling him. Harry was holding two glasses, both of them were chipped paintings of birds on the sides. He handed Louis one of the glasses, which had cardinals painted on it. “I got your tea.”

“Thank you,” Louis smiled. He took the glass and just held it in his hands, then tilted his chin to the wall, specifically towards the school photo.

“You have a son,” Louis said, and Harry smiled.

“I do,” he said, and turned his gaze to where Louis had been looking. “That’s my Maverick.”

“How old is he?” Louis asked.

“Twelve,” Harry said, “Thirteen in a few weeks.”

“Tough age,” Louis said, and Harry laughed.

“He’s a good kid.”

“Is he here?”

“He lives with his mom in Dallas,” he said. “I get him in the summers, Thanksgiving on odd years and Christmas on even ones.”

Louis’s eyes drifted back to the small photo, the one of a young Harry and the blonde girl.

“That’s his mom?” Louis asked, pointing to it, and Harry nodded.

“Charlotte,” he said. “He looks like his Momma, huh?”

He did; Maverick had clearly gotten Charlotte’s blonde hair and brown eyes, a whisper of her smile. But he clearly had Harry’s features; his jawline and his browbone, his nose, the dimples that were clearly on display when he smiled hard.

“He looks like both of you.”

“Unfortunately for him,” Harry said, but he was smiling, looking fondly at the photos on the wall.

Louis wanted to ask him a dozen questions; about his family, why he was so alone and so far away from his son, the fact that he had clearly been more than just a random amateur rodeo at one point.

Instead, he filled the silence by taking a sip of his tea, and then promptly choked and spit all over Harry’s floor.

Harry looked over, his eyebrows high as he took careful steps towards Louis.

“Are you okay?”

“That –” Louis choked, squeezing his eyes closed. “That’s so sweet.”

Harry was quiet for a moment, and then he let out a laugh, a big, booming laugh. When Louis looked up at him, he tried to stop, but kept grinning.

“You’ve never had real sweet tea before, have you?”

“N-no?” Louis got out, and Harry laughed again. Gently, he took the glass out of Louis’s hand.

“Well, I’ll tell you this right now,” he said. “It’s about one part tea and two parts sugar.”

“Oh,” Louis said, and coughed again, patting his own chest.

“I’ll get you some more water, don’t worry,” Harry said. “And a towel for all this.”

He left for the kitchen again, and returned with a plain glass of water and a yellow kitchen towel. He tossed it on floor and pushed it around with his one good foot, leaning hard on his cane as he wiped it up.

“Harry, I can get that,” Louis said. “I’m really sorry.”

“Haven’t you ever heard of southern hospitality? It’s alright,” Harry said, and then gave Louis a sideways smile. “Besides, I think those stretches did just the trick. I feel more limber already.”

“Well,” Louis said, “I am more than happy to teach you more.”

“Next Sunday?” Harry asked. “Same time.”

Louis nodded, and then bent down to grab the now-wet towel and give it back to Harry.

“I’ll be free.”

[leafs-lover]

Because Two People Got Drunk: 30

Series Masterlist

Chapter 30

Warnings: Swearing, angst, mentions of car accident

Word Count: 7600

Your eyes flutter open and you struggle to scan around the unfamiliar surroundings, there is a constant ringing in your ears. You have foggy memories from the last…you don’t even know how long. The last thing you remember clearly was sitting at a red light. You aren’t even sure if what you do remember happened or if you dreamt it all.

Your eyes start to focus and you pan around the stark white room and unfamiliar surroundings. Your eyes blink a few times and you see a door to your right leading to a hallway that is open, your hearing begins to focus and you pick up light murmurs and faint footsteps from there.

Your head begins to move to the left, eyes slowly panning around the room. You blink through the pain in your back and chest, tears pricking your eyes. You see darkness outside the window, indicating its night time which doesn’t help you with gauging the time, since you last remember driving while the sun was beginning to set.

You continue your view around the room and see Fred on your left in a hospital chair, he is hunched forward. His arms are crossed, resting on the bed with his head laying on his arms. His hand is lightly resting on yours and you see his shoulders slowly rising as he breathes. He has a hoodie pulled over his head, hiding his hair, though you can see stray hairs sticking out from his hood.

You exhale heavily, pain radiating through your stomach. Your right hand instinctively reaches up to your stomach, only to find it is smaller than before. You hear the rhythmic beeping begin to increase while your chest tightens.  Your body squirms slightly from your panic and your left hand twitches, touching Fred’s hand. Fred instantly jolts up, you see the bags under his eyes, hair a mess; he looks terrible, like he hasn’t slept for days.

“Hey” he whispers rubbing his eyes and sliding forward in the chair to your side. You can see the shock in his face, the edges of his lips curl into a small smile “god, I am so happy you’re awake.” You see tears forming in his eyes as he brings your hand to his lips. Seeing him, and feeling his touch calms you slightly.

“Babe” you croak out. “What…what happened? Babies...what…” you can’t form a coherent sentence. You hear the monitor beside you slow its beeping, although they it’s still sporadic.

Fred looks up at the monitor quickly and brings his eyes back to you “you’re okay (Y/N)” he coos. “So are the boys. They are in the NICU, but they are doing okay” he says sliding forward to kiss your cheek. You feel a weight lift off your chest, practically choking on your exhale. Fred’s large hand gently grips your chin while he rests his forehead against yours smiling at you. You’re heart rate begins to decrease while his hand gently strokes up your chin. He smiles looking into your eyes while he hears the beeping slow knowing it’s working to calm you down. The side of your lip curves slightly to grin at him, while his thumb gently strokes your chin waiting for the beeping to return to normal.

“Fuck, I’m so happy you’re awake. I didn’t think I’d get to look into your beautiful eyes again, get to kiss these lips again” he says placing a soft kiss on your chapped lips. He pulls back and places a kiss on your forehead, holding himself close to you. You can smell his cologne that is disguising the smell of sweat and a light hint of B.O, making you wonder how long he has been there. He places soft kisses on your cheek before finally pulling back.

“What happened?” you ask while he adjusts in his seat, keeping a grip on your hand. He is smiling at you, but you can see his tears have glazed over his eyes.

“You were in a car accident babe on your way home from the game. You had some bleeding, and they couldn’t stop it so you had an emergency C-section” he explains rubbing his thumb over your hand. He keeps talking and you zone out unable to focus, you try to process the words leaving his mouth but it’s too much.

Your eyes drop to your lap, your other hand tugging on the frayed blanket that has been laid across you. You run through the events of that night in your mind, trying to remember the accident or anything.

Fred had a hockey game, I went to the game with Oliver and I left him with Kathy. I got in the car and drove home. I was sitting at a red light listening to the intermission broadcast and that’s it. Everything goes black, until a couple scattered memories, likely rooted from whatever pain meds I was on.

You sit there for a few minutes when you feel Fred’s gaze burning a hole in you. Your eyes dart up to meet his gaze and you can tell he is waiting for something.

“What did you say?” you whisper.

“I asked how you are feeling babe?” he repeats chuckling.

“My back, chest and head are sore” you mumble “and my stomach. My stomach really hurts.”

“Well you had a C-Section so the stomach pain checks out” he chuckles. “I think you’ll be sore for a bit smuk.”

“What about Oliver how is he doing?” you ask shifting slightly in the bed trying to get comfortable, wincing at the pain.

“He is okay, he is with your grandparents. He misses you” he explains.  He looks at you and see’s you are struggling to keep your eyes open “you should rest okay skat?” he says kissing your forehead. “We’ll talk when you wake up.”

“Okay” you say lightly while your eyes begin to get heavy. Fred adjusts the incline on your bed, and places another pillow under your head, pulling the blanket slightly higher up your body.

“Good?” he asks kissing your forehead, you nod and a quiet “mhm” leaves your lips. Your opens briefly open to see Fred as he sits back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Fred” you whisper groggily.

“Yeah, what is it babe?” he asks eagerly.

“Promise me you won’t sleep in that chair again tonight, sleep in the cot” you mumble.

“I’m not going anywhere” he objects.

“Yes, you are going to that bed” you groan shooting your gaze towards it.

“No, it’s too far” he protests.

“Then move it, I’m sure it’s on wheels” you grumble, even though the bed is less than 10 feet away. You also know that even if it isn’t on wheels your hockey player boyfriend would have no problem moving it a few feet. “Please babe, don’t argue with me right now.”

Fred kisses your cheek and chuckles “fine, but only because you just gave birth.”

Your eyes finally close and you hear a scrapping on the floor followed by some squeaking metal. Before you finally doze off you feel his hand grip yours.

You wake up a few hours later to a beeping in your ear. A nurse has come in to check on you, taking your temperature. You see Fred sitting in the chair with a coffee in his hand, he has changed his clothes into a different pair of track pants and a white t-shirt. His t-shirt is tight, biceps practically waiting to be released. He has a dark blue Nike baseball cap on his head, hiding the messiness of his hair he has yet to brush.

Finally getting a good look at his face you still see the dark bags under his eyes. You can see his wavy red hair jetting out from his hat. His beard is longer than normal, having not shaved in a few days. He slowly brings the cup to his lips, slowly drinking his coffee while he smirks at you from over his paper cup waiting for the nurse to leave you alone.

You hear the chair scrape on the floor, Fred scooting closer as soon as the nurse leaves causing a big smile to cross your face. “I missed seeing you smile” he says kissing you. You taste the coffee on his lips; relishing in his familiar touch but you still pull back from him.

“What is it?” he asks, a scowl crossing his face.

“My breath is terrible” you say and his body begins to shake, laughter erupting from him.

“Babe seriously?” he chuckles. “I have been with you for 3 years, we live together have kids together. 2 years ago I watched you push a tiny human out of a very small hole…and a bunch of other crap. A lot of really gross crap” he says and you start laughing while he brings his face closer to yours. His hand gently lifts your chin, tilting your head towards his “I didn’t care about any of that, I definitely don’t care about your breath.”

You are smiling ear to ear while he brings his lips down to yours again, hovering millimeters from yours. You can feel the warmth of his breath against yours and your hand slides up to his beard; you can feel how much it has grown out.

“Can I kiss you now, or do I need to find you some tic tacs?” he asks, brown eyes looking at you adorningly.

You answer by closing the gap, bringing your lips to his, feeling him smile before sinking in to it. The hair from his mustache longer than normal; curling slightly into his mouth tickling your upper lip. You gently rake your nails through his beard, Fred moans into the kiss while you open your mouth trying to deepen the kiss.

Fred chuckles against your lips and pulls back “you can’t be doing that” he whispers placing a quick kiss on your lips before sitting down in the chair. You groan in displeasure and Fred chuckles “you were just in a car accident, have to take it easy” he explains causing you to roll your eyes.

“I’m allowed to kiss you” you say mockingly.

“You had major surgery, just gave birth (Y/N)” he smiles at you while running his fingers through your hair.

“What day is it?” you ask.

“The 19th, you’ve been here for 4 days so far. They think you might be able to go home in a few days” he says smiling.

“What about the twins?” you ask.

“Their doctor should be coming down in a little bit” he turns his wrist looking down at his Rolex to check the time. “He normally comes down around this time to tell me about them, but they probably have to stay a little longer. But they are doing okay, they are strong just like their mom” he explains.

“Can I see them?” you ask.

He smiles releasing your hand. He shifts in his chair to pull his phone from his pocket, unlocking it to show you the countless pictures he has already taken of them. You smile seeing pictures but he knows this isn’t what you meant.

“They don’t think you should be going to see them yet, you need to recover more” he explains as tears form in your eyes.  You nod understanding that decision but still wanting to get up to the NICU with them.

“Have you held them yet?” you ask him watching while he scrolls through the pictures.

“No, not yet. They are too small for that still” he explains and you nod while he gets to the end of the pictures of the twins. The next is a selfie he took with Oliver the day of the accident, you can tell from the clothes they are wearing. The two of them are sitting on the couch making a goofy face into the camera causing you to laugh and wipe away a few tears.

“He was asking to see you, want to facetime with him?” he asks trying to cheer you up. You nod and wipe away a few more tears while Fred gently slides in beside you carefully avoiding the wires. You lean up against him, a hand resting on his leg while he sets up the call.

“Mommy” you hear him squeal through the phone. “I miss you so much mommy!”

“I miss you too Ollie” you say smiling while warm tears fall down you cheek, unable to hold them back.

“Having fun with Grandma and Grandpa?” you ask and he nods.

“We have gone to the park and played so many games” he says smiling as your grandma holds up a picture.

“Did you draw that Ollie?” Fred asks looking at the picture, Oliver turns around and nods “mhm, that’s me, that’s mommy and daddy” he explains pointing at the paper “and that’s my brothers” he says of two small blobs in the corner.

“Wow” you choke out, wiping your eyes “that’s amazing hun.” Fred strokes your arm lightly while you try to hold your tears back. You want to remain calm for Oliver to not worry him more than he has been.

“The doctors said you can visit mommy tomorrow” Fred says and your eyes light up as you turn your head to look up at him.

“Really?” you and Oliver ask at the same time.

“Yeah mommy is getting better and is stronger. They thought the best cure for her would be some cuddles from you” Fred says and you smile.

“I get to see mommy tomorrow” Oliver says to your grandma.

“Yeah I heard” she says into the phone.

“Have you been good for grandma?” you ask more so to your grandma.

“Yes, he has been great” she says into the phone.

“That’s good” Fred responds, although you are sure he has been in contact with them and already knew that.

“I can’t wait to see all the other pictures you drew tomorrow” you say. Oliver gets distracted and walks away and you talk with your grandparents a little bit longer before hanging up.

“Can he actually come tomorrow?” you ask Fred.

“Do you think I would have said it if it wasn’t. Dr. Cooper  stopped in before you woke up and said he could visit. She’ll be down later today to talk to you, but yeah Ollie can come tomorrow” he says placing a soft kiss on your forehead. Some tears fall down your cheeks and you sit silently for a few minutes before you wipe your eyes.

“I don’t know why I can’t stop crying” you whine out trying to turn your head away.

“Skat you just gave birth to two babies” he chuckles “you’re going to be emotional” he softly pulls your head back to rest on his chest  while your throat tightens. “After Ollie you cried all the time it’s normal, your hormones are adjusting.”

“I didn’t cry all the time” you whine against his chest.

“You’re right I don’t know why I said that” he soothes, even though you know its true. “But you have had a crazy couple days. You just gave birth, its expected that you are emotional while your body adjusts to not having something you spent the last 7 months growing. You add in everything else, the accident and …well it’s a lot. And you are always allowed to feel what you want to feel” he says gently rubbing his thumb on your shoulder.

You tilt your head up and look at him and smile through your tears that are still barreling down your cheeks “I love you” you whisper. He leans down kissing your head while you gently rest it against his chest “I love you too.”

You sit like that for a few minutes Fred gently rubbing your shoulder. You breathing slows as your eyes dry up. You look back to his face and see his half smile that tugs on your heart strings. “Got something for you” he says geting up and  walks over to a bag and pulls a couple items out.

He walks back handing you a new phone “you’re other one get wrecked in the accident” he explains “I transferred your contacts and everything, it should be ready for you to use.”

“Thanks babe” you say as he sets one of his sweaters beside you. It’s your favourite sweater of his, you constantly wearing it, sometimes even stealing it from the bag he packed for road trips.

He sets it on your legs “they have some more checks on your stomach so if you wear it, you’ll likely have to take it off a million times. But I thought you would want it” he says sliding onto the bed beside you. You pick it up and bring it to your face breathing in the familiar scent of his cologne “smells like you” you whisper smiling.

“I wore it for a couple days here” he smiles toward you wrapping his arm back around you.

You rest your head on his chest feeling it gently rise with his breaths while you grip the sweater. Your fingers gently playing with the hem of the black fabric “what happened?” you ask breaking the silence. “I don’t really remember anything.”

“What do you remember?” he asks.

“Well I have some foggy memories from in here, doctors and nurses checking on me. You sleeping in that chair, stuff like that. But I don’t know if any of it is real. The last thing I’m sure of is driving home” you explain.

You feel Fred take a deep breath behind you, his body stiffening “you got in an accident on the way home from the game. Someone ran a red light and hit you. You have a concussion and a sprained wrist. Some other bumps and bruises. But you also had some cracked ribs and abdominal bleeding. The boys are doing okay; they weren’t hurt by the accident. But your abdominal bleeding was causing their blood pressure to increase. Medication couldn’t lower it, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop on its own so they had to do surgery and emergency C-Section first then stop the bleeding. They thought they might have to remove your spleen but they ended up not needing to…” at that moment a doctor walks into the room.

“Hi Miss (Y/L/N) I’m Dr. Lang, a surgeon here. I heard you were awake. How are you doing?” he asks.

“Okay” you say while Fred moves to the chair “a little sore, and a little hazy” you explain.

“That all makes sense given your injuries. Dr. Munez or Dr. Cooper will be here later to check on you, but I am a pediatric surgeon here. I delivered your sons” he says coming closer “and am looking after your boys up in the NICU.”

“How are they” you eagerly ask trying to sit up.

“Both boys are doing well, Dr. Morris had you on some medication earlier because she was worried about you delivering early. Well that medication helped to develop their lungs and heart, so they are doing good and I am very optimistic. One was 3.8 pounds, other was 3.5 pounds, and they are on ventilators for the time being. We just need them to gain some weight, and their vital organs to develop a bit more and then they will be going home, I think in a few weeks.”

A few weeks? That is so long!

“Can I see them?” you ask.

“Well you’re surgeons have to inspect your incisions. Open wounds and underdeveloped immune systems don’t mix well. If you’re incisions are healed then I have no objections, otherwise you’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

You nod, feeling a ball build in your throat, Fred grips your hand and gives it a light squeeze. The doctor continues to talk with you a little longer before leaving. You lace your fingers in Fred’s, and sit there digesting everything. You feel Fred’s hand come up and wipe away some tears you didn’t notice had begun to fall, and he places a kiss to your temple.

“The doctor just said they are going to be okay” he says lightly.

“I know” you whine “but they shouldn’t be in this position. If I didn’t go to the game –“

“No, don’t do that. You were just being a good mom to Oliver, you knew how much he wanted to be there. You couldn’t have known this was going to happen, you couldn’t have stopped it. And there is no way for you to know what would have happened if you didn’t go to the game, anything could have happened. The important thing is everyone is okay, that’s all that matters” he says kissing your temple holding you gently against him.

“You were just doing what any mother would do; make her son happy. You’re an amazing mother and Oliver is lucky to have you. The twins are lucky to have you, I am lucky to have you” he says kissing your head again.

“All my boys” you chuckle tilting your head to look at him. Fred adjusts to lie down, his head closer to yours looking into your eyes. “You ever see yourself surrounded by boys?” he asks you.

“No, but I kind of like it” you smile “which is good because it’s not going to change.”

“What do you mean?” you look into his soft eyes. You can tell he isn’t comfortable, only half his body fits on the bed, his leg is resting on the floor supporting him, keeping him from falling. Even though he isn’t comfortable, you know he isn’t going to move anytime soon. You try to shift in the sheets to give him more space but he gently places a hand on you and shakes his head, motioning for you to stay put.

“Me and my four boys, a mom of boys that will be my life. Super heroes, fart and poop jokes, wrestling matches; and you know as they get older  they only get louder and get into more trouble. Breaking curfew, sneaking dates in and out when they think we’re asleep” you say smiling. Even though it will be mayhem having, it’s your mayhem and you look forward to the years ahead of you.

“Okay the last part, the trouble and sneaking around would happen if we had three girls. But instead of wrestling it would be yelling matches over stolen clothes, there would probably still be fart and poop talk.” You burst out laughing at that “What I hear you, Carlee and Allie, saw your group chat a few times; all things I wish I could burn from my brain” he says laughing with you.

“Think you could have handled that, three girls?” you whisper turning slightly and placing a hand on his chest.

He gently runs a finger through your hair smiling at you pressing his lips softly to your forehead “yeah could do anything with you.”

“We could get you a girl” he says  playing with the ends of your hair, causing a scowl of almost disgust to come across your face.

“We said we were done Fred. They just cut two babies out of me a few days ago and your talking about another. Besides your sperm is too fast, you can’t make a girl” you groan.

“My sperm is too fast?” he laughs “what does that even mean?”

“You not pay attention in health class?” you say grinning at him. “Y chromosomes make boys” you say and he nods in agreement. “Well they are typically the faster swimmers but die quicker, and the X chromosome swim slower but live longer.”

“So I have fast sperm” he chuckles slightly.

“3 babies, 3 sets of XY, I’d say so” you laugh.

“Well I wasn’t talking about another baby anyways, probably be get triplet s knowing us.” You both laugh at that, “I meant a dog. When we get a dog, we can adopt a girl dog. I don’t think I could handle you being pregnant again. This one was so hard on your body and I couldn’t help you; nothing made it better” he says turning his head to look up at the ceiling tiles nervously fiddling his fingers in his lap.

“You couldn’t have done anything different, all pregnancies are different. With Ollie it was easy and good, but you don’t know that beforehand. But I don’t want another baby anyways” you explain looking over Fred’s face for a response.

“And then the accident; I just can’t see you go through that again. I don’t want to risk losing you” he sighs ignoring your comments. He begins tapping his foot nervously against the floor. “It shouldn’t have happened; I wish I could have been there”

You run your hand up his chest, your expression leaving your face “hey, Fred” you whisper but he is so caught in his own thoughts he doesn’t acknowledge you. He likely isn’t even aware he is talking aloud.

“I should have protected you” he whispers, his foot tapping faster.

“Hey” you say running your hands into his beard, turning his head towards yours. He blinks snapping his attention back to you.

“You did everything you could. Nothing could have changed this, or prevented this. Sometimes shit just happen” you say trying to reason with him.

“Yeah a lot of shit, a lot of shit that shouldn’t have happened; but it did. You shouldn’t be here” he gestures around the room with his eyes. “You, the twins nobody should be here. None of this should have happened”

You feel a pit in the bottom of your stomach, your chest begins to strain. You struggle to swallow as sobs catch in your throat. Your eyes gloss over, your vision getting blured while your body begins to shake. You have been struggling thinking that this could have been avoided if you stayed home, but to know Fred blames you for this it all becomes too much.

Fred feels your body shake, as you try to turn away from him “hey babe” he pulls you closer to him, trapping you to his chest. His hand gently strokes against your back while you sob into his chest “I’m so sorry” you choke out. “I shouldn’t have…it’s my fault. This is all my fault.”

“No definitely not. This isn’t your fault, none of this is your fault” he quickly interjects, kissing your head. “Don’t ever for a second think that, you weren’t drinking. You are the best mom” he says running his hands through your hair. This statement captures your attention while Fred continues to talk for a little bit while you feel your body go numb. “You just wanted to make our son –“

“What do you mean I wasn’t drinking?” you say pulling back to look at him.

“What?” he stutters stopping his rambling.

“You said you weren’t drinking, what did you mean?” you ask.

“The lady who hit you” Fred starts “she was…she had been drinking that night. I didn’t mean to tell you” a scowl crossing your face. “I mean I was going to tell you, but I wanted to wait. With your parents and everything…” he trails off for a second before whispering “I thought it might be too hard right now. Could be better to wait until you were stronger”

You nod and turn to look ahead blinking back some tears processing what he said. You can’t look at him, knowing you will crumble under his gaze. The two of you sit there silently for a minute before you turn back to him and see his eyes are locked on you. His are filled with tears, he brings a hand up to wipe them away.

“I know I’ve said this a million time but I am so happy you are okay. These past few days have been absolute hell, I have never been so angry, disappointed and frustrated; and not just at the person who hit you.” He slides to the chair and grips your hand in his.

“I have been feeling most of that towards myself” he sighs. “I can’t believe what I did and-”

“Fred you don’t have to” you start to say. You know he is talking about the kiss from a few weeks ago.

Last you had talked with him; you had planned on having some conversations on the status of your relationship and how to move forward. You were in the process of moving forward and taking steps to repair your relationship you never had the opportunity to discuss everything.

“No (Y/N) I do, I really do. I can’t believe what I did. I am so frustrated at myself for what I did. You are the most amazing and incredible woman; you are caring, charismatic, intelligent and I almost threw that all away. I have spent the last few days stressing over the fact I might not get to” he takes a second, choking on his tears as he tries to not become fully engulfed in emotion. His other hand moves to his face, stroking his beard, pondering his words “the fact I might not get to tell you all these things. I wouldn’t know how to go on without you. I am so sorry (Y/N).”

“Babe” you whisper running your hands down his chest. “We both know that you did a shitty thing, but you can’t keep beating yourself up for it. But it was a mistake” you say resting your hand on his abs “it was a mistake.”

A puzzled look crosses his face while he waits for you to continue, instead you bring your lips to his for a soft kiss. Fred pulls away staring at you for a minute almost waiting for the shoe to drop, but you snuggle up against him.

“That’s it?” he asks in disbelief unsure of what is happening. “You tell me I fucked up then 2 seconds later you kiss me like everything is fine.”

“Honestly, I planned on saying more. I thought about it for days before the accident all the things I wanted to say. Then that day on the drive to and from the game I ran through how I would say it. God I had a million things I wanted to say” you sigh staring into his brown eye. The side of your lip curls up slightly while he pushes some hair behind your ear.

“And if I didn’t get in the accident we would have talked that night, and over the next couple days we would have talked more. But I did get in an accident” you take a breath before continuing “and honestly it doesn’t seem worth it now.

All those conversations would have ended here, would have led to me forgiving you. I was going to forgive you, and I honestly don’t see the point in beating the nail on the head. I don’t think we will get anything from talking, you know you fucked up and I forgive you.”

“Okay, but I think you should say it, you might not see the point of it but I do. I don’t want us to get in a fight a year from now and it comes out, I don’t want you to hold it in and resent me down the line.”

Your heart races as you digest his words. You aren’t shocked by this, one of the things he has learned from the beginning of your relationship is the importance in addressing problems head on. Holding in problems, ignoring them lead to so many issues that could have been fixed earlier.

You smile at him, eyes moving from his eyes to his chapped lips “I don’t want to talk babe. It doesn’t seem important anymore, we made it through so much and I don’t see the need. I mean we will have to rebuild some trust, but I love you” you bring your lips to his. “Were a family and I love you” you whisper again before kissing him again. Fred turns on his side, bringing his hands to your hair kissing you.

Instead of continuing the kiss he chuckles at himself and pulls away from you. He sniffles slightly laughing at himself “sorry” he whispers to you turning his head to look away from you.

You bring a hand up to him, gripping his large arm. “Babe you’ve been through a lot too” you whisper squeezing his arm “you’re allowed to be emotional.”

“How did I get you?” he asks smiling through his tears. “I honestly didn’t know if I you would be okay” he says choking on his tears.

“I know” you respond knowing he has spent the past 4 days trying to hold it together, hold onto hope. “But I’m okay” you say gripping his shoulder. Fred brings a hand up and laces his fingers with yours, bringing it to rest on the bed between your bodies. You sit silently for a few minutes you watch the tears dry in his eyes allowing you to see the brown colour return.

“It’s just been a lot” he says. “It’s been a roller coaster, everything with you and the twins.”

“Fred, I can’t imagine what you have gone through the past couple days.”

You give him a light squeeze on his hand “but I am not going anywhere. I’m going to be fine, and we’ll all be going home together as a family. The five of us” you say softly.

“I don’t deserve you” he says bringing his lips up to yours kissing you softly. “I need to be better for you, for Ollie, for the twins. I am going to spend every day trying to be the man you deserve” he says against your lips.

You scowl slightly having a slight hint of Déjà vu; Fred pulls away and looks you over “what is it smuk?”

“I just feel like I’ve been here before, like déjà vu or something” you explain and Fred grins slightly.

“What is it?” you ask him, searching his face for answers.

“I said this to you a couple days ago, I thought you were asleep” he responds.

“Oh I thought I dreamt that” you explain to him.

“What uh…what else do you remember?” he asks awkwardly.

“Something about five puppies” you grin at him. Relief washes over his face and he laughs “yeah I did promise you five puppies if you were okay.”

You just laugh in response “you know as much fun as five puppies sounds, how about we stick with 3 babies for now, and maybe in a year we get one dog.”

“Deal smuk” he says chuckling.

“I love you” you say and he smiles before kissing you gently on the lips. You get a hungry feeling, you need more and bring a hand to his cheek in an attempt to deepen the kiss.

You wince at the feeling in your side before you pull back. Fred places a soft kiss on your forehead and moves back to the chair beside you so you can get comfortable “don’t worry babe, you’ll be better soon and I will kiss you properly then.” He turns on the TV and puts on sports centre, they are doing a pre-game show for game 7 of the sharks and kings rounds.

“Babe what about your hockey?” you ask realizing he hasn’t left your side and likely should be at the rink.

“We won our game 3-2, so advanced to the conference finals. The Leafs won in 6 so we play them, conference finals starts tomorrow” he tells you.

“When is your practice?” you ask him.

“10, but I’m not going. Jarry will be in net until I get back” he says still looking at the TV. You open your mouth to try and object “don’t try to argue with me, I’m not going back with you like this” he grins knowing what you were going to say.

You can tell he hasn’t left in days, and won’t be leaving your side until he is confident in your recovery. You close your mouth and huff a little in disapproval, you hear Fred chuckle, he turns your head to look at you and grins.

“Go to sleep smuk dame” he whispers. You shift in the bed slightly and close your eyes, after a few minutes you doze off.

The next morning sun filters into the room through the blinds you look over and see Fred asleep in the cot; his soft snores fill the room. He is tucked under his blanket, but you can see his chest gently rise with his breaths. You stare watching him sleep, missing him while he is so close to you.

Dr. Cooper comes into the room to check on you, which causes Fred to wake up. You watch him yawn and stretch while sitting up in the cot. You can see his eyes are still half closed as he sits on the edge of the bed close to you huge bags under his eyes.

“How are you feeling?” she asks inspecting your bandages.

“Okay, a little tired and sore” you explain smiling at Fred before turning your attention to the doctor.

She continues with your exam, checking your vitals and asking questions about you. After about 15 minutes she pulls off her gloves and looks at you “you seem to be healing nicely. I know you have been asking and I think you can go to the NICU later today” she says. She continues to talk for a few minutes, but you don’t hear any of what she said after the news.

She leaves the room and you turn to Fred with the biggest grin on your face. He walks over to you, his face mirroring yours, while he sits beside you. “I get to see our boys” you squeal with tears in your eyes, except this time it’s tears of happiness.

“I know I heard” he chuckles pulling you against him.

“I am so excited” you squeal again. He hums in agreeance kissing your head, while his arm strokes up your arm gently.

You look up at him, finally getting a good look at him with the daylight. His hair is a mess, his beard looks like it hasn’t been trimmed in days. His hood is over his head attempting to hide part of his appearance. You can’t smell his usual cologne anymore, instead you get a light waft of his sweat.

“Have you been home at all babe?” you ask him.

He laughs lightly “I can smell you babe” you further explain to him.

“Well, I had a quick shower after the game, but I wasn’t able to get a full shower in, I came right here and haven’t left.”

“Well I think you should go home for a bit babe, you should go home. Eat, sleep, maybe have a shower” you lightly play with the strings on his hoodie. “I will be fine for a little bit” you say trying to reassure him since he doesn’t look eager to leave “you heard the doctor.”

“I don’t know” he says.

“I can use some books” you explain to him “and my slippers.”

He laughs and kisses your forehead  groaning “okay, I have to bring Ollie here anyways in a few hours.”

“Well I don’t want to see you until at least 1pm.  After you have showered and had a nap in a real bed.”

A few hours later, you hear your son shrieking in the hallway “hurry daddy!” A smile crosses your face when you turn your attention to the door. You see Oliver first, and he lets go of Fred’s hand and runs over to the bed.

“Mommy” he yells jumping on the bed, you pull him in tight for a hug.

“Careful bud” Fred says setting down a duffle bag and sitting on the chair. He still has bags under his eyes, but they don’t seem as dark indicating he did have a nap. He trimmed his facial hair, but has on a hoodie and a pair of track pants, but it’s a new pair. “Mommy is still sore” he explains to Oliver.

You hug your son a little tighter smiling at Fred “oh this is just what I need” you place a kiss on his forehead. You wipe the hair from his face revealing his brown eyes, his smile shining through. “I have missed you so much Oliver.”

“I made you a picture” he says handing you a piece of paper. It’s a picture of you and him, with some trees and a rainbow “oh this is perfect, I love it. It’s just what I need”

“When you coming home?” he asks playing with your necklace.

“The doctors think two days” you say and he lights up “but they are letting me go visit your brothers. Do you want to come see them too?” you ask him.

“Yeah” he says crawling off the bed grabbing your hands to pull you with him “we go now”.

Fred laughs and helps you into a wheel chair. The three of you head down the hall and into the elevator. Fred wheels you into the NICU and stops you between two incubators. He picks up Oliver to help him see them “they are so little” he says. You put your hand through a hole and touch your son’s hand.

“Yeah they are buddy” Fred agrees. “That’s why they are in there so they can get a little bigger.”

“Was I that little?” he asks.

“No, you were a little bit bigger when you were born” you say turning your head to look at him. He stares down at his brothers chatting with Fred for a few minutes. With Fred and Oliver so close together you can really see the similarities between them. Not just the red hair and brown eyes, but the squareness of his jaw, the shape of his nose, paleness in his skin. The way his eyes light up when he laughs, or how the corner of his lip curls up when he smirks.

With the twins being identical you wonder if there will be three little Fred’s walking around, or if these two will have more of you in them.

“What are their names?” Oliver asks. Fred looks at you, you had names picked out before giving birth but you also wanted to see them to make sure they fit them. You smile and nod up at him, “well this little guy here is Noah Ernst Andersen” Fred says pointing to one of the incubators. “And this little guy is Lucas (Your Dad’s Name) Andersen.” His other hand touches your shoulder, you bring your hand up and touch his.

“When can I play hockey with them?” Oliver asks causing Fred to chuckle. He pushes you over to the other incubator and you bring a hand cautiously in, stroking over his tiny hand. Lucas’s mouth opens and little cry leaves his lips as he yawns and feel tears building in your eyes.

“Not for a little bit bud, but I can play with you until they are ready” Fred says and Oliver nods. He holds him for a few more minutes while Oliver asks him questions. You can hear them talking but you zone out focusing on your infant sons in front of you. After a couple minutes Oliver begins to get restless in Fred’s arms so he carries him to a chair in the corner; he pulls his phone out and turns on a movie for him before coming back and crouching down in front of you.

“Hey smuk” he whispers wiping the back of a finger over the tears on your cheek. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking about how this has been a crazy couple days. But it kind of works for us and our story” you say smiling at him.

“Yeah it does, but for reference I am okay if it stops being so crazy” he says and you both laugh. He leans forward and places a soft kiss on your lips “me too” you whisper.

“So who do you think they will look like?” you ask him turning you head back to the twins.

“I don’t know, I mean Ollie looks nothing like he did as a baby” Fred says standing up to look at them. “So they likely will look different in a few months.”

“Yeah but he looked like you did as a baby, and now he looks like a miniature you. His posture is even similar to yours” you laugh. “Like every step of the way he has looked like you.”

“Well I think I see a bit of you in them” he says. “Looks similar to your baby pictures” he smiles. He looks down at them adoringly and you get the feeling he could stand there for hours and be content.

“Either way they will be the most amazing boys” he whispers.

Next Chapter

[nightsoulsworld]

Swift x Ashleigh Vampire Book

Hey there, @ashleighclark98

A new chapter is here and I hope you´ll like it

Chapter 73: Alma

Camila

I immediately fell asleep. I woke up at 8:00 am to the sound of the boiling water. I groaned. Miguel and his damn coffee. I got up from the bed and changed my clothes. I came to the bathroom and did my hygiene and I put on mascara and dark eyeshadow. I changed my clothes. I put on the white jeans and orange T-shirt and I tied up my hair into a ponytail. I grabbed the apple from the kitchen, keys, headphones, and phone and went to the streets.

M.C

I groaned and turned on the left side of the bed. I opened my eyes as my alarm clock went off. I turned it off and got up from the bed. I sigh, just another day. I opened the windows and changed my clothes. I checked my phone and after figuring out that it was only 7:00 am, I went down to the kitchen to prepare myself breakfast.

I was greeted by Rebel and Ash. The whole house was still sleeping. "Sup, Lil bro". Said Rebel and handed me the bowl of cereal. I poured the milk into the bowl and leaned at the counter. " Nothing much. And you two?" " We couldn´t sleep", replied Ash, sipping on the fresh blood from the fridge. I nodded and finished the bowl. I put the bowl into the sink and went to train in the Dojo.

Camila

I returned home at 9:30 am with 10 bags full of makeup, clothes, and stuff for me. I bought a new pair of headphones and a new ukulele. I put my stuff in their place and then, I was playing on my ukulele and sang my own Spanish and English songs. I adjusted my glasses and started to read my comic book. After lunch, I took a little nap.

I woke up at 8:00 pm. It was dark already. I went to Miguel´s room, and heard the grunting and panting from his room. He´s training for Karate. He´s really into martial arts. Just like our Abuelo. But sadly, Abuelo died 2 years ago. His buddy that was fighting against him killed him. He is now in jail. Abuelo won a lot of prizes. He was a great man and we are so proud of him.

" Hola, hombrecito!" I yelled and he quickly turned to me. " Hey, sis!" He replied and pulled me into a hug. " Ew, get off of me, Gilipollas!" He only chuckled and said: " Lo Siento. It´s only sweat!" " Puta! Hija de la gran Puta!" "Perra" " What the actual fuck! Oh no, you little..."

I didn´t finish my sentence because Abuela called us to the kitchen. We came and my eyes widened at the sight in front of me. In front of us was a turtle with a hat and a baseball bat. He had a friendly smile on his face and he was staring at me. It was creepy, but I just couldn´t tear my gaze from him. He was breathtaking.

" This is M.C. He saved my life a couple of minutes ago and now I want you to treat him greatly as our guest. Miguel, go to the kitchen. You´ll help me and your mamá. And you, mi Vida. Talk for a while with M.C" She finished and I nodded.

They left and we stood there is a great and awkward silence.

M.C

" You can go home now, lady". I said to the ma´am and she replied: "No, no, no. I insist, mi corazón. Come, come, you will meet Mi Familia!" She wants me to meet her family!?! Well, okay then. We stepped in and she led me to the living room. I sat down on the couch and we heard yelling from upstairs.

" Children! Camila, Miguel!!!!" She yelled and after a couple of minutes, they came. Boy, Miguel, was tall and slim and looking fine. We bumped our fits and I could tell that we are friends from now.

But then, Camila came. I couldn´t tear my gaze from her. Man, she was something. Tall, beautiful, hot, sexy, slim, and oh, boy. Her hair and eyes, and smile, I can´t. I knew that I am in love. She will be mine.

Lady told Miguel to help his mom and her in the kitchen and he obeyed. We stood there and after an awkward silence, she spoke:

" It´s nice to meet you, I´m Camila and you must be..." " M.C. Nice to met you two" I finished and we shook our hands. She nodded. "Nickname?" She asked and I chuckled. " It´s a name actually. But you can give me the nickname" I winked and she thought for a moment. "Okay, I will call you... Alma" I blinked a couple of times. " What does that mean?" "It means Soul. Come, I´ll show you my room". I could tell she was way more comfortable around me. I chuckled and we came to her room.

[wowweeharrystyles]

Part 13 | Nerves & New York City | 9.7k words

‘Sequins & Zippers’ Summary: An internship with Harry Lambert transformed into a job of a lifetime - Aurora Del Gatto finds herself touring the world with the one & only Harry Styles as his ‘Head of Wardrobe.’ Aurora is nothing but nerves & excitement as she packs her bags & almost 100 custom designer suits that belong to an unbelievably kind rockstar. She never thought she’d fall in love on top of it all.

a/n: here it isssss, thanks for being patient with me y’all. hope you enjoy 💕 

Sequins & Zippers Masterlist

General Masterlist

Don’t forget that reblogs help writers out a ton !!! 

love y’all, mean it. 

“Aren’t you warm in those corduroy pants?” Aurora asks Harry as he comes over to take a swig of water from the bottle she has sitting on the seat next to her. 

“Trying to get me to take off my trousers, love?” Harry quips back as he untwists the cap. 

“You’re annoying, you know that right?” She says before she adjusts the leg of her old worn out jean shorts and brings the straw of her iced coffee to her lips. “But seriously, I’m just sitting out here and I’m warm, how can you not be in those pants?” 

“I’m fine Ror, really.” 

“Whatever you say,” she singsongs, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. 

The sun is shining bright in the almost cloudless sky. Harry is playing catch with Mitch and Adam and a few crewmembers jump in and out of the game as the morning turns into afternoon. Harry was excited to be back at Hersheypark Stadium and the seasoned crewmembers were too, with it being the only outdoor stadium in the entire tour. 

Aurora has never loved the heat much, though. Between the inevitable sunburn she always gets no matter how diligent she is with applying sunscreen and the chaffing of her thighs from shorts that always end up riding up while she walks, she finds it hard to focus on how the sun feels on her skin. She finds it even harder whilst just watching Harry run around in those lilac corduroy pants. She doesn't find it hard to watch as his t-shirt pulls from where it’s trying to stay tucked into the waistband, his laurel tattoos peaking out every so often when he reaches up to catch the baseball. She hides her lingering gaze behind her sunglasses and her smirk around the straw of her coffee. 

Aurora’s phone ringing pulls her out of her stupor and she shakes her head as she watches Harry run off to catch the stray ball that’s flying through the air. 

“Hi mom!” Aurora answers her phone. 

“Hi Honey, how are you?” 

“I’m good, we’re in Philly right now, trying to enjoy the sun and beautiful day as much as we can before getting to work.” 

“Good, you shouldn’t be working too hard anyways.” She can tell her mom is smiling through her voice. “I was just calling to confirm our plans and such for NYC.” 

“Oh yeah of course! I’m so excited to see you and dad!” 

“We’re way more excited to see you, trust me,” her mom laughs.

“Yeah so, we should get to NYC on the 19th and we can get into our airbnb around 1pm.” 

“Ror, are you sure you want us to stay with you? We can just travel back and forth or get our own hotel room.” 

“No mom, I asked to get an Airbnb so we could stay together. Haven’t seen ya in since March, I wanna spend time with you!” 

“Well, what about Harry?”

“He'll probably stay with us, if that’s alright. He’s got a handful of stuff to take care of while we’re in the city, a few meetings and friends to see, but he’s coming to dinner with us on the 20th. Wants to do the whole official meet the parents thing,” Aurora explains and her mom can definitely hear by the tone of her voice that she said it with an eyeroll. “Then I thought we could go back to the airbnb and play games or watch a movie, just a normal family night. I think Harry would like to be a part of that.” 

“Why do you say it like that?” 

Aurora pauses before she answers. “Just think he’d like to have a relaxing night, something more normal than ordering room service or a business meeting, some real family time.” Aurora looks up from the chipped polish on her fingers and meets Harry's eyes across the open aisle of seats. They mirror each other's smiles. “2 nights at MSG are a big deal. I-I, I just know how he gets and I don’t want him to stress too much or be alone the night before.”

“We can do dinner a different night,” her mom suggests

“No, no, he’s the one who asked to do it that night in the first place.” 

“Oh okay, dinner and games night it is.” 

“Great, and then the next day is MSG night 1 and I thought I’d show you around the arena and what that's kinda like. They’ll be food at the arena but you can go out for dinner if you want. You’re still planning to leave the next morning, yeah? You can stay for the 2nd night if you want, I have spare tickets.” 

“Okay sounds good. No, go ahead and give those tickets to someone else. Your dad and I have to get back, he has to leave for a conference later that day,” her mother responds before going on about the different places her and Aurora’s dad have planned to go to. Even though they live fairly close to the city, they don’t go as often as they would like and have a list of their favourite places they always have to stop by. Aurora knows she’ll definitely be tagging along to the Fabric District with her mom as some point too. 

Aurora entertains her mother on the phone for a bit longer before she starts to notice crew members getting back to work, Mitch and Adam retreating to the air conditioned trailers and then Harry coming to sit next to her, finishing off his water. 

“Mom, I gotta,” she starts as Harry presses a kiss to her head, “I gotta go. Gotta get to work.” A kiss to the back of her ear. “Yeah, I’ll talk to you later.” A kiss to the vein in her neck causes her shoulder to rise to her ear. “Love you, mom. Bye!” A kiss to the base of her neck, near her collarbone. “You’re annoying,” Aurora barely says before Harry kisses her square on the lips. She giggles when he pulls away and stands up, grabbing her hands and pulling her with him. 

“Come on, I’ve gotta train and you should get out of the sun.” Aurora looks at him with a questioning look. “You’re getting a little pink,” he says sweetly as he presses his finger to her shoulder and they watch as the spot turns white and then to a bright pink. 

“Oh great,” she says. 

Harry laughs lightly and wraps his arm around her shoulders lightly as they walk towards the side of the empty stage and back towards the trailers. 

The sunset surrounds the entire stadium, a baby pink and orange glow creates the most beautiful lighting and only adds to the overall energy of the audience. Aurora can’t help but gaze at Harry and watch him watch the crowds that have come out to see him. He’s left his mint green suit jacket in his dressing room and rolled up the sleeves on his white shirt. The lens of his sunglasses glow golden as he adjusts them on the bridge of his nose. A familiar intro of a song starts and Aurora walks over to stand next to him. 

“Ya know,” Aurora starts, knocking her hip against Harry’s, “if I weren't standing here next to you, I’d definitely be in the audience at one of these shows, singing along to ‘Olivia’ at the top of my lungs with a drink in my hand.” 

Harry tosses an arm over her shoulder as he continues to look into the audience from the makeshift backstage area. He sets his red solo cup down on top of one of the large black crates. “Would you now?” 

“Sure would.” Harry tightens his arm around Aurora’s shoulder and tucks her in closer to him. 

It’s not until they head back into his trailer to get his suit jacket that he teases her more about it and kisses her to make up for it. 

“Why’s it that I’m wearing a pastel suit but the jacket you’re wearing is black?” 

Aurora looks down at her clothes. High waisted jean shorts, a cream silk tank that’s tucked in and a less conspicuous suit jacket. Harry’s black suit jacket to be specific. She had taken the black Gucci jacket with her to take to the dry cleaners after the Ft Lauderdale show and it hadn’t made it back to the wardrobe cases yet. 

“Well you only have one mint green suit and you need it tonight, so I thought I’d borrow this one instead.” Harry hums, a smirk quirking up one side of his mouth. He takes the lapels of his jacket and opens up the right side to take a look at the label sewn in. ‘Gucci’ is embroidered into the patch and underneath is Harry’s name. He hums again, a full smile flashing at Aurora now. 

“You’ve always enjoyed seeing your name on me,” Aurora barely whispers. Harry’s hands move from his grip on the jacket to sneaking around Aurora’s waist underneath said jacket. His lips fall to her neck and the sounds of the crowd wash away for a moment. She giggles from the featherlight touch. 

There’s a knock on the door. Without a doubt it’s the stage manager needing Harry to get his mic hooked up. Harry groans and drops his head to her shoulder. 

“Come on,” Aurora starts, “you’ve got a show to do.” She pulls his head from her shoulder and adjusts his jacket one last time before pushing him out of the trailer. 

Aurora watches the show from near the edge of the floor, leaning against one of the cement barriers. She pulls the jacket around her tighter as the night breeze comes through. Aurora’s heart swells when Harry picks a little girl out of the audience from in front of him at the B Stage. 

“Do you have things in your ears? You’re very small,” Harry asks, accent thick. The crowd echoes in ‘aws’ and Aurora can’t help but smile. “Are you okay?” He asks next, accent still thick but voice pitched up an octave. “Having a good time? Good.” 

He sings ‘Sweet Creature’ and Aurora can’t help but think about how he might react with her little cousins or maybe the kids of his friends. Then she thinks about how she might get to witness that and has to stop herself from letting her mind run totally free and reaching the idea of what a family of their own would look like years down the road. 

| | | | | 

The doorbell rings as a text comes through Aurora’s phone. Her parents are here. She looks at Harry, whose nerves are written on his face and it could be from a number of reasons. Aurora caresses his face for a moment, meeting his eyes and then kisses him softly before the doorbell rings again. 

“Relax, it’ll be okay,” she tries to ease. 

“Easy for you to say.” 

“Now you know exactly how I felt when I met your mom,” she trails off as she reaches for the door. 

“Rory!!” her mother exclaims as she walks through the now open door. Her mother tosses her bag on the bench in the small walkway and hugs Aurora tightly. 

“Hi mom,” Aurora says, voice muffled against her shoulder. 

“Aurora!” her father greets her next, waiting for his wife to let go of their daughter so he can greet her properly. 

Aurora’s mom pulls away and goes straight to introduce herself to Harry. She hears the interaction while she hugs her dad. 

“Harry, dear, so happy to finally meet you!” 

“Pleasure’s all mine, Mrs. Del Gatto.” 

When Aurora pulls away from her dad she introduces him to Harry and they exchange a handshake. Aurora doesn’t miss the tough face her dad tries to put on and Harry’s nervous smile. 

Harry’s phone rings and he reaches in his pocket to turn it off quickly after glancing at the caller ID. Aurora knows it’s Jeff. It’s always Jeff. 

“Harry actually has to head to some meetings,” Aurora says. 

“I’m really sorry and hate to leave but my manager tries to get in as many meetings when I get a day in a major city, especially in New York,” Harry explains. 

“No worries at all, dear,” Aurora’s mom eases. 

“I’m all clear for dinner tomorrow night and hopefully can join you beforehand,” Harry says as he grabs his bag from the couch in the living room only a few feet from where they’re standing. Harry reaches for Aurora’s mother and kisses her on the cheek, “Lovely to meet you. And you, sir,” Harry nods at Aurora’s father. Harry turns to Aurora who is still standing near the door. 

“Have a good afternoon of meetings. Just text me if anything changes, yeah?” 

Harry nods before kissing her lightly, his free hand squeezing her hip. When he pulls away from Aurora he takes a moment to look at her and then tucks a tendril of hair behind her ear. 

“Love ya,” he rushes out when he’s halfway out the door and Aurora blushes before saying it back. 

| | | | | 

- Meeting #3238734823 done. How’s your day so far? - 

- hahaha how many more to go? Mom and I dragged Dad to the fabric district so I’m doing great-

- hm about a million more to go, it feels like. Haha wish I was with you. - 

- Harry, if you were here I would be making you choose fabric to make you a new suit. - 

- wait, can we make that happen even though i’m not there?” - 

- uhm, DONE.- 

- done deal. Okay, heading into meeting #3238734824. I’ll call you when I’m heading your way. -

“Is that Harry?” Aurora’s mom asks as she tries to peak over her shoulder. 

“Yeah, he was just between meetings.” 

“Doesn’t seem like he gets much time off.” 

“Well, not so much right now, I guess. Being in the city makes it a perfect time for them to get some stuff out of the way. He normally actually has days off. Anytime it’s not a show day he gets to do whatever he pleases.” 

“Whatever he pleases?” she asks accusingly. 

“Mom…” Aurora groans. “I know it’s your job as a mom to be skeptical but please have an open mind.” Aurora’s mom purses her lips. “He’s good. Really good. And by ‘Whatever he pleases’ I mean he gets to make his own plan and decision and luckily for me, most of the time it’s something with the 2 of us, or we hang out with his band or the crew.” Aurora sighs, now. “I get that his life is totally different, but you gotta be open minded, Mom, please. He’s trying so hard and you purposefully trying to find things that are wrong won’t help you or us.” 

“You’re really serious about him, aren’t you?” Aurora nods sheepishly. Her mom can read her daughter almost too well and she realises she hasn’t taken the time to do so enough now that they’re together, in person, right now. The thought of her baby, her youngest, traveling the world with a boy, who is a stranger to her (no matter how famous he is), is terrifying to her as a mother, but she sees that she needs to get past that. “I’m sorry, I promise not to jump down his throat. I can see how important this is for you both.” 

“I really don’t want to add anymore stress to him and he so badly wants you to like him but if you’re going to pick him apart, I can’t put him through dinner.”

“Rory, honey, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be this way. I seriously promise not to add to his stress.” 

Aurora sighs, for what feels like the millionth time in the past 5 minutes. “Thank you. I just want so badly for you to like him.” 

“If he makes you happy, really truly happy, then I trust you and will love him.” 

Aurora drops the basket in her hand and wraps her arms around her mother in a hug. A final sigh from Aurora’s mouth and it’s the last bit of worry that leaves her chest. The familiar scent of her mother’s clothes is comforting and she realises in this moment how much she missed her. 

“Mom,” Aurora says as she hugs her mom tighter, “I’m really happy you’re here. I missed you a lot.” 

“Aw honey,” her mother replies, pulling out of the hug. She takes Aurora’s face in her hands, “I missed you, too. Come on now, let's finish up here, shouldn’t make your dad wait too long.”

| | | | |

“Harry, sweetie, family dinner typically means no phones at the table.” Aurora’s mom explains after Harry pulls his phone out of his pocket for a 2nd time. 

“Mom-” 

“No, your mom is right,” Harry cuts Aurora off. “I’m sorry, I’m turning it off now.” 

“If there’s something you need to take care of first, you can,” her mother offers when she sees the rosy colour blush on her daughter’s cheeks. 

“No, there’s nothing important right now.”

“Har, everything okay?” Aurora asks when she sees his finger hover over the ‘slide to power off’ screen. 

“Yeah, yeah, just a lot of texts coming through about tomorrow.” With that one sentence, Aurora knows what’s happening. She reaches her hand to hold onto his wrist closest to her and gives it a squeeze. 

“Moms know what’s best I guess, right?” And Harry laughs at that, the whole table erupts in laughter. 

The laughter dies down as their waiter brings their food to the table. Once everyone is busy with their meal, Aurora turns to Harry. “You okay?” she asks, voice almost at a whisper. 

He nods, “Yeah, I’m alright. Probably should’ve turned my phone off earlier anyways. Everyone is trying to see me or come to the show.” 

“Everyone you want to be there is already on the list and if they want to come that bad they’ll find a ticket. Honestly, they should have already bought a ticket.” 

“Ror, be nice.” 

“I am! Just saying it how it is,” Aurora retorts with a small shrug. 

Harry leans over the short distance between them and presses a kiss to Aurora’s temple. With a blush ghosting onto her cheeks, they go back to their entrees in front of them. 

“So, what’re your plans after the tour is over?” Aurora’s dad asks Harry. 

“Uhm,” Harry stutters, looking towards Aurora briefly before back to her father, “I haven’t given it too much of a concrete thought yet, I suppose.” 

“Nothing work wise planned?” 

“No, I try to take time off between projects. I definitely think I’ll need some time before I get back to the studio and think about recording another album. There’s been whispers of other projects and things, but I’ve been focusing on this tour and I’ll have a look at what might come next after I take a break.” 

“That sounds like a smart idea,” Aurora’s dad agrees. 

“Speaking of plans come the end of the tour, honey,” Aurora’s mom turns her head towards her, “what have you been thinking of doing?” 

“Oh there might be something in the works but nothing is for sure yet,” she says, pushing her fork around on her plate haphazardly. 

“Rory,” Harry chastises, “don’t down play it like that. It’s for sure and you know it. You should tell them the news.” 

Aurora peels her eyes from her plate and looks at Harry then to her parents. Their eyes are eager. She sighs as Harry reaches his hand under the table to squeeze at Aurora's thigh. 

“Uh, so Harry Lambert called the other day when we were in Boston and he offered me a full time, permanent job.” 

“Rory! That’s so exciting!” her dad exclaims. 

“Wow! Yes! So you’ll be Harry’s stylist? Permanently?” Her mom begins with the questions. Aurora was unsure of how to tell her parents this new opportunity, traveling and moving is always a hard topic for her mom and add in the possible judgement and concern, Aurora couldn’t figure out an easy way to share the news. .

“Well that’s part of it, yeah, but it’s so much more than that. Lambert has his own styling business so I’m working with him on that.” 

“So you’ll be moving back to London?” Her mom asks, a frown appearing on her face.

“Actually, no. I’ll be his point of contact, here in New York City. I’ll travel when needed for things, like to London or LA, especially for Harry’s stuff as he gets back to work later on in 2019 but I’ll live here and do a lot of shoots and jobs here to help Lambert as he keeps expanding and so he can stay in London more and take care of business there.” 

“Whew, I thought you had fallen in love, gotten a new job and were about to leave for London permanently,” her mom shares and Aurora’s shoulders tense. 

“Mom…” Aurora groans, almost a little upset that that is what her mom is choosing to focus on rather than the job she’s officially landed. 

“Aurora, we are so excited for you,” her dad adds, knowing exactly how this conversation is going. “Aren't we, dear?” He encourages his wife. 

“Oh of course, yes! But you can’t blame a mom for being worried about you moving so far away.” 

“It’s fine,” Aurora brushes it off, shoulders tense still. Harry squeezes her knee under the table, reminding her he’s right there with her. She knows her mom is happy for her but she can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt every time her mother comments about her moving. A permanent residence in New York City, she thought would have sufficed, but her mom can’t overlook the idea of all her kids leaving home and moving away when it was her who encouraged them to do so in the first place. 

Harry takes it upon himself to change the topic and begins to ask Aurora’s dad about his work. Aurora quietly finishes her food as Harry charms himself into the position of her dad's new best friend. They bond over old records and Harry can’t help but ask him about the few times he saw Fleetwood Mac in concert. Aurora and her mom simultaneously roll their eyes when he begins the family famous story of his first ever concert. Harry is engulfed in the conversation but there are only spare seconds that he’s not engaged with Aurora in some way. A hand on her knee, sometimes a squeeze to her thigh, his arm resting on the back of her seat and then moving to her shoulders when their empty plates are taken away. 

Harry and Aurora’s mom playfully fight over who gets to pay the bill and Harry compromises with the idea of picking up wine (beer for him and Aurora’s dad) and dessert on the way back to the airbnb. Aurora’s mom smiles to herself when she signs the bill and puts her credit card away. Aurora can tell she’s happy and actually enjoying the evening even through some of the rocky bits. 

“Why don’t we meet you back at the apartment?” Aurora suggests to her parents, looking for some way to get some sort of moment alone with Harry. “We’ll grab dessert and drinks while y’all get comfy and pick a game.” 

Aurora’s parents agree to the plan and Aurora knows they’ll talk about Harry all the way back and Aurora’s mom definitely makes some sort of ‘All Knowing’ face, surely catching on to the idea of a moment alone, an evening walk alone with the city lights. 

Harry isn’t one to shy away from a kiss or two but he hasn’t been able to properly kiss Rory in what feels like way too long. Under a street lamp, Aurora’s parents far down the block behind them walking in the opposite direction, he pulls her to a halt. He tucks some stray hair behind her ears as a small smile quirks up on his lips. Aurora mirrors it in a split second. Harry cradles Aurora’s head in his hands and finally kisses her the way he’s wanted to since he saw her rush up to him in front of the restaurant earlier this evening. His hands fall to her waist and the almost silky cotton is soft and he remembers noticing the pearl white trim on the neckline. It’s a dress he hasn’t seen, a dress Aurora had been saving. Aurora melts under him and she releases her weight into him. Harry’s hands don’t seem to stop moving for the few minutes they kiss under the flickering street lamp. When they pull away from each other Harry runs a feather light finger tip over the pearl white trim, starting at Aurora’s shoulder. Even in the New York summer heat, goosebumps follow his path. Aurora’s hands rest on the back of Harry’s neck and her thumbs play with the curls that grow longer and longer day by day. Harry kisses her forehead, sighs and then pulls her into his chest, his arms wrapping all the way around her waist. Harry hides his face into Aurora’s hair as a group walks past them and squeezes Aurora tighter. 

“Everything alright?” she asks him. 

“Yeah, missed you today,” he whispers. “Did I do okay?” 

Aurora pulls away from him so she can get a look at his face. “Okay? Are you talking about dinner?” He nods. “Babe, you were great.” 

“I’m sorry for making you tell them about your new job.” Aurora shakes her head. “I didn’t know you were worried about telling them. I shouldn’t have said anything.” 

“No, I’m glad you did. Made it easier with you there. My mom’s just always been so tough to share that excitement with. She gets over it eventually, she did with college, with my internship, with tour. The initial reaction is just hard cause she doesn’t go straight to being excited.” 

They start walking down the street again and Harry reaches for Aurora’s hand and she gladly takes his. Harry’s quiet for a moment but Aurora pays no mind to it. 

“I don’t know if it helps at all, but I’m proud of you. Incredibly excited for you,” he says when they turn a corner. Aurora spots the italian bakery lit up at the end of the block. Harry kisses the top of her head and the smile on her face grows. 

“Thank you,” she replies and squeezes his hand. “Know you’re only excited cause this means I’ll still be working with you.” 

“Hmm… definitely part of it,” he laughs, “But even if you had to work in some random city, with something nothing to do with me, I’d still be proud and excited for you. Always will be, no matter what.” 

Aurora stops dead in her tracks and pulls him in for a kiss. “I love you a whole fucking lot, did you know that?” 

“Had a feeling,” he whispers around a smile, his dimples deep. “Come on, I’ve got a craving for chocolate cake.” 

When they let themselves into the apartment, Aurora’s parents have changed into some more comfortable clothes and are sitting in the living room, setting up a game of Monopoly.  Once Harry and Aurora have changed as well and Harry has poured everyone a drink and cut the chocolate cake he was craving, they settle on the floor in the living room. 

2 glasses of wine and a slice of cake later, Aurora is most definitely winning the game of Monopoly and Harry is horribly losing and has had to ‘borrow’ from the bank a handful of times. Aurora’s not sure if it’s the wine and chocolate or if it really is the ease of the evening that is making her so undeniably happy. Harry laughs along with the teasing from Aurora’s dad and happily refills her mother’s wine glass. He seems relaxed and worry free right now and Aurora’s thankful for that. Tomorrow will come and it’ll be a different story, but right now she takes this in. This moment in an unfamiliar apartment, with 3 of the people she loves most in the world. Harry steals a few glances every now and then, his hand lingers on her back or thigh every so often and Aurora plays with his grown out curls when she slides closer to him on the floor. 

“Aurora, I should’ve brought your monopoly game from home!” Aurora’s mom says. 

Harry’s brows furrowed in confusion because, here they are, playing monopoly but he can’t ask what’s so special about the one back home because Aurora quickly shoots a look at Harry before she gives her mother a look that could most definitely kill. 

“Mom! Please don’t,” she pleads before she’s laughing. 

“It would’ve been funny!” 

“Oh what? Just like how you thought me bringing my One Direction posters on tour would be funny?” 

“Dare I ask?” Harry adds in. 

“Aurora made-”

“Mom!” 

Harry wraps his arms around Aurora’s waist, “Rory, you shouldn’t interrupt your mother. Quite rude isn’t it?” he jokes. 

“Aurora made a monopoly game for a class project one year and it was One Direction themed,” her mother shares. 

Aurora groans before dropping her head into Harry’s chest, hiding her blush. 

“Oh, did she now?” he teases. 

Aurora knows she won’t hear the end of this for days, but she endures the teasing with a smile on her face and it's most definitely not because of the wine but because she is laughing with Harry and her mom and her dad. She needed tonight, they all did. 

| | | | |

When they get to MSG, Harry shows Helene an old photo that he’s found on instagram. Fans had been tagging and tweeting it to him all morning and he smiles at the memory of it. He wants to recreate the photo, a way to keep a record of his journey. Helene loves the idea and tells Harry to meet her in the empty audience in 15 minutes. 

“Okay, I’m gonna go get the wardrobe ready,” Aurora says about 10 minutes later. 

“Oh, you’re not coming with?” Harry asks, trying to hide his disappointment. 

Aurora tilts her head at him and she recognizes the look on his face. She saw it last when they were at the O2 in London, weeks ago. “I can come with, if you want?” 

“I don’t want to put you behind schedule.” 

“Don’t have much of a schedule and it’s still early. Come on let’s go find Helene!” She reaches for his hand and pulls him down the hall with her. “Everything alright?”

“Mhm, you know you keep me calm,” he says quickly, like it’s something everyone knows. Aurora brings his hand up to her face and presses a kiss to the back of it. 

Aurora recognized the photo when Harry showed it to her this morning and now she laughs along with Harry and Helene as they try to get the perfect photo. Harry has a red bandana tied around his head, controlling his bed head and Aurora looks from the photo from 2012 to the sight in front of her. The cowlick at the crown of his head is exactly the same but the difference in the width of his shoulders is something Aurora can’t get over. Even in the baggy black t-shirt she can see the way his back muscles contract when he moves his arms and the way his waist tapers into his hips. 

It feels like they take forever taking the photo once Aurora is only focusing on Harry’s back and then the difference between his bare arms to his now tanned, tattoo covered muscles. She sighs and pinches her bottom lip between her thumb and pointer finger. 

“Ror!” Harry practically yells, both him and Helene laughing. 

“Sorry what?” she says getting pulled out of her thoughts. 

Harry gives her a look and Helene says something about needing to be somewhere and photos that need editing. “Where’d ya go just then?” Harry asks. 

“No where, just thinking.” 

“I know that look…” Harry drags on. “Come on.” 

Harry pulls her up from the chair and pulls her along.

And that's how they end up giggling on the couch in Harry’s dressing room. Harry’s hovering over Aurora, the kissing has halted for a moment. 

“Ror, how did this even happen?” Harry asks between giggles. 

“They’re YOUR fancy Gucci pillows that caused the problem!” 

Harry’s hands work at the strands of Aurora’s hair that have gotten caught around the beads that cover the pillow. She whines when it pulls slightly but can’t help but continue to laugh at the situation. 

Finally, she’s free from the pillow and Harry tosses it to the floor. His smile is the last thing she sees before he’s kissing her again. His hips drop to hers and she can’t help but give in to the feeling and pull him in closer to her. Her hands sneak under his t-shirt and up his back. 

Harry’s phone rings but they ignore it.

Then Aurora’s does too and they ignore that as well, until it rings non stop. 

Harry groans, “you should probably get that.” Harry pulls away and sits back on his feet, knees still on either side of Aurora’s hips. He reaches towards the table and grabs her phone. He passes it to her below him and she rolls her eyes. 

“It’s my mom, they’re probably here,” she groans. Harry grins, his dimple sinking deep. 

Harry shifts slightly which causes Aurora to groan but for an entirely different reason. Harry laughs lightly and pulls down the tank she’s wearing as he was the one to push it up to get his hands on her skin in the first place. Aurora closes her eyes for a second to collect herself. Harry moves off of her and looks at his phone and rolls his eyes. 

“More people coming out of the woodworks?” 

“Mhm,” he hums, elbows resting on his knees. Aurora rubs his back soothingly and presses her lips to his neck. 

“I was gonna give my parents a tour and show ‘em everything, but I can push it back if you want me to?” Aurora offers.

“No, go spend time with them. I need to workout anyways and sound check is earlier than normal. You can bring them to soundcheck if you want!” Harry sighs, “I’ll be okay.” 

“Yeah I’ll bring ‘em round.”

“You’re coming to the preshow thing Jeff set up right?” 

“Mhm,” Aurora hums, “and I’ll have your suit ready before then so we can just change you into it right before Kacey starts. Sound alright?” 

“Okay, good. Yeah, that works,” he rushes out and his shoulders drop heavily. 

“Hey, promise you’re good right now? You can come with, if you want.” 

“Yes, I’m good, thank you,” he says, a blush rising to his cheeks. “Boxing will help for sure, always does.” 

Aurora takes his head in her hands, tucking some messy curls back in place, surveying his eyes quickly before she leans in to kiss him softly. 

The navy blue bandana tied around his neck makes Aurora smile as he moves around the room with a red solo cup in his hand. Everyone else in the room has booze in their cups but no one pays any attention to the fact that Harry has ice water in his. The room is loud and Aurora doesn’t love the chaos of it all so she focuses on Harry. He smiles at her from across the room when he sees a glimpse of her behind the head of whoever he’s talking to. She gave her parents the full tour of backstage and let them see a glimpse of what her life looks like lately. They left to get dinner before coming back for the show and Aurora’s glad to be able to be there for Harry for the night without distractions. 

Aurora mingles with a few people she’s met before, but always keeping an eye on Harry. She’s star struck a handful of times as she watches Anna Wintour come and go, Zach Braff hang out near the bar, and Rob Sheffield chat with Helene. Even with the starstruck moments, Aurora has fun with what is easily deemed as her tour family. A few times, Harry meanders over to her and drags her along to introduce her to someone new. Repeatedly he refers to her as “his Aurora” and everytime Aurora blushes which earns her a kiss to the cheek or a squeeze to her hand or hip. In turn, she tugs on the bandana around his neck a few times.   

As the crowd in the small room thins out, Harry takes it upon himself to make a spectacle of checking his watch and pulling Aurora out of the room with him, shouting about how it takes time to look good and that he hopes everyone enjoys the show. 

“You know, that first night in Basel, I recognized your nerves the second they hit you,” Aurora begins as she watches Harry button up his black shirt. He turns around to face her, the long fabric hanging from the collar reminiscent of that first night she helped him get ready. “You got really quiet, really fast,” she continues as she starts to loop the fabric into a bow, “and even though in the end I helped, I was panicking inside. It was the first night, I barely knew you, I was just trying to do my job, but then,” she sighs when she’s happy with the look of the bow, “then I realised, in that exact moment, that maybe I had more to offer for you, that calming your nerves, minutes before you got on stage in front of thousands of people, was something I could help with.” Aurora grabs the cream Gucci jacket from the hanger. “Something I knew about, something we could level on.” 

After Harry slides both arms into his jacket he turns around to Aurora. “I wasn’t used to having someone there with me, to help me, no one really ever noticed when I got nervous.” 

“I hope you know that I’ll always be there, be here, for you,” she adds as she buttons his jacket closed. “I think, that was the moment, even though I didn’t really figure it out till now, that you were more than just this big rockstar that sauntered around the stage in his custom Gucci wardrobe to me, that there was something more there.” 

Harry huffs as his hands rub up and down Aurora’s arms. There’s a sparkle in his eye that was there a second ago, a sparkle that turns into a welled up tear in his waterline. He blinks it away. He smiles at her and Aurora carefully pulls him into her, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, careful not to mess with his hair or the perfectly steamed suit. 

“You good?” 

“Always good when you’re around,” Harry says, his voice soft as it gets lost in Aurora’s hair. 

The hallways to the stage entrance are loud and the energy hasn’t changed all day. Everyone is excited and their shouting their “good luck’s” and “break a leg’s” at Harry as he passes by. Aurora follows behind him and his band with Helene by her side. Mitch wraps his arm around Sarah’s waist and Helene snaps the moment. Everyone’s buzzing but Aurora keeps an eye on Harry a few feet in front of her. Harry holds open one of the double doors that has a sign that says “Stage Entrance” taped on it. Helene walks through last before Harry takes Aurora’s hand and ushers her in before he walks through too, the door shutting quietly behind them. 

His band finds their place on stage and Helene heads to the audience. Harry squeezes Aurora’s hand one last time and then kisses her temple as the opening track begins. 

“Just be careful in those flares, they’re a tripping hazard,” Aurora yells, with a laugh, up to Harry as he takes the metal steps 2 at a time. 

Aurora doesn’t waste any time getting to the audience and finding her parents in the mix at the back of the pit. She gives them both a quick hug just as Alex’s voice comes over the speakers. 

Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find? 

When the screen rises and Harry begins to come into view, gasps fill the pit along with screams as the giant flares come into view. Aurora doesn’t miss the chest heightening breath Harry takes before letting out a shaky breath through pursed lips, his shoulders dropping back to their relaxed height. The second the crash of Only Angel hits, Harry’s totally and completely carefree. Aurora turns to see her parents' reaction from their spot next to her. The surprise in their eyes in the abrupt change in music makes Aurora laugh. The surprise turns to amazement when the entire audience is singing along. 

When Harry makes his way back to the mainstage after Sweet Creature, Aurora’s mom turns to her. “I understood why you loved him before, but now I really understand.” It makes Aurora giggle and blush a bit. 

| | | | |

Aurora’s sitting in the empty audience, 3 rows behind the pit, her sneaker clad feet resting on the chair in front of her. She’s tired, exhausted. Between her parents being in the city, a handful of random friends trying to see her, Harry’s friends and family everywhere, a secretly nervous Harry, and a job to do, she’s managing a lot right now. But right now, in this moment and for the next few minutes she gets to sit, drink her iced latte and not care that she’s wearing her last clean pair of leggings and one of Harry’s random t-shirts. She’s got nowhere to be, no one to entertain, no job to do. 

A newly familiar intro begins and Aurora can’t help but laugh a little at Harry in his tall white socks, Adidas sneakers, black workout shorts and his rainbow TPWK tshirt. She’s used to seeing Harry dressed like this, but not while he’s on a stage, while he’s singing and playing his guitar, his vocals echoing more than normal through the empty arena. It’s barely 10am and Harry and Kacey’s voices aren’t where they will be when they perform this special duet later tonight, but Aurora enjoys moments like this. They sing through the chorus a handful of times, making a few harmony changes and in between each run, Adam’s kids cheer from the floor right in front of the stage. 

Aurora can see the dark circles under Harry’s eyes from where she’s sitting but doubt anyone else notices them. She helped him manage his nerves leading up to last night’s show and his solo debut on the MSG stage went off without a hitch but a wave of emotions took over once they had both left the arena. Aurora could tell something was off with Harry. Once they closed the door to their bedroom for their time in New York, Harry sunk to the bed, his arm over his face. His chest heaved quickly before a slow, shaky breath was released. 

“Hey,” Aurora said softly, sitting down on the mattress next to him. She reached for the arm covering his face. “You okay?” she asks, confused. He had been totally fine all evening, no sign of anything bothering him, no disappointment from the night, nothing. She’s caught off guard. 

“Not really sure why this is happening,” he says, his voice shaky. Aurora lets her hand rest against his chest, her thumb moving softly back and forth in a soothing manner. She can see his face now, but his eyes stay closed. She watches tears build up on his eyelashes, but gives him a moment and doesn’t say anything. Harry eventually lets out a heavy breath through his nose, his hands take the one that is resting on his chest. He brings her hand to his face and kisses her palm softly. “Just a lot happened today, I guess,” he says in the end. 

“You guess?” Aurora says in disbelief. “A lot did happen today and you can come down and react to it in any way you need.” Harry hums, lets go of her hand and reaches out to her. 

“Will you lay here with me for a second?” He asks in a soft voice. 

“Whatever you need,” Aurora responds as she lays down next to him and fits herself into his side. “I’m proud of you.”

“Please, Ror,” Harry whispers. 

“No, I’m gonna tell you. I’m proud of you. Tonight was incredible. You should be proud of yourself.” 

“I am.” 

“Good.” 

And even though he was happy and proud of himself he still continued to let tears fall from his eyes. Exhaustion from the nerves, the empty place in his heart where Robin lived because he kept dwelling on the idea of him being in the audience to see what he did, the toll touring in general takes on his body, the added stress of Aurora’s parents. Aurora whispered about the amazing moments during the show and repeatedly told him how much she loved him as she ran her fingers through his hair until he eventually fell asleep. 

So the dark circles are there for a reason and nobody else notices or needs to know why. Harry wanted one last rehearsal with Kacey before sound check later and wanted to be able to relax (as best as he could) for the majority of the day. And relaxing and having fun is what he had on the agenda for the afternoon. A few more cups of coffee and he would be ready for the official Harry Styles World Tour Table Tournament. When they walked into MSG the tables were already being set up, official leaderboards being hung on rolling whiteboards and a shiny, engraved trophy on display nearby. 

Aurora is off the leaderboard faster than the competition even started. She doesn’t even make it far enough to play against Harry. He’s a pro at this point. Table Tennis is a weird niche tour sport Aurora thinks. Harry loves it, plays it everyday, almost and Aurora teases him about him being the best because it’s the only thing he’s done as consistently as touring and performing. 8 years of table tennis under his belt has leant him the skills. She thinks he shouldn’t be allowed to compete today. Even 4 months of touring for Aurora and she can’t get the hang of it, so she watches from the side, laughs with the group and watches the dark circles disappear from under Harry’s eyes. 

With no surprise, Harry wins the tourney. Literally no one in all of New York City is surprised but they still cheer for him when he scores his winning point and then everyone is crowding around him, giving him high fives and slaps on the back -- there isn’t a single trace of a dark circle under his eyes now. Aurora knows that for a fact when she gets a good look at him up close when he picks her up off the ground in a hug while still cheering.

A few hours later Aurora is standing in her usual spot in the dressing room with the steamer heating up nearby and the large wardrobe case open in front of her. She smiles when she reaches for tonight's suit. A turquoise version of the golden Calvin Klein suit he wore back in Australia. 

“You coming out with us, tonight?” Harry asks Aurora from where he’s sitting in Ayae’s chair as she messes with his hair. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Aurora questions back, confused. 

“Well, ya used to decline my invites all the time,” Harry says matter of factly. 

“That was before and anyways when was the last time I turned you down?” 

“Harry, leave the poor girl alone,” Ayae pipes in. “She already deals with you enough as it is.” 

Aurora and Ayae laugh together as Harry whines about being teased. Aurora’s thankful for the ease of the evening, the disappearance of Harry’s nerves and exhaustion. Aurora’s parents are gone and though it was an easy few days for the most part, there’s still a wash of relief over the couple. 

Once Ayae is done with Harry she wishes him good luck and then goes to find Mitch and Adam. 

“So you’re coming with tonight?” 

“Harry, of course I am,” Aurora says with a roll of her eyes. “Gotta celebrate, right?” 

Harry just smiles and kisses the top of Aurora’s cheek before he takes his trousers from her hand. Aurora takes the now well known and iconic TPWK tank (just as she predicted) from the hanger and passes it to Harry. And then, just like every night of tour, she holds his jacket by the collar and Harry turns his back to her and slides one arm, then the other, into the sleeves. Aurora pulls as the shoulder seams, making sure they’re sitting just right before he turns around to face her. His eyes don’t leave her face as she makes a few minute adjustments to the collar before she buttons it close. Aurora doesn’t drop her hands right away, she takes a moment, the familiar spot comfortable and Harry takes the opportunity to rest his forehead against hers. A small moment between just the 2 of them calms the recurring nerves in Harry’s chest. Harry pulls away after a moment, a squeeze to Aurora’s hip before he does. No words are needed but miles upon miles of thoughts are shared between them in that moment. Aurora gives him a smile as he disappears into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

Aurora slips out of her sneakers and pulls her heels out of her bag. Final night of MSG feels like the perfect occasion to dress up a bit more. She touches up her red lipstick before Harry’s back. He stops in his tracks in the door as if he didn’t notice her fully just minutes ago when she was helping him into his suit. 

“Wow,” he says now “Ror.” He shakes his head and then walks over to her. He plays with the flimsy fabric at the hem of her tank, then his hands grip at her waist. His calloused fingertips find the skin at the top of her black jeans, underneath the tank and he rubs small circles at the plushy skin of her waist. “You look really pretty, Rory,” he almost whispers. 

And just like any moment they have before a show, they’re interrupted by someone calling Harry’s name from the hallway. They groan in unison. 

“Where are you gonna watch from?” 

“You’ll have to find me.” 

Harry finds her in the audience with ease and his signature smirk appears when he does at the beginning of Ever Since New York. It's at this moment Aurora thinks about the importance of New York. 

I’ve been praying, ever since New York

This song had been written before they had met, about something totally unrelated but New York holds this cloud of memories, some strong enough that he had to put into a song, a song he plays every single night. This week will be added to the cloud of memories in New York and with Aurora moving back to the city come the end of tour, she’s sure they’ll create more here too. 

The audience erupts in screams when Harry brings out Kacey to sing with him. “You’re Still The One” begins and Aurora remembers the first time she ever heard this song. Too little to remember it all perfectly but she still remembers her mom singing it in the kitchen while baking cookies and little Aurora being entranced by the music, her mother carefree, hair tied up in a bun while she sang it to Aurora. 

When Harry played the short list of songs he was considering, Aurora put her vote on this track and Kacey loved it just as much. Now, as the song plays and Kacey sings along with Harry, the majority of the audience is singing along too. Harry can’t help but smile from time to time and it sparkles like Kacey’s rainbow dress. 

At another point in the show, Harry makes a scene in front of his band and shows off his Table Tennis tourney trophy. 

There are moments like this sprinkled throughout the show. Harry fully carefree, enjoying his time and the audience equally having the time of their lives. 

During Medicine, his mic cord gets caught but it doesn’t take away from the impeccable performance of the unreleased song, it only adds to it. 

As he walks down the alley between the pits, he collects handfuls of bouquets on his way to the B stage. Harry finds Aurora quickly, a huge smile on his face and then tosses the bouquets at her in the mix. 

Aurora doesn’t miss the shakiness of his voice during Sweet Creature and from her spot in the mix, she can see him perfectly. His head tilts up to the 300 level seats during the instrumental and he takes in a short breath before blowing out a breath through pursed lips, trying to hold back tears. It’s the sight in front of him, the emotion of the song, the reminder that he’s performing for the 2nd night for a sold out MSG that gets to him. 

Harry answers a fan’s question at one point, about what his favourite Britney Spears song is. Toxic, of course. And Aurora laughs as the audience erupts in a chant of “Sing It!” to which Harry responds, without surprise to Aurora, a simple, “no.” 

The energy in the room is something she’ll never be able to describe in a million years. There’s never a lull, never a dip, never once anything Harry does receive less than an ear deafening scream. 

The ground shakes during “Kiwi” and Harry makes the crowd scream the New York line back to him. It’s a moment where the entire audience has one goal and they achieve it, following through with Harry’s request to let go and be whoever they want to be. 

The energy doesn’t stop when he leaves the stage. The ringing is louder than normal in Aurora’s ears but she doesn’t care and the red lipped smile on her face stretches from ear to ear. Harry doesn’t care about the lingering print of red lipstick on his face when Aurora kisses his check the second he pulls her into a hug. He keeps her close while people come up to congratulate him & rave over the show. 

They make it to his dressing room almost an hour later & Harry collapses to the couch right away. Aurora sits down next to him & Harry pulls her in close to him. He doesn’t take long to get his lips on hers, but there isn’t an urgency in the kisses. The kisses are slow & deep & almost pondering like he isn’t sure where he wants this to go right now. 

Aurora takes it upon herself to start pushing his jacket off his shoulders to get her hands on more of his skin. It doesn’t go much further. The kisses slow down to a stop & they just sit there for a moment, both knowing that if they don’t actually stop now they will run into someone interrupting them. 

They go through the post show routine as usual. Harry’s sweaty suit gets hung up to dry & Harry jumps into the shower while Aurora puts everything away. She praises him over & over about different parts of the show as he messes with his wet curls & changes into clean clothes. A blush repeatedly rises to his checks & he resorts to getting her to stop fawning over his show by kissing her against the dressing room door. 

“Come ‘ere, Angel,” Harry says as he offers an open arm to her, “need my girl by my side at all times.” He’s got one hip popped out slightly and a hand on his pool stick. 

“Was getting you another drink, rockstar,” She says as she hands him a fresh Old Fashion, his drink of choice for the evening. Harry presses a kiss to the top of Aurora’s head as he takes the glass from her hand. 

The game of pool has been put on pause as one of Harry’s friends reads Rob Sheffield's Rolling Stones article about MSG night 1 as loud as he can. There’s hoots and hollers every so often from the group they’re with in reaction to some of the comments Rob has written. 

That’s confidence. That’s cheek. That’s arrogance. That’s a rockstar.

Bowie-glam raunchfest Kiwi.

His generous spirit was contagious all night. Shine on, you crazy diamond. 

Harry doesn’t let Rory leave his side most of the night. He even takes the opportunity to show her how to properly use the pool stick in the most cliché romcom way. Aurora doesn’t shy away though, she only encourages it more every time. 

They seem to be sharing every single feeling tonight, warmth, excitement, release of stress, love, & they can’t get enough of each other. 

It’s nearly 3am when Harry’s twirling Aurora around in circles in the almost empty basement of the bar. The group has thinned out but neither of them are paying much attention to what’s happening around them. Aurora’s cheeks hurt from the sheer length of time she’s been smiling at Harry. His tortoise rimmed reading glasses seem to appear out of nowhere & his dimples haven’t gone away in hours. As Aurora adjusts her grip on Harry’s shoulders & the small bit of sweat through the rainbow Kacey Musgraves T-shirt he’s wearing doesn’t bother her. 

One last turn in the middle of the open floor has Aurora dizzy & stumbling over her feet & then Harry’s. Harry grips at Aurora’s waist a bit tighter as he steadies her. He lands a sloppy kiss on her lips before guiding both of them to sit at the nearby booth. Aurora swings her legs onto Harry’s lap with the only goal to get closer to Harry in mind.

In this small basement of a bar in New York, with his Rory all over him, Harry is sure that this is where he’s supposed to be.

comments & feedback ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS welcome & appreciated !!!

[miraculousmongoose]

Miraculous: New Heroes, New Allies

This is all of Miraculous: New Heroes, New Allies series thus far. The Next Generation of Heroes is set in the future.

Chapter 1

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug sat at the top of the Eiffel Tower, waiting for Cat Noir to show up. She had something important to talk to him about. She tried calling him again, but only got his stupid voicemail in response.

“Where is he?” She muttered to herself. Ladybug fingered with the octagonal box that held the Horse Miraculous.

“You called, Bugaboo?” Cat Noir said behind her.

Ladybug shrieked and fell backwards, losing her grip on the box. “Cat! How many times have I told you not to call me Bugaboo!” She groaned after regaining the box and her composure.

“But just saying Ladybug is just so dull.” He fake pouted. “So, what did you wish to talk about M’lady?”

Ladybug gave him a dirty look. “I’m planning to visit the temple, and I want you to come with me. We are the holders of the two most powerful Miraculouses in existence after all.”

“And how do you plan to get there? Because this is certainly purr-plexing.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “With the Horse Miraculous, Kitty.” She said, showing Cat Noir the box. She opened it and the horse kwami Kaalki flew out. She put on the glasses, which turned red and black. “Tikki, Kaalki, unify!”

Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, her hands and feet became black, and her shoulders and knees became reminiscent of Kaalki’s pattern.

“So are we going or what, Bugaboo?” Cat Noir asked.

“Don’t call me Bugaboo!” She said. “Voyage!” She summoned a portal to the temple. “After you, Cat Noir.”

He stepped through and she followed. “Tikki, Kaalki, divide.” She said, turning back to Ladybug. “Shall we go meet the other Guardians?” She asked Cat Noir.

“We shall, M’Ladybug.”

Chapter 2

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian took a deep breath outside the classroom door. It was her first day at Collège Françoise Dupont in Paris. She gathered her wits and clutched her sketchbook with one hand and pushed the door open.

“Is this Ms. Bustier’s class?” She asked nervously. She looked around. On the right front row there sat a boy with glasses, a red baseball cap, and headphones around his neck. Behind him was a girl with black glasses and wavy brown hair with reddish ends. A large boy with a black skull t-shirt sat behind her, and behind him was a boy with red hair that partially covered one of his blue eyes.

On the left there was a blonde girl with her hair in a ponytail and sunglasses on her head. Next to her was a red haired girl with glasses and a white headband. Behind then sat another pair of girls. One had crazy, reddish pink hair  and the other had multicolored hair. Behind them sat a pair of boys, one very athletic looking and the other with glasses and a square afro. Sitting behind them were two girls. One had short blonde hair and the other had long black hair with purple ends. Behind them was a girl with long brown hair and green eyes.

“Yes, this is my class.” A red haired woman with a kind smile said. “I’m Miss Bustier. Who might you be?”

“I-I’m Lillian.” She stuttered.

“Lillian Montgomery?” Ms. Bustier asked.

She nodded.

“Why don’t you sit next to Nathaniel?” She pointed to the red haired boy in the back.

“Um, okay.” Lillian walked towards the desk and sat down.

“H-hi.” Nathaniel said, looking at Lillian. “I’m Nathaniel.” He held out his hand.

“I’m Lillian.” She said as she shook his hand, smiling. Their eyes met for a brief moment and they both looked away, embarrassed. Lillian’s cheeks were flushed.

Am I getting a crush on him? She asked herself silently. She looked back over again and he smiled slightly.

I think I am! Lillian thought.

Chapter 3

Adrien Agreste

“Welcome, Ladybug and Cat Noir, I am Zagnu. We have been expecting you two for months.” The monk greeted Cat Noir and Ladybug.

“So you must've heard of my amazing-ness and M’lady’s help.” Cat Noir said, smirking as Ladybug gave him a dirty look.

“We’ve heard of both of you equally.” Zagnu said. “We also know that Wang Fu has passed his guardianship to you.” He pointed to Ladybug. “Now come, we are preparing something for you.”

“Croissants?” Cat Noir asked hopefully.

“No,” Zagnu said, giving him an odd look. “This.” He opened a set of doors.

Inside, more monks with Miracle Boxes waited.

“We are aware that the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses have fallen into the hands of evil. We are willing to lend you four miraculouses to fill in the empty spots in your Miracle Box until the missing miraculouses are recovered.” Zagnu told them.

Both Cat Noir and Ladybug’s mouths fell open.

“Four new miraculouses?” Cat Noir exclaimed. “That’s amazing!”

“But how will we choose?” Ladybug asked.

“We have taken the liberty of choosing the most powerful miraculouses from each Miracle Box.”

After looking through the miraculouses, Ladybug spoke up. “We’ll take the Lion, the Zebra, the Flamingo, and the Owl.”

“Be careful not to lose them.” Zagnu warned as he gave two to Ladybug and two to Cat Noir.

“We will be.” Ladybug said, giving Cat Noir a hard look.

“What?” he asked, putting on an innocent face.

“Let’s just go.”

“Fine by me, Bugaboo.”

“Don’t call me Bugaboo!” Ladybug groaned. “Tikki, Kaalki, unify.” She summoned Voyage.

“After you, M’lady.” Cat Noir said, following Ladybug into the portal.

“Watch out for the-” Ladybug called out too late as Cat Noir tripped on a steel beam. “-beam.”

Cat Noir flailed his arms wildly, losing his grip on one of the miraculouses. He watched as it fell down the tower.

“We have to catch it!” Ladybug said just as Cat Noir leapt down.

“Don’t worry, cats always land on their feet!” He called up.

He reached the ground, but there was no sign of the missing miraculous.

Chapter 4

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was walking by the Eiffel Tower, heading to her new home when something fell on her head.

“What the-?” She exclaimed. She examined the object. It was a wooden octagonal box with a red insignia on the top. “What is this thing?” She was about to open it when her phone pinged. “Oh, Mom’s waiting.” She muttered and stuffed the mysterious box into her bag and rushed off.

The next day Lillian entered Ms. Bustier’s class, and saw two new people that weren’t there the previous day. One was a blond, handsome boy, who sat next to Nino, the boy with the red baseball cap, and sitting next to Alya, the girl with the wavy brown hair with the reddish tips, there was a blue-black haired girl with bright blue eyes. Both were clearly exhausted.

“Who are those two?” She whispered to Nathaniel.

“The boy is Adrien Agreste and the girl is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” He replied.

“Oh.” Lillian held his gaze a moment too long and they both looked away, a repeat of yesterday.

What neither of them noticed was that Lila Rossi, the girl with long brown hair and green eyes, was watching them intensely.

Later, Lillian looked around the cafeteria, searching for a place to sit.

“Hey, Lillian! Come sit with us!” Alya called.

Lillian headed over and sat down.

“So this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Alya began, pointing to the blue-black haired girl. “Alix Kubdel,” She pointed to the girl with crazy pink hair. “Juleka Couffaine and Rose Lavillant,” She pointed to the black and purple haired girl and the girl with short blonde hair. “And Mylène Haprèle.” She pointed to the girl with rainbow hair.

“Nice to meet you all.” Lillian said, smiling.

“Where were you from?” Marinette asked.

“I used to live in Alabama, if ya'll don’t mind me saying.” She said, with the last part in a corny southern accent, sending the other girls into laughter. Lillian grinned. Maybe Paris wasn’t so bad after all.

Chapter 5

Lila Rossi

Lila watched Lillian talk and joke with the other girls. Already the new girl was more popular than her! The thought made her fists clench with rage. Lillian even had someone who liked her back! She had to do something about it.

She got up and walked towards Lillian, ignoring the suspicious look from Marinette.

“Hi, Lillian. I’m Lila!” She said in her sickly sweet voice.  “We’re in the same class, and I was wondering if we could switch seats? The air conditioning back at my table is very high and I have hyperhypothermalia, so I’m very sensitive to the cold.”

She watched Lillian as she went over two conflicting thoughts. Should she do the ‘right’ thing and give Lila her seat, or should she stay with her friends?

Before Lillian could answer, Rose piped up. “You can have my seat, Lila!”

Lila internally groaned. “Thank you, Rose! You’re too kind!”

She later excused herself and went to the bathroom. “That stupid, little nitwit…” She muttered. As Lila went back to the lunchroom, she overheard Marinette.

“It’s not even cold!”

“She’s right, you know.” She heard Rose say.

Juleka mumbled something that couldn’t be understood.

“Why lie though?” Lillian asked.

“Who cares? Lila is a liar!” Marinette exclaimed.

Lila couldn't believe her ears. Marinette was getting the others to side up against her? She ran back into the bathroom and began to cry, but her spirits lifted when she saw a black butterfly heading towards her.

Chapter 6

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was finishing her lunch, her mind still buzzing at Marinette’s outburst. Furthermore, she couldn’t help but think of Nathaniel. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Lila stumbled through.

“Akuma in the bathroom!” She yelled before collapsing on the ground, à la Professor Quirell.

The room burst into chaos. Everyone ran in separate directions. Not knowing what else to do, she followed Alya outside. “What’s an akuma?” She panted.

Alya stared at her. “You seriously don’t know what an akuma is?”

“Nope.”

“Well basically, there’s this evil guy, Hawk Moth, and he has these butterflies that can turn people into supervillains. For some reason he always wants Ladybug and Cat Noir’s-”

“Who are Ladybug and Cat Noir?” Lillian interrupted.

“How do you not know about Ladybug and Cat Noir? They were even in New York City at one point!”

“I lived in Alabama!”

“Well, anyways, Ladybug and Cat Noir are Paris’ superheroes, but they also get others to help out. So far there’s been Rena Rouge, Queen Bee, but she got demoted because she betrayed Ladybug and Cat Noir, Carapace, Pegasus, Viperion, King Monkey, and Ryuko. They all help defeat the akumatized villain, and they are totally awesome! But Hawk Moth always wants their miraculouses, which give them their powers.”

“Hey, where is everybody?” Lillian asked, noticing they were alone.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure everyone’s ok…” Alya sounded doubtful. “Hey, where are you going?” She called after Lillian, who had run inside.

The lunchroom was full of chaos. Lillian looked around. Some students hid behind tables, others, like Alya, had run outside, and in the midst of it all stood a girl in indigo robes that were sparkling with golden stars and silver moons. In her hands she held twin golden blades, and she was standing over a girl with blue-black hair in pigtails. Marinette. Lillian looked around and spotted a trash can lid and some tarp. She grabbed both and snuck behind the girl in robes.

“I am Hecate.” The girl proclaimed. “I have power over everything and everyone.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep talking,” Lillian mumbled softly. She was right behind Hecate and banged the lid onto her head. Hecate collapsed, and Lillian secured her with the tarp.

“I’m not sure how long it’ll hold, so c’mon!” She said, and helped Marinette up.

“Thanks, Lillian.” Marinette said.

“No problem.”

Then, the windows exploded.

Chapter 7

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette ran, feeling guilty for leaving her friends, but she knew that she couldn’t do anything as Marinette. She ducked into an empty alley and opened her bag, letting Tikki fly out. “Tikki, spots on!” Ladybug hopped out of the alley and headed back to the school. While running, she called Cat Noir on her yo-yo. “Cat Noir! Akumatized villain at Collège Françoise Dupont! Meet me there ASAP!” She closed the yo-yo just as she heard a scream. “That can’t be good.” She muttered.

The scream had come from Rose. She was shaking her arm frantically as golden light spread up it. Within seconds, she was encased in the light. When it fell, Rose had been replaced by her akumatized form, Princess Fragrance.

Ladybug gasped. She looked around and spotted Hecate, who was holding her swords, one of which was tinged pink. Rose’s favorite color. She understood what had happened. The blades had turned Rose into Princess Fragrance. Before she could act, Hecate threw her swords like a boomerang, hitting various students and employees. Soon, Stoneheart, Horrificator, Reflekta, Evillustrator, Stormy Weather, Timebreker, Reverser, Zombizou, Dark Owl, Dark Cupid, The Mime, Copycat, Antibug, and Miraculer joined Hecate’s army.

Ladybug knew she had to act now. She readied her yo-yo as Cat Noir spoke behind her.

“So, where’s the big baddie that needs some talking to?”

“Cat! Stop sneaking up on me!” Ladybug exclaimed. “Besides, we can’t let Hecate, the one with the swords, reach the remaining students.” She pointed to a small group containing Alya, Nino, Lillian, and Max.

“They’re all that’s left?” Cat Noir asked.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” He extended his staff to the ground. “Climb on up!” He called down to the students.

Alya, Nino, and Max climbed up.

“Wait, weren’t there four of them?” Cat Noir asked.

“Maybe she made a break for it.” Ladybug said, though she wasn’t very optimistic.

“Let’s hope so…” He replied.

Chapter 8

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was running as fast as her feet could carry her. Seeing nearly all of her friends turned into those villains had scared her. She ran aimlessly, searching for someone who could help. She burst into her home, hoping her mother would be home.

“Mom- oof!” She tripped on one of her books, sending the contents of her bag flying, including the box she had found the day before. She stared at the box and curiosity got the best of her. Lillian opened it, and suddenly a small ball of silvery-blue light flew from it. She dropped the box in surprise.

As the light faded, Lillian saw what had been inside it. It was a light blue creature about four inches in height. It had no toes or fingers, just paddle-like limbs. On its forehead it had a blue v shape with a white feather design on the end. Two antennae curled like braids behind its back. It had five blue tail feathers with a mix of light blue and white design.

“Hello!” The thing said with a distinct feminine voice. “I am Unna!”

Lillian chose that moment to scream.

“Shhhh!” Unna said. “No one must know I exist!”

“What are you?” Lillian asked after calming down.

“I am the owl kwami, also known as the kwami of resilience.”

“Kwami?”

“Kwamis are what power miraculouses.”

“Like Ladybug and Cat Noir? Because my friend Alya told me about them.” Lillian said, slowly adjusting to the situation.

“Exactly! To transform, say ‘Unna, wing it’ and to detransform you say ‘Nest time’.” Unna said. “Also, you’ll need to wear the necklace when you do so.”

“Necklace?” Lillian asked.

“Just look in the box.” Unna told her.

Lillian pulled out a necklace. It had a horizontal stone cut into a rectangular shape that looked like lapis lazuli, but had four silvery streaks, dividing it into fifths. On the sides there were identical silver wings, and the chain was silver too. When she put it on, the chain turned to gold and the wings disappeared. The stone became pure teal.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Lillian murmured. “Unna, wing it!”

The same silvery-blue light that Unna momentarily surrounded Lillian. When it fell she was in a completely new outfit.

She had a skintight suit that was white on the top half, and light blue on the bottom. The colors were divided by a curved v shape that laid slightly above her waist. On her shoulders, she gained silver-blue feather designs that looked like wings. A blue rope threaded with black was wrapped around her waist. The mask followed the same color scheme as the rest of the suit. The teal in her hair had become white, and her eyes turned bright blue. And, to top it off, five blue tail feathers identical to Unna’s were on the back of her waist.

“Sweet!” She exclaimed. “Now to help my friends.”

Chapter 9

Adrien Agreste

“We’re going to need reinforcements, no matter what.” Cat Noir told Ladybug.

“But Hawk Moth knows the identities of every wearer except us. We can’t risk it.” She said.

“We’ve risked it before with Chloé.” He pointed out.

“But how would we get the right miraculouses to the right people? We don’t even know who King Monkey is!”

“We’ll have to do without him then. Also, I’m positive they would love to be heroes at least one more time.”

Ladybug hesitated. “Alright,” She said after a moment. “I’ll get the Miracle Box. Make sure they don’t get the students.”

“You know I excel in purr-tection.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. “Just keep them safe.”

A while later, Ladybug returned. “I’ve got it.”

“Let’s have a look now shall we?”

Ladybug brought out the Fox, Turtle, Horse, Snake, and Dragon Miraculouses. She handed Cat Noir the Horse and Dragon.

“Get these to Max and Kagami, I’ll handle Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Viperion.” She said.

“I’ll find Kagami first, so I can think of a way to get Max from Alya and Nino.” He said as he vaulted off.

“If I were Kagami, where would I be..?” Cat Noir muttered to himself. “She might be practicing with her mother at Jardin des Tuileries!”

Sure enough, both Tomoe and Kagami Tsurugi were there. He landed nearby and cleared his throat. “Ms. Tsurugi? I’m Cat Noir, and there’s an akumatized villain close by. We need both you and your daughter to split up and hide.” He paused. “For your own safety, of course.”

How will I know if Kagami is safe, though?” Tomoe asked.

“Ma’am, we’re professionals.”

“Very well then.” Tomoe walked off to her self-driving car.

Kagami watched her mother depart. “Why is it that I don’t believe you stated the whole truth?” She asked, turning to Cat Noir.

He grinned. “Right as always.” He brought out the Dragon Miraculous. “Kagami Tsurugi, here is the Miraculous of the Dragon which grants the power of Perfection. You'll use it for the greater good. Once the mission is over, you'll return the miraculous to either Ladybug or me. Can we trust you?”

“Yes, you can.” She put the choker on. “Longg, bring the storm!”

“We’re meeting up at Collège Françoise Dupont, but I need to make a quick stop on the way.” He told Ryuko.

“See you there, Cat Noir.” She leapt away.

Cat Noir headed where the three students had been. Alya and Nino weren’t there, which made his job much easier.

“Hey, Max, catch!” He tossed the Horse Miraculous to him. “We’re meeting up at Collège Françoise Dupont.” He said and vaulted away."

Chapter 10

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug raced back to Collège Françoise Dupont with Viperion right behind her. Cat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Ryuko, and Pegasus were waiting for them.

“Alright, so this is what we know,” Ladybug began. “The only true akumatized person is Hecate, who is the one with the golden swords. Those swords can turn anyone into their akumatized form, so don’t let them touch you. Miraculer and Timebreaker are both very dangerous. Miraculer can steal our powers and Timebreaker can freeze us and go back in time. Stoneheart absorbs all damage, and it makes him stronger, so don’t attack him. Princess Fragrance can control anyone who smells her perfume. Zombizou’s kisses are infectious, and Dark Cupid can turn all emotions negative. Horrificator can trap anyone in her goo and she feeds off fear. Reflekta turns people into copies of herself. Evillustrator can draw anything, the Mime can mime anything, Dark Owl has an endless supply of weapons, Stormy Weather can control the weather, and Copycat and Antibug have identical powers to Cat Noir and I.”

“They do have weaknesses, though.” Cat Noir said.

“Yes. Evillustrator can’t draw in the dark, Reflekta’s beams can be reflected, the Mime can only mime one thing at a time, Princess Fragrance’s perfume is highly flammable, Antibug can only use her Anti Charm once, and same goes for Copycat’s Cataclysm.”

“So what’s the plan?” Rena Rouge asked.

“Lucky Ch- huh?” Ladybug exclaimed.

“Wooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!” A white and blue figure hurtled towards the superheroes. “Oof!”

The figure slammed into the roof where the heroes were.

“Are you alright!?” Ladybug ran towards them, but froze in shock. Her necklace was the very same one that Cat Noir had lost. She had the lost Owl Miraculous.

Chapter 11

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian stared at the group in front of her. They all had unique animal themed outfits. She saw a ladybug, cat, fox, turtle, horse, snake, and what she thought was a dragon.

She groaned and got up. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She looked up and frowned. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Y-your necklace. Where did you fi- I mean get it?” Ladybug stammered.

“It fell on my head.” She mumbled softly.

Ladybug pulled Cat Noir aside. They talked in hushed, inaudible tones.

“So, what’s your miraculous?” Carapace asked.

“My kwami said it was the owl.” Lillian said.

Ladybug and Cat Noir returned.

“Alright, if it means more help, you can join us.” Ladybug said.

Lillian grinned.

“Now, what should we call you?”

She hesitated before answering. “Athena. Call me Athena.”

“Niiiccceeee.” Rena Rouge whistled. “Greek Goddess of wisdom, right? Symbol is the owl?”

“Yep.” Athena replied. “Now how about we kick some villainous butt?”

Cat Noir grinned. “I think you’ll be a great addition to the team.

Ladybug groaned. “Just what we need, another jokester.”

“What’s wrong?” Athena asked. “Are you wondering who will be the better at puns?”

Cat Noir cracked up. “I like you already!”

Chapter 12

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug summoned her lucky charm. “A roll of duct tape!?” She exclaimed.

“You gonna use it to tape Cat Noir’s mouth shut to spare us from his puns?”

Cat Noir chuckled. “Good one, Athena… Hey!”

Athena snickered.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and looked around. She spotted the villains weapons, the heroes around her, and some discarded trash can lids.

“Alright, here’s the plan…” She began to whisper to her friends.

"Second Chance!"

"Whirlwind!"

"Water Dragon!"

The heroes summoned their powers.

Cackling filled the air."You fools! You think you can stop me? I have an army of villains to aid me!"

Ladybug looked, and saw Hecate wasn't kidding. Mr. Pigeon, Pharaoh, Rogercop, Darkblade, Animan, Simon Says, Pixelator, Guitar Villain, Puppeteer, Volpina, Collector, Prime Queen, Despair Bear, Gorizilla, Frightningale, Style Queen, Maldiktator, Anansi, Weredad, Party Crasher, Kwamibuster, Ikari Gozen, and about a billion Sapotis had joined her ranks.

"Oh my…" Ladybug muttered.

"We don't have time to waste!" Rena Rouge said.

"You're right."

"Let's kick some villainous butt!" Athena cheered.

Chapter 13

French Miraculous Superhero Team

Rena Rouge leapt down from the building, grinning. She loved being a hero. Carapace landed next to her. "You focus on Anansi, I'll work on Volpina." She told him.

"Be careful!" Carapace replied and ran off.

Rena Rouge weaved her way to her evil counterpart, and raised her flute. Volpina did the same. Volpina brought her flute down, but it dissolved in a blue and silver mist, revealing Miraculer.

Orange spots appeared on her suit as she drained Rena Rouge's power.

Carapace was battling Anansi, using his shield to block her punches.

"You little flyweight!" She roared.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Miraculer standing over Rena Rouge, causing him to falter.  

Anansi took that moment to punch him, sending Carapace flying.

Viperion battled Reflekta, unaware that the second change timer was running out. The snake head reached the end just as she saw Miraculer steal Rena Rouge's powers. He attempted to turn back time, only to find out he couldn't. In his confusion, Reflekta zapped her own brother into a copy of herself.

Ryuko was fending off the Sapotis, but to no avail. They surrounded her. "Lightning Dragon!" She called, and she managed to fry a few clones. Her necklace began to beep. The Sapotis swarmed her.

Pegasus was narrowly dodging Kwamibuster's attacks. Her rays were coming dangerously close to him.

He threw his horseshoe at her, but missed.

Kwamibuster took the opportunity to zap him.

Pegasus barely had time to hide before Kaalki was sucked into her vacuum.

Cat Noir and Ladybug were fighting their way to Hecate. In their way was Evillustrator and Puppeteer. Evillustrator drew Ladybug and Cat Noir dolls and tossed them to Puppeteer.

"Ladybug, come to life!" Puppeteer said.

"No!" Cat Noir cried, but it was too late. Ladybug had lost.

"Cat Noir come to-" Puppeteer began.

"Oh no you don't!" Cat Noir yelled and used his staff to knock the doll out of her hands. He then proceeded to destroy Evillustrator's drawing pad.

He looked around. There was no sign of Carapace or Pegasus, Rena Rouge was powerless, Ryuko was imprisoned by the Sapotis, and it looked as if Viperion had been turned into a Reflekta copy. Then he spotted a flash of blue and white, and his spirits lifted. Athena hadn't fallen. At least, not yet.

Chapter 14

Lillian Montgomery

Athena was barely able to fend off the villains. Her rope twisted around Stormy Weather, but a blast of lightning threw it free. Her necklace was on its last segment. Suddenly, Cat Noir's staff slammed in front of her.

"Can't let my fellow comedian become a mind controlled zombie." He said with a grin. "Now follow me, I know a place where we can regroup." He vaulted off.

"Where are we going?" She asked. "And what about the others?"

"Ladybug's under Puppeteer's control, Pegasus was zapped by Kwamibuster, Viperion is a Reflekta copy, Rena Rouge is powerless, Ryuko is trapped, and Carapace is who knows where." He tried to open a manhole, but found it locked. "Cataclysm!"

He slid it open. "You coming?"

"...Okay."

They ran for about 30 seconds before Athena's necklace gave a final beep. She tripped in surprise as she turned back to Lillian.

Cat Noir stared at her. "You look familiar, but I can't quite place it." She said.

"Does this mean I can't be Athena anymore?" She asked miserably.

He hesitated. "Well, Ladybug decides who gets to be heroes, and she's not here… And she has no way of knowing that I know your identity…" He grinned.

Lillian gasped. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Unna moaned.

"Looks like your kwami needs to refuel." Cat Noir remarked. "What do they eat?"

"I don't know. I transformed almost immediately after I met her." Lillian said.

"Candy! I like candy!" Unna declared.

"I only have cheese."

"Cheese is good, too."

"So, what's the plan?" Lillian asked as Unna munched on some of Cat Noir's camembert.

"Maybe find Carapace. The more backup we have, the better. Then after that… I don't know." He said. His ears were flattened and he sighed. "I've never faced a villain without Ladybug. I've never faced anyone alone."

"But you're not alone. You have your kwami, and you have Unna and I." Lillian said, her voice full of sympathy. "And we'll have Carapace soon enough."

Cat Noir smiled. "Thanks, Athena." His ring beeped. "Hold that thought!" He ran behind a corner as Lillian cracked up.

"You all better?" She asked Unna.

"Sure am!"

"Unna, wing it!"

Chapter 15

Nino Lahiffe/Adrien Agreste

Carapace sailed through the air. He didn't know how far Anansi's punch had and would send him. His bracelet was beeping, indicating that Wayzz was losing energy. He spied the ground coming up.

"Shell-ter!" He yelled, protecting himself as he slammed into the Arc de Triomphe. The structure shook and began to fall, but luckily his shield held. Carapace soon blacked out.

Cat Noir and Athena scoured the city, searching for Carapace. They soon came across the ruins of the Arc de Triomphe and the fading glow of Carapace's Shell-ter. When they reached the spot, they found Carapace out cold. As the two of them watched, a green light emitted from his bracelet and Wayzz flew out. Carapace was returned to his civilian form.

Cat Noir gasped, as did Athena, though hers was much quieter. "Nino?" He asked.

Nino awoke to the sound of his name.

"Nino, wake up!" Someone said. It sounded like Adrien.

"Nino?" Another voice asked, this one more feminine.

He opened his eyes to see Cat Noir and Athena standing over him.

Cat Noir breathed a sigh of relief. "So you're Carapace, huh?"

He paled. "Uh, I don't know what you're talking about, dude. I'm just me." He tried to feign innocence as he hid his bracelet.

"We saw you detransform." Athena said. Her blue eyes were sympathetic, as if she'd experienced someone seeing her detransform as well.

"Wait, how did you two know my name?"

This time it was Cat Noir and Athena's turn to pale.

"Uhhh…"

Nino's mind began to race. Cat Noir had sounded like Adrien, and he knew his name… "Adrien?" He asked.

Cat Noir's eyes widened.

"Is the cat out of the bag?" Athena teased.

Cat Noir ignored her. "How did you know?" He asked Nino.

"You talk the same way, and you know my name." He said.

"Promise me you will never, ever, breathe a word about this to anyone." Cat Noir said.

"Don't worry, dude. I can keep secrets, just like I keep Marinette's."

"What about Marinette?" Cat Noir was confused. What secret could his very good friend have?

"Oh, just that she has a major crush on you…" He trailed off, obviously realizing he had just blabbed a secret.

Athena cracked up. "Bwahahahaha! You didn't know a girl had a serious crush on you? That is so priceless!"

Chapter 16

Lillian Montgomery

While the two boys got oriented, Athena formed a plan in her head. Hecate was the main target, but getting to her was impossible. The akuma had to be in the bracelet she wore, as there was only one. Hawk Moth wanted miraculouses…

After a while, she'd come up with a plan. "Cat Noir, Adrien, whatever. I've got a plan!" She began to whisper.

Cat Noir turned to Nino. "We'll need the Turtle Miraculous back." He told him.

"Good luck dude and dudette." He told them with all sincerity.

"Thank you, Carapace." Athena said with a wink.

The pair left.

"Hecate!" Athena shouted at the entrance of Collège Françoise Dupont.

"We give up! If you free all these people, I will give you my miraculous." Cat Noir added, a seldom heard tone of solemn in his voice.

"Very well." Hecate said. She raised a sword and golden light enveloped the school. When it fell, everyone was back in their civilian forms.

"Cat Noir! What are you doing?" Ladybug pushed her way to the two heroes.

"Don't worry, everything will be just fine." He said.

"Hand over your miraculouses!" Hecate shouted.

Every hero in the vicinity approached the villain.

She held out her hand.

Athena stepped forward and began to undo her clasp. She suddenly stopped and ran forward, snagging the bracelet. "Cat Noir, catch!"

"Cataclysm!" He destroyed the bracelet and the akuma flew out. "It's your turn, M'lady." He said.

"Time to de-evilize!" Ladybug captured the akuma and grabbed some of the unused duct tape. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Chapter 17

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Lillian Montgomery

It was two days after Hecate. Lila had been deakumatized and had left in her usual huff. Marinette took her usual seat next to Alya when she heard someone speak.

"Hey, Alya, could I trade seats with you?" Adrien asked.

Marinette went wide eyed as he sat down.

"Marinette," Adrien said, looking into her eyes. "I've come to realize that you mean more to me than I used to think. You've always been there when I needed it most. You're such a supportive and kind person. You're more than just a friend, and I was wondering, if um-" His face went red. "If you'd like to go out on a date with me?"

Marinette's jaw dropped, as did nearly everyone else's in the room.

"How romantic!" Rose squealed.

"I- um-" Marinette was at a loss for words.

Adrien's shoulders slumped.

"I mean- YES!" She threw her arms around the boy she'd loved since the second day of school.

Everyone cheered. Well, everyone but Chloé and Lila.

Chloé threw a temper tantrum, but no one seemed to mind.

Unbeknownst to both of the miraculous holders, Tikki and Plagg popped out of their bags and grinned at each other.

"I'm happy for them," Lillian told Nathaniel. "They just seem made for each other."

"They certainly do." He replied.

"Oh, um Nathaniel?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to come over to my house to work on homework?" She hoped her cheeks weren't red.

"Sure!" He smiled.

Lillian gave him a bigger smile. It wasn't a date, or even a declaration of love, but it was something.

End of Book One

Short Story

Miraculous: Happy Holidays

"Oh Tikki! Where are my spools of thread?" Marinette scrambled around her room, hurrying to finish her gifts, scattering supplies in the process. She still had to do Nino's and Rose's, not to mention the ones for the heroes.

"Which color?" Tikki asked. 

"Gold!"

"Here you go!" Tikki flew up, carrying the requested thread.

"Thank you!" Marinette stitched a music note to a headphone plushie. "There! Nino's gift is finished!" She got to work on a flower purse for Rose.

A few hours later, Marinette finished the last present.

"Perfect!" She looked at the presents on her desk. "I've got everyone!"

"Uh, Marinette, it's a bit late, don't you think?" Tikki asked. "It's 1:30 am!"

"You're right, Tikki." She yawned. "I should get some sleep…" Marinette laid down and almost immediately fell asleep.

Adrien wrapped the final gift, one for Marinette. "I hope she likes it." He told Plagg.

"Oh, that girl will go nuts over anything you give her." Plagg said as he gobbled up a slice of cheese.

"You think so?" Adrien asked.

"As sure as I love Camenbert!" He said.

"Well, time to sleep. Goodnight, Plagg."

"Goodnight, Adrien."

That morning, Adrien arrived at school early to distribute his presents. For Alix he got a new pair of roller skates and a watch repair and cleaning kit. Alya received a high tech video camera and a notebook. Chloé got a honeycomb phone case and golden charm bracelet. Ivan got tickets to the Zombie Skull Crushers, for Juleka, he gave a makeup kit and barretts. Kim got swimming gear, Lila got some Mad Libs, Lillian got signed copies of the Harry Potter books, Max received a gaming console and games, and Mylène got a gardening kit and an apple sapling. Nathaniel got an art kit, a new sketchbook, and drawing materials. Nino was gifted with a new pair of headphones and music records, Rose got a blank scrapbook, and Sabrina, a set of superhero costumes. 

He smiled as his friends found their gifts. He then approached Marinette to give her her present.

Marinette opened it, revealing a silver necklace with a pinkish ruby pendant shaped like a flower. "Oh, Adrien! It's beautiful! I love it!"

He grinned as she gave him a big hug.

Lillian went home carrying an armful of presents. Alix had gotten her a guided tour of the Louvre, Kitty Section had pitched together to get her a trumpet of her own, Alya gave her an art kit, Max got her a joke book, Adrien gifted her the entire Harry Potter series, each one signed by J.K. Rowling herself, Kim, oddly enough, gave her a helmet, for which he said could be used for any sport, Mylène gave her a bouquet of lilies, which she said were her namesake, Nathaniel had given her each of his and Marc's comics so far, and Marinette had made her a light blue scarf with pink flower designs.

That night, she and Unna prepared the gifts for the heroes and their kwamis. 

"Tikki told me that she loves cookies." Unna told her.

"I know, Unna. You've reminded me of that for a while now." She sighed.

"What's wrong?" Her kwami companion asked.

"It's just that I lost my dad on Christmas last year. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss him. Mom was forced to move here so she could sustain us." She stared at a picture of the late Chase Montgomery. "He was coming home when a car couldn't brake fast enough…" Her voice broke and a tear slid down her cheek.

Cat Noir was on his way to the Eiffel Tower when he caught sight of Lillian. She was crying. He went over and tapped on her window.

"Cat Noir?" She asked in surprise.

"Hey. I saw you crying. What's wrong?" He asked his friend.

Lillian sighed. "My dad passed away a year ago tonight. I've never spent a Christmas without him."

"I understand. I lost my mom around a year ago, too, but I've learned to grow and move on, and I'd bet that's what your dad would want you to do."

She smiled. "Thanks, Cat."

"Any time." He vaulted off.

Later, the entire team met up at the Eiffel Tower, bringing presents. Ladybug gave everyone little plushies of their respective animals, Rena Rouge brought a polaroid camera, which everyone took selfies with, Carapace brought a Just Dance game, which was a huge hit, Ryuko gave some combat lessons, Pegasus produced books for everyone, including a cat pun one for Cat Noir and an owl pun one for Athena, King Monkey, for inexplicable reasons, gave everyone personalized helmets, and Athena and Viperion played a duet on the trumpet and lyre, which were surprisingly great sounding together.

Then it was Cat Noir's turn to pass out his presents, and he did so with gusto. Everyone received a kitten a day calendar, but every cat's head had been replaced by his. 

Athena playfully threw hers at Cat Noir, which bonked him on the head. "I'm already haunted by it." She teased.

Even later in the night, Cat Noir returned to his room. "Claws in." He whispered and destransformed.

Adrien immediately hopped onto his computer and ordered something for his saddened friend.

Lillian stared at the small package in her hand. A delivery person had just dropped it off. She opened it and a note fluttered out.

"Lillian, I know it's hard to lose someone you love, but with this, hopefully you won't feel quite as lonely. Merry Christmas, Adrien." She read aloud. Inside the package was a golden necklace with a circular pendant engraved with an L. It was a locket, and she knew exactly what to put in it.

An hour later, Lillian looked down and smiled at the two pictures that now resided in the locket. One was of the night before, when they had all taken a group selfie with Rena Rouge's camera, and the other was of her father.

"Thank you, Cat Noir." She whispered as she put the necklace on.

Chapter 1

Nathaniel Kurtzburg

Nathaniel had never felt this way about someone before, not even for Marinette. She was kind and sweet and a talented artist. She even had a good sense of humor. Lillian Hope Montgomery. Just thinking about her could make him smile.

"The problem is, I love Lillian, but I don't know if she feels the same way." He said to Alix one day. "And then there's Marc and our comic book. I'm pretty sure he likes me, and I used to until I met Lillian."

"Look, Nath. I'm not the love expert, but based on Marinette's old obsession with Adrien, you should just come right out and say it." Alix said.

"Thanks, Alix." He smiled.

A while later, he met up with Marc on the entrance stairs to the school.

"Hey, Nathaniel!" Marc said as he sat down.

"Hey, Marc. I've got a new hero for our comic book!" Nathaniel showed him his design. "Her name is Brushstroke, and she's the female counterpart of Mightillustrator."

"Cool! I love how her ponytail looks like a brush."

Nathaniel smiled. "Thanks. I based her off of Lillian. She's a new girl in my class." He blushed.

Marc either didn't notice or didn't care. "I think I've met her before." He said. "Short brown hair with teal tips, glasses, blue-green eyes?"

He nodded. "That's her, alright." He paused for a second. "I was thinking that maybe she could also help us out on our comic book. She's an amazing artist and she loves to write. Plus she's had some first-hand experiences with akumatized villains."

"We could give it a shot." Marc said after thinking about it.

"Great! I'll tell Lillian and-" He stopped abruptly when his watch beeped. "Oh, I forgot, we're studying for a test together today. Well, see you!"

Chapter 2

Adrien Agreste

"Father?" Adrien asked as he poked his head through the doorway.

"What is it, Adrien?" He responded with his usual cool tone.

"I-I'd like your permission to go to the movies with my girlfriend, Marinette." He said nervously.

"Of course, Adrien, you are allowed to go to the movies. Let Nathalie prepare the limousine for you."

"I meant going to the movies alone with Marinette." Adrien said. "Please?"

Gabriel Agreste sighed. "Very well. You may go alone, but you are to come back immediately afterwards.

Adrien grinned. "Thank you, Father!"

A while later, Adrien knocked on the door of the Dupain-Cheng residence. Sabine answered the door.

"Oh, Adrien! Marinette's up in her room!" She said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cheng."

"Please, call me Sabine."

"Adrien!" Marinette fell out of her chair, but quickly got back up. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"It was a surprise." He said. "I got us tickets for Solitude, as we never truly got to see it last time."

"And this time people will rightly guess I'm your girlfriend this time." Marinette laughed.

Adrien smiled. "That is true. Now, come on! It starts at 3:00!"

The couple sat down in the movie theater.

"This is so exciting!" Marinette squealed, her blue eyes full of happiness.

Adrien grinned. Ever since he'd started dating Marinette, he'd been so much happier. He'd stopped thinking about Ladybug as much. Ladybug had also seemed happier. He hoped it was because she was finally with the boy she loved.

Marinette rested her head on his shoulder.

"Have I ever told you that you're awesome?" He asked her.

"You just did." She replied with a grin.

The movie started.

Chapter 3

Flora Mayfield

"Dad! Where'd you put my fabric?" Flora called.

"I don't know! Ask your mother!" Her father replied.

"Don't ask me! I never touch it!" Her mother yelled.

Flora groaned. "The only good thing about this is that I don't have to share a room with Carson."

"I heard that!" Her little brother yelled.

"I'm sure everything will work out, Flora." A slightly muffled voice piped up.

Flora chuckled. "Oh, sorry, Sunny. I'll let you out." She opened the flap on her bag and a little pink sprite flew out.

Sunny was Flora's kwami. She was about 4 inches tall and was almost completely pink. She had large, emerald green eyes, and two antennae. On her forehead there was a design that looked like a flamingo's beak, and she had a short train of fluffy, pink feathers.

"Like I said, it's all going to be fine. Paris is one of the safest cities in the world thanks to Ladybug and Cat Noir." She said.

"Tell me about them." Flora requested.

"Ladybug is considered the leader of the French Miraculous Superhero team. Her miraculous is the ladybug's, which give the power of creation. Cat Noir is her partner. He owns the Black Cat Miraculous, which grants him the power of destruction."

"Thanks, Sunny." Flora said.

"I recommend you explore a bit, maybe make some friends." Sunny said.

"That doesn't sound so bad…" Flora mused.

"Mom, Dad, I'm going out!" Flora called. "Sunny, feather up!" She transformed into her alter-ego, Tropic Storm.

Her suit was a mix of gold, pink, dark pink, and small traces of black. Her mask was gold and pink, and she had a train of feathers similar to Sunny's. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled up into a bun and her hair comb had turned pink with five light pink metal feathers.

Tropic Storm leapt out her window.

Chapter 4

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette smiled as she leaned against Adrien. She couldn't remember a time she'd ever been happier. As she stared at the screen, she noticed something off. There was a faint silhouette behind it.

"Adrien, we need to leave." Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Why?"

She pointed at the figure. "I think it's an akumatized villain. We should hide until Ladybug and Cat Noir get here."

"What about Athena?" He asked.

"How do you know about Athena?"

"The Ladyblog."

"Fair enough. Now, let's hi-" She was interrupted by the slashing of the screen. "-de." She finished.

Stormy Weather floated through.

"Adrien, run!" Marinette grabbed his hand.

The two of them made it out of the theater, but Stormy Weather froze them in ice.

"No!" Adrien banged on the ice. "Let us out!"

"Help!" Marinette cried.

Suddenly, a figure clad in pink landed in front of them. "Color Bomb!" They drew what looked like a blowtorch in the air, which then materialized. They used it to melt the ice surrounding Marinette and Adrien.

The two of them stared, open mouthed.

The girl leapt off and began to fight Stormy Weather.

"American superheroine Tropic Storm is fighting Stormy Weather here in Paris!" Nadja Chamack said.

Marinette and Adrien watched the news on her phone.

"Tropic Storm? I don't think even Alya's heard of her." Marinette remarked.

"How is she even here? And why?" Adrien asked.

"Maybe Cat Noir and Ladybug can figure it out." She said.

"Oh, um, my father will be expecting me!" Adrien ran off.

"That was… odd." Marinette said to Tikki.

"Shouldn't Ladybug be helping 'Tropic Storm' out right now?" Tikki asked.

"You're right. Tikki, spots on!"

Chapter 5

Lillian Montgomery

"Can I show you something?" Nathaniel asked.

"Um, sure!" Lillian said.

He brought out a drawing of a young teen. She had brown and teal hair that was pulled back into a ponytail that resembled a paint brush. She had a white beret and a dark aqua mask. She wore a white and teal top with a swan necked collar, and had a dark teal and white bottom with a short teal skirt.

"Is that- is that- me?" Lillian asked.

He nodded.

"It's wonderful! What's 'her' name?"

"Brushstroke. She's supposed to be the female counterpart of Mightillustrator." Nathaniel said, smiling.

"It's miraculous." She said with a sly grin.

"Uh, listen. I was wondering if, um, you'd like to help me and Marc with our comic book. He's on board, and I've seen your art and writings."

"I'd-" Lillian's phone beeped. "I'd, uh, love to, but my mom is waiting for me and, um I have to go!" She dashed off. "Unna, we have a problem."

"Akuma?"

"Precisely. Unna, wing it!"

Athena arrived at the theater. Stormy Weather blasted the area with lightning.

"Nice to see you again, Coldilocks." A voice said behind her.

"You talking to me or the Ice Queen over there?" She asked Cat Noir.

"Her, but I keep my range open." He replied.

"Oh, yeah? Well then, let's show this mouse what owls and cats like to do."

Suddenly, a large, clear, hollow cube slammed down on Athena. "What the-?"

A girl in pink landed next to Cat Noir and strode over to Athena. "Hand over your source of evil." She said.

"Evil? Who do you think I am? Hawk Moth? Mayura?" Athena exclaimed. "The real villain's over there!" She pointed at Stormy Weather.

"You are not a member of the French Miraculous Superhero team, yet you have powers, suggesting that you are a villain. Hand it over."

"On whose authority?"

"By Tropic Storm's."

Athena's jaw dropped. "Tropic Storm!? But- but- You're supposed to be in Alabama!"

"May I ask why you are persecuting the second best comedian on the team, when there's a villain wreaking havoc across Paris?" Cat Noir said.

"Stormy Weather is of little threat. Miraculouses used wrongly impose serious threat."

"She's a hero! While she may have gotten her miraculous by mistake, nothing but good had ever come from her!"

"Storm. It's me." Athena said. "Nest time."

"Lillian!?" Tropic Storm stared.

"How do you two know each other?" Cat Noir asked, curious.

"She saved my life before I moved to Paris. We've been friends since then. How do you think I knew so much when I was new?"

Cat Noir shrugged. "I just assumed you were a natural, like me or Rena Rouge."

"And can you please let me out? We need to hold off Stormy Weather until Ladybug gets here."

"There you go." Tropic Storm snapped her fingers and the cube vanished.

"Thanks. Unna, wing it!"

Chapter 6

Nathaniel Kurtzburg

Nathaniel sat down next to Lillian. "Marc and I are meeting at Place des Vosges. If you want to come, we'll wait for you."

"Count on me to be there!" Lillian said. "I've done some drawings of the heroes, if you guys want to use them."

"That'll be great! We're meeting up at 4:00."

Nathaniel sat on a bench, waiting for Marc and Lillian. He doodled a picture of Lillian, or rather, Lillian as Brushstroke.

"Is she coming?" Marc asked as he sat down.

"She said she'd come." He said, not looking up.

"Woah! Oof!" Lillian made her entrance by tripping on a rock. "Sorry if I'm late." She apologized after getting up.

Nathaniel dropped his drawing. "You're right on time, actually." He turned to Marc. "Marc, this is Lillian. Lillian, Marc."

She smiled. "Nice to meet you! I actually brought some drawings if you want to look at them."

She handed some papers to Marc.

"I've got Ladybug, Cat Noir, Rena Rouge, Ryuko, Carapace, Athena, and Viperion." She said.

"These are amazing! They're almost like the real ones!"

Nathaniel grinned at Lillian.

"Nathaniel also said you were a writer too. Did you bring any?"

"No, those are kind of private, but I will gladly share my drawings."

Both Nathaniel and Marc grinned.

Chapter 7

Marc Anciel

"Whatcha got there, Montgomery?" Chloé's snear filled the air. "Pfft, doodles of those lame-o superheroes?"

"They're not doodles, they're art. And also, I'm honored you've bothered to learn my last name, now how about learning my first?" Lillian said with a slight smirk.

Marc snorted.

"Hmph, Athena? The new one? You didn't even bother to make Queen Bee." Chloé tore Lillian's drawings in half.

"No!" The three of them cried.

Lillian began to sob and ran off.

"Lillian, wait!" Nathaniel ran after her.

Marc began to gather the papers dropped. He came across Nathaniel's drawing. He noticed hearts drawn across, including one with lettering.

"NK+LM? NK must be Nathaniel Kurtzburg, LM… Lillian Montgomery?"

Nathaniel's words echoed in his mind. 'New girl…' 'Female counterpart…'. Marc remembered Nathaniel's blush when he spoke of Lillian.

"No…" He breathed.

Nathaniel had a crush on Lillian.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

"No." He repeated. "H-he can't be."

But he couldn't deny the facts. The boy he loved loved someone else. Nathaniel loved Lillian.

Chapter 7 ½

Gabriel Agreste

Hawk Moth stood in his liar. He sensed a powerful negative emotion, one that he'd only felt once before from Evillustrator.

He cupped his hands around an akuma and filled it with dark energy.

"Fly away my little akuma, and evilize her broken heart!"

The akuma began to fly off. It soon came across a young teen, crying, her face in her hands. Before the akuma reached her though, a red haired boy approached her.

Hawk Moth couldn't hear what the boy was saying, but the girl's negative feelings faded.

The akuma changed course and began to fly towards Place des Vosges, where Marc sat, crying. It infected Nathaniel's drawing of Lillian.

"Reverser, I am Hawk Moth. I will grant you the power to reverse any aspect of a person. In return, all I ask for are Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses.

"Yes, Hawk Moth."

Chapter 8

Flora Mayfield

"My best friend is a superhero. A superhero." Flora paced across her room. "How long has she kept this from me? How? When?"

"Have you considered that she only became Athena after she moved to Paris?" Sunny asked.

"I saved her life and this is how she repays me?" Flora continued, not listening to Sunny.

"Flora!" Sunny said sternly. "Listen to me. Did Lillian have her necklace back in Alabama?"

"Well no, but-"

"And did Athena first appear in Alabama, or Paris?"

"Paris, but-"

"And didn't Cat Noir say that she received it by accident? How could he have known that if she got it in Alabama?"

"It's just so hard to believe." Flora said.

"Talk to her, it might make you feel better."

"Alright. Sunny, feather up!"

Tropic Storm tapped on Lillian's window.

"What is it now?" Lillian asked grumpily.

"I want to talk to you."

"Alright. Just be quiet. Mom's been on edge recently."

"Well, first off, I'm sorry for trapping you in that cube. I didn't recognize you."

"Well you released me eventually."

"And I'm sorry for thinking you were a vill-" She was cut off by Unna.

"You big bully! You made Athena sad! And when she's sad, she doesn't give me as much candy because she's eating it! So I'm sad! You- you-" Unna paused. "Poopy head!"

Lillian put her face in her hands. "Unna! Be nice."

"I'd, um, better get going." Tropic Storm said, not wanting to be yelled at by Unna.

"Bye, poopy head!"

Chapter 9

Lillian Montgomery

"Unna, you have got to stop being so erratic. Storm made a mistake, and she feels bad abou-" She was cut off by a new voice.

"Lillian! You've stolen Nathaniel from me! Now you will pay!"

"I don't know who that is, but Athena needs to be there. Unna, wing it!"

Her necklace glowed with energy as Unna entered it. She put both hands over her eyes, with one laying on top of the other and pulled them back, revealing her newly created mask. She tapped her shoulders then spread her arms out, creating the sleeves of her suit. She stomped her foot and the legs of her suit appeared. She drew a line across her wait and her rope appeared. She then swept her hands down and her tail feathers materialized. She ended her transformation with her hands on her hips. She was now Athena.

Athena leapt out her window and swung up onto her roof. She was greeted by the sight of Parisians screaming and running from a villain on a paper airplane.

"Is that… Marc!?" She used the feather on her rope to access her Owl Phone.

"Let's see, past akumatized villains…" She came across a photo of Marc. Next to it was a picture of who she was facing now, and her face fell. "Reverser."

She attempted to call Ladybug, but there was no answer. "Ladybug, this is Athena. Reverser is at Place des Vosges, come ASAP!" She tried Cat Noir, but got no answer either. "Looks like this is up to me." She muttered. She began to swing her rope and ran after Reverser.

"What's Old-Timey-Movie all worked up about?"

Athena jumped. "How do you always manage to sneak up on people? This is the fifth time this week!"

"It's just one of my amazing talents." Cat Noir replied.

"Yeah, right. And you're not dating Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

He groaned. "Just because we know each other's identities doesn't mean you can bring up my personal life, Birdbrain."

"Why thank you! Owls are very smart, you know."

He sighed. "Are you always this irritating?"

"Not as irritating as you." Athena said. She took every chance she could get to out-joke the master of puns.

Ladybug swung by on her yoyo. "Got your message, what'd I miss?" She asked Athena.

"Oh nothing, just outwitting the cat."

Cat Noir glared.

"Nice job." Ladybug pounded fists with Athena.

"Let's just find Reverser and do this thing." Cat Noir said.

"Sounds like a plan, Cat Noir." Athena said.

Chapter 10

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug raced alongside Athena and Cat Noir. "Make sure you don't get hit by his airplanes." She said.

"Let me guess, they reverse stuff about you." Athena said.

"Right. Last time he made me super clumsy and Cat Noir afraid of his own shadow."

Athena snickered.

"Can we focus on the villain, please?"

"Oh Lillian? Where are you?" Reverser called out.

Athena and Cat Noir's faces paled.

"What?" Ladybug asked.

"Errr, nothing. I just happen to know about the girl he's after. That's all." Athena said hastily.

"Maybe we can use her to distract him like we did with Marinette with Evillustator and Nathaniel last time?"

"No!" Athena shouted. "I, uh, mean, we shouldn't. His powers are most likely increased, and our mission is not to harm, but to help."

"Ah, Clumsybug and Scaredy Cat. And it looks like you've brought a friend. How about the stupid owl?" Reverser said behind them.

"Athena! Look out!" Cat Noir jumped in front of the paper plane.

"You throw one more at us, and you'll be dead in two seconds." Athena growled. She raised her rope and began to swing it, forming a shield.

Ladybug did the same with her yoyo.

"Whirlwind!" Athena launched herself at the villain and began fighting like a literal whirlwind. She managed to dodge and deflect every paper airplane thrown at her, using the summoned winds to support her as Ladybug defended Cat Noir.

Finally, Reverser growled. "You'll regret this!" He flew off, yelling for Lillian.

"Uh, Ladybug? You might want to look at this." Athena called as Ladybug made one last attempt to catch Reverser.

"What?" Ladybug turned to look at Cat Noir. She gasped.

His hair had become longer, stopping at his shoulders. His body was narrower and slimmer. His face had become more delicate, more… feminine. Realization struck her. Cat Noir was no longer a boy. He was a girl.

"What?" She asked. Her voice was higher than usual. "What's wrong?"

"Um, here." Ladybug handed her yoyo over.

Cat Noir looked at herself in selfie mode. "What the what!"

Chapter 11

Lillian Montgomery

"We should split up and cover more ground." Athena said. "With luck, we might be able to catch him, but we'll need to know where he is."

"Good idea. Cat, take the Louvre, Athena, take the Eiffel tower, and I'll focus on Place des Vosges in case he comes back." Ladybug said. "Ready? Go."

Athena ran off. Soon her necklace began to beep. "Oh no, please hold, Unna!" She managed to duck into an alley, but did so by tripping and face planting into a dumpster. "Bleah! How many times do I have to trip?"

"Candy?" Unna asked.

Lillian checked her purse. "I'm all out." She peaked out and saw she was near the Dupain-Cheng bakery. "Can you settle for cookies?" She asked Unna.

"Ok!" Unna dove into Lillian's bag.

Lillian walked to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. She tried the door, but found it locked.

"Hello?" She called.

She heard footsteps. Sabine Cheng unlocked the door. "Oh thank goodness! Marinette told us that there was an akumatized villain and we've been worried about all of you! Have you seen her?"

"I-I don't think so. Last I saw her was at school."

"Well, come on in! The more people who are safe, the better!" Sabine pulled Lillian in.

"Woah!"

"Can I at least get some cookies?" Lillian asked Tom and Sabine.

"Why, sure! Any friend of Marinette's is a friend of ours!" Tom said and handed Lillian a plate of cookies.

"Thanks!" Lillian walked off and began to explore. She'd only been in Marinette's home a few times, so there was much she didn't know. She made her way up to Marinette's balcony.

"Wow… what a view!" Lillian exclaimed.

She saw Ladybug go by. "Well, I could ask her if she's seen Marinette, it's the least I can do for her parents." She told Unna, who was happily munching on a cookie.

"Ladybug!" She called out.

The superheroine landed next to Lillian. "What is it?" She asked.

"My friend Marinette Dupain-Cheng is missing and her parents are really worried. Have you seen her?"

"Oh, yes! She's somewhere safe."

Lillian smiled. "Thanks. I'll tell her parents."

Ladybug turned to leave, but paused. "Hey, you're Lillian, right?

She nodded.

"Do you think you could help Cat Noir and I? This villain seems to have it in for you. We can keep you safe though."

She hesitated. On one hand, she knew she could very well be useful to Ladybug and Cat Noir, but on the other hand, her identity could be in danger if Athena wasn't there.

"I'll help you any way I can." She finally said.

"Great." Ladybug grabbed ahold of Lillian and together they soared off.

Chapter 12

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Where are we heading?" Lillian asked Ladybug.

"The Eiffel Tower. Athena and Cat Noir should be there by now."

She thought she heard Lillian gulp.

They reached the tower, where Cat Noir was waiting.

"Where's Athena? She's supposed to be around here." Ladybug asked Cat Noir.

"I don't know," She admitted. "She might've run out of time, but-" She faltered when she saw Lillian.

"But what?"

"But-errr-uh-I forgot."

"Let's just do this before he causes more havoc. Lucky Charm!"

"A hat?" Ladybug thought for a moment then gasped. "I'll be right back!" She promised and swung away.

She landed on her balcony. "Spots off."

Marinette crept into her room and accessed a secret compartment under her bed where the Miracle Box was. She hesitated before pulling out the Fox Miraculous. "Sorry, Alya, but a new fox needs to come…" She muttered. "Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug landed back at the tower. "Still no sign of Athena?" She asked.

Both Lillian and Cat Noir shook their heads.

"Oh well." She turned to Lillian.

"Lillian Montgomery, this is the Miraculous of the Fox which grants the power of Illusion. You'll use it for the greater good. Once the mission is over, you'll return the miraculous to me… Can I trust you?"

Lillian's eyes widened. "You can count on me anytime, Ladybug."

Chapter 13

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian put on the necklace, swiftly removing her current one. When Ladybug wasn't looking, she slipped it to Unna, who then flew off. An orange ball of light erupted from the necklace and the fox kwami appeared.

"My name is Trixx, and I'm your kwami! All you have to do is say 'Trixx, let's pounce'!"

Lillian took a deep breath. "Trixx, let's pounce!"

"I don't look like Rena Rouge." She remarked as she examined her new outfit.

While having a two-piece design, mask, and ears like Rena Rouge, that was where the similarities stopped. Her hair had gotten longer and was streaked with orange, pulled into a low ponytail with a gold and black band. Her tips were white, but resembling a fox's tail rather than what it was when she was Athena. She had black arms and legs that ended in a swirling pattern that was outlined in gold. Her top was orange on the top half and white on the bottom, outlined with gold, with a black swan-necked collar with a golden streak in the middle, also outlined in gold. Her lower half was orange with white and gold streaks, and she had an orange, fabric fox tail that glittered with gold ending at her knees.

"It changes for every user. When Cat Noir and I accidentally switched miraculouses, our outfits changed drastically." Ladybug said. "Now, what should we call you?"

Lillian hesitated. "Kitsune. Call me Kitsune."

"Well, Kitsune. Let's take down this baddie. I'm tired of being a girl." Cat Noir said.

"What's the plan?" Kitsune asked Ladybug.

"Lucky Charm!"

Chapter 14

Flora Mayfield

Flora sat at her sewing machine, working on a skirt when Sunny flew up to her.

"Unna's at the window! She has the necklace, too!"

Flora ran to the window and let Unna in. "I hope you're here to apologize for calling me 'poopy head'."

"Never, poopy head!" Unna paused, as if remembering why she was there. "But L-" White sparkles came from her mouth. "I mean Athena needs your help!"

"Is Lillian in trouble?" Flora asked, concerned.

"No. In order to help Ladybug, she's risking her identity. She's gotten the Fox Miraculous and she has a plan, but she'll need 'her' powers. She trusts you with her life."

"Wait, how do you know I'm Tropic Storm?"

"Errr I sorta told her where we live…" Sunny mumbled.

Flora sighed. "You know what, I don't have time to be mad at you. Sunny, feather up!" Tropic Storm turned to Unna, who in turn gave her the miraculous. "Sunny, Unna, unify!"

Tropic Storm leapt to the tower, the pink in her outfit various shades of blue and the gold was now silver. She saw Ladybug and two others, one who looked like Cat Noir, but a girl, and another with a fox-like outfit. Must be Lillian. She thought.

She got closer, staying in the shadows, and overheard the conversation.

"What are you going to do with a mop?" Fox-Lillian asked.

"I don't think you can clean up this mess with just that." The girl-Cat-Noir said.

"Is he- she- always this annoying?" Fox-Lillian groaned.

"Usually more, now I think I have a plan, Kitsune." Ladybug said.

Chapter 15

Lillian Montgomery

Kitsune peeked up and saw a blue figure. Tropic Storm. She smiled to herself. The plan was working.

"Ready to try out your power?" Ladybug asked.

She nodded and raised her flute. She envisioned two copies of herself, one as Lillian, next to her, and one as Athena where Tropic Storm was. "Mirage!"

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late!" 'Athena' hopped down.

"Athena! Just in time!" Ladybug said.

"So what's the plan? I doubt you could do much with a mop."

Ladybug snapped the handle, leaving the mop itself intact. "Cat Noir, I'll need your staff." She said. She used her yo-yo to tie the mop onto Cat Noir's staff.

"Alright, so here's the plan…" Ladybug began to whisper.

Kitsune, Ladybug, and Cat Noir raced around where Reverser was. One by one, they were hit. Ladybug became clumsy, Cat Noir lost her bravado, and Kitsune lost her smarts. They retreated back to the tower.

"Alright. Athena, stay hidden, Cat Noir, take the mop and dip it in water, Kitsune, take 'Lillian' to the top." Ladybug gave directions.

After a few minutes, Ladybug picked up a megaphone. "Reverser! We give up! We surrender our miraculouses! We will also give you Lillian! All we ask is that you turn everyone else back to normal!"

Reverser flew up. "Surrender, eh? Give me Lillian and then we'll talk."

Chapter 16

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Adrien Agreste

Ladybug glanced up at Athena, who was still perched in the shadows. She looked at Kitsune, who nodded. The Lillian illusion stepped forward.

"What do you want with me?" She asked.

Reverser flew closer. "Get on first."

"Now!" Ladybug shouted.

"Whirlwind!" Athena's winds imprisoned Reverser.

Cat Noir extended her staff and soaked the airplane. The villain fell, but Kitsune snatched him out of the air. Cat Noir caught the paper airplane and cataclysmed it, releasing the akuma.

Cat Noir tossed Ladybug the mop.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

Athena and Lillian had dispersed, leaving Cat Noir with Ladybug.

"Bye bye, kitty." She told him. "Bug out!" She smiled and swung off.

Cat Noir grinned as he watched his friend go. A few weeks ago, he'd have been love struck by her words, but now Marinette was the one he loved. Ladybug was a friend now, and only that.

"Oh no!" Ladybug's scream reached his ears. He looked over and saw a bright pink light. Ladybug must've run out of time.

Cat Noir ran forward, ignoring his ring's beeping. He vaulted into the air and closed his eyes, playing he would catch her. They landed in an alley

"Cat Noir!?" Ladybug asked in surprise.

"I'm not looking, Bugaboo." He told her with all sincerity.

"But you're about to transform ba-" She stopped with a gasp. "A-Adrien?"

He opened his eyes to see… "Marinette?"

End of Book Two

Chapter 1

Unna

Lillian slept on her lower bunk. Unna had a peppermint shaped pillow on which she slept. Both human and kwami were sound asleep. Two things, one red and one black, phased through a window.

"Unna! We need to talk!" The red thing hissed.

"Candy?" Unna asked sleepily, half awake.

"I've got a cookie, but Plagg ate the cheese he was supposed to bring."

Unna fully opened her eyes to see Tikki and Plagg. "What's going on? Why aren't you with Marinette and Adrien?"

"We'll explain later. Grab something interesting and follow us." Tikki said.

Unna looked around and spotted one of Lillian's wooden puzzles. She picked it up and followed her kwami friends.

They approached the Dupain-Cheng Bakery and entered through the top, where Marinette's bedroom was. The three kwamis entered the Miracle Box.

"We're here!" Plagg called out.

15 kwamis popped up. Trixx, Pollen, Wayzz, Sass, Kaalki, Xuppu, Mullo, Longg, Fluff, Barkk, Daizzi, Stompp, Roarr, Ziggy, and Orikko greeted them.

"Hey, who's behind you?" Xuppu asked, spotting Unna.

"My name is Unna, and I'm the owl kwami! I brought a wooden puzzle!"

"She's not the reason we're here." Tikki said.

"Then what is?" Wayzz inquired.

"The reason is… They know."

Every kwami but Plagg and Tikki gasped. There was only one thing that Tikki would say with that much graveness. Ladybug and Cat Noir's identities weren't secret to them any more.

Chapter 2

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian was making her way to Ms. Bustier's class when she was stopped by Marc.

"Um, hi, Lillian." He said. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for trying to attack you the other day as Reverser."

"It's not your fault Marc. Hawk Moth is the one to blame." She told him.

"Also, I wish you and Nathaniel the best of luck."

Lillian frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you two dating?"

Lillian felt her face go red. "No… Why would you think that?"

"Because he dropped this in the park." Marc handed her a paper.

She gasped. It was a drawing of her as Brushstroke, but drawn around it were hearts of all sizes. One had lettering in it. "NK+LM?"

"Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Lillian Montgomery." Marc explained.

"Thank you Marc!" Lillian said, excitement dancing in her eyes. She clutched the drawing to her chest and ran off.

That evening, Lillian sat at her desk, doing her homework. After a little bit, she decided to get some fresh air. She grabbed a flashlight, her sketchbook, and some drawing utensils, and opened her window. She climbed up to a flat section of her roof and looked out on the city.

Lillian sighed contently. "Paris is more of a home than Alabama ever was." She remarked. She opened her sketchbook and Nathaniel's drawing fluttered out. "After all, it's where he is."

She noticed a dark figure on a nearby rooftop. Lillian flicked on her flashlight and the beam illuminated Cat Noir.

"What is he doing here? It's Ladybug's night to patrol." She said to Unna.

"I don't know, why don't you ask him?" Unna said.

"That's not a bad idea. Unna, wing it." Athena quickly made her way to her friend. "Nest time." She whispered quietly.

Lillian approached her friend. "I knew owls were nocturnal, but I didn't know cats were."

Cat Noir didn't turn around.  "Hi, Athena." He said glumly.

"Actually, it's Lillian." She sat down next to him. "What's wrong?"

He sighed. "It's partially about Marinette. Our relationship has become… Tested."

"Define 'tested'."

Cat Noir hesitated. "I-I shouldn't say. I'm already putting you and her in danger by talking to you about it."

"It always helps to talk." She told him.

"The thing is… There's a reason Ladybug and Marinette are never seen together."

Lillian's jaw dropped. "You mean she's-?"

He nodded. "Please don't tell her I said that."

"Don't worry." She smiled. "I'm good at keeping secrets. And you should write a note or something to her. So you can talk."

Chapter 3

Adrien Agreste

Later that night, Cat Noir headed back to his home. "Claws in." Adrien collapsed on his bed.

"Lillian's a good friend." He remarked.

"You said the same thing about Marinette." Plagg noted. "Are you just going to keep on switching girls?"

Adrien rolled his eyes. "No, Plagg. My heart belongs to Marinette. Besides, she loves Nathaniel and he loves her. They just don't know the other's feelings yet."

"Love is boring. Cheese is where it's at." The kwami gobbled up a slice of Camenbert.

"Well, I'm going to sleep. So finnish that cheese and settle down."

That morning before school, Adrien took Lillian's advice and prepared a note for Marinette.

Marinette

Mysterious and beautiful, like the moon

Midnight blue, her hair shines so bright

And every waking hour, I hope to see her soon

Eyes that stand out like stars, and they fill me full of delight

Tomorrow, I'll still love her

Six years, I'll still pretty much too

So I just want to say, I love you

And to separate, will be never

He underlined specific letters in each line with invisible ink, so that the underlined letters spelled out 'Marinette, meet me at Eiffel Tower, six PM. I love you, Adrien.'

Adrien put the poem in his bag and exited his room.

Chapter 4

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Marinette could barely keep her eyes open. She had spent most of the past nights thinking about what had happened a week ago. Of course she was grateful for Cat Noir saving her, and even more so that he had closed his eyes so he wouldn't see her, but she still felt it was all her fault.

"Girl, what's wrong? I've never seen you this tired before." Alya asked her.

"It's nothing… Just some sleepless nights…" Marinette murmured, almost falling asleep.

"Hey, Marinette." Adrien walked up to her. He looked worn down as well.

She smiled tiredly. "Hi, Adrien." She stood up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Adrien smiled brightly. "Here, I made this for you." He handed her a piece of paper before sitting down.

Marinette read what he had written aloud. "Marinette. Mysterious and beautiful, like the moon, Midnight blue, her hair shines so bright, And every waking hour, I hope to see her soon, Eyes that stand out like stars, and they fill me full of delight, Tomorrow, I'll still love her, Six years, I'll still pretty much too, So I just want to say, I love you, And to separate, will be never."

"Your boyfriend's a model and a poet. What luck!" Alya said.

He's a superhero, too. Marinette added silently.

That afternoon, Marinette examined the poem at her desk. "Something about this seems a little off." She told Tikki.

"Maybe there's a message?" Tikki suggested.

"You might be right!" She fished out a blacklight and shone it on the paper. "Marinette, meet me at Eiffel Tower, six PM. I love you, Adrien." She smiled. "That sneaky cat has done it again."

"And he wrote you a love poem for it!"

Marinette looked at the time. "It's 5:50. I'm sure he wouldn't mind that I'm a little early. Tikki, spots on!" Ladybug quickly made her way to the tower.

Cat Noir was waiting for her there. "Hey, M- I mean Ladybug."

"Hi, Cat. I got your message. Why did you want to meet me?" Ladybug asked.

"So we could talk about… you know."

"Oh." She sat down next to him. "It's just so hard to wrap my mind around it. Just when life seems almost perfect, something comes to mess it all up again. In this case, it was knowing who you are."

"I know. First you were the girl I loved and the girl whose friendship mattered most to me, then you were my closest friend and my girlfriend, and now, it's a weird mix of both."

"How about being a couple both ways? We could just do what we usually do and hide our identities, and no one's the wiser." Ladybug suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. You're awesome, Bugaboo." He smiled at her.

For once, she didn't object to the name. She just rested her head on his shoulder and they looked out on Paris' glimmering lights.

Chapter 5

Lillian Montgomery

Athena watched Ladybug and Cat Noir from a distance. She smiled. They just seemed so… whole. She accessed the camera on her rope feather and snapped a picture of the two, then ran off, neither hero noticing her.

That night, she landed on her roof. "Nest time." She whispered, so she wouldn't wake her mother. She slipped into her room. Lillian pulled out her phone, where the picture had been transferred to.

"I might just send this to Alya." She mused, a slight gleam in her eyes. She quickly texted her friend the picture.

"Good night, Unna." She murmured before drifting off to sleep.

"Good night, Lillian." Her kwami said sleepily.

That morning, Lillian entered Collège Françoise Dupont. The whole school was abuzz about Ladybug and Cat Noir. Alya ran up to her.

"How did you get that picture? The Ladyblog has exploded thanks to you!"

"I have friends in high places." She replied.

"Come on! I have to know more!" Alya pleaded.

"My lips are sealed." She said, but smiled slightly. Lillian walked off.

Lillian slipped into the art classroom and put a note she had prepared that morning on Nathaniel's seat. She raced out the door to Ms. Bustier's class. "Hopefully I'll see you soon, Nathaniel." She murmured before entering the classroom.

Chapter 6

Nathaniel Kurtzberg

"Lillian? Is something wrong?" Nathaniel asked his seatmate. She was acting very strange.

"No, no. Everything's fine!" She stammered.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't press it.

Later in the day, he entered the art classroom. He found a letter on his seat. He opened it and read what was written.

Dear Nathaniel,

I've pushed my feelings down for fear I'll ruin our friendship, but now I need to tell you something. If you meet me on the roof of the school tonight, you'll find what it is.

See you there,

MHL

"Who could MHL be?" He wondered aloud.

"No clue, but you should check it out." Marc told him. "Someone must really want to tell you something."

"You have a point. I guess I'll meet him or her tonight."

True to his word, Nathaniel made his way to the roof that evening.

"Hello?" He called. "MHL?" He looked around.

"Hello, Nathaniel." A shadowy figure stepped into his view. She had a light pink skirt with darker pink feather designs that went down her knees, with an ankle-length train of the same pattern. Her top was teal and heart shaped. She wore a simple white sweater with some pink flower designs. The girl fully stepped into the fading sunlight.

Nathaniel gasped softly. "Lillian? You're MHL?"

She smiled. "MHL, Montgomery Hope Lillian. My initials backward."

"Why did you want to meet me? Where did you get that dress?"

"To answer your second question, Marinette made it. As for the first one…" She reached into her purse and pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper. "Marc gave this to me." Lillian handed it to him.

His heart skipped a beat. It was the same drawing he had dropped just before Marc had been akumatized.

"Is it true?" Lillian asked. "Do you… love me?"

Nathaniel felt like a deer struck by headlights. "I-I um. Err, uhhh… No! LM st-stands for um, Lee Marvins, my neighbor!" He was making the whole thing up, of course.

"I- oh." Her eyes lost their gleam and her shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." She turned and left.

Chapter 7

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian couldn't bear to look at Nathaniel. Her hopes had been crushed.

"Lillian, I-I'm sorry." Nathaniel tried to talk to her.

She looked away. "It's fine…" She got up and took the hall pass. Lillian headed out the door and to the restroom.

In a stall, she began to sob, clutching Nathaniel's drawing. "I dared to hope, and now our friendship may never be repaired." The drawing got smudged by her tears.

"Lillian?" Marinette's voice echoed through. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." She said shakily.

"Okay…"

Lillian didn't notice the akuma heading for her until it was right in front of her. She let out an ear piercing scream as it entered the paper.

"Heartthrob, I am Hawk Moth." The villain spoke to her through her mind. "Your hopes of love have been crushed. I will give you the power to erase and replace love for any one you choose. In return, all I ask for are Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses. Do we have a deal?"

Lillian reached for her necklace, but not her miraculous. She pulled out the locket Adrien gave her for Christmas and looked at the two pictures inside. Her father and her friends.

"No!" She shouted. "I am Lillian! Lillian Hope Montgomery! I am not Heartthrob! You can't control me Hawk Moth!" She rebelled against the villain's power. "I am Ath- Kitsune!"

Hawk Moth fell silent and the akuma flew out of the drawing.

Lillian collapsed. She was vaguely aware of someone rushing in, and a pink light before blacking out.

Chapter 8

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

"Lillian? Are you okay?" Ladybug tried to awaken her friend. The akuma was long gone, but Lillian was still out cold.

"Spots off." She detransformed. If there was no akuma to catch, being Ladybug was pointless. Marinette managed to get Lillian upright and put one of her arms around her shoulders, so she was supporting her. She couldn't help be a bit in awe of Lillian. She'd never witnessed someone successfully resist an akuma before, though Ms. Bustier had come close.

"Oh, Cat Noir, Adrien, whatever, if there was ever a time I needed you, it's now…" She murmured as she got out of the restroom.

As if summoned, she heard his voice. "Marinette? What's going on? Ms. Bustier sent me to check up on you two."

She looked up to see Adrien on the floor above. "She fought off an akuma." She explained.

"She what?!" Adrien rushed down. "No one's ever done that before, right?"

"Ms. Bustier came close, but otherwise, it hasn't happened to my knowledge."

"Did you capture it?"

"It was gone when I got in there. Now, can you help me with Lillian?"

"Sure thing." He grabbed Lillian's arm and together they walked off, supporting their friend.

They were almost to Ms. Bustier's door when Lillian began to moan. "Marinette? Adrien? Wh-what's going on?"

"You fought off an akuma. That's no easy feat." She told her friend.

"And what's Adrien doing here?"

"When you didn't return soon, Ms. Bustier sent me to check up on you two." Adrien explained.

Lillian attempted to stand. At first she was wobbly, but she quickly regained balance. She gave them a grateful look and entered the classroom.

Chapter 9

Chloé Bourgeois

Chloé clenched her fists in anger as she watched Lillian be surrounded by admiring classmates. She had become instantly popular once she had told them what had happened.

"Fighting off an akuma? Puh-lease. That's not so special! I've done it before." She cried out.

The class stared at her doubtfully.

"Sure, you did, Chloé, and I'm Ladybug." Alix said, the sarcasm so thick you could almost see it.

The class burst into laughter. Even Sabrina couldn't hold it in.

Chloé stormed off, furious.

In her room, her anger only increased as she surfed the web. All everyone was talking about was either Lillian's picture of Ladybug and Cat Noir or Lillian's feat of fighting off the akuma. The little nobody from nowhere had somehow achieved city-wide fame… or something like that. The picture of the two heroes only infuriated her more.

Chloé banged her fist on her desk. She didn't notice the black butterfly until it had entered her necklace.

"Ahh, Miss Chloé Bourgeois. How nice to see you again." She heard the villain speak in her mind.

Chloé grinned. "Hawk Moth, it's good to see you too. I assume you want to give me powers?" She asked nonchalantly.

Hawk Moth chuckled. "Bright as ever, Miss Bourgeois. Like the Roman goddess Minerva, you have excellent tactics. Now it's time to put them to use. I shall give you the power to perfectly impersonate any hero or villain of your choosing. You can infiltrate the heroes and take them down from the inside. All I ask for in return are Ladybug and Cat Noir's miraculouses. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, Hawk Moth."

Chapter 10

Lillian Montgomery

Lillian sighed as she sat on her roof. The day had been tiring, and not just because of the akuma. Chloé had gotten extremely jealous about her feat, and nearly everyone else had crowded around her for the rest of the day. The only people who kept their space were Marinette and Adrien, obviously, and Nathaniel.

She pulled out the drawing. "I have no one to blame but me…" She murmured. A tear slid down her cheek and splotched the paper.

Unna flew up next to her. "Would it make you feel better if I called him a poopy head?" She asked innocently.

Lillian managed a weak smile. "I thought Storm was the poopy head."

"Yeah, well, that poopy head isn't here right now, so he can be the poopy head!"

She laughed out loud, but quickly slipped back into her gloom. "Thanks, Unna, but it doesn't change that Nathaniel loves someone else."

She heard the familiar sheik of Cat Noir's staff.

"I knew cats were nocturnal, but I didn't know owls were." He said from behind her.

"Ha ha ha." She said flatly. "Not as good as mine."

"I just wanted to check up on you. I mean, fighting off an akuma is no easy feat, not to mention the extra baggage of being a hero." He sat down next to her.

"Truth be told, I don't think I could've managed it if I didn't have this." Lillian pulled out her locket and opened it, revealing the two pictures that resided inside.

"Is that your dad?" He asked, pointing at the first picture. "You look like him."

She looked fondly at it. Her father was grinning as he held a baby Lillian, while Cristine Montgomery, her mother, was laughing as she draped her arm on her husband's shoulder. "Yeah," She finally said. "That's him."

"There's something else bothering you." Cat Noir said. "What is it?"

"You seem to know everything. You tell me."

"Someone once told me that it always helps to talk."

She gave him a dirty look. "Now you're just teasing." She sighed and showed him the drawing.

"Brushstroke? Why do you have a drawing of her?"

"I've had a crush on Nathaniel for what seems like forever, and Marc gave this to me about 4 days ago. He said it meant he had a crush on me too…" She found herself spilling everything to Cat Noir.

He listened patiently to her. When she had finished, he opened his mouth to say something, but a new, yet strangely familiar voice interrupted him.

"Well, well, well. Has the tomcat found himself a new molly?"

They looked up to see a girl leaning against a wall on the roof of a nearby building. She had a skintight suit that was white on the top half, and light blue on the bottom. The colors were divided by a curved v shape that laid slightly above her waist. On her shoulders, she had silver-blue feather designs that looked like wings. A blue rope threaded with black was wrapped around her waist. There was a mask that followed the same color scheme as the rest of the suit. She had short brown hair with white tips, and bright blue eyes. Underneath the rope were five fabric tail feathers.

With a start, Lillian realized the girl was a perfect duplicate of her. Well, Athena.

"I'll stall her, you transform and find Ladybug." Cat Noir whispered to her.

It was obvious that they were thinking the same thing. The girl, whoever she was, was either akumatized, the product of an akumatized villain, or a sentimonster, none of which could be resolved without the spotted heroine.

Chapter 11

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug made her way across the city on patrol. The moon shone bright and full, which made her think of the time she and Adrien had danced in New York. During nights like this, her mind was clear. No worries about how to juggle her civilian and superhero lives, no fretting if someone other than Adrien discovered her identity. Nothing.

Of course, like all seemingly perfect moments, it had to be ruined.

"Look out!" A girl's voice shattered the tranquil.

Ladybug looked up to see Athena spiraling towards her, but light blue bird wings held her slightly aloft.

"Whirlwind!" Athena used her power to cushion her plummet, but she still wound up face planting next to the spotted hero.

Ladybug rushed to help her friend up. "Athena! Is something wrong?"

"Akuma. Cat Noir. Montgomery." She panted out, trying to catch her breath.

"Akuma?" She echoed, alarmed. "You mean there's an akumatized villain?"

Athena nodded. "I think so. Looks just like me." Her breaths were becoming steadier.

"Okay. Where is it? Do you know who? And since when did you have wings?" The last question was definitely not necessary, but she'd just blurted it out.

"Montgomery place. Nope. Discovered them a few weeks ago. Still not used to them."

"Got it." She readied her yoyo, but paused. "Do you need to recharge?"

"Nah. Got four minutes to use whirlwind, and then five minutes until I detransform."

"Good. Let's find Cat Noir and your doppelganger."

Chapter 12

Adrien Agreste

Adrien groaned as he pushed himself up. The moment that he had shown suspicion of the fake Athena, she had judo flipped him into the alley. He looked at his hands, which no longer sported the clawed gloves of Cat Noir. Furthermore, there was no silver ring or a tiny cat whining for cheese.

"No, no, no, no!" He scrambled around, searching for the ring.

"Cat Noir?"

He swiveled his head up to see who had spoken. It was Ladybug. His face immediately lit up, but it quickly fell when he saw she wasn't looking at him.

"Where's the villain?" Ladybug asked.

He heard his own voice respond, "I don't know. She overpawered me."

Adrien cringed as he heard that clawful pun.

"She was wearing this ring though. I don't know why, but it's purrplexingly like mine,"

This time, both Ladybug and Athena groaned, but Adrien froze. The fake Athena/Cat Noir had his ring.

"Did you see where she went?" Athena asked.

He wanted to yell out that the villain was right in front of them, but he couldn't risk drawing attention to himself.

He couldn't go back to the mansion. He was sure of that. Even if he was let in at this hour, no doubt he'd have to explain where he was.

The obvious answer came to him. The Dupain-Cheng Bakery. Sabine and Tom treated him like their own son. They'd surely let him stay until things were settled.

Ladybug and Athena were still talking to the fake him, so the coast was clear.

He quickly made his way to the bakery he visited so often.

Adrien knocked on the locked door, praying that Marinette's parents would be able to hear him.

He heard footsteps, and soon, Sabine Cheng unlocked the door.

"Adrien? What on earth are you doing here?" She exclaimed.

"Akuma."

That one word caused him to be pulled inside the bakery. There, Tom and Sabine fussed over him.

"Please let me get Plagg back…" He murmured once he was alone. "Please."

Chapter 13

Lillian Montgomery

Something was off about Cat Noir, but Athena couldn't place it. Ladybug seemed to notice whatever it was too, as there was a slight frown on her face, but she tried to pass it off as thinking.

Athena began to think. If the villain could look like her, who's to say they couldn't look like Cat Noir?

"Say, Cat Noir, could I take a look at that ring?" She asked innocently.

"No."

"But we're friends, aren't we?"

"Just give her the ring, Cat. What could she do with it?" Ladybug said.

Cat Noir grumbled, but handed the identical ring over.

Athena examined the ring closely, comparing it to the one on Cat Noir before her. She couldn't find a single difference. But there was one last thing to do to make sure her theory was correct.

She slipped on the ring.

Instantly, it became gold with a circular teal stone in the center. A green ball of light shot out, and faded to reveal the black cat kwami.

"Impostor!" Ladybug shouted. "What have you done with the real Cat Noir?"

"Oh, I just deprived him of his miraculous, just like I'm going to do with you!" The fake Cat Noir morphed into a girl with long brown hair and a fox ensemble.

"Lila!"

Volpina lunged forward, aiming at Ladybug, but Athena leapt at her. The two tangled, but Volpina soon overpowered her and snagged her necklace.

Lillian was tossed into the alley. She groaned as she picked herself up, watching the last of her suit disappear.

She heard a strangled gasp from behind her. Lillian whirled around to see Nathaniel, staring at her, wide eyed and pale as a ghost.

"L-Lillian?" He stammered.

"Nathaniel, this isn't what it looks like. I was, uh…"

"Fighting an akumatized villain with Ladybug and Cat Noir?" He supplied. "You're not a good liar, Lillian."

She groaned. "Please don't tell anyone about this."

"I can keep a secret." He told her.

"Cheese?" Plagg whined.

"What was that!?"

Lillian face palmed. "Plagg, you should know that I don't carry cheese. I'm not Cat Noir, so normally it's not my responsibility to feed you."

"W-who's Plagg?"

"Me." Plagg flew out from behind Lillian. "Kwami of Destruction, nice to meet you. Do you have cheese?"

"Plagg!" She scolded. "I'm not sure what Cat Noir tells you, but you can't just go up to someone and ask for cheese." She blinked, finally taking in the full situation. "Nathaniel, I'm going to need you to keep another secret for me."

"Oh no."

"Plagg, claws out!"

Chapter 14

Nathaniel Kurtzberg

I'm in love with a superhero. The girl I love is a literal superhero. Why does that somehow make sense? Nathaniel's mind reeled as he stared at the girl in front of him. I go to try to clear things up with Lillian and I discover the identity of one of Paris' superheroes.

"Nathaniel?" Lillian asked. "I know this is a lot to take in, and I don't blame you. I know what it's like to have your world turned upside down, but I've always gotten through it. And if I can do that, so can you."

Her normally blue-green eyes were now green like a cat's. Her brown hair was longer and  braided with a single green streak going through it. She donned black fabric cat ears edged with green. She had smooth black clawed gloves trimmed in green. Two crisscrossing lines of green wrapped around her waist, to the back of which a silver staff and a black fabric cat tail were attached. Her black boots reached her knees, and had green wedges that gave her extra height.

He blushed. "Th-thanks, Lillian, o-or Athena, or, uh-"

"Lillian is fine for now." She turned around.

"Wait!" He grabbed her arm. "Be careful. Please."

She smiled. "I'll do my best, but you know about my history of face planting." She said with a twinkle in her eyes. "But only if you promise to stay safe as well."

"I-I will.''

"Thank you, Nathaniel." And, before he saw it coming, Lillian kissed him on the cheek. "And it's okay that you love someone else. We can always be just friends."

With that, Lillian used her staff to vault up and out of sight.

Nathaniel stared at the space she had been. "But I don't want to be just friends." He whispered softly.

Chapter 15

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Ladybug was pinned down by Volpina. She couldn't shake her grip.

"Once I have your miraculous, I will be unstoppable!" She proclaimed with triumph, cackling evilly.

"But you forgot the Black Cat!" A girl shouted.

A figure in black smashed into Volpina, knocking the villain off of Ladybug.

"Cat Noir?"

"Nope. I'm way sassier and funnier, but I have the green eyes and the cat attire." The girl in black said, standing up. "You can call me Katrina, because I'm a force to be reckoned with."

"Athena?" She asked incredulously, because there was no one else who would challenge Cat Noir's sass and puns. "But how?"

"Chloé might've gotten my necklace, but she forgot that I still had Cat Noir's ring." She said.

"Wait, Chloé?"

"Why don't you take a look at 'Volpina' over there?"

Ladybug looked to where the villain was knocked to, and just like Katrina had said, Chloé was lying where Volpina should have been.

"How did you manage to land a hit? She managed to overpower all three of us before. What makes this time different?"

"My guess is that her power is to impersonate any hero or villain, so the fact that I'm using a different miraculous means she can't know how I'll act to different people because she doesn't know who I am."

"You know, you joke around so much that I sometimes forget how smart you are."

"Wing it, whirlwind, and nest time. Unna eats candy." Katrina tossed the Owl Miraculous to her.

"Wha- but shouldn't I purify the akuma?"

"You mean the one that's gone?"

"Oh." She said, seeing that Chloé was indeed gone. "Alright. Just don't look." Ladybug ducked out of sight. "Spots off."

"What's going on?" The ladybug kwami asked after being fed a macaroon.

"It's a long story, Tikki, but I'm going to need you to get these to Cat Noir." Marinette took off her earrings. "Athena, or Katrina, has a plan."

The kwami nodded in understanding. "I'll do my best to find him." With that, Tikki flew off.

Marinette put on the necklace she held. "Hello, there, Unna. I'm going to need your miraculous' abilities. And yes, Athena okay-ed this."

"Do you at least have candy?"

"Unna!" Katrina scolded from afar.

Marinette laughed. "No, but I do have cookies. Unna, wing it!"

Chapter 16

Adrien Agreste/Nathaniel Kurtzberg

Adrien stood on Marinette's balcony, trying to see if he could spot Ladybug or Athena, or maybe, if by some miracle, Plagg. He didn't like feeling so helpless. He'd felt enough of that in the mansion before Plagg came along.

"Adrien? Are you sure you're okay?" Sabine asked, having climbed through the trapdoor.

"Yeah. I'm just worried. That's all."

Sabine smiled. "You have a good heart, Adrien."

"Thanks, Sabine." He smiled weakly as Marinette's mother descended down. Why can't Father be more like that? He thought. Just someone who is supportive and kind. Is that too much to ask?

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice the little red kwami until she hissed his name.

"Adrien!"

He looked over to see none other than Tikki, who was holding the earrings.

"Tikki? Why do you have the earrings? Is Marinette alright? Is Plagg okay? What about Athena?"

"Everyone is fine." Tikki assured him. "But in order to defeat this villain, there needs to be a change of the miraculous. Athena recovered Plagg, and Ladybug is using Unna. They need you to become Mister Bug."

"Alright. Where are they?" He asked, taking the miraculous.

"Waiting for you at the Eiffel Tower."

"Got it. Tikki, spots on!"

Nathaniel sat at his desk in his room, his cheek still warm from Lillian's kiss.

"I can't just let her fight alone." He said aloud. "She doesn't have the experience with the Cat Miraculous." Nathaniel sighed heavily. "Why can't I be a superhero?"

He stared at his sketchbook, looking at all the different heroes he had drawn. And not just the ones that Paris knew.

Many of his pages were filled with designs for Brushstroke. Nathaniel sighed again. "If I were Mightillustrator, I could just draw whatever I needed to save the day."

A thought occurred to him. "But I might be able to find someone who could!"

He hopped onto his computer and did a quick search of the residents of Montgomery, Alabama in the past year. He then cross-checked those names with the residents of Paris in the past year. Only six names popped up, but only two of them were important to his search: Flora Mayfield and Carol Mayfield.

Another quick search told him that only Flora was about his age.

Nathaniel printed out the address and went out the door. He was off to find Tropic Storm.

Chapter 17

Flora Mayfield

"Flora?" Her father called up. "A boy is here to see you."

"Ooooooh! Flora has a boyfriend! Flora has a boyfriend! Flora and that boy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes the love, then comes the marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage! But that's not all, but that's all-"

"Carson, shut up." She grumbled as she made her way to the door.

She opened it to see a boy about her age with red hair that covered one of his eyes.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Nathaniel Kurtzberg, and I'm looking for Tropic Storm."

Flora felt the blood drain from her face. Could this boy actually know she was Tropic Storm?

She decided to play dumb. "I don't know who that is."

"And the girl I love isn't Athena."

"Lillian doesn't have a boyfriend." She said. "Oh poop."

"She needs help."

"I've retired. I can't be in Montgomery, and I'm not needed here."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is just having to sit by while someone you love risks their life? Because that's what I'm going through. This villain managed to take her miraculous."

Flora subconsciously reached for her comb. She could tell that the boy had pure intentions, but could she really trust him? But then again, Lillian needed her, and she couldn't just abandon her friend.

She sighed and took the comb from her hair. "The Flamingo Miraculous is very powerful, make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I will only give this to you one time, and you have to promise to return it to me."

Nathaniel's eyes widened. "You're- you're giving it to me?"

"Only to help Lillian. Promise that you'll help her."

"I promise I will."

"Thank you." Flora recalled the words the guardian of Sunny's Miracle Box had taught her if she ever were to give a miraculous to another. "Nathaniel Kurtzberg, here is the Miraculous of the Flamingo which grants the power of Creativity. You will use it for the greater good. Once the mission is over, you'll return the miraculous to me. Can I trust you?"

"I will do everything I can to help Lillian and the others."

She handed him the comb. "Now go. Help her."

Chapter 18

Lillian Montgomery

Katrina vaulted over Chloé, who was masked as Riposte, narrowly dodging a slash from her sword.

"You hoo! Over here!" Ladybug yelled, waving her arms. "Bet you can't catch me!"

Chloé growled and lunged at the heroine, but Ladybug was too quick.

"Hey, wanna-bee! Try me instead!" She shouted. Their plan was basically to keep Chloé occupied until Mister Bug showed up.

She blew a large raspberry at the villain, being at her utmost peak of being annoying and irritating, which was pretty high.

She wasn't sure how long they would be able to keep it up, though, as Chloé was getting wise to them.

"Now, how did that vixen put it? Oh yes," She laughed sadistically and shifted to a form that she knew all too well. "I am Minerva. I have power over everything and everyone."

Katrina froze. She knew exactly what Minerva was referencing. "No." She whispered. "No, no, no."

"Katrina?" Ladybug had rushed to her side. "Katrina, what is it?"

She didn't answer. She had never let on how much Hecate had impacted her. She still had nightmares about the villain, even though she had been defeated nearly six months ago.

"Katrina, I don't know what's wrong, but if you don't move soon, Minerva will get your miraculous!"

"Too late!"

She stood frozen as Minerva lunged for her ring.

"You know, I thought you were traumatizing enough even when you weren't akumatized, but Athena certainly thinks otherwise." A voice called as a quill whizzed by, stopping the villain.

Katrina was shaken out of her stupor. "St-Storm?" She stammered. She would recognize that quill anywhere.

"Tropic Storm is retired. I'm a one-time holder. Call me Mightillustrator."

Chapter 19

Nathaniel Kurtzberg

Mightillustrator had to fight a smile as Katrina stormed over to him. Her furious face just didn't look all that scary with the cat costume.

"You promised you would stay safe!" She yelled.

"Civilian me promised. Mightillustrator didn't." He replied. "And I couldn't just stand by."

"I can handle this. You've never wielded a miraculous before. I can't let you get hurt, Nath- Mightillustrator." She said in a much softer tone.

"And neither can I."

Katrina's face suddenly flushed bright red. "I- uh-" She tripped over her words.

He laughed. "You're starting to sound like Marinette."

"Y-yeah. I guess I am." She laughed self consciously.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, creating a highly awkward silence. Subconsciously, though, they were slowly drawing closer.

The pair locked eyes, cat green upon aquamarine. An unsaid message passed between them.

Is this really happening? His thoughts raced. Am I really going to-? His thoughts were interrupted by a snobbish voice.

"Just kiss already!" Minerva called.

Katrina simply shrugged, and, just like before, she kissed him. But this time it wasn't on the cheek.

Mightillustrator and Katrina locked hands, and for that moment, nothing in the world mattered other than the fact that they were together at last.

"Does this mean we're dating now?" She asked as they pulled back.

He grinned. "It absolutely does." And with that, he kissed the girl he had fallen in love with once again.

Chapter 20

Gabriel Agreste

Hawk Moth scowled as the purified akuma fluttered back to his liar. When Minerva had been distracted by the two heroes kissing, the obnoxious Mister Bug had managed to break the necklace that the akuma had infected.

"One day. One day very soon, I will get your miraculouses, Ladybug and Cat Noir." He vowed. "No matter how many heroes join you, the villains will always outnumber and overpower you."

"Sir?" Nathalie asked, approaching him. "Perhaps you should stop. People are becoming more resilient to your akumas. Today was the second time you tried to akumatize that Lillian girl, and also the second time someone managed to resist your akuma. You might just have to accept that Emilie is gone."

He sighed. "Nooroo, dark wings fall." Gabriel turned to Nathalie. "But with every new akuma, I learn something new about those heroes. Things that I can use against them. Like with Hecate. The only reason they won was because of Athena. And now with Minerva, I now know that one of her deepest fears is Hecate."

"Sir? What are you getting at?"

"I won't rest until I have her back, Nathalie. I will do whatever it takes to be with her again."

"Sir?" Nathalie asked again.

"It might be time to call on Miss Rossi's talents again."

"Are you sure?"

"For Emilie, anything."

He didn't notice Nooroo and Duusu exchange worried looks.

End of Book Three

Chapter 1

Marinette Agreste

"And to thank our guardians for 25 years of protecting our city, I, Chloé Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris, dedicate the Miraculous Gardens to Ladybug, Cat Noir, and all of our other heroes!"

Ladybug smiled as she stood side by side with her friends. Along with Cat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Athena, Viperion, Ryuko, Pegasus, Bunnix, and King Monkey stood with her.

"Thank you, Chloé. I know Queen Bee wanted to be here tonight, but I'm afraid being in two places at once is quite difficult." She said.

Her joke sent ripples of laughter among the crowd.

"And I'd like to thank so many people for our success, and for helping us in akuma attacks." She continued.

Cat Noir then took over.

Later that night she and Cat Noir landed on the Agreste mansion. "Spots off."

"Claws in."

The couple went inside.

"Do you think it's time?" Marinette asked her husband. "I mean, being Ladybug has been wonderful, but I'm also the guardian. The box will be safer if a new Ladybug arises."

"Do what you think is best. You've never steered us wrong." Adrien told her. "Whatever you do, I promise I'll be there to support you."

She smiled. "I'll look for candidates tomorrow." She told him.

True to her word, after her daughters, Kathrine and Emily, left the house, Marinette transformed into Ladybug and began to search Paris for someone worthy.

It wasn't until late in the afternoon that she found the right people.

The first one was walking with some other girls. They passed an elderly woman, who was being pushed around by the crowd. The group walked past her, but one girl ran back and helped the woman.

The second was alone, unlike the girl. He had a giant cookie, of which he was about to take a bite out of, when he saw a young child staring hungrily at it. Without a moment's hesitation, the boy gave his cookie to the child.

Ladybug smiled. She had just found Paris' next heroes.

Chapter 2

Cayden Couffaine

Cayden entered Collège Françoise Dupont. His older sister Calypso had already entered, and Freedom was tagging along with her big sister as usual, leaving Cayden alone on his first day of school. His mother had been homeschooling him up until now.

He looked at his schedule. "I have Mrs. Bruel… Who is that?"

After a bit, he finally found the classroom.

The only person he recognized was his cousin Violet, but she was sitting in the back with a blonde and blue eyed girl. Cayden looked around and found an open seat next to a boy with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He was listening to some music.

Cayden sighed and sat down next to the boy. The boy took out his earbuds.

"Uh, hi. I'm Aiden Lahiffe-Césaire." He said, somewhat awkwardly.

"I'm Cayden Couffaine." Cayden mumbled back.

Aiden's jaw dropped. "Couffaine as in Juleka and Luka Couffaine, two of the members of Kitty Section?"

"Uh, yeah, he's my dad and she's my aunt."

"That is so cool!" Before Aiden could talk further, a young woman entered the room.

"Good morning class! I am Mrs. Bruel, and I am your teacher. Now, I will call roll. Emily Agreste?"

"Here, and I go by Emmy." The girl Violet was sitting next to said.

"Kathrine Agreste?"

"Here!" The girl in front of Aiden called. "And I go by Kat."

"Amaya Bourgeois?"

"I'm here." A brown haired girl murmured.

"I already know Percy is here, so Cayden Couffaine?"

"Uh, here." Cayden mumbled.

"Gabrielle Graham de Vanily?"

"Call me Gabby!" A girl with blonde hair and green eyes piped up.

"Mark Kanté?"

"I am present." A boy said, somewhat robotically.

"Kayla Kubdel?"

"Yo." A girl with wild green hair said.

"Leo Lê?"

"Present."

"Annabeth Kurtzberg?"

"That's me." An auburn-haired girl who sat in front of him said.

"Adien Lahiffe-Césaire?"

"Right here!" Adien called.

"And finally, Violet Lavillant?"

"Present!" His cousin called.

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Bruel clapped her hands. "Now, let's get to know each other. Please pick one person you don't already know and spend five minutes talking to each other!"

Before the students could get up, Amaya suddenly began to wail. "Leo! Why?"

"Amaya, please calm down." Mrs. Bruel said, but Amaya had run out the door.

Chapter 3

Annabeth Kurtzberg

Annabeth doodled in her notebook, halfheartedly listening to Mrs. Bruel. She was thinking about her parents. They, along with her Uncle Marc, had gone to the USA for some comic book convention or something. Marc wasn't really her uncle, but he was so close to her parents that she just called him that.

She was going to stay with the Agrestes, her mother had told her. It was fine by Annabeth. She loved to hang out with Kat and Emmy. But her mother had been acting weird. She'd even given a package to her to deliver to Marinette.

Kat nudged her. "Psst, pay attention."

Suddenly, Leo shrieked out in alarm. Pencils were being thrown at him from around the room.

Fiendish laughter filled the room.

"Class, please evacuate the school and go home. This is clearly an akuma attack. I'm sure Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Athena will take care of it." Mrs. Bruel said, somewhat fearfully.

"C'mon, Annabeth!" Kat pulled her along.

She, along with Kat and Emmy soon arrived at the Agreste mansion, where Marinette quickly ushered them inside. Annabeth was so hurried, she didn't notice a small box being slipped into her bag. Also in her haste, she didn't realize that she'd dropped the package for Marinette, or that the ever curious Emmy came across it.

In Kat and Emmy's room, Annabeth turned on their TV.

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news! I'm Alya Césaire. Have our heroes abandoned us? Earlier this afternoon, Amaya Bourgeois was akumatized into the villain Chaotica, but there is no sign of Ladybug, Cat Noir, or Athena!"

Annabeth gasped, knocking over her bag. Among the contents was an octagonal box she had never seen before.

"What is this?" She opened the box and a bright, pink light flew out. She dropped the box.

"Hello, Annabeth! I'm Tikki, and Ladybug has chosen you to be her successor!"

"Say what now?"

Chapter 4

Cayden Couffaine

Cayden stared at the little cat creature in front of him.

"Let me get this straight, Ladybug wants me and some other person I don't know to be the next Cat Noir and Ladybug?" He asked.

The cat nodded. "Now, you gonna transform or what? If you don't, you better give me some cheese."

He sighed. "It's not like my day can get any weirder. What do I do?"

"Just say, 'Plagg, claws out'." Plagg said.

"Got it." He stood up. "Plagg, claws out!"

"Woahhhhhhh!" Cayden hurtled through the sky. "How does Cat Noir do this!?" He cried as he clung to his stick.

"Look out!" A new voice shouted.

He saw a figure in red and black hurtling towards him. The two of them collided and his staff went haywire.

The girl's yoyo wrapped around them and they hung suspended in the air.

"Hello, there. Nice of you to drop in." He joked.

"Weren't those the first words Cat Noir said to Ladybug?" The girl asked him.

"Yep, but don't worry, I won't be falling madly in love with you."

She giggled. "We'll see about that."

They got untangled and upright. Cayden got his first good look at the girl. She had auburn hair in a single braid down her back, tied off with a black ribbon with a red stone in the center. Her bluish green eyes sparkled playfully inside of her mask, which was just like Ladybug's. Her shoulders resembled the inverse of a ladybug's wings, and she had black boots with short red heels. She had a short black train in the shape of a ladybug wing, and around her waist was the iconic yoyo.

"So, who are you?" He asked her.

"Call me… Ruby Lady. And you?"

"You can call me Felynx." He told her.

Chapter 5

Emily Agreste

Emmy stared at the package in her hand. It had an octagonal shape, but it was wrapped in paper. There was a note on the top.

M-

CN told me a long time ago, and I've kept your secret for you, but now, I am ready to stop being a hero. It's been an honor working with you two, and please make sure this goes to someone just as deserving. N and A do not know yet, but I plan to tell them soon.

I'll see you around,

KMHL

"Who are M, CN, N, A, and KMHL?" Emmy wondered aloud. She felt like Pandora in the ancient Greek myths, her curiosity growing by the second.

"I suppose I could just see what's inside and re-wrap it for Annabeth." She mused.

Carefully, she removed the wrapping, revealing an octagonal box with a red insignia on the lid. As she pried it open, a silvery blue ball of light flew out.

"Finally! I knew you were just joking when you renounced me, Lillian!" A small voice said as the light faded to reveal a small, blue creature.

"Lillian? As in Lillian Kurtzberg, by best friend's mom?" Emmy asked, quickly recovering her wits.

"You're not Lillian!" The creature screamed.

"I'm Emmy Agreste." By then she had noticed the creature's voice was feminie.

Realization seemed to dawn upon the thing. "B-but she would never pass me on to a stranger, even if she was the daughter of her best friend."

"Wait, so this 'Lillian' is my mom or dad's best friend? But Dad's best friend is Mr. Nino and Mom's is Mrs. Alya."

"I said her best friend, not theirs."

"You still haven't told me what is going on." Emmy pointed out.

"My name is Unna, and I'm a kwami. I'm guessing Lillian somehow got this box to Ladybug, who in turn deemed you worthy and gave me and my miraculous to you."

"How can that be? My best friend Annabeth was carrying this." She held up the box that Unna had flown out of.

Before Unna could respond, Emmy's green-eyed and black-haired twin dashed in. "You won't believe this! There are two new superheroes!" Kat exclaimed. "A new Ladybug and Cat Noir!"

"What!? That's so cool!" Emmy tried to hide her nervousness. A small part of her knew that Unna had to be a secret.

"I know!" Her twin agreed. "Reports say that their names are Ruby Lady and Felynx. I wonder if a new Athena will show up." Kat talked a mile a minute.

"Maybe. Why don't you continue to check the news?" Emmy hurried her sister out. Once she was gone, she turned to the kwami.

"Let me guess. You know you shouldn't have the miraculous, but you need to stop the villain, so you need to transform. Your face looks just like Lillian's when she had gotten over the shock."

She sighed. "You got me. What do I do?" Emmy pulled out the necklace from the box.

Chapter 6

Marinette Agreste

"Emmy? Where are you?" Marinette searched the mansion for her daughter. Kat had come running up to her, saying that Emmy had vanished. She wished she still had Tikki with her, or even Plagg. The cat kwami could almost always make her laugh.

A rustling caught her attention. Marinette found a piece of paper fluttering in the wind. She bent down and picked it up.

"M. CN told me a long time ago, and I've kept your secret for you, but now, I am ready to stop being a hero. It's been an honor working with you two, and please make sure this goes to someone just as deserving. N and A do not know yet, but I plan to tell them soon. I'll see you around, KMHL." She read the note aloud.

M was undoubtedly her, and the KMHL triggered a story Nathaniel had once told her. Lillian had written a note to him and signed it 'MHL' which were her initials backwards. Add a K to MHL and it would become KMHL… Marinette gasped. "Lillian Hope Montgomery Kurtzberg!"

She re-read the note again. N and A were most likely Nathaniel and Annabeth, and CN… That had to be Cat Noir.

Forgetting about Emmy for the time being, Marinette sought out her husband.

She found him playing a song on the piano.

He looked up at her and smiled. "To what do I owe this pleasure, M'lady?"

"Did you ever tell a secret of mine to Lillian?" She showed him the note.

"Uh, well…" He looked like a deer caught in headlights. "It started when we retreated from Hecate. She detransformed in front of me-"

"Wait, what?" She interrupted him. "Are you saying that she's Athena!?"

Adrien looked guilty. "I sorta bent the rules for her. I could tell she had lots of potential, and it didn't seem right to take it away from her. Then we searched for Carapace, who also transformed. Nino managed to figure out my identity-"

"Nino knows!? How has he not spilled the beans to Alya after all these years?"

"It's a miracle, I know. Anyways, Lillian then knew who I was. After I found out you were Ladybug, I told Lillian."

"When she gets back from Alabama, I am going to have a long talk with her." Marinette said.

"So, what are you going to do with the miraculous?" Adrien asked her.

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The note implies that she's given it back, right?"

"Oh no." She gasped as realization dawned on her. "The Owl Miraculous is lost again!"

Chapter 7

Annabeth Kurtzberg

Ruby Lady raced across Paris with her new partner. Felynx had messy black hair and piercing green eyes. His hair was edged with green, which made it stand out from his black mask.

She was getting the hang of using the yoyo, but she wasn't a master yet.

"So, where do you think Chaotica could be?" She asked him.

"Isn't she the mayor's daughter? We could ask her where she'd be."

"Uhhhh…" Ruby Lady remembered something that her mom had told her, that Chloé in her youth had been a complete brat. "It's worth a shot." She said at last. "Let's go!"

They found Chloé Bourgeois pacing in her office. "What do you mean, you can't find my daughter? I demand that you do not rest until she is found!" She hung up on whoever she was yelling at on the phone.

Ruby Lady softly knocked on the ajar doors.

Chloé must've seen the spots on her suit as she called out, "Come on in, Ladybug!"

"Actually, we're Ruby Lady and Felynx." Ruby Lady said as they stepped in.

"Say what now?" The mayor's face showed nothing but perplexion.

"Look, ma'am. Your daughter has been akumatized, and we need to ask you some questions." Felynx said.

"Amaya's been akumatized?" Chloé's voice softened and the harshness had been replaced by concern.

"Yes, and we need to know where she'd be most likely to be." Ruby Lady said.

"Alright." Chloé paused before yelling, "Jaques! Bring me two chairs for my guests!"

A butler hurried in with two padded seats. If he was surprised to see her and Felynx, he didn't show it.

After what felt like an eternity later, the duo exited. "Well, that was a waste of time." Ruby Lady grumbled. "And we're no closer to finding Chaotica."

"Why does it that I feel like I've known you all my life yet we've only known each other for a few hours?" Felynx wondered.

"I suppose it's because Ladybug picked us out because we would have the same chemistry as she and Cat Noir did, or does. Or maybe they both picked us out. Did your kwami mention anything about who chose you?"

"Basically, he told me that I was to be the next Cat Noir whether I liked it or not because it was for the good for Paris and yadda yadda yadda. Then he said I'd have to give him cheese."

She blinked. "That sounds so absurd it has to be true." She giggled.

Felynx smiled weakly. "We still have to figure out where she is and what her powers are." He suddenly froze. "I hear someone."

Ruby Lady looked around and spotted a flash of white. "Do you think it's her?" She whispered.

"Only one way to find out." He grabbed his staff and exended it upwards. After pressing a few buttons, a screen popped up, showing the view from the top of the staff.

"It's like a periscope, but on land!" She exclaimed as they peered at the screen.

It showed nothing at first, but soon the white flash reappeared. It was a girl about their age with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

She stopped and stared right at the camera. The two stopped breathing for a moment. After what seemed like forever, the girl turned and left.

"Who was that? Kinda looked like Athena." Felynx wondered.

"Ruby Lady and Felynx, I presume?" A new voice asked. "The name's Lady Owl. I'm the next Athena."

They looked up to see the blonde and blue-eyed girl staring right at them.

Chapter 8

Kathrine Agreste

Kat paced outside the mansion. There was still no sign of Annabeth or Emmy. A car pulled up and her friend Kayla Kubdel stepped out.

"Thanks, Mom." She said as the car pulled out. "Hey, Kat. I came as soon as I heard." Kayla hugged her.

Kat smiled weakly. "Thanks, K." She hugged her friend back. "I'm honestly more worried about Mom and Dad. Mrs. Lillian is going to be furious when she finds out, and they're already worried sick about Emmy."

"Here." Kayla fished around her bag and pulled out a silver pocket watch. "My mom gave this to me. It's, like, a good luck charm. Maybe it will help bring Emmy and Annabeth back."

Kat smiled, brighter this time.

Another car pulled up, and five kids clambered out. Kat recognized the driver. "Mr. Nino!"

Nino Lahiffe lowered the window. "Hey, dudette. I heard about Emmy and Annabeth, and Alya and I are searching for them. I'm sure they'll turn up soon." With that he raised the window and drove off.

"Oh, Kat! We heard, and Cayden's vanished too!" Calypso Couffaine hugged her tightly.

"Cayden?" She echoed. "The one that just started school?"

Calypso nodded.

All three Lahiffe-Césaires were huddled close while little Freedom clutched Calypso's hand.

"Thank you guys for coming, really." Kat managed to say. She pocketed Kayla's watch.

"We're here to help find Emmy and Annabeth." Mary, the oldest Lahiffe-Césaire, said.

Aiden, the middle one, nodded enthusiastically. "Together we can cover more ground!"

Kat managed a full smile. "Thanks, guys."

Chapter 9

Amaya Bourgeois

Amaya's eyes flew open. Standing over her were three people that looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. One was a black haired boy with intense green eyes in a cat costume. Another was an auburn haired girl in a spotted red and black costume, and the third was a blonde with a bird themed costume.

They almost looked like the heroes, and not because of the outfits. The cat boy had Viperion's greenish eyes and midnight blackish-blue hair like Ryuko. The bird girl's eyes were strikingly like Ladybug's, and the spotted girl looked a bit like Athena.

"Wh-where am I? Who are you guys?"

The spotted girl bent down and put her hand on Amaya's shoulder. "You were akumatized, Amaya. I'm Ruby Lady. This is Felynx and Lady Owl." She pointed to the cat boy and the bird girl.

"You mean like Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Athena?"

"Exactly." The cat boy, Felynx, said.

"I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" She asked hesitantly.

"Well, other than Leo getting a couple bonks on the head, everyone's fine." Lady Owl said.

Amaya laughed, but that made her see another similarity to the heroes. Her sense of humor was incredibly like Cat Noir's.

Lady Owl grinned back at her. "C'mon, let's get you back to your mom." She then mock-whispered, "These two need to make sure they don't reveal their identities on the first day of the job."

That night, Amaya couldn't sleep. The voice that had spoken to her when she was akumatized wasn't from a male, like so many past victims had described, but that of a female, and she had addressed herself as 'Violette Butterfly', rather than 'Hawk Moth'.

It just didn't feel right to her. She needed to talk to someone. Someone who wasn't her mother.

After making sure her mother was sound asleep, Amaya grabbed some warm clothes and opened her bedroom window. She tied an end of a rope she kept for these purposes to a nearby chair. She swiftly made her way down to the ground.

"Gabby! Wake up!" Amaya stood at the Graham de Vanily mansion, constantly throwing small pebbles at her secret girlfriend's window.

At last, Gabrielle Graham de Vanily slid open her balcony door. "Amaya? What are you doing here? Mother will freak if she finds out you were here, especially at this hour."

"I need to talk to you. Like, really need to."

Gabby sighed. "Alright, I'll let down the rope."

"Alright, spill it. What did Leo say to you that made you run off like that?"

"He called me a wimp for being lesbian." She muttered.

"What!? That homophobic…" Gabby struggled for a good word. "Poopy head."

Amaya burst out laughing. "Where in the world did you get something as absurd as that from?"

"Annabeth once told me about a party her parents hosted, and there was this girl from her life in Alabama who was there, and someone constantly yelled 'poopy head' at her."

She snorted. "That's so weird it has to be true."

"Now I know that wasn't the reason you came, but I know it has something to do with your being akumatized." Her girlfriend crossed her arms.

"Yes." She sighed. "But it wasn't like so many others had described. No Hawk Moth. It was a woman, and she called herself Violette Butterfly. She almost sounded like your mom."

It was Gabby's turn to snort. "You know that would be like Mr. Agreste's dad being Hawk Moth. Cold parents who don't care about their children. Too cliché."

"I guess you're right, but I should go know. Mom will go nuts if she finds me missing." She embraced her girlfriend one last time and made her way down to the ground.

It wasn't until she was back in her bed that Amaya realized she had completely forgotten to talk about the new heroes.

Chapter 10

Annabeth Kurtzberg

"Mommy! Daddy!" Annabeth was rereading her favorite book when her parents entered the Agreste living room.

She dropped her book and ran into her parents' outstretched arms.

"Looks like the owl has forgotten it’s day." Adrien remarked, leaning against an entryway. "Marinette needs to talk to you, Lillian."

"What about me and Daddy?" Annabeth asked.

"Just stay here with Kat and Emmy. It won't be long." Adrien ducked out of sight.

"How about you get your things, Buttercup?" Her father asked.

She nodded mutely.

"We'll help her!" Kat and Emmy sprung up.

The three girls headed upstairs to grab Annabeth's stuff.

"What do you think your parents wanted with my mom?" She asked her friends, wishing she had something to fidget with.

"Maybe to talk about you and Emmy disappearing?" Kat suggested.

"The new heroes?" Emmy offered.

They went on like this until they had gotten her things.

Her mother was back in the living room, though she looked troubled.

"Annabeth, can you come here, please?" Annabeth heard her mother call.

She gulped nervously. "What if she asks about where I was last night? I have no excuse!" She fretted to Tikki.

"If she asks, just tell her that you wanted to see the heroes." Tikki told her.

"Okay. Got it." Annabeth went downstairs to their living room. There, her mother sat in a plush chair.

"Annabeth, it's time I told you something that only a few others have ever known." Her mother began.

"Wh-what do you mean, Mommy?" She asked, nervous.

"You know the necklace I always wore?"

"The one with the teal stone?"

"Yes. Well, I've had it since I was your age. I was thirteen, and I had just moved here with Grandma."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

Lillian sighed, reaching around her neck. She unclasped a silver necklace and handed it to her daughter. "Look inside."

Annabeth complied. In the locket there were two pictures, neither of which she had ever seen before. The first showed a family of three, a father, a mother, and a baby, but it was the second one that caught her attention.

It was a group photo of nine of the eleven former heroes of Paris, likely between the ages of 13 and 15. Cat Noir and Ladybug were in the front, giving each other bunny ears. Behind them was Rena Rouge, who was sitting on Carapace's shoulders. On the far right, behind Rena Rouge and Carapace was Pegasus, and opposite him was King Monkey. Between King Monkey and Cat Noir were Ryuko and Viperion, and right in the middle of it all was Athena.

"I was a unique member. Not only was I the youngest, but also the only full time member that never fought Stoneheart."

Realization hit Annabeth. "You mean," She looked up at her mother. "You are, or were, Athena?"

Chapter 11

Cayden Couffaine

Cayden was nearly the last one out of the school. Dark clouds had formed during the day and were pouring down turrets of rain.

"Great," He muttered as he stood in the doorway. "The one day I don't bring an umbrella."

He prepared to step out into the rain when someone spoke behind him.

"You're Cayden, right?"

He whirled around to see the auburn haired girl who sat in front of him. She wore blue jeans and a white t-shirt with a purple flower design, which was partially covered by her army green jacket. Her multicolored sneakers were slightly soaked from the rain, but she stayed mostly dry from a black umbrella.

"Uh, yeah." He finally said.

The girl giggled. "You're not much of a talker, are you?"

Cayden felt his face go red.

"I'm guessing you didn't bring an umbrella?" She asked.

"Would I still be here if I did?"

She smiled. "You have a point there. You can have mine. I don't mind the rain. It makes me think about my friends and family. Each raindrop is someone who loves me, or at least, that's the way I see it."

"That's not a bad thought." He said as he took the handle of her umbrella. A clap of thunder startled him, causing the umbrella to fall on his head.

The girl laughed. "Sorry," She apologized. "But you just look so silly with that on your head."

Cayden's face reddened even further. "I guess so."

She began to walk off.

"W-wait!" He called. "What's your name?"

"I'm Annabeth. Annabeth Kurtzberg."

He smiled as Annabeth walked off.

"Let me guess," Plagg said, poking out of his bag. "'She's just a friend'?"

Chapter 12

Gabrielle Graham de Vanily

"Ugh. This dress is way too tight. Can't I please take it off?" Gabby complained as a seamstress worked on her newest gala dress.

"Nonsense, Mademoiselle. These are the top fashion trends. Your mother ordered the design especially for you, so hold still."

She groaned. Her mother never got something for her, she got things to live through her. This dress was only proof of that.

The dress was sleeveless and its skirt was just below knee length, with a train in the back. It was primarily orange, but the inside of the design was white. The train resembled a fox tail and she had a fabric fox tail wrapped around her waist, plus long black gloves and boots.

It was clearly a remake of Volpina's costume.

After what seemed like an eternity of torture, Gabby was finally allowed out of the dressing room, but her bliss wouldn't last long, because just a few hours later, she was forced to put on the dress again for the once-in-a-lifetime showing of the 'secrets' behind the Gabriel brand.

Gabriel wasn't even in business anymore. After Adrien had inherited the company, he'd shut it down, and helped Marinette start her own company, Marinette Designed, or more commonly referred to as Designed.

The gala was huge, as most of the ones her family went to were. All the 'important' families were present. The Couffaines, Bruels, and Lavillants from Kitty Section were present, as were Chloé and Amaya too, obviously. Also obviously were the Agrestes, and also the Lahiffe-Césaires. Surprisingly, the Kurtzbergs were present too.

Gabby desperately wanted to be with Amaya, but they couldn't risk it in such a crowded place.

Amaya had also undergone the same treatment as Gabby, as her dress was undoubtedly based on Queen Bee.

Looking around, she noticed several other superhero themed outfits. Emmy's dress was red with black spots, like Ladybug, or rather Ruby Lady, Kat's was black with green accents, like Lady Noir, and Annabeth's was a mixture of blues, whites, and feather designs, like Athena or Lady Owl.

The evening went on, and it was clear that none of the kids were enjoying it.

Finally, the 'highlight' of night came around.

"And now, the highlight of our show, generously loaned to us by Félix and Lila Graham de Vanily, here is Gabriel Agreste's book of inspiration!"

Chapter 13

Emily Agreste

"What's up, RL?" Lady Owl plopped down next to her teammate. "You seem down."

Ruby Lady sighed. "I've just got way too many things occupying my mind. First my mom drops the bomb that she was Athena, then Tikki thinks that the Graham de Vanilys have the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses, and now I think I'm getting a crush on Felynx!" Then her face reddened. "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Wait, your mom was Athena?" Lady Owl recalled what Unna had let slip in their first meeting, that her previous owner's name was Lillian. Unna had never confirmed that Lillian's last name was Kurtzberg, but still…

"That's what your mind jumps to? Not that, I don't know, Lila and Félix Graham de Vanily could be the very villains that Ladybug, Cat Noir, and my mom devoted their lives to stopping?"

"Oops, sorry. I'm a bit scatterbrained." She apologized.

No, She thought. Ruby Lady can't be Annabeth. She isn't the kind of person who has outbursts like that.

"It's fine. I think we're all a bit tired. Where even is Felynx?"

"Did someone say my name?" Felynx hopped up beside the girls. "Also, sorry I'm late. Getting out was harder than I thought."

Lady Owl noticed the slight blush growing on Ruby Lady's cheeks.

That night, she and Kat were getting ready for bed.

"Oh, Emmy, I totally forgot to tell you. Kayla gave me this epic watch!" Her twin told her. She fished around her drawers for a minute before coming up with a silver pocket watch.

"What's so cool about it? You have a digital one."

"Just watch." Her sister pressed the top. The watch swung open and the holographic figure of a young woman holding a large watch appeared at its base.

"Woah," Emmy breathed. "I want it!"

"Well, you can't have it!" Kat playfully stuck out her tongue.

Their playful banter continued on for some time, until, unseen by Kat, Unna whispered, "That's a miraculous." into Emmy's ear.

"Wait, you said Kayla gave that to you?" The blonde and blue eyed twin asked.

"Yeah. It was her mom's."

"You do know her mom was Bunnix, right?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with any- Ohhhh."

The twins locked eyes.

"I'm going to be the next Bunnix!" Kat squealed.

Chapter 14

Cayden Couffaine

"You like her, don't you?" Aiden nudged Cayden from his thoughts.

He blushed. "Uhh no?"

His friend chuckled. "There's a joke in my family: Nino knows all, Nino sees all. I'm the only son of my dad, so therefore, I know all and see all."

"Fine. I have a crush on Annabeth." He admitted.

"You should talk to her."

"Aiden, are you crazy? What if she has her eyes set on some guy who is filthy rich or whatever?"

"Uh, dude. Your family has tons of money."

"Not like her! The Kurtzbergs are, like, as rich as the Agrestes."

"Yeah, but neither Lillian or Nathaniel came from a rich family. They don't flaunt their wealth."

"I'm still not doing it."

Aiden sighed. "Suit yourself dude, but I'm telling you, you really should talk to her."

"You know, I'm not sure why all my owners always go fawning over some girl. Cat Noir was obsessed with Ladybug, and now you are head over heels for that Annabeth of yours. Frankly, surprised that you haven't fallen for Ruby Lady by now. It only took Cat Noir a day."

Cayden sighed in annoyance. "Plagg, why are you always so cynical?"

"Because there are only two good things in life: Cheese and Sugarcube."

"Sugarcube?"

"Oh, that's Tikki, the kwami of creation. Ruby Lady's. But then of course there's also Addy, she's always good for a laugh. So, I guess that's three things…"

"Wait, who's Addy?"

"Oh, that's Unna. She eats so much candy, it's like she has ADD, so Addy."

"Is it too late to back out of being Felynx?" Cayden groaned as he plopped onto his bed.

"Nope!" Was Plagg's gleeful response.

Chapter 15

Kathrine Agreste

"Call me Cottontail!" Kat leaped onto her bed with an umbrella and a Bunnix mask, trying to surprise her sister.

Instead of the hoped for reaction, Emmy just burst out in laughter. "That's what your costume is going to be? I could do way better."

"I see no proof of that." She said as she took off the mask. "Show me."

"Alright I will. Unna, wing it!"

"Hate to break it to you, but I see no change."

Emmy scowled. "Where did that kwami go off to now?"

"What's a quamy?"

Her sister didn't answer, but was searching around their bedroom.

Kat plopped onto her bed and waited.

"Unna! How many times have I told you not to sneak off and eat candy?" Her twin at long last exclaimed.

"But candy is so yummy! Lillian would give me all I wanted. And Plagg and Tikki get to eat as much as they want too." A high pitched voice responded.

"Who was that?" Kat asked, scrambling away from the source of the voice.

"Emmy!" The voice scolded. "You know I'm supposed to be a secret!"

"Well, too late." Emmy turned to Kat. "Kat, I'd like you to meet Unna, the kwami of resilience."

A small light blue thing flew out from behind Emmy's back.

Kat screamed. "Bird! Mouse! Bird mouse!"

"Shh!" Emmy hissed. "Mom and Dad will hear! Unna needs to be as secret as possible, or else I won't be able to be Lady Owl."

"Wha- you're-" She stuttered. "Emily Agreste! I am your twin sister, and you didn't tell me you were Lady Owl!?"

"I told you, Emmy."

Chapter 16

Annabeth Kurtzberg

"Alright, class! Today, we will be starting a group project on current events. Here is a list of who you'll be partnered with!" Mrs. Bruel said.

Annabeth scanned the list until she found her name. "Hey, Cayden! We're partners!" She turned around to look at her new friend.

"Oh, uh, great!"

They made plans to meet up in the library after class.

"So what current event should we work on?"  He asked her.

"How about the new heroes?" She said, thinking of Felynx.

"That's not a bad idea. Maybe we could even try to interview one of them?" Cayden suggested.

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "Do you think you could do that?"

"I- uh- I mean, I'll try."

She squealed and threw her arms around him, but she quickly drew back, her face redder than her hair. "Sorry."

"I-it's okay." He stuttered back, his face as flushed as hers.

"You know, Gabby's mom has a book full of superheroes. Maybe I could try to borrow it."

"Good thing it's Lady Owl's night to patrol. I have way too much homework." Annabeth said as she plopped down by her desk.

"I'm surprised you haven't fallen behind already. Ladybug could barely keep things together as it was." Tikki told her.

"You know, I still can't believe that out of all the people in Paris, Ladybug chose me to be her successor. I mean, what made me so special? And Felynx and Lady Owl for that matter."

"Well, given Unna's history, Lady Owl probably wasn't chosen so much as found, but as for you and Felynx, guardians choose wielders by the amount of selflessness you have. Ladybug must've seen you two perform truly selfless acts with no hesitation."

Before Annabeth could respond, she heard a thunk on the roof. "What was that?"

She went out to her balcony and made her way to the top using a series of steps she had perfected over the years.

There, on the flat rooftop, was none other than her partner.

"Felynx?" She asked tentatively.

He turned to face her. "Oh, hello, Annabeth! I was beginning to think I had gotten the wrong house."

"How do you know my name?" She demanded.

"Your friend Cayden reached out to me, saying that you two were doing a project about me, Ruby Lady, and Lady Owl."

"Wow. Well, I-I'll be sure to thank him." She felt her face growing red. "U-um, the interview?"

"O-oh yeah! Where should we start?"

Chapter 17

Lillian Kurtzberg

"Time for your tuck in, Buttercup!" Lillian said as she entered her daughter's room.

Instead of the semi-embarrassed giggle of 'Mommy!' she usually got, Lillian was greeted only with silence.

"Annabeth?" She asked.

Again, there was no answer.

She went over to her daughter's bed and found it empty.

Lillian began to panic. Had Annabeth run off? Had she been kidnapped? Her mind raced through horrible possibilities.

"Of all the times not to have Unna…" She murmured.

She reached for her locket, which normally gave her comfort, but the worst thought yet struck her. What if Annabeth had run off because she was Athena?

Lillian had always been known for having an aura of calm around her, but now… now the insecurities were piling up.

She barely noticed the black butterfly until it entered her locket.

"I've fended off an akuma before, Hawk Moth, and I can do it again." She growled.

"Oh, darling, who says I'm Hawk Moth?" A woman asked. "I'm Violette Butterfly, and I do agree with you. Not knowing where your children are is so stressful, and that's why I keep mine under lock and key. I will give you the power to do the same. All I ask for in return are the miraculouses. Do we have a deal, Lockette?"

Lillian frowned. Something was familiar about that sickly sweet voice, but her thoughts were clouded.

"Yes, Violette Butterfly."

Chapter 18

Annabeth Kurtzberg

"Well, thanks for the interview, Felynx. This'll help out a lot!" Annabeth said brightly.

"No problem! I'm always happy to help." He told her. "Especially when it involves someone as nice as you."

She blushed deeply. "Th-thanks." She turned to head down to her bedroom.

As she walked into her room, she saw the silhouette of a person. "Mommy?" She asked nervously.

"Why, Annabeth, honey, you're not safe! Let Mommy lock you up tight!" The figure said.

"You're not my mother." Annabeth growled, stepping back. "If you were, you'd call me Buttercup."

"Oh, but I am, darling! Or my name isn't Lockette!" The figure stepped into the light.

Her hair was jet black, and pulled into a tight bun. Her skin was pale, almost pure white. She wore a golden blouse that billowed at the sleeves, and underneath it was another shirt, this with a black swan-necked collar. She had a pair of black pants with wide openings at the ankles. Golden boots with high heels rested on her feet, that clicked as she walked. Around her waist was a large silver key ring, to which several keys and locks were attached. She wore a silver locket with a lock and key emblem, and her eyes, Annabeth would know those eyes anywhere. Those blue-green eyes that the black and gold mask surrounded belonged to her mother.

Annabeth scrambled away from Lockette, but the supervillain kept on advancing. Soon, she was pressed against the railing of her balcony.

She whimpered as Lockette drew nearer. The supervillain was taking one of the locks off her key ring.

"Don't you know that it's rude to stalk a lady?"

Annabeth looked up to see Lady Owl perched on the roof. Her rope wrapped around Annabeth's waist, and she was flung skyward.

Just as she began to fall, Felynx caught her. Apparently, he had never left the roof.

She clung to Felynx as he whisked her away.

He set her down at the Eiffel Tower. As Felynx turned to leave, Annabeth grabbed his arm.

"Please make sure she doesn't get hurt. It's my mom."

"Don't worry, Annabeth. You'll get your mom back in no time." With that, he vaulted off.

"Well, not without me they won't." She said to her kwami. "Tikki, spots on!"

"I heard your goal was to keep people safe, so how come we're all fighting?" Ruby Lady stood on the roof above the action.

"They are trying to keep my daughter away from me!" Lockette shouted.

"The daughter you're trying to imprison?" She countered.

"Well you can't keep me from her when you're all trapped in my locket!" The supervillain unhooked three locks.

"Watch out!" She screamed as the locks were thrown at her friends.

Ruby Lady leapt down and deflected the locks, but they kept coming. Eventually, two wayward locks made their way to her allies.

In an instant, Lady Owl and Felynx vanished in a puff of metallic smoke.

"No!" She cried. "Lucky Charm!"

She was given a hat.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Soon enough, her earrings began to beep, and she had to leap into a nearby and empty alley.

"Spots off." Tikki flew out of the earrings. "Tikki, the Lucky Charm gave me a hat, but I couldn't find anything to do with it."

"When Ladybug had something like that, the Lucky Charm would be trying to tell her something…" Tikki trailed off.

"What are you getting at, Tikki?"

"Annabeth, I think it's time for you to meet the Guardian of the Miraculouses."

Chapter 19

Tikki

"Tikki, this is the Agreste mansion. Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Yes, just follow me." Tikki said. She led Annabeth around the back of the mansion and phased through a certain spot in the wall.

"Tikki?"

"Marinette!" Tikki flew towards her former owner.

"What are you doing here? There's an akumatized villain!" Marinette exclaimed. "Annabeth needs you to transform!"

"The Lucky Charm told her to come here."

Marinette nodded in understanding. "I'll open the way."

"Tikki?" Annabeth's voice came echoing through. "What is this pla- Mrs. Agreste?"

Marinette smiled. "I've told you before, Annabeth. You can call me Marinette."

"But why did Tik- I mean uh, my flying hairless cat bring me here?"

Tikki had to suppress a round of giggles. The 'flying hairless cat' excuse was nearly identical to the one Marinette had used when she had first met Master Fu.

Marinette was clearly thinking the same thing, as a small smile was on her lips.

"Annabeth, you don't need to hide from me. I've known you were Ruby Lady since before you transformed for the first time, and I can't have imagined someone better to be my successor."

Annabeth blinked. "You mean, you're Ladybug!?"

"Indeed. Now, tell me what happened."

Tikki settled down next to her owner, listening to the whole thing from Annabeth's perspective.

After Annabeth had finished, Marinette got up and walked over to a cabinet, bringing out an old phonograph.

Tikki recognized it as the same one Master Fu had used to store the Miracle Box.

"Annabeth, you are aware of the powers each miraculous holds, right?"

Her owner nodded.

"Very well." Marinette turned around, holding the Miracle Box. "Annabeth Kurtzberg, pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you for this mission. Choose wisely. Such powers are meant to serve the greater good. Once the mission is over, you must retrieve the miraculous from them and bring it back to me."

Annabeth hesitated before picking up the Rabbit Miraculous. "I won't be able to do this without Felynx… and Lady Owl." She hurriedly added the last part.

Marinette nodded. "Be sure this doesn't fall into the wrong hands. The Rabbit Miraculous is exceptionally powerful."

"I promise I'll be careful."

As Annabeth left, Marinette spoke. "She's fallen for him, hasn't she?"

Tikki turned around. "She won't admit it, but it's obvious."

"And he her?"

"It does seem Cayden has fallen for her. As Annabeth."

Marinette smiled. "The reverse of me and Adrien. I chose them well. Now go, Annabeth will need you to deliver the miraculous."

Chapter 20

Kathrine Agreste

"Oh, Emmy… Please get back safe." Kat sat on her bed, worried sick. Emmy had left a while ago for patrol, but over an hour ago, there had been an akuma alert. There hadn't been any word since.

She heard a tap on her window.

Kat looked over to see Ruby Lady hanging from her yoyo in front of the glass pane.

Not knowing what else to do, she opened it. The superhero hopped in.

"Why are you here?" Kat nervously asked.

"It's a long story, but, how would you like to help a superhero?"

Her eyes widened. "Me? But why?"

"I know that you find us fascinating, and that you would give anything to be a superhero, but that you don't let power get to your head. So? Are you in?"

Kat grinned. "Yes."

"Good." Ruby Lady held out an octagonal box with a red insignia on the lid. "Kathrine Agreste, here is the Miraculous of the Rabbit which grants the power of Evolution. You will use it for the greater good. Once the mission is over, you'll return the miraculous to me. Can I trust you?"

"Totally!" She exclaimed. She took the box and opened it. A ball of light shot out. When it faded, she saw a rabbit-looking thing.

"Hi there! I'm Fluff!" The thing exclaimed cheerfully.

"Hello, there. I'm Kat." She replied.

"Super cool to meet you! Just say, 'Fluff, clockwise' to transform!"

"Got it." Kat took the pocket watch. "Fluff, clockwise!"

"Okay, so your special power is called Burrow. It will create a portal to your Burrow-" Ruby Lady was cut off by a new voice.

"-Which has other portals to any point in time. Including ones to this very moment where I can hop in and teach Cottontail myself. And don't worry, Ruby Lady. Felynx and Lady Owl are waiting for you in my Burrow. They're getting tips from the professionals."

They whirled around to see none other than Bunnix herself.

"But- what- how? Mar- The guardian took back the miraculouses! How are you here?"

"I'm a time traveler. Present me doesn't have Fluff, but I'm a past me, so I still do."

"This is crazy." She muttered. "And how did you know I would choose the name Cottontail? That was a private moment with my sister."

"Time travel expertise. Now, come. You're going to need to be at the top of your game when you fight Lockette."

Chapter 21

Lillian Montgomery

"Do you have any idea why Bunnix yanked us here?" Athena asked her companions.

"Last time she did something like this was when Kitty here got himself akumatized in an alternate future. I saved the day of course."

"Because my Bugaboo is purrfect beyond imagining." Cat Noir quipped.

"Don't call me Bugaboo!"

Athena laughed. "These moments where nothing is wrong and we are free to joke is why I love being a superhero with you guys so much."

"I think this is the end of this one though." Ladybug said.

Athena saw what she meant. Bunnix walked towards then with two teenagers their age.

"Wait, is that my ring?" Cat Noir asked.

"And is that my necklace?"

"Bunnix, what is going on?" Ladybug demanded.

"These are two of the three future heroes of Paris. Felynx wields the Cat Miraculous and Lady Owl the Owl."

"But what about the Ladybug?"

"I have to get her separately. This villain is especially powerful, which is why both generations of heroes need to work together."

"Wait, you don't mean-?"

The look on Ladybug's face was priceless, and soon Athena and Cat Noir burst out laughing.

"I'm betting it's the owl." She whispered to her friend.

"And why is that?"

"Duh. She's a girl. Girls are awesome. Everybody knows that. Oh wait…"

"Hey!" He punched her softly.

Athena smirked, but it soon fell as she was tackled by the other owl in question.

"I told you I could do it!" She said triumphantly. "Take that, Felynx!"

"I never said you couldn't but that you shouldn't. Why do I have to be the responsible one?"

"I thought that was Ruby Lady's job."

"But when she's gone, I'm second in command."

While the two were arguing, she and Cat Noir exchanged mischievous looks. "Let's show these mice what owls and cats can do."

And that's what Bunnix came to when she returned. The two cats and two owls sparing with Ladybug laughing hysterically.

"Ahem." Bunnix cleared her throat.

All five heroes froze in place and turned to look at the rabbit hero.

"Ladybug, Cat Noir, Athena. This is Ruby Lady, the leader of the future French Miraculous Superhero Team. And this is Cottontail, the first non full time member of the team."

Athena noticed the other owl, Lady Owl, seemed taken aback by the name Cottontail.

Ruby Lady, presumably the other ladybug, ran forward and tackled the other cat, Felynx, in a hug. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm standing here you know," Lady Owl said. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I'll bet you a hundred bucks that he's in love with her civilian form." Athena whispered to Cat Noir.

"What's that in euros?"

"'Bout 84."

"I'm not taking that bet."

She noticed that Ruby Lady was staring at her, her face pale like she had just seen a ghost.

"Is something wrong?"

The girl looked away, a pained expression on her face. "If I said what it was, I'd reveal both our identities, given time."

She wondered what that meant, but now was not the time. "Bunnix, can you fill us in?"

Chapter 22

Lila Graham de Vanily

Violette Butterfly growled in frustration. Lockette was supposed to be her masterpiece, but even a loyal mother like that Lillian couldn't find that pesky bug. Of course she was pleased that Lockette had gotten the other two miraculouses, especially the owl. She had never forgiven Athena for foiling her triumphant reign as Hecate.

"I don't understand! Lockette has searched the entire city, but she can't find that stupid bug!"

"Why not give her a sentimonster to help?"

"Not now, Félix. A sentimonster would be too obvious. Right now she needs the element of surprise."

"That's Peafowl to you, Lila." Her husband grumbled. "Have you even considered that this could put Nathan and Gabrielle in danger? And what about Adrien and Marinette? Adrien is my cousin and he's never given up on me. I'm not even sure why I agreed to help you get those miraculouses."

"Because, with the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses, we would have infinite power, right, Peafowl darling?"

"You have a point." Peafowl sighed. "You know, Uncle Gabriel was lucky Marinette and Adrien kept his secret."

"And we're lucky that he gave me the miraculouses, so be quiet."

Peafowl suddenly started to laugh.

"What is it now?" Violette Butterfly asked annoyedly.

"I just realized that a nickname for Violet is Vi. Violette sounds like Violet. And Violette Butterfly, VB."

"Félix, don't you dare." She growled, realizing where he was going.

He cracked up. "I am so calling you Vibe now!"

"Why did I marry you?"

"Because I come from a rich family and am insanely good looking."

She suddenly tensed. "They used that rotten rabbit!" Violette Butterfly could see what Lockette was seeing: a glowing white portal.

As she watched, Ruby Lady stepped out. The young heroine's eyes were tinged red, as if she had been crying.

"Lockette, I surrender. I can't defeat you without my friends. If you release them, I will have Felynx tell me where your daughter is so you can find her. I will then give you my miraculous." The girl's voice quivered.

"It's a trap." Violette Butterfly warned her disciple.

"But Annabeth…"

It became a battle of will, but the mother's love triumphed.

"Peafowl." Violette Butterfly broke off the connection. "Sentimonster. Now."

Chapter 23

Cayden Couffaine

"No, no, no, no!" Felynx banged against the walls of the locket. "She doesn't know where Annabeth is! She can't keep her safe!"

"Annabeth is a resourceful girl. She can take care of herself. It's us I'm worried about."

He didn't want to listen. "Cataclysm!" He slammed his hand against the wall. "What?"

No black cracks were spreading, nor was the wall crumbling into black dust.

"The locket muffles our powers, Felynx. If you had just listened I would've told you. Whirlwind isn't working for me." Lady Owl sighed. "We're just going to have to wait until RL frees us."

Felynx slumped to the floor. "But I can't just leave her."

"Don't make me slap you out of it." She warned.

He said nothing, and the two heroes sat in silence for quite some time.

"Lockette, I surrender. I can't defeat you without my friends. If you release them, I will have Felynx tell me where your daughter is so you can find her. I will then give you my miraculous."

Felynx and Lady Owl locked eyes. "Ruby Lady!?"

They scrambled to the locket's window to see their friend standing in front of the villain.

"What is she doing? That's not like her!" He banged on the unbreakable window.

Moments later, the duo stood in front of the heroine.

Felynx was tackled in a hug. "I've got a plan." She whispered to him. "Just follow my lead."

He nodded slightly.

Ruby Lady looked at Lockette. "Annabeth is at the Louvre Pyramid."

As soon as the villain was gone, his friend turned around. "Cottontail? You can open the portal."

Lady Owl had an odd reaction to the name, but he didn't have the time to think about it as a glowing white portal appeared.

They stepped in to see a girl with black hair and vivid green eyes. "Ready to see your mom again?" She asked Ruby Lady.

The other two heroes exchanged looks.

"Athena?" Lady Owl asked, touching her necklace. "How?"

"It will make sense in time. Come." Cottontail beckoned them over to a window with six figures, all of whom had their backs turned.

They stepped through and the six turned around. Four of them he had never met, but he knew their faces from pictures. The former heroes of Paris, and the other two, he knew all too well. Felynx found himself face to face with himself.

Chapter 24

Annabeth Kurtzberg

"We'll need to set a trap for Lockette." Ruby Lady said after Felynx and Lady Owl had gotten oriented. "If we had the Fox Miraculous, we could create an illusion…"

"Do you want me to get Rena Rouge or Foxtrot?" Cottontail asked.

"Foxtrot?"

"Oh right. You haven't given her the miraculous yet." She seemed to notice the odd looks. "What? Bunnix is a good teacher."

"Maybe Lucky Charm might give you a hint?" Past Lady Owl suggested.

"I've only ever experienced two Lucky Charms at the same time once, and that was during Timebreaker when there were two of them. We might have the same ones, and that would put us in an unnecessary risk." Ladybug said.

But it also reflects on how the holder thinks. Tikki told me that when Cat Noir was Mister Bug, the charm was used in a much more straightforward way.

"Good point."

"Lucky Charm!" They said simultaneously.

Ruby Lady received a duffle bag and Ladybug got a manila envelope. Inside the bag was a white t-shirt with a purple floral design, a pair of jeans, an army green jacket, and an auburn wig. Inside the envelope was a picture of her- as Annabeth- face.

Ruby Lady grinned. "Good thing we got two yoyos, three batons, and three ropes."

"Oh Annabeth? Where are you?" Lockette called out in a singsong voice.

Ruby Lady was hidden in the shadows, using both yoyos, both Lady Owl's ropes, and Cat Noir's and Past Felynx's batons you create a makeshift marionette control, with a dummy with the clothes, wig, and picture acting as the marionette.

"Mommy? Did the heroes deakumatize you?"

"Yes, buttercup."

"I'm by the entrance!"

The boys had Cataclysmed the area to weaken the ground, and the others were going to make sure that Lockette didn't escape.

The clicking of the villain's heels drew closer.

Suddenly the ground gave away and Lockette fell through.

Ruby Lady grabbed the two yoyos and leapt down and snagged the locket, breaking it. She and Ladybug tossed their Lucky Charms in the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Chapter 25

Lillian Kurtzberg

Lillian's eyes fluttered open. Standing in front of her were the three heroes.

"Where am I? What happened?"

Felynx bent down. "You were akumatized, ma'am. But don't worry, your daughter is safe. I took her to the Eiffel Tower. She's waiting for me to take her back."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"Lady Owl, do you think you can take her home? I can get Annabeth. Besides, I need to return Cottontail's miraculous." Ruby Lady said.

"Will do." The owl heroine said.

"Mommy?" Lillian at last heard her daughter call. She rose from the seat she was sitting in and ran to Annabeth, who stood at the door of her balcony.

"I was so worried! Where were you?" She asked.

"I was getting an interview from Felynx. He told me that Cayden had reached out to him. It was for our project."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Annabeth laughed. "I did! Just after we began, I went to tell Daddy. He said he'd tell you."

"And I did." Nathaniel chuckled, walking in. "But that's your mother for you, Buttercup. Smart as a tree full of owls but always forgetting things."

"Says the boy who couldn't figure out I was crushing on him for who knows how long." She teased back.

"Well, you weren't as obvious as Marinette."

"Well, that we can agree on." She said with a smile.

The next morning, Lillian knocked on the door of the Agreste mansion. Adrien answered it.

"Oh, hey Lillian. What's up?" He greeted her.

"I need to talk to Marinette. It's about Hawk Moth."

His eyes widened. "She's in her spot." He said and let Lillian in.

Marinette's 'spot' was a small room where the former heroine kept the miracle box, but it also served as her quiet and meditation area.

"Lillian?" Marinette asked. "What brings you here?"

"The new akumas. They aren't from Hawk Moth anymore."

"What?"

"She was manipulative enough to- to get me akumatized."

"Who is she?"

"She calls herself Violette Butterfly."

Marinette's face hardened. "Thank you for telling me." She walked to an unassuming cabinet and pulled out an old phonograph. There were two ornate dragons with red eyes on the base. She pressed the eyes, which caused a panel to flip open, revealing nine buttons. The guardian punched in a code, revealing the Miracle Box.

She took out three miraculouses. She handed one to Lillian. "Here. Moral support always helps fight off akumas. If Ruby Lady has need for it, I'll send Wayzz or Pollen."

"That we will do!" The turtle kwami said.

"Affirmative!" Pollen chirped.

Lillian noticed Marinette had put on both a bracelet and hair comb.

"But for now, I have a job for you two. Pollen, find Tikki; Wayzz, find Plagg. Tell their owners to enter transformed."

The kwamis flew off.

"Well, Kitsune. Care to transform?"

[let-it-raines]

I’m married, I used to be a wedding planner, I’ve been to far too many weddings. All this said, I still struggle real hard to write a wedding. So, nonnie, I hope you like this! It was nice to get it out of my head and have it put in actual cohesive words, even if it took longer than I intended❤️

found on ao3 | here |

*I’m having to repost because something super funky was happening with the “keep reading” as can be seen in the screenshot of the ask. Sorry about that!*

-/-

June 19th, 2021

Ruth wants them to stay apart tonight.

It’s some kind of tradition or superstition, and as an athlete, Killian gets it. He does. He is all about doing the same stupid thing over and over again because it was happening on a day where something good happened. When he made it to his first post-season, he didn’t shave until the last ball was played. In 2018 when they made it to the World Series, he wore the same pair of socks every day. He washed them, but it was still the same pair of socks.

(He’s too particular about cleanliness not to wash things.)

But those were things he needed in order to convince himself that they were going to win, that he was going to be able to do it, and that everything was going to be alright.

He doesn’t need to spend the night away from his wife the night before their wedding.

The thing is that they can’t exactly tell anyone that they eloped over a month ago. It would break their family’s hearts, and he and Emma are committed to keeping that secret between the two of them.

That was their day, just them, and it’s not something to be shared.

He’s been wearing his wedding ring on a chain around his neck for the past month, and God, he can’t wait to get to put it on his finger tomorrow even if he’ll have to put it right back on the chain for games.

They likely shouldn’t have picked a wedding date right in the middle of baseball season, but this is the date that worked for everyone.

No game happening.

No work for Liam and Elsa.

Ruth could come to town.

And no one was so pregnant that they couldn’t attend.

(Anna told him that if they got married while she was eight months pregnant with twins she would murder him, so they obviously changed the original date.)

“Mom, I’m not doing that.”

“It’s tradition.”

“I stayed apart from David when we got married,” Mary Margaret adds in as they walk down the hallway after paying the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner.

“I’m staying in my own damn apartment,” Emma huffs. “I like my bed and my stuff, and I don’t want to have to sleep on the rock-hard bed in your spare bedroom.”

“Okay, well, you stay home, and Killian can stay at Liam’s.”

Emma stops walking and crosses her arms over her chest before briefly glancing at him. She is not happy, and if she didn’t love her family, he imagines there would be some kind of strangulation happening right about now.

Well, if there also wasn’t the threat of jail as well. That might also keep her from doing it.

“I appreciate you both looking out for tradition and any possible horrible things that may happen to us if we don’t stay apart,” Killian sighs, “but this wasn’t something we were planning on doing and neither of us are interested in it. If down the road we don’t work out, feel free to say ‘I told you so.’”

“Are you serious?”

“As anything.”

Killian glances over at Emma, at the small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. If he looks at her, he can ignore the disapproving stares of Mary Margaret and Ruth. It was Ruth who was insistent, but now, he might be a little more scared of Mary Margaret.

“Emma,” Ruth sighs, “won’t you please do this? It’s tradition, and it would mean so much to me to get to spend this night with you.”

Emma sighs and tilts her head up to look at the ceiling. She’s got on a short white dress tonight, and it flows off her body from the waist down, but it’s tight around her chest where the material barely covers her breasts. He’s been distracted by it all bloody night and the way that his mother’s ring hits in the concave between her boobs, but now as her neck is elongated, all he can focus on is the smoothness of her skin and the way her summer tan accentuates all of her features.

Beautiful.

“I’m sorry, but no,” Emma finally says. “I will see you both at nine tomorrow morning, and you will be with me until I walk down the aisle at six. That’s so much time, and I would much rather spend the night with Killian. I don’t think we’re going to be cursed.”

“Let the woman go,” David yells from the elevator door. “I’m ready to go to sleep.”

“David speaks the truth,” Killian laughs, reaching over to thread his fingers through Emma’s. “It’s been a long, wonderful day, and I cannot thank you both enough for it. Let’s all go home, though, get our beauty sleep. We’re all going to need it. There’s only so much editing the photographer can do.”

Mary Margaret and Ruth finally relent, and David manages to drag them out of the restaurant where they have been camping out for the last several hours, toasts given and delicious food eaten as half of the people they knew came up to he and Emma to congratulate them and talk about their excitement for tomorrow. The wedding has ended up being much bigger than either of them intended, mostly because of the sheer number of people they know and getting carried away with the help of Mary Margaret, Ruby, Elsa, and Anna. It’s honestly been insane and a whirlwind with the season taking up most of his time, and after they got married last month, neither of them have cared much about what this wedding will be like.

It’s a celebration with their friends and family, and if everyone else is happy, he will be too.

Though, he is excited to see Emma’s dress. He’s not seen it yet, but he knows he’ll find her beautiful in anything.

Killian tugs on Emma’s hand, and they start walking to the elevator, heading down to the lobby to get his car from the valet. There are photographers waiting outside, and he hears Emma groan. He squeezes her hand, wishing there was some other way to comfort her from the nuisance that are gossip reporters, but there’s nothing they can do now besides get his keys, get in the car, and go home.

“Was Ruth driving you crazy too?” Emma asks as they start slipping out of their clothes in their closet. “I know she means well, but oh my gosh, I never realized how much of a traditionalist she could be until the past few weeks.”

“I mean, it’s not unheard of for couples who already live together to stay apart the night of the wedding.”

“No, it’s not, but I still didn’t want to do it. I mean, have you slept on the bed in the guest room at David’s? It’s awful.”

“You could take the couch.”

“I promise they wouldn’t let me.”

Killian chuckles and hangs his shirt up before taking off his belt and his pants as Emma unclasps her bra. “Tomorrow you’ll wear the pretty white dress and carry a far too heavy bouquet, and everyone will be so amazed by your beauty that they won’t care that you kept bucking their traditions.”

“Getting a little cheesy there, Jones.”

“It happens sometimes.”

Emma shakes her head and bends over to grab one of his t-shirts. She doesn’t bother to hang up her dress or put away her bra or her shoes, and one day he will stop hoping that she’ll clean up her clothes.

Maybe.

Possibly.

Probably not.

He ends up picking up her clothes and putting them away after he’s changed into a pair of shorts, and he finds Emma in the bathroom taking off her makeup and washing her face. It takes her a little longer than usual to do it, and by the time she’s finished, he’s scrolling through Netflix trying to find something for them to watch as they fall asleep.

“You went ahead and got yourself comfortable, huh?” Emma laughs as she gets into her side of the bed and pulls the covers up to her chest.

“You took forever to take your makeup off.”

“Had to make sure there wasn’t any left. I’d definitely get, like, the biggest zit in the world, and believe it or not, I want the pictures to look nice tomorrow.”

“They could always airbrush it out. As long as it’s not too big. I was kidding about the photoshop thing earlier.”

“Shut up,” Emma laughs, reaching over to gently shove him. “Did we bring any leftovers home?”

“No, but I know Scarlet took a box home. You could always call him.”

“Would it be crazy if I did that?”

“Yeah, love, yeah it would.”

“It was really good food.”

Killian puts the remote down and leans over to wrap his arm around Emma’s waist and pull her closer to him. She’s warm, even if her feet are cold, and he breathes in the lingering scent of her perfume as she settles against him.

“We have some food in the fridge. Or I can make you something.”

“None of that will be the same as Will bringing me the leftovers.”

Killian laughs into her neck and then kisses the skin there. “I know for a fact that you’re going to brunch in the morning, so I think you’ll be able to make it.”

“Don’t be jealous that my friends plan on me having better food than Liam plans on you having.”

“Well, maybe I’ll have to attend the brunch as well.”

Emma twists around in his arms, elbowing him and kicking him before she settles so that the tips of her nose brushes against his. “I’m so glad we got married at the courthouse. I mean, I’m excited to wear my dress and to have the big party, but I really liked that day.”

“Aye, me too.”

She presses forward to glide her lips over his, soft and slow, and neither of them are in a hurry to get anywhere. He loves when they get to be like this, when they have time to tease and explore and not be in a rush to get to a certain destination.

There’s always somewhere to be, something to do, a game to play, someone to talk to. There’s always a rush.

Right now, however, the only rush is the beating of his heart and the way that the woman in his arms makes him feel.

Frustrated and exasperated and so damn in love that he’ll pick up her shoes when she leaves them around, which is always.

When they come together, it’s in that same gentle, slow motion that they were following earlier. Emma’s hair is cascading down her back in long, soft waves, and when she bends down to mold her lips to his again, he shifts his hips up to keep their rhythm as his hands settle on her back sides and hold her down to him. Who knows how many times they’ve done this and how many times they’ll do it in the future? It’s the past and present all at once, but he doesn’t care to be in any moment other than this one.

Damn is he glad that she’s not staying at the Nolans’ tonight. He can’t imagine her being anywhere else other than here with him.

When he wakes in the morning, it’s to the softness of Emma’s lips pressing against his chest, her mouth tracing his skin. Slowly, Killian blinks his eyes open, a smile curving on his lips, and while he expects Emma to be still be naked next to him in bed, she’s not. Instead she’s clothed in a button-down and a pair of shorts, her hair freshly washed and her face bare of makeup so he can see her freckles.

They come out more in the summer, and he’s rather fond of them.

“What are you doing out of bed?” He mumbles, reaching over for her and pulling her back to him. She easily falls into him, resting half on top of his leg while his hands reach out for her. “It’s not time for you to go yet.”

“We were up pretty late there, twenty-nine, and you slept in. So, yeah, it’s time to go. Elsa said she’s almost here to come get me.”

Killian juts his lower lip out. He knows Emma will find it ridiculous, which is exactly why he does it. “We’re technically already married. Want to play hooky?”

“No,” she laughs, getting up to lean back down over him so she can kiss him. “I’ll see you at the end of that aisle.”

“Well, technically you’ll see me for the pictures beforehand.”

“Semantics.” She kisses him again, lingering this time. “I love you. I will see you later. You’re going to be the most handsome man there tonight.”

“I better damn well be. I love you, Emma.”

And then she’s getting up and walking away, picking up a large tote bag, a backpack, and her dress before she’s walking out the bedroom door.

What a lucky son of a bitch he is.

Killian doesn’t have anywhere to be until noon. None of his friends or his brother are calling and texting and badgering him to do things, so he gets up and gets dressed to go for a run. It’ll be hot later, June in New York not exactly pleasant weather, but this morning, it’s nearly perfect, even if he has to avoid a few photographers as he makes his way to the park. They’ve been worse than usual lately, the wedding putting them into overdrive looking for gossip and exclusives, and Killian’s doing his best to ignore them. He always has, especially when people are trying to attack Emma.

He is not going to let them ruin is mood today, not when he’s got miles ahead of him and a damn big party to attend tonight.

He runs for almost an hour. Technically today should be a pitching practice day for him, but Al took him out of the rotation so he’s only missing one game while in Spain instead of the two he was slotted to. He’ll have to do some kind of practice, but how many times does a man get to have a honeymoon?

Well, considering all goes well and all that.

He stops for coffee before he goes home, drinking it on the walk back, and he slips in the back entrance of his apartment complex before taking the elevator up and hoping into the shower the moment he gets inside. It’s like it’s any other day.

Except it’s not.

“Where are you?”

Killian jumps at the sound of Liam’s voice, and he quickly turns off the water and grabs a towel to tie around his waist. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Making sure you’re not still asleep.”

“It’s almost noon. Have I ever slept in that late?”

“All the time.”

“Since I was a teenager then?”

“Eh, maybe. Not that I know about, though, unless you had a late travel day. You going to put some clothes on?”

“You come into my place, unannounced, and you’re going to complain that I don’t have clothes on?”

“I’m your brother. That’s what I do. Now, come on, Elsa told me I should take you out for lunch. I apparently didn’t think about that.”

“You’re a spectacular best man.”

He shrugs. “I do what I can, which has mostly been keeping Addy and Lucy out of their dresses so they don’t stain them before tonight. Who puts kids in white?”

“Your wife picked out those dresses.”

“Of course she did,” Liam chuckles. “But seriously, finish getting ready. Robin is getting us some food, and we’re going to eat at the venue.”

“What? I don’t deserve to dine in?”

“Do you want to?”

“No, I’d much rather sit on the couch and eat.”

“Exactly. Let’s go.”

When they get to the pier, Robin, Will, Eric, August, Kris, Graham, and David are already there, food and drinks spread out across the table in front of them. They’re in the middle of some debate about Thursday’s game, Will arguing with Robin about him misreading one of Will’s signs, and they don’t notice when Killian sits down and grabs a bowl of pasta from the center of the table.

“Pleasant, don’t you think?” Killian asks David.

“Exactly how I would want all of my friends to be acting on a day when we’re all supposed to get along.”

“It’s worse if they’re also your coworkers.”

David chuckles and takes a sip of his water. “Did Ruth break into your house in the middle of the night to try to separate the two of you?”

“God, no,” Killian laughs. “And if she did, I’m sure she would have been in for quite the sight.”

“Please remember that you’re talking to Emma’s brother when you speak to me.”

Killian shrugs and smiles. “What? You don’t want to be having this conversation?”

“I want to be having anything but this conversation.”

“Okay, we can talk about last year’s Christmas when you – ”

“Jones, shut the fuck up.”

Killian chuckles and pokes his pasta with his fork. “No, Ruth didn’t come and get Emma in the middle of the night. I was almost convinced she and Mary Margaret would, so I’m thankful that she didn’t. Emma left so damn early this morning, though, that she might as well have stayed somewhere else.”

“A lot goes into them getting ready for today. Though, honestly, I’m pretty sure Ruby has all of them getting drunk on mimosas.”

“Oh, I would bet on that.”

“What are we betting on?” Will interrupts. “Are we betting that Emma doesn’t walk down the aisle tonight? Is she going to be a runaway bride?”

“Don’t be an asshole, Scarlet,” Robin mutters. “You can’t say shit like that.”

“What? We all know I’m joking. Emma is far too good for the man, but she loves him. She’s definitely going to show up…probably.”

Killian flips up his finger at Will and keeps eating his pasta. “I feel like I was much more supportive on your wedding day.”

“Oh, you were, but I like to switch things up. I keep it interesting.”

They keep eating and jokingly arguing and not agreeing on a single thing, but then they turn on the game tapes that most of them are supposed to be watching for Monday’s game. It’s like it’s any other day, all of them messing around and groaning about mistakes, except after a few hours, they start changing out of their lounge clothes and into black tuxes with crisp white shirts that they’re under strict instructions not to spill anything on. Emma is just across the hall from him now, and Ariel keeps walking over to make sure that nothing has been ruined.

Between Ariel, Mary Margaret, and Ruth, none of them have any room for error.

Maybe those three should be their coach instead of Al.

The photographer comes and gets Killian and all of his groomsmen around four, they take all of the pictures on the list that he and Emma made up, and then Killian is told to walk out onto the large deck that’s just outside the ballroom. The Hudson is right below them, an expanse of sparkling blue water that makes a spectacular backdrop, and he tries to focus on it even though he knows that he’s standing out here so he and Emma can take their pictures.

She’s been texting him on and off all day, little updates about how things are going, and it’s been odd knowing she’s just around the corner but not with him. And he would be a liar if he said he wasn’t curious what her dress looked like. He never thought he would be a man who cared about something like that, who thought that a dress could make any difference in how he looks at the woman he loves, but he knows that Emma loves this dress. If she does, that’s enough for him to look at her that little bit differently.

Like she’s the most beautiful woman in the world, because to him, she is.

What a day for some sentimental thoughts.

“Hey, handsome,” she sighs, and he immediately turns around at the sound of her voice. “I know you love the water, but I don’t think jumping in is really an option right now.”

“I mean, I could, but this was a bloody expensive tux.”

“Be a shame to ruin it and all that.”

Killian’s finally able to look away from her face and the bright smile there to look down at her dress. It’s not a bright white, exactly. It’s off a little bit, and it hugs her until it gets to her waist where it loosens and begins to flow until it hits the floor. Pearls cover it, a few at the top and then more and more as his eyes scan to the bottom of her dress. It’s different than what he expected, but it’s Emma.

This is Emma.

And she’s gorgeous and radiant, and while he’d marry her again in a courthouse with no pomp and circumstance, he’s glad they get to do this too.

“You look – ”

“I know,” she finishes for him. “We clean up pretty well, Jones.”

“Don’t I know it?” He leans in and brushes his lips over her cheek, lightly so he doesn’t mess up her makeup. “All of our friends are staring at us from inside.”

“Is it creepy?”

“It’s terrifying.”

“Addy and Lucy are very excited. Have you seen them yet?”

“I haven’t had the honor, but I have talked to them on the phone several times. They want to know if they get to tear up your flowers.”

“What did you tell them?”

“I obviously told them yes, so you best watch out for that.”

“I’ll be on the look-out. You want to take some pictures until our faces hurt?”

“Obviously. It’s what I’ve dreamed of since I was a young lad wondering just what this day would be like.”

She gently pushes at his chest. “You had anything to drink there, twenty-nine?”

“I had one small glass of rum, which is nothing compared to the mimosa fest you went on.”

“Hey, now, that was mostly Ruby and Elsa. I, too, only had one glass. Wanted to make sure I’d be able to recognize you. You’re wearing almost the exact same thing as Liam. Wouldn’t want to marry the wrong Jones.”

“Don’t even suggest that.”

“Are you two going to make out now or what?” Ruby yells from the entryway. “Because I need to know which parts of Emma’s makeup I have to fix!”

“She’ll never change, will she?” Emma laughs, her smile as radiant as he’s ever seen it.

“Never.”

They seem to take pictures for hours, pose after pose with just the two of them before they add in the bridal parties and family and have ticked off everything on the list. Emma wasn’t kidding when she said their faces would hurt from smiling so much, and he knows that she has heels on so he imagines her feet are killing her. But soon enough, he’s having to leave Emma back up in the bridal suite while he lines up at the front of the ballroom, ready for Emma to walk down the aisle with all of these people looking at the two of them.

What a weird tradition.

But hey, he gets to marry Emma twice, and he can’t really complain about that.

-/- -/-

“How drunk is Kris right now?”

“Well, he’s starting talking about how much he loves ice, so I think he’s at least five drinks in.”

“Is it six-drink Kris that gets a little frisky?”

“Babe, he’s a married man and a father of two now. His tolerance dipped, and it’s now drink two where he gets frisky.”

“That would explain why he tried to touch my ass earlier.”

Emma laughs and moves her hand to gently shove Killian. His eyes crinkle with his smile, his summer tan making everything seem brighter, and she idly wonders if his face still hurts from smiling for pictures from earlier. Or, well, still smiling now. It’s got to be getting close to ten, and it doesn’t seem like anyone has left the reception. She can’t even remember a time where her face didn’t hurt or where her feet weren’t killing her despite the fact that she chunked her heels at least an hour ago.

It’s been a good day.

Like, really good.

She’s never really had an idea of what her wedding day would be like. It’s not something she imagined in much detail. Maybe it would be a small crowd, just her closest friends and family. This isn’t some extravagant thing, but it’s definitely much bigger than any sane person would call a small crowd. That’s all thanks to Ariel and her constantly coming up with people they forgot or Ruth asking if they could invite some of her friends since they all wanted to see her daughter getting married.

Emma’s heart still flutters every time she thinks about Ruth calling Emma her daughter.

But the extra people and flowers and lights really just make it one better, bigger party, and despite the fact that for awhile she kept getting pulled away to talk to everyone, she really hasn’t had to have that much interaction with the people who aren’t in her close circle.

That’s been nice.

Being able to dance with Killian and eat in a hidden room and not constantly be pulled apart at the seams has been that way too. Half the reason they got married at the courthouse was for fear that they wouldn’t be able to enjoy their wedding day, but that’s not at all what’s happened.

She’s happy. That still, somehow, surprises her sometimes, and she doesn’t want to take it for granted.

“You’re ridiculous, Jones,” Emma laughs, her hand sliding back to rest around Killian’s neck. They’ve had two slow songs in a row, and she’s enjoying the change of pace. “How much longer until I can get you out of this tux?”

His brows raise, and his smile turns salacious. “Look who’s getting frisky now.”

“I mean, I am expecting to get lucky tonight.”

“As you should be. Though, I’m not entirely sure how I’m supposed to get you out of your dress. Are you sewn into it?”

“There’s a small zipper on the side. Don’t break it.”

“Why? You planning on wearing this thing again?”

“I am obviously going to lounge around the apartment in it. No more sweatpants for me. Only gowns.”

“Seems practical.”

“I am always practical.”

Killian dips down and tugs her close as his mouth closes over hers. She can taste rum and cake on his tongue, and she appreciates the mixture of sweet and spice. His kiss doesn’t linger for long, but the feeling of it settles somewhere deep in her belly.

“I love you, my wife.”

“You just love calling me your wife.”

“I do. It’s got a nice ring to it. Makes me feel far more responsible than I am.���

Emma chuckles and shakes her head. He’s an idiot.

“I love you, too. Do you want to – ”

“Hey,” David interrupts, “can I borrow Emma for a minute?”

“What, mate?” Killian laughs, already letting go of her. “Do you not want to dance with me?”

David winks. “We’ll have our time later.”

“Promises, promises.”

“Oh my God, stop.”

“Never, love.” Killian winks and starts stepping away. “Do you want another glass of wine?”

“I do. Oh, and one of those popcorn bags. The – ”

“The cake flavored kind, I know.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a popcorn bar at a wedding before,” David says as he takes Emma’s hands in his and pulls her close. The song is changing to something faster, more upbeat, and while everyone else is changing how they dance, they don’t. “That’s kind of ingenious. I’ve always thought most wedding food was stuffy.”

“Says the man who had the most classic wedding menu in existence.”

David shrugs. “I can’t help it that I didn’t know I could sneak in some classic stadium food but put a gourmet twist on it so we didn’t seem cheap.”

“Eh, screw wedding traditions. Most of them are outdated anyway.”

David smiles and then spins her around, gently letting her go before pulling her back in as laughter rumbles in her chest. Never let it be said that David Nolan doesn’t know how to dance.

“You look beautiful tonight, by the way. I don’t remember if I got the chance to tell you that.”

“You did, but thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

“What a roundabout way to say I am the most handsome man in this room.”

Emma rolls her eyes. Her brother is also an idiot.

“Maybe to Mary Margaret.”

“Fine, fine,” he sighs, “I guess I can allow you to think that your husband is the most handsome man in the room. How’s that feel, by the way? Any different?”

Emma hums and looks over David’s shoulder to see Killian already holding a glass of wine in one hand, some rum in the other, and a small bag of popcorn sticking out of his shirt as he talks to Will and Belle. He looks ridiculous, and she really should have thought more about having him carry three things.

“Not different,” she answers, trying to figure out what to say. She’s technically been married to Killian for over a month now, and she still hasn’t quite been able to articulate the feeling in her gut. “I don’t really know. I mean, we’ve been pretty much committed to each other from the beginning, and we’ve been living together for a year and a half. I feel like everything is the same, but it’s like…I don’t know. It’s like it feels more permanent that I get to have this family that I found.”

And that, she thinks, is exactly what she’s been trying to say this entire time.

Family.

She’s had David, Mary Margaret, and Ruth for a decade and a half now. She’s had Ruby and Graham for a little less time than that. Then came everyone from the team and all of their partners, including Liam and Elsa and their kids.

And Killian.

He’s her family. She’s known that for a long time now, but there’s something nice about it being official.

Mr. and Mrs. Killian and Emma Jones.

Some kind of official unit who pays joint taxes and argues over what’s for dinner and who has pictures of the two of them on the bookshelf and on the walls.

Never in a million years could she have imagined her life going this way, but it did.

And it really all started because David took her to a Yankees game when she was a teenager. It’s funny how life works like that.

“You deserve all of it and more, kid,” David whispers as he leans down to kiss her forehead. “Tell Killian I’ll steal him for a dance later.”

“Oh, I promise you he’ll somehow find you first.”

David lets go of her hands, and Emma maneuvers away from the dance floor to go get Killian. He’s still talking to Will and Belle, and when she walks up to him, he hands her the glass of wine, and she takes a sip while trying to figure out what the hell they’re talking about.

“He fucking misread my signal.”

Never mind. She knows exactly what they’re talking about.

“Scarlet,” Emma sighs, “just for tonight, let it go. You and Robin can keep having your lovers spat tomorrow when I am not in the country to hear about it.”

“I have an international plan. I can still call you.”

“He is not going to call you,” Belle promises. “I will make sure of it.”

“I know he still will, but maybe I won’t answer.”

“And after all the nice things I said about you today.”

“What nice things did you say about me today?”

“I said you looked beautiful and that you are definitely Killian’s better half.”

Emma smiles into her glass and glances over at Killian. He is simply shaking his head.

“That was last night,” Emma tells Will, “but I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Emma,” Lucy interrupts, tugging on Emma’s elbow. She’s miraculously still got no stains on her dress, but her flower crown is a little worse for the wear. “Anna says that we can throw the confetti soon.”

“Yeah? Did she tell you what time, kid?”

“In thirty minutes.”

“Well, I will be sure to be ready for you to throw the confetti at me in thirty minutes, okay? Make sure to get a little on your uncle.”

“That’s what Daddy said too.”

“Hey,” Killian grumbles, “tell your father he can – ”

“Do not finish that sentence,” Emma laughs, turning back to Killian. “Do you think we can get Ariel to pilfer us a few more bags of this popcorn and send them home with us before we leave?”

“I’ve already had it arranged.”

“Ah, you’re knocking it out of the ballpark already, babe.”

“I see the awful sports-related puns never stop.”

“Never.”

Emma’s not really sure where the time goes. One minute she’s talking to Killian, and then the next she’s being pulled away by Ruby and Mary Margaret for some pictures. Then there’s another bite of cake and half a glass of water, and she somehow talks to everyone she knows in half an hour before they’re all throwing little pieces of confetti up in the air as she and Killian walk down a hallway on their way to the car that’s going to take them back to the hotel they’re staying in tonight.

Even the ride to the hotel seems to go in the blink of an eye, like they’re carefully putting a seatbelt over her dress one minute and then trying to figure out how to get her out of the car without the material dragging against the concrete the next.

Time does seem to slow, though, when they get inside the room and Emma can feel Killian’s lips against her neck. They’re warm, much like he is, and a shiver runs down her spine until it settles deep in her belly so that she can have some of Killian’s warmth as well.

It seems to be never-ending.

“On the side, you said?” Killian whispers against her skin.

“What?”

“Your zipper? Where is your zipper?”

“Oh,” Emma laughs, craning her head back against the door, “yeah, it’s on the side. Don’t yank on it. We don’t want a pearl disaster in here.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Emma’s chest heaves with want and with laughter, and it makes it difficult for Killian to get her zipper down. There was some kind of complicated part, and she ends up helping him, cursing under her breath when it gets stuck before they both get it down.

Team works makes the dream work and all that.

She really has to stop with the sports puns tonight, but her brain seems to always have them now.

Consequences of her job and her husband’s job, she guesses.

After her dress is finally off and carefully draped over a chair, they easily get Killian’s tux off, Emma’s fingers fumbling with the few buttons that are remaining before she tugs his pants down so that everything is resting on the floor. The bed is soft when she lands against it, but she really doesn’t have that much time to think about it when Killian’s head is suddenly between her thighs and she’s reduced to having no thoughts at all.

Damn, he’s good at that.

He’s also good when he sinks into her, warm and steady, and his hands interlace with her above their heads. It’s a gentle rhythm, loving and slow, and she savors the push and the pull, the give and the take, the want and the need.

The way that they fit together in some kind of far too cheesy, puzzle-like kind of way.

And tonight, there’s no added meaning to the way Killian thrusts into her. It’s the same as it almost always is, as it was when they first got together, when they fell in love, when they got married for real. It’s got her gulping for air as Killian kisses her and her hands squeezing his to hold onto the feeling of him for as long as she possibly can.

They’ve got forever, though, so maybe she doesn’t have to hold on too tightly.

Then again, why wouldn’t she when this is everything she never allowed herself to wish for?

-/-

-/-

As always, if you have a prompt for this universe (or another kind), send it to my inbox!

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[lokisgame]

A Generous Donation [11]

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10]

They woke up together, early, because she needed to stop by her place to change for the day. "There's a new toothbrush in the cabinet," he grinned, kissing her good morning and earning a poke under the rib, laughing. "Good, you should use it sometimes," she said, and sat up, stretching arms over her head. "I should bring something to sleep in next time." Mulder grinned and ran one hand down her bare back. "I'm not complaining." "Something silk and short, you'd love it." "More than what you're wearing now? I doubt it." "Flatterer," she teased and went for the bathroom, wearing nothing and wearing it well.

Ten minutes later she was downstairs, taking the coffee he offered. They stood next to each other, leaning against the counter, she in her yesterday's business casual, he in loose swats and a t-shirt, scratching his cheek. The day settling in. "What time do you think they'll have the results." "Sometime before lunch," she said, "they'll call." "I can't imagine you did this for weeks." "What?" "Waiting, it's killing me." He said, but then checked himself, "bad joke, sorry." "Transplant ward humour," she smiled, bumping his shoulder, "you're a natural." "Type 0 negative, take what you want." "More dad jokes?" "As long they are not dead jokes." "You're hilarious," she deadpanned making him laugh, for real this time. "I have to go, thanks for the toothbrush." She put the mug in the sink and as she looked up, he touched her chin, bringing her lips to his, kissing them softly. "What's that for?" "Luck," he said and kissed her again. He got the call around noon.

Scully stood a few feet from the door to Will's room, waiting for Walter to be done talking to the head nurse, realising, she was biting her nails. "You're a mess," she told herself under her breath, trying to calm her heart and conjure some leftover confidence. "Shall we?" Walter said and together they went in. "Will," she greeted him, crossing the room as he looked up from the book he was reading. He smiled, if faintly, his eyes fixed on the man behind her. "Hi mom," he said and nodded, "Sir." "How are you doing Will," Skinner asked, shaking his hand. "Not too bad," Will said, closing the book. "Mom? What's going on." "We found a donor." She said, moving straight to the point. "Yes," Skinner nodded, standing by the foot of his bed. "And since you're legally an adult, we need your consent to start with the treatment." "You got a pen?" Will said, turning pale but sitting straight. "It's not like I have much choice." "You always have a choice," Skinner said, resting his hands on the footboard. "Hear him out, Will." Scully said, putting her arm around him. "I'm obligated to explain to you the procedure, before you sign anything, so listen carefully." Will nodded. "Before we get you better, we will have to make you worse, a lot worse." "Chemo, I know." "You have to understand, we have to wipe out your immune system and destroy your own bone marrow, to get you ready for the donor cells. It won't be pretty, you will have to go through a very aggressive regimen of chemotherapy, during which you will remain in isolation to limit any risk of infection." "How long that will take?" "About two days, it will hurt like hell and there might be complications." "What then." "While you go through the preparations, we will take marrow from the donor and store it, until you are ready for transplant." "Then?" "Then once you're ready, you’ll receive the new, healthy marrow, and then we wait." "How will that look like?" "Like a blood transfusion, the cells are transferred into your bloodstream and through that, settle in your bones, where they'll hopefully stay and start to grow, rebuilding your blood and immune system, while you remain in observation." "And how long that might be?" "Usually around 100 days," Skinner said, "during that time we will monitor your condition, watching blood cell counts and keep an eye out for any signs of graft rejection." "So we're looking at three months." "At the hospital, after that, you will remain under supervision, but hopefully on an out-patient basis." "Alright, when do we start?" "As soon as we get you transferred to isolation." "Don't worry," Scully said, drawing him closer, "I'll be as close to you as I can." "I know you will." He said, leaning a little into her. "Okay, where do I sign?" "Here are the forms," Skinner said, handing him a stack of papers with a pen. "I'll leave you for a moment, I have to talk to the nurses." "Thanks." Will said and started scribbling his name on dotted lines, his hand shaking a little. He was almost done with the paperwork when he spoke again, careful not to look up. "Mom?" "Yes?" "Who is it?" He asked quietly, "The donor, anyone we know?" Scully took a deep breath, finding her voice, then whispered. "It's Mulder." Will nodded, writing his name one last time with a flourish.

He answered the phone on third ring. "Mulder." "Hey, it's me." Her voice on the other end sounded small. "How is he?" "It's bad, the things he went through so far, are nothing compared to this." "It's necessary." "I know," she sighed, "but it doesn't make it any easier." "You'll stay with him all night?" "I need to, I can't leave him." "Of course, but try to get some sleep, for me, please?" "I'll try, and how are you doing?" "Nervous," he said, closing his eyes, "it's not like I'll be peeing into a plastic cup." She huffed out quarter of a laugh. "No, it's not," "Good to know there's still one laughing bone left in you intact," he teased softly, "you'll be okay. Both of you will." "You want me to take you home after?" "No, you don't have to." "Someone should keep an eye on you," Mulder laughed, warmed by her concern. "Scully, baby, you can't be in all places at once, and right now, Will needs you more than I do." "But it's the least I can do." "I talked to some friends, they'll come pick me up." "But," "Relax, I'll be alright. When do you think they will," "Thursday, if there's no complications." "Thanksgiving," Mulder said. "Yeah, let's hope we'll have something to be thankful for." Silence stretched, humming with anxiety. "Does he know it's me?" Mulder asked finally and Scully sighed, he could almost hear her shoulders slump. "Yes," she said, "I'm sorry, he asked." "No, it's okay," Mulder said gently, "he would've figured it out, eventually." Someone said something in the background and Scully said she'll be right with them. "I have to go," she said to the phone, "they're starting Will on another round." "Sure, go, we'll talk tomorrow." "Wait, what time is it?" "Almost eleven, go, be with your kid." "Mulder?" "Yeah?" "I," she choked on words and pain in her voice tore at his heart some more. "I know, go," he said and hung up.

The ballpark was full, Fenway Park packed to capacity with red, white and blue. Heavy clouds gathered in the east, threatening to dump their load and end the game before the Red Sox had any chance at fighting back. The score was tied and the tall, chestnut haired kid in the field already earned two strikes. Opposite him stood a giant, clad in Yankee midnight blue, his face merciless like the face of baseball God. Mulder watched the boy fix his grip on the bat. "Remember," he muttered under his voice, "hips before hands…" The ball flew, the boy swung the bat… "How are we doing, mr Mulder?" Boomed a voice, yanking him out of the dream and blowing it away in seconds, while reality rushed in. The sky outside looked painted with red and orange, sun finally peeking through to say goodnight. A tall, bald doctor was walking in, the one who was in charge of the procedure. Skinner was the name, Mulder remembered, gathering himself to sit up. "I had worse," he said while the mans' hands were on him, businesslike but not callous, checking pulse and bandages. He looked through Mulders' chart and satisfied, started making notes on some new papers he brought. "Well, you look fine enough to go home for the rest of the day. Most of the side effects should be gone by the end of the week," Skinner said, signing the release form, "but it can take up to a month for you to completely recover, so my advice is to try to take it easy." "I will," Mulder said and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you." "No, Mr Mulder, thank you. You quite possibly saved a young mans' life, and my friends' son, I'm truly grateful." "He's a great kid." "He sure is." Skinner smiled and left the room. The tv hummed in the background and Mulder glanced at the clothes laid out on the bed. His back ached and the thought of pulling on pants filled him with dread, but he bit the bullet and, perched on the edge of the mattress, gingerly started to dress. "I can do this," he said to himself, moving at a glacial pace when a voice came from the doorway. "We volunteer to pick you up and this is what we get in return?" Mulder sighed and looked at the two men standing in the doorway. Both of them were around his age, but as he aged with grace and dignity, they looked basically as they did the day they met. Basements of MIT held some pretty interesting relics. "Stop passing judgment," he said to the tall one, "it's like Arctic in here." "No it's not," the man replied and walked in. "You sure you're okay to go home?" Asked the shorter one, pushing a wheelchair in front of him. "Frohike, get that thing away from me." "Hospital policy," the tall one grinned, adding, "old man." "Blow me, Langly," Mulder said, pulling himself to his feet, but then he hissed and wobbled. Langly caught him and helped him into the chair. "Easy." "Thanks." Frohike took the bag and the jacket from the bed and glanced around the room. "You had anything else with you?" "No," Mulder said, trying to control his breathing while his stomach auditioned for Cirque du Soleil. "Hey, you sure you okay?" "Yeah," he swallowed hard and finally looked up. "I'm just worried, I can do that at home as well." "If you say so." Frohike said pulling the doors open and Langly pushed the chair, with Mulder in it, towards the elevators and the parking lot.

The Gunmen didn't try to pull him into their conversation, letting him rest, while Byers pitched his patience against late afternoon traffic. They took him straight home, arguing from where to order the pizza, and what should be on top. They made the call from the car to save time. Mulder managed the steps to his front door and headed straight for the couch, pulling the blanket over himself, barely any strength left to toe off his sneakers. "Did you talk to the good doctor today?" "Yeah, she called this morning." "Called." Langly said, dubious. "She's with her son, no point in her going in and out of quarantine zone just to talk." "Well," he began, but then thought better of it. "You're right." "Here are your meds," Byers said, putting a glass of water next to the bag on the coffee table. "You should take them after dinner." The doorbell rang and Langly went to get it, his wallet out to pay for the delivery. Mulder ate one slice, without getting up, took the pills and watched the game on tv, which someone had turned on. Low conversation hummed around him, comfortable, familiar, and completely undemanding. It was one of the little things he was grateful for most, having people he could count on without worrying about returning the favour. Food, meds and being home helped a lot, but his mind kept drifting to Scully, her nervous hands he wished he could hold, her tense shoulders he would gather under his arm. His brave, strong Scully, fighting for her son. Mulder's prayers were short and to the point, since he wasn't even sure, if there was an all-powerful God. He didn't need much from the one above, or below, or around for that matter, if one wanted to be fair to all, nothing more than not making them stand over a hole in the ground, because that hole would forever stay open in their hearts. He didn't watch the game end, or notice the boys look at him then at each other. The question that hung unspoken, finally ripened enough to be voiced. "Why do you do it?" Frohike said from the chair by the fireplace and Mulder sighed, pulling the blankets a little closer around himself. "If I ever had a kid," he said quietly, "I hope there would be someone, who would do the same for him." His friends looked at him for a long moment, expressions gradually softening, while they accepted the answer as true to Mulders' nature as they might ever expect. "Well, let's hope it works." Frohike said and smiled warmly. "Yeah, let's." Mulder relied and watched them get up to leave. "Take it easy," said Byers, shrugging into his long coat, "and call if you need anything." "Thanks." "Anytime man." Langly said and zipped up his leather jacket. Frohike patted his shoulder and they left, leaving Mulder with his fears and aches. His part was done, now all he could do was wait.

[swimmingruinsdream]

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[razorblade180]

Scrappy

[Lasting Embers universe]

Deep in the forest of of Menagerie an obstacle course as been set up for a group of individuals; all of them in black cammo pants and form fitting black t-shirts. Men and women crawling under wire, balance beams sprints, monkey bars, and worst of all a rope. This extended 75ft in the air with a bell that few can reach; including a sixteen year old white tiger faunus that was currently covered in mud.

Ilia:Come on rookie!!!!! You’re not even half way up there yet and I can tell you’re drenched and about to pass out. If you can’t do this then I don’t even know why you bothered showing up to boot camp!!!

Sienna:*inching up* Come on Sienna, you got this. So what if you’re tired? Doesn’t change the distance or the goal, just....keep....climbing.

Various recruits scream various things that are both positive and negative as instructed. Others toss small mud balls to add to the difficulty.

“You can do it!”

“Just fall already!!!!”

“Give it up runt! You’re the smallest here.”

“Show him what you’re made of!”

“Miner kid....”

That one caught her attention. She looked to her right to see a smug recruit on the ground staring at her with his red eyes. He was a stocky and in his early twenties. Brown hair and a scar across his face were all that really made him look interesting. Sienna would’ve gave him another one if she was allowed to.

Sienna:Of course Damon is trying to shoot me down. *climbs harder*

Damon:Aww don’t ignore me. Did I say something rude miner? That word should mean nothing to you right. *chucks mud ball*

Sienna:*blocks it* Fuck off......

Ilia:Language! You all might be thugs and mercenaries at heart but that doesn’t mean you get to act like it. Being apart of The Shadows means-

Recruits:Using ruthless lifestyle skills to uphold the honest living of others.

Ilia:I will give you all 50 more laps if you do that again.

Damon:That little mission statement is fine and all but does that even apply to kitty over here? Last time I checked this organization is supposed to have the most lethal people around and here we have a kid that doesn’t even a semblance. Can’t even smoke.

Sienna:Considering how my scores are better than yours, me not having a semblance should make you feel happy; it give you a chance to keep up with me. If breathing is still possible for you; might wanna quit while you can Mr. Mercenary.

Damon:*grits teeth*

Ilia:If you can talk then you can climb! Hurry up before I start chucking mud at you myself.

She did as she was told and picked up the pace as best as she could. Her arms felt like fire and the mud drying on her wasn’t helping. By the half way point things were slightly better; dodging mud was easier when none could travel that high up. Until one actually did make that far and landed right on her face; smacking her off the rope like if a baseball hit her.

Recruits:*catch her* Are you okay?

Sienna:Ow....what was up with the mu- *picks it up*

It’s as dense as a literal baseball and perfectly round for a moment before falling apart like normal mud. Her icy blue dart towards Damon as he tries not laugh; the recruits back up as they notice her pupils slowly get more cat like as they hear a low growl.

Damon:What’s wrong kitty cat? You seem a bit a bit ruffled. I’m just trying to bring out the best in you; a person with no semblance should work twice as hard to even get close enough to the same skill as someone who does. Think of it as real life experience.

Sienna:*gets up* The nurses will get real life experience stitching you up when I wrip out your-

Ilia:Enough! Both of you.

Sienna:Me!? But he’s the one who-

Ilia:Sienna, just walk away. I will handle this myself now go hit the showers.

Sienna:......*walks away frustrated*

Damon:That’s it? I expected more from you. I guess being oppressed and underground for so long made you used to being beneath others. Anyone else here would at least try putting me in my place. You however, I guess your just a runt after all. Bet your family pulled your weight in the mines.....

Sienna’s footsteps immediately stopped and pivoted around. Before Ilia could even register what was about to happen it was too late. The young Shadow in training was already passed her and swiping at the older man with close out and dangerously sharp. Each attack filled with rage as they failed to connect with her target that was reading her like a play book with ease. If she was thinking then it would’ve been clear a match with a seasoned mercenary wasn’t going to be some walk in the part. A quick jab to her nose and a foot ramming into her ribs made the message clear with obvious pain now shooting through her. His boots felt like straight steel.

Damon:Oh so you do have fighting spirit? Or at least try to that is....

Sienna:I’LL SHOW YOU FIGHTING SPIRIT!!!! *leaps at him*

Damon:*catches and throws her* Geez you’re like a rag doll. Light and totally flimsy. *puts boot on her* I’ll admit you have guts but that’s about all you-gah!!!!

Sienna:*clawing his leg* Do you ever shut up? Your voice is hurting my ears.

She manages to get her right leg in between both of his and wrap it around the punks leg from behind; her left leg does the same but wraps around the front of it like a vice. All of her wait is focused on driving her legs to the ground, causing the man to fall and put into a leg lock. Bone and muscle can be heard through the painful grunts from both fighters.

Sienna:I’ll break it, I swear I will.

Damon:*smiles* I believe you....

Suddenly the ground below them gets harder as he raises his pinned leg and slams it against the ground. Sienna’s head smacks the floor hard, everything gets blurry. Then everything got dark.....

[Oasis]

Jacquelyn:*watering flowers* hmmm hmm🎶

Jael:*running*Moooooom!

Jacquelyn:Hey there sweetheart *picks her up* why are you running? You know it’s dangerous for you.

Jael:Mom, I’m ten years old. I know my limits *pouts*

Jacquelyn:I know you’re upset right now but your pudgy cheeks are too adorable to take you seriously. *hugging her*

Jael:Agh, you’re squeezing too tight! I was running because you have a call!!!! *holds up scroll.* stop leaving your scroll around.

Jacquelyn:I got a call? That’s rare *answers* Hello, Jackie Frost speaking. Oh hi Ilia!!! How is training the-.....

Jael:???

Jacquelyn:SHE’S WHAT!?

[Infirmary]

Boot camp was a lot of things, unprepared wasn’t one of them. You don’t get together some of the most aggressive people the world has to offer without proper medical care. Breaking without consequences is another thing that isn’t tolerated as Sienna is learning. Only moments ago did she wake up to find herself with bandages around her head and in a hospital bed; also her left arm handcuffed to it. Everyone was about to be treated to a loud scream from the girl who wanted answers but thankfully Ilia walked in before Sienna got the chance.

Ilia:Well look who’s finally awake? The troublemaker herself.

Sienna:ME!? I- ow...*holds her head*

Ilia:Woah there...*leans her back* Try not to scream or move around idiot. Concussions don’t like those things.

Sienna:N...noted, damn that Damon. Slamming me into mud wasn’t good enough; he had to make it hard as stone. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fall off the rope caused this either.

Ilia:I hear you blaming Damon but yet not yourself. This could’ve been avoided if you walked away. He was already gonna be punished but you had to escalate the situation didn’t you?

Sienna:But-

Ilia:No buts Sienna!

Sienna:.......

Ilia:In a mission you are expected to follow orders to the letter without hesitation. No matter what he said about you, disobeying me was the wrong call. Again and again your temper clouds your judgement; can you guess how many times I’ve seen you get into a fight.

Sienna:.......are we counting my whole life or just boot camp?

Ilia:Sigh......I think I should opt you out of Shadow training.

Her blood went cold at those words. If it wasn’t for the concussion, Sienna would’ve been shaking her head in denial and protest.

Sienna:You....you can’t do that. I’ve passed all tests, making the grades, honing my skills, I-

Ilia:You are young and hot headed. Not to mention filled with so much potential to do anything with your life. Damon is right about you not being like everyone else. Yes you’ve seen the worst of what this world has to offer since you were six but only as a victim. These people are used to being the thieves, spies, and murderers. Hands like yours shouldn’t be tainted like that. Especially when your family-

Sienna:Foster family...... I love them but that title is very important to me; it separates the past from the present. Also, are you forgetting I already have one person’s blood on my hands? *stares at them*

Ilia:That was self defense.

Sienna:Don’t care, they’re dead and I have to live with it. Those mines.....those stupid isolation rooms and “treatment’ programs. *clenches teeth* No way I could just go live some ordinary life after that. I’m only alive because clung to it and killed the part of me that could’ve lived normally. Guess in that phrasing then it means I killed two people that day. If I become a Shadow then I can stop horrible people from causing pain before they get the chance. I can stop more people like me from being shaped by such trauma. So please.... *tears up* don’t take me out the program. It’s my dream.

Ilia:.....I-

“Let her stay”

Both of them look towards the door to see Adam standing there with his arms crossed and learning against the door frame. Instantly Sienna’s ears and head drop down in guilt; upset with herself for causing such a mess that the leader of the whole organization swooped by.

Ilia:Shouldn’t you be laying low and doing paperwork?

Adam:Everyone here is sworn to secrecy and it’s not like those papers are going anywhere. *walks forward* Sienna......

Sienna:*Looking away* Yes sir......?

Adam:What’s with the formalities? It’s just us in here. Let’s try this again *slowly turns her head* Sienna.....

Sienna:.....Yeah dad?

Adam:It’s starting to feel like we see each other during lectures than at dinner.

Sienna:Maybe because you’re not home half the time....

Adam:Fair point, but you get what I’m saying right? Take it from me, short tempers get you into nothing but trouble that could’ve avoided entirely.

Sienna:It’s just....all the things he kept saying I....I can’t stand being weak. I’m the youngest there, no semblance, and completely wet behind the ears like he said. Still, I hate how he looked down on me. I know my grades should speak for themselves but they don’t.

Adam:I see, respect is what you wanted. Validation of all the effort you’ve put in. Tell me, is something like that really worth it from someone like him? Not only is he also a recruit but his scores are lower than yours despite his advantages. Do you know why?

Sienna:I want it more than he does.

Adam:Precisely, in this world you got so far by having a hunger to keep going like no one else; it was press on or lay dead on the bloody floor. Not many can do what you did at such a young age. As far as I’m concerned he’s right about not being like the rest; you’re better.

Sienna:*red*.......

Adam:Not to mention you got a pretty big heart that genuinely wants to help the best way it knows how. As a parent the path you’ve chosen scares me, but as your future boss I hope when I’m long gone that someone like you can continue keeping things on the straight and narrow. Before all that though you still need to graduate. How will you do that?

Sienna:*takes a breath* Following orders.....and learning to keep calm like Ilia says. I’m sorry dad.

Adam:I’m not the one who needs an apology.

Sienna:Ilia, I’m sorry for being such a handful. May I please stay in the program?

Ilia:......You’ll be on leave for two weeks. Just enough time for all the work you’re gonna miss to be annoying; also enough time to put you through horrific drills after your head heals. But yes you can stay. One day for sure I’m gonna make a fine Shadow out of you.

Sienna:*smiles* There’s not a doubt in my mind you will ma’am!

Ilia:Ugh, I feel so old when you say that. By the way your punishment begins now; I called your mom.

Sienna:You did wha-

Jacquelyn:*runs through door* Sienna!!!! Oh thank goodness you’re okay and- *gasp* Is that my darling husband!?

Sienna:Wow mom, I feel the love and concern right now...

Jael:*runs in* Sissy!

Sienna:Hey there kiddo! Oh I’ve missed you while I was at camp.

Jael:*sits on bed* Well maybe if you wrote letters then you’d miss me less. You’re as bad as Father!

Adam:Ouch.....right here.

Jael:*smiles* I know, why is my sister handcuffed?

Sienna:Don’t worry about it. I was misbehaving and they had to.

Jael:Hmph! That’s dumb...

Jael grabs the chain and squeezes tight. Soon after, her hand glows and she snaps snaps it easily. Sienna is amazed every time she sees her little sister discover how to use her semblance. Gravity control is a very useful thing to have.

Jael:All better! Whoever did that to you has to face me!

Ilia:It was me you little rascal.

Jael:Aunt Ilia? Fine, I meant went I said! *puts fists up*

Sienna:Looks like I’m not the only one with fighting spirit.

Ilia:I hope she doesn’t have an explosive temper like her big sis. *smiles* the world isn’t ready for that.

Adam:I’ll say, me or the world isn’t ready for that force of nature yet.

Jael:Please, like I’ll ever be as hot head as you two. I’m as cool as they come.

[six years later, hospital]

Sienna:*watching over a comatose Adam* If you don’t head out soon you’ll miss your boat to Beacon.

Jael:I’m leaving now. *opens door*

Sienna:Jael......don’t do anything reckless you hear me? You’re as cool as they come remember?

Jael:.......I thought I was. *leaves*

Sienna:I don’t know if you can hear me dad but please watch over her. Guess I wasn’t a very good role model.

Nothing was said after that, it wasn’t like she expected a response anyway. She began to close her eyes and hold her hands together. Sienna was never one to pray often, but this was too important to take any chances with. Selling her own wouldn’t be a bad price to pay if she could.

Sienna:Please.....don’t let her end up like me or the rest of us. Keep her hands clean....

[thatcomesandstaysfire]

So I know I missed the Catching Fire rewatch (and The Hunger Games rewatch...oops) but I finally have a chance to sit down and watch CF. I’m just gonna put every little thing that pops into my head here...sorry in advance

- That depiction of her ptsd? *chef kiss* 

- It’s kind of dumb that they set that first Gale kiss inside the fence. I just remember my reaction reading when Snow said he knew about the kiss that took place outside the fence. Like, oh shit how much do they know? Is there anywhere that is safe?!

- Haymitch would be good at baseball

- Peeta’s Glow-up yall! Too bad they put him in some of the stupidest outfits

- Donald Sutherland and Jennifer Lawrence are soooo good in the office scene

- I kinda wish they included her mom drawing her bath and adding the dried flowers. 

Peeta: That was nice acting

Katniss: You too

Peeta: bruh

- when that peacekeeper realized the door was open

- seriously what is that sweater, peeta?

- oo yay their favorite colors

- its scenes like ^ this one, or any direct quotes really, that make me disconnect a bit because Jen (especially) and Josh are NOT Katniss and Peeta for me. Idk dude

- district eleven guts me. so well done! and when Haymitch hugs and katniss, and says it will be alright, but all she can see is the older man’s corpse being carried away!! perfectly sets up how helpless and dangerous it all is. 

- “Will you stay with me?” “always” still a little salty we didn’t get this scene after the tour when she injures her foot, and we get the “I didn’t quite catch it.” The pay-off from that in Mockingjay made me flip, it hurt so bad. 

- Honestly still salty about how many Everlark they cut. 

- “Everyone wears [their hair] like this now, Grandpa” Do you think the did this to deliberately call out crazed (superficial) fans by saying they’re just like the capitol. We’ll wear your hairstyle and obsess over your love story while ignoring the real message. 

- Caesars FACE during the proposal! Stanley Tucci was excellent casting

- ooo gales grumpy

- Cant get over that random capitol extra that touches Jen’s shoulder during the party at Snows mansion

- “All mahogany” brilliant

- I wish they’d kept peeta’s original line from the books when they’re told about the liquid that makes you puke. “You go along, thinking you can deal with it, thinking maybe they’re not so bad, and then you-” which leads to the “maybe we were wrong, katniss” It’s such an important moment! But in the movie, Peeta’s line “there are people starving and twelve and here..” doesn’t have the same revelation or same rebelliousness too it.

- Phillip Seymour Hoffman does a great job, but the whole characterization of Plutarch in the movies is way off for me. 

- This movie is really dropping in a bunch of small pieces of fan service that were lacking from the first one. The Hob gets mentioned, and now we see Ripper. Not like only-movie viewers will get that. 

- I wish we had Peeta protecting Katniss from seeing Gales whipping like in the books. Peeta’s kindness and self-less love for Katniss are perfectly communicated through that entire event, and in the movie, we only really get a glimpse. 

- I HATE that they made Ms. Everdeen basically incapable of healing and had Prim take over. I get it, Prim is underdeveloped but you don’t need to take away one of the few things Katniss admires about her mother in order to make Prim more likable

- aw puppy dog peeta 

- oof I am not a fan of Willow Shields acting. It’s so flat. 

Katniss: What do you see

Prim: o_o hope 

- I will never not be mad at haymitch for the “thousand lifetimes” line

- Ugh! I know that gale kiss before the reaping was supposed to communicate (I guess?) that Katniss chose gale and shes saying goodbye or whatever, but ugh i hate it. It is unnecessary

- That one slip of paper in the bowl still kills me. I remember people laughing in the theaters. 

- aw effies face

Prim: o_o Katniss! Katniss

- white t-shirt, black jacket peeta. unf he looks like a greaser. One of the few good outfits they put him in.  

- Sugar cube scene - FLAWLESS. I love Sam Claflin

- Jena Malone is exactly how I pictured johanna

- Also “Katniss’” reaction to Peeta agree to unzip, hilarious, but that is all Jen. 

- Wiress, Beetee, and Mags are also really good casting 

- PEETA WHAT ARE THOSE PANTS?? (you all know they ones I’m talking about)

- The Rue painting? the Seneca beard on the dummy? the bow? Excellent 

- “If it wasn’t for the baby”..... then that smirk! Then haymitch’s lil cheers! its soo good. Also josh’s little trot up the stairs in his little white boots? hilarious.

- Haymtich’s nipples...that is all

- “remember who the real enemy is” 

- Pissed we didn’t get an everlark quick during the breif “see you soon” scene before the quell

Snow: Look at them holding hands. I want them dead

Plutarch: Be Patient

Snow: bitch what did you say to me

- NOOO CINNAAA

- Goddamn that entrance into the arena! the way its shot is so disorienting and overwhelming. Well done Francis. 

- Peeta’s got a kill under belt folks! 

- “Gods it’s hot” yes you are

- Finnick you cheeky bastard

- What i wouldn’t give to be Finnicks elderly backpack

- That snotty kiss after the force field. Katniss trembling. Finnick’s look of realization. I do wish they included the line about “It’s probably her hormones” though. 

- Its a SPILE!!!

- the gasping, moaning and groaning when they’re drinking water/when they’re treating their boils from the fog--- so suggestive, i can’t 

- Peeta ended quite a few monkeys, how can yall say he’s weak

- Peeta easing the morphing while she dies is a very well done scene and it is shot beautifully, but it would’ve been so much better with the direct lines from the book. It's so much gentler and lovelier. 

- Where is the green ointment? Where are the childish shenanigans??

- Katniss and Wiress are CUTE!!

- missed out on yet another everlark moment after the cornucopia spins

- YYOO the jabberjay scene is so intense! And peeta pushing his head against the force field, look so helpless to get to katniss breaks my little heart 

- BEACH SCENE!!!!

- Lol plutarchs little “make yourself comfortable” while we know he’s off to his hovercraft. 

- See you at midnight----So that was a lie 

- Just a comment but Jen’s hair in every scene in the arena looks so good. 

- “REMEMBER WHO THE REAL ENEMY IS” she’s got it folks

- Snow is STUNNED 

- Jesus motif - katniss is legit T-posing in the hovercraft claw

- the scene katniss attacks haymitch and then being subdued is perfection. THE DRAMA

- that extended closeup at the end, where we see the RANGE of emotions that crosses her face, i just, Jen is really talented. 

Verdict: Haymitch’s nipples 

But for real, CF is my favorite movie in the series. It’s not perfect, but as a movie ADAPTATION, it's pretty great. 

[thebuckblogimo]

The Faja Essays.

May 22, 2020

We have all met people along the way who have influenced our lives. If I were to do a “top ten” of those who influenced mine, Garry Faja, my high school buddy who died last summer, would be high on the list. The son of working class parents whose father emigrated from Poland and repaired machinery at the Rouge plant, Garry went on to become the President and CEO of St. Joseph Mercy Health System. Recently, I and four or five of Garry’s friends and former healthcare profession colleagues were asked to write essays for a book about him being compiled by a friend from his grad school days at U-M. It is intended to be a keepsake for Garry’s only child. I was honored to be asked to contribute stories about Garry’s early life. Because several people who follow this space knew him well, I’ve posted the portion I wrote below:

First Impressions.

I had heard of Garry when he was an eighth-grader during the 1960-61 school year at St. Barbara’s grade school, near Schaefer and Michigan in East Dearborn. I was also in the eighth grade, attending St. Alphonsus school, just a mile or two to the north. Garry and I both had neighborhood reputations as athletes at our respective schools.

St. Al’s, however, had a much more successful CYO sports program than St. Barbara’s. We won our divisional football championship in the fall, going undefeated; we won our divisional basketball championship in the winter, going undefeated again; and we were 6 and 0 in the league in baseball that spring when we played Garry’s St. Barbara team on a sunny May afternoon at Gear Field.

That’s when--BAM--it happened: “Down go the Arrows…down go the Arrows…to Dearborn St. Barbara’s.” An old news clip from The Michigan Catholic, a popular weekly newspaper in those days, included the following snippet about CYO baseball that spring: “Dearborn St. Barbara’s came through with the upset of the week by knocking off St. Alphonsus, 11-8. St. Alphonsus still holds first place in the Southwest Division with a 6-1 mark.”

Neither Garry nor I could ever recall how either one of us performed on the field that day. We did recall, however, that we both looked forward to joining forces and playing sports together in high school. St. Barbara did not have a high school; St. Alphonsus did. Garry had long planned to enroll for his freshman year (1961-62) at St. Al’s, where his brother had been a track star, one of the top high school hurdlers in the state.

When we began high school in the fall of ‘61, I recall standing in the middle of the playground with my close friend Anthony Adams, along with Sam Bitonti and Patrick Rogers. I remember looking over to Calhoun, the side-street on which the high school was located, and noticed a small procession of cars dropping off new students from St. Barbara’s: twins Jim and Mike Keller, Sue Hudzik, Margo Tellish (Garry’s grade school girlfriend) and the “big fella” himself.

At the urging of Garry’s mother, Jim, Mike and Garry wore white shirts to school that day. “The boys” and I, on the other hand, wore multi-colored shirts (mine was purple), skinny ties, tight pants and pointed shoes. Looking like “the Sharks” from West Side Story, we approached the new kids, welcomed them to St. Al’s and shook their hands.

I’ve long thought that the way we were each dressed that day—Garry in his white button-down, me in my bold attire—portended the essence of what we would ultimately take away from each other at the completion of high school: for me, a determination to go about things the right way; for him, a touch of edginess.

The Person. The Scholar. The Athlete.

I never knew anyone who didn’t like Garry Faja. Unless, that is, you count a hulking bruiser by the name of “Bucyk” from Ashtabula, who elbowed our buddy Tony Adams in the chest and tried to intimidate us on the street at Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. (Thank God we talked our way out of that one.) Otherwise, all the guys, girls, parents, nuns and coaches of the St. Al’s community loved Garry. He commanded respect on every level—for his heart, his intelligence, his athletic prowess.

Garry was a born leader. Despite being the “new guy,” he made such a good early impression in high school that he was elected president of the freshman class. He was a member of the student council all four years. And he was elected president of our senior class.

Garry was an excellent student, a member of the National Honor Society. He was neither class valedictorian--that was Lorraine Denby--nor the salutatorian--that was my girlfriend, Leslie Klein—but he had an extraordinary ability to “figure things out,” enabling him to excel at algebra, trigonometry, chemistry, the sciences. Moreover, he was highly disciplined. He had what our parents called “stick-to-it-tive-ness,” and it served him well at everything he did.

Garry was an organizer, a strategic thinker, who rallied for increased student attendance and crowd participation at high school games, involvement in a big-brother/big-sister-type mentoring program by seniors for freshmen, as well as causes he believed in. For example, it was Garry, with support from senior class leaders such as Larry Fitch, Vince Capizzo, Tony Adams and myself who compiled a list of “Ten Demands” that were presented to the school principal, Sister Marie Ruth, on behalf of the Class of ’65. It was, essentially, a protest against what we perceived to be unreasonable rules and disciplinary actions created by the priests and nuns of St. Alphonsus: single-file lines and “no talking” during change of class; locked school doors on sub-zero mornings during winter; mandatory daily Mass attendance, etc.

It was a daring, out-of-the box challenge to religious authority for a bunch of Catholic high school kids in those days. Predictably, our demands went nowhere and we were disciplined by having to stay inside the school for two weeks during recess, and, ironically, forbidden to attend daily Mass for two weeks. (The nuns showed us, I guess.)  

Sometimes I wonder whether our youthful backlash, with Garry at the forefront, was an early tip-off to the kind of student thinking that morphed into the free-speech movement and anti-war protests that developed on college campuses across the country a year or two later.

As highly as Garry is remembered as a person and leader by St. Al’s Class of ’65, he is recalled by “old Arrows” for his basketball playing ability. He was a starter on the JV squad from day one of his freshman year. However, it took just a few weeks for the coaches to realize that he was talented enough to help the varsity. In Coach Dave Kline’s last year at St. Alphonsus, Garry was moved up to the varsity where he became “sixth man,” before being designated a starter at mid-season. That was big stuff, really big stuff, for a freshman at our school.

So what kind of player was Garry?

A mini-version of former U-M standout Terry Mills, in my estimation. He was a shade under 6’2” tall…thick-skinned…had a nice 15-foot jump shot…and an ability to use his derriere to “get position” under the basket. Any former St. Al’s player would tell you that Garry had game and a distinctive way of gliding up and down the court. For some reason, he also suffered severely sprained ankles more often than any other young athlete I have ever known.

Garry and I were starters together for three years under Coach Ron Mrozinski and were elected co-captains as seniors. Garry once said, “Lenny, we gotta be the team’s one-two punch.” I had speed and quickness, often stealing the ball at mid-court, and would dump it off to Garry who could be counted on to fill the lane. If he came up with the ball after the other team turned it over, I was to beat my man and streak toward the basket, expecting to receive the ball from Garry. We pulled that stuff off dozens of times each year. But we never realized our dream of winning the Catholic League’s A-West Division title and competing in the Catholic League tournament at the U-D Memorial Building (now called Calihan Hall).

However, Garry was named to the Dearborn Independent’s all-city basketball team after his senior season in 1965, a particularly special honor when you consider that St. Al’s had an enrollment of just 450 students, while most other first-teamers and “honorable mentions” on the all-city squad came from Class A schools with enrollments approaching 2,000 (Fordson, Dearborn High and Edsel Ford).

Happy Days at Camp Dearborn.

It was prime time for Dearborn during the early-to-mid ‘60s. The city had idyllic neighborhoods, spilling over with kids from the baby boom generation. The Ford Rouge plant was pumping out record numbers of vehicles, including an all-new “pony car” called the Mustang. And it owned Camp Dearborn (in Milford, 30-35 miles away), over 600 acres of rolling land with several man-made lakes, devoted to the recreational interests of Dearborn residents.

One of Camp Dearborn’s attractions was a narrow tract of land along the Huron River, designated for tent camping by teenagers. Dubbed “Hobo Village,” it was “chaperoned”—if you want to call it that--by a couple of disinterested college kids who worked day jobs, cleaning up the camp, and who lived in their own tent on the river.  As 15-year-olds in the summer of ’62, Garry and I got our first taste of independence when we camped there together for a week.

We set up a large tent, with two cots inside, that my Dad had purchased at a garage sale. We hung a Washington Senators pennant to decorate its interior. And we subsisted on Spam and eggs that we cooked in a Sunbeam electric fry pan (we had access to electricity) that my Mom let us borrow.

Every evening we’d cross the camp on foot en route to the Canteen for the nightly dances. We’d get “pumped” every time we heard “Do You Love Me” by the Contours playing in the distance. Our goal, of course, was to meet “chicks,” and we attended the dances for seven straight nights. However, I don’t recall that we ever met a girl. Or even mustered the courage to ask one to dance.

But that all changed in the summer of ’63.

Camp Dearborn had another, larger camping area for families called “Tent Village,” featuring hundreds of tents built of canvas and wood, set on slabs of concrete, each equipped with a shed-like structure that housed a mini refrigerator, mini stove and shelves for storing staples. The mother of our classmate, Patty O’Reilly, agreed to chaperone a tent full of St. Al’s girls, next to the O’Reilly family tent, while Tony’s mother, Mrs. Adams, agreed to chaperone a tent full of boys, next to the Adams family tent.

Tony, Vince Capizzo, Larry Fitch, Dennis Belmont, Garry and I occupied one tent. Our girlfriends occupied the other. Much to my amazement, my parents allowed me to take their new, 1963 Pontiac Bonneville coupe to camp for the week. So we had everything we needed—hot chicks, a hot car, rock ‘n’ roll, the dances and secret “make out” spots in the camp (Garry’s girlfriend at the time was a cute blonde St. Al’s cheerleader, Donna Hutson). It all made for perhaps the happiest days of our teenage lives.

And we did it all over again in the summer of ’64.

During both years we were involved in shenanigans galore: We threw grape “Fizzies” into the camp’s swimming pool…we switched out a hamburger from Vince’s hamburger bun and replaced it with a Gainsburger (dog food)…and one afternoon we took my Dad’s Bonneville out to a lonely, two-lane country road, just outside of General Motors’ proving grounds in Milford, where we floored the accelerator and topped out somewhere north of 100 mph. It scared the shit out of us when we hit a bird in mid-flight that splattered all over the windshield. Thank God for laminated safety glass. Thank God we lived to tell the tale.

Which brings me to the “edgy” side of the teenage Garry Faja.

Stupid Stuff We Did.

When Garry came to St. Al’s, my circle of friends became his circle of friends. And an eclectic group it was. Some were college bound kids. Some were mischievous pranksters. A few were borderline juvenile delinquents. None of us, including Garry, were immune to peer pressure. Consequently, we did some pretty stupid things. Here are a few examples:

The Toledo Caper--On a snowy Friday night after a basketball game during our sophomore year in high school, Garry, Jim “Bo” Bozynski and I trudged down Warren Avenue in our letter jackets, headed for Bo’s house, with the intention of ordering a pizza.

It was, perhaps, ten o’clock at night as we crossed the field in front of Bo’s home on Manor in five-inch-deep snow. As we looked ahead, Bo surmised that because the house looked dark, his parents were already in bed and likely asleep. That’s when he hatched a plan:

Bo proposed to enter the back door of his house, go to the kitchen and retrieve the keys to the Bozynski’s ’58 Mercury sedan. Then, he, Garry and I would quietly open the garage door, push the Merc down the snow-covered driveway and out to the street, where we would start the car…and head for Toledo.

Neither Garry nor I objected to the idea. Ultimately, the plan worked to perfection.

However, we were just 15 years old and had not yet obtained our driver’s licenses. Plus, Bo grabbed a bottle of Bali Hai wine that he had stashed in the garage. And, the snow kept falling…then turned to rain. We drove through slop and glop on Telegraph Road, made it to I-75 and took turns at the wheel between gulps of cheap wine as the windshield wipers labored to clear the mounting sleet piling up on the windshield.

I was sitting in the back seat, the bottle of Bali at my side, when the car slid out of control in the middle of the southbound freeway, somewhere in the downriver area. I don’t recall whether it was Bo or Garry who was driving at the time. But I do recall that the car made a 360, sliding across two lanes of freeway, before coming to an abrupt stop in a snow bank on the side of the road.

We got out of the car. No one had hit us. Miraculously, we had not hit anyone or anything. There was no damage to the Bozynski’s family car. That’s when three stupid teenagers got back into the vehicle, reversed course, headed for Dearborn, killed the engine as we turned into the Bozynski’s driveway, silently pushed the Merc back into the garage, and turned in for the night at Bo’s.

No one was ever the wiser.

The Speeding Ticket—Both Garry’s parents and mine were strict disciplinarians when it came to girls and dating, but they rarely said no whenever we asked to borrow the car. We had already turned 16 when on a beautiful June day we took a bus downtown, filled out some paperwork (or maybe took a test) and obtained our drivers’ licenses. My Dad used his old ’58 Chrysler to get to work that day and let me have the Bonneville for our use when I got home. So, Garry, Larry and I jumped in the car and headed to Rouge Park for some joy riding. As usual, we disconnected the speedometer and took the “breather” off the carb so that the exhaust would make a throatier sound when we put the pedal to the medal. When we got to the park, I turned the wheel over to Garry. It was not as though he ordinarily had a heavy foot, but he did that day. I doubt that Garry was at the wheel for more than a few minutes when he spotted the red flasher of a Detroit cop car in the rear-view mirror. We pulled over. The policeman was all business…and gave Garry a ticket for speeding. Garry’s parents were furious that afternoon when he got home and explained what had happened. Garry went to court and lost his license for 30 days.

The Stolen Cadillac--It was a beautiful summer evening and we were playing our usual game of pick-up basketball in the alley between Tony’s house and Schaefer Lanes. As I recall, four of us were just shooting around—Garry, Tony, Butch Forystek and me. Someone looked up and noticed that a 1963 Cadillac Coupe de Ville had turned off the side-street, Morross, and was slowly making its way up the alley. It stopped in front of us. Our pals, Joe McCracken and Gary “the Bear” Pearson, jumped out of the car. Turns out that the Caddy had been parked in front of a store, with the keys in the ignition. Joe and Bear got in, fired up the Caddy, and drove it to Tony’s. Then we all got in, took turns driving the car, and went to M&H gas station to buy Coke and chips. For reasons unknown, Joe and Bear unlocked the trunk of the car. Underneath the rear deck lid were piles of pressed clothes on hangers in plastic bags, apparently for delivery by someone who owned a dry-cleaning establishment. Also, there was a narrow envelope atop the pile of clothes. Someone opened it. Much to our amazement it contained over $200 in cash. We all got back into the car and headed for a cruise down Woodward Avenue. We stopped along the way at a sporting goods store to buy a new basketball. On northbound Woodward, as it passes over Eight Mile Road in Detroit, Butch grabbed a handful of cash and threw it out the window. (It seemed hilarious at the time.) Garry and I each took a five-dollar bill, reasoning that keeping such a paltry sum would not be considered a “mortal sin.” After taking turns doing “neutral slams” at red lights, we turned the car around, headed back to Tony’s, and continued playing basketball while Joe and the Bear ditched the car. 

Again, no one was ever the wiser.  

The Shotgun Incident—It was a crisp fall afternoon. Garry and I were hanging out with Tony in his parents’ basement, while Mr. and Mrs. Adams were away, attending some sort of event. Tony knew where Mr. Adams, a bird hunter, stored his shotgun, and proceeded to take it out to show us. There were also a few boxes of shells next to the gun. Tony informed us that his Dad owned a large piece of vacant property in an area that was known as Canton Township at the time. Knowing that his folks would not be home for several hours, we took the shotgun, a box of shells and placed it in the trunk of Mrs. Adams’ Ford Falcon. Off we went to the property in Canton. To hunt sparrows. Tony had seen his father load the gun. Otherwise, none of us had ever had any training in the proper handling of firearms. We knew enough to stand behind the guy with the shotgun in his hands. We took turns shooting into the trees. And bagged a couple of small birds. We eventually returned to Tony’s and put the shotgun away. 

Yet again, no one was ever the wiser.

How The 53-Game Streak Started.

Most people know that Garry and I attended 53 straight Michigan-Michigan State football games together—whether in Ann Arbor or East Lansing—from 1965 to 2017. In fact, when the streak ended, we had been in-stadium for 48 percent of the Michigan-Michigan State games ever played.

Prior to the 2018 game, however, Garry determined that he would not be able to negotiate the steep ramps to the second deck of Spartan Stadium due to his failing knees. So, for the first time in our lives—since the days of black and white TV--we watched the game together on the tube. Here is the seemingly unremarkable way a renowned tradition began…plus a closing thought:

As I remember it, Tony Adams, Garry and I were sitting in my bedroom on a hot, steamy, mid-August afternoon, making future plans as we counted down the days to the beginning of our respective college careers. Tony would be going off to Western Michigan University as a business major. Garry would be attending U-M, majoring in engineering. While I planned to attend MSU to study journalism.

We had been athletes. Competitors to the core. Garry and I knew that our respective schools would rarely, if ever, be playing Western, but we certainly understood that he and I would be butting heads in the future, pulling for opposing teams in the Big Ten Conference every year. So, in a spirit of friendship, we mutually decided to get together every fall to attend the Michigan-Michigan State football game until one of us died.

It was as simple as that.

But when I think back to that muggy August afternoon when we made our pact, it seems a metaphor for all the goals, hopes and dreams we so often talked about between the games, joy rides, dances, pranks, parties and school projects we collaborated on at St. Al’s from 1961 to 1965. I often think, for example, about how Garry and I worked alternate days at my uncle’s store, from the spring of our junior year until the fall of our senior year, and shared tips and insights into how we each did our jobs—long before anyone ever used the term “best practices”--so that we could be the best damn stock boys my uncle ever had. As I hinted earlier, I will always be grateful to Garry for making a lasting contribution to my determination to do things the right way in life. And I’d like to think that Garry thought well of my tendency to “push the envelope” on the things I attempted, and that maybe I made a contribution to the release of his creative potential.     

Miss you, Big Guy.

[wilsonsnest]

[w&s] after closing

just came back from a trip with a six hour drive. i had never heard of stuckeys in my life being a northern gal. and then we passed a place called wilson’s general store and an au was born. 

so have some small town sambucky au compliments of riding through virgnia

pairing: sambucky (samsteve mentioned) word count: 2,331

Sam let out a soft sigh as he locked the doors to his store, smiling a little as Sarge slunk cautiously towards the door. The orange tabby always sat at the door and waited until Sam was in his car before disappearing back into the darkness of the store.

Sam saluted the night watch before turning around and heading out to the parking lot. Tomorrow he wouldn’t open until 10, which was nice. It meant he could sleep in a little bit before it was time to come in and open up with his scarily efficient morning staffer, Nebula.

He had taken over the general store nearly three years ago, from an older, battle-axe of a woman who had decided she was good and done. Sam had moved to Hopeway about six years ago now. After serving in the Air Force, losing a friend and almost himself in the process, he got out and started to try and piece his life back together. It led him here, the small lakeside town was just what he needed.

Convincing Ms. Adler that he could run the shop had been a bit of a struggle, and there had been many a time when he wished he hadn’t done it. But after a while he got himself together, a lot of it with help from the locals who Sam had truly began to see as family.

Speaking of locals.

Sam raised an eyebrow as he approached his car, seeing a tall figure leaning against the passenger side. If he wasn’t used to this happening, he would have freaked out, instead he just let out a whistle so as to not start the man.

Bucky’s head lifted, though his eyes were still shadowed by the green Stucky's ball cap he was wearing. Judging by his jeans, white shirt and green jacket, he was already off work. Odd, since the neighboring diner didn’t close until 2am.

“Well this is unexpected.” Sam raised an eyebrow as he unlocked the car. “Steve get tired of you messing up orders?”

“Nah, cashing in.” Bucky lifted his chin, his blue eyes bright, reflecting the street lamp light above them. He held up a paper bag. “I brought dinner.”

“Oh well, I guess I have to bring you home then.” Sam smiled, ignoring the bag to lean in and kiss the other man’s cheek. “C’mon, get in, it’s too cold to be standing around like this.”

“You’re the boss.” Bucky’s voice was warm as he opened the door and climbed inside.

Sam couldn’t help but feel warmth bubbling in his chest as he got in and started the engine. Being a shop owner meant long hours, and not a huge ton of extra time for socializing. He had become fast friend’s with Steve Rogers, the de-facto owner of Stucky's when he had moved here seven years ago. It had taken a little longer for him to mesh with Stucky's (reluctant) co-owner and cook, Bucky Barnes. Funnily enough, it had been Barnes that had given him the idea to just go ahead and name it Wilson’s General Store.

“It’s your’s isn’t it?” Bucky grumbled setting down a huge roast beef sandwich and a side of mixed vegetables with Sam knew were definitely not on the regular menu. “No time to get shy about it now, Wilson. I bet Stevie would love to design you a sign or something.”

Sam remembered that conversation for two reasons. One, he had actually decided to go ahead and rename the shop. And two, it was the exact moment he realized he had a crush on a surly army vet who was an excellent cook and hated being co-owner of the diner ostensibly half-named after him.

At least having a crush on Bucky was in good company with his massive crush on Steve.

Surprisingly enough, Bucky ended up asking him out. Sam had been content to let both of his crushes sit and put all his energy into running the store.

But apparently Bucky Barnes had other plans. They had been out late at Red/Hawk’s with Steve and a few others. Bucky was usually pretty quiet, but that night he had been particularly anxious. He’d been fiddling with his prosthetic hand the entire night, prompting Sam to ask if he were okay. He knew Bucky still had bad days where wearing the prosthetic was more burdensome than helpful.

“No, I mean - I’m Fine. I just..” Bucky stuttered his eyes flickering down to the bar-top. He fumbled around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a half-crushed box of cigarettes. “Y’wanna get some air?”

Sam didn’t smoke himself, but he nodded and followed Bucky out to the front of the bar. They wandered a little ways down to a grassy area nearby. Bucky clumsily took out a cigarette, nearly dropping the box. Sam knew something had to be up.

It had taken at least another fifteen minutes of awkward small talk before Bucky finally looked over, past Sam’s shoulder and asked him if he would like to go out sometime. “Like a Date date.” He had said.

They had gone on said Date date to some cute little restaurant the next town over. Bucky had been clearly uncomfortable being out of Hopeway and Sam had been worried about Bucky the entire time. The whole affair had been awfully tense until Sam invited Bucky back to his place. They curled up on the couch with ice cream from Sam’s freezer and watched the Twilight Zone until they fell asleep. It had been totally worth the fifty texts Steve had sent to them both when Bucky ended up late for opening the next morning.

Sam couldn’t help but smile at the memory, glancing at Bucky out of the corner of his eye. Bucky’s eyes were closed, head back against the headrest as Sam drove. He probably wasn’t asleep, but he didn’t have his prosthetic today and his willingness to take off early probably meant he was exhausted in more than just a physical sense.

Sam pulled up the dirt path of his driveway and placed a hand on Bucky’s knee. The other man blinked open his eyes, squinting over at Sam as they parked. Once the car was stopped, he leaned he over and drew Sam into a gentle kiss before pulling away with a sigh.

“Sorry.” He mumbled quietly.

“It’s been a long day.” Sam smiled warmly. “Just give me time to shower and I’m all yours.”

They got out of the car, Bucky carrying the food as Sam took out his keys. As soon as they entered, Sam’s fluffy, red-furred Somali Cat practically charged them, meowing enthusiastically all the while.

“Hey, Redwing.” Sam smiled brightly as he scooped the cat into his arms. He wiggled a bit, butting his head against Sam’s face, a purr beginning to rumble in his chest. “Yeah, I missed you too.”

“M’gonna go warm this up.” Bucky was already heading toward the kitchen as Sam lavished Redwing with more kisses and pets. “Go take a shower!” Bucky called, slightly muffled.

“Can you feed, Redwing?” Sam asked as he headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll shower quick.”

“Sure.” Bucky agreed as he began to go to work in Sam’s kitchen.

With that, Sam let Redwing down, watching amused as the red-haired cat immediately went to go and inspect Bucky. He hurried to the bathroom so that he could freshen up. The shower was an absolute godsend, and while he would have loved to luxuriate for a bit longer, he was aware of how much he was missing his boyfriend. He hadn’t yet convinced Bucky that couples showers were totally a thing they would enjoy.

After hastily drying off and changing into a t-shirt and sleep pants he found his way back into the kitchen. Bucky had dished out Sam’s meal of meatloaf and potatoes onto a plate and set it on his tiny two-person kitchen table.

Sam hummed, his stomach growling at the sight of the undoubtedly delicious food. But first, he went to his boyfriend, who was standing over a kettle making tea. He had taken his green jacket and baseball cap off and Sam could see his face clearly. His eyes had dark circles under them, and the messy ponytail meant he had been hasty when getting ready that morning.

Sam placed a hand on the small of Bucky’s back, leaning his cheek against his boyfriend’s right arm. The taller man looked over at him, a little surprised at first before his expression softened. He leaned over to give Sam a light peck.

“Go eat.” He reminded Sam, shrugging a little to get him to move.

Sam pouted for show before heading over to the table. Almost immediately he fell upon the meal with the ferocity of a starving man. Bucky’s food was delicious, even more so after a long day’s work. He had no idea how this man ended up being so darned good at cooking, but he praised the lord every day that he had gotten so lucky. He wasn’t sure he was going to survive when he introduced Bucky to his Mama. The two of them could probably put a meal together that would make even the most discerning food critics weep.

He barely looked up when Bucky set a mug of tea down for him. He only looked up when Bucky returned to the table with his own mug and sat down across from him. By then he was more than halfway through his dinner.

“You’ll make yourself sick, Sammy.” Bucky chided, though he was clearly pleased seeing Sam eat. “You been eating breakfast and lunch?”

Sam rolled his eyes, having to swallow his stuffed mouth before replying. “Yes, mom.” Bucky had nearly had a heart-attack the first morning he had woken up at Sam’s and found out that he never ate breakfast.  “I boiled eggs the night before. Protein. Are you proud of me?”

Bucky didn’t seem impressed, but nodded anyway. They sat in companionable silence while Sam finished eating, Bucky watching him fondly as Redwing wound between their legs under the table. Sam was amazed just how domestic they were, but he supposed dating for nearly two years would do that to you.

Finally, Sam pushed his plate away with a sigh, feeling full and satisfied. If he were somewhere comfortable, he was sue he would be asleep in a matter of minutes.

“Steve coming over tonight?” Sam asked with a yawn. He wanted to make sure they weren’t expecting anyone before they bundled up int he bedroom for the night.

“Nah.” Bucky said quietly, something flickering in his eyes before he looked down.

“Bad day?” Sam asked, leaning over to take Bucky’s hand. It was rare these days for one of them to come over without the other. After the initial awkwardness of both Steve and Bucky dating Sam at the same time, they fell into a rather comfortable rhythm. But there were days when they needed their own couple time.

“Just tired.” Bucky answered, squeezing Sam’s hand back. “Storm a few nights ago didn’t help.”

Sam nodded sympathetically. The change in air pressure had been hell on Sam’s back, and he’d had to sleep on his front from two days. Bucky tended to have the same issue with his shoulder.

“Let’s head to bed then.” Sam said quietly.

Together, they cleaned up the kitchen before turning out the lights. It was still a little early by their standards, but cuddling in the bed was more inviting than forcing themselves to stay up and watch television.

In the bedroom, Bucky immediately went to his drawer to change into a comfortable t-shirt and shorts. Sam crawled into bed, rearranging his pillows for Bucky’s side and then plugging in his phone to charge. Sam glanced over as Bucky climbed into bed on the other side, smiling already at how relaxed his boyfriend already looked. They both slept better with one another. Bucky slept over as much as he could, though when Steve was over, fitting the three of them in Sam’s bed was quite a challenge.

Discussing moving in was a difficult subject when he had only been dating Steve for a year. Not to mention, the two friends still lived and worked together. It was going to take a lot of talks and planning to even approach the subject of cohabitation.

“C’mere.” Bucky waved his hand toward Sam, indicating his chest. “Wanna hold you, Sammy.”

Sam ducked his head, his facing heating up before turning off the bedside lamp. He shuffled his way closer to Bucky, placing his head on the other man’s chest. Sam wasn’t a small man, but Bucky was broad and thick and made Sam feel exceptionally secure. He’d seen out-of-towners try to start shit and nothing had prepared them for two hundred plus pounds of muscled one-armed cook to come storming out of the kitchen.

“Sleep over on Saturday?” Sam asked quietly, one hand under Bucky’s shirt, stroking the soft skin of his stomach. “You can stay and keep Redwing company.”

He heard Bucky let out a long breath above him before answering. “That’d be nice.” A pause before asking. “Y’want Steve to come?”

“If he wants to.” Sam answered. Personally, he loved having both his boyfriends around, but tried to work within their boundaries as well. “We could go to the lake once I close up.”

Stucky’s was closed on Sunday and Wilson’s only stayed open until 2:30pm. Sunday was the town’s quietest day, even Red/Hawk’s was closed. Sunday was a time for family, and rest - something everyone here believed in fiercely. Sam could think of nothing better than spending it with his two favorite people.

“I like that.” Bucky mumbled before pressing his lips to Sam’s forehead. Sam smiled against Bucky’s chest, letting the gentle rise and fall lull him to sleep.

will be x-posted to ao3

[theawkwardterrier]

things left behind and the things that are ahead, ch. 10

AO3 link here

Drea is the only one of his kids who Steve successfully gets into baseball. Rosie at age six tells him seriously that she has other, more important things to do than watch grownup men get excited about a ball, Em sits patiently through a couple of games that she clearly has no interest in, and Nate, when offered a chance to visit the ballpark for the first time at five years old says, "If you would be happy about it," in such a sweet, guileless way that Steve chokes up and tells him right away to forget about it. (Peggy is only too happy to have him look for someone else to bring - while she knows the rules by now and has watched a few games herself, he thinks that she'd have happily abdicated her seat to any passerby who wanted it. It's fine: she once tried to explain the rules of cricket, and he thinks he might still be comatose.)

But Drea loves it enough for all the rest of them, collecting cards, scanning the sports section each morning as the season approaches, and talking statistics like they're her second language. Nothing much has changed for her since they moved to Maryland: she has a group of boys to trade cards with, her best friends even as she enters junior high, and she's still a solid early choice in a schoolyard or street pickup game.

Steve's too cheap to shell out for Orioles season tickets - they live closer to DC, so getting to Baltimore is less convenient especially for weeknight games, but he's pretty sure that Washington loses their team sometime soon and he doesn't want his daughter getting attached and going through the same heartbreak he did - but he makes sure to take her to a few games a season, just the two of them.

It's a beautiful May Sunday, and the Orioles have just absolutely trounced Kansas City. Steve tosses their hot dog wrappers in the trash on the way out - four of his, one of Drea's - and wraps his arm around her, kissing the top of her baseball cap-covered head as they join the chattering crowd on the way back to their car.

"That was a great game," he says. "I think the O's have a good chance of making the series this year, huh?"

"I'm not very much like other girls, am I?"

It's more momentum than anything that keeps Steve walking. "What do you mean?" he asks carefully, looking down at her. The brim of her cap blocks him from seeing her face, but her shoulders hunch a little under his hand.

"I'm not like Mom," she says. "Or like Emma."

"Well that’s good, because I don't know if I could handle two Emmas. We'd never be able to finish all the desserts." Steve jokes. "And it would be a pretty big coincidence if you were like Mom." Everyone in town is used to the Carters by now, but when they had moved down from New Jersey five years ago, the variation in looks between the children and their lack of similarity to either parent had brought reactions ranging from pity to outright disdain.

"That's not what I mean." Drea starts to walk a little faster, even knowing that her dad can keep up. Her words come out in small, breathless bursts, and Steve aches a little at the bravery it is taking her just to keep speaking them. "It’s just...they know about girl stuff. Mom knows when to wear fancy gloves and pearls and it never looks weird, and Emmy just knows how to talk with other girls. They understand everything without even trying. They like this stuff. The only stuff I like is boy stuff."

"Hey," he says, pulling her to the side of the crowd so he can stop and bend to face her. He peers into the shadow beneath her ball cap, finding her jewel-dark blue eyes. "You're a girl. Anything you like is girl stuff."

She turns away from him. "Yeah, okay."

"I know that Em is a certain kind of girl—" Emma has already requested her own set of mixing bowls for Christmas. Practically the only time she wears pants is in the garden. She used to spend entire afternoons pouring “tea” for a dozen dolls and stuffed animals, signing politely to them as she sipped with an extended pinky. "But your mom put up with a lot during the war, and even now there are plenty of people who say that she isn't doing the things a woman should do. And what about Rosie? She doesn’t exactly fit into a box."

"It's different for me than it is for Rosie." That she says it simply, without a sigh or a teenage eyeroll, makes him sad. Even sadder than that: she's right. As much as he doesn't want it to be, it is different for her than it is for Rose, or Emma, or even Peggy.

"Okay," he says. "You're different than some girls. But that doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. And I would hate for you to change the way you are or the things you love just because you felt that you had to fit in.” He tries to smile. “Besides, Bucky and the family are coming to visit over the summer and I promised them a good time, which means a trip to the ballpark with the two of us."

This time she does sigh, a tiny hiccup of not being entirely understood or at least of realizing that her father can't fix everything for her. "Yeah," she says again. "Okay."

Steve stands to his full height once again and hugs her against his side for a moment. He and Peggy have changed a lot, but there are some things even more stubborn than they are.

Tonight was supposed to be a date night with Steve, but there’s been a new FBI head for three, nearly four years now, and Peggy is only just getting around to inviting him and his wife for a collegial dinner engagement. Steve very sweetly said that he doesn't mind any of the time that he gets to spend with her, but she knows that this isn't exactly his idea of an enjoyable evening out. She'll have to remember to make it up to him.

"Which one?" she asks Drea, holding three dress options in front of herself. There's a deep, vivid scarlet number, a classic flared black, and a black and aubergine paneled silk with the tags still on.

Drea considers. "The red. Daddy likes it when you wear red."

"So he does." She strips off her robe and leaves it on the back of the chair as she slides the dress over her head, moving to the mirror to do up the last of the zip and smooth it over her hips. Peggy keeps herself fairly trim, but it's been a while since she wore this particular dress, and one never knows how things might have changed.

In the glass, she glimpses Drea, her black hair tangled and wild around her shoulders as always, her knees tented as she tucks nearly her whole narrow body into the white T-shirt she's wearing: one of Steve's undershirts, no doubt. Drea practically lives in them as it gets warmer. If it were prior to Lula-Cat's escape of the previous summer, the beast would surely be purring on the bed beside her favorite Carter, allowing herself to be petted as she got fur all over Peggy's clean pillowcases.

She is almost fourteen, Peggy realizes with a pang, and not only because her children are growing up even more quickly than she had expected. They will have another year of people plausibly believing her to be a late bloomer, perhaps not even that. She, Steve, Drea and her doctor have an appointment soon for a discussion, and Peggy makes a note to sit down Howard with as well. The little tools he's made for Emma - the vibrating clip for her swimsuit for when they go to the beach, the egg timer with its flashing lights - have been helpful, but the things he could make for Drea might be lifesaving.

As she moves to the vanity and fixes her face, traces on her vividly red lipstick with a practiced hand, thinks for a moment and adds pearl earrings and a simple crystal necklace which Steve gave her for their fifteenth anniversary, she fights to keep both the fear and calculation from her face. Drea already looks melancholy enough.

Peggy sits at the edge of the bed to put on her hose and her pumps. She is just about to get up and take in the final product when Drea says from beside her, "Mom, can you teach me how to put on makeup?"

Peggy pauses for just a moment, then asks, "What brought this on?" She allows only a tiny amount of surprise into her voice. It would be unbelievable otherwise, but the true amount of shock she feels at the question would be insulting, would drive her daughter away.

"Some girls at school are starting to use it. And I—" Her voice falters a bit, then comes back stronger, perhaps too strong, as if she's given herself a stern lecture. "I think I should also know how."

"I think you're a bit young for it, and I'm not sure that 'because everyone else is doing it' is a particularly good reason," says Peggy, continuing over the beginning of Drea's protestations. "But if that's what you truly want, I can certainly give you a lesson or two." She sighs, perhaps a bit theatrically. "Goodness knows I'd have liked for Rosie to ask before she made her first attempts."

It works. Drea laughs a little, remembering Rose's early experiments with cheap drugstore eye makeup and vending machine lip color in a particularly revolting shade of tangerine that gave her a rash.

Peggy stands, smoothing her dress one final time and going over to the closet. She takes out a handbag, and riffles through Steve's tie hanger, selecting a red one which will match her dress and coordinate well with the gray suit she had watched him put on earlier.

"Are you ready?" Drea asks, her voice a bit less dispirited than it had been a few moments earlier, and Peggy nods and moves toward her. Drea spritzes the perfume precisely, two sprays that float in the air for Peggy to walk through. She had always touched on her own scent, a bit at each wrist and at her throat, and just a drop or two on a sachet in her brassiere, but then the children had come along, and now this was a particular tradition whenever one of them helped her get ready.

"Be good for Rose," Peggy says as she leaves the room, and Drea calls back, "If she's good to me."

Rose herself is sitting sprawled out in the doorway of her bedroom, scribbling into a notebook. She is in the midst of a hard-fought campaign for presidency of the upcoming senior class, and lately seems to have decided to plop herself down whenever an idea might catch her. Her legs aren’t long, even at the end of her growth spurt, but she’s positioned herself so they stretch out into the hallway and Peggy steps over them as she passes.

"Don't forget about bedtime," she reminds her eldest, and Rose makes a vague affirmative sound before she places a firm full stop at the end of whatever sentence she is writing and, stretching, looks up at her mother.

"What did you say?"

"Bedtime," Peggy repeats firmly. "Your siblings must adhere to it. As should you. I know that school is coming to an end, but it isn’t here yet."

"Fine," Rosie says with a wave of her hand, and Peggy knows that she'll see the bedroom light snap off just as they turn up the driveway. She starts on her way again (if Rose wants to develop poor sleeping habits, that is her responsibility) but then turns back.

"And be kind to your sister," she tells Rose, dropping her voice a bit. "I think she's having a hard time."

"I can make her a Surprise," Rose suggests, and Peggy shudders, and not just because of Rosie's notoriously poor cooking skills. Drea is the only one of the children with clear memories of her birth parents - she was five when they were killed in a fire while out for their anniversary dinner. One of the things she remembers most clearly is the multitude of casseroles her birth mother made: Hamburger Surprise, Tuna Surprise, Potato Surprise... Peggy has no doubt that they were as ordinary, or perhaps as lackluster, as any example of such a dish, but Drea had built them up in her mind, built them up for Nate, who had no memories of their parents, such that she had spent her childhood requesting various types of Surprises for birthday meals or following an especially good report card.

Steve has turned into a good cook and with Emma at his side they can turn out almost anything, but a Surprise has never been Peggy’s idea of fine cuisine.

"Supper is already being taken care of," Peggy says, adding the thankfully for you only mentally. She can smell Sam's Cornbread in the oven now, can hear the airy silence downstairs, punctuated with little sounds that signify Steve refereeing a fight between Emma and Nate, likely about how much spice to add to the chili. "Just be nice to Drea."

"If she's nice to me," Rosie says, and Peggy refrains from lifting her eyes upward and asking why she had been given two daughters who were so similar and yet refused to realize it.

"Everyone's finished their schoolwork, but make sure that Nate’s book report ends up in his bag. And Emma is trying a new recipe for creamed Brussels sprouts - please tell everyone that they must at least taste it. Don’t simply take the whole pot and bury it in the garbage pail, and certainly don’t try to throw it in the woods the way you did the spinach," Peggy tells her shrewdly, but a new idea seemed to have struck and Rosie is back to her notebook again.

Peggy moves on. Rose has minded her siblings before, and Peggy doesn't want to be late to the dinner and cause an inter-agency incident; Howard would never let her hear the end of it. Besides, she and Steve will have an opportunity to discuss Drea in the car over - there comes a point where even a night away from the children is never truly away from the children.

Rosie lets Nate and Emma stay up for an extra half hour to cement herself as a Cool Older Sister. Once they're asleep, she knocks on Drea's door, barely waiting to be invited before she enters.

Drea is lying on her back on her bed, tossing a ball up and catching it.

"Be careful it doesn't hit your face," Rose says, hoping that it doesn't come out mean or bossy the way her words sometimes do when she's talking to Drea.

"It’s never happened to me before.” Drea doesn’t take her eyes off the ball. “Just because you’re still scarred from the Wiffle Ball Incident—”

“You said you wouldn’t ever mention that!” Rose comes in and closes the door all the way. “Ugh, just move over.” Drea groans as she sits up against the headboard, but she tucks her legs up to make room and Rosie takes a seat. “Look, I heard you asking Mom about makeup and stuff. Are people giving you trouble at school? Because I’ll give them a talking to if they are.”

“You’re not queen of the high school yet. No one has to just listen to you when you go blab in their face,” says Drea, jutting out her chin, although they both know that when Rosie gives someone a talking to, it not infrequently involves violence. (There had been a question about whether or not she was even allowed to run for the student council based on the number of detentions and suspensions on her record.)

“You’re my sister,” says Rose, setting her own chin. “And if someone’s making problems for you, I’ll take care of it.”

Despite herself, Drea laughs. “You sound like Jimmy Hoffa.”

“Maybe, but Mom would make sure that I covered my tracks better than he did.” Rose lies back across the bed, legs just long enough for her feet to still touch the floor. She turns her face, her hair fanned around her as she looks at Drea, curled up at the head of the bed. “You know I’m serious, right?”

“I know. But it’s not really someone in particular, it’s just...life.”

Rosie sighs. “Yeah.” She puts out her hand, and Drea scooches down to grasp it. “Life’s hard.”

Sarcasm is on the tip of Drea’s tongue - “Tell me more, oh wise one!” - but instead she stays quiet and holds her sister’s hand until their parents return.

Drea and Steve go with Bucky, Layla, and their kids to watch a blowout Orioles win during their vacation at the end of July - Drea cheers louder than anyone. In August, after they've returned from their own vacation, Peggy sits Drea down at the vanity and walks her a half dozen different beauty products, while Rose comments loudly from the bed. Just before school starts in September, Drea uses her allowance to get a flat iron and gives herself three burns learning how to use it.

The Orioles lose the Series to the Mets, and Drea starts wearing dresses for the first time since she was a child.

It won’t be any help, Steve realizes as she sits down across from him at the breakfast table, settling her skirt self-consciously, sitting up straight and crossing her ankles with awkward politeness, to remind her once more that she doesn’t need to do this. She has a good head on her shoulders, and she’s using it to process everything in the world that tells her otherwise. He remembers what Peggy has said about it, that she’ll come back to herself, she’ll come back to them, when she’s ready. So instead he says, “Hey, kid,” and when she looks up at him, he smiles and tells her, “there’s always next year, you know? Always another shot if we need it.”

And to his relief, she smiles back, the expression familiar, wild-edged and lovely, the same as it’s always been. Hello in there, he thinks.

“Yeah, Dad,” she says. “There’s always next year.”

More chapters here