#Tatianna Stern

[gncbangsoc]

Dr. Tati!! [any/all pronouns]

It was their birthday yesterday so I’m not too late!

[lookingforhappy]

TUA Birth Mothers

in order of appearance:

00.07 - Viktor's mother

Name: Tatianna (Source: spoken in s1ep1)

Age in 1989: Teenager (Source: actress, Anna Nadtotchii, credited as 'teenage girl')

Place of Residence: Moscow, Russia (Source: St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow can be seen in prologue of s1ep1)

Occupation: Olympic Synchronised Swimmer (Source: Newspaper clipping in s3ep4)

Step-Parent of Child: Has a boyfriend at time of birth (Source: man seen in s1ep1 later confirmed to be boyfriend in newspaper in s3ep4)

Known Family Members: Tatianna appears to be living with her:

grandparents (Source: standing behind her when Reginald arrives s1ep1),

her mother (Source: in the bed behind her when Reginald arrives s1ep1),

her father (Source: behind Reginald when he enters s1ep1),

at least one brother (Source: in the doorway when Reginald enters s1ep1, Tatianna is referred to as 'beloved sister' in the newspaper in s3ep4),

and a male figure who is either her boyfriend or a second brother (Source: behind her when Reginald arrives s1ep1)

Pictures for reference:

Misc: An interesting observation I made was how the grandparents seem more supportive of Tatianna than the parents or sibling(s). The father seems to know Reginald/expected his arrival (considering the stern, unsurprised look compared to Tatianna's surprised one), implying that the adoption of Viktor was mostly organised by Tatianna's father.

00.0/ - Lila's Mother

Name: Anita Gill (Source: Lila confirms her mother's name in s2ep10)

Age in 1989: Unknown, presumably young adult/adult

Place of Residence: Whitechapel, East London, UK (Source: Lila and Reginald have a conversation in s3ep8 that confirms Lila was from Whitechapel)

Occupation: Flower Merchants (Source: Five described both Anita and her husband as 'flower merchants' in s2ep10)

Step-Parent of Child: Anita is married to a man named Ronnie Gill (Source: Lila confirms her father's name in s2ep10, Ronnie's actor, Geet Arora, is listed as 'husband' on imdb)

Known Family Members: Anita, Lila and Ronnie are the only known family members, although The Handler (last name Pitts) may be considered as family under some circumstances.

Misc: A fun insight into Lila's childhood comes in s3ep8 where she and Reginald both know (presumably one of these is a pub and the other is a Fish & Chip shop) The Cat and Custard and The Fox and Hound. This may have been a joke as The Fox and Hound is a very typical British pub name, but if not this implies that Lila's family visited these shops when she was a child.

00.06 - Ben's mother

Name: Unknown

Age in 1989: Teenager (Source: actress, Mercy Kim, credited as 'teenage girl', is seen wearing a school uniform in s3ep1)

Place of Residence: Seoul, South Korea (Source: written onscreen in s3ep1)

Occupation: Still in education (Source: seen wearing a school uniform in s3ep1)

Step-Parent of Child: Has a boyfriend at time of birth (Source: seen kissing another teenager on the subway in s3ep1)

Known Family Members: Bens mother seems to be living with her:

mother and father,

sister,

and grandmother (Source: standing behind her in s3ep1)

Picture for reference:

Misc: Interestingly, Ben's mother, grandmother and great-grandmother (although colloquially the 'great' is omitted) appear very distressed at Reginald's presence. The great-grandmother threatens him, the grandmother nods in agreement and the mother looks to her grandmother for help. The sister appears to be upset and in distress, while the father, similar to Tatianna's situation, appears to have expected Reginald and seems interested in what he has to say. However, he is clearly not the authority figure here as evidenced when the great-grandmother starts waving around a giant knife.

00.01 - Luther's mother

Name: Monica (Source: actress, Gracie Callahan, credited as 'Monica (Luther's Mom)' on imdb)

Age in 1989: Unknown, possibly 28-29 (Source: actress was 28-29 at time of s3 release)

Place of Residence: Unknown

Occupation: Works for a company called "B.V." (Source: seen behind her in s3ep4, newspaper states in s3ep2 that she collapsed in the middle of a 'company presentation' insinuating that she works as a company rep, is in a management position or works in sales.)

Step-Parent of Child: Unknown

Known Family Members: Unknown

Misc: Trying to read the name of the company she works for is really difficult but it looks vaguely like 'BAWAY VsmthsmthTRIER' with something over the top of the first A. My sibling suggested that it's not an A at all, but actually a Lambda, "λ".

00.02 - Diego's mother

Name: Elena (Source: written in the newspaper clipping in s3ep4, actress, Chantal Cabrera, credited as 'Elena (Diego's Mom)' on imdb)

Age in 1989: Mid Thirties (Source: written in the newspaper clipping in s3ep4)

Place of Residence: A "small town", Northern Mexico (Source: written in the newspaper clipping in s3ep4)

Occupation: Described as "usually spent her days cooking or baking", presumably a housewife (Source: written in the newspaper clipping in s3ep4)

Step-Parent of Child: Elena's Husband (Source: newspaper clipping in s3ep4 has statements from her husband)

Known Family Members: Unnamed Husband

Misc: The picture used in the newspaper has her posing for what looks like a graduation photo, although it's not clear what level of education this is for, considering that she's in her mid thirties it's more likely to be a college/university photo than a high school photo, implying that she may have been a mature student in college. She is also described as a "beloved woman" whose death "rocks the local community" suggesting that she was well liked and sociable within in her town.

00.03 - Allison's mother

Name: Victoria (Source: actress, Jacintha Braithwaite, listed as 'Victoria (Allison's mom)' on imdb)

Age in 1989: Unknown, presumably young adult/adult

Place of Residence: Unknown, a country where the primary written language is English (Possibly: USA, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.)

Occupation: School Teacher, specifically a Geography Teacher (Source: in s3ep4 she is shown in front of a world map and a blackboard explaining the Earth's structure, the newspaper clippings in s3ep4 talk about health in schools etc)

Step-Parent of Child: Unknown

Known Family Members: Unknown

Misc: Reading the newspaper clippings suggests that her death in the s3 timeline led to hysteria, people pulling their kids out of school, lots of blaming the food for her death and it seems as though her family was denied access to her body.

00.04 - Klaus' mother

Name: Rachel Herschberger (Source: Klaus reveals he knows his mother's name in s3ep2)

Age in 1989: Unknown

Place of Residence: 89 Old Holland Road, Pennsylvania, USA (Source: shown on Reginald's receipt in s3ep2)

Occupation: Amish, Milkmaid/Farmhand (Source: in s3ep4 she is seen in a barn carrying empty milk bottles)

Step-Parent of Child: Unknown

Known Family Members: She has a sister named Sarah-Beth and a brother in law (Source: Sarah-Beth reveals that Rachel was her sister in s3ep2, the man that scares Klaus away is listed as 'Amish husband' on imdb)

Misc: She's very affectionate and loving with Klaus which suggests that either she didn't give him up willingly (living in the Amish community and having a baby so suddenly and presumably without being married at the time doesn't make for a great combination), or that she believed he would have a better life with Reginald. We also know that she sold Klaus for 3K and that he was 9 pounds as a newborn (the average weight is 7 pounds, making Klaus a larger than average baby).

00.05 - Five's mother

Name: Efa, pronounced Eh-va (Source: written in the newspaper clippings in s3ep4, possibly a nickname as the newspaper describes her as 'Efa, as she was known to friends and family', actress, Kayla Jo Farris, is listed as 'Efa (Five's Mom)' on imdb)

Age in 1989: Unknown, presumably young adult/adult

Place of Residence: a "small, seaside community" (Source: written in the newspaper clippings in s3ep4)

Occupation: Butcher (Source: seen at work in s3ep4, written in newspaper clippings in s3ep4)

Step-Parent of Child: Unknown

Known Family Members: Unknown

Misc: possibly Welsh as her name is overwhelmingly reported as having welsh origins (Source: bounty.com, sheknows.com, welshgirlsnames.co.uk, charlies-names.com, babynames.co.uk, babycenter.com, etc etc)

[apprenticemiyara]

The apprentice tea party

I got too ambitious with this because there are so many amazing apprentices that I want to include. If I missed out yours, it’s not because I don’t like your mc. I just ran out of space/time/energy 😭.

Anyways, thanks @rachel_doodles_ and @sadbeansoup for hosting this meaningful event, I really enjoy looking up all of the mcs and learn a bit about them💕.

The mcs included are:

(Right to left, bot to top)

Absinthe belongs to @absinthe.grimmur (IG). She looks cold and scary at the first sight, but the more I know her, the more I find how sweet and gentle she is!

Alexandrite belongs to @daffnie_draws (IG). She so cute and sweet that anyone who sees her would want to protect her!

Cecilia belongs to @noble.mink (IG). She looks like an energetic and lively character, and her comics are so cute I can’t wait to read more about it!

Dominique belongs to @lucinaryy_ (IG). She’s a mix of dragon and angel, a perfect mix of power and beauty! She stands out in the crowd, and you just can’t unseen her!

Perse belongs to @blubcake_25 (IG). She looks cute and sweet, but if you cross her, she’ll unleash hell on you, and we just love a tiny volcano.

Nirah belongs to @crymaticartwork (IG). She’s a beautiful and mysterious lady who can go feral if needed, and her comics are soooo appealing I wish we’ll get to learn more about her!

Valarie belongs to @aaliyah-draws. She’s one of the first mc I stumble to when I first enter the fandom. Valarie is cute and smart, but sometimes a little clumsy. All these traits made her seem more real and so relatable!

Faye belongs to @aloneylimes_ (IG). She has such interesting character design that I wish we could get to know more about her!

Emzy  belongs to @sallysoulx (IG). Her design is unique and beautiful, almost like an adventurer! She also has some mischievous sides that makes her oh so adorable.

Polly belongs to @galacticbill (IG). She seems cold and stern, but shes in fact a shy and sweet bean that I feel is very underappreciated.

Lisa belongs to @ lisaladvi (IG). Shes such a tiger and godmother, but under that fierce eyes, she’s very compassionate and wants to protect everyone she can. How can we not love a hero like that!

Izem belongs to @vkusnodonis. She has a unisex type of beauty, and the more I get to know her, the more I fall in love with her nature! She’s very dynamic. Quiet but passionate; peaceful but would stand her ground so firmly; rational yet very easily embarassed.... all of these makes her so lovable!

Nell belongs to @greyhands​. I think she might be the first mc I saw, I’m not exactly sure, but the moment I saw her, I fall in love with her! The details, the designs. The aesthetic looks like she’s straight from the game! And I just LOVE how soft and yet determined she looks! I can totally imagine her arguing with Asra while Asra coward into the corner lol.

Julith belongs to @jyuukichannart. She’s lively and passionate about life, an attitude that I wish I can have no matter under what circumstance. I think this may be why people love her so much too.

Eris belongs to @ savenkey (IG). She’s also one of the first mc I got to know in this fandom. She looks very demanding and high maintenance, but under that skin she’s very caring and understanding.The way she interacts with Lucio melts my heart everytime 🥰

RD belongs to @wolfbatspace. They are like this cute friend everyone enjoys teasing, but if someone actually hurt him, they’ll fight an army to protect their little bean RD.

Lazarus belongs to @soleiluos (IG). He’s cute and sweet, but kind of chaotic sometimes. I wish we’ll get to see more of him and Portia’s interaction in the future.

Caragh belongs to @guhzoontight​. I’ve wanted to draw her for a while, and I finally did! she seems full of attitude and her comic is always so fun to read.

Prim belongs to @hoopsies​. She seems cool and almost too rational most of the time, but sometimes showing a bit of her soft side. It’s no wonder people are so drawn into her! She’s full of wonder and we all want to learn more about her!

Isha belongs to @bastart13​. Isha gave me the feeling of a pacific that I think even when Lucio accidentally knock over them, they would just stare angrily, maybe a line of warning, and that’s all.

Nikki belongs to @ninniworld1988 (IG). She’s very sweet and considering, and will always give you the support you need! We just love a positive character like her!

Eize belongs to @eiizera​ (IG). She is strong and very reliable, totally someone I’d wish to befriend with in real life!

Clara belongs to @dreamer-rena-artz​. She’s beautiful and sassy. Very sassy LOL, and I think that’s what’s cute about her! That’s why her love is so precious! And if you are so lucky to have her love, you better cherish it!!!

Maya belongs to @blue.loves00 (IG). She’s a cute mc who seems a little shy. Every one of her CG is so beautiful and warm, and I’m always happy when they make a new post about Maya.

Onoraa belongs to @maffidraws​. At first glance she looks cute and harmless, but I think she’s secretly VERY sassy. Her meme comics always make me burst out laughing.

Arkius belongs to @chocogummiesx​. He is hot. period..... no I’m joking 😂!! He seems cool and kind of rebellious, and that’s one of my favorite combo for character designs! The CGs they made? omg it’s one artist we need to appreciate!!

Tatianna belongs to @wackycherry​. She’s one hot pirate queen who has strong attitude and you don’t want to cross! But under that fierce look, she’s very caring and protective to those she cares.

Sil belongs to @silvester69sil (IG). He is an adorable boy who loves smooching (I think). I wish his artist parent would draw them more, so we get to know this cutie more!

Reina belongs to @rachel_doodles_ (IG). She’s so confident and energetic that I just love her vibe!

Delilya belongs to @the_citrouille (IG). She’s so gentle and elegant, like a big sister we can rely on!

Venefica belongs to @sadbeansoup (IG). She looks like an experience warrior that I wish we’d see more of her story!

Prentiss belongs to @arcanaprentiss​. One of the first mcs I found too! Her story is a little sad, and when I found Prentiss, I just finished Julian’s reverse end, so it kind of cured my soul a little bit.

Leonor belongs to @starry-arcana​. SHE. IS. ADORABLE! But she doesn’t need anyone to protect her! If you think she’s an easy target? Good luck lol.

Phoenix belongs to @joandarkart​. I love how he is so colourful and lively. He gets hotheaded very easily, with Julian by his side, they are a pair of loose canon (omg). Just imagine the troubles they could get into makes me wanna laugh.

Julianne belongs to @timmys-and-scribbles​. Also one of the first mcs I found!! Her little moments with Julian are so cute that I just slowly fall in love with her! And though she looks calm and peaceful, she gets fluster so easily and that’s super adorable.

Kiki belongs to @frozen_mocha_latte (IG). She’s very chill and chill and supportive, though sometimes she can get hotheaded! She likes to tease Julian so much and it’s super satisfying to see him blush😩👌

[crazybagelbitch]

Chimney rescues a puppy from a devastating apartment building fire 🥺 he brings it home to his pregnant wife and toddler just for the NIGHT because no puppies in this house, just him. But oh puppy fits right in 🥺

“Just for the night,” he grumbles to her over the phone, knowing that he needs to make that clear BEFORE he comes home. And maybe he’s a little cranky because the only reason this (admittedly cute) puppy is in his car is because he couldn’t save her owner in time.

“Okaaaaaaaay, just for the night,” Maddie agrees, but he can hear the hope in her voice and jesus, this is going to be a long night.

But all he says is an “okay, goodbye” because he’s still paranoid about being on the phone while driving because he was trying to call Tatianna when he was in the car accident that impaled and nearly killed him. He stops at the first pet store he spots and buys a leash, and then he’s home.

He knocks and when he hears the squealing before his wife even opens the door, he knows he’s royally fucked.

“Just for one night, remem--”

“She is so cute!” she coos, bending forward as much as she can with her heavily pregnant belly in the way to pick up the puppy, giving it a kiss on the forehead before looking at the name tag, “look, Howie, her name is Maggie!”

“I know, I saw,” he huffs, trying to remain stern and unbending to his wife’s excitement but even he has to admit that the sight before him is adorable.

“Doggie!” the excited voice of three year old shrieks, running as quickly as she can forward, “mommy, daddy, doggie!”

“Just for one night, Ruth,” he reminds her, but she’s clearly not listening to him.

“Be gentle, okay, Ruthie?” Maddie hums, placing Maggie down in front of her.

Chimney never should have agreed to this; he knew his girls would get attached. It’s just that Hen was unsure of how her dog (rescued from similar circumstances) would handle a puppy, Buck’s landlord doesn’t allow pets even temporarily, Eddie had already raced down to Christopher, and Bobby didn’t want to piss off Athena. And he couldn’t just drop the cute little puppy off at a shelter that night, after the poor thing had been so scared by the fire, right?

But still, he brought this upon himself.

“Doggie!” Ruth laughs, patting it with exaggerated gentleness, “daddy, look at doggie!”

“I know, Ruth, I brought her home,” he says with a hint of a smile as much as he tries to keep it from showing on his face, “but she’s not ours, okay? Just staying with us until tomorrow.”

“I want doggie!”

“I know but--”

“I want doggie, too,” Maddie says with a pout.

“Madeline.”

“What? Did you expect me not to get attached?” she asks, crossing her arms around her chest, “and besides, between me, Ruth, and the little girl growing in my stomach, you’re already outnumbered by estrogen. What’s one more? And besides, I’ve wanted to get a dog forever.”

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed between all your begging for one.”

“Howie, please? Puppies are good stress relievers and I’m very pregnant and crankier than usual.”

“That’s not fair.”

“It’s truuuuuuuuuuuuueeee.”

“We hardly have room for the three of us, and there’s another one on the way. We don’t have room for a dog,” he tries, but he knows it’s no use by the way Maddie is shaking her head.

“We can make it work and besides, we’re looking for a bigger place anyway.”

“I don’t really have much of a choice in this, do I?”

“Nope,” Maddie grins, “lost your right to choice in the dog matter when you brought a puppy home.”

“Doggie ours?” Ruth squeals.

“Yes, sweetheart, doggie is ours,” Maddie nods.

Yeah, he has a dog now. He should have known better.

[ainarosewood]

Loyalty

@gatheredfates​

Alane looked on worried as the relentless wall of Light marched upon the Fae Kingdom.   From his vantage at the top of the Palace it was plain to see. Blinding in its intensity it was uncertain what became of the land and beings caught in its ceasless march.  Before it fled all, even the Pixies ever known for their love of games were forgoing such to escape the certain death of that wall.

Swiftly he turned and made his way to the throne room.  Tatianna their king sat upon the throne.  Their features troubled as they listened to the Fauth before them.  From the corner of their eye they noted him and gave a slight indication that his prescense was known.

The Fauth looked upon him and croaked in annoyance but realizing he wasn’t interrupting. 

“So you see your majesty, our beautiful lake has been swallowed whole by that gleaming wave.  And all of the flower fields of the Echevore and Witchweed are also gone.  My leige we must do something!”

Tatianna looked the Fauth square in their eyes a stern look in their own. “I am well aware of that Lord Anec, do you perchance have a solution?”

Years of service in the court kept Alane from allowing his amusement to show as the King then turned to him, “What news have you, my knight?”

Alane knelt before the Pixie bowing his head. “I have seen, what Lord Anec speaks of my King, a luminous wave crashing across our lands with no cessation.” he responded

Frustration flickered deep in the Kings eye as they also asked, “And have you a solution?”

Alane closed his pale green eyes and set his jaw with determination as he stated, “I do my King, lead our people away, everyone from the Lords and Ladies of the court to the animals that dwell within our lands.  Lead them to a new home.  I will remain behind and ward the way till all have escaped.”

Pain filled the Pixie’s fair features and they closed their eyes.  Tatianna knew he was right.  The only way the Fae stood a chance of escaping this wave, this wash of Light was to flee and someone ward the way.

Tatianna rose from their throne contacting all of the Fae in the realm, “My subjects, this day we leave our home to search anew.  We cannot defeat the wave that seeks to destroy us so we will run as far as we can.”  

The Pixie then gave him a warm smile adding, “And let it be known to all that our retreat will be safeguarded by Alane Eru, he shall ward against the coming wave and by us the chance to escape.  Let all remember him for his loyalty to our realm.”

He bowed to the Pixie at first not trusting his voice after a moment to recover he stated, “I shall not fail, My King.”

Tatianna fluttered down to him drawing him into a hug stating, “I know, you have ever been one I have trusted.  Thank you for this.”

He bowed once more then turned on heel making his way out of the palace.  One of the amaro landed stating, “The King had bade me to take you as close as we dare for you to set the wards Knight.”

He swung astride drawing his cane, “Then do so my friend then join the others.  This day the will be the last that a Fae falls to this blight, on my word.”

It didn’t take long for the amaro to bear him to where they both deemed close enough.  Once he dismounted the beast looked him in the eyes stating, “Your wrong my friend, for you too are Fae.  However know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and we amaro will sing of your deeds till we no longer have voices.”

With that he took off flying high and fast to rejoin the flock that was fleeing with the rest of the Fae peoples.

Alane then strode forward calling upon all of his power and setting the wards.  Runes glowed in the air before him and a shimmering wall of pale blue and green rose before him he stood channeling all of his strength into the Ward. 

His people were counting on him and he refused to fail them.  He held as long as he could when the final ward failed and the wave washed forth he braced for death.  His last sight was of a bright blue light and he felt as if his body and mind were separate then darkness took him.

[kumkaniudaku]

Stop and Frisk

Inspired by a pic by @brianabreeze. This is throwback CoCo and Chad. 

Warnings: Angst. Mentions of police misconduct. 

Word Count: 2,014

“I told Hakeem had a crush on you, CoCo.”

“You said he had a crush! A crush is a shy wave and some googly eyes. A crush isn’t stealing your grandmother’s ring and proposing to a woman twice your age!”

“Love knows no bounds or age,” Chadwick laughed, fueled by your irritated eye roll and attempt to walk ahead of him.

“You probably encouraged him, jackass.”

“That’s what you get for thinking because, I didn’t. As a matter of fact, I tried telling him that you were already married to me but, he was ready to fight for your love.”

“Are you serious,” You asked. Chadwick took a break from smiling to look you in the eye. You continued to stare him down, hoping for him to crack and laugh but, he didn’t budge. He was telling the truth. “Oh my God. I’m never coming back to your job again. I’ll just sit outside and wait.”

“Nah, you can’t do that. I need you in two weeks to help create set pieces with the girls. They love you.” He put his backpack over his head and bent his wrist, “Mr. Chad, when is Ms. Tasha coming back? Why can’t she come everyday? Wah wah wah.”

His imitation of the preteen girls in his classes at the Schomburg Center made you laugh though you tried to suppress the small giggle. Your giggle morphed into full on laughter as Chadwick continued to stand with his his hand on his hip and bounced his leg in faux annoyance.

“Okay, you can stop now, Tatianna. You act just like her!”

“Whatever,” he laughed, slinging his backpack back over the sleeves of his leather jacket. “If you had to deal with them fresh outta school, you’d pick up some of their bad ass tendencies too. Work is over though. You hungry?”

“If you’re asking if I’ll cook, the ans-”

“Are you hungry,” he repeated in a more stern tone. Your heart leapt into your throat for reasons unknown.

“Y-yeah...I guess. What’d you, uh, what’d you have in-in mind?”

Your flustered sputtering wasn’t lost on him as he regarded you with a wide smile and a head nod toward the sidewalk in front of him. “There’s spot a few blocks up with some good soul food. That cool with you?” You nodded your compliance, widening the smile on his gorgeous face. “Cat got your tongue, Mrs. Simmons?”

“Oh, shut up!”

His teasing never let up along the trip to his suggested eating option. The warmth of summer was but a distant memory in the chill of early fall causing you to walk closer to Chadwick to share his body heat. He took the interaction further, draping his arm around your shoulder to pull you into his side. Laughter and the banter between old friends intertwined in the Harlem sunset adding a picture perfect backdrop to the weekend on the horizon.

As you and Chadwick approached the crosswalk at the end of the block, he was the first to spot the two white cops posted in their parked squad car. Chadwick gave the officers a curt nod while switching your position from the outside to inside of the sidewalk. His chest tightened with an eerie and unsettling feeling he couldn’t identify.

“Hey, stay close okay,” He whispered to you when he was past the car. The question knocking behind your lips never made it into the atmosphere when you looked up at him. His eyes said enough.

As if staged by a Hollywood director, the doors of the cruiser opened and shut, introducing the officers to the outside air.

“Hey you! Leather jacket,” Chadwick took a heavy breath and stopped, keeping his back turned and you close to his side. “You hear me talking to you?”

“Yeah...yeah, I do. My bad. We were just talking about getting some food and missed what you said the first time.”

“Turn around, boy.”

Chadwick’s fist clenched against your shoulder in reaction to the cop’s belittling tone. After another deep breath to compose himself, he turned slowly to face the two obstacles to a safe trip home.

“You a student? Where’s your ID,” the taller of the duo asked. His ocean blue eyes seemed to glimmer with happiness as he approached Chadwick.

“Nah, not a student. I work near the YMCA a clock or two up the way.”

“Then what’s in the bag,” The second officer, an average sized white man with dark eyes, barked. “What do you need a bookbag for if you’re not a student.”

“Is he supposed to carry all of his things in his hands like some type of nomad?” Your mouth and tendency to speak with no filter rattled off the question without a second thought. Chadwick took a look back at you with pleading eyes.

“Tasha, please. I got it.”

“Give it to me.” The first officer held out his hand for the bag as he tapped his foot impatiently.

“With all due respect, officer, I didn't do anything wrong. What do you-”

“Give him the bag!”

Chadwick had no time to respond before his face was pressed into the cool brick of a nearby building. His backpack was roughly pulled away from his body and tossed to the side, making it easy for the second officer to force his arms behind his back.

“No! You can’t do that! He didn’t do anything!” Your shrieks nearly made your voice hoarse as you watched the scene unfold. “Let him go!”

“I’m alright, CoCo. Just go to my apartment. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“I’m not leaving you!”

While one officer forced his hands in and out of Chadwick’s pockets in an unnecessary frisk, the other rifled through his backpack in search of contraband that didn’t exist. Chadwick made no attempt to resist, even through the forearm pressed against his neck and the verbal abuse directed toward him. He desperately wanted to wanted to end the public humiliation and go home. He needed to lock himself away from the cruelty of the outside world and scream at the ceiling to release the anger boiling in the pit of his belly. He needed to stop your pained cries and calm the fear clouding your mind. He needed to get through this alive.

“Stop throwing his stuff on the ground! He doesn’t have anything!”

“Do you want to go to jail the afternoon, Miss?” The second officer watched with a smug smile as you took a step back from him. “That’s what I thought. Shut the hell up.”

“C’mon, man, don’t talk to her like that.”

“You shut your ass up, too. What the hell is a kid from South Carolina doing in Harlem? You selling drugs around here?”

“What? No! I work down the street. I just told you that. I’m a teacher!”

“Teacher my ass. How the fuck does a teacher afford leather jackets and shit.”

“What kind of question is that?”

The officer grunted in response to Chadwick’s rebuttal before directing his attention to his partner. “You find anything, Dobbs?”

“Nothing,” He answered, tossing the empty backpack to the dirty ground with contempt. “He’s good.”

“Officer Dobbs? Is that your name,” You questioned as they pushed Chadwick out of their grip and retreated to their police cruiser. “You can’t just stop people because they dare to be black on the streets! All of these people saw you,” you motioned toward the small crowd gathered near the incident.

Chadwick paid no mind to your speech as he gathered his things and stuffed them into his backpack. Nothing you said, no matter how profound and true it was, would change the men responsible for souring the evening. They were following the orders of someone else that would never hear your passionate presentation.

“Aaron,” your legs carried you as fast they could cover the short distance between you and your friend. You crouched beside him, wrapping your arms around his tense frame. “Are you okay? Let me look at you.”

You frantically searched for any physical signs of pain and injury, completely bypassing the distant look in his eyes. He allowed you pacify your need to evaluate his well being for until you were satisfied with your findings.

“I’m fine, Tasha.”

“Are you sure? We can go to police station right now an-”

“Tasha,” he repeated, stopping your rant. “I just wanna go home.”

_________

Thick silence hung over Chadwick’s apartment long after he ushered you inside and locked the door. His portion of the Chinese takeout delivered hours ago remained untouched on the worn coffee table as he stared at the wall in front of him. You chose to move about his dwelling in relative silence, cleaning what you saw fit to keep your mind busy.

“You want me to put that away,” you asked, pointing at the container of food sitting in front of him.

“Yeah. Thank you.”

You took a moment to look at him, hoping that he would focus on you. He didn’t. He continued to look past your body to stare at a spot on the wall and make sense of his thoughts.

What did he do to deserve that type of harassment? Could he have stopped it? Was it his clothes or the way he walked? Why was his skin tone so intimidating to people who did not and would never get the chance to know him? What would have happened if he was alone? Would he have seen his family again? The kids at the center? His coworkers?

You?

The futon dented in the space beside him as you took a seat. For the first time since the incident, he turned his head to look at you.

“I appreciate you for...sticking around. I promise we’ll go out tomorrow. All day if you want.”

“Don’t worry about that. We can sit in here all weekend, I don’t care.”

He nodded, “Sorry you had to see that.”

“This isn’t about me. How do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” he spoke up. His voice was barely above a whisper as he returned his attention to the wall. “I’m mad. I’m confused and hurt. I’m scared.”

“It’s okay to feel all of those things. They shouldn’t have done that to you.” You felt the rough pads of his fingers grip your knee and release in time with his deep breath. “Are you sleeping in here tonight?”

He nodded again, having no desire to force out words. Without speaking, you disappeared into his bedroom for a minute to gather items. A large comforter hung across your shoulder to accompany the two pillows tucked underneath your arm. When you returned to the couch, you spread the blanket across your body on one end before doing the same for him.

“What are you doing,” he asked, catching the pillow you tossed in his direction.

“If you’re sleeping out here then, me too. We’re supposed to spend the weekend together. I told you earlier that I wasn't leaving you. I meant it. Good night.”

He stared at you with a hint of a smile as you shifted on the small sitting area to get comfortable. He did the same, placing his legs and feet in the space behind you. Silence returned to the room to serve as the backdrop for your slumber. He watched your chest rise and fall with each breath under the light of the single lap in the room for longer than he should have until sleep pulled his eyelids together.

His entire life, Chadwick assumed that the man was responsible for making the woman in his care feel safe. His father did it for his mother, his brothers did it for the women in their lives and, since he met you, he made sure that your were protected even when you protested. But with you nearby, peacefully resting on the other end of the couch, that tables turned.

He was secure. He was safe.

Reaching over to the floor lamp beside him, he gripped the cord to pull the plug from the socket. He took one last look at your sleeping face and smiled.

“Good night, CoCo.”

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[episodes-ff]

31. The Good Fight

Tatianna

Watching Anthony put Tyson in his car seat, I stomped impatiently at his slow pace earning a stern glance in my direction. “Keep it up, Tatianna. Imma tear that ass up.” “Is that a promise?” I smiled biting my lip as he started the car. “You ready, Ty?” Clapping his hands and cooing, I laughed and played with his feet as Anthony pulled off to the doctor’s office.

“Are you doing okay today, Miss Tati?” “Yea. I was a little sick waking up though. I think she doesn’t like bananas anymore.” Rubbing my tummy. “Awww well that’s normal, sweetie. Your diet will change a lot more than it did last time. It’s just gonna take some adjusting, but let’s see what baby is up to.” Sliding on the gel, I bit my lip and watched her place the monitor on as Anthony bounced Tyson in his lap. “Ok so here’s the baby right here. They’re definitely in an active mood today; do you see all that movement?” Giggling, I nodded and smiled at Anthony. “Ok, and here is the heartbeat!! So strong!” “When we gone get to the gender already?” “Baby, quit being so rude!” “I’m sorry but I’m just so hype.” “Well hype no further because there’s the baby.” Pointing at the screen, I smiled and cooed as the tiny figure moved around on the monitor and inside me, both causing my heart to melt. “The baby’s smiling, awwww…” “It’s so precious!” Tearing up as Anthony rubbed my scalp. “Ok, I’m looking in between the legs right here and it looks like you two are having a beautiful little girl. Congratulations.” Squealing, I cried and smiled watching her move freely. “That’s our little girl, babe. Our girl.

Summer

Finishing with the rest of the dinner, I heard Trey coming down the stairs and smiled as he placed his arms around my waist and kissed my neck. "Hey, baby. What you cooking?” “Just some soul food. I’ve been craving some Mac and cheese lately so I figured I’d make that and some other stuff.” “I didn’t miss an anniversary or nothing, did I?” Giggling, I rubbed his hand. “No, baby. Nothing like that.” “Ok good. Let’s eat.” He cheesed smacking my ass and sitting down as I started on the plates.

Finishing dinner, he groaned satisfactorily and rubbed his beard as I set our plates in the sink to soak. Heading upstairs, I followed him and sat on the edge of the bed while he reclined and caught up on the game highlights. “Baby, can I ask you something?” “Anything.” Fidgeting with my fingers as I faced away from him, I swallowed the lump in my throat. “What do you think about kids?” “You mean like having a kid?” “Yea.” “I feel like kids are beautiful creations and later down the line when we get to that stage in our lives, we’ll be happy.” “What do you mean when you say later down the line?” “Like when we 25 or some shit, cause I know we ain’t ready for that type of change right now. We too young for a baby.” “Nae did it.” “True, but my sister is more mature than me when it comes to that stuff there. No lie, if you told me you was pregnant right now, my first thought would of probably been to get rid of it.”

Listening as a tear fell down my cheek, I quickly wiped it before he could notice and got up to head to the shower. “Where you going?” “Take a shower. I have a big psych exam coming up so I’m gonna see if Nae will help me study for it.” “Oh ok. Night baby. I love you.” “Love you too.” Locking the bathroom door, I turned on the shower quickly as I silently wretched over the toilet and threw up. Cleaning myself up, I stepped under the hot water and let it consume me as I thought about my next steps. He doesn’t want kids right now but it’s a little fucking late for that! What the fuck am I gonna do?! I think what hurts the most is him telling me how he would want to get rid of it. Get rid of our child?!

Feeling dizzy, I sat on the little bench in the corner and just cried quietly until I couldn’t anymore. I don’t know what I’m gonna do but I definitely need to see Janae.

Tamia

“Oh so that’s what you thought about me when we first met?” “Only a little bit, baby. You gotta admit though, yo ass is spoiled.” “Only in a good way.” I pouted cutely as I rubbed his arm. Continuing our walk down the square, I laughed and smiled at his comments as I admired his looks. I guess you could say Javi and I are dating. Over the course of this year, our friendship has blossomed into something more and I’m really enjoying this sense of happiness that he brings me. He’s so positive and charming, and I feel so lucky to call him mine. “I see the way you eyeing me, girl. You must want this pipe down?” He smirked. Did I mention how blunt and sexual he is?

Laughing at each other and forgetting about the world, I was joking around with him when I accidentally bumped into someone’s chest hard causing me to stumble and fall. Feeling whoever it was catch me, I immediately went to apologize. “Oh my god, I’m sooo so- You have got to be fucking kidding me!” “Tamia?” He said in shock as I shook his hands off of me and fixed my outfit. “H-How have you been?” “I’ve been great. And you?” “I’ve been good uh-” “Marquez!”

Looking up, I saw a woman and a little boy staring up at him. “Ohhh, I see you are.” “Yea. That’s the wife.” Hearing him say wife cut deep as hell but I’m not even surprised. “Congrats!” I uttered sarcastically as she approached with their son. “Hey, baby, who is this?” “Mo, this is Tamia.” “Hi.” She crooned in a fake ass happy tone. Nodding at her, I gave her an equally fake smile as the boy tugged on his pants. “Oh and this is my little champ, Cameron.” “Hi.” “Hi, sweetie.” Sitting in an awkward silence, it got even more weird once Javier walked up. “Aye, baby, you ready?” “Yea.” I smiled as he kissed my neck before I looked away from Que’s intense glare on us. Lord, why’d this have to happen tonight?

[slowlyseekingsecrets-blog]

But I Have Not Left Your Side (SL With @AWolfStHeart, @DontWantToWin, @EverSoPatiently, @iWillNotFade)

Colette: *Things were moving along as I had hoped they would. But I was almost surprised that Leah hadn’t reached out to Amiee before I had gotten to her. Leah should have known that Logan’s magic wasn’t going to be enough to pull them through the fight with the St. Pierre pack. He didn’t have the right kind of magic. They needed the witch that had just discovered her powers. She needed someone to teach her. It was the entire reason I had come up from New Orleans. Even if I hadn’t been on my way up here, the visit that was paid to my shop ensured that I needed to get out of dodge. I had recognized Aurora’s brother the moment he had stepped into the store. And the witch he was with was not someone to be tangoed with. She didn’t have the same power as I did, but I was older. I wasn’t going to be as quick on my feet as she would have been. The St. Pierre Pack was not stupid. Not by a long shot. They had found out that both Aurora and Malachi had been in and out of my shop, and threw down the ultimatum. Either I handed the two wolves over, or I couldn’t come back to New Orleans. That was the end of it. The fates had already deemed my desire to go north, but the threat just solidified it. And it was a threat that Malachi was not going to take lightly. I hadn’t been surprised that he had fallen in love with his Angel. She was his saving grace. He needed her if he was going to be able to survive this fight. It was something that had been coming since he was born. It was something Malachi knew nothing about. It was a fact that Amos St Pierre wanted to deny. I knew that coming to the treehouse meant telling him that story. It wasn’t a story I was looking forward to telling. I had no desire to put the pressure on top of his shoulders. But it was going to need to be told sooner rather than later. I could feel the nerves rolling off of the girl next to me, though. We were close to pulling up to the treehouse. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t know her role or if there was someone she wanted to protect from all of this. There was no way to be sure. Not until we were all settled into our roles. As we pulled up, I wasn’t surprised to see Leah and Logan standing out looking towards the horizon. If things had been going as I saw, Malachi and Aurora should be out talking to Tatiana and Spencer. Malachi would be getting a sister. And it would be Malachi that convinces her to fight with Leah and Logan. But their attention was pulled away from the horizon as Amiee stopped the car. I could see the confusion written on Leah’s face as her and Logan began to walk down to the car. It wasn’t going to be long before everyone was back at the house.* Leah: *I could hear the car start to pull down the driveway before I could see it. I recognized the girl behind the driver’s seat immediately, although it had been ages since she’d been up here at the same time I had been. I knew she’d stopped by to work on the wards around the Treehouse. Logan told me as much, but Amiee was a loner. I knew she was just a beginner, and I wasn’t sure how much she could do. There was a reason I hadn’t drug her into this yet. I knew she wasn’t ready, and I didn’t know how much Logan was going to be able to teach her yet. Amiee was a wild card. And the one huge thing I wasn’t ready for in this whole situation was a wild card. But here was my wildcard sitting with a stranger in a car in the driveway of the Treehouse. I shot Logan a look before we both started walking to meet them in the drive. The little old woman who got out of the passenger side was tiny, with brilliantly colored eyes. There was far more to her than met the eye. I could smell it on the breeze that blew past them both and ruffled my hair. Logan was right beside me as I froze and looked them both over* Amiee… It’s good to see you again. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. *I had no clue what to expect from either of them, but the looks on their faces told me that this visit meant business. Well at least the look on the stranger’s face did. Amiee looked just as confused as I felt.* Colette: *As I stepped out of the car, I wasn’t greeted. Amiee was. Which was a surprise. But I also knew that Leah and Logan had enough on their plate. But the truth was, they needed to understand that manners were just as important as being able to lead. Nothing was going to get accomplished if the two of them had their defenses so far up that they could only see each other. It was with a flick of my wrist that I had Logan on the ground and writhing in pain. Leah’s mouth dropped open for a fraction of a second before the growl started. My eyes narrowed into slits as I turned towards Leah.* You might want to rethink ignoring the woman that holds all the cards to this battle, Mrs. Pruit. Your defensive nature has already put questions in the head that you need most. *Letting Logan free of the pain, I started to move up the stairs of the treehouse. I didn’t like the idea of being here without Malachi and Aurora here, but the timing had been off by a few minutes. My voice was stern as I turned my head* Come on, Amiee. You have a lot to learn and a little amount of time to learn it. Amiee: *I could only give Leah a sad smile as we pulled up to the house. Worst of all was that I knew we weren’t expected. I could see the stress on Leah’s face though. And it was worse when Colette had Logan on the ground. I wanted to step in, but I couldn’t. Colette had made me promise to keep my mouth shut on the drive up. I was there to learn. Apparently this wasn’t a lesson I needed to speak for. But as Colette walked away, I turned my attention back to Leah and her husband. Shrugging my shoulders, I shook my head.* She came by the bookstore. Told me I was needed here, and that she needed to see Beezer. All I can tell you is that her name is Colette. And she’s going to teach me how to use my magic? I don’t know. She seems to think that between her and Logan the two of them can teach me. *I started spinning the piercing in my cheek with my tongue. I didn’t know what I was doing here, and it was obvious that Leah didn’t know what I was doing here, either. It seemed that the only person who knew anything was Colette.* She won’t tell me anything, Leah. She told me that she’ll talk to everyone as soon as Beezer and the Angel are home safe. That’s when she’ll stop worrying. Leah: *It was a hard fought battle to keep my mouth shut and keep the wolf inside my head in her cage. Usually she was calm and easy going, but seeing Logan doubled over on the ground in pain had been more than either of us were able to take without a rage. I still had no idea who she was, much less what she was doing here, but according to Amiee she was here for Beezer and Rora. Angel was a familiar nickname. It was what he always called his wife. I had no way of knowing if she was here for good or evil, even though she had been talking about being here to help with the battle that we knew was coming. As soon as she turned to go, I rushed to help Logan up from the ground to stand and took a few deep breaths to clear my head. I was either about to fuck this up by coming at the situation all wrong or just let go of control for a moment and see what happened. I knew I was going to need all the help I could get, and if nothing else, she was powerful. The only thing I could think to do was get Logan on his feet and follow the two of them up the stairs into the treehouse* It’s ok, Amiee. I have no idea what’s going on here, but I’m pretty sure Beezer and Rora can answer some questions when they get here. They shouldn’t be long. *It took a little longer than normal to get up into the house considering the party that was headed up there. We were lead by someone shorter than me, if that was even possible, and Logan was still catching his breath with an arm draped over my shoulder in case something else happened as we went up the stairs. Feeling helpless wasn’t something I was used to, but this entire situation had left me feeling helpless from the start. Helplessness made me want to lash out at everyone and everything. I’d lashed out at Tatianna and she’d run away. I wanted to lash out now at Colette, but that wasn’t going to solve anything. My best bet was to just press a kiss to my husband’s cheek and help him onto the couch before I turned back to the people in my living room* Well, I guess that wasn’t the best way to all meet each other. I’m Leah, but something tells me you already know that, ma’am. You’ll have to excuse me for earlier, but being defensive is a bit of an instinct. *I was still wary of the small woman, but I was going to try to at least make peace until Beezer and Rora could return* The rest of them should be back soon. I got a call from them that they were on the way here before you all arrived. Do you mind me asking what’s going on? Because I feel a little lost here. Beezer: -I wasn’t sure what I was walking in on when I came up the back steps and led my wife through the kitchen into the living room. It was full of people. Leah, Logan, Amiee who I recognized from around the place. She was one of the people who Leah picked up as a stray. She ran the bookstore and came around to do something around the place from time to time. And there was Collette… The sight of the woman who I’d last seen in a bookstore in the middle of the French Quarter in New Orleans on my wedding day had me freezing in place, glancing around the room while Rora slid into my side- Colette! -The two of us walked over to the small woman with a smile. The last memory I had of her was my wedding, and as scary as that day had been, it had also been one of the happiest days of my life. I couldn’t help but look around the startled expressions in the room as my wife rushed from my side to embrace the matronly figure that stood near the center of the room, and I wasn’t sure what I had walked into- So, maybe it’s time for introductions... unless you’ve all met. Colette is the person who sent Rora here to me, and who married us in New Orleans before we went to Wyoming. -I could feel the tension in the room melt a little once the story registered with at least Leah and Logan. Amiee was still confused. I could see it on her face, but she was starting to put the pieces together.- Rora: ^I was blindsided when Mal had said Colette. There was no way… But that’s when I saw her standing in the middle of the living room. Leah was furious for some reason, and Logan was off to the side. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the woman standing in the middle of the room. I was over to her before Mal could even think about introducing everyone. My arms were around her as I clung for dear life. I hated leaving her in New Orleans with Derrick running around. I didn’t trust him to go after her.^ Colette. You didn’t need to come! You should have stayed put! We would have come down to you! Colette: *I could only smile as my dear sweet Aurora walked up and wrapped her arms around me. I knew that I was a mother figure to both her and Malachi. And it was a role I took very seriously. Especially with Malachi. Rubbing Aurora’s back, I pulled away from the hug before pressing my hands to her cheeks* I wanted to come, Sweetheart. I needed to come check up on the two of you. *Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, I pulled away before looking at the man standing just behind her, but still guarding her.* You should know that your betrothed has joined forces with her brother. They came to the shop earlier and demanded to know information about you two. It was either hand you and your angel over or never go back to New Orleans. I’m not entire sure I want to go back, Malachi. Not when the prophecy hasn’t come true. Beezer: -When Colette used the word betrothed it set my teeth on edge. There was only one person that could refer to. Aurora and I had never been what you might call betrothed. We just were apart one day and together the next. It was natural, and nowhere near as formal as the word betrothed. The one time I’d been engaged before her had been a disaster. My father’s doing. Amos St. Pierre wanted nothing more than to ally himself with the witches of the city of New Orleans. The families there were old and powerful. He always figured that between the two sets of power there was nothing he wouldn’t be able to do. He almost succeeded in it with me. The Lemarquis family was one of the oldest and most respected witch families in the city. Their youngest daughter was considered a catch by everyone who was anyone in town. I’d never been much of anyone, despite the fact that I was the son of the Alpha of the most powerful wolf pack in the state, and the only one in the city. My older brothers were already married off, tied to daughters of neighboring Alphas to cement the ties and expand the pack’s boundaries as far as possible. There were no shortage of were families that were willing to tie themselves to the St. Pierre’s. I’d never considered my fate in that department. Walking around oblivious to the obvious seemed to be my speciality in those days. When my father showed up with news that I had a fiance, I wasn’t exactly pleasantly surprised, but I also knew it did absolutely no good to try to flout his will unless you were prepared to have yourself ripped limb from limb. One word came to my lips as I glanced over at Leah, the only other person in the room who would know what it meant- Delilah… -I saw her eyes grow wide when they met mine. She was the only other person who would remember what had happened to me when I finally left. How it had been Delilah who’d placed the curse on me that left me shaken and unable to drag my ass off Leah’s couch for days until I learned to drown it out or live with it. My father had hoped it would drive me back to them, begging for a respite, or to end it all at my own hand rather than live with voices reminding me of everything I’d never been able to do, the people I’d never been able to save. I didn’t know what had happened to her after I’d left. I didn’t want to keep track of any of them, but I supposed I was going to have to find out one way or another. I could tell by the look on everyone else’s face that they had no idea what any of this meant. My brows knitted together when I looked back to Rora- She’s the one who cursed me when I left my father’s pack. She’s powerful. I don’t know how much so really, but I do know my father will use her any way he can against us. Rora: ^I wanted to reject the idea that there was anyone before me. Realistically, I knew that was irresponsible. There was a million other girls in the world. And the fact that she was a witch didn’t surprise me. Not in the least. I wasn’t even surprised that she was the one who had cursed Mal. But that did not mean I had to just accept the fact that she was working with Derrick. I knew my brother better than almost anyone besides my father. I knew his motivations. And I knew his reactions. I was no surprised that he had gone to join up with Malachi’s father. But what did surprise me was the fact that he would have had to give up so much to be there. I wasn’t going to pretend to understand Amos St. Pierre. But I knew there was no way he was going to let another alpha into his pack. It made me question what was at play. And was Derrick just telling Amos everything he wanted to hear. I could only fall to the chair as I tried to sort out the information. I knew about Mal’s curse. But he had always claimed it was better when I was around. And since Colette had worked her magic, he hadn’t said a word about the curse at all. Turning my head towards my husband, I narrowed my eyes into a glare without hesitating.^ I refuse to accept the fact that you have a betrothed. Let’s just cut that shit from our vocabulary and our memory. Because no. Fuck that. ^Turning my attention to everyone else, I knew what we needed to do. I knew we needed to make a game plan. We had to figure out what the hell we were doing before we got too far.^ What do we do? We all know I’m useless in this fight. I don’t want to be, but it’s the reality of the situation. And even if I wasn’t pregnant, I doubt Mal would let me do anything. I know for a fact that he wouldn’t risk me. Leah:*It only took me a moment to put together what was going on, and it was the worst possible outcome of all of this. Delilah and I had history, and none of it was good. She and Mal had even more. She was the one who’d been the reason the St. Pierre pack was untouchable for so long. They were strong on their own and almost impossible to defeat with her. I could see the looks on both Beezer and Rora’s faces when they walked in the room to see Colette, the light of recognition and familiarity fading into one of minor panic and concern. I needed to figure out a way to make this right, to fix all of this. And I was a little lost about how I was going to make it better. The last time I’d tried to go up against Amos and Delilah, I almost didn’t make it out alive. Beezer was the reason I was standing here right now to be able to remember that. And now I had all these other people to protect. I knew they were willing to fight, but there were people who weren’t going to be able to do anything, Rora was most definitely not the least of those. Amiee was untrained. Spencer was a human. Tatiana was a wild card. There was far too much uncertainty here for my liking. Tatiana, Spencer and Amiee didn’t even live here in the Treehouse, and there was no way I could guarantee their safety outside of these walls. I wasn’t even sure I could guarantee it inside the walls at this rate, but it was better than nothing* So… This seems like a huge shit storm. *sliding my hands into my pockets as I looked around the room at the assembled members of my makeshift family* I don’t think any of us is ready to take this on alone. The best bet would be to keep everyone together until we know what’s going on. Which means, Tatiana…*I glanced over at Beezer, well aware that our last interaction had ended in her running far from here. I didn’t know how she was going to take the offer I was about to make, but I had to make it all the same.* I was hoping she and Spence would come join us here. I know she’s not my biggest fan. I can’t say that I blame her there. I just… think it would be safer for the two of them to not be alone out there in the woods. Malachi: -I was busy contemplating the implications of all this for us, especially for Aurora. The game was different now than it had been when we went to Wyoming. At least for me it was. She’d been aware she was pregnant, even if I hadn’t been. And having Delilah become a part of the equation here was more than I’d bargained for. Leah’s question took me a little off guard. I hadn’t been expecting it, though I had already seen the need for Spencer and Tatiana to be here with the rest of us.- Well, if you’re asking me to ask them, you’re a little damned late, Lee. I already did it in the car on the way over here. They’re back at their place mulling things over. I’m hoping they’ll be here with their stuff later on, but I’m not making any promises they’re coming. I just hope they at least use good sense. Leah: *Now that was as taken care of as we could manage, I turned to the young, blue haired girl that stood at Colette’s side* You too, Amiee. I don’t want you above the bookshop alone if someone comes looking. And if there’s anyone else you guys can think of we need to bring in here, I’m all ears. *I knew there were a few other shifters on the property that were close enough for us to keep an eye on. I didn’t know if any of the people here had any loved ones they needed to pull into the fold to keep them safe.* I mean, if Delilah or Amos hear that there is anyone they might use against you then they’re going to use them in any way possible to get to you all. Colette: *The two girls that were next to me still had no idea what to do about the impending battle. I understood it. My darling Aurora was pregnant with a baby girl. There was no way Malachi was going to let her fight. Even if they didn’t know Dinah was there. To them, it was still just a baby. But Amiee was the one that was only temporarily lost. Bringing her to the house hadn’t been about protecting her. It had been about introducing her to what she needed to be able to do her life’s work. Even if it was something she might reject down the line. But Leah was right. There was no doubt that everyone who needed to be protected needed to be here. I was here to help Aurora, but I knew Amiee’s mind was going to be elsewhere.* That sweet redheaded boy that used to stay in your apartment in New Orleans, Amiee. You need to bring him here. It will be good for both of you. Amiee: *I didn’t want to admit that Colette was right. As soon as Leah had said we needed to get people here, the only person I thought of was Josh. But I didn’t think Colette was right about the two of us needing each other. It wasn’t something we ever needed. I didn’t need him, and he surely didn’t need me. I wasn’t the kind of girl that needed people. But I couldn’t let him get pulled into this just because people wanted to hurt me. And by choosing to be here with Leah and Beezer, I was choosing a side. I felt the words tumble from my lips as everyone looked at me. I didn’t know how this was going to turn out, but by the sounds of it, things were about to get more complicated.* I have to go back to New Orleans and get Josh out of there. Leah: *I had no idea who the hell Josh was, but from the expression on Amiee’s face it was more important than I realized. But there was no way she was going to go into that city alone with the frying pan it had become for anyone associated with the Treehouse. My brain was scrambling for some other option than the one that first jumped into it. She couldn’t go alone, but we were limited about who could go with her. I couldn’t go. Beezer couldn’t set foot anywhere near the city, and it seemed Colette couldn’t either. There was no way in hell Beezer was going to allow Rora to go with his baby in her belly and even so she couldn’t set foot in the same city as her brother. We were down to three choices and I didn’t like one of them at all* She can’t go alone… But I don’t know who’s going to go with her. *glancing around at the people who surrounded me, hoping like hell they could come up with something other than what I was pretty sure was going to be inevitable* I mean… Half of us can’t go anywhere near New Orleans. I haven’t in years for damned good reason. They’d know the minute I set foot across any of the wards they have set up. I’m pretty sure none of the other shifters in the room can for pretty much the same reason. Colette clearly isn’t welcome in New Orleans now… and that leaves us with? Colette: *I could see the stress written on Leah’s face. She knew the answer she was going to get. But she was avoiding it. But in truth, it was the only answer there was. There was no way any of us were going to send the new witch into that city with a human. There were two options left, and one of them wasn’t what Leah wanted to hear. Moving across the room, I stood in front of the one that everyone looked to as a leader. I could see the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she had a man next to her that was ready to take that weight from her if she needed a break. He was going to do anything to make her life easier. It was why the two of them were a perfect match. My voice was soft as I took Leah’s hands in mine.* You know you can’t send the good Doctor with Amiee. If they run into trouble, they won’t be able to protect themselves. And Tatiana isn’t much of an option right now since she can’t shift on her own. *Releasing a gentle sigh, I pulled out the two talismen I had in my purse. If the timeline was right, Leah and Logan would have already done the binding ceremony. They’d already be connected. But this was just a little more protection. And something to ease Leah’s mind while Logan was gone.* It’ll take them a full day to get in and out. They’ll leave before sun up and be back just as the sun is setting on the horizon. Before they go, you place a strand of your hair over the heart of his doll, and he’ll do the same for yours. It’ll allow you two to communicate in case anything goes wrong. It won’t, but at least you can have some peace of mind while he’s gone. Leah: *I could feel the bit of resolve I had left melt when Colette walked over to me. I knew she was right, and I’d known what she was going to say before she opened her mouth. She just confirmed it for me. I let out a long sigh, but it was one of resignation rather than frustration* I don’t want him to go… *glancing back at my husband with as much of a smile as I could muster* But I know he has to. *my fingers had a mind of their own as they traced over the thin line in my palm where the cut that had joined the two of us had healed until it was almost invisible. No one would have known it was there if they hadn’t known what they were looking for* You’ll have to show me how it works, ma’am. *daring to look up into Colette’s eyes for the moment before I turned back to Logan and slid my hand in his* Please fucking take care of yourself. You know we literally cannot live without each other. *I gave his hand a squeeze and pulled myself in closer to his chest, taking in a deep breath of him* So tomorrow then? First thing in the morning, Logan and Amiee head into the city and go get this Josh. Then we can figure out what the hell we’re doing from there. *moving my eyes from my husband’s to glance around at the rest of the room.* I can only hope like fuck this works. #ButIHaveNotLeftYourSide

[eversopatiently-blog]

But I Have Not Left Your Side (SL With @iWillNotFade, @Seeking_Secrets, @AWolfAtHeart, and @DontWantToWin)

Colette: *Things were moving along as I had hoped they would. But I was almost surprised that Leah hadn’t reached out to Amiee before I had gotten to her. Leah should have known that Logan’s magic wasn’t going to be enough to pull them through the fight with the St. Pierre pack. He didn’t have the right kind of magic. They needed the witch that had just discovered her powers. She needed someone to teach her. It was the entire reason I had come up from New Orleans. Even if I hadn’t been on my way up here, the visit that was paid to my shop ensured that I needed to get out of dodge. I had recognized Aurora’s brother the moment he had stepped into the store. And the witch he was with was not someone to be tangoed with. She didn’t have the same power as I did, but I was older. I wasn’t going to be as quick on my feet as she would have been. The St. Pierre Pack was not stupid. Not by a long shot. They had found out that both Aurora and Malachi had been in and out of my shop, and threw down the ultimatum. Either I handed the two wolves over, or I couldn’t come back to New Orleans. That was the end of it. The fates had already deemed my desire to go north, but the threat just solidified it. And it was a threat that Malachi was not going to take lightly. I hadn’t been surprised that he had fallen in love with his Angel. She was his saving grace. He needed her if he was going to be able to survive this fight. It was something that had been coming since he was born. It was something Malachi knew nothing about. It was a fact that Amos St Pierre wanted to deny. I knew that coming to the treehouse meant telling him that story. It wasn’t a story I was looking forward to telling. I had no desire to put the pressure on top of his shoulders. But it was going to need to be told sooner rather than later. I could feel the nerves rolling off of the girl next to me, though. We were close to pulling up to the treehouse. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t know her role or if there was someone she wanted to protect from all of this. There was no way to be sure. Not until we were all settled into our roles. As we pulled up, I wasn’t surprised to see Leah and Logan standing out looking towards the horizon. If things had been going as I saw, Malachi and Aurora should be out talking to Tatiana and Spencer. Malachi would be getting a sister. And it would be Malachi that convinces her to fight with Leah and Logan. But their attention was pulled away from the horizon as Amiee stopped the car. I could see the confusion written on Leah’s face as her and Logan began to walk down to the car. It wasn’t going to be long before everyone was back at the house.* Leah: *I could hear the car start to pull down the driveway before I could see it. I recognized the girl behind the driver’s seat immediately, although it had been ages since she’d been up here at the same time I had been. I knew she’d stopped by to work on the wards around the Treehouse. Logan told me as much, but Amiee was a loner. I knew she was just a beginner, and I wasn’t sure how much she could do. There was a reason I hadn’t drug her into this yet. I knew she wasn’t ready, and I didn’t know how much Logan was going to be able to teach her yet. Amiee was a wild card. And the one huge thing I wasn’t ready for in this whole situation was a wild card. But here was my wildcard sitting with a stranger in a car in the driveway of the Treehouse. I shot Logan a look before we both started walking to meet them in the drive. The little old woman who got out of the passenger side was tiny, with brilliantly colored eyes. There was far more to her than met the eye. I could smell it on the breeze that blew past them both and ruffled my hair. Logan was right beside me as I froze and looked them both over* Amiee… It’s good to see you again. I wasn’t expecting anyone today. *I had no clue what to expect from either of them, but the looks on their faces told me that this visit meant business. Well at least the look on the stranger’s face did. Amiee looked just as confused as I felt.* Colette: *As I stepped out of the car, I wasn’t greeted. Amiee was. Which was a surprise. But I also knew that Leah and Logan had enough on their plate. But the truth was, they needed to understand that manners were just as important as being able to lead. Nothing was going to get accomplished if the two of them had their defenses so far up that they could only see each other. It was with a flick of my wrist that I had Logan on the ground and writhing in pain. Leah’s mouth dropped open for a fraction of a second before the growl started. My eyes narrowed into slits as I turned towards Leah.* You might want to rethink ignoring the woman that holds all the cards to this battle, Mrs. Pruit. Your defensive nature has already put questions in the head that you need most. *Letting Logan free of the pain, I started to move up the stairs of the treehouse. I didn’t like the idea of being here without Malachi and Aurora here, but the timing had been off by a few minutes. My voice was stern as I turned my head* Come on, Amiee. You have a lot to learn and a little amount of time to learn it. Amiee: *I could only give Leah a sad smile as we pulled up to the house. Worst of all was that I knew we weren’t expected. I could see the stress on Leah’s face though. And it was worse when Colette had Logan on the ground. I wanted to step in, but I couldn’t. Colette had made me promise to keep my mouth shut on the drive up. I was there to learn. Apparently this wasn’t a lesson I needed to speak for. But as Colette walked away, I turned my attention back to Leah and her husband. Shrugging my shoulders, I shook my head.* She came by the bookstore. Told me I was needed here, and that she needed to see Beezer. All I can tell you is that her name is Colette. And she’s going to teach me how to use my magic? I don’t know. She seems to think that between her and Logan the two of them can teach me. *I started spinning the piercing in my cheek with my tongue. I didn’t know what I was doing here, and it was obvious that Leah didn’t know what I was doing here, either. It seemed that the only person who knew anything was Colette.* She won’t tell me anything, Leah. She told me that she’ll talk to everyone as soon as Beezer and the Angel are home safe. That’s when she’ll stop worrying. Leah: *It was a hard fought battle to keep my mouth shut and keep the wolf inside my head in her cage. Usually she was calm and easy going, but seeing Logan doubled over on the ground in pain had been more than either of us were able to take without a rage. I still had no idea who she was, much less what she was doing here, but according to Amiee she was here for Beezer and Rora. Angel was a familiar nickname. It was what he always called his wife. I had no way of knowing if she was here for good or evil, even though she had been talking about being here to help with the battle that we knew was coming. As soon as she turned to go, I rushed to help Logan up from the ground to stand and took a few deep breaths to clear my head. I was either about to fuck this up by coming at the situation all wrong or just let go of control for a moment and see what happened. I knew I was going to need all the help I could get, and if nothing else, she was powerful. The only thing I could think to do was get Logan on his feet and follow the two of them up the stairs into the treehouse* It’s ok, Amiee. I have no idea what’s going on here, but I’m pretty sure Beezer and Rora can answer some questions when they get here. They shouldn’t be long. *It took a little longer than normal to get up into the house considering the party that was headed up there. We were lead by someone shorter than me, if that was even possible, and Logan was still catching his breath with an arm draped over my shoulder in case something else happened as we went up the stairs. Feeling helpless wasn’t something I was used to, but this entire situation had left me feeling helpless from the start. Helplessness made me want to lash out at everyone and everything. I’d lashed out at Tatianna and she’d run away. I wanted to lash out now at Colette, but that wasn’t going to solve anything. My best bet was to just press a kiss to my husband’s cheek and help him onto the couch before I turned back to the people in my living room* Well, I guess that wasn’t the best way to all meet each other. I’m Leah, but something tells me you already know that, ma’am. You’ll have to excuse me for earlier, but being defensive is a bit of an instinct. *I was still wary of the small woman, but I was going to try to at least make peace until Beezer and Rora could return* The rest of them should be back soon. I got a call from them that they were on the way here before you all arrived. Do you mind me asking what’s going on? Because I feel a little lost here. Beezer: -I wasn’t sure what I was walking in on when I came up the back steps and led my wife through the kitchen into the living room. It was full of people. Leah, Logan, Amiee who I recognized from around the place. She was one of the people who Leah picked up as a stray. She ran the bookstore and came around to do something around the place from time to time. And there was Collette… The sight of the woman who I’d last seen in a bookstore in the middle of the French Quarter in New Orleans on my wedding day had me freezing in place, glancing around the room while Rora slid into my side- Colette! -The two of us walked over to the small woman with a smile. The last memory I had of her was my wedding, and as scary as that day had been, it had also been one of the happiest days of my life. I couldn’t help but look around the startled expressions in the room as my wife rushed from my side to embrace the matronly figure that stood near the center of the room, and I wasn’t sure what I had walked into- So, maybe it’s time for introductions... unless you’ve all met. Colette is the person who sent Rora here to me, and who married us in New Orleans before we went to Wyoming. -I could feel the tension in the room melt a little once the story registered with at least Leah and Logan. Amiee was still confused. I could see it on her face, but she was starting to put the pieces together.- Rora: ^I was blindsided when Mal had said Colette. There was no way… But that’s when I saw her standing in the middle of the living room. Leah was furious for some reason, and Logan was off to the side. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the woman standing in the middle of the room. I was over to her before Mal could even think about introducing everyone. My arms were around her as I clung for dear life. I hated leaving her in New Orleans with Derrick running around. I didn’t trust him to go after her.^ Colette. You didn’t need to come! You should have stayed put! We would have come down to you! Colette: *I could only smile as my dear sweet Aurora walked up and wrapped her arms around me. I knew that I was a mother figure to both her and Malachi. And it was a role I took very seriously. Especially with Malachi. Rubbing Aurora’s back, I pulled away from the hug before pressing my hands to her cheeks* I wanted to come, Sweetheart. I needed to come check up on the two of you. *Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, I pulled away before looking at the man standing just behind her, but still guarding her.* You should know that your betrothed has joined forces with her brother. They came to the shop earlier and demanded to know information about you two. It was either hand you and your angel over or never go back to New Orleans. I’m not entire sure I want to go back, Malachi. Not when the prophecy hasn’t come true. Beezer: -When Colette used the word betrothed it set my teeth on edge. There was only one person that could refer to. Aurora and I had never been what you might call betrothed. We just were apart one day and together the next. It was natural, and nowhere near as formal as the word betrothed. The one time I’d been engaged before her had been a disaster. My father’s doing. Amos St. Pierre wanted nothing more than to ally himself with the witches of the city of New Orleans. The families there were old and powerful. He always figured that between the two sets of power there was nothing he wouldn’t be able to do. He almost succeeded in it with me. The Lemarquis family was one of the oldest and most respected witch families in the city. Their youngest daughter was considered a catch by everyone who was anyone in town. I’d never been much of anyone, despite the fact that I was the son of the Alpha of the most powerful wolf pack in the state, and the only one in the city. My older brothers were already married off, tied to daughters of neighboring Alphas to cement the ties and expand the pack’s boundaries as far as possible. There were no shortage of were families that were willing to tie themselves to the St. Pierre’s. I’d never considered my fate in that department. Walking around oblivious to the obvious seemed to be my speciality in those days. When my father showed up with news that I had a fiance, I wasn’t exactly pleasantly surprised, but I also knew it did absolutely no good to try to flout his will unless you were prepared to have yourself ripped limb from limb. One word came to my lips as I glanced over at Leah, the only other person in the room who would know what it meant- Delilah… -I saw her eyes grow wide when they met mine. She was the only other person who would remember what had happened to me when I finally left. How it had been Delilah who’d placed the curse on me that left me shaken and unable to drag my ass off Leah’s couch for days until I learned to drown it out or live with it. My father had hoped it would drive me back to them, begging for a respite, or to end it all at my own hand rather than live with voices reminding me of everything I’d never been able to do, the people I’d never been able to save. I didn’t know what had happened to her after I’d left. I didn’t want to keep track of any of them, but I supposed I was going to have to find out one way or another. I could tell by the look on everyone else’s face that they had no idea what any of this meant. My brows knitted together when I looked back to Rora- She’s the one who cursed me when I left my father’s pack. She’s powerful. I don’t know how much so really, but I do know my father will use her any way he can against us. Rora: ^I wanted to reject the idea that there was anyone before me. Realistically, I knew that was irresponsible. There was a million other girls in the world. And the fact that she was a witch didn’t surprise me. Not in the least. I wasn’t even surprised that she was the one who had cursed Mal. But that did not mean I had to just accept the fact that she was working with Derrick. I knew my brother better than almost anyone besides my father. I knew his motivations. And I knew his reactions. I was no surprised that he had gone to join up with Malachi’s father. But what did surprise me was the fact that he would have had to give up so much to be there. I wasn’t going to pretend to understand Amos St. Pierre. But I knew there was no way he was going to let another alpha into his pack. It made me question what was at play. And was Derrick just telling Amos everything he wanted to hear. I could only fall to the chair as I tried to sort out the information. I knew about Mal’s curse. But he had always claimed it was better when I was around. And since Colette had worked her magic, he hadn’t said a word about the curse at all. Turning my head towards my husband, I narrowed my eyes into a glare without hesitating.^ I refuse to accept the fact that you have a betrothed. Let’s just cut that shit from our vocabulary and our memory. Because no. Fuck that. ^Turning my attention to everyone else, I knew what we needed to do. I knew we needed to make a game plan. We had to figure out what the hell we were doing before we got too far.^ What do we do? We all know I’m useless in this fight. I don’t want to be, but it’s the reality of the situation. And even if I wasn’t pregnant, I doubt Mal would let me do anything. I know for a fact that he wouldn’t risk me. Leah:*It only took me a moment to put together what was going on, and it was the worst possible outcome of all of this. Delilah and I had history, and none of it was good. She and Mal had even more. She was the one who’d been the reason the St. Pierre pack was untouchable for so long. They were strong on their own and almost impossible to defeat with her. I could see the looks on both Beezer and Rora’s faces when they walked in the room to see Colette, the light of recognition and familiarity fading into one of minor panic and concern. I needed to figure out a way to make this right, to fix all of this. And I was a little lost about how I was going to make it better. The last time I’d tried to go up against Amos and Delilah, I almost didn’t make it out alive. Beezer was the reason I was standing here right now to be able to remember that. And now I had all these other people to protect. I knew they were willing to fight, but there were people who weren’t going to be able to do anything, Rora was most definitely not the least of those. Amiee was untrained. Spencer was a human. Tatiana was a wild card. There was far too much uncertainty here for my liking. Tatiana, Spencer and Amiee didn’t even live here in the Treehouse, and there was no way I could guarantee their safety outside of these walls. I wasn’t even sure I could guarantee it inside the walls at this rate, but it was better than nothing* So… This seems like a huge shit storm. *sliding my hands into my pockets as I looked around the room at the assembled members of my makeshift family* I don’t think any of us is ready to take this on alone. The best bet would be to keep everyone together until we know what’s going on. Which means, Tatiana…*I glanced over at Beezer, well aware that our last interaction had ended in her running far from here. I didn’t know how she was going to take the offer I was about to make, but I had to make it all the same.* I was hoping she and Spence would come join us here. I know she’s not my biggest fan. I can’t say that I blame her there. I just… think it would be safer for the two of them to not be alone out there in the woods. Malachi: -I was busy contemplating the implications of all this for us, especially for Aurora. The game was different now than it had been when we went to Wyoming. At least for me it was. She’d been aware she was pregnant, even if I hadn’t been. And having Delilah become a part of the equation here was more than I’d bargained for. Leah’s question took me a little off guard. I hadn’t been expecting it, though I had already seen the need for Spencer and Tatiana to be here with the rest of us.- Well, if you’re asking me to ask them, you’re a little damned late, Lee. I already did it in the car on the way over here. They’re back at their place mulling things over. I’m hoping they’ll be here with their stuff later on, but I’m not making any promises they’re coming. I just hope they at least use good sense. Leah: *Now that was as taken care of as we could manage, I turned to the young, blue haired girl that stood at Colette’s side* You too, Amiee. I don’t want you above the bookshop alone if someone comes looking. And if there’s anyone else you guys can think of we need to bring in here, I’m all ears. *I knew there were a few other shifters on the property that were close enough for us to keep an eye on. I didn’t know if any of the people here had any loved ones they needed to pull into the fold to keep them safe.* I mean, if Delilah or Amos hear that there is anyone they might use against you then they’re going to use them in any way possible to get to you all. Colette: *The two girls that were next to me still had no idea what to do about the impending battle. I understood it. My darling Aurora was pregnant with a baby girl. There was no way Malachi was going to let her fight. Even if they didn’t know Dinah was there. To them, it was still just a baby. But Amiee was the one that was only temporarily lost. Bringing her to the house hadn’t been about protecting her. It had been about introducing her to what she needed to be able to do her life’s work. Even if it was something she might reject down the line. But Leah was right. There was no doubt that everyone who needed to be protected needed to be here. I was here to help Aurora, but I knew Amiee’s mind was going to be elsewhere.* That sweet redheaded boy that used to stay in your apartment in New Orleans, Amiee. You need to bring him here. It will be good for both of you. Amiee: *I didn’t want to admit that Colette was right. As soon as Leah had said we needed to get people here, the only person I thought of was Josh. But I didn’t think Colette was right about the two of us needing each other. It wasn’t something we ever needed. I didn’t need him, and he surely didn’t need me. I wasn’t the kind of girl that needed people. But I couldn’t let him get pulled into this just because people wanted to hurt me. And by choosing to be here with Leah and Beezer, I was choosing a side. I felt the words tumble from my lips as everyone looked at me. I didn’t know how this was going to turn out, but by the sounds of it, things were about to get more complicated.* I have to go back to New Orleans and get Josh out of there. Leah: *I had no idea who the hell Josh was, but from the expression on Amiee’s face it was more important than I realized. But there was no way she was going to go into that city alone with the frying pan it had become for anyone associated with the Treehouse. My brain was scrambling for some other option than the one that first jumped into it. She couldn’t go alone, but we were limited about who could go with her. I couldn’t go. Beezer couldn’t set foot anywhere near the city, and it seemed Colette couldn’t either. There was no way in hell Beezer was going to allow Rora to go with his baby in her belly and even so she couldn’t set foot in the same city as her brother. We were down to three choices and I didn’t like one of them at all* She can’t go alone… But I don’t know who’s going to go with her. *glancing around at the people who surrounded me, hoping like hell they could come up with something other than what I was pretty sure was going to be inevitable* I mean… Half of us can’t go anywhere near New Orleans. I haven’t in years for damned good reason. They’d know the minute I set foot across any of the wards they have set up. I’m pretty sure none of the other shifters in the room can for pretty much the same reason. Colette clearly isn’t welcome in New Orleans now… and that leaves us with? Colette: *I could see the stress written on Leah’s face. She knew the answer she was going to get. But she was avoiding it. But in truth, it was the only answer there was. There was no way any of us were going to send the new witch into that city with a human. There were two options left, and one of them wasn’t what Leah wanted to hear. Moving across the room, I stood in front of the one that everyone looked to as a leader. I could see the weight of the world on her shoulders. But she had a man next to her that was ready to take that weight from her if she needed a break. He was going to do anything to make her life easier. It was why the two of them were a perfect match. My voice was soft as I took Leah’s hands in mine.* You know you can’t send the good Doctor with Amiee. If they run into trouble, they won’t be able to protect themselves. And Tatiana isn’t much of an option right now since she can’t shift on her own. *Releasing a gentle sigh, I pulled out the two talismen I had in my purse. If the timeline was right, Leah and Logan would have already done the binding ceremony. They’d already be connected. But this was just a little more protection. And something to ease Leah’s mind while Logan was gone.* It’ll take them a full day to get in and out. They’ll leave before sun up and be back just as the sun is setting on the horizon. Before they go, you place a strand of your hair over the heart of his doll, and he’ll do the same for yours. It’ll allow you two to communicate in case anything goes wrong. It won’t, but at least you can have some peace of mind while he’s gone. Leah: *I could feel the bit of resolve I had left melt when Colette walked over to me. I knew she was right, and I’d known what she was going to say before she opened her mouth. She just confirmed it for me. I let out a long sigh, but it was one of resignation rather than frustration* I don’t want him to go… *glancing back at my husband with as much of a smile as I could muster* But I know he has to. *my fingers had a mind of their own as they traced over the thin line in my palm where the cut that had joined the two of us had healed until it was almost invisible. No one would have known it was there if they hadn’t known what they were looking for* You’ll have to show me how it works, ma’am. *daring to look up into Colette’s eyes for the moment before I turned back to Logan and slid my hand in his* Please fucking take care of yourself. You know we literally cannot live without each other. *I gave his hand a squeeze and pulled myself in closer to his chest, taking in a deep breath of him* So tomorrow then? First thing in the morning, Logan and Amiee head into the city and go get this Josh. Then we can figure out what the hell we’re doing from there. *moving my eyes from my husband’s to glance around at the rest of the room.* I can only hope like fuck this works. #ButIHaveNotLeftYourSide

[crazybagelbitch]

4 🥺🥺 they have that very serious discussion when both Athena and bobby arrive to take care of the puppies and everyone has to decide what to do with them both 😭

Hen is still pissed. He can feel the tension in her body, but at least it’s because her arms are around him, holding him practically in her lap. It’s nice and depressing at the same time. Hen isn’t usually physically affectionate with him, so it’s a testament to just how much he’s broken her heart and scared her.

“It’s okay,” she whispers when there’s another knock on the door and she feels him tense up, “it’s okay, they’re here to help.”

Yeah, he doesn’t really want help, but at least Athena is there to help Maddie. 

He hates the look that Bobby is giving him.

Grief stricken and anxious and disappointed, but when he speaks, his tone is calm.

“Why did you lie about why you were at the bridge the first time?”

He just shrugs.

“Chimney, you have to talk to us.”

“Alright, Buckette,” Athena cuts in when it becomes clear that Chimney is just going to remain silent, “do you want to explain why you kept it a secret that your ex-husband was in town and stalking you? I’m an officer of the law, and I thought you and I were friends.”

“We are I just... I know how the story ends. Everything else that we might try is just... delaying the inevitable. Rather die a quick death than have him torture me before he finally kills me.”

It’s blunt as hell and everyone flinches.

“Don’t say that, you’re not going to die,” Buck shakes his head furiously, tears spilling over onto his cheeks, “you’re my big sister, you can’t die.”

“We’ll keep her safe,” Athena nods, before turning to Chimney with a stern look in her eye, “and this one. Care to explain why this is the second time you were going to try and end your life in under a month?”

He shakes his head and still stays quiet. He’s overwhelmed, there are too many people here, and he doesn’t even know how to begin to explain it.

“I’m sorry,” Bobby says, and Chimney’s head snaps over to look at him in surprise, “we talked a couple of weeks ago, it was after the first time you... found Maddie at the bridge. You were so upset, so lost... I should have put it together. I should have known. You were asking me for help and I should have been able to read between the lines.”

“Bobby... no,” he speaks, not willing to let his friend and captain blame himself, “no, it’s not your fault, I-I... I hid it. I didn’t say. You couldn’t have possibly known from one conversation that I was thinking about... that.”

“Wait, what?” Hen asks gently, squeezing Chimney a bit tighter as she looks at Bobby a bit desperately, “you two... what did you talk about? He asked you for help?”

“Well, sort of,” Bobby sighs, “he was upset after we lost that patient, the one at the escalator who was proposing... God, I should have known, Hen. I’m so sorry. He told me he... he told me he felt like he died the night of his car accident and I didn’t even realize what he was trying to say.”

“Bobby, no, I wasn’t trying to say anything. I didn’t want you to know.”

“You never told me that,” Hen says quietly, and he hates that he can hear the tears in her voice, “y-you never told me that you felt that way, Chimney.”

“I-I’m sorry,” he whimpers, and he knows it’s not good enough, hiding his face in her shoulder so he doesn’t have to look at her.

He can feel her body shaking as she cries, and it’s then when the horrifically heavy guilt settles into the pit of his stomach. He never meant to hurt Hen, never. Logically, on some level he knew she would be sad if he wasn’t there, but... he never meant to hurt her. And there she is, clutching at him like he’ll disappear if she doesn’t and crying because he hadn’t told her that he was hurting.

“H-hate Tatianna,” she whispers.

“It’s not her fault.”

“Don’t care. S-still hate her.”

“We should consider taking him to the hospital,” Athena says after a moment, pretending like both him and Maddie aren’t in the room, “and she was in the hospital, but that didn’t help her very much, CLEARLY. Presumably because she didn’t tell them the real problem, or any of us. Took finding Chimney at the same fucking bridge a second time to get the truth to come out. Lucky in the darkest, worst way possible.”

“I-I don’t want to go the hospital,” Chimney murmurs.

“You made me go,” Maddie huffs.

“I wasn’t talking to you. Either of you,” Athena says sternly, shaking her head, “and Chimney, I don’t really care about what you want or don’t want right now. I care about keeping you safe.”

“It’s late,” he tries, “at least, not tonight, please?”

“...We can talk more about that and make that decision in the morning,” Bobby concedes after a moment, waiting for Hen to nod in agreement before she continues, “we’ll put off that decision until then. But no one is leaving you alone until then. Everywhere you go, Hen goes. I’m sure your bed is big enough for two people.”

“That’s right,” Hen agrees, tucking Chimney’s head underneath her chin, “I hope you like me a whole lot, because I’m going to be glued to your side as long as you’re here and not in a hospital. Not going anywhere or doing anything without me.”

“And same goes for you with me,” Buck says seriously, looking directly into his sister’s eyes, “I’m your new best friend. Neither of you are getting any alone time anytime soon.”

“But--”

“Anytime soon.”

“C-can I sleep now?” Chimney whimpers, far too anxious to sleep but there are two many people looking at him and judging him, and he’d rather have just Hen at the moment.

“Fine,” Bobby says, but his eyes are full of uncertainty, “but Hen goes with you and I’m staying here on your couch tonight.”

“And I’ll go home with Buckaroo and Buckette and discuss our legal options,” Athena sighs, “I don’t want any trouble from you tonight, Maddie-- no funny business. And Chimney, I expect the same from you. No trying anything with Hen or Bobby, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he grumbles, feeling more embarrassed and vulnerable than he’s ever felt in his life.

“Come on,” Hen whispers, pulling him up from the couch, “it’s sleepover time, Chimney.”

“Can’t wait.”