#and if that kid's mom was dead he would have buried her for him personally

[righteousruin]

Bane asks for help all the time, he grew up in a prison whose entire society hinged on people doing things for each other, his entire career is people needing his help, dc stop writing him like this??

[kasagia]

Right Hand V

Pairing: Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x fem!exBeneGesserit! reader Summary: The Bene Gesserit has something... very interesting to show you—something that only makes you question your situation more. During this time, Feyd is also put to a great test. But how much can your relationship endure before you both come to the conclusion that maybe you're not meant to be together? Warning: 18+; violence; blood; Feyd Rautha; death; fight; brutality; smut; Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ Main Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ PART IV ~•♤♤♤•~ PART VI ~•♤♤♤•~

Dreams have a strange power. You can see your future and past in them. You can drift between dreamland and the real world and be semi-aware of your surroundings. You can create a new reality that is more tempting than your real life. Dreams can be either your sweet escape from reality or your dark oppressor.

For you, dreams were reminders of what had been, ghosts of the past, catching you in your most vulnerable state. But this time, you weren't dreaming about your past.

You were in Giedi Prime. You walked through familiar corridors, hiding from the Harkonnens' eyes. It was rare to meet anyone in these corridors. Most of them were dead ends with secret passages that were unknown to most of the inhabitants of Giedi Prime. That's why you were terribly surprised when suddenly someone pulled you by your cloak.

You freeze, startled, and turn slowly to face the small child. The kid looks like Harkonnen's child, but not quite. His skin is creamier than white, and white hair grows on his head in unruly curls. But what you recognised perfectly were the blue, bright irises that only one person could boast on Gieidi Prime.

"Mommy!" A boy around 5 years old runs up to you and hugs your legs as you look at him in shock and confusion. “Dad said he would take us on a trip! To Lankiveil! We will swim in a real lake! Can you imagine that?!” – he asks excitedly and holds out his hands to you. You automatically scoop him up into your arms and place him on your hip, trying to figure out what the hell is happening.

Someone's quick footsteps echo in the corridor. You look past the child and see one of the harpies approaching you. She breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to you when she saw the boy in your arms.

"You can't run away like that, my lord Na-Baron. The baron told us to look after you."

"I didn't run away. I quickly left to find my mom. Dad wanted to speak with her. Besides, it's not my fault that you're so slow." Both you and the woman next to you do everything in your power not to burst out laughing. You smile, burying your face in your "son's" hair. He was so damn similar to his father and you.

The boy jumps out of your arms and grabs your hand. He runs with you through familiar corridors and hidden passages, not caring if you can keep up with him.

This way, you are in the war room in just a few seconds. Feyd stands with his back to you, analysing something on the hologram of the planets in front of him. He doesn't even flinch when the secret passage closes behind you with a bang.

"Dad, I brought mom." Your boy announces proudly, leading you to Feyd. The man turns and runs his hand through your son's hair. The little one smiles, showing a series of night-black teeth... with small cavities. He looked so damn cute. Like a little version of his father...

"Good job, Feydor. At least you are able to find your mother in her shadows. Go, torment your uncle. I've heard that you promised Rabban a great fight after our lessons." Feyd says teasingly, wrapping his arm around your waist. You roll your eyes at his comment about shadows, but you can't help but watch his interactions with your son in fascination.

Feyd was rarely around children; on Giedi Prime, they were quite... not shown much. They were a temporary inconvenience rather than a source of pride, and the noblest and most important of the inhabitants rarely cared for their own descendants. The nannies and servants usually took care of them. That's why you observed with admiration how soft and tender he was towards the boy, who was a living mix of both of you.

"I did! I can't wait to use the voice on him. I love you, dad. I love you, mom." He hugs you and practically runs to the training room, looking forward to training with his uncle.

"Just don't humiliate your uncle too much! And remember to turn on your shield!" Feyd shouts after him, and you feel like crying at the worried and caring look on his face. You've never seen him like this. Well, not when the two of you were in no danger. "In moments like these, I feel sorry for Rabban. He has to face a deadly mix of both of us. Devious beast, just like us. It doesn't matter that Rabban is not using all his strength against him; he would have defeated him anyway with his tactical mind and the tricks he learned from you. I need to start training with him so that he doesn't become too arrogant and self-confident after his numerous victories over Rabban. He must always be alert and ready for his opponent."

Honestly, you're not listening carefully to what he's saying. You are shocked by this new reality in which you find yourself. It was too surreal for you. But you couldn't stop your heart from fluttering as he spoke about his son with such tenderness and pride. Your son.

"What's wrong? You look pale. Are you two alright? You had unusual cravings again, and now you regret what you ate?" The concern in his eyes confuses you even more. He places his hand tenderly on your stomach and watches you carefully, searching for any sign of discomfort as you wonder what the hell happened to make him... like this. It must have been your imagination. This couldn't be any vision of your future, because even in your wildest dreams, you had never imagined it to be so... beautiful. "Y/N? Talk to me, my baroness. Should I call a healer?"

"I'm fine." You reply with a smile, shaking your head and placing your hand on his—the one that was still tenderly caressing your small pregnancy belly.

"You sure?" Your lips hurt from smiling as you try your hardest not to cry in front of him with emotion. So you grab him by the neck and pull him in for a kiss.

He caresses your lips so gently and tangles his hand so carefully in your hair that you feel like you're about to cry from the way this rare, soft side of him makes you feel that he so bravely shows you.

"Yes... we... we are perfect." You whisper, resting your forehead against his, not at all referring to yourself and the child. You close your eyes, letting yourself breathe in his scent as he draws patterns with his finger on your stomach, keeping his arm possessively around you.

You wrap your arms around him tightly and bury your face in his neck, holding him as close as you can. He laughs softly and presses a kiss on your temple.

"There you are... I almost forgot how sweetly clingy you are while carrying my heir under your heart. We should've tried for a sister for our Kwisatz Haderach a long time ago." He murmurs against your skin and lazily plays with your hair, massaging your head. "Are you sure you are feeling good? You have been very quiet. Usually, you would throw all sorts of insults and banter at me. It's not too late for you to swallow your pride and admit that you want to give birth on Arrakis or anywhere other than on this polluted planet. Damn what those old hags think of you; it won't make you any less of a Harkonnen."

Your heart swells with every word he says. It takes a lot of strength on your part not to cry in his arms and to keep your voice from shaking as you try to form a coherent sentence.

"I... just promise me you will never let me go." You ask him, not daring to even look at him because you're afraid you'll cry the moment his eyes meet yours.

"You stuck with us, my baroness. Nothing can separate us." He promises it to you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head and tightening his hold on you. You felt safe. Warm. Loved.

"Good." You mumble, snuggling into him even more. You act as if this is really happening, like this is really supposed to be your life and future.

You have come to the conclusion that it is impossible and unrealistic for Feyd to change like this. The Harkonnens were not soft; they did not lead a tender family life and cared for their wives if they did take one. But in the end, it's your dream. So you sink into his arms, enjoying the sweet words he whispers in your ear and the way he strokes your hair.

Feyd had never been in such a hurry to get to his chambers. His heart was beating fast, and adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he thought about what had happened in those few hours. The baron is missing. He was kidnapped or killed by the Fremen. Feyd was to take his place until they found his uncle's body or the council officially declared him dead.

And Feyd had his suspicions about who could have contributed to the sudden disappearance of his beloved uncle. You couldn't have given him a better birthday present. In fact, you could, and he was practically running back to his chambers to pick it up.

He enters the chambers and immediately senses that it is too quiet there. He tries to dispel any suspicions and enters his bedroom, only to find the bed empty.

“Y/N?” He calls out, knocking on the table a few times to make his presence known. He peeks into the bathroom, slightly hoping that maybe you're waiting for him in the hot bath to tease him even more, but you weren't there either.

He frowns. He wonders if this isn't one of your games. Isn't that what you wanted—to play cat and mouse with him, to give him an exciting chase before he wins and can finally ravage you—but he quickly dismisses that (charming) idea. You were as desperate as he was. You wouldn't leave this room unless it was urgent. At least he hoped so.

He clenches his fists as he steps out into the main room of his chambers. The idea crosses his mind that maybe this time you actually ran away from him. He wouldn't be surprised. Maybe you finally snapped; maybe he scared you too much; maybe he went a step too far today by injecting you with truth serum and torturing your former lover/friend.

After all, you didn't say you loved him. You also didn't say that you despised him or that you wanted him to leave you. You could have escaped from him when the perfect opportunity presented itself…

"My lord, Na-Baron?" The frightened tone of one of the guards' voices brings Feyd out of his thoughts. He realises that he has gone out into the hall and is standing in the doorway, staring blankly at his two men. He clears his throat and turns his cold, calculating gaze on one of them.

"Have you seen my right hand?" They both shake their heads, not daring to look at him.

"No one left or entered these chambers except you, my na-baron." His madness grows as he unintentionally compares them to you. You always had the courage to face his anger and look at him, proudly bearing his burning gaze.

If you really run away from him... he will unleash hundreds of hounds, bring you back to him at all costs, and make sure you never leave his side again. He won't give a fuck if that's what you want. He gave you countless opportunities to leave him and end things between you two in a civilised way without brutality or bloodshed, but you didn't want it. The only thing stopping you two from being together were your stupid prejudices and fear. He planned to get rid of them completely once he got his hands on you again.

"Bring her to me." He growls at them, turning to go back to his chambers.

"But my lord..." Before the soldier can finish his sentence, Feyd reaches for his blade and cuts his throat with one skillful move. It eases the tension in his muscles a little, but the moment the man falls dead to the floor in front of him, his mood sours again. Because he remembers how, in moments like these, you often gave him a disapproving look and cleaned up the mess he made.

He growls at the other soldier, who is shaking with fear, to clean up and closes the door behind him with a loud bang. He had to find you. You got too deep under his skin for him to just forget about you. First, he had to determine whether you disappeared alone or whether someone had helped you. And God save him who dared to steal his baroness from under his nose.

He carefully examines his chambers, slowly exploring every corner. He frowns when he sees a familiar, polished dagger in his weapon collection. He picks it up and looks at it carefully. It was your blade. The one you had attached to your thigh. You had never left it—not since you got it from him for your birthday.

"Na-baron. You wanted to see me." You say, walking onto the balcony of his chambers. Feyd doesn't turn towards you. He stares at Giedi Prime spread out below him, the city completely shrouded in darkness. Only the few white stars that managed to penetrate the polluted atmosphere illuminated the planet with a pale glow. You quickly catch the hint and stand next to him, also looking at the buildings.

"I hate it here." He confesses to you without knowing why. "My home planet had seas, lakes, wild landscapes, and tundra that no one dared to tame. And here everything is so..."

"Controlled. Polluted. Defiled. Exploited. No room for anything... wild or natural." You finish for him. He nods, agreeing with your words.

It's been two years since you served him. And he had to admit that he didn't have such a good man on whom he could always count. You were extraordinary. Loyal, faithful, brave, honourable, and cunning. Feyd wanted to liberate you. Not many could live up to his expectations, but you seemed to know exactly what he wanted and needed after just one look. It aroused in him... strange feelings. Disturbing. But he didn't think about it when he was around you.

He preferred to admire your… difference. The hair that flowed slightly in the wind, the way your eyebrows knitted together in anger when someone questioned your position as his right-hand man, the way you walked, the way you could disappear into the shadows, the cunning and strength of your mind. You were an extraordinary woman. He started to appreciate you for the time you spent planning together. Nightly conversations about the nobility of Giedi Prime, your battle plans, and court intrigues became… something other than work for him. He was starting to like being close to you.

And at night, when he was with his concubines... he found himself imagining you in their place. And how much he wanted you... so much so lately that every little thing you did was the hottest, erotic act for him, even the way you moaned in appreciation when you ate good food. He was fucked up. Like a teenager in love.

But he didn't love you. He could not. His uncle had told him many times that the Harkonnens knew no love or affection. He just had to wait until this desire passed or find another right hand and make you his concubine, which was a much more difficult task. There were many pussies and holes he could have used, but you were the only one who seemed to have a mind even remotely like his. He couldn't afford to lose such a good strategist and soldier.

"Do you need anything, Na-Baron?" Your gentle question brings him out of his thoughts. He nods and goes to his chambers. He returns quickly with a black box in his hands. He hands it to you, carefully watching your reaction.

"Happy birthday, little witch." He says, not hiding a small smirk when he sees your shock. He managed to surprise you so rarely that he treated every such moment with reverence, as if it were the most important moment of his life. Pathetic. What power you had over him…

"How did you..."

"I have my ways too. Open it." He interrupts you, excited by your reaction to his gift. He puts his hands behind his back, feeling his fingers tremble slightly as they begin to sweat. He ignores it, completely focused on you as you gently untie the white bow and open the box. You hold your breath, staring at the dagger in awe. "Steel from my home planet. Don't stab yourself with it by accident. When it pierces someone's body, a piece of the blade dissolves under the heat of the attacker's blood. A small dose of this metal in the human body causes, in the worst case, a moribund state and death. We call it the shadow killer because death occurs hours after the attack unless an antidote is administered."

"I... I don't know what to say." You whisper, taking out the blade and running your fingertips over it. He looks at you with pride. He made it all by himself. For you. A detail he would take with him to his grave rather than admit to anyone.

"You can thank me. Didn't the Bene Gesserit teach you this?" He asks teasingly, making you roll your eyes at him. However, you give him such a beautiful smile that his black, rotten heart beats faster, letting him know about you for the first time in years.

"Thank you, Feyd." He melts when you say his name. You used it so infrequently that he had every little moment seared into his memory when you let your professionalism slip through and did it. And he loved the way his name sounded on your lips. He couldn't help but imagine what it would sound like when you shouted it, under much more pleasant circumstances.

"You know, we Harkonnens kiss each other on the lips as an expression of gratitude." He says this as your eyes move back to the dagger. He sees you freeze at the memory of it. You blush slightly, but enough for Feyd to notice the slight change. And he absolutely loves seeing you blushing and confused.

"I'm not a Harkonnen." You respond with a cheeky smile, and he shakes his head in amusement.

"But you are on our planet. I guess you should follow our rules and customs, right? Besides, in a few years, you'll be considered one of us."

"If I survive."

"I think you have a good chance." He smiles at your banter. The pride in his chest grows even more when, instead of looking at his black teeth in horror, you giggle, unfazed. You were so different…

However, he freezes when you take a step towards him. You cup his cheeks in your hands and pull him in for a kiss. He almost moans into your mouth like a total slut. It takes all of his willpower not to kiss you back, not to pull you closer, and not to actually taste your lips. But he can't. He won't show that he is that weak for you. So he keeps this fake kiss very professional. He is digging his nails into his palms until they bleed, as he is too afraid that he will accidentally reach for your body and pull you closer to him.

You pull away from him as suddenly as you place your lips on him. And he's both shocked and angry that your lips left his so quickly. His eyes wander to your lips as you lick them. Feyd curses himself for how badly he wants that pink tongue of yours to wrap around his own... or the hardening manhood in his pants.

"Thank you, Na-Baron Feyd Rautha." You whisper and head towards the exit, leaving him there, completely horny and wanting more of you—your touch, your kisses, your lips, your taste, your everything. He feels himself blushing at the thought of what he wants to do to you.

"Your welcome, my little witch." He mumbles as you disappear back into your shadows. He puts his bloody fingertips on his lips, tasting his blood. He closes his eyes, imagining how sweet you must taste...

Yeah... Feyd couldn't love you. A lie he had told himself since that night every time he felt his heart pound in his chest whenever he saw you.

"Brother… I mean... my Baron…" Rabban's voice reaches him vaguely as he continues to recall that day. Now he knew the taste of your lips... and your more intimate parts. And damn him if he doesn't put his fingers and tongue on you again.

"What?" He growls at him furiously, unsheathing his dagger and attaching yours to his body. The blade of the dagger was a bit uneven. And soft in his hands. It must have been used recently. And from the dried blood on the handle, he guessed that someone had clumsily tried to clean it. Someone took you from him.

He returns to the bedroom and grabs your shawl from the floor. He puts it to his nose and inhales your scent. He calms down a little—not enough for his fury to disappear, but enough to start thinking logically.

He was going to turn Arrakis into a living hell.

"The council has met. All high families. They are waiting for you."

Feyd would ignore it and go straight to find you, but your disgruntled face appears before his eyes. He would know that you would advise him to go to the council and present himself as best as possible—show his strength. He sighed, wrapping your shawl around his wrist as he made a decision.

"I see. Let's go." He announces this as he leaves the room and doesn't wait for Rabban to follow him. His brother runs after him, cursing under his breath as he tries to keep up with his fast pace. Feyd had a plan in his head and a clear goal. He'll have you in his arms at the end of the day, or he'll burn this damn planet down looking for you.

"And your witch?" Feyd suddenly stops. He turns his head slowly and looks at his brother, narrowing his eyes at him.

He shakes his head, knowing full well that you would castrate his brother before allowing him and his men to take you away. Rabban was too stupid for that and too afraid of him. If Feyd had to bet on who did it, he would choose the Bene Gesserit or Atreides with his Fremen.

"She won't be there. Order our men to close the airspace and monitor movements in the desert. Tell them to keep an eye on the Reverend Mothers and the Bene Gesserit. If they object to or question my decision, order to tell them that the baron is only trying to keep them safe. They are to report their every move to me. Once you've done that, join the meeting."

"Me?" He asks in shock, following obediently after him.

"You are my brother. We have to show that we are strong and that there are no divisions between us. Especially after my uncle is dead. They may think we are weak targets and want to get rid of us, just like we did with the Atreides. We must assert our dominance."

Rabban nods, looking at him warily. Feyd doesn't care what he looks like. They took you away from him. He'll do anything to get you back. It doesn't matter if he makes you seem mad or a worse psychopath than he already is.

Why does he need a reputation as a bloodthirsty beast if someone dared to get their hands on what's his anyway? People sentenced themselves to death and then dared to say that he was unpredictable. Pathetic idiots. He hoped you were giving them hell. His heart ached uncomfortably at the thought of someone hurting you while he had to deal with the nobility.

"Let's be honest. Baron Vladimir is dead. Paul Atreides is still at large, probably planning our murder, and the Fremen are rampaging in the desert, worshipping the false prophet. What are you going to do about it, Baron Feyd Rautha?" Feyd clenched his fists under the table. He slowly stopped being surprised that his uncle had become such a man.

After talking to the emperor for a moment, he felt like cutting out his tongue and gouging out the eyes of other high families staring at him. As if his role was to play their hero...

"We have already taken the first measures. It only takes a few bombs to extinguish the spirit of these desert rats. As for Paul Atreides... my people are looking for him. And my right hand went missing the night my uncle died. We suspect this is a related case. I'm going to head out into the desert and join the search. Of course, leaving members of high families in the care of my brother and some of our people. No one will leave Arrakis until the traitors are killed."

His calm, unruffled demeanour, and silent threat caused a slight stir in the room. Feyd suppressed a smirk. He loved controlling the crowd this way. However, he knew that impressing the emperor would be more difficult. Words were not enough to prove that the Harkonnens were a force they should be afraid of. And so far, his brother and uncle have only brought humiliation to their family. He had to fix it. Only with you by his side. That's why he had to leave this pointless meeting as soon as possible and start taking some action. His weapon craved blood.

"It wouldn't be the first time a concubine had gone missing." Princess Irulan comments. Feyd shifts his gaze to her, analysing her carefully. She was paler than usual, her posture more indifferent, as if she were trying hard to hide her true emotions behind her mask. Feyd made a note to look at her more closely.

"Probably not, Princess Irulan. However, in light of recent events—the Atreides attack, the death of my dear uncle, and the increased activity of the Fremen—I am certain that this is not a mere disappearance. This is a deliberate action. Attack on noble houses. Attack on the Harkonnens. And maybe I wouldn't be so concerned about my right hand being missing if it weren't for the baby." After his words, silence fell in the room. Feyd delights in the shocked look from the princess and the nobles in the room.

"The baby?"

"My heir she carries." Feyd nods, repeating his words to the emperor.

Feyd could barely contain his smirk, knowing full well how much you would like to see the faces of representatives of great houses now. To say they were shocked was an understatement. But what else was he supposed to say? That he goes looking for you with a thousand of his troops because he loves you and simply can't lose you? Only the thought of losing his heir was... a good reason to search all of Arrakis and close the airspace—any possibility of leaving the planet.

Because who would stop Harkonnen from desperately searching for the woman who carries his heir? Even a fool wouldn't dare. And if the Bene Gesserit were behind your kidnapping, they wouldn't dare do anything to you either after hearing that... surprising information. After all, they needed his offspring for their plans. Why would they destroy one? Feyd just hoped to get to you first before anyone discovered that you weren't pregnant at all.

"You horny dog! Why didn't you say anything?" Rabban pats him on the back, laughing hoarsely. It breaks the awkward silence in the room. But still, everyone's eyes are on him.

"We preferred to wait with any celebration until we were sure that the baby was growing healthily. After all, this could be our Kwisatz Hederach. Of course, now the safe return of my fiancée with our child is much more important. Therefore, I hope that the Emperor will consent to whatever… measures I intend to take in this matter. Whoever dared to raise a hand against the Harkonnens will pay the weight of their crimes in blood." Feyd continues his lies, knowing full well that you will kick his ass when you find out he called you his fiancée in front of great houses.

"But… I talked to the Baron…"

"My uncle... has not been in good health for a long time. May he rest in peace. Whatever arrangement he made with you, the emperor, during my reign it must be discussed again. Unfortunately, he will not rise from the grave and give us all the details."

"Of course… Baron Feyd-Rautha." The Emperor nods at him. Feyd takes the opportunity and decides to leave the room while he can. He nods to his brother, who turns out to be intelligent enough to understand the message and stands up as well.

"Excellent. If you don't mind, we'll leave now."

He doesn't wait for an answer. He just goes out, with Rabban close behind him. He orders him to prepare the army for the march and place spies around the fortress. They split up halfway to Feyd's rooms. He goes to prepare for his departure, hoping that Rabban will cope with the tasks he has entrusted to him. He missed you. He knew he wouldn't have to worry about anything if you were by his side.

He sighs as he enters his chambers. He stops in his tracks, seeing Princess Irulan next to his collection of weapons. He closes the door behind him with a bang, announcing his presence. The woman trembles and turns towards him.

"Baron."

"Princess." He responds coldly, looking at her carefully. He didn't say anything more. He wanted her to explain her sudden presence in his chambers. He notices, however, that his new title sounds nasty coming from her mouth, no matter how seductively she tries to say it. He imagines you whispering it in his ear as you ride him on his new throne on Giedi Prime...

"I thought you were leaving." He returns to the present moment, making sure he remembers to fulfil this fantasy once you both get back from this damn planet.

"I needed to change first." He replies and clears his throat, suggesting that she should leave. Unfortunately, she either doesn't want to or doesn't understand his hint and stays where she is, watching him carefully.

He feels like he's playing chess. One wrong move, and he loses a pawn. He hated this game until you started playing with him in the evenings, when you exchanged gossip from the court and your own comments. He doesn't remember how many times you fell asleep and he carried you to his bed. His harpies hated these evenings, and he too hated them at the beginning. Over time, he was just waiting for that moment when he was able to watch you snuggle into his pillow, sleeping peacefully.

"I… that's good. I was hoping to talk to you before you left."

"Talk then." He says this and starts taking off his clothes. He notices her blush and the way she looks away. But there's nothing sweet or funny about this gesture, unlike the way you do it. He changes into his usual tactical battle armour as fast as he can, still thinking about the way you used to even shout at him when he was going fully naked around you.

"I was shocked by this news. About the baby. And your fiancée."

"Why?"

"Well, you know very well, my lord, that the Bene Gesserit has planned to unite our families. This shouldn't have happened." He furrows his hairless eyebrows, feeling the anger start to boil within him again. How dare she tell him what he should do? Who should get pregnant, and who should not? He didn't care what the Bene Gesserit wanted. Feyd wanted you, and you probably wanted him. That was all that mattered.

"Would you rather be at my fiancée's place? Would you rather carry my baby instead of her?" He asks dangerously, approaching her slowly. Before she can react, he lunges forward and almost crushes her neck in his grip when he prevents her from using the voice. "You are trembling with fear, princess. It is pathetic that the Bene Gesserit even thought we could connect in any way. Even if we got married, I wouldn't lay a finger on you. At best, I would kill you right after I consolidated my power as emperor. Now that we both know where we stand... Tell me, where is my little witch?"

"The Reverend Mother sent her to Paul Atreides' hideout." She answers him obediently. Feyd smirks sadistically and maliciously as her eyes widen in shock when she realises he has used the voice on her. "How?" She managed to ask before Feyd tightened his grip on her throat again, giving her a bored look.

"With one of your witches by my side, do you think I won't do anything to learn your tricks? I'm not an idiot to let an opportunity like this pass me by. You think that I didn't also see you wince with every move at the meeting? This must have happened right after my fiancée stabbed you when you kidnapped her, right? The poison took effect, didn't it? Are you feeling weak? Do you feel how you slowly lose your vitality with each breath? It will get even worse. Maybe my fiancée will have the mercy to give you the antidote, but I have no intention of doing so. Now listen to me carefully. You won't say or write even a word to inform anyone about what happened. You will lock yourself in your room and endure the effects of the poison without complaining to anyone that something is wrong with you. Get out of my sight before I finish my beloved's work."

He throws her away like a rag doll, feeling defiled just by touching her neck. The only reason he kept her alive was because she was the emperor's daughter, and he couldn't afford to get rid of her YET. She runs away from him as soon as his grip on her neck is gone.

He smiles mockingly and leaves his chambers as well. Now that he knew you would be in the desert, he was going to dig up those damn sand folds and kill all the Fremen and Bene Gesserit who had a hand in your kidnapping.

And once you are by his side again, he will give you the heads of the princess, Corrino's Reverend Mother, and Atreides on a golden platter—an engagement present worthy of a real baroness. Well, he'll have to convince you to marry him first. He sighs, realising how much work is still ahead of him.

You wake up feeling numb. Entirely. There's a gag in your mouth, your hands are tied behind your back, and your ankles are cuffed together, completely preventing you from moving.

You look around your surroundings, realising that you are in one of the Fremen hideouts. A small room carved into the sandy rock resembles a prison cell. You gasp as you try to get off the floor. With a groan, you lean against the cold wall behind you as you somehow manage to sit up. You wonder how the hell you ended up here. And how can you escape when you are completely incapacitated?

Suddenly, the door to the room opens, and Corrino's Reverend Mother enters. You look at the woman with a calculating gaze, showing no emotion other than disgust.

"Y/N Y/L/N. We thought you were dead."

You roll your eyes at her. The old hag knew perfectly well that you had a gag. The fact that she expected any response from you was ridiculous.

"You betrayed your sisters. We should have killed you the moment you were recognised by one of us. You're lucky we're still keeping you alive."

You would snort if you didn't have a gag in your mouth. The Bene Gesserit knew no mercy; if they kept you alive, it was because they still needed you in their plans. After all, you were the strongest of them, which might not be visible now, but it was the truth. They didn't train you all your life and shape you into their ideal form of some sick Holly Mother, just to throw you away now.

You are tensing as the old woman walks up to you and painfully grabs your jaw. You glare at her furiously with your own, not showing an ounce of fear or remorse. What you wouldn't give to have at least a butter knife with you…

"Do you think you are smart, child? That you managed to escape fate? Not at all. Our visions may have been blurry, but now we see everything. Paul Atreides sees everything. After his plan succeeds, he becomes emperor, and you will become his concubine and the mother of the Kwisatz Hederach. Until then, we will keep you under control."

"Who allowed you to come in here?" A cold, commanding voice echoes throughout the small cell. The Reverend Mother steps away from you as if she's been burned by him, giving you the opportunity to look at Paul Atreides as she steps inside. You shiver as his cold gaze falls on you, but you show them nothing but disgust and anger. If you're going to die, at least you will make sure that before you do that, you'll be remembered by them as one big pain in the ass.

"I..."

"Silience!" Atreides yells at her as she feebly tries to explain herself to him. You frown, wondering how the hell he gained such power over the Bene Gesserit. "Leave us alone."

The woman nods obediently and leaves, closing the bars to your cell behind her. You shift your gaze to Atreides, examining him carefully. He was… more portly than you remembered him last time. He became stronger, tougher, and visibly hardened by the sands of Arrakis, since his posture was stiff as armour. You catch yourself thinking that if he stood in the arena in Giedi Prime, he would still lose to your na-baron.

"I am not here to hurt you, Y/N." Atreides says, walking over to you. He crouches down so that you are both at the same height. You look closely at the features of his face, analysing them carefully, trying to read what's behind the strange behaviour of the mysterious Fremen's prophet. "We both have our roles to play here. Something that is above us. I learned a lot about you.I know about your service to the Harkonnens, what you endured as a Bene Gesserit, and every darkest part of your past. And I know you are a wise and very strong woman. You probably understand why all this is so important and why we must fulfil the prophecy and take our places in this story." He says, removing your gag. You clear your throat as he finishes his speech, and, trying to hide your concern, you growl, your voice so hoarse and dripping with madness that Feyd would surely be proud of you:

"You are a mad freak. Feyd will kill you as soon as he finds you. And hell knows, he will come for me. It will be pure joy to fight him for the privilege of being the one who impales your head." Atreides gives you a small smile. He shakes his head, amused by what you're saying. He stands up, helping you to stand on your two feet as well, placing his hands on your waist respectfully, and touching you as little as necessary.

"Come with me. Let me show you something." He says this in an extremely calm voice as he removes the chain from around your ankles. You briefly consider kicking him and trying to escape, but you realise there's not much you can do with your hands tied. You are also still weak—too weak to maintain control over someone else for long with the voice. "Do not be afraid. I told you. I have no reason to hurt you." He encourages, concluding that your hesitation is out of fear and not a desire to attack him.

"I lived for years among the Harkonnens. I'm not afraid of anything except myself."

He gives you an ironic smirk, as if he were convinced that he was an evil worse than the Harkonnens. You don't care about his poor attempts to intimidate you. You weren't some desert rat to be terrified of a man with nice curls and eyes.

You walk through a series of corridors, and of course he leads you, holding your arm tightly and making sure you don't do anything stupid on this little trip around his kingdom. It brings you great satisfaction. Your reputation had obviously taken its toll if he continued to be vigilant around you while you were still half sedated and tied up without any weapons.

You smile sadistically at the Fremen you pass. They look away from you, too afraid to meet your gaze. You were known among them as the Na-Baron's bloodthirsty right-hand, whose cruelty rivalled that of many Harkonnens.

You and Atreides go deeper down. You slowly start to feel dizzy from the number of corridors, corners, and stairs he tells you to take, but eventually you reach a more spacious room. You sigh, feeling the humid air—a sweet change from the dry Arrakis wind. Atreides takes the torch and leads you deeper into the room. You gasp as you see a large pool full of water.

"The Fremen treat water as something sacred. They collect it from the bodies of their people; the water of the more deserving people goes to such pools."

"This is a waste. And stupid, considering that they are dying from a lack of water while having pools of it safely hidden from the Harkonnens." You notice, staring at the pool of water. You tense as you feel Paul's searching gaze on you. You turn your head and give him an intimidating look. He doesn't even flinch. He is unfazed as he continues to analyse you—something you don't like at all. You wish Feyd was here. He would gouge Atreides' eyes out the first time his gaze lingered on you for a second too long.

"Possible. But it's not the first time we waste something in the name of faith, right?"

"Faith befuddles and stupefies. Same as prophecies. We are responsible for our own fate. It doesn't matter what some crazy old man wrote in the books a hundred years ago, probably under the influence of drugs or other alcohol. No one influences our future except ourselves."

His silence at your words worries you. You turn your head to look at him. A small smirk spreads across his face—a sign that your words didn't outrage him as much as they were supposed to. He nods, agreeing with your words, and you realise what he really means. The son of a bitch was testing you. Logical, considering that he was the one who started the cult of him. He thought like you. He did not believe in any Kwisatz Hederach, and even if he did, he considered himself one. He just needed you to keep the propaganda and people's faith in him.

He wanted to show that he had tamed the Harkonnen's witch.

Atreides walks over to you and carefully places a hand on your shoulder, directing you to a different side of the room. You pass by a pool of water. In the centre, there is a large stone bowl on a platform.

"The Reverend Mothers call it the mirror of wisdom. It shows us our future if we continue on the path we are currently on. Look. See what awaits you with your crazy beast by your side."

"It's very brave of you to think that I'm not one." He chuckled at your words. He lets go of you and takes two steps back, keeping his amused, curious gaze on you.

"The Harkonnens are different from us. You may think you are one of them, that you have absorbed their ways and behaviours, but the truth is that you are not one of them at all. You may have adapted to survive among them, but can you look me in the eyes and tell me you don't long for something more... normal?"

"Normality is for the weak." You reply, huffing furiously. "Apart from that, my life has always been different from normal. This is my normality, Atreides."

"Even the bravest warrior needs a break, a moment of respite. Look. Aren't you curious?"

You were very damn curious. Especially after that strange dream/vision you had. So, without saying a word, you approach the bowl of water. You take a breath and dive your head into it, letting the images flood your mind.

This time you are not on Giedi Prime, and you are not a participant in the events. From a distance, you watch the older version of yourself adjust the crown on her head. Empress's crown.

You see yourself flinching in the mirror as the door to your chamber bursts open. Feyd, dressed as an emperor, walks in furiously, heading straight for you. He pushes the large mirror, smashing it against the wall with a roar.

However, you don't care about his sudden attack and watch him, unfazed, as he gasps with rage.

"Is something wrong, honey?" You ask in an almost too-sweet tone, mocking him.

"Do you have the nerve to ask me that? Why don't you tell me where my concubine is instead? Where did you send her? You gave the corpses to the harpies to eat? If any harm has come to her, I will make you eat all three of them before I tear out your cunning heart from your chest, witch."

"You'd have to touch me first. And we both know that lately you're more afraid of laying a finger on me than of our son dethroning you. Which is very surprising, by the way. Has that concubine of yours brainwashed you so much?" You see yourself smiling mockingly as you watch his anger grow with every word you say.

"Don't talk about her like that. Unlike you, she's not a cold, uncaring, selfish bitch."

"Of course not. A smart woman wouldn't willingly sleep with you." This completely breaks the remnants of his composure. He walks over to the older version of you and wraps his hand around her neck, pressing her against the wall.

But he doesn't do it the same way he does with you. It's not a gentle neck hold, a warning, or anything sexual—something that would turn you both on. He just cuts you off, choking you, watching with sick satisfaction as you squirm, trying to get out of his grasp.

"What's stopping me from ending your miserable life? You have already given me a son; your usefulness has long passed, and yet I still let you breathe the same air as me." He says this, tightening his grip on your neck. You gasp as he pushes you away.

From the way you fall to the floor and choke for air, you assume that the older version of you was only seconds away from suffocating. But you don't surrender to him; you don't give him any satisfaction in trying to intimidate you. You start laughing derisively, shaking your head in amusement as you slowly get up from the floor.

"Aw... you couldn't kill me. You're like a dog. You bark and do little. You love me too much to kill me, don't you remember? How did you beg me all those years ago for a piece of my feelings? Who said I love you first? Who was begging on his knees for my hand? Who wanted to have a child? You. You are just a desperate little boy looking for love and affection. You probably even liked the fact that I'm jealous of you and kill your lover? Unfortunately, I don't give a shit who you fuck. I didn't steal your whore, so get out and don't waste my time, husband." You mock him, waiting expectantly for his next move.

He stares at you with pure hatred and resentment. You feel the tension in the room begin to build; the immense anger and disgust between the two of you are palpable. You have no fucking idea how you came to be so hostile towards each other, but... you can't say you're surprised. Because if you were already imagining a future with Feyd... this was the scenario that came to your mind most often.

The two of you were too broken to trust each other and entrust each other with the remnants of the heart that beat and remained within you.

Feyd looks like he wants to say something. But he gives up and instead just leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

You swallow, observing your pathetic fate. The empress locked in a golden palace. At eternal war with everyone. Lonely. Your heart aches at the thought of this being your fate. This is what you were running from. Before relegating you solely to the vessel she was to carry and give to the world, Kwisatz Hederach, Because what would be the use of you then? You would be rejected and alone. Waiting to die. However, you didn't expect your end to look like THIS.

A figure emerges from the darkness of the room through a hidden passage—a man who is a copy of you and Feyd. You see a similarity in him, in your movements, in your creeping through the shadows. He approaches you from behind, holding a dagger similar to the one Feyd gave you on your birthday. You don't react when you feel steel around your neck, as if you had long ago come to terms with how you would die—and by whose hands.

"You were right, mother… I was destined to achieve much more."

And with that, he cuts your throat. Crimson blood runs down your dress, almost invisible against the black material. You die quickly. Quietly. Like a rat...

"Have you seen something interesting?" Atreides' voice reaches you as you step away from the bowl after the vision ends. You sigh heavily, breathing heavily. Drops of water roll down your face and soak into your linen shirt.

"Screw you." You snap at him, trying to wipe your face on the frame. He tears off a piece of his shavl and walks over to you. He wipes the water from your face and hair, not caring about the scowl you throw at him in warning.

"I told you. The future with Harkonnen cannot end well. But if you stay with me, I promise nothing will happen to you. You can be more free with me than you ever could with him."

And you're tempted as hell to accept his offer. You can't say you're not interested at all, that what you saw hasn't made you question your choices... but you've been a Harkonnen for so many years. Could you really forget all this so easily? Forget about Feyd? Maybe in that stupid Bene Gesserit's bowl you saw your tragic end at his side... but did it really have to end like this? You could avoid all this. Take a risk to gain something much better...

"So this is your offer? Freedom and security for lending my uterus for 9 months?" You ask him, wanting to know exactly what options and choices you have.

"In very simple terms, yes." He nods, still staring at you. You find this very irritating of him; you were usually the one who pierced other people with your gaze. Not the other way around.

"What for? You're telling these fools that you're their saviour and the messiah. Kwisatz Hederach, ahead of his time. Why do you need me?"

"I need the support of the Reverend Mothers of other families. I may have... your powers and be the strongest of them all, but I've learned that if you can gain someone's support in a peaceful way, it's better to try it before reaching for a weapon."

Atreides stared at you like you were a puzzle to solve. You didn't like the hidden arrogance in his eyes—the belief that he was truly capable of discovering all your secrets.

Maybe he knew your past, and maybe he saw visions of the future, possible scenarios of what might have happened after his decisions, but the present was yours. And only yours. You will be more than happy to show him that no one could tear out all your fangs and claws.

"Feyd will kill you sooner and bind me with tighter chains than you did, than he ever allowed such a turn of events." You say confidently, convinced that he won't just leave you. In this situation, it's a huge relief for you... but in your head, you can still see his sadistic smirk as he choked you against the wall.

"Not if I kill him." You tense up at his words, and your heart starts to beat faster as you process his words. You would never think that Feyd Rautha could ever die—not by another person's hand, of course. And certainly not Atreides.

He fought too well, was too intelligent and cunning to fail in battle, and yet... you couldn't deny that that one simple sentence Paul said with such confidence didn't send a cold shiver of fear down your spine or that you felt no threat.

"Have you ever seen him in the arena? Or how does he fight? You may have become stronger thanks to your time on Arrakis, but he was trained from childhood to be a small, psychopathic killer and ruthless warrior. You don't stand a chance, Atreides. You won't last a minute fighting him."

"Maybe not in an equal fight. But by trick? More than one great king fell under the intrigue of a lesser man."

"Are you talking about your father or maybe even your mother?" You ask mockingly, making his jaw tense and his hands clench into fists. You are very pleased with yourself that you finally managed to hit his sweet spot. Feyd would be proud of you.

"I'm talking about what will happen. Feyd Rautha will die. From my hands." The more he talks about it, the more your anger grows. However, you decide to stay calm and continue the little exchange between the two of you, trying to get something useful from him.

"Are you that sure about your visions? You don't hesitate for a moment, Atreides? It must be so boring knowing what's going to happen. Never having any element of surprise…"

"There are no more certain and clear visions than mine. Maybe you should also start believing in them?"

"Not as long as I have my brain." And my own visions. You add it in your mind, thinking about what you had dreamed about before you woke up in this hole.

"The rumors about you don't lie… Harkonnen's witch." He hums as he walks over to you. His hand reaches up to your cheek, using the pad of his thumb to gently wipe your cheek clean of the drop of water still left on it.

You shiver, staring into his eyes. His touch burns, but not in a nice, familiar way. And when you realise that the reason you're not attracted to him is because he doesn't have the familiar ice-blue irises, pale skin, and bald head, it scares you more than Atreides' sudden proximity to you.

"I'm glad I didn't disappoint you, Atreides." You whisper, moving away from him. You quickly lean in, wanting to bite, or preferably bite off, his finger that was caressing your skin, but he withdraws his hand and takes a step away from you. He laughs at your feeble attempt to harm him.

He opens his mouth to say something, but then the ground around you starts shaking. The sand rock crumbles, causing some of it to fall from the ceiling onto the ground. Atreides looks at you suspiciously.

"Didn't you see it in your visions? Maybe there's a sandworm crawling through your halls?" You ask mockingly, shrugging your shoulders.

"Stay here." He commands you using the voice. He doesn't spare you a second glance, simply heading for the exit. You look at him in disbelief and quickly follow him. The last thing you want is to get buried in one of these rats' corridors because one of them summoned a sandworm in the wrong way.

"I could be of much more use to you there than here." You say, as you are catching up with him, desperately trying to convince him.

"Not if these are Harkonnens!" He replies without looking back and slamming the door shut. You kick them in rage, looking around angrily at the large hall where he left you.

"That's the point…" You sigh, fed up with it all. You walk around the room, trying to find a way out, but even when you manage to find the side passages, you can't take a step beyond the threshold. You are forced to stay inside. "Fucking Atreides."

Instead of wandering aimlessly around the room, you decide to try and break the shackles that bind your hands. You try to smash them against the stalagmite, only to hit harder as the metal cuts into your wrists. After a while, when you have released all your anger, you somehow manage to free your hands. You rub your wrists, letting your blood soak into the sleeve of your linen shirt. You close your eyes and listen to the quiet sound of the water and the footsteps you hear from the upper floors. Something is happening...

Frustrated, you wander over to the pool filled with water. You crouch on the edge and dip your toes in the water. You watch the drops fall, wondering how many people have already given their lives. How many died at the hands of the Harkonnens? You wonder whether your water and blood will also join the ranks of their victims. It seems surreal to you now that Feyd could ever kill you or your own son... but how were you supposed to know what your future was supposed to be? Were you supposed to trust some strange visions or yourself?

While playing with water, you freeze when you suddenly see someone leaning over you. Before you can turn around, a hand covers your mouth, and another wraps around your waist, lifting you up. You scream and kick, trying to get out of someone's tight grip, but your attempts to break free are futile. You freeze when you hear a familiar, raspy voice whisper in your ear.

"Don't worry, it's me. It's just me. Shhh… You're safe. It's me." You relax a little in his arms. You reach your hand up to his and remove it from your mouth. He loosens his grip enough for you to turn in his arms.

"Feyd." You sigh when you see his face. You throw your arms around him and nuzzle your face into his neck. You rest your chin on his shoulder and breathe in his scent as you hold onto him tightly.

You hear him breathe a sigh of relief as well. He places a kiss on the top of your head and hugs you tighter. After a moment, he pulls away from you—not too far away, only a bit—so he can look at your face and see if you have any injuries.

"You're getting out of here. Our men are hidden in every corridor of this hole. Take a few of them and go to the exit. They will take you to the ship. Wait for me there." He gently cups your cheeks in his hands and forces you to look into his eyes. Your heart beats faster as you recognise that concerned look in his eyes from your dream, mixed with anger. "Y/N. I mean it. I know you want to fight; you're brave and a great warrior, but do it for me and just go to that damn ship."

"No. Wait, listen to me. I have to tell you something..."

"You'll tell me you love me later, now you have to get out of here, so I can destroy this place." He interrupts you, gently pushing you towards the exit. You feel anger and frustration building within you as yet another person tries to control you and tell you what to do. No matter how sweet and protective Feyd is acting now, you are fed up with constantly obeying everyone around you.

"Stop!" You shout at him, making him stop in his tracks in shock. Under any other circumstances, you would laugh at the surprised look he gives you, but not now. "Do you trust me?" You ask, looking at him expectantly. You know you're asking a lot of him right now, but if you're going to change your future, you have to act now. And fast. Very fast.

"Y/N this isn't the best…"

"Do you trust me?!" You interrupt him, raising your voice. He must see the desperation and seriousness in your eyes because you see him swallow, considering the question you've asked him. You unconsciously hold your breath, waiting for him to respond.

You both know this isn't an ordinary question. It means something more. Admitting something you both had been avoiding since the first day your blades met in a little skirmish that earned you his sympathy. He had long admired you for your mind, intelligence, ingenuity, cunning, and natural charm. But could he trust you completely?

"I… I do. If I trust anyone, it's you. Only you."

You feel tears welling up in your eyes. You take a step towards him, cupping his cheek in your hand and kissing him. He tenses in surprise but kisses you back pretty quickly, moaning into your mouth as you express all the passion and desire you feel for him. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you closer to him, wanting to feel your body against his to make sure this isn't some dream. You caress the skin of his neck, shuddering as an electric shiver runs through you as he deepens the kiss, taking everything you have to offer him.

Kissing Feyd always felt like it was the first kiss between the two of you. He kissed like he fought—with his whole being, not holding back, transmitting all his passion and desire. He didn't even know how much you needed to taste all of him right now. And how bittersweet that kiss was for you.

You reluctantly pull away from him and press your forehead against his. You close your eyes, letting out a shaky breath.

"I love you, Feyd. I have always loved you. And I was very afraid of it, but I'm not anymore... I... I don't want to be scared of this anymore." You admit it as a single tear falls from your eyes. He reaches to wipe it off, but you shake your head. His hand freezes, hanging between you as he stares at you in shock, trying to process what you said.

Just as he's about to open his mouth, probably to tell you the same thing, you lean in and kiss him again. Slower, more gentle. A few tears escape you, allowing you both to taste them through the kiss.

You reach for the sword attached to his waist with trembling hands.

"I'm so sorry. But it's not our time yet." You whisper, moving away from him just as Paul Atreides returns to the room. He slowly walks towards you, his sword dripping with black Harkonnen blood. And you decide that if anyone spills blood in this room, it will be you. It must be you.

So when Paul is about to approach you and stab Feyd in the back, you close your eyes and stab Feyd with his sword. You hear him let out a shaky breath as his black blood slowly seeps from the wound, staining your hands. You keep your other hand on his shoulder, supporting his weight as he slowly sinks to his knees in front of you. You try to ignore him, not look at him or in his eyes... you simply cannot. Instead, you stare at Atreides.

Paul is beyond shocked by your actions. He looks for a moment at Feyd's black sword, the tip sticking out of his back—proof of what you did. After a moment, his eyes meet yours. After a while, he approaches you, sheathes his sword, and smiles proudly.

"This will be the beginning of a wonderful alliance, Lady Y/N." He says this, offering you his hand, which you reach for. You shake them, glaring at each other, assessing each other's behaviour as a new agreement forms between you.

You smile, hiding your fear as best as you can and holding back tears when you see Feyd's unconscious body out of the corner of your eye. But you've come too far to change your mind. From now on, you decide your fate.

Only you.

To be continued...

Taglist: (I REALLLLY hope that everyone who wanted to be here is here...😅 I;m sorry if I missed someone <3) @skymoonandstardust @prettybubblesintheair @thegabbyh @himesuedi @wo-ming-bai @beebeechaos @mamawiggers1980 @moonsoulk @avidreader73 @heartarianagran @dreamlandcreations @ancientbeing10 @lovereadingfanfic @jeansjoie @workof-a-rr-t @aixicl @ladyredstar1991 @evangelineimagine @hobobobo-fett56 @happyant3 @marsflys @aaaaaamond @kamcrazy123 @k1swass @yum-yahgurt @tyns13 @oh-you-mean-me @menari @tyns13 @vaf24 @dacreshoney @emrennoll-blog @tian-monique @slightlypossessed @celestialadrift @lauramooij05 @flaps200 @chixnugg22 @aaaaaamond @marvelfangirl04 @sw33tsnow @emeraldsgirl @imyourbubblegumpop @tempt-ress @harkonnin @k1swass @alana4610 @cloudroomblog @lotus-888 @lowlyloved @spoolsofgreenspoolsofblack @w3ird11 @kythefangirl25 @hobobobo-fett56 @nj452896 @oneandonlybbygrl @noirecatt @iloved1lfs0 @mamawiggers1980 @lololfixu @barnes70stark @obsessedvibee @aaaaaamond @workof-a-rr-t 

[c0ld0utside]

Summer Camp Slasher

Shoutout to @foundfamyanderes for the idea in this post here

Keeping this short! Might go more in-detail if I make another part. 

Warnings: Mentions of bullying, Reader almost drowned, Character death, violence, Gore, Chasing, Reader gets injured, Rushed fic

You hated Summer Camp. Hated it since you were ten years old and was finally able to piece together that you were here because Mom and Dad didn't want to bother with you over the summer. Hated it since the girls in your group and the older ones started disliking you for being close with one of the popular boys; Travis. 

Travis was your rock through it all. He was the first person you met when you started going to camp at six years old. He was thirteen then- a fellow camper and one of the favorites. A natural leader. A nice kid who could befriend everyone. Nonjudgmental to the kids who had a rough time. A kid who loved summer camp so much he came back as one of the counselors. A rare find in times like these. Though there was a negative to his charm. 

You’ve seen it enough time at school; girls desperate for attention and popularity. The lows they’d go to over a boy. The shade and rumors that’d be thrown around. “It’s crazy,” you had told him when you were fourteen. “How did you deal with all of it? Or- well, deal with it. That Naomi chick practically froths at the mouth when she sees you.” Travis had snorted then. “To be honest…I don’t know. It makes me just as uncomfortable…remember that one year with that Deseray girl? Don’t get me wrong, I love taking care of kids but I have never been happier to know she wouldn’t be coming back.” He says, fiddling with the bracelet you gifted him when you were seven. You had made it during arts and crafts after learning one of his favorite animals were turtles- letter beads spelling out “U-R-A” with a star and turtle charm. 

Ugh, you remembered her- the girl who watched with her friends as your kayak tipped over and nearly let you drown. You had nightmares for weeks- hearing the muffled laughter under the water. Had it not been for Travis, you would’ve died. It was satisfying watching her burst into tears as he chewed her out (it was the first time you heard him yell, too) and wrap you up in a towel. It was a miracle you came back this year (It wasn’t, your parents made you come back anyway).

This year was the breaking point. Especially when one of your bullies, Layla, was found dead, an axe buried in her back and one of her legs chopped clean off. …The leg was found in her friend Isabella’s bed. All of you found that out when she woke up screaming. Which was joined by the rest of the girls in her cabin. Immediately the blame went to you- but Travis, ever the angel, shut those ideas down. “ [Name]’s group cabin is on the other side of the camp. The tool shed isn’t accessible to someone without a key and that key is kept in the office.” 

At first your torment got worse, the girls calling you a murderer and obviously following you around, trying to “catch you in the act.” They freaked out when you were at least eight feet away from them and left “gifts” on your bed. Landon, Isabella’s boyfriend, was found floating in the water, tied up, gagged, and thrown out into the lake the night after you came back to deer droppings. Arianna was found with the back of a hammer lodged into the side of her head after your clothes were dumped into the same lake. That was the last straw (for some reason. It should’ve been the last straw when Layla died) and the camp leader, Mr. Madden, told the rest of the kids to pack up their things. A bus would be coming to bring them all home. 

At least, that was the plan. Halfway through backing the driver was found with a stab wound and slumped against the driving wheel. The tires had been slashed as well- the loud noise drawing you and the other camper’s attention. The phone line had been cut in the office, so you and Naomi went to grab the mobile phones in the small office safe. 

You stuck the key into the lock, twisting as Naomi stood by the door. “Can you hurry up? This is freaking me out,” she says, a twinge of fear in her tone. “I am also freaking out in case you haven’t noticed,” you shot back. “Look- my hands are shaking.” Naomi scoffed. “So are mine, you’re not specia-” Her words turned into a scream when she was harshly pulled out of the room. 

“NAOMI!” Abandoning the phones and shifting the key around in your hand, you rushed out to the hall. It was all so quick- a masked man in a dark blue hoodie plunging a machete into Naomi’s stomach as she clawed at his shoulders, trying to push him away. Blood splattered onto the wooden floor and in an instant you were moving, stabbing the key into the attacker’s shoulder. 

With a grunt, he shoved you to the ground, masked face staring down at yours. A cartoony, toothy smile was drawn on it, black circles around the small eyeholes. Naomi whimpered and sobbed in pain on the floor, the stranger looking at her over his shoulder. You shoot upward for a messy takedown and instead he grabs you by the collar of your shirt. Your gaze flicks to his wrist and your heart sinks.

He’s wearing Travis’ bracelets. The ones you made for him over the years. All of them. Had he killed him and taken them to taunt you? Why you? What did you do to deserve this?!

“You weren’t supposed to see,” he murmurs softly, voice unrecognizable. Pushing you back, he opens the door to one of the closets and shoves you inside, slamming the door shut afterward. “NO!” You shout rushing over to the door and throwing it open. 

It’s too late. The killer has the blade stabbed through Naomi’s cheek and is kneeling over her. All she can do is scream as he pulls it out. “Quit. Moving.” He growls, stabbing it through her head. Blood flies and splatters everywhere, getting on his mask, clothes, the wall, and the floor. “Good girl…ah- I told you not to look!” The man snaps, voice muffled by the mask. 

…His voice…

“Travis?”  

“See? I told you. You’re smart.” He says sadly, getting up from his kneeling position. He lets the blade fall from his gloved hands- black latex gloves from the kitchen- and begins to walk over to you with his hands to his sides. He tsks when you back away. 

“You don’t need to be scared, [Name]. I’m doing this all for you!” He explains. “...And a little for myself. Whew, she was annoying. It’s okay, though. I’d never hurt you. After all,” He holds up his wrist, holding it out to you. The very first one is the one you made him recently. “B-I-G-B-R-O” in the largest letter beads you could find- a mix of cubes and spheres decorated with green, blue, and yellow beads. “I’m your older brother, am I not?”

“Why?” You choke out, taking another step back. “Oh come on, bud! You and I both know your parents don’t care about you. I do, though! Who kept in touch with you online? Who reminded you to drink water and eat? Who stayed up late with you on a call to help you fall asleep? Who helped you with your homework? I’m not complaining, by the way. I loved doing that with you and I still do because I love you!” Travis rambled, moving closer and closer. You reach the door and grab the handle.

“[Name], don’t do it.” He warns, tone dropping. “I’ll be disappointed if you do.” Travis sighs as you throw the door open and book it into the night. “Alright. We’re doing this, then.”

-

You don’t look back. If you look back you might see him and looking back will slow you down. The path is getting harder to follow, narrowing out as it reaches the end. Maybe you should go off of it? Maybe Travis got tired. You hope that’s the case. …Though it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Heading off of the path, you push your way into the trees and through the greenery. You hiss whenever a thorn or low hanging branch scrapes against your arms, leaving ugly red lines and small dots of blood. It goes on for a while- pushing, pulling snagged clothing free, stumbling on rocks or awkward dips in the ground…the grass is long and it gets harder to see the forest floor. What if you get lost-

CLANG!

You don’t want to look down. You can feel something warm and wet soaking your sock. Don’t look down. Your gaze shifts downward, anyway. A bear trap is snapped shut around your foot, blood already starting to stain your shoe. It clicks in your head and the pain is quick to come.

A choked scream leaves you as you try to kneel down, the pain worsening and flaring. Hot tears fill your eyes as you desperately try to open the trap, wincing and crying out in agony all the while. Your chest feels tight yet it heaves like it’s weightless. Someone’s screaming your name, heavy footsteps getting closer as they force themself through the greenery.

“[Name]?! Oh, shit!”

They hurry over to your front, pulling down their hood and throwing their mask off. “Hey, hey hey shh, shh you’re okay, you’re okay, I’m here now.” They soothe, hands hovering in the air. “Don’t look at it, bud. Look at me, please. Look at me.” You force your gaze up to the person.

Travis gives you a weak smile. “Hey, bud. There you are. What did I tell you about going off the trail?” Sniffling, you speak. “N-not to do it.” He nods. “Mhm. Not to do it. I didn’t mean to scare you so bad. Now look where we’re at, hm?” Travis lets out a sigh.

“I’m gonna pry it open, okay?” Travs says, frowning at the whimper you let out. “I know bud, I know. Hurts bad, doesn’t it? That’s why we gotta do this. Take a deep breath and breathe out on ‘three,’ okay?” You give him a small nod and he grabs the sides of the trap. “Breathe in.”

Travis watches you take in a deep breath. “Good. Ready? …One!” He roughly pulls the trap open, earning a startled cry from you. “Travis-” you sob out. “Sorry, sorry,” he mumbles, pulling your leg out of the trap and setting it aside. Pulling off his sweater, he rips off one of the sleeves and ties it around your bleeding ankle. “You’re lucky it wasn’t one of the bigger traps. We’d have to cut your foot off.” He grumbles, scooting closer to scoop you up into his arms. 

“It’s definitely broken,” Travis announces, “but no worries. We’ll get you all fixed up at home, okay?” Home? Was he seriously bringing you back to your actual home? Your parents would freak out! What was he-

“Not your home. Our home. The one I made for us. Well, I bought it and made some changes. I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me this would be your last year,” Travis rambled. “I heard you telling Mr. McCarthy in the office when you arrived. Don’t worry, we’ll talk about it later. This is more important right now.”

“Oh- are you falling asleep? Don’t do that [Name], stay with me please…”

…

When you wake up, you’re in a new home, in a clean room with your big brother holding a breakfast tray. 

“Rise and shine,” He croons. “Welcome home.”

Aggh sorry everyone I hoped to get this done sooner and flesh it out better but alas school started and takes up the majority of my day. Maybe I'll rewrite it. Remember to drink water and be kind to yourselves!

[sweet-evie]

Head empty... Just having thoughts of an AU centered around Apartment Ghost!Gojo... 👻👻👻 So take my imagines...

✨ masterlist ✨

»» Ghost!Gojo = Casper the Friendly Ghost... It doesn't stop him from being a fucking menace day in and day out though.

»» Ghost!Gojo has been dead and buried for 6 months.

»» Ghost!Gojo haunts an apartment occupied by a single mom with two kids: one elementary kid and a toddler.

»» Imagine how fucking creepy and unsettling it is to find your toddler talking to empty air, and when you ask them, they look back at you with big innocent eyes and that big cheeky grin, and they start babbling about their "imaginary friend".

»» Creepy, but the mom dismisses it at first, chalking it up to childish imagination running wild, but when the older sibling casually asks about a tall white-haired man hanging around the apartment living room at dinner, Mom is starting to get concerned. Couple this with the fact that her toddler is giggling at odd hours during the night, while the room is empty. 

»» Eventually, Ghost!Gojo makes his presence known to the mom... And he's all smiles and being his usual goofy self while he's waving -- as if it isn't unsettling to have a dead fucking person hanging out in your home.

»» It took a while, but I like to think, the mom warms up to Ghost!Gojo being around after a couple of months. He doesn't show himself frequently to Mom because he freaks her out, but it doesn't stop Ghost!Gojo from being her toddler's playmate and her older kid's study buddy.

»» As time passed, they got so comfortable living with the ghost that mom and her kids forget that Ghost!Gojo is not actually alive and he doesn't show himself to other people, except for them.

»» After they get so used to him and comfortable with him being around, think of Ghost!Gojo as a very very friendly and chaotic poltergeist. He doesn't destroy things (at least when he does, he doesn't mean to). He's very nice... He just does annoying shit. For instance...

»» Ghost!Gojo likes to dig around the kitchen cupboards for candy and leaves the doors open just to annoy the older sibling and leave the mom exasperated. They leave out a bowl of candy for him in the living room after that, hoping it would discourage his behavior, but nope... It's still Gojo, and he does what he wants.

»» Ghost!Gojo also pranks the mom and moves things around in the kitchen to confuse her. The first time he did it, she got scared. A few more times, she got so annoyed. But after like the umpteenth time, the mom just rolls her eyes, like, "Haha, very funny, Satoru! I'm getting stuff from the laundry room, and this kitchen better be sorted when I get back."

»» Mom has definitely threatened to call 'ghostbusters' on Satoru's ass multiple times, and Gojo thinks it's hilarious. She never actually does anything to drive him away. To be honest, she quite likes the fact that her kids have a babysitter when she has to work late... Even if said babysitter is a wandering spirit.

»» On that note, Ghost!Gojo takes his babysitting duties seriously, and proclaims himself the best babysitter ever!

»» Ghost!Gojo does all the typical things people do to entertain toddlers. He talks to her toddler, entertains them, makes them laugh, tickles them, slips candies in their lap, picks up toys and disappears from view to give the toddler a fun puppet show -- with all the floating toys and shit.

»» The older sibling actually saw him doing this one time when they slipped into their younger sibling's room, and they just had to laugh, because who would have thought their family of three would be lucky enough to move into an apartment haunted by a very friendly ghost.

»» Ghost!Gojo helps mom cook sometimes, fetching her ingredients from the pantry and stuff. If a normal person were in that kitchen, all they would see are floating ingredients. It's enough to give anyone a heart attack, but for mom and her 2 kids, it's just Satoru.

»» One time, the older sibling invited their friends over and one of their friends got the idea to play with a Ouija board after the older sibling joked about the apartment being haunted.

»» They play with the ouija board, and Satoru plays into it for fun. Pre-teen kid's friends are terrified, but the pre-teen kid is amused as hell, because they know it's just Gojo.

»» When the friends go home, they tell the pre-teen kid about how much fun they had, and pre-teen kid thanks Ghost!Gojo for being kind enough to play along.

»» Ghost!Gojo has a habit of collecting coins.

»» Ghost!Gojo has never actually tried leaving the confines of the apartment before, but the pre-teen kid asks and they actually figure it out together.

»» They had so much fun doing it too... Ghost!Gojo figures out a way to possess random objects so the pre-teen kid can take him anywhere.

»» That being said, Ghost!Gojo has possessed the most ridiculous things. Think Ghost!Gojo possessing laundry detergent, the coffee table, the toilet paper, etc. He possessed the oven once and it broke, and the mom got so mad, so Ghost!Gojo steers clear of possessing electronic devices from then on.

»» Ghost!Gojo helps the kids surprise their mom during holidays... e.g., Mother's Day, Christmas, etc. For obvious reason, the family starts loving Halloween, because Ghost!Gojo loves it so much.

»» The toddler starts calling Ghost!Gojo 'Papa'.

»» It warms moms heart and hurts her at the same time. 

»» Because Satoru Gojo would have made a wonderful father.

»» Ghost!Gojo sometimes wishes he was still alive so he could court mom properly...

»» And since he can't do anything about the fact that he's dead (a ghost for practically one year now), all he can do now is watch over them and make them as happy as possible...

»» Ghost!Gojo promises to stay for as long as he can, for as long as he is permitted.

»» Ghost!Gojo gets to see the kids grow up, move out, and he gets to see mom grow old too...

»» It breaks his heart to watch the people he's grown to care about grow old, while he stays frozen in time, haunting this little apartment forever.

»» Eventually, mom had to say 'goodbye', deciding she wanted to move to the countryside. It wasn't an easy decision...

»» The kids, now adults, return to their childhood apartment to help mom move away, and although Ghost!Gojo rarely shows himself these days, he appears one last time.

»» Unsurprisingly, leaving the place behind is hard. Every time they look back on their childhood, it's undeniably brighter and more colorful, and it's all because of the beloved ghost who made their lives so much brighter because of his presence.

»» Ghost!Gojo was their 'Dad,' 'Older Brother', 'Fun Uncle', and 'Annoying Roommate'. He's worn so many hats as the kids grew up.

»» Satoru doesn't stop them from moving away, only thanking them for showing him what it would have been like for him if he had been lucky enough to grow old with kids of his own. He never had that in his life, but he's glad that he got to have that even after he'd died.

»» He doesn't know how long he's sentenced to wander the earthly plains, but he promises to see them around.

»» The younger sibling actually cries and wishes that he was their dad for real.

»» The mom, now old but still sweet and kind, thanks Ghost!Gojo for being part of their family.

It was goodbye...

Gojo: I'm sad and forever bound to an apartment building.

Also Gojo: I will terrorize the next dweller if they're a dick.

The next occupant is an asshole who cheats on his significant other... Ghost!Gojo is making their life hell.

I kind of want to write a fic about this now 🥴

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

The double standard Zutara shippers have towards Mai vs Katara is absolutely icky. I saw a post a while ago (don’t remember the user) and screenshotted all the Mai can’t vs Katara can points. I’ll paste them here:

- Katara threatening Zuko if he dares to hurt Aang is a sign of reprimanded sexual tension, but Mai joking about Zuko never daring to break up with her again it's her being controlling.

- Katara screaming at Zuko that, to make her forgive him after he proved to have changed and be a better person to everyone else, he'll need to bring back her dead mother, as if 10 years old Zuko is responsible for Yon Ra killing Kya, is fair. Mai screaming at Zuko to leave her alone after he made a scene insulting her in front of a crowd is abusive, violent and toxic.

- Katara treating Zuko badly after he saved her from being crushed is legit and deserved. Mai slapping Zuko's hand away from her in two separate occasions because he wouldn't stop invading her boundaries after a highly emotional moment is harsh, undeserved and abusive.

- Zuko mocking Katara and telling her that he'll save her from the pirates is cute. Zuko being actually cute with his girlfriend is cringe and obviously something he didn't want to do.

- Katara splashing Zuko when he was kneeling down in the southern air temple episode is justified. Mai throwing a SHEET OF PAPER at him after he broke up with her and ghosted her is abusive and violent.

-Katara touching Zuko's scar in the catacombs to heal him is cute and a moment of trust. Mai touching Zuko's scar multiple times and him not being bothered by it in the slightest (even burying his scar in her hair) is a breech of trust and consent.

- Katara having many guys who have a crush on her throughout the series means she has rizz and that she's a catch. Mai having one boyfriend other than Zuko makes her a slut.

- Mai and Zuko being childhood friends to lovers is cringe and an overused trope, but then you'll go on the Zutara tag and find multiple fanarts of childhood friends Zutara AUs

- Katara establishing boundaries and making her stance on breeches of trust well known with multiple characters is good writing. Mai breaking up with Zuko after he lied to her multiple times means that she isn't worth sticking around, and is so selfish that she'll leave Zuko in a moment of need.

- Katara had three children while Mai only had Izumi, which means Katara is a better woman (yes, I've actually come across this kind of disgusting comment.)

- Zutarians claim that Katara is apparently reduced to a housewife and child bearer with no agency as Aang's wife (she is a well known master, wonderful healer AND politician as she made bloodbending illegal in canon), and would be better off as the fire lady (????), but at the same time Mai is nothing special because she is just the fire lord's wife while Katara is a master. Like, make it make sense. Being a fire lady is either "demeaning" for both or for neither.

+ Zutara fans making Izumi Zuko and Katara's daughter, and then proceeding to make a rant on how Mai is NOT Izumi's mom despite her looking exactly like Mai and Michi PLUS having "fountain" a significant name in Maiko's love story, in her name.

I’ve been silently reading all the anti zutara here and thought of sharing my piece. I would like to hear what you think too

God, the Izumi one pisses me off the most because:

1 - Neither Katara nor Zuko would EVER just refuse to raise or even acknowledge a child of theirs. Katara's whole trauma is about having to grow up too fast after her mother's death. Zuko's whole trauma is growing up with an abusive father that kicked him out of the house. They would NEVER abandon a child of theirs.

2 - Neither Katara nor Zuko would ever forgive a former partner if said partner had a kid with them and then abandoned said child, again, because of their own traumas.

But also HOLY SHIT, zutara's brand of "feminism" never ceases to shock me. "A better woman has more kids"? Seriously? And here I thought the worst take I'd ever see from them was "Zuko needs to marry a woman of a different race because his genes are bad, but he is one of the good ones, and Katara could fix his defective genetic that makes his kind more likely to be violent - no, I never heard the term 'eugenics', what's that?"

And yeah, funny how they're constantly going on and on about how being Fire Lady would totally "empower" Katara, but the second Mai is the one to marry Zuko, suddenly that role is oppressive and disrespectful towards a woman.

[megu-meow]

crushing hugs - gojo satoru

gojo x fem. reader

Summary: This is something my brother did to my mom ACCIDENTALLY when he came back home after spending 7 months in college abroad without seeing her.

Gojo is way too excited when he finds out you're alive and well after he is freed from the prison realm.

TW: broken bones, injuries, Gojo

MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Suguru's body has been possessed. Yaga and Nanami are dead. Nobara is nowhere to be seen. Tsumiki is awake, but she's not herself anymore. Yuji is alive, but he's injured badly and Megumi is now the vessel of Sukuna. These are the first pieces of information that reach Gojo's mind as he floats above the city, finally freed from the agonizing nothingness of the prison realm, his blindfold discarded somewhere as his six eyes scan the scenery under him, looking for the last ounce of sanity he has. That being you. He swears if it turns out that you're gone as well, he's going to go berserk. The thought of getting out so that he could reunite with you again was the only one that kept him sane inside the terrible cube he got himself locked into, he wouldn't be able to keep doing life without having you in it.

He remembers the time he thought he could never fall in love or be in a relationship ever. He thought a partner could not fit into his crazy lifestyle and he never wanted to drop the burden of dating someone like him on anyone. He never looked for love, despite being very popular among the ladies.

At least that's what he thought until he met you. A badass first-grade sorcerer he never met before, a knowledgeable woman with a strong aura and a fun personality. He liked how you never took anything too seriously, you were against the hierarchy of the jujutsu world like he was and you were an intriguingly talented sorcerer. The strongest became obsessed with you easily, he loved hanging out with you and annoying the hell out of everyone around the two of you with your crazy shenanigans. He adored your personality, but Gojo could not deny how stunning he thought you were either. He was always nonchalant about having a crush on you, he never tried to keep it a secret. He asked you out on a date after barely a month of meeting you and you agreed without hesitation as you found him attractive as well.

After that first date, the two of you kept going out together and you got to know each other on a deeper level. You quickly found out that there was a lot more to Gojo Satoru than being the strongest. Sometimes he buried the goofy facade and got serious with you, talking about very personal things like what happened to Geto and the pressure he had to grow up with that his clan put on him. He was also incredibly understanding. He would listen to you ramble about your feelings or what you've been through and you knew he always listened attentively. Sometimes the attention he gave you felt intimidating, knowing that he could see and comprehend things even you couldn't figure out about yourself was scary, but he never tried to take advantage of that.

When he asked you to be his girlfriend you agreed without a second thought and you never regretted your decision. He was a perfect boyfriend, he was naturally good at everything, of course he was going to be the best significant other anyone could ask for. He knew everything about you, he was very attentive to details like how you liked your coffee, what kind of music you liked, and what you liked to put in your ramen. It was very easy to fall in love with him and you were doing everything in your power to be the girlfriend he deserved, you always made sure he had enough rest and he took time off to relax from time to time.

The first time he said he loved you was nearly a year into dating him, the day Yuji's fate was decided by the higher-ups. You were unexplainably furious at those old hags deciding to end a kid's life just because they were afraid of his potential. You told them off and at that moment Gojo realised he was destined to be with you forever.

He can't lose you too. You're his other half, he's not fully himself without you. So he keeps looking. His eyes scan the area around him with utmost attention, but they never find you.

"Oh my god, it's true!" he suddenly hears you shout from below him and he turns towards you instantly. You're masking your cursed energy, your presence completely invisible, something you mastered after the love of your life was locked away for good. With a snap of his finger, he appears in front of you. He takes you in, you look tired and beat up, but you're still alive and yourself. He quickly eliminates the distance between the two of you and pulls you into his arms. He knows you're crying, they are happy tears and he holds you to his chest even tighter.

"Thank god, you're okay pretty girl!" he says, his voice raspy and broken. He wants to cry too, but there's no place for that in this moment.

"I missed you, Satoru! I thought you were gone forever." you say and the tears keep streaming down your face.

"I know, baby, I missed you too! I'm back and I'm not leaving again, I promise." he says truthfully, leaving a caring kiss on top of your head "I love you." he whispers and you say it back happily. Upon hearing your confession, he tightens his embrace and suddenly he can hear a snapping sound followed by a painful scream for you.

"I think you broke one of my ribs, Gojo!" you screech and he can't stop apologizing. He never wanted to hurt you, but his superhuman physical strength and the happiness he felt from seeing you again after being locked away made him forget how he was supposed to hold back when it came to physical affection.

"I'm so sorry, baby, I was just very excited to have you in my arms again. I'll take you to Shoko to get you all healed up."

"There's no need for that." you say smugly and he watches intensely as your cursed energy triples and you slowly start healing yourself. He observes with utmost adoration as you finish up quickly and pull him into a warm embrace.

"I didn't think I could adore you more, pretty girl, but you amaze me every day. " he says lovingly, kissing you with intense passion.

[topazy]

Tomorrow's promise

Pairing: Daryl Dixon × reader, Rick Grimes × sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of blood

Chapter: 3.04

You hand the crying newborn to Carl so that he can take her to Hershel to check over. Although she appears healthy enough, she will need to be fed soon. You look over to your brother, who is still in a state of shock.

“She won’t survive unless we get a formula.”

“Nope, not her. Not her.” Daryl picks his crossbow up off the ground and says, “I’m going on a run. Lily, have you still got that list?”

You nod, then kiss Jace on the head before following Daryl. You didn’t want to leave your son or nephew, but this supply run was essential. Glenn and Maggie agreed to join too, which allowed you to cover more ground faster.

Daryl waves Beth over and nods his head in Carl's direction. “The kid just lost his mom, and his dad ain’t doing so hot.”

“I’ll look out for him.”

Daryl looks over to Axel and Oscar, the two remaining prisoners. “You two get the fence. Too many pile up; we have ourselves a problem. Glenn, Maggie, vámonos.”

After sitting still for so long, your brother suddenly grabs the ax lying on the ground and storms to the doorway leading to where Lori’s body is. “Rick! Rick! Don’t go in there!”

“Come on, we’re going to lose the light,” Daryl says with urgency.

You're rubbing your hands over your face while going over to the car, Daryl says. “I think it would be better if you stayed here. Hershel is still recovering, and Rick’s clearly not coping. The kids are going to need an adult to be in charge while we are gone.”

You take a deep breath and try to push away the guilt you felt for not going. You always felt as if you weren’t doing enough to protect your son or contribute to the group. Pulling the list from your pocket, you hand it to Daryl and say, “Okay, be safe.”

—

“Do you think they will be back soon?” Glenn asks, pacing back and forth.

Since Daryl could only fit another person on his motorcycle, Maggie went on the supply run with him, and Glenn stayed with you. You were actually thankful Glenn stayed behind; your brother kept disappearing, and with Hershel attempting to get through to Rick, you needed the help.

“They will be back soon.”

“Man, Maggie was so upset with what happened to Lori, I should have gone in her place.”

Your heart drops at the mention of her name, and you think back to your life before the apocalypse. You remember how happy Rick was when he proudly announced Lori was pregnant? It was only roughly thirteen years ago, but it feels like a different lifetime.

Glenn catches the look on your face and says, “Aw, shit, sorry.”

You lift your gaze from the pieces of paper in front of you and say, “It’s fine. Besides, me and you are going on the next supply run.”

“Yeah,” he says, sitting across from you. “What is it you’re doing?”

Glenn tries to reach over and take the paper from you, but you gently swat his hand away. “Don’t; I’m not finished yet. I need to write this down before I lose my trail of thought.”

With Lori dead, T-dog attacked by walkers, and Carol missing, presumably dead, staying on top of different tasks became more important than ever, and with both babies fairly settled, this was your opportunity to try and figure it out. When you've finished writing, you slide the paper over to Glenn, his eyes widening as he skims through it. “This is… I’m a little scared at how much we still have to do. I mean, until this morning, I thought we were safe.”

“I know.”

Although grim, you needed to burn the dead, excluding your own people, who would be buried. You’d need to clear the remaining prison cells, gather more poles to reinforce the fences against the constant pressure of walkers. To try and lower the chances of infection spreading, you would need to wipe down every surface with boiling water every day, from the bathrooms to the cells you slept in. Your group was already rationing food and ammo, but other supplies, such as soap and flashlights, would need to be as well.

“Bet you think I’m crazy for writing this down,” you say lightly.

“No, I think you’re organized. Do you think we should have a family meeting?”

“We could try, but I don’t think everyone is ready for it.” In truth, you already had a few concerns you were hesitant to share, but now you don't. “I think we should find a way to blackout the windows in our cellblock; we will look like a lighthouse during the night to anyone going by.”

“Yeah, a beacon for walkers.”

“Not just the dead, but also the living as well.”

—

Behind you, various fast-paced footsteps echo within hallways, along with wig-muttered voices. Daryl enters the room first and takes the screaming baby from your nephews, while Maggie quickly makes up the formula.

You smiled watching Daryl feed the newborn. She was so soft and gentle with children.

Later, once you made sure Jace and your niece were safe, you quietly put on your shoes and jacket so you could take over from Maggie, who was on watch outside. Beth was still awake and mending more of her father's trousers, so you knew she would keep an eye on them.

“Thank you,” you say.

—

Stepping outside, you are immediately hit with the smell of decay. You look around and see that the yard is in shambles, with blood, guts, and rotten bodies sprawled out. A problem that would be best dealt with during the day. The air is thick with dust, and there is an occasional drip of water from a leaking pipe. As you move further towards the watchtower, you notice a figure leaning against the wall outside it.

“You’re not Maggie.”

Daryl spits out whatever he’s chewing. “Nope, I let her go early. I got you something.”

He tosses a dead possum at you. You catch and, in a feigned high-pitched posh voice, say, “For me? Why you shouldn’t have.”

Daryl laughs, sits on the ground, and places his blade beside him. “There's no point in you learning how to hunt if you can’t skin what you catch or pull its guts out.”

“I’m supposed to watch next,” you point out.

“We can keep watch from here.”

The thought of skinning any animal turned your stomach, but he was right. And this was the best way to learn. Before sitting down beside him, you scan the area. You say nothing while Daryl explains and demonstrates what he’s doing, but when he cuts the animal open, your lower limp begins to tremble. You do your best to try and hide your emotions, but he could see right through your act.

Daryl attempts to sound unconcerned when he asks, “How are you holding up anyway?”

“I’m fine.”

He cocks his head to the side and says, “No, you’re not.”

You open your mouth to say something, but only a sob comes out. Shaking, you dig your hands into your hair and take a few deep breaths. “I can’t stop thinking about Carl. His face when he saw Sophia come out of the barn... he’s just a little boy.” With the back of your hand, you wipe away fallen tears. “He shot Shane. After he turned, Carl shot him in the head, and now he’s done the same with his mom. I want to keep him safe. but I’m terrified that I can’t protect him or Jace.”

“Listen to me.”

You look up at Daryl, hearing the seriousness in his voice.

“You are a great mom; I’ve seen you risk your life not only to save Jace but others as well. Nothing is going to happen to those boys, or little ass kicker.” When you lower your gaze, he cups your face so that you look directly at him. “You Grimes are strong, stubborn as hell, but strong. Carl will get through it with you and Rick watching over him.”

You press your forehead against his and say, “Thank you.”

Closing your eyes, you relish in the small moment of comfort feeling Daryl rub a circle on your cheek with the pad of his thumb before pressing his lips against yours.

[the-hellhounds]

Walking around in the cemetery, Ravi grumbled to himself as he carried a dead supernatural being in his arms. "Stupid windigos," he muttered under his breath as he found one of the nemetons in which was placed beyond the cemetery. "Always making a mess when they eat humans."

Dropping the supernatural to the tree, he wipes his jacket off from the blood that leaked off of the wendigos' mouth. Having had to fight off the being from potentially running off again to feast on more unsuspecting humans, Ravi had arrived on time to witness it bite a deputies arm.

"Now burn in hell, you shit face." He growls lowly as he sets on fire the body of the wendigo. Leaving it to burn into the nemeton, he walks back to the rows of graves and headstones until he stops dead in his tracks. Raising his head as his nose picked up the familiar scent, Ravi makes a turn towards a burial that had two stone creatures in the shape of kitsunes.

Upon further approach, his senses go on high alert as he hears the heartbeat of someone buried alive.

"They're coming..." Jake says by the window of Jaemin's house as he peeked out to see their lost friends stalking towards them in beserker outfits.

Johnny breathed out as he rolled his shoulders and looked to Jaehyun. "Let's not die today, okay?" He says to his friend as they all got ready to fight the biggest fight of their entire lives.

As Chenle and Renjun got everyone's mates and loved ones hidden in the bunker, the rest stood their ground. Igniting themselves to be engulfed in flames, they let out deep roars to indicate that they wouldn't back down.

Pulling out an unconscious Taeyong from the grave that had oxygen tanks buried with him. Ravi couldn't believe he had found the leader to the pack that had gone missing for months.

"Come on... come on, wake up." He shook Taeyong's body, hoping he'd gain consciousness, but nothing helped.

"He won't wake up unless they get the sword through the nogistunes' heart." A deep voice says from behind Ravi. Turning his head, he spots Chanyeol standing before him. "It's how they got Donghyuck back. But they must piece back the sword quickly before it notices that you found Taeyong." Chanyeol says.

Without wasting another minute, Ravi quickly pulls out his phone and calls the first person on his contacts. "Get the sword fixed." He barks out into his phone as he hears the growls and roars of his pack from the background on the other end of the call. "I found him."

Getting thrown halfway across three houses in the territory, Haechan groans in pain as he gets Sunwoo thrown onto him. "How much do you weigh?" He groans as he pushes the younger off of him.

"Not as much as you do," Sunwoo answered with snarl as he looked down to see a gash in his thigh from one of the beserkers. "Fucking great. Now mom's going to lose her shit."

"How old is your mom?" Haechan asks, getting an unbelievable stare from Sunwoo as if he didn't just ask something ridiculous at the time.

"You're not fucking my sons mother!" Hanbin growled as he stood in front of them to protect Sunwoo from getting hurt further.

Whining from behind him, Haechan pouts. "Why not? You got to her first!" He says just as Hanbin moved when a berserker threw another punch that landed on Haechan's cheek. "Fuck!"

"Karma's a bitch, isn't it?" Sunwoo snickered as he ran off to help his father with an Oni that was attacking him.

Making a face towards the new kid, Haechan snarls his lip as he fought back the berserker.

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" Jaemin says as he appears and helps him with Jeno. "You just can't be throwing yourself at other men's women like that, or you'll get punched by a beserker, which happens to be one of our friends." He says sarcastically.

Grumbling, Haechan held the arm that had a sharp bone as a weapon so they could take down Kai, which was the beserker they were fighting among the others.

Running to hide from the nogistune while Johnny distracted it, Jaehyun held the sword that would be used to vanquish the spirit.

"Then why cause so much chaos?" Johnny yelled as he got beat down by the Oni that held him. "What for? It only causes pain to others."

The nogistune smirked in such a way that looked frightening on Taeyong's face. "Because how else would I feed? I can't feed off of others' happiness, and I know Taeyong isn't happy." It says as it walked dangerously slow towards Johnny that heaved in pain from the wounds he had. "Haechan wasn't happy either, but somehow, his loved ones always found a way to get him back."

"Loved ones," Johnny spits out, "something you'll never have."

Throwing a punch to his jaw, Taeyong growls into his face. "And it'll also be something you'll never experience-" he goes to say, but stops when he senses something. Turning his head up to the sky, the nogistune feels that the real Taeyong had been found. "No. This can't be..." He whispers as he doesn't notice Jaehyun approach him.

"But it can." Jaehyun plunges the sword deep in the nogistunes back as it pierces it right through his heart.

As the nogistune lets out piercing cries, the Oni begin to disappear into thin air. The beserkers stop attacking, their eyes fading into their normal colors as if snapping out of it.

The hounds all let out relieved breathes as their friends begin to take off the bear skulls they had on.

"Guys, I feel funny," YangYang says as he drops his skull helmet to the ground.

"That's because you have a gash on your side," Ten tells the younger as he walks over to him in his own beserker outfit.

Looking down to where he now felt the pain, YangYang felt dizzy. "Oh," he says before collapsing into Kun's arms from seeing so much blood.

"Everyone hurt, get to my medical hut," Kun announces as he takes an unconscious YangYang with him.

Baekhyun stared at Changkyun, his sharpened bone weapon having missed Kyun's head by an inch into the dirt ground. "Kyun?" He asks as the younger stared with widen eyes up at him.

"YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!!" Jake suddenly yelled feet away from them as both Baekhyun and Kyun looked over to see Chris having stabbed the ground between Jake's legs.

"Mate, why were your legs even opened!? You dodge if a sharp weapon comes at you!" Chris yells back at him as he too had snapped back to normal.

"You were about to stab me in the dick!! I had to open them after you swiped my legs!" Dropping his head back, he breathes heavily in pure tiredness from fighting for his life.

As everyone was getting treated, San sat down next to Taeyong, who had been silently drinking beer.

"You okay?" San asks as he opened up a can of beer to drink with him.

Taeyong sighed as he dropped his head back, his neck popping as he lifted it back up. "Not really..." He answered. "I'm the leader to my pack. I should've protected my friends, my family... but I failed. I put them all at risk."

"You didn't fail them," San tells him with a pat to his shoulder. "Having a nogistune inside you is something no one can avoid, but having friends to help get you back means that you've proved yourself as a great leader."

.

"Papa?" Minjun asks as he comes waddling over to Haechan and Jeno with power ranger bandages.

"Thanks, buddy," Haechan smiles softly to his one year old that looked up at him worriedly.

"I don't think a power ranger bandage will cover much..." Jeno whispers while holding his thigh that was covered in blood. Lifting up the baby hound in his arms, he cradles him while Haechan cleaned up his wound. "But thank you for helping, Minjunnie," he smiles as he presses a kiss to his cheek.

Ravi appears to help out! 🤧: @badbf-cb ( lisa ♥︎ ) - @fantasyaespa ( ningning ♥︎ ) - @fallenangel-oc ( staci & alya ♥︎ × ♥︎ ) - @lovesick-hyuck ( ♥︎ ) - @witch-renjunnie ( ♥︎ ) - @raiden-oc ( 🌺 ♥︎ ) @monsterhigh-cb ( jaemin ♥︎ ) - @livealittleoc-cb ( jay & ace ★ × ♠︎ ) - @multi-esme

[bensonsbobblehead]

The Village it Takes

pairings; Spencer Reid x Mom!reader (ft Daughter!oc)

Spencer fakes his death ( basically how Emily did) leaving you and your 11 year old daughter behind.

Content Warnings; angst, sadness, talks of death and grief, fluff

a/n; Hiii, so so sorry about the wait, I've decided not to make a taglist because I don't know how and I don't want to do it the wrong way. Im also back active for a while now so please send request. {first , second}

[masterlist]

You held your daughter as she was shaking in your arms watching as Spencer ran to catch the elevator before it closed. You ignored him only squeezing Ronnie tighter as she calmed down.  He hit the emergency stop causing Ronnie to cry harder burying her head into your chest. 

“What the fuck Spencer? You're scaring my daughter." You never referred to Cameron as just "yours" until now, you knew how badly it would hurt him especially after seeing the shock in his eyes.

“Just listen, I’ve spent the last three years trying to get back to both of you. I hate that I missed so much of your lives especially you, my moon.” He grabbed Ronnie’s chin and wiped her tears.

He started calling her that on the long nights when she couldn’t sleep. Spewing facts about the moon with a little Cameron on his chest. Making her completely fall in love with the nighttime. Cameron had so many questions and ideas about the night sky and it was something special the both of them shared.

He never could wrap his head around why she loved his voice so much as a baby. Probably because of the countless hours he spent talking and reading to your pregnant belly at night or even over the phone when he was on a case. 

“I begged Aaron to bring me back I’ve looked for loopholes for years so I can get back home to you both, You guys lost one person but I loss both.” He said with tears in his eyes, it was true this entire time was hard for Spencer. Not being there for his daughters birthdays and christmases. Missing your anniverises and birthday it was hard. 

“I’m so sorry my Ronnie, you didn’t deserve this. I know I missed your ceremonies and games and I wish I could go back in time to change it all. I’m so sorry, Please accept my apology whenever your ready.” Looking at his daughter and taking in her beauty, he never wanted to hurt her. 

She looked liked the both of you and was an even better person than you both. She looked up at her father with tears still falling taking a breath before speaking, “I just missed you so much daddy.” She buried herself into his chest and they both sobbed together. 

“My life sucks without you in it, please don’t leave again. I wouldn't know what to do” the teenager begged,

“I won’t baby, I won’t” Spencer said rubbing the top of her head. 

“Let’s go home” you said turning the elevator back on. You all headed to the car Spencer getting in the back with Cameron, holding her tightly, you watched them in the rear view mirror. 

You had no idea how to feel. You had him back, your husband, your first real love was alive after three years of thinking he was dead. Yet you were still so angry at him and everyone involved for faking his death, especially Hotchner and JJ.

They watched you breakdown at family dinners that they were so kind to invite you to. Barley holding it together until Cameron was in the back chasing the other kids. 

Aaron was there a lot, with Jack and Cameron going to the same school, he would take her on the days he knew you couldn’t handle it. You hated them, this all could have been avoided. Why not make us all disappear? Why just Spencer? 

You were pulled out of your thoughts when you arrived at the house. All of you hopping out and heading in. 

“Go shower and get ready for bed Ron” you said as you took of your shoes and sat your bag down. 

“Can I sleep with you guys tonight?” She asked softly looking at you for approval, Spencer allowing you to answer. 

“Of course sweetie.” You said as she smiled and headed to the bathroom, you waiting until she closed the door and started the shower before turning around.

“Y/N.. I have no idea about how you feel—“ 

Before he could finish your anger took over, you had never been this upset, especially with him. You smacked him again before you could stop yourself, and continued to hit him in the chest repeatedly. 

His chest was bigger and stronger which made you even more upset, he was here, and you thought he was gone.

“Y/N, Stop!” He yelled grabbing your arms and pulling you into his chest. You fought back but he pulled you into his chest.

“No idea how I feel? It was so hard to breathe without you Spence. Raising a teenage girl who was grieving while grieving myself it was impossible. And you were still here? Jeez Spencer maybe a sign you were still out there?” You cried harder as he wiped your tears falling into his touch. It was like home no matter how upset you were, Spencer could and would always make you feel better.

“I’m so sorry, I hate that it happened this way. I fought y/n, every chance to get back to you and Cameron.” He broke down as you watched silently before you burst pushing him away.

“Not hard enough! Look, I understand it was to keep you safe and it worked and I’m so thankful for that but you weren’t here. 

On top of the way Cameron was grieving, I almost didn’t make it without you.” Thinking of her first panic attack since his death and the long hospital visit that followed after. It was when you really saw the effects of grief. Helping her heal was your only priority but it took a toll on you. 

Now wasn’t the time for that cause you finally let yourself go and buried yourself into his chest.  You were one of the very few people to be this lucky. Your husband was dead but now he’s back and holding you tighter than ever. 

“I know that was unbearable and I know I can only apologize. Y/n I promise I will never leave you or our daughter again. 

I spent three hundred and seventy eight days away from you and I never want to again. You both are life and I was nothing without either of you. 

I even sometimes wish I was really gone. The thought of never getting back to you guy’s consumed me. I’m just glad to be back”

 He cried harder causing you to whisper sweet nothings into his ear. Your heart broke more for him knowing how much he struggled, he lost you both too.

“Don't say that Spencer, you knew you were coming back to us. I’m just so glad you’re home and safe.” you said pulling away to look him in his eyes. Moving to connect your lips, kissing him was always perfect. You fit into each other perfectly. You both pulled away as you heard the shower turn off. 

“I love you Mrs.Reid.” He said kissing you on the forehead causing you to smile. You all continued to get ready for bed until you all were finally laying down, with Cameron in between you and Spencer. 

This was the first time you genuinely seen a smile on your daughters face. You’re so grateful she has him back that you both have him back. 

"Are you going to leave us again?' Cameron spoke up as you all watched the movie together.

"Because I don't think I would be able to handle it dad" her voice broke with a tear falling from her eye as she looked up at her. It was a good question, would he leave again?

"Oh honey, I promise I will never leave you again, it was a mistake to go without you both ill never do it again" he told her looking at you both so you knew too. You smiled at your wonderful husband still in awe at the fact he's home.

Cameron snuggled into her dad laying her head on his chest with you snuggling into her back. You all sat and watched your favorite movie Ron was fast asleep with you following behind. Before you fell asleep you heard Spencer. 

“I’m so sorry I left. I love you both so much” as he leaned in to give Ronnie and kiss and then you. 

“We love you too” you muttered as your eyes shut with a smile on your face. Having Spencer back was everything you needed. 

[el-moscorrofio-y-el-mercachifle]

Hiii, so… Do you have any theories about the characters' childhoods? 🤣 I know this is a bit of a strange question but let me explain:

I really believe in that speech that says: "everything starts in childhood." and depending of several factors, it shapes our personality. I somehow believe that Mario came from an almost totally unstable home (emotionally or maybe even financially), I can't explain why I think this but I simply do. I also believe that during his childhood, Daniel took on the role of father to his own sisters in some way, or a very protective figure (which he actually is). You can see that he almost always tries to please his sisters (except when it comes to Armando lol), he brings candy to Marcela, listens to her attentively, protects her... And when he is with Maria Beatriz (even though he doesn't really like going out with her), when he does go out, he does everything she wants. Have you noticed that she can easily convince him? It's just a detail that I noticed.

If you have any theories, can you please share them with us? It can be just about the main characters like Armando, Betty, Marcela, Hugo, Patricia, Mario, Daniel... Would be very interesting!!!

Hiii!!

I totally agree with you. I'm also of the belief that everything starts in childhood! So I have a few hc reagrding all their lives. Some of these I've mentioned them before, tho!

I will forever prefer the idea that the Valencias' parents died when their kids were still young, because it makes sense for them

Marcela and Daniel, as the two older, remember their parents the most

Marcela, as a daddy's girl, was his the hardest and probably took refuge mainly in Armando, leading to that dependency later on

I totally agree that Daniel unconsciously probs took the father's role, although I also think that it'sexactly because he was so young and so mentally unprepared for it why he's a bit emotionally stunted and detached. He loves his sisters, but it's also stated that he rarely ever contacts them, and probably doesn't aprove of their life choices. It's a strange type of distant affection and protection, but he nonetheless loves them above anyone else and sees it as his duty to protect them, mainly Marcela

Beata was so young wheb the parents died that she basically grew up with no real emotional attachment, which is why she doesn't care about Ecomoda at all.

Daniel doesn't care about Ecomoda either because he's pretty detached to all things regarding his parents, probably because of the same trauma of losing them and basically stepping into his dad's shoes.

All the kids probably spent most of their childhoods at Ecomoda. Canonically we know Marcela did, so I'm inclined to believe that so did the others

Beata probably started with the surgeries pretty young, as a cnsequence of growing up in a pretty superficial world

Marcela gives me the vibes of havj g gone through some depressive episodes throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, probably due to herparents' absence

Margarita and Susana were probably not very close to their kids when they were little, as we know they traveled a lot, so probably all of he kids were closer to their dads.

Armando was def a trouble maker since he was a child, and the version we know (before the embargo) is probably much calmer than how he was in his early adolthood and late teens

Daniel was probably the first one to move out as soon as he could, looking for space and independence

Calderón definitely was from a problematic home. Probably the type where the mom and dad fight very often, lougly and aggressively in front of the kids but never divorced

Calderón probably wishes they had done so

I also hc that they are dead. Calderón says when talking to Patty that some families have the horrible ideas of burying marriage partners together, so I'm guessing Calderón's siblings decided to bury his parents together even though they hated each other while alive

He was probably one of those very calm and seemingly "mature" little kids, which is why he was probably his parents' secret confidence. He says that marriage is what makes two happy people unhappy, so he likely knew his parents were happy before getting married, which I wouldn't doubt one of his parents told him directly along with the advise to never marry

Even still, he probably tried once or twice to go through a more traditional route, probably more out of societal custom than anything-- he mentions he tried simulating marriage, meaning that he went to live with one of his girlfriends some time, but he never liked it for long

Nicolás probably got beat up many, many times since very little for defending Betty

He was also probably beat up since little because Betty tried defending him, too. You know how badly it used to be seen for a boy to be defended by a girl

Nicolás' family likely went through a very, very difficult time economically when he was young. It's canon hus dad abandoned him, so that probably meant that his mom struggled a lot to support him, so most likely this is how he started the habit of going to the Pinzon's house for food

Patty's mom was likely like her, and she probably instilled those same materialistic and golddigging ideas in her

She was definitely spoiled rotten! And was daddy's little girl until practically the beginning of the show. She also gives me the vibe of having a dad that is pretty physically distant, so he replaces hugs and kisses with gifts

Hugo was probaly very bullied. He grew up in the 80s, so it's likely he was bullied for being gay, which is why he developed this bully persona and doesn't take shit from anyone. This is very common from people who were bullied, now they bully too because they suffered so much (not a judtification, tho)

He mentions he economically supports his mom, but doesn't mention his dad. My guess is that either his dad left them when young (unfortunately also very common) or they're very distant (also very common for dads when they notice their sons are a bit feminine...)

Armando and Marcela likely hesrd a lot of not so subtle hints that they should be together, to the point that it probably got ingrained on them that they HAD to be together in order to make their parents happy

Which was also a bit weird because they also basically "share" parents and Marcela admits they tried to raise them as siblings

Still, Margarita and Roberto probably coddled the Valencias much more than they did their own kids in an effort to sort of subconsciously make up for the Valencia's loss

This probably led them to be more focused on them than their own kids, which is why bith Armando and Camila were very rebellious, except that Camila was able to see through the BS much mkre clearly so she distanced herself from it all

Armando, on the contrary, struggled with both rebelling and also trying to make his dad proud

So these are just a few headcanons! I hope I didn't repeat myself too much from other times 😂 thanks for the question!🥰🥰🥰

[alwaysmypearl]

Haymitch and The Old There-before

So a little bit ago, I told @rosegardeninwinter (i think it was you) not to “get me started on Haymitch and his children”

Here’s the result of that sentiment, with an inspiration from my obsession with TBOSAS music.

You're headed for heaven

The sweet old hereafter

And I've got one foot in the door

But before I can fly up

I've loose ends to tie up

Right here, in the old there-before

17 years old.

Before mentoring his first pair of District 12 victims, his nightmares cycle between the light fading out of Maysilee’s eyes, and finding his mother, brother, and his girl covered in blood in his bedroom.

Maybe if he drinks he’ll fade to the old hereafter with them. The sweet melody his mom would sing to him as she hung the laundry or stroked his hair by the fire.

Snow won’t let him go yet, but he sure does have one foot in the door.

And I'll be along

When I've finished my song

When I've shut down the band

When I've played out my hand

When I've paid all my debts

When I have no regrets

Right here, in the old there-before

When nothing is left anymore

25 years old

Something keeps him fighting for the usually measly Seam kids that get thrown in his care year after year. Maybe, just maybe, one will win. One will win and his job can be done.

He owes it to them. The only people he ever loved. Maybe their deaths will mean something if one of those kids can win.

He yells commands as he sits in a chair guzzling white liquor, watching the newest little one train with a spear. She’s good, but not good enough. A sword is buried into her chest on the second day.

Six die of dehydration.

Four of starvation.

He never is given any money to send to them, and he can’t use his own.

Two die from mutts.

One drowns.

One gets bashed in the head with a brick.

Another eats poison.

One falls off of a cliff.

One dies of infection.

He remembers all of their names. But this is the last year he will.

And I'll catch you up

When I've emptied my cup

When I've worn out my friends

When I've burned out both ends

When I've cried all my tears

When I've conquered my fears

Right here, in the old there-before

When nothing is left anymore

32 years old

He’s no longer afraid to completely drown himself in drink. The 30 dead children he’s mentored fade from memory with each sip. There is nothing left. His heart is stomped down, his tear ducts are empty.

But something, just something, keeps him alive.

The small flicker of hope that something could change. That a tribute could come along and win. They might not radicalize the games, but at least he wouldn’t be a lone mentor anymore.

Despite being intoxicated till the room blurs on most days, he still pays attention. There are murmurs of revolution, but it is not time.

And I'll bring the news

When I've danced off my shoes

When my body's closed down

When my boat's run aground

When I've tallied the score

And I'm flat on the floor

Right here, in the old there-before

When nothing is left anymore

40 years old

No tribute has had the power to catch his eye like this. A volunteer. A volunteer in District 12? A starving Seam child, no less.

And the boy. He’s strong, and his tearful eyes still gleam with a bit of charm.

Just as he was about to give up completely- as the murmurs of rebellion slowed and he faded more and more into oblivion, they arrive.

Not only do they catch his eye, but the eye of President Snow- and that drives him to seek revenge with his two embers: a charming bakers boy and a songbird turned hunter.

She reminds him of himself. Hardened by Capitol cruelty with only a mind of survival for herself and her family.

The boy, however, reminds him of his girl. Steady, but peaceful. Knowing every move of every person in the room. He cares about others deeply and has hope in everyone but himself.

So when the boy tells him he’s been in love with the hunter since they were kids, it stabs him with both grief and an idea.

He can work with this. He can create a story. He can make them catch the eyes of all of Panem. Create two Capitol darlings that could both distract and maybe tear down the entire system. But he can’t think like that. Not yet.

He trains them hard and with intention, talking about fires and food over breakfast, and finding water and knife skills over dinner.

But he still keeps them at an arms length. He found out a long time ago that the Capitol kills anything he loves.

But they slowly chip away at that distance.

The pride he feels when the girl fires an arrow at the Gamemakers could have melted snow.

When the boy captures the Capitol audience with just a smile and a joke about showers, he knows he’s a prideful mess of a drunk.

When they both survive the bloodbath at Cornucopia- they simultaneously run him ragged and make him feel like he can soar.

He told the boy to spice up the “act”, but he knows the girl loves him back. What can he say, she’s just like him.

He gets to do what he’s never done before- talk to sponsors and send gifts upon gifts of food and medicine.

He watches as they take the arena by storm with strategy, humility, love, and resilience.

But the further they get into the Games, the more he struggles to think of a way to save both of them.

The girl shows him that she really is like him, but maybe smarter (though he would never admit that) as she pulls out the berries.

He could have torn the whole place down out of happiness when they won.

But that all came crashing down as he realized he created what he creates best: people he loves who are hated by the Capitol because of him.

So then comes the endless dance of trying to protect them- because now the game of mentor really never ends.

They are both alive and in danger by his own hand.

When I'm pure like a dove

When I've learned how to love

Right here, in the old there-before

When nothing is left anymore

42 years old

Somehow, they all survived.

The guilt nearly killed him as the boy was tortured in the Capitol.

And when he watched the girl fade faster and faster without him and with a new monster instead.

He saw himself. He saw how he was broken when the Capitol used the love of his life to garner control.

That scared him more than ever.

So he fought for her behind the scenes in late night meetings, kept her fed and on meds, and held her when he was allowed to.

Had he not been able to focus on her and the war efforts, he would have faded too.

Because long gone was the charming bakers boy that reminded him of his girl.

When it was all set and done, the guilt of what he had put them through kept him alone in his own house. But as things grew warmer and all of them healed, he realized that maybe that’s what being a parent was. Astonishing guilt coupled with pride, longing, and the willingness to rebuild.

But what did he know? He wasn’t a parent…

So nearly 25 years later, when he’s old and grey, and a new little one starts asking questions, he has an answer.

“Papa Haymitch, the teachers at school started talking about the war. How did you and Mama and Daddy survive it?”

“Love, little one. Love, and hope, and a lot of resilience- the willingness to keep going and fighting for what’s right. Your parents taught me how to love again. And if we didn’t have each other, we wouldn’t have made it, precious.”

Right here, in the old there-before.

[nebulablakemurphy]

Way Down We Go (Part 1)

Daryl x Fem!Reader

Summary: Y/N and Daryl follow a dead end that leads them to wash up on the shores of France. While their daughter takes an impromptu trip to the big city, in hopes of saving her childhood friend.

Word comes in the evening, Maggie was raided. They took all the grain, supplies and Hershel.

“What do you mean they took him?” Carol says, keeping her voice down, so that her granddaughter doesn’t catch wind.

“Exactly what I said, Carol. They scaled our walls and took my son.” Maggie hisses, through gritted teeth. She hasn’t slept in days, hardly in the mood for small talk. Dog comes trotting down the stairs to say hello. “Where’s Y/N?” That’s why she’s here.

“She and Daryl had a lead, wasn’t supposed to be this long of a run but…”

“How long’ve they been gone?”

“Two weeks,” Carol admits, “going on three.”

Maggie nods, “you’re here with Sophie?”

“Sophie’s here with Sophie.” The girl in question, waltzes into the room. Scaring the living shit out of both the older women. “I’m eighteen now, no more babysitters.”

“What about Dog?” Carol arches a brow. “If we’re going on a recon mission, we need a dog sitter.”

“What kind of recon mission?” Sophie wonders. Is it my parents?

“Hershel was taken,” Maggie informs her. “I have a map, I’m gonna follow it. Stop for backup along the way.”

“I’m in.” Sophie waves a hand. “Let me run Dog over to Judith and grab my guns.”

Carol presses her lips together to conceal her grin. Her granddaughter is a piece of work, but she couldn’t be more proud.

————————————————————————

“I’m pregnant.”

Two little words changed Daryl’s life forever.

“Ya sure?” That’s all he can think to say at a time like this.

“Yeah.”

“We keepin’ it?”

“Would that be ok?” Y/N asks, wringing her hands.

“I’ll be here.” Daryl nods.

He wasn’t the type of person to fantasize about meeting someone, getting married or having kids; white picket fence didn’t seem like the life for him. He never believed in love, not really. The only kind he’d seen was violent, loud; a screaming match, a lash from a belt. Then suddenly love was real, and he was in it. With a girl who might’ve been more afraid to admit it than he was.

Y/N grew up watching her father beat the ever loving shit out of her mom, for the smallest of things. Sometimes, the things he was angry about had nothing to do with her. But Ed always found a way to justify it. Carol had Y/N fresh out of high school, she didn’t really have a choice but to stay with him. At least that’s what she thought back then. One daughter turned into two and she was stuck.

In a lot of ways, the whole apocalypse thing saved Carol. Saved her from who she was and who she was going to be if she didn’t get out.

“They say if you grow up with an angry man in your house, there will always be an angry man in your house.” Y/N tells Daryl one night, out of the blue.

Daryl grunts, around a mouthful of food. “Let me know when ya find ‘em, I’ll kill ‘em.”

And that was it. Y/N let him in. Let him close. Daryl let her know him in a way no one else did, or ever would. She traced his scars, with careful fingertips. But her scars were harder to navigate, no telling when Daryl might skid across one he couldn’t see, buried deep beneath the surface of her heart.

Eventually he learned what was safe and what was off limits. The subjects she would broach with gritted teeth and tears in her eyes. Love scared her, terrified her even; but it was real and she was in it.

The second that little girl was in their arms, the world shifted. Anything and everything revolved around her.

“Daryl?” Y/N whispers, as not to wake him if he’s sleeping. It’s her watch and technically nothing has happened.

“Hmm?” His chest rumbles beneath her head.

“I think we need to keep moving.” She leans up slightly to stare down at him, on his back with one arm tucked under his head, in their makeshift bed.

“Sum’ happen?” He blinks at her.

“No, but something feels off.”

“Ya mean how they never got a straight answer ta nothin’, an’ more interested in where we came from than where we’re goin’?” He says, tapping restless fingers against her lower back.

“Yeah.” Y/N breathes, keeping their conversation private.

Daryl nods his agreement, “a’ight. We’ll head out in the mornin’.”

There’s rustling outside their sleeping quarters. A tarp strung up between two trees with a tore up sleeping bag underneath. The crunching of leaves, snap of a twig beneath the sole of a shoe. They’re not alone.

————————————————————————

Now this ‘backup’ they’re stopping for, is on a wanted poster. He looks the same as he did seven years ago, when he left. Negan.

“This is the backup?” Sophie scoffs, grabbing at the paper. “Wanted by the New Babylon Marshals, for murder… Must be a change of pace for him.”

“What do you mean?” Maggie asks, her eyes still trained on the road, as she presses down harder on the gas.

“Being wanted,” Sophie quips.

Carol lets out an involuntary chuckle.

Maggie does not seem as amused.

“What makes you think he can help anyway?”

“The men who took Hershel…they whistled. Just like he used to. Scaled our walls, stole from our rations, just like Negan. They know ‘em.” Maggie is sure of it.

Finding Negan is easier said than done. But eventually they track him down in some shady motel, behind a dive bar. Money isn’t worth much these days, but still, there are things that people want.

Negan runs, that’s what he’s good at. He’s got a girl with him, probably around Hershel’s age. They run them down on the side of the road. Maggie jumps out, holding a knife to his throat.

“Thought you were better on your feet.” Maggie remarks.

Negan only smiles, “good to see you too.”

“We need your help.” Sophie jumps out of the cab, wasting no time on whatever this is.

“Well I’ll be damned. Is that little Sophie?” Negan squints in her direction.

“Don’t call her that.” Carol brushes off her pants, “she’ll bite your head off.”

“Where’s the folks?” Negan asks.

“Out.” Sophie snaps.

“When the cat’s away, the mice will play. Huh?”

Part 2

[faun-the-hound]

Avira (rewrite Aphmau) had a family before Phoenix Drop. Three younger siblings she was basically a mother to. Her own mother passed away in childbirth years ago. Avi was barely sixteen when this happened, her younger brothers were ten (Alessi) and seven (Angelo). She was put into the provider role for them, falling into it surprisingly easily. Sixteen is considered 'adult' in her hometown, at least enough to be a legal guardian to orphans.

Alessi would watch their baby sister (Adelina/Ada) while Avira worked as a barmaid in the local tavern. The three of them would sit at a table or a bar and watch their big sister working. Angelo learned to play guitar when he was eleven, performing on the stage, while Alessi started helping wash dishes.

Despite her busy work life, Avira made for a wonderfully attentive parental figure. Ada called her 'mama', Angelo introduced her as his mother, Alessi called her 'mom' accidentally a number of times. She raised her younger siblings for almost a decade before...

Well, she doesn't know what happened. She just woke up in the forest one day, battered and disoriented, her clothes in tatters and fresh white scars across her arms and face. She could hardly see through the dizzying pain pulsing through her head, and the looming darkness of the night, only able to make out a vague shadow of a person with bright crimson eyes and a green mask over their face.

In her hometown, a small village far away from Phoenix Drop, Ada buried her older brothers, just nine years old, adding a third, empty grave for her sister- her mother, Avira. She screamed at the stars to give them back- cursed the Gods that could be so cruel to take her family from her-

She wanted to be angry. She wanted to hate her sister for simply vanishing- Avira didn't die- Ada knows she didn't die. Alessi was fighting, protecting the village amongst the other members of the guard, having graduated from the Academy a few years ago. Angelo herded the younger kids away from the fighting- helped them to safety and gave his life stopping the Knights from hurting anyone.

Ada watched him die. In the aftermath, Alessi's body was found in the streets, fallen beside a Knight he had brought down with him. Angelo was brought into the basement Ada had been hiding in with the other kids her age and younger.

Avira was just gone.

Everyone dead had been found. The bodies were collected and brought to the town hall to be identified by family or friends, and Ada had picked out her brothers amongst the deceased, shaking as she pointed to the two of them.

Avira was never found. No one else had been taken, no one else was missing. She was a fighter, having extensive guard training despite never formally swearing an oath. She was surely out in the streets fighting for her home during the raid, but she was never found. ----------

Out of universe now, Avira was taken to Irene's realm for a brief moment during the Shadow Knight raid. A Commander had her cornered, having already killed the two guards trying to fight alongside her.

Being dragged so suddenly and roughly through the realm barrier severely messed up her head, erasing most of her memories, save for her own name. She doesn't know where she came from, or how she wound up outside of Phoenix Drop, having no memories of her siblings or home.

Vylad and Caspian were the ones to bring her there. Using instructions given to her by Hyria, Vylad set up a ritual that, supposedly, would bring a saviour for Phoenix Drop, setting in motion the events that would eventually save all of Ru'aun. Caspian used their own innate Magick to activate the ritual, disappearing afterwards, leaving Vylad to be the one leading Avira to Phoenix Drop.

Being sent to Irene's realm, even for that brief millisecond, was enough to create a link between Avira and the Relics stored inside the realm, giving her those runic 'scars' on her arms and face.

[bonefall]

So what does the formative memory of seeing Tigerheart’s dead body do to Shadow?

It WRECKS that little man

Shadowsight, to me, is a character who is always seeking grand purpose, destiny, and has a terrible relationship with death and mortality. I have a couple of issues with how canon thinks he is a character who needs to be "redeemed" as if he ever did anything wrong, but I really do like how good of a target he was for Ashfur.

No cat would have been able to see that Ashfur was "fake" because he ISN'T. But Shadowsight is especially influenced by someone who makes him feel special, like finally he's filling his purpose.

So BB!Shadowsight.

This kid has a terrible relationship with death, it's ever-present and yet, impermanent. He saw a Guardian cat die protecting their home. Watched Ivytail wither away, dying to save her daughter. One of his moms was dead, and StarClan brought her back to lead ShadowClan. Rowanstar was his grandfather, and he gave up his life to bring her back. He's going to end up watching people he loves die, and be told that they all died for an honorable reason.

There was ONE person he loved who died dishonorably, though. His uncle Juniperclaw. He killed Leafstar via poisoning and was killed, in turn, by one of Waspstar's warriors. Buried like a rogue with his murderer unnamed.

And, Shadowkit has severe epilepsy. The type that is life-threatening, prompting Tawnypelt to kidnap him and bring him to the Tribe to try and treat. He's "wise beyond his years" and confronting mortality from a young age

So, what's his purpose? If we all die for a reason, to put it towards something, and he was just given even more time on this Earth with his Chamomile treatments... there must be a reason for it. He must put his life to good use.

That reason is a StarClan Warrior that strikes him with lightning, and gives him a connection stronger than anyone's ever seen before. At the start of TBC, he's CONVINCED that finally his purpose has come forth. They're speaking through him.

I really like him as a character who goes through hell, seeks a purpose and grand point to his life, but is denied it. His need for it leaves him open to be manipulated, but he never gets his Grand Destiny. He can't die in some big miserable show of fulfillment (not a fan of that idea, glad they didn't do it in canon), he has to accept that his "purpose" in life... is just to live it.

[adidegmez]

spn s13 spoilers

s13 ep1(lost and found)

if dean thinks cas is really dead then what did they do to his body? did they burn him, bury him or nothing? jack is just a baby right now. winchesters are maybe not superheroes but they are my heroes. dean is just telling the truth?! he is not okay. he lost everyone he cared except sam. sam is calmer than dean. jack is just a sweet little boy. sam is scared. castiel is jacks father(according to jack at least). thats nice. damian as in damian wayne? i dont think i know anyone else named damian. dean'S prayer… he even add crowley he loved him(sometimes). and Chuck he left and he just doesnt care. he left lucifer on earth. everything happened on this Show is because of him. and i still believe if they raise jack right he will be good. no one is born evil. even if lucifer was a bad guy he was an angel he was the angel. jack is half angel and this is not a bad thing. dean said goodbye to everyone cas, kelly, mom and crowley. and crowley i just cant he said his name with the other people he cared about people he respected and its sad that crowley didnt get to see this. Dean accepted the deaths of all of them. How can he do this? They can still return, why not? and mary did return she is not dead.

s13 ep2(the rising son)

im sos sorry dean but sam is right. He is right on every part of this issue. Jack is not bad, your mother is alive, the only way to save her is with Jack's help. i knew jack was watching scooby i thought dean would let him watch. but i think he needs a little time to know jack. sam is nerveous when talking to jack because he never had an experience with kids like dean had. dean would calm jack down he wouldve known what to do but he is mourning the people he lost and he is angry. and that prevents him see the way that sam sees. sam did a good job with jack. i expected dean to say he is batman but i guess its not the time. lucifer is funny sometimes. good job jack. i think dean will understand jack, eventually. i hope that time comes soon.

s13 ep3(patience)

kelly was a great mother. i get deans point of view but he needs to calm down. it's been a long time missouri. she died! jack really cares about deans opinions just like his dad(cas). dean will get over this and he will be nicw to jack eventually, i just hope it wont be late. yes, sam is the best person to understand jack. this is brilliant. i really love how he treats jack. i love sam. i know dean is in pain but sam is right this is resembles to sam's situation. sam deserved to be saved so does jack. and jack didnt do anything wrong yet he has been on earth like a week. and cas mary it wasnt his fault. dean lost them and he is blaming jack. but its lucifers fault. and jack doesnt deserves a this treatment from dean. dean should help sam save jack. i have always been on the same page as dean always but not this time. i hope dean changes his mind soon. because i need both winchesters in the same page. cas! im glad he is back but if he could return does this mean crowley could return too. and i think i finally understand something. Charlie and now rowena are dead and they wont return cause the story doesnt need them anymore. but i need them to return. i always see spoilers but ive never heard rowenas death. and ive never seen anything about charlie's return. but i want them to return. I didn't even like Rowena that much in the beginning but lately I've started to like her. Charlie is a completely different matter, i always loved her, I need her to come back.

s13 ep4(the big empty)

clone wars!!!!!!! i didnt see that coming. clone wars is my favorite star wars Show. i love ahsoka too but anakin is not bad sam. well he turned to vader but he was a good master palpatine manipulated. i hope jack loves clones. they are my favorite thing about star wars. clones are amazing. dean cas sam and crowley closed the door. crowley sacrificed himself. i think i love jack. cas where are you? why does lucifer need mary? Dean needs to pull himself together as soon as possible, he scares Jack, he even upsets Sam. misha is amazing. finally dean complimented jack. i needed that. finally dean is thinking like sam. thank you dean. cas is back.

s13 ep5(advanced thanatology)

yes, something is wrong with sam. dean wears sunglasses indoors. Do the w's represent how many times the winchesters died? did billie become death? she is death thats not good. I wish Dean hadn't killed death. I loved him. thats a good thing afterall. billie let dean live. Dean lost his faith. But when Cas comes, he will be happy. hi cas. welcome back. look in their eyes. team free will together again.

s13 ep6(tombstone)

cas is back. everyone is happy. i missed you cas. and the hugs. jack did it jack brought him back. team free will 2.0 . dean is back. he really missed cas. his eyes are shining. i missed funny dean. Seeing Dean happy makes me happy. cas… all i can think about is his character development. he is an amazing character. he changed so much. his talk with jack was beautiful. hats, dean is really back. dean finally said it, jack is not a monster. i wish he didnt leave. i hope hell come back.

s13 ep7(war of the worlds)

what happened to mary? So will Michael be the villain of this season? i knew it was kevin. hi kevin! i missed you. i think i would prefer lucifer to that Michael. lucifer is so funny. lucifer is back, Mary stayed in the other World. i thought ketch was a clone. I don't remember seeing anything about clones in this series, but for some reason the first thing that comes to my mind is always clones. But it turned out to be an evil twin. i believe that story hes telling the truth. rowena isnt dead right? cas and lucifer, lucifer is so funny. and he is trying to save the World for himself probably. i believed ketch. asmodeus and ketch, they will trouble the Winchesters. If Dean had said yes to Ketch, would Ketch have worked with them instead of Asmodeus?

s13 ep8(the scorpion and the frog)

supernatural really did everything. now there is a heist episode. and it was funny. yes, i missed hopeful dean. it was nice to see that. Didn't Bart say there were copies of the spell? Couldn't they find them? The bus scene reminded me of the scene where they left Charlie on the bus. i missed Charlie.

s13 ep9(the bad place)

i think jack wants to bring mary back not lucifer. Jack gets very happy when he gets a "good job" from Dean. And that makes me happy too. Jack also joined the family. I love him. dean! why did you treat her like that? well at least jack found mary and the winchesters are together. but idk where kaia is.

s13 ep10(wayward sisters)

claire is getting better at hunting. they are on a hunting trip… they said it again. i like it. i love donna and the others, we should see them more. i love jody. Claire's speech was like the beginning of a new series. I researched but they haven't made a mini series, I hope they tell this story here. i love the girls they are amazing.

s13 ep11(breakdown)

the real fbi is here. The beginnings of the episodes always resemble Criminal Minds. but almost the entire episode was really like cm. garcia would find her quickly. i liked doug. i hoped he would become a hunter. doug and donna were good. come on, first dean now sam they lost hope but it was always like this and they believed this job. but now they are in a dark place. i need hopeful winchesters back.

s13 ep12(various & sundry villans)

lucifer is hilarious. omg not the love spell. not dean please. yes sam save dean. hello boys(crowley said it the best). hi rowena. welcome back. how are you alive? they all forgot about adam. cas loves his son. i love how he talks about jack. Rowena asked about Crowley because she wondered if he might pose a risk to her, right? I wish there were nice mother and son scenes. I don't even think Rowena would be upset about Crowley's death, but I wish she would be. she is sad?! rowena is right. when is lucifer ever gone. he always comes back. cas and lucifer made a good team. that was a little brutal. Rowena took the page, didn't she? i thought sam would give her but i didnt think would do it. but he did. lucifer is not dead. We forget the traumas of the Winchesters very quickly, they are not even mentioned. They always show themselves strong, they don't show what's inside them. Dean spent 40 years in hell, Sam was tortured by Lucifer, Dean had to survive in purgatory… I hope Rowena doesn't cause trouble for the boys.

s13 ep13(devil's bargain)

i thought lucifer would let cupid live but he killed him and i suppose he did it just for fun. i forgot about ketch. How did Lucifer not die? i missed kevin. sister jo(daneel ive been waiting for this, i thought we would saw her earlier on the show). Doesn't the prophet know the difference between Cas and Asmodeus? ketch is right. lucifer cant do the things he promised, right? gabriel!!! well, i hope winchesters can save him.

s13 ep14(good intentions)

Dean you are amazing Cas you are amazing too. Mary is not Mary. They're still messing with Jack's head, right? hi bobby! sometimes jack's smiles are sweet but sometimes he scared me he smiles like lucifer sometimes, other than that he is just a sweet boy. and i love him. i love this bobby too but i want old bobby. mary made the deal she brought so much pain to her boys but we saw what the world would be like if she hadn't made that deal, and I think Mary did the right thing. If that deal hadn't happened, we would never have met the boys. cas! i dont like where this is going. i hope cas wont go far. Dean and Sam are Jack's role models, I think he chose very good role models. Whatever it takes… both Dean and Cas go too far. They need to calm down and think a bit. I hope nothing bad happens to them. I'm sorry about Donatello, I didn't like him as much as Kevin, but he was still a good guy. He didn't deserve what happened to him (like all the good characters in the series)

s13 ep15(a most holy man)

While Dean was saying enjoy, he was thinking things like this will be the last time you drive and he was imagining how he would kill that man. yes i totally believe dean would kill for the baby. I heard that that scene was improvised and it's really a perfect scene. I never thought that the blood would come from that man. I thought it would be from someone we knew before or someone very important.

s13 ep16(scoobynatural)

do you know how long i've been waiting for this. I've seen a lot of clips about this episode and I was very curious about it. When I started this season, I was thinking that they were opening a portal to the Scooby universe with Jack. I even thought that they would travel to different universes throughout the season thanks to Jack's portals. just for fun. But when it comes to SPN, sometimes this is only possible for a few episodes. There is a villain in every season and the world is in danger, so team Free Will has to save the World all over again. But did the trickster really die and come back, or was he never dead? i really love when dean is being a fanboy. he genuinely loves them and he shows that he loves them. and i love him for this. i love deans love for scooby-doo. this is one of my favorite episodes now. it was awesome. i love dean. i love sam and cas too but dean has a special place in my heart.

s13 ep17(the thing)

poor gabriel, I hope he can get out of there. Ketch is saving Gabriel right now, even if it's for himself. where is cas? why aent they waiting for him? ketch did some bad things, idk how to feel about him. gabriel is okay for nw with sam. dean really has a death wish. he doesnt care if he dies he only care about the others. yeah this is a nice thing but he would die to protect them and i dont want him to die.

s13 ep18(bring 'em back alive)

Charlie! Until two days ago, I didn't see anything about whether we would see Charlie in this series again but then I learned that we will see the apocalyptic world version of her. I knew she would come but I didn't expect that we would see her now. i missed her. She shouldn't have died. why didnt they wait for cas? i think ketch really cared about mary. gabriel is back! and he left. Asmodeus is dead, right? i hope he wont come back. ketch is complicated. Charlie is acting like our Charlie. i couldnt believe charlie's death and i still cant. she shouldn't have died.

s13 ep19(funeralia)

rowena what are you doing? i thought maybe rowena was trying to get crowley back but then i said she wouldnt do that. is she really trying to get fergus back? if thatsthe truth please let her try. i want crowley back. rowena is kinda right only team free will gets to come back from the dead. naomi is alive. I hope Sam doesn't have to kill Rowena. I started to love Rowena even more. I think there is such a thing as the Winchester Effect. They changed an angel, the king of hell, the most powerful witch and many more people and turned them into better people, and it is great to watch the character development of those characters. They changed Rowena as well as Crowley. I think Rowena loved Crowley. I wish she had the chance to tell Crowley that, or at least show it.

s13 ep20(unfinished business)

Fenrir from Norse mythology, right? I realized the last part was similar to Steve and Tony's argument (Marvel). we'll löse, we'll do that together too… they lost, steve wasn't there. i hope sam could be there when it comes to that. I can't be sure about deaths when it comes to tricksters. I even wondered if Loki replaced Gabriel at the end, but they wouldn't do such a thing because the story would be extended unnecessarily and there is no need for such a thing. i missed our kevin, he wouldnt do that. poor jack. mary sees her as a son:)

s13 ep21(beat the devil)

rowena and gabriel? little awkward but funny. In the beginning ep was hilarious but then it all went dark. rowena didn't run, this time she stayed. she has changed(the winchester effect). lucifer's bar scene was awesome. Sam died and came back, thanks to Lucifer. I'm glad he is back but lucifer brought him. they found jack and mary. dean watched his brother die, again. and the look on his face is telling everything. im glad the brothers are back together.

s13 ep22(exodus)

no, mary. i know you want to help the other World but your boys came for you. you shouldnt do that to them. lucifer is not entirely wrong. yes he does so many bad things but sometimes he does good things. like most of the villains on spn he is complicated. I've seen the scene where Cas and Lucifer drive the bus on the internet before, but I didn't think it was real. I thought it was someone's dream or something. i know lucifer is bad but he tried to do the right thing. he fought Michael, and now he is doing bad things because sam wouldnt let him come with them. sam has hs reasons but now lucifer is going to help Michael nd i think he is not happy about it because h will have brought Michael to the other world, just as his relationship with Jack was getting better. and he knows this will upset his son. Gabriel isn't really dead, right? Otherwise they woudn't have zoomed in on his face. its always good to see bobby but i wish we couldve seen our bobby with the boys and our Charlie.

s13 ep23(let the good times roll)

I would like to see charlie and rowena together. Dean's dream is very beautiful, but with their luck, it is impossible. I wish it could happen, no one deserved retirement more than them. but i dont think they would get a happy ending. This is how I wanted Dean to treat Jack from the beginning. Dean's speech was beautiful. soft dean is my favorite, he is kind and sweet when he needs to be. I love him. I was going to believe in Lucifer because he wanted his son and was doing good things just for him, but in the end he ruined everything again. Dean, you tried so hard to keep Michael from getting to you. I wanna cry. michael has dean, i hope dean can beat him. Is Lucifer really gone? dean… i want to kill Michael. i hope dean will be the one to kill him. The suit and hat suit Dean very well. Just when good things are happening, everything turns bad, and every season, boys cannot find comfort. Can't the kids relax for just one season? There won't be a big bad guy for the end of the season, maybe if they want they can hunt like in the first season or just have a good time together in the

bunker. only 1 season. I wish… but it's impossible. i just want to see them happy.

[artyandink]

we could be more | dean winchester | 10

Summary: Ivonne Rainer was practically a trained killing machine. Stripped to the bone then built back up by her father in order to become one of the best, like he was. She was forced into hunting when she was nineteen, having developed powers that couldn’t be explained. That is, until she was paid a visit by Azazel’s lackey. Her powers were gone, she needed help, and that’s when she found her father’s journal. Pointing to Sam and Dean Winchester.

SERIES MASTERLIST

CROATOAN

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : WHATEVER IT TAKES - IMAGINE DRAGONS

“What did you do?” Dean frowned once we were out of Dad’s earshot. “When you said that you’d destroy the box, you buried it, didn’t you? You made a deal.” 

“I did.” I shrugged coldly. 

“Why?” Sam asked, looking confused. “Now you have ten years to live.” 

“I don’t.” I contradicted. “The demon only asked for my necklace.” 

“What?” Dean blinked in surprise. “Just that?”

“Just that.” 

“Why?” 

“It said I have too much of a burden already, so it’s enough torture.” 

“There’s gonna be some underlying motive, I just know it.” Sam gritted his teeth. “You shouldn’t have done it.” 

“I had to!” 

“Why?!” 

“Because I’m lost!” I burst out. “I’m looking through every single book of mine, but I can’t find anything to do with setting my powers free. My dad can help. He taught me everything I know and he could know something-“ 

“What’s he gonna do when he finds out that your brother, sister and mother died because of a dreamwalker?” Dean fumed. “You’ve messed up big time.” 

“I’m a mess up.” I wept, sitting down. “I can’t- I can’t do this without him, I just can’t. I raise my gun and I shoot, sure, but I think a thousand times before doing it because of Carter and Xavier, and the one person I’d always trust to help me is my dad, but when I look, he’s not there and it kills me. I-“ The two hugged me, letting go of their anger. 

“It’s ok.” Dean murmured.  

“Jellybean.” Dad was leaning on my doorframe, looking stern. “Did you make a deal with a crossroads demon?” 

“Yeah.” I whispered, nodding. “I had to. The devil took my abilities away. People have died because I wasn’t quick enough to act, or I’m me. Mom’s dead, Dad. So is Lily, and Carter, and it was all my fault-“ 

“I know about it.” He assured. “It pained me, but I watched it happen. You were so brave, and it wasn’t your fault, it was mine.” 

“It was my fault.” 

“It wasn’t. Honestly? It was mine, because what I did led that dreamwalker to you and caused you so much pain.” He smoothed back my hair with a  sad smile. “Look at you now. You’re so strong, so beautiful. You’re everything I knew you would be, even if things didn’t go as planned.” He leaned his forehead on mine, then kissed it. “I’ll protect you too from now on, even if those two boys are doing a good job of it. They’re John Winchester’s boys, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Good kids. I’ve already interrogated them about how well they’re treating you.” 

“Dad.” 

“You know I had to.” He excused. “I’ve got to know who these boys are if they’re spending time with my baby girl. Especially that Dean kid.” 

“Dad!” 

“There’s something there, I know it.” 

“No, you don’t.” I giggled. “Dad, these guys have kept me safe.”

”More like you keep them safe. My jellybean doesn’t need protecting.” 

“Yes, she does.” I heard whimpering from the other room, and I frowned. “Excuse me, Dad, just gotta go check something.” I went to the other room, where Sam was asleep. “Sam?” Sam’s face was scrunched up, sweat rolling down his face as he breathed heavily. I sat down beside him, taking the blanket off him carefully. “Hey, Sammy.” 

“Sam?” Dean was at the door, but then Sam sat up, and I immediately steadied him. 

“No…” He stared at Dean, panting, with wide eyes. 

“There are only two towns in the US named Rivergrove.” Sam frowned, looking at the GPS. I had my earphones in, listening to music as we went.

“How are you so sure that it’s the one in Oregon?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“There was a picture. Crater Lake.” 

“What else?” 

“I saw a dark room, some people, and a guy tied to a chair.” 

“And I ventilated him?” 

“Yeah. You thought there was something inside him.” 

“Like a demon? Was he possessed?” 

“If he was possessed, we’d have exorcised him first.” I reasoned, taking out my earbuds. 

“Yeah, cause I’m not gonna waste an innocent man.” 

“But you plugged him, without reason.” Sam shrugged. 

“Well, I'm sure I had a good reason.” 

“I hope you did.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean-“ 

“Can we have one car ride without you two trying to rip each other’s heads off?” I groaned. “It gets tiring to watch sometimes, y’know.” 

“Ok, Beanie, for you.” Dean smiled, glancing back at me. I got a call from Dad, which I picked up. 

“Hey, Dad.” I sighed, shooting a look to both boys to stay silent. 

‘Hey, sweetheart. Are you at Oregon yet?’ 

“Nope, still got a while left.” 

‘That’s the voice you make when you’ve witnessed an argument.’ 

“That’s cause I have, but it’s under control. What d‘you call me for?” 

‘I packed food in the glove box. Just so you all can feel ready to fight whatever’s out there.’ 

“Thanks, Dad.” I grinned, laughing. “I’ll make sure to eat it.” 

‘You better, jellybean. And tell the boys to keep you safe. Otherwise they won’t be for long.’ 

“I think they got the message when you almost did target practice on them.” 

‘Fair enough. Bye.’

“Bye.” I cut the call, turning to the boys. “Dad packed food in the glovebox.” 

“Your dad is the BEST!” Dean exclaimed, immediately reaching for the glovebox. Sam rolled his eyes, chuckling. 

We pulled up at Rivergrove, meeting someone who was at the border. We got out, approaching him.

“Morning.” Dean smiled.

“Good morning. Can I help you?” The man asked, and I spotted a tattoo. Master Sergeant. 

“Uh, Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard, and in the back is Lily Carter. U.S. Marshals.” He flashed his badge. 

“What's this about?”

“We're looking for someone.” 

“A young man, early twenties.” Sam described. He'd have a, a thin scar right below his hairline.” 

“What’d he do?” 

“Well, nothing.” I replied casually. “We’re just trying to find someone else, and this guy could help us.” 

“Yeah, he's not in any kind of trouble or anything; well, not yet.” Dean smirked. “I think maybe you know who he is . . . Master Sergeant. My dad was in the Corps, he was a Corporal.” 

“What company?” The man asked cautiously. 

“Echo-2-1.” 

“So can you help us?” I asked politely. 

“Duane Tanner's got a scar like that. But I know him. Good kid, keeps his nose clean.” 

“Oh, I’m sure he does.” Dean replied. “You know where he lives?” 

“With his family, up Aspen Way.” 

“Thank you, sir.” I nodded, and we walked off. Sam nodded towards a pole, which had ‘Croatoan’ etched on it. 

“Croatoan?” Dean blinked. 

“Roanoke?” I raised an eyebrow. “Lost colony? Ring a bell? Dean, did you pay any attention in history class?” 

“Yeah, Miss Princeton. Shots heard 'round the world, How bills become laws…” 

“That's not school,” Sam grimaced, “that's Schoolhouse Rock.” 

“Whatever.” 

“Roanoke was one of the first English colonies in America, late 1500s.” I explained. 

“Oh yeah, yeah, I do remember that. The only thing they left behind was a single word carved in a tree. Croatoan.” 

“Yeah. And I mean, there were theories — Indian raid, disease, but nobody knows what really happened.” Sam frowned. “They were all just gone. I mean, wiped out overnight.” 

“You don't think that's what's going on here, I mean…” 

“Whatever I saw in my head, it sure wasn't good. But what do you think could do that?” 

“Well, I mean, like I said, all of your weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow, so…” 

“We should get help.” I sighed. “I’m calling Dad.” I pulled out my phone, but it had no signal. “I haven’t got signal.” 

Dean and Sam looked at their phones too. “Me neither.” We went over to a telephone booth, but I got the ‘line unavailable’ tone. 

“Line’s dead.” I grimaced. “If I was trying to massacre a town, this is exactly where I’d start. No way of getting help, so it becomes a death trap.” 

We parked on Aspen Way, walking up to the house and knocking. A boy with spike hair answered, peeking around the door. 

“Yeah?” He frowned. 

“We're looking for Duane Tanner; he lives here, right?” Dean asked. 

“He’s my brother.” 

“Can we talk to him?” 

“He’s not here right now.”

”Do you know where he is?” I continued with a an air that said ‘tell me where he is right now or I slap you’. 

“Yeah, he went on a fishing trip up by Roslyn Lake.” 

“Your parents home?” Sam raised an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, they’re inside.” 

“Jake? Who is it?” Mr Tanner came into the hallway. 

“US marshals, sir.” Dean lied. “We’re looking for your son, Duane.” 

“Wh-why? He's not in trouble, is he?“ 

“No, no, no, no. We just need to ask him a couple of routine questions, that's all.” 

“When’s he due back from his trip?” Sam asked. 

“We’re not sure-“ 

“Maybe your wife knows.”  I smiled. 

“She’s not here.” 

“Your son said she was.” 

“She’s out getting groceries. So, when Duane gets back, there's a number where he can get a hold of you?“ 

“Oh, we’ll just check in later.” We walked down the steps as Mr Tanner shut the door. “I call bull.” I shrugged, “Too Stepford for me.” 

“Way too creepy.” Sam shivered. I pulled out my gun, all of us creeping round to the back of the house. We found a window, but it was only a bit open. 

“I can’t fit in that gap.” Dean whispered. 

“Yeah, well, neither can I.” 

“Watch me.” I smirked, climbing up and slipping through the gap, opening the window wider for them to climb in. I looked through a crack in the door; there was an adult woman tied to a chair, another adult woman, possibly aunt, holding a machete, the spiky-haired brother and Mr Tanner. When we saw blood being smeared onto her cut, we busted through the door. The aunt and the dad ran towards us, but Dean and I pulled the trigger. But Dean shot three times, while I only did one. The two collapsed on the floor, dead, while Jake Tanner burst out of the window and ran, while Sam hesitates to shoot. We untied a crying Beverly, checking her. 

I walked into the clinic, Beverly and Sam behind us. 

“The phone lines are down, Miss Lee, I think this is a cause to worry.” 

“I’ll only worry when I see it.” I vaguely recognised that voice. 

Vaguely. 

“Hello? Hello? We need a doctor here!” Sam yelled, and a young blonde woman rushed out. She wore a really girly headband plus a pink shirt. 

“Mrs. Tanner, what happened?” She gasped. 

“She was attacked.” I explained briefly. 

“Dr Lee!” Another young blonde woman rushed out. 

“Get her inside.” Dr Lee ordered, and we brought Beverly in. Dean rushed in, holding Mr Tanner and Miss Tanner wrapped in canvas. “Is that-“ 

“The Tanner siblings?” I finished candidly. “Yes.” 

“Were they attacked too?” 

“Uh… no.” Dean refused. “They did the attacking and then got themselves shot.” 

“Shot?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Why are you?” 

“US Marshals. I’d show you my badge, but…” I pulled out my own, flashing it before storing it. 

“Oh, sorry. Take them inside. We also have a federal agent here, you know.” Sam, Dean and I exchanged a look. A man of about 6’3 walked in, making direct eye contact with me. He had black hair and green eyes, and I masked my surprise with professionalism. 

James Rhodes, you son of a gun. 

“Hey. I’m Harry Johnson, FBI agent.” He introduced, shaking my hand. 

“Lily Carter, US marshal.” I replied, while Dean and Sam smirked at each other. “Nice to meet you, agent.” 

“You too, marshal.” 

“Can I have a word?” 

“Sure.” We went into another room, and I looked him up and down. 

“Way to follow me, Serge. Why are you here?” 

“I’m taking a page out of your book, Lily Carter.” He raised an eyebrow, holding up his fake Fed badge. “Fake ID.” 

“Never thought you had it in you.” 

“Meeting you changed me, Rainer.” He smirked. “But… there’s something going on. I’ve never seen this many people go AWOL. I just had to check it out-“ He was cut off due to me yanking him forward by his collar, kissing him. His hand tangled in my hair, the other slipping under my band t-shirt.

”James…” My back hit the wall, both of us missing a beat for one second, but we made up for it in the matter of a few seconds. 

“Goddamn, Ivy-“ I reached my fingers up, disconnecting and leaning my forehead on his while he took heavy breaths to undo his shirt buttons as quickly as I could, impatiently taking his suit jacket off his shoulders- 

“Oh, wow.” Sam stood there, glancing between the two of us. 

‘Don’t breathe a word of this to Dean.” I hissed. 

“Yeah, sure.” Sam left, and I leaned my head back. 

“Wrong place, wrong time.” I chuckled, then took a look at him. “But… damn.” 

“I guess another time, then.” He sighed, buttoning up his shirt. “It’s been hard, not talking to you, cause you rarely pick up your burner.” 

“I’ve been on missions, James.” 

“I know, I know, but you’re still addictive.” 

“Cause I’m a law-breaking citizen. You’re a good, smart and brave cop. Who’s meant to arrest people like me.” I started doing his tie, looking up at him with a smile. 

“I think that’s it.” He shrugged. “You go against what I’m supposed to stand for, but I can’t stay away from you.” 

“Don’t try.” I winked. “Maybe it’s fate.” I walked out of the door, into Dr Lee’s clinic room with him behind me. Sam snickered when he saw us come in. 

“Wait, you said Jake helped him? Your son Jake?” Lee frowned. 

“They beat me. Tied me up.” Beverly whispered. 

“I don’t believe it.” Pam refused. 

“Pam.” Lee warned, then turned to Beverly. “Beverly… do you have any idea why they would act this way? Any history of chemical dependency?”

”No, of course not. I don't know why. One minute they were my husband and my son. And the next, they had the devil in them.” 

Sam, Dean, James and I exchanged looks, so we went outside to discuss. “Those guys were whacked out of their gourds.” Dean frowned. 

“What is it, then?” Sam shrugged. “Multiple demons? Mass possession?” 

“I have an unlikely idea.” I sighed. “Demonic plague. This many demons can’t just inhabit one town unnoticed by any hunters.” 

“Demonic plagues are really uncommon in most lore, though.” James contradicted, getting looks from Sam and Dean. “What? I did my homework.” 

“I’m proud of you, Rhodey.” Dean nodded proudly. “Beanie, you really know how to pick ‘em.” 

“Shut up.” I chuckled, waving Dean off. “We didn't see any of the demon smoke with Mr Tanner, or any of the other usual signs.” 

“Well, whatever. Something turned him into a monster. And you know if Sam would’ve taken out the other one, there'd be one less to worry about.” 

“I’m sorry, ok?!” Sam groaned. “I hesitated! He was a kid.” 

“It was an ‘it’. Not the best time for a bleeding heart.” 

“That’s not our biggest concern.” I frowned. “It’s what’s affecting these people. I’m gonna look in my creature encyclopaedia, try and see if there’s anything matching that description.”

Dr Lee stormed out, meeting us. 

“How's the patient?” Sam asked. 

“Terrible!” She snapped. “What the hell happened out there?” 

“We don’t know.” Dean recoiled.

“Yeah? Well, you just killed my next door neighbour.”  

“We didn't have a choice.” 

“Maybe so, but we need the county sheriff. We need the coroner…” 

“Phones are down.” 

“I know, I tried. Tell me you have a police radio in that car?” 

“We do.” I nodded. “But it tapped out, like everything else.” 

“I don’t understand what’s happening.” It’s best you don’t, lady. 

“How far is it to the next town?” Dean asked. 

“It's about forty miles down to Sidewinder.” 

“I’m gonna head down there, see if we can get some help.” Dean clapped Sam and I on the shoulder. “My partners will keep you guys safe.” 

“Safe from what?” She frowned. 

“We’ll get back to you on that.” 

“Huh.” Dr Lee mused while she was analysing Mr Tanner’s blood. 

“What?” Sam asked, stopping his pacing. James stood up, all of us walking over. 

“His lymphocyte percentage is pretty high. His body was fighting off a viral infection.” She explained. 

“Really? What kind of virus?” 

“Can’t say for sure.” 

“Do you think an infection could have made him act like that?” 

“None that I've ever heard of. I mean, some can cause dementia, but not that kind of violence. And besides, I've never heard of one that did this to the blood.” 

“Did what?” I persisted. 

“There's this… weird residue. If I didn't know better I'd say it was sulfur.” 

“Sulfur.” I repeated, staring pointedly at Sam. 

“I don't understand. Are you saying my husband and Jake had a disease?” Beverly whispered, huddled on a stool. 

“That's what we're trying to find out.” Dr Lee frowned. “Now, during the attack, do you remember… did you have any direct contact with their blood?” 

“Oh my God. You don't think I've got this virus, do you?” 

“Beverly, I don't know what to think. But with your permission, we'll take a blood sample.” Beverly nodded tenderly, laying her hand on Dr Lee’s. Then she lashed out, grabbing Lee’s wrist and yelling. Sam and James advanced, but she tossed them against a glass cabinet. She picked up a scalpel, but I hefted a fire extinguisher and slammed it on Beverly’s head, knocking her out. 

“Y’know, sometimes I hate my job.” I panted. “Now, if you excuse me, I need to wipe blood off this fire extinguisher.” 

“What if we all have it? What if we all go crazy?” Pam whimpered, huddled at the far wall. 

“You've got to stay calm.” Dr Lee replied calmly. “All we can do is wait. The Marshal's bringing help.” 

“I can't, I... I've got to go.” 

“Pam!” 

“No, you don't understand. My boyfriend's out there, I gotta make sure he's okay.” She hurried out of the lab, and Sam followed after her. I went back to Dr Lee, smiling. 

“I think that if we manage to get overthrown by an insane infection, I’d like to know the name of the other sane woman here.” I grinned. 

“Olivia.” 

“Ivy.” We shook hands. “So, has the sulfur gone?”

”No, it’s still there, surprisingly. I don’t know how sulfur makes people act so murderous.” 

“I’m still figuring that part out, trust me.” I walked out to find Dean and the man we talked to earlier. “What’s the stats?” 

“People are being infected through blood-to-blood contact.” Dean explained. “Demonic germ warfare.”

”I told you. Demonic plague.” I frowned. “It’s rare, but it happens, just like in Roanoke.” 

“Now we get it.” Sam grumped. “Any way to cure it?” 

“You can only contain it.” I sighed. “The cures possible are impossible.” 

“I've been poring through Dad's journal, found something about the Roanoke colony.” 

“What d’you find?” 

“Dad always had a theory about Croatoan. He thought it was a demon's name. Sometimes known as Deva or sometimes Resheph. A demon of plague and pestilence.” 

“And he’s here why?” Dean groaned.

”I have no idea. But Dean, who knows how far this thing can spread? We gotta get out of here, we gotta warn people.” 

“They’ve got one!” The dude from earlier, who I’d found out was Mark from his badge, yelled. We rushed into the other room. 

“The wife. She’s infected.” 

“We've gotta take care of this. We can't just leave her in there.” Mark pointed with a shaky finger. “My neighbors, they were strong. The longer we wait, the stronger she'll get.” Dean didn’t even hesitate, pulling out his gun.

“You're gonna kill Beverly Tanner?” Pam gasped. 

“Doctor, could there be any treatment?” Sam asked urgently. “Some kind of cure for this?” 

“For God’s sake, I don’t even know what ‘it’ is!” Olivia cried out. 

“I told you, it's just a matter of time before she breaks through.” Mark grimaced, gun at the ready. They opened the door, facing Beverly, who jumped up, playing victim. 

“Mark, what are you doing? Mark, it's, it's them! They locked me in here, they, they tried to kill me!” She begged, faking tears. “They're infected, not me! Please, Mark! You've known me all your life! Please!” 

“You sure she’s one of ‘em?” Mark asked us. I nodded, and so did Sam, so Dean stepped forward and shot twice, his face steely. James walked in, looking at the scene with wide eyes. 

“There are people crowding the door.” He informed, then gulped. I gave him a reassuring look, running my hand through my hair. Pam started freaking out, especially when she dropped a vial of blood on herself. However, she was deemed clean. 

“Why are we staying here? Please, let's just go!” She cried. 

“No, we can't, because those things are everywhere.” Dean refused. 

“She's right about one thing. We can't stay here. We've gotta get out of here, get to the Roadhouse? Somewhere. Let people know what's coming.” Sam murmured. 

“Well, I'm not sure we've got a choice. Lots of folks up here are good with rifles — even with all your hardware we're, we're easy targets.” Mark reasoned. “So unless you've got some explosives…” 

James looked between us. “We could make some.” 

“Yeah, there’s stuff like potassium chloride, benzoyl peroxide, ammonium nitrate, or we can go full on molotov.” I shrugged. 

“You know a scary amount of stuff about explosives.” Dean chuckled nervously. 

“I’ve learnt a lot about ‘em.” 

We heard banging on the door. “Hey! Let me in, let me in! Please!” 

“It’s Duane Tanner.” Mark went to the door, letting Duane in.

”Thank God.” Duane breathed a sigh of relief, limping in. 

“Duane, you okay?” Mark asked, and Duane nodded.

“Who else is in here?” 

“FBI, Harry Johnson.” James flashed his badge.

”We’re US marshals.” I smiled, gesturing to the three of me, Dean and Sam. 

“Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there, chief.” Dean took Duane by the arm when he raced in. “Hey Doc! Give Duane a good once-over, would you?” We went into the lab. 

“Duane. Where you been?” Mark questioned. 

“On a fishing trip up by Roslyn. I came back this afternoon. I . . . I saw Roger McGill being dragged out of his house by people we know!” Duane stammered. “They started cutting him with knives! I ran, I've been hiding in the woods ever since. Has anybody seen my mom and dad?” 

“You’re bleeding.” Olivia remarked. There was a huge cut in Duane’s leg, and I instantly put my hand on my gun, taking it out.

“Where did you get that?” Dean frowned, staring at the gash in Duane’s leg.

”I was running, I must have tripped.” Duane explained feebly. 

“Tie him up. Rope’s in there.” 

“Wait-“

”Sit down!” Dean ordered, pulling out his gun.

”Dean!” I snapped, but Mark was already preparing to tie Duane. 

“I'm sorry, Duane, he's right.” He grimaced. “We've gotta be careful.”

“Careful about what?” Duane panted. 

“Did they bleed on you?” I asked. 

“No, what the hell? No!”

”Doc, any way to know for sure, at least?” Sam pleaded. 

“I've studied Beverly's bloodwork backwards and forwards.” Olivia frowned. 

“My mom!” Duane cried. 

“It took three hours for the virus to incubate. The sulfur didn't appear in the blood until then, so . . . no, there'd be no way of knowing. Not until after Duane turns.”

”Dean, Ivy, we have to talk.” Sam sighed. We went to a different room. “This is my vision, Dean. It's happening.”

”Yeah, I figured.” Dean nodded coldly.

”You can't kill him, all right? Not yet. We don't know if he's infected or not.” 

“Well, I think we're pretty damn sure. Guy shows up out of nowhere, he's got a cut on his leg, his whole family's infected?” 

“Let’s just keep him tied. He can’t keep this act up forever, if he’s affected.” I suggested calmly. 

“What? Just wait or him to Hulk out and infect somebody else? No thanks, can't take that chance.” Dean started to push past Sam, who stopped him. ”Hey look, man, I'm not happy about this, okay? But it's a tough job and you know that.”

”It's supposed to be tough, Dean. We're supposed to struggle with this, that's the whole point.” Sam argued, his hand still holding Dean back. 

“And what does that buy us?” 

“A clear conscience, at least!”

”Well, it's too late for that.” 

“What’s happened to you?!” I burst out.

”What?” Dean blinked. 

“You might kill an innocent man, and you don't even care! You don't act like yourself anymore, Dean. Hell, you know what? You're acting like one of those things out there.” 

“Mhmm.” Dean pushed past Sam, who tried to stop him a third time, but Dean threw him against the wall. 

“DEAN!” Dean walked into the other room, locking the door behind him. Sam ran up, trying to unlock the door, trying the handle and banging on the door. 

“Open the damn door, Dean!” Sam yelled. “Don't do it, Dean! Don't!” 

“It’s too late.” I sighed, punching the door angrily. “Damn it! I’m sorry, Sammy.” 

“You tried, at least.” 

“I didn’t try hard enough.” Then the door unlocked, and Dean was standing there. 

“I didn’t do it.” He whispered.

“It's been over four hours. Duane's blood is still clean. I don't think he's infected. I'd like to untie him, if that's all right.” Olivia asked us, and I gave her a nod while pouring the right amount of potassium chloride into a glass bottle. 

“You know we’re gonna ask you why.” I raised an eyebrow, setting down the bottle. 

“Yeah, I know.” Dean nodded. 

“So why? Why didn’t you do it?” Sam asked. 

“We’re gonna need more alcohol.” Sam left, leaving Dean and I alone.

“First molotov done.” I put a rag in the hole, setting it aside. “You can talk to me, Dean. Why?” 

“What you told me got in my head when I was about to murder the sucker.” He looked up at me. “You and Sammy mean the most to me. I don’t wanna see the day that you tell me I’m a monster.” 

“I’d never say that.” I cupped his cheek, and he leaned into my touch. “Never-“ We heard crashing, and James and Mark ran in, armed. I pulled out my gun, busting open the door just as Pam smeared blood over a cut on Sam’s chest. I lifted my gun in an instant, shooting her twice in the back in cold blood. She fell to the side, and Sam pushed her off, getting up hurriedly. 

“She bled on him. He's got the virus.” Mark announced. 

“Get him to Dr Lee.” I ordered. “This is enough. Too many people are dying.” We got Sam to the medical room, where Olivia got to examining him. 

“Doc, check his wound again, would you?” Dean frowned, pacing. 

“What's she need to examine him for?” Mark scoffed. “You saw what happened.” 

“Did her blood actually enter your wound?” Olivia asked Sam gently. 

“Come on, of course it did!” 

Dean shook his head. “We don’t know that for sure.” 

“We can’t take a chance.” Duane retorted. 

“You know what we have to do.” Mark murmured. 

Dean gritted his teeth, “Nobody is shooting my brother.” 

“He ain’t gonna be your brother much longer. You said it yourself.” 

“Nobody is gonna shoot anyone.” 

“You tried to shoot me!” Duane yelled. 

“You don't shut your pie-hole, I still might!” 

“Oh, just SHUT UP!” I shouted, silencing everyone. “We still don’t have any idea whether Pam’s blood mixed with Sam’s. I get it, we can’t take chances, but the testosterone is killing me!” 

“She’s right.” James agreed. “So, Sam, what do you say?”

”Dean, they're right.” Sam nodded sadly. “I'm infected; just give me the gun and I'll do it myself.” 

“Forget it.” Dean whispered. 

“Dean, I’m not gonna become one of those things.” 

“Sam, we've still got some time-“ 

“Time for what? Look, I understand he's your brother, and I'm sorry, I am.” Mark sympathised. “But we gotta take care of this.” He pulled out his his handgun, but I stepped in the way. 

“This is his decision, not yours.” I gritted my teeth, glaring daggers at him. “I'm gonna say this one time — you make a move on him, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. You understand me? I mean, do I make myself clear?!” 

“Then what are we supposed to do?!” 

I held up my hand, and the keys to the Impala flew into them from Dean’s hand. I handed them to him. “Get the hell out of here, that's what. Take my car. You've got the explosives, there's an arsenal in there. You three go with him. You've got enough firepower to handle anything now.” 

“What about you and Dean?” 

“Dean, Ivy, no. No. Go with them.” Sam pleaded. “This is your only chance!”

”You’re not getting rid of us that easy, kid.” I smiled sadly. 

“No, he’s right.” Mark frowned. “Come with us.” We didn’t answer, so he shrugged. “Fine. It’s your funeral.” 

“I'm sorry. Thanks for everything, Marshals.” Olivia nodded with a pained expression. 

“Oh, we’re not really Marshals.” Dean chuckled awkwardly. “And he’s not FBI.”

“Oh. Ok.” She went out the door, and then James walked up to me, cupping my cheeks tenderly, his eyes glistening. 

“Come with me.” He whispered, leaning his forehead on mine. 

“I can’t.” I sighed. “Besides, this seems like a good way to go. In a blaze of glory.” 

“Don’t say that, don’t say-“ I kissed him, fighting off my own tears. 

“If I make it out, I’ll find you. Or text you. Or pick up the phone for the first time. Either way, you’ll know.” I patted his chest. “Now, you need to go.” He hugged me tightly, kissing my hair and breathing out shakily before detaching himself. 

“I love you.” 

“I know.” He went out the door, and I turned back to the boys. 

“Wish we had a deck of cards, or a foosball table or something.” Dean joked. 

“Dean, Ivy, don't do this. Just get the hell out of here.” 

“No way.” 

“Give me my gun, and leave.” 

“For the last time, Sam.” I shook my head. “No.” 

Sam slammed the table, tears running down his face. “This is the dumbest thing you've ever done!” 

“Oh, I don't know about that.” Dean shuddered. “Remember that waitress in Tampa?” 

“Dean, Ivy, I'm sick. It's over for me. It doesn't have to be for you.” 

“No?” 

“You can keep going.” 

“Who says we want to?” I shrugged. 

“What?” 

Dean crossed too the other side of the room, running his hand through his hair and pulling a gun out of his waistband. “I'm tired, Sam. I'm tired of this job, this life… this weight on my shoulders, man. I'm tired of it.” 

“I’ve lived eight years wondering where I went wrong, Sam, and it’s one hell of a burden.” I wiped a tear from my eye. “I’m meant to be in prison. Heck, I should be dead. At least my dad gets to live.” 

“So what, so you're just going to give up?” Sam scoffed. “You're just gonna lay down and die? Look, Dean, I know this stuff with Dad has-“ 

“You're wrong. It's not about Dad. I mean, part of it is, sure, but…” 

“What’s it about?” Dean’s reply was cut off by a knock on the door, so I went to open it. Olivia was there, looking spooked. 

“You better come see this.” She said.

“There's no one. Not anywhere. They've all just… vanished.” Olivia shrugged. 

“Either they’re planning a surprise attack, or somebody wiped out this town. Either way, let’s get back inside.” I frowned. “But everyone who disappeared was infected.” 

“Let’s check Sam’s blood.” We rushed back inside, going straight to Sam’s blood sample. Olivia checked it, then looked surprised. “Well, it's been five hours and your blood's still clean. I don't understand it but I think you dodged a bullet.” 

“But I was exposed. How could I not be infected?” Sam stammered. 

“I don't know. But you're just not. I mean, you compare it with the Tanner samples…” She looked at the Tanners’ blood, “what the hell?” 

“What is it?” I asked. 

“Their blood. There's no trace of the virus. No sulfur, nothing.” 

“So that’s it?” Dean confirmed. 

“That’s it.” I brought the two aside, looking between them. 

“Demonic plague.” I confirmed. “Never seen anything more like it. They infect the people, then completely wipe out anyone with sulfur in their blood. Which should be everyone in town.” 

“Hey, the Sarge and I are getting the hell out of here, heading south. You should come.” Duane grinned. 

“I'd better get over to Sidewinder, get the authorities up here. If they'll believe me. Take care.” Olivia smiled. 

“What about him?” Dean nodded to Sam. 

“He's going to be fine. No signs of infection.” I went over to her, beaming. 

“From one sane woman to another, you took this better than most.” I smirked. 

“From one sane woman to another, I probably wouldn’t have gone mad if you hadn’t kept everyone in check.” We hugged, and I gave her a once over. 

“Take care.” I went back to the boys, correcting my jacket collar. 

“I swear, I'm gonna lose sleep over this one.” Dean scoffed. “I mean, why here, why now? And where the hell did everybody go? It's like they just friggin' melted.” 

“Demonic plagues do that.” I sighed. 

“Why was I immune?” Sam thought aloud as he went to the backseat of the Impala. 

“Yeah. You know what? That's a good question.” Dean agreed as we got in the car. “You know, I'm already starting to feel like this is the one that got away?” 

“I sure don’t want it to come back.” I chuckled.

I dialled a number when I got home, putting it to my ear. 

‘New York PD, James Rhodes speaking.’ 

“I told you I’d call.” I heard a laugh of relief from the other end, and I grinned. 

‘Ivy! You made it out?’ 

“Yeah. Sam was immune, turns out. Plus, everyone in Rivergrove disappeared, just like that.” 

‘What’s the conclusion?’ 

“Demonic plague.” I replied. “I’m not sure what type, but it’s happened.” 

‘Damn. But does that mean you’re free to have dinner sometime?’ 

“Depends. How illegal are the methods to obtain it?” 

‘Completely legal.’ 

“It’s not for me, honey, sorry.” I joked. “I’m available tomorrow at 8.” 

‘Sounds like a plan.’

”Also, I thought you were Baltimore PD.” 

‘I transferred.’ I could feel his smirk on the other side. ‘Goodnight, beautiful.’ 

“Sweet dreams, handsome.”

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