#Phoebe also nearly landed on her from a jump the second time

[fbwzoo]

My best bravest girl. We had a friend and her 11 year old kid over tonight, first visitors besides a few family members & maintenance people since we've had Emma.

She shook a little at first, then quickly calmed when I handed out some treats to distract everyone and calm them down. Spring was an excellent example as always & was cuddling them in no time after his initial alarm phase.

After that, she initiated sniffing both of them on her own a couple times, played with me briefly in excitement when I came back out from animal room, and!! Took treats directly from my friend while we were sitting in the kitchen - she went to living room to eat, then came BACK on her own 4 times!!!

Picture is from the last hour of the night, with the kiddo on my other side playing a game and everyone else chatting, laughing, etc. Fully snuggled and relaxed. 🩵

[winnisome]

i’m okay.

pairing: spencer reid x reader

summary: after spencer finds himself in a dangerous situation on a case, the reader is filled with anxiety and comforted by their dear boy.

song: moon song by phoebe bridgers

warnings: anxiety, brief mention of death, hostages, typical criminal minds content, they share a shower but there’s nothing sexual, ends in fluff :)))

a/n: my first spencer fic!!! i’m actually pretty proud of how this turned out so let me know if y’all like it :) also, this is just based on my personal experiences feeling anxious which can obviously be a different experience for everyone!

It was a split second, really. 

A split second that felt like an hour. It was as if the gunshot had hit a clock or something and made time slow down for that second, if that were possible. At the bang, your heart had jumped into your throat, restricting your breath. You could only hear your heartbeat as you stared into the deli that the unsub had taken hostage. Spencer had volunteered, against your protests, to go into the deli and try to talk him down from his two day spree. The unsub had retreated into the back of the deli, prohibiting your team from being able to see what was going on. Minutes later, the gunshot rang through the doors and with no way to know who had fired the shot, your mind assumed the worst. 

You were frozen, trying to decide whether to run in and see your dead boyfriend on the floor or stay back praying that he would walk out, perfectly fine. You weren’t breathing as the agents around you moved in slow motion towards the door. Before they got there, however, the deli door swung open and Spencer walked out, holding the hand of the young girl that the unsub had held hostage and yelling for a medic. 

Your feet seemed incapable of moving. Your eyes were trained on Spencer as he walked the girl over to her parents and accepted their gratitude. You watched as he glanced around looking for someone until his eyes landed on you. He walked over to you and you reached out to him, almost like you were making sure he was real. Enveloping you in his arms, he embraced you, your neck finding its place in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. Your hands tangled in his hair, reassuring yourself that he was alive. He wasn’t even hurt. He was fine. As always, Spencer read your racing heart and desperate clutch at his curls and whispered into your ear.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” You reluctantly pulled away from him, his hands lingering on your hips. 

“I know.” You said, with a half smile. But your heart was still pounding and you couldn’t seem to focus. Spencer wove his fingers into yours, squeezing your hand as the two of you walked towards one of the SUVs.

The jet ride back to Quantico seemed to defy time the same way the second after the gunshot had. You sat in silence the whole time, not letting go of Spencer’s hand. He glanced over to you every once in a while, but you were staring either out the window or at your lap. 

He was concerned and you were, honestly, confused. Spencer was fine. He had gotten out of the situation without so much as a scratch so why weren’t you flooded with relief? That’s what usually happened with anxiety like this. It was squashed after you were sure everyone was fine and relief washed over you like a nice blanket. And this had happened too many times for you to count. In fact, Spencer and you had been in much worse danger than this before. So why could you not look at him fully yet still not let go of his hand? Spencer knew not to pry. At least not yet. 

The plane landed and the team disembarked, saying their goodbyes and heading to their respective cars. You were still in a haze and, of course, still holding Spencer’s hand. 

Although the two of you didn’t officially live together, you spent every night in each other’s apartments. Usually based on who had more food in their house which was Spencer’s tonight. The drive home you were still silent, staring out the passenger window trying to squash the fluttering in your stomach like it was an annoying moth fluttering around your head. Spencer’s hand rest on your thigh, with your hand placed on top of it. 

You entered his apartment and dropped your bags, standing by the couch, feeling the moth in your stomach start flying faster as your breathing sped up slightly. You were so confused. The fact that this feeling should have faded by now just made you more anxious. Spencer realized you hadn’t followed him into his bedroom and came back to see you stood still, the same as you had been outside the deli, staring into his living room. 

“Y/n?” You turned at his voice. Your eyes were slightly glazed over and he walked towards you quickly, noticing that something was obviously wrong. “I’m okay, Y/n. What’s wrong?”

“I-uh...I don’t…” You tried to explain that you didn’t know what was wrong. You didn’t understand why you couldn’t accept that Spencer was actually okay. He felt so far away, so vulnerable, so easily taken away from you, and you just wanted to reach for him and grab onto whatever you could clutch. But you were frozen again not wanting to move, fearing that it wasn’t real and he would fall through your fingers like grains of sand. Spencer gently placed his hand on your back, applying pressure in an effort to move you to the bedroom. With Spencer’s guidance, you found your way into the bedroom and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Spencer knelt in front of you, his hands finding a place on your thighs and gazing up at you with his warm hazel eyes. He patiently waited for you to say something, rubbing circles in your legs. You tried to steady your breathing but were met with stinging in your eyes as tears formed in them. 

“I’m sorry…” You muttered, not meeting his eyes. Spencer’s brows furrowed and his lips quirked up in a confused smile.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” 

 You blinked, releasing the teardrops down your cheeks. “You’re the one who was in danger. I should be comforting you.” You stuttered out.

“Y/n. Look at me.” When you didn’t comply, he brought his hand to your jaw, wiping away the tears that had accumulated there and tilting your chin ever so slightly so you would look at him. You had never understood how someone’s eyes alone could deliver such a strong feeling but in that moment you saw such love pouring from his golden orbs into yours. “I was inside the building. I knew what was going on and knew that I would be fine once I assessed the situation. You were stuck on the outside, with no way of knowing if I was hurt or not. I know how scary that is. Trust me, I do.” 

Spencer brought his other hand up to your face, cupping your cheeks in his large palms, tracing your cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs.  “I know the fear and anxiety can linger and that’s unsettling. But I will do anything you need me to do to remind you that I am here, I am okay, and I love you.” You reached a hand out between Spencer’s arms to brush his soft curls behind his ear. 

“You’re okay.” You whispered, more to yourself than to him. 

“I’m okay.” He repeated, giving you a soft smile that melted your heart. Standing up from his position on the floor, he stood in front of you, hands still cupping your cheeks, and said, “How about a shower, my love?” 

You sniffled and nodded, his hands dropping to your waist as you stood up. He pressed his lips to your forehead as you wrapped your arms around his chest, squeezing him to remind yourself of the undeniable tangibility of his physical presence. 

Minutes later and hot water ran over your body. The scalding temperature burned away the anxiety of the day making you sigh as you tilted your head back, letting the water hit your neck and run down your chest. Goosebumps spread across your stomach as you felt the large palms of Spencer’s hands wrap around you, his head finding its rightful place in the crook of your neck. He pressed his lips, wet with the water of the shower, to the muscle that connected your upper spine to your shoulder. You spun around in his arms and looked at his blissful face as he pulled back from your neck. With one arm wrapped around his neck, your other fingers traced his immaculately sculpted cheekbones which led you to his immaculately sculpted nose and down his face finally to those immaculately sculpted lips, where you dragged your finger over the bottom one, watching it spring back into place. You were once again overwhelmed with emotion, but this time the tears weren’t breaking a seal of anxiety like the popping of a water balloon. They were spilling out of the plastic water bottle of love that resided in your heart, which was overflowing as you stared at the boy you loved so wholeheartedly causing your salty tears to join the drops of water flowing down your body. Spencer rubbed his hands up and down the expanse of your back. Somehow, he understood that these were different tears because, just as you had been able to see his eyes filled with love earlier, he saw the same love reflected back in yours. Using your hands behind his neck, you pulled him down to meet you, wet lips sliding over wet lips in a tender kiss. 

There was nothing sexual about the kiss. It was yet another moment of you basking in Spencer’s viability, his ability to kiss you back and the knowledge that he was alive and here. He was okay. You pulled away and nearly subconsciously whispered that fact out loud. Spencer let out a low chuckle, in no way mocking you, and whispered back the confirmation that he would never judge you for still needing. He was, indeed, okay. You rested your head against his chest, feeling the comforting lub dubs of his heart and the rise and fall of his lungs as they filled with air, yet another reminder of his livelihood. 

The two of you stayed there for what felt like hours, moving only to lather each other in soap, nearly robotically. Once the water started to lose its heat the pair of bodies found their way out of the shower, drying each other off in a pattern of pure domesticity. The next several minutes were filled with comfortable silence as you both got ready for bed. You pulled on an old Star Trek tee shirt of Spencer's that had been deeply worn in as he put on his pajamas and the two of you found your way into your shared bed, as if all paths led back to here, where you could sit, wrapped in the long arms and large hands of your beautiful boy and watch the world pass by, perfectly content. Spencer ran his nimble fingers through your damp hair, inhaling the scent. Your eyes barely open, you tilted your head up at him from your place wrapped around his torso. He smiled down at you and pressed his lips to your forehead.

For the last time that night but certainly not the last time ever you whispered,

“You’re okay.”

He smiled against your forehead.

“I’m okay.”

With that, you drifted off to sleep, happy to know that, at least for this moment, he was okay. 

[amylillian22]

Doggie Door

Summary: Y/N moves in next door to Chris Evans. One night she gets called into work and asks Chris if he can dog sit her beagle, Phoebe. Knowing how crazy her work is, Chris hires someone to build a fence with a doggy door for both Dodger and Phoebe. 

Word Count: 1,784

Warnings: None. Cutness. Puppy love, pun intended, lol.

Author’s Note: I can’t remember, but someone gave me the idea to write something similar to this. Also, I couldn’t find a gif that worked with the story. Instead, I picked this cute one of both Chris and Dodger.

[My Chris Evans Master List]

Moving from Texas to Boston was slightly overwhelming for Y/N as she had never left her home state before. However, she knew it was the right decision to do when she landed her dream job at Mass General as the Chief of Pediatric Surgery. Within a week, she packed everything in boxes, drove across the country with her fur baby, Phoebe.

It’s her third day in her new home. The movers had arrived yesterday and managed to help her set up and place all the heavy furniture where she wanted. All that was left to do was unpack her boxes and turn the house into her new home.

She grabbed a box labeled dishes from the garage and brought it to the kitchen. She turned around and noticed Phoebe’s dog tags on her collar weren't clinging as she walked. Phoebe wasn’t a lazy beagle. She was active and always on Y/N’s heels.

“Phoebe?!” She looked around the half empty house and couldn’t find her. “Baby, now is not the time to play games. Where are you?” She called out again before she noticed she didn’t properly close the door that led to the garage, which was also open.

“Damn it!” She ran outside to the middle of the street. “Phoebe?!” She yelled. She jogged down the street calling out her name until she reached the deadend at the end of the street. Her eyes began to well up at the thought she lost her fur baby of 5 years.

“Phoebe?” She called out once more in front of her house.

“Excuse me?” Y/N turned around to see a handsome man walking towards her with Phoebe trailing behind him and another dog. Y/N rushed towards Phoebe and immediately kneeled down to hug her.

“I’m guessing this is your Phoebe?” Her neighbor chuckled as Phoebe licked Y/N’s face.

“Yes, thank you so much,” she stood up. “I got worried. I’m not familiar with the neighborhood just yet and neither is Phoebe.”

“I was washing my car and she came on over and started playing with Dodger,” she looked down to see his dog smelling and sniffing Phoebe. Phoebe licked his face before they started running around in the front yard. “I guess they like each other,” he smiled at the two dogs in front of him before he turned to look at her.

His smile was gorgeous. Infectious. She couldn’t help but smile back at him as she responded, “I guess so.”

“I’m Chris,” he extended her hand for a handshake.

“Yes, I know who you are. You’re Captain America. I’m Y/N,” she smiled as she took his hand in hers. “It’s hard not to know who you are when you work with a bunch of kids.”

“Ah,” he nodded. “So, you’re a teacher.”

“Actually, no. I just got the job as the Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Mass General.”

“Oh, wow. That’s amazing. It’s funny,” he chuckled.

“What is?”

“I work with a charity that helps with the kids and family at Mass Gen,” he explained.

“Really? I’d love to hear more about it.” She hoped he took the bait. She knew he was attractive. The guy was practically a Greek God. She only hoped he was open to the possibility of getting to know her just as much as she wanted to get to know him.

“How about over dinner sometime?” He asked with a sly grin.

YES! She mentally screamed.

“I’d like that. Well, you know where I live,” she pointed at her house. She mentally face palm at herself knowing she probably looked like an idiot pointing out with her thumb like she’s hitchhiking.

He chuckled, “I gotta get back to my car.”

“I’ll see you soon.” “Hopefully sooner than later,” he flirted back.

She smiled at him once more before she called out for Phoebe. Phoebe licked Dodger’s face once more before she ran back to her owner. Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle when she heard Chris tell Dodger, “I think you have a girlfriend now.”

***

During the past week, Y/N and Chris hadn’t had their dinner date yet. It’s not that they decided not to do it or one changed their mind. Y/N’s first week at her new job was hectic. She barely had time to cook or get a good night’s sleep. Chris has also been busy filming a new show for AppleTV in Boston.

However, in between their crazy and busy lives, they still saw each other in passing. They had small conversations when getting the newspaper or the mail. They’d say hi or bye when one caught the other on their way out.

But today was different.

“Ugh,” Y/N groaned as she quickly grabbed whatever clean clothes she could find. Phoebe whined in her bed, clearly annoyed she’s being disturbed during her sleep. “What the hell am I gonna do with you?” She asked Phoebe.

She quickly tied her shoes and glanced at the time. It was nearly 3AM and she was on call. Unfortunately, she was needed for emergency surgery as one of her patients took a turn for the worst. Given the horrible situation, Y/N was already worried and stressed about Phoebe. The surgery would take over 12 hours. The doggy daycare was closed to have Phoebe with her new furfriends for the night. She had no other choice but to ask her new neighbor.

She made a ‘tsk-tsk’ noise, signaling Phoebe to follow her. She took a second before she happily followed her owner. Y/N grabbed the pink leash and hooked it on Phoebe’s collar.

“Come on, baby,” She opened the front door and grabbed her work backpack. Y/N crossed her yard and into Chris’. Phoebe’s tail wagged with excitement as she realized she was going to visit Dodger.

“Please don’t get mad,” she mumbled to herself as she rang the doorbell and looked at the dark house.

She waited and hoped Chris would answer the door. Dodger immediately barked as the doorbell echoed throughout the house. Within seconds he was at the front door, barking and jumping up and down with excitement as he saw Phoebe outside the other side of the door.

After a couple of seconds later, Chris opened the door. Y/N tried her best not to drool as he was shirtless and his dark gray sweatpants hung low on his hips. He rubbed his tired and sleepy eyes, “Is everything okay?”

“I’m so sorry to wake you, but I have a huge favor to ask,” she started. “I got called into a long surgery. Too long I can’t leave Phoebe home alone. I’m wondering if you can watch her while I’m gone?” She continued without giving Chris a chance to answer. “The guys were supposed to built a fence earlier this week because I knew this was gonna happen, but somehow they were double booked and short staffed at the same time and-”

“Hey, Y/N,” he smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “Relax. I got this. I can take care of Phoebe and I can keep her for a few more hours than needed so you can get some sleep afterwards. I got this. Go! A kid needs you right now. Go be the awesome superhero that you are,” He said as he grabbed Phoebe’s leash.

“Thank you so much,” she leaned and kissed his cheek. “I owe you.”

“I’ll be sure to collect,” he smiled as he waved goodbye to her.

***

Y/N groaned and turned around to lay on her back. She looked at the clock and noticed she had slept 12 hours straight once she finished her 14 hour surgery. Although there was some complications, she still had a successful surgery. The kid would have a long and hard recovery, but he was going to be able to live life to the fullest.

“I need to get Phoebe,” she mumbled to herself before she got up from her bed.

Phoebe had been next door for over 24 hours and she couldn’t have been more appreciative and thankful for Chris’ help. She already had mind to cook dinner on her night off for the both of them as a thank you.

She opened the back door and her eyebrows immediately furrowed as she saw a wooden fence around her backyard. On the left side, there was a big square hole on the fence and as if on cue, Phoebe and Dodger ran through their new opened doggie door. Phoebe ran and jump on Y/N, excited to see her owner after what seemed like forever ago.

“Hi, baby girl,” Y/N cooed as she scratched behind Phoebe's ears. Dodger started barking, wanting the same love and attention Phoebe was getting.

“Hi, Dodger,” Y/N chuckled as both dogs started licking her face.

“Howdy, neighbor!” Chris called from over the fence. Y/N stood up and walked over to see Chris’ head. She knew he was tall, but not that tall. She assumed he was standing on his picnic table.

She chuckled, “is that going to be a thing? Howdy neighbor? Because if so, I need to pull out my overalls and cowboy hat from my summer box.”

Chris laughed, his smile reaching the corner of his eyes. “So what do you think?” He lifted his arms up, showcasing the new fence.

“Chris, you really didn’t need to do this,” she started, only to be interrupted by him.

“I already had the guys coming in yesterday and I asked them to build you a fence since they were already here.”

“Let me get my check book,” she was about to walk away.

“No. It’s okay. It’s all taken care of.”

“I insist.”

“It was nothing. Just a few selfies and videos with them and they started building right away,” he smiled. “Wanna know the best part of it?”

“I saw it. The doggy door between the fences,” she smiled. “Smart idea.”

“Oh, it definitely is, but that’s not the best part,” he hopped off the picnic table. The doggy door hole was attached to a regular size door for them to cross over any time. Chris opened it and grinned as he entered her backyard, “I got us a big doggy door. Wait, that sounded wrong,” he chuckled nervously.

Y/N’s heart swelled knowing he went above and beyond to make things as easy for her the next time she got called into work in the middle of the night for surgery.

“I really don’t know how I can ever thank you,” she walked over towards him. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

He cupped her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss. It was gentle yet so passionate. Y/N couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck. Chris’ fingertips dug into her hips, fighting the urge to bring her body flushed against his. She pulled back first, her lips ghosting his.

“You’re very welcome,” he whispered. Then, his lips formed a huge smile and started chuckling.

“What?” She laughed with him.

“I’d told you I’d collect.”

[mezzomercury]

Bohemian Rhapsody in Blue:Father’s Day Special Chapter

A/N: This was a collaboration with @ramibaby​, who saved my ass with this fic. I was originally planning to post it on Father’s Day, but life really got in the way. Anyway, here you go, after all this time waiting!

Warnings: Father’s Day, Illness, HIV/AIDS reference

*****************

June 16, 1991

The Garden Lodge

London, United Kingdom

Although five-year-old Eliza didn’t completely understand her dad’s illness, she somehow was perfectly aware that he was very sick, and had to spend a lot of time in bed as a result. It broke Jim’s heart to see how their little girl was handling this situation more maturely than some of their other loved ones, but realized it may partially have been due to her youthful innocence and optimism. Now that Eliza was in her first year of primary school, she would excitedly return to the Garden Lodge and run up to her fathers’ bedroom, eager to tell her Daddy everything she learned that day. She was now also starting to learn how to read, and Freddie would insist that she practice by reading to him. 

“Liza, daddy can’t see as well as he used to. Could you be a dear and read this to Delilah and me?” He would say to her as he would hand her a new book that he asked Phoebe to buy nearly every day. 

Eliza would happily oblige and practically read until her eyes grew weary and would fall asleep cuddled up next to her proud daddy. Jim would always watch on with tears pricking his cheeks, beaming at how his daughter wanted nothing more than to be Freddie’s caretaker.

Father’s Day was just around the corner, and while the Garden Lodge family had been accustomed to elaborate celebrations on this day, Freddie’s illness had other ideas. As Eliza seemed to perpetually be in her “princess phase,” she employed Phoebe, Joe, and her mother Nadia to organize a Princess Tea Party for Father’s Day the previous year, complete with tiaras, feather boas, and sparkly makeup for everyone to wear. Freddie and Jim absolutely adored it, and were impressed by how their daughter had organized the basis of this at such a young age. He even requested his daughter that she do this again next year, something that Eliza seemed to remember, as she would badger Phoebe about it constantly within this past week. In response, Phoebe would only shrug sadly to her questions, as he didn’t have the heart to tell her that her father was too ill.

The morning before Father’s Day, Eliza was sitting alone at the craft table in her nursery, working on what appeared to be cards for both her Daddy and her Papa. As her mind wandered and she began to sing a little song she was making up on the spot, she jumped up almost comically as she was hit with a new idea. After a gasp of discovery, she sprinted down the stairs as fast as her little legs could carry her and into the kitchen, nearly crashing into Phoebe as she ran into him. 

“Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe!” She chanted his name over and over until he replied with a “What is it, dear? Is everything alright?” 

Unaware that Jim was in the room as well, Eliza yelped as her Papa scooped her up into his lap. 

“Phoebe is working on Daddy’s breakfast, princess. You shouldn’t disturb him.” Jim mildly lectured her as he tried to calm down his bouncing daughter. 

“But Papa, I have something to tell him! It’s very important!” Eliza complained bitterly, still very hyper and excited about her idea.

 In a short matter of time, the little girl started to feel out of breath from her hyperactivity, so much so that Jim had to remind her to take deep breaths in and out. Once she was a bit more calm, her father asked,

 “Alright, Liza, what do you need to tell Phoebe?” 

In response, Eliza playfully scrunched her face and answered, 

“It’s a secret, Papa. I can’t tell you!” 

Jim could only chuckle at his daughter’s silly nature as he set her down from his lap.

 As soon as her feet touched the ground, Eliza scurried up to Phoebe, who bent over to her level, eager to hear what she had to say, and whispered in his ear. Jim could barely hear anything, but became curious when he saw Phoebe’s face light up and he replied,

 “Ah, yes! That’s a great idea. How about we talk about it in your room after breakfast, alright?” 

Without responding verbally, Eliza grinned and nodded before running back up the stairs. Jim chuckled at their brief exchange and asked his husband’s assistant, 

“Whatever did she say to you?” 

Phoebe only smirked and retorted, “You’ll just have to wait and see until tomorrow.”

On the morning of Father’s Day, both Freddie and Jim awoke to the welcoming smell of scones baking downstairs. Obedient fathers as they were, they followed Eliza's stern request for them to "stay in bed and not move a single muscle" until she entered, allowing them both to enjoy each other's quiet company before the madness that was Father's Day began. It wasn't long however, until the clang of silver cutlery and hushed voices could be heard outside their bedroom door, interrupting Jim and Freddie's little love in. Eager to greet the day and their little one, both fathers sat up straight. Jim fussed about with Freddie's pillows to ensure he was comfortable to which Freddie slapped his hand away and huffed,

"Oh stop fussing will you?"

Ever since the news of Freddie's illness it was hard for Jim not to, and despite Freddie's often adamant refusal of help, he did appreciate it quite a lot.

"Knock knoooooock" Came a small, sing song voice behind their door.

"Come In love." Jim yelled back.

Not a second later the door swung open to reveal Eliza dawning her full princess gear: a pale pink saree, a gift from her grandparents, clashed with a purple feather boa, turquoise butterfly sandals, and a plastic glittery tiara on top of her head. Freddie exaggerated his amusement and gasped,

“My, my, my, who is that beautiful princess?”

Eliza giggled and spun around, almost tripping over one of the cats in the process. 

“Darling, do you know?” Freddie asked Jim, who mirrored his playful expressions for their daughter and trying to contain his laughter,

“I don’t think so. She looks familiar, but I can’t figure out why.”

“You’re silly, Daddy and Papa, it’s me!” Eliza declared, jumping on the bed and planting a kiss on both of her fathers’ cheeks. Freddie chuckled and reciprocated by kissing her tiny forehead and quipping with her,

“Oh, kitten, it’s you! We almost didn’t recognize you. We are very silly, indeed.” 

The three of them began to snuggle, but were interrupted by Phoebe, Joe, and Nadia barging into the bedroom, all three of them dressed and made up by Eliza to look like princesses as well.

“Happy Father’s Day!” They spoke in near unison with Eliza joining them. 

The three adults that just arrived were carrying multiple trays of tea, cakes, sandwiches, and other homemade treats, along with Eliza’s Winnie-the-Pooh play tea set, all of which were carefully placed on the bed and the nearby tables. Freddie and Jim were completely flabbergasted, as Freddie shrieked in delight, the color momentarily returning to his face. 

“Is that what your little secret was? Did you plan all of this yourself, dear?” Jim asked his daughter, who now got up to help her mother arrange the costume pieces she brought in onto a chair.

Eliza nodded and looked back, “But Mummy, Phoebe, and Joe helped!”

Jim chuckled in response as he tried to prop up his husband again on the bed, with the latter still swatting away his hand and insisting he was able to do it on his own,

“That’s very grown up of you, Liza. Thank you very much.”

The five-year old smiled and gave a tiny “You’re welcome” in response before she grabbed a few costume items and brought them to the bed.

“We can’t start yet. You’re not dressed up for the party!” Eliza stated, fumbling with the various boas, scarves, tiaras, and other items that she managed to carry in her tiny arms. 

"Oh?" Freddie frowned as a tiny hand snatched a sandwich from his own.

Jim snickered as Eliza placed it back down on the artfully arranged platter, before turning back to drape a sparkly feather boa around her hungry father's shoulders. 

"Are you sure this is my color dear?" Freddie probed, a brow cocked as he adjusted it. 

Eliza seemed almost offended as she reached out to place one on Jim. Frowning, she huffed,

"Yes! And I got you matching crowns too. Coz you are both queens!"

Smirking, Freddie muttered to Jim,

"Well she's got that right."

As Eliza carefully placed the crown on Freddie’s head she declared, “And now you’re Queen Melina of Z—Zan—-Zanb—“ she stammered while trying to pronounce the seemingly foreign, distant land where her father was from.

“Zanzibar, darling.” The now named Queen Melina assisted her as he adjusted the plastic crown to sit just above his hairline. 

“And you are Queen Beatrice of Carlow,” Eliza turned to Jim and repeated the same gesture with the boa and tiara that she designated to him.

“Are we all ready, dear?” Jim, known as Queen Beatrice for the time being, asked his daughter.Before anyone could start eating, Freddie came up with an idea and grinned as he revealed it,

“Just a moment, Princess. Could you please do Queen Melina’s makeup?”

Before Eliza could run over to her mother and retrieve her makeup kit, Freddie pulled her closer to himself and muttered,

“You know, since I’ve been sick, I don’t feel like I’m as pretty as I used to be. Could you please help me feel pretty again, darling?”

While he expected just a simple nod in approval, his somehow mature daughter hugged him in response,

“Of course, but you’ll always be pretty to me, Daddy. Even when you’re an old man.”

Eliza’s answer made Freddie begin to choke up, as he knew he didn’t have much time left with her, but since it was a special day, he didn’t have the heart to correct her. Before he could start blubbering like a fool, his husband tapped Eliza on the shoulder and prompted her,

“How about you get a start on Queen Melina’s makeup while I help Phoebe, Joe, and mummy with the tea, alright?”

The five-year-old nodded before she took out her bright pink rouge and rubbed it onto Freddie’s scruffy cheeks.

"Gorgeous!" Eliza exclaimed with a smile, taking a moment to sit back and appreciate her work.

With a determined, concentrated stare, she studied her father's face, before declaring,

"Pink. You need pink lipstick."

All too eager to oblige by the educated opinion of his daughter, Freddie simply nodded and pursed his lips in waiting.

A little lipstick smeared onto his mustache as she gracelessly applied it, and she giggled.

"Something funny?" Freddie cocked a brow, an adoring smile forming as he watched his little one come so undone.

"Your stash!" She squealed, throwing up her hands to cover her mouth. "It's pink!"

Freddie reached for the plastic hand held mirror in his daughter's lap, using it to see what all the fuss was about.

The ends of his mustache were bright pink, and as he lowered the mirror he leaned in close to his amused daughter, speaking in a hushed tone,

"Better just colour the whole thing in shall we?"

He scrunched his nose.

This seemed to delight Eliza to no end and she threw up her hands in laughter, before managing to compose herself enough to colour in the rest.

When she was done, Freddie turned his head slowly from side to side, allowing her to view his face, and more importantly, his mustache, in all its glory.

"How do I look sweetheart?"

"Silly!" She bit back, her face red from laughter.

As Eliza held the plastic mirror up to him again, he grinned as he admired his daughter’s work.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, dear?” he asked, watching as she tried to figure out what he meant, then gasping with a tiny “oh!” before grabbing a palette of sparkly purple eyeshadow.

“Voilà!” Eliza announced with a giggle as she held up the mirror to Freddie again. 

“Oh, darling! You’ve done such a magnificent job!” He grinned as he observed the masterpiece that was residing on his face. 

“I may ask you to do my nails, but maybe after we’ve all had tea, alright? Maybe you can do Papa’s, too!” He said to his daughter, who clapped in excitement.

And that she did, both fathers sporting bright blue nails not long after tea time was over. Eliza admired her handy work as she lay between them both, her own hand dwarfed by Jim's as she held it up to the light.

"I love them." Jim assured.

“I love mine, too, dear.” Freddie echoed as he slowly adjusted his daughter’s feather boa around her neck so she could lie down more comfortably. 

“Can we try doing Delilah’s nails sometime?” Eliza asked them as she noticed her feline companion jump onto the bed and near her feet, earning a chuckle from both in response.

“I don’t think she would very much like that,” Jim answered, “Besides, I wouldn’t want her to scratch you.”

Eliza shrugged in a mild but accepting defeat and continued to snuggle with her fathers, as she would nearly every day since Freddie was confined to bed rest. After a few minutes of near silence, save for the sounds of Phoebe cleaning up the tea set, Eliza quietly asked,

“Can we please play our song, Daddy?” 

“Oh, Princess, you know I’m too ill to get up--”

“No, I mean on the music player thingy." She timidly interrupted to dismiss her father’s concerns, but earned a nod in approval. 

As she made her way over to the record player, she flippantly mentioned,

"I like listening to you on the music player because I can hear you sing, even when you’re not here.” 

Although her comment seemed oblivious to Freddie’s condition, it made him start to tear up, as he knew he didn’t have much time left with his loving husband and daughter. This fucking illness, he though to himself. It would eventually rob him of the future precious moments he would have with his little girl. He would never get to see her grow up, with all the ups and downs of puberty, school, or crushes. He’ll never see her get married, if she chose to, and wouldn’t be there to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. He won’t be there to see his grandchildren, again, if she chose to have a family of her own, and tell them embarrassing stories about their mother. And most of all, the thing that angered him the most, was that he would never see Eliza evolve into a strong, beautiful, kind, and intelligent woman that he knew she would become. 

Fuck this disease. Fuck it all. 

Freddie snapped back into reality as he felt Jim softly kiss his temple, knowing that his husband was instantly picking up on his sadness and anger, and how he was trying so hard to contain these intense and bottled up emotions in front of their child.

Once Eliza pulled a copy of A Day at the Races out of the stack of records below the turntable, she turned and held out the record to her fathers.

"Can you do it for me?"

"Oh Eliza, surely you can do it!" Fredde insisted with a smile.

"I can't, I need you daddy!" She protested, frowning.

Freddie simply nodded toward the player and waited for her to give in. She did so with a huff, turning and carefully placing the record onto the platter and guiding the needle to land on the appropriate track, mimicking what she had seen Phoebe do multiple times.To her surprise, she was successful, and she earned praise from her parents once the song “You Take My Breath Away” started to play. 

Eliza squealed in delight, clapping her hands and grinning with pride as she hopped back into the bed. She clung onto Freddie in a way that resembled a baby sloth clinging to their parent, only with Jim resting his head on Freddie’s shoulder and resting his hand on Eliza’s back in addition.

"See, Eliza?" Freddie spoke softly into her hair. "You don’t need me at all. You got this all on your own, you're a big girl now."

"Yeah." She mumbled triumphantly into her father’s chest, trying not to upstage the music. "I'm a big girl." 

She interrupted her own thoughts and spoke hesitantly, “But, there are a lot of things I can’t do by myself.”

“That’s alright, Liza. You’ll learn. I won’t always need to help you.” Freddie assured her, “After all, you can play ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ on the piano all on your own already. Most big girls can’t do that. Remember when you first did that without my help?”

Eliza quietly nodded, looking back on what she most likely saw as her biggest accomplishment so far. 

“See? It will all be just like that. One day you’ll need help, and then the next you won’t.”

He watched as his daughter pondered his words and nodded again in agreement once she understood. 

She then proceeded to kiss both him and Jim on the cheeks and whisper,

“Happy Father’s Day, Daddy and Papa. I will always love you.”

In response, her fathers both hugged her tightly as she giggled from the contact. 

It was then that Freddie Mercury, although rather close to death, decided that he wouldn’t let this damn illness get the best of him. He was going to spend whatever time he had left with his husband and daughter, and nothing would stop him. 

**************

Permanent Tag List: @siriuslovesmarlene, @r-ahh-mi, @unknownauthor, @yousaycoke-isaycaine, @ramibaby, @rami-malek-trash, @britishmoonchild, @onexlittlespark, @rami-hoe, @xtrashmammalstefx, @wanderlustnightwanderer

[clownsgobeepbeep]

Colorful Stranger

@grotesquegabby

As you requested, some Alexander busting in lol X3

@post-itpenny Because some of yours are in this as well

Anyways, I hope everything is correct uwu Especially since this is like my second time writing for Alexander 

Heck, I hope it’s entertaining 

All was at peace with everybody, the day rather calm and in fact lazy for those.

Inside a former observatory was Cosmos and Vespers’ little family, a guest currently visiting as he resided in one of the extra rooms. This guest was no doubt Atlas, and he lay in bed while he read a book with his walkie talkie beside him.

As he flipped through the pages of his book, he heard a static-like sound come from the walkie talkie before a voice sounded.

“Atlas?”

The boy immediately picked up the walkie talkie and pressed its button before speaking into it.

“Ula?”

“Yeup! Are you at my uncles’ house?”

“Yeah! I was just reading some stuff ‘cause I’m a little bored right now. Where are you at?”

“My mother is in a meeting right now, so I’m in my playroom with-” Ula’s voice was then cut off by a static sound, Atlas lightly hitting the walkie talkie that was most likely just acting up. He could hear Ula but didn’t understand her due to all the buzzing and such.

“Ula?”

“Kiddo!”

“What?” Atlas made a weird face as a voice was now heard, even staring at his walkie talking in bewilderment before a laugh followed soon after. That sure was not Ula.

“Hello?” Atlas tapped the walkie talkie, right before from the side of the bed somebody popped up resulting in Atlas to fall onto his back with a scream.

“Whoa there! My bad!” Atlas heard as he sat up, now staring at a colorful figure he recognized as Jeff and Bubbles’ other uncle.

“Alex?”

“You know it!”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I just came to drop into your crib and say, yo. So, yo!” Alexander grinned as he kneeled in front of the bed with his arms now propped on it. “But also-”

“Atlas!” somebody shouted before the bedroom door swung open, revealing a shirtless Cosmos who had no doubt come in a panic after having Atlas scream. Right behind him stood Vespers, still cradling Phoebe as she slept and sucked on her thumb.

“Whoa, haha! What up dawg?” Alex made finger guns at Cosmos who furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, then turning to Vespers.

“This isn’t another one of your relatives, is it?” he asked before Vespers gave him a look. “Yeah, they’re too monochrome to dress that way.”

“You’re Pepper’s bro, right?”

“Who’s asking?”

“Cosmos, this is Alex.” Atlas presented with a bit of a smile, speaking quietly as Alexander now turned to him. “He’s, Belinda’s brother.”

“Oh, so you’re Alexander.”

“Alexander Calamity my dude!” the 90’s clown now stood up as he motioned to himself. “Just came here to drop off some things and give a yo to all of you!”

“Yo…?”

“Gifts?” Vespers raised an eyebrow in confusion before slightly jumping back as Alexander now stood in front of him with a big smile, how or when did that happen?

“First off, congrats on the little bug!~” Alexander wiggled a finger at the now awake baby before Cosmos stepped in between him and Vespers with a growl. “No need to wig out dude! Just wanted to give her this is all.~”

The pair saw as the clown reached into his jacket, pulling out what was basically a tablet with a small remote control. He handed them over to Cosmos who stared at it for a while, this reminding him very well of another gift he has discarded of after a certain event.

“Don’t worry dude, it’s not gonna bite, just a little something for the little bug that I know she’ll love as she grows up.” Alexander then turned on his heel to go back to Atlas who stared at him silently. “And for you, have I got this!”

Before Atlas was presented a box with books, Atlas carefully pulling one out before he gave a soft but excited gasp.

“Planets! Thank you!

“And from outside of the solar system!” Alexander handed the deer clown the box before approaching the open window. “Well speaking of outside, gotta bounce!”

And with that, the clown threw himself out the window as everybody stared, all but Cosmos blinking a few times.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Cosmos!”

_____________

“That’s so weird.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t hear Atlas.”

“Did the battery die out?”

“Maybe you just broke it like you break everything else.” somebody stated before blowing a raspberry. It was a room that was filled with plenty of children, all spread around in certain areas.

“Are you sure you aren’t talking about yourself Bubbles?”

“She’s right Bubs.” came Jeff’s voice as he sat on a bean bag that was right next to another where his sister sat. “You did break dad’s-”

“Jeff! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Bubbles exclaimed at her brother who shrunk down a bit. “Besides, I didn’t break daddy’s mug. It fell on accident.”

“Anyways, I think I’m gonna go out to look for some batteries.” now Ula spoke as she stood up from the little chair she sat on, having been sitting across from Ama as a table was in between them. They had been having a tea party after all, even Davey and the axolotls having joined in.

“I’ll go with you.” Ama stood up before Mana barked, standing up from his own bean bag and wagging his tail.

“You can also come.” Ula pet his head before doing so to Kala. “And you can rest.”

Kala leaned into Ula’s hand before snuggling up with Davey who was laying on the bean bag with her, fast asleep as Kala made it her duty to protect him, as well as the twins and their little brother. Meanwhile, Mana and the girls now made their way through the large room before opening the door and walking out, but not before Ula poked her head in.

“Don’t make a mess in my room.” 

“Don’t make a mess in my room.” Bubbles mocked after Ula had shut the door behind her, the twin looking back down at her younger brother who had been sitting on her lap. “ As if we’ll make a mess, right Benji? Golly, you’re getting so big!”

“You’re almost as big as us!” Jeff nodded before poking his brother’s cheek, Benjamin turning to look at him as he continued to suck on his pacifier. “Do you think he’ll be taller than us?”

“No way! We’re gonna be taller obviously.” Bubbles giggled to herself before patting Benjamin’s head, but he gently moved her hand away before turning his head. “What is it?”

“I feel like something’s about to happen.” Jeff tapped his chin before everybody turned to look at the door, hearing as its knob startled to jiggle around. “They’re back that fast?”

“Yoooo!” they all heard as the door swung open, the twins gasping loudly as Kala stood up and made sure to stand in front of Davey, squinting at the new guest.

“Uncle!” Jeff and Bubbles exclaimed with pure joy, running up to Alexander who stood in the open doorway with his usual toothy grin, kneeling down to hug them both as well as Benjamin who was in Bubbles’ arms.

“What’s the dillio?” Alexander asked before taking Benjamin in his arms, hugging him as the child embraced him as well.

“Daddy’s in the office with Auntie Jelly and the bird lady.” Bubbles told him before she and Jeff pulled away from Alexander.

“What are you doing here?” Jeff asked as he tilted his head, Alexander placing Benjamin on the floor for just a moment as he reached into his pocket, taking out some items.

“I come bearing gifts for all of you!” Alexander announced before scratching the back of his neck. “Hey, where your friends at?”

“Who?”

“The blonde one and Billy’s kid.”

“Went to get some batteries.” Bubbles shrugged, then smiling again as she took her respective gift with a loud gasp. “Chocolate cupcakes!”

“And chocolate doughnuts!” Jeff grinned as his gift.

“Oh yeah, and they’ve got lots of chocolate in ‘em just how you guys love it.~”

“Thank you Uncle!” the twins exclaimed before they plopped down on some beanbags, already starting to eat their treats. Oooh Belinda was gonna have a word with her brother later.

“We’re back.”

“We didn’t find the-” everybody turned to the door which opened to reveal Ama, Ula, and Mana coming in, all stopping as they now stared at Alexander with wide, surprised eyes. “-batteries.”

“Wha- who is this!?”

“Stranger!” Ama pointed at Alexander who grinned at the girls, then ducking as something pierced the air and nearly his forehead. 

“That was bunk.” Alexander commented as he moved away from the wall and turned to look at it, seeing as a knife was now dug in it. However, he saw as the wiggled before flying in the direction from where it came from, Alexander realizing that the blonde girl had thrown it as it landed back in her hand. She now prepared herself to throw the knife again until Ama intervened.

“Wait!” she exclaimed as she now stood in front of Ula who gave her a look of confusion. “It’s you!”

“It’s me!” Alexander exclaimed with jazz hands before Ula placed a hand on Ama’s shoulder.

“Who is he?” Ula glared at the clown who now had Jeff and Bubbles cling onto each of his legs.

“He’s our uncle!” Jeff smiled as he hugged Alexander’s leg.

“And I’ve seen him a few times.” Ama chipped in before petting Ula’s hand. “He’s cool.”

Ula’s eyes darted back to Alexander who nodded and gave her a thumbs up, then approaching her and Ama as the twins giggled to themselves while on his legs.

“I’ve heard of you! You’re a tiny, cool cat!”

“What?”

“He’s just saying he thinks you’re cool, duh.” Bubbles stuck her tongue out at Ula who returned the action, though she immediately looked back at Alexander with a squint.

“Yeah! You’re a brave one and I gotta say I respect that.” Alexander nodded before he placed Benjamin down on a beanbag. “Anyways, I just wanted to meet you all and give you stuff!

“Stuff?”

“Gifts?” Ama perked up as Ula gave her a weird look, clearly still not trusting the whole situation.

“Gifts!” the twins exclaimed in unison before Alexander presented a witch hat as well as some special shades, handing them to Ama who happily took the items. In an instant, she put on the hat as well as shades.

“Ula, look!”

“I can see Ama, they look pretty cool.” Ula nodded before looking at the clown again.

“Don’t think I forgot about you!” Alexander  then went over to Ula who backed up just a bit, hand clutching onto her knife before seeing as Alexander reached into his pocket to take out a small box.

“A box? Really?” Ula gave him a look before he gave a laugh. “I appreciate the gesture but I can ask my mother for one of these.”

“Open it up.” Alexander motioned before Ula hesitantly brought her free hand up, even bringing her knife close just in case anything were to happen.

Ula lifted the box’s lid to peek inside, seeing a rather large pumpkin pendant on a chain, clearly a necklace.

“It’s pretty.” Ula admitted as she now accepted it, her knife now turning back into a pearl that she tucked into her skirt pocket. “Thanks.”

“There’s something else! Tap it.” Alexander pointed to the pumpkin, Ula doing as she was told before two lights were seen on the pumpkin, opening up like carved eyes before a mouth followed with a ‘Boo!’, prompting Ula to jump back in surprise. “You’ve got a tiny homie of your own for whenever you’re feeling lonely.”

Before Ula was able to reply to Alexander, they all heard as the door opened and in came three adults, two which Alexander recognized very well.

“Alex?”

“Peps!”

“Alexander?”

“Red!~”

“Who is this?” asked the third adult, Ula soon running to her as she held up her new gift.

“Mommy! Look!”

“Ula, who is-”

“Jonesy, this is Alexander.” Pepper gave a nervous smile as his sister suspiciously eyed the colorful clown. “Belinda’s brother.”

“Brother?”

“Mom, mom!” Ula tugged on Jelly’s dress, making her look down at her daughter who showed her the pumpkin. “This silly man just gave me this cool necklace!”

“Necklace? What?” Jelly took the box while walking over to where Kala continued guarding the sleeping Davey, Jelly picking him up as Kala sat beside her. “What is he doing here?”

“Meeting everyone of course!” Alexander stepped over to Jelly who backed away from him. “Hey, no harm intended here chica. The name’s Alexander Calamity.~”

“Jelly, he’s...alright.” Maggie approached her best friend, slightly hesitant as she said that. “I’ve, uh, met him before.”

“And he’s my brother in law!” Pepper nodded as he stood beside Alexander. “He’s really great Jells, he always likes to hang out with the kids and thinks I’m cool. Right?”

“Hella.” Alexander nodded, even motioning to the twins who were still wrapped around his legs. 

Jelly stared at him for a few moments before seeing Ula walk up to her with a smile.

“I trust him mommy.” she told her mother. “He gave me a new friend and has a nice aura.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Jelly eyed Alexander again as she read him, not sure what to think of him.

“Give him a chance mommy, please?” Ula tugged at Jelly’s dress again before Jelly sighed.

“Alright, alright...maybe I just overreacted.”

“It’s the hormones.” Maggie shrugged with a smile.

“Word.” Alexander shrugged as Jelly muttered out an apology. “It’s aiight.”

“Oh goodie!” Ula exclaimed before running towards Alexander, even jumping up and landing in his arms as he caught her.

“Ula! Get off!” Bubbles yelled at her cousin as she unwrapped herself from Alexander’s leg. “That’s my uncle not yours!”

“Too bad, too sad. My uncle now.”

[isingonly4myangel]

Sibella's pregnant and she slips on some ice and falls while exiting her carriage at Highhurst.

So I might have gone a little (a whole lot) more in-depth than I’m sure you were expecting- whoops! If people like it, I’d like to add another section, so let me know if you read it and want to see more! Also, could be potentially triggering. Thanks!

Sibella couldn’t wait to get to Highhurst. She had been with Lionel in their house for nearly two weeks, on the verge of twenty-two weeks pregnant, and she was absolutely miserable.

The doctors had warned her against getting pregnant again. Rose’s journey into the world had nearly ended very badly for both of them, and Sibella had every intention of heeding the doctors’ advice. But Lionel had other ideas. Namely, a son.

She felt awful. From the moment she knew she was pregnant she had been terrified. At times she grew so anxious that her heart would race and she felt as though she couldn’t breathe. And then there were the headaches. So painful she could do nothing but draw the curtains against the winter sun and crawl into bed, they were persistent and nothing seemed to make them go away. In the last few days she was so upset that her stomach had begun to hurt, a sharp pain that she was sure would disappear if she could only calm down.

Rose was with the nanny for the afternoon, playing in the snow in the park, and would join her mother at Highhurst the next day. Lionel had taken the car to drive out to the seaside on business, leaving her to hire a carriage. As they jostled along on the way to Highhurst, she found herself staring blankly at the wall opposite her, and the print on it seemed to blur together into an abstract pattern. Blinking hard, she turned her gaze to look out the window, but the passing trees hung with snow were fuzzy as well. She covered her face with her hands, praying that the driver would somehow know that he should move faster.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally arrived in front of the castle, and the driver jumped down from his perch to help her out. But as she stood up and took his hand, she felt terribly lightheaded and everything she looked at was blurry. Taking a deep breath of cold air, she knew that everything would be alright if she could only get inside. She could see Monty coming towards her, but there were two of him, which she found peculiar.

In her confusion she did not notice where she was placing her foot stepping down onto the ground. The moment her shoe came in contact with the slick ice, she was falling. She landed hard on her side, feeling nothing but cold for a moment. Remembering to breathe, she forced frigid air into her lungs, and turned her head slowly to look at Monty, who had come running to her side.

“Sibella, my god, are you alright?” he questioned, but she did not reply. It was dawning on her that there was pain in her ankle and hip from the fall, and she felt strange. Then, suddenly, her hand flew to her chest. Her eyes grew wide, staring at nothing, and Monty grabbed a hold of her as she began to shake.

Convulsing violently, her breath came only in sharp gasps. Monty tried to hold her still while shouting for help. Phoebe came tearing through the castle doors, followed by several members of the staff.

“Sibella!” Phoebe cried as she skidded to a stop by her husband and dropped to her knees. “What happened?” she asked frantically.

“She slipped on the ice, and then she- I don’t know what’s-”

“Monty, she’s having a seizure!” the brunette exclaimed. “Jamie!” she cried, turning to look behind her.

“Yes ma'am!” the chauffeur stepped forward.

“Bring the car, now!” the brunette commanded, and the boy took off running. Sibella’s body seemed to slow its movements and before long she was still. “Monty, we have to take her to the hospital.” He nodded his agreement and lifted the blonde woman carefully to place her in the back of the car.

***

Sibella’s first thought was that every muscle in her body hurt. Her head was throbbing and she ached everywhere. Her eyes fluttered open, but she quickly closed them against the harsh light coming from above. She heard people talking nearby but could not decipher their words. A slight whine escaped her as she began to stir, and the voices were immediately silent.

“She’s awake,” gasped Phoebe, immediately in the chair beside the bed. Sibella opened her eyes upon hearing her and the brunette took her hand. As she looked around her slowly, Sibella recognised that she was in a hospital. The sheets covering her were a stark white, as were the curtains and the coat of the older man standing next to Monty.

“Mrs Holland,” spoke the man. “So glad you’ve rejoined us. My name is Doctor Mayhew. How are you feeling?”

“Everything hurts,” mumbled Sibella. “What happened? I remember falling, and then… I don’t know what I remember.”

“As I understand it, you slipped on some ice getting out of your carriage. You then had a seizure, and were brought here by Lord and Lady Navarro.”

“A seizure?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. I have a few questions for you, if you would be so kind,” said the doctor with a gentle smile. Sibella nodded, and struggled to sit up. With help from Phoebe, she was propped up against a pillow, her body resenting the movement.

“Mrs Holland,” Doctor Mayhew began. “Have you noticed any unusual symptoms over the course of your pregnancy? Perhaps a sense of anxiety, any pain, shortness of breath?”

“I have indeed experienced a great deal of anxiety. As I’m sure the Earl and Countess have told you, my first pregnancy was… difficult, and I was advised by my doctors not to have another baby.”

“And yet you are pregnant again?” asked the doctor, only curiosity in his voice rather than the judgement that Sibella had braced herself for.

“I am,” she replied, a touch of bitterness to the statement. “My husband… well, he does not take kindly to refusals of any sort.” Phoebe pressed her hand reassuringly, knowing all too well what Sibella was referring to.

“Has this second pregnancy been as difficult as your first?”

“Even more so, I’d say,” sighed Sibella. “You mentioned anxiety, which has certainly been present, and a shortness of breath comes with it. As for pain, I have terrible headaches, and often a pain in my stomach, though I don’t know how unusual any of that might be.” The doctor scribbled a few notes on the clipboard that he held before looking up at her again.

“And how were you feeling prior to your fall today?”

“Honestly, I felt terrible. I’d been rather upset since the morning, somewhat on edge. My back hurt, and in the carriage I grew slightly dizzy. There was something wrong with my vision, too, things looked… blurred, and sometimes duplicated.” Mayhew wrote for a moment, before turning to address the three other people in the room.

“Thank you, Mrs Holland. I’m going to share your file and my notes with one or two of my colleagues- I’d like their thoughts on the matter. I should be back very soon, and hopefully we’ll be able to tell you what’s going on.”

The doctor excused himself and left the three of them alone. The moment the door had closed behind him, Sibella leaned back against the pillow, her fragile mask crumbling and her eyes drifting closed. She felt Phoebe’s soft hands against her skin, resting on her cheek and tucking back her hair. One of Monty’s hands pressed hers, and his other rested on her rounded stomach.

“How are you, my darling?” questioned Phoebe, her fingers brushing against Sibella’s temple.

“I ache everywhere. What do they think is wrong with me? And the baby? Have they said anything to you?”

“You have a twisted ankle, a sprained wrist, and possibly a concussion from the fall,” Monty told her. “There’s obviously something else, but they won’t tell us. They just asked a lot of questions about you and about Rose, and Lionel. We told them you were only coming to the castle for tea today, we decided it was best.”

“I feel awful,” the blonde murmured, tears welling up in her eyes. “Something’s wrong, I know it.”

“Oh, my love, everything’s going to be alright. The doctors are going to make you well again,” Phoebe spoke, wiping away a tear on the blonde’s cheek with her thumb. Sibella wrapped her fingers around Phoebe’s and her other hand held more tightly to Monty’s.

“Please talk to me?” Sibella looked pleadingly at each of her lovers.

“Of course,” said Monty gently, with a smile. “Do you remember the games of tag that you and Grahame and I would play?”

“In the back yard of my parents’ house,” Sibella nodded and returned his smile tearfully. “And when we’d run ourselves into exhaustion, we’d collapse on the lawn until we caught our breath. But then one of us would tap another and scream ‘you’re it’ and off we’d go again.”

Stories continued even long after Sibella’s tears had turned to smiles, but she felt her heart drop through the floor as Doctor Mayhew entered the room. Behind him was another man, his white medical coat matching the older doctor’s.

“This is Doctor Jones, I’ve been consulting with him. Doctor Jones, this is Mrs Holland, and Lord and Lady Navarro.” The younger doctor tipped his head to each of them as they were introduced.

“Mrs Holland, your condition is… concerning,” spoke Doctor Jones, choosing his words carefully. “The symptoms you described are all cause for concern, but it is the seizure that is most alarming.” He glanced over at Mayhew and cleared his throat before continuing. “Mrs Holland, it is our belief that you had a condition called pre-eclampsia, which has now escalated into full eclampsia. Signs of pre-eclampsia include the severe headaches you told us of, as well as the dizziness, the anxiety, and the pain in your abdomen. The most common characterisations of eclampsia are blurred or double vision and seizures, and we understand that you’ve experienced both.” Sibella nodded mutely.

“How do we treat it?” asked Phoebe, doing her best to sound regal and controlled and not let anyone know that her heart was threatening to pound right out of her chest.

“The only cure is birth. After you have delivered your baby, your symptoms will disappear in a matter of days. But every moment your child is inside you is a moment that the lives of both you and your baby are at risk. Pre-eclampsia is a very serious condition, and usually develops later in a pregnancy. But if it progresses into eclampsia, as it has with you… Well, we cannot wait for you to carry to full term.”

“But it’s so early!” gasped Sibella, placing a hand protectively over her stomach.

“It’s too early,” Phoebe breathed. “It’s not enough time.” Both doctors looked grave. 

“No,” said Doctor Mayhew, stepping forward. “It is not enough time. But as of this moment we have a chance of saving Mrs Holland’s life. Surely that is better than losing them both.”

“Do it,” spoke Monty quietly, his voice shaking and his face drained of all colour. “Save her, you must save her.”

“And we will,” said Doctor Mayhew reassuringly. “Provided we can induce labour as soon as possible.”

“I can’t!” exclaimed Sibella, and all heads turned to look at her in shock. “Not without Lionel here, he’d be furious. He wasn’t present for Rose’s birth and he didn’t believe me when I told him what the doctors said, if I do this without him here, he’ll-” Her voice broke as she choked back a sob.

“Where is your husband?” asked Doctor Jones.

“Brighton. If you telephone him at the office there, he’d be back in only a few hours- he’s driving a motorcar.” Words fell desperately from Sibella’s lips, laced with fear, and her grip on Monty’s hand tightened considerably. There would be such hell for her to pay if Lionel was not present. The two doctors looked at each other for a moment before Jones answered.

“I’ll be blunt with you, Mrs Holland- it would make me nervous to wait. But if you are adamant that your husband be here, I’ll telephone him at once myself.”

“Thank you,” Sibella breathed, fighting back tears. “Thank you.”​

[newmusickarl]

Album & EP Recommendations

Album of the Week: Draw Down the Moon by Foxing

I must admit I was quite late to the Foxing party, having only been introduced to them a couple of years ago. However, after an extensive deep dive into their back catalogue I was immediately sucked in by their blend of alternative, post-punk and emo, as well as frontman Conor Murphy’s gut-punching lyrics and raw, gravelly vocals. With their last album Nearer My God, I’d noticed the band had started experimenting slightly with their sound, introducing synths and generally more expansive instrumental passages. That said, the experimentation on that record pales in comparison with what the band shoot for on Draw Down the Moon.

With this new record, Foxing have cut off the chains, sounding notably more upbeat as they bounce between genres, almost unrecognisable from the melancholic outfit that produced their first two records. This new direction certainly isn’t a bad thing though, as Draw Down the Moon offers a rich and ambitious project that ultimately makes for an enchanting listen. Across the album’s concise 39-minute runtime, Foxing frequently swing for the fence sonically - and most of the time they hit a home run.

Opener 737 begins as a gentle and melodic acoustic number, as Conor Murphy vulnerably sings of not being able “to do this alone.” It meanders along sweetly, before eventually erupting in the final third, transforming into a jarring screech of guitars and scream vocals. It’s quite the sit-up-and-listen start, which soon segues into their fantastic recent single Go Down Together. This track couldn’t be more different to the first, with Foxing discovering their lighter side on this incredibly funky and catchy pure pop moment. This opening pair of tracks sets up the rest of the album wonderfully, letting the listener know early on that the trio are here to have some fun and play around with lots of new ideas – and they’re going to sound great doing it.

Elsewhere, there are plenty of career best moments to be found, such as the infectious galloping beat of Where The Lightning Strikes Twice, the intoxicating pulse of Bialystok, as well as the genre-bending madness and distorted vocoder vocals of If I Believed In Love. There’s also a haunting stripped-back moment with At Least We Found The Floor, a track that had me googling to check whether or not Matt Berninger from The National was helping out on backing vocals – he’s not, but he may as well have been, such is the likeness.

However, it is easily the closing track - Speak With The Dead - that offers the album’s undisputed highlight. It is a sublime yet heartbreaking 7-minute epilogue about longing to communicate with friends, family members and loved ones who have passed away. It also sees Murphy throw his final lyrical gut-punch as he achingly belts out at the 2:30 mark:

“And in my dreams I’m on a porch with you, I promise you I've been doing well in your name and I won’t try to speak with you again - until I watch my last breath dissipate.”

Shortly after that, the song breaks out into a soaring guitar solo, before fading to black on a wave of ambient synths and distorted vocals.

It’s safe to say it’s an utterly stunning and just a beautifully crafted closer to what is a very creative and accomplished fourth album from Foxing. Taken plenty of sonic risks that nearly always pay off, it is a fascinating front-to-back listen, culminating in the mesmerising final track that leaves a strong lasting impression.

Listen to Draw Down The Moon here

King’s Disease II by Nas

Having set the standard so high with his now classic debut Illmatic, Nas throughout his career has struggled to hit a consistent run of good form. The hip-hop legend has often showed signs of returning to his best, only to then follow it up with yet another mixed bag. However, with last year’s King’s Disease, Nas delivered some of his best work for years and amazingly landed the New-York rapper his first ever Grammy for Best Rap Album. Seemingly buoyed by this success, Nas has returned almost exactly a year later with the album’s sequel – and its undoubtedly one of his best.

At a time where US rap music is flooded with repetitive, bloated trap records, Nas has delivered a vintage hip-hop record of the like they just don’t make anymore. Showing that he can still be a master storyteller when he chooses to be, Nas delivers powerful, well-written bars over Hit-Boy’s soulful beats and polished production. Although joined by fellow legends the stature of Eminem, Charlie Wilson and Ms. Lauryn Hill, the features are decidedly sparse by comparison to other recent rap records, as a fully focussed Nas seems content to reign as the star of his own show.

Overall, this is not just a step up from the first King’s Disease record, but more importantly a sizeable upgrade on most of Nas’ recent output. In a year where UK rap music is pushing boundaries and delivering astonishing records, it is great to hear one of the genre’s Stateside stalwarts fire back strong as well. Perhaps Return of the King might’ve been a more fitting name!

Listen to King’s Disease II here

Pop Culture Radio by Bloxx

And finally on the EPs front, Uxbridge outfit Bloxx released a new 4-track project this week, their first new music since last year’s impressive full-length debut, Lie Out Loud. Packed with killer hooks, glistening guitar riffs and a shimmering pop sheen, these are some of Bloxx’s best tracks-to-date, headlined by the mightily infectious title track and the anthemic Emily.

Listen to Pop Culture Radio here

Tracks of the Week

Take My Breath (Extended Version) by The Weeknd

I must admit when I first heard The Weeknd’s latest single on Friday, marking the start of the new post-After Hours era, I was left underwhelmed. The 2-minute teaser that had proceeded the single had a notably more electronic vibe to it, whereas the single that eventually arrived just felt like more of the same. However now released as an extended cut with the runtime increased from 3.5 minutes to nearly 6, the full glorious picture has been revealed with Abel jumping effortlessly between the pulsating electronica that had been teased, as well as disco and radio-friendly pop.

Listen to Take My Breath here

Parallel Kingdom by Hayden Thorpe

A track that I inexplicably missed out from last week’s roundup, Ex-Wild Beasts frontman Hayden Thorpe has delivered another a new single and the latest taste of his forthcoming second solo album, Moondust for My Diamond. Synth-driven and carried by Hayden’s signature charming falsetto, it makes for a wonderfully mystical listen.

Listen to Parallel Kingdom here

Nothing Else Matters by Phoebe Bridgers

And finally, as part of Metallica’s ongoing Blacklist project it is the turn of Miss Phoebe Bridgers at tackling the classic Nothing Else Matters. Completely different to Miley’s extravagant take, Phoebe describes her version as “baroque”, as her unique cover version elegantly waltzes along off the back of the piano-driven melody, the string-tinged instrumentation, and her own soft, silky vocals.

Listen to Phoebe’s Nothing Else Matters here