#Ooooooooo somethings sparking

[missmonsters2]

hi its me again i've been so excited to read tHIS!

You're drowning in a sea of lavender. There's a mix of dust there too, given the forgotten shelves, brooms, and crates of the small storage room, but her perfume still fills your nostrils. It gets you thinking of white and purple orchids under a midnight moon.

this just reallyyyyy spoke to my olfactory senses and literally gave me goosebumps???? Also when you talked about the tides. I could practically smell the ocean and salt :')

—you make to tuck it behind her ear, but she takes half a step away from you as if abruptly waking up from a dream.

My feelings would be HURT LOL

"Don't come out right after me." Was all Wednesday told you before reaching for the door handle. You snapped out of your daze; "but I have to go-" the door slammed as she walked outside, her footsteps mingling with all the others, "to class too." You finished in a lower tone to yourself.

THE LEAST WEDNESDAY COULD DO IS LET READER LEAVE FIRST LMFAO

Ahh their situationship makes me so sad because those are just destined to be painful 😭 the way Reader knows she probably can't say anything either :')

You smile something shy, dropping her backpack by her feet before you walk over to your table and sit down.

This was so nice of Reader LOL

Wednesday watched with hawk eyes as you smiled big, your hand grabbing onto Yoko's arm when you showed her the subject of your assignment.

Karma has made her entrance y'all and she is divine.

When Yoko's hand covered your own — her thumb gingerly brushing over your knuckles as her fangs appeared in her smirk — the pencil Wednesday held in her hand snapped in half with a sharp sound.

Divine!!!!

That sparked Yoko's attention, she propped herself up on one elbow, turning to you so she could look down at you better. "Who is your type then?" She raised a perfectly styled eyebrow, her dark sunglasses mixing well with the darker lipstick.

I'm literally making gibberish gerbil noises 😭😭😭😭😭 The raised brow look NEVER fails to get me. Literally, their whole interaction here...OOF what if Yoko angling for 👀

Not even ten seconds after you spoke, the sunlight vanished completely as a shadow was cast upon you. You frowned, noticing a smidge of darkness over your eyelids; you opened your eyes to see Wednesday standing right beside you, gazing down at you with a scowl on her features that even got you a bit worried for your safety.

OoOoOOOoo Wednesday held out as long as she could and you know what? I respect her for that LOL it was them holding hands that was the last straw, wasn't it LOL

This was so well-written and an amazing read! I loved the small details like how she talks about writing about Reader in her novel because we know it's supposed to mimic her life. I can't wait to read part 2 <3

scorch marks | ch 1

Wednesday Addams x Reader

Series Summary: Wednesday has been careful to keep what you two have behind closed doors and far away from labels; but when someone starts to take it — take you — away from her, she realizes how much she cares.

Requested by anons: one, two, and three.

A/N: Yes, I combined three requests here. It was a bit of a challenge to make these requests and keep Wednesday in character, but I truly hope I'm doing an okay job; let me know. <3

Masterlist

You're drowning in a sea of lavender.

There's a mix of dust there too, given the forgotten shelves, brooms, and crates of the small storage room, but her perfume still fills your nostrils. It gets you thinking of white and purple orchids under a midnight moon.

Maybe too soft for Wednesday Addams. But what is she now, if not soft?

Her lips, plush and purposeful against yours, leave tiny smudges of burgundy lipstick on the corner of your mouth every time she pulls away to gasp for air. Her hands, cold and precise, keep your body in place; one grasping onto your jacket, the other disappearing beneath it, leaving goosebumps on your hip in its wake. Her bangs brush against your forehead when she tilts her head, so close it gets you shivering.

There's a delicacy to her that shouldn't be there but is anyway. So could she blame you? For associating her with everything beautiful and enchanting in the world?

You bring a hand up to her jaw as you hear the commotion outside, telling you that it's time to go. And you think to yourself; just one more minute.

Wednesday is the first to pull away, slowly as her blown pupils travel down to your reddish lips and back up to your eyes. She gulps, setting her jaw into something sharp as her chin angles up. The fingertips that had been touching your waist let go in a lazy motion.

Her hair is a bit of a mess and it's your fault — the light is dim in the small room, casting an orange glow that makes you squint to see — you make to tuck it behind her ear, but she takes half a step away from you as if abruptly waking up from a dream.

You're familiar with her, honestly, in such a way you never thought you would be. Even before the whole deal with the Hyde attacks and Crackstone, your relationship with Wednesday had a constant push and pull; as the tides do with the shells that rest too close to shore. You didn't know exactly where you stood with her when she said you were nothing but an inconvenience in her mystery, but came running when Thornhill shot you; all wobbly chin and glistening eyes, repeating like a mantra that you weren't allowed to close your eyes — you didn't see her for two months after that, and when the classes came back, it took one more month for her to steal her first kiss with you. That was three weeks ago.

With a careful thumb, Wednesday cleaned the smudged lipstick below her lower lip. Your eyes followed the movement as you stuffed your hands in your pockets. For some reason it got you smiling, faintly so.

"Don't come out right after me." Was all Wednesday told you before reaching for the door handle.

You snapped out of your daze; "but I have to go-" the door slammed as she walked outside, her footsteps mingling with all the others, "to class too." You finished in a lower tone to yourself.

Wednesday walked briskly through Nevermore's hallways, not once looking back while she put as much distance between her and her demise as she could. Being alone — as alone as one could be in a school filled with outcasts — was such a desperation that she only noticed her missing backpack when she was already halfway to class.

She came to a sudden halt, her boots scratching the stone floor and causing a couple of gorgons to almost topple over her, but she didn't move an inch. With a side gaze, Wednesday glanced behind her. There were no familiar faces in the crowd, but she caught herself looking for one.

If her parents could see her now, they wouldn't believe their eyes. Maybe they'd be happy, that she's finally forging relationships. But could it be a good thing? Is the constant twisting and turning of her stomach a good thing? Is it healthy that, most nights as she lays in her bed, she spends the minutes before sleep thinking about it?

What does it mean, that ever since Wednesday came back to this school after saving it, a new character has been introduced in her novel; and with each page that's filled in her typewriter, she gets closer to Viper?

No one got Wednesday feeling the way she did when she was with you. Not even Tyler, and she kissed him; so was it bad that she's been doing the same with you? A big part of her screamed yes, the other, not so much. And those two wolves inside her chest were still fighting.

Wednesday could recall in detail the first time she kissed you; of course, it's not even been a month yet. But she fears that even if it had been years, decades, the memory would still be intact.

She remembers that Eugene had gone away to pick something up, leaving only you and her in the bee shed. You had been rambling about a new small group of bees you recently rescued and how they now needed a new Queen; you just kept talking and talking, until the words became background noise and the fluttering of your lashes seemed almost in slow motion. Wednesday had been inching closer yet neither of you noticed, not until she ended up with one hand behind your neck, her lips doing quick work of shutting you up.

To this day she's not sure why she did it. But there was this force, this annoying pull to you that got her chest hurting if she didn't comply. The pain was almost as forceful as the one she felt with the sight of your abdomen oozing blood from the bullet wound, with the dropping of a single tear when she imagined herself wearing black in your honor.

You got her breaking her own rules, you became her favorite secret and sin, because Wednesday was quick to get addicted to the thrill of it. One kiss turned into two, that turned into three, until behind every closed door she left scorch marks in her own cold heart.

She never put a name to it, and you didn't either. It was never discussed what was happening between you two, and Wednesday liked it this way. What's not set in stone can't come back to hurt her, or break her trust.

There was only one problem though. Little sparks of flame in the moments that got Wednesday's skin filling with goosebumps. It was the way you traced the outline of her lips with your thumb, gentle as if she'd break in your hold; the pulse of her own heart in her ears when her body was glued to yours; the brief look you get in your eyes as soon as she pulls away, as if she hung up the goddamn moon. Those are the things that swing too close to reality, too close to inflicting damage, and got her blood running cold. They remind Wednesday why emotions come with a price, and why she needs to keep her distance.

Ultimately, Wednesday decides that she doesn't need her backpack anyway.

—

You get to the anatomy class ten minutes late. The door creaks when you open it, causing everyone to look at you. You grimace, mumbling an apology through pursed lips.

There's a skeleton of a werewolf in a large print over the board, beside it there's a smaller one of a gorgon and then a vampire, and so on. Though anatomy is not your favorite subject, this is one of your favorite classrooms, it has huge windows on one side and most of them have an array of plants enjoying the sunlight that shines there. The teacher — an older, kind woman with a light blue dress — is separating small cutouts of paper in a bowl, mixing them up together, and it reminds you that today will be the draw of subjects for your assignment.

You walk quietly between the tables of your colleagues, carrying your bag over your shoulder and Wednesday's black leather backpack in your hands.

Her dark eyes shift to you when you stop beside her. You smile something shy, dropping her backpack by her feet before you walk over to your table and sit down. Wednesday shows no reaction to it other than the way she follows you with her eyes, but you don't mind, quickly diving into conversation with your partner in class, Yoko.

You and Yoko have been thick as thieves since you came to Nevermore three years ago, she was the first one you befriended; Enid came right after, but Yoko was still the one you partnered with in most classes.

Right now you dug your teeth into your lower lip as you fished for one of the folded papers the teacher had in the bowl, and when you picked up the one that read vampire, you couldn't help but squeal in happiness. It was one of the easiest ones to work with.

Wednesday watched with hawk eyes as you smiled big, your hand grabbing onto Yoko's arm when you showed her the subject of your assignment.

There was a pink pencil being twirled between Wednesday's fingers, her black nails scraping its color each time she huffed angrily. Her jaw was clenched, almost painfully so; because the girl with the round sunglasses shouldn't be leaning this close to you. When Yoko's hand covered your own — her thumb gingerly brushing over your knuckles as her fangs appeared in her smirk — the pencil Wednesday held in her hand snapped in half with a sharp sound.

"Hey!" Enid swatted at Wednesday's shoulder, pouting as she looked down at the now-ruined pink pencil, "that was one of my favorites."

Wednesday let go of it, letting both parts roll on the table; "it's just a piece of wood, Enid," she grumbled.

"Yeah well, it was my piece of wood," Enid's eyebrows had an annoyed crease to them, her lower lip jutted out as she looked at Wednesday, "what's got you grumpier than usual?"

Wednesday let out an indignant scoff, forcing her eyes away from you because each time you touched Yoko, her murderous intent grew, though she wouldn't admit or acknowledge it yet. She was above such trivial feelings — or so she hoped. "I'm not grumpy, Enid," she said pointedly, picking up a paper from the bowl without looking at it, "just felt like breaking something."

Enid's sudden giddy gasp got Wednesday flinching slightly, the folded paper being snatched from her hands before she even fully opened it.

"Oh yes, we got werewolves! That's me." The blonde took hold of Wednesday's shoulder, shaking her slightly, "this is going to be so much fun."

Wednesday huffed sharply, her bangs going side to side because of Enid's excitement. Her gaze shifted to you against her own volition and she was met with you already looking at her; it got her straightening on her seat, her hands fisting the fabric of her skirt. But a hand touched your shoulder, and you turned away promptly.

Your cheeks molded all prettily around your smile, and Wednesday watched as you put a hand in your heart, making a silly show of bowing to Yoko — as best as you could sitting so damn close to her.

It made no sense to Wednesday that her chest felt hollow; that she had the sudden urge to throw the vampire girl in a pool of garlic just so she could take her place beside you. Because lately that's been her new normal, and now that someone seems to be taking it from her, she's realizing how much she actually cares.

————

The weekend came sooner than you thought it would. Ever since taking your subject in the anatomy class, you've been spending most of your free time with Yoko, and so far you've written down most of the particularities of a vampire's body — mainly the fangs honestly.

But today was your free free day, which meant going down to the lake, which got pretty busy on days like this; where the sky is basically free of clouds and the warm sun is shining down on the green fields outside the school walls.

The water was glistening brightly, and there was a slight breeze in the wind that got the leaves rustling around you. Basically, everyone was out because of the perfect weather, students were swimming on the lake, reading, practicing archery, or just walking by the shore. You were enjoying a bit of peaceful time — that is, until a splash of water came over you.

You sat up abruptly from your place under the huge willow tree, the picnic blanket wrinkling under you. Cleaning the droplets of water from your sunglasses — Yoko's extra sunglasses actually, that you shamelessly snatched — you shouted; "watch it, Xavier, some people wanna remain dry."

The boy in question had just emerged from his jump, shoulder deep into the lake and squinting at you because of the sunlight in his eyes, "sorry, my bad," he chuckled, swatting away his long hair, now dripping wet.

"I'm telling you, the guy's got a crush on you since your first year."

Your head snapped to Yoko, who lay just beside you. Leaning back on your elbows, you picked at a few loose strands of the red and white blanket beneath you; "Xavier? No, no way."

There was a nest of birds on the branches above you, you could hear the mother calling out to her babies, loud and sharp. You caught a glimpse of her feathers when she flew, white and blue.

Yoko followed your gaze, her eyebrows scrunching as she searched for the bird; "hm yeah, I'm pretty sure."

With a thud, you let yourself fall down flat on the blanket, your head hitting the softness the grass under it provided. "No, come on. Besides, he's not even my type."

That sparked Yoko's attention, she propped herself up on one elbow, turning to you so she could look down at you better. "Who is your type then?" She raised a perfectly styled eyebrow, her dark sunglasses mixing well with the darker lipstick.

You could feel your cheeks automatically heating up. You thought of raven black hair, soft skin that's a little cold under your touch, and eyes so dark you swear you can see galaxies in them.

"Maybe a certain gloomy, cold-hearted Addams?" Yoko suggested with a shit-eating grin before you could answer, gingerly twirling a strand of your hair between her fingers.

You chuckled, one hand coming up to cover your eyes as you bit the inside of your cheek; "stop it, that's not-"

"Not accurate?"

"Not that simple."

Yoko hummed, taking a sip of her cold drink before laying back down, her shoulder brushing yours. "You've been dancing around each other for so long, I wouldn't even be surprised if she got you a valentine's gift."

"She wouldn't," you mumbled.

"You deserve someone who would, though," Yoko told you, turning her head to you, "hope she knows that."

Without meeting her gaze, you tangled your hand with the vampire's, giving a soft squeeze to let her know you agreed.

Yoko groaned playfully, her finger tapping yours; "alright, stop sulking. I catch her looking at you way too often that it's like, impossible it doesn't mean anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and Enid keeps asking if there's something between you two already."

The sunlight started to peek through the leaves, you raised a hand to play with its light, faintly hearing Enid's panicked gibberish before Ajax threw her on the lake, his own splash coming right after. You sighed, closing your eyes; "it's… complicated."

Not even ten seconds after you spoke, the sunlight vanished completely as a shadow was cast upon you. You frowned, noticing a smidge of darkness over your eyelids; you opened your eyes to see Wednesday standing right beside you, gazing down at you with a scowl on her features that even got you a bit worried for your safety.

You pushed your sunglasses up and propped yourself on your elbows, looking at her through your lashes; "Wednesday, hey. Everything alright?" As happy as you were to see her, it wasn't common for her to join you all on the lake.

Wednesday's focus changed between you and Yoko carefully, her bangs getting messy with the wind; she looked like a painting, like something worthy of being in a museum. You could easily lose yourself just by looking at her but before it happened, Wednesday blinked, moving her gaze away from you, and said; "I need you for something, let's go," her tone tight.

And with that, she was taking purposeful steps away from you and towards the woods. Your lips hung open for a second, something seemed off.

"Doesn't look complicated to me." Yoko teased with a chuckle.

"Shut up." You grumbled before scrambling to your feet and jogging towards Wednesday, quickly falling into step beside her.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Read Part 2 here

Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are very much appreciated. <3

Wednesday’s taglist: @milkiane @bookfrog242 @heelaechan @imagine-reblog @gayestfeels26 @sakurarukas @bluetreecloud20 @the-night-owl-blr

[seafoam-taide]

OKAY SO. im so curious whats the fandom with the object people and the one named tesla and the lightbulb who i think is tesla's friend. Please ive been seeing it everywhere and cant find a name for it,,, i wanna know a bit more about it to see if i wanna check it out

Hi!!! Okay so. Well. The overarching name for aaall this nonsense is the Object Show Community, or OSC. At least, that's what I've gathered. Tesla specifically is @ecto-hazard's OC for an object /camp/ called RIP- Rune's Immature Party. If you haven't caught on already, acronyms are Kind Of A Thing. If you want to look into Tesla stuff specifically, here's a link to Grey's post with the master doc! They're comics and you should totally read them I'm not biased at all. There's also a brief explanation for camps in the doc I think. That should probably be its own post if you want me to talk about it, though.

So the actual meat of all this object stuff is, as the name suggests, the object shows, most of which are on youtube. The main two(? I think?) are Inanimate Insanity and Battle For Dream Island, but there are like, over 500 or something of them all over the place. It's a Huge Thing. Those two start off preeetty goofy but the most recent seasons are really cool stuff in my opinion.

Oh and, to give you a little bit of context, the basic like. 'structure' of an object show is like you know those reality TV competition shows where there's a set cast that gets whittled down through some sort of voting system. like survivor. its like that but with object characters.

In case you want to watch some, here's a list of the shows I've watched so far that I liked:

Battle For Dream Island [BFDI] by jacknjellify - The Original. the one that sparked all this nonsense. at least. to my knowledge. there are uh. 5 seasons now i think? it's a lot. it's so much. it's hours and hours of content. the first one was made when the two creators were like 10 or something so keep that in mind but it just gets better from there Inanimate Insanity [II] by AnimationEpic - tbh probably the most popular one right now??? at least from what i've seen. it's season 1 is even worse than BFDI's season 1 but it's current seasons... holy FUCK. HOLY /SHIT/. OH MY GODDD. also canon nonbinary character (tho a lot of the rest of its representation attempts are. not so great) Animated Inanimate Battle [AIB] by GatlingGroink57 - goofy funny but with a really good grasp on characters. Has like. 60 characters but each one managed to be memorable??? one of my favorites i love oodle SO MUCH ONE, or as it's often called, 'HfjONE' by Cheesy Hfj - very much NOT goofy funny. first show I watched. A very interesting (and upsetting) take on the expected format of an object show. its kind of hilarious this was my first one in retrospect it is not your usual object show Paper Puppets Take 2 [PPT2] by YellowAngiru - sooo fun and cool and creative... each episode has it's own unique intro + theme and there are some spooky plot things and drama and it's fun Sacriverse by Sacri - if you wanna watch this one you should use this playlist, this one is like. goofy funny but also analog horror and it's spread out along a bunch of videos and??? watching this playlist was an. experience. also it has HAPPY STAAAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have a bunch more in a list I haven't watched yet and also a bunch more I likely haven't even heard of so this list is nowhere near end all be all. There's so much. There is. sooo much. god.

Also sorry to go back to Tesla after all that BUT if you like the Tesla entries there are more entries for other characters from that season and season 2 is happening rn so like... ooo you wanna join the server so bad and look at everybody's cool entries ooooooooo

OKAY that was a lot. Oh geez. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to talk abt this and I hope this was helpful somewhat??? ALSO anything said here could possibly be false bcuz I have only been here like. A month. A little over that. I'm still pretty new to it also. If you have any more questions I'd be happy to answer them.

[kae-karo]

🤝 I'm loving this game so have another!

ooooooooo yay tyty jack!!!! 🥰🥰 i'm having a great time so thank u!!!! for context (x)

🤝 Share a line that introduces a character.

He gets all of a step inside before someone shoves bodily into him, pushing him right back out the door with no warning, and he-

He should react quickly, he knows this. Should find it easy to disable and perhaps even eliminate this unforeseen attacker. But he knows something else as well - the scent of wine, yes, but lighter. Gentler, and mixed with a warm, deep herbal scent as well. It sparks a startling familiarity, this smell, and it gives him pause.

So he does not fight back when he’s shoved around the corner of the tavern, too caught up in the sensation of something familiar, something- something calming. Something that makes him pliant as he’s pushed into the wall, and his attacker finally decides to show his face.

ahhh yes our first encounter with one diluc ragnvindr :)

send me an emoji from this list and i’ll post wip excerpts!

[littlemisslol-fic]

Mayhaps... Varian is found by the Saporians after Qfad and they take him under his wing... but when explaining their plan to him he ain't quite keen on killing anyone, so they mess with his head to make him the perfect saporian.

Ooooooooo interesting! I always love season one Varian, such an angry little goblin lol

THIS ONE GOT LONG TOO LMAO

1. They find the kid half buried in the snow. Andrew and his crew had been keeping to the outskirts of Corona, thinner guard numbers, more wiggle room to move during the day, but on their way to their new hideout they stumble across him nearly dead. For a second Andrew thinks to leave him, to continue on. The kid’s Coronan, he’s not their problem.

But then he recognizes the boy. The one from the expo, with the invention that had started a storm and had nearly killed them all. Andrew hadn’t known that kind of power was even possible, not without magic at least, and here was some little boy making a machine out of garbage and tape that was capable of such destruction.

They take Varian with them.

2. When the boy first wakes up, he immediately starts to cry. Andrew can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy as the kid blurts out his story. A betrayal from a friend, a useless King. A dead father. Corona had taken a lot from all of them, parents, sisters, brothers, friends, but this is the first time he’s seen the kingdom turn against one of their own.

Varian is a gullible kid. Even when he’s near devastated, he still looks towards anything with a pulse for approval; it’s easy for Andrew to placate him, to twist the scenario into something useful. It doesn’t feel good to do so, but it’s for the cause. It’s simple to take Varian’s sorrow, his grief, and turn it against the royal family, and eventually against Corona entirely.

They betrayed you, he tells the kid, left you to rot. You refused to be quiet, asked the difficult questions, and for that they turned against you. They’d rather live in blissful ignorance than actually help anyone.

Varian is easy to trick, to mold. His guard falls the second someone tells him he’s done a good job. Andrew knows that Varian thinks he’s in charge of what’s happening, thinks that he’s the one using Andrew. He couldn’t be more wrong.

The kid’s smart, deadly so. All it takes is a little push and the kid’ll be a perfect Saporian to add to their ranks. Varian’s an incredibly useful resource- he may not be a fighter, but his inventions and tactical capabilities are unparalleled, even at such a young age. Andrew can’t help but pay him close attention, drawing the kid further into his net.

Besides, he would need an heir, eventually.

3. Eventually they go for the Sundrop flower. Andrew already knows it’s a crapshoot, but Varian’s determined and to try and stop him would uproot all of Andrew’s careful groundwork. So they go, fight through the catacombs as a group. It’s easy with so many of them, even with the massive automaton that nearly kills them. Varian geeks out about it, but Andrew can see the gears turning in that brain of his.

They reach the flower.

Just as Varian shoves it in his bag, the princess shows up. She looks shocked to see them all together, her eyes zeroing in on Varian with horror. It’s obvious that she thought he was safe at home. Rapunzel snaps at them, frantically tells Varian to get away from them, to get away from Andrew, but Varian only scowls.

He turns his back on the princess, and Andrew feels smug.

4. Varian starts to double time his inventions after meeting with the princess. It seems seeing her had sparked an anger in him; almost in a split second he goes from devastated waif to ball of fury. He builds weapons, bombs, potions and elixirs.

Even automatons.  

Old Corona becomes Saporian territory. The villagers are long gone, abandoning everything out of fear of the black rocks. It’s a good vantage point, high on a hill with a thick wall to the back- Andrew couldn’t ask for a better place to start their revolution. Spurring it all is Varian, who gives them an edge they’d never had before. For the first time in almost a thousand years, Saporia has the advantage.

Andrew will see victory, with his successor by his side.

5. They go too far. Varian, for all his anger and pain, hadn’t wanted to cause undue pain to anyone. Andrew had been slowly working on it, squashing those pesky morals out with some soft guidance and a well-placed word.

It all comes crashing down when Varian sees them doing away with a spy.

A guard, young and stupid, had been caught. Jupiter had taken him out, as she always did, but they’d forgotten to check around before starting to drag the body away. Varian nearly screams at the sight of blood, flinching back. Andrew catches him, an arm around thin shoulders to keep him from running off.

Varian tries to argue, to demand that they stop this, they’d gone too far.

It’s easy to put him back in his place.

6. (Bonus) Varian betrays them, in the end. Kid rigs his own inventions to fail, the automatons collapsing under their own weight. Without them, the Saporians are forced to retreat, but Andrew knows better. Before he goes he throws Varian from his side, casts the kid clean off a bridge and into the moat below. If he survives, Andrew doesn’t care.

Varian does live, but he wakes up chained to a bed in the castle infirmary. Rapunzel sits nearby, holding his hand. The second she sees his eyes open she starts to cry, shaking her head and begging to know why he did what he did. He tells her about Quirin, about Andrew, about it all. He doesn’t expect to be forgiven, doesn’t even expect to be spared the gallows; he’s shocked when Rapunzel only hugs him tightly, promising to help him. 

It’s rocky,, and full of missteps, but eventually they grow back to a place where they’d call each other friends. Varian and Rapunzel work together, accepting that they both had made mistakes, they’d both either let things happen or had taken it too far.

When Andrew comes back, Varian stands against him, his friends at his side.

OKAY YIKES THAT WAS REALLY LONG LMAO I just love the intricacies of season one, all the craziness is always a treat. Thank you for the ask, these are really fun!!! 💕💕

Send me an AU, and I’ll come back with 5 points about it!

[lesbian-roguefort]

all of supernova’s lore lol

! disclaimer i wrote this universe like. four years ago lol. !

also it’s split up into three time periods

part one

so basically to preface the concept of the entire au with some context (the details of which i remember the least out of anything): something something the fucking war happens. you know, the one with xerneas and yveltal? they find a compromise to stop tearing humanity apart and shit by choosing a prophet to fight every 200 years or so. whoever gets 5 or so wins in a row (i don’t remember the exact amount) wins the war. the two agree on this and go sleepy.

enter asteria, an aspiring pokémon professor in the region of miramare (a region that i made up out of my whole ass) (tl;dr it’s a small tourist-y island region in the waters between sinnoh and johto). she grows up in a small town on the western end of the island with her friend calypso. they both have big dreams of training pokémon — at least, until calypso’s dad dies in a pokemon-related accident and her mother forbids her from leaving their small town in fear that she’ll die the same way. asteria is saddened by this of course, but continues to pursue her goals

one night, asteria is instructed by her local Pokémon professor, the woman whom she had been taught under, to go out into the forest east of their town. she is told by the professor (prof. redwood, iirc) that that night would be the night that xerneas and yveltal would each choose their prophets, and that scientists were picking up traces of their energy in their own region. asteria understands and sets out for the forest that night. what she doesn’t know is that calypso ends up running away from her home that same night, determined to become a Pokémon trainer like her friends would soon become. do you see where this is going.

something something xerneas chooses asteria as their prophet, effectively trashing asteria’s dreams of becoming a professor, and yveltal chooses calypso as their prophet.

a few days after that night, when asteria has had enough time to process her thoughts, she realizes that oh shit she has to fucking do this because the weight of the world is literally in her hands. she goes back to her professor and chooses her starter Pokémon for the first time. she chooses cyndaquil :)

as she sets out on her journey for the first time, she discovers that, oh shit!, xerneas also blessed her with the ability to understand Pokémon. her cyndaquil ends up telling her that his name is Vincent. vincent is slow to warm up to asteria, but they eventually become friends :)

asteria’s next Pokémon that she catches is none other than sora, a kind little starly who is the actual greatest ever /lh. she and Vincent become friends quickly, forming a sort of brotp together as a powerful double team :) they enjoy training together and they (eventually) become really good friends.

the next Pokémon to join the party is none other than spark, a shinx (which you just saw how he dies. So,). he and sora become friends REMARKABLY fast, hitting it off immediately. spark, who is a little smartass and a bit of a competitive asshole, appeals to the competitive part of sora’s personality and they get along very well.

so sora and spark become really good friends and form a sort of... you know... rivalry :) asteria and Vincent are just standing by each other in the back like 🧍‍♀️🧍

the next Pokémon that asteria catches is a kirlia who was trapped under a fallen tree. she’s very shy at first, but eventually she introduces herself as Eleanor. she’s got A Backstory and tl;dr in her colony her mother raised her to be the leader, putting a lot of pressure on her to act proper and mature at all times. her father was much kinder to her and allowed her to have a lot more freedom, but he eventually died. Eleanor was like ‘ok fuck this’ and ran away.

tl;dr for that tl;dr eleanor had mommy issues

eleanor finds her place as both a healer and a fighter, and she gets along especially well with Vincent, who shares her calm nature.

then, of course, they encounter the very final member of their party: marti. and good lord.

marti is a young misdreavus who traps the team in their little spooky pocket dimension before asteria and the others find out what’s going on and confront them about it. it turns out that marti had lived alone in the forest for as long as they could remember, being a mischievous little bastard and playing around with everyone they saw. asteria enjoys their nature and invites them onto the team.

marti and eleanor become very good friends, with marti especially looking to learn healing magic from eleanor. everyone grows to love them tbh. literally no one could hate marti.

so to start off with how sora and spark’s dynamic develops, we’d have to start with when sora first evolves. spark becomes a little bit jealous with his competitive nature and all and starts training like hell to top her. when he eventually does evolve though, something switches in those two. they go from playful rivals to Rivals Rivals and become a little more bitter towards each other

eventually their bitterness towards each other becomes Serious and they go from rivals to borderline enemies. spark evolves into a luxray Much quicker than sora reaches her final stage, simply because he’s been so fucking. competitive with her. sora’s just fucking tired man she wants to Rest. she likes fighting w/ spark but she eventually gets VERY fed up and lashes out against him. the two fight and sora Finally evolves mid battle, knocking him the Fuck out.

after that, the two agree to be a little kinder to each other, agreeing that mayhaps their fighting got a little out of hand. they become playful rivals again :)

now for eleanor and marti because i love them

i think i originally had them have a kind of falling out like sora and spark had? but i don’t like that anymore actually so it’s getting scrapped 💖

eleanor and marti’s development is best summarized by them becoming closer with one another and marti learning how to heal ppl with their moves n shit. they are literally the fucking cutest help idk how else to summarize it

part one of supernova ends with the team settling down in a house :)

and that’s a wrap babey!!

part two

so remember calypso? yeah? well she’s coming back for part two lol

basically she ends up meeting a young banette with no name who literally fucking murdered their entire family. Lol. she takes them into her team as her first and ONLY Pokémon. fucking idiot

i did say that yveltal chose calypso as their prophet right. because that happened and basically ooOoOoOoO mind control yadda yadda and she’s told of her mission to kill asteria. she agrees because she has literally no choice. calypso ends up telling banette of her mission, who agrees to help her unconditionally because she’s the first person to actually show them love.

basically banette is literally a m//njumper type character who turns out to be a puppeteer-kind. Lol!

so here’s where the story gets a little more confusing lol

it’s easier if i preface this with a little knowledge on calypso’s character. so, uh, fun fact: she really likes knives! like, she really likes knives.

so yveltal blesses her with a special little knife that can mind control anyone it stabs. Wow! incredible

if i remember correctly there were three times that the knife was used prominently. the first time was when a wild Pokémon attacked calypso out of the blue and she had no other choice but to use the knife on it. from there she was able to control it for a bit before releasing it from her control and leaving it unconscious. she kinda goes :o and takes note of how it’s used

she later devises a plan to use it against asteria and co.!

banette sneaks into asteria’s house at night and sets up a sound barrier in the entrance so that no one can hear they’re there. using the power of Spooky Shit they lure the only awake Pokémon on asteria’s team out of their room. and, wouldn’t you believe it!, it’s spark!

banette lures spark in and traps him in a little shadow dome arena type area, where they fight for a bit until banette eventually bests him and stabs him RIGHT the fuck in the chest. bada bing bada bam spark is now under banette (and effectively also calypso)’s control. yay! /s

spark stays under calypso’s control, attempting to blend in with everyone else and, y’know, not appear possessed for several days as calypso bides her time. eventually, she has spark lure asteria and everyone else outside directly into a trap by calypso and banette, who attack them on first sight.

asteria and co are taken off guard and forced into battle, and now spark is against them! oh fucking no! sora is especially distraught by this lol

still though it’s 2 v 4, and marti eventually fires a shadow ball that breaks the knife. seeing that they can’t win, calypso and banette fled, leaving spark Un fucking conscious on the ground in front of asteria and everyone else

so spark is left behind, again, Un Fucking Conscious. asteria and the rest of the team are left to decide what the Fuck to do with him.

after healing themselves all up, they take spark back to their house and are left to just kinda. Wait for him to wake the fuck up? sora ends up visiting him the most frequently because she’s bored when he’s not around . And also she misses him. A lot. Because she Cares Him.

asteria’s like “well shit what now?” and everyone agrees like. “We just wait for spark to wake up because he’s like. Important?” and asteria just goes “yea agreed”

spark stays comatose for a solid six or so days until he FINALLY wakes the fuck up. when he’s questioned about what happened with calypso he explains that all he remembers is getting stabbed before blacking out. everyone just looks at each other like 👀  and they just kinda agree that it was good that they destroyed the knife.

uhhh something something asteria and co end up going to Actual Hell for their final battle with calypso :) and when I say hell I mean The Nether Minecraft. it’s got red stone and lava and yeah it’s literally just the nether fucking minecraft. they fight nearby this fortress built out of dark red stone and it’s literally just a nether fortress.

this time they can’t pussy out of the battle and they have to actually Fight Calypso to the Death so. :)

asteria’s team ends up getting their shit Rocked by banette because of the circumstances and the special Attributes of Hell allow them to mega evolve w/o a mega stone. so they end up getting Big Ass Claws that they use to absolutely FUCK over most everyone. eleanor and marti try their best to keep the rest of the team alive but they’re fucking dying too.

(also special thing abt this universe: in this universe, Pokémon have two health bars! one is the health bar that you see in game, the one that counts down to them passing out. after that health bar runs out, if the Pokémon wills it, they can Wake Up. then they gain a second health bar, which counts down until they Die. Like For Real.)

(this battle is to the death so they Die or they Live.)

in the center of this fortress they’re fighting in is a BIG ass void. like a pit that drops down into a void. asteria and calypso are fighting near this giant ass void, asteria with spark and sora by her side and calypso w/ banette. something something spark gets Severely fucking injured. Like a huge ass claw injury down his side. so does sora but ykyk.

asteria gets pushed and nearly falls down into the void. she’s hanging onto the ledge. just as calypso is about to push her off, she suddenly snaps back to reality in a moment of “oh shit what have i done” and attempts to save her. banette, to put it shortly, doesn’t like this. they have become obsessed with calypso’s original goal of killing asteria and nearly kills calypso getting her away from asteria.

banette, left with asteria alone, pushes her down into the void below, literally killing her. Like Literally Killing Her.

caught up in their victory, though, banette doesn’t see everyone else about to get their ass. tl;dr banette gets shoved down into the void as well and asteria’s team wins the battle, despite asteria being. Y’know. Dead

something something asteria ends up coming back to life through the power of xerneas going “wait she won. She should be alive.”

everything is good and the team is nice and happy and generally alive :)

haha......... unless?

part three

okay, so before we get into how asteria’s team ends up tying in with the crew in part 3. i’d like to preface this with some information on the characters of part 3 :)

alexis is the Pokémon trainer for everyone in part 3! she’s a bit like asteria, just w/o all the prophet stuff. she loves the outdoors and is generally very outgoing and adventurous. she has a huge heart and loves literally everyone. except people undeserving of love but yk

lance is a decidueye and was alexis’s starter pokemon! when we first meet him in the story he’s a dartrix but Eventually. eventually he becomes a decidueye. he’s a little quiet but he’s also very nice and especially enjoys reading a lot :). he’s quick to anger though. so. yes that’s important shhh.

hazel is a ribombee and is literally the sweetest person ever. she’s the healer of the team and is an absolute sweetheart. she’s the kind of person to give platonic kisses. she can be a bit cowardly at times though.

edith is a mimikyu! she’s generally very shy and quiet, but once you get to know her, she’s the absolute best. she would literally give her friends the world if she could. she’s also very skilled in battle and is probably the strongest of the whole team.

cheryl.... gets introduced later ;)

soooooo we all remember spark right? right? ahaha. Haha.

so basically this man goes to sleep one night and then the next morning wakes up in alola. this is obviously terrifying for. Numerous reasons. but the main one on top of him being completely lost is that he is no longer a luxray, but rather he’s been changed back into a luxio. he’s also lost all of his abilities. so not only is he completely lost, but he’s also powerless, too. he’s got damn terrified.

so he’s lost and confused, barely even knowing how he got there, half believing he was in a dream. and then, at last, to top it all off, some fucking dartrix comes flying at him and half scratches his face. and then he gets a fucking pokeball thrown at him. overall, he is not having a good time.

disoriented beyond belief, spark is brought to a pokecenter where he meets his new trainer and teammates. turns out that dartrix that attacked him was a chill dude named lance, and he also had two other teammates, hazel and edith.

(i actually don’t remember how alexis came to know spark’s real name? we’ll just say that edith can speak in alexis’s mind and translate aight)

they all introduce themselves properly, with edith being shyer than the rest. overall though, spark’s terrified and just wants to go back home lol. even at this point, he’s still convinced he’s in a dream of some kind. because, of course, at any time now he was going to wake back up at home. aaaaany time now. /s

the new team end up going through the day together, and spark goes to sleep that night still exhausted and confused.

when he wakes back up in the same place the next morning, he’s even more confused.

despite the circumstances, lance and spark end up becoming good friends. spark also gets along well with hazel, and he eventually is able to befriend edith, too. he’s hesitant to become loyal to alexis, though, because his loyalty still only lied with asteria.

and then he starts getting weird dreams about another island. one with beautiful gardens, tall mountains, and trees. he starts to recognize that something is there, but he’s not sure what.

someone else has a different revelation around this time. surprisingly enough, it’s lance! despite him and spark being friends, he starts finding some things about him to be a bit strange. like how he’s weirdly skilled in battle for being such a low level. and how he hardly responds to alexis. at first he shrugs it off, but then it becomes too strong to ignore. he starts to look for answers.

on their way across the region, lance ends up stopping at numerous libraries, looking for books that might contain the answers he’s looking for. for a while, he finds absolutely nothing, and as he searches, he considers giving up. he starts wondering if everything really is just a coincidence.

at the same time, spark starts getting even more vivid dreams about this place. he discovers that it’s a valley of some kind, one with lots of trees and greenery. it’s nice. one night, he gets the sudden revelation that there might be something there waiting for him. the thought resonates too much for him to leave it alone.

spark also begins to warm up to Alexis as he begins to realize that this could very well just be his life now. he doesn’t want to give up hope that he could go back, but he’s like 🤏 this close. That Fucking Close. the only reasons he’s hanging on are because a) he had literally spent years w/ asteria and b) he has no clue how he even ended up in alola in the first place.

insert the Pokémon moon plot as filler. anyways,

alexis and her team head over to ula’ula island as their next destination! and something that i remember very vividly from the plot was that y’know how you battle hau as soon as you get off the boat? yeah spark gets K fuckin O’d in that battle, but as soon as he’s unconscious, he gets the most vivid dream he’d had yet. he then realizes that ‘oh shit is that valley on this island?’

enter route 10!

meanwhile, lance stays behind to check out the library in town. lo and behold, he finds information on exactly what he was looking for and discovers a little known phenomenon known as the island scan effect, in which abnormal energy levels in an area can cause a Pokémon to have their entire consciousness move into a body that materializes somewhere in another region. the Pokémon’s former body on the other end of the island scan effect enters a coma until the Pokémon dies. or, if the Pokémon’s comatose body dies, then the Pokémon’s new body will become their true one. lance, reading up on this, realizes that it explains a little too much about spark.

the realization then dawns upon him that in order for him to have become so skilled in battle, for him to have taken so long to warm up to alexis, he must have originally belonged to a different trainer.

this causes lance to fall into a spiral of bitterness in which he no longer believes spark is deserving of a spot on the team, and especially not a spot in alexis’s heart.

MEANWHILE, spark walks the fuck into route 10, immediately recognizing it as the location from his dreams! he barely even takes a few steps past from where he made that realization before he’s ambushed just as he had when he’d first awoken in alola: talons to his face.

lo and behold, guess who the fuck it is. Guess. Guess. You definitely can’t guess. Not my fave OC at all. No sir nope not at all. Not predictable whatsoever.

it’s sora because of course she’s here :)

ma’am is in a very similar position to spark: she got bumped down an evolution, and had to live her life in a completely different region. however, when they meet each other, they recognize each other immediately. there’s just something innate about them that brings them to realize that the other was. There.

as soon as they realize that the other is There. In Front of Them. they both become super happy with the reunion :). alexis sees this and goes :)?? but is generally happy that spark has found someone he. Recognizes? she guesses. and, of course, sora joins the party :)

soon after, spark ends up Finally evolving back into a luxray. sora is a little jealous. Just a little.

pov i say meanwhile a hundred times to demonstrate how lance and spark’s stories end up branching off from each other. Anyways,

meanwhile, lance is Thinking about how what the fuck, where is spark even from?? sinnoh??? bitch. and how he just apparently met someone that he previously knew? and how she’s super skilled too? and how she hardly responds to alexis either? he realizes that basically, this is absolutely no coincidence and is absolutely the work of some weird natural phenomenon. his bitterness increases.

meanwhile spark and sora are very happy to see each other again, and they start talking about what the fuck just happened? Like lol they just suddenly got zoomed off to alola? fucking alola? aka completely foreign land and they just had to blend in like it was nothing. they bond over this weird experience and also start to question whether or not they’ll ever get back to asteria again. they decide that even if they never see her or the others again, they’ll still have each other. they’ll figure out a way, of course.

from this point forward it’s mostly just filler with the plot of moon UNTIL...... cheryl arrives :)

alexis trades to get cheryl, a young vulpix who is very sweet but naive. she ends up falling mostly under the wing of lance, who takes her as a kind of daughter figure, acting as her mentor. for a while, he forgets about spark’s whole situation and simply takes care of cheryl. he gets so caught up in helping her out that he stops being bitter for a bit :)

sora and spark enjoy her presence as well, sora especially, who find enjoyment in sharing with cheryl her best battle tactics and strategies. the two end up bonding a lot.

cheryl also ends up being one of the only people who edith warms up to quickly! edith actually ends up loving cheryl /p :) (edith also ends up loving hazel. no slash p we’re girl kissers here)

so as the plot moves forward, cheryl eventually evolves into a ninetales. she also learns the move sheer cold. you know. the one that only has a 30% accuracy but will always kill when it hits? yeah this is important :)

plot progresses yadda yadda and alexis becomes champion! yahoo! now what?

well, as it would turn out, sora and spark are not the only two who have made their way into alola. banette’s there too, but not physically. since ghost type Pokémon can’t truly die (they’re already dead), banette(‘s spirit) goes over to alola to fuck with sora and spark a bit. maybe to get them killed. who knows. they may or may not have manifested themself within lance’s mind and fucked with his bitterness towards spark a bit. Mayhaps.

now, you may be wondering, where’s the ultra specific plot device to propel the plot forward into the climax chapters? well, i’ve got just the thing for you!: a deadly hurricane is on course to hit alola, and as champion, alexis is expected to help deal with it. she doesn’t want to risk any of her Pokémon getting hurt though, of course, so she sends them all into The Box. Ahaha. Ha.

little does she know what terrors will occur in The Box.

so you know how each box will have a background, right? well inside The Box, each sectioned background is a different area. everyone is set down in an area that resembles a sort of maze. they split off, searching for the exit to the maze so that they can find an area to relax a little. spark and lance team up as well as hazel and edith, whereas cheryl and sora split off on their own.

spark and lance find the middle clearing of the maze. from the center clearing, there’s a little open end that stretches out into open sea. spark looks out over that open sea, admiring the water and how the artificial sun sets upon it. too bad he shouldn’t have turned his back to lance, though.

lance takes an arrow and shoots it clean through his throat, just as spark turns around to face him.

almost immediately, lance regrets doing this, of course. because, i mean, what the fuck? and then there comes the cherry on top. guess who discovers the center of the maze just in time to watch that arrow slice spark’s throat?

sora lol

it goes without saying but she is absolutely mortified. she runs over to spark as he collapses on the ground, only to find that he’s already dead and the blow was fatal. she is infuriated.

sora, absolutely blinded by terror and fury, flings herself at lance to get vengeance. she fights him for a good minute until lance leaves himself open for too long and she is able to slice open his own throat with her wing. he also dies pretty much immediately, the blood loss being a bit too much.

this traumatizes sora lol

soon enough, the others reach the center of the maze and sora is forced to explain what happened to them. hazel makes futile attempts to heal the two of them while edith is just fucking depressed, man.

cheryl runs away, sobbing inconsolably.

hazel urges sora to go after her and to try and explain what had happened. understanding, sora attempts to follow cheryl the best she could, taking tips from other Pokémon in The Box at times.

no longer having a host in lance, guess who banette proceeds to infect the mind of next. Guess. Guess. Guess. Guess who’s emotionally fragile and naive enough to fall under their order. Guess. /lh

sora eventually tracks cheryl into a box much farther from where the murder had taken place, discovering that she had gone into a snowy themed area. when she finally confronts cheryl about lance’s death, she refuses to listen. she absolutely can’t stand to hear any justification for a murder like that because lance would never kill anyone, right? she only ever knew him as the kind man who helped introduce her to the team. he would never have killed anyone. especially not one of his own teammates, right?

sora doesn’t know how to respond. she tries again to explain, but before she can speak again, cheryl lashes out at her, suddenly overcome by a foreign power. completely mad with grief, cheryl attacks sora with everything she has in her. every attack, every tactic: everything. sora can’t find it in herself to fight back. all she tries to do is defend herself, but it’s difficult. eventually she slips out of consciousness, and then back into consciousness. as soon as she recovers though, cheryl sends her her final move: sheer cold. it’s dead accurate, and as soon as it strikes sora, the biting cold freezes her to death.

and then she wakes up in her bed back at asteria’s house, surrounded by all of her former teammates.

including spark. Who is alive.

she cries and hugs him. obviously both are deeply traumatized now, and the situation back in alola isn’t getting solved any time soon, but for now they have each other.

also marti x eleanor is canon because i said so.

[mags-simp]

Self insert Cybertronian thingy I did cuz I need me some Magnus lovin' rn.

~~~~~

The femme takes her seat at the bar, Swerve throwing a bright smile in her direction. He heads over and she returns the smile.

"Heya! The usual?" he chimes, turning to grab the usual bottle from behind the counter.

"Actually..." She glances around at the higher shelves. "I kinda want something harder."

A small chuckle leaves the smaller mech and he pulls a bottle out of seemingly nowhere to set it in front of her. "Hardest stuff I've got."

"Perfect." She goes to grab for it but he pulls it away.

"Ah ah ah- this comes in shots. It'll rack up a pretty hefty tab." He winks and she shakes her helm.

"Fine with me, just..." She sighs. "Gimme two to start."

Swerve pours two shots of the dark blue-green liquid and pushes them in her direction. The easygoing femme takes a small glass in her servo, swirling it around before taking it.

Her vision goes fuzzy almost instantly as she sets the empty glass down. She doesn't hesitate as she picks up the second one and puts it away as well.

"How ya feeling there?" Swerve has an almost devious smile on his features as the glasses are pushed in his direction.

"Another. Just one." She states flatly.

He complies and she downs the third. She starts to feel the wooziness from the hard liquor and she leans her helm onto her servos, her elbows propping her upright.

"Swerve?" the femme asks, her mind beginning to fog.

"Hmm?" He mimics her pose, leaning his elbows onto the counter and placing his helm in his servos.

"How do you get someone to like you? Like, romantically." Her question stirs a laugh out of the mech.

"Ooooooooo, looking to get some spike, eh?"

"Not exactly. But I mean I wouldn't mind," she mumbles. "Gone at least three heat cycles without anything. Not even a kiss. It's killing me."

Swerve points to himself. "You got me if you ever need anything. You know that."

"You're a close friend. If we got romantic it'd be weird." She chuckles lightly. "Honestly I-"

"It's Mags, isn't it?" His response takes her by surprise, a light blush coming onto her face.

"What about him?"

"You've got the hots for him. Its super obvious. You cling to him like a magnet. You do what he says all the time. And I mean ALL the time. Nobody does that." He grabs himself a small glass of energon as he talks, the femme looking down and away.

"He's just nice to me."

"He's probably packing some big stuff too." He laughs as she reaches across the counter to smack him in the arm.

"Shut up. I just..." She takes a deep breath and exhales heavily. "I just get this feeling whenever he is next to me. Whenever we work together. My spark just freaks out. In a good way."

"Tell him then."

"Nonononono. I could never, he'd probably kill me." She laughs nervously.

The sound of the door closing is followed by the sound of the bar dying away. The room goes silent besides the quiet music from the music player.

The femme notices a nervous look on Swerve's face and turns herself to see what the disruption is.

"Magnus-" she mutters quietly.

Magnus walks casually up to the counter, taking the seat next to her.

"Heya Mags. What brings you here?" Swerve attempts to cover up his nerves with small talk.

"Just needed something to do." He looks to the femme. "There's a meeting later I'd like you to come to. It's about promotions. Thought you'd be interested."

She processes his words for a moment then nods slowly. "Yeah, thank you. Don't know if I'll be able to walk by that time." She chuckles nervously.

For a moment she swears a small smile comes over his features, but she disregards it. She's probably seeing things.

"So, uh... Can I get you anything?" Swerve leans one arm onto the counter, looking at Mags.

"Just energon is fine, thank you." They nod to each other and the femme puts her helm down on her arms.

A servo is set on her back and she turns to look at Magnus. He has a slight look of concern on his face. "Are you alright? I've noticed you coming back pretty late at night these last couple of weeks."

She shakes her helm in response as Swerve sets down the energon.

"She's just had some stuff on her processor is all." Swerve returns to leaning on the counter. Magnus raises an optic ridge.

"I'm always here to listen if need be." He looks to her and she sinks her helm down farther in her arms until it hits the counter lightly, some involuntary fluid coming from her optics.

"Thanks, Magnus," she mumbles.

Swerve sets down a second glass of energon in front of the femme, who looks up and shakes her head. "I don't-"

"It'll help you feel better. Promise."

She hesitates and takes the glass, taking a small sip. "Thank you."

"Can I have a moment alone with her, please?" Mags looks to Swerve who promptly nods and heads towards the back.

She wipes the fluid from her optics as two servos are put on her shoulders.

"I care about you a lot. I don't want to see your health decline. I may not be a medic but I've seen enough to know what mental damage looks like." Magnus looks at her meaningfully and she breaks down, leaning forward into his arms.

He hugs her close and she mumbles something incoherently.

"You're okay. Let's get you back to your room."

She nods and sits upright again, looking down as Mags puts an arm around her to help her stand. She just about collapses as she rises to her peds, the arm around her tightening to hold her up.

-le time skip-

The door hisses open and the two enter, the shorter bot stumbling. She makes it to her berth and sits down, taking a deep breath.

"Thank you, Magnus. I really appreciate it." She looks at him and smiles though she's still crying.

He smiles back at her and sits down next to her.

"Any time. I'd rather you be here and safe rather tha-"

The femme grabs the sides of Magnus's helm and plants a kiss firmly on his dermas.

He blushes lightly, startled, and pushes her back a little bit.

She pulls away and looks down, crying more. "I'm sorry, I dunno what-"

"No need to apologize. I feel the same way, but we can talk about it when you're sober." He moves his servos to grab her own, squeezing them lightly.

"I love you Mags."

"I love you too."

[malereader-inserts]

Got My Mind Set on You

Fandom: Gotham Pairing: Jerome Valeska x Male!Reader Summary: Jerome is mad, well both psychotic and mad for you. Word Count: 2,062 Request: ooOoooOoo Gotham hell yeah!! Could I request some Jerome x reader? I'm down for absolutely anything, but I was thinking maybe the reader is a beat cop that is known to have bad luck when it comes to running into famous criminals, but lately it's mostly been Jerome and maybe the ginger sparks some insanity into the reader's life? Love your writing by the way~!!!” A/n: idk if i’m dumb but what idk is a beat cop so I changed it to a detective

GCPD finest.

Well, as best as they could manage.

You were proud to be one of the youngsters within the band of dysfunctional, coffee addicts the city fondly called GCPD. You were a detective and at such a young age, you were questioned and challenged about your position. You proved yourself worthy of being a detective, being Alvarez’s partner was a bonus.

Alvarez, though disliked having you as a partner at first, enjoyed your commentary, your thoughts and overall impressed with your professionalism. He took you on board, under his wing and whenever he found you struggling on a case together he helped you and guided you.

You and Alvarez were Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock’s trusted detectives. Whenever the two needed extra hands on a case, the two of you would be there at the ready. 

Which also means that due to your age, being in your mid-twenties, means that you were charming and very charismatic. Which is why, when they come to a dead end they often push you to speak to the criminals. Whilst you play an innocent naive detective who has no idea what they’re doing, you often get them to speak.

Thus, getting you a reputation within the fine city. Not only you’ve dealt with basic criminals you’ve come face to face with some notorious villains. 

At first, it was Fish Mooney, though she was much kinder to you. She found you adorable and always made her men keep an eye on you. However, you have to visit her at least once a month, keep her tame. It’s how you caught the eye of her umbrella boy, Oswald Cobblepot. 

Oswald was on and off with you, much like his relationship with Jim. Jim had warned you not to be mixed in with Oswald’s plans but he just kept popping up. Smiling and inviting you around, he would always try to bait you as friends, no matter how much you didn’t want to associate yourself with him, he finds himself threatening you if you were to betray him.

“If I were to betray you, Oswald, I would have to be on your side in the first place.”

“We’re friends, (Y/n),” Oswald drawls out, “And friends have each other’s backs.”

You went back to the station, asking Harvey for a glass of his secret stash of alcohol, leaning against his desk and you knock back the burning substance. You rubbed your forehead as Jim and you lock eyes, he nodded ever so slightly understanding your predicament.

Whilst you had to run in with many of Oswald’s men, who harassed you into when you were next visiting Oswald at his mansion. You made run-ins with a psychopath you hadn’t even realised.

Sweet Ed Nygma who would come to your desk with a smile on his face, sits down in the free seat that rested next to the corner of your table. As you write your notes, you had Ed blabber on, with few comments here and there. Ed was satisfied. Until you find out he was sent to Arkham, got out of Arkham afterwards in the hopes of helping Oswald.

So, when you run into Oswald, you ran into Ed, which made you feel cold. Ed had changed, the way he talked, the way he stared down at you, the way he had confidence. 

“I need you to help me become mayor, (Y/n), just like we said we’re friends.”

“Friends don’t hit each other with an umbrella, Oswald,” You dryly commented as Oswald blinks rapidly, his mouth open trying to string up some excuse.

“We’re friends, though,” Ed mentions behind Oswald, who turned around at his sudden voice before turning to look at you with a smug smile.

“Were, we were friends Ed,” You corrected, standing up straight, ignoring the darken of his eyes, “until you decided to murder some-”

Your phone started to ring, digging out of your pockets you sighed looking at the caller ID. Oswald looks at your hands, his eyes flickering back up to you, a growing smile on his face.

“I mean Butch here would happily do whatever I say, perhaps Zsasz would-”

“I’ll see you later, no promises I would help you with your stupid mayor campaign, just-” You huffed annoyed, you had run into the strange hitman a few times and the way he stared into your eyes were giving you the shivers, as you stare at Oswald then back at Ed, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

Oswald smirks as you leave his mansion, bring your phone to your ear as he looks at Butch, Ed sitting nearby.

“You’ve got him wrapped around your little fingers, boss.”

“The young ones, they’re always impressionable.”

As if, Oswald and Ed weren’t enough, you were stuck on frequently bumping into Barabra. She had no mercy for you, often times you would leave with a new injury. She was ruthless especially when she was with Tabitha. Of course, she was the one to introduce you to a new villain in the city. Jervis Tetch.

He would look at you up and down, a black eye forming as you looked annoyed to be in their presence. He found you amusing, he would scare the hell out of you by popping up in areas where you least expect him. His rhyming words would have no effect on you, though you hardly seem to notice the threats and malice within his speeches.

When he was locked up in Arkham you could breathe again without him breathing down your neck. Though, you wondered why he hadn’t infected you with his sister’s blood. Then Ed wanted to establish fear within the city causing him to team up with Butch, Barabra and Tabitha. 

You were sure you had to keep yourself on high alert because they always seem to have men around and keeping an eye on you.

“The Riddler,” You dragged the title, crossing your arms over your chest as you stood in the doorway of the Siren’s club, “Sounds like a bore.”

The three watched Ed almost throw a tantrum, as he hardens his stare, “You don’t have Oswald to protect you anymore, (Y/n).”

“No, but I wonder who would get to Zsasz first,” You bargained, “I’m young but not stupid, I’ve run into people like you before, I know how to play you.”

“People like us?”

“Psychotic.”

Truth be told, you didn’t know how you’ve lasted so long. The stress of the job was enough but getting tangled within the villains of Gotham was making your hair grey. You’ve spent any sleepless nights within the precinct, your lamp on within the darken room as you finish the last of your notes.

There was always one villain you were curious about. Jerome Valeska. You remembered him, being only eighteen, murdering his mother. You kept him company before his judgement day with Jim and his father, his confession day.

He found you a real cutie, young and very charming, much like himself. When he had seen you with bruised knuckles or hues of unflattering colours on your face he gets even turned on. So, when he had broken out of Arkham with Barabra, he went out to seek you. He kept an eye on you, as most people did. But, he wanted something different for you.

Whilst people like Penguin wanted you as a puppeteer, a man that they could break. He saw something else, a companionship, a crush as most would say. Jerome wasn’t capable of feeling love, and yet, during the massacre of the police station, he stared at you right in the eye and giggled like a little boy.

“I’ll see you, sweets.”

He runs off, only to give you one last look. Devouring your bleeding state, confused as you stood there doing nothing in your power to follow him and to stop him. He sends you last one wink before disappearing into the chaos. 

“(Y/n)?” Jim called out, you blinked and stared at him, “You’re hurt.”

“Not too bad, just my head,” You commented as you watch your partner and Harvey run into the precinct, “Go, I’ll be fine.”

Jim nods as Alvarez comes to you, you were leaning against the desk with your hands shaking. The last time you saw him was at the charity ball, he was a killer - you knew that but you couldn’t help watch in awe. Grasping in fascinating ways, he managed to seek you out whilst up on stage, he sends you a dazzling smile as you couldn’t help but smile back.

So, the last thing you were expecting him was to be revived and alive, you were sitting against one of the few cop cars, mentally preparing whatever Jim had placed on your desk. Alvarez had told you to take a breather, despite him being not right, you took it not wanting to push him.

You weren’t expected a bandaged face man with a police uniform rampaging towards you.

“Hiya sweets, mind if I borrow your car?”

You knitted your eyebrows in confusion, tilting your head, you thought you’ve finally gone insane with all these villains, who out for your blood for no apparent reason other to torment you, you have finally snapped.

“What?”

The next thing you knew, you were in the passenger's seat with him driving. You woke up confused as you suddenly take aware of your surrounding, jumping, grabbing the car in shock. Then you heard his famous laughter, you snapped your head to him.

“Sorry ‘bout your head,” He mentions, tilting his head to you as you briefly touched a small wound, “but, one bloody cut doesn’t compare to my face being gone.”

“Jerome?”

“That’s my name,” He gives you a charming side glance, “Please wear it out.”

He chuckles before hysterically laughing, gripping his hands against the wheel as you sat there dumbfounded. Watching how the buildings were rapidly moving past.

“What is going on?”

“Well, I was going to kill you but then I remembered who you were.” Jerome gags on his words, swerving into another pedestrian as you jump back into your seat, he giggles again, “You’re the darling detective that Jimbo likes so much.”

“I’m not Harvey.”

“Not the alcoholic freak!” Jerome exclaims, snapping his gloved fingers, “You’re the pretty face, if I remember correctly, you’re detective (Y/n) (L/n) and the truth is I like your pretty face.”

“I don’t know if I should be comforted with that statement,” You hummed, finally noticing your gun in his holster, “Where are you taking me anyway?”

“For adventure,” He simply states, almost as if that explains everything, “Doesn’t it get boring where you work. The same boring things.”

His voice deepens, make an old man, he rolls his eyes. Before small laughter ripped within the car, bringing back that you were indeed in a high speeding car with a murderer. A childlike psychopath, one wrong action or words he had your gun to kill you with.

“I get threatened every day of my life, so you and I have two different definitions of boring.”

“But, I can make your life exciting,” He was grinning, tearing his eyes off the road to prove the point, your face drops as you gripped the handles looking at the road, watching him run over more people. He waves his hands and looks back at the road, “Relax, sweets, I wouldn’t put a hand on you.”

“And if I say no?” You wondered, shifting in your seat, “I have many people wanting my head so get in line.”

He chuckles, halting the car suddenly, as you take in the new location, channel nine building with some cop cars already there. He fully turns to look at you, you could barely manage to make out his wicked smile under the bandages.

“I’m not gonna kill you, but I’ll drive you insane,” He boops your nose, “Now, be good and stay in the car, I have a business to attend to.”

You watch him exit the car, he leans down to the window, winking at you before causing havoc. You noticed he hadn’t locked the car, you could have left him but yet, oddly enough, you were just too curious about what goes in his funny little head of his.

Was this a risk?

A massive regret in the future?

Perhaps, but’s Gotham baby, and Jerome does have a charming laughter.

[let-it-raines]

Ooooooooo 73 and 33

Stranded due to inclement weather + baby

“You cannot walk out that door! It’s not safe!”

“I know that,” she bellows, tugging her coat on and wrapping it around her as the rain pounds down on the roof and the thunder shakes the windows. “I know that it’s not safe, but Killian, I have to get home. Henry is there.”

“Swan,” he pleads, reaching forward and grabbing her arm so that she has to turn around to look at him. His brows are furrowed, lines cross his forehead, and she can’t stop focusing on his eyes as hot tears sting behind hers, everything blurring while her heart somehow beats between her ears. Her heart is not supposed to beat there. “If you walk out there and try to drive home, you’re going to die. It’s too rough, and then you’ll leave Henry without his mum. You can’t do that to him.”

She nods her head and steps into his embrace, letting his sweater soak up her tears while she tries to calm herself down. He’s warm, and his hands rubbing up and down her back steady her when she feels fragile enough to fall to pieces. 

“He’s probably scared, and I left him with a stranger. She doesn’t know what he needs. She’s not his mom. Why did I leave him?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, love. You didn’t. This wasn’t on the radar. You couldn’t have known it’d be this bad.”

“I should have known.”

“Emma, you’re a bloody amazing woman, but you can’t predict the weather. Henry is a strong little lad, and as soon as this storm is over, I promise we’ll go back to your apartment.”

“This is one hell of a date,” she chuckles into his chest, trying to lighten the mood for a moment because she needs to think of something other than how nervous the thunder is bound to make her baby.

“Aye, I’d say the sparks are really flying between us. And outside. We’re really making some thunder between us. Maybe lightning will strike our blossoming relationship. Nothing is going to rain on our parade.”

“If you make another one of those jokes, you have to go stand outside.”

“I promise not to say anything else, darling,” he laughs, and she feels the tightness in her chest loosen even though she’s still terrified. “I just wanted to tell you that when I’m with you, you make me feel like I’m on cloud nine.”

Send me 2 tropes, and I’ll write you a drabble or plot a fic

[vincent-frankenstein]

ooooooooo I like all of the newer ones tbh. Hamilton, DEH, Heathers, BMC, all those! Phantom of the Opera used to be one of my faves but uh. something happened there. But listening to DEH sparks so much joy cuz I relate too hard and start crying,,,,,and Hamilton is an entire fuckin bop,,,,,,,,and Heathers is fuckin gr8,,,,,,,,and BMC is so fuckin relatable and the concept seems so absurd but it works so well???? I couls talk about musicals all day hdslfhflsg -E

OOOOH yes all of those are so goooood

i havent heard all of hamilton yet bc,,,, it’s so long,,,,, it’s overwhelming,,, but guns and ships is such a big fave i love it

YES DEH SPARKS THE MOST JOY its equal parts Big Sad Energy and Super Bop Energy and i love it, You Will Be Found never fails to make me cry

heathers is so good omg have u heard I Say No?? It’s from the west end production of heathers and it’s so good, it takes the tune of Our Love Is God and gives veronica a badass song to fight back its so perfect

BMC IS SO COOL i love the concept so much and the songs are??? perfection???? id give all my uwus to michael mell without hesitation ngl

meeeeeee musicals are my JAM broham dhfkh have u ever heard hadestown? its VV good full of bops and mean girls the musical is like heathers (barret wilbert weed is even in it dhfkdh) and its so so good

[evergilmore]

His Sunshine (J.J x reader) (II)

Request: lost-trans-boi: sOOoOOoOoooOoO I saw that you're doing requests and can you do a Jughead x Reader? I know im terrible XD OooOoOOoO also can you make it angsty?

Ahaha I love angst whoop! Nahh you're not terrible, love :) No worries. I hope you like this! I wasn’t sure what type of angst you wanted so I pretty much did romantic angst with some fluff at the end xx

Pairing: Jughead x reader, (mentioned) Jughead x Betty

Genre: Angst, slight fluff near the end :)

Words: 1.954

Summary: Jughead may not have been a typical girl living in Riverdale’s kind of guy, but he was always yours. That was until Betty came along.

Part 1, Part 2

          Y/n sat on the bleachers, “watching” the Bulldogs and river vixens practise. They didn’t really want to be here, but one of her friends, (y/f/n) had a huge crush on Reggie Mantle and didn’t want to seem awkward sitting there alone on the bleachers, so she somehow dragged them into this. y/n wasn’t really watching them, y/n was mostly doing their math homework.

          “Y/n!” Jughead comes running towards y/n. He stopped halfway through the field with his hands on his thighs, trying to catch his breath. He’s not much of a runner, after all, gym class is his least favourite sport. y/n lets out a small giggle. They closed their textbook and walked the small distance to their best friend. Y/n may be Jughead’s best friend, but Jughead is so much more to them.

         Jughead positioned himself properly, giving y/n a quick smile. Oh, that smile.

          “What’s up, Jug? Aren’t you supposed to be writing for the Blue And Gold?” y/n curiously asked.

          “Actually no, Betty isn’t there and I don’t want to risk doing something wrong” He insisted. Y/n’s heart dropped a bit. Jughead has been bringing Betty into lots of his and y/n’s conversations. It was like he cares about Betty more than y/n, to the fact that Betty barely knew Jughead that well, it upset y/n. They tried not to show that it bothered them as much by wearing a fake smile, but it did hurt a little inside.

         “Alright, well where are you off to now?” Y/n asserted. Jughead’s cheeks started burning with light pink. Jughead doesn’t blush, at least, y/n hasn’t seen him blush in front of them, so this must be something special.

“Actually, I was going to hang out with you for a while” He anxiously stated. Y/n heart skipped a beat for a second but soon came to a realization. Since when did Jughead stay after school to hang out with them? He’d usually be at Pop’s after school or writing for the Blue and Gold. Y/n decided not to question his sudden remark and made their way back to the bleachers followed by Jughead. Jug grabbed y/n’s hand, kind of like he was leading her towards the bleachers. The little spark of electricity between them made y/n blush like madness. Did he feel the same? By the time they got there, (y/f/n) was nowhere in sight, but neither was Reggie.

Oh god

Y/n tried to ignore the image that came in their head as they watched vixens do their routine. As much as they weren’t interested in cheerleading or football, it was better watching it than picturing an image of (y/f/n) making out with Reggie.

Jughead seemed to be watching the vixens in awe. This facial expression didn’t go unnoticed by y/n, so there was definitely something different and off.

“Betty’s cheering is amazing” He quietly stated. This wasn’t intended to be heard by anyone else, but y/n still caught on to the words. They felt a small sting in their heart.

“What’s up with you and Betty?” Y/n finally got the courage to ask. As much as they regretted asking that, they were curious after all. They noticed the deep red crimson colour on Jug’s cheeks. This made y/n feel that stinging sensation again.

“We may or may not have had a moment” He lightly announced.

We may or may not have had a moment.

Those words were already enough to make y/n stomach drop. Hearing and knowing that the feelings she felt for her Best Friend and crush of a year weren’t returned. What does Jughead see in Betty? Was it because Betty is prettier? skinnier?? Smarter??? Y/n watched Betty as she took a sip of her water, chatting along with Veronica Lodge. Betty is a pretty girl, there’s no doubt in that. She was perfect. The way her blonde hair was pulled back in an adorable ponytail, and how she looked so amazing in just shorts and a shirt. Betty aces all her classes, making her the perfect girl next door. The kind of person y/n wanted to be.

If only I was just like her, then maybe he would return his feelings for me.

Y/n could already feel the tears in her eyes, trying as hard to keep them in. They realized that if they stayed any longer, they’ll end up breaking down in front of the person they loved the most. They pulled out their phone as an excuse to leave the uncomfortable situation.

“Jug, I’m sorry but I have to go. My mom just texted me” Y/n tried to not let their voice crack or sound shaky. They held back the tears as they swiftly gathered their stuff to leave. They didn’t even want to spare a second glance at Jug or hear his goodbye, because the love in his voice wasn’t real. Every time he spoke to them, they felt like there was possibly some feelings in the way he spoke or the look in his eyes, but thanks to Betty. It’s confirmed that it was all fake. They couldn’t blame Betty though, she was perfect for anybody. She could have any guy she wants, but she chose Jughead, and Jughead chose her.

I’ve been there with him for longer than she has though.

Y/n was always here for Jughead when he ranted about missing his sister, Jellybean on her birthday. How he still remembered it and misses her. He’s cried on y/n’s shoulder when the twilight drive in closed, which was his home away from his addict of a father. Betty wasn’t there for him during those moments, so why did he still choose Betty over y/n? Y./n had noticed him staring at Betty in class and across the Cafeteria, but tried not to think about it so their feelings aren’t affected, but they are now because her love doesn’t love her back. Y/n  didn’t even know where they were going. They just wanted to get out of there, away from Jughead. Anywhere is better than Jughead. Is home a place, or a person? They’d often ask themselves, deep down knowing that home is Jughead, but always trying to deny it because of the fear of falling deeper in love and ending up hurt, even though that’s exactly where they’re at right now. But everything was more clear now, and it really did hurt. That night, y/n walked around the city for the longest time in their lives. It felt like 12 hours had passed by, when in reality, it was only 2. The tears were falling down freely in the October breeze. It was getting dark, and y/n’s (g/n) will probably start getting worried about them. So Y/n made the long journey home, with no one by their side but their tears and long lost love. Most would start drinking to get rid of their problems, but y/n knew not to drink OR smoke since it will only make matters worse. Sure it’s good to numb the pain, but what if the pain is already so numb you feel like you’re on the edge of breaking?

It’s been a week since y/n last started talking to Jughead, They were trying to avoid him as much as possible, ignoring his messages and calls. After All, it’s the only good way to let go of the so long-buried feelings. No one really ever knew about their feelings but themselves. Y/n was very quiet when it comes to the topic of crushes’ and boys. Y/n was currently laying on their bed, staring at the ceiling, no source of light but the moonlight. Curling up the sheets beside them, wishing Jughead was here to hold them and love every bit of them. Why do we try to be good enough for the ones that hurt us the most? He was probably with her now, holding her like she’ll drift away any second, mumbling how much he loves her and those cheesy love words. Why couldn’t it have been me?

If only Jughead did love me, I will always be a second choice, never the perfect one.

As they sat down burning in their sorrows, there was a slight knock on the window. Y/n looked over at the window, finding no one other than Jughead there. Even looking at him hurts, everything hurt. Y/n ignored him and didn’t bother opening the window for him. The last time he snuck through the window, he brought them chocolates for Valentine’s Day, since y/n was upset because she didn’t have anyone to share the day with. Jughead was a sweet boy under all that mystery, but it’s weird how the kindest eyes can hurt the most.

Jughead knocked again on the window. This time, y/n decided to go over there to open the window. They rolled out of bed and silently walked over there, trying not to wake their parents up. They unlocked the window and lifted it up. “What is it now, Jug?” Y/n bellowed. They tried to avoid his gaze, trying not to break in front of him. Remembering that those eyes have looked at Betty with such love and empathy, are the same ones looking at y/n with such concede.

“I came to apologize” Jughead confessed. Y/n met his gaze, scanning his rare features of sadness. 2 lovely human beings were hurting because of each other. Seeing him so miserable made the tears sting in their eyes. Y/n moved out of the way to let Jughead in. He gently made his way into the bedroom. He grabbed Y/n’s hand and sat them down with him on the bed. Even after all the hurt, he still managed to make y/n’s heart skip a beat at the simple gesture. There was a silence between the two, neither of them wanting to speak first. Y/n didn’t want to speak first, knowing their voice will come out as weak and trembling, but they knew that Jughead won’t be the one to start the conversation, so they gave in.

“What do you need to apologize for?” Y/n croaked. They knew their voice came off as shaky, but there was no time to think of that right now.

“For hurting you” Jughead confided. Y/n opened her mouth to speak, but Jughead wasn’t finished.

“That moment I had with Betty, it wasn’t much. I thought we’d be something, but she said that she didn’t feel anything, and neither did I. I realized that, I’ve been trying to hide the fact that I had feelings for my best friend”

Best friend? Is there another person?

“Point is” Jughead exhaled a quivering breath as he gently squeezed y/n’s hand. “I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way, so I always tried to ignore my feelings for you and tried to gain feelings for someone else. I knew you felt the same way when I noticed you leave that day on the bleachers. I tried to contact you, but you never really answered. You’ve been ignoring you at school, and that’s when I realized you were the light and happiness in my life, not Betty. I’m sorry for hurting you, but I hope you know that I’m ready for you”

Hearing all that felt like a dream. The boy y/n’s been silently pinning for months had loved her all along. Without y/n, Jughead was broken and devastated. You could hear the want in his voice, wanting y/n back in his life. His sunshine. The weight of the world feels like it’s been lifted off of their shoulders. Now, it was y/n’s turn to accept him back.

“I want you back too”

With that, y/n fell into Jughead’s embrace. Maybe 2 broken souls can help mend each other.

[chocolatequeennk]

Forever and Never Apart, 26/42

Summary: After taking a year to recover from the Master, the Doctor and Rose are ready to travel again. But Time keeps pushing them forward, and instead of going back to their old life, they slowly realise that they’re stepping into a new life. Friends new and old are meeting on the TARDIS, and when the stars start going out, the Doctor and Rose face the biggest change of all: the return of Bad Wolf.

Series 4 with Rose, part 7 of Being to Timelessness; sequel to Taking Time (AO3 | FF.NET | TSP)

Betaed by @lastbluetardis, @rudennotgingr, @jabber-who-key, and @pellaaearien. Thank you so much!

We are finally to the Library, which gets a major rewrite. And that means this is still a prompt fill for @doctorroseprompts–imagine Doomsday didn’t happen, and rewrite one S3/S4 episode or scene.

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch 10| Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14 | Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17 | Ch 18 | Ch 19 | Ch 20 | Ch 21 | Ch 22 | Ch 23 | Ch 24 | Ch 25

Chapter Twenty-six: The Wolf and the Shadow

Rose smiled at the Doctor as he bounced and spun around the reading room. Figuring something out had soothed his earlier fatalistic outlook, though of course he would be happier if he could figure out where the Vashta Nerada came from.

She pivoted in a slow circle as she turned that particular mystery over in her mind. The one thing she’d picked up from the Doctor about the life cycle of the Vashta Nerada was that they laid their eggs in trees.

She laid her hand on the carved railing of the staircase. There was a lot of wood in the Library, she mused—much more than she’d imagined in a building so futuristic. It was almost as surprising as the paper books.

Oh.

Paper. Paper made from trees, which had been cut down from a forest somewhere.

“Doctor,” she said quietly, using the bond to get his attention rather than volume. He wheeled around and looked at her. “I think I’ve figured out where the Vashta Nerada came from.”

His eyes widened. “Where? They hatch in forests, and this entire planet is a city.”

Rose shook her head. “No, this entire planet is a forest.” She lifted her hands and turned slowly, pointing at the shelves. “You said all the books here were printed specially for the Library. Which means they were printed at once, likely on paper made from the same batch of wood pulp… cut down from the same forest.”

“Oh,” he whispered, turning in a circle. “These are their forests.”

oOoOoOoOo

Miss Evangelista stood up while Donna was still grappling with her memories and gestured to the walk that encircled the playground. “Shall we?” she asked, sounding exactly like the genteel Victorian lady she looked like.

“Mind if I join you?” another familiar voice asked as they stood up.

Donna spun around to look at her niece. “Jenny! What are you doing here?”

Jenny looked at her steadily, and Donna cringed when she saw something sad in the younger woman’s eyes. “Miss Evangelista and I talked earlier,” she explained. “And we agreed that this would be the best way to show you.”

“To show me what?” Donna looked back and forth between the two women, her temper sparking. “Listen, you,” she snarled at Miss Evangelista, “I don’t know who you are, but my niece had a very serious brain injury. If you’ve been messing with us both…”

“She is not your niece,” Miss Evangelista said calmly. “Think, Donna. Remember the person you were when you knew me before.”

Jenny put a hand on her shoulder. “Just… listen for a little bit longer, Donna, all right?” she pleaded. “If we get to the end, and you still think we’re bonkers, you can tell Doctor Moon I’ve relapsed and we won’t ever mention it again.”

Donna pressed her lips into a thin line and took a deep breath through her nose. “All right then. Talk fast.”

Miss Evangelista pointed at the children playing as the trio started their walk. “I suggested we meet here because a playground is the easiest place to see it,” Miss Evangelista explained. “To see the lie.”

“What lie?” Donna demanded. She could hear her children shrieking happily as Miss Evangelista tried to dismantle her whole world, and it made her even more snappish than usual.

“The children,” Jenny said gently. “Look at the children.”

But Donna couldn’t look away from Miss Evangelista. She told herself she was fascinated by the woman’s veil, but deep down, she knew she was terrified of what she’d see if she looked at the playground.

“Why do you wear that veil?” she asked. “If I had a face like yours, I wouldn’t hide it.”

“You remember my face, then?” Donna couldn’t be certain, but she thought Miss Evangelista was smiling behind the veil. “The memories are all still there. The Library, the Doctor, me. You’ve just been programmed not to look.”

Donna slowed down as an awful memory returned—the memory of this young woman, talking to her through death. “Sorry, but you’re dead.”

Miss Evangelista turned and looked straight ahead. “In a way, we’re all dead here, Donna,” she said, with the calm only the dead can achieve when talking about death. “We are the dead of the Library.”

“Well, what about the children? The children aren’t dead.” Donna looked at the playground, and something seemed off. The world is wrong. She pushed the thought aside and looked back at Jenny. “My children aren’t dead.”

She hated that there was even a hint of question in her voice.

Jenny pursed her lips and shook her head. “Ella and Joshua aren’t real, Donna.”

Donna waved her arms at Jenny, her body shaking with fear and anger. “Don’t you say that. Don’t you dare say that about my children!” She gestured at the playground where she could hear Ella and Joshua playing. “You were there when they were born! You held them!”

Jenny’s eyes, usually bright blue with excitement or happiness, now looked like the sky right before a storm. “Was I, Donna?”

“Look at your children,” Miss Evangelista interrupted. “Look at all of them, really look.”

Donna spun around to tell the other woman where she could take all of her comments about things being wrong, but as she did, her gaze landed on the playground, and she finally saw it. One little boy and one little girl, repeated over and over. Wearing the same coats, laughing with the same childish giggles, smiling the same toothy smiles.

“They’re not real,” Miss Evangelista pressed in a low voice. “Do you see it now? They’re all the same. All the children of this world, the same boy and the same girl, over and over again.”

“Stop it. Just stop it. Why are you doing this?” Donna glared at the other woman, who wouldn’t even let her see her face. “Why are you wearing that veil?”

Jenny watched with morbid curiosity when Donna yanked the veil off. She’d wondered the same question, but had managed to curtail the impulse to ask, thinking that Rose would call the question rude. Donna didn’t have Jenny’s mum’s voice in the back of her head, though, and obviously felt no compunction about unveiling their mysterious friend.

The loud gasp Jenny let out when Miss Evangelista’s face was revealed was quiet compared to Donna’s yell. With one eye three times the size of the other and the crooked mouth, it looked like someone had melted her face.

She looks like a Picasso, Donna thought, just barely managing to stem the hysterical laughter rising up.

Miss Evangelista readjusted her veil, then looked at them calmly while they gathered their wits again. “What happened to your face?” Jenny asked finally.

The young woman shrugged wryly. “Transcription errors. Destroyed my face, did wonders for my intellect. I’m a very poor copy of myself.”

“Where are we?” Donna asked. “Why are the children all the same?”

They were finally getting down to the most important part of the story, and Jenny leaned forward to take Donna’s hand. “The same pattern over and over,” she told her. “It saves an awful lot of space.”

Donna looked at the two of them, her forehead knit together. “Space?”

Miss Evangelista nodded. “Cyberspace.”

oOoOoOoOo

“Doctor,” Melody said, “what were you saying a moment ago about everyone being saved?”

He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and nodded firmly. “Right, yes. Here, let me show you.” He ran to a computer terminal, and quickly pulled up the archives from the day the Library had gone silent.

Once he had the record open, it was easy to find what he was looking for. “See, there it is, right there.” He pointed at the screen for the four people who’d gathered around him. “A hundred years ago, massive power surge. All the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm. The computer tries to teleport everyone out.”

Melody peered at the screen. “It tried to teleport four thousand twenty-two people?”

The Doctor rocked back on his heels. “It succeeded,” he corrected. “Pulled them all out, but then what? Nowhere to send them. Nowhere safe in the whole library. Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. Four thousand and twenty-two people all beamed up and nowhere to go.” He twirled his finger in the air. “They’re stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So what’s a computer to do? What does a computer always do?”

Rose sucked in a breath. “It saved them,” she whispered.

The Doctor nodded, then looked for a surface he could draw on. His gaze landed on the mahogany table, and he ran to it and shoved the books out of the way as he pulled a marker out of his pocket.

“The Library,” he said, drawing a large circle right on the table. “A whole world of books, and right at the core,” he added another circle inside the smaller circle, “the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written, backup copies of every single book. The computer saved four thousand and twenty-two people the only way a computer can.” He added an arrow, pointing at the centre circle. “It saved them to the hard drive.”

Rose tapped her fingers over the centre circle. “And that’s where Jenny and Donna are?” she asked, her voice tight and not quite hopeful.

The Doctor put his hand over hers. “That’s where Jenny and Donna are,” he said, hoping as he said the words that he was right.

oOoOoOoOo

Jenny linked her arm through Donna’s as Miss Evangelista led them to a bandstand where they could talk a little more easily. “How are you doing, Donna?” she asked quietly. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“How am I supposed to believe this?” Donna countered. “We’re not even real? This isn’t my real body? But I’ve been dieting.”

Jenny giggled. “Well, we’ve actually only been in the database for…” She squinted and tried to count back. “A little over an hour. So, you haven’t been denying yourself for as long as it feels, if it makes you feel any better.”

Donna snorted. “Just a little,” she allowed.

Miss Evangelista turned to them, and even without being able to see her face, they could sense her annoyance. They both quieted, and she nodded sharply.

“Your physical self is stored in the Library as an energy signature,” she explained. “It can be actualised again whenever you or the Library requires.”

“The Library?” In the middle of trying to grasp what she was being told, Donna suddenly remembered the faceless doll Ella had made of her. “If my face ends up on one of those statues…”

Jenny laughed. “Of course you remember the statues. Oh, you hated those.”

Miss Evangelista gestured at the park around them. “What you see around you, this entire world is nothing more than virtual reality.”

The three ladies looked around slowly, then Donna looked straight at Miss Evangelista.

“So why do you look like that?” she asked, her voice soft.

“I had no choice,” the other woman said briskly. “You both teleported. You’re perfect reproductions. I was just a data ghost caught in the wifi and automatically uploaded.”

“And that’s why you’re able to interact with the program without oversight from Doctor Moon,” Jenny said, realising the answer to a question that had bothered her from the moment she’d met the virtual Miss Evangelista.

The veiled woman nodded, but Donna asked another question before she could speak.

“And… being uploaded to the computer made you clever?”

Miss Evangelista shrugged. “We’re only strings of numbers in here. I think a decimal point may have shifted in my IQ. But my face has been the bigger advantage. I have the two qualities you require to see absolute truth. I am brilliant and unloved.”

Jenny had only been alive for three months, but she had already seen enough to know the truth in what Miss Evangelista said. Even within the world of a virtual reality, no one would pay any attention to someone who looked like Miss Evangelista. It was one of the saddest truths she’d faced yet.

Donna squinted at the two of them. “If this is all a dream, whose dream is it?”

“It’s hard to see everything in the data core, even for me, but there is a word. Just one word. Cal.”

Jenny’s mouth dropped open. “But we know what CAL is,” she said. “Sorry, Mr. Lux was telling us about her when you… ah…”

“When I died,” Miss Evangelista said calmly. “Yes, now that you mention it, I do remember hearing the start of a conversation… but I was too focused on the opening in the wall to pay attention. Continue.”

“CAL stands for Charlotte Abigail Lux. Technically, she was his aunt—his father’s younger sister. She was dying when she was just a girl, so her father—Mr. Lux’s grandfather—built the Library, with a computer at the centre. He gave her everything she wanted, all the stories in the universe.”

Miss Evangelista nodded. “Then CAL is the data core, in a way. And it is her dream we have all been folded into.”

Donna’s head was swimming. The idea that she was just… just a string of numbers was hard to swallow. But harder still was the notion that nothing of her life was real. She had everything she’d ever wanted—a perfect life with a gorgeous man who adored her and two beautiful children.

Is that really everything you ever wanted? her subconscious niggled at her. You remember the travelling now. Don’t you miss the adventure?

Ella called out to her before she could tell her subconscious what it could do with that errant thought. “Mummy, my knee!”

Donna ran to her daughter, who had fallen off a swing and skinned her knee. “Oh! Oh, look at that knee,” she said as she knelt down besides Ella. “Oh, look at that silly old knee!” She scooped Ella up into her arms and cuddled her close.

“She’s not real.”

Donna’s head snapped back so she could glare at Miss Evangelista, who had followed her across the playground.

“They’re fictions,” the woman insisted. “I’m sorry, but now that you understand that, you won’t be able to keep a hold. They are sustained only by your belief.”

Jenny put her hand on Miss Evangelista’s shoulder. “I think you’ve made your point,” she said, her voice kind, but firm. “We know this isn’t real, but until we can find a way to get out of the computer, is there any harm in pretending it is?” She took Joshua’s hand and smiled at Donna. “Let’s go home, yeah?”

Donna nodded. “Yeah.”

She wanted to be surprised when she blinked and they were back at home, but the afternoon had destroyed her ability to believe Doctor Moon’s lies.

Joshua pulled his hand away from Jenny’s and wrapped an arm around Donna’s waist. “That was quick, wasn’t it, Mummy?”

“Donna.” Jenny’s tension-filled voice forced Donna to acknowledge her, and she turned around, trying not to see the red light or hear the alarm shrieking. “Donna, something is wrong.”

oOoOoOoOo

Rose held the Doctor’s hand tight as she let herself really believe they would find Jenny and Donna. They knew where they were; now it was just a matter of finding a way to retrieve their data signals.

Hope had barely had time to gain a foothold when red lights started flashing in time with a blaring siren.

“What is it?” Mr. Lux asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Auto destruct enabled in twenty minutes,” a recorded voice announced.

They all ran back at the computer terminal, which was flashing two messages: one, the countdown to the auto destruct, and the other, a warning of maximum erasure.

“Maximum erasure doesn’t sound good,” Rose observed, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

“Yeah, not so much.” All those people on the hard drive, including Jenny and Donna, would be deleted. The Doctor shoved his hand through his hair as he stumbled back from the terminal. “In twenty minutes, this planet’s going to crack like an egg.”

“No,” Mr. Lux burst out. “No, it’s all right. The Doctor Moon will stop it. It’s programmed to protect Cal.”

Rose wanted to groan, because Sod’s law dictated that as soon as Mr. Lux assured them nothing could go wrong, it would. And sure enough, a moment later, the monitor went blank.

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” the Doctor yelled. He jumped up on the table so he could look behind the terminal, and Rose saw him pull his sonic screwdriver out.

He can do this, Rose thought, biting hard on her lip. The Doctor will get the computer to work again, and then he’ll save everyone.

A different automated voice killed that thought. “All library systems are permanently offline. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

oOoOoOoOo

Donna sat down with her children on the couch and wrapped an arm around each of them. Jenny sat in the chair, and the sympathetic look on her face cut to the quick. “You just, you just stay where I can see you, all right?” She couldn’t stop the tears running down her face. No matter what she told her children, no matter how many precautions she took, she was going to lose them. “You, you don’t get out of my sight.”

“Is it bedtime?” Ella suggested innocently.

This time, Donna felt it happen—the computer glitch as they all moved from one room to another. At least in the children’s bedroom with the curtain closed, they couldn’t see the red light anymore. The alarm was still there in the background, though even it was harder to hear.

Ella and Joshua were tucked snugly in their beds, and she was sitting on Ella’s bed while Jenny was on Joshua’s. The two women looked at each other, resigned, fearful expressions of their faces, then Donna took a deep breath and faked a smile.

“Okay.” Donna pulled the covers up to Ella’s chin while Jenny did the same for Joshua. “That was lovely, wasn’t it? That was a lovely bedtime. Aunt Jenny made warm milk, and we watched cartoons, and then Mummy read you a lovely bedtime story.”

Ella looked at her, through eyes that were far too knowing for a child of seven. “Mummy, Joshua and me, we’re not real, are we?”

“Of course you’re real,” Donna lied. “You’re as real as anything. Why do you say that?”

Joshua answered first. “But, Mummy, sometimes, when you’re not here, it’s like we’re not here,” he protested, and the little lisp in his voice broke Donna’s heart, almost as much as his words..  

“Even when you close your eyes, we just stop,” Ella explained.

Donna had tried so hard to ignore the facts, but having them presented to her by… by the computer programs she’d thought were her children made it impossible. She blinked back tears as she looked from one to the other.

“Well, Mummy promises to never close her eyes again.” She smiled at Joshua, then turned back to kiss Ella on the forehead, but the bed was empty.

“No!” She jumped up and yanked the cover down, but the there was no little girl hiding in the sheets. She wheeled around to Joshua, but he’d disappeared too, leaving Donna standing in between two empty beds, begging the universe to give her her children back. “Please! No, please!”

She fell to her knees, pulling at the covers, trying to find her son and daughter, but they had vanished. Her desperate whispers escalated into shrieks of denial. “No! No, no! No, no!”

Jenny grabbed her arms. “Donna. Donna!” She shook her gently, and finally the other woman’s eyes focused on her. “You need to calm down!”

Donna drew back, a snarl contorting her features. “Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!” she hissed. “My children…” Her throat closed up, and she swallowed, then tried again. “My babies are gone!”

Jenny flinched. Right, not the best way to start. What would Mum say to get through to her? She nodded slowly, then tried again. “Okay, I know this is… horrifying,” she said slowly, trying to project Rose’s compassion. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to see your children disappear in front of your eyes. But maybe this is the start of us getting out of the computer. And if we get out of here, you can meet someone and have actual children of your own. Children who are real, that you share every moment of their lives.”

Donna sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I don’t even remember being pregnant,” she admitted. “Not that I was particularly looking forward to feeling like a beached whale, but…” She sighed wistfully. “I did want some parts of it. Feeling my babies move. I never had that.”

Jenny nodded, relieved that the computer hadn’t managed to perfectly replicate every detail of life. “See, it’ll be better when you have the real experience. But for that to happen, we need to get back to the real world. So this… as scary as it is, this might be a good thing.” She nudged Donna with her elbow. “You know Dad and Rose are out there working like mad to get us back.”

Donna opened her mouth and Jenny held her hand up. “Both of us,” she insisted. “Donna, you’re like the older sister neither of them ever had. Why do you think the computer decided you were my aunt?”

Donna stared at her for a long moment, then a tiny smile crossed her face. “Look at you; only three months old and already smarter than me,” she teased. “All right, let’s go back downstairs and wait for the world to end so we can go home.”

oOoOoOoOo

Mr. Lux hollered over the warnings. “We need to stop this. We’ve got to save Cal.”

Rose snorted. “And how do you propose we do that?” she countered. “As far as I can tell, Cal is the one who’s trying to kill us!”

Mr. Lux shook his head. “I think the Doctor could stop her, if we got to the main computer.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows rose. “It’s at the core of the planet.”

Melody smirked and pulled out her screwdriver. “Well, then. Let’s go.” She ran to the middle of the room and pointed it at the Library logo. The large compass rose opened and a blue stream of light flowed up. “Gravity platform,” she said simply.  

“Melody Pond, I like you,” Rose declared as she stepped onto the gravity platform.

She could hear a note of relief in the archaeologist’s laugh, and a pang of sympathy went through her for the other woman. Despite the fact that Melody was older than her, currently, their relationship was very clearly one where she looked up to Rose and not the other way around. It must have been hard, feeling like she had to earn my respect all over again.

“Anita!” the Doctor called out, and the younger woman shuffled slowly towards them. Rose noted with some relief that she still had two shadows.

When they were all on the platform, Melody activated the command to transport them to the centre of the planet.

They had fifteen minutes left in the auto destruct countdown when they reached the data core. The Doctor ran in the direction of an orangish light, and soon he was staring in awe at a massive ball of energy. “The data core. Over four thousand living minds trapped inside it.”

“Yeah, well, they won’t be living much longer,” Melody pointed out bluntly. “We’re running out of time.”

“Yes, we can all hear the countdown,” Rose retorted. “So let’s not waste time pointing out the obvious.” She took a quick breath, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just want them back.”

The Doctor squeezed her shoulder, then ran past her down the corridor toward what he hoped was the main server room. He let out a sigh of relief when the multiple terminals filling the room confirmed his guess, and rushed to the nearest one.

However, he’d barely begun his attempt to get it to work when he was interrupted by the plaintive call of a young girl. “Help me. Please, help me.”

“What’s that?” Anita asked as they scanned the room for the source of the voice.

The Doctor looked at Mr. Lux, who had tears in his eyes. “That’s Cal,” the other man confirmed. He tugged off his gloves and reached for a lever in the wall. When he pulled it, a door opened on the opposite side of the room.

The group ran into a room filled with more computer processors and terminals, and the Doctor watched in astonishment as a Courtesy Node turned around to reveal the face of the same little girl they’d seen on the monitor upstairs.

“Please help me. Please help me.”

“It’s the little girl,” Anita said, apparently able to see well enough through her visor to pick out the girl’s features. “The girl we saw in the computer.”

“This is Cal,” Mr. Lux said quietly. “I told you my grandfather put her living mind inside the computer… Well, in a way, she is the computer. The main command node.”

“Help me. Please help me,” the girl continued to beg.

The Doctor stared at the command node, the pieces falling into place. “So Cal is in the computer, dreaming of the perfect life. But she’s also part of the Library, so when the shadows came and the alarm sounded…”

“The shadows,” CAL said, “I have to… I have to save. Have to save.”

“And she saved them.” The Doctor peered up toward the planet’s surface. They were even closer to the data core here than they had been before. “She saved everyone in the Library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe.”

“Then why didn’t she tell us?” Anita asked.

Doctor. Rose’s sharp nudge got his attention immediately. Anita only has one shadow.

The Doctor looked over at her and his hearts dropped. Oh, Anita.

The computer countdown reminded him that he had still-living people who were counting on him, which meant he didn’t have time to confront the swarm that had just killed Anita.

“Because she’s forgotten,” he said, in answer to the question. “She’s got over four thousand living minds chatting away inside her head. Imagine trying to keep track of that many individual thoughts at once. Even a computer can’t usually handle four thousand twenty-two processes at one time. We’ll be lucky if her memory of the truth is the only thing missing.”

“So what do we do?” Melody asked matter-of-factly.

There were only ten minutes left on the countdown, and that wasn’t enough time to think of a clever plan. “Easy!” He ran back to the terminal and opened a command line. “We beam all the people out of the data core. The computer will reset and stop the countdown.” The information he was getting from the computer wasn’t promising. “Difficult. Charlotte doesn’t have enough memory space left to make the transfer.”

“Easy,” Rose drawled. “Someone runs back upstairs, gets the TARDIS, and we use her memory space.”

Melody snorted. “Difficult. The Library is swarming with Vashta Nerada.”

The Doctor looked at Mr. Lux and Other Dave. “You two, go back to the surface. If I succeed, you’ll soon have four thousand people who need to be sent home.”

The two men looked at each other, then shrugged and turned around. Melody started to protest, but the Doctor put his finger to his lips and pointed to Anita. Melody’s shoulders slumped when she saw that her protege only had one shadow.

The Doctor’s hearts ached for the young woman who had lost three friends in a single day. “Melody, do you know anything about splicing two computers together, the way we’re talking about?” he asked, both because he needed her help and because he hoped it would distract her from her grief.

She pulled her gloves off and nodded. “Oh, yes,” she promised, sounding exactly like… well, him. “You taught me yourself. Said it would come in handy someday—I guess someday is today.” She looked at him pointedly. “But none of my fancy computer and electronic skills will matter if you don’t get the TARDIS here in time.”

The Doctor nodded and turned to Anita, who had crept closer to them while they’d talked. “What about the Vashta Nerada?” she asked.

“Rose, come here, love.” The shadows had been lengthening in her direction, and he wanted her outside their reach. When she was close enough to take his hand, he looked back at Anita. “These are their forests. We’re going to seal Charlotte inside her little world, take everybody else away. The shadows can swarm to their hearts’ content.”

“So you think they’re just going to let us go?” the Vashta Nerada asked, condescension dripping from their voice.

The Doctor swallowed the angry retort he wanted to give and set his jaw. “Best offer they’re going to get.”

Anita’s helmet tilted slightly. “You’re going to make ‘em an offer?”

In his peripheral vision, the Doctor watched Melody’s tall, willowy form move from one panel to another, using the computer terminals to bring up CAL’s memories while he and Rose handled the Vashta Nerada. He recognised every move she made and briefly congratulated his future self on training her well, before focusing on the Vashta Nerada again.

“They’d better take it, because right now, I’m finding it very hard to make any kind of offer at all.” Rose rubbed her thumb over his, and he took a deep breath before his temper got out of control. “You know what? I really liked Anita. She was brave, even when she was crying. And she never gave in. And you ate her.” The Doctor pointed the screwdriver at the visor of her helmet, and only a skull was visible. “But I’m going to let that pass, just as long as you let them pass.”

The voice deepened, gaining an dangerous edge Anita had never used. “How long have you known?”

He walked away from Rose to look Anita’s skull in the face. “I counted the shadows. You only have one now.” Anita’s neural relay flashed. “She’s nearly gone. Be kind.”

“These are our forests,” they said coldly. “We are not kind.”

The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m giving you back your forests, but you are giving me them. You are letting them go.” He turned his back on the swarm to walk to the gravity platform, painfully aware that the clock was ticking.

“These are our forests. They are our meat.”

The threat was obvious, but before the Doctor could even blink, he felt a flare of something stronger than anger over the bond. He checked Rose’s eyes as she stepped forward and thought he saw tiny flecks of gold dancing in her eyes, along with a determined glint that was all Rose. Not fully Bad Wolf, he thought, but something similar.

At the same time, the bond vibrated with her fury. He forced himself to watch quietly as she confronted the Vashta Nerada.

She held up her hand. “You’ve come far enough,” she ordered.

The Doctor turned back around and narrowed his eyes when he realised the swarm had one arm lifted and had slowly been extending itself toward him.

Power buzzed as the edge of Rose’s awareness as she stared down the swarm, but it stayed leashed for now. The TARDIS hummed in the back of her mind, and she smiled, knowing the ship was there if she needed any help.

Rather than stop, the swarm shifted direction slightly, moving toward her instead. Rose smirked and shook her head as she watched its progress. “If you’re smart, you’ll take the Doctor’s offer,” she said, her voice deathly calm. “You really shouldn’t have threatened my Doctor, but since he’s promised to let you go, I won’t harm you—as long as you don’t harm him.”

The swarm scoffed at the warning. “You are mortal, as is he.” The shadows moved another six inches closer to both her and the Doctor. “There is nothing you could do to stop us.”

The TARDIS sang in the back of Rose’s mind, and she knew exactly what to say to get the Vashta Nerada to leave them alone. A surge of confidence shot through her as she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and stared down the swarm.

“I’m the Bad Wolf. Do you really want to test what I can do to protect the Doctor?”

The song in her mind swelled, and to her surprise, the wind picked up around them. A moment later, the familiar grinding noise of the TARDIS engines echoed in the room. She heard the Doctor’s sharp intake of breath when he realised what was happening, but she didn’t dare look away from the Vashta Nerada.

The shadows paused when the TARDIS materialised only a metre to Rose’s right. The air in the room was tense as Rose, the Doctor, and Melody waited for the Vashta Nerada to consider their chances in light of that show of power.

Finally, the shadows receded. “You have one day,” they said before disappearing and letting the suit collapse.

The Doctor stared at Rose. “You… How did…” He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled hoarsely.

Rose shook her head. “I can’t take credit for the TARDIS. She did that all on her own. As for the rest…” She stepped closer to him and pressed her hand to his jaw. “I want you safe, my Doctor,” she said simply.

“Rose Tyler, Bad Wolf and protector of the Doctor.”

Melody cleared her throat. “As… um, touching and slightly terrifying as this is, we are running on a clock here. Maybe the two of you could get the TARDIS ready while I finish this up? Please?”

Rose smiled when the Doctor unlocked the door. “We’ll just go into the Vortex to give us time to get things ready. We’ll be back before you even notice we’re gone!” she called back over her shoulder.

While the Doctor moved to the controls to take them into the Vortex, Rose rested her hands on a coral strut. Thank you, she told the ship. The only response she got was a warm chuckle that made her feel like there was some detail she was missing, but Rose shrugged it off and turned back to the Doctor.

His attention was completely focused on the controls, and as they left the Library and reentered the Vortex, some of Rose’s exhilaration faded. “Are you…”

He let out a deep breath and looked up at her. “No. Not upset.” She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. “We don’t have time to talk about it right now. I’ll…” He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll explain later.”

Rose shrugged and focused on the TARDIS. “Are you ready to save four thousand and twenty-two people, old girl?” she murmured while the Doctor ducked down below the console and pulled up a section of the grating. “We can’t do it without you.”

The TARDIS hummed encouragingly, and Rose leaned back on the jump seat to watch the Doctor work. There was still some kind of energy buzzing over their bond, and she tried to puzzle it out.

“You were terrifying and sexy as hell,” he said bluntly as he dug around in the storage compartment until he found the cables he needed and hooked them up to the console, ready to be wired into the Library’s mainframe. “The way you took charge and stared down the Vashta Nerada… I’m still trying to figure out how I can be absolutely petrified and completely turned on at the same time.”

Rose finally recognised the desire burning hot over the bond. It was so entwined with his fear that the sensations had merged to feel like something new and different—something she hadn’t been able to name until he’d explained it.

It was a heady combination.

But for now, she wanted to ease his fear. She was fine—she knew that instinctively. Rose watched him work, saw how hard he was focusing on what he was doing, and she knew how to shake him out of his fear.

She hopped out of the jump seat and leaned on a smooth section of the console only a few inches away from where he was working. The Doctor’s hands stilled and she reached over to touch his arm.

“Well…” she said, keeping her voice low and breathy. “If you’re debating which one to act on…” She trailed her fingers down his arm.

The Doctor jumped. “Rose!” His voice was a squeak. “We’re in the middle of saving four thousand people.”

To his surprise, Rose didn’t push her point, or remind him that time was meaningless in the Vortex. Instead, he thought he caught a glimpse of a satisfied smirk on her face as she turned away from him.

It only took him a moment to realise how artfully she’d managed to redirect his thoughts. Surprise over her actions had cleared his mind of his confusing reactions to her display with the Vashta Nerada.

He shook his head, then double-checked the work he’d done, now that he wasn’t fighting the urge to drag her to the medbay and run a whole slew of scans on her. After tweaking one wire, he spun around to the navigation panel and started setting the coordinates so they would land only a few seconds after they’d left.

That reminded him of the other mystery of the day—how had the TARDIS appeared, exactly when they’d needed her?

As he turned a dial, he felt the familiar hum of Rose and the TARDIS talking. He looked at Rose through the time rotor. She had her hand resting on the helmic regulator, just waiting for his signal. And as she waited, she was talking to the TARDIS, communicating with her on a level the Doctor could never achieve.

Oh, of course. The TARDIS had come to them today the same way she had when they’d needed to escape the Racnoss. She’d latched onto active huon particles and pulled herself to them.

“You’re being awfully careful with the coordinates,” Rose observed, breaking into his private thoughts.

“I want to make sure we land only seconds after we left Melody,” he explained as he tweaked a control.

“She’ll get us there,” she promised. “She wants Jenny and Donna back just as much as we do.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes as he finished setting the coordinates, then stepped back and nodded at Rose. He could feel the connection between her and the TARDIS singing at the edges of his mind as she worked to send them back into flight. It felt… different, somehow. Stronger, maybe? Closer, like the TARDIS was just waiting for Rose to reach out to her.

They landed hard, and the Doctor shook his head, more than willing to set that thought aside. The traces of Bad Wolf lingering in Rose always made him uneasy. He’d been told, once upon a time, that the Bad Wolf could not be uncreated. It was a fact he tried to ignore.

“Your driving is getting better, Doctor,” Melody said when he stepped out of the TARDIS. She was still standing at the same panel she’d been working on when they’d left. “Or I suppose maybe it’s gotten worse as you’ve aged. You weren’t even gone for a full minute.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes and carried a cable over to her, while Rose dragged the power cord with her. “You know, those times when our landings are really atrociously bad are actually the exception, not the rule,” he pointed out.

Melody tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Yeah…” she drawled. “But they’re so memorable.” She took the computer cable and began hooking it up to her panel. “How long did it take you?”

“About ten minutes.” The Doctor pointed at two panels. “Rose, can you get those open while I work with Melody on the memory boards?”

“What do I do after they’re open?” she asked as she used her sonic screwdriver to undo the bolts and slide the first panel out.

“There should be five rows of switches on each panel. Make sure that all the blue switches are toggled on, and the green ones are toggled off.”

Melody was shaking her head as the Doctor took the control panel next to her. “What?” he asked as he started rewiring the mainframe so it could handle the amount of electricity that would surge through it when they activated the upload.

“Nothing.” She looked up at him, a funny smile on your face. “It’s just… I know you’re not the Doctor and Rose I know, but listening to you talk… it’s like nothing has changed. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, always perfect partners.”

The Doctor looked up and met Rose’s gaze with a half smile. To his surprise, Melody groaned loudly. “If either of you say the word, ‘Forever,’ I swear I’m going to be sick,” she threatened.

Rose laughed while the Doctor sputtered, trying to find some sort of comeback to that. “Come on, you two,” she said as she flipped the last row of switches as the Doctor had instructed. “I’m ready over here.”

Melody and the Doctor exchanged a sheepish smile, and the Doctor pulled the connection from the TARDIS over to the Library’s motherboard. “Melody Pond,” the Doctor mused as he watched her expertly splice the cable in. “You are very good at that.”

Her eyes widened, and she smiled up at him. “Thank you, Doctor.” She bit her lip and bent over her work. “I’m getting everything finished except the last connection. I’ll do that at the end of the countdown,” she explained. “There'll be a blip in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download.”

She spliced one more set of wires together as the computer warned them they only had two minutes left until the autodestruct. An awkward silence fell over the room after she stepped back; there were so many questions the Doctor wanted to ask, but if he’d taught Melody Pond how to connect two computer mainframes, there was no way he hadn’t taught her how to maintain timelines.

To his surprise, she was the one who broke the silence. “Why didn’t you and Rose warn me that our first meeting was out of order like this?” she asked quietly.

The Doctor sighed and raked his hand through his hair. “Because you didn’t know when we met you. We prepared you for it, though. Teaching you about avoiding spoilers and giving you the code words so we would trust you.”

Melody looked up at him. “But why not just tell me not to come to the Library?”

“Causality loop,” he explained. “Because we met you here, it’ll be impossible to avoid things that might set you on your path to becoming an archaeologist—even little things, like giving you your own sonic screwdriver. And because of your position, you were chosen to lead this expedition, and suspecting danger, you naturally asked us to join you, which ensured we would meet you here.”

“Basically, you met me here, so you had to make sure you would meet me here.”

The Doctor smiled at her succinct summary of his rambling explanation. “Basically.”

Melody wrinkled her nose. “Yeah… I’ve never really fancied the way time travel works,” she muttered.  

The Doctor frowned at her; there was something different about her voice… “You’re Scottish!” he realised, pinning down the trace of an accent that had slipped through.

“Autodesctruct in one minute.”

Melody shifted her gaze away from him. “No, but my mum is. I guess I have a bit of an accent when I’m tired or upset.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. He could see the faint lines around her mouth; she hadn’t wanted him to learn that piece of her past. Why would it matter if we know Melody’s mum is Scottish? He puzzled over that for a minute, then shrugged and let it go.

The computer started the final countdown and Melody took the two cables in hand. “My gloves should protect me from the sparks,” she told the Doctor.

“Well, the TARDIS infirmary can take care of you if they don’t,” Rose said as she took the Doctor’s hand.

Melody shook her head and laughed at them, then she connected the two cables in a flurry of sparks. The digital timer ticking down the seconds to the autodestruct froze on 00:01, and all three of them let out a breath of relief.

The TARDIS hummed loudly, making Rose and the Doctor both laugh. “I think she wants to take us all upstairs with everyone else.” Rose held the door open. “I won’t expect the bigger on the inside comment from you this time, Melody, but please tell me you said it the first time you walked inside.”

Melody winked at them as she ran her fingers over a strut. “Spoilers.”

Author’s note: When I was writing But Being Spent over two years ago, I realised that there's really no good reason the Doctor couldn't use the TARDIS to boost the computer power... except that the whole point of this story was to set River up as the Doctor's tragically lost future love. And if I didn't need her to be the person in his life that he already knew he lost, then I could feel free to save her life and let her go on living. So, here we have it--the great tragedy of the Library has been rewritten.

[little-writings]

Hiya!!! 🌸 could I request for a story, regarding Jumin x mc and a wedding? Also, would it be possible if all the RFAs members could attend? Cheers!!

oooOOOOOO YES!!!! Yes, I’d love to do this!!! 

Anyhow, thank you and have a wonderful day! Enjoy!!! ₍՞◌′ᵕ‵ू◌₎♡

———————————————————————————————————–

“Are you ready for this?” 

Jahee came around you as you stared at yourself in the mirror, a mixture of nervousness and excitement bubbling up inside of you.

“I…I am.” You beamed, giggling sheepishly as she approached you, her eyes widening with awe as she looked to your dress, lace lining the edges with fabric that danced with intricate swirls and beautiful patterns. 

“You look wonderful, you’ll be fine.” 

“With my maid of honor with me?” You turned to her, crinkling your nose amusedly. “Absolutely!” 

She laughed, honored at the reminder, ready to speak before the violins and piano began to play, a sort of signal.

“Time to go.” She grinned lightly. “Do you need a countdown?” 

“A countdown?” 

She shrugged, simpering.

“I don’t really know what else to do,” She murmured. “Haven’t done this sort of thing before.” 

You resigned, letting out a small breath.

“Then I’d love a countdown.” 

She lightened for a moment, nodding before moving just ahead of you with Jumin’s best man, V, the leader of the RFA giving you a polite dip of his head and quiet congratulations. 

“One…two…three…!” 

And the doors opened. 

You felt your chest swell up and butterflies burst into your stomach as the pairs went off one by one, your father approaching you as it came to your turn.

“Not too late to back out sweetheart.” He chuckled. “I wouldn’t be upset.” 

You scoffed, a tender expression as you wound an arm with your dad, giving his palm a small, sincere squeeze. 

“There’s nothing else I wanna do more than to do this.” 

He sighed lightly, mimicking a sort of disappointment. 

“Alright then honey, but let me know if you get cold feet while we’re going down the aisle,” He whispered. “I’ll make a distraction.” 

You nudged him playfully, stifling your laughter as he began to lead you down the way, the people drenching the seats waving in their exhilaration.

And at the very end of the line, there was Jumin.

His eyes were shiny, a smile stretching from ear to ear the moment he saw you, warmth and adoration painting his expression.

Your father gave you a chaste kiss to your cheek before moving off, sitting beside your mother, the two of them already nearing tears, hardly helped as your soon-to-be husband enveloped your hands with his own.

“Hello darling,” He greeted fondly, running a delicate thumb over your knuckles. “I…I hope you don’t mind me saying how stunning you look.” 

“You okay?” You asked, seeing the almost speechlessness in his features.

“Yes, I just…I don’t know how someone like me is with someone like you…” He sighed, speaking just above a whisper, words only meant for you. “I’ll never understand how I became so lucky.” 

You hardly listened as the wedding officiant began, his loud and booming voice hardly anything other than muted as you both focused on each other. 

Only when you were called upon was you attention snatched. 

“Now, before the best man provides the rings, would you like to exchange vows?” 

“I would,” Jumin answered, glancing at you, smirking. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to darling.” 

“No, I’d like to!” 

Pink sprinkled his cheeks, eagerness sparked in his gaze. 

“I can’t wait to hear it then.” 

“Then I suppose you ought to go first?” The officiant sniggered. “It’d be awful if we let the metaphor catch up to us, wouldn’t it? ‘Curisoity killed the cat’!” 

Jumin looked to Elizabeth 3rd nervously for a second, comforted as he saw her playing with the stray flower petals dotting the carpet, a pink ribbon decorating her neck.

She had been an excellent flower girl, even if she didn’t really know what she was doing. 

“Um-Alright!” You took in a sharp breath, thinking for a moment as you mentally prepared yourself.

“Well, I…I really hadn’t expected any of this to happen, I had no idea I’d even know half of the people here but, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me-meeting you…it’s made an ‘okay’ world, as close to perfect as it possibly could be,” You confessed, your voice threatening to become brittle. “You did that, and I wake up each day happy to wake up-happy to be a part of this life-because it’s going to be with you. And as long as it’s with you…I don’t think I could be happier.” 

Tears.

He hadn’t even realized, smiling like a gleeful child, laughing as you reached out to wipe them from his cheeks. 

“I didn’t mean to cry I swear.” 

“I’m probably not too far behind don’t worry.” 

“Oh please don’t cry I can’t stand the thought.” 

“It’d be for the right reasons,” You reassured him, feeling as he shifted back with a heavy, love-laced heart. “so, go ahead, I’ll be fine.” 

And he did.

“I will never deserve you MC, that’s simply a fact of life but there is not a day that goes by that I do not feel blessed to have you by my side. You helped me grow, and become a person that I can be proud of instead of a coward who hides in his mind, too afraid to even think of breaking down his walls,” He sighed, remembering. “I used to never think I would be truly happy, never actually content with myself.” 

“But then I met you,” He continued, melting. “And for once it felt like I stepped into the sunlight for the first time, and I haven’t left since. And I know as long as you’re with me, I won’t. I’ll only be getting to spend each day with the most beautiful and amazing miracle the world could ever offer, you.” 

It took a lot not to break into a sob.

And you failed.

Horribly. 

You ducked your head in the crook of his neck, muffling your hints of sobs, Jumin weaving his arms around you and embracing you as if he never wanted to let go, your cheeks stained as though engraved by the pull you forced yourself up.

“That’s very touching.” The officiant warmly said. “Now, if the best man will bring the rings?” 

V rounded about to the two of you, thin linings of his eyes behind his glasses as he pulled out the pair of rings, squeezing Jumin’s shoulder as if approving.

“I’m so proud of you, you know,” He murmured. “I hope your life only becomes better as it goes on, we all hope for that don’t we.” 

You pretended not to see the sadness in his gaze for just a split second, reminders of something long gone before he made his way off, the other members of the RFA cheering on the both of you. 

And as you exchanged your rings, the vows followed each promise to cherish and love one another feeling as easy to say as air. 

Yet you knew without a doubt, each day would be spent upholding it.

And you sealed that with the final, devoted words, coming out as easy as breathing.

“I do.” 

“I do.” 

And you couldn’t wait for the future.

For it would be a future spent together.

And in the end, you couldn’t have asked for anything better.

For it was truly a dream come true. 

[percyjacksonfan3]

Finding Home (Part Three)

Part One: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home

Part Two: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310355107/finding-home-part-two

Piper didn’t feel good about any of this.

Even before Percy went missing Leo had acted odd. Now he was behaving stranger than ever.

“So what did they say?” She asked him when he caught up with her, Jason and Grover at the strawberry fields. His bright orange camp shirt contrasted starkly with the rich, brown earth and the green grass around them. She supposed all of them looked the same.

“Hmm?” Leo replied carelessly. “Oh, I don’t know. Not much.”

Jason frowned, looking at him. “What?”

“I mean, I can’t really remember.” Leo said frowning. “Who are we talking about?”

Grover glanced from Leo to Piper and Jason. “Umm… is that normal?”

“Leo.” Jason grabbed his shoulders, forcing their friend to meet his eyes. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

The son of Hephaestus frowned and took a few seconds to think. “We got back here and went to talk to Chiron… he said to forget about Percy.” Leo nodded. “Sounds smart, I mean whatever it is that took him must be dangerous. We shouldn’t put anyone else in danger.”

Grover bleated nervously. “Bah-ah-ah, what’s wrong with him?”

Piper gently pushed Jason from where he was standing and took his place. “Leo,” she said, layering her voice with charmspeak, “or whatever it is that’s in Leo’s mind. Think back. Remember. You were listening to Mr. D and Annabeth. What did they say?”

Leo’s eyes focused on her and lit up. “A charmspeaker!” He exclaimed, and the voice was Leo’s but the way he spoke was not. He couldn’t be described as anything except excited and interested. “Now that’s intriguing.”

Piper’s mouth dropped and Jason put a hand on the small of her back before stepping forward once more.

“Who are you?” Jason stood beside Piper. “What are you doing to Leo?”

“Guys, what the Hades are you talking about?” Leo said, and his voice was back to normal when he said it, eyes focused on Jason, the usual crazy grin in place. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Grover whimpered. “Not good, oh that’s not good at all.”

Leo focused on Piper and whatever he saw made him go from smiling to serious. “Hey, Pipes, what is it? You look worried. Don’t worry, we’ll find Percy.”

“Leo,” Piper whispered, “you-”

“You tripped.” Jason interrupted loudly. “And Piper caught you.”

Piper turned with Grover and Leo to look at him. “What?”

Leo’s eyebrows were raised and he looked from Grover to Piper. “Hey, is Jason okay? He’s acting weird.”

A sound escaped Piper, like she’d been punched. Annabeth had told them this morning, had warned them both that Leo wasn’t himself and something was controlling him. Piper had believed her but… but that didn’t mean she liked seeing it happen. That didn’t mean seeing and hearing the proof was fun for her.

“You tripped,” she agreed with Jason faintly, meeting his eyes. “I caught you.”

And maybe there was a little charmspeak in her voice because Leo nodded and didn’t ask anymore questions, making Piper’s stomach twist with guilt. She had promised, had sworn to herself that she would never use charmspeak on her friends unless it was absolutely called for. This felt wrong. Maybe if they told Leo the truth he would understand.

Grover bleated again and before Piper could say anything else Annabeth appeared before them.

“Annabeth, thank Gods,” Grover said. “What happened?”

Annabeth’s face was grim but there was a determination there that made Piper perk up. Something was going to be done, knowing Annabeth she wouldn’t take Chiron’s command laying down and Piper was ready for action.

“Don’t get too comfortable here,” Annabeth told them all, meeting each one of their eyes. “We’re grabbing lunch, Iris-messaging New Rome and then packing our things. Hopefully we’ll be back in Iowa by dinner.”

oooOOOooo

Piper entered Zeus’ Cabin with her pack slung over one shoulder, her showered hair freshly braided and her body clothed in clean, fresh clothes. Her dagger was strapped to her hip, a comforting weight when so much around her was uncertain.

Annabeth had told them everything Mr. D had said and Piper’s mind was reeling. Right now she just wanted to be near her boyfriend; he always seemed to calm her down and make her think rationally.

And maybe a small part of her just wanted to make sure he was still here. Boyfriends seemed to go missing left and right these days and Piper wasn’t about to take any chances.

Jason was still stuffing things into his bag when she closed the door behind her, and he looked up briefly before going back to the pack with a frown.

“I Iris-messaged New Rome. Frank and Hazel are meeting us back in Iowa.”

Something was off in Jason’s tone and Piper immediately grew concerned.

“What is it, Sparky?” She murmured as she moved closer, her bag slipping from her shoulder and falling to the ground behind her as she closed the distance between them.

Immediately Jason’s arms opened and he held her close. She breathed in deeply and melted against him. Jason’s arms were quite possibly Piper’s favourite place to be in the world, and as she turned her head she felt his heartbeat against her ear, a steady rhythm, that helped soothe the anxiety running through her veins.

The thunderstorm above them rumbled quietly away in the background. Sometimes Piper wondered whether Jason even liked the Zeus Cabin. It always seemed so cold to her, sterile and unlived in. Jason had tried to make it his own but one corner didn’t change the feeling from the rest of the room.

“I feel helpless.” Jason muttered to her, breath tickling the hair around her ear.“I didn’t notice Leo acting odd yesterday. Percy was taken right under my nose- I was the one on watch, Pipes, and I don’t know what happened, I can’t remember falling asleep. Now Chiron can’t be trusted, we have no idea what we’re up against and Mr. D is the only one helping us. This feels hopeless.”

Piper tightened her arms around him, pulling him closer. “Okay, one, Mr. D is a god, so any help from him is probably better than help from someone else.” Jason breathed out again, ruffling her hair once more, and Piper closed her eyes. “Two, only Percy noticed Leo acting odd. Even Annabeth didn’t catch it. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“We’re his best friends,” Jason started and Piper cut him off.

“Which means we’re used to him being comfortable enough around us to argue and voice his opinions like he did.” Piper turned and kissed his chest through his t-shirt. His arms tightened around her for a second before relaxing. “You can’t blame yourself for not noticing one tiny detail. It’s amazing any of us caught it.”

“Percy did,” Jason muttered, and she could practically hear him frown. “I was on watch. Last night, it was me that was supposed to be on look out and I must have fallen asleep because everything was normal and next thing I know Festus is roaring and stomping around looking for Percy.”

Piper pulled away enough to look up at him, staying close enough that her hands rest on Jason’s sides. “Jason…”

“This never would have happened if I hadn’t failed.”

“Stop that.” Piper said sharply. “We know this thing has magic, or an ally of it does. Otherwise all of this with Leo and Chiron wouldn’t be happening. Maybe it made you fall asleep, it might not have been your fault at all.” Her eyes softened as she stared into his. “This is not on your conscience, Jason.”

It took him a while but eventually Jason nodded at her words. “I guess I’m just worried,” he said finally. “About Percy. Last time this happened I had my own issues to deal with and we weren’t here those first few days after Hera switched us. It’s not like I even knew the guy back then. But now-”

Piper nodded. “I know.” Memories of Percy and Annabeth laughing, of him kissing her, of Percy ruffling Nico’s hair and pushing Jason in the canoe lake or trying to outeat Grover and Clarisse at dinner one night came back to her and Piper cleared her throat. “I can see why the whole camp freaked out last time,” she said quietly.

Jason nodded. “And maybe a part of me keeps thinking- what if it had been you? What if they’d taken you instead of Percy?” Jason’s eyes became stormy and his expression was pained. “I don’t know how Annabeth does it, Pipes, I don’t know how she keeps doing it, because if it was you-”

Piper’s heart warmed at his words at the same time as her stomach felt like it was pierced. She’d never even thought about that, the idea was too foreign a concept for her to even fathom. Jason kidnapped? Jason taken from her?

She couldn’t even begin to imagine.

“It’s not me,” she says quietly to him. “And it’s not you. We’re both here. Safe. Together.”

Jason meets her eyes steadily, his gaze heavy and full of meaning. The tips of Piper’s toes warmed at the look in them and when he leaned down and his lips pressed to hers she opened hers willingly, needing the comfort and reassurance.

Of course that’s when Leo burst in.

They pulled apart quickly but not fast enough for Leo to not have seen them.

Being their typical best friend Leo clapped his hands over his eyes and started acting like a 5 year old. “Ahh, it burns, it burns! Make it stop!”

Piper scoffed. “Calm down, Leo.”

He peeks through his fingers before dropping his hands. “Oh good. Annabeth sent me here, she said she doesn’t know whether I should come and that I should ask you two.”

Piper and Jason glance at each other and Leo’s fingers spark.

“Okay, guy’s, what’s going on? Do you know how offended I was when Annabeth told me to ask you two for permission on whether or not I should come along and help get Percy? I thought she was kidding at first and then she said she was serious and it was up to you two but she couldn’t deal with this issue right now. What issue? Why am I not allowed to come? What did I do? Is it because I snore, because believe me, Pipes, you and Percy both do that too and I don’t see Annabeth not letting you come along-” Leo may be trying to keep his voice cheerful and humorous but Piper reads the hurt in his eyes. It’s clear as day and she bites her lip, warding off guilt once more. “Seriously,” Leo says. “You don’t want me around or what?”

Piper looks down and forces Jason to answer for them.

“Gods no, Leo, of course not! It’s definitely not that, it’s just…”

“Something’s possessing you,” Piper blurts out, and then her face flames.

Leo physically reels backwards, hitting his back against the door of the cabin. “What?”

Piper moves towards him, grabbing a hand. “Not right now, at least, I hope not. It comes and goes, I think. Remember what Annabeth told us Mr. D said to her? About Chiron being controlled at intervals? The same thing happens to you, and every time it does you forget.”

“Like- like the eidolons?” Leo asks them, looking back and forth between the two pairs of eyes.

Jason shakes his head. “We don’t know what it is, or how. We didn’t even notice the first time, it was Percy…” He trails off. “Anyway, Annabeth must not be sure whether taking you will be better than you staying here.”

“But we’re not leaving you behind.” Piper says firmly, the guilt making her voice sure, leaving no argument. “You’re coming with us, of course you are. The two of us can watch over you if Annabeth wants to focus on finding Percy.”

Leo’s watching her like he’s spooked, willing to jump at any sudden move. “I shouldn’t go.” He says finally.

They both start to protest and he shakes his head. “I could- gods, I could kill one of you in our sleep or- or I could help whatever it is without anybody knowing. Me going is a bad idea.”

“Of course not.” Jason says. “You’ll come. Festus won’t leave without you, and beside, we can visit the Hypnos cabin or the Hecate cabin and see if any of them can help you. Piper can try charmspeaking you again, warding your mind or something.”

Leo met their eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you guys.” He said desperately, sadness and vulnerability shining in his brown eyes, voice cracking. “I can’t do a repeat of New Rome guys, I just- I can’t.”

Piper’s heart broke.

“You won’t.” She promises him, speaking in his ear because she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. “We won’t let that happen. Jason and I have got your back.”

Leo swallowed loudly beside her. “Promise?” He whispers into her hair as he grips her back tightly.

Piper grips him tighter, turning her face into his neck, pressing her forehead against the skin there. “Promise,” she answers.

She means it.

oooOOOooo

Aristaeus comes back soon after he walks away, but Percy’s still reeling from his story, from the accusation and the thought that the giant could think he could convince Percy to join him, even for a second.

Percy’s shaken, trying to deny that there’s any reason for Aristaeus to think that way in the first place.

“I won’t help you,” he croaks. Maybe he understands where the giant is coming from, and he can’t help but feel sorry for him. Being the last of your kind, having your family killed before you and escaping just to feel safe is something Percy can’t imagine. He can’t picture having no more Mom to bake him blue cookies and no more Annabeth, so for that alone he pities the giant.

But the gods are better than the Titans and the Giants. He knows that. Maybe they’re not great, not even good, but they are better than anything else the world has to offer. He’s seen enough of them to believe that.

Percy has to believe that, otherwise there’s no point to what his life has been for the past five years.

Don’t give up. Annabeth’s face fills his mind.

“I can’t.” He says, more to himself than to Aristaeus, but the giant doesn’t seem to mind. He sits down before Percy once more and meets his eyes.

“There is not even a little part of you,” the giant wonders, sounding genuinely curious, “that would see the gods struck down? You could bring about a new age, Percy, a new reign. We would never rule single-mindedly like Zeus, my family would allow all voices to be heard from all kinds of beings. I hear mortals have a way of ruling very similar, one you call democracy?”

Percy just stares at him, neither confirming nor denying the question. He’s starting to feel the pain in his wrists again and his knees are definitely bruised now.

The giant continues.

“With your help we could accomplish that. Taking down the gods, raising Kronos and Porphyrion to lead us all, bringing peace and true happiness to everybody. You could become an advisor Percy, a councilman, the representative of the mortals. Your voice would be heard, you would make change and the mortals would never fall by the wayside because you would never let that happen. Can you picture it? You would live on Olympus, you would help people.” Aristaeus smiled. “All that anger you feel at being used would be put to good use. No one would dare use you again, and you would stop the same from happening to anybody else.”

Percy grit his teeth. He’s known since he was 13 that hubris isn’t his fatal flaw and the ploy doesn’t tempt him. Percy has a pretty good idea what would happen if he ever got a chance to rule, and he can’t picture it being anything except a disaster. “I’ve seen what Kronos intends for Olympus. What he does to accomplish his goals and the way he uses people tells me all I need to know about what kind of leader he would be. So no thanks.”

“Perseus, you misunderstand. The fall of the gods will happen, it is as inevitable as your death. Wouldn’t you rather be a part of that than fighting helplessly, knowing you’ll be defeated and dying for a cause you do not truly believe in? You could save your loved ones and make certain that they would have the lives they’d always wanted. They could have riches, luxury, and most of all, peace. No more quests, no more untimely death or worrying for your safety. Just all of you together, working to maintain the better world.”

The only sound was the fire crackling and spitting behind the giant as Percy’s head hung and he breathed in deeply, eyes closed. He was tired, his body hurt like he was bathing in the River Styx again, but he had enough of his resources and sense of mind to let the word out. “No.”

The blow came suddenly and it wrenched his entire body to the side. The only reason he didn’t fly through the air to collapse on the ground was because of the chains holding him to the wall, and he cried out as the giant’s hand hit his side. He heard something crack and his ribs felt like they’d exploded. His wrists were screaming and he felt blood flow down his arms. Every breath hurt him more and he gasped over and over, trying to get air that wouldn’t come.

“I’m sorry, oh Mother, I am so sorry, Perseus, believe me, I deeply apologize.” The giants hands had flown up to cover his mouth immediately after his action, and he whimpered as if he was horrified at himself. Now his hands were hovering just beside Percy, not daring to touch him but obviously wanting to. “Oh Gaea, oh Styx,” he began muttering to himself. “Mortals are weaker, they are frail and fragile and small, Aristaeus, don’t be ignorant!”

Percy groaned, collapsing further. “Let me go.”

He wanted to laugh after, because he hadn’t intended on saying that at all and he was starting to lose any shred of hope he’d had that he was going to get out of this situation. He didn’t laugh though because he didn’t have the breath to.

“I apologize, Perseus.” Aristaeus was talking to him again but Percy didn’t even try to lift his head to meet his eyes. He tried turning his wrists in the handcuffs and cried out again at the pain. They must be swollen, everything felt tender, and he could still feel liquid flowing from them.

“Don’t try to move,” the giant advised. His voice was a booming volume and Percy squeezed his eyes shut in a cringe. He was starting to get dizzy again. The pain was making him feel sick. “It will only worsen the wounds. I am truly sorry for my actions, sometimes my temper gets the better of me, and I so rarely have such an available outlet for it. I promise I will do all I can to ensure it never happens again.”

Percy’s head lolled to his shoulder and, with the pain blooming from a point in his ribs dulling his thoughts, he heard the giant curse again before all he knew faded away.

[chocolatequeennk]

Under Cover of Darkness, 6/8

AKA the Pirates AU for rudennotgingr Ten x Rose

Pirates roam the waters surrounding the islands of the Kasterborous Constellation, but not all of them are what they seem. When Lady Rose Tyler rejoins her parents in the Gallifreyan colony, she meets two men: James McCrimmon, the first nobleman who doesn’t bore her to tears, and the Doctor, a pirate who promises to keep her safe… from the pirates. What is going on in the Constellation, and how is it connected to the nefarious doings of the Master?

*cough* So. It’s been... a while. Like, closer to 2 years than I care to admit. But I’m finally back, with firm plans to finish this up by October 9!

This chapter was betaed by @lastbluetardis. It fills the pirate AU prompt from @doctorroseprompts

Rating: Teen

AO3 | ff.net | Teaspoon | Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5

Rose’s legs felt like lead as she walked back to her room after learning James had been taken. Taken! By the Daleks!

She heard the soft whisper of servants’ voices around the corner and hid her shaking hands in the folds of her skirt. Even now, she was aware that she could not appear to be affected by the capture of the Doctor without giving away James’ secret identity. She managed a faint smile as she passed the maids, then she was thankfully to the sanctuary of her own room.

Rose closed the door carefully, then leaned against it and covered her face with her hands as the first tears slipped down her cheeks. James might still be alive, but if he was with the Daleks… She shuddered. Everyone knew it was better to be killed by the Daleks than taken as their prisoner.

She wiped her eyes and took a few short breaths. Then she pulled out the writing desk where she kept James’ letters. Reading his words always made her feel like he was right beside her, whispering all those romantic thoughts in her ear. Today, more than ever, she needed to feel him close.

His very first letter made her throat close up. James was in the Constellation still, but if he was in a Dalek prison camp, could he even see the stars? She swallowed hard and kept reading.

The banter she imagined taking place between James and the mischievous Jack brought the first smile to her face. She was glad he had such a good friend. She bit her lip as she folded that letter back up.

Is there a way to get in touch with Jack and the Tardis? she wondered. Maybe they know something about what happened to James…

James’ final letter was in her hands, and she tapped it against her fingers, considering if she really wanted to read it. The melancholy tone might be too much to stand, now that she knew she would likely never see him again. But in the end, it was still a piece of James, and she couldn’t deny herself any connection with him.

The light-hearted opening took her by surprise, but then she remembered that it was only the last page or so of the letter that had seemed to echo with a different kind of desperation. A suspicion grew in the back of Rose’s mind, and she sped up, skimming the later until she was on the last page.

The paper shook in her fingers when she saw the cramped writing and how he’d turned the page to get as many words on it as possible. She read his words slowly, looking for any hint that she was right.

The tone was completely different from the first two pages. In place of his typical breeziness and playful flirtation, he was serious, brooding, and worried. His determination to make sure she knew he loved her jumped off the page at her, and when he begged her to promise that she would be safe, her heart rate sped up.

Something had happened in the middle of this letter, something that had left him heavy burdened with worry and loneliness. The way he talked about missing her… It was almost as if he knew it would be a very long time before he saw her again, if ever.

It could have been a coincidence, she knew. It could have been a premonition, even. But she couldn’t shake the idea that he had known something would happen. And if he had known, then maybe his current fate was not bad luck, but part of a plan. And if that was true…

Rose took a shaky breath. If that was true, maybe he hadn’t been captured after all.

oOoOoOoOo

Deep in Dalek territory, the Doctor shook his head once again at the lunacy of Jack’s plan. The fact that it seemed to be working didn’t make it any less ridiculous.

It had never occurred to the Doctor, but in his years of running the blockade, he had developed a network of loyal friends who needed only a skilled leader to become a powerful resistance against the Daleks. He had spent the last two weeks going from island to island visiting as many of them as possible, and they were all eager to do something more proactive against the occupying force.

He guided his small dinghy carefully through a narrow channel. The temporary base Harriet Jones had found for them was in a hidden lagoon at the heart of Flydale North. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I have never once seen a Dalek outside of the main port,” she’d told him when he asked about safety.

And when he’d explored the cove, he’d understood why. The channel from the sea was so narrow and rocky, only the most skilled sailor could navigate it. The Daleks had likely dismissed the lagoon as an enclosed lake.

Tonight, two dozen old friends were waiting for him at the base—Martha, Amy, Rory, Ace… and of course, Harriet, as well as many others.

And beyond that, Jake had taken Zach, Danny, and Jefferson to the Dalek repair yard to steal a ship. If they were successful, the Doctor and his new crew would meet them on the leeward side of the island before they all sailed for a different, larger hidden cove. Steering a full-sized warship through this channel would be impossible.

The channel suddenly opened, pushing the dinghy into the lagoon. Stars were reflected in the clear water, and James was unable to resist tipping his head back to stare at the sky.

God, he missed Rose. He missed the way she’d felt in his arms as they danced beneath these stars at the Chesterton’s party. He missed her teasing smile and the way her eyes sparked at him when she teased him.

He just… missed her. He missed how he didn’t feel lonely when he was with her, how she made him want a normal life when he’d been resigned to the course he’d set in a life of piracy. Rose made everything better, and it hurt to think that he might not see her again for months.

James clamped down on his thoughts before the mocking if ever could take root. He would see Rose again. Jack’s plan would work.

He sighed; surely by now she’d heard about his capture. His heart ached at the pain he’d caused her, but it was his best chance of keeping her safe. Koschei was clever enough—suspicious enough—to suspect his rumoured capture was a ruse. He would be watching the reactions of those who knew him best, studying their displays of grief for any hint of falseness. Rose needed to believe he would never come home, for her own safety.

He took a shuddering breath as he directed his boat towards the shore lights. This plan hurt right now, but if it worked, he could hand the Gallifreyan Navy a major victory over both the Daleks and the Master in one day. And if he could do that, he was almost guaranteed a letter of marque. Then he would be free to have the life he dreamed of—a life with Rose.

oOoOoOoOo

On Monday morning, Rose tucked the later she’d been writing to James into her reticule and walked he now-familiar path to the Wolf and the Storm. Miss Evangelista, the afternoon server, waved at her as she walked into the tavern, and Rose made sure to smile in return, just like always.

Her smile disappeared once she was in the staircase that led to Donna and Wilf’s private residence. Safe from the scrutiny of others, Rose picked up her skirts and ran up the stairs.

The door swung open as soon as she pounded on it, and she knew her friends had been waiting for her. “Tell me it isn’t true,” she begged as Donna closed the for behind her.

Wilf sighed and waved her over to the settee. “Sit down first, darling. Donna, pour some tea for Rose, won’t you? There, that’ll make you feel better,” he said as she sat down by the fire.

Rose accepted the cup from Donna and took a sip before setting it down and clasping her hands in her lap. “Please,” she said, her voice low and hoarse from emotion. “I have suspicions, but nothing to base them on but my instinct. If you know anything…”

Donna and Wilf exchanged a long glance, then Donna sat on the settee with her. “We think he’s all right.”

Rose sagged back against the furniture, but Wilf waved his hands. “We don’t have any guarantees, though,” he warned her. “But there’s a letter James always said he would have Jack bring to me if he was killed or captured, so I would know not to expect him back.”

“And it hasn’t come?” Rose asked.

Wilf shook his head. “So that made us doubt. Plus, the last time he was here, he seemed…” He hesitated, then shrugged and said, “He seemed like he had a plan—a terribly dangerous one, but a plan nonetheless.”

Rose fidgeted. It seemed like Wilf and Donna had come to the same conclusion she had, but she needed them to say it. “So you think…”

“We think,” Donna said, “that he’s come up with a stupidly dangerous plan to do major damage to the Daleks. My guess is that he’s doing something behind enemy lines, working to build a resistance of some kind.”

“But why let me think he was captured?” Rose asked, voicing her one quibble. “He could carry his plan out without that…”

“Maybe he was counting on us to remember about the letter,” Wilf offered. “It doesn’t make sense otherwise. I mean… there’s no need for you to appear broken hearted over the Doctor’s loss. You can’t, actually, given that the whole island knows James is courting you.”

Rose pursed her lips. She had a feeling they were missing something, but she couldn’t pin down what it was.

Eventually, she shrugged and got to her feet. “I should go home. I just wanted to bring this by, though, in case…” She pulled the letter out.

Wilf shook his head and pushed it back to her. “You hold onto it, darling. He’ll come for you first, when he comes back, so you keep it and give it to him yourself.”

He didn’t say, “If he comes back,” but the words lingered in the air anyway.

oOoOoOoOo

The Doctor stood at the wheel of the Dalek ship as it cut through the water. He carefully guided the vessel into a small natural harbour just out of sight of the armoury they were raiding tonight.

It had taken two weeks for his new crew to gather, but when Jake had arrived this evening with the ship, they were ready. Instead of hiding away, the unanimous decision had been to jump into the raid they had spent the last week planning.

Attacking an armoury was the logical choice. It would do serious damage to the Dalek war effort, while also giving the Doctor and his crew supplies they desperately needed.

Two hours later, the Doctor marvelled at the logistics skills his small group of friends possessed. During the years of occupation, Sarah Jane Smith had built up an underground communications network to keep everyone in the Occupied Territory informed about the Daleks’ movements. Tonight, she’d used that network to arrange for mule carts carts to be waiting for them when they reached shore.

Once they had used tranquilliser darts to knock out the small guard detail watching over the armoury, it had been a simple matter to load as much of the store into the carts as possible. As soon as a cart was loaded, it went back down the trail to the ship, where it would be unloaded by the sailors waiting on the other end. One by one, his crew had ridden back to the ship in the carts, until only he and Martha Jones remained with the last, half-full cart, driven by young Tim Latimer.

“Doctor!” Martha hissed. “We need to go—the sedative I dosed the darts with will only last for maybe another ten minutes, and we have got to be gone by then!”

The Doctor spotted a figure running towards them, and he grinned. “Trust me, Martha, they’re going to far too busy to bother chasing after us.” He hopped up into the cart beside her.

Ace reached them before Martha could ask what he meant by that. “Go!” she ordered as she leapt into the cart, and Tim nudged the mule into a fast trot.

As they rolled away, the ground beneath them rumbled, and then the entire armoury exploded. Martha’s jaw dropped, and she looked from the Doctor to Ace and back again.

“Well, that’s one way to keep the Daleks busy,” she muttered. “What did you use to start the explosion?”

“Nitro-9,” Ace declared proudly as she brushed the dirt off her hands. “It’s the most effective explosive out there. I should know. I made it myself.”

The Doctor patted her on the shoulder, then looked at Martha as the beach came into view. “A clean getaway!”

Martha laughed. “This is absolutely bonkers,” she said. “But I love it!”  

oOoOoOoOo

When Rose heard about the successful raid on the Dalek armoury, she knew it had to be James. Her father urged her not to get her hopes up, but it was simply too convenient. There had been no Gallifreyan military victories on the Dalek side of the blockade in years. Then suddenly, James was in enemy territory and they suffered a huge blow within a month? No, it had to be him.

That afternoon she watched a storm come in as she sat at her desk and wrote to him. The clouds were building on her left while the sun still shone on her right, and the way the light diffused through the clouds and waves finally provided the inspiration she’d been looking for.

For the next three months, every second she wasn’t pouring over military bulletins in her father’s office, she was working on her painting. She spent a week doing nothing but a series of sketches, remembering what the sea had looked like as the light shone through it, and the way the shadows had danced over the waves.

And then she’d started painting, spending so much time bent over the easel that her back protested. She started bottom right corner, where everything was still light and the water was the same pretty turquoise it was on any summer afternoon. As she moved slowly across the canvas, the water turned grey and choppy, matching the skies above.

As she painted, she thought about the victories James and his new crew achieved. Just like the storm in her painting was ready to cleanse the stale, muggy air, the Doctor and his crew were clearing the islands of the Daleks.

The Oncoming Storm, she thought as she added dappled light to the right side of the painting.

She dropped her brush in the water and stepped back to study the effect of the newest layer of colour. Before she could make up her mind, a knock on the door interrupted her.

She sighed and wiped her hands on her protective frock. “Come in.”

A maid pushed the door open and curtsied. “Beg your pardon, miss, but the Governor would like a word. As soon as possible, he said.”

Rose pursed her lips, then nodded quickly. “Thank you.” The maid curtsied again, then backed out of the room.

Rose’s fingers shook as she untied her paint frock. He must have heard something more about James, but she couldn’t tell if it was bad news or good.

Five minutes later, she pushed open the door to his study. “I am answering your summons, Papa,” she said cheekily as she closed the door behind her.

He was standing by the map, and when Rose joined him, she sucked in a breath. The island of Cadon—one of the first lost to the Daleks—now had a Gallifreyan flag pinned to it.

“Papa?” she whispered.

He spun around and grabbed her by the elbows. “Your James has accomplished in three months what the Gallifreyan Navy has not managed to do in ten years.” His blue eyes glowed. “He has finally wrenched an island back from Skaro.”

Rose tipped her head back and laughed—she was too happy to just smile. “So you finally believe it’s James?” she teased.

Pete grinned. “I think the fact that he liberated Cadon first would be enough to eliminate doubt in anyone’s mind.”

oOoOoOoOo

The Master tapped the intelligence report he’d just received against his table, a smile spreading across his face. So you’ve gone home, James. You always were a sentimental fool.

He’d been following the activities of the newest pirate in the Constellation for months, trying to guess his identity. Oh, he’d had his suspicions from the start—James’ capture immediately after their last encounter had been very conveniently timed.

But this confirmed it. Militarily speaking, Cadon was worthless. It was deep in Occupied Territory, which meant the Gallifreyan Navy would find it difficult to use it as a base for further operations. No, sentimental attachment was the only reason to liberate Cadon, and he and James were all that remained of the island’s original population.

And so… The Master tapped his fingers against his jaw before standing up and striding out of his cabin. The crew all jumped when they heard the sound of his door banging open, and he let a small smile tease the corners of his mouth.

“Set course for Arcadia,” he ordered the helmsman. “I think it’s time I paid a visit to Lady Rose Tyler.”

[chocolatequeennk]

Old Friends, New Promises 2/2

Two weeks after Rome, the Doctor and Rose are just settling into their newly confessed love when a phone call from Mickey pulls them back to London. When they run into an old friend of the Doctor’s, the reunion sparks a promise to Rose that will bring them even closer together.

Ten x Rose, Teen

This is part of for Glimpses of a Different Life, following His Fortuna. If you’re not familiar with that series, the opening premise is that the Doctor and Rose started a romantic relationship before he regenerated. We’re now at School Reunion, with lots of changes afoot.

This is for @doctorroseprompts canon divergent adventures prompt.

Thanks to @lastbluetardis for the beta, and this alternate summary: LOOK HOW IN LOVE THEY ARE AND SOLVING MYSTERIES LIKE TWO BADASSES IN LOVE. AND THEY’RE GONNA SHAG SOON. Very succinct and accurate. ;)

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP | Ch 1

Bannerman Road was quiet when Sarah Jane pulled into her driveway. It was after eleven o’clock, and in suburban neighbourhoods like this, that was past everyone’s bedtime.

The Doctor climbed out of the car first, then held out a hand for Rose. All three humans were stifling yawns as they walked up to the house, and after she hung up her jacket and keys, Sarah Jane turned to her guests.

“I’ll show you where you can sleep, but then I think we should get to bed and save any planning for morning. I know I’m too tired to think strategically right now, and I assume everyone else is too.” She smoothed her hands down her shirt and wiped her palms on her jeans. “I only have two rooms, but one has a queen bed…”

Everyone looked at the Doctor, and after a quick glance at Rose confirmed that she was comfortable with the idea, he nodded at Sarah Jane. “We can share.”

Ten minutes later, he and Rose were staring at each other from opposite sides of the bed. They’d both changed into the pyjamas he kept in his coat, and he grinned delightedly at her adorable pink vest and shorts set decorated with bananas.

Rose tucked her hair back over her ears, and the nervous tic caught his attention. “Is something wrong?”

She shrugged. “You don’t… I know you don’t sleep much,” she mumbled. “You don’t have to stay with me all night, if you’d rather sit and read or something.”

The Doctor turned down the duvet and climbed into bed, then patted the empty space beside him. “I don’t need to sleep, but I love holding you,” he told her, feeling a sharp burst of warmth when her eyes lit up. “Come to bed, love,” he invited, unsurprised that the pitch of his voice dropped when he uttered such an intimate sentence.

Rose turned the lamp off, then slid beneath the duvet and pulled it up around her shoulders as she cuddled next to him. Her head rested on his shoulder and her hand was splayed between his hearts. “This all right?” she whispered.

The Doctor swallowed. “Yeah. It’s perfect.” She sighed, and he shivered when he felt her breath against his neck. Rose shifted and draped her leg over his; thankfully, the thin barrier of his pyjama bottoms kept him from picking up her emotions or train of thought. But when he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close, he found a sliver of bare skin just above her waist.

Contentment. Rose was relaxed and warm and just happy to be with him. He felt a very soft hum of desire, but mostly she was sleepy and in love.

The Doctor kissed her temple, then let his hand slide under her top to press firmly to her back. He tugged at her telepathically, encouraging her to sleep, and a moment later, he felt her drift off.

Holding Rose like this, he could feel her mind buzzing at the edges of his consciousness. He remembered how good it had felt the day before yesterday when he’d demonstrated what touch telepathy would be like during sexual intimacy, and he finally admitted the truth to himself.

He couldn’t hold back from Rose any longer. If, after thinking for three days, she was still willing to have him in her mind, he wouldn’t deny either of them.

oOoOoOoOo

The room was still dark when the need for the toilet woke Rose up, and the blinking numbers on the alarm clock indicated it was just past three in the morning. She shifted out from underneath the arm the Doctor had wrapped around her waist and crept out of the room.

There was a light on at the end of hallway, and after Rose used the facilities, she followed it to the kitchen, where Sarah Jane was sitting at the table, staring at a cup of tea. The older woman looked up and offered a weak smile before standing.

“Cuppa?” she offered, holding up the kettle.

Rose hesitated, but nodded after a moment. They needed to clear the air, and this might be the best opportunity. It was easier to spend time with the Doctor’s old companion now that he’d promised her he wouldn’t just drop her off at home one day, the way he had in the past. But she had a feeling Sarah Jane wasn’t quite as comfortable with spending time with her old friend’s new… partner.

A few minutes later, she was sitting down across from Sarah Jane, holding a warm mug. “So.”

Sarah Jane took a deep breath. “Rose, can I give you a bit of advice?”

Rose narrowed her eyes. “If it’s anything about a relationship with the Doctor, I oughta tell you, we’ve been together for almost eight months now. I think I’ve got things pretty well figured out.”

Sarah Jane blinked, and Rose wondered if she was more taken aback by her blunt reply, or by the length of time. The latter had been a surprise to her, when she’d sat down to figure it out.

“Travelling, or…”

“Together,” she said firmly. “I think it’s been more like a year and a half since I started travelling with him.” Her lips curled up in a wry smile. “That’s harder to measure, since he accidentally skipped a whole year the first time he brought me home.”

Sarah Jane gasped, a breathless laugh. “I suppose it was too much to expect that his driving would have improved with age.”

Rose snorted and shook her head. “I think he’ll still be missing landings in five hundred years.”

“Do you know, when he brought me home for the last time, he dropped me off in Aberdeen instead of Croydon?” Sarah Jane rolled her eyes. “And then tonight when I told him that, he just said, ‘That’s next to Croydon, isn’t it?’”

Rose clapped her hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter. “He wanted to take me to Naples for Christmas in 1860. We ended up in Cardiff in 1869. And then there was the time he promised to take me to an Ian Dury concert, and instead we met Queen Victoria.”

Sarah Jane’s eyes danced. “1979, 1879… such an easy mistake to make.”

“Exactly!” Rose took a sip of tea and eyed Sarah Jane over the rim of her cup. “With you, did he do that thing where he’d explain something at like, ninety miles per hour, and you’d go, ‘What?’ and he’d look at you like you’d just dribbled on your shirt?”

Sarah Jane nodded fervently. “All the time. Does he still stroke bits of the TARDIS?”

Rose smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, he does, but… to be fair, I’ve picked up on that one, too.”  

Sarah Jane’s smile faded slightly, and she stood up and took her cup to the sink. Rose watched, trying to think of something to say.

“We talked some tonight, and I think I understand why he leaves people behind,” she said finally. “He lives so much longer than we do, and as long as he leaves you at home and alive, he could potentially always come back, if he chose. It’s his way of never losing his friends.” She shook her head. “But it isn’t right, and I’m sorry he left you like that, Sarah Jane.”

Sarah Jane nodded. “Yes, I’d just reached that same conclusion before you walked in.” She tilted her head and studied Rose. “You aren’t afraid he’ll do the same thing to you?”

“He’s promised that he won’t, and if I can’t trust him on something like that, why am I with him?” Rose said practically. A yawn nearly swallowed the end of her sentence, and she pushed back from the table. “I’m gonna lie down for a few more hours. If we’re going after those bat things tomorrow, I’ll need the rest.”  

Rose yawned again as she crawled into bed. As soon as she pulled the covers back up, the Doctor rolled over and wrapped an arm around her waist again. She relaxed against his chest, sighing when his lips brushed against her shoulder.

“Heard you talking with Sarah,” he murmured, his voice low.

“Yeah. We had a bit of girl talk. There aren’t many people who know what it’s like to travel with you, after all.”

The Doctor huffed, and Rose pressed her lips together to hide a giggle. She’d suspected he wouldn’t be thrilled by the thought of his companions swapping stories.

He sighed after a long moment, then said, “Just as long as neither of you ever meet Tegan or Ace.” Rose felt his grimace against her neck and waited for him to explain. “I doubt anyone thinks less of my driving than Tegan, and the last thing you need is lessons in blowing things up from Ace.”

Rose laughed softly as those words gave her enough of an idea of the companions in question to understand why he’d mentioned them by name. She rolled over to face him and pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss.

“I love you,” she whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder.

His hand moved automatically to her hair, combing through it slowly in a way that was putting her to sleep. “I love you, too, Rose,” he replied. “Now, get some rest, sweetheart.”

oOoOoOoOo

The text alert on her mobile woke Rose up the next morning, but she didn’t reach for her phone right away. First, she took a moment to savour the feeling of the Doctor spooned behind her, his arm wrapped snuggly around her waist holding her close. One of his legs was wedged between hers, and it was tempting to roll over and snog him breathless.

Instead, she scooted closer to him, frowning when she felt something hard protruding against her bum. Surely that wasn’t… She shifted again, deliberately this time, and heat swept through her when the Doctor groaned in response.

“Minx,” he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep and desire.

“Thought Time Lords didn’t get morning wood,” Rose teased, not caring if her voice sounded a little breathless.

He kissed her neck, making her shiver. “As a rule, no,” he murmured. “But a Time Lord in love, holding the object of his affections in his arms?” She felt him take a deep breath. “A Time Lord who’s decided to take that final step of intimacy with his lover?”

Rose sat up and stared down at the Doctor, taking in the half-lidded gaze and pink cheeks. “Are you sure, Doctor?” she asked.

He reached out his hand and ran his fingers down her bare arm, and she sucked in a breath when she felt how absolutely certain he was. “Not here, obviously,” he said, though he couldn’t hide the rumble of desire in his voice. “But later, when we’re home again…” His eyes darkened. “I would very much like to make love to you, Rose Tyler.”

The sincerity in his words and voice left no room for her to doubt, and for a moment, looking down at him lounging on the bed, Rose couldn’t remember why they had to wait. She imagined sinking back onto the bed and trailing kisses along his jawline before nibbling gently on his ear.

Heat flared in the Doctor’s eyes, and he suddenly let go of her arm and jumped out of bed. Rose felt her face flush dark red when she realised he must have picked up on her thoughts—or at least the direction they were going, if he didn’t see an actual picture of what she wanted.

Thankfully, the aroma of bacon frying wafted into the room, and they both dove for their discarded clothing, starting the awkward routine of a morning after when there hadn’t been a night before.

Mickey was already in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee when they arrived. “Morning, Boss,” he greeted the Doctor. He handed Rose a cuppa, which she took absently while replying to her mum’s text. “Morning, Rose.”

The Doctor sat down and filled a plate with toast and bacon, slathering raspberry jam on both slices of toast. “Morning,” he said, then took a big bite.

Sarah Jane sat at the head of the table, a cup of coffee in her hands and an empty plate in front of her. Clearly, she’d eaten before the rest of them had gotten up.

“Do we have a plan for today?” she asked.

The Doctor nodded and wiped crumbs from his mouth before answering. “You and Rose will go to the maths room and use the sonic to break into the computers. I need to know what’s inside—it might give me a clue as to what they’re using the children for.” He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and after a brief hesitation, handed it to Sarah Jane instead of Rose, as had been his first instinct. After what Sarah had told him the night before, he wanted to do something to show her that he still trusted her.

“And what about me?” Mickey asked.

“Mickey…” The Doctor tipped his chair back. “I need you to wait outside and keep watch. You can call for help if something goes wrong, or come in to save the day if we’re all stuck.”

“The Man in Havana,” Sarah Jane interjected, and Mickey grinned at her. “Sometimes, they’re the real heroes in the end.”

“All right, yeah.” Mickey nodded enthusiastically.

Rose tapped him on the shoulder. “And what about you, Doctor?”

His lighthearted facade faded. “It’s time I had a word with Mr. Finch.”  

oOoOoOoOo

Two hours later, the Doctor was underneath a table, ready to howl in frustration. Mr. Finch had been both unbending in his plot and purposely vague as to what the plot was. The computers were deadlocked, so he couldn’t break in and see for himself what the Krillitane were up to.

He heard the hum of the monitors turning on while he tried to force a computer open with brute force.

“You wanted the programme?” Sarah Jane asked, catching his attention. “There it is.”

The Doctor clambered out from under the table and stood up, looking at the large monitor at the front of the room. “Some sort of code.”

He watched the screen, first paying attention to the numbers locking in place, but then noticing the numerical system that was being used. No one had used those characters in millions of years. In fact, the last time he’d seen this particular set of problems…

“No,” he whispered. “No, they can’t be.”

Rose slipped her hand into his. “What is it, Doctor?”

“The Skasis Paradigm,” he said as the numbers continued to scroll across the screen. “They’re trying to crack the Skasis Paradigm.”

“The Skasis what?” asked Sarah.

“The God-maker. The universal theory,” he explained, feeling sick to his stomach at the thought of such a tool in the hands of the Krillitane. “Crack that equation and you’ve got control of the building blocks of the universe. Time and space and matter, yours to control.”

Rose’s hand spasmed around his. “What, and the kids are like a giant computer?”

“Yes.” A moment later, he finally connected the rest of the things they’d learned so far, and he pulled away from Rose to pace. “And their learning power is being accelerated by the oil. That oil from the kitchens, it works as a, as a conducting agent. Makes the kids cleverer.” He leaned over a bank of monitors.

“But that oil’s on the chips,” Rose protested. “I’ve been eating them.”

“What’s fifty nine times thirty five?” the Doctor asked her.

“Two thousand and sixty-five,” Rose answered automatically. Her eyes widened as soon as she realised what she’d done. “Oh, my God.”

“But why use children?” Sarah Jane asked. “Can’t they use adults?”

The Doctor shook his head. The whole plan made sick sense, now that he understood the goal. “No, it’s got to be children. The God-maker needs imagination to crack it. They’re not just using the children’s brains to break the code; they’re using their souls.”

“Let the lesson begin.”

The Doctor stiffened and turned around to face Mr. Finch.

“Think of it, Doctor,” the Krillitane cajoled. “With the Paradigm solved, reality becomes clay in our hands. We can shape the universe and improve it.”

“Oh yeah?” The Doctor put his hands on his hips. “The whole of creation with the face of Mr. Finch? Call me old-fashioned, but I like things as they are.”

The Krillitane tilted his head. “You act like such a radical, and yet all you want to do is preserve the old order?” He advanced slowly on the Doctor. “Think of the changes that could be made if this power was used for good.”

The Doctor looked him up and down. “What, by someone like you?” he asked, not bothering to hide what he thought about that.

“No, someone like you,” Finch whispered. “The Paradigm gives us power, but you could give us wisdom. Become a god at my side.” He took another step towards the Doctor. “Imagine what you could do. Think of the civilisations you could save. Perganon, Assinta. Your own people, Doctor, standing tall. The Time Lords reborn.”

Possible timelines suddenly spun away from this moment. Gallifrey back where it belonged in the Kasterborous Constellation. The Daleks completely destroyed, never to return—not even just periodically in small groups. The toxic attitudes of the Time Lords themselves contained, no longer in charge, no longer influencing the next generation.

“Doctor, don’t listen to him,” Sarah Jane begged.

The Doctor turned slowly as Finch walked past him, and some of the temptation to agree to the Krillitane’s plan faded when the other man zeroed in on Rose. “And you could be with him throughout eternity. Young, fresh, never wither, never age, never die.” He cast a sidelong look at the Doctor, a smirk on his face as he repeated the words he’d told Rose the night before. “Their lives are so fleeting. So many goodbyes.” He looked straight at the Doctor again. “How lonely you must be, Doctor. Join us.”

On the screen behind Finch, the numbers were still flashing as the students continued working on the Skasis Paradigm. “I could save everyone,” the Doctor said, feeling dazed by the possibilities.

“Yes.”

He looked at Rose, imagining a timeline where they could share a forever. “I’d never have to lose you.”

“No.”

Sarah Jane’s sharp exclamation caught his attention, and his head swivelled to look at her, instead of the screen.

“The universe has to move forward. Pain and loss, they define us as much as happiness or love.”

Beside her, Rose nodded, though he could tell from the way her head was tilted back that she was fighting tears.

Sarah Jane took a shaky breath and continued. “Whether it’s a world, or a relationship, everything has its time. And everything ends.”

The Doctor stared at the screen for a long moment. The students were so close to solving the Paradigm. Just a little bit longer, and he’d have the key… the key to fixing the universe so it was exactly as he wanted it.

The absolute wrongness of that thought struck him before the idea could take hold, and he grabbed a chair and threw it at the screen to keep from being tempted further.

“Out!” he yelled, grabbing Rose and Sarah Jane by the hand and pulling them with him.

Ten minutes later, hunkered down in the physics lab with Rose, Sarah Jane, Mickey, and a student named Kenny, the Doctor quickly went over everything they knew, trying to find a the chink in the Krillitane’s armour.

“It’s the oil,” he realised suddenly, remembering how Rose had told them the dinner lady had reacted to having oil spilt on her. “Krillitane life forms can’t handle the oil. That’s it!” Mickey, Rose, and Sarah Jane all straightened up at the excitement in his voice, and the Doctor leaned forward as he continued his explanation. “They’ve changed their physiology so often, even their own oil is toxic to them.”

And the oil would be highly flammable. If there was enough of it, and he could somehow set it on fire, the resulting explosion would not only cover the Krillitane in their oil, it would bring the kitchen down on top of them.

He looked at Rose, sitting beside him. “How much was there in the kitchens?”

She grinned and jumped to her feet. “Barrels of it.”

Loud pounding and screeching at the door dampened their sudden excitement, especially when claws pierced the wood.

“Okay, we need to get to the kitchens.” The Doctor looked at his team. “Mickey.”

“What do you need?”

“Get all the children unplugged and out of the school.” Mickey nodded, and the Doctor raised an eyebrow. “The Man in Havana really is saving the day today,” he added.

The assault on the door had only gotten worse, and he knew they had less than a minute of safety left. “Now then, bats, bats, bats. How do we fight bats?”

The whistle of the fire alarm pierced the air, and he chuckled and nodded at Kenny. “Well done,” he said as he pushed the door open. “Come on!”

They raced past the cringing Krillitanes, then split up at the next hallway intersection. The alarm stopped before the Doctor, Rose, Sarah Jane, and Kenny reached the main floor, and he knew Mr. Finch and his teachers wouldn’t be far behind them.

Rose, most familiar with this path, led the way to the kitchens. “Here you are,” she said, pointing to the metal barrels gathered in the middle of the room.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, but it seemed Mr. Finch had been prepared for him here, as well as in the maths classroom. “They’ve been deadlock sealed.” He tried another barrel, but no luck. “Finch must’ve done that. I can’t open them.”

He was still trying to come up with a way to drill a hole in the metal barrel when K9 said, “The vats would not withstand a direct hit from my laser, but my batteries are failing.”

The Doctor nodded. “Right. Everyone out the back door.”

Rose put her hand on Kenny’s back and pushed him towards the door first, then she and Sarah Jane followed.

“K9, stay with me,” the Doctor said, belatedly remembering the little dog’s penchant for taking instructions literally.

The robot dog rolled back the few feet he had already taken towards the door and wagged his tail slightly, waiting for directions. The Doctor tugged on the barrels, lining them up so K9 could easily shoot each one individually.

“Capacity for only one shot, Master,” K9 told him. “For maximum impact, I must be stationed directly beside the vat.”

The Doctor frowned and ran over to kneel in front of his dog. “But you’ll be trapped inside.” True, the fryer was the most vulnerable point. Shooting it would start an electrical fire that would ignite the oil, and once ignited, it would explode within thirty seconds. That would trigger explosions in the nearby barrels that would be strong enough to destroy the kitchen and everything in it.

“That is correct,” K9 said matter-of-factly.

“I can’t let you do that,” the Doctor protested.

“No alternative possible, Master.”

He was right, but that didn’t make it any easier. Everything ends, Sarah Jane had said, but neither of them had thought at the time that they would lose their pet.

The distant screeches of the Krillitane reached him, and he knew he only had a few moments to get to safety himself. “Goodbye, old friend.”

“Goodbye, Master.”

“You good dog.”

“Affirmative.” K9’s ears twitched and his tail wagged at the praise.

The Doctor patted K9’s metal cheek, then pushed himself to his feet and backed away a few steps before running out the door. Sarah Jane was waiting for him, and he didn’t look at her as he sealed the door, trapping her dog inside.

“Where’s K9?” she asked immediately.

The Doctor turned around and slipped the screwdriver back into his pocket. “We need to run,” he said, taking off.

“Where is he?” Sarah Jane’s voice got higher when she realised what must have happened. “What have you done?”

He spun around and grabbed her by the shoulders, then took her hand and ran with her as the first rumble of explosions began.

Out in the schoolyard, the students cheered as smoke billowed out of the windows. When they chanted Kenny’s name, the Doctor looked over at Sarah Jane and winced at the devastated look on her face.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.  

She shrugged. “It’s all right. He was just a daft metal dog. It’s fine, really.”

The Doctor was already wrapping an arm around her shoulders when she burst into tears. She pressed her face into his shoulder, and guilt lanced through him, worse than he’d felt last night. K9 was the only thing he’d left her with to remind her of her time with him, and now he was gone. An idea came to him—maybe a daft one, but it was the only olive branch he could think of.  

Rose and Mickey made their way towards them, working slowly around the edge of the crowd of shouting children. Rose raised her eyebrows and gestured towards the school, and he nodded.

“We need to get the TARDIS out of the school before it isn’t safe to go up the stairs anymore,” he told Sarah Jane quietly.

She sniffed and straightened up. “Of course. And I should go home. I suppose this is goodbye?”

The Doctor shook his head. “Is there a park where we could meet?”

Sarah Jane gave him the address of the park nearest her house and the time she would expect him.

“We’ll be there,” he promised.

Rose took the Doctor’s hand as they went back into the school, Mickey right behind them. “K9 was still in the kitchen, wasn’t he?” she asked as they climbed the stairs.

The Doctor nodded, then looked over his shoulder. “But, with your mechanical expertise Mickey, I think we could build her a new one in no time.”

“I don’t know anything about gears in the thirty-fourth century,” Mickey protested.

The Doctor shook his head. “A gear is still a gear,” he countered. “You’ve been hacking into government databases on a computer that was outdated when you bought it. Trust me, Mickey, you can handle this.”

Rose pushed open the door of the classroom they’d parked the TARDIS in and jogged across the room, pulling her key out as she went. “Oh, I’m ready to be home,” she sighed as she turned the key in the lock and opened the door.

The Doctor tossed his coat over a strut and sent the TARDIS into the Vortex to put them out of the timeline, then started down the corridor. “Come on, Mickey,” he called over his shoulder.

“He’ll be there in just a minute,” Rose said, grabbing Mickey’s hand before he could follow the Doctor. “I’ll give him directions.”

Mickey raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s this about, babe?”

“You’ve got to tell me, because it’s killing me. When did you and the Doctor get to be such good friends?”

Something indefinable crossed Mickey’s face. “You learn a lot about a man when his girlfriend is trapped as a Roman statue,” he said soberly. “Very first thing he thought of, once he realised the statue in the museum wasn’t you, was to go back in time and learn to sculpt so he could make it. He didn’t even blink, Rose.”

The respect in Mickey’s voice when he talked about the Doctor was obvious. Rose stared at him, then pointed down the corridor. “Down that way, take the first stairs on the right, turn left at the top of the stairs, second door on your right. That’s the Doctor’s work room.”

Mickey grinned and pecked her on the cheek, then jogged in the direction she’d pointed.

Rose walked down another corridor at a much slower pace. Mickey’s words had stirred up the same almost overwhelming love she’d felt when she’d realised what the Doctor had done for her. She remembered the kiss she’d given him in thanks, and how quickly the passion had ignited between them.

She ran her fingers absently along the wall, and the TARDIS’ hum surrounded her. Rose blinked suddenly when she reached her room, taking in the familiar pale lavender walls and plush carpet. She was home. They were home. Which meant…

She looked down at the clothes she’d been wearing for two days now and shook her head. She quickly stripped on her way to the en-suite and climbed into the shower, after tossing her clothes into the laundry basket.

Rose took her time getting ready, knowing the Doctor and Mickey would need at least an hour to build a new K9, even if they could speed through every step. She tried not to think about the fact that she was primping for her first night with the Doctor, but when she stared at her lingerie drawer after drying her hair, some of her nerve faded.

I’m being silly, she told herself as she slid the drawer shut. He’s not even human—who knows if he likes sexy underwear?

The TARDIS hummed in her mind, and Rose turned around to find an entire outfit laid out for her on her bed. The jeans and t-shirt weren’t what she would have chosen for a night like this, but she knew the instant she saw them that they would look fantastic on her, hugging all the right places.

Soft pink lace boy shorts matched a smooth satin bra that wouldn’t show under the thin cotton t-shirt. It was all very similar to what she wore on a daily basis, and Rose smiled gratefully when she realised the message the ship was trying to send: Be yourself—just a slightly more dolled up version of yourself.

The Doctor and Mickey were already in the console room when she arrived. “There you are!” the Doctor said. His nose twitched, and Rose smirked when she watched his gaze linger on her chest and hips.

“Are we ready to go?” she asked him as she sauntered down the ramp to the console level.

He blinked, then nodded and pulled the dematerialisation lever without looking away from her. Rose leaned back against the railing as the TARDIS’ engines wheezed. Mickey was purposely not looking at either of them, and Rose slowly licked her lips, teasing the Doctor.

He’d taken half a step towards her when they landed, interrupting his plans. He blinked and checked the clock. “All right, we’re ten minutes early, according to when Sarah Jane said. Mickey, would you get K9 hidden behind the TARDIS?”

Mickey walked to the door and clapped his hands. “Come on, boy,” he called.

Rose pressed her lips together to stifle her laughter when the robot dog’s eyes lit up. “Coming, Master,” he said, and rolled after Mickey out the doors.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around Rose’s waist and nosed her hair out of the way to kiss her neck. “You took a shower,” he whispered against her skin.

She shivered, but managed to nod.

“You smell amazing.” His tongue darted out to lick the spot just below her neck. “And taste fantastic,” he groaned. “Are you sure we can’t just close the doors and leave Mickey and Sarah Jane here?”

The lust in his voice made her knees weak, but the deeper meaning behind his words gave her the strength to turn around and put her hand on his chest, pushing him back a few inches.

“Rose?”

She smiled reassuringly. “Oh, believe me, I intend to come back to this,” she promised him. “But first, I want you to promise me that we’re not going to just leave Sarah Jane behind again.”

The Doctor sighed and leaned back on the console. “I won’t, but I don’t know that she’ll believe me after last time.”

Rose clasped her hands behind her back and looked up at the Doctor, her most charming smile on her face.

“What?” he asked. “What are you up to?”

“Well…” She moved forward and ran her finger down his tie. “I just thought that if we promised to come back for a visit soon, and then actually did, it might make a difference.”

He rocked back on his heels and looked up at the ceiling, and Rose watched as he wrestled with himself. An open-ended promise like, “I promise not to fly off and never come back,” was easier to make than something more specific. But that’s why it would mean more to Sarah Jane.

“All right,” he finally agreed.

Mickey came back inside then. “I think I saw Sarah Jane, coming from the other end of the park,” he said.

The Doctor nodded and exited the TARDIS, leaving the door open. “Cup of tea?” he asked a moment later, then moved back and let Sarah Jane enter the ship first.

She paused at the base of the ramp. “You’ve redecorated.”

“Do you like it?” the Doctor asked.

Sarah Jane stepped further into the ship and touched one of the coral struts as she walked around it. “Oh, I, I do. Yeah. I preferred it as it was,” she admitted as she circled the console, “but er, yeah. It’ll do.”

Rose ran her hand over the console, smiling as she remembered their conversation the night before. “I love it.”

“Hey, you,” Sarah Jane said, “what’s forty seven times three hundred and sixty nine?”

She shook her head. “No idea. It’s gone now.” Rose had felt the sharp mental acuity slip away while she was in the shower. “The oil’s faded.”

“But you’re still clever,” Sarah Jane assured her. “More than a match for him.”

“I think,” the Doctor said as he came around the console to join them, “that I have a pattern of asking clever women to travel with me.”

Rose watched as a faint blush coloured Sarah Jane’s cheeks, and she realised that even after all these years, and all the things the other woman had done with her life, this had been missing—the absolute confidence that the Doctor really had valued her as a friend and a companion. That made her even more determined not to abandon her now, and she looked over at the Doctor.

He tugged on his ear, and Sarah Jane looked at him, a small frown creasing her forehead. He smiled at her. “Er, we’re about to head off, but we thought we might come by sometime soon for a visit, if that’s all right?”

Sarah Jane shook her head, and Rose put her hand on her shoulder. “Seriously,” she said. “We’re not gonna just disappear again—I promise.”

The Doctor watched the doubt slowly fade from his old friend’s face, and finally, she smiled at him. “All right. You give me a ring when you’re ready to pop ‘round, and I’ll make sure to be ready.” She pointed a finger at him. “In the next month in my timeline, or I’ll assume I’ve been left behind again.”

Her smile seemed happier and more genuine than it had since they’d been reunited. “And now I think I’m going to go home. I’ve got an adventure of my own waiting for me—time I stopped waiting for you and went after it.”

Mickey stepped out from behind the strut. “Can I come with you?” he asked. “You said you had information on Torchwood.”

Sarah Jane smiled at him. “Of course. Sarah Jane Smith, and Mickey Smith.”

“Defenders of the Earth,” the Doctor added.

Rose opened her arms, and Sarah Jane welcomed the hug. She murmured something to Rose that the Doctor knew he probably wasn’t meant to hear, but thanks to his superior biology, he couldn’t quite avoid it.

“I owe you an apology, Rose. When I met you, I thought you were just a girl and couldn’t understand what it was like to be with a man like the Doctor. I was wrong. You really are more than a match for him.”

Rose looked at the Doctor over Sarah Jane’s shoulder, and he knew she knew he’d overheard. “Thank you,” she whispered, then stepped back.

Sarah Jane and the Doctor went back out into the sunny London park. She looked up at him and shook her head. “It’s daft, but I haven’t ever thanked you for that time. And like I said, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“Something to tell the grandkids,” the Doctor suggested.

“Oh, I think it’ll be someone else’s grandkids now.” She raised an eyebrow and nodded at the TARDIS. “Yours, maybe?”

The Doctor felt his ears turn red, and he tugged on his tie, suddenly feeling hot despite the mild spring day. “We haven’t discussed… and it would take a little fiddling with the DNA…”

Sarah Jane chuckled. “It’s good to see that underneath all that suave and dashing charm, you’re just as clueless as the rest of us.” She took a deep breath, then said, “Goodbye, Doctor.”

“Oh, it’s not goodbye,” the Doctor insisted.

“No, I know you’re coming for a visit—Rose will make sure of that.”

The Doctor smiled sheepishly as a breeze ruffled his hair.

Sarah Jane reached for his hands and held his gaze. “But this… I never got a proper goodbye at the end of my travels with you. Say it for me, please?”

The Doctor’s throat closed up, but he smiled, ignoring the tears that threatened. “Goodbye, my Sarah Jane.” He picked her up in a hug, swinging her gently. She was right; it felt good to say goodbye.

The door opened and shut, and he set Sarah Jane down and held out a hand for Mickey. “Tell me if you turn anything up,” he said seriously.

Mickey nodded. “Will do. Till next time, Boss.”

The Doctor reentered the TARDIS, then paused and looked back at Sarah Jane. “Stay until we’re gone,” he requested, a smile turning his mouth up. “We’ve got a little surprise for you.” She nodded, and he closed the door behind him.

Rose was leaning against a strut, and he could tell from the carefully neutral expression on her face that she wasn’t sure if he would need a few hours to brood over Sarah Jane before they could get move on to the promised plans for the evening. But just the fact that she knew him that well made his hearts speed up, and he shook his head. She was his present and his future; why would he want to dwell on the past when he had her in his arms?

He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it over a strut. “Rose Tyler,” he said, letting his voice take on a deeper timbre than it usually did. “Do you know where we’re going to go?” he asked as he moved to the console and wrapped his fingers delicately around the controls.

She licked her lips as she watched him set the coordinates, and he had to readjust a dial that slipped. Then suddenly a hint of mirth entered her eyes. “Further than we’ve ever gone?” she suggested, pulling a bark of laughter from him.

A knot of happiness tightened in Rose’s chest, making it hard to breathe for a moment. He threw the dematerialisation lever without looking away from her, and the challenge in the sexy quirk of his left eyebrow spurred her on.

She slid into the space between his body and the console, smiling when his hands automatically rested on her hips. The Doctor’s eyes darkened when she linked her hands loosely at behind his neck.

“Do you know how irresistible you are, love?” he said huskily.

“Dunno.” Her nails scraped through the short hairs at the nape of his neck, and he shivered and pulled her closer. “Why don’t you show me?”

A moment later, his hands dropped to her bum. “Jump,” he ordered, and with his help, a moment later she was perched on a relatively smooth section of the console. Slowly, the hands that had lifted her up slid around and ran up her thighs, then underneath her soft cotton shirt.

Rose gasped when she felt his bare hands on the sensitive skin at her waist. He loved her so much… He wanted her so much, and his control was already trembling on the edge of a knife.

“Are you still certain you want this, Rose?” he whispered as he stroked his thumbs over her hip bones.

Rose moaned and wrapped her legs around the Doctor’s hips, pulling him closer. “Yes.” She slid her hands over his shoulders and into his hair, then tugged his head down so she could nip at his bottom lip. “Please, Doctor,” she whispered against his mouth. “I want to make love with you. I want to feel you in my body”—she brushed her fingers over his temple—“and in my head.”

The Doctor’s breathing stuttered, and Rose whimpered when a wave of arousal crashed over her. “Hold on tight,” he told her, and she grabbed his shoulders and crossed her ankles over his bum as he lifted her up.

The few seconds of friction that motion created drew deep groans from both of them, and Rose shuddered as her desire built. “Your room or mine?” she panted into his neck.

The Doctor stopped at the door to his room, which the TARDIS had mercifully moved to just off the console room. “I thought… ours?”

He lowered Rose to her feet and pushed open the door, and her eyes widened when she took in the redecorated space. Her light oak queen bed, his bookcases, her vanity, a matching wardrobe that was new… Even the colour palette of rich blues and lavenders was suited to both of them.

She felt the Doctor’s hands brush against her elbows, and suddenly she saw exactly how much he wanted this—not just for one night, but for a lifetime. “You can spend the rest of your life with me,” he’d promised, and this was where that life began.

Rose turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yeah. Ours,” she agreed, then pressed her lips to his to seal the promise with a kiss.