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wiypt-writes · 4 years ago

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Stark Spangled Banner

Ch35: Not A Perfect Soldier, But A Good Man.

Summary: Almost twelve moths post the vents in Siberia, the four friends are reunited with two familiar faces. Presented with an opportunity that they find too good to turn down, they find themselves back running missions off radar, one of which takes Steve to a dark place within himself, where he finds himself compromising his moral code.

And then his phone rings…

Warnings: Bad language, Smut! (NSFW, Under 18s) Bad Language words. Mentions of rape/sexual assault.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

A/N: Wonderful edit again from @angrybirdcr. And make sure you check out the related one shot- Vanilla, which takes place during this timeframe.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Chapter 34

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

June 2017

“Well as far as birthdays on the run go guys, this one’s been the best one I’ve ever had!” Katie grinned as they climbed out of their 4x4 at the Safe house.

Steve and Sam exchanged a look over the roof of the car.

“What?” Katie asked, innocently.

“I can’t tell if that was sarcasm or…” Sam looked at Steve before he turned back to Katie pushing his sunglasses up onto the top of his head. “No, honestly guys I’ve had a great morning.” She smiled at them. “Breakfast was amazing, it was a nice walk round the castle, the sun is out and now we have a BBQ to get fired up!”

It was almost a year now since they’d been on the run. After a brief few months apart where Katie and Steve had been in Wakanda, Sam had been flitting round a few old friends and Wanda had been travelling with Vision, they had all reunited at the end of May, Wanda bringing with her some rather interesting news.

“I did find some stuff out.

Apparently Tony hasn’t spoken to Ross properly in months. When you guys broke out the raft, Ross called him for help and he put him on hold for hours.” Katie looked at Steve, both of them sharing a grin.

“It didn’t go down well. They had a huge bust up and apparently Tony told him to err, and I quote ‘go fuck himself’.” Wanda said, smiling slightly. Steve snorted as she continued. “Said he didn’t answer to SHIELD, the Government or anyone else.”

A pang of affection and guilt hit Katie’s chest. Even after everything her brother was still watching her back. She looked down at her food and blinked, the tears threatening to fall out of her eyes.

“He’s err, he and Pepper, they’re getting married.” Wanda hesitated and Katie took a deep breath.

“Wow, he finally did it.” She whispered, not looking up as she pushed a piece of carrot round her plate, swallowing thickly. “That’s…”

“How’s Rhodes?” Sam asked, changing the subject swiftly and Steve gave him a look of thanks across the table, as he gently reached over and wrapped his hand around the back of Katie’ s neck, giving it a gentle squeeze of affection before his thumb gently began to trace shapes on the soft skin just beneath her hair line. She looked at him and smiled.

“I’m okay.” She assured him “Honestly.”

Steve kept his hand were it was nonetheless as Wanda continued talking.

“Rhodey is good, the braces he has mean he can walk.” At that Sam looked down, Steve glanced at him. He knew he felt guilty about what had happened.

“And that’s it really.” Wanda shrugged. “Nothing else to report.”

“Glad to hear everyone’s doing good.” Katie nodded. “So you want to see Vision again?”

“I know it might seem odd, or even dangerous.” Wanda mused, “And we’re still at odds over the Sokovia Accords, but yeah, I do.” “Odds?” Steve asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, he still seems to think that the Accords were right. So, we’ve kind of just agreed not to talk about them. But, even with that, well I just can’t be without him.”

“We love who we love.” Steve said wisely, “If we’re lucky they share our feelings as well as our lives.”

“Like you two you mean?” Sam snorted looking at Steve and Katie “You two are so in tune, sometimes I think you’re actually reading each, others minds.” “How do you know we’re not?” Katie grinned and Sam rolled his eyes.

“Like I said, lucky.” Steve shrugged, pressing a kiss to the side of Katie’s head as he moved his arm from around the back of her and carried on with his food.

“No one should keep you from him if that’s how you feel.” Katie looked at Wanda. “That’s the last thing we would ever want.”

“Yeah you go ahead.” Sam snarked, pulling Katie’s attention back to the here and now. “We’ll grab the bags, don’t worry about it.” “Thanks Sam, you’re a darling.” Katie grinned over her shoulder.

Sam sighed and shook his head. “A fucking liberty, that’s what this is! You wanna remind her of those ground rules, Steve.”

“You remind her.” Steve shot back as they watched the two women head unlock the door to the house.

“You scared of your Missus, Pal?”

“Yes.” Steve said simply and Sam laughed, before he turned and opened the trunk of the car.

In the house, Katie walked through the small porch and into the living room and immediately stilled. There was something wrong, something she couldn’t put her finger on. Holding an arm out to Wanda she stopped the younger girl and looked at her. Understanding straight away, Wanda’s familiar red tendrils began glowing from her hands. As Katie looked around, unable to shake the feeling that someone or something was there, her eyes fell on a bottle on the coffee table, a bottle that hadn’t been there when they left this morning.

Beluga gold line vodka.

Katie felt her lips curve into a smile “You can come out now.” She stated simply, not bothering to turn round. “You know, I thought spies were supposed to be subtle.”

“Who says I was trying to be?” A familiar voice drawled, causing Wanda to spin round, her mouth falling open in surprise as Natasha stepped out of the smaller living room at the far side of the house.

Katie turned and looked her friend over. “That why you cut all your hair off and dyed it blonde?”

“Changes is as good as the next.” Nat smirked.

“Good to see you Widow.” Katie beamed, striding over to her and pulling her into a hug.

“You too.” Natasha smiled, squeezing her back. “Happy birthday, Nova.”

Katie released her and Nat turned to Wanda, wrapping her up in a hug too. “I’m telling you man.” Sam’s voice filled the room as he and Steve walked into the house each carrying bags of groceries and snacks for their BBQ “She was putty in my hands. If he hadn’t turned up I’d have-MOTHER FUCKER!” He yelled, dropping the bags he was carrying as he spotted Natasha.

“Nice to see you too, Birdbrain.” She smiled before her face turned to Steve “Rogers.” “Nat?” He blinked in surprise, setting the bags he was carrying down a little more gently than Sam. “Dare I ask how you knew where to find us?” The corner of his mouth quirked up in a small, amused smile “Fury.” She shrugged. “Finished the loose ends I needed to tie up and had to make a swift exit, so he told me where you were. Thought I’d come and see how you were all getting along.” “We’re just peachy.” Sam smiled as he stepped forward opening his arms, “Come on not-so-red-anymore, bring it in.” She gave a huff and then stepped into his arms before she turned to Steve who smiled at her as he pulled her into a huge bear hug.

“I like this.” She leaned back, pulling at his beard and he jerked his head way out of her reach, arching an eyebrow at her. What was it with people and thinking they could just touch his face now he had a beard? That was something reserved for his wife and his wife only. Katie laughed, noticing his irritation as Natasha continued. “Hardly recognised you.” “Well that is the point.” He rolled his eyes.

“Are you sticking around?” Sam asked.

“Well I got nothing else to do.” Nat shrugged. Katie and Steve exchanged a grin, her blasé tone didn’t fool them. She looked tired and slightly shaken, so whatever mission she’d been working on had clearly been tough.

“Well in that case…” Katie picked up the bottle of vodka that was on the table. “How about we crack this open whilst the boys get the grill going?”

A couple of hours later they were full of BBQ meat, salads, potatoes, vodka, beer and juicy information. Whilst Natasha didn’t tell them much about what she had been up to in Russia, she did fill them in on what SHIELD was doing.

“They’re calling themselves the ‘In-Human Resistance’.” Natasha explained as she showed them a few photos of the growing Vigilante group on a tablet, a group that seemed to be fast gaining traction in America. “They staged an attack in LA and Miami recently. Both at the same time, co-ordinated.”

“They’re fighting registration with the Sokovia Accords?” Steve asked, taking a pull from his bottle of beer.

Natasha nodded.

“Those damned accords have already caused more trouble than they’re ever gonna solve.” Sam said shaking his head. “First the ‘Watchdogs’ emerge to fight In-Humans, now this group emerge to fight them back.”

“This was always going to happen. SHIELD monitored Enhanced beings and In-humans.” Katie shrugged. “And it worked without the need for any stupid laws.”

”Yeah, so now the plan is that SHIELD are going to go legit. Come out into the open again.”

At that Katie raised her eyebrows. “And Coulson?” “No.” Natasha said, “Coulson will be in the shadows, the public director is going to be a bloke called Jeffrey Mace. He seems a decent guy.” “You know him?” Katie asked.

“Met him briefly. He was at the Accord signings in Vienna as a journalist would you believe it?” “Well he will know how to work the PR angle.” Wanda spoke for the first time in a while and Katie looked at her. She was pushing a piece of potato round on her plate, absentmindedly, no doubt wondering what would happen to her if she ever was caught with all the new rules and hatred being pushed out towards Enhanced or In-humans.

“They’re calling him Patriot.” Natasha said, and she looked at Steve, smirking slightly “Brooklyn boy, just like you Cap. Volunteered for some experiment that would give him super human strength in the wake of the Vienna bombing.” Steve let out a groan “Have SHIELD not learnt anything?”

“You had a lucky escape.” Nat quipped “If you hadn’t been on the run, they’d have been asking you to lead them from the front. Coulson wanted an enhanced person to run in the public eye, drum up support, show the world that they’re not to be feared.” “Nothing more than bullshit, political games.” Sam scoffed, and Natasha raised her eyebrows in agreement.

“Which we, thankfully, are well out of.” Steve leaned back, although Katie could see the nerve ticking in his jaw.

“Are you? Thankful, I mean?” Nat asked and Steve looked at her, frowning. “You not missing being in the thick of it at all?” He didn’t answer. If truth be told he couldn’t, not really. Some days he missed the action, missed having a job to do as such. Whilst he’d helped out occasionally for a bit for cash at the harbour, casual labour and muscle when they needed it, it wasn’t nearly challenging enough.

“What are you saying Nat?” Katie asked. Natasha sighed and leaned back.

“Fury isn’t working as part of SHIELD at the moment, not directly anyway.” She looked at her. “He’s running a few jobs off radar. At the moment he’s currently tracking a few old arms dealers that seem to be back trading old SHIELD and Chitauri stuff. Turns out in the wake of the Avengers being disbanded they all started getting brave again.” “Who’d have thought it?” Katie snorted sarcastically as she chewed at her lip. Steve and her had held this very conversation in Wakanda, wondering how long it would be before the groups they had all but eradicated emerged again in the wake of their split.

“So is that why you’re here?” Steve eyed her suspiciously “Fury wants you to recruit us?” “No.” Nat shook her head, before she smiled at Steve. “He’s going to do that himself when he drops by tomorrow.”

*****

"Why don’t you ask one of the ‘registered heroes’ for help?” Steve raised his eyebrows at Fury as the man finished explaining what he wanted the group to work on.

Fury scoffed. “Whilst SHIELD is of course, in full cooperation with the Accords, this case isn’t exactly on their radar right now.”

“What you mean is, that if it becomes public knowledge that more Chitauri and SHIELD weapons are emerging it will damage what little reputation SHIELD have managed to claw back.” Katie folded her arms. “Because they shouldn’t have ever let it get to this because you should have gotten rid of it all in the first place.”

“Look, Nova.” Fury was quick to reply. "I don’t like this any more than you do, and yes, in hindsight there are a lot of things that SHIELD should have destroyed or shut down back in the day, but I wasn’t the only one making those calls. Pierce had a lot of sway.”

“So effectively you want us to protect SHIELD’s reputation?” Steve raised an eyebrow.

“Why should we do that?” Wanda asked, looking at Fury “Where were you when we needed you?”

“She has a point.” Sam looked at Fury “I mean, I don’t remember SHIELD jumping to our defence after we risked everything to get to Siberia.”

Fury looked at Steve who simply raised his eyebrows. Both he and Katie agreed with Sam, they had expected at least some help from the Director but it never came.

Or so they thought.

“Just who do you think it was that leaked to the press exactly what went down between you all?” Fury asked, leaning back in his chair. Katie felt her mouth curl up in a smile.

“That was you? Huh, I assumed it was Murdock.” “Well to assume makes an ass of you and me.” Fury quipped, looking at her. “Furthermore, thanks to me there’s currently a group of bounty-hunters sweating their asses off looking for you all in Cairo.”

Steve and Katie exchanged glances before they looked at Sam then Wanda.

“And I’ll continue to help leave false trails as I still believe in you all.” Fury looked at them each in turn “The Accords, this entire situation, yes, it’s a mess but I’m still hoping you guys care enough to want to keep fighting the good fight.”

Katie glanced at Natasha who had remained quiet through the entire discussion. She simply raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile.

“Think about it.” Fury stood up. “Romanoff knows how to contact me. When you’ve made your decision, let me know.”

He headed for the door before he turned back and looked at Katie.

“Oh, and Nova, that final trick you pulled, hacking into the CTU. It worked.”

Katie smiled and gave a small ‘huh’ of laughter and watched the man depart through the same door he’d arrived little over an hour previously.

“Okay, colour me intrigued, what did you hack the UN for?” Natasha looked at Katie and Steve tilted his head as his wife gave a coy smile.

“Technically it was Lawson. When he was digging up the information on the illegal arrests I had him wipe all the records of who accessed their evidence vault when all our gear got broken so Sharron didn’t get into trouble.”

Steve’s mouth quirked up into a small smile as he looked at his wife, once again unable to believe how downright clever she was.

“Wait.” Wanda said, frowning “Why did you do that?” “She’s a Carter.” Katie shrugged as if that was supposed to make sense. And it did to Steve and Natasha but as Sam and Wanda looked at her blankly she took a deep breath and explained “After everything Peggy did in the SSR, founding SHIELD, working with my dad, she deserves for her name and legacy to remain unsullied.”

She locked eyes with Steve who could do nothing but simply look at her, his face soft before he smiled “You really are amazing you know that?”

After an afternoon spent deliberating over Fury’s proposal, Steve told them all to sleep on it and they would make their final decision in the morning, but as he found out at three am, sleep was doing it’s very best to evade him completely.

“Something on your mind, Soldier?” Katie murmured sleepily as he turned over in bed for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes. With a sigh he reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear.

“Sorry sweetheart, didn’t mean to wake you.” he said. “I just can’t get what Fury said outta my head.” “And even after I tried my best to make you forget as well.” she quipped and he smiled, leaning over to give her a soft kiss. She gave a soft hmmm of contentment before he pulled away and propped himself up on his elbow

"What do you think we should do?”

“Well, we could ignore it, keep laying low.” she elaborated, with a small yawn “But I know you. And whilst you’ve managed it for a year it hasn’t been easy, and don’t try and pretend you’ve been okay because I know you Steven.” He gave a small snort and looked at her as she continued “And now you know that there’s still stuff to mop up, you’re gonna find it even harder to walk away.”

"I would for you. You know that.”

“But is that what you really want?” she sighed. “Not particularly, no.” he answered honestly. “I want to help but, well, I’m no longer Captain America.”

"Meh, he was an asshole anyway.” she grinned and he gave a snort. “But you ARE Steve Rogers, the, and I quote your best friend here ‘dumbass little blonde punk that couldn’t run away from a fight.” Steve felt himself smile at Bucky’s words. “Long before the serum and the shield, you were standing up for the little guys, for what you thought was right. Okay, you were getting your ass kicked doing it, but still.”

She shrugged and Steve looked down at the silhouette of her face, and he knew she was right. He brought his hand up and with the back of his fingers gently brushed down her right cheek.

“And you’d be okay with it?” he asked.

“Well, neither of us left the Avengers because we wanted to. So until this blows over…” “If it blows over.” “Steven.” she spoke sternly, and he could tell by the tone of her voice she was glaring at him, even if he couldn’t see her face fully. She was still clinging to some hope that the entire situation would go away, whereas Steve was much more a realist about it all. “Until this blows over, then, maybe we could, or should keep fighting the good fight. Because that’s what we do best.”

“A band of vigilantes, huh?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Or if we’re getting paid are we mercenaries?”

“Pretty sure mercenaries don’t have ethics behind what they’re doing.” Katie snorted “No, we’ll be, erm, the ‘Nomad Law Enforcers’, NLE for short” she shrugged and he let out a laugh.

As his chuckles died down she gently reached up to stroke his face, his bearded cheek leaning into her touch.

“So, does that mean my new code name is Captain Badass?” He asked, his hand straying down to brush across her bare stomach. “No” She smiled, twitching at the touch “That’s a name only I get to say. Along with Stevie.” “Hate to break it to you, Darlin’ but Buck was calling me Stevie way before you were a twinkle in your pa’s eyes.” he said, his fingers now trailing the inside of her thigh. “Maybe so,” she snaked her arms round his neck and pulling his face down to hers, “but did he ever say it to you like I do, you know, in your ear as I’m about to c-”

“Err no.” he grinned, kissing her on the lips “That one’s all yours, doll.”

“Think you should make me say it now.” she quipped.

“As you wish, ma’am.” he smirked, rolling over on top of her, making her giggle before he cut her off by pressing his lips to hers in a fevered kiss.

The next morning around breakfast they informed the rest of the team what their decision was. Natasha shrugged and said she was in already anyway. Wanda agreed as she had nothing else to do but in the same breath Katie could tell she wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea, so Steve told her that she could dip in and out and didn’t have to do anything she wasn’t happy about. When the only decision left was Sam’s, the man leaned back in his chair with a smirk and nodded. And whilst Steve thought the name Katie had come up with last night for their band of rag-tag heroes was ridiculous, it was ten times better than the offering Sam made.

“The Avengers Secret Society. ASS.” He grinned, draining his coffee mug. “Hell, I’m in. Where do I sign?”

******

Running the missions meant a lot of stealth and covert work, which in turn meant they had to leave the safe house they had called home for over a year for long periods, often months at a time. During those weeks they stayed either in motels or other safe houses which Fury or Natasha had access to in various places across the world as they intercepted various arms trades and took down both buyers and dealers alike. The rest of 2017 past them by in a blur now they were busy. Wanda dipped in and out, choosing sometimes to remain in the safe-house and others she would disappear to meet Vision but always kept them up to date on where she was so they could keep tracks on her. Katie was glad she was getting out and seeing the world, even if she did worry about her from time to time.

As far as lifestyles went, it was tough, hard going, but Katie could see Steve’s sparkle and drive was back in abundance. For the most the missions went without a hitch. Yes, they took knocks, broken noses, cut lips, bust ribs…but it came with the territory, and they all felt good to be back feeling like they were making a difference even if they were doing it unofficially from the shadows. And given that they were indeed vigilantes, they all removed any Avengers symbols from their suits to avoid Tony or the guys back at the compound being dragged into any further political row.

Katie and Natasha ditched their Avenger cat suits entirely, opting for leather cargo pants, jackets and combat vests whilst Sam acquired a new upper body suit for his now battered but sill functional wings. Steve had ripped the star on his uniform from his chest, which was down to a combination of wanting to stay off radar but also because of the fact that he simply wasn’t Captain America anymore, and therefore wasn’t comfortable bearing his insignia. It just didn’t feel right to be operating wearing the symbols once used when they were part of their old team. They were a painful reminder of just what it was that had brought them to this moment, how much they had lost and given up because they were not the Avengers anymore. And this also reflected in the way they operated. They were a lot less sympathetic with their fighting style and they did what they needed to do to get the job done, no more, no less- “Whatever it takes…” as Steve put it. And whilst the Captain still did his best to keep the casualties and fatalities to the minimum, that went completely out of the window one February morning in Jordan.

They were tracking a suspected group of ex- Hydra stragglers that were, according to Fury’s intelligence, operating a lab with the aim of using a piece of SHIELD technology to manufacture weapons. They’d staked the place out over the last three days or so, and from what they could gather it was a pretty amateur operation all in all, so they didn’t meet much resistance when they stormed the place. Sam and Natasha took one side of the building, Steve and Katie the other. It didn’t take them long to clear out and restrain the hostiles and they set about sweeping the place for any devices they needed to recover before Natasha made her way down to the lab to lay the bombs that would destroy it once everyone was clear.

Steve and Katie made their way down a smaller corridor of the back of the main room whilst Sam and Natasha started to pack up the items they had come for and they reached a fork at the end. Katie went left, Steve went right. He hit a dead end pretty quickly, there only being one more room and that was completely empty. Katie, however had three rooms to look in. The first two were empty, and the third one led off to another smaller room at the back. Scanning round, she assumed the room was clear and headed through into the smaller one, kicking the door open. There was nothing in there bar filing cabinets. Seeing as she was there, she started to pull them open to see if there was anything useful, but it was all older paper work, nothing of interest. Slamming the drawer shut she heard a noise behind her, the cock of a gun and then a voice which made her freeze.

“Back for more you little SHIELD slut?”

That voice took her right back to that painfully bright cell with the hard bed, and the even harder floor.

“You like that don’t you, yeah?” His face was contorted as he grunted whilst he pounded painfully, mercilessly into her over and over again, her wrists painfully held above her head, his weight pressing onto her battered and bruised body which he had played a major part in beating before having joined in the kicking and stamping with glee. “God, she’s so fuckin’ tight…”

She spun round to look at the man who had violated her numerous times, his face exactly the same, wearing the same predatory sneer. Her fists clenched at her side as she weighed up her options, she could probably take him now, even with the gun.

But she hesitated too long.

Her rapist smirked as he raised the gun, keeping it trained on her as he took half a step forward and automatically she moved backwards, her body pressing against the metal of the filing cabinet.

“What? Still no scream?” He chuckled. “You know, we used to have a competition, see which one of us would be the one that made you finally break. But, I gotta hand it to you, you never made a sound. Frankly, it kind of became a bit boring. I’ve had better lays from my palm.” It was then that Katie noticed a movement behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Steve stood in the doorway with a look on his face that Katie had never seen before. Unadulterated anger, rage and fury radiated from every single bit of his body as he stared at the back of the man’s head, his lips curling up into an ugly sneer, a flash of white teeth glinting in the dim white from beneath his beard. “Whatever happens tomorrow you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

Steve remembered those words like Dr Erskine had spoken them just yesterday. And for the most part he had lived by them, trying every day to be a man that people could look up to. Years of loss and grief and fighting had made it hard but he had never killed in cold blood and, if possible he always went for the non-fatal take downs. But now, as he heard the words the man in front of him said to his wife as she stood, pressed against the cabinet at the far wall, her chest heaving, eyes wide with a hatred so fierce but yet an unmistakable glimmer of fear underneath it all, he knew exactly who this guy was.

This was one of the animals that had violated her.

And he wanted to kill the fucker.

At the sight of her husband Katie instantly relaxed, she was safe. There was nothing the bastard in front of her could do to her, not whilst Steve was there. The man saw her change in posture, and frowned as she looked back at him and smirked slightly.

“You want a fight, it’s your lucky day, although I don’t fancy your chances much.”

She nodded behind her and the man wheeled round fast but he didn’t’ even get chance to point his gun at Steve before the Super Soldier’s fist connected hard with his face, knocking out his front teeth. He staggered backwards and Katie was waiting with a well- aimed leg swipe which sent him crashing to the floor. As he went to push himself up Steve brought his large, boot clad foot down and stomped with all his might on his left hand.

”They broke my fingers and took my rings…” Katie’s voice echoed around his mind as he stamped again, and again before he picked the HYDRA agent up by the collar and smashed his head straight onto the desk.

The man lay groaning in pain on the floor, spitting out blood as he pitifully begged for mercy and Steve allowed him to crawl a few feet away before he kicked him hard in the ribs, stalking him, toying with him, as a cat does with its prey. But like all cats, eventually Steve got bored and hauled him back up again. He spun the snivelling piece of shit round so his back was clamped to his chest, one large forearm over the guy’s throat, palm of the other hand clamped his forehead, pinning him in place and forcing him to look at Katie for no reason other than the fact he wanted her face to be the last thing the bastard’s shitty, Hydra supporting eyes ever looked at.

All the anger Steve felt at how they had abused his wife, his beautiful girl, speared red hot inside him as he remembered the state she’d been in when they’d picked her up. How long it had taken her to heal physically. And all those nights he had held her close after she woke from a nightmare. He’d sworn to himself he would die before he let anyone hurt her again.

“She told me you did to her.” Steve’s voice was steely, as he spoke into the man’s ear. “You abused her, tortured her, beat her and laughed about it. But now who’s laughing? Look how alive she is, how beautiful and strong she is. How she survived, which is more than you’re gonna do.”

At those words the man, who was groaning to himself began to struggle again, begging for his life. Steve merely tightened his grip.

“I want you to know that you dying is simply because of what you did to my wife. So fuck HYDRA and fuck you.” He snarled, and with a quick, savage twist of his arms, Katie heard the snap and the man grew limp, his neck broken in one, easy movement.

Steve tossed the dead man unceremoniously to the floor, his chest heaving as he looked down at the body on the floor. He’d just killed someone in cold blood. And he didn’t care one single bit.

Katie watched her husband as he looked down at the dead man, utter disgust on his face and she felt a ridiculous surge of affection for her soldier. She knew he’d grappled with the fact he had, in his opinion, failed to keep her safe and, no matter how many times she told him he was ridiculous, she would never convince him otherwise. He’d just abandoned all moral code he had, killing someone out of no reason but the desire for revenge because he loved her.

He loved her enough to kill someone that had hurt her. As she watched, Steve raised his head to look at her. "You okay?” He asked, his voice full of concern, not a shred of the anger or hatred it had been filled with before was left. She nodded.

“Come on.” He held out his hand. She stepped over the body on the floor, laced her fingers into his, but they hadn’t even reached the door of the outer room they’d walked through when she pulled on his arm and as he turned to face her, she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to her, furiously kissing him, teeth clashing, beard scratching-fuck she loved the feel of that- as she emptied every single emotion she was feeling into his mouth. She pulled away and rest her head against his, desire flooding her system, some dark inner part of her had awoken at his merciless persona and he spotted it, a curious tilt of his head to the side told her so much. “Steve, if you don’t fuck me right now, I’m filing for divorce.” He arched an eyebrow “Divorces are messy, we can’t have that.” and the words were barely out of his mouth before he had spun her round, slamming her against the wall, kissing her hard again, groaning as she grasped his growing erection through his combat trousers.

“Right here?” He growled and she nodded eagerly, already fumbling with his utility belt. The clanging of buckles, zipping of trousers and the rustling of fabric filled the air as they both shed the minimum amount of clothing they needed to so that Katie could wrap her legs around Steve’s waist as he lifted her up by the back of her thighs, pressing her against the wall whilst he continued to kiss her neck, biting and sucking at any bit he could get to. He didn’t waste any time before he thrust up into her hard, making her cry out.

It was almost depraved, them fucking with a dead body in the room next to them, but neither of them cared, they were too caught up in a whirlwind of lust and emotions that enveloped them completely. Steve’s hips snapped back and forth with a pace and a vigour that was merciless as he pistoned in and out of her again and again. Her palms were scrabbling at the wall behind her trying to gain some traction and Steve quickly pushed further against her to give her more support so she could move her hands round his shoulders, where she clawed desperately at the material of his uniform as her head fell forward and her teeth nipped at his ear drawing a growl from his throat. Her hands moved into his long hair, where she pulled sharply back causing him to hiss and look up her and the pupils of her eyes were blown wide with a desire he would never tire of seeing. She pushed her hips down against him causing him to drive deeper and she let out an almost primal cry he had never, in their almost five years of being together, heard her make before. It simply revved him up even more, his rapid movements growing even more urgent.

“Fuck, Stevie,” she moaned, her head rolling back against the wall as her hands clamped onto his shoulders as she started to feel that snake in her belly moving. He felt the tell-tale flutter of her clamping around him and he continued his voracious pace until she cried out, a loud scream before she dropped her head to his shoulder, as she moaned his name, again and again whilst he pounded through her orgasm chasing his own.

“Shit, Katie! I’m…fuck!” his words tumbled into her hair as his movements became desperate and he came with such a force that he felt his knees buckling underneath him and even his super strength wasn’t enough to keep him upright, the absolute gratification he felt was just too much. He caught her as the pair of them collapsed to the dirty concrete floor, her on top of him, a tangle of clothing and limbs, chests heaving, sweat on both their brows as he held her to him, panting and shaking. Neither of them had any idea how long they stayed like that, but eventually Steve managed to gain enough control to sit them both upright, his wife on his lap has he gently brushed the tendrils of hair that had fallen over her face back, and looked at her, his lips gently greeting hers in a soft, tender kiss, a stark contrast to the violent ones they had shared moments before. She smiled at him, unadulterated love in her eyes as she moved her hands to brush his hair back before she leaned down and kissed him again, before her nose slide against his.

“I adore you.” She whispered softly, and he pulled her to him, nuzzling into her neck as he sighed.

“Feeling is mutual, Doll” He murmured, causing her to chuckle before they heard a noise in both their ears.

“Yeah, erm, you do realise your coms were on. That whole time.” Sam’s tone was laced with dismay. “Erm yep, so we errr, we heard everything.”

Steve felt himself grow cold and he let out a soft groan of utter embarrassment into Katie’s neck

“Most excitement Sammy’s had in years.” Natasha quipped

Katie on the other hand, instead of shrinking with humiliation, threw back her head and laughed, and when Steve looked up at her, unsure exactly what she found so funny about it all, he saw her just fucked pink flush, her eyes which were practically crinkled shut in mirth, her perfect teeth surrounding by those plump lips he could kiss all day, and that freckle spattered nose which was wrinkled as she continued to howl with amusement.

And right then he didn’t care what Sam and Natasha had heard, because frankly, seeing her like that was worth whatever digs and snarky comments that were going to get their way.

******

April 2018

“Huh…” Nat mused as they entered the dilapidated house, her and Katie pulling off their hoods and masks “Guess my old KGB contacts can pull through in a pinch.”

“We should move fast.” Steve looked at the door to the small, market stall lined street outside “Won’t take long for them to notice something is wrong.”

“I’ll keep watch.” Katie nodded, peering out through the crack in the door into the dusty, desert air as Natasha examined the gun she was holding.

“Definitely Chitauri. Although they’ve been heavily modified.”

Natasha effortlessly deactivated the weapons and they worked quickly and efficiently packing them into the crates ready to take them to the outskirts of the city to the drop point.

“You reckon we’ve earned a break after these ones?” Sam asked, as they began to load the heavy crates onto the back of the truck. Steve smiled as he looked at Sam. They’d been on back to back missions pretty much since New Year so far, the latest of which had brought Steve back to a very familiar market place in Yemen, one he had swore he would never come back to after the last time he’d run an op here. It was hot, dusty, and he had to admit to himself (because he would never admit it to anyone else) he was ready for a break.

“Yeah I think Wanda had the right idea.” Katie mumbled. She wasn’t feeling all that great if truth be told. She’d woken up a few days ago with a dodgy stomach after what she suspected was bad chicken, and it was taking her a while to shake it off.

They made the drop and headed back to the jet where Katie grabbed another bottle of water and sank into one of the chairs, almost draining it in one. After a few breaths, the queasiness she had been feeling all the drive back to the jet dissipated somewhat and she lay her head back, closing her eyes.

Steve passed his wife, his hand gently running over her hair as she leaned back to take a nap. He knew she wasn’t feeling great but she’d assured him it was nothing serious. Steve was pleased to note that she looked better than she had done a few days ago, there was more colour in her cheeks, so hopefully she was over the worst of it.

Sam got them airborne and set the coordinates for the Safe House, and Steve found himself looking forward to getting back after almost five weeks away. The jet was pretty much silent for a few hours, Steve at one point switching out with Sam to allow him to get some rest too. That last mission had been a hard one, but worth it.

“Have either of you heard from Wanda?” Natasha asked a little while later, as she looked up from the tablet she was poking about on.

Steve shook his head as did Sam. Natasha let out a growl. “She’s deactivated the tracker on her phone. I warned her about that last time.”

“She isn’t a prisoner Nat.” Steve raised his eyebrows, looking over at Katie who was still sleeping. “She knows the risks. She’s been doing it on and off for the last two years.”

“I get that, but we don’t know where she is.”

“Look, we should be back at the safe house in what, an hour or so? Let’s wait and see if she’s there.” Steve suggested. “If we don’t hear from her by the morning, then we’ll worry.”

Nat opened her mouth to argue back but Steve shot her his infamous captain glare, signalling the debate was over. She shrugged.

“On your head be it.” She said, nonchalantly before completely changing the subject. “Fury’s patched through a new target- another Terrorist Sect grouping for an attack he suspects.”

“Where is it this time?” Sam called from the cockpit.

“Columbia” Natasha answered.

“Alright,” Steve nodded. “We’ll take a proper look at it once we’re back at the Safe House”

At that point. Katie gave a soft murmur as she stretched out her limbs, opening one eye blearily, then the other. She blinked and Steve stood up, heading over to her.

“Hey, sleepy.” He smiled, dropping a soft kiss to her temple as he crouched down in front of her. “You sure you’re okay?”

Katie at her husband, his handsome face sported a few more lines than it had done this time two years ago, and the spectacular beard he had sported hid his jawline, but his eyes never changed, and here they were so full of concern and love over something so minor as an upset stomach that it almost made her laugh.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She smiled. “I feel much better now.” Which she did. The funny feeling in her stomach and fuzziness in her head was well gone.

Before Steve could say anything else, Sam called his name and he glanced round as he straightened up and looked at the screen on the cockpit.

“Cap, I’m getting a report, some kind of ship”

“Where?” Steve asked as the pair of us turned to face him.

“Seems to be over the mainland UK of all places.” Sam frowned “It’s not much, but it’s big for sure. We’re not far out, fancy a slight detour on the way home, see what it is?”

Before he could answer, Nat strode to the middle of the jet, tablet in her hand.

“You need to see this.”

She swiped at the screen and the footage she was referring to appeared on the hologram display. Katie watched a familiar red and gold figure speeding through the air over the familiar back drop of down-town New York, tangling with, well, she wasn’t sure what the hell they were.

“Oh my God.” she muttered, as she read the tag line playing across the bottom of the news report- New York attacked.

The four of them paused as more footage showed the kid known as Spider-Man swinging through the air, and two other men, one with a long, crimson cloak, all facing off against two foes.

“When did this happen?” Steve asked eventually, looking at Nat

“15 minutes or so ago.”

Steve didn’t say anything, instead he moved to the locker at the back of the jet, and taking a deep breath, he pulled out his half of the pair of burner phones he had gotten from T’Challa almost two years ago. Stark’s technology still, after all these years, amazed him. An amplified booster on all the jets he owned made it possible to for a mobile phone to continue working whilst in the air. He glanced up at Katie, before flipping open the phone and then all four of them stopped dead as it began to ring before Steve had the chance to even dial.

“Stark?” His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he asked the question, even though there was no one else with that number…

“Steve, hi, it’s Bruce. It’s err, been a while.”

Steve paused his eyes widening at the surprise at hearing his onetime team mate. “Yeah, yeah it has,” was all he could say. “Listen, there’s not a lot of time to explain but something big, someone big to be exact, is coming, and they’re after Vision.” “Vision?” Steve paused, standing still where he had been pacing unknowingly.

“For the Stone.” Bruce continued. “He’s turned off his transponder so we can’t track him, but Tony…” Bruce took a deep voice and Steve glanced up at Katie who was watching him intently. “Tony went after the ship, Cap, he’s on the ship, heading out to space, but before it all started he was about to call you. He said that you might be able to find Vision. And we need to, we need to before they do. You got any idea where he is?”

Steve listened to Bruce’s rambles, a million and one questions were whirring round his head, but there was no time for that. If this was as big an issue as he said, they had to find Vision. And right now, he would hazard a guess that he was wherever that huge ship over the UK was.

“I don’t know for sure, but I have a pretty good idea.” He sighed.

“You need to get him before they do Steve, and I mean it. This is the biggest threat we’ve ever faced. This guy, well even Thor couldn’t stop him.”

Now that really did worry him, but again there was time to think about that later. “Leave it with us.” he said gently, before he closed the phone and stuck it into his pocket.

“What is it?” Katie asked, “Was that Tony?”

Ignoring her, Steve strode to the front of the jet and spoke to Sam. “That reading. Can you get a lock on it?”

“Piece of cake”

“Get us there, fast.” Steve instructed. Sam nodded to show he had understood.

Steve looked back at Natasha and Katie as his wife crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation, not impressed with being ignored.

“Whatever is on that Ship, chances are they’re looking for Vision.” Steve said simply “They want the stone in his head.”

“Wanda…” Nat muttered gently, as she hurried to the front of the jet.

Katie’s eyes however went back on the footage of the spinning space ship above the city they once called home.

“Steve.” She said eventually “Tell me please, how was he?”

“Sweetheart, it wasn’t Tony.” Steve replied, his voice low as he looked up at the cockpit. Natasha and Sam were busy flicking switches. “It was Banner”

“Banner?” she frowned “But what? I mean how?” “I don’t know but he said that Tony had go-…”

“We got it, Cap.” Sam interrupted. “Just over Edinburgh, I’ve locked in the route, we should be wheels down in ten.”

Steve nodded and then turned back to Katie as she carried on speaking.

“What about Tony?” she pressed.

Steve opened his mouth to answer but he stopped, his eyes falling onto the footage, still playing on the hollovision. Katie followed his gaze, the next line across the bottom answered her question.

Billionaire Tony Stark missing.

Katie couldn’t find any words to say. Instead she felt her breathing deepen and she swallowed thickly staring at the footage. Missing? Like, kidnapped? Missing in Action, missing presumed dead…a thousand and one thoughts began running through her head, all of them coming back to the last time they had seen one another, the harsh exchange of words and him telling her he was ashamed of her before she left him in that cold bunker in Siberia.

Steve’s hand dropped onto his wife’s shoulder as he noticed her lip was beginning to wobble.

“We get Vision and then we work on finding him.” He assured her gently, looking at Katie who looked up at him.

“We best hope we find him.” She swallowed again before she looked down at her hands. “Because if worst comes to worst and the last time we spoke to each other was when we parted on such bad terms, I’ll never forgive myself Steve.”

**** O/S: Vanilla

Chapter 36 Part 1

**Original Posting**

#stark spangled banner #steve rogers #Katie Stark #steve rogers x ofc #steve rogers x original female character #steve rogers fanfiction #mcu fanfic #mcu #chris evans #chris evans characters

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waywardwrestlewritingwaif · 3 years ago

Text

Raise the Stakes, Part 11

Let's mainline some angst, shall we?

(Don't forget to check the Master List for previous segments)

Pairing: David Finlay x OFC x Jay White

Word count: 1,483

Content advisory: language and some toxic relationship stuff that some might find disturbing/ upsetting

You smack your arm on the corner of a crate of equipment as you pass. It hurts and it’s probably going to leave a bruise but you don’t care. There are other people around but you hardly see them. If any of them is trying to talk to you, you can’t hear them because the blood pounding in your ears blocks everything else out. You’re on a mission. You’re going to kill the son of a bitch.

It occurs to you that maybe you should grab something so that you might look a little threatening. If there wasn’t still action going on in the ring, you’d run out and see what was stashed under it. That’s where all the potential weapons are kept, right?

You keep replaying the backstage scene in your head. One minute Juice and David are there, pumped from winning their match and talking about challenging for the tag titles again and then they’re just ambushed, a coward’s attack.

Son of a bitch. You’re going to murder him when you find him.

His voice gives him away, always too loud because he wants to make it impossible to focus on anyone but him. And although you can’t hear much of the sound around you, that voice cuts right through. You find him sitting with Chris Bey, of course, the two of them laughing and carrying on. He turns to face you, smile still plastered on his face, but his eyes are predatory. He wanted this showdown. You’ve played into his hands but you don’t care because he’s taken things too far.

At first, David had withstood the attack well enough, he’d gotten some blows in. But it wasn’t a fair fight. Jay had been fresh and knew what was coming. Even then, he’d resorted to smashing a heavy palette with equipment cases right into David’s prone body. It was at that point that you’d covered your face but the sounds were bad enough.

As soon as you’d made sure that David was off to get checked by the doctor, you’d started hunting down his nemesis. Your nemesis.

“Uh-oh, looks like he sent his muscle after you,” Bey croons as you enter the room.

“Damn right. She’s the scary one,” Jay laughs.

“You sleazy bastard,” you snarl. “You pompous little chickenshit. What the hell were you trying to prove?”

“Look out man, I think you pissed her off.”

“You think this is pissed off? This is what she’s like when she’s happy.”

The two of them crack up laughing again.

“Get the hell out, Chris,” you seethe. “I have to talk to your new boss alone.”

He glances at Jay who gives him a little nod, then makes his way out of the room, acting like he’s scared of you.

“Are you not enjoying the show tonight, angel?”

“If you ever pull anything like that again…”

“That’s the job. If he can’t handle a few punches then maybe he should go work as a crossing guard or a data entry clerk or something. Might be easier for him, now that I think about it. Less chance of being a complete failure.”

“The job is to make audiences believe in what they’re seeing, not to actually hurt people.”

“Hey, I’m the one getting hurt. He stole my shot at the title in Japan. He stole my girlfriend. You should be feeling sorry for me, not him.”

You aren’t quite able to hide the surge of feeling you get when you hear him call you his girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend, you tell yourself.

“You leave him alone. Have your big big blow off match since that’s what you want so much. Then you get on a plane back to Japan and stay there. You don’t come near him otherwise.”

“Strange that they haven’t told you yet.”

He knows something you don’t and although you hate to play into his hands, you can’t help but do so.

“Who hasn’t told me what?”

“New Japan. They’re doing more shows in America. A bunch of them. So they needed to bring in some star power. I guess they’re trying to figure out who’s going to do all this liaising or whatever you’re calling it.”

“I can handle a little extra work.”

“You’re not going to be doing it.”

“Is that your way of saying you’re going to get me fired? And I’m supposed to be all scared like I could never get any other job?”

“Fired? Of course not. You’ll always have a job as long as I’m around.”

He stands and moves closer to you, running his fingers up your forearm with an unkind smirk.

“Stop that. I don’t work for you anymore.”

“Believe me, I know. I think about it all the time.”

You back away, trying unsuccessfully to avoid getting pinned against the wall.

“I am going to beat him. I am going to humiliate him. There’s nothing you can do about that.” He leans in close and continues, “But whatever else happens, that’s up to you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I told you: I can make it so that he can’t get work at anything larger than a midwestern bingo hall. But I’m a generous man, so I’ll leave it in your hands.”

You stare at him, hoping he’s not implying what you think. His cheeks are flushed with excitement. He’s winning and he knows it.

“You come back to work for me. You forget this silly fling you’re having and get back to what’s important. And if you do that, I’ll let your little boyfriend keep his job.”

“Are you for real? That is sick, Jay, even by your standards! You want me to whore myself out to you to protect the man I love? What sort of tacky 19th-century melodrama are you living in?”

At the sound of the words “the man I love”, you can see something dark pass over his features. It takes him a long moment to compose himself before he takes both your hands in his and presses them to his lips, kissing them and letting his tongue slide over the skin.

“I know it’s my fault. You felt neglected and so you ran to the person you knew was desperate to please you. And when I got you back so quickly-”

You flinch the second you hear that but you grips your arms tight and continues.

“I clearly didn’t express some things well enough. If my reactions seem extreme, it’s actually because I want the drama over with. Sweet though I’m sure he is, David Finlay is a distraction for you. So consider this me protecting you from your own bad instincts.”

This is one of those moments, and there have been a number of them over the years, when you wish that Jay would haul off and punch you the way he would if you were a man; like somehow it would be easier to take if the two of you could just get in a fist fight than engaging in this sort of dialogue. The wounds would heal faster.

Everything he’s saying is about his ego, manipulative and self-serving and yet you know it would be so easy to lean in, to let him kiss you which you can tell he wants to do. He still occupies a space inside your head, big enough that no matter what sort of bullshit he’s spouting, you feel obliged to consider it.

“No,” you snap, twisting to get out of his grip. “Not this time. Get your hands off me.”

His hold on you tightens.

“Jay, I’m serious, let me go right now or else.”

“Or else what?”

“Let her go.”

David’s voice slices right through, an unusually dark tone behind it.

Jay laughs a little and waits for a few seconds before releasing you and stepping back to allow you to leave. You scramble clear and grab hold of David’s arm, gasping like you’ve been held underwater. At first you don’t notice the look passing between them but when you do, it almost frightens you. There’s real violence in it, real hatred. You’ve been watching the two of them bond and square off for years, you’ve seen the bitterness, envy, and insecurity they’ve raised in each other but never anything like this. They’d look like animals preparing to tear into each other if the emotions on their faces weren’t so uniquely human.

“Come on,” you whisper, gently tugging on David’s hand. Every muscle is tensed, all the way up to his neck and you’re worried that you’re not going to be able to stop a fight. “Please,” you whimper.

David relaxes just a little and leans back without ever taking his eyes from Jay’s. He doesn’t move to leave on his own but he lets you lead him away very slowly. It feels like a long time before you’re able to pull him close to you.

#david finlay fanfic #david finlay imagine #jay white fanfic #jay white imagine #njpw fanfic #impact wrestling fanfic #wrestling imagine #wrestling fanfiction #wayward wrestle writing

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rogueonestan · 4 years ago

Text

wopc - ch 10 - sojourn and sunrises

pairing: the mandalorian x f!reader/ ofc

word count: 5.4k

warnings: some blood mention (minor), more ~soft~

summary: the battle on sorgan left everyone feeling happy. the sense of danger no longer can be felt in the air. that is, until a new threat reveals themselves.

previous part | wopc masterlist | main masterlist | next part

The blinding sun is what wakes you up this morning.

After celebrating the village’s victory against the raiders, both you and Mando both decided to take up the village’s offer of staying here for a while. There’s something about this place that seems like home to the two of you. It’s hard to put into words, but there’s a peace that lingers in the air.

The sunshine greets you every morning and you’ve developed a morning routine of watching the sunrise. Who knew something so simple would bring you so much joy? The light morning breeze and the sound of the birds singing always puts you in a good mood.

You always admire the morning sky alone. Mando always sleeps in. The morning after the celebration occurred, you accidentally woke him up when you tripped over him after insisting he would sleep on the floor while you got the bed. You declined, of course, but his stubbornness never gave up. When he saw that you were beginning to head out of the hut, he asked where you were going, in which you explained you just wanted to get some fresh air.

This morning is no different. The familiar morning breeze keeps you company. The local animals are just waking up as they begin to chatter. The villagers also begin their morning routines by the sound of distant chatter and pots clanging.

“Room for one more?”

Turning your head to the left, you see Mando has gotten up early this morning to join you. A smile appears on your face when you realize this and after scooting to the side, you pat the now empty spot, silently inviting him to join you.

He quickly does and the two of you sit in silence. You glance at the morning sky, but you can’t seem to focus on it. Every morning you always manage to see some sort of figure in the clouds, but today you can’t. All that you can focus on is the feeling of Mando’s thigh brushing up against yours, just like how it did during your ride to the village all those weeks ago.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” You comment.

“It is.”

You glance over at your partner when you comment on the beautiful sky, but unlike yours, Mando’s gaze doesn’t leave. He watches how the soft smile on your face has never left. How your lips slightly lift at the corners. How soft your gaze is as you admire the slight movement of the tree branches. How you lift your gaze to watch a bird fly overhead. How close both of your hands are from touching each other.

“Do you like it here?” He asks.

“Yes, it reminds me of the home I had as a child.”

“Before it was taken over by the Empire?”

“Before it was destroyed by them.” You correct him, “I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a place that resembles so closely to my home.”

“What was it like?”

“Like how it is here: peaceful, undisturbed, secluded. Like here, we too also had a strong sense of community. We all were extremely close with one another.”

“That’s how it was for me too.”

“With the Mandalorians?”

“No, before that.” He answers,

You wait for him to continue but he never does. When you glance from his visor to your lap, you finally notice how close your hands are. You see how his fingers twitch in their spot as they barely move an inch closer to yours. Without saying another word, you take his hand in yours. Whenever you have to talk about a difficult subject, like the rough beginnings of your childhood, having the support of someone else has always helped you talk about it. Maybe it’ll give Mando that same comfort as well.

It’s been such a long time since Mando has talked to someone else about personal matters such as this, especially something as sensitive as the loss of his parents. Nightmares about their deaths plague his mind frequently at night. It’s not easy for him to think about it, let alone talk about them.

“Before the Mandalorians took me in, we lived in a village similar to this one. We didn’t have much but it was home.”

“‘We’?”

“My parents and I. We- we lived in a village like this one. Close knitted, small, tight.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Everyday. At least once a month, the village would throw a small get-together in the center of town just so everyone could catch up. There would be loud music, a large feast. The children would run around and enjoy themselves. The parents would chat with their friends. It was something I always looked forward to as a boy.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“It was. I think you would’ve enjoyed it.”

“By the sound of it, I think I would’ve too.”

“We were preparing for the next gathering when they attacked.”

When the word ‘they’ leaves his lips, he reacts by squeezing your hand harshly. Like before, no words follow after that. Maybe memories from that day enter his mind. Maybe he doesn’t know how to say it.

“My village had something similar to that as well.” You begin, “Instead of a celebration once a month, once a week we would have a gathering in our town square where anyone could join us. Not many guests stayed in our town, but they always joined in whenever the celebration happened. We, too, had loud music and a large feast. The vendors would still have their shops open. Couples would be dancing in the center as others socialized. The children always looked forward to that day of the week.”

Mando asks the same question that you asked earlier, “do you miss it?”

You nod your head, “I would give anything to experience that again. Everyday I would look forward to that night when I was a child. I think the closest thing I’ll ever get to experiencing that again was the celebration we had here after the battle.”

“I think there’s more to come in your future.”

“I don’t know. Maybe a peaceful life isn’t for me anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“A life with war is all I’ve ever known.”

“There’s so much more to life in the galaxy than war and death. It’s about the choices that you make. The relationships you make. The actions that you make last longer than a lifetime. What we’ve done for this village will be told for generations.”

A soft hum escapes from your lips as you ponder Mando’s words. You never thought of it like that before. Ever since your first home was taken from you, war is all you’ve known. You were introduced to the idea of peaceful negotiations at a young age, but violence always won the fight against peace.

“How old were you? When the Mandalorians took you in?”

“Not much older than they are.” He responds as he refers to the children who are just making their way out of their homes, with their parents following shortly after.

As you admire the villagers preparing for another day’s work, you don’t notice how the pad of Mando’s gloved hand runs gently against the upside of your hand, the light squeeze he gives your hand during the silent moment. The feeling of his hand in yours just seems so natural that it feels like it’s something you’ve always done.

“I-“ Mando is cut off by the sudden screams coming from inside the hut. The two of you immediately glance in the direction where it came from in response.

“Hold that thought. I’ll go get him.” You offer as you get up to leave, but not before giving his hand one more squeeze before you depart temporarily.

“Hey there, little guy.” Mando hears as you disappear inside the hut to tend to the baby. With his limited view, a smile is on Mando’s face as he hears both your voice and the baby’s laughs in the background. From where he’s sitting, he can’t see much. All that he can see is your frame bending over to pick up the baby from the crib the village so gracelessly lent you. Your back is towards him and all he can see is a baby blue blanket in your arms as you walk deeper in the hut. Probably to make sure everything with the kid is alright.

Mando doesn’t notice the small figure approaching him. He doesn’t see the plate of food they’re bringing him. The only thing that’s in his line of sight is you. Even an action as small as you wrapping the baby in your arms entices him. You could be doing something as simple as standing around and you would be able to easily get his attention.

Maybe he should check up on you, just to make sure you’re alright. The wound on your foot is long gone by this point, but maybe he should make sure nothing’s wrong.

Mando rises to his feet to check up on you but is interrupted by a light clearing of someone’s throat.

“Good morning.” A light and familiar feminine voice greets him. As he glances at the figure who has approached him, he sees Omera has begun her morning routine of greeting the two of you by bringing breakfast.

“Morning.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you.”

Omera carefully places the plate of food on a nearby chair that resides on the porch of the hut. When she notices that only Mando is outside, she asks this outloud.

“Where’s the baby? I made him something that I think he will like.” She says.

“They’re both inside. The kid just woke up right before you arrived.”

“I see,” She hums, “will you let her know that I stopped by?”

“I will.”

“We both made plans for later this afternoon and I wanted to make sure she remembered.”

“She can be quite forgetful at times.” He comments with a slight chuckle.

“Yes, I have some experience with that. She was supposed to help us make lunch one afternoon but she slept through it and completely forgot.”

“That sounds like something she would do.”

Memories from that day flood through Mando’s head. That day only happened about a week after you guys arrived at the village, but you were so determined with making up your negligence that you ended up helping cook a meal that the village swore was the best they had in a long time. The giant grin never left your face that night.

“That’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her in a long time.” Mando says, mainly to himself, but Omera was able to hear it as well.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her upset since the three of you have joined us.”

‘Hopefully it can stay that way for a while.’ He thinks to himself.

Omera’s words are true. Ever since you arrived at the village, a new sense of happiness has taken over your body. Almost like a weight has been lifted in a way- like you’re more free. Mando’s only seen this side of you a handful of times on the Crest. Maybe it’ll become an everyday occurrence. Maybe every morning could begin with the two of you glancing at the clear sky as you reflect on whatever is on your minds. Maybe one day he can tell you about his first family- maybe even what life was like when the Mandalorians took him in all those years.

-and I hope you feel the same way.” Omera says as she brings him back from his thoughts.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said I hope you feel the same way- as she does.” She repeats as the combination of your laughter and the baby’s rings in the air.

“I do. I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for her.”

“She means a lot to you.”

“Yes. She’s been a good friend all of the time I’ve known her.”

“It’s more than that. I see the way that you look at her- how your gaze never leaves even after she’s left, how relaxed you seem whenever you’re around her.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“I’m afraid so.” She responds as she lightly places a hand on his bicep, softly stroking the cloth material.

To an outsider, this moment may seem intimate, and in a way it is, but not in the way that it actually is. With how close they’ve gotten to each other, a stranger may see this as two lovers conversing, but Omera and Mando both know how wrong that statement would be. It’s not a romantic sentiment that’s being said, but an unspoken understanding. Like Omera knows how much you and Mando truly care for one another- how deep your feelings for each other go.

“I must seem like the biggest fool.” He says as his visor glances down at her.

“Not big enough for her to notice. She’s almost as blind as you.” Omera chuckles as her hand grazes down the length of his arm to encapsulate her hand in his. With their fingers intertwine, a warm feeling doesn’t appear in Mando’s belly, like how it always does whenever your body touches his. When Omera’s hand touches his, he gets a feeling of comfort, warmth, but in a different way that Mando feels when he touches you. After experiencing what he has with you, nothing can ever compare to that feeling that he gets when your hands touch.

“Hey, Mando, what was it that you were going to-“ You’re cut off by the sight you’re greeted with when you exit the hut.

When you peek your head around the corner with the baby in your arms, you expected to find Mando still sitting by your feet, not holding hands with the friendly woman he’s been spending a lot of time with recently. When he’s not around you, he’s always around Omera. He always seems happier around her, more free, like he’s finally able to be his true self. In all of the time you’ve known him, you’ve managed to get him to lower his guard only recently- months after you met. Omera was able to do it within a handful of weeks.

It seems like the woman in front of him has his complete attention, like all of time has stopped for them, because your presence seems to have gone unnoticed by them. Omera has one of her hands on Mando’s cuirass as her other hand is

encapsulated with his hand with the biggest grins being on both of their faces.

Omera is the first one to notice your sudden appearance as her hands leave your partner’s as she acknowledges you by saying your name and giving you the same greeting as she did with Mando.

“Good morning, I brought you guys breakfast.” She says as she refers to the plate of food that’s sitting behind her, “it’s your favorite.”

“Th- that’s very kind. Thank you.” You force the words out of your mouth.

“It’s no trouble at all. Please, let me know if there’s anything that you need before lunch.” She says as she begins to walk away from the three of you, but not before she turns back around, “don’t forget about our plans later!”

As you look at her figure getting smaller and smaller, you see how the smile has never left her face. Her complete focus is on a villager that has managed to catch her attention.

The pit in your stomach stays in its place. It’s not her fault for the way you feel. It’s not her fault that your heart sunk to the bottom of your stomach when you saw how close they were to each other.

It’s only taken her a few weeks to make your partner fall head over heels for her while it has taken you nearly half a rotation for you to even make him comfortable enough around you. After a week or so, Mando’s guard was able to be let down when he saw how gentle she was with children, including the green little baby you brought.

It took you almost as long to be comfortable around the Mandalorian as well, so it’s not his fault that he’s unaware of the feelings you hold for him, but it doesn’t make it any easier for you when you see them together. How easily things clicked between the two of them when they met. How much they trusted each other with their problems. How carefree and relaxed they both seem around each other.

“You alright, ruusaan?” Mando asks as he places a hand on your shoulder.

“Yeah, fine.” You say as you force a tight-lipped smile on your face, “you should probably eat. Who knows what the day will entail.”

“I’ll eat later. You should-“

The baby in your arms suddenly starts squirming. His feet eventually touch the floor as he begins running as he possibly can to the children who have begun playing a game where they run around the grassy area that resides next to the various huts.

“I’ll go after him. Please, eat.” You say as you quickly make your way over to where the baby ran off to.

The only sound in the hut that can be heard is echoing of your knives colliding with the cutting board. Omera had approached you earlier, asking if you would help her prepare lunch for the village and you had said ‘yes.’ You’re not exactly sure what you’re helping prepare, but Omera was right, cooking lunch for the village helps take your mind off of things. She noticed how lost in your thoughts you were and suggested to preoccupy yourself to distract yourself.

When you were by yourself earlier, everything that happened this morning played on repeat in your mind. From the moment you shared with your partner to finding him holding hands with Omera, the knot in your stomach reappeared as you became lost in your thoughts. Maybe you were reading way too into everything. Maybe Mando didn’t see the significance in the conversations you’ve been having lately. Maybe-

“It isn’t what you think.” The sounds of chopping suddenly stops.

“I’m sorry?”

“What you saw earlier between me and Mando, it’s not not what it looked like.”

“He’s happier around you, happier than he ever could be with me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

“He seems more at home around you.”

“What we have- it’s different.”

“How so?”

“It’s- we have a mutual understanding.”

“Because of the kids.”

“Yes.”

You don’t say anything in response. You know that ever since Mando laid eyes on the child, he had an unspoken connection with him. You also had a connection with the baby, but it was different for Mando. The kid was able to put him on a new path.

“But it’s also more than that.” Omera begins, “it’s like knowing that someone else understands what you’ve gone through.” Her words ring true, “like nothing has to be said in order for you two to understand each other.”

A soft ‘yeah’ leaves your lips as you continue to take in her words. You don’t know if it was intentional or not, but her words describe the relationship the both of you have with Mando.

Unspoken words exchanged between the two of you have always been the type of relationship you’ve had. You thought him opening up to you recently meant that your relationship was heading in a different direction but maybe you were wrong. Maybe he still sees you as his business partner and Omera as someone who he could have a future with, someone who could make him truly happy. If she can, then you know that there’s nothing that you could do about it, no matter how much it aches your heart.

You have to know if she feels the same way.

“Do you love him?”

The first words that leave her mouth breaks your heart, even more if that were possible.

“Yes, I do, but not in that way. I care for him deeply but not in the same way you do.”

“It’s alright if you. He deserves to be happy, to be at peace.”

“He won’t be if you aren’t around.” Your head tilts to the side in confusion, “don’t tell him I told you this, but you’re the only reason why he’s been so happy lately.”

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating. There must-“

“I’m not. Those were his exact words.”

“Oh.”

“He cares for you deeply. He just, shows it in different ways with different people is all. He shows the way he cares for you in a different way that he cares about me, or the village, or the baby.”

“Doesn’t show it around me.” You mumble underneath your breath.

“He does, you just haven’t caught it yet. Just give him time, he’ll come around, eventually.”

“I must be the biggest fool. I wasn’t even able to catch on.”

“He said that too.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We should probably get back to work. We have a village to feed.”

With that, the silence from before returns. The only sound that can be heard is your knives colliding with the cutting board as you cut the fresh vegetables. Unlike before, preparing food doesn’t help take your mind off of things. Before you didn’t have to worry about your anxieties. Before none of your worrying thoughts crossed your mind. But now, all of your thoughts from this morning and the conversation you just had with Omera can’t seem to leave your mind.

Before, your anxieties were mainly about the possibility of having to go on without your partner, about the possibility of his future staying with the village, but now the thoughts that enter your mind are completely different. You thought Mando had cared for Omera on a much different level, only for her to correct your anxieties. Now, you don’t know what to think. You thought Mando only cared for you as a partner, maybe even a friend, but the conversation you had with Omera tells you otherwise. When she first told you this, your heart soared, but as you reflect, fear strikes in you. Whenever you get close with someone, the galaxy always manages to strip them from you.

Tears brim your eyes without your realization. The piece of food you’re chopping is neglected by you. You were preoccupied reflecting on the time you spent with Mando before arriving on Sorgan and how you could’ve lost him multiple times, from risking his life to rescuing the child on Nevarro to protecting the small town on Banesh. You could’ve lost him when the two of you were separated and you wouldn’t have known. Even though you’ve known him for a short period of time, your life has changed so much ever since you met Mando.

Sudden pain runs through your system. A light gasp leaves your lips when you glance down at your hand, only to find that your finger is covered in blood. The knife that’s in your grasp has a light layer of blood covered on the blade.

“Kriff.”

“It’ll be fine. We’ll get you fixed up.” Omera says as she stops her actions as she glances down at your injury. The cut on your finger isn’t bad, not that deep, but blood keeps leaking out.

“I’m fine. We should finish lunch first.”

“I’ll finish lunch later, we need to get you all fixed up first.”

With her arms wrapped around you, Omera slowly begins guiding you out of the hut to get you the help you need.

“-so we were trapped there for the remaining time we were stationed there. It wasn’t ideal, but we made it work.” Cara concludes her story.

While you were occupied with Omera’s presence, Mando was accompanied with Cara’s. The ex-shock trooper was currently recollecting one of her many war stories from over the years. One of the main reasons why the two warriors got on so well was because of their experiences with the war. The two will often recall some memories from over the years and this is no exception. However, when Cara was finishing up her story, something caught Mando’s eye. He saw your slouched figure exiting out of the hut he saw you enter earlier, only now Omera’s arm is around you as the two of you walk through the village.

Mando can vaguely hear Cara’s voice as she asks some sort of question, but he can’t seem to focus on her as his full attention is on you. His mind fears for the worst as he sees your figure get smaller and smaller by the second. Were you hurt? Did something happen to you? Maybe he should check up on you to make sure you’re okay.

Cara notices something’s wrong when Mando’s visor goes from glancing at her to glancing

somewhere else for a long time. His visor doesn’t even move an inch- something else obviously grabbed his attention. When Cara looks in the same direction as him, she finally understands why.

“I’m sure she’s alright. She has Omera by her side.”

“Maybe I should-“ Mando immediately gets up from his comfortable position of leaning against the exterior of the hut to go check up on you, but before he’s able to do so, a little creature attaches itself to his boot. When he glances down, he sees that the green little baby that has entered his life recently has a vice tight grip on the leather of his boot. When he grabs the baby in his arms and holds him like you taught him to all those weeks ago, his chances of finding you are gone when he can no longer see your figure.

“How did you guys even meet?” Cara asks.

“He’s a bounty that we picked up-“

“No, not him, her. You two seem nothing alike. How did you manage to find someone like her?”

“She literally crossed into my life.”

“What do you mean?”

“She threatened to kill me when we first met.”

Today seemed like any other day for Mando. He had just recently returned back to Nevarro to turn in the bounties he had just collected and was waiting for his next job. Greef was currently congratulating Mando for his success and telling him all about a possible bounty. Several fobs have been given out for this individual and no Guild members have been successful in bringing them back. When no one is successful, Greef knows that he can rely on Mando to get the job done.

“This bounty has been giving my hunters a particularly hard time. From what I can tell, they’re easily able to hunt them down, but when they arrive at the given location, the bounty has been able to get out of their graseasily and then makes another escape- that’s where you come in. The person who put a bounty on their head isn’t too pleased with how long it’s taken and-“

Suddenly, a knife is at Mando’s throat.

“What is he doing here?!” A feminine voice from behind Mando asks.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up!” Greef says as he lets out a few chuckles. The knife only gets closer and closer to Mando’s throat, but luckily his layers of clothing gives him more protection to prevent any damage, “I have a job for the two of you.”

Even when the two of you met just moments ago, you’re already able to read each other’s minds by saying, “I work alone.”

Greef chuckles once again, “well, this is a job that I need two of my best hunters on. You two need to work together on this.”

Once again, it’s like you two can read each other’s minds. When you respond with, ‘I’m not working with him,’ Mando responds with, ‘I’m not working with her.’

Greef lets out a sigh as he calls out your name, “please, sit. Let me explain.”

Though hesitantly, you do. You drop the knife from Mando’s throat as you secure it in its rightful place. Mando lets out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding in. He wasn’t afraid of what you were going to do to him, but something about you made him lose his breath. He scoots over to the other side of the seat so that you could join him. You do, but your irritation of the whole situation only reflects in your words.

You’re thigh-to-thigh with him. If either of you were to move an inch away from each other, then a part of your behind would be off of the seat.

“Could you scoot over, Mandalorian? I need my personal space.”

“And special treatment.” He mutters underneath his breath. If you two weren’t so close, you wouldn’t have been able to hear it.

“What did you just say?!” You ask as you look in the ‘T’ visor that you would get used to seeing on a daily basis one day.

“I think you heard me.” Mando responds.

“Guys, please-“ Greef tries to get your attention but the two of you are already not seeing eye-to-eye even when you just met a minute ago.

“At least I don’t see myself as higher than everyone else.” You snark.

“At least I don’t scream to get attention.”

“You know, I’ve always heard that Mandalorians are cold and ruthless killers and I never believed it, but I think I’m starting to.”

“Guys!” Greef tries to get your attention again.

“You know what, I can’t work underneath these conditions. I’m sorry, but I’m out.”

You get up to leave and hear Mando mutter something underneath his breath while Greef just says your name in a pleading tone.

“If you’re able to catch this bounty, you’ll see a reward bigger than you’ve ever seen before.”

You open your mouth to ask the question that pops up in your mind, but for the third time that day, Mando says the very thought that you think of.

“Why so high?” He asks.

“Besides from my hunters being unsuccessful, I’m assuming the bounty pissed off the wrong people. Can I count on the two of you?”

The bounty doesn’t seem that hard. Mando has already made up his mind but he doesn’t want to force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, even though the pair of you were just at each other’s throats a few seconds ago.

Mando’s visor turns from glancing at Greef to looking at you- the first of many times he will silently ask for your approval of a bounty the two of you would take on.

You don’t look over at Mando. You just huff out a deep breath as you snatch up the bounty puck.

“Fine. Let’s go, partner.”

“We were able to catch the bounty at one point, but there were a few altercations that blew our cover.”

“Let me guess: it was because of her?”

“Yes.”

“She’s always been one to speak whatever is on her mind.”

“Yes.”

“She’s brave, I’ll give her that.”

“She’s always been the one to do what others wouldn’t dare to. No one in the Guild ever talked to me. They were too afraid to. No one would’ve been able to say half of the things she’s said to me. She always says what’s on her mind. It’s one of the things I-“

Mando cuts himself off. His next words were on the tip of his tongue, saying his next words would’ve been so natural, but he can’t say them outloud. Not yet at least. If he ever does speak them, he wants you to hear them first, not Cara.

“You what?”

“Nothing.”

Just like that, the subject is dropped and silence falls between them. The little one wrapped up in Mando’s arms gently grabs at his sleeve as his little fingers point in the direction ahead of them. When Mando’s visor glances in that direction, he sees that Omera has made her way out of one of the huts briefly before making her way back inside.

Cara sees this too because she urges him to go, “Go. I’ll watch over him.”

Mando nods his helmet in appreciation at her as he begins to make his way where he just saw Omera’s figure moments ago.

taglist (let me know if you want to be added): @unstoppableforcce @remmysbounty @ayamenimthiriel @randomness501 @itspauvr @sarahjkl82-blog @mostclevermiss @seninjakitey @altarsw @bookloverfilmoholic @welcometothepedroverse

#hi we're FINALLY getting somewhere #its about damn time am i right #anyways heres some ~soft~ with some angst bc i suck at angst and i wanna try to get better lol #enjoy #wopc #my writing #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x f!reader #the mandalorian x ofc #the mandalorian x oc #the mandalorian x female reader #din djarin #din djarin x reader #din djarin x oc #din djarin x you #din djarin x female reader

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ennui-gt · 3 years ago

Text

Here it is. A Piece Of Borrower Content Written Entirely In Stream Of Consciousness:

AN: so this is incomplete and very…needs revisions to the timeline to incorporate some things I added later! It’s the original universe that Mira’s from! I edited it like Slightly to just change Ross’s name to Ross (if u see Max anywhere that’s his old one I just felt like changing it so that’s just him but different. Anyway) Everything's under the readmore tab, cheers!

The Library Fairy:

Basic Plot (Chrono, comic starts from human perspective abt the ‘legend of the library fairy’ ig maybe. Nothing here is permanent cept the characterization)

Part A

1- Mira is borrower currently chillin in a college library

2- She lives off of the cafe on the second floor nd reads lots and lots of stuff about everything when the upper floors close (lower floor open 24/7 but upper floors r vacant p much after 12:00 AM)

3- she starts getting increasingly curious about human stuff cos she’s literate nd books r pry neat

4- it starts one night when she spots an unattended notebook and a half eaten blueberry muffin, nd it’s 12:30 so nobody’s coming back in atm (it’s the 80s so no laptops for the plebians quite yet)

5- so she goes ‘welp’ nd takes part of the muffin, then sees the work on the page and goes ‘hmmmm this is incorrect’ so she helps our and leaves notes here n there to point the kid in the right direction and puts down some book refs for further study bcos at this point she’s been there for 2 years and she knows where most things are

6- she stays behind to see if the human comes back for it, hidden in a hidey hole near the desk

7- human comes in, sees notebook, practically melts w relief nd stuffs it in his bag

8- next day human comes back nd leaves nother notebook and a cookie, along w a hidden camera

9- Mira goes ‘o boy, this a trap, innit’

10- Mira then decides ‘eh whatever I haven’t had contact w anyone in years now so I might as well’

11- she steals the camera film nd leaves a lil scrap of paper saying ‘nice try ;)’ on it

12- student comes back, sees paper, goes ‘dammit’, then leaves note addressed to the ‘library fairy’ and another cookie, as well as more of their work for her to help with

13- bout a decade goes by and now the “Library Fairy” is an urban myth, it’s currently 2003 so she’s also wound up on the school’s unofficial Wikipedia page under ‘local cryptids’

14- most library employees know of her but they don’t go looking out of fear stemming from superstitions bout her, somehow the legend grew from ‘can’t be photographed’ to ‘a student once saw her and died that day’

15- there’s now a small shrine devoted to her where ppl bring offerings hoping to get good grades in return, sometimes they will leave papers for her to proofread nd stuff

16- new prof (named Alexei) finds online article thinks he Knows What’s Up bcos he had a borrower friend as a kid, but they left when borrower’s fam found out about them knowing each other

17- he leaves note wedged in one of her secret entrances behind outlet, asking if she can meet w him at some point

18- Mira, already In it, goes ‘Okay. Alright. This has gone on for long enough. Time to go and never return’ but ofc she’s curious as all hell and like she decides she will at least honor the guy’s request for a convo b4 she goes, but on her terms and w/o speaking face 2 face

19- they Talk in the library after hours, bcos he paid off the janitor to let him stay after hours nd most of the student employees recognize him as a prof nd leave him alone

20- they talk again for every subsequent night

21- she uhhhh finally decides to reveal herself nd prays that her hunch was right nd he won’t try to grab her or anything

22- he doesn’t but she’s nervous so she winds up gettin caught in her own climbing rope like idiot, is now dangling from ceiling in tangled mess

23- he stifles chuckle nd she says smthn sarcastic

24- he moves closer and offers to untangle her

25- she’s like ‘please’

26- so he do, but her grip on the rope slips nd he has to catch her

26- so now she’s in his hand and he just sets her down and now he’s a bumbling embarrassed mess bcos he said he wasn’t going to hold her and he just did and o dear pls forgib him

28- nd she’s like ‘dude u just saved my life it’s fine ur fine chill’

29- internally she’s going HOLY FUCK AAAAAAA but externally, her human’s already worked up enough as it is so she’s gotta b the level headed one

29.5- after a while they both kinda get used to each other more, he gets tenure, they celebrate, some more stuff happens, Aleksei got married (not to Mira, Mira hasn’t actually rly thought about being in a relationship w anyone cos she’s laser focused on gaining as much knowledge as possible)

30- eventually Alexei’s like ‘hey so I’m dean of faculty for the biotech branch now uhhhh would u like actual job teaching students? Cos, uh, you can do it remotely thru online lectures n stuff, no in person interaction, and I uh was just kinda wondering—‘

31- she’s like ‘yes. Yes!!! LET ME HELP PEOPLE OFFICIALLY KINDA’

32- so now she’s a professor, and has revealed her Secret a few times here n there to a number of the faculty, nd she has recorded her own findings in a personal journal

33- ‘humans will treat u like a human if they think ur human first. The kids call it ‘catfishing’’

34- enter Ross, an mall goth who accidentally tripped headfirst into a premed program

35- Mira’s favorite field of study is bio so naturally she’s his prof for a majority of his classes

36- being the good boy that he is, he now knows Mira’s secret. There is an Entire Chapter on him finding out and legit just continuing their conversation as if everything was normal bcos he thought that was how he was supposed to handle the situation

37- then she says ‘u can ask questions, u know’ he’s like OH THANK FUCK CAUSE I HAVE SEVEN HUNDRED OF THOSE

38- and now he kinda knows what to look for in terms of ‘do borrowers live here check yes or no’

39-in his apartment, the answer is yes and he mistakenly kinda stumbles upon the mom one night when he wakes up in the middle of the night for Snack and opts to pretend like its not happening. Unfortunately the thing she was trying 2 borrow (piece of crumb cake for Son Boy’s birthday) is the thing he wants 2 eat so he’s like “uh. ‘Scuse me, ma’am.” and he peels back the saran wrap on the other side of the plate, takes piece, nd then leaves some there for her

40-so now the woman is like ‘welp guess it time 2 Leave’

.1- she and husband Talk

.2-they decide it best 2 go

.3-theyre Packing

.4-lil bab Ellie confused

.5-hawk attacke

.6-cut to Ross

41- Ross also happens to work at a bar and he goes outside for a break

43- he finds smal child—smol smal—on the sidewalk and said child is missing an arm, nd has lost a lot of blood, so he’s uhhhhh Losing It highkey

43.5-parents r nowhere 2 b seen, but the hawk is nearby and circling. Ross gets an idea of what just happened

44- he up and leaves work, thankfully his apartment is above the shop so he jumps up the fire escape w the child and

45- he make tourniquet

46- he calls Mira nd asks her 2 come over to ASAP. he’s A Mess at this point

47- it is Very touch and go, kid needs blood, Mira is the only viable donor so she’s just gotta pray that the blood type is fine and won’t kill him

48- and then eventually they manage 2 stave infection thru antibiotics properly dosed to his size, Mira does Math and Prays basically

49- ‘bout a month in, kid wakes up

50- kid doesn’t rember much since he’s only 3

51- hes v scared of Ross at first but over time he gets used 2 the human

52- kid (elliot) starts 2 call Ross ‘dad’ after a while

53- Ross: *internal screaming but in a good way*

54- the end kinda for now

Part 2

A- New Borrowers In The Building

—three of em. paranoid dad, mom, nd daughter that’s Elliot’s age so he’s pumped

B- Elliot offers them a place 2 stay briefly

C- he knows by now bout like, how borrowers don’t typically interact w humans and Auntie Mira’s a bit of a weird case so he just doesn’t tell em bout his dad being the human

D- the kid finds out first nd doesn’t tell the parents, but they figure it out later kinda and think that it’s a ‘o god he’s being kept as a pet’ sitch so they’re >:| abt it

E- they move out and try to take Elliot w them (by force bcos they think he’s brainwashed) but he escapes and makes it to Ross, who’s like “uhhhhhh”

F- and the mom come out the hole near the counter n starts yelling at Ross, who is…kinda used to it since Mira brings in ppl who need help from time 2 time and they typically don’t react well when they’re lucid enough to understand what’s going on. He’s just not used to being questioned about his own kid

G- so they’re like “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING WITH HIM”

H- and he’s like “r…raising him???”

I- and Ellie steps up and he’s like “this is my dad. I decided he was my dad when I was three. He’s being a good parent”

J- and Ross is like “yeah what he said. I’m a good parent.”

K- Ross is riding that high til the end of fucking time but like back to the story at hand

L- this is when the husband comes out nd is like “lissen. wifey. ily but that is a very big human and he hasn’t grabbed us yet so let’s count our blessings and gtfo”

M- but she’s like “uh no we stay until I’m sure Elliot is Safe and fucking Sound”

N- so they stay for dinner nd stick around a little longer.

O- Val (the kid) gets closer 2 Elliot and also Ross a bit

P- Mira shows once or twice, first time she shows up they’re like “oh god it’s the crazy doctor lady this all makes sense now” (bcos Mira does check up on as many borrower families as possible in her free time so word has got around by now Of her, and the number by which to contact her in case her services r needed)

Q- After a month or so, then they decide to leave bcos they’re like “look we get that ur son is ur son and he only has one arm and in our profession that is kind of a death sentence but we can’t have our kid getting used to dealing w humans who know about our existence” so they go and leave on a kind of sour note bcos Ellie can do anything he wants to do just as well as any other borrower Thank You Very Much and Ross is ready to fite anyone who thinks otherwise

R- Elliot starts trying 2 b more independent, basically from now on he’s like ‘I can do everything my Damn Self Thanks’

S- but uh he does it to a point where he’s going out of the way to endanger himself

T- so they get into a fite about it and ross Yells and Elliot is like ‘kthxbye’

U- and the boi just. Fuckin bolts. Runs Away. Ross is a Mess, he starts smoking again (he quit cold turkey the day he took Elliot in) to curb the depression, he’s jus. Not doin good, worried that his son is dead and the last time they talked it’d ended badly

V- FREEDOM!!!1! Except Ellie doesn’t kno how to take care of himself so it’s a rough month or so and then he runs into some other borrowers livin in their own town in the wild ig, chillin, being hella independent, and he’s like “uh yes ofc I will join u, I was w my dad for a while but.........” he neither confirms nor denies that his dad’s dead but everyone kinda just assumes.

Part 3

W-anyway a year goes by and then the borrower group gets hit hard w some kind of sickness ig. Elliot gets it too he’s basically incapacitated n drifting in and out of lucidity. So. They contact the weird crazy doctor lady who hangs around humans, a.k.a. Mira, and she’s like “oh. fuck. I know this kid.” bcos she does, u kno, and she jus treats em all for their ailment and shows them how to make antibiotic poultice thing in case smthn like it happens again. Mold. Penicillin is basically what it is

X-she and Elliot hav a Chat (Mira basically yells at him a lot) once he’s fixed up and he decides he’s gonna visit his dad but he makes it very clear that he is a Grown Up (he’s not, he’s literally sixteen), and he is living on his own now

Y- he agrees to stay for a week tho since he misses his home a lot tbh and Ross is just. Over the fucking moon to know he’s ALIVE, he’s not gonna fuck up their relationship by insisting that he stay. Or like, by keeping him ofc he would never

Z- unfortunately the borrower community put two and two together and figured out his dad’s human so they have his stuff packed up when he gets back w mira, who’s ready to go the fuck off on them

End 1:

-Ellie is living at Ross’s place atm and hopeful about the future basically. He eventually will go off on his own but he’ll keep in contact w his dad and stuff

Part C.5

55- few yrs later

56- elliot is Adult now he does adult borrower stuff

57- he moves out

58- finds nice borrower gf (her name’s Tess)

59- doesn’t tell her about his dad being human but talks about his dad a LOT

60- so when she asks to meet said father he’s just like “uh. Maybe we don’t do that actually”

61- and she’s like “y tho”

62- and he’s like “bcos”

63- anyway she decides to look into it cos she knows he goes to see his dad nd keep in touch but his dad is allegedly “a recluse who lives in the big scary human’s walls to avoid other ppl”

64- which is. Not true in the slightest tbqh he’s def not an introvert he’s just a workaholic and he Is the big scary human

65- anywho they run into Val and her wife and she’s like “how’s Ross been?” And Elliot is acting Very Suspish so she, being Smart, calls it immediately and is like “oh shit u haven’t told her yet have u”

66- Tess: “told me what”

67- Val: “El’s dad is a human, bro.”

68- Tess: “I’m sorry?”

69- this results in a Big Fight and they separate for like, a month. Elliot blames Val bcos he’s being irrational and doesn’t wanna admit to the fact that lying to his girlfriend for over a year was Real Bad Actually, but over time he’s like ‘yeah it’s my fault sry for snapping at u’ cos he works thru his emotions n stuff

70- Eventually gf comes back cos she’s like “ok so. I understand why you lied to me about your dad. It was a dick move but I do get it and I still care about you a lot. I would like. To meet him.”

80- this is a lie she does not want to meet him she is doing this bcos she does not want to lose Elliot and that outweighs the fear of his dad

81- so they go to meet him but she’s just kinda. Behind the wall at first like “that’s a crazy big human this is crazy ur crazy it’s time to gO”

82- Val is also there bcos she hasn’t seen Ross in a while

83- they eventually coax her out of hiding

84- and by that I mean Val picks her up and drags her out into the open by force bcos she basically freezes up the second she catches sight of Ross and Val’s like “u didn’t come all this way for nothing, bich”

85- they have a Painfully Awkward First Meeting, Tess is trying her best but oh god he’s just too fucking. Larg. Ellie ur dad too big

86- tbh tho the ice kinda breaks after Ellie and Ross get into a fight over smthn stupid (im thinking Elliot grumbles bout Ross’s hair being unruly and he’s worried that mira’s using it like a personal storage system again and Ross is like “I’ve been keeping better track of that actually” and then like a little line of paper clips and a few hand-bound notebooks tied together w some string fall out of his fucking mane and he’s like “I can explain”

87- “dad you can’t keep letting her use your hair like a fucking NEST”

88- Tess is laughing now cos god damn this was not what she was expecting

89- that’s it the end it ends w Tess laughing at them being idiots good times r had by all

Uhhhh that’s it so far. I have More but it’s kinda jumbled rn and I need to fit stuff in places. Anyway.

#was gonna make this into a comic lawl #if I like actually manage to get off my ass over the coming weeks I probably will be able to do that! but yeah #also this was once posted b4 and I deleted it but it’s back now say hellow #Library Fairy #oc: Mira #oc: Ross #oc: Elliot #oc: Tess #oc: Val #oc: Alexei #anyway yeah here it is behold #the uhhhhh most slice of life thing I have ever created

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sotorubio · 4 years ago

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I'm really confused cus ppl are attacking tiff for taking control of her life, saying she doesn't need to be rescued. I thought that's a good thing? But people are saying it's fake feminism because she was so mean to lola before. But isn't that the whole point of skam? People have this "shame" in their life that they grow from? Like how everyone wanted lola to be forgiven for stuff she did to other people in s6, (eliott, lucas, daphne, etc ,) because she had her own struggles but had grown /was growing from it? But with tiff we're not supposed to support her? It's hilarious how people have decided there's a right and a wrong way to react to clips and it you don't fit the "right" reaction box then you're some kind of heathen 😔

well if we're talking real life ofc something like that is a good thing, finding ur strength after going through trauma is always good n a common "feminist" trope is that a girl recognizes that she needs no man or whatever. i haven't been that active on here recently so i haven't seen the reactions to it but this season has not been a feminist one in the least no matter how many catchphrases they throw in there

above all this season is abt a cis, white, straight and rich girl so. failed step one. ppl need to understand that if feminism isn't intersectional it's worthless n this doesn't just mean they should've picked someone else for the role (which they should've, but there's more to it) u can't make a feminist season abt a white girl if ur gonna villanize all ur woc especially the black women. u can't make a feminist season abt a cishet, rich girl if ur gonna make the bisexual poor girl ignore the fact that this is the person who played w her trauma just a year before. u can't make a feminist season abt a rich girl if the previous season she was overworking her privilege to show how classist she was (which the fans love to forget bc they don't see poor ppl as oppressed lol) and again u can't make a feminist season abt a white girl if all her Cool Feminist Moments only happen when she's talking to a black man such as her snarky "that wasn't an invitation" when aurélien tried to kiss her or her physically attacking him bc he? cares abt their daughter? being consider a Powerful Mom Thing

if all this didn't exist sure it would be considered feminist for her to not need saving, but when we put it in the context of literally everything else we can see that this is yet another poor attempt at taking a cliché feminist phrase that u could see written by a male avengers movie director for woke points. ppl need to understand that tiff has huge amounts of privilege over both aurélien (being white) n max (being cis) so her being a woman doesn't even automatically place her social status "beneath" these men. even just outside of fandom shit ppl should understand that supporting certain women will inherently be anti feminist, just bc ur cheering on a woman doesn't make u feminist.

then second abt the shame thing & lola. the "shame" in all skam seasons has always been smth "innate" due to the lack of a better world. smth that the society shames u for. the isak seasons r abt being gay bc society makes ppl ashamed of gayness, but u don't think being gay is a "shame" do u? neither is being a muslim, but the sana seasons r abt that bc again the "shame" is smth society perpetuates. the fact that tiff was "mean to lola" (she was a classist, she told her to kill herself, she made her trauma n mental illness into her own little joke) is not her "shame" bc that was her choice....that's smth she chose to do she isn't misunderstood or oppressed bc she hates poor ppl lmao. if they made made a season abt the nico character would u say his shame is sexual harassment? i doubt it. bc that's not smth he's involuntarily shamed for that's an action he chose to take.

also tiff n lola's "forgiveness" or lack thereof isn't comparable. first of all i'm not sure why u mentioned lucas? she never rly did anything to him but he on the other hand has a shitload to apologize for to her. abt eliott & daphné i also don't quite understand bc as for daphné they had a mutually toxic sibling dynamic, both failing at communication n treating each other badly but like.. even in that situation daphné was literally stalking her sister so again not sure what blame lola has on her here. n for eliott i also don't get what she should've apologized for like if u mean the club clips then u r in the wrong place bc lola didn't even do anything bad other than be rude which every other character is also guilty of smfjlskd

like see the difference? tiff & lola's conflict wasn't mutual, tiff chose to harass n stalk her based on nothing at all, she was only able to do that bc of the privilege n power she (a white cishet rich girl) has over lola (a bisexual mentally ill poor girl). i don't see how those two r in any way comparable.

so i guess that's my explanation for it. as for ur last point i do agree i don't know why it's anyone else's problem how others react to clips but even then i do think we need to understand that skam remakes take pride in their "diversity" n "representation" so sometimes certain reactions actually r objectively wrong. like saying "i liked this clip" or "i didn't like this clip" is all cool n no one should get hate for that but if ppl watch a clip where certain stereotypes r used unironically n their decision is to actually enforce the harmful message n not waste any of their three braincells for critical thinking bc It'S jUsT FiCtiOn then u r not immune to me thinking ur a brainless idiot

#inbox #anon #skam france

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kabira · 4 years ago

Text

08 | distance

pairing — spider-man!vernon x ofc

featuring — joshua, yeji (itzy), felix (skz), yangyang (nct)

word count — 2.5k

genres — spider-man au, marvel au, fluff, action, angst, humor

warnings — minor violence

note — ok so this was kinda later than scheduled (three WEEKS) but the next update will hopefully be on time so i can keep up! by which i mean sunday 6 am (ist). also, for the love of god, tumblr make this show up in the tags. pretty, pretty please.

go to fic masterlist | main masterlist

“Okay, so here’s what I found out about your Rhino guy,” Yeji said, jumping over the side of the rooftop and landing on another, hitting the ground with a roll before coming up on her feet. They were currently involved in a high-speed chase, which meant she had to yell at the top of her voice for Vernon to hear her—not that it mattered a lot. Up here, no one could hear you scream. “He’s Russian. Name’s Alexei Sytsevich.”

“Russian, huh?” Vernon yelled back. He swung over a tall rooftop garden, taking care not to accidentally knock over something he wasn’t supposed to. “Anything that could tie him to Osborn?”

“Not really!” Yeji yelled. “His identity is public, so anyone could get to him, and he must have happened to have been around when he attacked you. But there’s nothing concrete we could go after.”

The two of them were chasing Batroc the Leaper across the top of the buildings, having caught up with him just moments after he robbed a store. A basic assignment, really, but it was still a challenge to apprehend him before he got too far from the crime scene. One of their more casual operations, much like a training session, except this was the real deal.

“Anything of interest?” Vernon asked. They were close to catching their quarry, very close. Batroc wasn’t really that notorious in the underworld, but he was still a menace and technically a criminal. A more notable point of interest were the mechanical leaping legs attached to both his feet which allowed him to jump several feet high in the air, making for a good old-fashioned superhuman chase scene.

“He was experimented on with this gamma radiation technique to give him superhuman strength and durability, but it ended in an accident,” Yeji answered. Her voice, apart from the strain due to the yelling, sounded strangely relaxed for someone who was chasing a guy across the tops of buildings. Even after having time to get used to it, Vernon was still surprised by her resilience. “The suit he was wearing that day—remember how it was made of some kind of self-regenerating polymer? It’s literally stuck to his skin. Can’t get it off him.”

“Must be constipated; it explains the anger issues.”

Just then, Yeji caught up to the Leaper. She sprung off a ledge and onto the top of a water tanker, from where she dived towards the unsuspecting criminal, flattening him to the ground. Vernon swung up to her, landing on the ground next to her. Batroc tried to wiggle away, but Vernon webbed his hands and feet to the rooftop, successfully trapping him. “So,” he said, turning his attention back to Yeji. “Any idea where they’re keeping him?”

“If you’re wondering if he’s being kept anywhere close to Osborn, don’t worry.” She placed her hands on her hips. It looked strangely satisfying, her claws aligned with the gray markings around the waist of her white suit. “Rhino’s placed in the Helicarrier for now, but in a special ward designed specifically for the big guys, though th They have specialists looking into his, er, sticky situation, but he’s on an entirely different level than Norman. And I mean that quite literally.”

He nodded. “Did the files mention which specialists are looking into it?”

“Eez it perhaps—” Batroc started.

Vernon webbed his mouth. “Zip it,” he said.

“No. The only files I could access didn’t have much on him,” Yeji said, sounding genuinely sorry. “There was other stuff, like his eye color and his blood type, but I don’t think you’d be very interested in all of that.”

“You think right.”

“There might be more details in the confidential reports coming in from the Helicarrier holder itself, but getting them would be a lot of trouble,” she said. “Although if you really want them—”

“No, it doesn’t matter,” Vernon said, shaking his head. “Thanks for digging up the rest, though. I owe you one.”

“Consider it early payback for when your Aunt May teaches me how to beat your ass at video games.” He couldn’t see her face, but he sensed that underneath the mask, she was smiling.

“Hey, that’s an Aunt May thing, not a me thing,” he said, then paused, hesitating. There was something else he had wanted to ask her, but he didn’t know if he really wanted to follow through with it. “Hey, Tiger…” he trailed off. “Actually, never mind.”

“No, go ahead,” she said. “Unless you’d rather not.”

He shook his head slightly. “It’s not like that,” he said. “This might sound kind of intrusive, but do you know the deal with Fe—Iceman?” he asked. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s great and everything, but with all the brooding and the secrecy, I’m just a little—” He scrunched up his nose. “That does sound intrusive.”

“It does,” she agreed, but it sounded amused. “Look, I’d tell you. I really would. But it’s something I feel he should tell you yourself, you know? If and when he’s comfortable talking to you about it.”

“Did he tell you?”

“No, I just kind of figured it out.” She sounded a little sheepish. “And maybe I got it out of one of the IT guys.”

He looked at her, amused. “They have IT guys at S.H.I.E.L.D.?”

“Well, I guess they’re not IT guys in the strictest sense,” she mused. “There’s a hierarchy of ranks even within the record regulators, so it’s a little hard to explain. Not that it really matters, anyway.”

“It would be kind of cool if S.H.I.E.L.D. needed IT guys,” Vernon said, looking down at Batroc, except he wasn’t really looking at him, but through him. “Unrealistic, though.”

Yeji shook her head slightly, like she was unable to believe they were having this conversation. Or maybe he was just projecting his own amused disbelief onto her. But he noticed the tenseness of her shoulders and she let her arms fall to her sides, as if she was holding in a laugh. It was one of those conversations that took a turn that didn’t even have to be funny to make you laugh.

“Good talk,” she said, and this time he could actually hear the smile in her voice. “Now let’s get this guy back to the carrier.”

Luce knew something was up.

She had known this for a while now—about a year, in fact. She had only just started to suspect it when Vernon had changed, and Joshua had gotten secretive, and Harry had first started floating away. It had come one after the other, like the three of them were carrying out parts in a play and she was in the audience, watching but unable to take part. Change, and secrecy, and distance.

She liked distance. Luce had always been distant, someone who stood in the crowd and yet apart from it, unwelcome and unsettling for most around her. Eccentric, some called her, or strange, or downright creepy. It never really mattered to her, because for her, it had always been just the four of them—Vernon, Joshua, Harry and her—and even after everything that had happened, they still felt like four. Three people with a ghost in between, still shaking his head at their dumb jokes and still taking the best seat in the Parker living room when they had movie night.

Looking back, she realized that the cracks in their relationship had first appeared a year ago. Often, after Harry died, she thought about how they had collectively ignored those fractures in their friendship, that had come in the form of change and secrets and distance.

The first to change had been Vernon, of course—trading his glasses for unexplained bruises, his mysterious disappearances poorly covered up and rarely questioned. Then Joshua—the two of them with their heads together in the hallways, shooting each other knowing looks that shut everyone out. It felt like it was just the two of them sometimes, Luce and Harry often forgotten during their closed conversations. That was probably what had pushed them together, but now that Harry was gone, she was left alone. Still on the outside, trying to look in, but in vain.

She knew she couldn’t blame Vernon and Joshua for it, she had started to blend into the background a little more with every passing day. Catching one without the other was hard, so at some point she stopped trying, letting them find her whenever they felt like it. Sometimes she felt like a ghost, too, lurking in a ruined castle, only seen when a wanderer needed shelter.

Now, it was all happening again. The arrival of the new kids had seemed like a minor disturbance at first, like a tiny cloud on the wide horizon, but Vernon had warmed up to them surprisingly quickly after his initial coldness. It wasn’t that Luce didn’t like them—after all, she had been the one to initiate first contact—but she had still been taken aback by how quickly they had become a part of their little group of three (and a dead boy, but he didn’t take up seats anymore).

Except they didn’t feel like it. Not to her, and probably not to Joshua either, whom she had seen watch the new trio with lingering looks when he thought she wasn’t looking.

She was a little surprised by her own reserve, because the arrival of more people should have been a good sign. More people, even numbers, pairs, so she wouldn’t be a third wheel anymore. But it hadn’t worked out that way—she was still stuck outside, but this time Joshua was stuck with her.

It was hard not to be even a little mournful.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” she called as Vernon walked past her in the school hallway after fifth period, looking distracted as he usually did these days. He turned, surprised, as if he hadn’t even noticed her there.

“Me?” he asked, looking confused, and she sighed internally. On the outside, she simply shook her head as if in amused exasperation, reaching into her bag and taking out a spiral notebook.

“Notes. From Physics.” She handed it to him, and he stared at the cover for a dazed little moment before looking back up at her. “You missed another class today.”

“Right,” he muttered, giving her a grateful smile. Fifteen seconds had passed already, about five seconds less than the longest conversation they had held in two weeks. He probably hadn’t even realized. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, meaning it. No point in moping after something that hadn’t been for months. She leaned against the locker door and folded her arms across her chest. The zips along the cuffs of her jacket pulled against the leather. “Going somewhere?”

“Not really.” He shrugged. The smile was still on his face, that stupidly delightful half-smile that still felt like it was behind a glass wall. “Are you?”

Am I ever? She shook her head. “Where did you go?” she asked instead of answering his question.

He frowned. “Where did I go…when?”

“During physics,” she clarified. “You’ve been disappearing a lot lately.”

“Oh, you know…” he started, trying hard to keep his voice casual. “Places.”

It was hard not to smile. “Like?”

“The principal’s office,” he said, sounding a little disappointed.

“The new guy?” Luce raised her eyebrows. “Did you do something to piss him off? Get a low grade?”

“Of course not,” Vernon said indignantly. “My scores are perfect.”

“I know. The rest of us on the curve are suffering because of it.”

“Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry in the least. Instead, there was a small smile on his face that looked suspiciously like a smirk.

Almost a minute now. Luce let the back of her head hit the locker door, finally letting herself believe that he wasn’t going anywhere, not this time around. The feeling that came with it was so warm and delicious that it spread inside her chest like hot water, reaching her toes and fingers and the tip of her nose. “You’re not sorry,” she said with a smile, though she didn’t really mind. “Are we still on for Friday?”

Now Vernon’s smirk dropped, replaced by a split-second look of horror. “Friday?” he echoed. “This is going to sound bad, but I don’t—”

“Movie night,” she supplied. “And don’t worry, I didn’t expect you to remember. The last time we talked about that was a while ago, anyway.”

Movie night, or game night, was their irregular childhood tradition that had become increasingly infrequent over the past few years, but particularly so in the last year. Even then, they’d never gone this long without getting together at least once. The last time they’d done something like that together, it had been almost two months ago, when they had still been four.

When Luce finally mentioned it, she felt strange thinking about the prospect of movie night with only three people. It felt odd. Unnatural. Three felt like the wrong number, like fates and the prongs of a pitchfork. Too little.

“Tell you what,” she said, pulling herself out of her thoughts with difficulty. She did that too much, lose herself in her memories or some random vein of thought and manage to completely detach herself from the world around her. It got harder and harder every time, and sometimes she wondered if one day she was just going to be trapped in her own mind.

“What?” Vernon asked. He had that distracted look on his face again, his posture jumpy like there was extra energy wrapped into his body.

“Why don’t you bring Yeji and the others along this time?” she suggested. Six wasn’t that great of a number either, but it was definitely better than three. And maybe this way she’d be able to get to know the others a little better, pull herself back to reality. “I’m sure they’d like to. And that way, it’ll be an even team.”

“Not if May decides to join in again.”

She smiled. “Then maybe I’ll bring Hairball.”

He groaned. “Oh, no, not Hairball,” he said, eyes refocusing on her face. There was such a vibrant intensity in his gaze that it made her want to stand up straighter. Then he smiled, and she actually had to stand up straight. “You sure, though?”

Of course he would ask her. Vernon Parker, despite all his bodily changes, was still the same guy from fourth grade who always let her have the rest of his lunch—if he managed to keep it from Flash. Luce was almost tempted to reconsider, but she saw the earnest look on his face, the slight arch of his eyebrows, and swallowed the words that welled up in her throat.

“Of course,” she said. “Three’s already a crowd, so we might as well have a whole party.”

“A party, huh?” He winced. “That reminds me. Food.”

“We’ll order from Larry’s.”

“I’ll have to decide if they deserve it yet,” he joked. At least, she thought he was joking. “See you on Friday.”

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indigobackfire · 3 years ago

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May I ask you a question: why do you like Diego and Ismelda? I'm not their hater, just neutural on them, but I can't get why some people like them.

Oh that's okay, nice of you to ask (some people would just attack). (Please excuse the length and any misspellings).

For starters, I have a tendency to like unlikable characters, yes as simple as that. No, no characters like Merula who you're supposed to hate or be enemies with, but characters supposed to annoy or make the person interacting/reading roll their eyes. That's how I made some of my best friendships in school.

I won't go in depth why I chose them to ship with my ocs (I encourage you to go through my shipping tags if you'd like) also because it's a whole other topic and I'll end up writing a bible here. I'll try as much as I can not use headcanons cause those will mean nothing to you, but I think is worth to say what I, Bee, think of them is not what my MC thinks of them and I would say she has a rocky start with these two as anyone.

First Ismelda.

I guess my liking if Ismelda gets a bit deeper than just liking a character I find nice, I actually see some of my school experiences on her. I wasn't emo doing grusome comments at all, but I was this outcast who thought of herself as this unappealing, unattractive, and uninteresting person who almost everyday wished she could be homeschooled because I just didn't have the patience to witness other people's bullshit. I wrote sad poetry for people just like her! I took 6 years in the same school to finally find a real friend because the others kept leaving me.

So in some points I can't help but sympathize with what she's going through. Being alone, seeing the only friend you have slip away to someone you can't possibly compete with - I was not an MC in school, I was Ismelda! -, being unattractive in a place where everyone looks at least cute, getting the side-eye for going against the grain. I have no sister, no negligent family, but as human I can empathize with her troubles.

Besides points I can sympathize with, I like some of her attitude of screw everyone and what everyone thinks, which is a perspective I sort of took after years of being laughed at. On the gruesomeness aspect, my last fandom, that I'm still in, is Hannibal, so I'm not unfamiliar to gruesome and cannibal jokes, characters being terrible to each other and we still shipping them and joking about them, and idk stabbing people? In media ofc xD

Also HER BARK IS MUCH HARSHER THAN HER BITE. People often comment negatively about her on the things she says, but it's obviously for shock value, when threat appears she's pissing her pants and it's not fooling anyone. It's hilarious to me like watching a lil baby puppy trying to seem threatening, sometimes we even place a finger on their mouth so they can bite us softly.

The 'haha I wish Voldemort was back' is her being at the same time an idiot, a product of her house (let's not forget at this period in time Slytherin is full of straight up DE kids with DE ideals), and unknowledgeable about what it all means. She hasn't been, as far as I know, directly affected by the 1st Wizarding War like Barnaby or Merula - those two literally had their stupid ass parents taken away.

I also like to watch JC try poorly to build her an arc. The placing of Crushed for example is off, happening after many dating SQs, but is there her arc begins - she has a stiff moral compass that gets a lil loose after that -, then we have the Sphinx club where she's way less hostile, the Quibbler SQ where they do all sorts of weird stuff to her but I wanna talk about it another time, and the Great Cook Off where she actually apologizes for overreacting. She's not a fully baked character, she's a caricature of the emo girl and I like to watch her development, and even when there's no visible development, I find humor.

I don't like everything she does or everything she says - but I don't even like Barnaby a 100% of the time - but I know it's fertile ground where a great character can grow.

As for Diego this might be shorter because I've known him for less time in the game.

Diego is extroverted, he's confident, and he's always eager to help. People's problem with him comes mostly from he's flashy, he has a grandiose sense of self, and that he s flirty. And none of those things are aspects I take trouble with.

I've said before, this talking in third person, calling himself 'great', 'the best' is a way of asserting himself to himself and others. And there's nothing wrong with that as there's nothing wrong with being a shy introvert. So far, he has placed himself high without ever placing someone down and he gives praise where praise is due.

As being flirty, which people really seem to hate and I really see no harm. Is not like he tried to kiss MC or said something inappropriate. I find it quite endearing actually. I'm gonna guess JC wanted to make him a Don Juan but landed on Johnny Bravo and I'm here having a laugh about it.

The 'omg he thinks he's the best but but MC never lost a duel to him' argument is so stupid to me, because the duels we do value nothing, if we lose a duel the game makes you pay to do another one as many times as we need. The value is in things known and said, Diego is literally a dueling instructor - probably placed as such by Flitwick. Unfortunately when we duel him is not like the game allows us to lose, is different from Penny's potion making, where she makes it while we sit and watch and even before we see her doing a potion, we're told she's the best at it and she's knows she is.

Diego has shown to be, besides his more prominent characteristics, to be thoughtful, always willing to help, and enthusiastic. He never shies away from the blame, he encourages others, and he's eager to listen to others. But like Ismelda he's really underdeveloped and underused.

One point to make would be his personality vibes with my MC's personality. She's an extrovert, she likes to think she's desired, she takes pride in the abilities she acquired along her curse breaking.

To conclude, do I think you should like them? It'd be nice for me to have someone to talk about them with, but it's not about what I want. You don't have to like them, all I ask from people is respected, specially on other people's content. I have characters I don't like in the game (I didn't max out Tulip on purpose, and Andre who was starting to grow on me had a big reset lately), so I won't try to force them down your throat, but you won't see me dragging them down.

Your ask was why I like them and if all said wasn't enough, the simple answer is they're both ridiculous and the make me laugh and smile. I'd like to have them as friends.

#they are underwritten #underused #but they're so funny #and i just find them so intriguing #my ocs deserve happiness so I gave them these idiots #ask #hphm #hogwarts mystery #ismelda murk #diego caplan #sorry i went on a tangent many times #it took me like an hour to write this xD

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allthingshetalia · 4 years ago

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can we pls get a scenario of femreader being bffs with gil. like they literally are together for everything to the point ppl say/think they are a couple. but luddy has had a crush since forever on her but ofc puts gils happiness before his. turns out, she returns his feeling too. this could apply to a humanau but you may do as you like tbh your writing is good. stay safe bb and thanks.

💕I love this so much!!! Thank you!!💕

The large blonde grumbled to himself as he scrubbed the dishes. He could hear your melodic laughs from the livingroom as you and Gilbert were having a pillow fight. He felt horrible. You were suppose to be like a sister to him. I mean Gil always referred to you as his sister, so didn’t that technically mean you were his sister too?

He wanted nothing more than for those laughs to be because of him. They were sometimes, but not near enough to his liking. It was so juvenile. Even if you did return his feelings he would feel horrible for stealing his brothers closet friends. But yet another part of him thought about how nice to would be. You and Gil could do your shenanigans when he was doing his paperwork. You could all eat dinner together- expect for when he took you on a date of course.

But yet he didn’t want to cause a divide. What if him and Gil fought? Whose side would you take? He obviously hoped you would take his side considering you would be his girlfriend, but Gil had seniority over him.

No. You are just as close with him as you are with Gilbert. That’s a lie. And the fact that, that is a lie makes his stomach hurt.

“Careful you don’t break that plate. It’s an antique from the 1700s.” Gilbert’s voice rang out. Ludwig jumped and looked over his shoulder.

“Sorry.” Ludwig grumbled. The Prussian hummed and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

“You good?” The Prussian mumbled. He assumed he asked quietly because he didn’t want you to hear. The blonde nodded, not looking at his brother. “You could tell me you know.”

‘No I can’t.’ Ludwig thought. The blonde finally looked over at him and nodded his head so Gilbert would leave him alone. The Prussian gave him the familiar look of ‘this conversation isn’t over’ and popped back into the livingroom with you. Ludwig finally finished the dishes and decided it was time to take the dogs for a nightly walk. He usually just lets them out the back door but decided he needed to get out of the house.

“I’m going with you!” Gilbert shouted as Ludwig threw on his coat. Ludwig groaned, but maybe it meant you would come along too.

“You two have fun! I’m going to go take a shower and get ready for bed.” You laughed, throwing the throw pillow back on the couch.

“Who invited you to stay the night?” Gilbert teased poking your side.

“Shut up!” You laughed. You paused for a moment and bent down petting Berlitz head. “You take good care of them! Don’t let anyone attack them at night.” You laughed as the dog seemed to understand you, because he nodded his head. “Have fun!” You shouted before running up the stairs.

The two brothers were just about to leave when you poked your head out from the top of the stairs. “Wait! Ludwig can I use your shower? Gilbert’s is disgusting! I promise to leave it nice and clean!”

That did more to the blonde than you will ever know. First of all, you naked. Second of all, naked in a space he is also naked in. Third of all, you’re gonna be naked. The blonde swallowed thickly trying so hard to stop the blood rushing to his head I’ll let you decide which one sorry.

“That’s fine.” He cringed when that came out as a squeak. Flashing him a smile your head disappeared up the stairs.

Ludwig quickly opened the front door enjoying the way the freezing cold chilled his overheated body. Blackie yelped even though he was wearing a little doggy coat and Aster pulled at her lease wanting to see if there was any ice she could play with on the ground. Gilbert closed the door behind him and took Aster’s lease from Ludwigs hand, knowing she was more than enough of a handful and she’s gils favorite.

“So what am I going to have to do to get you to talk?” Gilbert mused, nudging his brother with his elbow.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Ludwig stated. His tone was perfectly normal but Gil could see straight through him.

“Does this have anything to do with your undying love for my best friend?” Ludwig choked on his spit and he stopped in his tracks.

“How did you know about that?” Ludwig quickly grimaced when he realized how easily he gave that away.

“It’s so obvious! I’ve known you since you were this tall.” Gilbert placed his hand against the middle part of his thigh. “I see the way your eyes get all mushy when you see her and that stupid tiny smile that is on your face.”

Ludwig groaned and ran a hand down his face, continuing to walk. “How long have you known?”

“Since you’ve started liking her! At first I thought it was gross because she is toooo young for you.” Gilbert teased.

“Everyone on this earth is too young for us.”

“Thats a sad fact, especially if you’re with an older woman- because then you realize you are actually older than her.” Gilbert sighed.

“You are speaking from experience.”

“Well I’ve had a lot of experience.” Gilbert chuckled. It was silent for a moment. “You know she likes you too.”

“What?!?” Ludwig glared at his brother stopping his walk once more. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to make sure you were both right for each other. You are both the two most important people in my life. I didn’t want her to hurt you or you to hurt her. But you two would be really good together and I would make a great uncle.” Despite Gilberts joking attitude his words made Ludwig smile.

“I know it could put you in a bad situation. I mean what if things don’t work out?” The blonde mused, sighing when he realized he had to pick up his dogs poop.

“I’ll just stay out of your guys relationship! from this day on you can’t come to me for advice and she can’t come to me for advice! So that way I’m not in the center if things go badly. But you do have to know that if this happens and both of you break up- which won’t happen because you two belong together, she is still going to be my best friend and you will have to see her.”

“Like you could stay out of it.” Ludwig grumbled throwing the doggy bag away. “But honestly that’s a risk I’m willing to take, if she is of course.”

“We could have so much fun! We could all go camping, and hiking and work out together. We’ll be like a big happy family.” The thought of all of that made excitement bubble up in Ludwigs chest replacing the uncertainty.

He absolutely adores you. He would rather date you for a week and have you hate him forever than not even try to date at all. You two worked so well together too. Before he could get to far along in his daydream Ludwig thought of something.

“How do you know she likes me?” The question caused a loud laugh to escape the Prussian.

“I always had a small suspicion, but remember Alfred’s party a while back, when he made us play 7 minutes in heaven?” Ludwig hummed recalling that night. He actually liked that party because you got a little too tipsy and hung onto his arm, so you wouldn’t fall. He loved the fact that you trusted him even in your drunken slur. “Well I asked her why she didn’t put anything in the hat and she said it was because you didn’t put anything in the hat. And you were the only one she would want to be in the closet with.” Ludwig smiled wider than he should have at that statement.

“See that’s what I’m talking about.” Gilbert laughed, pointing at him. “That lovesick grin.” Gilbert made a sound of disgust before turing around heading back to the house. “But I’m happy. You’ve never looked at anything like that and you’re my little brother. I want nothing more than for you to be happy.”

Ludwig blushed and rolled his eyes.

-back inside! Sorry this is so long!-

“Thanks again for letting me use your shower.” You smiled flopping down on the couch.

“It’s nothing. If you want to put some stuff in there I don’t mind. I’ve never been in his bathroom but I’ve heard the horror stories.” Ludwig chuckled. You laughed along with him.

“Thanks Ludbug. I will move some stuff in there tomorrow.” You joked. But you were also serious. Deadly serious. “How was your walk?” You asked. You laid down on the couch causing your feet to press against the outside of his thigh. You didn’t want to be a creep but you also hoped he wouldn’t move away. He blushed and you suddenly felt like you shouldn’t have brought it up. But before Ludwig could anwser Gilbert came trotting down the stairs in a dress shirt and nice slackes. The first few buttons were undone and his hair was gelled nicely.

“Awww does someone have a date? Why didn’t you tell me?!” You sat up quickly. You rolled so your legs were under your butt but this new postition caused your shoulder to almost hit Ludwigs.

“It’s not a date! Francis, Toni and Alfred called. They invited you too but I already said you were asleep.” You breathed a sigh of relief. You hated going out with all of them by yourself. They always got a little too drunk and being the only girl made you a little uncomfy- unless Lud was there of course. He always kept you safe. Like this one time a guy tried to slip you a roofie and Ludwig caught it before you did. He completely knocked they guy out in one punch and turned him over to the police. You shook yourself out of the daydream and stared at noticed that both brothers were looking at you expectantly.

“What?” You asked.

“Is that okay?” Gilbert repeated. He had a small smirk on his face like he knew where your mind went, but knowing him he probably did.

“Of course it’s okay!” You assured.

“Have fun you two!” Gilbert shouted as he walked out the door.

“Car keys!” You and Ludwig shouted in unison. You both blushed and looked at each other. The albino rushed in and grabbed his keys from the front table and turned back around, smiling to himself.

“Did he seem weird to you?” You questioned. You unconsciously leaned closer to Ludwig.

“He’s always weird.” He chuckled. He threw his arm back over the couch, causing you to realize what you did. You felt a little hurt think he didn’t want you to be near him.

“Sorry!” You yelped, scooting away from him.

“Nein!” His voice boomed causing you to jump. “Sorry I-I don’t mind.”

“Really?” You wanted to slap yourself. You sounded like a stupid high school girl. You both leaned back up in the couch and stared at the blank TV. “Can I ask you something?” You turned so you were facing him. He nodded and adjusted so he was turned towards you as well.

“Do you have a crush on anyone?” You needed to know. He stiffened and adverted his eyes away from you.

“Ja.” He replied softly. He looked back at you and stared directly into your eyes.

“Do you?” He leaned a little closer to you and something in your body told you he knew.

“Ja.” You giggled copying his accent. You moved a little closer so your forehead bumped against his. His eyes softened and his hand went up and he stroked your cheek with the back of his pointer finger. The little action caused your heart to melt.

You both smiled lightly before finally capturing each other’s lips in a kiss.

And neither of you noticed the very teary eyed Prussian in the doorway.

#allthingshetalia #hetalia #hetalia blog #germany x reader #aphgermany #germany hetalia #germanyhetalia #hetalia imagine blog #x reader #germany headcons #germany headcannons #ludwig beilschmidt #prussia hetalia #gilbert beilschmidt

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saiilorstars · 4 years ago

Text

Falling in Temptation

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance • Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Ch. 27: Out of Time

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Chapter summary: Avalon does what she can to conduct her search for the Doctor before he reaches Lake Silencio. In it, she recruits an old friend of hers and the Doctor's. Even River Song comes into play, although she has other intentions when it comes to handling her daughter. One thing's for sure, they're all on a clock and the clock is about to strike.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

Amy came down the stairs on a fine morning, only to sigh when she saw Avalon sitting with her legs up on the couch, a blanket draped over her while she slept all awkwardly and shifty. As Amy moved towards the couch, Rory walked in from the kitchen, having already awoken and was even having a drink of tea.

"Did you do this?" Amy looked at her husband in assumption.

"Yeah," Rory nodded, "I came down last night for water and...she'd fallen asleep this time. I didn't want to risk waking her up by moving her so I just...put a blanket and..." he sighed.

Amy looked down at Avalon and gently pulled the blanket more up, "At least she fell asleep this time," she tried to cautiously move Avalon's head to the couch arm to give her more comfort.

"Yeah, 'at least'," Rory shook his head and turned back for the kitchen.

Amy gave a small sigh as she tried to make her granddaughter as comfortable as possible without disturbing her much needed sleep. But Amy knew that no amount of sleep (however much needed) would make Avalon feel better. It had been a few weeks since the Doctor left them on Earth and it seemed like it would be a long, long time until he decided (if he ever would) to come back.

~ 0 ~

Lena watched her sister make hasty strides in her bedroom, gathering things she would need to take to Amy's and Rory's. Lena couldn't believe the Doctor had left them all back on Earth but after hearing Amy's explanation, she understood why. It made sense. At least her father said it out loud.

Ryland applauded the Doctor for making the sacrifice, something that infuriated Avalon. She swore she wouldn't talk to him in her life if he ever said that again. Nothing justified the Doctor leaving them so he could go die. Lena argued for both sides and since Avalon would never yell at her, she got away with it.

"How long are you going to stay with Amy and Rory now?" Lena crossed the room to help Avalon close the suitcase on the bed.

"Until that idiot Fairy Tale Man comes back. I can't have him sneaking a visit to them and not have me there," Avalon muttered and turned back. "He doesn't want me to find him, ha. It's like he didn't even know me. What I want, I get. And I refuse to let him die."

"But Avalon, what are you going to do?" Lena was genuinely afraid of what Avalon would come up with to get the Doctor back, or to at least catch his attention.

"I don't know but I've made some calls, I'm going to get leads," Avalon stopped by her writing desk, practically swiping a hand over it to dump her writing tools into a small duffel bag.

"From where?" Lena asked.

Avalon didn't answer with words. She just smiled and sealed her duffel bag. "You can come with me if you'd like."

"What, to Amy's and Rory's?"

"No. To meet him."

Lena raised an eyebrow at Avalon. She was scared. Avalon on her own was already chaotic but now that the Doctor had thoroughly pissed her off, Avalon was a force to be reckoned with and there was no stopping her. God help him when he came back.

~ 0 ~

"Who are we meeting?" Lena asked Avalon when they entered her favorite coffee shop.

"A friend," Avalon found an empty table by the glass wall. "Sit." She patted the empty chair beside her and decided to order something while they waited.

"Avalon, I know you're upset-"

Avalon made a noise. "Oh, I am not upset. There is no word to describe what I'm feeling right now."

"My big brother just wanted to protect you…"

"I know that. I understand him, I love him for that...but he should not have to die, alright? I know that if he doesn't figure out a way to stop the Silence he's going to sacrifice himself. I won't be the reason he dies, and I most certainly will not let Kovarian win like that."

"I'm sorry Avalon but what are we supposed to do against the Silence? Truth be told, the Doctor is the only one who can defeat them."

"I want to keep him from doing something stupid," Avalon put her bag on the table. She was deeply terrified of what the Doctor could do on his own when he felt like there were no more options. She wasn't angry that he left her, she was angry that he thought it was the best option. She was so tired of having everyone trying to protect her. If something bad was going to happen to her, it would happen regardless of who was around her. Right now, she just wanted to get back to the Doctor and help him search through all the options he had. She wanted to fight at his side. The Silence had hurt her and her friends and she wanted to hunt them down for it.

"Hello ladies," Lena heard a familiar voice, a flirty voice. She knew who it was even before she looked up.

Captain Jack Harkness stopped in front of the table with his signature smile. Avalon rose up from her chair and hugged him. "Hi Jack."

"Oh my big brother would be having a heart attack right now," Lena mumbled her breath while she watched them hug.

"It is really good to know that you're back," Jack patted Avalon's arms and sighed. "You have no idea how bad the Doctor was when he called me."

"Of course he would find me," Avalon shrugged. "And now I need you to help me find him."

"What?"

Avalon motioned him to grab a seat as she sat back down herself.

"What's happened?" Jack asked, eyes flickering to Lena who seemed more nervous than ever.

"I'm assuming you know all about the Silence now, right?" Avalon asked.

"Yeah, sort of came up when the Doctor called me."

"There's a date that's coming up. April 24, 2011. According to some all mighty future news, that's the day the Doctor dies."

"Come again?" Jack made a face. "He doesn't die."

"He will, because we've seen it happen before," Avalon glanced at Lena. The latter sighed and nodded to confirm the story. "On that day, a future version of the Doctor will invite earlier versions of ourselves to meet him in Utah. We'll have a picnic by Lake Silencio and then a mysterious astronaut will rise from the lake...and she'll shoot him."

"She?" Jack caught on.

"She doesn't know," Lena said before Avalon could open her mouth. As soon as she did, Avalon threw a glare at Lena.

"I do know," Avalon reiterated despite the numerous arguments she had with Lena, Amy, Rory and even Ryland.

"What?" Jack felt like a broken record but until he got more information, that's all he had.

Avalon sighed and looked at him. "I've been going round and round in my head about who that astronaut is and every time I end up thinking it's me. I don't know what version of me it is but I think it's me."

"Avalon, I hardly thinking-"

Avalon knew he was about to side with Lena and, thus, everyone else, so she cut him off. "Jack you have to listen to me. Everyone else thinks I'm crazy but you...you know a thing or two about memory wipes and timelines…"

Lena cleared her throat and mouthed a quick 'She still doesn't know' to Jack before he decided to let it slip who her mother was.

"Kovarian wiped some of my memories when she had me kidnapped. I've thought long and hard about this and I think I finally realized why she would do that. What if…" Avalon paused. It still made her stomach churn thinking about the possibility. She leaned forwards on the table, lowering her voice so that only Jack and Lena would hear her. "What if Kovarian made me do something so terrible that the only way she could send me back without ratting her out was to wipe my memories first?" Jack opened his mouth to respond but Avalon quickly shushed him and begged him to really think about it. "She didn't have to wipe my memories but she did. Why?"

It was the age old question that no one could answer. Even the Doctor had been left blank when they talked about it.

"I...I admit that there is a truth behind those words…" Jack began, "But don't you think you would've been sentenced to jail?"

"Not unless she covered her tracks. How do I confess to a crime I don't remember doing? How do I rat my allies out if I don't remember anything? Who's to say that she didn't kill any loose ends before wiping my memory clean?" Avalon thought she was making some very good points...and Jack might believe that she had.

"Avalon, even if this was true...what about it? What do you plan on doing?"

"Well, first I want to exhaust all my options before I go with the obvious. I want to find the Doctor and I want to help him fight the Silence. I want to know why they took me, why they targeted him. And above all, I don't want the Doctor to be alone." Avalon's gaze lowered to the table. "Because when he's alone, he starts to let all the guilt come through and there's no one to remind him that he's not at fault for what happened to me, to River, to Amy...and if he lets that happen, he'll do something stupid." When Avalon raised her eyes to Jack, they were glimmering with tears. "I can't let that happen. He's helped all of us so many times. It's our turn to help him."

Jack could get on board with that. He smiled at her. She sounded just like anyone who'd had the fortune of travelling with the Doctor. Of course, seeing her determined face told him it was far beyond what the Doctor's other friends felt for him. "You love him, don't you?"

Avalon sighed. "Yes, but please don't downplay everything I said before. I'm not doing it because I love him, I'm doing it because he deserves someone to fight for him."

"I agree with that," Jack straightened up in his chair, giving her a mock salute. Avalon smiled. "What do you need from me, ma'am?"

Avalon beamed. She glanced at Lena with newfound excitement. Lena could only inwardly sigh. This could either end really well or really bad.

"Alright, I know that Torchwood's closed down but you have ways of getting to the 51st century, right?"

"Yeah, vortex manipulator. Don't tell the Doctor I got it working again. He'd take it from me."

Avalon thought for a moment before saying, "Hm, maybe I should just stick you to the bottom of a fish hook with the manipulator and just wait for the Doctor to come."

Jack laughed at her. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me!" Avalon smirked.

"Oh Avalon, it's good to see you again," Jack said as he sobered from his laugh.

"Yeah," Avalon said quietly, her smile falling short but still a smile nonetheless. It was good to see an old face, even if said face had been on the receiving end of many, many screams. She'd make that up to him later on.

~ 0 ~

Several days passed by and in those days Avalon had heavy contact with Jack about possibly sightings of the Doctor. She even wanted to start looking into Kovarian's sightings...and that's where the Ponds had to draw the line. How they would deal with it had to be an extra type of smart because otherwise Avalon wouldn't listen to them. So they went about in a whole different way.

"River?" Avalon was puzzled with her appearance but then she realized she must have come visit her parents. It was only natural. Avalon let River into the Ponds' home and took a quick peek outside into the street...just in case. "Amy and Rory are at work."

"Ah, Amy found a job?" River asked, though Avalon presumed it was just a formality seeing as this was an older version coming to visit.

"Yeah," Avalon shut the door behind them. "Something about perfumes. Got lucky."

"Hm," River came straight into the living room like she knew there was something there. Avalon's work had been spread around the coffee table and the couch itself was buried under more of it. "Seems to me like you've been pretty busy yourself."

Avalon followed her and folded her arms, susiciously eyeing River. "Where are you from?"

With a smile, River turned to her. "Couple months after I visited you all at Demon's Run."

"So then you know exactly where I am," Avalon said quietly, watching River's smile fade. "And you know what I'm trying to do."

"Yes, I do."

"You didn't come to visit your parents, did you?"

"No, I did not." River picked up a random paper off the couch and gave it a quick skim. "Avalon, you are a wonderful writer but all this needs to stop. You can't go looking for the Doctor and much less Kovarian herself."

"I would think that you of all people would understand why I'm doing this," Avalon came forward and snatched the paper out of River's hand. "He's out there, River, on his own. He knows that he's supposed to die and I just know that he will try to sacrifice himself for us."

"I know very well how the story ends, Avalon, and for that reason I beg you to stop. You don't know how deep this goes-"

"Excuse you, I was kidnapped by Kovarian. I think I know just how deep it goes!"

"You spent a few months with her, I spent my entire life with her!" River snapped, quieting Avalon for the next few minutes. "I know exactly what Kovarian planned and how she did it, because where I stand she's already done it. Trust me when I say that you cannot change these events. They must happen."

"Why!?"

"Because they need to, because if they don't, very important people cease to exist," River swallowed hard as she thought back to those moments. They weren't always good but just looking at her daughter made it all worth it. Avalon had no idea what her future was like and it all depended on the Silence's interference. It was a twisted story but it was sadly the reality.

"What?" frowned Avalon, understanding even less of what was going on. "The hell are you talking about?"

"Spoilers my dear," River sighed. "But please listen to me. I know how hurt you are but I promise you that I know what I'm talking about. If you interfere in any way, you will jeopardize the timelines."

"River, with all due respect, I don't give a damn," Avalon declared and turned away, striding out of the living room.

River shook her head at her. "Oh, you are definitely my daughter," she mumbled. "Avalon!" She called after the woman and stormed after her. "You need to listen to me!"

"I really don't," Avalon was in the kitchen trying to find something to snack on from the fridge. "I don't listen to anyone."

"I admire your bravery - or stupidity - but this is not what the Doctor wanted when he left you here."

"Well, I wouldn't know, would I?" Avalon slammed shut the fridge door, ignoring the quiet thud it gave, and turned to River. "Because he hasn't even tried talking to me in these last months! I've had to make do with what I have here and it's not exactly a picnic! I don't know if he's okay, if he's hurt, if he's...moved on." Avalon let a shuddering breath out.

"Moved on?" River repeated, now looking at her daughter like she was the crazy one. "You think he could do that? Oh sweetie, you have no idea. This is what I mean when I say we can't interfere with the timelines. There are important things that happen - people, Avalon - that will be there because we let things happen the way they're supposed to. I swear to you that the Doctor could never get over you."

Avalon seemed to lose the fighting mode she had on - she'd been needing it against everyone lately - and moved over to the table. "Kovarian said some things when she, um, when she had me watching the Doctor's history. She mentioned that one day the Doctor would leave us - Amy, Rory...me - and that we would just be another bunch in his long list of companions."

River silently grabbed a char next to her. "That's not true."

Avalon used to believe that before the Doctor dropped her off like nothing. "How would we know? We're not with him, are we?"

"I just do. I'm from the future, right?"

"Kovarian said there was a girl after us," Avalon went on, clearly discarding River's last words, "She's the one who brings the Doctor to wherever it is that terrifies the whole Silence. The Doctor moves on from us, forgets us…"

"That's not true," River shook her head. "You know it's not."

"I don't know anything, River," Avalon sighed heavily as she placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. "Not anymore. I don't know where my Fairy Tale Man is, I don't know what he's doing. For all I know, he's figured out a way to stop everything and he's just...moved on. The story with Avalon Reynolds finished for him."

"Now stop that!" River actually scolded, letting her mother side slip out. "You know that's not true. Kovarian wanted to mess with your head and I'll be damned if that happens. You have to listen to me, Avalon. The Doctor is just trying to keep you safe from the Silence and it would break his hearts if you got yourself hurt trying to look for him."

Avalon met her look with a pretty serious one. Everyone seemed to think she was doing this blind, like she had no logical reasons for it. Yes, she was afraid that perhaps the Doctor really was done with her, but she really did want to help. It was just the longer it took to find him, the more crazy ideas her mind started coming up with. But in the end, there was one sad reality that she carried with her every day. "He's already hurt me, he broke my heart leaving me here." What was worse is that he had still kept his promise to her. He would be with her until the day he died. She would be there, just not her current self.

River had nothing to say to that and even as Avalon got up to leave, she couldn't think of anything comforting to say.

~ 0 ~

More months passed by and despite Avalon's heavy insistence for River to stay away if she was going to be against her work, River kept stopping by. Amy and Rory were thankful for her visits because they had thoroughly given up trying to stop Avalon's search. She was going to get herself into trouble that they wouldn't be able to pull her out of. She'd already given them scary moments as it was.

They'd been particularly terrified when Avalon disappeared for days. They thought maybe the Silence had found her instead but then she reappeared with River who had brought her back nearly by the ear. Amy and Rory had never seen River act like such a mother at that moment. She had found Avalon lurking through a planet known to have a church filled with Silence. River knew exactly what that church was and while it was one of the benign sects of the Silence she didn't trust that there wasn't one traitorous Silent amongst them. In another moment, she would commend Avalon for even finding out about that place but for the current moment, she was furious that Avalon had gone in there on her own.

"I HATE YOU!" Avalon stalked up the staircase when River let her go. Amy and Rory had long ago set up a room just for her and now she would be using it to lock herself away.

"I'm taking this," River waved a familiar vortex manipulator in her hand. "Avalon knicked it off Jack. He was proud that she'd been able to sneak it off him but I'm not sharing the sentiment."

"She's definitely acting like versions of you," Rory mumbled.

Amy agreed with a nod. "What are we going to do with her? I don't think the Doctor planned on her being this...this determined."

"No, no, he planned for it," River hated to admit it. "He knows exactly who Avalon is and that's why he's been extra careful not to make outstanding appearances."

"Have you talked to him?" Rory eyed River suspiciously. He wouldn't put it behind the two to have secret meetings about all this timeline and Silence stuff.

River looked at her father for a long minute before completely glossing over the answer. "He's keeping an eye on her but...we all have to pitch in."

"Thing is, Avalon's not a child. She's got feelings and she's pretty damn smart," Amy folded her arms and glanced at the staircase. "She's able to trick us with minimal effort."

"We just have to keep trying," River said, shrugging her shoulders. "I've done a lot to keep my daughter safe, this is just another of those moments."

From that point on, everyone agreed to keep a heavier eye on Avalon. As annoying and frustrating as it was, Avalon wouldn't try to hurt them. She knew they were trying to help but she would keep doing her search no matter what.

~ 0 ~

It would be one day that somewhat calmed Avalon for a moment. It was no ordinary day and that's why it managed to ease her.

She sat on the couch with a tattered blanket over her legs - an old childhood blanket - and gazed at a beautiful rose gold rose with bright green leaves in her hand. It shined as if it were metal but each time she touched one of its petals, a soft pink dust sprinkled from it...like fairydust. As hurt as she felt, she couldn't help but smile each time the dust would fill the air.

"Happy birthday Avalon," she heard from behind. Avalon shifted a bit to see River coming in with a tempting gift in her hands. "Big 24!" She leaned down and kissed the top of Avalon's head.

"Has it really been 2 years since America?" Avalon shook her head. That really seemed like a long time ago.

River scooted Avalon's legs so she could sit on the couch. "Oh, do you remember the last time we celebrate your birthday? What was it? You're 21st? Oh, what fun that was!"

"Yeah, I got so drunk that, that night is very blurry," Avalon sighed but with a content smile. It had been a fun night.

"Still, I know there's a small get together Amy's fixing up in the backyard for you!"

"I'm not really up for the celebration but I'll just let it happen for them. They've been so nice letting me stay over even when my house is just a couple blocks down."

River smiled lightly. "That's a good girl. Here, open my present!" She handed the gift to Avalon and motioned her to unwrap it.

Avalon set her rose on her lap then pulled the wrapping paper off the gift. Her eyes widened when she found a porcelain doll. It had bright orange hair like she had, curly too, and dark eyes. It had a green period dress and a small tiara over its head. "Oh my God…"

"Do you like it?" River had to control herself so she didn't look so eager for her reaction.

Avalon looked up with twinkling eyes. "You remembered!"

"That you always wanted one of those dolls but never got them because Lena was scared of them," River laughed. "I figured Lena's old enough to understand not to go into your room."

Avalon had to laugh at that. "Right." She fixed some of the orange strands of the doll's hair and smiled. "Thank you, River. I love it."

"Happy birthday, sweetie," River leaned over to hug her tightly. "I know it's been a rough year but you are so strong. You'll make it through this."

Avalon would love to believe that but the truth was this year was kicking her ass. She set her new porcelain doll to the side and picked up her rose-gold rose again. "I got this in the morning."

River raised an eyebrow at it. "Oh, that's fancy." Avalon brushed her fingers over the petals and allowed for River to see the sprinkles of 'fairydust' fly from it. "Ah," River's eyes widened. "That's from Aurals." Avalon gave her a puzzled look, obviously not in the loop about the place she spoke of. "It's a planet. You'd love it. They're the only planet to grow those types of flowers. They look like they're fake but they're actually very real. Where'd you get that from?"

Avalon said nothing as she reached for a white card on the coffee table. She opened it up and reread the letter she'd practically clung to earlier in the morning. 'Happy birthday my Ava. I'm afraid that by now you either hate me or, well, you're hunting me down to kill me.'

River snorted, nearly laughing. "That man…"

'I know that you're very upset with me but please understand that I did not 'leave' you, I had to give you up. I was trying to save you one last time by letting you live in peace while I search for those bad people who hurt you. But today is your day, Ava. Twenty four years ago, a little princess was born and she took life by storm. I love you Avalon, please remember that. Never doubt that. Happy birthday my love."

Avalon looked up with teary eyes. "Signed by 'Your Fairy Tale Man'." She drew in a deep breath, controlling those tears that wanted to come out. She'd cried earlier and she wasn't interested in doing it again. "He was here, River. He was here at some point and he left me this...but he didn't' even talk to me."

"I suspect he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave anymore," River said. She didn't need to be from the future to know that.

"Well, I wouldn't let him leave," Avalon sniffed. She held her rose close to her chest.

"Oh c'mon, no pouty face," River pointed at her. "That's not what the Doctor wanted from you, especially today. It's your birthday!"

Avalon sighed and looked at her rose. "Yeah, it is…" Maybe she should look at things from a different angle, at least for today, and focus on the part where the Doctor actually came back. Even if it was just for a moment, he had been there for one moment and just for her.

She might still be a little special.

~ 0 ~

"Why are you so happy today?" Amy asked then suddenly received an elbow on her side. Rory passed by with a sharp look on his face. She shouldn't question why their granddaughter was so happy, not unless they were looking for Avalon to do the opposite.

Avalon ignored the little moment as she planted her bag on the kitchen table. "I...sort of got a job," she announced. She expected their similar surprised states but she didn't expect them to look so funny. "It's not the end of the world if I get a job, is it?"

"No, no, but…" Rory said, clearing his throat, "We just didn't expect you to...get one."

"Yeah, you hate Leadworth," Amy leaned against the counter, eyeing Avalon suspiciously.

"I do," Avalon made sure to clarify first. "But I figure it's time to stop being a freeloader. Plus, remember that little girl that loved my public reading I did last year? Aurora?" They both nodded. Avalon hadn't stopped talking about that little girl after the event. It truly warmed Avalon's heart to know that a child loved her story so much. "Well, she's six now and I bumped into her in Mrs. Kepner's bookstore. She recognized me and she started going on about how much she would love for me to read more of my stories. Mrs. Kepner thought it was a good idea and so she offered me a job at the store. I'll be doing the public readings with the kids and if I happen to come up with new stories, I'm more than welcomed to read those too."

"Avalon, that's great!" Rory exclaimed, rushing over to hug her first.

"Yeah," Avalon chuckled. "I figure I might as well do something productive while I search for the Doctor."

Amy would gladly take the compromise. She came next to hug Avalon. "I'm really happy for you. It'll be good for you."

"We'll see," Avalon shrugged. "At the very least it'll keep from going crazy and murdering people." Because, oh yes, she remembered exactly what kind of people lived in the town. It was why she barely left the house. At least in the bookstore there'd be more kids and teenagers, people that weren't aware of her reputation. Though she would inevitably have to deal with adults, she knew it would just be for a small time.

"Well hey, how about we celebrate by going into the city?" Amy asked suddenly. "We can have lunch over there and maybe do a little shopping-"

"Ooooh, I could do some shopping," Avalon nodded fast. Both gingers missed the way Rory scrunched his face. Those two at a mall would take bloody forever. "I really miss the wardrobe the TARDIS had for me."

"C'mon!" Amy exclaimed. "Rory, get the credit cards!"

"Yay," Rory muttered as he followed the two women out.

"We should call River," Avalon said, making him groan.

"God no, I'm staying behind!"

"No, you're not," Amy said and so it was.

~ 0 ~

"Jesus, Avalon, did you leave anything for the store?" Rory struggled to carry the new bags Avalon came out with.

"You're over-exaggerating," she patted his cheek and looked around. "Where's Amy and River?"

"They went into the department store," Rory said, nodding towards the store at the end of them. Both his hands were occupied with her bags, Amy's and even River's.

"Yay! C'mon!" Avalon grabbed one of his arms and pulled him towards the store.

"No, no more! My arms are going to fall off!"

"Oh, you're over-exaggerating!"

"I'm really not! I haven't felt my right arm in over an hour!"

Avalon rolled her eyes and led them into the store. It was pretty crowded but they eventually found Amy and River near the perfume area.

"Oh, is that your perfume!?" Avalon practically shrieked, attracting the attention of several of the customers. She ignored them all as she ran towards the glass counter. She grabbed the purple perfume from River's hands and sprayed herself.

"It's a sample, Avalon," Amy said and snatched the bottle from her before she used up the entire thing.

"But it smells so good!" Avalon exclaimed, trying to take it back from her. "For the girl who's tired of waiting! Killer slogan!"

"Yeah, that's quite a real line for us," River said quietly. Amy looked over Avalon with an agreeing nod.

"Oh! Amy!" They heard Rory's shout. He had dropped half the bags he was carrying and things were rolling.

"God, he's helpless," Amy sighed and handed the perfume back to River to go help Rory.

"You go help too!" Avalon plucked the perfume from River's hands and motioned her to 'run along'.

"I think not!" River forced her to put the perfume down on the counter. "C'mon, maybe we can find a nice present for Lena. Her birthday's coming up, remember?"

"I know," Avalon rubbed the side of her head. "I'm clueless on what to give her."

"So then let's look," River whistled for the saleslady to come help them.

~ 0 ~

Two hundred years later would find the Doctor posing as a department store employee and handling a visit with Craig Owens and his new baby son. In all his time of existence he never thought he could end up in a place like that and he'd gotten around plenty of times. Unfortunately, trouble always seemed to follow him as well, no matter how old he got. There were Cybermen in hiding and he had to discover where they were before things got bad, even if that came at a price of dealing with an irritated Craig. But sometimes he had little lucky moments in which something good happened. Right now, as he gazed upon his former companions, Amy and Rory, he knew it was one of those lucky moments.

They'd been picking up shopping bags that Rory had dropped - he wondered why Rory had that many bags in the first place - and then suddenly, a little girl had come up to Amy asking for an autograph. It took the Doctor a few seconds to realize that somehow that Pond had gotten herself a perfume after her.

"For Ellie," Amy smiled and handed the notepad back to the girl, "I like your hairband," she remarked as she stood straight again.

Ellie touched her headband and beamed, "Thank you," she said as she returned to her mother only a couple feet away.

"Can we take a rest...please?" Rory asked Amy and held his arms out with the shopping bags, making Amy laugh. "I can't feel my arms!"

"Yeah, alright," Amy decided to take pity on his misery. "But that's what happens when you get a daughter and a granddaughter. We outnumber you." Rory rolled his eyes but he was mighty better when Amy gave him a kiss. "Avalon! River! Time to go!"

"In a minute!" came the irritated response from Avalon.

The Doctor's hearts nearly stopped when he caught sight of Avalon by the perfume counter. It'd been 200 hundred years since he last saw her. He didn't know how he could've made it this far but he knew it was because he hadn't seen her. It took every last bit of his will not to come get her from Leadworth. He had to remind himself that he needed to keep her safe and search for the Silence, but that search had come to an end a while back. Now he was just drifting through until the moment came. It was why it'd become even more difficult to stay away. He knew his end was coming, there was nothing he could do to change it, so why not spend his last moments with Avalon? He didn't want to hurt her. The Silence had done enough of that. But it seemed like the universe was giving him one last gift before his end.

"God, River, you have terrible taste in perfumes!" Avalon had just sent the saleslady away.

"Excuse you and that mouth of yours!" River huffed. "I do not!"

Avalon raised the bottle she was eyeing and sprayed it to the side. "Dogs wouldn't walk through that."

River's face almost made the Doctor laugh and give himself up. He'd never seen her like that and he was sure that the only reason she was holding back was because it was Avalon on the receiving end.

"You are rude," River finally spoke after a few moments of silence.

"Tell me something I don't know," Avalon shrugged. She tucked some hair behind her ear, allowing the Doctor to see she still wore his watch on her wrist.

He swallowed hard. All he had to do was take a step towards her and she would see him. He was aware that she'd done everything to find him, even going as far as calling in Jack Harkness to help her (that might have made him a bit jealous, just a bit), and while it was tempting to go back to her...he couldn't do it. He was dying, that was the truth. He had to die in order for the world to keep going. If the world kept going, then Avalon would be safe. If he died, the Silence would leave her alone. That's the reason he kept away in these last days.

~ 0 ~

It was late when the Ponds got back to Leadworth. Rory happily let each woman take their bags into the house while he went to grab himself some wine. Yeah, he deserved that.

"You're so mean, Rory!" Avalon shouted from the foyer.

"Yup," he agreed as he searched for the wine glasses in the cabinets.

Amy dumped her bags on the living room floor, not even trying to make it to the stairs. "Okay, I'm so tired."

"I can keep these here, right?" River gestured to her own pile of bags behind the couch. "Stormcage doesn't exactly allow for all this stuff."

"Oh, but they allow you to escape every now and then?" Avalon arched an eyebrow at her.

"Your mouth is on an extra one today," River wagged a finger at her.

Avalon cheekily smiled and moved to gather her stuff from the table. She heard her phone buzz in her bag a moment later. She left the papers in a somewhat neat pile and pulled her phone out of the bag. She read the quick text she'd gotten and gasped so loudly that she worried her grandmother and mother.

"What, what was it!?" River quickly hurried around the couch to meet her.

"I, uh, I got myself in contact with some people on New Earth. They're like your version of detectives and they just got word of a possible sighting of a Silent."

"What? That's stupid," Amy frowned. "How would they even remember them?"

"Because I told them about the chip that Kovarian used on me. They've made their own version - that's not the point! I have to go!" Avalon only made it two steps towards the doorway before River held her back.

"Are you deranged!? You can't go hunt down the Silence!"

"It's just one!"

"It doesn't matter! You can't go there!"

"Yes I can!" Avalon wrestled free from River's arms and turned around to face her. "And you're not stopping me! Nobody is!"

"Avalon, you need to understand this! We've been over this! The timelines-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Avalon screamed. "I don't give a crap about timelines, not when it can stop the Doctor from dying!"

"The people, Avalon. The people that I'm talking about would cease to exist!" River was now fully terrified that this time she might not be able to stop Avalon from going off in search of the Silence. Amy could see that fear from her spot too.

"What people, dammit!? You always say that but you never say who! For all I know you could be lying!" Avalon shook her head. "I'm Gmgoing to New Earth and there is nothing you can do nor say to stop me!"

River watched her turn and leave. Her mind was spinning, everything was spinning actually, and the only thing she heard was 'Don't tell Avalon, don't tell Avalon, don't tell Avalon!'. She couldn't let Avalon near the Silence, it was the biggest task she had and it was the only thing she could do for her daughter in a life that hadn't exactly allowed her to be a Mother. But right now Avalon was going straight into danger and she could not allow it.

"Avalon, stop it! Come back!"

"No!"

River hurried out of the living room with Amy hot on her trail.

"What is going on?" Rory emerged from the kitchen to see Avalon practically sprinting towards the door.

"Avalon, stop! You can't go to New Earth!" River continued to call after her. Amy came rushing after her and now with Rory.

"Why not!?"

"Because I know how everything ends! I know what happens and what must always happen!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not listening to anymore of this!" Avalon grabbed the door knob.

"You need to listen to me because I'm your Mother! I know what I'm talking about!" River actually felt like she would combust in that moment. Everything was on fast mode and she didn't register all the words she'd said until after she had.

But Avalon had heard the very moment she said it. Her hand had frozen midway as she turned the door knob. She turned her head towards River, catching sight of Amy behind them. "What?"

River brought a hand to her forehead. This wasn't how she pictured this moment but she had to do it. Anything to keep her safe. "I'm...I'm your Mother, Avalon. I-I know it's hard to understand but it's true. I'm your mother, I know exactly what the Silence is planning because they planned it around me...around us. And I'm so sorry but everything has to happen the way it already has...otherwise you cease to exist."

Avalon didn't say anything. She couldn't. Nothing was making sense right now. River couldn't be telling her the truth. She looked at Amy and Rory for some help, but they had these weird faces. She wanted them to tell her that River was lying, that she was just saying the first thing that popped into her head to stop her from leaving...but they kept quiet. In fact, they were looking at her with sympathy.

"Oh my God," Avalon felt sick to her stomach. "You're not...you're not lying…"

"No, no, I'm not lying. I'm so sorry," River said, taking a step towards her but she saw the exact moment the anger crossed Avalon's face.

"You abandoned me!" She pushed River away. There was a part of her that told her this was all familiar. The sick feeling in her stomach felt like it'd already been there for the exact same reason.

"No, no I didn't!" River reached out for her, wanting so desperately to touch her daughter.

"You left me with my uncle! You have no right to tell me what to do! You've…" Avalon brought her hands to her face as a sour laugh slipped through her lips. "Oh my God, now it makes sense. Now I get why you were always so determined to be around me, to...to make me stop this search." She dropped her hands but pointed a menacing finger towards River. "How dare you come into my life like you didn't abandon me! And how dare you try to tell me what to do! You have no right, none at all, to tell me anything!"

"Ava, how about you calm down and let River explain everything?" Rory thought he could use his special relationship with her to bring her away from the door. He was right. For a second, Avalon faltered. "I'm sure this isn't how she wanted to tell you."

"It wasn't," River agreed quickly.

"Look, I'm not mad at either of you," Avalon said to him and Amy. "I told you not to tell me anything. And would you like to know why?" She flashed a glare at River. "Because I thought it was unfair how my 'mother'-" she did quick air quotations with her hands, "-left it all with you two and the Doctor. None of you deserved to carry that burden." There were tears pooling in her eyes and she fought against them with everything she had not to let them out. "My mother was supposed to tell me that herself but then again she wasn't supposed to abandon me."

"I didn't abandon you, Avalon," River tried to say again without getting interrupted. "I had to give you up."

"Oh my God, if I had a penny for every time I heard that…" Avalon shook her head, quickly wiping off some stray tears.

"I know, I know it's all difficult and you're angry but if you would just come back I can explain everything."

"No, it's too late," Avalon warned River to stay right where she was. "I am 24 years old and how old are you? Far from the age you were when you had me, I'm sure. You never said a word to me! You are not my mother! Emmalina Reynolds is." She quickly pulled the door open and ran out before anyone could stop her.

"What are we going to do? Are we going to let her leave?" Rory hurried towards the door.

"She's not going anywhere," River cleared her own tears off her face. "The manipulator is with Ryland. I'll give him a quick call…"

"River, I'm so sorry," Amy hugged her daughter. She wished she could've done more than just stand there but it felt like it was something River had to do, no matter how painful it was.

"It's fine, I'm…" River wouldn't bother finishing the sentence. She had to act fast. "I have to call Ryland...and maybe someone else too. Scuse me." She sidestepped Amy and went back into the living room.

~ 0 ~

Avalon wandered - stumbled - through the park. She'd barely made it back to her house when all of a sudden she was bombarded between Ryland and Lena. No doubt River had called them in advance to tell them what happened...and to tell them not to let her have the manipulator. She was essentially stuck on earth because of River. She was confused, weren't 'mothers' supposed to want the best for their kids? River failed in all aspects.

She'd began to remember the same moment happening a long time ago with Kovarian. She'd already known this information - Kovarian had told her right in the beginning that River was her mother - but she was made to forget. She had all those pictures of River throughout her life and none of them showed a shred of someone who was a mother. She never came for her daughter.

"You never cared…" Avalon drew in a breath as she came to a stop in front of the duck pond. The ducks were idly swimming by like nothing.

River abandoned her as a newborn. What right did she have playing the 'mum' card now? Here she was trying to make her life better after all the crap she'd been through and River just waltzes in and tries to dismantle it?

Avalon stifled a sob. She shouldn't cry for that woman, but maybe the tears weren't all for her. The past two years had been terrible. So many things had happened. This was the tip of the iceberg and the worst part is that she didn't even have the Doctor around.

She let herself slowly fall to the ground to sit against the rock wall of the pond. She brought her knees up to her chest and sniffled. She just sat there for God knew how long, thinking about everything that had gone wrong in her life. How could one person have this much misfortune? She didn't understand...or maybe she did. Maybe this was her punishment for the way she was when she was younger. Maybe if I'd grown up with my actual parents I would've turned out differently, she bitterly thought. How would her life be if she'd grown up with Oliver Reynolds and River Song?

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard a wheeze in the air. There was even a light breeze to accompany it. She raised her head, staying completely still before her mind thought things that weren't true. She was so angry, so sad, that her mind wasn't completely there. But she'd heard right. Her ears were working perfectly and were her eyes. The TARDIS had materialized across her and slowly, the Doctor emerged from it. The look on his face told her everything.

Somebody had called him. Avalon closed her eyes. That meant River could have always called him.

"She is a goddamn liar," she spat with all the hatred she could muster.

"My Ava…" the Doctor cautiously approached her. He didn't want to get too close to her because this was his last stop and he would have to leave again. She was crying, though, how could he resist?

"When did you first find out?" Avalon asked quietly. She flinched away from him when he sat down beside her. She'd spent a whole year searching for him and now to have him next to her felt odd.

"On Demons Run," he answered just as quietly. "I thought you were Amy's and Rory's child but it turned out the Silence had your files because you were River's daughter."

"I may be her daughter but she is not my mother. Mothers do not abandon their child, they do not lie to them…"

"Avalon, none of us know why River gave you up, but I can imagine it wasn't because she wanted to."

"How would anyone know that?" Avalon finally looked at him. The moment she did she had to take a moment just to remind herself that he was actually there.

He looked at her as well and offered her a small smile. "Because I was once a father and I know the look a parent has when they know their child is hurt. I don't know why River gave you up to Ryland but she didn't do it because she didn't love you. Quite the opposite, actually."

"I don't believe it," Avalon took in a breath. "If I had a child, I would never leave them."

"Even if it meant they would be completely safe?" The Doctor knew the challenge the question posed and he imagined it was the same challenge River had to have faced in her past. "Avalon, you don't know what it's like being a parent. There's this drive in you - an instinct - to keep your child safe no matter what. I had that, Amy had that on Demons Run, Rory had it while we searched for Amy and Melody. I'm guessing River had that the day she gave you up. But you know, all we can do is speculate until you go and talk to her."

"No," Avalon said on the spot. "I saw the pictures Kovarian had of her. She didn't look like she missed me a lot."

"What do you mean?" frowned the Doctor. "Kovarian told you this?"

"She did, and then she wiped it away like the rest of my memories. She had all these pictures of River having the time of her life without me. I don't want her - I don't want her to be my Mother." Tears flowed from Avalon's face. "Please don't make me go back there. I don't want to see her." She practically threw her body over his for what she intended to be a hug.

Still, the Doctor held her in their awkward half-lying positions and held her tight. Two hundred years was a long time to go without touching her. "I am very sorry, Avalon. No one should have to suffer the way you have."

"Just say you won't leave me again." She was holding him like her life depended on it, her eyes screwed shut. "Say you won't, please."

"You know I can't do that, Ava. I love you but...Time says I have to die. If I die, then the Silence leaves you and your family alone. They just want me."

Avalon pulled away to look at him. She studied his eyes - as much as she could with her blurred vision - and saw something new in them. Resignation. "How...how long has it been?"

"Ava…" He preferred not to look at her right now.

"I deserve the truth, dammit. Tell me!"

"I'm 1,103," he answered quietly.

Avalon let out a noise of horror. She slowly picked herself up from the ground, prompting him to do the same. New tears had filled her eyes as she studied him. He looked so tired. "I said I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let you be on your own, especially for that long."

"It wasn't on you to stop anything, Avalon. I had to do it." He couldn't help himself. He had to touch her again. He reached out for her body and was relieved that she'd let him. He was able to wrap an arm around her waist and bring her body to his. He rested his forehead against her, taking a moment to smell her lavender scent again. "Do you know that in a thousand years, I've never really had anyone affect me the way you have?"

"I make everyone sick eventually," Avalon sighed.

"No," he managed to chuckle. She would say something like that. He brought his free hand up to her chin, taking a gentle hold of it. Her skin was still just as smooth and warm as he remembered it. "You're the only one who's ever kept up with me even when I was unbearable. And I've had my moments." Now it was Avalon's turn to smile, even if it was through her tears. "You remember our heist?"

"Yeah," she felt a rush of heat when she remembered their insane snog session in the middle of it.

"You and I...we've had the best adventures together. Make that into a story, will you? Maybe it'll inspire some other person to sweep their loved one off their feet."

"I don't want to write about you as if you were gone," she sniffled. "Please don't go." She curled her hand around his arm that was touching her face. "I don't want to lose you a second time. Watching you die was the most painful moment of my life. Please don't go to that place."

"You have no idea how much I would rather stay here with you, with my Ponds, but I have somewhere to be, somewhere Time needs me to be," he pushed a few strands of her hair out of her wet face. "I just needed to come and say goodbye properly."

"I promised myself that I wouldn't let you go to that place. I tried doing my best to keep you from going there…"

"You did everything you could and you have no idea how much that means to me, but it's time to stop. It's okay to stop. I figured everything out, darling. I know that I have to be there."

Avalon felt her heart breaking all over again and she was getting tired of it. Nothing seemed to work right. He was just giving himself up like that, like he had to...like he had to go face that astronaut. "Do you...do you know who the astronaut is?" She whispered.

The Doctor lowered his head for a moment. He had worked it out after his long search, after his long talks and research, but there was just one thing he still never figured out. The letter. That damn letter that warned Avalon of what was coming, no one had the answer to it.

"Doctor?" Avalon called, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Did you?"

"Yes," he ultimately said. "But I can't tell you, I'm sorry."

Avalon sighed. "That's a shocker. No one can tell me anything, no one can tell me the truth...can anyone tell me anything?"

"I love you," the Doctor said, offering her his best smile, as if they were in the middle of another date. He loved that it still made her smile. He stroked patterns over her cheek. "It's been 200 hundred years and you have no idea how much I've wanted to tell you that in person again. I love you my Ava."

Avalon leaned into his touch. "I love you too."

"I do have to go, though. I just wanted to say that one more time," the Doctor swallowed hard and looked her in her sad, teary eyes.

"...there's nothing I can do to stop you anymore?"

"I have to, I'm sorry."

Avalon was scared out of her mind but it seemed like he had made his choice. She just had no idea how she was supposed to let him walk away again. "There's so many things we could've done together. You said you were taking me to, um, Akhaten?"

"Right," the Doctor nodded. "You would've loved it."

"We could've pulled another heist," she bit her lip and leaned on him.

"And watched Rory have a heart attack?"

Avalon smirked. "We would've won this time." She let her fingers tap over his chest, something she missed doing too. "We would've been on the same team this time, you and I...we would've won the whole thing."

"Yeah we would've," the Doctor grinned at the image of them pulling a second heist with the worst shenanigans they could come up with. He pulled her hands off him and held them tightly in his. He stared at her smirking face and felt the air leave his body. She was insanely beautiful and she had been with him. For a short moment in his life, she had been with him and they'd been happy.

Timetogotimetogotimetogo. He needed to get out of there because he was one second away from whisking her off into the TARDIS to kiss forever.

He let one of her hands go and snapped his fingers. The TARDIS doors opened up but instead of walking straight for them, he needed to do something first. He was going to leave but he had to do it right this time. He couldn't sneak off like the last time. Avalon didn't deserve that.

"Would you dance with me?" He asked her. She blinked at him, naturally expecting him to say anything but that. She took her hands out of his. "Would you dance with me, Ava?"

"Dance?"

He nodded. "I'm going to die, but I have to dance with my princess first. Can't imagine leaving without one."

New tears came to Avalon's eyes. He was really going to do it. Don't waste your last moment, the voice in her head warned. She couldn't waste it. These were her last moments with him that she would remember forever. She took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Play us something sweet, will you?" The Doctor called to the TARDIS, or so it seemed. A few seconds later a familiar tune started playing.

Avalon laughed lightly. "Once Upon a Dream."

"Our first dance together," the Doctor reminded her, not that she needed to be reminded. It was their first dance as friends and their first dance on their first date. As if she would ever forget that. He put an arm around her waist again and started to sway to the song.

Little by little, Avalon let go of his hand and brought her arms around his neck. She rested her head against his chest, wanting to be as close as possible to him. "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you! The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. Yet I know it's true, the visions are seldom all they seem…"

The Doctor laid his cheek over the top of Avalon's head, smiling contently for the first time in a long time. He would always love her beautiful voice.

"...but if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream," she sniffled. "Do you ever sing?"

The Doctor hummed. "That...would be a no. I don't sing."

"I wish you would," Avalon looked up at him. "We could, um-" she forced herself to smile, "-we could've sang 'A Whole New World'. That would've fit us, huh?"

"I think so, yeah," the Doctor chuckled. They just didn't have the time anymore. Time's up. He brought a finger under her chin then leaned down and kissed her. She quickly kissed him back.

A whole year waiting and searching for him had seemed to lead them to this moment. She wished they could do this forever and ever. Their arms wrapped around each other so tightly there was no chance of moving. Avalon remembered all the sappy movies that had those really long, passionate kisses and she would make fun of them all the time. Who knew that she'd end up having one of her own? It was a terrible moment when they had to end it. They pulled away what was necessary to look into each other's eyes, silently saying goodbye to each other.

"You have been my best story," Avalon whispered, having to bite her lower lip to keep herself from bursting into sobs right there and then. "Is there not another story?"

"The next story will be you living happily. Maybe writing a couple stories here and there...and going back to that sweet family who loves you so much," the Doctor tapped her nose. "Try to talk to River, okay?"

"Try to stay alive?" Avalon played her final card which was just to ask. River did say to her that he was never able to say 'no' to her. Let's see if she lied about that too. She cupped his face and leaned closer to his lips. "For me?"

The Doctor swallowed hard. She was far too close for him not to try and kiss her again. The TARDIS wasn't that far away from them, was it? Out of time! Right. He had to focus...but she was looking at him, pleading with him to listen to her.

Maybe…

Avalon pressed one final kiss to his lips. "Goodbye, Fairy Tale Man."

"Goodbye, my Ava," he smiled softly...with tears in his eyes. He forced himself to step away from her, one of the hardest things he had to do. He looked at her one last time, shuddering a breath that wanted to lead to more tears. He turned away and walked back to the TARDIS.

Avalon hugged herself as she watched the Doctor disappear inside the TARDIS. Seconds later, she heard the wheezing noise as the box started disappearing. Her eyes might as well have been water wells by that point. She would've let herself cry right there and then if she hadn't noticed a figure standing behind the de-materializing TARDIS. It took her a few minutes to realize what it was…who it was.

"Hello Mother," the adult Sapling smiled at her and waved with one hand.

Avalon's eyes widened, immediately figuring he must have hitched a ride with the Doctor. Those two had played such a sneaky surprise on her. She ran up to him, throwing her arms around his much taller figure now that he was an adult. "Oh my Sapling! You've come back!"

"I had to," the Sapling hugged his mother tightly. "Father said you would need me."

Avalon could only nod against his wooden chest.

~ 0 ~

51st century, Luna University.

A very young River Song sat in a study with a table full of books and several official files in front of her. With a hand over her stomach, she dropped one of the files and picked up her opened diary to see a date written in one of the pages. She had looked it over at least a thousand times, along with the research she'd done, and she just couldn't figure it out.

"Tick, tock, goes the clock. And what now shall we play?" She heard a strange voice in the room say, "Tick, tock, goes the clock. Now summer's gone away."

"Hello?" River called. "Oliver? Are you playing a game on me? I don't like them."

Kovarian appeared from the shadows of the room flashing a smug smile at River. "Such a lovely old song. But is it about him?"

"You know about the Doctor?" River raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the strange woman. She thought she seemed familiar but...her mind was a bit fuzzy sometimes.

"So very well," Kovarian nodded and smirked at the long stare River was giving her, "Don't try and remember me. We have been far too thorough with your dear little head. I brought a gift, though" she informed as she reached across the table to take River's diary. "Well...gifts."

"A...what?" River blinked.

Kovarian smirked again as she came forwards and picked up River's diary off the table. "So they made you a doctor today, did they? Doctor River Song. How clever you are. You understand what this is, don't you?" She turned the diary around for River to see.

"According to some accounts it's the day the Doctor dies," River answered quietly. "But that's what they are, just 'accounts'. Rumors."

"By Silencio Lake on the Plain of Sighs an impossible astronaut will rise from the deep and strike the Time Lord dead," Kovarian recited with a great smile, as if it were her favorite story...and perhaps...

"It's a story, that's all," River shrugged, though she seemed nervous.

Kovarian sighed casually and set the diary back on the table, "And this is where it begins," she informed, "My gifts to you," she snapped her fingers and immediately a door opened from behind where two of the Silence entered holding a very familiar woman.

"What the hell is that?" River's eyes widened at the sight of the Silence.

"Your owners and, currently, hers," Kovarian gestured back.

"You let me go! Let me go right now!" Avalon kicked and stomped as she was brought in by the creatures. When she saw River she paused but then a deep fury marked her face. "YOU!" She tried going for her, shocking River until Avalon started to yell, "You're not my Mother! I don't want you!"

River swallowed thickly. "How did…?"

"Oh, shush child," Kovarian waved the ginger off and focused on River. "I'm about to make a deal with Mummy."

"Let her go right this instant," River ordered but dared not stand up at the moment.

"Here is the deal, Melody Pond," Kovarian set her hands on the table and leaned forwards, "Those stories of Lake Silencio are all true. The Doctor will be there and he will be shot. An astronaut is to rise from Silencio Lake and it will. The only thing I haven't decided is which one of you will it be? You...or your daughter?"

"I don't understand, how do you know who I am? And how do you have Avalon? I watched the Doctor take her into the TARDIS. She's safe!"

"Ah, time travel my dear. This is just before Berlin. I have your younger self waiting for orders in Leadworth," Kovarian's lips curled into a devilish smile. "I made you what you are and I also prepared a back up. I have trained your daughter to do the task, brainwashed her, everything I need to get this right."

"I am not her daughter!" Avalon still fiercely yelled. "You left me!"

"I didn't do anything," River weakly argued, much too confused to put up a proper defense. As far as she knew, she hadn't left her daughter all.

"Yet!" Avalon snapped. "You abandoned me!"

"I haven't!" River slammed her hands down on the table as she got up from her chair, letting Avalon see that she really hadn't.

Avalon went into shock and fell silent. River was pregnant, very pregnant. She hadn't done anything yet, none of the things Kovarian had shown her. "Oh my God…"

River settled a hand over her stomach. "I'm almost due," she said with a half smile. "And I will never abandon my child."

Before Avalon could say anything, Kovarian stepped around the table for River. The woman quickly backtracked the same step. "Someone is getting into that astronaut suit and doing the deed. I allow you mercy by giving you the freedom to choose who will do it. You can climb into the astronaut suit and shoot the Doctor dead, sparing your poor daughter the atrocious act of killing her love. However, if you decide to keep your baby daughter - I won't judge - then I will have that one-" She pointed back at Avalon who couldn't be more terrified at the prospect, "-be in the suit. She shoots the Doctor and then she's off to Stormcage. I'm sure you could arrange visitations."

River felt a deep fury fill her insides, something she had to be truly careful about given her state. "You will not touch my daughter!"

"Ah, so is that your choice then? You take her place?"

"N-n-n-n-n-no! No!" Avalon started once she got the idea. "She doesn't accept anything! And neither do I! I would rather die than kill the Doctor! Shoot me right now!"

"I would but I'm not interested in finding out how many regenerations you have right now," Kovarian dismissed her and continued on with River. "Well then? I don't have all day, and neither does the Doctor actually. You or her?"

"I won't do it," River said, nearly making a promise to Avalon there and then. "I'm not killing him..."

This did not settle well with Kovarian. "Perhaps another persuasion tactic is needed - my second gift. Bring him in!"

Two more Silence walked into the room dragging in a young ginger man. Avalon and River immediately recognized him.

"Let me go! What the hell are you anyways!?" The man angrily pulled and pulled against their claw-like hands.

"Uncle Oliver?" Avalon struggled against the Silence holding her. "Why-why are you here? Why is he here!?" She threw a glare at Kovarian.

"Oliver?" River had recognized him perfectly, and now looked even more terrified than before.

"Make the decision, Melody Pond," Kovarian began to warn again.

"R-River they're crazy!" the man, Oliver, was struggling hard. "They're talking about murder and our daughter and I-"

"Daughter?" Avalon repeated just before Kovarian's roaring voice went over hers.

"MAKE THE DECISION!"

"NO!" River exclaimed.

Once again defeated, Kovarian struck with another strategy. With one swift move she had pulled out a gun and shot Oliver on the chest. The man collapsed on the ground.

"NOOO!" River nearly lunged forwards as she saw this happen. The tears were quick to fill her eyes and spill down.

Avalon had gasped with horror. "No, no! You didn't have to do that! Why - why would you do that!?"

River tried reaching Oliver but Kovarian blocked the way. "Please…" River begged her. "He's dying…"

"Yes, what a terrible thing you just did," Kovarian said flatly. "How will she ever forgive you?"

River swallowed hard as she looked over to Avalon. "Please...that's her father. Let her be with him. It's his last moments."

"My father…?" Avalon repeated. Her head was spinning and this time it wasn't because of all the electric shocks she'd gotten recently. "He's my…" She met River's teary gaze and watched her nod. "Oh my God!" She wrestled free from the Silence to run to Oliver. She fell to her knees beside him. "I-I...I don't know what to do, I'm sorry…"

Oliver had very little energy left but he had enough to recognize her. He had seen her already before, once. "My Avalon…"

She swallowed hard and nodded her head. "They say...they say you're my Dad. Is that...is that true?"

Olivia struggled to smile at her, hoping to answer her question. "You have my hair."

Avalon leaned closer to him and nodded again. "I...I guess I do?" Oliver groaned and shuddered a breath. Avalon barely understood what was happening but her eyes were giving out tears. She was so sad; sad over him. "You're my father and you're dying. I've killed you!"

"No, no," Oliver reached out as if to hug her so Avalon cradled his body as much as she could. "My beautiful Avalon. You grow up, you'll be safe...and happy…"

"No, no, no, don't talk like that. If it's all true then-then that means we have a lot of catching up to do. Stay with me please," Avalon pressed a kiss to his cheek, feeling a faint tickle over her skin from his light beard. "You're my Dad, you have to stay with me." Oliver smiled at her one more time before his eyes fell shut. "No! C'mon! No!" Avalon called for him to wake up, pleaded him to, but he was completely still.

River was despondent as she looked over her desk to see Oliver still and eyes shut. "He had...nothing to do with this..." She said to Kovarian in a frail whisper.

"I wouldn't have had to do that if you had just obeyed," Kovarian glowered. "You know the rules. You listen to me or else. Who I shoot next is all up to you."

River's eyes flickered to Avalon beside Oliver. She was crying so terrible it broke her heart. Her daughter had just watched her father die, held him. "What happens to her? If I obey, what will happen to my daughter?"

"I'll wipe her memories of everything that happened to her in these last months then I'll send her to Leadworth where she'll meet your younger self. I hear you guys had a blast in Berlin," Kovarian smirked. She knew that no matter what happened she had already won. Berlin had already happened.

The door flung open again and this time several soldiers stormed in with the famous white astronaut suit. Avalon actually screamed at the sight of it, already terrified from what happened and what she already watched happen.

"Not that! Please, not that!" She held her father's body closer to her, as if somehow he would still be able to protect her. "Not that!"

Two soldiers came to rip her away from her father's corpse and for the suit. River screamed at them to stop while Kovarian laughed. "It's time to choose Dr. Song, we've simply run out of time!"

Author's Note:

It's all going down in the next chapter ladies and gents! So excited to see your reactions! It goes without saying that things will be very different from the show and of course it'll be angsty. Also, just a clarification for the time the passed by. When Avalon says it's been 2 years for her, she means in the TARDIS. Obviously in Leadworth it's still 2011 but for her, it's been 2 years since the beginning of this story!

#ocappreciation #doctor who #11th doctor #dw #dwedit #fd: dw #11th doctor imagines #11th doctor fics #dw imagine #dw fics #doctor who fics #river song #amy pond #rory williams #oc: Avalon Reynolds #fic: falling in temptation

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boogiewrites · 4 years ago

Text

Choking On Sapphires 93

Characters: Alfie Solomons x Genevieve (OFC)

Title & Song: Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts

Summary: Alfie is never far from paranoia. But he and Genevieve both find that it's granted when it seems like the whole of London could be out to get them.

Warnings/Tags: Crime. Canon typical everything.

Click on my icon then go to my Mobile Masterlist in my bio for my other works and chapters. (Had to do this since Tumblr killed links, sorry.) Please like, comment and reblog if you enjoyed it! It helps out us writers A LOT!

There were only a handful of men in the abandoned warehouse in London this night. A location well suited, as gloomy and shady as their business practices. The cover of smog and fog from the nearby canal both serving as cover for their 'off the book' transactions. Despite their dastardly reputations, if these few men had somehow all been taken out at one time, the city would’ve plunged into bloody chaos that would lead to more trouble than already fell upon their territories.

They were a motley crew to be sure, all with twitching hands and shifty eyes. Not an ounce of trust to be found between any of them. They’d been called to this neutral ground on the guise there was a threat looming over them all. But since when wasn't there one? This desperate claim had been made by Niko, the newest head of the Greek gang who was less than a year into leading after assassinating his father. He was being met with much criticism. The decision to bring together the gangs and criminal leaders of London tonight would be met with the same disdain.

The men stood in their big coats with deep pockets, their seconds in the shadows of the dimly lit and dusty warehouse. Niko stood self-assured in his shirt with the rolled-up sleeves to show his heavy and dark forearms, hair black and slicked away from a strong masculine face. He was feeling accomplished for the ability to get all these infamous people together, and if he’s been smarter he would have actually done something with the occasion. You had the drug runners, the triads, who expected the threat to be from another country. The Sicilians who were known for their brothels thought perhaps new law enforcement might’ve been a threat to their money-making. The English boys and their known violence with the protection rackets they ran, this being their home and all, were worried about the Americans coming in and trying to disrupt the well-established lines in the sand for territories. There were bookmakers and gambling den owners, none who wanted their flows disrupted. Sabini, perhaps the most intelligent of them all had been over the race tracks for some time now, only sharing the space by negotiation or force with the Peaky boys or the Jews. And he couldn’t help but notice neither of which were at this gathering.

Sabini, looking at his pocket watch with a hard face knows Alfie wouldn’t be one to be late, and seeing as he knew the rumors of he and Nikos falling out, his suspicions were growing by the ticks of the watch hands. His faith this would be worth his while was dwindling just as quickly.

“I suppose you are the ones who are going to show...shame not everyone could hear this.” Niko begins, standing from his perched spot on a large wooden crate. “I know you have heard of a joining of powers to be happening soon. And I believe we should all take this as a threat.”

“What are the bloody Americans doin' now?” Billy Hill, one of the English roughens groans.

“No Americans.” Niko corrects and most of the men in the room go through relief and then a feeling of ‘then what?’. “One of London’s own and the French.” He begins.

Sabini groans audibly.

“I’m serious!” Niko insists with eyes that say he’s telling the truth. “I’m sure you’ve all heard that the Jew Alfie Solomons and that French whore Genevieve Durand are getting married.”

“Fucks sake.” Is the grumble of choice that works its way around the crowd.

“We can’t have her alliances and the Jews pairing! It’ll throw off the balance we’ve worked so hard to achieve!”

“And how is Solomons marrying going to affect anyone but him?” The annoyed lead of the Asian gangs calls out.

“This Durand is no ordinary woman.” Niko compulsorily insists.

“Yeah, we know you’re sweet on her.” Sabini mutters.

“This is about her French connections. Parliament, the gypsies, and the Irish! All of them will be with Solomons and not against him now because of her.”

“Look. She’s the godmother of a Shelby baby. That hardly calls for panic. She’s the niece of a French Jew, who has NO footing here. Those are not alliances. You’re acting like a bloody woman, so dramatic.” Sabini purses his lips.

“We all know what Horne did to her.” Billy interjects. “If you think she’s a threat after a wallop like that you’re mad. Alfies the one ya gotta watch for, and you know those Jews, they get all sentimental about their wives. This could work in our favor if he’s gone soft for the bird.”

“I do not think underselling Solomons is a good move. You saw what he did to Horne.” The Asian lead reminds them.

“That shows how unstable he is!” Niko yells.

“Well he didn’t kill his own father now did he?” One of the bookmakers snarks.

“Everyone agreed to that!” Niko shouts, his anger showing at not getting his way.

“Yeah and I think everyone’s agreeing that we don’t give a fuck about the hard prick you’ve got for Solomons woman and how you want us to the dirty work to take him out of the picture.” Billy’s known brash remarks surprise no one.

“That’s not what this is about. She’ll be trouble! I'm telling you. She’s a sly one. Don’t underestimate her. She could be a loose cannon and telling Solomons what to do, and with the men she’s got behind her she could try to take over the city!”

Everyone but Niko laughs. “Her? Telling ALFIE what to do?” Sabini laughs and wipes away an imaginary tear to sell his point. “You daft boy, listen… she’s a woman yeah? She’s gonna get married and shit out a few little kykes and fall into place. Same as the rest. It’s what they DO.”

“She’s not like other women.” Niko growls.

“We know you’re sore about losin' her to a old man like Solomons, yeah?”

“Maybe she prefers the cut cocks.” Someone remarks and a chuckle passes through the group.

“More like the money.” Another adds and a general nod of agreement moves in a wave across the room.

“LISTEN!” Niko shouts in anger. “I think this marriage is a bad idea. She’s been knocked senseless, attacking people in public, and we know Solomons can be unpredictable. Look what he did to Horne!?”

“A man’s love and loyalty to a woman is fueled by an ancient fire. He was within his right to do that.”

“As poetic as that is,” Sabini rolls his eyes “I’ve known Alfie longer than any of you. And if I say there’s no reason to react then there’s not.” He states clearly with the wheels in his head turning his unspoken thoughts.

“He burned down half the city for that woman. He threw a tantrum like a child and bypassed so many of our unspoken rules in the name revenge.” Niko screeches.

“Like you now, yeah?” Sabini snarks. “You have no business with either of them now. Because YOU threw a fit? Remember?” Niko puffs up in shame. “Why do you care? Why are you wasting our time?” Sabini gestures with his hands and gives Niko a disgusted expression for bringing them there “If ya gonna call us all up, Why not talk about the upcoming elections? Or how they're clearing out the slums and breaking up all our established territories?” The reaction from the group is a unanimous groan of agreement. “Those are real fuckin’ things to worry about. If you’re so concerned about women in power why not go after the fucking labour party too?” Sabine’s experience overrides Niko and his barely thought out objections.

The group laughs and makes Niko feel small and childish. A feeling he hated as the youngest son and one he hadn’t felt since his father died. It did him and no one else any favors to light that pain within him again. For it was the one that lead him to kill the last man who caused it. But now that he had the attention of the entire family. ho knows how he would lash out next time he reached his breaking point?

For as crass and disrespectful as Sabini was, he wasn’t the dumbest criminal in London by a long shot. He’d thought about what Niko said after patronizing him in front of everyone. Even though he didn’t agree, he did have a few points of sense that he hadn’t meant to make. Alfie would be having to change up his repertoire. He had Shelby in Parliament and an uncle in law that was the head of a crime family. Albeit was in France, but clout was clout and bodies were bodies when fighting broke out. Sabini didn’t think Gen would be a problem, as he had heard of her seriousness with her newly found Judaism and expected her to be a good little wife and let her husband rule the roost. But Sabini only knew of the slurs and stereotypes for the Jewish people, not so much their beliefs. Because if he had, he’d know what sort of power, Gen, as the wife would hold in their household. Instead, he saw an opportunity to mend things with Alfie. A peace offering for the joyous occasion so it wouldn’t seem suspicious. As he had said, he knew Alfie. He knew what he was capable of and what a pain in the arse he could be. He’d like to make things easier, not harder so he knows it’s time to make a truce, to show him he wasn’t a threat. Sabini knew it was time to reach out to an old school mate. Because he most certainly didn’t want Alfie Solomons on his bad side.

———

Genevieve’s giggle could be heard from the other side of her bedroom door. The raised hand to knock hesitates.

“Do I have to do it?” The young boy winces, fearing interrupting Solomons during his time with his fiancé.

“Oh fucking-c’mon!” Claire gruffs and shoves him out of the way. “Gen? Alfie? Pardon the interruption but we have some little birds with news out here.

The groan of Alfie can be heard, rolling to his back and throwing his arm dramatically. “WOT THEY WANT?” He shouts as Gen pops out of bed to throw his pants at him and slide on a gown before slinking back into bed. “WHO is it?” He asks quickly after.

“One of yours and one of Genevieve’s.”

“Both?” She hears the women in question ask.

“Come in.” Alfie commands, now sitting up with the covers pulled up under his arms.

“Go on.” Claire shoves the two young boys into the room who feel immediately as if they were trespassing. She stands in the doorway so they cannot leave and watches them creep forward.

“Ya gonna speak or what?” Alfie asks with a jut of his chin.

“Yes sir.” The taller of the two mumbles as he steps forward.

“Come to the foot of the bed and speak up.” Genevieve directs with much more kindness in her tone, directing them with a pointed finger.

“Yes ma’am.” The boy keeps his eyes lowered, his hat being wrung in his hands, a clear ring of sweat around his collar. “Who first?”

“You dear, you’ve been employed the longest,” She explains to Alfie's nervous spy. “Seniority.” She nods.

“Yes ma’am. There was news of a meeting last night.”

After a pause, Alfie makes a rolling motion with his hand. “Anything else to go wif that to make it useful?”

“Downtown they saw some men meeting in one of the old warehouses.”

“Some men?” Genevieve tries to get more out of the boy.

“Gangsters, ma’am.”

“Mmmph. And who?”

“Only person I was told the Greeks.”

“Fuckin ell.” Alfie sighs. “That all ya got?”

“Yes sir.”

“I have more.” The smaller of the two adds sheepishly.

“Then out wif it.” Alfie demands loudly.

“The Greek was there first, then some of the English Hill lads and the bookmaker Comer. Triads, Sabini, and the other Italians.”

“Now that’s the kinda report I need yeah?” Alfie says in a fatherly tone to his informer.

“Is that all?” Genevieve pries a final time.

“No one was inside to hear what was said but no shots or shoutin' and it was over very quickly. No one we knew was there.”

Alfie hums with narrowed eyes in thought. “What of the fascists?”

“No political men, only the kind what run the streets like you, sir.”

“Good lad.” He nods in approval.

“Claire pay them their due.” Genevieve points her way. “Leave with her boys, thank you.”

“Give the missus boy more,” Alfie calls out and the young one's eyes blink with surprise. “We reward detail. Leave nothing to interpretation when ya can lads.”

“Yes sir.” In unison comes from the shabby pair.

After the door is shut behind them the minds of the two business owners are piecing together what they had.

“Of course I wasn’t invited to this but I’m assuming you weren’t as well?”

“No,” Alfie says with a slow shake of his head. “No Jews at all actually.”

“But no fascists. Curious.”

“Not about us then.”

“Not as a whole, no. But Niko…”

“Yeah that... fuckers up to somefin.”

“I’ll keep an ear out, poke around at my retailers today.”

“Good, good. I know I can lean heavily on paranoia…”

“It’s kept you alive this long.” Genevieve smirks. “Listen to your gut, always.”

“But no one you run wif was there. None of ours. Leads one to believe this might be personal, yeah?”

“I do agree. We know the man isn’t happy about us. Now we're being left out and those with known loyalty to us are as well. I don’t believe that to be paranoia so much as putting together a bigger picture. Perhaps you could ask-“

“Sabini, yeah.” He finishes her thought.

“Mmm Hmm. He’s been behaving as of late. Due for another check-in I’d say.”

“And I’d say you’re right.”

———————-

Sabini happened to have reached out to Solomons for a meeting before Alfie had the chance to initiate. Alfie knew this meant one of two things, that Sabini needed him, or he needed Sabini. Or perhaps a third option of both? Alfie was prepared for all outcomes as he prided himself in.

For anyone else the smugness on Derby’s face, set to its usual twitch of him acting as if he’d smelled shit, would’ve been an indicator of which option was on the table for discussion. But this observation was useless against someone like Sabini. He didn’t give himself away until you dug in close and arrogance was his base nature.

He waltzed in like some greyscale silent film star with shiny shoes and a coat draped over his shoulders. His appearance next to Alfie gives nothing away that they were both raised in the same streets as the learned posh facade Sabini had long practiced to appear authentic. Alfie even has the passing thought of observing Sabini’s practiced measures of sitting down to be a tad too feminine at this point but that was neither here nor there, he supposes.

Alfie’s nose twitches both from his business mate’s luxury cologne and his impatience for the small talk. He was only interested in faux comradery if he could benefit from it. Sabini was lamenting on the state of the cabinet, the changes, and the way the kids no longer remembered the war and it was leading in directions he didn’t particularly care for. Perhaps it was an attempt to be personable, but Alfie had no time for such things when it came to someone who he’d known since before his balls dropped.

Alfie perks up his demeanor, hands flat and wide on his old wooden desk, dust unsettling as he hit heavily against the top. “Now DERBY… “He clears his throat, lips pooching out ever so slightly to appear in thought, but it was clearly making a mockery of the behavior of Sabini. “We could, y’know, sit and listen to you talk out ya arse ‘bout shit no one gives a FUCK about.” he blinks rapidly and nods his head with his low brow directed at his associate. “Or we could just skip it, the gossipin’ like the birds ‘n that, and get down to business. Like men.” his tongue punctuates against his teeth to show through his deepened voice that he meant what he said. In case Derby had forgotten.

“Now for what it’s worth, your precision is something I always did like about you Alfie.”

“Compliments ain’t like you now, Derby, old friend. Should I pull me cock out for those sweet words or do you want to get to your fucking point?”

With a slight wince of his lips, Sabini takes a deep breath to crispen his delivery. “I am here as a show of good faith, right? I have some information that you need and I want to discuss how this might affect us in the future.”

“Us?” Alfie laughs and sits back in his chair with a smug grin. “Presumptuous, innit?”

“Yes. Us, Alfie.” Sabini states with the annoyance already showing through in his voice.

“Go on then.” a demanding hand motions forth from the leather chair.

“The Greeks are trying to upset the truces.”

“Ahhh.” Alfie groans. “Always the fuckin’ Greeks, yeah? If not then it’s the Italians.” he jokes.

Sabini chose to ignore the jab. “I have the information you want. But I need something from you in return.”

“How do you know I need it? How do you know, yeah? That I don’t already know?” Alfie's lip curled up almost in an almost childish taunt.

“Because you aren’t reaching out to anyone. You’d be doing damage control if you knew. Gettin’ all the little ducks in a row to keep everyone in line.”

“You are being rather bold, y’know, there mate... Don’t much care for it to be honest. Arrogance, innit? Which means, you tellin' me how you think I fuckin’ run things, which you can fuck RIGHT OFF with, mate, respectively, I mean that Derby old mate… THAT indiscretion leads me to believe, yeah? That you do genuinely think that the information you have is valuable.” he taps the desk in front of him to demand the information with not only his words. “So what is it that you think is so important that you’d come down here to mingle among us… dirty dust bin lids, I believe is what you call us.

“I need something from you in return.”

Alfie throws his hands up half way, “Let me ask you this Derby, in all seriousness now lad, Are you thick? Are you lame? NO! No, listen ‘cause that statement was something an imbecile would say to a man like me.”

Sabini sighs and rolls his eyes, “Me ‘n you go way back Alfie. We’ve been enemies, and we’ve been friends. And isn’t it much better when we’re friends?”

“Oh yeah, mate.”

“I need us to be on the same side here. We grew up together. Immigrant lads and the like. We know war, we know the streets, we have an advantage here as a pair and I want to propose we work together instead of apart for the foreseeable future.”

“Mmm.” is Alfie’s only response. Best you stay silent and let the other man do the talking.

“Can you agree to that? We can do it formally, with your contracts and that. I know how your lot loves to have documentation of everything.”

“Can ya fuckin’ blame us? What with whats’ goin’ on out there?”

“That’s why we need to work together.”

“How’s about you tell me what this information is and I will tell you if it’s worth me workin’ with a man like you? You Italians aren’t known for your inclusivity ya daft fascists.”

“Alfie.” Sabini groans. “You know I'm not that stupid and I know you aren’t either. Let’s move past this yeah? I’m English, I don’t live in bloody Italy, my parents don’t live there, I work with what’s in front of me don’t I? Not with my head in some other fuckin’ country. Give me a bit of credit here, I'm not some amateur.”

“A truce?” Alfie quickly switches the conversation direction in a show of understanding.

“Yes.” An exasperated Sabini spits out.

“What terms?” Alfie asks with a rather dainty placement of his gold spectacles and a lick of his pen.

“We share the tracks. I can give you more races to share if you agree to not come for me or my men. We won’t cross on each other territories of businesses. No fighting over pubs and theatres. We’d have each other's backs, like the good old days.”

“Good old days.” Alfie snorts as keeps writing. “I get one race a month of my own. Share the rest.”

“Fine.”

“NO crossing territories, no murderin’, no fightin’.” Alfie repeats, with a mumble as it’s the least of his worries.

“Agreed.”

“And the giving of men for circumstances of attack and revenge on other groups if the situation arises.”

“Acceptable.”

“Then sign here,” Alfie says with a satisfied expression. “You must be in a right spot, mate. Givin’ up this.”

“It’s an investment.”

“Mmm.” Alfie hums and shakes the paper to dry the ink. “Now. This information…”

“There was a meeting-”

“Remember when I said I knew things…?”

“Let me bloody talk now. We get it you KNOW things, Alfie.” he interjects with an annoyed wave of his hand. “What you might not know is that Niko tried to gather the lot of us from all of London and turn us on you.”

“Mmm.” another sound of acknowledgment that meant nothing.

“He doesn’t trust you or your bride to be. Congratulations by the way.”

“Thank you.” he nods gracefully.

“We all know he’s after her, yeah? But he wants us to believe she’ll turn you against everyone and try to take us all down one by one. Which after your reaction to Horne, almost all of us aren’t sure what the fuck to think about you.”

“Couldn’t possibly have been intentional.”

“I wanted a truce because I don’t want you coming at me how you did Horne. A new war between us will do nothing but lead to problems I don't fucking have time for anymore. Not with how the worlds changing and us getting older.”

“Yeah, I feel it in my legs mostly...” Alfie groans.

“Niko is going to come for you. I believe you need to set up a meeting of your own and address him and, well bloody almost everyone else. It might help, might not. But at least then when faced with you and not behind your back you might see what sort of man Niko has turned into after taking over.”

“Never was much of one to begin with.” Alfie rolls his eyes.

“No, which makes him behave like a child and thus not act according to the truces that are set in place.”

“Yeah yeah.” Alfie nods. “There needs to be somethin’ said. Can’t have the little wanker goin’ round runnin’ his fuckin’ mouth bout me. OR my wife. “

“All this over a fucking woman.” Sabini groans.

Alfie points a ringed and aggressive finger his way. “You can’t be talking about her either, yeah? That’ll break this little agreement faster than I could put a bullet in your fuckin’ skull, right?”

“I'm not. Nothing personal just… he’s acting like a little boy. I know marriage is important to you Jews.”

“Always the tasteful one, Derby.”

“You know what I fuckin’ mean.”

“Unfortunately I do speak prick.”

“Alfie, I’m not after you or your wife. In any capacity. How I talk is just how I talk, yeah? I don't mean nothin’ by it, it’s just how I am. How we grew up. And I know you. We know each other right? And I would rather work with the devil I know than the devil I don’t. And that’d be you. Especially after what you did to Horne.”

“Mmph.” Alfie nods. “Spose that checks out.”

“I was impressed, I’ll admit. We haven’t seen a retaliation wipe out a whole enterprise like that in decades.”

“And I’d dig him up, skull fuck him and set him on fire if I could. Salt the fuckin’ earth wherever his feet touched.” Alfie's eyes are familiar darkness to Sabini. He’d expected as much from him after seeing the ash fall from the city skyline line it was snow from the destruction Alfie orchestrated. “I don’t blame you for not wantin’ me on your bad side. I know they say we’re both crazy now.”

“But see...I know neither of you are.”

“And that’s why we’ve not killed you yet, mate. Every now and then, you use your brain. ”

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